The Fifteenth Minute (The Ivy Years #5) [Lianne & Daniel] by Sarina Bowen

Well, it's NO surprise this one was absolutely a JOY to read. I knew I'd love to hear Lianne's story and Daniel (DJ) was SUCH a sweet heart I just couldn't NOT fall in love with him myself. He had quite the challenge in this book, again I have to congratulate Sarina for bringing into her books unique subjectד that rarely being discussed. So it's more than just a fun New Adult Romance novel, Lianne's life and struggles as well as Daniel were so different (from one another) and special (on their own). 

We met Lianne in the previous installment, she is Bella's (MC from "The Shameless Hour") best friend and neighbor - an actress, a widely known sorceress (her most known character), a total geek who plays online fantasy games and a social outcast (at least at Harkness College..). Truthfully, she was never a "kid" or a "teenager" she didn't have a normal childhood so she doesn't really have any friends (besides Bella and Rafe and also a fellow actor) and she is very awkward with guys.. Though she is beautiful, smart and has so much to offer (besides being rich and famous..) she still mostly stays in her room playing her online games and goes out only when Bella insists.. 

Lianne rather likes going out with Bella, she enjoys meeting with the Hockey team though she knows nothing of Hockey (we two have that in common ;) I LOVE hanging out with those imaginary Hockey teams in my books but I have never actually SEEN a game hehe). She has another not so secret reason - she wants to meet DJ / Daniel again. When first they met there was this click, he looked at her and talked to her and it was someone different, she felt, after a long time, that someone is actually interested in HER, is listening to HER. 

Daniel (I'm going to call him that from now on, I don't especially like the name "DJ" and Lianne mostly calls him Daniel so...) IS interested in Lianne but there can't be a worse idea/timing for him at the moment. A few months ago he made a mistake, it's something most of his friends (him included) surely did that time or another, and yet for him it was a game changer - one he got punished for, or rather he was accused of something he DIDN'T do. The college just assumed the worst from the data they gathered and who cares for his rights or for the fact he is NOT guilty and should be able to show he isn't guilty BEFORE he is prosecuted.. I won't say more on the matter not to spoiler but I gotta say, this is NOT something I thought I'd find in a book. Daniel's struggles and the whole situation was bizarre yet very believable, this COULD happen and maybe did somewhere.. and though people assume the worse about the role Daniel had in the situation it's not RIGHT to blame him. Enough said..

So basically Daniel is trying to deny himself - he wants Lianne, he is attracted and interested in her, she is so much fun, they have so much in common! and yet, it's just impossible for him at the moment to COMMIT. He won't have a one night stand with her for too many reasons to count, he can't tell her what happened because he is ashamed.. so he plays a little bit of hot/cold with her. He doesn't mean to do it, but this is how it played.. Lianne was really sweet, she didn't make any "scenes" because of his behavior, she understood there is something in his life he is struggling with. That was also terrific. I mean, how many self centered girls we read of who takes every small scene and blows it off into GIGANTIC proportions? It was also nice seeing Daniel and Leo (his brother, whom we met as "Trevi" in previous installments) and how they dealt with Daniel's situation and general mood. They had a bit of a rough time as kids and so Daniel expect WAY less from him than he should.. 

Daniel is actually a DJ (though I don't think this is the reason he is nicknamed this way..) he plays the music in the Hockey games in conjunction with the situation on the rink, it's a pretty cool job! I didn't even know they DO that, have these tiny musical moments in between. Anyhow, seems one of the things Lianne and Daniel has in common is their love for music so it was fun seeing them connect this way and also there were a lot of fun quotes in the chapter names and references to songs from the 90s. There were also A LOT of references to movies as Lianne describes to herself certain situations. I gotta say, I didn't know ALL movies but the ones I did was SO fun to read and picture in my mind :) 

Lianne also has her struggles, besides everything I mentioned above she is also struggling with her current career, the choices she has - how and where to evolve, after all, she can't do movies aimed for teenagers forever.. and with Daniel, though she truly wants him, she is very shy and insecure. She doesn't have a lot of experience with guys so she isn't sure how to act and be brave about the things she wants. Bella is trying to help but when Lianne actually does what she told her to do I was ROFLing like crazy! :D

I can go on forever.. I loved this book so much. I read it in two days I shouldn't even opened the Kindle.. First day I had a strange excuse, that night I had to file a complaint to the police so I was sitting at the station for HOURS having nothing to do but read - YAY! :) Then the day after I was so tired and stressed from the coming exam I just found myself reading till the end THEN sitting to study what I had planned for the day. It wasn't ideal study-wise, but it was PERFECT because I got to enjoy this book almost without putting it down. 

If you haven't read any other book in the series, it's not a must, this one CAN be read as a stand alone, but since the other books in the series are ALL AWESOME I suggest you grab 'em and read 'em!


This excellent book isn't out YET. It will be released on the 13th of October and can already be pre-ordered. 

I kindly received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 294 pages, 5-6 October 2015 / On GoodReads

 

 ABOUT THIS SERIES

Sarina Bowen built one hell of an imaginary College where the main characters of her series Ivy Years live and study. They all have one thing in common - They LOVE Hockey and most of them play or used to play. 

I love all her characters, each is unique in his/her own way and bring a story that is much more than the usual "coming of age" we read in New Adult series. But while the issues are more interesting / difficult / heart breaking the general feel of the series, both in the characters and the plot line is positive which I really enjoyed. It wasn't dark and gloomy it always felt, to me, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel where all your friends or family are happy to be of aid even while others / problems (try to) stand in your way. 

Just a side note - Except for the 3rd installment being M/M, the others novels in the series are M/F.  

The series continues with a SPIN-OFF, it's somewhere  between New Adult and Contemporary Romance, the characters being a little bit older and not in college. The series centers on the NHL team "Brooklyn Bruisers", each book tells the HEA of one of the players, the first one being two characters we've met in the Ivy Years. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! 

Books:
1. The Year We Fell Down [Corey Callahan & Adam Hartely] (Published 24 March 2014) ★★★★★
2. The Year We Hid Away [Scarlet Crowley/Shannon Ellison & Bridger McCaulley] (Published 1 June 2014) ★★★★★
2.5 Blonde Date [Katie Vichery & Andrew Baschnagel] (Published 6 July 2014) ★★★★★
3. The Understatement of the Year [Michael Graham & John Rikker] (Published 29 September 2014) ★★★★★
4. The Shameless Hour [Bella Hall & Rafael Santiago] (Published 14 April 2015) ★★★★★
5. The Fifteenth Minute [Lianne Challice & Daniel "DJ" Trevi] (Published 13 October 2015) ★★★★★
5.5 Studly Period [Josephine Allister & Pepe Gerault] (Published as 8 Part Free Serial between 20/03/18 to 08/05/18) ★★★★★ 
6. Extra Credit: Three Ivy Years Novellas (Published 3 March 2019) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
    Previously published - Blonde Date [Katie Vichery & Andrew Baschnagel]
    Previously published - Studly Period [Josephine Allister & Pepe Gerault]
    New addition - Yesterday [Michael Graham & John Rikker]