Release Blitz + Review: "Off the Bench" by Alley Ciz

I'm pleased to take part in the release blitz celebrating "Off the Bench" by Alley Ciz, book #4 in the #UofJ series. It's a standalone in the sense that it focuses on a different couple than the one featured in the first three books of the series, but to be honest, as someone who hasn't yet read those previous books, I found it difficult to keep up with a lot of the characters and references to past events. (More on that in a bit.) Based on my own experience, I would strongly recommend reading this series in order.

Cheerleader Quinn Thompson, a rising junior at the University of Jersey, has had a crush on her new housemate, Christopher "CK" Kent, for the past eight months, but he never seems to notice her and it's driving her crazy. Now that they're alone in their shared apartment for the summer, Quinn has decided to step up her efforts to attract CK's attention. If the only way for her to do that is by volunteering to be his dating coach, then that's what she'll do. What Quinn doesn't realize is that while CK is just as attracted to her as she is to him, he's absolutely convinced that she's way out of his league. Years of bullying by athletes back in his small Kansas hometown has made it tough for hot but nerdy CK to believe that he even has friends, much less is a valued part of this particular close-knit group of football players, basketball players, and cheerleaders. There's no way he'd risk losing his place in their found family by pursuing Quinn, no matter how much he secretly wishes he could.

CK and Quinn were both likeable characters, and I sympathized with CK because I was the nerdy kid in high school too (though thankfully not bullied to the extent he seems to have been). I empathized with Quinn because of the way her mother and so many others in her life focused only on her looks and failed to acknowledge the smart, capable young woman she had become. In addition, I loved the story's humorous moments, such as the random questions Quinn would ask CK to try and get him to open up to her and the messages they exchanged on Post-It notes. The interactions between Quinn, CK, and the rest of their friend group were also frequently amusing, if at times a bit immature. (I had to keep reminding myself that they were college students, and a few of their friends' siblings were actually still in high school, so the way they spoke and acted was probably appropriate for their ages.)

 

As previously mentioned, I haven't yet read the first three books of this series and found it somewhat difficult to get into this story as a standalone. There were a lot of characters to keep track of (with multiple nicknames for each one), their relationships were already well established, and there were a lot of references that just didn't make sense without knowing the events of the first three books. As a result, the first half of the book felt like it dragged to me, largely because so much of the focus was on CK and Quinn's found family. They didn't even start "practice dating" until almost a third of the way through the book. By that time, it had been well and truly driven home to me how they felt about each other and I just wanted them to do something about it already! The second half of the book was better because they started making progress in their relationship and the story's focus was mostly on them, not so much about their interactions with the rest of the friend group.

While I enjoyed and would recommend "Off the Bench," I didn't love it the way I wanted to. It was definitely the wrong place for me to start with this series. Readers who have already read the first three books of the series are likely to enjoy it more than I did.

 

*Review copy provided by the authors via Wildfire Marketing Solutions. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "Off the Bench"

@UofJ411: What’s happening here? #TheyDoSayOppositesAttract #WhereAreAllThePost-its

On a scale of one to ten, Quinn Thompson is a fifteen.

Gorgeous. Fiery. A cheerleader so far out of my league it’s embarrassing that I even fantasize about her.

I need to find a way to shut down the dirty thoughts she inspires before it’s too late. If I don’t, this whole new life of mine is at risk.

Easier said than done when temptation lives right down the hall.

For such a smart guy, CK can be surprisingly clueless.

Sweet. Shy. The star of all my naughty nerd fantasies, but utterly blind to my flirtations.

Giving in to his plea to be his love coach may seem drastic, but I’m desperate for the chance to come off the bench.

Too bad the friend zone was a hell of a lot safer for my heart.