Selfish
I was given a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.I want to say upfront that this was a slow starter for me. I went in completely blind, not knowing the author or the type of book at all - just reading the blurb, but I ended up pleasantly surprised. I also have the second book - [b:Myself|34761487|Myself (Selfish Series Book 2)|Shantel Tessier|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491208726s/34761487.jpg|55961044] - to read and review, but since that's not a direct continuation of this story, I wanted to stop and write up my notes first.
*warning* This book ends on a cliffhanger! I know that's a deterrent for some people, so go in knowing that ahead of time please. Book two is about another couple, so Ryder & Ashlyn will have the rest of their story a bit later. Yes, this frustrates me a little, but the book was quite good, so I'll deal.
Both of the main characters were... challenging. Don't take that the wrong way. I ended up digging them both. They suited each other, and they had strong characters and moral codes. You might not think that after reading the early part of the book, but trust me - it's true.
Ashlyn is fiercely independent and loves Becca like a sister. Her family is everything to her. She has a male best friend that she "hooks up with," but they've been open about their BFWB relationship. She and Becca are about to start their adult lives in New York, and she couldn't be happier. Ash definitely knows what she wants out of life and she's not going to settle for less.
Ryder is Becca's big brother, but Ashlyn certainly doesn't know that when she meets him during their "last hurrah" vacation in Florida. He decided to pop down and surprise his sister. Little did he know that he'd be getting the bigger surprise - a roll in the sack with "Sasha," who turns out to be Becca's BFF. (I was very glad to see there was hardly any angst over this plot point btw, so *whew*)
There are a few stumbling blocks. The disparity between his social status and her perceived lack thereof, the way she closes herself off from him, and in turn - the way he pushes her. All in all though, the storyline is pretty believable, and not too incredibly trope-y.
I enjoyed this first installment, and can't wait to read the conclusion to their tale. It gets a solid 4-stars.