Reviewed by Jen B.
TITLE: Off Campus
AUTHOR: Amy Jo Cousins
SERIES: Bend or Break #1
PUBLISHER: Samhain Publishing
LENGTH: 317 Pages
RELEASE DATE: December 30, 2014
BLURB:
Everyone’s got secrets. Some are just harder to hide.
With his father’s ponzi scheme assets frozen, Tom Worthington believes finishing college is impossible unless he can pay his own way. After months sleeping in his car and gypsy-cabbing for cash, he’s ready to do just that.
But his new, older-student housing comes with an unapologetically gay roommate. Tom doesn’t ask why Reese Anders has been separated from the rest of the student population. He’s just happy to be sleeping in a bed.
Reese isn’t about to share his brutal story with his gruff new roommate. You’ve seen one homophobic jock, you’ve seen ’em all. He plans to drag every twink on campus into his bed until Tom moves out. But soon it becomes clear Tom isn’t budging.
Tom isn’t going to let some late-night sex noise scare him off, especially when it’s turning him on. But he doesn’t want any drama either. He’ll keep his hands, if not his eyes, to himself. Boundaries have a way of blurring when you start sharing truths, though. And if Tom and Reese cross too many lines, they may need to find out just how far they can bend…before they break.
REVIEW:
Tom is struggling to make it through college now having to pay his own way after his father lost everything and went to jail. In addition to that, he is dealing with the aftermath of being associated with his father, chased by the paparazzi, and looked down upon at every angle. He just wants to get through the final semesters of school with as little fanfare as possible.
Reese is Tom’s unhappy dormmate who is struggling with a few of his own issues. A past attack has him on the defensive and hooking up in ways that make him feel safe. Having an unexpected roommate is not in his plans. So, he parades his hookups in and out of the room in the hopes it will scare off the seemingly straight Tom. These somewhat frequent hookups get a little frustrating, but it is worth it when it all pans out.
Once these guys get past a few things and give in to each other, they have a few more things to deal with. Reese is out, and Tom is doing everything in his power to go unnoticed, which puts some strain on their growing relationship. I loved these guys together though. Aside from their out/not out issues, they were perfect for each other. Tom was exactly what Reese needed to help him get through the lingering effects of his past, and Reese brought a light to Tom’s life that I don’t believe he ever had before.
There are some wonderful side characters here as well, but the fun and sexy times between Reese and Tom stole the show for me. There were a few times where it felt a little bit drawn out, but the characters are compelling enough to keep the story interesting. I am definitely interested in reading more from this series and look forward to the next installment.
RATING: 
BUY LINK: