[ARC REVIEW] “Kiss and Tell” (STFU #1) By: Maya Hughes

Happy first review of 2022! “Kiss and Tell” is the first book in Maya Hughes’ newest college football series, the St. Francis University series, it releases on January 6th.

What is “Kiss and Tell” by Maya Hughes about?

“Wouldn’t most guys love a no strings attached hook up?”

“Maybe, but most guys don’t deserve you. I want to be one who does. And I want to be all tangled up in your strings.”

Newly arrived on campus, I knew two things. 1) No one could know my dad was the president of the university and 2) football players were bad news.

My run in, the literal kind with my neighbor cranked up the heat and sparks flew.

A new college campus. A secret bound to explode in my face. And a football player neighbor who is bad news in the best of ways.

Reid Riddick was hotness personified, so of course I literally ran into with him–well, more like he plowed into me.

I didn’t know he was a football player when I started falling and now I can’t stop. A stolen kiss later and my heart races whenever he looks at me from across the quad.

But my secret would spell disaster for him.

I’m the daughter of the college president. The college president who’s been feuding with his football coach for years. Their bitter campus war leaves us teetering on the edges of a divide we can’t see a way across.

Resisting him is more than I can handle. He’s risking it all for me. His team standing. His football season. His pro future.

Throw in a campus gossip site. My out of control new friends. His way too hot roommates. College traditions. A secret campus bar and the only guy who’s ever made me feel like he can’t live without me. And I have one last secret.

Our star-crossed love is my first and I want him to be mine.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Review:

“Kiss and Tell” is a fantastic kick off to the St. Francis U series. Although I don’t remember too much about STFU from the Fulton U series, other than that they’re Fulton U’s biggest rivals, I was so excited to dive into another college football series of Maya’s, and I wasn’t disappointed!

We’re introduced to a brand new friend group, who I know will be starring in books of their own, or at least we’ll be seeing more of them in the rest of the series. I loved how welcoming Leona’s roommates were to her, and her relationship with her dad. Most ‘my dad works at the college’ stories feature a strained father-daughter relationship, and although Leona and her dad have had their ups and downs in the past, they have a loving and healthy relationship that was sweet to read.

Reid was the perfect love interest – kind, respectful, thoughtful, the list goes on. It was so cute seeing him and Leona meet and fall for each other, and I loved that he didn’t look down on Leona for liking Lego (without the ‘s’) and other ‘nerdy’ interests that she has. Leona’s interest in working with wine was unique; I’m not sure that I’ve read a book before where the protagonist was learning about that, but that was cool.

There are only two things I would’ve liked to see on the page that we didn’t – Reid finally meeting Leona’s dad for real (and Leona meeting his dad), and the Zoo’s Halloween party that they kept talking about. The dirt account that posts STFU students’ secrets will likely become an even bigger deal in the following books, which is very stressful for me. But I’m sure fans of Gossip Girl will love it!

I’ll be interested to see the STFU football coach, Coach Mikaelson, in future books. I have no idea how he hasn’t gotten fired yet, but fingers crossed that happens at some point in the series! It would be cool to see how the team would function with a coach that wasn’t physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive.

Overall, this was a strong start to the series, and I’m excited to see what the rest of the team gets up to in the last four books! Cole and Kennedy are up next, and their dynamic is…interesting to say the least, so I’m sure that book will be great too. As with all new adult romances, I recommend it for mature audiences due to some of the sexual content. Huge thanks to Maya for letting me read an early ebook copy!

***