From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone novel.The beginning of my sophomore year in college was off to a rough start. On the first day of orientation, I had an altercation with an infuriating British dude in a campus bathroom. (The ladies’ room was out of order. So, I used the men’s room. Don’t judge.)I got home later that night and realized that the foreign … realized that the foreign student we were expecting to rent a room in my parents’ house was allergic to our cat.
So, the spare room went to someone else: Caleb—the British guy from the men’s room.
And so it began…my love-hate story with Caleb Yates. Or was it hate-love in that order?
The guy knew how to push every one of my buttons.
Sometimes I’d email him to express my aggravation and disdain.
He’d actually rewrite my own words and send them back to me.
That was the type of infuriating person Caleb was.
So frustrating.
And…
Sometimes incredibly funny and endearingly sweet.
And hot.
He eventually grew on me, and Caleb soon became one of my best friends that year.
Too bad he was headed back to England soon, so nothing could happen between us—for so many reasons.
I definitely couldn’t fall in love with him, especially since all we had was just one year.
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Just One Year by Penelope Ward was full of everything that I consider in a great read. Teagan and Caleb were the perfect couple and I just wish they had seen it sooner than they did. This book had such a slow burn that when they finally got together, the completely exploded. I definitely recommend this book!
Nobody does NA like Penelope Ward! Just One Year is the epitome of angsty, funny, and romantic. Brilliant writing wrapped in a captivating story. NOT TO BE MISSED.
Wow! Simply wow….I’m at a loss. This book is my favorite book of the year so far. It’s also moved up my list as my favorite book by Penelope Ward. I absolutely loved it from beginning to end. I could almost relate to Teagan and Caleb in so many way. I once fell in love with a boy from Germany for the year he was studying in the US. Our stories didn’t end the same, but my love for him was real. This book and all the emotions brought back feelings from so long ago. I loved this story so much!!!!!
My god, I F.L.O.V.E. college romances. Something about them always gives me these wonderful goosebumps that I can’t seem to shake off.
Caleb and Teagan surely gave me goosebumps with their banter. They were so freaking cute and just imagine in my head how he spoke with his British accent (I love foreign accents) for some reason that’s such a major attraction and when Caleb and Teagan have such a strange first encounter I couldn’t stop laughing at the antics.
They may have started on the wrong foot but they certainly made up for it.
I swoon with every Penelope Ward book and I always know that she will break my heart one way or another each and every book but she always manages to stitch it back together.
4.5 Stars
A hot British foreign exchange student??? YES PLEASE! Check out this new release from Penelope Ward!
The beginning of my sophomore year in college was off to a rough start.
On the first day of orientation, I had an altercation with an infuriating British dude in a campus bathroom.
(The ladies’ room was out of order. So, I used the men’s room. Don’t judge.)
I got home later that night and realized that the foreign student we were expecting to rent a room in my parents’ house was allergic to our cat.
So, the spare room went to someone else: Caleb—the British guy from the men’s room.
And so it began…my love-hate story with Caleb Yates. Or was it hate-love in that order?
The guy knew how to push every one of my buttons.
Sometimes I’d email him to express my aggravation and disdain.
He’d actually rewrite my own words and send them back to me.
That was the type of infuriating person Caleb was.
So frustrating.
And…
Sometimes incredibly funny and endearingly sweet.
And hot.
He eventually grew on me, and Caleb soon became one of my best friends that year.
Too bad he was headed back to England soon, so nothing could happen between us—for so many reasons.
I definitely couldn’t fall in love with him, especially since all we had was just one year.
Penelope Ward always delivers entertaining and fascinating stories and characters. I was laughing at how these two characters were introduced to each other. It helped create the tone for the rest of the story. I thought the story line was fun and creative. While I did enjoy the story I felt toward the middle to the end the story kind of plateaued. There wasn’t anything too everly exciting happening. Overall, I did enjoy the story and their characters. It was well written and developed well. I can’t wait to read what this author writes next!
3.5
In my opinion this book is different for Penelope, although it was different I enjoyed it. Teagan is a Boston native attending college but living at home. Her family takes on an international student from her college, Caleb. Teagan and Caleb’s initial meeting is unfortunate and sets the stage for them to be enemies. I enjoyed how complex Teagan and Caleb were, there were so many layers to them. I loved how them not getting off in the right foot created a slow burn romance. I enjoyed the character development and the bond that was created between the two. Caleb and Teagan were perfect complements to each other. I loved how they helped each other acknowledge their past and find ways to deal/cope. If you are looking for a slow-burn/enemies you lovers this is your book.
Another great read by Penelope Ward. This friends to lovers storyline will have you laugh out loud and swoon. Caleb and Teagan have simmering chemistry from the beginning and their banter is everything. A definite must read.
What a great story and I adored Caleb and Teagan. Just One Year was moving, funny, heartwarming and emotional at times. From the time that Caleb and Teagan had their hilarious initial encounter in the bathroom at their college campus and throughout their time as roommates at Teagan’s house, this clever storyline definitely kept me entertained and captured my heart.
* The moment I leaned in, she fell into me, welcoming it. Her soft breasts pressed against my torso. The nonjudgment she spoke of manifested itself through her touch. In her arms, I felt truly accepted. It felt good. Too good. Too good as in “more than a friend” good. “More than a friend” great, in fact. Thus, dangerous.
I LOVE this story! I really love Caleb. I felt for him, his trials and struggles and his just wanting a year reprieve from the things that haunt him. And I think Teagan and her family was just exactly what he needed!
Like all PW books you heart and soul poured upon the pages. You’ll have your heart strings tugged and you’ll also laugh.
Dolphina — That had me cracking up. So creative.
Also love the slow burn. The build up of the attraction. I like that more than the insta – love thing. Because all the little moments that lead up to it. It gives you all the first time tingles! The looks. The little touch (brushing her hair out of her eyes. Hand on her back. Etc.). I do love the build up and this definitely hit all those things! It was the perfect amount!
Some of my favorite stories from Penelope Ward are when the characters are on the younger side (This one is set in college) because she has a unique gift to write a youthful character that has an old soul. I can’t wait for you to meet Caleb!
O.M.G! Slow burning , swoony and oh so amazing!!! Parts of this book brought tears to my eyes, I’m not going to lie but I loved every second of it. Teagan and Caleb… oh my heart, I loved there story. I devoured this book. So amazingly written Penelope Ward!
I am not usually a fan of college romances as I am an older reader, but despite that Penelope had me drawn into this story right from the start.
It starts with the hilarious meeting of Teagan and English hottie Caleb meeting in the men’s room on campus, and continues with a love-hate relationship between them as Teagan discovers that exchange student Caleb is renting the spare room in her parent’s house. Teagan does her best to keep her distance from the frustrating Caleb by sending him emails who then rewrites them and send them back to her. Eventually barriers start to crumble as Caleb tells Teagan a few truths about the way she is behaving towards him and the rest of her family, and shares some of his own family problems.
This is a beautiful slow-burn romance which starts with sharing s’mores in the yard at night where confidences are exchanged and becomes much more in the few months before Caleb has to leave. It made me smile in parts, brought me to tears in others and gave me all the feels and memories of first love and loss. It is a a definite not to be missed story. A gem as usual from Penelope.
If there was one word I’d use to describe this story of Teagan and Caleb, it would be ‘thoughtful’. While this story is principally about two college aged students, their life experiences have shaped and impacted them in ways beyond their years. These two young people have a common thread, both struggling to feel worthy of happiness and love while navigating college and relationships.
Poignant, angsty and even funny, with memorable secondary characters – 5 life affirming stars.
Just One Year will have you turning the pages and falling in love. A simple and sweet romance that put a smile on my face right from the start.
How can you not fall in love with Teagan and Caleb?
Caleb is charming, loyal and just a good guy that you like from the instant you meet him. And Teagan is more studious and very reserved.
These two couldn’t be anymore different, but yet so perfect together.
Love Penelope Ward and am never disappointed when it comes to her stories. Can’t wait to see what’s next!!
Penelope Ward has done it again with yet another AMAZING 5-star read! I absolutely loved Caleb and Teagan.
Caleb has come to the US from Britain for a one year of school at a college in Boston. I loved how Caleb and Teagan met at the college and I was just dying laughing. I loved when she got home and saw the exchange student and realized it was Caleb that was going to be living with her, her parents and her sister. I loved their texts and e-mail exchanges throughout the book especially early on when they can’t stand each other. You get dual point of views in the book which I love because we get insight into what they are both thinking.
Penelope did a great job giving us the back story on both Caleb and Teagan and watching them fall for each other. You couldn’t help but root for them. You’ll definitely want to check this amazing book out.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review of this book.
So many things can happen in just one year. An exchange student can arrive on your doorstep and become a part of the family. He can fall for the eldest daughter who has helped him deal with issues back home in the UK. They can attend college together and even find time to study. But it’s only for one year…. just one year. He needs to get back as his Mum who is depending on him.
Even though they didn’t click on their first or second meeting, they did become fast friends from then on out. Therefore I feel this is a friends to lovers story with a second chance. It’s told in dual POVs from Caleb and Teagan. Each of them have secrets that they find easy to divulge to each other when they are either out the back eating s’mores or studying in her room because of the trust they now have developed. It’s a sweet romance that is a quick read.
Teagan Carroll is having the worst day as a sophomore in college. Once thing after another went wrong including a very unpleasant run in with a rude british student named Caleb Yates. To make matters worse, coming home she finds her step mom has a new exchange student living with them and guess who it is? That’s right, none other than Mr. Rude Brit. Now they are stuck under the same roof! Can Caleb and Teagan call a truce while he is there or will this little run in become something else entirely? As always, between the clever banter, funny and private moments we get an underlying emotional journey they must both go through to discover themselves. I loved the text exchanges between the two. Can two people from different upbringings find a common bond? With only a year timeline before Caleb returns back to England will it matter if they finally get along? A touching slow burn, YA romance that will tug at your heart and also makes you laugh. Told in dual POV
4.5 stars
This is a story about two college-aged people that unexpectedly become an important part of each other’s lives. After a not-so-meet-cute, the fact that Caleb is now going to be a replacement exchange student in Teagan’s home might just be a bit awkward.
Teagan is highly intelligent, reserved, and likes to hide herself…literally. She does not bring attention to herself and even loves her isolated basement bedroom. She is not happy that a new person will be invading their home…especially one that is cute, charismatic, and exasperating.
Caleb Yates is happy to be in the U.S. for a year as an exchange student as it gets him away from his family life in England. He is smart, outspoken, distractible, and a bit judgmental. He tells Teagan things just like he sees them. And that sparks her to think about the things she takes for granted in her own life.
They enjoy challenging each other and eventually grow closer. They are catalysts for change as they open up and share their innermost secrets and fears, and start to live life more fully. But it is hard to keep things platonic due to fear of ruining a friendship and they know they are on borrowed time…just one year. But they have a natural attraction, chemistry, and bond that becomes harder and harder to deny.
Caleb is that broken hero I could not help but love. Despite the difficult things he had been through, for the most part, he is fun, witty, caring, and energetic. And I loved seeing Teagan coming out of her shell and becoming more aware of what she had been missing. They have fun banter and obvious chemistry, but their emotional attachment is the heart of this story.
This is a slow-burn, emotional, college romance of an unlikely pair that develops a connection they never expected. But their lives have built-in complications, and they both have insecurities, past issues to face, futures to plan, and growing to do.
Are they destined to just be a forgotten sweet romance or is there a chance for them to bridge the gap in their two worlds?
My heart hurt for these two as there was just no easy fix for them and life seemed to get in their way. The side characters and their backstories added a bit of mystery, tragedy, and depth to the story. I was engaged from the beginning and totally devoured this book.
I loved this one. I really liked Caleb. He’s a fun character. The first and second meetings of Caleb and Teagan are funny. Caleb is snarky but funny and I knew right from the beginning I was going to love him. Teagan has a few family issues and prefers to stay in her basement room. She’s smart and fun. She really doesn’t want to like Caleb but he’s a hard guy not to like. Both characters have layers and as you read you learn more about them. This one was a good read that kept me hooked.
4 1/2 Stars!