Carpool

This was so cute and fun with a low angst undercurrent to it. Who ever thought that carpooling could be so sexy? When Jennifer’s car is in for repairs, she asks Marcus, the one person she’s always tried to avoid, if she can carpool with him to work. As the only two people in their small town that work 45 minutes away in Milford, she’s desperate for him to agree. Their relationship starts off awkward, sometimes frustrating, and definitely aggravating, but quickly changes to something deeper as they begin to open up to one another. Jennifer was always the good girl, in her family and in her town. She’d not only been told about that bad boy Marcus, she’d seen some of it firsthand. I enjoyed watching her perception of him change even as her feelings for him began to morph into more. ”For some reason, this man can tempt me to do things I’d never consider before. My grandmother was right all along about how dangerous he is.” We never really get a chance to get to know Marcus as this is written in the heroine’s point of view. However, there are lots of subtle hints that allow us to guess as to what he’s feeling. I loved the way he challenged Jennifer to reach for more out of life. In contrast, she helped him to see the need for family and community. While the chemistry between them is a bit lacking in the beginning, as they move forward it begins to sizzle and build until my Kindle was on fire. You will be able to read this in one sitting if you desire, and I did. The characters are sweet and caring, both with their own quirks that helped them to shine. Secondary characters are minimal, with the exception of Jennifer’s best friend – I’m pretty sure her story will be up next. Definitely a fresh and original story by a master story teller!

3.5 stars--CARPOOL is the first instalment in Noelle Adams’ contemporary, adult MILFORD COLLEGE erotic, romance series of novellas focusing on the men and women who work at Milford College, a small liberal arts college in Virginia. This is thirty-two year old, Director of Facilities Marcus Greene, and twenty-eight year old, financial assistant personnel Jennifer Raleigh’s story line. NOTE: CARPOOL was originally released as a newsletter serial in the author’s email newsletter. Told from first person point of view (Jennifer) CARPOOL follows the building relationship between thirty-two year old, former bad boy and current Director of Facilities Marcus Greene, and twenty-eight year old, financial assistant personnel Jennifer Raleigh. Growing up in Sterling, Virginia Marcus Greene’s reputation as a trouble maker preceded his introduction to our story line heroine. With her car in for repairs, and with no other option for commuting the forty-five minute drive to Milford College, Jennifer Raleigh reluctantly approaches the only person she knows who may be able to help her out with transportation between work and home. Enter Marcus Greene, a man Jennifer believes despises the ground upon which she walks, but the man with whom she will fall in love. What ensues is the back and forth, acrimonious relationship and building romance between Jennifer and Marcus, and the potential fall-out as miscommunication and misunderstanding, and a pattern of failed relationships threatens to destroy Jennifer and Marcus’ fragile hold of one another. Throughout the story our couple struggle with their one on one time enclosed in a car together for forty-five minutes. Marcus and Jennifer make ‘small talk’ about everything and nothing getting to ‘know’ one another yet revealing very little about their lives and themselves. The relationship between Jennifer and Marcus is one of immediate attraction but Marcus’ teenaged reputation as a troublemaker has followed our hero into adulthood, affecting friendships, and the possible relationship with the woman with whom he will fall in love. Hoping one day Jennifer will ‘see’ the real Marcus Greene, Marcus offers up a friends-with-benefits relationship as they get to know one another over the upcoming weeks. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text but I struggled to feel any real palpable, sexual attraction or energy. Perhaps if we had Marcus’ perspective we would be more aware of his emotions and mind set as it pertains to relationships and his struggle to ‘close the deal’. The secondary and supporting characters are few. We are introduced to Jennifer’s grandmother; assistant professor of history at Milford College and Jennifer’s best friend Beck, as well as her best friend from high school Giselle. CARPOOL is a story of preconceived notions and discrimination based upon youthful exuberance and childhood mistakes. The premise is engaging; the romance is flirty; the characters are energetic but struggle with the little things that shouldn’t matter.

Cute story about two people from a small town, who finally really get to know each other, and fall in love.