Whatever It Takes (Bad Reputation Duet)

Willow and Garrison… gah! This is one of those stories I’ve wanted for forever. I am the biggest ‘Addicted’ fan. It’s my favorite series ever and Lily and Loren Hale are my #1 favorite book couple. So it’s a given I’d want to read Lo’s sister Willow’s story. This one gave me so many feels and kept me on the edge of my seat. I absolutely love the bad boy/good girl troupe and I can’t wait to get to part 2!Whatever It Takes is told in alternating past and present chapters and follows the POV of both Willow and Garrison. The past chapters show Garrison when he is at his lowest. The Garrison we first met in the ‘Addicted’ series. He was a delinquent with an unsavory home life who could relate to Loren Hale in ways he never imagined. Willow has just found out she’s Loren Hale’s sister and goes to Philly to find him.It’s clear that Loren Hale changed both of their lives for the better. For their senior year of high school, Willow and Garrison become friends. They’re going to the same school and Willow becomes Garrison’s girl. Oh the 'My Girl’ references had me swooning. I loved these past chapters so much. Watching these two go from friends to more was great, and it was the most delicious slow burn.The present chapters take place when Willow is in college overseas and Garrison is still in Philly working with Conner Cobalt. Things aren’t easy for them being apart, but they are willing to do the long distance thing. They love each other and want to make it work no matter what. Garrison knows how much easier it is for Willow outside of Philly. She’s not hounded like she is in the states. Being Lo’s sister comes with a lot of media attention.I never grow tired of the bad boy/damaged boy finding the girl who helps heal him. It is one of those story lines I devour. Garrison Abbey is my kind of hero. I loved him. I loved how much he loved Willow and did whatever he could to make her happy. Some of his story was hard to read about, but it’s a good thing that he got away from his family and now has the Hale’s. Plus… Loren Hale! I know he’s mentioned like 20 times in this review, but as my favorite book boyfriend, it bears repeating that we get lots of Lo in this book!My heart is so full right now. This story hooked me from the start and never let go. It’s part 1 of a duet and there is a bit of a cliffhanger, but nothing too awful. And lets be honest, if you’ve read the ‘Addicted’ series, you know how Willow & Garrison end, you just don’t know how they get there. I can’t wait to find out. Krista & Becca Ritchie wrote another amazing book with Whatever it Takes. It’s got so much heart and I couldn’t have loved it more!

Pros:* Garrison and Willow are so freaking perfect and soft together and I loved it.* I also loved how even though Willow is anxious and awkward about sex, we see that she wants it and craves it. I feel like so much of her self-esteem, confidence issues stems from physical touch and how she has never really had any of that in any form her entire life and so in many ways it affects her relationships with the people around her. She definitely still needs to grow into herself when it comes to feeling comfortable about sex since she won’t/feels to anxious to even touch Garrison but I think that will come to her as they are more physical together and also she becomes more comfortable with herself and is able to stop overthinking everything to such a degree that she freezes the moment she touches him.* I love that Willow had friends in London and that through that we got some great diversity! POC characters and two female gay characters(not specified in the book whether either of them are lesbian, bisexual, etc) that are in a super cute relationship together! I loved Willow's life in London I really wish we got more of it and I wish that Garrison could be a part of it (even though I know that's not how their love story went but I wish he could be a part of it because she's living an amazing life over there and it made me so happy seeing her come out of her shell).* I love the juxtaposition between Willow and Garrison’s lives throughout the book. It was really heartbreaking seeing how sad and alone Garrison feels and how Willow feels the same but yet they are handling it in two different ways. Garrison is really struggling with life at this point and he’s so focused on not ruining Willow’s life or chances in London that it’s kinda putting a gap in their relationship. Garrison’s self-loathing for himself is heart-breaking and I can only hope we see an extensive character arc for him in the next book.This book was sooo short. Like, depressingly short. I could not believe that it was over when I’d only started reading like 3 hours ago. It felt like I’d just started and didn’t even get into the meat of the story and it was over. Which ok, I know it’s a duology but this felt different. It felt like there needed to be more in book one because it ended when there could’ve been more development, more substance so that readers are getting more background and more from their present day. When I think about it, nothing really happened in this book. We barely scratched the surface on how they first met and went from strangers to friends to more. In fact from the past chapters we were just getting to them being friends. I just think about people who may go into this and not know anything about this world and I truly cannot see them enjoying this book the way I or anyone who has read their previous series would.*I wish that there weren't "past" and "present" chapters and that it wasn't the way it was set up. Now to be fair, I don't typically like books that go back and forth to begin with but with this one I couldn't help but think it would've been better to the overall story and help it feel more cohesive if the first book focused on their high school years and leading up to London and then the second book was London plus everything after. The past chapters didn't really connect with what was going on in the present and so it just kept taking me out of what was happening in the previous chapter.* I’m really worried that the next book won’t be long enough to give us EVERYTHING we’ve been waiting for. This book was just so short and only covers a few months when I was hoping we’d at least get 4 years of their relationship in college and if we don’t get that and everything that comes with it (the development of Garrison’s character as well as Willow becoming more confident in who she is, etc) I’m going to be seriously disappointed. There were so many scenes that I've been waiting years to read in their POV not to mention so many little questions and curiosities I've had about their relationship and I'm really worried I won't get all the scenes I wanted. This doesn't really play a part in my rating, per se but it does play into why I feel like this book could've been longer because this is like maybeeee20% of their story and we only have one book left to get the other 80% of their romance and...yeah. I'm worried.I really am so happy that I read this and I'm so happy that we finally got Garrison and Willow's book. And I definitely can't wait to read the second part of their love story!

I loved Addicted series and Calloway sisters was good too but I was afraid to read this one because I've heard bad things about the second generations and I was afraid Krista and Becca Ritchie would disappoint with this one.You know how I usually complain about flashbacks in books? I actually loved them in Whatever It Takes even if I already knew some of them from reading Calloway Sisters. I was just so happy to see how Willow and Garrison became friends and hopefully i the next book we will see what made them become more.Whatever It Takes broke my heart a little bit. Garrison and Willow are trying their best to make their long distant relationship work and Garrison especially is taking it hard. Willow has her studies and he has his work to distract them but Willow also has her new friends.I feel so bad for Garrison and he deserves better family. He did a lot of messed up things in the past but he's changed and I just want him to be happy. Willow's "original" family wasn't that great either but at least she has core six now (I didn't really know how to explain her brothers, their wives, Rose and Connor) but Garrison doesn't really let anyone besides Willow get close to him.I lived for all the TV show mentions! On Tree Hill quote before the first chapter, Supernatural being Garrison's favorite show and even comparing Salvatore's name to the brothers in The Vampire Diaries. I'm sure that's how everyone who actually read comics react when all the characters in the universe talk about them.I'm not usually all there for friends to lovers trope but after Addicted series I knew I wouldn't be disappointed, especially after finishing Some Kind of Perfect and falling for these two.  I don't know what it's about good girl/ bad boy trope I love so much. I loved that Willow's this bookish and quiet person (which I can totally relate to!) and Garrison is misunderstood. Despite this Willow and Garrison understand each other better than probably no one could.

This spin off series does not disappoint. The writing is fantastic as always. So many characters provided by Krista and Becca, and they all have different personalities and stories. It’s not the typical different character same story boring spin off. I go out of my way to get any extras provided by these authors. I read the story on Watt pad and couldn’t get enough! So glad it’s being published! Thanks ladies you are amazing!!

I devoured this book. I loved it. I'm a huge fan of the Addicted series and the Calloway sisters books. I have struggled with the novels about the offspring but I loved this one. Perfect characters. Perfect balance of ups and downs. Cannot recommend enough!

a few years ago i loved reading the first chapters of willow and garrison story and it felt good to be reunited with them. they are still the same emotional characters who go theough life with fear, hurt but honesty and the will to be better, to be deserving of love, to be worth it. the last chapter left you hanging and hope that these two will finally find the peace and the quiet they deserve.

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.This book and every book these authors write, will be 5 star reads for me.Call me biased. 🤷‍♀️If you’re familiar with the books these authors have written, you will know they are geniuses with their words/stories/characters. If you’re on the fence, I’m hoping this pushes you to take the leap, read the duet. You will not regret it because these books are life.Willow is a shy girl from a small town, living an ordinary life with her mum, dad and little sister. She has a brief yet weird brush with a international celebrity; Loren Hale. He unknowingly, changes her life in small ways and shapes her interest for all things marvel and comics.When things hit the roof in her quiet life, she learns Loren Hale, is actually her long lost half brother. She sets out on a journey, to not only meet him, but hopefully be a part of his life.Willow meets Garrison, the rich troubled kid who lives in the same gated community of said brother. When they both get jobs at super hero and scones, Lily and Loren Hales comic book store, friendships are formed.Garrison has issues, a lot of them. He’s constantly screwing up, disappointing his parents, his brothers, himself. But when he meets willow, she changes his outlook on life.They become friends, helping each other out, growing closer and closer.It isn’t easy, he has to deal with abusive brothers, ignorant parents, an uncertain future, celebrities and a girl who wants to be her own person but wants to love whole heartedly.I don’t want to re tell the whole story. All I’ll say is, this book is different for two reasons.1. Garrison and willow, two people who couldn’t be any different, aren’t typical teenagers. Trying to navigate life, Garrison isn’t a bully and never treats willow like she’s below him, if anything, he treats her like she’s his redemption for all the bad things he’s done in life. Which for me, is really important. He’s never arrogant and takes his time, getting to know her, and goes at her pace. He respects the heck out of her. Willow always treats Garrison like he’s a somebody and never makes him feel like he’s a bother or she doesn’t enjoy his company.2. The writing style is awesome. Getting flash backs to their high school years, and their current timeline, not only made reading the books enjoyable, but showed their character development perfectly. Also getting glimpse and snippets of the core 6 made my heart happy.All in all, Garrison and Willow have without a doubt, been added to my list of favourite characters. Would 100% recommend. ♥️