Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She's got direction, ambition, and a mother who's intent on keeping her that way. 
 But she's barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she's used to. 
 But he's also rude--to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does--until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she's never known before. 
 He'll call her beautiful, then insist he isn't the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper. 
 Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin's prejudice about nice girls like her? 
 Unless...could this be love? 
 "My life before him was so simple and undecided, now after him...it's just...after." 
 As I start explaining this story, knowing what I know now, I find it all hard to believe. There has been so much hype surrounding the After Series. Love it, hate it, everyone has an opinion. I heard so many wonderful things about it on Vilma's Book Blog and Grown Up Fangirl's blog and I thought, "We have the same taste in books, so why the hell not?" I knew this was originally a fan fiction story, and I knew it was a wattpad sensation (just check out the cover ;) ), but I had no idea which fandom. I even googled, "Which fan fiction is After based on?" I guess I forgot the Google rule: less is more. Had I just searched Anna Todd or #Hessa, I would've known what I was getting into, Frankly, I'm sure there was a part of me that didn't want to know, because I can be quite tenacious when I want to be. 
 "I am a moth to his flame, and he never hesitates to burn me." 
 At this point, I've had After on my kindle for a minute. It's been lost among books on sale and mixed up in my TBR list. After an unsupervised visit to Books A Million, I came home with After We Collided. (Gotta love those bargain books!) I decided to bite the bullet and start the first one. I was immediately sucked in. 
 "I feel as though I am ice and he is fire. We are so completely different, yet the same." 
 I had moments of: 
 WHAT. THE. FUCK. 
 Oh, HELL No! 
 No, seriously, what the actual fuck? 
 Awwwww 
 Is this story going to ever end? 
 I want this to never end. 
 And then, 
 One freaking Direction. 
 I'm pretty sure I don't have to express how much I loathe(d) 1D. (At this point, I didn't even know what "1D" meant or I would've saved myself a lot of trouble just seeing Anna's user name Imaginator1D and calling it a day.) I'm spending some quality time on Pinterest and start searching through After pins...starring none other than Harry Styles. 
 Oh. 
 Okay... 
 So I continue to try reading the story and I just can't (even). I throw the book across the room and continue on with life. Except I can't, because I'm too invested. I know that I'm going to have to at least read through After We Collided, so I keep reading. I even search Spotify for a Hessa playlist, and immerse myself in Hardin and Tessa. Of course, the playlist features One Direction so there's no way to avoid it at this point. Curse you Anna Todd!!! If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. My black soul is currently rebelling against me. 
 "Just because he can't love you the way you want him to doesn't mean he doesn't love you with everything he has." 
 After is the story of Tessa Young, a sweet, naive Lit major, who has her whole life mapped out. She's got a loving boyfriend, a mother who wants to make sure she stays focused on her future, and a seemingly perfect life. Everything changes when she gets to college and she meets Hardin Scott. Hardin is your stereotypical bad boy, long, unruly hair, tattoos, and piercings. He's also a DICK. (Seriously, guys, he's an asshole.) Any interaction between the two typically ends in an argument. One night in his room during a party, Tessa kisses him. He ignites something in her that she's never felt before. As much as they try to avoid each other, they always end up being drawn back to each other. They begin spending more and more time together, and the chemistry between the two ignites. This doesn't mean that Hardin is going to change his ways, though. Every time Tessa feels like she is making headway with Hardin, he does something extremely thoughtless. Hardin can't get her out of his head and he won't let her go. She is the first person in his life that has made him feel unconditionally loved. Their passion is like a tornado that uproots everyone and everything around them. Can they survive the aftermath? 
 "I somehow know it is the calm before the storm, but right now Hardin is my anchor. I just pray that he doesn't pull me under." 
 I can definitely see where people would feel that they are in an abusive relationship. Hardin knows exactly what to say when he wants to go for the jugular, and he does...often. He also lashes out when he's hurt, which he does...often. But, they are supposed to be 18 and 20 years old. Hardin also grew up without a father for most of his life, and has a lot of anger and resentment. He was never able to see the way a healthy relationship is supposed to be, and he was never interested in being in a relationship until Tessa. In a lot of ways, he's like a grown child. He doesn't know how to express what he wants. He knows he wants her, and he doesn't want anyone else to have her. As cocky as he is, he also has a lot of insecurity as a result of his upbringing. I love how Tessa is able to stand up to him, and refuses to put up with his shit, too. I love the character progression through the whole story. In the beginning, Tessa was pretty meek and mild mannered, but she slowly becomes more confident in herself and their relationship. She starts expecting more from him and holds him accountable for his behavior. She also has the patience of a saint, but won't let him treat her like a doormat. Hardin made progress as well, kicking and screaming all the way. He was slowly able to warm up to Tessa, and started to even express his feelings for her. He has to learn that words mean nothing without actions, and begins to work on the way he treats her. If they both didn't slowly evolve through the story, it would've become old really fast. 
 "I think back to what Landon said about heartbreak, that if you don't love that person, they can't break your heart. Hardin repeatedly breaks my heart, even when I don't think there are any more pieces to break. 
 And I love him. I love Hardin." 
 At the end of the book was when you realize you've made a home on quicksand. I had to go back and re-read what the hell had just happened. I cried and I raged for Tessa for a good 30 minutes before immediately starting After We Collided. I had to know what was going to happen next. 
 I honestly was surprised how much I loved Hardin and Tessa. In the past, stories like this have gotten on my nerves and I end up not finishing the book. There was something so endearing about these characters. One is so good and kind, an endless fountain of love and forgiveness. Then you had one who is so broken by his past and forced to grow up quickly, he will do anything to be loved, but just doesn't know how to ask for it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.