From New York Times bestseller Kendall Ryan comes a steamy forbidden standalone romance.
The first time we met was at a party. Your ex arrived to show off the person he’d left you for last month, and you asked me to pretend to be your date. I was more than happy to help. You were attractive, smart and witty–and that kiss we shared? It left me wanting you for days. The second time we met was in … left me wanting you for days.
The second time we met was in my office on campus where we were both surprised to discover you were the new master’s degree student in poetry that I would be working with. You promised to be professional. I did no such thing.
The late nights and intense study sessions spent alongside you majorly throw me off my game. I want you, and I fight with myself daily over this fact.
I know I’m crass, that my sexual innuendos and dirty mouth annoy you, but I live for those two bright spots of color in your cheeks. If that’s the only reaction I can get out of you, I’ll gladly take it.
You hate Mondays so every Monday I slip an anonymous poem into your bag and your smile gets me through the week.
I think I’m falling for you, and I know it’s wrong. I know that I’m only supposed to be the adviser to your program and nothing more, but here’s the thing. I think you’re falling for me too.
xo, Zachmore
Xo, Zach was a great afternoon read this past Sunday. Curled up on the couch with a blanket while it’s cold outside and a cup of coffee in hand. It was a perfect afternoon with a Kendall Ryan book.
I loved the way Zach and Poppy meet at the party. It was cute and fun and one of my favorite things about this book. There was an aspect of the way they handled things that I would have liked to seen played up more or become more of a “thing” between them. I think that would have brought so much more to the story for me. The slow burn was great between them though. I would have liked to have seen more of the notes that he said he was giving her, there wasn’t a lot about that in the book. The note from the blurb wasn’t used in the book in any way and that was disappointing. The only other thing in the book (besides what I’ve already mentioned) that didn’t fit for me was how Zach talked in the bedroom. Yes it’s hot but it didn’t fit him outside the bedroom. It felt out-of-place and not consistent with the character and not every guy has to talk like that for it to be hot between the sheets.
Zach had a great relationship with his Mother and those were some of the best scenes for me. I loved the interaction between Poppy and her neighbors. They were so fun!
This was a great book and I think you should grab it and fall in love with Zach like I did. A few things didn’t work for me but I still enjoyed this one.
Oh how I fell in love with Zach and Poppy, then how could you not…..they were funny, sexy and so sweet. The relationship between Zach and his mom was hilarious but the relationship be had with Poppy’s son was nothing short of swoon-worthy! Definitely a book so worth the read that you can’t put it down….. go ahead and try!
They met at a party a few days before classes start. Poppy asked this hot, uber sexy man named Zach to be his fake boyfriend so she could show him off to her ex-lover. Their instant attraction and the sexual tension brewing between them proved to be a success, and then they shared a smoldering kiss.
And then Poppy’s first day at school even got more interesting when she discovered that the man she kissed was no less than Zach, her school adviser. A forbidden relationship arose, but that didn’t deter Zach from pursuing this woman who loved and wrote poetry. What’s the worse that could happen, he asked… Until he discovered that one little secret Poppy had been hiding ever since.
I actually liked the story between an adviser and his student. I thought that was something that would entice and excite me. But the instant attraction didn’t go well with me. Plus, Poppy’s hot and cold approach with her feelings for Zach wasn’t as forthcoming as I would have wanted it to be. Zach was a dreamboat, though. Sure, he’s got a filthy mouth and a dirty mind to boot, yet somehow, those characteristics worked on his favor. Two people I loved about the book though, were Zach’s mom and Kodee – Poppy’s gay bestfriend. They’re both hilariously funny and definitely ice breakers. They tipped the balance and made the book so fun to read.
This is my nth book by Ms. Ryan, I love her writing and stories, and I am still looking forward to more exciting reads from her in the future. Actually, I am going to read Baby Daddy real soon!
I thought the angst got a little repetitive especially since it was obvious how the book would end
Loved this book, and Zach is a long, tall drink of swoon-worthy hotness! I’m sure there are a few people out there who, after being unceremoniously dumped, have wanted to show their ex just how much they’ve moved on, and Poppy is no exception. Except Poppy got more than she bargained for when she approached the stranger at the house party she was attending when her ex and his new fluff piece showed up. Poppy couldn’t have guessed that there would be some hot chemistry between her and the guy she approached at the party, and both were shocked two days later when Poppy shows up to the office to meet with her student adviser.
Although Poppy tries to keep the interactions between she and Zach strictly adviser/student only, the chemistry between them is all kinds of smoldering, working its way towards boiling hot. Besides the whole forbidden teacher/student issue (although he’s 29 and she’s 24), there’s another reason Poppy tries to keep it professional between she and Zach (but I won’t divulge that secret).
This book is a lot of fun and plenty of sexiness with just the right amount of emotions swirled in to draw you into the story right from the start and doesn’t let go until the end. I think Zach more than proved it was real for him, despite the number of times Poppy kept him at Stretch Armstrong’s arm length. Another fantastic couple from Ms. Ryan!
This is probably the sweetest forbidden romance that I have ever read! Amazingly well written, fantastic characters, and a HEA? What more can you ask for?!?
Poppy is a grad student that is also a single mother. She had her son at a very young age, and has pretty much made it on her own. She has had no luck with relationships, for various reasons, and really has no faith that they will get better.
Zach is Poppy’s college advisor. He has aspirations of moving to New York City and becoming a writer. With everything against them, they should stay away from each other. They just can’t seem to.
Zach is everything a girl could ask for. He has a tatoo’d bad boy vibe going on, but he is still sweet and supportive. Poppy is an amazing mother, to have raised her son for years on her own and still managed college and working. I can’t think of anyone that could deserve such an amazing man more than her.
This book is amazing from beginning to end. I just can’t think of another way to put it. Just pure amazing!
I adored this story! So sweet and sexy all rolled into one! I couldn’t put it down!!
*4 Stars*
I always enjoy Kendall Ryan books, and this one was no different. The storyline being that Poppy and Zach are attracted to each other yet he’s an advisor at her uni, and she’s his advisee, makes for the “forbidden” kind of romance.
The way they try and deal with this is funny, particularly on Zach’s side, but also quite frustrating. I liked both characters, but Zach but probably my fave. The secondary characters of Poppy’s best friends Kody and Jodee, and also of Connor, were great additions.
The storyline progressed well, although I would have liked to have actually been able to read more of the poems that Zach was slipping into Poppy’s bag. The first one was adorable. That said though, everything else about the story I had no issue with at all.
I thought that each characters reactions to different situations were warranted or typical of what people would do in the real life situation, and the story was easy to follow and easy to read.
All the characters were likeable and I sped through this in less than 24 hours.
The ending was really sweet and overall I did enjoy this book. Would love to read more about Kody or Jodee too.
xo, Zach is the first book I have read by Kendall Ryan, and it definitely won’t be my last! It’s the perfect combination of sweet, funny, and sexy. For the most part, it is angst free even though it is a somewhat forbidden romance.
Poppy and Zach met the first time at a party when she asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend when she sees her ex with his new girlfriend. Zach readily agrees, and neither of them expected a “pretend” kiss to feel like something so much more. Zach doesn’t want this girl to get away, but she has sworn off men. So, she doesn’t give him her number, but she does tell him if they meet again, then they were meant to be. Oh, she has no idea how right she is!!!!
The next time she meets him, it’s a shock. He is her advisor, but that doesn’t stop either one of them of thinking about that kiss. Each decides professionalism is the way to go. However, that doesn’t stop them from fantasizing about each other. A relationship would never work between them…at least that is what they tell one another. That line they have drawn is becoming more and more blurred as they spend more time together. Where do they go once that line has been crossed, and is there enough room in Poppy’s life for Zach?
Poppy is a sweet, intelligent woman. She has a bit of innocence about her even though life hasn’t always been easy for her. She became a mother at a young age, and now she is working on her master’s to make life better for her and her son, Connor. Zach describes her perfectly,
“Sweet Poppy. She looked like a character of a Dickens novel—innocent, intelligent, with a rich backstory and desire to do good in the world.”
That is exactly how I pictured her in my mind.
Zach had it all. Poppy summed him up perfectly in three words:
“sweet, funny, and basically a human aphrodisiac.”
This man could write beautiful poetry and then turn around and whisper naughty things to Poppy. I would have fallen for him too. I loved the fact that once his heart knew she was meant to be his, he stopped at nothing to make her realize that he was hers.
Despite it being a bit of a forbidden romance, there wasn’t too much angst. The angst was more of Poppy not being sure of allowing Zach into her life on a permanent basis. I could completely understand that though. She had her child to think of. Any mother who loved her child would be the same way.
The secondary characters were fantastic, especially Zach’s mother. Any time she was on the scene, she dominated it! I would love a book about her! It was nice to see supportive parents. Both Zach and Poppy’s parents were very active in their children’s lives.
I do wish that there had been just a little more about Zach and Connor’s developing relationship. Otherwise, this was a perfect light, sweet, humorous, and sexy read!
Oh My, how Zach will make you swoon! I fell for him over and over again throughout the story!!
Poppy works hard to make a life for herself and her son. She works, goes to school and always puts herself last. A chance meeting at a party and using Zach to make her jerk of an ex jealous opens her to a whole new world.
Zach and Poppy have an intense pull that grows more and more throughout the story. Both have so much to risk by pursing their relationship. Will it be worth it? Will Zach ever break down the walls that Poppy has in place?
Xo, Zach is a MUST read and I devoured it! I did not want their story to end. It is written in dual POV and ends in a HEA.
This is one of the most swoon worthy forbidden romances I have ever read. I could not put it down. Kendall has stuck to her guns with writing a witty, hilarious, sexy, steamy romance that you don’t want to miss out on.
I fell in love with Poppy and Zach! They are the perfect match up with her sassiness and his alphaness, it is just perfect! Life is a funny thing and surprise you at anytime and this book is the perfect example of that!
I’m pretty sure I smiled throughout this entire book. Zach Austin and Poppy Ellis were #couplegoals.
XO, Zach is the story of Zach and Poppy which was full of heart, passion and humor. Poppy and Zach meet at a party and have a fun evening together. However, they part ways without each other’s phone numbers, leaving it up to the universe to decide if they should see each other again.
Well, guess what?
They meet up once again, her being a student and him being her advisor. I love the storyline of this book and enjoyed the dual POV. I also loved that friends and family were brought into the storyline, especially Zach’s mother who was hilarious!!
I truly enjoyed the banter between Zach and Poppy and that he knew what he wanted and went after it. I loved how this book showed the progression of their relationship and their chemistry was outstanding.
XO, Zach is the perfect Kendall Ryan book for new readers as well as dedicated fans!
XO, Zach is a sexy, funny and loving story.
Zach won my heart and he will win yours too.
He is man who is passionate, brutally honest and has such a naughty side that will leave you breathless.
Poppy is a girl we can all relate to. Getting revenge on an Ex boyfriend is sweet but what is sweeter is when Poppy least expects to find an instant spark with Zach!
Loved their chemistry and the build up to finding out if these two will end up together.
Get this book for a swoon worthy romance that will grab your heart.
A sweet, humorous and sexy as sin college romance that’ll make you swoon…
From the moment I heard about this book to the moment that Zach and Poppy landed on my kindle and right to the very last page, I lived, breathed and obsessed over all things XO, Zach. I love Kendall Ryan in general she’s one of the authors that I turn to regularly. I don’t know, but her writing just resonates with me. Whether I need to laugh to the point I either pee myself or cry, or whether I need something to ground me and completely sweep me off my feet—this lady has got it. No two books of hers are the same and yet I always fall over myself to read them.
Anywho, getting back to this book. When I read the blurb, I got so excited…I love a fake boyfriend trope, what I didn’t realise is actually how little that trope comes into play. Sure it kickstarts the story and it’s what brings Poppy and Zach together, but in actuality this is not that story. Which, wait for it, made this story even better. Oh my goodness, from the moment I started to the moment I finished, I was so invested in this book that it verged on insanity. I like the whole college romance aspect, I loved that there was that slight element of forbidden romance, given the part that Zach plays in Poppy’s college life, but again it’s not a massive hooha within the plot. It just is and I really liked that neither Zach nor Poppy ever made it this massive thing that impacted the plot. In fact, because of that, this story had a very organic and natural progression. It’s so delightfully paced that it draws you in to the point you are almost entranced. Look, I’m just besotted with this story and it’s characters. Period. It’s just a brilliantly humorous, sexy as sin and feel good romantic comedy.
Zach is so certain of himself. There’s no two ways about him, he is what he is and you either take it or leave it. I loved that he is that unapologetic about himself, to be fair it’s part of hat makes him so sexy and unique. He has this sweetness that underlies his vulgarity and cockiness. I say cockiness in a good way, at no point did I find him self-indulgent or intolerable, quite the opposite actually. He’s so open about how he feels and what he wants (and how he wants it…someone get the fan out!) that in some ways it makes Poppy’s uncertainty seem a lot bigger than what it is, however at times it makes her head get in the way of what’s happening between her and Zach. To be honest, I think they’re so well matched. Poppy’s such a strong heroine and their traits balance each other out. I really could not get enough of them and the combustable chemistry around them. They have that whole roiling, bubbling, fizzing thing going on and it just left me completely breathless…gasping. They’re just insane.
Honestly, XO, Zach is just one of those reads that completely sweeps you off your feet. It courts your heart and seduces every inch of your soul with it’s brightness and sunshine. Despite the whole ex thing at the beginning and one other non consequential turn in the plot there is little to no other man/woman drama. In fact, the drama is pretty minimal. Personally, I found that this added to the reading ease of the story as a whole. This is certainly going to be one of those that I reach for when I need a pick me up—it’s fun, brilliantly written and once you pop you just can’t stop. It’s unputdownable!
Super sweet tale of Poppy and Zach who meet unexpectedly, will they won’t they, should they. The ride is packed full of sweet moments with some good heat.
Sweet and sexy
Despite still bring fairly new to Kendall Ryan and I’m a fan of hers and was looking forward to reading XO, Zach. Zach and Poppy had a lot going against their potential relationship – the discovery that Zach was Poppy’s college advisor, Zach’s future plans and Poppy’s already big commitment – but their connection, their chemistry, is something worth fighting for.
Kendall has written a sweet and sexy story that has elements of angst, taboo and romantic comedy – and I feel like none of them really hit the mark. Couple that with the fact that all the conflicts I mentioned above are resolved rather easily and the nature of the (ridiculously) slooooooooow burn of the romance between Zach and Poppy and this isn’t one of my favourite reads by Kendall. I was also disappointed by the lack of poetry shared in the book, considering Zach and Poppy were well versed in that area.
In saying that, at no point did I ever think about not finishing the book as I was keen to find out how it all ended. I absolutely loved all the supporting characters – Poppy’s best friends Jodee and Kody were hilarious, as was Zach’s mum (could Jodee and/or Kody get their own stories too please?!?). And the sex scenes, they were top notch!! Kendall sure knows how to get me all hot and bothered
So this one is a 3.5 stars from me. It’s definitely worth adding to your tbr.
When Poppy’s friend Jodee asks her to accompany her to a college party she is reluctant to leave her child at home to attend a silly house party, but then again a night of freedom does sound good too, so she goes and runs smack dab into her ex- boyfriend and her replacement. And at her first she wants to turn tail and run the other direction, but then a streak of bravery hits and she decides she needs a replacement too, and like now, so she grabs the first hunk she sees and asks him to play along. Her new suitor happily agrees to play along, even offering to kick her ex’s butt, but she tells him she just needs him to play buffer and help show her ex that she is doing just fine without him. Then a unexpected, and very heated, make-out session ensues and suddenly Poppy feels like she has just gotten herself in over head.. she was not expecting the fireworks, and usually when there are fireworks, that means feelings and the like are to follow, and she wants none of that. She has sworn off men, so agreeing to see her fake beau again is surely just asking for trouble so she passes on his offer… but fate has other plans for her, and this isn’t the last time she will see Zach!
Zach has just met the most beautiful woman he has ever seen at a ridiculous college house party, and it is by far the best thing to happen to him in a long time, but their little exchange doesn’t last very long. They share a heated kiss, that is aimed to ward off her annoying ex, and then she walks away with her friend. Before she slips away he asks her for a date, but she says she isn’t in the market for a man, and that stings more than a little, in the few seconds that they spent talking he was certain they had stumbled onto something, but apparently not. With the days that follow he can’t help but think about her and their short time together and also can’t help but hold out a little slice of hope that she will wander back into his life again at some point… lucky for him he gets his wish, but it is a very complicated one that might put his job in jeopardy.
XO, Zach is a swoon-worthy, comical, lighthearted tale that is sure to give you the feels and have you beaming throughout. From the moment you pick it up you will be pulled into these characters lives, find yourself quickly falling head over heels for them, and becoming completely enthralled with their little forbidden love affair! I have to say this one of my favorite reads from this author to date, it had everything I have come to expect from her, and a whole lot more, it was a well rounded story that lifted my spirits, made me blush, and left my heart overjoyed. If you are looking for a feel good romance story, with a few naughty bits mixed in hear and there, then I highly recommend you check this one out, xo, Zach is sure to give you just what you are looking for… and so much more!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.
Kendall Ryan is fast becoming one of my go to authors and xo, Zach is one of my favourites, once again she shows us just how good she is at writing stories with characters you fall in love with, in this book we not only get the extremely hot Zach Austin who writes poetry and talks dirty we get the the sweet Poppy Ellis who knows she shouldn’t be falling for her college adviser and then there’s the hilarious nosy neighbors and the mother who has no filter on her mouth, what more could you want from a book. This is a great love story it has the perfect mix of love and humour, the chemistry is sizzling, it’s fun watching Zach and Poppy falling for each other and the witty banter will have you laughing out loud. Can’t wait for more from Kendall Ryan
4.5 Stars!
Kendall Ryan’s books are usually funny and so damn sexy but this book? She took it to another level. And the wit? Lord this book was witty and sarcastic af. It was completely my jam. There’s nothing I love more in a book than wit, sarcasm, a sassy heroine and a hot af alpha. Check, Check, check and check! I loved Zach and Poppy and honestly couldn’t get enough of that very sexy, dirty and brilliant man.
When Poppy Ellis realizes that the random hot guy she approached for a favor and ulltimately kissed at a houseparty was her new graduate advisor, bottling up all that electric chemistry and fiery attraction between them was hard. But boy was it fun to experience the inevitable combustion! I loved this book!! I loved their banter and sexual tension and the fact that they were both brilliant and perfectly complemented one another!! Gahh! This author nailed it with xo, Zach as their chemistry and attraction was FIRE! I loved this story so much. But while Poppy and Zach looked perfect for one another, there were deeper stakes involved. Could Poppy take a chance on Zach and take the biggest risk of all in the name of love?
I really loved this story! I thought the author had a unique way of presenting the typical teacher/student story and thereby differentiating herself amongst her peers. Furthermore, the storyline was compelling and addicting and the leading characters were such a joy to read. Personally, while I did love Poppy and admired her sass, independence and drive to succeed, I both applauded her resistance at getting involved with Zach but also grew frustrated and tired of the constant back and forth at times. It seemed like for every step forward they took, she took them back two steps. But then again I completely understood it as well. All in all this was an amazinggg book and I look forward to more from this author in the future. Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula
Are you looking to read an amazing forbidden romance? Don’t look very far because this amazing 5 star story is the one for you.
Zack and Poppy share a kiss, not just any kiss but an earth shattering one that neither will forget. Imagine the reactions when Poopy shows up at her professors office. Zack is her adviser and also very forbidden.
I love Kendall’s amazing written stories that suck me in and keep me enthralled and entertained for a few marvellous hours. I basically read this story in one sitting because it’s so addicting. A sweet romance with plenty of chemistry and swoon going around.
Perfectly crafted characters that were lovable and enjoyable. Bottomline is that this is a must read.
Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA. I highly recommend this story.