Last Will and Testament by Dahlia Adler Series: Radleigh University #1
Published by Self Pub on December 9th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
Lizzie Brandt was valedictorian of her high school class, but at Radleigh University, all she's acing are partying and hooking up with the wrong guys. But all that changes when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, making her guardian to her two younger brothers. To keep them out of foster care, she'll have to fix up her image, her life, and her GPA—fast. Too bad the only person on campus she can go to for help is her humorless, pedantic Byzantine History TA, Connor Lawson, who isn't exactly Lizzie's biggest fan.
But Connor surprises her. Not only is he a great tutor, but he’s also a pretty great babysitter. And chauffeur. And listener. And he understands exactly what it’s like to be on your own before you're ready. Before long, Lizzie realizes having a responsible-adult type around has its perks... and that she'd like to do some rather irresponsible (but considerably adult) things with him as well. Good thing he's not the kind of guy who'd ever reciprocate.
Until he does.
Until they turn into far more than teacher and student.
Until the relationship that helped put their lives back together threatens everything they both have left.
I purchased a copy of this book out of respect/admiration for the author. This does not influence my review in any way.
If you know me, it is no secret that I am a huge Dahlia Adler fan. I wanted to start reading NA for a while now and I’m happy to report that I really enjoyed Last Will and Testament.
When Lizzie’s parents pass away, she’s left with the custody of her two younger siblings. But she may not be in the position to take care of them, she’s only 18 and her first year of university may not be setting the best example. Determined to get her grades up, she asks her (cute) TA, Connor for help. Soon, Connor and Lizzie start flirting and what starts as tutoring help slowly increases to friendship and to possibly something else. Last Will and Testament, while having cute swoony elements, is also a story of family and consequences.
I loved reading from Lizzie’s point of view. While I may not exactly relate to her university situation, I can totally relate to her love for her siblings. Her little brothers totally reminded me of my own family and I just loved them all. The writing was also amazing. It was personal, totally relatable and I could really picture Lizzie as a real university student.
While I am sometimes iffy about reading student/TA relationships, I think Adler handled the complexity of it really well. Connor and Lizzie really considered the consequences of their actions and it was so realistic. Their banter was also adorable and I really admire their snark-to-flirting conversations.
Overall, Last Will and Testament was super swoony and I loved it. The family relationship was totally realistic and I could really relate to the main character. I highly recommend it!
