Begin Again by Mona Kasten was an enjoyable read. It is Allie and Kaden’s story of meeting as roommates and having love develop even though they may not want to admit it.

Allie is trying to “begin again” by moving far away from her parents and their demands and starting college. She just wants to make her life what she wants.

Kaden is trying to “begin again” by putting on a tough act to avoid being hurt by anyone in his life. He acts like a jerk and avoids relationships due to a painful relationship breakup in his past.

These two can and will “begin again” in this not typical romance between two college students.
Good story that I recommend reading!

This book was just what I needed when I picked it up. I was in the mood for a college romance with an alpha male and this book delivered.

Allie is ready to begin her college life away from her family and is in need of a place to live. All the apartments and dorms are full so she is in desperate need to find some place to stay.

Kaden and Allie become roommates and things are off to a rocky start. Kaden is a major jerk and it took a while for him to redeem himself for me. The characters in the book I really liked and the friendships they had.

If you are looking for a college romance then look no further. There was the right amount of drama and romance to completely captivate you. This was a one sitting read for me that I really enjoyed.

Honestly, I can't believe that I fall in love with the lead interest. Up until now, I haven't moved on with Kaden.

Begin Again is so far my favorite New Romance novel for 2017! Thank you, Mona Kasten for allowing it to be translated into English!

Allie and Kaden have different personalities and yet, they both needed each other.

I salute Allie for seeking the freedom that she wants and somehow she achieves it. Her Mom seriously is crazy and very selfish. Kaden, on the other hand, has this huge baggage in his conscience but he wasn't able to stop himself from falling in love with Allie.

I enjoy the hiking, the tattoos and their wonderful meaning and of course the heart thumping moments of these two!

I did not care for this read. It was a translated version and things seemed to have been lost in translation. but even with a good translation, I do not know if I would like any better. The idea of the story was there but it just did not have the backing.

This story seemed like it would be right up my alley. I enjoy a good loveable jerk as much as the next reader, but it was Allie's character I truly connected with. While I certainly enjoyed the romance, her personal journey was my favorite part of the book.

After being under her parents (really her mother) scrutiny all her life, and having her life charted out before her as to how they expected Allie to proceed along life’s path, Allie said “NO MORE”! Packing her bags she’s about to start over in Woodshill, Oregon going to a small college and making her own career choices! However, the hard part is now beginning – find a place to live before school starts and convince one very chauvinistic bad boy Kaden – sexy with his tattoos and careless attitude – that she would be the perfect room mate in his rental unit.

The rules:
1. Don't talk about your girl problems.
2. Keep your mouth shut if I bring someone home.
3. We will NEVER hook up.

*** Interesting read - definitely! Both protagonists have deep and profoundly dark pasts they’d both like to forget and neither is ready to share them. And of course they do “hook up” and even though they are great together, Kaden feels guilt for being happy and content; and Allie feels guilt over disappointing her parents yet knowing her mother betrayed her in the worse possible way.

The light moments were great and it even got emotional at times. It was easy to like Allie - not so much for Kaden. For two broken souls would it be possible to be honest about their feelings and secrets so they might find happiness and forgiveness together?


Marilyn Rondeau

Thank you for allowing me to read this book for review. At this time I am not writing a review for it as I had a hard time staying connected to the characters and the storyline. I am more than happy to share the book and promote it on my blog though as I know that just because I didn't love it doesn't mean others won't.

I enjoyed this novel. The story was good and I was involved from beginning to end. Glad to see that it has been translated from the German, never read something translated from another language before. Thank you netGalley I will spread the word .

I instantly fell in love with this book. the characters felt fresh, the storyline was interesting, and there was the perfect amount of angst. I grabbed the book based on a blurb and thank my lucky stars.

Allie strove to start her life over away from her parents and their rules and slavery to public perception. What I appreciated most about her and her situation is how she showed fortitude and perseverance. She is a fighter with gumption - despite all she has experienced.

It's this spirit that helped break through the shell Kaden created, it certainly helped heal him. Without giving away too much, I think I can say with certainty that I too am not broken, just bent. This book is a beautiful reminder that we're all a little weird., and that's okay.

I certainly hope more people stumble across this book. What a great read!

3.5 STARS

I am a sucker for the roommate trope and couldn't resist this one. It was somewhat predictable but entertaining nonetheless. Kaden is the typical badboy with a good heart, and while I disliked him initially, he did grow on me. It was a cute, light-hearted read but nothing overly rememberable or unique. If the subsequent books are translated into English, I would likely give them a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bastei Entertainment for my advanced review copy.

I was pleasantly surprised but this story! So impressed, I can't wait to read more!

This is the first book I have read by Mona and I really enjoyed Kaden and Allie story.These two are college roommates shes enjoying being away from her family for the first time in her life I really like her, Kaden had his moments and I did like him but he was mean at times to Allie one minute he was fine with her the next he was horrible I understand he had some issues but she deserved better overall a good read I look forward to trying more

Allie leaves the Midwest to get away from a dysfunctional family life. She's having a hard time finding a place to live now that she has decided to go to college and become a teacher (against her parent's wishes). Kaden is a college student tortured by mistakes of his past. He doesn't want to trust again and he definitely doesn't want a female roommate. Somehow, when he meets Allie, he seems to forget about all the rules he had imposed for himself and for his new roommate.

I will be the first one to tell you, I am usually not a fan of new adult romances. I am far enough removed from that age group to find those books annoying. However, Ms. Kasten has changed my mind. I love Allie and Kaden's story! It has an entrancing story without all the tired tropes that tend to come with this genre. I also love the fact that the cast of characters is well developed. Bravo, Ms. Kasten! I want to read more!

4.5 stars This is a contemporary college romance. Kaden needs a roommate never expecting the person to be a female. Allie is desperate she wants to rent the bedroom from Kaden. She needs to make it work. Both individuals come with plenty of baggage from their pasts but have no intention in acting on their sudden feelings. Unfortunately, the last has a way of pushing into the present and effecting everyone. The author did a great job developing the characters so they're realistic and the story draws you in and to keep reading. I received a complementary copy of this book via NetGalley and chose to write a review. I look forward to reading future books by this author.

I really enjoyed this one! Kaden was an absolutely jerk, but with that tender good guy deep down, that Allie brought out in him. Oh, don't get me wrong - he absolutely shut down and reverted to assholedness (yep, it's a word!!!!) when things got too scary for him, but he was totally redeemable, and good at realizing when he had his head up his ass!

Good romance, a bit of angst, lots of humor, and if you love asshats, this one is for you!!!

This was a new author for me and unfortunately this story just didn't grab me

This book was incredible! I honestly thought that Kaden was a pompous ass, but I'm sure I am not the only one. I was not so sure about Allie as a character because she seemed all over the place, but I think that's what the author was going for. Overall, the story was fantastic and I want to see what happens between the secondary characters. Sequels please!!

Begin Again was a quick read and I enjoyed it. While there were times I was really excited about the direction it was going (both characters finding their way through difficult pasts), my excitement tapered off a bit near the end. While it finished well, it felt a bit predictable at times.

The translation from German to English was pretty good. There were times the translation was a bit off for me, but it was still successful overall.

If the remainder of the series is translated to English, I will likely read more of the series as this author has promise!

3 1/2 stars.

Note: I received a review copy of this title courtesy of the publisher, via NetGalley.

This was a cute romance between two college students, Kaden and Allie. Allie is running away from her family and something bad that happened to her. She is starting a new life in college. She needs an apartment and is having no luck finding a suitable roommate, until her last appointment. She feels right at home here, but the male roommate, Kaden at first tells her "no." But with some persuasion, Allie gets the room, but with rules from Kaden she must follow. She totally agrees because she is focusing on her future and nothing else. Of course the rules don't last long. The slowly building relationship between Allie and Kaden is great to watch. On the surface, Kaden is a very hard person, but we learn that he has a past he's running from, too. Allie is witnessing first hand Kaden's hidden sweetness. By the end of the book I totally fell for Kaden. And the secondary characters, Dawn and Spencer in particular, are great. They bring a level of humor to the story. This was a good story that had secrets revealed at the perfect times in the book.

This is a new author for me, and I really enjoyed Kaden and Allie's story. Book is about two "just bent" young adults who come from different parts of the country and end up in Woodshill, Oregon, an small town where they are both in college. Both have issues that keep them from a normal relationship, and end up being roommates. The overall story was pretty good, emotional when things started coming out regarding their challenges, but definitely long in parts of the journey. I didn't care for the number of times they went back and forth with regard to their new found relationship, but the chemistry between the two was pretty interesting. Would love to read Spencer and Dawn's story if there is one, would definitely read other books from this author.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.