Review: Tell Me When by Stina Lindenblatt

Tell Me When by Stina Lindenblatt

Amber Scott should be enjoying life as a college freshman. She should be pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She should be working hard to make sense of her precalculus math class.
She shouldn’t be waking up her college roommate with screaming nightmares. She shouldn’t be flashing back, reliving the three weeks of hell she barely survived last year. And she definitely shouldn’t be spending time with sexy player Marcus Reid.
But engineering student Marcus is the only one keeping Amber from failing her math course, so she grudgingly lets him into her life. She never expects the king of hookups will share his painful past. Or that she’ll tell him her secrets in return, opening up and trusting him in a way she thought she’d never be able to again.
When their fragile future together is threatened by a stalker Amber thought was locked away for good, Marcus is determined to protect her. And Amber is determined to protect Marcus…even if that means pushing him away.

GR
Publishes in US: January 20th 2014 by Carina Press 
Genre: NA contemp
Source: Carina via Netgalley
Series? No

Buy it: Pre-Order Amazon | Pre-Order Barnes and Noble

Author stalk away: Website/blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

 

    I decided to read Tell Me When because it was available on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and it caught my eye because I can't get enough New Adult and it sounded like a premise that I would enjoy. 

    If you are burnt out on NA, like I know some of my readers are, this may not be the book for you, but if, like me you are still craving and devouring, then I know that you will like this one. 

    Amber definitely has her own voice, and I was intrigued by her nightmares and the freak outs, and how this happened to her. We get to see her struggle day in and out with very real physical symptoms that can start to take over her life. I like the fighter spirit in her and even though she sees herself as weak and damaged, especially at first, I loved seeing the growth in her as she opened up to a new friend Jordan as well as Marcus who keeps showing up in her life, and the once man-whore who is feeling new things for a girl as well as forming a friendship. 

    The dual perspective is almost a trademark of NA these days, but I think that Stina Lindenblatt did it well. She captured their voices, and showed pivotal moments of change as well as bringing that ever valuable other opinion of events and see the main characters in another light and through some one else's eyes. 

     The secondary characters were enjoyable as well, and I especially liked Jordan's (her new friend's) upbeat and accepting persona. I liked how she could probe for an answer but know when to stop as to not push too hard or far. I also enjoyed Marcus and his roomie/best friend Chase, how easy going they were with each other, but still brought that nugget of truth when needed. I also saw a new side of Marcus with the younger guys Juan and Carlos, from his neighborhood, and who he still works with at the community center playing basketball with them. 

    The revelation of both Amber and Marcus' pasts was timed well, and I appreciated how they opened up with one another because they saw that familiar hurt and pain. They had a lot more in common than they ever would have guessed at first glance, and their stories are so raw and painful. The emotions in this book really got to me, and they were well written. 

    And oh, the chemistry between Amber and Marcus. The reluctance at first because it is new for them or has been so long makes it even more tense and delicious. 

     The ending had me on the edge of my seat, but I did like how everything (eventually) wrapped up and where it left them. 

My question to you, my lovely readers:
 Are you still pursuing/living your childhood dream job?