She’s my little sister’s best friend. And exactly who I should NOT be spending a summer with…The last time I saw Elle, she was a child. A Harry Potter-obsessed 13-year-old with a penchant for fan fiction and following me around. Six years later she’s on my doorstep. The braces are gone. The “Team Gryffindor” t-shirt’s been replaced with a bikini the size of my index finger. And I can’t get her … And I can’t get her out of my head, no matter how hard I try.
Except she’s still the girl I’m not allowed to have, the center of a secret I hope she never learns.
Resisting what I feel for Elle Grayson is the only way to protect my family. But am I willing to break both our hearts in the process?
*This is a completely rewritten and re-edited version of Bloom. It is now dual point-of-view, and there are major changes to plot.
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Great book. I really felt for Elle, she got the short end of the stick in life, that’s for sure. While there is some angst it’s not an angst fest. There is 4 adults trying to find their way through suckage called life. Elle is a mess, nothing she does is right, although at times it felt like she was more of an adult than anyone else in this book. This story while not original, had elements that I haven’t seen which drew me in. The characters are flawless as is the writing. This story is told in dual pov.
4 Stars!
After reading Waking Olivia, I was an instant fan of this author. Seriously, check that one out! While No One But Us is a compulsively readable romance with fun characters that you love and love to hate, It’s no Waking Olivia. That being said, I enjoyed it for what it was and would recommend it as an entertaining New Adult story with lower angst, but high drama. If that makes any sense? Or maybe it’s just that I didn’t feel the angst personally? Regardless, the entirety of the story takes place over one summer at a vacation beach house. After scandalous pictures/rumors surface, Elle leaves her T.V journalism internship and attempts to lay low with her best friend and best friend’s brother for the summer. James is using the respite to consider his future and the impact of his choices on his family. With their shard history, the romance between Elle and James was inevitable and fun to read about. The drama kept the fairly simple story line moving and also kept me turning pages. The back and forth (will they? won’t they?) dragged on a bit too long, but overall an entertaining read.
Elle and James from friends to lovers. These books are get me but this one you felt that extra spark. I mean can you blame Elle for falling for James.
Seeing Elle go through being in her mom’s shadow was not easy. One thing I wish we seen was them meeting his parents. Maybe on the next book?
A quick read and entertaining summer romance. No One But Us kept my attention and I was rooting for Elle and James 100%. I love the romance genre as an escape from the chaos of my reality, and this book definitely hit the mark. I didn’t like this book as much as I LOVED Waking Olivia, but I still give it 4+ stars! Nice job, Elizabeth, keep it up!
I didn’t realize when I signed up to receive an ARC that this was a revised/rewritten version of Bloom. I read through my review of Bloom and feel mostly the same so here is my earlier review with some edits.
I have mixed reactions on this book. On one had it was good, on the other hand it was a little annoying. I loved Elle as an h; she was never the problem. James seemed like a super hot and fun guy, but he got SO OBNOXIOUS about this age difference. My husband and I are 6 years apart and honestly, it’s not that big of a deal. 19-25, while yes, there is definitely a maturity difference, is not scandalous. 12-18 is scandalous, 19-25 is not.
I had a real big issue with the way Ginny turned on Elle so easily. They had been best friends for 16 years and she just started throwing their relationship away for no reason. It made no sense and made me think that their relationship wasn’t as strong as the author originally stated. I actually really hated that. I would have loved to have seen a loyal best friend who could have “stuck it” to Allison and told her to shut her mouth. Elle deserved so much better, especially after seemingly being such a great friend to her. Honestly, I wouldn’t forgive her too easily no matter how much she cried about it.
I liked James as a H, but I couldn’t stand his jealousy. It was WAY over the top. I’m honestly not sure how Elle was able to stand it, it is such a huge turn off. Some jealousy I’m fine with but yikes, homie needs some anger management, pronto.
Max was really fun. I liked how he was constantly trying to get Elle and James to admit to their attraction for each other.
I wish there was more regarding Edward because that as an intriguing storyline. Elle was annoyingly naive when it came to the situation, but I liked how she finally handled it.
Elle and James’ attraction was perfect. It wasn’t insta-love and it was fun and flirty. I loved how they were sneaking around all the time and getting hella blocked by all of their friends (some intentional and some not). I started to feel their frustration and wanted to bang my head on the wall for them!
I will say that there was too much back and forth with things. I’m not sure if the intention was for this book to be slow burn, but I didn’t think it was done all that well.
Overall, this was a cute, fun read and I recommend it if you’re looking for a beach book. It’s not going to change your life, but you will like it.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Elizabeth O’Roark has written a story that has a little bit of everything – sweet romance, forbidden, best friend’s older brother. James Campbell is brooding, attractive and off-limits. Elle Grayson is a bombshell from a family with lots of issues, but just wants to be that normal girl who can have it all including James. The drama is a little predictable and a couple of the characters are quite mean. James’s best friend, Max, gives some comedic relief. Told in dual POV.
No One But Us is a great read. Elle Grayson has parents who don’t care about her, an internship at a TV station where her boss (who is also a good friend of her fathers) thinks she owes him and is trying to collect with certain favors. When her world starts to implode, Elle escapes from her life to stay at the beach with her best friend from childhood, Ginny. Elle has been in love with Ginny’s brother, James, since she was 10, but she hasn’t seen him for five years, when she was 14. James knows that Ginny’s friend is coming to stay but she is not the Elle of five years ago. She’s a smoking hot, long legged beauty who is far to young for him, so she’s off limits. But Elle keeps pushing those limits, much to James’s displeasure. Can Elle break down James’s defenses and can James stand by and watch Elle getting personal with another guy?