A Little Buzzed, Alys Murray (Review by Sara D’Onofrio)

Rating: 3.0/5 Stars

Oh man, I really did have such high hopes for this one. I thought the storyline would grab me right away, and I anticipated so much sexy tension and the best build up. Unfortunately, it was all too unrealistic for me to get really attached to the characters. For the female main character to go from being a virgin, to being fine with just casual sex, and then confident enough to soft dom the male main character, all within a few weeks… it did not feel genuine. I understand there is only so much you can put into a 350-page book, but it needs to be believable for me to get sucked in. Since the FMC was a virgin, I just wanted more for her first time. More description, more emphasis on how she felt (physically and emotionally), and for it to seem more important to her! She was obviously pressured a lot by her previous boyfriend, so for her to deny him that part of herself meant that it was clearly important to her. Her decision to just lose her virginity seemed like a whim and without much thought or care. I have also never been a fan of a female main character who has zero confidence or self-worth. I get that it’s part of the storyline and a plot for the character growth, but to NEVER stand up for yourself once until two little parts at the very end was not enough for me to appreciate that “growth”. There were two saving graces in this book for me though: the girl gang and Hudson Bailey. It was great to see the girl friends form and come together. I was so happy that the author made them supportive and funny instead of jealous and catty. Now, for Hudson Bailey. He was the best of both worlds. Sweet and thoughtful, but rough and bossy. When he brought her the jar of special things for her first time it was ridiculously swoon-worthy, and I wish the FMC would have acknowledged it more! All in all, it was just okay for me. I don’t want the books I read to need a saving grace in the first place!