Book Title: Extra Credit
Author: Poppy Dunne
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: March 22, 2017
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
If life really imitated art, he’d have swept me off my feet and taken me right there on the principal's desk. Instead, we are stuck in our assigned roles. He’s the workaholic single dad of a precocious girl child, and I’m her fiery substitute teacher. Never the two shall meet. Enter one zany, yurt-dwelling ex-wife, a stock market that never sleeps, and some over-the-top, A-list fundraisers, and I've got plenty of drama ahead. Better to keep my hands to myself.
But when Will asks me out for a pancake breakfast, how can I resist? My heart (and my stomach) say yes, but am I willing to risk my job for a short stack and a romp in the hay? A slow, sensual, mind-blowing romp in the hay…
But where there’s a Will…
Being picky also allows me to be really good (at least I think so) at recognizing when something is done well.
And, Extra Credit is one of those things that is done well. Admittedly, I have been dying to read this and I dropped the other things on the "TBR" when my copy of this book appeared. Poppy Dunne, after this book, is officially a one-click author for me. When something is good, well written, well paced, and enjoyable, you want more. Another book, an extended epilogue...the next book. Yup, now works.
(Yes, Ms. Dunne, I am already wanting the next one and you haven't released this one. ***grabby hands***)
The balance of the humor, the sexy, the relationship, the emotion and the funny are all perfect. And, I don't mean perfect in a book way, but in a real life one. Will, Chelle and Amelia are people. Will's ex Suzonne, she is a person too (although granted someone I would rather not spend time with) but I believed her. I have met people like her. Although, I don't spend much time with them either.
I adored Will. He is just perfect, he is the guy you want to go home with, and you definitely know why Chelle is attracted to him. He's a great dad, devoted and really genuinely loves his daughter. I also really was drawn in by the way he treats his ex-wife. Yes, she is a handful, but he is willing to put what his daughter wants above the frustrations he feels with his ex. And, there is a genuineness to it, you really believe that who he is, at his core, is a good guy.
Chelle is wonderful, so true to herself, to who she is, to who her parents are (albeit with a little embarrassment there, but I am not going to spoil that...it hints in the beginning and explains about the middle, and it is worth the wait.) I loved her inner dialog. There are so many funny comments and things she thinks that I will never be able to list them all. My first literal LOL was about kale. Seriously. She made kale funny. Try that at home.
The other character in the story is Los Angeles. And, it is done well. So often, LA is the setting for a story because it is so recognizeable, but you then read the book and realize that the author doesn't live here and has likely only been here for a visit and saw what they thought was enough to capture life here. They miss by a mile. LA is weird. We are obsessed with really odd things, driving the 101 to the 405 at 4:30pm IS an act of love. The "valley" really is that "place over the hill we don't actually talk about". LA is odd...and to live here, and to love it, you have to be able to see the humor and appreciate the city. Poppy Dunne pulls off both.
The humor in this is also refreshing. A lot of romantic comedies leave you feeling like the humor was forced, with an undeveloped romantic storyline, or with characters you don't get to know because the humor was the focus.
Nope, nope and nope. The humor is genuine, authentic and more than once it is literal laughing out loud, hard enough that someone in the next room asks if you are ok. The romance is developed, heck, I was in love with Will by the end of this, so all good there. And, you get to know the characters. I feel like I could sit down to coffee with them, that I know them well enough for that not to be awkward.
If you haven't figured it out by now, I recommend this book.
This book was an absolute delight to read. There were things that made me laugh, moments that made me sigh and most of all a beautifully told romance. Throw an adorable kid into the mix and I'm toast.
From the moment I started this book I was hooked. The characters pulled me right into the story and I felt like I experienced it all with them. I completely believed in Will and Chelle and was totally invested in them.
Chelle was such an awesome character; she's the kind of character I want to be friends with in real life. She's passionate about her work and just wants someplace steady where she can nurture students in the theater world. The academy she is at when we meet her had me laughing out loud-but I have no doubt schools like this exist. I just can't find them here in Michigan. I was laughing with her and rolling my eyes with her over some school policies and I was definitely jealous of her opportunity to be with Will.
Will seriously won me over immediately. I mean, immediately. Hot, strong man who loves his kid and is willing to do just about anything to make sure that child knows she's loved and supported? Sign me up. His dedication to her was obvious from page one, which just made me fall for him instantly. He wasn't some dad conveniently pawning his kid off when she wasn't convenient or when he just wanted some time with Chelle. It was all about balance and priority, and Will excelled at that.
I liked the touch of forbidden between the two of them, what with Chelle being Will's daughter's teacher and all, but more than that I just liked them together. I liked that they didn't try and change each other. They accepted each other, quirks and all. It was truly refreshing. The chemistry between them sizzled and sparked off the page.
This book was a quick read for me only because once I started I just couldn't stop. I laughed hysterically throughout several times and I definitely swooned. This book is a fantastic romantic comedy that definitely raised the bar for other books in this category. I highly recommend this book.
While snogging a parent.
Snogging’s a great word.
Okay, brain. Let’s get back to it.
“That was…” Will’s voice trails off. The tone is deep, rugged, sexy.
I respond, “Shhweee.” I think I was looking for the word sweet, but we’ll never know.
“Very,” he agrees. He steps away, even though every molecule in my body right now is telling me to fling myself back at this tall, infuriating, infuriatingly gorgeous man. But just as I’m about to throw caution and my bra to the wind, someone adorable comes bouncing up to us, her mouse-eared hoodie still on.
Poppy writes books with relatable heroines who speak their minds and whose riotous inner dialogue reflects their complex characters. Her goal is to deliver a story that has equal parts heart, romance and humor. Her heroes are swoon worthy, yet hold on to your suspension of disbelief, because they pick up their own socks and cook.
In her free time, she looks for hobbies other than Netflix and procrastinating to fill out this author bio. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.
