Title: Pivotal Moments (In Time Series #1)
Author: Trinity Hanrahan
Limitless Publishing
A senior in high school, introvert Aislinn Munroe is satisfied living unnoticed...
Aislinn is doing the normal post-high school preparations to get into college. She’s getting ready for a life beyond senior year, and wonders where she’ll fit in to the world once she’s officially an adult. Though her curves are to kill for, she’s also smart and funny. However, she isn’t at all popular, which is just fine with her.
Aislinn’s introverted ways are about to be put to the test...
Content with hiding from the limelight, Aislinn doesn’t get bullied like so many other shy kids do—that is, as long as she keeps to herself. But is she really living the life she’s meant to? Or are there unforeseen adventures waiting to shake up her life in the near future?
When her brother comes home from college, he brings an unexpected houseguest…
Teagan Aldridge is a reformed party animal, ladies’ man, and bad boy. He’s the last person Aislinn thought would ever show her attention. But when Aislinn and Teagan become unlikely friends, he brings out a side of herself she never knew existed. She already knows she’s special, but sexy and adventurous? That’s a first.
Are their personalities too far apart, or will opposites attract, making them an unusual, but influential pair? When their vast differences collide, Aislinn is led to some unexpected…
Pivotal Moments
Aislinn is doing the normal post-high school preparations to get into college. She’s getting ready for a life beyond senior year, and wonders where she’ll fit in to the world once she’s officially an adult. Though her curves are to kill for, she’s also smart and funny. However, she isn’t at all popular, which is just fine with her.
Aislinn’s introverted ways are about to be put to the test...
Content with hiding from the limelight, Aislinn doesn’t get bullied like so many other shy kids do—that is, as long as she keeps to herself. But is she really living the life she’s meant to? Or are there unforeseen adventures waiting to shake up her life in the near future?
When her brother comes home from college, he brings an unexpected houseguest…
Teagan Aldridge is a reformed party animal, ladies’ man, and bad boy. He’s the last person Aislinn thought would ever show her attention. But when Aislinn and Teagan become unlikely friends, he brings out a side of herself she never knew existed. She already knows she’s special, but sexy and adventurous? That’s a first.
Are their personalities too far apart, or will opposites attract, making them an unusual, but influential pair? When their vast differences collide, Aislinn is led to some unexpected…
Pivotal Moments
My thoughts:
ARC via NetGalley.
Thank you, Limitless Publishing
There are times when I choose to read a book because it’s completely different from everything else I’ve read, but most of the times I find myself drawn to stories that contain elements I’m already familiar with. When looking for contemporary romance (YA or A), I often try to go for the famous tropes, like enemies to lovers, love triangles, falling for you BFF or falling for your older brother’s BFF, which was Pivotal Moments’ case.
While its similarity with other books in the same age category and genre will have me itching to read it, what will make a book stand out will be its ability to turn the tropes into something original. And that was where this book lost me.
Meet Aislinn (or Ash), a senior in high school who goes back home one day to find her older brother has returned from college to spend spring break with them, and he didn’t come alone. Teagan, the brother’s super handsome, super sexy BFF will be staying with them. Guess what? He’s interested in Ash the moment he sees her. Insta love, anyone? *sighs* That’s basically the entire thing: Ash and Teagan falling for each other overnight. If you’re looking for an elaborated plot, I’m afraid this won’t be your thing.
The lack of plot didn’t bother me that much, because I (hate to say this) was too busy trying to get through the bunch of clichés that were thrown together in order to make this into a book.
Smart, insecure, but gorgeous MC who didn’t see how beautiful she was? Check.
Drop dead gorgeous BFF whose only purposes were to make the MC even more insecure about her appearance & listen to the MC complain about her life? Check.
Super sexy, older guy who fell for the MC right after they met? Check.
Bitchy cheerleader? Check.
Overconfident football player? Check.
Overprotective brother? Check.
Every little thing you could find in a YA-cliché-list was there, and it wasn’t done in a way that made it fresh. I just kept waiting for something different and exciting to happen, but I was disappointed.
My biggest problem with the story, though, was the MC. Aislinn was introduced as this insecure, inexperienced and naïve girl, but in reality she was simply incredibly immature. Every time something didn’t go her way, she’d throw one of what Teagan later named as an “Aislinn Fit”. She’d cry, she’d stop talking, she’d refuse to tell the other person what was going on until they had to plead over and over again. The number of times Teagan pleaded with her to let him in was unreal. I doubt an older guy would deal with a behavior like that from his younger girlfriend without getting pissed off. Somehow, Teagan managed to remain patient and calm while she acted like a stubborn child.
Aislinn often came across as selfish, too. She didn’t seem to care about her BFF, Tracey at all. The poor girl dealt with Aislinn’s drama for years until she had enough and told her to get her shit together before calling her back. Totally understandable. Instead of trying to do just that, Aislinn focused on her relationship with Teagan and completely ignored Tracey. Not until Teagan practically forced her to call her ex-BFF, did she make a move to reestablish their friendship. It conveniently happened when Aislinn needed someone to talk to again. And when this thing happened (spoilers) and Tracey learned about something that broke her heart, did Aislinn step up and tried to be there for her friend? Nope. Of course not. She was too busy with Teagan again.
I get that this was their love story, but taking every other aspect of the MC’s life away from her so she can focus solely on her new boyfriend wasn’t the right move.
Neither was having Teagan call her “babe”, “baby”, “sweetheart”, “honey” every freaking sentence.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked Teagan. He had a lot of potential to be even more interesting, but he was intriguing enough. My problem was definitely with Aislinn.
I also liked Zver, the huge and adorable dog. I wanted more of him. Zver, kmone and let’s be friends. *heart eyes*
Overall, this was an okay read, but it lack originally and relied too much on clichés to make it something memorable.
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