The Failing Hours (How to Date a Douchebag #2)

Zeke Daniel’s is a big giant douchebag. This is not a drill, he’s a douche canoe. Ok ok, he may have some valid reasons for his attitude problem, but still. He’s a grown man, he needs to get some control over himself.

Therefore his wrestling coach signs him up for the Big Brothers program and he has to take on a little boy who seems to be just as annoyed at the world. Zeke is less than enthused about his circumstances, that is until he runs into a girl that’s tutoring him during his day with his little brother.

Violet DeLuca is the daughter of a mob boss…. just kidding that’s a different book! Violet is everything that Zeke isn’t. She’s patient, kind, and friendly. She likes taking care of and helping others. Even though she’s had a tragic past, she didn’t let that turn her into a crumby person. She uses her pain to strive for better, and to do better for others.

When these two come together it is like the perfect yin and yang emotionally. Violet is exactly what Zeke needs to get himself in line. To get rid of some of his douche, and start appreciating the people he has in his life. Most importantly Violet makes him happy, plain and simple.

This is kind of a reluctant friends to lovers romance. These two started falling and didn’t really realize it until they were there. I really loved that about them. We also get visits from Jameson and Oz from book one, which was fun. Even though Zeke was super awful in book one, I feel like he was LESS douchey than Oz in this book and maybe more of a moody man at times. He was more standoffish than a pervy jerk, like his friend was. I think I might like Zeke better than I liked Oz. HOW DOES SARA NEY MAKE REFORMED DOUCHE SO APPEALING?

All in all an extremely well written read. It’s fun, it’s romantic, it’s hot and steamy at some points, and it’s a perfect new adult romance with a misunderstood douchey hero and the heroine that cracks the whip.

Zeke Daniels is more than a D-bag. He’s more than an A-hole. He’s a perfect combination of broken, lost, and tender. My favorite hero is the guy that refuses love and shuts himself off from feelings. You know the guy- the one that is arrogant, self-centered, unkind, and without an obvious heart. And then … then he meets THE GIRL. The girl that sees beyond the facade and the arrogance. He meets the one person that demands he stop the games and be the man she sees him to be. Violet Delucca is that girl. She’s his girl. The one that makes him a better man. Not the girl that makes him change or the girl that inspires him to be different, she is the girl that sees he’s already that way.

Sara Ney has once again done what nobody believed possible – redeem the Douche. Her writing is flawless and her own humor and kindness are evident in each word on the page. Add this author to your automatic one-click list, you won’t regret it!

I HATED Zeke in How To Date A Douchebag: The Studying Hours but I also got really excited when I saw that he was going to get his own book. As much as I wanted to do some serious bodily harm to Zeke by way of either throat punching or junk punching him, I needed to know why he was the way he was. Oz considered him a friend so there had to be some sort of redeeming quality or so I hoped. And let me tell you this book delivered it ALL!! Right off the bat Zeke pissed me off and I went right back to wanting to beat him, but Sara Ney did such a brilliant job with his inner dialogue that I held back. This truly was a beautiful story of muddling through your feelings, coming to terms with how you deal with them, and if you will let it all hold you back or break the chains and live fully. I loved Violet’s character and how she was basically the other side of the coin if Zeke were a coin. You know the saying there are two sides to every coin well that’s what I mean about Violet and Zeke, they complimented each other beautifully. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

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***5 Beautiful Mess Stars***

After listening to The Learning Hours and reading The Studying Hours in that order (Yeah, I did things a bit backwards this time around) I was all about knowing more about Zeke and what made act the way he did around and I was not disappointed! I ended up adoring not only Zeke, but Violet as well. Their journey was filled with all the feels, and then some, that kept me turning the pages and being quite upset when there were no more words to devour.

Zeke is the do$%hi^st around and he doesnt care one bit about what any thinks or says about it. He is who he is and thats that. I will admit to wanting to reach out and smack him numerous times throughout the book, but those moments were balanced out with ones that had me wanting to hug him, because there was so much more underneath his armor that showed how even the biggest d$uche could have a golden heart.
Upon first meeting Violet I let out a frustrated groan and prayed that there was more to the girl or it was gonna one of those long and painful reads, but she surprised me, a lot. She isnt one who just throws herself into things, she is quite cautious, and yet she has a quiet strength about her that simmers beneath the surface and will come out in vibrant force when push comes to shove.

Zeke and Violets journey to their HEA was a fun one to experience. On the surface they appear to be absolute opposites, but as they continue to spend more time together and get under each others skins, you find that they have an unlikely common bond that draws them closer. The ups and downs were many, and some of the downs were pretty heavy, but I loved watching as they worked through their issues and became stronger separately as well as a couple in the end.

I really enjoyed The Failing Hours. It was just as well written as the other two in the series and like the other two, I was hooked from the start. But what pushed it up one extra level were Zeke and Violet. They were characters that had a lot depth and I loved watching them evolve as the story progressed. I liked catching up with Oz and James and how they put their two cents in when necessary. Now that Im all caught up, Im definitely looking forward to The Coaching Hours and finding out which d*ucheb%g is up on the chopping block!

I can’t begin to tell you how much I loved this book.

Zeke is the total douche you don’t want to like, but do. I couldn’t help but love him, he’s so angry about everything in life, even the kid he’s signed on the Big programme, but Kyle doesn’t let that get in his way. He’ a total douche to his friends/roommate/teammates so will Violet be any different?

Not really, but Violet is the kill them with kindness type even when they’re being nasty. I loved Violet, she was so petite, pretty, cute and smart, she might be meek but she’s doesn’t pull any punches. So when she’s assigned to be Zeke’s tutor she’s wary and nervous by his size and doucheness seeing as Zere is a wrestler. The more time they spend together, not just tutoring, but on the big programme ,the more they develop a relationship as such. How long will it take Zeke to mess things up, because you know he will and will Violet be forgiving to his ways?

I loved the fact it wasn’t just one person Zeke was horrible to, but everyone it would seem and Violet, she always wants to see the best in people’s flaws and all, but there is something in Violet that doesn’t make Zeke as bad, but even poor Violet has her limit. I loved, the easiness of this book and how you got lost in Violet and Zeke’s story, it was fun, yet meaningful and with emotion.

I really need to read the first book in the series, because this book was amazing.

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