Maybe if we met at another time—another life—he could’ve been mine. Maybe if I were older. Maybe if he wasn’t my brother’s best friend. Maybe if he wasn’t my teacher. Maybe.Maybe.Maybe.Having my dirty little secret living down the hall had me obsessing over alternate endings and happily ever afters. I’d never wanted someone so badly, but his hot and cold behavior was giving me emotional whiplash. … behavior was giving me emotional whiplash. In the classroom, he practically ignored me. But here? In my brother’s loft? It felt like we were a thick rubber band, pulled so tight we’d snap.
Falling for Decker Harris made me realize that life wasn’t as serendipitous as everyone liked to think. We weren’t just a collection of maybes thrust into the world with hope and good intentions. Everything started with a choice, and somewhere between grief and redemption, I chose to make him mine.
more
This book is taboo done right!! Decker and Blakely’s story was pure perfection! Wow!! Just wow! This is my fist story by CoraLee June, but I can promise it will not be my last!!!
Burnout by Coralee June was a steamy and angst-filled older brother’s best friend romance with a student/teacher twist and I loved it! Blakely and Decker should never have been, but with a twist of fate, they are now roommates and the chemistry between them is undeniable. But more than that, she is now his student and he is her older brother’s best friend and teacher. They are in an impossible situation and one they are trying to avoid at all cost. What they share cannot be, right?
Blakely was so strong and yet so vulnerable. She does not trust easy and yet her heart feels so much. Decker was aloof and cold when he first entered her life. But she slowly broke down his walls. But what secrets does he hide? As they spend time together, they steal moments that should not be shared, but are everything to them. Burnout by Coralee June was hot, steamy, emotional and angsty and I devoured it. This was my first read by this author but will not be my last.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
Maybe if we met at another time-another life-he could’ve been mine. Maybe if I were older. Maybe if he wasn’t my brother’s best friend. Maybe if he wasn’t my teacher. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Having my dirty little secret living down the hall had my obsessing over alternate endings and happily ever afters. I’d never wanted someone so badly, but this hot and cold behavior was giving me emotional whiplash. In the classroom, he practically ignored me, But here? In my brother’s loft? It felt we were a thick rubber band, pulled so tight we’d snap. Falling for Decker Harris made me realize that life wasn’t as serendipitous as everyone liked to think. We weren’t just a collection of maybes thrust into the world with hope and good intentions. Everything started with a choice, and somewhere between grief and redemption, I chose to make him mine.
Oh my goodness. Forbidden romances, brothers best friend, and student/teacher are some of my favorite kinds of stories. Well, if you are with me in liking all of those things then you don’t want to miss Burnout. This is the story of Blakely is a eighteen year old girl who has just lost a mom who wasn’t really a good mom to her and found out she has a half brother, Lance in Memphis. He has asked her to come stay with him and she is just not so sure about it. She wants to be independent and take care of herself like she has most of her entire life. On the day she works up the nerve to even walk into her brother’s building the first person she meets is his best friend Decker and he makes it clear that he is not thrilled she is there and that she better not be taking advantage of his best friend who just so happens to have a huge heart. From the first meeting I could feel the flicker of sparks between these two. You are going to love this book and the smoking hot journey it will take you one. This was my first book from Coralee June and it will not be my last.
What an intense and forbidden romance that is full of angst, feels, steam and romance. This has all the elements in a story that I love to read ( brother’s best friend and teacher/student). It’s forbidden romance with a slow burn feel. It’s sexy hot with the dark romance twist that I love! If you like romances like that, then you’ll love this age gap, taboo romance troupe. It’s is amazing and I can’t wait to read more by Ms. June!!
My Rating: 4.5 stars *******
Burnout is my first read by Coralee June and I am in love with her storytelling. My heart is dying with all the angst, heartbreak and raw emotions. And the words own me completely.
It’s a forbidden, age gap, teacher-student trope and brother’s best friend romance. Blakely and Decker start their journey with hardcore animosity. Because Decker is super protective of his best friend Lance . And Blakely has come to live with them after death of her abusive, addict and neglectful mother. Lance is her half brother adopted out early life and has no idea about her dark life. The hatred turns into a strange camaraderie and slow burn attraction. But they are off limits for each other as Decker is also her teacher.
Blakely is an amazing character. I am so awed by her strength, resilience and inner goodness after having a troubled life. This girl is a mass of contradictory elements. She can be sassy, smart and adamant. And she hides the broken parts so easily. Decker could see through her armour. And this infuriating, possessive, caring and protective man with hero complex will be her saviour, her friend and her partner. The author was killing me with the push and pull between them. The thrill of forbidden romance and pain of intense heartache filled up pages after pages. You need to read it to feel how she maintained the tension throughout the story. The chemistry was off the charts hot. But the most beautiful and enticing part was the bond between Decker and Blakely.
Burnout by Coralee June was so much more than a sexy forbidden romance. It was a memorable journey of loss, hope and redemption. It was an excellently written intense story.
Received ARC for Honest review
CoraLee June knows how to write tough heroines that you will absolutely root for and Blakely Stewart is tougher than most.
Blakely has lived through a terrible childhood, but she still keeps on fighting. Living with her brother Lance and his friend Decker Harris is just a temporary situation until she gets a job and graduates highschool. She tries to keep her secrets and her heart hidden from the world but Decker’s distrust of his friends ‘long lost’ sister makes it difficult to shut him out. Besides Decker being her brother’s older, hot friend, he is also her new teacher.
Burnout is an angsty, quirky, forbidden romance that I absolutely loved. Decker is just as closed off and distrustful as Blakely, but he is also fiercely loyal to the ones he loves. The angst is so strong between these two and it kept the story deliciously interesting. I also loved Lance, Blakely’s brother, and I wished he had a larger role in not only Blakely’s life, but also throughout the book.
A fast paced, interesting and surprising read. I love a good brother’s best friend story and also student/teacher romance so this was a no brainer for me.
There was a LOT going on in this book (which would normally annoy me) but it worked. Drama, secrets, betrayal, love, lust and loss are just some of the things you will find in this book.
How can something so heartwrenching be beautiful as well? Burnout has all the push and pull you expect in a forbidden romance, it also comes with heartbreaking truths and hurtful lies. Not only did I love watching the love between Decker and Blakely bloom, I loved watching the sibling love bloom between Lance and Blakely. It hurt my soul seeing how Decker made Blakely his secret, I understand the reasoning but it still hurt knowing how heartbreaking it was to Blakely.
From first meeting they had instant chemistry, to secrets, pain, betrayals, and love these two had the deck stacked against them. Yet they fought hard and made it work.
Burnout is one I’ll read again and again, just to feel the emotions that run rampant throughout the entire story.
Rate: 4.5/ 5 stars
Reading the blurb had me wanting to pick up this book immediately. Student-teacher romance? Hmm yes please. I haven’t read many so I’m always up for it when one pops up. They are usually so sexy, a little bit angsty and a sure good time. And this book was all that BUT what I hadn’t been expecting was for it to be so emotional as well.
Blakely has just gone through a major life change and is still dealing with what she left behind while getting to know her brother and his bestfriend/roommate. And said roommate does not make it easy in the beginning. But soon, as they learn truths about each other, their attraction grows and grows, until it’s something more. But there is a lot in their way, Decker’s job, her brother and a whole lot more.
You will not be bored even for a second reading this one. It is not your typical taboo student/ teacher romance. There’s so much more to this story, involving way more than the two main characters. I cried while reading the last few chapters, they were so emotional. And I totally hadn’t expected that when I first started this book. It was really good and I will definitely be checking out some of CoraLee’s other books.
The subtitle is deceiving. ‘Burnout’ is NOT a dark bully romance. In fact, there is nothing dark or taboo about this story. The tropes are mentioned in the story. However, the metaphors used weren’t properly executed to provide the readers with the dark, bully, or taboo feels they’d expect to explore within a romance book in this genre.
Admittedly, I thought ‘Burnout’ would’ve had a sprinkle of darkness; maybe some taboo feels considering the hero is a teacher. I was expecting some naughtiness to take place in the classroom after the students cleared out. Hell, even some steamy kinky scenes behind her brothers back since the hero is also the heroine’s brother’s best friend. Sadly, none of that had taken place. Every time the characters were about to do the deed, they were interrupted. Where is the enjoyment in that?
At the end of chapter 23, I lost interest. I’m a fan of sexy scenes. Unfortunately, this story wasn’t progressing enough for me. Don’t let my review ruin it for you, though. I’m not a fan of slow burns. Also, I believe less is better.
The one thing I did like is the characters. Although I didn’t enjoy the pace of the plot, or the story itself, the main characters are likable.
As for the bully trope? Nah. I can’t say it is. There was an incident with a student where the hero defended the heroine, but the hero is not the bully.
I honestly thought this book would’ve had the taboo feels, or erotic sexual tension between the characters, but it didn’t. The build-up between the character is a slow burn. Too slow for my liking. I’m not a fan of character connection coming in at the end. In my opinion, it takes the romance out of the book.
Not my cuppa, and not at all what I assumed it would’ve been.