REVIEW: Contradictions by Tiffany King

In Contradictions (Woodfalls Girls #3) by Tiffany King, Tressa Oliver is a legend in her hometown of Woodfalls for the pranks she has pulled over the years. College is no different. The self-proclaimed party girl is loving life on campus with the endless parties, but admittedly with not much studying going on. So when a fraternity hazing goes awry, sending shock waves through the community, Tressa finds herself at the middle of it all. Her life as she knows it changes irrevocably from the event.

‘Maybe I was broken. I felt broken. I’d never experienced this crushing sense of hopelessness. I wasn’t use to feeling like I was letting down so many people at once. The list felt endless.’

Tressa’s grades become a huge concern as she is forced to take action. Paired up with Trent Lawson, a geeky-but-cute guy she knows from her hometown, she’s afraid his crush on her will make things awkward. But Trent turns out to be a great tutor. And pretty darn sexy once you get past the comic book worshiping facade. Tressa usually has horrible taste in guys, always falling for those who will treat her poorly. She and Trent couldn’t be more different. So then why does it feel so right whenever they spend time together?

‘This was the first time a guy I was dating had stood up for me. At that moment, nothing else mattered. I didn’t care about how different we were or that we were a complete and utter contradiction. Trent had stolen my heart.’

You’ve gotta love a story where the sexy geek gets the girl. Contradictions is exactly that and yet so much more.

‘How could nerdy T-shirts and glasses hide that much hotness? That was the question.’

Tiffany King is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors in the New Adult genre. There are a lot of reasons for this, but I think what draws me to her books is the honesty in the protagonist’s emotions. In every scene, the characters–including Tressa, in this book–let their emotions out, whether they are good, bad, or ugly, for the world to see. As a reader I connect with that openness immediately. I loved how in Tressa’s case she owned up to her party girl image and made no qualms about how she lived her life. What I loved even more was that she had the courage to change her ways and grow up when faced with difficult decisions. She didn’t go into a downward spiral, partying even more or doing things harmful to herself as some books in this genre tend to gravitate towards.

So I have to say that there was some angst to this story, which the genre is known for, but it wasn’t overwhelming. Instead, this was really about how one tragic event can change so many lives. For Tressa, it turned out to be for the better. Not only did she become more responsible, but it brought her and Trent together. And I really, really enjoyed Tressa and Trent as a couple. It’s one of those opposites attract love matches that is so entertaining to read. There was a wonderful thread of humor between the two of them that kept me chuckling. Especially Tressa nicknaming him Clark Trent where he looked like Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent. (How dreamy does Trent sound?)

If you’re a fan of New Adult romance and you are looking for a sweet, captivating story, I think Tressa and Trent’s journey will definitely satisfy.

Book Info:

Published January 6th 2015 by Berkley Trade | (Woodfalls Girls #3)

When everything starts spinning out of control . . .

Three years into college, Tressa Oliver’s life is a nonstop party. She’s skating by in her classes, and there’s no shortage of drinking, dancing, and general hell-raising. The only aspect that hasn’t been much fun: She can’t shake the toxic jerks that always seem to gravitate toward her.

It will take someone totally wrong . . .

Trent Lawson is the classic anti-bad boy: smart, boring, and way too serious. To a wild girl like Tressa, there’s no way in hell they’re compatible—especially since Trent seems to see straight through her defenses.

To set her right.

When a college prank goes terribly wrong, Tressa starts to suspect that her partying ways are leading nowhere fast. Now she has to turn to the last person she ever thought she’d ask for help—and quickly discovers that there’s more to Trent than meets the eye . . .