Almost by Anne Eliot Review

Almost by Anne Eliot
★★★★☆
Release Date: February 3, 2012
Publisher: Butterfly Books LLC
Age: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Summer, Rape, Love, Friendship
Format: e-book
Source: Bought
Buy it: Amazon

At a freshman party she doesn't remember, Jess Jordan was almost raped.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite. Three years later, Jess has managed to make everyone believe she's better. Over it. Because she is.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Unfortunately, until Jess proves she's back to normal activities, her parents won't discuss college. So, she lands a summer internship and strikes a deal with hockey jock, Gray Porter: He gets $8,000. She gets a fake boyfriend and a social life.

Jess has no idea Gray signed on for reasons other than money. She also never expects to fall in love. But Gray’s amazingly hot, holds her hand all the time, and makes her forget that he’s simply doing his job. It’s like having a real boyfriend.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Gray Porter is hiding secrets of his own. About Jess Jordan. About why he’s driven to protect her, why he won't cash her checks, or deny her anything she asks.

Jess Jordan's life has never been the same since freshman year when the unthinkable almost happened. Almost. Now in order to be normal, she's following a list created by her 8th grade sister and hoping to be allowed to go to college because of her actions. One of the items on the list? Get a boyfriend. Easy enough.

Jess is one of those girls who doesn't realize how beautiful she is, or doesn't pay attention to the fact. She's shut off and isolated and puts up a front to be this mean and horrible person, that deep down is not her, just to keep others away from getting to know her. The reader feels bad for her, because throughout the book she tries so hard to be something she's not and it's not helping her get over what has happened to her. Her story is depressing and uplifting at the same time.

From the very beginning it is so easy to see how much Gray Porter cares for this clueless girl. The author alternates point of view between Jess and Gray and at times it had me banging my head on the desk. The two play this game throughout the summer of being in a fake relationship when both of them want a real one, just can't tell the other. It's like a sick and sad cat and mouse game, it's one of those times when I wish I could jump in the story and shake the characters! But, it works for the story (no matter how frustrating it became).

It's a cute and sweet contemporary romance filled with drama and issues that make it an incredibly well-rounded story. The author put a lot of thought and consideration into Jess' story and it shows.