[ARC REVIEW] “Nerdy Little Secret” By: Carrie Aarons

Official Synopsis:

I’m sleeping with the nerd.
The nice guy.
The science geek who wears periodic table t-shirts around campus.

That’s my dirty little secret, but it began long before he unknowingly transferred to the same college I attend. We met at the summer camp I was mandated to work at, and our hush-hush affair started behind the kayak cabin and in the darkened canteen long after our respective campers went to sleep.

When Mick Barrett, rockstar name a complete red herring, enrolls at Salem Walsh University, we’re both shocked the first time we bump into each other. And he’s … surprisingly cold. With goals and secrets of his own, Mick is closed off and uninterested, something I’ve never encountered from the opposite sex.

My bruised ego has no time to recover, however, when he discovers the real secret I’m keeping, one that’s even more detrimental than our steamy summer fling. Agreeing to become my tutor, and help me save my future, the glasses-wearing swimmer, with the body of an Olympian under that punny math sweatshirt, begins to grow on me. Again.

Except we both have bigger things to focus on than sneaking around. Plus, we’re not made for each other. He’s aiming to be the next doctor of our generation, while I’m just hoping to survive my Saturday morning hangover.

Too bad our bodies, and hearts, start to believe otherwise.
Which has me questioning; can my dirty little secret become a happily ever after?

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review:

Carrie is back with her fourth book of the year (yes, that’s right — this is her FOURTH release of 2020), and I’m so glad that it’s a sweet college romance!

Jolie and Mick are entering their junior year of college, with the book taking place mostly in their Fall semester. Even though they are total opposites in almost every way, their personalities complement each other well, and they’re a good match.

Throughout the book, Jolie struggles with keeping secrets from her two best friends, and occasionally mentions the lack of affection she receives from her family, which I think is the cause of a lot of her destructive behavior. Mick struggles with keeping his secret from Jolie, who seems to be the only person he really gets close to while he’s at the University.

A few things stood out to me that I thought should’ve been explored a little bit more. At one point, Mick freaks out about being late to a meeting, but the consequence for being late isn’t ever explained or really brought up again. The same goes for Jolie’s relationship with her parents — not that it has to be resolved completely, but I would’ve thought some sort of confrontation would’ve taken place.

Overall, this was a relatively quick read — I think I read it in under six hours. Fans of Carrie’s other books will enjoy this one, and I’m grateful to Carrie for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review! The book is available now, and is free on Kindle Unlimited! As with most of Carrie’s books, I’d recommend it for 17 or 18+ due to sexual content throughout the book. I hope you enjoy Jolie and Mick’s story as much as I did!