National Award-Winning Author, KC Deckerbrings you a sexy new, enemies to lovers romance.Friends. Ride or die, right?Always have your back.Know all your dirty little secrets.Love the shiny parts of you, and embrace the crappy ones?Yeah? Well, I don’t know about all that nonsense because my friends are just a bunch of assholes.They’re taking over.They’re commandeering my love life.They’re … assholes.
They’re taking over.
They’re commandeering my love life.
They’re constructing a dating profile for me, and it’s bad…
Because I don’t even have the password for it,
and I have to do exactly what they say.more
What matters most
Gradation by KC Decker is a very well written romance with deep exploration and reflection. This book was so enthralling to me. The single POV of Alabama was quite deep in many respects and I found myself relating to this character in some ways.
Gradation is a combination of self-discovery, growth, self-realization, enemies to frenemies to lovers, supernova chemistry, and sweet, sweet building romance. I like everything about this book, especially the characters because they really make the plot and storylines as perfect as they should be. Everything comes together creating a really wonderful book.
Overall, KC Decker has impressed me yet again with her insightful writing, captivating characters and engaging dialogue. The HEA, including all the characters, was super sweet with a hint of steam and absolutely fitting for Alabama and Gavin
I read an ARC of this book from Hidden Gems and voluntarily share my review.
An enemies to lovers/force proximity romance.
This was my first KC Decker book and she not only made the characters feel like friends but also had me laughing out loud at their banter.
Definitely a slow burn but when the spice picks up in the last third of the book it picks UP.
Gradation was amazing! The characters hooked me from the first page. I became captivated with this story when Gavin met Alabama on their first date which was set-up by her friends. The initial encounter didn’t turn out well. That’s where the enemy to lovers romance begins. The attraction, witty banter and steamy scenes are surprisingly good. I enjoyed everything about it. Totally worth reading!
I absolutely enjoyed every word of this book! I love the characters, the storyline and every graphic detail. It seems opposites really do attract.
Angsty & steamy buildup
—>>> Opposites attract and don’t judge a book by its cover are the main themes of this book, which is what happens when you let your supposedly best friends talk you into a dating their choice of a man for you. At their utter mercy, Alabama has no say in the surprisingly hot-but-ulitmately-not-acceptable male who shows up during their first meet. Gavin is so much more than what meets the eye. Though, if Alabama did not write him off so politely within the first few minutes eye to eye, their chemistry together would have melted the pages of the story all the earlier, and we would not get to understand just how their minds ticked. When they do come together, we see just how perhaps they really were not that different after all once the parental condition is weaned off, and we sit back and enjoy the ride as Alabama struggles to right the undeserved wrong to their HEA. As with other stories I have read from this author, the secondary characters hold their own as interesting characters, so I look forward to reading more about them in the future!
Alabama’s friends decide that her “picker” is broken and they are going to pick out the next guy she dates. After all, who knows you better than your best friends?!?!? Gavin is definitely not someone that Alabama would have picked for herself. What’s the worst that can happen??? I loved this story! The characters are well written and the story is well told. The only thing I would have liked more is to have his POV included. SO many scenes I wanted to know what was going through his head!
A good lesson on never judging a book by it’s cover. Alabama was a contrast. She quickly judged Gavin by sight alone. Yet her closest friends are a melting pot of culture and lifestyles. Her background gives you an insight into her so you know she is a good person, but it takes Gavin a minute to catch up. However, on his side his rebuke was harsh. I was angry with the name he called her, that was not who he is. He got it right later. he also was quick to judge I loved the characters. The main characters and their friends were great. The story was good and not something you read everyday. I don’t get to read to many stories where the female lead has to do a little groveling too, Nice switch. Good character growth on both parts.
This is my first K.C. Decker book. And based upon my reading of Gradation, it won’t be my last. First of all, the cover of this book instantly grabs your attention. I went back and looked at her other covers, and WOW! she has a way of picking covers to grab your attention.
After that, I was intrigued by her blurb. My favorite types of books are enemies-to-lovers. The tension between the hero and heroine brings an excitement to the story that keeps you engaged, and you can’t help but wait with bated breath until they finally consummate their relationship.
Now, Gradation was no different. The story engages you and pulls you through it. Decker is clearly pointing her readers to the oft-used adage to “not judge a book by its cover.” This is the crux of this story. Alabama, the heroine, has a bad “picker.” She chooses men who ultimately disappoint her. After another failed relationship, her friends decide to choose her a date from a dating app. They choose, make contact, and arrange the first date. Feeling put out, when Alabama and her date, Gavin, meet, she judges him based on his appearance and makes an enemy. Without taking the time to get to know him, Alabama believes she knows his “type” based on his pierced, tattooed body. On ending the date, Gavin, disappointed in Alabama, ends their date putting Alabama in her place and giving her “food for thought.”
Feeling bad about her behavior, Alabama attempts to make amends with Gavin. However, having been hurt, Gavin makes this difficult on her. This doesn’t stop her. Even though she’s a workhorse, successful businesswoman, she threatens her career by attending a tattoo convention with Gavin in her attempt to get him to change his opinion of her. During this trip, Alabama realizes quickly that Gavin is a catch, a wonderful man, and she knows she missed out. Will they find a happily ever after?
Here’s what made this book so good…
1. The tension between these two. At the outset of the story, I was not a fan of Alabama. Decker initially makes her seem shallow and mean. If I was Gavin, I would have also ended the date quickly and treated her the same. It took me some time to start to like her. Once Decker shows us her background and psychology, she becomes relatable and easier to like. Then, there’s a moment when I didn’t like Gavin because I thought he took his revenge a bit too far on her. He says some things to Alabama that are so hurtful. For someone like me, I would have been destroyed and stopped my pursuit of forgiveness. However, Decker has created a strong woman in Alabama, giving her a hard shell. Given this, when we see Alabama’s soft underside, it adds layers to the story. This “back and forth” with Gavin and Alabama sets up the story for fireworks, keeping you engaged in it. When they finally acknowledge their attraction to each other and act upon it, it’s incendiary.
2. The coupling. What I loved the most, I think, is the inching towards their coupling. The moment in the story when they become physical is painfully slow that it’s erotic. You feel that tension and it reminds you of the first time you connected physically with someone. Decker builds these moments slowly, so you feel the tension and want relief for her characters. It’s brilliant. Added to that is their fire. These two are $exy together. Really, really $exy together. You’ll feel like the pages of her book catch fire.
3. The message. This idea that true love can be lost if you are looking for it in a different package is a profound one. Alabama (and even, Gavin) almost miss out on finding their soulmate because they cannot move beyond the surface. As the story evolves, you see their change, and it’s really the most provocative part of the story.
4. The ending of this book. Poetic. The last line of this book is one of my favorites. I loved it hard.
There is so much that is lovely about K.C. Decker’s story. I love finding new authors, especially when they offer books like Gradation. Even if you haven’t read anything else by her, you’ll read this book and definitely want more.
Great story and characters with explosive chemistry! One click!
The blurb from this book definitely had my interest piqued.
Alabama & her friend Ivy have had bad luck in the dating department. Maybe bad taste is more accurate. So their friends take over, figuring that they know them best, and set up online dating accounts that they will not have access to.
When Alabama meets her date that her friends set up for her, she’s automatically dismissing him as a true potential candidate. He’s the opposite of what she looks for.
Gavin has no clue why the woman he’d been chatting online with has suddenly turned dismissive and disinterested, not realizing that he was communicating with her friends.
Things definitely get interesting between Gavin and Alabama, especially with the clauses her friends put in place on this dating experiment.
So, while I really, really enjoyed this book, I wished that it was told in dual point of views. After Gavin says some horrible things to Alabama and continued to be a jerk even after she went out of her way to help him, I found it difficult to like him. It wasn’t until the discovery that Alabama made in the box, that started to make me think that there was more that Gavin was thinking and feeling than what he let on.
Other than that, this was a brilliant story with a great message about looks and perceptions! The chemistry between them was explosive! I’ll definitely be looking into more books by this author.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Will Alabama change to let Gavin into her life
This is my 5th book by the author and I loved the struggle that Alabama had to overcome to find her HEA! Alabama’s friends picked her next date because her pickers were broken. When she shows up for the coffee date with Gavin, she is turned off by his appearance as a tattoo artist and is anything but pleasant. But with the threat from her friends for a worse date, she pleads with Gavin for another date. Gavin takes her on a date to something out of her norm where she tries to fit in but Gavin still keeps her away. Yet when Alabama offers to help him at a convention, things shift between them. Will it be enough for their happily ever after? You have to read to find out and won’t want to put the book down until you finish.
I loved Gradation. I couldn’t put it down at all and KC Decker had me sucked in from the very start. This is a story of not judging a book by its cover. Getting outside your comfort zone. A book that will have you giggling and then fanning yourself too. Alabama she is not what she first seems. She to me changes a whole bunch in this one when she comes to several revelations. She is bold and goes out on the limb to make sure everyone around her likes her. Then there’s Gavin, he is really not what you expect. He is amazing all around guy. You will fall for him so hard. Though at the beginning you can tell he is just as guilty as Alabama when it comes to judging someone on the first appearance. I love the chemistry between Alabama and Gavin. You can feel the pull and slow build between the two. This is one you don’t want to miss out on.
KC Decker, ‘Gradation’.
As an ARC reader I received this book for free. And promised an honest review. Here it is. English isn’t my first language. Sorry for errors.
Rating: 4 stars (of 5).
In general: A gradual chance of opinion.
Main characters:
– Alabama.
Manager in an advertising company. Grown up in a wealthy family of politicians. Using a dating site, she meets several Wall Street types, the one even more boring than the other.
– Gavin.
Owner of a tattoo shop. A celebrity in the tattoo scene for he’s very talented and his shop is famous (with an enormous waiting list).
After Alabama’s dating fiasco’s her three friends make a deal with her. The friends will pick her dates, prepare the first meeting online and she accepts their proposal without knowing her date. She learns about the man when she sees him the first time and promises her friends that she will meet the date for three months before judging him.
Her friends chose Gavin as her next date. The first meeting of Alabama and Gavin is a disaster.
Alabama was disappointed: a man with tattoos and piercings is so not her type. In her frustration she reacts bitchy when the good looking, friendly and open Gavin approaches her with charm. But he gets angry when he feels that Alabama thinks (and actually tells him) that his social class is beneath her level. So he leaves indignant the restaurant during their first date even using an insulting swear word. But Alabama is committed to her three months promise and she begs him to become her fake boy friend during that period. He accepts if she behaves less haughty and does as he asks.
KC Decker then describes how Alabama gradually starts to admire Gavin when she knows him better and better during their next dates. The plot is funny and interesting, but not very original. Some hot sex scenes. Good dialogues between credible, nice characters and interesting info about the tattoo world. After enjoying KC Decker’s Jessie Hayes series, for me again reading one of her books was a pleasure.
R.Huiszoon.