Dear Jerk Across the Street, sorry for accidentally walking in on you and catching an eyeful of your—equipment. And hard pass on the open invitation to join you in the shower “anytime”, A-hole.That’s the note I should’ve written. Instead I sent a pleasant and apologetic version.Had I known Phoenix “Nix” Russo would’ve been the neighbor from hell, I’d have told him right where he could shove my … him right where he could shove my words.
Nix is the big man on campus with everyone lined up at his games to make sure he knows it. Sure, he’s got piercing blue eyes, abs that don’t quit and a smile that could set fire to a set of panties from a hundred yards away, but he’s also the biggest pain in my ass.
Dear Pink-Haired Menace, learn how to take a joke and stop being such a kill-joy…
Elle Masterson called the cops on one of my parties—again. My sweet talking usually gets me out of trouble, but this time it got me into a nice pair of silver handcuffs. Now I’m on a reputation rehab tour with a stop at a spring break community service project.
Guess who’s my new boss?
Now we’re shoulder to shoulder, sweaty, tired and…she’s not anything like I expected. There might just be a heart under that hardass exterior. She’s invading my dreams and I can’t shake the feeling she’s the key to unlocking a piece of me that I’ve hidden away.
It’s only a matter of time until she finds out why I’m really here.
Maybe I can break through her walls and into her heart before that happens…one screw at a time.
***The Second We Met is a standalone new adult romance***
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Love Nix and Elle’s story. Love the banter between the two of them and their chemistry. Their ending is beautiful and heartfelt.
Great enemies to lovers romance. I laughed so hard when Elle and Nix first met. Talk about awkward. I loved their banter and tomfoolery. Their story is funny, sweet and tantalizing. I really enjoyed getting to know the two and watching their characters develop. First impressions aren’t always correct. Sometimes you have to take a deeper look. It was wonderful seeing their relationship grow and blossom into friendship and eventually love.(4.5)
4.5 Stars!!
Once I read The Perfect First I could not contain my excitement for The Second We Met! I was glued to my kindle from the beginning to the very end. I loved this story so much!
Whenever a book can bring out my emotions and make me feel it all I know I’ve found an unforgettable read. That’s exactly what happened to me with Nix and Elle’s story! I loved getting to dig deeper with every chapter and connecting with them.
Their journey was touching, frustrating, blushworthy, and so much more! I also enjoyed what their friends brought to the story and how many times I found myself grinning throughout.
With The Second We Met, Ms.Hughes has created another fantastic read! Definitely one of my favorite books of 2019! I can’t wait for the next Fulton U book!
*I volunteered to read and review a Copy of this book from the author*
5 STARS
Maya Hughes is a new-to-me author and I’m super eager to read more. The Second We Met is the second book in the Fulton U Series. It’s a sport romance that delves into the enemies to lovers trope, which I absolutely love! Elle and Nix’s relationship begins with an unexpected encounter of the ‘naked kind”, then progresses to animosity. I couldn’t get enough of Elle and Nix and their hot as hell sexual chemistry; and you know that their constant arguments just made for good foreplay.
This is an EPIC new adult romance that is filled with humour and amazing characters, I’m sure you’ll love as much as I did. The Second We Met by Maya Hughes will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ARISTOCRACY!!!
Enemies-to-lovers, everyone, and Iʻm forever here for all of it! The Second We Met was an absolute delight to read, I fell in love with Elle and Nix almost instantly.
We have the the ambitious and fearless heroine that is Elle, she works hard for everything and thereʻs no stopping her to achieve her goals. Even that studly football golden boy that is Phoenix as her next door neighbor. It was a rough start for the both of them, but Nix can definitely win her over … eventually.
I loved the banter between these two and the hate was real everyone. But my favorite was when these two were essentially forced to work together. Barriers were coming down and after so much time and loathing, they were finally able to get to know one another. And itʻs truly a sight!
I appreciated that it wasnʻt instant, Elle has a lot of hang-ups when it comes to trust and she doesnʻt make it easy for anyone. Everything that happened between these was perfect especially the pacing. I loved that it wasnʻt rushed at all, things slowly burn as they tear each otherʻs walls down. Plenty of moments to swoon over our boy Nix.
I honestly never wanted their story to end and I hope we get to see so much more of them during the rest of this series!
**I RECEIVED A COMPLIMENTARY READER’S COPY FROM THE AUTHOR FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION OF THE BOOK OR CONTENT OF MY REVIEW**
Maya Hughes
The Second We Met is a great enemies-to-lovers new adult college romance. I enjoyed this book a lot and even though it is the second book in the Fulton U series, it can still be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed both characters. Elle Masterson is very focused and has a lot on her mind. This means she doesn’t have a lot of time for fun and dating. Phoenix “Nix” Russo is the golden boy on campus, a quarterback and has a bright future ahead of him. Elle and Nix are neighbors and because of the way they met, Elle decided she hates him and already made up her mind about him. However, when they are forced to work together, Elle sees that he isn’t anything like she thought. Nix is a very laid-back, kind, and loyal guy. Elle has a past with bad relationships so she has some real trust issues. After hanging out with Nix and developing feelings for him, she is still waiting on the other shoe to drop.
I loved that this book had no unnecessary drama. Everything made sense, and the characters thankfully acted their age. Both Elle and Nix have their own things they are dealing with, and I loved that they were there for each other. The pace of the story was great, and I didn’t feel like anything was rushed. I loved seeing the characters go through personal growth. Especially Nix had to make some difficult decisions. These two characters fit perfectly together, and I also loved all the side-characters. Both Nix and Elle have some great and loyal friends. Meeting them in this book has me pretty excited to get to know them better in the other books in this series. Maya’s writing style is great, and she did an incredible job in adding humor to the story. I connected well with the characters and I was invested in their story. I already look forward to the next book in the series, which will focus on Elle’s best friend Jules and Nix’s friend Berk.
Elle has had it out for Nix from the second she realized he was the star quarterback. Nix is just trying to make it through his senior year, the draft and make it on an NFL team so his dad will get off his back. He doesn’t have time for the pink haired spit fire to get in his way and constantly call the cops on his house. When he gets frustrated and throws a football through his window just as the cops pull up again he is suddenly in need of a PR campaign to convince the scouts that he isn’t the deviant person he was made out to be. When his efforts have him spending more and more time with Elle they see a different side that they just might like a whole lotta.
Nix broke my momma bear heart. I truly felt for him and his conflict with his dad and football really pulled at my heart strings. He was also such a great guy when it came to Elle. I loved how he always put her in her place and forced her to see that not everyone is a bad guy, forced her to actually see the world that she was trying to so hard to better. I heart Nix hard. Elle, I didn’t like her and she didn’t really grow on me like I hoped she would. I really struggled with how judgmental and hypocritical she was. I loved that she was the one that had to do all the groveling. I also had issues with her back stories, there was a whole heck going on with her family and money zero explanation, rubbed me the wrong way that this wasn’t explained at all. I enjoyed the story but Nix carried the whole thing for me.
“She looked at me and the corners of her mouth quirked up.My first honest-to-God smile from her . And it lit me up like a damn Christmas tree”
I loved the dynamic of this story .
It was funny , hot , and full of sexual tension .
They surely started with the wrong foot but once everything was cleared , I only saw sparks , and fireworks .
Nix kindness and sweetness melted me , I loved how he was caring , so humble .
And Elle was a real piece of work , a strong , independent woman , ready to stand up for everything she believed in and fighting for what she wanted. So stubborn but at the same time she wasn’t afraid to admit to being wrong.
Since their first meet they couldn’t get each other out of their minds . First for angst and denial and then for have completely fallen for each other.
“I was into him. No matter how much I’d tried to deny it and used my anger and annoyance as a shield, I liked him.”
There’s a really fine line between love and hate . But they were never on the hate part. It was always love, only it took them quite some time to realize it.
There were some pretty hot and sweet moments that were mind-blowing .
And some really interesting plot twists that I almost see them coming .
“She was a part of me I hadn’t even known was missing. She was the first best decision I’d made in my life.”
It was a real page-turner like the other book in this amazing series . I’m heading straight for the next one . Berk here I come .
I gave it 5 stars .
I hope you’ll enjoy it like I did.
ENJOY
‘The Second We Met’ this book took me down a rabbit hole (but in a good Alice-in-Wonderland-discovering Mad-Hatter-tea-parties kind of way)
It was a crazy, fun, fantastic ride filled with delectably edible treats inside (of many – even some deliciously male – varieties)
I honestly could not put it down – I knew it was going to be funny, I mean Accidental Naked Meet Cute?!! But it was that and so much more.
The characters were witty, well-developed and interesting and the story was a whole lot more involved than I expected for the genre.
So much happened in this book and it kept me going when I thought it was almost done. Kudos to Maya Hughes for being an awesome writer and creating such a surprising read.
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I loved this enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance!
When Elle Masterson accidentally walks in on a naked Phoenix “Nix” Russo, she immediately hates him. But also because of the parties that never seem to end at their house across the street, and is constantly calling the cops on them. All she wants is a good night sleep before having to run around with all her volunteering and school work.
After getting arrested when the cops show up to one of the parties, Nix has to go under reputation rehab in order to get things back on track for himself before the football draft. He ends up participating in a week-long community service project, but guess who his boss is??
Elle and Nix become friends, they both realize the other isn’t who they thought they were, and just when Elle has opened herself up to him, all the secrets come spilling out.
I really loved Nix and Elle! I was intrigued in The Perfect First as to who the Pink-Haired Menace was and how their story would play out, and it was great.
This is the second book in the Fulton U Series, an amazing New Adult and College Romance. Nix and Elle’s enemies-to-lovers story is hilarious, sweet, and sexy. Nix, a cocky quarterback, is handsome, sexy, and caring. Elle is a complex character, feisty, strong, beautiful, and vulnerable, with trust issues. She definitely is a tough cookie. I loved their banter, and I loved to follow them in their journey. The ending is beautiful. The supporting characters are great. Jason Clarke and Emma Wilder did an amazing job with the narration. I enjoyed it. Looking forward to listen to to Jules and Berk’s story.
Nix’s father was a professional football player and he has been groomed since he was a child to follow in his footsteps. Trying to balance the demands it places on his body against the expectations of his father has him wondering how everything will play out.
Elle is a serious student who has her eyes set firmly on the future however the present is becoming a little hard to manage. Being Nix’s neighbor is a test of her patience and she has grown weary of the noise and parties coming from his house, but she never expected that calling the police would have them working together.
When Nix is tasked with volunteering for his spring break to escape a small altercation with the law he never expected his boss would be the one person who was responsible for him being there. Let the fun begin!
Sweet and sexy there is no denying that Elle and Nix belong together but finding a way to balance their present and future may be the biggest challenge of all. The performance of the narrators draw you in and made a great story even better.
4*
Elle meets Nix (Phoenix) when she mistakes his home for her new accommodation.
The two end up working together on a charity assignment but she doesn’t know why he’s there and if she trusts him.
Shes been hurt before but not everything is perfect for him as she expects.
Another great story
I loved the first book in the Fulton U series and thought there’s no way book two will be as good. I am happy to say I was proven 100% wrong!
Phoenix ‘Nix’ Russo and Elle Masterson are neighbors who do not get along. She has disliked him from pretty much day one and he is tired of her calling the police on the parties thrown at his and his roommates’ house. After working together on a spring break volunteer project, though, opinions and feelings start to change.
Both Elle and Nix are under immense pressure as their senior year of college comes to a close. They each face tough decisions on what to do next and how much they let others influence what their next steps will be. Both Elle and Nix’s situations felt realistic and it was easy to see how past experiences were influencing them. Their connection was strong even when they disliked each other. I loved their banter and the evolution of their relationship.
The author also did a fantastic job of creating a group of secondary characters that were more than just filler. Of course Reece and Seph from the first book appear, but Elle’s friend Jules and Nix’s other roommates were so much fun to read. She also set up books three and four and I am dying to read them even though I just finished book two!
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC for an honest review.
***** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW *****
Lordy did I love this story! Nix was just as charming and as dashing as you’d expect from a quarterback but he was incredibly sweet and caring and only showed his douchery on occasion. Elle is quirky and exhausted. She definitely put Nix in his place a few times and he ended up completely smitten with the only girl on campus not tripping over her feet to tell him how amazing he was. Elle wasn’t tossing out the compliments where Nix was concerned. But the more they spen around each other, the more they start to depend on each other. Elle struggles with some trust issues. Nix seems to demand the spotlight even when he doesn’t want it.
I laughed so much with these too. I found myself smiling wistfully. They were enchanting together, just sweet as pie… or honey! Let’s seriously not forget that when they came together it was a whirlwind of tension, heat, and a wanton passion that shocked the both of them. Maya Hughes sets us up perfectly for the next book with Jules and Berk. These two have already set my interest on high alert! I can’t wait to see what he thinks when he find his naughty-letter writing vixon!
Jason Clarke and Emma Wilder are fantastic together. They sound JUST like I imagine Elle and Nix or perhaps I now imagine them as the characters they played because they fit so flawlessly. Nix (played by Clarke) was on an emotional roller-coaster at times and Jason really executed that wonderfully. Same with Elle and Emma, really. The emotion was felt all throughout the story!
The Second We Met may be an enemies to lovers story, but it had me laughing from the very start. It’s August of her junior year of college and Elle has no place to live. Her parents can’t lend her any more money and her finances are pretty tight. The only way that she’ll be able to stay in school and earn her degree is if she wins the Huffington Award, given to the student with the most impressive philanthropic record, and the stipend that comes with it. Her friend, Jules, has room for her so things are looking up, except that her house is located on fraternity row and she’s imagining all the drunken parties she’s going to have to endure. Finally, she locates the house and starts to move her boxes in. She can hear Jules in the shower so she pops her head in to ask her a question and…oops! Not her house, it’s across the street and that’s certainly not Jules standing in front of her, not with those abs and chiseled body. This is her introduction to Nixon (Nix) Russo, the star quarterback and future draft pick in the NFL. His father is going to make sure that happens, regardless of what Nix wants. He won a Super Bowl when he played and there’s never been another career path for his son. Putting up with loud, drunken parties is something Elle else doesn’t deal well with and, after she sees Nix partying across the street and the noise is just way too loud to take, she calls the police. Nix is taken away in handcuffs and Elle knows she took it a little too far. Because of his arrest, Nix’s father has arranged a PR tour for him in order to repair his image and keep the interest of the scouts. If Nix gets involved with volunteering around the city and school, it would go a long way to improve his reputation. Nix starts to see qualities in Elle that draw him to her and she’s beginning to get over her trust issues, if only a little. Their story is one of personal development and discovering values. Both of them needed to find their inspiration to live a good life. The Second We Met is a charming, yet passionate story with complicated and likable characters and a smooth pace that holds right up to the end. Delightful!
Phoenix “Nix” Russo is a star quarterback, popular, and always seems to be the center of every party. He seems to have the perfect life.
Elle Masterson is trying to win the Huffington Award, that has been her goal for as long as she can remember, she works herself to near death everyday and then gets up the next day to do it all over again.
They have hated each other from the moment Elle walked into the wrong house thinking it was hers, and saw all of Nix after he had gotten out of the shower, since then its been a hate/hate relationship. She calls the cops on him every time they have a party, and his partying ways ruin any chance of sleep she ever dreamed of having. The two are forced to work together on a project over spring break, will it end in disaster or will the ice finally break?
Elle starts to soften towards Nix but the secret he is keeping from her is definitely one that will ruin everything. Nix starts to see the other side of Elle and he wants to tell her the truth just doesn’t know how. The timing is never right.
I loved the dynamic between Elle and Nix, I didn’t quite understand the full out hate for quite a bit of the book, seemed like Elle was overreacting but piece by piece it all started to make sense. I loved watching the transformation but hated that Elle wouldn’t let down her walls to see how great Nix was, she was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. I enjoyed watching her grow and start to learn bit by bit about herself, she second guessed herself and all her tactics/reasons and it was refreshing to watch. It was hard to watch her struggle, I know the struggle and it’s very tough but watching her grow from it and be more appreciative of the little things in life was nice to see.
I absolutely love a great hate to love relationship like this
Maya Hughes is one of my favorite authors – I love the Kings of Rittenhouse and the Fulton U series!
“The Second we met” was no exception! It’s about a hate relationship between the two neighbors Nix and Elle that had a rocky start in their “relationship”. Elle hates everything Nix stands for – cocky football player, partyer etc.
When one mistake leads them to work together on a project, they get to know each other better and soon the chemistry is boiling
What I love most about this book is, that both main characters are deeply misunderstood and that there’s more to them, that they led on. I love books where the characters grow throughout the story – not only on me, but they grow characteristically as well.
Elle and Nix must face some demons from their paths and such moments always make me think and reflect about my own life.
There are also some character visits from prior Maya Hughes books – loved to see them interact
If you’re a sucker for a good college sports romance, preferably enemies to lovers than this book will be a great read for you!
Amazing book Maya! Can’t wait to read more about the Fulton U gang!
Nix and Elle were the perfect couple, but her preconceived notions drove me crazy a few times. I loved the way they met and found their initial reaction to each other to be the true and most honest admission of their feelings. Nix really was too good to be true.
Getting over past hurts is hard, but I am glad he never gave up on her. Letting her see who he is as a person, not just a football player, in slow increments was wonderful. Letting her walls fall down a little at a time gave the reader the chance to see her grow as an individual and realize the error of her ways.
Of course, just when everything is going great the other shoe drops and his dad interferes in the worst way possible. I liked the fact that Nix never strayed and was focused on proving to her that he was a good guy. I liked how strong she was, but she was a little too stubborn. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.
I was so happy for the second book in this series and Nix and Elle were great. I knew from the first book Nix had a thing for the neighbor and their story was going to be a page turner – enemies to lovers at its best! Nix and Elle are both seniors working towards their future. He’s hoping for the NFL and she’s working way too much with school, a job and volunteering. So every time the football players have a party she gets even by calling the police. After a mishap they are forced to work together and before you know it they are looking at each other differently. I totally love their story. It was sweet, sexy, a slow burn I never wanted to end!