Review: Grading the Curve by Nicola Cameron

Ellen Ragsdale is a scholarship student who just wants to get her college degree and start her life. Alexander Cord is an English professor who hides his loneliness behind an arrogant facade. School rules have kept them at arm’s length all year long. But on the last night of Ellen’s college career, the two of them risk everything to find out if their mutual attraction is more than a classroom crush.

Release Date: 09/11/13
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Source: Manic Readers
Reviewer: Marie
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

I LOVED this book!  At first, I thought it was going to be super cheesy, but was pleasantly surprised once the initial few pages had been read.  Ellen is a young college student who’s about to graduate and is celebrating with her friends at a local restaurant.  They’re chatting about their finals and everyone is talking about how horrible one of their professors is – Alexander Cord.  He’s a bitter, arrogant man that most students dread being around.  But not Ellen.  Ellen is strangely attracted to him, and is sad to be leaving college and his classroom.  All of her friends know she’s got a thing for him, so they tell her she has nothing to lose, to go ahead and tell him.  That’s when they notice that he’s at the restaurant, just a few tables away.  When Ellen gets up the nerve to finally walk over to him, he gets up and walks right past her – leaving her feeling ridiculous.  She excuses herself to the restroom so her friends don’t see her get upset, and upon reaching the restroom, she bumps in to none other than Alexander.

From this point in the story, Alexander reveals that he’s got a thing for Ellen and has since he laid eyes on her.  He lays the sexual advances on pretty thick, and begs her to come home with him.  Being a virgin, Ellen is embarrassed, but decides she has to live in the moment and enjoy her youth.  She says yes, and leaves the restaurant to flee with Alexander.

Once in his home, Ellen shares some of her most personal moments in life with him, and grows ever closer to the professor.  They share an intense and beautiful night together that is so sweet it makes your heart melt.  But their romantic evening isn’t perfect, as the professor has some secrets of his own and they both must decide just how much the other means to them.

These characters stayed with me.  I finished the book a few days ago and I’m STILL wishing I was back in the story with them.  They were so cute together, and their romance was so deep and….. well, perfectly flawed.  I loved the intensity of their attraction and their tenderness towards one another.  I especially loved the compassion of Ellen and the vulnerability of Alexander.  It was so good – I still can’t believe it was only a short story.  That’s definitely one talented author that I’ll seek out in the future!