REVIEW: If Only by A.J. Pine

If Only by A.J. Pine
Publisher: Entangled Embrace
Publication Date: March 24, 2014
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4/5
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Sometimes it takes crossing an ocean to figure out where you belong.

It's been two years since twenty-year-old Jordan had a boyfriend—which means it's been forever since she, well, you know. But now she’s off to spend her junior year in Aberdeen, Scotland, the perfect place to stop waiting for Mr. Right and just enjoy Mr. Right Now.

Sexy, sweet (and possible player) Griffin may be her perfect, no-strings-attached match. He’s fun, gorgeous, and makes her laugh. So why can’t she stop thinking about Noah who, minutes after being trapped together outside the train’s loo, kisses Jordan like she’s never been kissed before? Never mind his impossible blue eyes, his weathered, annotated copy of The Great Gatsby (total English-major porn)…oh, and his girlfriend.

Jordan knows everything this year has an expiration date. Aberdeen is supposed to be about fun rather than waiting for life to happen. But E. M. Forster, Shakespeare, and mistletoe on Valentine’s Day make her reconsider what love is and how far she’s willing to go for the right guy.

3 reasons why I enjoyed If Only by A.J. Pine



Main character Jordan-


I must admit that there is nothing that extraordinary when it comes to Jordan, but I liked her because she had the courage to spend her year of school in Scotland without knowing anyone there. She stepped out of her comfort zone and she was determined to be a new Jordan, to reinvent herself. She ended up finding really good friends and going after love. She wasn’t perfect by any stretch and made some bad choices, but she learned from them rather than dwelling on them.



Love triangle Griffin vs. Noah-


I love both these boys, maybe one more than the other. Griffin was the sweetest, most flirtatious, fun guy. He showed Jordan that he wasn’t the man-whore she first thought him to be. There was so much potential and a connection I was rooting for from the very start. Griffin cared for Jordan so much, he was willing to try and I adored him for being so down to earth. Noah was just like Jordan because they had so much in common from the beginning. He was different altogether because he was sort of cute and shy and just lovely. I didn’t feel their connection as much as I did with Griffin, but I loved how passionate Noah and Jordan were for the same things. 



Romance development-


I have to admit that I was turned off by Jordan’s reaction in the very beginning because it felt unrealistic. However, the romance between these two characters span months. There was some serious intense whiplash type of ups and downs which drove me crazy, but I liked it because it kept me on my toes. There was a lot of tension, angst and jealousy that really kept me entertained. I also liked that though there was a third party issue, there wasn’t any cheating going on. 



My one issue with the whole book was the lack of setting. I knew If Only was set in Scotland, but I didn’t get much of the culture. I wanted more of Scotland since it was the place that changed and shaped Jordan, but it was brushed over for the romance. It wasn’t bad, but it was something I wished was more touched upon. 



Other than that, If Only was a great love story set internationally. 


*Thanks to Entangled for sending a copy in exchange for an honest review