4.5 ⭐️

I totally loved this book! Even though I'm in a reading slump, it was a super refreshing and fun read. I can't wait to dive into the Winslow brother series next!

This book is split into two parts, each focusing on a different character. The first part is about Finn, exploring his journey of friendship, love, and figuring himself out. We see his ups and downs and get to know him really well.

The found family in this story was the best part, and I think it'll be a big deal in the series. Even though the characters know each other from previous books, I could totally appreciate their new relationships without reading those. I saw their friendships start to form and loved the heartwarming moments.
The introduction of Blake and Ace to Finn's siblings was a highlight, and I loved Ace's supportive friendship. He was always there for Finn, offering understanding and encouragement without being too pushy.
The older characters also played a big role. Ace's parents were super welcoming and accepting of Finn, making him feel like part of their family. Their approach of letting him grow at his own pace was awesome.
The second part is about Scottie, exploring her family, challenges, and emotional journey. This section was more emotional, letting us experience her thoughts and feelings directly.
While I thought the pacing of this part was a bit uneven, with a lot happening at once followed by slower parts, I think it could've been fixed with two separate books.

(+)
- The found family was a big part of the story, and I loved seeing it develop.
- Finn's character growth was well-done.
- The spice was balanced and didn't take over the story.
- The bromance between Ace and Finn was heartwarming.
- The romance was well-developed, with the authors giving the characters time to grow individually.
- The ending was surprising. And it will bring more diversity to the series. I just wish we had more time to explore that aspect...
- The short chapters and addictive writing style kept me engaged.
- I WILL DIE NEXT BOOK!!! I can't wait to read Lexy and Blake's story. And I know we will have Ace and Julia. I'm soooooooooo excited.

(-)
- The dramatic elements sometimes felt a bit over the top.
- I would have liked to see more reactions to important moments. For example: I needed to be in the Winslow's house when Ty talked to his brothers. Also, I didn't get to see Lexy's reaction, or Blake's... And I needed a reaction of Ace and his parents.
- Two books would've given the story more depth.

What a ride. These characters come from different worlds but they have a lot in common.


I love Max Monroe, they take to the most wonderful of rides in all of their books. They are always addictive.

.

DNF at 38%.

This book definitely has an audience. I'd say most fans of college romance will eat this up. It's got the brooding bad boy, the virginal cheerleader, the amazing cast of side characters, and plenty of angst. I have no doubt it's ratings on Goodreads will remain high.

I'm the problem here. I don't enjoy the "we're drawn to each other, but I'm a bad guy, so I must push her away" trope at the best of times. I'm also not a fan of dual perspective romance, which is an unpopular opinion. If I had realized this book checked both of those boxes, I probably wouldn't have requested it.

I was trying to push through and enjoy the story anyway, but there came a moment when our female protagonist randomly (and very weirdly) decided to spy on and subsequently steal something very important to the male lead's story. It made me extremely uncomfortable and I immediately knew I didn't want to continue the story.

It's not my cup of tea, but it's definitely somebody else's.

Loved this book so much, I'm in love with Max Monroe's books and I'm going to check their backlist.
It was a beautiful story and I enjoyed every single pages.
Thank you so much for sending me this ARC.

This book was not what I was expecting at all. It was full of angst, drama, and twists. I was so invested in the found family and this book pulled way more emotions than I was expecting. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions but definitely worth the ride.

Wow, wow, wow what a story.
From tears to laughter to tears from laughter, it was everything I had imagined it to be🥹
The drama, the secrets, the heartbreak, it gave it all!

The moment I read the opening Authors Note to this story where it mentioned the blend of my favorite shows of all time, Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill and Friends I knew I was going to fall inlove with this story and these characters.

Many times I found myself comparing characters with characters from those shows like Ace for example gave me skillz+chris keller vibes and I LIVED for his character (he was honestly my favorite).

Although I didn’t live through the experiences Finn or Scottie lived, the characters felt relatable and familiar. Finn keeping love out of arms reach because of his fears and struggles of his past made me sob too many times to count.

Overall this story I would say is a story about love. Unconditional, non restricting, all accepting, love!
It’s about learning to love others, while also learning to allow others to love on you and loving yourself enough to let love in💕

A whole lot of loving and learning!

I first need to get my thoughts on their "Trigger Warning" off my chest. A statement that says "TW: This book does contain sensitive topics" is useless. "Sensitive Topics" could mean anything from drug use to domestic violence to sexual assault. If you're going to bother putting a TW statement, then you need to actually give some sort of list of possible triggers. Personally, I didn't find anything triggering but there were topics others might find uncomfortable like alcoholic family members, revenge porn, and an abusive relationship/ex. Max Monroe used the same unhelpful TW for their last book (which truly needed them), so I was hoping they'd learn from comments about it then. Guess they didn't.

With that being said, I did enjoy the book for the most part but I connected more to the side characters than the main characters. I thought Ace was hilarious and loved seeing characters from previous series like Thatch. I was pleasantly surprised to see an older Lexie as well! As far as Finn & Scottie went, I just had so many issues with their decision making skills. And I understand this is a college setting and growing up with the parents/families they both did, probably lead them to make the choices (or NOT make some choices) but I was just really frustrated. Why Scottie kept the texts and everything secret, I'll never understand. She had friends who would've helped her!

The amount of drama in this book was a little bonkers at time. I feel like one or two things could've been removed and it might have might the story a little tighter. This was a long book and I don't think it needed to be as long as it was. The Scottie twist at the end wasn't really needed. This girl has been through enough and then that happens? I'd honestly label this book as a "Happily Ever After For Now" because I don't feel like the relationship between Finn and Scottie is settled in a truly HEA way. It's one of the reasons this book is only 3-3.5 stars for me. I could overlook a lot of the wild stuff that was happening because ya know, it's a book and I just want to be entertained but the ending just kinda did it in for.

I'm still looking forward to the next book in the series but I hope the drama is taken down a notch.

THIS BOOK! this was my first max Monroe book and I devoured it. It was so good. I loved the character development and each of the supporting characters were great. I cried a bunch towards the end. Five stars! I can’t wait for the next one!

📣 learning curve 📣

This one was really a learning curve.
What a twist. I didn’t expect it. I mean at this point I should because Max Monroe really write emotional books.

I really didn’t know this book is the second generation from another series (Billionaire Bad Boys) I don’t know when but I’m definitely reading it because of how wonderful the side characters were. Finn and Scottie's friends’families were *chef kiss * 💋. I’m so happy for the support. And their little group of friends were amazing too🤩.

This is a beautiful story about growth. I’m amazed by how wonderfully Finn and Scottie characters were written. It’s incredible the beautiful message that the authors give us.

Max Monroe have this particular way of writing that I’m not surprised by their successful career. If you haven’t please check What I Should’ve Said too, I still can’t forget it.

Learning Curve as beautiful as the romance story was it was also heartbreaking. Finn and Scottie’s life hadn’t been easy. They had lived through so much pain and trauma that even after they are happily together life teaches them how everything can change. Because life’s unpredictable and it doesn’t guarantee anything.
== what an unexpected twist ==

Don’t be afraid, they’re living happily now but it hasn’t been easy for them.

So yep, wrapping this up I highly recommend Learning Curve ♥️.

Thank you to netgalley and Max Monroe for the arc.

Max Monroe does it again! These two are amazing at what they do. I ate this book up.
This is the story of Scottie, who is a freshman cheerleader with her high school boyfriend at Dickson University. She is going to her class while it is raining, and her boyfriend is yelling at her from the safety of an awning. She trips and is saved from face planting by a stranger who is kind. She feels immediately drawn to him and looks up to see he is gorgeous. Her boyfriend is yelling at her and has no care for her well-being. When she gets into class, her boyfriend and another cheerleader are flirting relentlessly in front of her. She moves to the front since she forgot her contacts and sits next to none other than the boy who saved her from her fall. They exchange notes, and she learns his name is Finn.
What ensues is a beautiful story of growth, love, and determination. I highly recommend this!

Max Monroe was right when they said this book was drama. It was so much dramaand that drama was all over the place. Just when I would think things had finally calmed down for the characters, they would explode again. It was a lot of fun. Max Monroe's writing was a good and funny as ever, bit they also made me tear up a bit at times.

Scottie and Finn were great characters. I really liked them when they were together. I hated the things that kept them apart. They grew throughout the book, like college freshman do when they're on their own for the first time. That being said, there were a couple of times I wanted to impart some wisdom to them. Luckily, they had friends and family to do that for them.

Max Monroe have them support in the form of the kids of characters from past books. Ace (Cassie and Thatch) and Julia (Georgia and Kline) were great support and fun to get to know. Lexi Winslow was another fun one to have around. I also loved the new characters.

There were only a couple things that I'm still not sure I loved. The first was the length of this book. I thought it could have wrapped up sooner. 70-100% of it was a shock and I don't know if it was truly necessary for these characters. The other thing was sometimes college felt more like high school, but that wasn't a huge deal.

Overall, I enjoyed the start to this series. I'm really excited for the next book.

Could not put it down..2AM!

Wow! First came, “What I Should’ve Said” and we learn that Max Monroe can write a story that can tear us apart and put us back together and here we go again. Though no relation to that book, “Learning Curve” had a similar effect. A beautiful story that is heartfelt, raw, funny, everything!

So, this is an interconnected series. Dickson University series is the second generation to characters we love in Billionaire Bad Boys and Winslow Brothers. We now see their kids in college and I don’t think it’s a secret that we get a glimpse of their parents, which is amazing. This is a standalone but I recommend you read the others at some point. You will understand the kids better..especially Thatch’s kid, Ace. Like father like son.

Finn grew up with four siblings and they have had a difficult life. Home life has not been good but Finn had to get away and has to work extremely hard to get in and stay in college. Everyone around him is a rich kid. Entitled, wealthy, have had such an easy life..so he thinks..and he is bitter about it.

Scottie grew up with one sister and an amazing dad. Her mom is a different story. She’s going to Dickson U. on a cheerleading scholarship so she can’t do anything to mess that up. Otherwise, she nor her father could afford school.

Young hearts will tear, be challenged, grow, and be put back together. Bitterness will turn to understanding and growth and love will be learned. Beautiful story!

This book had all the clichés that really threw me back to my WP roots. It delivered exactly what I expected from a good girl/bad boy romance and I loved it.

It is worth noting that Finn definitely isn't like the typical bad boys - he's so sweet, actually. Though his back and forth attitude did become a tad annoying at some points...

Can't wait for Blake and Lexi's book :)

Winnie’s One-Liner Review: “It’s like a Hallmark movie and teenage melodrama all rolled up into one.”

What truly stood out about this book was the incredible writing. Rich with details and imagery, strong word choices—it made the story come alive with its setting, characters, and plot. I don't know if it was because of the font I was reading with (Iowan), or the writing itself, but some of the juvenile aspects of the story weren't so deterring because of how the writing presented itself. It was the reason why the rating of the book stayed as high as it did.

Summary—
Learning Curve followed two characters: Scottie and Finn. Scottie was a virginal cheerleader while Finn was the "bad boy," on their campus of Dickson University. It followed their trials and tribulations as they dealt with their individual demons—Scottie and her detrimental relationship with her alcoholic mother, and threatening texts about her past; Finn with carrying the weight of knowing his father had a whole set of other children, one of which was a professor at Dickson, and the depth of his abused past—while they navigate their love for one another.

Writing, Plot & Pacing—
As I said, the writing was the strongest reason for me to continue reading. It was rich and riveting, and it didn't feel juvenile as a lot of other college romance authors made their stories feel. There was a professional touch to it—not in a way that was off-putting but rather strengthened the way the story carried itself. However, there was a juxtaposition in how strong the writing was, versus how the plot developed. It was weak, nearly non-existent, saved with for a couple of reminders between several chapters.

While I loved the college setting, and how Monroe creatively demonstrated how their New York City campus—as if you were in the city itself!—it bordered a lot of unrealistic tendencies. There was a secret club called Double C where they hosted a bunch of excursions, from a boxing match against an ex-UFC fighter to running through the maze-like catacombs underneath their campus, to a poker night, to a library scavenger hunt for old love letters. It was an odd mix, and with how much they were doing, while it was developing the bond of their friend group, it felt unrealistic and so much. This, in combination with their soap opera-esque of plot twists and turns, felt so unrealistic, that it felt like a Hallmark movie on crack.

Another thing with the writing was it felt slow and fast at the same thing. There would be several chapters dedicated to one scene, which attributed to how long the book was (91 chapters + epilogue). I believe Scottie's and Finn's first time together spanned over three to five chapters. At first, I thought with how short the chapters were, it would be a breeze to read back, but at some point, during the 70s, I thought it was getting ridiculous with how Monroe cut their scenes in half. Sometimes in the middle of important conversations. However, I will admit, before that 70s Mark, I thoroughly enjoyed how short the chapters were and how easy it was to read.

Another thing was how character-driven the story was. Despite the plot, which was loose and flimsy at best, especially with Finn's plots, it was focused primarily on building the relationships between Finn and his friends, Scottie and her friends, their entire friend group as a whole, the side characters that are definitely going to be the MCs for one of the next books in the series, and the cameos of Monroe's previous series. In addition, the development of their romance was slow, but fast at the same time. But I can't necessarily classify them as a medium-burn, it was weird. More on this later.

Lastly, the story felt more high school than college. How they met, how they fell in love, how every little turbulence in their lives caused them to push-pull each other away, and how they felt like it was the end of the world when one bad thing happened to them. It felt like I was reading teenagers, with their reactions to melodramatics, then college students who are navigating their lives as new adults. Especially with Scottie's arc and her mother coming onto her campus. What happened was her mother came to her campus, drunk, and had sex with a college student. It was recorded and posted on social media, but Scottie reacted as if it was the end of her world, especially with the setting around her navigating this traumatic experience. People were gossiping about it weeks after it happened, which does not happen in college, and people were making fun of her when none of it was in her control. It felt very high-school-esque with how it was handled and approached. As a college student right now, I can assure you, people would definitely talk, but it would fade away within a week at most because our lives are not centered around reliving the drama of people's lives.

Characters—
When it came to our main characters, Scottie and Finn, I found that both of them were two-dimensional at best. This wasn't meant as a harsh critique, because I genuinely liked reading in their POVs, and it wasn't annoying nor a complete drag to go through. The issue I had with them was they did not have a personality outside of each other.

Scottie was a cheerleader, but I couldn't see any of the personality traits outside of her being a normal girl. She went to class, did her practices, and hung out with her friends. She didn't have many hobbies outside of that. It wasn't shown if she was truly dedicated to her classes—scenes of studying, or worrying about her tests—but rather it was just mentioned in the passing how she maintained her 4.0 GPA and how she passed her classes. The only true characterization we got from her, I believed, was how she waa a klutz, but that was only shown in the beginning of the story. Afterwards, it was never brought up again.

Finn was the "bad boy," of the story, which was disappointing, to say the least. I did like how there was a new approach to how the bad boy was perceived—rather than being brooding, grumpy, and hotheaded, he was just a reclusive who wanted his own space. It was difficult because he had a social butterfly as a roommate-turned-best friend who dragged him to everything. However, a true disappointment I had was how I assumed, with the synopsis, that Finn would be more stereotypical and was a boxer, or fighter, or some sort that had a stronger purpose. That there would be weight behind his self-proclaimed title. Perhaps he would be a fighter for the Double C events more often. However, that did not happen. Yes, he fought, but it was only because he was defending Scottie. Yes, he fought, but it was mentioned in the passing of how he would defend his siblings from his abusive father. Other than that, the fighter in him came out very whimsically.

But truly, what I think irked me about their characterizations is how the plot moved them as characters, rather than them being characters moving the plot. Every time there was a twist or turn in the story, I could never concretely say "Finn would've never acted like that," or "Scottie would never say that," because I didn't understand them well enough to know exactly what is their morals, or personalities, or hard boundaries. They were vessels for the plot, to move in whatever direction the plot told them to go, and acted accordingly to that. In some ways, Finn and Scottie felt like self-inserts for the readers to put themselves in, because they don't have true strong emotions on anything. They just acted, how any normal person would react, in a given scenario.

Relationships—
I did like their relationship. There was one scene that got me crying, screaming, and kicking my feet, which was where Finn just finished his match with the ex-UFC fighter and Scottie got up to the ring, shoved his chest, and kept scolding him for giving her a heart attack, and he kissed her. That was adorable. I even made a TikTok about them. However, because of their characterization, they did have some faults as a couple.

It was so fast. And so slow. At the exact same time. Let me explain. They kissed, I believe, in the 30s, and they didn't fully get together until the 60s/70s, I believe. It was a tale of first love, because despite Scottie's previous relationship with her ex, she never cared and felt this much emotion for him, and Finn had previous sexual adventures. However, despite the slower side of how they got together, they also slept together for the first time and said "I love yous." Now, pause. Stick with me.

They barely knew each other.

At this point, in the 30s, Finn knew nothing about Scottie outside of her being a cheerleader and someone dedicated to her studies. He didn't know about her family, he didn't know her favorite colors or food (at least, it wasn't demonstrated on-page), and he didn't know anything about her traits, favorite things, hobbies, NOTHING. All he knew was that she was gorgeous, kind (how?), and funny (where?). In the same vein, Scottie knew absolutely nothing about Finn. She knew he fought, knew he was more of the bad-boy type, and a bit about his relationship with the half-brother professor—because she took a note he left on the Professor's desk—but other than that, NOTHING. They knew absolutely nothing about each other, things with real substances, for me to truly believe that they were in love. It truly felt like it was more so out of convenience, their love story, rather than genuine connection. This brings me back to how it was so high school. When you're in high school, your dating pool were the people in your class. You fall in love with a terrible ex because he was conveniently in the same space as you. That's exactly how Scottie fell in love with Finn. He wasn't terrible. Not by any means—he was protective, he cared about her from a distance when she was struggling, and when she pushed him away, he stood his ground to let her know he would stay—but their development of a relationship felt lackluster and unfulfilling.

There were good moments about them, don't get me wrong. Finn was terribly in love with this girl, to the point that he took care of her without getting credit because he wanted to know she was safe and healthy. He was extremely protective, not in a way that didn't leave room for her autonomy, but a silent bodyguard of sorts. He loved her, truly. I believe that from the screen. But I don't believe I can understand why he loved her. What about Scottie was different from the rest? What did Scottie do to you—other than fall in the rain, to which you helped her up—caught your eye? What did Scottie provide for you—as a safe haven, an emotional support, something no one else could give—before you decided you loved her? I didn't believe why they fell in love.

Additionally, let me break down how their romance developed. They met each other; she fell in the rain in the courtyard while he helped her up → He learned she got a boyfriend and iced her out because he, decidedly, didn't want to be involved with someone like her and because he wasn't "good enough for her" → Hot/Cold pushing her away ensues → They make up, especially after the Double C with his fight against the ex-UFC Fighter → He left early in the morning, because of his family, without telling her, making her upset → Hot/Cold ensues again → They're finally at a better place, to which they sleep together on Halloween → He finds out about her taking his journal entry he left on his half-brother Professor → Ignores her, again to which she decided he wanted to leave her alone and she does → They okay, again, but something happened with her mother, to which she isolated herself for a good THIRTY chapters → Finally, after weeks of not talking to anyone, they sleep together again, to which they're finally a couple → Everything was good until something happened to Scottie at her cheerleading nationals → She pushed him away, but he refused to go → They finally get together again.

It was exhaustive. There was so much push-pull without valid reasons, just lackluster communication. I think when they got to the last Hold/Cold, done by Scottie, I was out of it. They always, always confessed/reiterated how much they loved each other every time they caught a bad break—from Finn pushing her away after learning she stole the note from the Professor's desk he left, to after her bad accident during cheerleading nationals—which, to me, was also. Bleh.

Who I Would Recommend This To—
Honestly, everyone. Even the mainstream college romance authors nowadays. This was the standard I'm going to put everyone through when it comes to their writing, in terms of actual writing. The word choices. The dialogues. The pacing. However, to be more specific, I would recommend it to people who can handle a bit of unrealism and like One Tree Hill. You know how that one scene in OTH where Dan needed to get a heart transport, or something like that, and the box of the heart transport dropped and the fucking dog ate it? This book felt similar to that. It was fun, it was short (relatively), and you don't have to think too hard. Also, the side characters are everything.

I would recommend this book, in terms of tropes, for those who liked: bad boy/good girl, family dramas/issues, shenanigans, the MMC is protective of the FMC, and found family.

Conclusion—
Woah. I did not mean to write that much. I just had so many thoughts I wrote in my Notes app, I had to let you all know. I want to let it be known, that I do like this book, despite the things I highlighted, and I do plan on reading the second book, which I believe is a sports romance between two of the side characters in this book, but there were some things I noticed I needed to point out. It was not as bad as it sounded, but because it was aggravated, it sounded way worse than it was. It was little details but it wasn't overwhelming and would deter anyone from reading the story. It was nearly unnoticeable if anything.

I would like to thank Hambright PR and Max Monroe for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Learning Curve is a new adult stand-alone novel in the new Dickson University series by Max Monroe. The first line of the book blurb is “She’s the virginal cheerleader, and he’s the tortured bad boy. Their worlds are different, but college life at Dickson University brings them together in a passionate, angsty, fiery collision.” This book is about Finn and Scottie who were both freshman college students who meet on the first day of classes and share an instant attraction. Both had secrets about their home life that they were too embarrassed to share. Their relationship and their school year was a rollercoaster of experiences, some good and some bad, but it was the best book Max Monroe has ever written. I adore their romcoms, and this is still one with frequent appearances from the Billionaire Bad Boys and the Winslow Brothers Collection. The book had me laughing out loud over and over again, the authors went much deeper than their average romcom. We saw some of this with their last book, and they are growing as writers in leaps and bounds. The book had all the anyx of new adulthood compounded by numerous difficult and traumatic experiences both in the past and in present. Finn and Scottie were both immensely likable but flawed human beings who both showed so much growth through the book’s journey. This one is going to stick with me for a very long time. If you enjoy emotional contemporary romcoms that deal with serious issues, then you are going to love this book. I would give it more than five stars if the scale went that high.

Quick Summary: A tug of war NA with angsty heart-love romance

My Review: Learning Curve by Max Monroe is book #1 in the Dickson University series.

About the Book: The cheerleader and the bad boy unexpectedly meet and become aware of each other. Circumstances are such that they enter into a push-pull relationship. Internal and external struggles contribute to a rocky course. Who ever said the road to true love is never easy certainly knew what they were talking about. Facts!

My Final Say: I can always count on a slamming emotional arc and textured characters when it comes to Max Monroe's books. They always take me on a journey. This was no different. I am 100% all in for this new series. It started out just right and I know amazing stories will continue to come with this colorful cast.

Other: This would be superb as an audiobook. (With stories like this one, I really like to hear voice actors portray the characters. It hits in a different way.)

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: NA
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: 💗

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author/publisher (Max Monroe LLC) and to NetGalley. Thank you so much for granting access to a digital ARC of this title. It is always a pleasure to read and review your books. I am grateful for the opportunity.

DNF at 50% this book is soooo long and I couldn’t get invested in the characters. The love story seemed immature? More high school than college. I wasn’t interested enough to keep it going. I might’ve cared more if I had read the series prior to this one to know familiar characters but I did not 🥲 I have DNF this author a few times so I think it’s possible they just aren’t for me.

Thank you Max and NG for an e-arc!


Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Fav quote:
"‘𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦. 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥. 𝘌𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺."

Tropes:
•college drama
•he fights for her
•cheerleader virgin
•angst
•tortured bad boy
•secrets/banter
•grumpy/sunshine

This book was so good! The characters, writing, drama, tension was perfect. I was hooked from the start. I was obsessed with Finn & Scottie!

Finn is a bad boy on the outside, but he has a good heart. He cares about everyone around him, especially Scottie. 💕
Scottie is a sweet and an amazing friend. She went through a lot, just like Finn.
I also enjoyed the friend group and family. They were all so sweet!

I can't wait to read the next book! Looking forward to reading about Ace's story!

Finn and Scottie take you on a roller coaster of emotion throughout this book. Finn is set to wreak havoc on his brothers life and he’s out for revenge. He’s a powder keg waiting to explode because he feels like professor, Ty Winslow and his family had the better end of the deal where their father was concerned. The last thing he expects is defined the girl of his dreams and Scottie, but that’s exactly what happens.

Finn keeps trying to push Scottie away because he doesn’t believe he deserves to be loved or have someone like her in his life. Scottie falls fast and hard for him, but she also knows he is pushing her away and doesn’t know why. When she sees him leave a note on Professor Winslow’s desk, she backtracks and steals the letter, which sets off one of their many strained parts of their relationship.

Even though I understood we both were coming from there were times when I felt like maybe they shouldn’t fight to be together. Her ex and a teammate on that cheer squad wreak havoc on her life. Finn and professor Winslow‘s dad also wreaks havoc on their lives, and I was happy to see how the entire Winslow family opened up their arms to Finn and his family.

You will need a box of tissues because this book will take you on a roller coaster of emotions. Just when you think things are looking up for them, a tragedy occurs and could rip them apart forever. The way they stand by each other in the hardest of times proves how strong they are as a couple, I couldn’t put this book down.

I liked the Winslow family series, and this first book of the series is proving to be a wonderful starter. I can’t wait to see what happens next with Lexi and Blake. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

An angsty in parts, new adult romance from the writing duo that is Max Monroe with some fun cameo appearances thrown in that readers will be familiar with as the next generation reach college age resulting in Learning Curve as Finn Hayes and Scotty Bardeaux meet when they both attend Dickson College. Scotty is there on a cheerleading scholarship while tortured bad boy Finn…. well, his motives for attending this particular school are a little more personal and involves unknown families rather than his education. Full of the trials and tribulations of that strange inbetween age where you no longer feel like a teenager but you’re not quite an adult, this book was a rollercoaster for Finn and Scotty as they navigated the waters of young love and college and of course secrets and just as things were looking up for them, a tragedy swept them off their feet in more ways than one, leading to some emotional scenes. But don’t think it’s all doom and gloom, any story that has appearances from Thatch Kelly is going to have you laughing out loud and if the prank king extraordinaire’s activities in Learning Curve were anything to go by, if this book should be the start of a series, then I can’t wait for Ace’s story and more from the Kelly family