Book Title: Learning Curve
Author: N.R. Walker
Release Date: September 29th, 2022
Genre: M/M Romance
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Synopsis:
Cobey Green
There I was, moving into the dorms at Franklin U and not into the shared party house I’d lived in my freshman year. Last year had been all about football and parties, not schoolwork. Which was why my grades tanked. Why I was one failed class away from being kicked off the team.
Why I needed to live on campus and find myself a tutor.
Funny that my new roommate just happens to be a tutor. Funny that he’s oblivious to how hot he is. For a smart guy, he’s pretty clueless. Maybe I could tutor him in how to be more outgoing in exchange for help with calculus? I could teach him how to talk to people, how to make new friends. Hell, maybe I could even help him punch his V card.
Actually, now that I think about it… that’s a really good idea.
Vincent Brandt
And there I was, happy to be back at college, happy to be where I was most comfortable. Happy to be starting another school year, happy to start tutoring again so I could earn some money.
And yes, there I was equal parts excited and dreading to see who my new roommate would be… until Cobey Green’s smiling face appeared at the door. A huge football player loved by everyone, gorgeous, rich, and out of the closet.
Everything I’m not.
It doesn’t help that he’s genuinely a really nice guy. It doesn’t help that I make him laugh and we can talk so easily. And it certainly doesn’t help that we start having private tutoring sessions, which end up way more private than I’d ever dare imagine.
I’d ranked top of my class in every subject since the first grade, yet there I was falling stupidly in love with him.
This was going to be a hell of a year. And one very steep learning curve for both of us.
My Review:
I am once again reading the FU series out of order, but this is definitely my favorite of the three I’ve read so far! The Franklin University books are low-angst with some really sweet couples. If you ever need a feel-good book, these are definitely the ones to read, and Learning Curve will especially give you all the feels! It didn’t require too much thought to follow along, but I also couldn’t help be invested in this adorable relationship.
So, what I’ve discovered from the stories I’ve read is most of these books are probably insta-love. All of the ones I’ve read so far have been, and at first it bothered me a lot, since insta-love isn’t my favorite trope in the slightest, but now that I know to expect it going in, it doesn’t concern me as much. Cobey and Vincent’s story was definitely instant-attraction, but their actual feelings for each other grew over time and the more they got to know each other.
Cobey is just an all-around great guy, who is friends with everyone and can hold a conversation in his sleep. Vincent on the other hand, is much more shy, secluded, and awkward around others. He would rather spend a day in the library studying than go out to Shenanigans with the rest of the school. This makes for a great dynamic between the two, since Cobey is willing to help Vincent out of his shell, and Cobey is in dire need of calculus tutoring, which Vincent just happens to be a genius at.
I loved watching Vincent step out of his comfort zone and try new things. Even though it was difficult for him, he always had a desire to do those things, but lacked the confidence and skills to do so. With Cobey’s help, though, he’s able to put himself out there and slowly open up to others. Usually situations like these in books, the one character is focused solely on helping the other start dating, but I really appreciated the inclusion and focus on simple socializing and making friends. It made the story feel more relatable and authentic. Also, I was really jealous of Cobey’s ability to talk to literally anyone he met. How do people like that exist?
What was interesting about Vincent and Cobey is that I could barely relate to them. I did definitely relate to Vincent’s social awkwardness and introvertedness, but other than that, they were both total opposites of me. Cobey is an outgoing football player, while Vincent is a super genius in math. While I enjoy reading about sports, I rarely watch football, and don’t actually know that much about it, so a lot of their conversations surrounding that made very little sense to me. In addition, the calculus conversations went over my head as much as they went over Cobey’s. Still, even though several of their conversations were essentially indecipherable to me, I still could not put the book down.
I was so invested in these two and their relationship! They were just so sweet and endearing. Vincent didn’t have a lot of self-confidence, but Cobey was always sure to let him know how much he appreciated him, and he always went slow so that Vincent was never uncomfortable. They’re a couple I surely won’t be forgetting any time soon.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Learning Curve! I had trouble getting into the beginning at first, but as soon as I got into it, I was into it, and I could not put it down. I definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a light-hearted, feel-good romance!
Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Purchase it at: Amazon
Check out my last Blog Post: The Glow Up (ARC Review)