Series: Eagle Elite #1
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Published: April 2013
Format: Galley
Pages: 322
When I won the annual Eagle Elite College Scholarship lottery, I was thrilled. After all, my grandma had just died and I wanted to take care of my aging grandpa -- he couldn't be a farmer in Wyoming forever. And graduating from Eagle Elite meant opportunity.
But I wasn't counting on meeting Nixon.
Nor was I counting on the rules of the Elect.
1. Do not touch The Elect.
2. Do not look at The Elect.
3. Do not speak to The Elect.
And worst of all? Don't discover the secret they hide, because in the end, you may just realize... it's about you.
*This is a New Adult Book, blood, violence, cursing, sexual references, and drug use. Not recommended for those under 17.*
I picked Elite up on NetGalley eons ago, it's one of those books that got lost in the shuffle. I am so sorry that it did! I picked it up today on a whim, not reading the blurb and going in knowing nothing at all. As it turned out, I loved it and read the whole book today and as soon as I finish this post, I'm going to purchase book two.
This book has so many secrets!!! So many that for a while I thought the secret was that they were aliens or some secret paranormal group. Seriously - I didn't know where it was going, and I didn't want to go and read the blurb after I got into the book. Well, I was way off. Seeing as this book was published in 2013, I doubt anything I say would be considered a spoiler, but just in case I'll try to keep it a bit vague on what the secrets are .
I mean, the other guys were attractive, but Nixon was a step above the rest. He was chaotic perfection.
Trace (short for Tracey) is just entering college, Eagle Elite. At first, this felt more like prep school or private school, rather than college. However, it is absolutely New Adult and not Young Adult. Anyhow, she gets there and right away has a run in with Nixon, rich playboy extraordinaire. Where Trace is from a farm, Nixon is from the city. While Trace is naive, Nixon... well, he most definitely is not. The two of them have chemistry right away, and I loved it. Nixon was being absolutely horrible to Trace, though, and there were definitely moments where I thought the worst of him. He acts like he owns the place...apparently with good reason. Nixon rules, and the entire school... hell, the entire city, listens. It was definitely an odd situation.
Nixon has a twin sister, Monroe, and she is Trace's roommate, and she is the best. Seriously. This girl should win some awards for best girlfriend ever. She sticks up for Trace, she helps her fit in when she is very much out of place, and she is genuinely a caring and nice person. Nixon also has what I referred to as minions, at least until I got to know them. Tex, Phoenix, and Chase. They all have their good and bad moments, some more than others as the story goes on, but you will have to read that to find out.
So secrets come out and wow! They are certainly some big secrets. But it ends up putting Nixon and Trace together, and it is all things good. When they are together, I felt happy for them. They were good together. And when they are apart, well, it sucked. And the kisses they have, whew, they are definitely good!
He licked his lips. "I would have kissed you harder. I would have fought for you more. I don't know. I would have stolen you away, taken your virtue, made myself so permanently etched on your person that every time you took a breath it was my scent that was permeating the air."
I'm sure this will change in books to come, but I think it's important to note that while this is New Adult, it is not as sexual (at all!) as most NA books. But you know what, I didn't really miss it. I think the anticipation of the hot sex to come is as good for me as it is the characters. Being that this is my first book from Rachel Van Dyken, I'm impressed. This book caught me by surprise. I loved it though. Her writing brought me right in and kept me in attention throughout every page.
Buy It!
