“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 the first book I have read by this author, and it won’t be my last. I enjoyed her sense of humor and the banter she can create with her characters. I have to say that the first 30%, I was a little worried that it wouldn’t be for me, but once I hit that mark, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down.
It is a story of two college students that meet under unique circumstances and form a bond…. well Ainsley feels she is forming a bond, but Maverick is handing out more and more cards! He is the gruff, take no prisoners, I can do it all on my own male that after some time you see his softer side. Ainsley, she was smart and funny with a good amount of sass and started to see right through Mav’s tough exterior. They each bought out each other’s better strengths. Just when you think everything is running smoothly, there’s a slight bump in the road for them. I adored the epilogue, super sweet. And I’m looking forward to reading more from the other characters.
Okay. Let’s be honest for a minute. IOU is different. Different is also risky. IOU is a challenge inside and outside. Now the point is: it worth the risk?
If you are familiar with Kristy’s books, you’ll know that IOU is completely new territory for the author. She went blindly in there. So the main question is : shall you read it? My answer is: YES
Now. This story is original, is authentic, is funny and sexy too.
When I started reading it…well let’s say the heroine grown on me after 15% in. Till then, I was like wtf she wrote this time. But you’ll understand Ainsley. Pay attention to her story’s background. Like I said, this girl didn’t impressed me immediately. But page after page I learned to see the real Ainsley. And in the end you’ll like to have an Ainsley in your life.
Now, him… Maverick. That’s a different story. I loved him from the very first moment. Because with him, you are in or out, there’s isn’t a maybe. And he is the one who will make your heart beat. But he’s also the one who will drive you insane. For good and for worse.
So apparently they are opposite. But you know the saying about the opposites.
But between them there never was a matter of hate it’s a hillarous relationship they ‘ll develop. Until it’s love. But not that kind of love you are all expecting. It’s love by Mav.
What can I say at this point?
Kristy did it again! And her talent is something else.
Love love love Maverick and Ainsley! This was such a great story and sooo steamy! Can’t wait for more!
Super cute! If you want something funny and light, this story is for you!
Maverick and Ainsley are a perfect match!
What Mav lacks in talking, Ainsley does for him, lol. I laughed and swooned a lot during this story, and thought Ains would drive me bonkers in real life – but absolutely in a good way!! They feel like yin & yang!
I breezed through this book, which brought me a lot of joy!!
Thank you for the opportunity to read the IOU ARC. College life was never this exciting for me . Ainsley and Maverick’s story was hilarious with a bit of angst and heat. I loved how she saw through Maverick’s ‘hard’ image and squeezed into his home and heart. . Brace yourself for cameos. I can’t wait to read their stories!
IOU is by Kristy Marie and her first YA book and she knocked out of the park. Maverick and Ainsley story is you typical young love story. Everyone on campus is scared of Maverick and that just how he likes it as then no one can know his secrets. Ainsley is a hot mess after the love of her life cheats on her with her roommate. Ainsley has run out of options and ends up on Maverick’s doorstep and asks for a favour and in return she will owe him and IOU. This book will leave you with a smile on your face and you will sit on the edge of you seat waiting for the house of cards to fall but will Maverick be able to stop it with the ace of hearts? One click you will not be disappointed
IOU is a quick read with lots of laughs and a good amount of steam. Ainsley is crazy in the best way possible and that’s probably because I see a lot of myself in her lol it’s always refreshing to see someone embrace the crazy. Her reactions can sky rocket from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other and it kept the story interesting. Maverick took me a little to warm up to but towards the end everything all his actions showed how much he had grown to care for Ainsley. They were sweet and fun together. The ending and epilogue were completely satisfying and perfect for the characters.
IOU is nother great romance by Kristy Marie. She is definitely an author whose releases I always look forward to.
Kristy Marie is a new-to-me author, and I’m so glad I signed-up to read an ARC of IOU because it’s a story that I found myself smiling, shaking my head, swooning, and even wanting to high five the heroine for her one-liners and pithy remarks that maybe shouldn’t have been said out loud, but boy were her comments on point almost every time she found herself rambling, and I couldn’t help cheering for her rather loose lips, even when the delivery was perhaps a bit improper or timed poorly.
Ainsley James – she’s so much more than a hot mess when readers meet her, and she continues down that path for quite some time, but she’s so the good kind of crazy, the kind you want to surround yourself with because her honesty and her personality are so much more endearing than they are annoying. Whether she actually verbalized her feelings or she was just pondering things in her head that readers were privy to, I couldn’t get enough of her quick wit, her crazy thoughts, or her over-the-top antics.
What I also loved about Ainsley is that she never stopped being herself, never stopped showing all her quirks and awkwardness, even when it puts her in rather precarious positions.
Maverick Lexington – he’s a bit of a mystery. He’s completely closed-off and holds himself close to the vest, and the more he kept hidden, the more I wanted to understand the reasons for his distance. His broodiness is captivating and makes him hotter, leaving readers wondering what it will take to get to the heart of who he is and why he became the IOU guy.
There’s a reason Ainsley goes to Maverick, despite her uncertainty about him and about owing him an IOU. And even though the price of his help could be just about anything, but one thing is for sure, he always collects, and he uses each one deliberately, taking his time to collect at just the right time and to benefit himself in specific ways, but what he doesn’t count on when he helps Ainsley is that collecting on her IOU will change everything in his life and between them in so many wonderful and scary ways.
I enjoyed every page of this slow burn romcom. The way that Kristy Marie crafts IOU is unique and fast paced with the interactions of her main and secondary characters as well as the exchanges between Ainsley and Maverick. The hero and heroine transform as the story progresses and as they’re understand more about themselves, they’re also realizing just how well they work together and how their feelings for one another become about so much more than an IOU.
4.5 Poison Apples
Ainsley has had a tramatic experience. With it she meets the local Fire Department Captain, and the local College Mafia. In her grief she is learning people can surprise you.
Maverick is used to having people fear him. One woman is ripping all of his careful and staged world apart. All because he cannot resist helping her.
This book was the true meaning of a slow burn. While I was not sure whether I liked the premise, I kept reading since the banter was witty and sharp. I fell in love with the characters before they even met. Now this author is one of my fave’s and being added to my 1-click list.
***This early copy was given in exchange for an honest review only.
From the first page I knew this was going to be a book I wouldn’t and couldn’t put down. When Ainsley finds her boyfriend in a compromising position with her roommate what is the logical thing to do? throw a candle and have the curtain light up. What started off as a night like any regular night it ended with her reevaluating everything she had ever done.
Unfortunately she’s left to find a new place to live. She meets the sexy and cocky Maverick who helps her but she is indebted to him. With each passing day Mavericks walls fall and the two form this bond that honestly makes you swoon. The more he pushes her away the more he is intrigued by her. I loved how their relationship kept blossoming and how much they fit together. The tit for tat arguments had me in stitches. Ainsley kept pushing him knowing he would get annoyed but that’s what got him to look at her differently. She never was afraid of him and was always looking at ways to help in her own quirky ways. I ended the book with a massive smile and so will anyone that reads this book.
The author never disappoints and I cannot wait to read more from her, hopefully more from these characters. I highly recommend this book because who doesn’t want to fall in love with two characters that continue to make you laugh. Received an arc to give an honest opinion.
Seriously, this was the best book I have read in 2020!! Non-stop comedy and so very hot!! Maverick and Ainsley were absolutely perfect together!! I loved that Ainsley seemed like this broken woman after catching her cheating boyfriend with her roommate but everything happens for a reason and that reason brought Ainsley to Maverick’s door. The bantering between these two is epic and you will not be able to walk away without finishing this book. I would love to owe Maverick and IOU!! LOVE…LOVE…LOVE!!!
***4,5 “You truly are my genie in a bottle!!! stars***
IOU: noun
A signed document acknowledging a debt.
What a lovely and entertaining story was that!!! I freakin’ adore it!!!!
Literally, i was cracking up with laughter from the first moment…
I got attached to Ainsley and her crazy actions and to Maverick with his cards full of IOUs!!!!
I really loved these two and the secondary characters that were surrounding them…
I can’t wait for more!!! Sebastian won’t disappoint me, i believe!!! Right, Kristy???
“Some people are meant to burn, and others are meant to rise from their ashes.”
*********************************************
“This story really started with a shithead and his girlfriend…”
Ainsley changed her whole life plan for her highschool sweetheart and how he repaid her???
He cheated on her with her roomate!!!!
She really didn’t plan to put her place on fire, she was just aiming for his darn head!!!! Bahahaha…
Ainsley surely didn’t expect for her whole life to change in a matter of minutes…
Now, she is homeless, with no boyfriend and friends but with a guardian angel by her side in the form of a firefighter….
She just have to find a place to live and she has no other options than to turn out to the famous Maverick Lexington and to take one of his IOUs.
“Rumor has it I’m clingy and naive with a heavy dose of crazy.
But my mother taught me not to believe everything I hear.”
Maverick has his life in a neatly order….
Just a few more months and he is out, but in order to succeed on his great plans, he needs to collect favors…
He has built a name around campus for his deck of cards where he is scrambling the letters IOU in order to help people that are in great need…
He surely doesn’t need in his house a crazy firecracker that would turn his world upside down…
“Life is a contract. Friendships. Marriages. Employment. It’s all there in black and white. Once time has been served, or the contract hasn’t been fulfilled to their standards, it’s over.
I will never not have a contract.”
Well, i loved these two very much!!!
I loved Ainsley and her crazy ass was hilarious…
I loved her obsession with sea lions and the way that she wasn’t giving a damn whenever Maverick was handling outt IOUs every single time that he was feeling that she was cornering him!!!!
I loved that she was fearless in her broody presence and that she was doing whatever the hell she wanted….
I loved her for being her crazy self all the time.
“I’m usually not that competitive of a person, but Maverick Lexington brings out the challenger in me.”
“My theory is the real Maverick Lexington is buried somewhere beneath all the lies and rumors but coaxing him out will take the right hand and one amazing bluff.”
I also loved Maverick fiercely!!!
Yep, he though that he was in control, but i loved how Ainsley was wrecking down his solid walls…
I loved his obsession with this damn deck of cards and his marker….
I liked how he was dealing with Ainsley’s crazy ass and that he had the illussion that his IOUs were meaning something to her…
I really loved him for just being him.
“Ainsley James realizes that I’m not as scary as the rumors make me out to be.
Which. Is. A. Fucking. Problem.
I need those rumors. I need fear. My life depends on them.”
“I want everything from Ainsley James. Every second of crazy. Every angry word. I want it all. Every inch she’s willing to let me see.”
This couple was explosive in a hilarious way!!!
These two couldn’t be more opposite, but they were just perfect for each other.
Their banters were hilarious and so satisfying…
Literally, i enjoyed their crazy asses sooooo much!!!!
I fully recomend this crazy book!!!! You will laugh your a$$es off!!!!
This story was very original in a way!!!!
IOU too many favors to count -consider my life yours. Do with me as you wish.
***I received an ARC for the echange of an honest review***
So I binged this when I should be sleeping and there will be a full review put up here and on my blog (Life of Ink and Words) and my Goodreads.
In short, I loved this book so much. All the characters are so real, and there’s so much banter and it made me laugh and scream (in excitement, I promise. I fell off my bed because I couldn’t handle how happy I was while reading this book.)
Maverick is mine. Fight me on it.
I need more, please. Aspen. Bennett. Sebastian. And we better be getting a book for Rowan or I might start taking after my girl Ainsley and set things on fire in protest.
5/5
Take a card. Owe him a favor.
Rumor has it everything Kristy writes turns to gold.
Not a rumor – true.
We meet Ainsley on a night that life has dealt her a crappy hand. This girl cracks me up with her one-liners and inner monologue. She is unapologetically herself – a little bit eccentric, a lot sassy, and full of a good heart. No matter what the rumors say.
Luckily for her, there is someone who can deal out favors like an ATM and could care less about the rumors flying around campus. In fact, the rumor mill work for him. Maverick is a little mysterious, a lot of a smart ass, and a genius at playing poker and people.
Their relationship is entertaining and playful. This story is entirely different than anything Kristy has written before. I did not know what to expect. However, everything I thought I hoped for was blown away. I knew from the first chapter that this was an automatic five-star read and new top go-to reread. I literally kept putting the book down because I didn’t want to these feelings or the story to end.
Do yourself a favor and go into this blind. Enjoy the shenanigans and banter. Meet this new cast of characters, whom you will love, and soak up all that is IOU.
Best romantic comedy I have read in 2020. No question.
5 So Many Debts Stars!!
UPDATED TO REFLECT MY THOUGHTS ON THE AUDIOBOOK
I’ve read and listened to a lot of books since I first read this book mid-last year so it was a joy to get to experience this book again with the fabulous narration of Jacob Morgan and Heather Firth. Bringing to life all the sarcasm of Maverick and the sassiness of Ainsley had me at times cracking up. I forgot how much these two “argued.” I’m still thinking about different moments in this book that had me laughing or swooning or even a little heartbroken becasue Mr. Morgan and Ms. Firth did such a good job not only with Maverick and Ainsley but all the secondary characters as well. I know for a fact that I’ll be listening to this book again in the very near future!
This is my second book by Ms. Marie and I can honestly say I’m in love with her writing. This story had so much more than I was expecting. It’s a great slow-burn with humor in the most unexpected moments that just lightened up not only the situations Ainsley finds herself in, but Ainsley and Maverick themselves.
Ainsley is a girl that followed a guy thinking their lives were meant to be spent with each other and all that goes up in flames one night and she finds herself with no where to sleep…until with a little help fate steps in to rescue her in the form of Maverick. And this guy, he’s worked the system to the point where almost everyone on their college campus and elsewhere owes him a favor… you see, that’s his schtick! He’s got a never ending supply of playing cards and a marker and he whips them out with speed and agility and makes things happen… and Ainsley is in desperate need of some favors even if she doesn’t want to accept his cards!
She just has a way of talking her way into his apartment for the night…or is it longer? Maverick is a man that lives his life in a very regimented manner for good reasons which as the story moves along we get hints at. But what this man also does is that he doesn’t like to see people he cares about be trodden on and Ainsley has wiggled her way into his heart even if he doesn’t want to admit it.
I loved how this girl just entered his life with a crash and while she’s trying to find her footing, they’re forming a friendship neither was expecting. There are moments in this book that are full of heat but also with emotions that couldn’t be contained. They’re building a relationship and friendship without even realizing it…
“He’s where my loyalty lies. He’s my genie in the apartment and…my friend.”
And trust me when I say this friendship is tested on more than one occasion. But what’s great about both of them is that they build a trust that no one expects and when that trust is broken, or perceived to be broken, hearts just may be broken.
I loved how Maverick accepted, sometimes begrudgingly, Ainsley’s quirks. She is exactly what he needs and when some of his secrets come out, she doesn’t blink an eye, just does what’s needed to make sure things happen the way they’re needed to happen! Very vague I know, but there’s a reason!
There’s a cast of secondary characters in this book that play integral roles in both their lives and I loved all them…some more than others! All of them are a family of their own making and they bring just the right amount of support in their own ways to each other’s lives. This book is a definite must read if you’re looking for a great friends-to-lovers, opposites attract book with just the right amount of sizzle, lots of laughs and heartfelt moments.
This book is exactly what I needed. Let’s be real. Times are tough. Life is taking its toll. My love of reading has been sucked down the drain.
Until I found this.
IOU was exactly the light-hearted, angsty, sexy read I needed to get me out of my funk. I absolutely adored Ainsley. I loved her crazy and couldn’t wait to see what other wacko things she would say or do. And Mav was… Gah! So broody, so sexy. I just loved him. There was a soft spot under his hard and gruff exterior, and Ainsley dug right in and made herself a home. Their banter hand me cracking up constantly, and their chemistry was off the charts.
The twist? Oh, I wanted to slap Mav silly. But the sweet talker that he is, he had me pulling for him even as every little secret was unveiled.
I loved watching both Ainsley and Maverick come into their own and learn to live for themselves and each other.
This is my first book by this author, but I can’t wait to read more!
IOU by Kristy Marie is a standalone novel. It focuses on the characters Ainsley James and Maverick Lexington. Ainsley is a hot mess, having walked in on her boyfriend and room mate swapping spit and nearly setting her apartment on fire, she is banished from where she lives and is looking for somewhere to stay that isn’t her car or at the local fire station. Then she hears a rumour about the allusive and brooding Maverick Lexington, a man who is known for taking markers and making you pay for them when you least expect it…no questions asked.
Maverick is an enigma and seems to have many balls in the air. A brooding alpha hero, he takes Ainsley under his wing, albeit reluctantly and it seems, let her take over his life with her mad ways and seal stuffed toy collection. Along the way the two seem to develop a pseudo-friendship which turns into more unexpectedly and without the help of the IOU’s.
This was a laugh out loud type of book. Ainsley is hilarious in the dilemma’s that she seems to get herself into, but is a sensitive soul at heart. She gets to the bottom of Maverick rather quickly and understands why he is the way he is and why he has the types of relationships he has. The banter between the two was awesome and the slow burn of their relationship kept you turning the pages to see what was going to happen next.
There is a lot going on in this book emotionally which really makes you invested in the characters. Secondary characters such as ‘Boss’ and Maverick’s grandpa are brilliant and add another element to the story and everyone seems to have their own little bit of story-line. I also love that Ainsley just doesn’t care what other people think and she marches to her own beat. The ending was beautifully written and I really enjoyed reading the little bit at the end where we see the characters a little further on in their relationship.
A great, laugh out loud, sweet and steamy book.
ARC received for a fair, honest and sometimes long review
More of my reviews can be found on my blog: https://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com
ARC Review
A sweet and swoony story that will rock your world and leave your mouth wide open in shock.
Having read all the other previous books by this author, I had no idea what to expect but broody alpha heroes, quirky and strong heroines, and a hella lot of banter.
‘IOU’ by Kristi Marie is a brand new book from this author, a book full of witty banter, off-the-charts chemistry, laugh-out-loud moments, and I-can’t-put-this-book-down feelings.
This is an incredible and intriguing story that you won’t see coming, one that pulls you in with every chapter, every interaction, every crazy moment. They will all contribute to making your hunger for this book just grow to the point of starvation and forcing you to forgo real life and just dive headfirst into this book.
This is a comedic masterpiece that has the power to transport you to a different world, replacing that frown on your face with a full-blown smile in 0.2 seconds.
Ainsley is a character that belongs to a category all of her own. There are witty, sassy, and quirky characters, and then there’s Ainsley. She is a girl who has wasted the past years of her life trying to please a do*chebag who didn’t deserve it.
She is hella funny, she stays true to herself no matter what, she is sarcastic and strong right down to her core. She is her own unique person, one obsessed with sea lions and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, one that doesn’t cower, but instead raises the stakes when she is standing in front of the Devil.
Ains is a strong and brave woman, a fighter who won’t give up and who will destroy anyone that decided to come at her or the things she loves.
Maverick f**king Lexington. A ghost to most people, and infamous meanie feared by everyone, a grumpy man who has stronger wall around his heart than the Wall of China itself if folded multiple and multiple times.
He is a cranky and scary man who thrives on the fear he impones but in reality, underneath all those spikes and blades, hides a mushy and gooey inside, A sweet and caring man who wants to succeed in his life.
Mav is smarter than most, an incredibly talented poker player, a genie who grants favors in exchange for souls.
He is deliciously hot and incredibly funny, the perfect match for the psycho girl, who is as misunderstood and he is.
Their relationship is angsty at the beginning, full of witty and playful banter that will have you chuckling like a psycho in an empty house, with an occasional sweet and swoony moment or a proud scene that makes you think they are invincible.
Ains and Mav will have to learn how to trust each other, how to understand each other and come to terms with each other. They will grow up but also let go when they are together, making the rumors around them go crazy but not really caring because, in the end, they are the only ones that know the truth.
This is an incredibly entertaining book that will have you hooked cover to cover, one with a story like nothing you’ve ever read before, one that will stay with you forever.
If you are looking for a book to transport you to a better and funnier place, a place with people that will tug at your heartstrings, light a fire in your belly and invade your mind, then I suggest you stop waiting and dive deep in this masterpiece.
Phenomenal! And oh so funny! I devoured this book so fast!! I absolutely loved it!!