Player
What Happens on Campus, #1
by M L Sparrow
Date of
Publication: September 1st 2016
Cover
Artist: Deranged Doctor Designs
Genre:
New Adult, Contemporary Romance
From The Book Junkie Reads . . . Player
(What Happens on Campus, #1) . . .
Emotional blast. How can you get away from something so traumatic that it changes your life and the way you view it? Runaway to another country. That was the idea for Chloe, but not the answer to the problem. Campus heartthrob and quarterback captures her attention and then some on their first encounter. Dare I say a player with a hidden gentleman inside.
With each new encounter and interaction the relationship began to expand and become more. Parker received something more from Chloe than every before. Or could that be by choice. There was just something about Chloe. That something about Chloe brought out the haters. Campus life meant everyone was in your business including the ex/exs. Then being with family can be a good thing or bad depending on your circumstances. Lets just say that it was not all roses for the two.
I found Chloe engaging. A bit neurotic but that was to be expected with her trauma. Parker was not that dirty dogg college boy player that was displayed for the world. But he was in a way. He was complex in his own way.
My first read from Sparrow and I have to say that she has me hooked. I want more of What Happens on Campus. The characters are well rounded. The secondary characters enhance the primary. The depth of emotions experienced was rich and raw at the same time. I am not sure of the secondary characters experienced who I wish to see next. OR will it be that we head off to a new campus and meet some newbies.
**This ARC was provided via Bewitching Book Tours in
exchange for an honest review.**
BLURB
Let the game begin…
After a tragic accident which leaves
her tormented by guilt, Chloe Newman accepts a scholarship to study a St.
Joseph’s University. Traveling from England to Texas, the last thing she
expects is to meet the schools charming quarterback on her first night.
However, Parker Mitchell is a player both on and off the field.
Parker is immediately fascinated by
Chloe and, after a rocky start, they manage to find a way to make their
relationship work despite interference from others on campus, including Parkers
jealous ex, and the ghosts that haunt Chloe’s conscience.
But, the real test comes when they
visit Parker’s family over Christmas break and he finds himself being pulled
back into their lifestyle...
“Where are you going?” Karla asked, propping
herself up on an elbow to watch him as he pulled on his jeans and looked around
for his shirt. “Why don’t you just spend the night here?” Smiling seductively,
she sat up and let the sheet drop.
Parker couldn’t help
but look, what guy could resist? Karla had a perfect body and great tits, too
bad she was as mean as a snake when she wasn’t trying to sweet-talk a guy into
her bed.
“Come on, Kar,” he
sighed – he was sick of her games already and he’d only been back on campus a
couple of days – “you know how it is. We’re just fuckin’, nothin’ else. I’m not
cuddlin’ you like some doe-eyed freshman you got wrapped around your finger.”
“Fuck you, Parker,”
she spat angrily, seductive look completely gone, “I wouldn’t date you if you
were the last guy on earth.”
Laughing, he found
his shirt slung over the desk and pulled it on. “You already fucked me and it
was amazin’. You’re one of my favorite booty calls.”
“You’re such a dick,”
she raged, still gloriously naked, “get out of my room.”
“A minute ago you
asked me to stay.”
“Aaahh! Get out!” She
threw the bottle of water on the bedside table at his head.
Dodging the missile
easily, he scooped up his sneakers, jammed his baseball cap onto his head and
left, still laughing.
He should probably
feel bad for acting like such a jerk, he thought as he knelt to tie his laces
in the hallway, but Karla could take it; she was as mean as they came and he
couldn’t force himself to feel sorry for treating her the way she treated
everyone else. Anyway, she knew the deal – he wasn’t looking for a girlfriend;
he needed to concentrate on football. This was his third year and he had to
work extra hard if he wanted to get into the NFL when he graduated. Besides, he
didn’t want to be tried down to just one girl, where was the fun in that?
Practice had started
yesterday and it had felt good to get back out on the field with his team and
best mate Dawson. This year was going to be a great one, he could feel it; the
team was fresh and strong, with new talent having joined in the form of several
freshmen.
Bypassing the
elevator, since it was broken already, he headed for the stairs. Despite what
his family thought, university wasn’t all fun and games and he needed to get in
a good night’s sleep before practice tomorrow morning.
Halfway down the
stairs joining the third and fourth floor, he paused as he turned the corner
and saw a girl leaning against the wall with her hands braced on her knees,
panting. Beside her stood the most humongous suitcase he’d ever seen, which she’d
evidently been hauling up the stairs.
As he watched, she
reached down to the black rucksack at her feet and fished out a blue inhaler,
taking a couple of puffs before straightening up again and pushing the hair
back from her red face.
“D’ya want a hand
with that?” he asked, making her jump, her head whipping around to face him.
Immediately, he felt his body reacting, even after spending the afternoon
screwing around with Karla. The girl was gorgeous. Even with a face as red as a
tomato.
Big brown eyes stared
up at him in surprise, framed by dramatically long lashes, and for a moment all
they did was look at one another, before her face became impossibly redder and
she glanced away, biting her lip uncertainly.
“A hand would be
great,” she admitted, glancing scathingly down at the big blue suitcase, “it’s
really heavy.” Her words didn’t register for a minute as his brain tried to
place her accent. British, he thought, clipped and well-rounded. He could
listen to her talk forever.
Taking the last few
steps, he held out his hand, introducing himself. “Parker Mitchell, at your
service.”
“Hi,” she smiled up
at him, tucking a strand of dark, coffee colored hair behind her ear before
reaching out to shake his hand, “I’m Chloe. Chloe Newman.”
“What floor you on?”
“Sixth,” she answered
with a downwards quirk of her lips.
Whistling between his
teeth, he grabbed the handle of the suitcase as she picked up her rucksack,
putting the inhaler back inside. Half way there, at least.
Lifting the case, he
huffed out a breath, “Jesus… I’m impressed you got it this far, it’s probably
heavier than you are.”
Wincing guiltily, she
twisted a piece of hair around her finger in a nervous gesture. “Sorry. I can
probably manage if…”
Laughing, slightly
dismayed that she thought he’d let her finish lugging it up the stairs when he
was easily twice her size, he shook his head. “I got it. Imagine how bad I’d
feel if I woke up tomorrow and found that the cute British girl had a heart
attack tryin’ to get to her room.”
“Well, okay then.”
Grinning at the blush
that once more filled her cheeks, he gestured up the stairs, “Lead the way.”
If she went in front,
he could check out her ass. Not the most gentlemanly thing, but then he’d never
claimed to be a gentleman. And she had a good ass. He felt his heart beat
faster; she was all lush curves and long, denim clad legs. Tall, for a girl; he
was six three and she was only a head or so shorter. He was in deep shit,
Parker thought as he followed her up the stairs, trying to tear his eyes away.
By the time they
reached the sixth floor, he was sweating. Her suitcase really was fucking
heavy. Stopping outside room 605, Chloe turned to him, “This is me. Thank you
so much for your help.”
“My pleasure,” he
drawled, setting the case down beside her and stepping back. “See you around.”
“Yeah,” she murmured,
lifting a hand in farewell as he walked away, “see you.”
When he got back to
the stairwell, he couldn’t help but look back, seeing her enter the room and
pull the door shut behind her. He should have got her number.
Author
Info
M L Sparrow is currently the author of
four books: two YA Sci-fi’s, The Demon
Inside and Ghetto, an Adult
Fantasy called No Rest for the Wicked.
Player will be her first
foray into the world of Contemporary Romance. She will write pretty much
anything that pops into her head, no matter the genre, and enjoys keeping her
readers guessing as to what she will write next, though you can pretty much
guarantee that there will be some degree of romance!
As well as writing, M L Sparrow enjoys
travelling and has been to some amazing countries in the past few years, her
favourite of which was Japan. She never fails to gather inspiration from her
travels and has an endless supply of ideas for future novels…
Author Links:
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