This is a belated review of an arc provided by NetGalley, thank you for the book!

I’ll be truthful when saying that this book was not for me. When I saw that the main plot followed a good girl and bad boy trope, I was looking forward to it but I felt like although the intention was good, Finn had too much of a chip on his shoulder for me to like him. If you like tortured heroes who stay away from the heroine because it’s what’s best for them and you like a slower burn, you might like this. I finished it and I’ll admit it got better but it did not hook me the way I would have liked it to.

Finn and Scottie didn’t catch my attention as much as Ace and Julia did or Blake and Lexie, I’m looking forward to their books instead.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Funn and Scottie and good story. Their story isn't all rainbows and sunshine though. His life is not easy he went through hardships due to his dad but he is determined and that makes all the difference. She is dating a douche. It was a good story that does have a HEA.

This amazing book is an emotional roller coaster. With a plot twist I definitely didn’t see coming. And it’s mainly about true friendship and love.

Finn is worried about his siblings, he comes from a troubled family, and he doesn’t want to involve Scottie in it. But Scottie doesn’t really understand, because her upbringing is totally different from his, or is it? Because of all that, their relationship is complicated. But gradually the veil is lifted and things become much clearer. And then, when you least expect it, their world is turned upside down again.
Their path to love is a very, very tough one.

~~We’ve already been through it all, and together, we’ve come out the other side—this is love.~~

I loved all secondary characters as well, except Dane and Nadine, they’re nasty people. Finn’s roomie Ace is downright hilarious, and also a really good friend.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Learning Curve kicks off the Dickson University series with a bang, delivering a spicy, angsty, and emotionally charged college romance. The story follows Finn Hayes, a brooding bad boy with a troubled past, and Scottie Bardeaux, a sweet and determined cheerleader. Their worlds collide when they become roommates at Dickson University, leading to a slow-burn romance filled with tension, secrets, and undeniable chemistry.

Max Monroe masterfully blends humor, heartache, and heat, creating a narrative that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. The dynamic between Finn and Scottie is electric, with their banter and emotional growth adding depth to the story. The supporting characters, including the returning favorites from the Billionaire Bad Boys series, add richness and humor to the narrative.

While the book is packed with drama and emotional twists, some readers have noted that the pacing can feel uneven at times. However, for fans of New Adult romance with complex characters and steamy tension, Learning Curve is a must-read.

This story took me on an emotional roller coaster! Finn and Scottie have so much more in common than Finn believes. Just because everything looks perfect on the surface doesn’t mean someone isn’t fighting on the inside.

Because of his own personal experiences, Finn is able to be there for and support Scottie in her time of need once he got out of his own way and stopped trying to push her away.

This crew of amazing friends had me laughing, crying, cheering and ready to fight for them! I can’t wait to read more by these amazing authors!

This is a good book. The two main characters are Scottie and Finn. They are freshmen college students. When Finn first meets Scottie she has a boyfriend, that later she breaks up with him. There is an attraction. They start dating. They have breakups, get back together and lots of heart ache. But they love each other and always find a way to get back together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Max Monroe LLC for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Learning Curve is out now.

Max Monroe has somehow become one my favorite authors, and I’m not mad it at all! There’s something about their writing that just captivates you, reels you in- and I eat it up every single time.

When I first saw it was 92 chapters, I almost choked, but as I started reading, I realized most chapters are short, and the story is actually really fast-paced and easy to read, so the chapters fly by without almost even noticing. The development and wittiness of (honestly, all) the characters was so fun and entertaining.

Also, their spicy scenes are always very satisfying (pun intended, hehehe).

Some things I didn’t enjoy/bugged me:
-The trope of “girls with caked on makeup, ew”, “girls using so much makeup is so ugly, could never be me” is so boring already. I’m tiiiired of it. 😩 (Ref: Chapter 4)

-I don’t really understand how two teenagers can “fall in love” after knowing each other for (barely) two months. That part definitely felt rushed and sporadic. 😅

-What happened with Scottie’s mom during the frat party seemed… very excessive and like it was written only for shock value, unfortunately. (Ref: Chapter 48)

Overall, great read, as most (if not all) Max Monroe books are.

Thank you to NetGalley and Max Monroe for the opportunity to ARC read this book.

Dickson University is a captivating start to Max Monroe’s new college romance series, blending drama, tension, and emotional depth in a way that kept me hooked from the first page. The story is fast-paced and engaging, with just the right amount of romance and angst to keep readers invested.

The drama throughout the book was particularly well done—intense but never over the top. The characters felt authentic and relatable, and their interactions carried emotional weight. That said, the ending took me by surprise. I didn’t see it coming at all, and while it was undeniably powerful, it also left me feeling a bit sad.

Despite the unexpected twist, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Max Monroe has a great way of building chemistry and conflict, and I’m excited to see where the series goes next.

Learning Curve is a messy, emotional, and totally addictive college romance. With a broody bad boy, a sweet cheerleader, and a push-and-pull dynamic that kept me on edge, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Finn and Scottie’s chemistry is off the charts, and their growth felt real and heartfelt. Drama, angst, slow burn, found family—it’s got all the tropes we love, done right. A wild ride, but totally worth it!

I'm just going to say it Max Monroe has done it again, except this time it's more angsty and emotional! This was definitely a roller coaster, I went through so many different emotions reading this one as it was filled with angst, family drama and trauma. There's a lot of unexpected twists that I did not expect to happen but that was a good thing since this book is long (600+ Pages long) and they kept me hooked from beginning to the end.

I absolutely loved Finn and Scottie. They were so cute together—seemingly complete opposites, yet they had more in common than they initially realized. Their slow-burn, push-and-pull relationship was everything - they had insane chemistry, I loved their witty banter and all the cute moments. Watching them grow and mature through the story—not just individually, but together—was incredibly rewarding. They faced so many challenges, both alone and as a couple, and it often felt like the odds were stacked against them but they continually showed up for one another. I’m so happy they got their version of a Happily Ever After.

And the friend group? Absolutely perfect. Hilarious, supportive, and full of heart—they were the ideal found family for both Finn and Scottie. I loved every scene they were in and can’t wait to see more of them in future books. Definitely recommend this series.

Thank you, Max Monroe & #NetGalley, for this digital copy.

A promising book that, for some reason, just didn’t quite click with me.

Honestly, I’m not sure what went wrong. The premise caught my attention and the writing itself was solid, but after about 10%, I found it hard to stay engaged. I struggled to connect with both the FMC and MMC and didn’t find their dynamic particularly compelling—I couldn’t quite figure out why they were drawn to each other. I don’t mind insta-attraction, but in this case, I didn’t really feel any tension between them.

The plot didn’t hold my interest enough to keep me turning the pages, so I decided to take a break. After reaching the halfway point, I chose to DNF it for now. I think I just wasn’t in the mood for the “virginal cheerleader meets bad boy” trope at the moment—but I’m not ruling out giving it another try in the future!

this book fixed me, broke me then fixed me, then broke me then fixed me again
OMFG finn i love him so much, he never gave up on scottie and ARG i was screaming and giggling.
he is definition of "if you touch her you die"
i wanna give scottie a hug. i love her and could not get enough.
i was screaming at my laptop "just fucking kiss already"
theres no words to describe how perfect it was
the amount of times i cried, laughed, giggled, screamed was crazy

quotes--------------------------------------------

just want you to know im here for you, scottie. aways.
-i was crying sooo hard

thinking about you, scottie. hope your okay. im still here if you need me.
- guys he was always there no matter what

i love you, scottie. i chose us. i chose you. do you hear me?
-AHHHH

I was interested in checking Max Monroe so I had to grab a copy when I saw it on NetGalley and I am so glad I did! This book was all over the place (in the best way)! It felt like watching a crazy teen drama like Gossip Girl or The OC.

Scottie and Finn went through so much together, it’s a miracle that they got an HEA. Just went you think the book should be wrapping up, they take the biggest hit of all!

Their friends and family also really added a lot to the story and I definitely want to go back and read all the parents’ stories (this book is a spinoff but I didn’t feel confused not having read them.) I’m so glad I gave these authors a shot!

It was good smut not great romance and overall didn’t feel overly unique from other books with similar plots or characters.

Learning Curve by Max Monroe is the perfect mix of college drama and emotional depth. It’s the classic good girl cheerleader meets broody underground fighter vibe. Finn Hayes is closed off and insanely attractive. There’s spice, secrets, and a slow burn as these two try to figure each other out. If you’re in the mood for something with emotion full of intense chemistry, this one totally delivers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Max Monroe LLC for sending this over.

I’m glad I was able to read this one before the second one comes out. It introduces the characters that will be featured in the series. I will say this one was a little long and could’ve been shorter, but I still enjoyed the read. This takes place in college and I love agood college romance. This book focuses on Finn and Scottie who are our main characters and have different backgrounds, but are more similar than they think. I love the character development from both of them because the way they come into the book is not how they finish. Finn is going to Dickson college with ulterior motives and Scottie is going to try to do something with her life and get away from her past. This is a slow burn romance also with a little bit of a breakup, but nothing major and it doesn’t last forever. There is also some drama mainly from Finn, but Scottie also brings some drama to the table, and I enjoyed how everything finally unfolded. I really enjoyed this introduction into the universe and I can’t wait for the next one to come out.

Learning curve by Max Monroe is the first book in the Dickson University series.

Finn Hayes is the tortured bad boy on campus. Scottie is the innocent cheerleader.

It is a story of how Finn and Scottie fall in love. But just like school grades, love has a learning curve. Sometimes you succeed and other times it teaches you a lesson.

Both main characters were well developed and we learned enough of their backstory to feel for them.

Thank you to Max for working with NetGalley. I received an advanced Reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Learning Curve by Max Monroe was such a good read, focusing on Finn and Scottie, two freshman in college with childhood trauma that each wants to forget. Finn grew up with a mean, drunk of a father, while Scottie's mom has also had substance abuse problems, with the focus never being on her daughter. Finn has a bigger secret that he discovered, which has been all consuming and forces him to put distance between himself and Scottie. What he isn't able to do is forget just how much he loves everything about her and can't stop thinking about her. Even when he pushes her away, he can't ignore the feelings that he's harboring for her. Scottie, having had enough with Finn and his constant hot and cold, tries to focus on cheerleading and her studies, but when an event at a party destroys her confidence, she hides from everyone and anyone who heard the rumors. Finn, not being able to help himself, makes sure Scottie is taken care of. Delivering food to her dorm, notes from her classes, and anything else she may need, he does these things because he has realized she is what is important to him. Now he just has to beg for her forgiveness and hope she is willing to accept his apologies. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Learning Curve by Max Monroe

“She’s the good girl cheerleader, and he’s the tortured bad boy who fights in an underground ring.”

Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC!

Did this come out this past summer, yes. Am I just getting around to the review...also yes.

This was a high emotion college romance with angst, drama and a hint of banter. I was hooked in from the beginning, (first 10%) but around 50-75% in, the dialogue fell a bit for me and the MCs became a bit annoying with their communication. Are the MCs mature....not so much —but the adventures and spice are there (I do have to say though the FMC was a virgin and she jumped very quickly to lose it and that kinda rubbed me the wrong way) There was just a lot going on and I didn’t fully believe in the relationship.

I always say this, but reading is subjective. Just because this book was not for me does not mean that it will not be for you.

If you like;
🎀Good Girl vs. Bad Boy
💞Dual POV
🎓New Adult College Romance
🌷Virgin FMC
🎭Family Drama
🥊Protective MMC

Try this one

#learningcurve #maxmonroe #collegeromance #bookreview #bookreviewer #netgalley

Finn and Scottie are an emotional roller coaster that I loved being on. Max Monroe constantly write the most amazing romance books that I always love reading and easily connect to.