“You will never mention me or my favors, nor will you disclose what favors we trade. I am a ghost to you.”
Or a genie. I think a genie is way less scary, don’t you?
Kristy Marie brings you a laugh out loud comedy about what happens when a hot mess of a girl takes down the resident bad boy.
It’s official.
I, Ainsley James, am crazy.
Desperate and crazy.
It’s the only explanation as to why … crazy.
Desperate and crazy.
It’s the only explanation as to why I’m nauseous, standing outside Maverick Lexington’s door.
I mean, it’s possible the stories about his deck of playing cards—with the words IOU scrawled across the back—are just rumors of the ruthless quid pro quo deals he barters.
But the flutters in my stomach know better.
Maverick is as cold as they come.
But, I need one of those cards.
I NEED to owe Maverick Lexington a favor…
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This is my second round with this book and second time was audio.
The narrators are absolutely perfect for Maverick and Ainsley. I don’t know how they can do it, but they pulled me in so fast and hard, the next things I knew, the book was over and I was ready to hit play again. Amazing audiobook for an amazing story.
IOU Forever!
I found my Book Bestie and her name is Ainsley. How can you not love her with her quirky, hilarious, take no prisoners personality who has a love of sea lions.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever smiled so much through a whole book as I did with this one. Laughing so much throughout.
I for one would love to owe Maverick as many IOU’s as he would like. He is mysterious, cocky yet secretly sweet, caring, and just perfect.
The nonstop banter between thee two–the snarky comments, chemistry was perfect. They were perfect in their own non-perfect ways.
This is my first with the audiobook but my second time reading this and it makes me want to start it all over again. This is the book that opened me up to this author and has not disappointed me since. Where has she been all my life?
Whatever your doing or reading you need to grab this book and start reading. I normally don’t say that, but this book I can’t say it enough of how much I freaking loved this book. I’ve read several of Kristy’s book’s and had my favorites, but friends this book and these character’s Maverick and Ainsley are just the cats meow sorry not sorry.
Ainsley is funny, klutzy just your average girl you can’t help but identify with or at least I could see myself in her.
Maverick oh dear boy you and your broody sexy self never stood a chance. Which is what makes these 2 perfect together. She needs him like he needs her.
I absolutely would recommend one clicking this book and fall in love with these 2 and the other side character’s I hope we’ll see more of.
As soon as I cracked this baby open, I was laughing. Seriously. The first chapter set the stage for what would be a hilariously unique romance I could really sink my teeth into. I’ve never read a story quite like this one and I recommend it to everyone looking for a hilarious romance.
Mysterious, alpha hero
Sassy, fearless heroine
An entertaining set of side characters
A must-read college love story
After finding her boyfriend cheating on her with her roommate, Ainsley is out of friends, out of a home, and out of options. What’s a college girl to do? Sleep in her car. What she didn’t count on was a ‘guardian angel’ in the form of a firefighter, a man who was watching out for her. A man who could put up with her idiosyncrasies when other’s wouldn’t, but he could only do so much. When she’s finally desperate, she goes to the one person who can really help her. A man known around campus to collect favors. Maverick was definitely holding all the cards and when it came to Ainsley, he had no problem letting her rack up more debts.
There were tons of things to like about this book, such as the brooding Maverick, who was upset (and yet, not so much) about how Ainsley completely smashed through his life like an elephant in a China shop. For her, his rules were more like guidelines and his secrets were only safe until she ultimately dug them up. Their banter, their every interaction, prompted a laugh from me and I’m sure many others will find them just as humorous as I did.
Kristy Marie delivers a hilarious, gorgeous novel. Maverick and Ainsley are #couplegoals. With everything going on in the world, this was exactly what I needed.
4.35 Stars
Rumors run rampant at Havemeyer college, but it’s no lie that Ainsley James has been blacklisted from college living complexes after earning an unfair arsonist reputation.
Maverick Lexington’s reputation keeps people at bay, and he gets by feeding off that mystique. He definitely doesn’t want a roommate, but when his “favor” business encounters a challenge he can’t meet, his solo reputation gets a test.
“What I wanted was ice-cream and dick with a side of mac and cheese. So here we are.”
Ainsley is beyond quirky, but Mav definitely intrigued me from the start. He has that cool, aloof bad boy aura, but a genuineness to him as well. He’s not exactly your ordinary college student, and I related with him, sharing a similar health issue. Despite his surface surliness, you could tell he was a good guy underneath.
“Confused. Pissed. Happy. I’m like a hormonal teenage girl.”
Much like Mav’s initial response to Ainsley, she had to grow on me as well. In some of the earlier chapters, her monologues drug on and I did some skimming. I also wanted her to get over her douchey ex as much as Mav.
I think the story could have benefited from some pacing adjustments. For example, it takes several chapters till they even meet in the beginning, while at the end, there’s a bit of an abrupt jump to the epilogue. Also it’s a slow burn romance. The smexy times don’t arrive till about the last quarter of the book, and there’s only one or two sex scenes. I would have liked more steam.
However, there is palpable sexual tension long before that and the first kiss….oh that was one of the best I’ve ever read. Major points for originality and if this was a movie—definite Best Kiss winner.
I like romances where the hero and heroine complement each other and provide something the other one needs or is missing. And that’s how Ainsley and Mav ultimately operated as Ainsley learned to live for herself, and Mav learned to lean on someone and not take on all his problems by himself. I adored the complete absence of OW drama from Mav’s side (he’s wonderfully celibate and most definitely not a manwhore).
Told via Mav and Ainsley’s first person POV, it’s a cute, safe, and light-hearted feel-good story, which I always enjoy. The genie/IOU theme also had a sweet and original touch.
“I had to grant a favor. #genielife”
Lawrence was endearing as well.
Some side characters appear to have their own books now so I might have to check them out. This story is a stand-alone with connections to a Rumors series and other series.
I absolutely loved this book. The banter between the main characters was hilarious!
A Fantastic story.
I really enjoyed it.
Ainsley and Maverick stole my heart.
From the beginning to the end their romance held me captive.
It was sweet,funny and sexy.I Loved it.
I Highly Recommend it.
5 Stars.
Gahhh this book was super cute!! After being betrayed and kicked out by her ex-roommate and ex-boyfriend, Ainsley is desperate and turned to the rumored ruthless Maverick Lexington. Little did she know her world would forever be changed by her magic genie and super hero. I absolutely loved their banter, their sass and their chemistry. Loved all the supporting characters. I laughed throughout the book. Can’t wait to read Cooper’s story!
Alpha
Enemies-to-Lovers
Romcom
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“No big deal. Women lose their sh*t all the time. If they didn’t, men would act like they ran the world. A little bit of crazy never hurt anyone.”
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Review: This was my first book by Kristy Marie and I immediately loved it. First thing I did was buy a signed copy off her website. It is a story unlike anything I have ever read and I absolutely loved it!
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Ainsley is a little eccentric at times, but hopeful. She followed her boyfriend to med school and gave up her dreams to be with him. Only to come home after work and find the unexpected. Now she is homeless and trying to start over.
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Maverick is mysterious, growly and the one people go to when they need a favor. Everyone wants to be him. To the outside world Maverick has everything at his fingertips. The guy has more rumors circulating about him than should be possible.
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Ainsley’s life is literally going up in flames. She ends up homeless, friendless and loveless. She unknowingly meets Maverick one night in an unfortunate encounter. The next day she goes to the “one who grants favors” desperately looking for a place to live. Maverick begrudgingly decides to help her find a place all the while she crawls under his skin. This is a fun, sexy, flirty tension filled slow burn romance. But not too slow! The banter between Ainsley and Maverick was everything! I laughed so hard and so many times! I highlighted so many parts in this book! The chemistry between these two was delicious! There are a few things I was completely surprised by in the best way! Their character growth was my favorite. They are so good for each other! Really…everyone should read this book! I listened to the audiobook by Heather Firth and Jacob Morgan. This was my first book narrated by Heather and I think she such a great job bringing Ainsley to life. She was literally perfect! Jacob Morgan, is one of my FAVORITE narrators. He did an amazing job as Maverick further cementing Maverick as one of my favorite men! I highly recommend not only this book, but this audiobook! I loved it!
Oh what a fun and sexy story…with that Kristy Marie heart of course! This author’s writing is my jam. IOU was original and extremely entertaining, and I devoured it. Ainsley and Maverick are both incredible and endearing characters. Ainsley’s quirks and Maverick’s quiet broody wit played so well together. This smartly written story is a must read and I’m very curious to learn more about some of those amazing secondary characters. 5 worthy stars for IOU!
IOU by Kristy Marie
Published: April 29, 2020
Kristy Marie Books
This title is available to read for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Kristy Marie is an international bestselling author who loves writing witty heroines and temperamental heroes. She is also a six-pack of abs biggest fan. When Kristy isn’t writing, she’s being a total dude and screaming at the TV while watching baseball. Go Braves!
“I’m all in.”
Ainsley get an unwelcome surprise in the form
of her boyfriend and her roommate hooking up, which sets off a domino effect that leads to setting the curtains on fire. That starts the journey Ainsley takes, leading her to Maverick, the big guy on campus. No one knows anything about him, but the rumor mill is rarely without material. The last thing either expects is to find comfort in the other- time to ante up or split the pot.
I’ve had this book borrows via Kindle Unlimited for quite some time, and I have been missing out. This story was so sweet. I enjoyed all of it- plot, characters, themes.
Ainsley is so feisty and such a bold character. She is passionate and unafraid to be who she is. She doesn’t wear a mask for anyone; if she thinks it, you can bet she’s going to say it. So when her plans blow up in her face, she realizes she has to do something. Sure, she lets herself go through the emotions, but she also is determined to be her own best hype woman.
Maverick is playing in the highest stakes game ever. Big bets with even bigger odds. So when someone calls in a favor, Maverick has no choice but to agree. He had no idea how much chaos Ainsley would shower upon him. But as she decides they will be friends, he realizes she could just be winning his heart.
I found the storyline so unique and clever. I enjoyed the setting, I enjoyed the buildup, and I liked the comedic moments. I’ve never read anything by Kristy Marie before, but I am open to diving into her body of work because Ainsley and Maverick were fantastic. This is such a charming, sweet, steamy read, and it’s impossible to put down.
I could not put this book down once I started it. I loved Ainsely & Maverick’s story so much. I really enjoyed all the sass, snark, & back and forth between these two just as much as I enjoyed the steamy parts. This was the first book I read by Kristy Marie but certainly wasn’t the last. I strongly recommend this book as well as her Commander in Briefs series! They are all great reads. 5/5 Stars
UPDATE to Include Audiobook Review:
I loved this book the first time I read it. Heather and Jacob did an excellent job narrating and bringing Kristy’s story to life. The only complaint I could see would be that the pauses from the breaks in the chapters may make some readers think the audiobook skipped a section but it’s really just a break in the chapter and the story picked up sometime later. IOU is now one of my favorite audiobooks. I recommend this and all Kristy Marie books to anyone who loves romance and enjoys witty banter between characters. 5/5 Stars
IOU deserves well over 5 stars!! I could not fault it!!This book was EVERYTHING!!!! Holy Mac and cheese. This is making it high on my favourite books of 2020 because I absolutely LOVED this book!!
I laughed out loud through nearly the whole entire thing. This has to be one of the most well written books I have ever read. Some of the scenes were just down right comical. Even a sex scene so bloody hot managed to have humor to it!!! Now that is serious writing talent right there.
Ainsley was the funniest and the absolute perfect FMC! She is possibly my favourite FMC out of all the books I have read. She was hilarious!
When I first started reading, I really wasn’t sure about the whole IOU concept but it worked so well and really made the story! Maverick! Geez. He was such a surprising character. He was so many things and super hot in the bedroom is definitely one of them!!
This book was such a fun and refreshing read! And that ending! Gahhh my heart just couldn’t take it. I cried. Real tears. Of happiness. But also of sadness because I was DEVASTATED that it was over!
Do yourself a favor and add IOU to your TBR and read it ASAP! You will not be disappointed!
Ainsley comes home early from working looking forward to a long bath only to find her boyfriend and roommate having sex surrounded by HER candles. Which she proceeds to throw at him. Too bad she missed and caught the curtains on fire!
Maverick and his friends are at his favorite steakhouse when they notice an altercation between two waitresses. When he realizes that his steak has gotten cold because he was too engrossed in his calculus problems he asks one of the waitresses to have it reheated for him. And finds it dumped in his lap.
This is such an amazing book! I love Ainsley and Maverick and all the other characters. This book is well written and the characters have you laughing. I love the storyline and how everything connected back to the beginning of the story. I’ll never look at a deck of cards the same again.
Highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more books written by Kristy Marie.
This book made me swoon so hard. I love finding a new book boyfriend. It was exactly what I did not know I needed. It was full of fun and flirty humor and a good romance. I love when I fall for the characters right from the beginning because you know there is not going back after that!
Ainsley finds out her boyfriend whom she gave up her dreams to follow to college is cheating on her with her roommate, she has nowhere to go so she starts sleeping in her car. She is despite enough to find the guy on campus who can help her, but at the expense of an IOU because he does not do anything for free. Where Ainsley is concerned Maverick will let her rack up all the debt she can.
I absolutely love the chemistry between Maverick and Ainsley. She is fun, sassy and knows exactly what she wants. He is the broody, bad boy type that we all fall for if I am being honest. You root for them the entire book willing them to get together. When they finally do come together its everything!!
If you want a fun hilarious book to bring you out of a funk, look no further because this is the book for you. Kristy Marie knows how to write a good broody bad boy gets the girl story that will have you speechless.
It was definitely a cute book. It had everything a romcom is expected to have and enjoy. It all started with a deck of cards and a favor. I absolutely love the main characters.
I read more MM romances than MF romances, but this one grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. I am in love with Maverick. He totally has this dominant male thing going on, but oh my gosh, he also has this hidden layer to him that is awesome.
Love, love, love him!
Ainsley’s no slouch either. It seems like a lot of ‘strong, sassy’ female characters are one-dimensional, but to me, Ainsley’s real. Her pain and her strength are done in an incredibly realistic way that shows her human side.
I highly recommend giving it a try.
**3.5**
After catching her boyfriend cheating on her with her roommate, Ainsley needs to find a new place to live – stat. She is desperate, with no where to go but to Maverick the king of IOUs. He will help you but you will owe him. She goes to him for help and he offers her a place to stay – with him. It is only supposed to be temporary but the longer she stays the more he wants her to stay.
Ainsley is over the top ridiculous and I am not in the least bit surprised that she has no friends. But I loved her. I found her to be a riot and couldn’t get enough of her. I think this is one of the very rare books where I preferred the FMC POV to the MMC POV. Maverick – I didn’t get him. He confounded me and not in a good way. I laughed a lot and enjoyed the book for the most part but it was a bit slow for me and the whole IOU thing was a bit lame. But it was good enough and I did enjoy it.
One of the best books I’ve read. So emotional, funny and heartwarming not to mention sexy. KM really knows how to write a story that makes you feel. This book just did that. I loved how the characters met and how their story went along. The strength in each of them and how they eventually gave into their feelings was amazing. They had such insane chemistry and you could feel it On every page and the smut scenes were ON POINT. This took you on a journey and it really was such a lovely read!
This was an original story that was full of funny and sweet characters. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading it but I ended up really enjoying it!
Maverick and Ainsley (such good names!!) were so adorable together and I loved their banter and how they complimented each other so well! Ainsley’s inner thoughts were hilarious but I felt like at the beginning there was so much thought that I was like come on let’s go! Haha It took a bit to get going but it was also setting up so much that it made sense. I’m glad I kept going and I can’t wait to read more about the other characters!