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4.5/5 gavels

#Nerd is the first book in the #hastag Series, which is a new adult series that mostly focuses on the same couple! Do you even know how exciting that is? I don't have to say goodbye to Rimmel and Romeo just yet. They have at least two more books about them. I love that. The books are told in dual narrative between Rimmel and Romeo. I love the name Rimmel, by the way. Romeo is the star football player, and Rimmel is a scholarship girl who seems to only study and volunteer at the animal shelter. She is forced to tutor him and he is forced to go to tutoring three days a week. Throw in a secret fraternity initiation challenge for Romeo where he has to use Rimmel in some way, and it looks like you have a typical new adult "bet" story. But I would implore you to look past that, because I normally find those books enjoyable, but  very predictable. #Nerd was not like that. It handles the situation in a very different way, and I really liked that.

The hashtag series idea is so great, and I am honestly surprised this is the first time we are seeing it. (or at least the first time I am) There is a campus wide app that every student seems to have to get school updates and info called Alpha Buzz. But there is one person called the Buzz Boss that seemed like gossip girl. They were always texting the latest gossip and the hastags they used were so funny. There are little #AlphaBuzz texts at the start of each chapter. It was a great addition to the story. If anything, the texts showed me just how popular Romeo was to this school. Everyone seemed to know everything about him, and most of the buzz boss' texts seem to center around him. I wish we found out who the buzz boss was.

Rimmel is a great girl. I felt so bad for her that she really didn't have anyone. She moved from out of state, so she didn't have her father, and between studying, and her animal shelter work she didn't make any time to make any friends. Her roommate actually ended up pleasantly surprising me. Rimmel is shy, and you know she is haunted by something in her past, but we don't find out just what for a while. It was nice to see her finally get close to someone and slowly let her guard down. Romeo really took the time and effort to get to know her. And to me, it never really was about the initiation. I'm not telling you more than that, you just have to read and experience it for yourself.

Romeo was a breath of fresh air for me. He has this gooey marshmellow center that I love so much when it came to Rimmel. I loved that she brought out his tender side without either of them really even noticing. It was effortless between the two of them, and I am so excited that this is only the start of their story. I really liked Heven and Hell series by Cambria Hebert and now that I have gotten a taste of what her new adult contemporary is like, I really, really want to read her take it off series. If you like new adult, you will really enjoy the hashtag series. #IKnowIt #ReadItLoveIt

 This review was originally posted on Book Briefs