Part of my decision to start a NetGalley account, aside from trying to find books on teen issues that are newer/less well-known/unavailable in stores here, was to indulge my romance tooth a bit. I'm very new to the genre and don't have the cash to burn on guilty pleasure books. The Calling Me series, however, impressed me enough with its quality that I can hardly call enjoying it 'guilty'.

As I mentioned, I'm very new to the romance genre and my experience doesn't extend much beyond the Fifty Shades series and a couple of the Outlander novels. So I've only seen two extreme sides of the genre. Outlander is not a typical romance series. These books are rich in history and a lot of time is spent on issues other than romance and they are fantastic. I enjoy reading Fifty Shades but I can't keep a straight face while reading those books, even when I'm alone. The writing is horrible and some of the things that get said are so embarrassing I have to set the book down for a moment to compose myself. Then there's the problematic nature of the series which is probably embedded in the American psyche at this point so I don't think I need to mention any of that.

The Calling Me books are quick and light, containing enough of the sexy bits we're all really here for without being embarrassing or excessively problematic. I thought Luke was absolutely adorable* and while I got so frustrated with Ashleigh by the end of the second book I started shaking my Nook (and yelling something about how I would invent a machine that allowed me to enter this fictional world and slap some sense into her), I definitely understood her hesitation.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the direction the story went in the last book. We all saw Ashleigh getting pregnant unexpectedly happening. But I genuinely thought it would go the Fifty Shades Freed route and end up with Luke having a momentary freakout. I wouldn't have even really been that upset about the trope because from the second he figured out his feelings for Ash he was so ready, so confident, and I would have understood the author's decision to let Ash's fears be temporarily justified. But I was so pleased when it went the other way. When he tells Jake that he wants to have nineteen kids with her, like yesterday and I knew that the story wouldn't go that way I got super excited.

And then when Ash decides to leave I got real mad at her for a minute. I get a bit frustrated every time I see this kind of thing. The whole, "I have two options, the sensible one and the absolutely batshit stupid one. I will choose the latter," thing. It's infuriating. And I was relieved to see it squashed immediately and quickly turn into Ash finally fully trusting Luke's love for her.

And the sex scenes! They necessitated almost* no eyerolls or groans. The things they were saying and doing to each other were actually realistic and that's something that almost never happens in books like these. Especially the things they say. I've read snippets from other books aside from Fifty Shades and every time I'm like "Who talks like this during sex? I feel like if someone said this to me during sex my vagina would instantly close for business." But not in these books! And I loved how even during the sex scenes there was a lot of stuff mixed in that was just cute or adorable.

*Luke, at one point, did say he was excited that he would be the first man to "claim" Ashleigh's ass. This happens in like every romance novel and the ass always has to be "claimed" and I always roll my eyes and laugh. Spoiler alert: We never did get to find out if he claimed that ass.

really enjoyed this! well written and highly recommend.

Calling Me is a beautiful friends to loves book. Yes the characters realise they are in love with each other but even so they do take their relationship slow which i found refreshing. Ashleigh did frustrate me at times as she was letting fear rule her a little. However, I can completely understand her actions. She has every right to be terrified when the man she has always been in love with turns round and says he's just realised he is in love with her, just after leaving his long term girlfriend. Luke though is fantastic. He grows so much as the story progresses and a huge part of this is because of the choices Ashleigh makes. A little side note is that i would have loved to have seen a scene or two with Emma and Fiona at the end of the book so they could get some closure. Other than this tidbit i adored Calling Me. When Ashleigh and Luke are together you get a lovely feeling of rightness and you really want the best Happily Ever After you could think of for these two.

I would recommend Calling Me for anyone in search of a friendship to love story.

OMG that was surprisingly captivating! Fast read with minimum angst - just enough to get the story going and smoking hot chemistry between Ash and Luke!