I think part of my issue was that this book was translated from German to English, and so it felt off to me. There were some odd turns of phrase, and the writing seemed choppy, as well as dialogue being stilted. Beyond that I had some continuity issues, like exams less than a month into school, or meeting someone because they got to a lecture early and then the next week preparing for the first class. The characters were very flat and one dimensional and there was a lot of telling instead of showing. I enjoy NA, but this felt juvenile to me.

~I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review~


I have mixed feelings on this book. On one hand its a love story about two somewhat messed up people who find comfort in each other and learn to begin life again. On the other hand, it read like an abusive relationship and the more it went on the more I disliked Kaden and really thought Allie could do better.

I am a sucker for romance, new adult books and I do like the bad boy from time to time but there is a difference between a bad boy and an asshole. Allie and Kaden did have a lot of chemistry but his house rules were ridiculous and not to mention he was outrageously immature.

Allie is desperate for a place to rent near school and stops at Kaden's house to interview for a room. Kaden thought Allie was male because she used her initials as her signature and is not happy to see a female instead. He tells her she can have the room but has to abide by 3 rules. He doesn't want to hear her girlie problems, she must keep her mouth shut if he brings someone home and they will NEVER hook up. She thinks he is an jerk so decides to take the room believing she can follow the rules. Obviously things don't go as planned.

Everything was Kaden's way or the highway. IF he told her to do something she just blindly went along. He makes rules that she can't talk about her problems but then when he asks her to and she doesn't want to, he says things like 'When I ask, I expect to be told". He also disrespects her but as time goes on they seem to get along better and they do develop a friendship. They have so much sexual tension between them that it threatens their friendship. They give into their feelings at one point BUT he makes them stop because he doesn't want to rush things. UGH just give me the steamy sex scene already. This author makes you wait!!

But my issue with this book without spoiling anything.... is the fight that pulls these two apart. All these novels have a formula. Meet, fall for each other, have steamy sex, then something happens that pulls the two apart but they always find their way back to each other hence the HEA. However the thing that destroys the relationship cannot be horrendous. It cannot be something terrible or else the reader doesn't want the couple to get back together. And what pulls these two apart is something that I could never forgive someone for especially when he knows her story by now and knows why she is there. So for me it ruined the whole story just when Kaden was kind of growing on me. It doesn't matter the reasoning he had behind it, it was a jacked up thing to do and even though she tries to move on from it, the way he goes about trying to get her back is immature. Of course she forgives him because that's the formula but at this point I was really disappointed she didn't make him work harder for it. Her friends try to talk some sense into her and say exactly what I was thinking 'Just because he is buying you things everyday doesn't mean he should just be forgiven' because that is exactly what an abusive relationship is like. I'll treat you like crap and make you cry but then I'll buy you a bunch of romantic stuff and you'll forgive me. He disrespects her decisions but she realizes he must be doing it because he loves her.

So like I said, I am on the fence. IF I was still in my late teens and early 20s reading this book, I'd probably have not seen anything wrong with the love story between these two. I would have loved the bad boy turned good story. But I had a relationship quite like this in my 20s and even though a person can change and grow, a leopard can't change its spots. Giving someone another chance who could do something like this to you, isn't going to work out well for you in the long run.

And I also thought she should have gotten the 'feather'....

Begin Again by Mona Kasten is a perfect introduction for what I say was my first true, “New Adult” novel. As a 26-year-old female, reading about characters that are always in their teens can make it hard for me to relate sometimes. I had no problem relating to the characters of Begin Again, even the minor ones. The main theme that stood out for me was the desire to feel free. This issue was introduced early in the book, and truly helped the plot move forward by building off this yearning. Reading about characters that are searching for the same wants and desires as myself, has helped to validate my own needs.

One subject of the book I want to approach is the use of abusive relationships. I was nervous to read the “New Adult” genre after hearing that abusive relationships played a role in many of them. This book is different. The author uses it as a tool to help our characters, Allie and Kaden, understand each other. The abuse and subsequent repercussions are ghosts of their past that brings the plot forward for the story. The author took care to ensure the novel didn’t condone abusive types of relationships, which was great to read.

Overall, this novel was everything I could have wanted in a New Adult – Contemporary. The novel had drama, romance, and friendship. If you are looking for that curl up on the sofa, with a cup of tea, on a rainy day read then this one is for you. I will be waiting impatiently for the sequel novels to be translated.

3.5 Stars

I read this book in one sitting. It draws you right in at the beginning when Allie and Kaden meet. Things don't start off so well and their banter was pretty funny. I hardly ever come across a good 'A-Hole I love to hate' kind of book that pulls it off as well as this author did with Kaden. This dude was a piece of work and I didn't love him by the end. I did really like him though.

But lets get to what I really did enjoy about this book. The friendships. Dawn was your ride or die kind of best friend and she took that role seriously. I absolutely adored her and Allie's friendship and would love to see her get her own book with a certain someone from this book as well. Speaking of Spencer, (LOL) he was as much of a ride or die friend to Kaden as Dawn was for Allie. The guy literally put himself in some tense situations to get his point across to Kaden. Ethan, Monica, and Scott were great characters as well.

There was plenty family drama to go around. I won't get into it much, but Allie's parents are some awful people. Especially her mother. She disgusted me and made me feel horrible for Allie when the things she put her through slowly unfolded. She's more of a monster than a mother. Kaden had his own family drama with just as disgusting outcomes. They both had some healing to do.

I think my biggest problem with the book was how much a douche Kaden was. He had his moments but the negative outweighed the positive for me. It wasn't balanced. So that is why Kaden never fully grew into love.

I definitely recommend this one for those who enjoy a good college romance with some family drama. It was funny, had interesting characters, and was totally captivating. Had to be to keep me up all night. LOL

Happy reading dolls! xx

It was an okay read for me.. nothing amusing and predictable at times

4 Stars! Begin Again is a standalone novel by Mona Kasten in her Again series.

Meet the Heroine & Hero:
Allie Harper is starting college in Oregon, she needs this fresh start far away from her family & personal demons.

Kaden White is a current student who is trying to cope with his own demons & choices he made in the past.


The Story:
Allie is not able to get into the dorms so she is desperate to find a place to live before classes start. She can't afford an apartment on her own & has been searching for a room to rent, too bad all her potential roomies are CRAZY and the apartments are complete dumps! The last place she has to look at is where she meets Kaden, as it's his apartment. She walks in & thinks that finally she has found a place with potential, but one look at Allie & Kaden is not having it, he refuses to live with a female. At this point, Allie has a mini breakdown & let's Kaden have it. Since his only other prospect e-mails him that he's not coming, Kaden decides to give it a try, but sets down some ground rules. He doesn't want to hear about any of her girl problems, she needs to keep her mouth shut about any girls he may have over & under no circumstances will they ever hook up. Allie thinks Kaden needs to get over himself, but agrees to the terms since she is desperate & this apartment is actually pretty decent.

Man o man is Kaden a JERK from the very first moment! And he doesn't get any better once Allie is moved in. Allie's new best friend, Dawn, whom she met during her classes takes her shopping for her new place & helps get everything set up. Kaden's friend Sawyer comes over & can't believe how rude Kaden is being, so he offers their assistance in helping. Things aren't really looking up for Allie & Kaden until one night Kaden is having a party & Allie defends one of his good friends who is being treated badly by another guest. This seems to be the turning point of their relationship.

Kaden & Allie start to hang out as friends & start to learn about each other while having a good time with each other. All of their friends get along great & our two main characters slowly start to get closer. The more Allie gets to know Kaden, she is able to start seeing past the a-hole facade that he puts up & starts falling for him. Kaden is also starting to fall hard for Allie. As they get to know each other more, their relationship is actually very sweet & fun. That is until both of their dark pasts come back to haunt them & threaten to destroy what little bit of shaky ground they have been able to build together.


The Verdict:
I really did enjoy this book. Let me tell you, it takes you on an emotional roller coaster for sure! I was spitting mad at what a jerk Kaden was being one moment, laughing at some shenanigans the next, sighing over the sweetness of their new relationship & then crying into a pile of tissues while they both struggled with their dark pasts. This book really makes you feel a wide range of emotions, in a good way. Allie & Kaden are exactly what the other needed in order to be able to put their demons to rest. Their love story had a good pace, it was not an insta-love situation, that made it feel very believable & real as they went from friends to lovers. What Kaden did to her when his past came back to haunt him just broke my heart, I was so upset for Allie & so mad at Kaden. I do give him big points though for realizing what he did & all that he does to win her back & show her that he really does love her & wants to fix his mistakes. This is the first book I have read by Mona Kasten & I am such a huge fan now. I am really hoping the rest of this series gets translated to English, I want to read their friends' stories, they were awesome secondary characters who I fell in love with as well!! I would definitely recommend this book to others.

*ARC provided via NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Well here's my honesty.
I was very excited to get a copy of this book from NetGalley as I have several friends who read this book and loved it. I wish I could say the same. Begin Again was originally written in German and translated into English, so I"m not sure if that is where some of the problems lie with the grammar and overall flow of the story. The premise was good, but for me, the story dragged and the writing was choppy and somewhat formulaic. I had to push myself to finish the book and I found myself skimming more and more towards the end and was even able to put it down for large chunks of time. I didn't feel connected to the main characters Kaden and Allie and the overall story did not give me the "feels" which I've come to associate with a well-written story that keeps me captivated from beginning to end.

I read this book in German a few months ago.
I wanted to review this book so badly and then I saw, that it got translated in english recently. I
(If this ain't the world telling me to request it on NetGalley - I don't know either.. )
And just had to tell you guys how amazing this book is. Really - when I read this book, I was at the edge of self-destruction. I just couldn't anymore. I was constantly crying and I think a day before I started to read this book, I even went to the book store and bough about 18 book, just to feel better. I mean who buys 18 book on one day?!

Then I started to read this book and I just couldn't lay it down. I read until it was four in the morning - had only 3 hours of sleep, but that was totally worth it.
This book was like the shining armor in my darkest hours. I know how chliché this must sound to you, but only because of this book I recovered. This book literally saved me!

Okay, well - This book is about Kaden and Allie. She really needs a place to stay at, because she left her old life behind her and is trying to start a new one. So yes, as said - she needs a place to stay, because there are no available rooms in the dorms.
And of course, is the notorious Playboy aka Kaden W. looking for a roommate, exactly then, when Allie needs one. But there is only one thing: he does not want a girl as his roommate. And Allie is a girl, but as for the reason that he really needs the money, he agrees to give the room to Allie under 3 conditions/rules.
And as we like to say it: Rules are meant to be broken. And thats how their love-story starts. ;)

After reading this book - I knew, that I will end up being single and will be having 20+ cats in the future. Because no man can outdo Kaden. He was literally asdfghjkl! Especially how Kaden behaved, when he was jealous. Oh my freaking banana! *drool*
I read this book in March or something like that - and I'm still swooning.

I normally do not like to read books from german authors. I avoid them like the pest - but this one... I was blown away. From now on - I will not hesitate, to buy and read Mona Kasten's books. She rocked my world within a few hours. A freaking german author. haha!

SO please do yourself a favour... AND READ THIS PIECE OF PERFECTION!

I received this arc via Netgalley for an honest review, and I'm all about the honesty!

I struggled with this one a bit The the book was written in German and translated to English and I think the dimension of the characters kinda got lost in the translation. I found them all to be flat and one dimensional. Even Kaden, who was supposed to be a total jerk couldn't pull it off.

The story was full of NA clichés and drama, which is what I expect in a NA book and was happy to read that. Again, this wasn't executed very well and also fell flat. I didn't get the fantastic friendship Allie and Dawn had seeing as they only knew each other for 5 minutes. I struggled with how they spoke, again this may have something to do with the translation.

Sadly this one didn't really work for me.

This book had me from beginning to end. It was an easy and fast read, flowing so effortlessly that I read it in one sitting which says alot about how engrossed I was by it.
Their back and forth through the pages was authentic and sweet, throughly engaging especially when both MC's are dealing with unresolved and troubling issues from their pasts. The writer made everything feel real and genuine that I couldn't help but care for all the characters, and I really loved the ending.

Wow, oh wow, this is the first book I have read from this Author and it was fantastic. I can't recommend it enough. The day I started I could barely put it down carrying the damn kindle around with me. The writing is very good and has a fast paced plot. It's the the good girl meets the bad slightly broken unwilling to commit bad boy, tattoos and all. As a new freshman in Oregon Allie has just moved to get away from her parents and needs an apartment to share when she meets bad boy Kaden with who she has to share the apartment with. I really enjoyed this book from the first page until the last.

Allie and Kaden are looking for a new start or at least an escape from their old, troubled life. Allie is a chirpy, freedom-loving girl and has come down to Woodshill to set up her new life, far away from her family. Kaden is the ruggedly handsome guy with tattoos, each connected to a certain memory in the past. And what connects them is the presence of certain memories in each of their lives that once broke them, beyond repair.

Allie and Kaden end up becoming roommates and Kaden sets up certain 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.

Each one is happy in their lives. Allie ends up befriending Kaden's friends and they all hang out together. Allie and Kaden start getting comfortable with each other as friends. And then the sparks start to fly. The attraction, the sexual tension increases as both of them start to take care of each other. Allie finds emotional stability in Kaden's arms and she finally tells him all about her past

Do they break the rules? Well, maybe a little. Things start going south when Kaden's brother shows up and threatens Kaden that he would reveal the secrets of his past to Allie- secrets that Kaden is ashamed of.

The chemistry between Kaden and Allie is great and I thought I would hate Kaden after reading the blurb but I ended up liking his character. He's sweet and caring and a little 'bent'. He's supportive and understanding. Allie has her own emotional baggage too just like Kaden. It's a face paced, mushy romantic tale. A bit cliche too sometimes. But their characters are so strong that it's worth the read. I never really got bored because their love story was so eventful. The lovemaking scenes were a little repetitive according to me but their time of occurrence was so well placed. Another thing I hated about this book is Kaden's mood swings. He kept justifying all his stupid behaviors by saying that he had a bad past. It was illogical at times. Or maybe, I just expected a darker, scandalous secret than what was mentioned in the story.

Begin Again is a treat for the Romance genre lovers. It has some great characters, a good plot and a lot of love.

I received an ecopy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hallelujah, there's a soundtrack!!! You know how excited I get when authors include their musical inspiration, it just heightens the whole experience for me.

Begin Again was originally written in German and translated into English, so I am not sure if that is why there is some little hiccups with grammar/punctuation and overall flow. And there were a couple of little plot points/holes that were never fully explained that left me kind of scratching my head at the end of the book.

However, for the most part, it was an easy, enjoyable read. The characters were fleshed out and relatable, the storyline of antagonists to friends to lovers was a feel good type of read for me... I am a sucker for a jerk-faced bully. And while I don't think Kaden quite meets the criteria for being a bully, he does have his jerk moments, haha! I enjoyed the side characters as well, and would be interested to hear more about them in books of their own.

Ms. Kasten's take on college romance was inspired, her words...a gift. 4 stars.

I received a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

This is the type of book I love. The hero starts of as a right asshole, then we see the softer side, for him to go back to his asshole ways, then we get to find out why he is being like he is and then finally we see him as he really is..sigh.

The main characters relationship was realistic, no insta love but a great growing friendship. The secondary characters were really great and I can't wait to read more about them in the upcoming books. I will definitely be reading the next one.

I absolutely loved this book from the very beginning! They both had troubled pasts which brought them together. They were alike in so many ways and found comfort in each other. I always enjoy a great love story!!! Can't wait to read another one of Mona Kasten's books!!

I’ve been meaning to read ‘Begin Again’ by Mona Kasten for a very long time now. This book was originally published in German and so I’d already heard a lot of positive things from my friends and other German book bloggers. The only reason I actually never picked it up is because I don’t really like reading German books even though I’m German myself. Sounds weird but that’s just how it is. So naturally, I was very excited when I found out that ‘Begin Again’ had been translated into German and was incredibly happy when I received an ARC of it.

‘Begin Again’ tells the story of Allie and Kaden. When Allie moves to college, she’s looking for a room to rent but can’t find a fitting one until she checks out the spare room in Kaden’s apartment. The problem is that he actually doesn’t want to live together with a girl but Allie can be very convincing and so Kaden lets her move in anyway. But he has a couple of rules, one of which is that the two will never hook up. Naturally though, they start feeling attracted to each other and have to deal with their feelings while at the same time having to deal with their dark pasts.

I really enjoyed reading the book and it was such a quick read. ‘Begin Again’ has a great plot and it’s a book you can easily read in one sitting because it will captivate you. It made me laugh a lot and I’ll definitely add it to my list of books I reread when I just need something that will make me happy. I also immediately fell in love with the two main characters, Kaden and Allie, but also really loved some of the secondary characters like Spencer, Dawn and Scott and hope we will get to read more about them in the sequel.

I know that many people also absolutely love Mona Kasten’s writing style but I personally felt like that was the only thing I can say something negative about regarding this book. I can’t even specifically tell you what I didn’t like about it but there were just a couple of things that bothered me and I feel like there’s still room for improvement. But as far as I know this is one of the very first novels she ever published and I’m confident that her writing will get better with every additional book she’ll publish in the future.

All in all, I really liked this book and I’m very glad it was finally translated into English so that more people have the chance to read it. I’m going to deduct one star because of her writing and give ‘Begin Again’ 4 out of 5 stars.

I loved it! I devoured it! Those of you who like the broody, jerkface alpha male, this book is for you.

Allie has escaped her family life to begin again at college. She just needs a place to live. Turns out, dorms are already full, and she needs an apartment. Not as easy as she thought. And then she has the pleasure of applying as a roommate with Kaden. TALK ABOUT JERK!!!! OMG, he was straight out nasty and rude, but I loved that first initial meeting and his "don't care" attitude.

There's more to Kaden than he lets show, and I just really, really liked him.....jerk or not! LOL!

Great storyline and like I said it was just an easy read with the right amount of perfection!

What I think about ... :

... the story:
I loved the story from the very first page on. It just drew me in and I could not stop reading as I just needed to know what would happen, why Allie left her family and everything she knew from her old life behind. I also wanted to know what happened to Kaden to behave like this and to keep Allie at a distance even tough he obviously likes her.

... the characters:
Allie was quite a fascinating character. The more you, as a reader, get to know her, the more you are surprised about her character, her motives, what happened to her and how she could become the person she is, even though all the stuff of her past could possibly make her a whole different person.
At first I just couldn't understand who she left her family and old life behind like this. I am quite a family person and even tough I do live quite a distance away from my family, I frequently visit them. For Allie it was just not like this and I simply could not understand why, until everything was reveled and showed, how much her own mum made her chose to leave her family behind.
I really liked Kaden, even though he really was an asshole at times and sometimes I really just wanted to hit him in the face - hard.
But as the story progressed more and more is revealed about Kaden and why he behaves like he does so that I just could not be angry at him anymore.
And he really can be romantic, as the end shows.
I really liked how their relationship developed and how they get to know each other as time goes by.
Execpt for Allie and Kaden, I also really liked Dawn, Allie's best friend and Spencer, who is Kaden's best friend. I just love both of their characters and really look forward to learn more about them in the second book.

What I loved the most:
The story, the characters and most all the emotions you feel throughout the story. I cried, I laughed and I just hoped that everything would be alright at the end.
I really loved the writing style as well.

What I did not like:
Nothing.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars.
I just loved this book and really recommend it to everyone who loves cute romances and New Adult stories.
I really can't wait for the second book, so get to know the whole story of Dawn.

WOW is what comes to mind when I think of this book. this book recently got translated into English and I'm so glad it did. This book was seriously unexpected that is for sure It was an amazing read that I spent until 3am finishing it off because I could not put it down.

First book I read of this author as all her books are in German I'm hoping that it is not the last one that will be translated into English as I want to read the rest of the series , I'm also hoping it comes out on paperback one day because I need.

Kaden is one hell of a hot tortured guy who instantly became my new book boyfriend, and Allie I loved just as much. The way there relationship is slow and that's how I like it they hate each other at first but slowly a friendship is formed rules are broken and soon hearts as well. This book is a rollercoaster it made me feel love, humour at the way they fought, heartbreak, frustration, and angry I hated a few characters in this book and I'm sure everyone who reads this book will hate them just as much lol..This book is a hidden Gem. DEFINATELY AN AMAZING UNEXPECTED READ AND I RECOMMEND THIS TO EVERYONE...I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE HOPE ITS SOON.

i liked this book, it was a slow start but it pulled me in.You have to read this book.