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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Book 2 in the Fulton U series. Each book can be read as a standalone. Great enemies to lovers’ romance. The chemistry and attraction that was between Nix and Elle was so good. You could feel it coming off the pages. Loved enemies to lovers’ romance because it is great watching them navigate from hate to the love that they knew was there but was too blind to see.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
The Second We Met is the second book in the Fulton U series. This enemies to lovers romance hits all the right notes and is a great addition to the series.
We met Nix in the first book. He is the all-American quarterback who is destined to go pro. From the outside, his life looks perfect, but things are not always what they seem. Nix does whatever he can to please his father even though it may not always be what he wants.
Elle is the girl next door who is tired of her partying neighbors and frequently calls the cops on them. She spends every free moment she has working to make ends meet and to be able to afford her dream. She seems tough as nails, but she is extremely vulnerable underneath it all. She’s been hurt and it takes a lot for her to trust again.
When these two collide, sparks fly. Nix and Elle are drawn to each other, but they fight their attraction. They are forced to spend time together and Elle realizes Nix is actually a sweet and caring guy, but she’s still wary of him. Nix is still trying to figure out his own life as well, but he’s patient with Elle and does everything he can to gain her trust. I loved watching their relationship bloom and their chemistry was hot. Their banter made me laugh out loud. This book also had some really emotional moments and angst, which I live for.
All in all, this is a fun, sweet, sexy, heartfelt romance. You will fall in love with Elle and Nix and with all of the supporting characters. I can’t wait to read about Nix’s other roommates!
The Second We Met is about Nix and Elle. Ever since seeing glimpses of him in The Third Best Thing, I felt like I would like Nix a lot. And I did. He is the shining star of this book. Unlike Berk and Reece, Nix is the calm and collected of the group. Everyone jokes that he is the dad of the group, and honestly, they are not wrong. He has an aura around him of peace, I don’t know. On the other hand, Elle is a freight train, she never stops and she is a tad judgmental.
Besides his character, I liked that Nix was of Italian American descent. How do I know? Well, his surname is Russo, and in Italy there’s a famous pasta that’s produced in my area by that name, so of course that rang a bell. I just like when authors tell stories about people with mixed heritage, so to speak. I don’t know why. Plus, his grandpa also owned a restaurant called “Tavola”. No idea here if the author just wanted to give an Italian name, because if the restaurant is of the normal, not wealthy side, it would have been better to call it “Tavola Calda”, which means “Hot Table”, literally, a restaurant that prepares very affordable dishes of different varieties. But I don’t know if this was intentional or a mistake, so *shrug*.
Nix was a sweet guy who also happened to have a famous ex football player as a father. His father basically planned his life for him, and it seems like Nix’s destiny is to be drafted into a pro team after he graduates. As much as this is a solid prospective for his future, we see how Nix seems to like doing other things and he will reflect well about what he wants and doesn’t want to do. Sometimes the easiest choice is not the choice for you.
He was a honest guy who attracted a lot of people because he was very good at football, but also because he was a nice guy. He truly is a Golden Boy.
Even so, Elle seems to despise him from the second they met. Not only she accidentally saw him in his naked glory. He also lives across the street with some of his teammates and they throw a lot of parties that go on the whole night, making it hard for her to sleep a wink. For over a year their relationship has been hate-hate like she says, and she’d rather not see him around. So when he gets on the bus directed to her next volunteering job, she tries to make his stay a living hell.
Elle doesn’t trust that he is there solely to help families in need, and according to her, the groupies that circle Nix are the proof that he shouldn’t have come there, because he distracts the other volunteers. She judges him without knowing his true reasons, and she doesn’t trust him even after he pleads his case with her. Elle has trust issues and hates liars, and this messes up with her head and makes her judge people like Nix. Wrongly. But at least once she realizes her error in judgment, she apologizes, so there’s that.
Nix and Elle were a sweet and relaxed couple, both in and out of the bedroom. They had a few arguments but they weren’t super tense like, for example, the ones in the previous book between Seph and Reece. And when sexy moments happened with them, they were savoring each other slowly and mildly, with no rush. I don’t know if I liked this or not, because sometimes a good tension is what makes a couple sizzle. Comparing to Seph and Reece and Jules and Berk, Nix and Elle didn’t have much sparks and they were in the norm. They were more on the not so special side, and this saddens me a lot because I really wanted to like them the same way I did with the other two couples I mentioned. Even the discussions they had were based on simple things, and they felt like the kind of characters that didn’t want to rush things.
And this is good… and bad. While I read this book at my usual pace, I felt like it missed something. It was too… standard. Maybe Nix and Elle weren’t my kind of couple, even though I liked him a lot. Let’s say they are the “break” between the drama of their friends’ stories. Maybe that was the intention of the author too.
If you are going to write a book about sports and athletes you have to understand the sport. while the story was good the author didn’t have a realistic idea of agents and draft picks for NFL. Agents are not allowed to approach the players until the draft.
I absolutely loved this!!
Nix, so strong, confident, put together, and sexy AF. Elle, the pink haired menace from across the street… has a heart of gold, been burned too many times, trusts no one.
The way they met was cute, hilarious, and made for a perfect enemies to lovers story.
I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The banter between these two was FUN and their chemistry was sizzling. They are both lovable, genuine, and so good…seeing them together made my heart happy.
If you’ve read and loved book one, you’ll want to read this one. If you haven’t read book one, you really should! Then read this. You’ll thank me later. I can’t recommend this series enough.
From the second I started The Second We Met, I just knew I was in for one incredible story!!
After that initial meeting when Elle walked into the wrong house and saw Nix coming out of the shower, to them being forced to working together over spring break, to the nerf gun war (probably one of my favorite scenes in the entire book) and every page after that, I just kept falling deeper and more in love with Nix & Elle. I just could not get enough of the star QB and his pink haired nemesis. The banter, the chemistry, the connection, the push and pull between them – everything about Nix and Elle together had me hooked on their story and I didn’t want to put it down. This enemies to lovers story was simply perfect!!
And the little morsels teasing us about what’s to come with Berk & Jules and LJ & Marisa……I cannot wait to catch up with the Fulton University crew again!
Amazing
I absolutely LOVED this book by Maya Hughes,
This whole series is becoming very addictive.
A brilliant Enemies to lovers romance Nix and Elle avoided one another for years ,until they had to work on a charity project together.Which ignited something totally the opposite to Hate,and something they never thought could happen occurred,they actually LIKED eachother.
Nix made me swoon numerous times throughout this book, he was so caring and sweet he is every girls dream.Elle had her fair share of hang ups because of past boyfriend betrayal,so she didn’t make it easy for Nix.But he loved any way.
I don’t have anything critical to say about this story or this series ,I adore the friendships within this group of people..and you get snippets of past characters and future characters stories..its just an all round exceptional read that I simply had great delight and pleasure getting lost in.
Another Big hit for Maya which I totally Recommend.
Is there anything I love more than an enemies to lovers? No, probably not. Something about that thin line between love and hate, the overwhelming feelings, and snappy dialogue reels me in every time. The Second We Met by Maya Hughes is everything I love about enemies-to-lovers (and everything I want from them) wrapped up in one book with a shiny HEA.
Nix and Elle were the best. Seriously. Nix is on the cusp on being drafted to the NFL – as the first pick no less – but he’s less than satisfied with his future when he feels he’s being pushed towards it for the sake of his fathers attention (even if that attention is critical). Elle, meanwhile, is drowning herself in volunteer work – partially because it’s the best shot she has of making it through college in one piece and partially because she martyrs herself for the sake of others.
They are on different paths but neither likes where the future is going and despite their past, forced proximity for charity work gives them the opportunity to re-route their future into what THEY want it to be – and even for that future to include each other!
There was so much push and pull with these two. Elle has trust issues a mile long and she’s totally up front about that. And though she can be self-righteous at times or let her insecurities get the best of her, when that righteous rage calms down she’s not afraid to make a sincere apology and admit she was wrong. She owns up to her mistakes, even if it takes her a while to see them.
Similarly, Nix also takes responsibility for his actions – even when the consequences he creates are unintended. Honestly, Nix is just such a good guy. Just straight up a good, decent person. He isn’t perfect by any means but he is so open and vulnerable with Elle, and just a fundamentally awesome person. I LOVED that about him!
I’ve re-read this book 4 times in less than a month and each time Nix and Elle completely blow me away and keep me enchanted. If you want to read a romance with two kick-butt leads who take no B.S., who each step up and take responsibility for their actions, and who just love each other so much while having some of the hottest dialogue (and steamiest scenes), add this one to your TBR RIGHT NOW!
The Second We Met follows Elle and Nix, two neighbors who have been at odds ever since an unpleasant first meeting. After circumstances require them to work together, this give rise to a series of complications – the main one being: that as much as their history implies their relationship is simply antagonistic, they might, after all, not completely hate each other.
Author Maya Hughes opens the story with the typical enemies that gradually brews into lovers. It’s a rollercoaster kind of romance in the sense that we see both the main characters deal with their own issues (quite badly at times, too) and how this greatly affects their relationship. Every conflict met led to argument after argument, which one would maybe say would start to get old if it didn’t clearly serve as a testament to how every roadblock this couple goes through becomes the very saving grace that would make their reconciliation in the end as satisfying as it was.
There’s something so magnetic about how Hughes builds up relationships, whether they be romantic or platonic. In this case, she especially excels in the latter. She does such a stellar job of establishing solid friendships between her characters, even setting a great example of the found family trope among the friend group and their significant others. From endearing appearances from Seph and Reece (of The Perfect First) and LJ and Marisa, to the sweet introduction of Jules and the beginnings of a romance between her and Berk, the side characters are just as much of a standout.
This book brings about a feeling of togetherness that only ceases to make you look forward to the series’ future instalments, which would be impossible without Hughes’ quick writing and careful attention to her characters.
Holy emotions, this book was fantastic. I loved the first book, but I think I love this book more than the first one. Elle and Nix have obvious fire between them from their first (hilarious) meeting, but their relationship goes way beyond that. I loved their story because it was an emotionally complex journey, one that I could relate to in different ways. This story is so much more than a college love/hate story; it’s adult decisions, and loss, and soul-crushing love – and all of those elements kept me reading this book into the overnight hours. I loved the story, the characters, and the chance to go back to Fulton again. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
Have you ever read a book and wished it didn’t have to end? That was how I felt about The Second We Met. It was a feel good story about trust, love, and following your heart. It was quick, intense, and believable.
The side characters also had an interesting story happening between them. I can’t wait to find out more about them in Maya Hughes upcoming book.
I highly recommend this book!
The Second We Met is the second book in the Fulton U Series by Maya Hughes.
“The eyes. That nose. His mouth. Error, does not compute. Abort mission. Only no matter how many times I blinked, he was still there.”
I absolutely loooooove The Perfect First so I was bidding my time for when TSWM came out and to say that it was definitely not a disappointment. This was perfectly executed with the perfect amount of enemy-to-friends -to-lovers aspect, romance, comedy, and overall just perfection. The banter was phenomenal.
“I didn’t look down at where her shirt had ridden up around her waist, totally didn’t check out the tanned, smooth skin there. That would’ve been suicidal.”
Phoenix “Nix” Russo is the star quarterback of the Fulton U Trojans. He’s a part of the first round pick for the NFL drafts. Nix has worked extremely hard in football because of his father who played professional ball. All he wanted to do was to finally get his father’s praise and mean it. Nix is an outgoing, funny, and charming guy. He is absolutely so sweet.
“Was there ever someone more confusing and infuriating than Elle?”
Elle Masterson is busy bee senior who has goals to win the Huffington Award so she can finally lift her financial burdens. She works, has many many volunteer projects, and a senior workload. She is so feisty and so sweet with an even sweeter tooth.
“One second we’re cool and the next you’re biting my d*mn head off. It’s been like this since the second we met.”
Nix finds himself having to clean up his reputation thanks to Elle so he signed up to volunteer to build homes for those that needs them; not knowing that Elle is going to be in close proximity to him the whole time. Nix and Elle finds themselves finding out that they have misjudged each others characters and have called an armistice.
“She tilted her head to the side and smiled at me. Cue a stampede in my chest that had never existed before.”
Nix and Elle was absolutely flawless. I just loved their chemistry so much. They were literally the ying to the yang for each other. The perfect missing pieces of each other.
“Ten? Am I just a booty call? You’re summoning me to service you in the dead of the night?”
I enjoyed TSWM so much. I was ready for this book and I tried to put it off because I just knew I was going to read it in one day and I did. I can’t wait for the third book! An absolutely masterpiece by Maya Hughes yet again!
“There wasn’t anything sweeter than Elle.”
I love a good enemies to lovers and of course I enjoyed this one here!
The Second We Meet is well written and the story is really interesting.
I loved the chemistry between the main characters. I enjoyed seeing them figure out together who they truly were and what they wanted for their lives.
And the secondary characters are amazing too.
The second book in the Fulton U series is a must read!
*I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book.*
Elle hates liars and cheats. Nix hasn’t been completely honest with her. Hmmm…
I have waited for this book just b/c of the blurb! After seeing Nix nude, how would Elle react? Not so well apparently. Elle has been feuding with Nix from that day. She’s strung out b/c she has so many obligations, monetary and otherwise. I would like to have known a little more about how she came down from upper-middle class (formerly drove an S-Class Mercedes in HS) to borderline destitute.
Phoenix Russo, seemingly cocky football quarterback and in the words of Elle, “kind of gorgeous that made you wonder if he weren’t real-life CGI.” What Elle doesn’t know is that Nix has his demons too. When Elle and Nix end up on the same project, things begin to change. WOW! Just WOW. Love the metamorphosis.
Ms. Hughes can write some of the sweetest steamy scenes ever written. There is humor, angst and tear-inducing moments, all of which finishes with a beautiful HEA. I have bookmarked so many scenes in this book it looks like a rainbow 😉
I volunteered to review an ARC and it comes highly recommended. This one gets 10 Stars! I want to see the movie. I CAN’T wait for Berk and Jules’ story!!!
5 Stars
Review by Elizabeth
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Are you a lover of the enemies-to-lovers trope? If so, grab this gem today!!
Sparks, ya’ll, sparks!! Phoenix and Elle together equals sparks which equals flames!! These two are epic when it comes to the enemies-to-lovers trope! They are now my number one favorite couple.
Phoenix, aka Nix, may be the star quarterback for the Trojans but do not let him fool you. His father has been grooming him to become the next big thing and because of that, his body has taken a lot. When he is sentenced to reputation rehab, you start to see the real Phoenix.
Then, there is Elle. Sweet, overworked Elle. She is so close to getting her degree and she has no time for distractions, even if it means blowing off the quarterback. Elle has a good head on her shoulders and knows what she wants. She has no time for jocks and their pettiness but can she ignore the pull she feels to Phoenix?
I wanted to Gibbs’ slap both Elle and Phoenix a lot while reading this book. They both frustrated me to the point of no return even though I understood why they were that way. Especially Elle. When they finally get their heads out of their butts, it is the best darn thing ever.
Maya Hughes has this ridiculous talent for grabbing you from the beginning and not letting you go until the very end. The way she has written this book is downright amazing and the characters are awesome as heck.
Words cannot express how much you guys need to read this!!
Maya Hughes brought it again!!
Oh, my swoony! Nix is dreamy, and the journey to Elle figuring this out is epic.
Elle is guarded and doesn’t make it easy for our Nix, which is okay since he needs a little bit of a challenge.
There are laughs, oh mys, steamy yummies, frustrations, and so much more!!!
Join the ride and read The Second We Met. You won’t regret it!
This was a fun, sweet read! Elle had had some crummy things happen to her in the past and she was focused on what she needed to do to graduate, even though she was wearing herself thin. Nix was the football player everyone loved and her arch nemesis. Until things shift and these two found a truce. I enjoyed the shift in their relationship and the way Elle let her defenses down and allowed Nix in to her inner circle. This book was angsty and sweet. Nix had to tread carefully but he realized Elle was worth it. I enjoyed this read!
I received an arc for this book and I just want to say that I loved it, Elle and Nix were perfect, the development of their relationship was so cute, I fell in love with them as a couple and as individuals
I admire and related to Elle so much and Nix was so perfect, he exceeded all my expectations
the side characters were so funny and all their scenes together were just amazing, I can wait to read their books
Some of my favorite things about TSWM:
– I love female characters who aren’t afraid to speak their minds, and that’s basically Elle, so I was so excited when I met her, she’s so fierce, passionate, and the way she cares about others is so admirable and that’s the principal reason why I loved her and felt so drawn to her
– Nix was PERFECT, I was scared of how Maya was going to write his character cause with enemies to lovers a lot of times the guy turns out to be a “jerk” just for the plot, but seriously, this wasn’t the case at all here, Nix is probably one of the sweetest and vulnerable guys I’ve read in all year
– The growth of both characters was really great, especially Elle’s, not going to lie she had a rough start cause I couldn’t understand why she acted in a certain way, but when you get to know her more it’s impossible to not fall in love with her
– All the side characters were amazing, all my favorite scenes were with them together, I love their friendship, I love how they support each other, I love how they’re not what they appear, honestly the biggest highlight of the book was their scenes together
– Jules and Elle’s friendship was perfect, I love how different they are and how they complement each other
– Maya knows how to write an ending that’s going to keep you wondering what’s going to happen next, I’m so excited for Berk’s book, I feel like it’s going to be my favorite
I don’t have anything else to say besides that I’m really happy with this book and I’m in love with these characters if you’re a fan enemies-to friends-to-lovers with banter and a lot of sexual tension this book won’t disappoint you!
This was such a great enemies to lovers romance! It’s one of my favourite tropes, all the angst, backwards and forwards, sarcasm and banter. I live for it!
Elle and Nix’s story had all of the above!
I have to admit that Elle did annoy me at times, she was a little too judgemental but she has been hurt before so I can kind of understand where it comes from.
Let’s talk about Nix! Where can I find me one of him?! I kinda adored everything about him *swoon!
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I’m super excited for Berks and Jules story, bring it on!!
I’m OBSESSED with this series!!! Elle & Nix were so perfect together! I loved watching them figure out how to work together, and then slowly learn that the person they hated was not who they thought originally assumed they were. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed an enemies to lovers like this in quite awhile! This book was amazing & impossible to put down! Plus we got to see a little of Reece & Seph!! PERFECTION!