What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

LOVED this book! It’s going on the re-read list for sure!

Allie leaves for college in an attempt to escape her family life. With the dorms all being taken, she needs to find an apartment ASAP which leads her to becoming Kaden’s roommate. Kaden isn’t exactly the nicest guy on the block but as the story evolves, you learn more about him and eventually their attraction wins over.

This book is great for fans of Beautiful Disaster! While a different story, this college romance provided the same type of angst and feels!

A sizzling new adult novel that got sparks flying between the MCs pretty much from the first page. I kindly received a copy from the publishers after the cover caught my eye on twitter. I wasn't expecting anything unique, just a familiar plot of love-in-denial and dramatic spins. It mostly delivered and made a nice transitional read between more serious texts. If you are experiencing an endless winter season, it is an ideal book to crawl away with and escape under the sheets.

I think there is something seductive about new experiences in plot, following a character who moves to a new town and meets new people. Allie runs away from her domineering parents to start college and begin a new life. The only available apartment left, however, is owned by the most intolerable, arrogant and insensitive (but of course incredibly attractive) guy. Determined to suck it up, she agrees to move in with Kaden and grudgingly accepts his outrageous 'rules', one being never to talk about her 'girl problems'.  But of course, with each day the beast reveals snippets of his vulnerability and painful memories. Just as they begin to connect, their past lives seep back in causing mayhem and destruction.

There is some clumsy narration where the story lacks subtlety, and certain scenes were a little crass for me, which is the case for many contemporary NA, especially college based ones. The characters are not the most memorable, but the pacing and build-up of heat between them is well done. Their friends add a comedic touch to the story. A tiny bit of lag during the bonding moments, but this picks up towards the second half of the book. Simple, direct and satisfying.

a review i saw that perfectly described my feelings about the book :``

"I loved reading Begin Again. More than just the romance, seeing Allie come into her own and become a strong, independent woman after a lifetime with her parents made for a pleasant, hopeful read. Watching Allie experience new things and make friends, seeing her try to hide her growing feelings for Kaden, I thought overall the story was well written and plotted." - Taylor Fenner

Mona Kasten has characterization down to a science. Her characters really run the show and make the story so fun to read about.

This was a very emotional read that kept me engaged the entire way through. There were surprises along the way that definitely shocked me. Anything but predictable.

Great pacing and a well written storyline. I look forward to reading more from Harrell in the future.

So sorry but this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. II started several times but could not finish it. Thank you for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Desperate to find a place to live before school starts, Allie agrees to a rules that arrogant roommate Kaden has setup. She initially finds him to be a bit obnoxious, but tries to ignore it because she really needs a place to stay. Slowly, but surely, Kaden starts to soften towards her, but does his damnedest to deny it to himself. They eventually start hanging out a little bit, and Kaden starts to get a little protective of her. Through getting to know each other, they each have their hang-ups, but manage to confide in each other which only brings them closer to one another.

This is a great love story that builds slowly as you watch these to two fall in love with each other, even though they didn't expect it themselves.

I thought this was a great read. It is a roommate romance between Allie and Kaden. It took me a few chapters to really start hitting me in the feels, but once it took off I kept flipping the pages way into the night. I fully recommend this book, a perfect afternoon read!

Begin Again is the story of Allie and Kaden.

Allie left her overbearing home and family to forge a new life for herself. Going off to college is her escape, but she’s having a small problem finding somewhere to live. When roommate after roommate fall through she’s about to give up and live in her car when she sees another offer. Quickly grabbing her possible last chance Allie hurries over trying to claim the room. The apartment is perfect and clean and everything Allie could ever want. Only problem? Her roommate’s a douche of the highest order. Kaden’s decides to let her stay if she obeys his rules: Don't talk about your girl problems. Keep your mouth shut if I bring someone home. We will NEVER hook up. Seems simple, until Kaden starts being nice. As Allie and Kaden begin to become friends Allie starts seeing someone else behind the hardened exterior Kaden puts off.

Ah I so enjoyed Begin Again. I loved Allie’s character. She was so relatable and inspiring I just couldn’t not adore her. She didn’t let Kaden push her around and her just did what she wanted. When life pushed her down she would get right back up and worked until she got what she wanted. Life wasn’t easy for her, but she worked her butt off to make the best of what she had.

Kaden was a complete douche for a bit, but not so much one that I hated him. He would go out of his way to do nice things for Allie and then complain about it. It was a little funny. I loved the two of them together. Kaden supported Allie and helped keep her strong. Allie pushed Kaden to not be a douche. I liked knowing where Kaden was coming from. He struggled a lot throughout this story and dealt with a lot of guilt, but in the end it made him better.

I really enjoyed this story and I can’t wait to read the next one.

Rating: 4-4.5 stars

4.5 "Not broken, just bent" Stars!

'Begin Again' is a story about finding your voice. Learning how to trust in people even though it means being vulnerable. It's about having strength. And most importantly it's about believing in yourself.

Allie needs change. A change in scenery. A change in how she lives her life. Change. She's tired of being under the scrutiny of her mother. She's tired. Tired of having to fit a mold she wants noting to do with. So, she makes it happen. Moving as far as possible from the life she knew and the parents who don't care or support her. Allie tries her best and acclimates to her new surroundings. Needing a place to live, she responds to an ad that is seeking a roommate. When she arrives to look at the apartment there are some misunderstandings. Without even knowing that that is the least of her worries. What she doesn't know is that she's in for quite a ride with her new brooding hothead of a roommate, and a set of rules that come along with living with him.

Kaden is more than meets the eye. His tough guy persona isn't everything. He has a rough time letting people in because of an incident that happened in the past. He doesn't like getting close or having people get close to him because it just leads to disappointment. But maybe he just needs the right person to see behind his mask. Kaden doesn't make the ideal first impression when Allie comes along. But he doesn't care because he's not looking to make friends and he makes that very clear. As long as Allie follows the rules he has set all will be good. But what happens when rules are made to be broken? What happens when two people who've built walls start crumbling down? What happens when you just need one person to believe in you?

All-in-all I enjoyed this book. Easy, low drama, with mild to little angst. I adored the secondary characters. I loved the friendship between Allie and Dawn. No matter what, Dawn was always there when Allie needed her and vice versa. For my first Mona Kasten book I say it was a winner.

This one just didn't work for me. I didn't find myself connecting with the story.

Thank you for the chance to read it early.

Allie starting over in a new town in Woodshill, Oregon . All she needs an apartment, after going through so many places she was running out of options. It was her last place to check out. She didn’t care as long as she can move in.
But her roommate is from hell. He 3 strict rules. No talking about girl stuff with him, to any girls he brings home, never ever hookup.
Allie didn’t mind all the rules as long she could move in and start her new life.
Kaden is grumpy and he knows it. But he loves to push Allie around. When she was feeling down, he knew how to rile her up and lift her mood. Even though there were three rules, they were spending more time together and learning about each other.
Allie was controlled by her mother and this was so different from her previous life. All she wanted freedom from her parents and live a life she wanted. Now she is finally living the way she wanted. But when Allie is falling apart when her mother shows up, Kaden was there to help her deal with it. Both were so perfect for each other but Allie and Kaden has some past history they were hiding from each other.
They were there for each other but when his brother visits everything changes. will their relationship survive...

It was great read about friendship, love, starting over. I can’t wait to read about her best friend and his best friend. This will be great series.
thanks to Netgalley and Bastine for my ARC in exchange for honest review.

I was given the opportunity to read an electronic copy of Begin Again via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Allie Harper packs up her life and moves halfway across the country for college. Desperate to leave the past behind, Allie arrives in town without having secured housing for the upcoming semester. Is choosing to live with a fellow student with a bad reputation on campus the best way to start in a new place? Will Allie and Kaden break his list of rules and become real assets to each other or will their arrangement be a colossal mistake?

Begin Again is a NA romance, but it does tackle some difficult subjects. Allie's need to assert some control over her own life by beginning anew is something that many parents wish for their college students leaving home for the first time. The author twists this idea on its head with regards to Allie's background and her reasons for desiring a fresh start, giving a place for the plot to go forward. I have more of an problem with this book because of Kaden and his issues, although they are legitimate ones. With a good mom as clued into his problems as she is, there is no way that she would not have gotten Kaden some professional help. The way he treats Allie is wrong and the author does not send enough of a message regarding this. Begin Again is a quick read and those who like NA romance may like the characters and the college setting.

Everyone has gone on and on about this book and now I know why....It's pretty darn good!! I can't say I'm obsessed with it as one reviewer said but I'm into it - like I need more...right now. It started out good, got better and then the author knocked it out of the park. It kept my attention and kept me interested for the entire book.

I was enjoying this at first. The hero is a huge jerk, which is typically my thing. I thought it had some Thoughtless vibes, what with Kaden and Allie dodging the push and pull between them in the close quarters of their apartment when they find themselves roommates. But then a whole lot of over the top unnecessary drama started happening, the dialogue felt a bit unrealistic, and it just lost me. I skimmed a lot of the last 25%. It was just meh. Easily forgettable, very cliche. I just didn't love it.

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley. This book had me from the very beginning. I love that it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I would highly recommend this book to my fellow readers. Thank you for the chance to review this book!!!!

3.5 Stars

Begin Again is a story than New Adult readers will connect with, finding strength in Allie's desperation to strike out on her own and succeed without the help of her parents. She's left behind pain, she's left behind fear, and she's left behind the girl she used to be. This version of Allie has short hair, eats what she wants, makes friends with who she wants, and...lives with a boy. Not just any boy, either, but the boy on the top of nearly every girl's "I Want" list. Kaden is tattooed, attractive, and neat, he's the sort of roommate anyone would want, except for the odd rules he makes for Allie.
1. Don't talk about your girl problems.
2. Keep your mouth shut if I bring someone home.
3. We will NEVER hook up.
They form a strong bond as roommates, later as friends, and eventually as something more. They lean on one another for comfort, deny the attraction they are feeling, and find meaning in their lives together. These rules were made to be broken.

I enjoyed Begin Again, the heart of the story is one that anyone can connect with, that feeling of wanting to be yourself and wanting to figure it out on your own. Allie is a sweet girl who, despite all her life experiences, is still a bit naive. She's so desperate to be on her own though that she makes it work and her effort is believable. Kaden, of course, is the bad boy we all love and yet want to fix. There's a reason behind his jerk-ish attitude and mood-swing like personality. What starts as a attraction turns into the two getting to know each other, working through the good days and the bad days, and ultimately revealing their true selves. Begin Again takes place at a beautiful, wooded campus, there's the usual college parties, and of course, there's lots of friend interactions. I really liked the secondary characters more than I even liked Kaden and Allie, I could see how Mona Kasten could create a series with them.

Kaden and Allie make a cute couple, but they're almost too driven by their lust. As readers we are told their friendship has blossomed, but the interactions we see, at least until later in the book, are surface level interactions. Allie, who at first seems very courageous, turns out to have incredibly bad habits and thrives off drama in a way I didn't expect. The partying, the way she spends money, and the lack of character development over the course of the novel is ultimately what turned me off of Begin Again. I wanted to see Allie become her own and instead she reverts back into dangerous ways and then suddenly things are fixed. So much more could have been done with this.

Begin Again is a traditional New Adult novel that will appeal to NA fans and NA aged readers. It's sweet, relatable, and a fairly easy read. I didn't find many issues with the German to English translation, but there could be some. If you're looking for a standalone series featuring college aged characters and romance, Begin Again just might be right for you.

This book was alright it definitely was a young adult vibe. I did enjoy it, but I thought the end was a little rushed. I would of definitely liked some look into their future to see what has become of them

Begin Again is set in Oregon with a focus on freedom from foraging your own path- even if it means defying the roles your parents create for you. In Begin Again, Kasten writes so authentically and with vivid details, that you would never know she's from Germany and hasn't visited USA let alone Oregon.

In this novel, Allie or should I say Crystal, finds herself with a grumpy roommate, a list of rules to follow, and a frustrating past. Yet she has never felt so free in her life. Her egotistical roommate, Kaden is getting harder to resist. Her freshman year turns into an eventful year, that no one could have imagined.

A great romantic novel, similar to the great romantic comedies of the early 2000's.

I loved this book! It was a great story of healing, freedom, and independence. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series, maybe a Spencer and Dawn book?