Review: Anti-Stepbrother by Tijan

Title: Anti-Stepbrother
Author: Tijan
Series: None

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

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He told me to 'settle, girl.'
He asked if 'something was wrong with me?'
He said I was an ‘easy target.’
That was within minutes when I first met Caden Banks.
I labeled him an *sshole, but he was more than that. Arrogant. Smug. Alpha.

He was also to-die-for gorgeous, and my stepbrother’s fraternity brother.

Okay, yes I was a little naive, a tad bit socially awkward, and the smallest amount of stalker-ish, but if Caden Banks thought he could tell me what to do, he had another thing coming.

I came to college with daydreams about being with my stepbrother, but what if I fell for the anti-stepbrother instead?

Where to begin with this book?! I haven't read any other of Tijan's books, so I haven't formed a concluded opinion about her. Judging from this book though, I'll dare to say that her writing was at times cheesy and totally predictable, and in other times somewhat okay and funny. What I mean to say is that at times I thought that this was a nice read but then the author would throw a line that was a bit corny, which made me feel a bit hesitant to continue reading. Nevertheless, I did finish it!

Aside from the writing style and the goings-on between the two leading characters, which were a bit cheesy, I think that the storyline was a good one. The book follows Summer’s struggle to make sense of her feelings towards Caden, the anti-stepbrother. The story was well-built with a steady pace. The author had a nice and strong idea about the main subject but I felt that it wasn't supported well enough by other facts in the book. Meaning, I wanted it to be more focused on the relationship between the two leading characters than on other facts in the book.

The characters were nice enough constructed. Especially Caden. I didn't like how Summer went from the girl-in-the-corner to party girl so fast. There was no warning when she changed and the reason behind her change may not have been childish but it was a bit immature. I get the whole going-to-college, new life, escaping type of thing, but it was just too much. Her relationship with her stepbrother was too complicated and just when I thought I had it figured out, I actually didn't. Talk about a roller-coaster!!! Honestly, the only one who was worth it, at least to me, was Caden, and not because I love bad boys, or because he had tattoos. He was the only one who was sticking to his role and didn't do anything out of character from beginning to end.

The ending was a bit abrupt. Maybe the author thought of it as a twist or something but, I didn't see any reason for it. Based on Summer’s strong will and independent personality, that ending was completely out of the blue and unnecessary. I'm not saying it wasn't a good ending, I'm saying it would be better fitting for another story, not this one.

Anti-Stepbrother had its ups and downs, its what-the-heck moments and its oh-well ones. It left me both surprised and a bit disappointed. If you are in the mood for a not-so-tragic read, then this book is for you.

My Dream Cast

Written By Melina T.