Sticks and stones may break my bones, but my past does not define me.High School—one of the worst times in my life. I was “that” girl, the one everyone made fun of. The outcast. Band geek. Nerd. That’s all changed, and so have I. Jane Sharp vanished into thin air years ago; I go by Reese Kennedy now. But Reese isn’t the one invited to the Meadow High School Class of 2005 reunion next month. I am. … month. I am. So I need a plan.
Step one: Hire a fake fiance.
Step two: Attend my reunion and rub my success in their faces.
Step three: Resume my normal life.
Falling for Hunter Drake is not on my agenda.
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This was the first book I’ve read from Rachel and it was pretty good. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. Very different read from the usual romance books. I’ll definitely be reading more.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
I thought when id read the blurb on this book that id kinda had it worked out but im pleased that i didnt. Socially awkward and full of anxieties that stem back from harsh bullying in her school years Reece (changed her name from Jane) ends up hiring an Escort – Hunter. After her friend Ireland persuades her that confronting her bully at a high school reunion and showing her that she didnt break her would help her heal. I couldnt help but love Reece and Hunter. They had such a tentative chemistry that i really wanted them to get together in the end. Even with Ireland playing matchmaker and pushing Reece and Hunter to admit their feeling for each other as well as other truths. A good read and a quirky bully romance. I liked it
I really loved this story. Reese has her demons that she has battled, and overcome. Until the 10 year school reunion. Has she really overcome said demons? My 10 year reunion was also in 2015, which is the year this book takes place. So I related to Reese a lot! I however skipped mine, I didn’t talk to them then, why would I now. This story was full of anxiety, pain, heartbreak, love and mixed feelings. Most of us can relate to Reese in many ways. I would recommend this to anyone how has had to overcome their past, anyone who was bullied, and heck even the bullies! Words do hurt!
Reese Kennedy has a dilemma. Her ten-year high school reunion is coming up. While her high school years were some of the worst times of her life, she made the decision to completely change her life and rise above the bullying she faced to run a successful real estate business. The dilemma lies in the fact that Reese wasn’t invited to the reunion, Jane Sharp was . . . and Reese hasn’t been Jane in a very long time.
Needing to prove her successful, Reese needs s plan. When her best friend Ireland suggests hiring a fake fiancé to escort her to the reunion, Jane reluctantly goes along with the scheme. When Hunter Drake walks in, sparks fly, and Reese knows she has bitten off more than she can chew.
Hunter Drake needs a job after a scandal in the corporate world causes him to lose his. When a friend offers him a position as an escort, Hunter agrees. When he meets the client he is supposed to be working with, he realizes his past has just caught up with him. While she doesn’t recognize him, he certainly recognizes her and instantly realizes why her ten-year reunion is such a big deal for her. How? Why Hunter, whose real name is Tyler Small, happened to date the girl who made his date’s life a living nightmare all through their high school years. And now, he finds himself wanting a relationship with the one person that both his past and present identities will keep him from having.
Rachael Brownell did an amazing job creating a unique cast of characters. While high school reunions plague all of us, for Reese it is a way to truly put her painful past behind her. She is an amazingly strong character with true depth. The author did a fantastic job of having the readers truly feel and experience the pain she felt and had to overcome from being bullied throughout school.
Hunter is a true enigma. While in high school he was popular, but fought against the norms of his set by standing up for what he believed in. I enjoyed his struggles in the book of trying to be the man he wants to be and not the one society dictates. He knows coming clean with Reese about his identity is a must to have any chance at a real relationship with her, but also knows that the support his escort identity can give to her at the reunion will help her face and deal with her past.
This book was well written and much deeper than I expected. The plot has some truly interesting twists that kept me involved in the story and wanting to keep moving on to the next chapter!
4.5 stars
Desciption of central issues of the story were drawn out and repeated to a laborious extent.
I really wanted that moment when people realized that they missed out on having Reece/Jane as a sweet and caring friend, and also a hard working business owner. Hunter seemed like he was a nice guy who’s made a few bad decisions and struggling to get back on his feet. I thought Sticks and Stones was a okay story, but I didn’t feel a connection between the characters, so many secrets and half truths made it hard, and the ending seemed to rushed.