Sexy, heartbreaking, and just amazing! New author for me and I absolutely loved her writing style! Would recommend!

If you enjoy a friends to lovers or sports romance trope this is a good book for you to check out. It felt like a mashup of both to me.

I read this book in few hours, it is pretty fast paced. It had a solid storyline and I did enjoy Ivy & Aiden's love story.

Please check Trigger Warnings, this book does touch on some hard emotional topics.

Thank you to Net Galley, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, and B. Celeste for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Another hit from this author! The books are amazing and I just love these covers. Do yourself a favor and definitely pick these up!

"I dare you to hate me, Ivy.
Because we both know you don't.
You couldn't even if you tried."
….
…. MY REVIEW NO SPOILERS
….
- Omg 😱 omg … I was a little worried when I started this book because the store has no backstory at first but man oh man! This book is definitely a 5⭐️. Aiden is so sweet but firm at the same time. I love how strong Ivy is, she dealt with so much but still got back up 💕
If you want some football and second chance romance this is for you !

I like romance as a genre, but romantic drama isn't my go-to for some reason. I think this is PERFECT for Colleen Hoover fans, because it deals with heavy topics, but it is ultimately a little lighter. Fans of Mariana Zapata and Hannah Grace will love the sports romance, Aidan and Ivy are such a beautiful couple!
There wasn't a moment that I didn't know that these two lovebirds would end up together, but even knowing, I was intrigued the whole way through! Ivy hasn't had the easiest life, she's struggled with her parents, and once she ran away from her childhood home, things only became much harder, and much more... desperate.
She's come to Linden U to prove to her parents that she can apply herself, and succeed at something, and has created a lovely relationship with the baker at the bakery she works at. She's like a spirit guide, or a warm hug, Bea is a safe haven.
And then she comes face to face with Aidan. He was her guiding light through the darkness when they were younger. He was her neighbour across the road, always ready to open his window for her to hide away from her fighting parents. But he's got his own struggles. He wants to save her, protect her, and never wavers from this. The only issue is outsiders telling him what's best for him.
But his loyalty and love and kindness has obstacles, as Ivy is sceptical that he really wants to help her at all, and he spends most of the book trying to convince her that he only has the best intentions for her, all while they are both slowly falling in love with each other.
This was such a great introduction to sports romance for me, and I'm definitely keen to read Celeste's next book in the Linden U series!

3.75 stars

I couldn’t put this book down; I loved Ivy and Aiden’s dynamic and the childhood friends-to-lovers narrative!

I found this book incredibly real and comforting whilst still letting me escape into a world that isn’t my own. I’ve been in a reading slump lately with so many assignments pending so I’ve been finding it difficult to concentrate on anything, but I honestly couldn’t put this book down. The idea that it's okay to change your mind and pursue happiness even if venturing out on your own doesn't go as planned really resonated with me.

Thank you to Bloom Books, NetGalley, and B. Celeste for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ivy and Aiden have my heart. Friends to Lovers can be hit or miss for me, but I’m this case it was a total hit. There are some heavy topics discussed, so make sure to check your TWs. Ivy experienced tremendous growth throughout this book, and I loved watching her face & conquer her demons. The reunion moment with Porter brought tears to me eyes, and watching their relationship mend was beautiful. DJ and ivy’s friendship was an unexpected highlight! I still can’t stand Ivy’s parents, and I wish the confrontation between them had been more stern, because I felt like Ivy barely scratched the surface of all the pain they put her through. However, the ending made me smile and I loved that Ivy got the closure she needed.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to be able to read this book! A solid sports romance with a heavy dose of heart wrenching emotions. I always love when a sports romance isn’t JUST a sports romance… a fantastic read

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4⭐️

A heart-warming friends-to-lovers, sports romance. Please beware there are TWs, so please be sure to check those before reading. Definitely recommend this book.

If there's one thing you can expect from B.Celeste books is being hit hard from the start breaching those hard topics before a time jump in the second chapter. At least in the Lindon U series so far. Ivy has dealt with some tough times and asked her childhood friend to run away with her but with his football career, she knew it wouldn't happen. Years later they wind up in the same college together and that's Lindon U. One thing I loved about this book was the house dynamic Aiden shares with his roommates and how they quickly welcome Ivy into it. After reading this book and the second, I'm not a huge fan of their coach apart from helping Aiden achieve his dreams. Overall, I enjoyed reading their dynamic and continue rooting for them.

3/5 Spice Level

TWs: Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts.

If your look for a good second chance romance. then this book is for you. I loved reading this book. it had me hook from the being. I highly recommend you to read this.
thank you Netgally and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this arc.

I am a sucker for a Sports Romance so jumped at the chance to read this one. I have a actually read some of B Celestes work previously and really enjoyed it.
We are given dual POV which i really loved - its great being able to get inside the minds of both Ivy & Aiden .It was such an emotional rollercoaster and my heart broke multiple times, add into that the slow burn which was just perfect, and you have yourself all the makings of the ideal romance.
There are some difficult subjects covered in this story but the author dealt with them sensitively and it wasn't just added in for dramatic effect.
Overall I loved this book and it most definitely has me wanting to read more by B Celeste.

Funny thing, I usually don't do romance and when I started reading this author's books I thought it was the author who wrote Little Fires Everywhere. It wasn't until I finished this second read from her that I looked it up and found out I was way off. That said, I'm so glad I made that mistake because I absolutely love this author. Something about her writing just grabs at you and tugs at your heartstrings and although I'm usually rolling my eyes at romance stories, this one had me convinced maybe I'm just a closet romance fan beneath all the thriller and mystery stories I'm normally invested in. This one created the image of the perfect guy that doesn't exist but made it actually believable and had me rooting for them so much I was almost embarrassed. There were a few things that could have been explored more but otherwise this was a solid read that had me diving into the next in this series as soon as I finished the last page. Four Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for this ARC.

I enjoyed this read. I wasn’t obsessed but it’s a solid book that I was into as I read it. I enjoyed seeing how the relationship progressed and how both people evolved a bit.

I really enjoyed this book, it was pretty good and very addictive.
I really liked Aiden, he’s sweet and caring and respectful, and although he’s a football player he’s not typical playboy. I absolutely loved how he treated Ivy. Ivy is a complicated girl, with traumatic past, but she’s also a good person and very very strong. Ivy made me mad a few times cause she’s so stubborn and I get that she’s scared to be vulnerable but she knew him, she knew he loves her and she just needed to stop pushing him away.
Also, if you think this book is filled with smut (I thought so), it isn’t. I enjoyed the story and I’m picking up the next book in the series soon.

Dare you to hate me by B. Celeste

"I dare you to hate me, Ivy. Because we both know you don't. You couldn't even if you tried."

I haven't been in a romance mood lately but this book made me realised what I love about this genre. I think the author did a great job at portraying the mental hardships Ivy had to go through. I loved that it has the friends to lovers trope, I think it brought the whole story together. I appreciated Aiden and how he respected Ivy. Also, he is such a sweetheart, he did so many things for her, you could tell how much he cared for her. I enjoyed the book and I am surely continuing the series.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley and @read_bloom for the advance reader's copy of Dare You To Hate Me!!

This was so classic New Adult, that I’m actually obsessed. This had all the tropes I loved sans toxic relationship. We have a possessive hero but he’s not the overbearing asshole type. He’s possessive but he gives her the space she requires, and is not controlling in any way. I also really liked how he wasn’t the manwhore star player we usually see in stories like these. Instead, he’s hyper focused on his career and making his dream a reality.

This is a dual perspective college sports romance novel that follows Ivy and Aiden. The two used to be neighbors and childhood best friends, until Ivy up and leaves one day. They never thought their paths would cross, until they both end up at the same university at the same time, four years later.

Our heroine went through some tough stuff, but she didn’t let it stop her. She was sassy, sarcastic and spunky - in other words, she had a spine. She didn’t take shit from anyone and she didn’t cower away from other people’s opinions of her. She was so strong despite everything she’s been through, and it’s so empowering.

Watching these two fall in love was such a journey. It was the perfect slow burn, and it was exactly what I needed. I adored these two!!

Tropes:
- Childhood Friends to Strangers to Lovers
- Second Chance
- Hero takes care of sick Heroine

Triggers:
- Self-harm
- Mentions of suicide

*Thanks for netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm always delighted to find a new-to-me author who can engage me right from the very first pages of their book. With Dare You to Hate Me, B. Celeste has done just that and I do believe I've found another excellent writer to help me when I need a YA/NA fix. This story is filled with the kind of angst that I knew would break my heart one way or another and I wasn't proven wrong. Which made me extremely happy because it truly hurt so good!

This second-chance romance ticked off all the boxes for me when two people find each other again. The interactions between Ivy and Aiden are all kinds of painful to witness. How they both struggle to ignore the other's presence yet can't stop the deep-seated feelings they still have for one another. All that Ivy has endured during their time apart when she decided at the age of 16 to leave her home and live a life for 4 years that was both desperate and downright hard. That she forgave Aiden for not following her but yet has many hard-to-ignore thoughts of abandonment. The way he tries over and over again, whether it's the small gesture of only ordering half a bagel from the bakery she works at so she'll have something to eat or the big reveal later on in the book that finally solidifies her decision to stay with him forever, I was a goner for Aiden Griffith, just like Ivy was.

These two go back and forth over and over again, but I was glad to see Aiden call Ivy out on her insecurities, never wanting her to fully describe what she had to do to survive on her own, yet wanting her to desperately move on from all the pain thrown her way. I was glad to see some resolution with Ivy and her family and the way she stood up to the past and what they did to her psyche all those years ago. She's a true survivor and it's no wonder Aiden couldn't forget her.

Fate clearly decided to put these two former best friends and next-door neighbors back in each other's paths and despite all the hurt and misunderstandings, Aiden and Ivy were meant to be. My own complaint is that I wish we could have been privy to when they finally saw each other again across the bakery when Ivy decided to go to Linden U. We are told it was a shock to both of them but I wanted that moment. For me, that pivotal scene is what makes a second-chance romance that much more poignant.

But overall, I literally devoured this book in one day and loved Celeste's writing style. She is good to her characters and presented them without any unnecessary distractions or foolish actions. These two 20-somethings each feel as if they have something to prove to the world and with much despair, sadness and glimmers of hope, find that with each other by their sides, anything is possible. Both Aiden and Ivy have a ton of guilt to overcome but the forgiveness they find not only with one another but with their families and friends is a truly beautiful thing to see.

I look forward to seeing more of these two, together with the rest of their friends in future books. I know one is currently out and will for sure be grabbing that one next. B. Celeste clearly took hold of my heartstrings with this beautiful book and I happily give this well-crafted storyline a huge 4 stars!

Move over hockey romances! I've found a new type of sports romance to hyper-fixate over! Football is in. I think we can also thank Rihanna for that.

I always have such a great time when it comes to sports romances! They’re just so unlike any and all of my interests in real life and it actually makes me want to learn more about them?? Like suddenly I have an interest in football. I want a jersey! (Specifically Aidens)

This is book 1 in The Lindon U series and it was a solid start!
It has:
- childhood friends to strangers to enemies to lovers
- found family
- NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP THANK GOD

be warned going into this that our main characters discuss some pretty heavy topics so do check your trigger warnings.

cannot wait to start on the next one!!

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for an e-arc of this book!

A second chance at life, childhood friends to lovers and in a sports romance setting. This is standalone story in the Lindon U series by B.Celeste. This is the first book I have read from her, and it honestly was a pretty quick read. I think I just wished there was more dimension out of the characters. While there is some topics like toxic family trauma/attempted suicide, I still feel like I wasn’t extremely attached to the characters. I enjoyed their HEA for the most part if not pretty predictable. I think that this could use another round of editing as there was some grammatical errors I noticed. There was one quote, “I can feel the rising tension in my stomach, but not as much as her offspring behind me” I just felt like the wording was really cringe. Again I think this story was okay, but it just seemed sort of flat. I kind of hoped for more plot. The spice is like a level 1. There was only a couple scenes and they were ok. I wish I could say I liked it but honestly one of the scenes was just like a quick pump thrust and cum, and idk I need more than that lol. The girl deserves more than that. I’m sure there are people who would enjoy this more than I did.