Study You by Melissa Tereze is a steamy age gap romance set in the world of academia.
It’s been months since Finn Ashton walked into Gillian Masters’s lecture and neither’s world was ever the same. Six weeks have passed since their last mind-blowing encounter, which was in Gillian’s office…on her desk, and both women know that a professor-student relationship is too risky, especially for Gillian who has worked for years to get where she is at her university job.
Finn’s days are filled with architecture classes, studying, and taking care of her mother. She totally understands that beautiful Gillian wouldn’t want to risk her career for a fling.
When Finn walks back into Gillian’s lecture hall for another semester, the pull between them is stronger than ever. When their eyes finally meet, both know they can no longer deny their feelings.
They need to be discrete while keeping emotions out of it in order to be the escape the other needs. But is their arrangement a no-strings stress release? Or an addiction that will leave their hearts and lives in pieces?
Writing
Jenna: Shew…After finishing this book, I needed a solid three-hour-long cold shower because Melissa Tereze brought on the spice and an abundance of steam for Study You!
Mildred: Right there with you. I had to walk away from my wife a few times while reading, especially the first part that started off with a bang. (Don’t hurt me, Jenna.) Foreplay for the reader is off the charts, which I think is what makes the sex scenes so hot. There was some of the old “Stop. Don’t. Don’t stop.” going on, giving an edge to Finn’s pursuit early on. How seriously IS Gillian protesting?
Jenna: Forbidden romances always pique my interest and a student/professor relationship isn’t one many authors would be brave enough to write and Melissa Tereze has written a gem. Once I got past the power dynamic, I could immerse myself fully in the story. Ms. Tereze’s ability to weave in real, believable dialogue with captivating descriptive details makes this one hard to put down. The book has all of the makings for a sapphic erotic tale and here, Tereze doesn’t stop with the physical, she infuses so much depth into the story to create a true erotic romance.
Mildred: It would be easy to get lost in the added bonus of power dynamics on top of age gap, and the author reminds the reader continually that Professor Gillian should not engage in sexual relations with Finn her student. After decades working at a university, I have seen both kinds of outcomes for this kind of relationship: two people with ruined lives because one of them mishandled their power and two people who spend the rest of their lives in a loving relationship. I felt like the author made sure to explain how heavy a subject it is at that educational level. Ultimately, she had a great balance on this issue.
Jenna: I agree, Mildred. Ms. Tereze did a remarkable job balancing the power dynamics with the physical and emotional relationship between Finn and Gillian.
Mildred: I agree with Jenna that the author does work well with dialogue. I would add that her pacing is great. Nothing is rushed, even the sex scenes. (Thank you!) I also liked how the author doesn’t clutter up the background with a lot of characters. Each of them has a friend who supplies plot for the reader. Jan, Gillian’s friend, is a bit like having an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, whispering in her ear.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Jenna: I’m always thrilled when Melissa Tereze releases a new book because she writes age gap relationships that make me swoon! With Study You, she throws in a taboo relationship between a professor and her student. What starts out as a one-time encounter turns into more as neither Finn nor Gillian can deny the fact that they want more.
Mildred: And boy do we get more! I really enjoyed the sex scenes. They’re well-written and hot and have an emotional center which is a great way to make things steamier.
Jenna: I’m currently fanning myself as I think about a couple of those sex scenes…
Jenna: Ms. Tereze has created two beautifully dynamic main characters, Finn and Gillian. For the first part of the book, their affair is strictly physical and they don’t have very many conversations outside the bedroom. Yet as the story progresses, and feelings deepen, the two become closer and readers finally begin to learn who Finn and Gillian are. They’ve both overcome many obstacles in their lives and I loved being a part of their story as the walls start crumbling and they allow one another in. How did you feel about their relationship development, Mildred?
Mildred: I had a moment where I couldn’t get into the story because the characters seemed a bit shallow, but then the writer really took me out of their knickers and into their heads and I began to like both of them quite a bit. The characters are great, with Finn being the quintessential masc woman covered in gorgeous tattoos with a soft undercut, while Gillian is the quintessential femme, in her red pencil skirts and high-heeled shoes. With her steady pacing, the author gives us fully rounded characters who start passionately and end lovingly (without losing the passion).
Mildred: I like how well the author deepens the Finn and Gillian characters into interesting, relatable people who aren’t broken beyond repair but have issues beyond sexual that must be dealt with if they’re going to make it as a couple. There is some actual suspense because Gillian is so determined to fight it and Finn is always on the cusp of giving up. I did keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Jenna: I, too, kept waiting for that other shoe to drop. I absolutely adore Finn because she’s a tenderhearted cuddlebug with a studly exterior. As the primary caregiver for her mother, Finn’s selflessness and loyalty are apparent in her actions. Her honesty and vulnerability with Gillian is such a beautiful thing to see as is Gillian as her walls slowly start crumbling and she’s able to reveal her scars and allow Finn to see who she really is deep down.
Mildred: Oh, yes, Finn. *swoon* She’s awesome and I totally understand how Gillian can’t let her go. She makes everything about how she can please and help and support Gillian, even if things go south and Finn’s heart gets broken. Gillian really grew on me as she showed the bravery of confronting the self-loathing her ex-husband left her with. Yes, Finn totally gave her %1000 support, but she still has to believe and it was great fun watching her lose her fear.
Jenna: Yes! I was so happy when Gillian started to lean into vulnerability. Sharing her past with Finn was a big step which in turn allowed her to begin putting the pieces of she shattered self confidence back together.
Heads Up
Jenna: Readers need to know going in that the relationship between Finn and Gillian is a student/professor forbidden/taboo relationship.
Mildred: Finn is not a minor by any means, nor is she a typically aged college student. That doesn’t matter at all to the bosses. Though it may seem as if the author mentions it a lot, it really is a big deal at the university level. The two are playing with fire there.
Also: There absolutely is toy play.
The Conclusion
Jenna: Study You by Melissa Tereze is a steamy erotic romance that I had a hard time putting down. From the first page, I was swept into Finn and Gillian’s story. Their chemistry is scorching and their encounters are exquisitely detailed and delicious that I found myself blushing and fanning myself. Their story goes above and beyond the bedroom so I found myself hanging on every word. The ending…well, my interest is piqued! I highly recommend this tale to anyone who is looking for a sexy, swoon-worthy, forbidden age-gap romance!
Mildred: Finn and Gillian are made for each other and they press on toward a relationship despite misunderstanding what the other is about and possibly serious repercussions if they are found to be together. A smoking hot story turns into an introspective romance between two awesome people who don’t care about the age difference or what Gillian’s bosses would do. I was so into their attraction and healing energy that I enjoyed reading this book very much. The ending that Jenna mentions is surprising.
Excerpt from Study You by Melissa Tereze
It hadn’t occurred to Finn Ashton that she would find herself longing for the woman at the front of the lecture hall when she enrolled at university—her start date three months ago. She didn’t usually need to long for anyone. Yet here she was, longing for her.
Gillian Masters.
The sexiest woman alive.
Her gaze swept up Gillian’s body as she turned her back on the room full of students, but Finn hadn’t heard a word she’d said. That wasn’t ideal given the fact that Finn would be paying off her student loans for the next twenty-odd years, but if this was what she had to keep her entertained, she would pay double. Fuck, I’d pay triple for an arse like that in my lap. She cocked her head ever so slightly—inconspicuously—and smirked. Thankfully, it was only a small class present today, so Finn had situated herself away from the other students, allowing her to shift in her seat whenever she needed to.
She sat up straight when Gillian turned back around and locked eyes with her. That gaze did terribly good things to Finn’s body. Her pussy, too. Did Gillian know that Finn craved the friction from the seam on her jeans whenever they were in the same room together? If she did notice how Finn squirmed in her seat, did it turn Gillian on, too?
Get It Online
When you use the links in this review and buy within 24 hours of clicking then we get a small commission that helps us run the site and it costs you nothing extra
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1915242297
Publisher: Indie Author
If you enjoyed Study You by Melissa Tereze then you should also look at
Note: I received a free review copy of Study You by Melissa Tereze. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site
