Out on Good Behavior

Out on Good Behavior

Dahlia Adler2016
Frankie Bellisario knows she can get anyone she sets her sights on, but just because she can doesn't mean she should-not when the person she's eyeing is Samara Kazarian, the daughter of a southern Republican mayor. No matter how badly Frankie wants to test her powers of persuasion, even she recognizes some lines aren't meant to be crossed. But when Frankie learns she's been on Samara's mind too, the idea of hooking up with her grows too strong to resist. Only Sam's not looking for a hookup; she wants-needs-the real thing, and she's afraid she'll never find it as long as Frankie's in her head. Forced to choose between her first relationship and losing the girl who's been clawing her way under her skin, Frankie opts to try monogamy...under her own condition: 30 days of keeping things on the down low and remaining abstinent. If she fails as hard at girlfriending as she's afraid she might, she doesn't want to throw Samara's life into upheaval for nothing. But when neither the month nor Frankie's heart go according to plan, she may be the one stuck fighting for the happily ever after she never knew she wanted.
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Reviews

Photo of Ella Patterson
Ella Patterson@ellapatterson
4 stars
Jul 1, 2022

It was a cute romance with likeable characters. I cringed a little bit at the attempt to make the main character come across as a bad girl (it felt very 2015 wattpad) and the love interest’s angst about coming out felt like it was very quickly dismissed after being such a source of angst for the majority of the book. With the exception of those two flaws, I really liked the book. The relationship had pining, genuine growth of friendship to relationship, and an opposites attract dynamic, so it was basically all I could ask for. I also appreciated that there was minimal miscommunication based angst, and what angst there was felt grounded, reducing any frustration I may have felt.

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Maya Rice@mayarice
3 stars
Jan 7, 2022

Overall, I thought the book was meh. The good parts were okay and the bad parts were really bad. maybe I've been reading too many romance novels lately, but I am REALLY tired of the miscommunication trope. If you read any part of this book, let it be chapter 14. thank me later ;) When I read that the love interest was the daughter of a republican senator my interest was piqued. however, after that conflict was introduced, there was no more mention of the republican senator and the problems he may or may not have. I just wish the romance wasn't the only conflict. I'd love to see more political conflict and the repercussions.

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Becky@afoolsingenuity
4 stars
Jan 6, 2022

3.5 stars Damn. I think I hyped this one up a touch too much in my head because yay for queer romance and having a pansexual MC with how that differs to bisexuality being explained in a way that didn't feel forced. I loved the queer rep here and am annoyed at my self for waiting to finish this series but I'm just sad I didn't love the romance more. My biggest issue was I just couldn't connect with the love interest Samira. I liked her plenty and it was fun she was quiet and bookish (I can relate) but I think I struggled with getting her. I would have loved to see more of her personality come out here and I think that is always an issue when a romance is told from just one POV. It was still good and I enjoyed it but I definitely felt like if I'd felt more connected to her character through the book I would have liked it more. It's strange the things that can bother you when reading. I still loved the friendship of Cait, Frankie and Lizzie. I loved how they were teasing one another and had stupid jokes but they always had each others backs and were there with the sage advice. Honestly, their friendship was the total highlight of this series and I think I love the books for then alone. The rest is just a bonus.

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Kim@kimberlyfayereads
5 stars
Oct 6, 2021

Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads. Dahlia Adler's Radleigh University series is easily one of my favorite new adult series. I've loved the first two books and I was more than ready for Frankie's story when I got my hands on an eARC of Out on Good Behavior. I was totally intrigued by her character and, while I've read a number of NA and adult M/M novels, I've only ever read a YA F/F book. It was time to change that and what better way to do it than by reading a book from a series I love by an author I love about a character I already loved? (That's a lot of love, eh?) Frankie and Sam's story was a fantastic addition to the Radleigh Univeristy series. They were wonderful, diverse characters and I just loved the storyline. I have a thing for watching characters get "tamed" in books when they find the right person and that, mixed with Sam's coming out made this a book I just couldn't put down. I stayed up late to read as much as I could and then refused to get out of bed until I finished the rest the next morning. That's how addicted I was to these two and their story. I loved how they challenged each other. Out on Good Behavior was a wonderful read all the way around. I loved the characters (of course I already had somewhat of a head start on this since they were introduced in a prior book) and I enjoyed getting to see more of some of my favorites from earlier in the series, too. It was a funny, sweet and sexy book and it gave me a fair few feels along the way, too. This is the first time I've come across a pansexual character in a book and, as someone who has pansexual friends in real life, I know it's not the easiest thing to understand. I appreciated how it was defined and handled in this book. I'm sad to see this series come to an end, but I can't wait to see what Dahlia gives us next. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. FAVORITE QUOTES "I forget everything I'm supposed to be when I'm around you." "I'm not looking for anything, Frankie. I never was. I just found you. And I don't want anything that you aren't. I don't care who you've been with. And I think you know exactly who you are and what you want. It's one of the things I like most about you. I don't care if you like girls, guys, both, neither, whatever–I just won't share you with anyone else. Not like that." "And my sexuality is not a Sapphic thesis. I'm gay, if you need to hear me say it. I'm not embarrassed about it. I'm not questioning. I'm not trying to change it about myself, and I don't hate myself for it. I will be out someday." "When that day comes, I will lose everything. I will lose my family, I will lose my old friends, and I will lose my financial support. The day I come out is going to wreck me, even as I know it’s coming, even though I’ve prepared for it for years. So I’m the one who’s greedy, Frankie, because I won’t go through that alone. I won’t do it without someone at my side who loves me, who has the potential to make up for what I’m losing. And that won’t be a casual thing. It won’t be a person who isn’t monogamous with me. It’s a lot of pressure, I know, and maybe it’s unrealistic. Maybe I’m dreaming of some woman I’ll never find. And it’s lousy luck that the first girl I’m crazy about can’t be that partner. But I’m afraid that if I keep spending time with you, I’ll never find the person who is, and I need to. I need to start my life.” It isn't just about the way she feels, or smells, or tastes; it's the way she sighs into my mouth, like: finally. Like: you found me. Like: this is everything I dreamed it would be. How do you ever stop kissing a girl like that? "You make me feel perfect, exactly as I am." "I want you to fuck me like you don't know you're the only person I've ever been with." And yes, I'm aware my list of favorite quotes is longer than my review. ;)

Photo of Flavia Louise
Flavia Louise@flaviaaalouise
4 stars
Mar 7, 2022
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Archer@spiderkid
5 stars
Jan 16, 2022
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Bee@fangirlingmess
4 stars
Jan 3, 2022