4.25⭐️/ 3🌶️

*Check Trigger Warnings Before Reading.

Traveling around the world, getting the opportunity to study at a prestigious program onboard a ship, and have all expenses paid under a scholarship just for the sake of tutoring a student? Seemed like the best thing to happen to Leah Baxter. Leah was a driven, intelligent young woman who thought she knew what to expect when tutoring her fellow classmate, but instead she found herself being the tutor to an X-Games champion and extreme sports influencer by the name of, Paxton Wilder. Paxton was all about pushing things to the limit and more with him and his friends performing dare defying things, but everything hung in the balance if only he had a trusted tutor which *ahem he got Leah as his tutor. This story had sports romance but a unique spin on it, close friend group, tutor/student, he’s a bit of a flirt, and she’s closed off.

Leah was in for the opportunity of a lifetime, and it became even more…wilder when she learned she’d be Paxton Wilder’s tutor. Leah knew what she was getting into when she accepted she’d be a tutor, and be able to attend such a prestigious program that would lead to even better opportunities for her future, but Paxton was someone who changed her outlook on everything. When first meeting Leah, she struck me as someone who was headstrong, intelligent, kind, and had some mysterious past that still affected her strongly. In addition, I got the impression that Leah wasn’t the kind of person to let loose and have fun as seen by the little note her mom left inside her luggage along with a certain “gift” haha. Through the story, little by little, Leah got to unwind, have fun, and explore different avenues she never knew she would.

Paxton was a daredevil who wasn’t afraid to push the limits, take on challenges, and do whatever was necessary to achieve it. Paxton was a bit of a wild card, but he also knew that not everyone was like him such as, Leah. Leah was the person to tutor Paxton, and everything hinged on Paxton getting good grades or else all the things he’d been working on with his group, The Renegades would be over. I liked Paxton, I thought he was charming, cool, a bit flirty at times, but he was an all around nice guy. When it came to being in front of the cameras, Paxton was use to slipping into his Renegades persona which was slightly different from the real him. As the story got deeper, Paxton turned out to be a lot different than I expected especially with Leah. 

Leah and Paxton were the opposites of each other. Leah was all about remaining in her safe, comfortable zone whereas, Paxton was all about pushing the boundaries and going the extreme route. Somehow, with Leah and Paxton being together as fellow classmates and Leah being Paxton’s tutor, they formed a unique connection that later gave way to their romance. I’d like to think that one thing Paxton and Leah did have in common was wanting to maintain control in their respective lives. Leah was so set on making the most out of the prestigious program so she would be prepared for grad school and for Paxton he always wanted to ensure all the stunts he and his friends did were one hundred percent ready in every aspect. Once it got to the romance portion between Paxton and Leah, it was a matter of both of them opening up to each other and getting to the root of who they really were. Leah’s story was a bit of a mystery to Paxton (and myself included) but once he discovered why Leah was often guarded to progress their relationship to the next level, it made him see things differently. I could tell Leah liked Paxton and hoped for more with him, but there was always something holding her back, and it took her a while to fully realize how much she grew to care for Paxton. 

Paxton wasn’t a stranger to death defying things, but for Leah it was a whole new world she never thought she’d be a part of. With Paxton, Penna, and Landon being the original Renegades, they were all about extreme sports and stunts so, when Leah became part of Paxton’s day to day life (and eventually girlfriend) it was no surprise that Leah found herself participating in the same things as well. The thing that I liked with this story was seeing Leah get out of her comfort zone and try new things like BASE jumping, parasailing, and more. I could relate to Leah in that I too often stick to what I’m comfortable with, but as I read this I saw Leah grow and become stronger in ways I think she didn’t expect. In addition, the action of all the stunts performed was fascinating and dare I say even made me want to try something maybe like, sky diving? Who knows, but I really liked seeing Leah trying new things as it helped with her trauma, and Paxton was a big part of that. 

Definitely haven’t read a book quite like this one. When it comes to Rebecca Yarros, I always love her books, and while this one wasn’t an all time favorite, I still very much enjoyed Paxton and Leah’s story. I went into this book thinking that Paxton was just going to be a cocky, flirty athlete, but he actually ended up being so boy obsessed over Leah that it was really sweet. Leah was a lovely character, and I liked seeing her character growth over the course of the story and stepping out of her comfort zone especially trying to work through her past trauma. Paxton and Leah’s romance seamlessly flowed together that I didn’t question how they went from classmates to lovers. With all the stunts that Paxton, Penna, and Landon performed there was a bevy of extreme sports, action, and it was so cool to read about that aspect of their lives. I didn’t expect the little added bit of mystery and suspense in the background, but it was something that added to the plot. As a whole, I think Paxton and Leah were great together, I loved seeing Paxton fall head over heels for Leah, and doing some really sweet things for her, and seeing Leah take a leap of faith in the name of love! I’m really curious to see how the other books will be such as, Landon and Penna’s own stories. If you’re looking for a unique sports romance book that focuses on extreme sports, found family, and boy obsessed vibes, then you should read this book.