Third Degree by Julie Cross – a Review

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Description:
I used to be “Isabel Jenkins, child prodigy.” As lame as that sounds, at least it was an identity. But now I’m not sure what I am. I just failed the most important exam of my life—the emotional readiness test required to get into a medical residency program—and it turns out my parents can’t stand each other. Now I’m trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces of my life, and that means re-enrolling as a college freshman, but this time I’m shutting the books and majoring in being eighteen.

But so far, my roommate hates me and I’m not into the party scene. The only good thing about school has been getting to know my insanely hot RA. Marshall Collins makes me wonder about everything I missed while I was growing up too fast. Pretty soon we’re hanging out constantly, but for the first time, I find myself wanting more than a no-strings-attached physical relationship. And the lesson I really need is one Marsh definitely can’t teach me: love. Because I’m going to be alone forever if I don’t learn fast.

Review:

Third Degree by Julie Cross is her first try at New Adult.  Written in a similar style she wrote for Letters to Nowhere, Julie once again gives us a different, but very well written & refreshing story of a coming of age of a young prodigy.  Isabel Jenkins is a medical genius, and is expecting to receive a residency at the famous John Hopkins hospital at the age of 18.  When she fails the emotional readiness test for the residency, Izzy is thrown for a loop, as she has never failed in anything before.  The problem, despite her ability to be the best doctor in the hospital, she has no bedside manner; she is socially inept, being too abrupt & direct, not to mention robotic when dealing with patients and families. 

Izzy never had a normal childhood, and she is sent by her family to spend a semester living on campus to learn about life, friends, and normal relationships.  She immediately meets our hero, Marshall, who is the RA in her dorm.  What follows is a wonderful story that starts out as friendship, and then a beautiful romance.  There were so many humorous parts, where Izzy is totally out of her element, but Marsh was usually there to teach her what she does wrong and how to act.  I really got a kick out of Marsh teaching Izzy, and believe me some of the things she did at first were hysterical. 

It is the slow build of their romance that is the crux of the story.  They both find themselves falling in love with each other, with each having their own issues that would bond them, but also threaten the longevity of their relationship.  Julie Cross does a wonderful job of allowing us to see Izzy slowly change from a direct and unfeeling person to a young woman whom we came to care very much about by the end of the book.  Marsh was such a great character from beginning to end.  I loved how sweet and patient he was with Izzy, not to mention how sexy he was when their relationship turned steamy.  I am not going to give spoilers, but I loved how Julie gave us the vulnerability & trusting side of Marsh; then the strong loving emotional side of Izzy when she needed to be there for Marsh.  Third Degree was wonderfully written story, with a tense and great ending.  I enjoyed this book by Julie Cross, and I’m sure you will too.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by author