by Anna Todd
First published 2014
Tessa arrives at college with clear plans and a steady boyfriend waiting at home. Her mother expects her to stay focused on her studies. Everything changes when she encounters Hardin in her dorm. He has brown hair, tattoos, a lip ring, and a British accent that makes him stand out. Hardin treats Tessa poorly, acting cruel and dismissive. She tells herself she hates him. Then she finds herself alone with him in his room. When they kiss, Tessa discovers feelings she has never experienced. Hardin calls her beautiful one moment, then pushes her away the next. He disappears repeatedly, insisting they don't belong together. Tessa knows she should walk away, but something about his dark moods draws her in. She wants to uncover the real person beneath his lies and harsh exterior. Each time he rejects her, she pushes back harder. He responds by pulling her deeper into their complicated relationship. Tessa has a perfect boyfriend already, yet she cannot stop trying to break through Hardin's walls and her own wounded pride.
Genres: romance, young-adult, contemporary-romance, new-adult
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: College
Period: 21st-Century
592 pages · Kindle Edition · Gallery Books
Content warnings: emotional-abuse, toxic-relationship