I think sometimes I prefer hearing from a guys POV. I don't have to deal with that constant doubt about everything from a females POV, not saying Sebastian didn't have any doubts but is was not incessant and annoying.

Sebastian and his amigos Jaden, Pris and Aspen had the most sweetest of friendships, they looked out for each other both outside their group and within. The guys especially, they were gentlemen when it came to their female BFF's. Sebastian was charming, a sweetheart, and a protector of the women in his life.

From seeing his mom's attempts to make a relationship last over and over again Sebastian became cynical on the idea of love and if it's really worth falling in love when someone will eventually get hurt. He decided to use his "skills" from watching his moms love life to start an anonymous online business as "The Hook-Up Doctor". He helps girls get the guy out of their reach to hook up and nothing else, after that their on their own.

Sebastian finds himself in love, he prides himself on being an expert at playing the hook up game but all of a sudden he becomes a blubbering fool and confused as hell as to what the heck is happening to him. Throughout the story Sebastian struggles with his emotions and wonders if love is really worth it in the end and is unknowingly influenced by his mothers relationship failures.

I really loved this one, especially since I've been having a book choosing slump of late and was so glad I chose a winner this time around. The writing was on point and the young people were believable, not many characters just the right amount. Loved the mother son dynamic and how much he loves and cares for his mom while not being a mamma's boy.

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What A Boy Wants is written from the guy's point of view, which was a unique and refreshing change from what I'm used to reading. Bastian was funny, endearing, and his thought processes were easy to follow. The engaging story kept my interest clear through to the end.

I do have to say that I read this on my Nook and there were some formatting problems. In addition, there were at least half a dozen typographical errors, so I'd recommend that Dawn reach out to a line editor and third-party formatting service for assistance.

Still, the voice of the characters shone through those hiccups, and I found myself absorbed and entertained. I look forward to reading more by this author! ( )

3 Stars. Now 2 Stars. At the time of reading this I was new to contemporary books. My thoughts have returned to this book and just realized how little I enjoyed it in comparison. This is not to say it is poorly written or the book was bad, I just prefer reading different genres.

It was a light read, which is what I needed these past few days; and by this I mean you didn't have to work through the plot. It fell in your lap for you.
I will not be re-reading it. Some things are left to be read just once. ( )

An amusing rollercoaster tale of relationship ideals and love from a teenage guys point of view. Nice change of headspace.

Reading these kinds of stories make me wonder if I went from 12 years old to Daniel Goleman overnight. (he's that emo-IQ author dude). The love-emo-games rollercoaster is as foreign to me as Venus AND Mars. I guess I have been more of a heart on my sleeve, logic, straightforward kind of girl.

Antics, strategies, holding back, assumptions, and games. Craziness! Makes for an entertaining read and a peek into what makes teenagers tick. I did enjoy that even during the small amount of angst in the book, you really got to hang out in his headspace and stay a while. Regardless of his cockiness and fallacies, he was still very endearing and likeable.

I don't miss my teen years but I still like to look back in the way of John Hughes, boom-box over the head, and don't, don't, don't you forget about me. This book sums up that feeling and leaves you smiling in the end. ( )

Suddenly I’m on a kick where I’m looking for some great young adult contemporary books. I blame it on coming across some really good ones this year, such as Pushing The Limits and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. So I was wandering around Goodreads and Amazon trying to find another contemporary story when I came across Nyrae Dawn’s self-published novel What A Boy Wants and struck gold.

Sebastian Hawkins is a confident young teen who has seen his mom hurt too many times to believe that love exists. Hooking up? Sure, he can handle that and he knows everything a guy is looking for when it comes to girls. So why not help the poor kids who are having trouble hooking up with the girl or boy of their dreams by providing them with a personalized plan? And if he makes some money on the side for a car, well that’s just a bonus! Setting up an online business as the “Hook-Up Doctor,” Sebastian does just that – guaranteeing that he can provide a hook-up, but never promising a happily-ever-after. When he suddenly starts falling for his best friend Aspen, however, Sebastian discovers that there’s more to girls and boys than hooking up, and love might be just what the doctor ordered.

Told from Sebastian’s first-person POV, What A Boy Wants is a fast and entertaining read. I thoroughly enjoyed this teen who loves his mom, cares deeply for his friends, and is absolutely terrified of love. Sebastian is completely confident in his looks and skills, until he suddenly finds himself looking at his best friend Aspen in a whole new light. Then he turns into just as much of a mess as the rest of us. I loved the fact that he generally put others first; he even made sure that any girls he was trying to hook up with knew he wasn’t a forever kind of guy because he didn’t want them hurt like his mom was after four marriages and several relationships went south. I found myself sympathizing with him as his world was rocked by Aspen, his skills fell apart, and he suddenly became another teenage boy making some major relationship mistakes as he struggled with a situation completely outside his comfort zone.

Aspen was just as great as Sebastian. She is the girl next door who is smart, doesn’t put up with his crap, and is willing to put her heart out there. Just as confident as Sebastian in her own way, Aspen knows who she is, what she wants, and how she should be treated. Quiet, but not shy, Aspen was a nice counterpoint to Sebastian and seemed to be the rock he needed in a relationship.

Sebastian and Aspen weren’t the only characters I loved; ALL the characters are extremely likable. Sebastian’s mom still holds out hope for love even after all her failed relationships, and feels the pain was worth it when she finally finds Mr. Right. Sebastian’s and Aspen’s other friends, Jaden and Pris, argue constantly but seem to love each other – even if they don’t realize it yet. Even the girl Sebastian tries to hook up with at a party, Crystal, is a nice girl who is having relationship problems of her own. There are no deep dark secrets revealed in this book (although Jaden definitely has some issues that will be explored in book two); these are just good kids who look out for each other and happen to be discovering they love each other more than they expected to.

Speaking of looking out for each other, I thought it was wonderful the way Sebastian, Jaden, Aspen and Pris always had a PPP (pre-party plan) that laid out who could drink and who would drive, how many drinks were allowed, and check-in times throughout the night so that they could leave if any of them weren’t having a good time. If teens and young adults set up a support system like this one for each other in the real world, I think there would be a lot less regret the morning after. Dare to dream, right?

Author Nyrae Dawn is self-published, so there are some editing errors here and there, but overall they are minimal. This is not her first novel and it shows; she writes with confidence and energy, injecting plenty of humor into the story. I laughed out loud several times, and found myself smiling even more. Everything flows nicely, and Sebastian’s head is a very comfortable place to be. While there is not a lot of depth to the story, there doesn’t need to be; this is pure entertainment that makes you feel good and fondly recall the stress and joy of that first love that knocked you off your feet. If only it was with someone as caring as Sebastian.

What A Boy Wants by Nyrae Dawn is a wonderfully entertaining story with likable characters, a fast pace, and plenty of humor. Like a young adult version of the movie "Hitch," this story features a confident boy who has the skills to hook up others in relationships while making a mess of his own love life. The Hook-Up Doctor is in – and he’ll charm your socks off. ( )