Actual rating: 3.5 
 First line: "The first time I ever met her was at the tail end of one of those endless weekday nights you could only have at a school like Sherringford." 
 Mixed feelings about this one. Some aspects I quite enjoyed, but a lot more that left me feeling disconnected and lukewarm. 
 For the first half or so I struggled to really fall into the story. Watson was (and probably still is upon finishing) the only character I actually feel any sort of attachment to and he has a great voice. Holmes is someone I feel sympathetic for but she wasn't very likable. I have no problem reading about unlikable characters, but I didn't make any connection with her at all. It was refreshing to see the switch in gender dynamics though, with the male Watson far more emotional than the female Holmes, who was extremely straightforward and no-nonsense. 
 This series requires some suspension of disbelief but I think it's definitely doable if you can read it as a (mostly) fun popcorn read. There are quite a few series topics (rape, drugs) mixed into the plot lines and characterizations but the central focus is on James and Charlotte.