Love, Literature, Art, and Reason: Review–Wait for You by J. Lynn Armentrout

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Wait for You was amazing. I have heard so many people rave about this book and the author, but this was my first book from Armentrout. I have a few others on my Kindle and I can’t wait to read them. Wait for You might be the first NA contemporary romance that I’ve read without a dual point of view, which I liked. I typically enjoy the dual narration I’ve seen so much of in this genre, but it was nice to be kept in the dark and stay inside Avery’s head the whole time.

Avery was an odd character. She was socially awkward, shy, and very unsure of herself. I loved her narration because I liked understanding what made her tick and knowing what she was thinking. But Avery was also frustrating because she had so much to overcome in order to be a better, fuller person. I liked Cam a lot. He was charming and overly confident, but he was humorous and easygoing which made him extremely likeable as a love interest. Avery’s friends were also fun and likeable and I loved how they supported her and pushed her to challenge herself a little bit. They were easygoing, but I could still tell they would be there through thick and thin.

Avery and Cam’s relationship was a roller coaster due to Avery’s unwillingness to open up. Cam repeatedly showed that he’d always be there, that he didn’t judge her, and that he cared about her multiple times. I couldn’t help but love Cam for putting up with her and not letting her discourage him. Wait for You was sweet, but it was also full of issues with an overall theme that love is about trust, which was a lesson Avery needed to learn. Avery had to overcome her past and open up to Cam in order to grow as a person and I enjoyed the journey from the weak Avery at the beginning to the confident one at the end. Their love story was swoon-worthy and completely engrossing. It was satisfying, but I loved it so much, I wished it was longer. I think I’ll revisit Cam and Avery in the future by rereading Wait for You!

I can’t wait to read more books by J. Lynn Armentrout. I loved her writing style. I recommend Wait for You to fans of NA contemporary romance and fans of YA. It was definitely racy and steamy in certain areas, but not as much as many NA contemporaries I’ve read, so I think it’s a good book for people used to YA romance looking to jump into NA.

Wait for You is $2.99 for Kindle!