Where I Belong by J. Daniels

Title: Where I Belong
Author: J. Daniels
Series: Alabama Summer #1
Published by: Audible Studios, Indie
Release Date: February 27, 2017
Format: Audiobook, Kindle Book
Narrator: Eric Michael Summerer, Stella Bloom
Pages: 227
Length: 6 hours and 58 minutes
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Erotic Romance
Potential Triggers: View Spoiler »parental death (cancer) « Hide Spoiler
Source: Audible
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2022 Audiobook Challenge, Lenoreo's 2022 Backlist Reader Challenge, Lenoreo's 2022 Bookish Resolutions DTTH, Lenoreo's 2022 COYER Summer
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Kobo ✩ IndieBound ✩ iTunes ✩ Book Depository
My rating:

Blurb:

A New York Times bestselling enemies to lovers STANDALONE
romance.

When Mia Corelli returns to Alabama for a summer of fun with her childhood best friend, Tessa, there's only one thing keeping her on edge. One person that she’d do anything to avoid.

Benjamin Kelly. World’s biggest dickhead.

Mia hates him with a fury and has no desire to ever see him again. When she decides to start her summer off with a bang and finally give away her v-card, she unknowingly hands it over to the one guy that excelled at making her life miserable, learning a valuable lesson in the process.

Always get the name of the guy you’re going home with.

Ben can’t get the girl he spent one night with out of his head. When she leaves him the next morning, he thinks he’ll never see her again. Until he sees her lounging by the pool with his sister.

Mia is determined to hate Ben, even though she can’t forget him.

Ben is determined to prove he’s not the same guy he used to be.

What happens when the one person you wish never existed becomes the one person you can’t imagine being without?

My Review:

2.5 stars — Well huh.  That was pretty underwhelming for me.  Like, it was okay, but I wasn’t compelled.  There were definitely strong points, but there were also a lot of things that didn’t work for me.

I both read and listened to this one.  I’ve listened to Mr. Summerer before, and in general I enjoyed him in this one as well.  I thought I would enjoy him more, but I think it’s harder to enjoy a narrator when you’re only meh on the writing.  I believe this is my first book by Ms. Bloom, and in general I enjoyed her as well.  She had good voices, emotions, pacing…I enjoyed her subtle southern accent.  I would definitely try her on a different book in the future!

This one felt very much like the “craze” of New Adult that it was created in — where it feels like a genre instead of just the age group that I usually use it as.  I find that those that wrote specifically towards this “genre” go overboard with the steamy scenes, and that was definitely present here.  The first scenes were actually pretty fantastic, especially since they happen so quickly in the book.  That can sometimes be a turn off for me, but I genuinely felt their chemistry and attraction, and so it worked for me.  But once they got going again…well let’s just say I wasn’t as invested.  And occasionally it felt…inappropriate given the circumstances?  I don’t know.  That’s probably my demi-ace side talking, so that’s a me thing.  Just something I didn’t connect with.

In general I enjoyed Mia.  She was pretty sweet and caring.  I felt for her past, and could definitely understand her emotional scars.  I got a bit frustrated with her though, and I’m not even sure why…it felt like she was being more petty than acting from hurt.  I’m not sure, something just missed there.

Ben was okay.  He could be sexy with his control and forthrightness.  I appreciated the side I saw come out with Nolan, and how he pursued Mia.  I found it a bit hard to understand how he could have been the prick from his younger years, but then I’d see the way he was with Angie and I realized it was still there.

I found it weird the things that got thrown at us as readers as the story went on (Nolan, job)…I didn’t quite understand that.  Like why keep them a secret?  Maybe that style just isn’t for me.

There was this element of meanness that I would notice occasionally…that’s probably not the right word, but I don’t know how to describe it.  Like, I was kind of bummed that this was the kind of Ugly Duckling story where she transformed *physically* in order to finally be lovable (lost weight, became fit, got contacts, etc).  I’m a bigger fan of stories where folks discover they were attractive all along, without having to fit the societal norm.  So I was off on the wrong foot pretty early on.  Then there would be strange passing comments (the weird old cat lady one got me for some reason).  And then there was Angie…I’m done with black and white villains.  Especially when, frankly, the way Ben talked to her and treated her…while maybe justified in the sense he was at the end of his rope, I still was NOT a fan.

Anyways…needless to say, this one wasn’t a match.  I’ll be letting go of the rest of this series, but I will still go back to the Dirty Deeds series since I enjoyed that book 1.

COYER Community: I buddy read this book with Brandee, and she gave it 3 stars (her review).  I’m glad she enjoyed it enough that we might check out the Dirty Deeds one together!