One Among Men (The Maryland State University Series Book 1)

This is without a doubt one of the best romances I have ever read. I am also glad to say I didn’t have to endure several detailed description of sex, because they never read like “making love”.

I absolutely loved this book! If I could I would even give it more stars I would as that is how good it is!This story is about how all of us who call ourselves followers of Christ should act but the true story is, how far from it, we do live.It is no wonder people do not want to know God or follow Jesus Christ for the simple reason, we who do say we are following Him, don’t live like it.This story kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens next and that is just the kind of book I really enjoy reading.This story also does not preach it to you instead the characters live it. Plus the characters have been through tough stuff and they still come to understand their need for a savior.Samantha Hart aka Sam has taken the job of RA in an all male dorm not by choice but this is her job. She lives her life differently and that is, how the males in her dorm, learn to treat her with respect but not without trying some tricks on her first. Something happened to Sam’s mom when she was fourteen and one of Sam’s old boyfriends was an abuser of sorts; this makes her live in fear of the unknown. Still she continues walking the walk with everyone she comes into contact with.There is a rapist on the loose on campus and that puts everyone on edge.As she is getting settled into her resident assistant’s apartment a resident facility guy comes to fix the outlets in her apartment. She has her music up so loud she never hears him knock so he lets himself in with the master key. Big mistake!His name is Chris. Is Chris really who he says he is? Why does he not allow anyone to really get close to him?Lucinda her new boss warns her about a guy named Clive who they affectionately call Preacher, who is one of the resident assistants.Then there is Adam and his K-9 drug-sniffing dog Daisy. They become acquainted with Sam, as she has to call them when she does dorm hall checks and the smells of drugs waft into the air.The author doesn’t spare the drama, which is good because what good is book without a little drama!There are quite a few more characters I didn’t mention because you really need to get this book and read it for yourself. It will hold your interest and make you wish you personally knew someone like Sam.

Samantha's new RD job makes her the only woman in a men's dorm, but her caring leadership style makes her successful despite everyone's doubts, though her attraction to one confusing man keeps her guessing as a drug investigation in her dorm ramps up.Notes from August 2019:Plot and Setting: 4.5 -- A good balance of intrigue, misdirection, danger, and romance. The story's twists and subtleties held my attention even on a second reading. The timeline wasn't always clear.Characters: 5 -- Characters felt believable, as well as realistically complicated. Except for the extreme antagonists/villains, even minor characters are nuanced.Mechanics and Writing: 4 -- Decent writing, with a number of minor word and punctuation errors; nothing that really hinders comprehension. Good use of varied 3rd-person POVs.Redeeming Value: 4.8 -- Violence, drug/alcohol use and abuse, and sex all play a part in the story, without getting too graphic or bogging down in the darkness. Includes examples of Christians shining a light in dark places, and the power of music as a conduit for faith.Personal Enjoyment: 4.5

Samantha Hart never imagined the challenges she would face when she’s assigned to be the resident assistant in an all-male dorm. But the handsome repair man and music major, Chris Johnson, might be the biggest threat of all, at least to her heart.The book had a rough start for me. There were too many characters introduced too quickly with little or no background information. There were also some awkward sentences, like “Chris glanced away from his deep, pupil perusal” and “…a grin dangling from her mouth.” Two speakers in the same paragraph made parts confusing. A woman doesn’t just wear a sari a man loans her; she must know how to wrap the six-feet of material. There were even possessives without an apostrophe. I had a hard time with the relationship between Sam and Chris. Although the sparks were there, they were always so awkward around each other, even at the end. I did think the faith was woven into the story nicely for the most part. And even though I knew who Chris really was right away, that didn’t take anything away from the story. However, the ending could have been stronger. I gave it 4.5 stars, which rounded up to a five.

Though I don’t usually read Christian romance, One Against Men had an intriguing plot so I decided to give it a whirl.The main character Sam, is rebuilding her life after a series of problems, some self-created and other created by circumstances out of her control. To help finance her continuing education, she accepts a position as an RA in an all guys dorm, which also happens to be a dormitory that has a rather seedy reputation.One of the residents in the dorm is none other than Chris Johnson, an older college student who loves music and runs with a seedy group of friends.While I found Christ to be an enjoyable character, I did have to suspend my sense of reality when it came to Sam and some of the choices she made.While I found the start and the ending of the story to be quite enjoyable, there were several places in the middle where things just seemed to drag. There were scenes that I felt could have been tightened up and a few places where the interactions Sam had with other characters failed to move the story forward.All things considered, One Against Men is a pleasant read and is a great choice for anyone who is looking for a clean, Christian novel.

This took me a little while to get into and keep all the characters straight but a few chapters in I was hooked. I had to know if my suspicions about one guy was correct and it turned out I was right. Sam was a believable character with flaws and insecurities. While doing a job that wasn't her choice and comes with lots of challenges she struggles through and is able to find God's plan for her. I enjoyed that the story was told from various characters viewpoint. I really enjoyed the way it ended and look forward to spending more time on campus with these characters.

Great read about the politics of being a female authority in a male-dominated world, of learning respect and compassion, of boundaries and love, and of fresh starts and second chances.

Enjoyable......looking forward to reading the next in the series. I've already pre ordered it! Definitely an author I'll be keeping my eye on.