Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: The V- In 403C
AUTHOR: Jess Bryant
PUBLISHER: Blue Lemon Press
LENGTH: 220 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 27, 2020
BLURB:
Jonah Monroe might be a genius when it comes to his studies but he’s never been able to find his footing in the real world. A college graduate by the age of eighteen and a doctoral candidate at twenty-one, he doesn’t fit in with his peers and lacks the social graces that would attract friends, let alone a lover. He’s resigned himself to his status as awkward and forever alone, until one bad decision turns his world upside down.
He shouldn’t have even been in that club. He shouldn’t have let a sexy stranger buy him a drink. And he definitely shouldn’t have let the man kiss him like he’d never been kissed before.
Reed Matheson has done a lot of dumb shit in his short life but he never would have guessed that kissing a stranger in a bar would be the best decision he ever made. He didn’t expect the intense connection he feels for the shy, socially awkward stranger to linger long after he was gone. And he certainly never expected to see the cute guy the next morning, preparing to teach his class.
Reed is a student and Jonah is a TA. Unwritten rules or not, nothing more can happen between them, at least that’s what Jonah keeps telling himself. But Reed has never been one to play by the rules and he’s not about to start now, when for the first time, his heart is on the line.
REVIEW:
The V- in 403C is a standalone novel set in the fictional town of Knights Port. It follows Jess Bryant’s The D- in 403B. There are a few crossover secondary characters but nothing that will make you feel you missed something if you didn’t read the first book. However, The D- in 403B is a very good, very funny book most readers would enjoy, so give it a try.
Jonah is a shy and introverted child prodigy with parents who have high expectations of him. Jonah never had normal peer relationships or experiences. Having started college at sixteen, he is now a doctoral candidate in his early twenties when he meets Reed at a bar, something Jonah never does. Goes to bars or meets men. Sexy, tattooed men. They share some hot kisses but then Jonah ghosts Reed because he’s so inexperienced and out of the safe zones of his apartment or the university,
The next day, Jonah is TAing his first class and shockingly, Reed is one of his students. They’re strongly attracted to each other but a relationship between a teacher and student is expressly forbidden and it could jeopardize his career.
But Reed is attracted to the forbidden fruit. He wants the innocent, virginal boy-man who is so different from his usual conquests. And he’s not used to being told no. It bothered me that Reese’s behavior became harassing and disrespectful. He likes the chase and won’t give up or take no for an answer. It felt a bit predatory and icky. But Reed has no nefarious motives – he just wants to get to know the lovely, lonely man he’s attracted to – so I was able to get past the off-putting feelings. It turns out Reed has very romantic feelings for Jonah. He’s a gentle caretaker with protective instincts.
Despite the rules governing Jonah’s conduct, he gets involved with Reed. Reed gives him something he’s never had and has spent his life yearning for: normalcy and a typical young person’s life experience, including a someone special. So, he takes the chance of getting caught because of how much his relationship with Reed fulfills an aching need deep within to be normal. Of course, I spent the rest of the book waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The side characters have small roles with the exception of Reed’s ex-girlfriend, Star, who is now a caring, supportive friend. Star had a significant role in The D- in 403B.
This book doesn’t contain the humor heavily sprinkled throughout the first book, and I missed that. But this is an enjoyable, sweet story well-written by Jess Bryant.
RATING: 
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