CODE RED by Amy Noelle

Code Red by Amy Noelle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

NetGalley free read

While in college, Nicole finds out her dream guy is not only dating her, but several other girls. Years later and still friends with the girls who saw her through her heartbreak and devastation, which includes another girl her boyfriend was dating, three of her friends have gotten married to the men they used the Code Red (men who are too good looking to the point the girls could lose their hearts to) they instituted after the heartbreak. 6 years later Nicole is dating down, geeks and nerds, men she would fall for and who she could get off on and kick out of her bed. The idea is that they would be so grateful that she showed them interest that they wouldn't be surprised when she kicks them out of her bed or leaves them in theirs. When the new guy from the New York office shows up to be achingly handsome, Nicole calls her girls with a Code Red. But they don't react the way she thinks they should. They encourage her to get to know him and try a real relationship.

Other than her old roommate, Jen, who was taken advantage of by a guy who moved in and stole everything in her home, all the other girls are in loving and happy marriages. Nicole feels like things have changes with the other girls and doesn't understand the need to change the way her life is.

When she's assigned to work with Josh, she tries to resist his charms, but it isn't easy when he shows up where she and Jen are to pick up men. He has the ability to sneak up on her, which allows him to overhear and/or read what she's emailing to her friends. Josh's friend Ryan falls for Jen and they start dating, but Josh tells Nicole he will take it at her pace if she will only give him a chance.

After a small fight where he accidentally makes a date for her with the insurance agent who's office is across the hall, Nicole realizes she wants to try things with Josh. The relationship goes so well that he eventually moves in with her. But when Nicole finds out that the work they've been doing together has garnered Josh a promotion, she believes they are over. She goes on a drunken binge until Josh tells her that he's moving to Chicago to be with her.

This was a cute story, but some of the elements were just too simple and too pat. Also, I get Nicoles reluctance to put herself out there, because no one wants to be hurt. But she sure does jump to a lot of conclusions. At first, he couldn't like her and has to have a wife and kids somewhere, because no one that good looking and nice could be single. Also, she just believes that because he's getting a promotion, he will dump her. She never listened to anything he said. All her friends try to tell her she's in love with him and she just brushes it off because there's no way.

I also didn't like the fact that dating nerds and geeks was considered dating below her. I thought that was nice at all. The story was well written, just a little too simple. I mean Josh put up with all her crazy and barely ever rocked the boat. The only thing he put his foot down on, was not sleeping with her until she 'let him in,' which for him was when she invited him to her house to watch Supernatural.

I don't know, it just didn't rock my boat. Quick and simple read.

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