Review ~ The Learning Hours (How to Date a Douchebag #3) by Sara Ney

He’s not a douchebag;

but that doesn’t stop his friends from

turning him into one.

 

MY FRIENDS WANT ME TO GET LAID. So much so that they plastered my ugly mug all over campus, in bold printed letters: Are you the lucky lady who’s going to break our roommate’s cherry? Him: socially awkward man with average-sized penis looking for willing sexual partner. You: must have pulse. Text him at: 555-254-5551 The morons can’t even spell. And the texts I’ve been receiving are what wet dreams are made of. But I’m not like these douchebags, no matter how hard they try to turn me into one. THIS ISN’T THE KIND OF ATTENTION I WANT. One text stands out from hundreds. One number I can’t bring myself to block. She seems different. Hotter, even in black and white.   However, after seeing her in person, I know she’s not the girl for me. But my friends won’t let up—they just don't get it. Douchebags or not, there's one thing they'll never understand: GIRLS DON’T WANT ME. Especially her.

My Opinion

I don't get it. 

Seriously, I've reached the end of this book and I really ... don't ... get it. 

It's not what I thought I was getting and I'm really confused at how it was sold to me in the blurb. I was even asked not to give spoilers about certain details and reveal who the characters are, and of course that is fair enough. However, I really have no idea what the big secret was and why it couldn't be mentioned here. 

I just don't get it. 

As you can probably tell, I'm confused by this book. I thought I was getting a book about a douchebag that was going to be intense and gripping. What I got was the complete opposite and if I'm truly honest the relationships began to bore me the more this book went on. 

It started of strong and I liked the premise. For about the first 25% I was hooked. Then I wanted more. I kept waiting for something to happen but it just never arrived. In my opinion the book flat-lined and had no drama or plot twists to keep me hooked. It all felt very tame and just ... boring. The characters lost me and I feel the author diverted from original premise too much. It was as if the characters lost all their personality the more the book went on. And no matter how much I wanted to like both of the leads (I would normally give more details but I'll respect the author's wishes not to name them), I found myself disconnected. They felt two dimensional and I really don't understand what the secrecy is about. Everything was spelled out in the book and obvious from the offset!! 

Saying that, I did force myself to finish the last 20%. I kept hoping for some twist that would pull it back or a climax, but sadly it didn't happen. Hence the confusion. 

Overall, I still don't understand this book. Personally, I believe the blurb doesn't line up with what I read--it felt like a completely different book. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't what I was expecting so I think that's what had caused most disappointment for me. If you want a sweet romance it might be for you, but if you prefer more drama and spice it might not be. 

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 He’s seated at a table in the far corner when I spot him from the door. He’s not hard to miss—not with his purple t-shirt in a sea of black and yellow, and wavy mussed hair. He’s slouching, hunched over his table. Defeated. Tired. My stomach rolls with nerves, nerves that have me rooted to the spot in the doorway, watching him. Just watching. For the entire four minutes I stand here, he sits immobile, studying his laptop, eyes moving along the screen, completely transfixed by whatever he’s reading. Learning. “Just go over there,” I whisper to myself, blowing out a puff of pent-up air. I put one foot in front of the other and begin toward him, spine ramrod straight, steeling myself, prepared for another argument. Twenty feet. Fifteen. Eight. Two. “Hi.” No reply. “Do you mind if I sit here?” I lay my hand on the back of the wooden chair across from him, intending to pull it out. He stiffens but doesn’t lift his head. “Yes I mind.” “Would you mind if I sat at the table next to you?” I’m pushing his buttons, looking for a reaction, but he only spares me a brief glance. Shrugs. “Free country.” I bite my lip to hide a smile, glad he didn’t tell me to take a hike...      

 

Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte's, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British. She lives with her husband, children, and her ridiculously large dog. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram