The Failing Hours: How to Date a Douchebag

I never knew I wanted a douchebag! Well, I would if he could be like Zeke. This is a good girl turns rough, douchebag into a sentimental sweetheart story. Violet is a smart and kind young woman. Zeke is a big bear with a thorn in his paw. Violet removes thorn...HEA. (Sigh).

And I love Violet. I love the flawed, healing characters and the way they fit together. I loved that Violet wasn't the girl that lets a guy treat her badly, making excuses about how she is ok with whatever scraps he's willing to give. Nope. Violet knew what she wanted and what she was worth and made Zeke man up. This book was amazing. I finished it too fast. I hope Elliott gets a book too!

Sometimes when reading a book (very rarely) I think too myself "how can someone make you fall I love with a character in a book with just words on paper"? That is an amazing gift. Zeke and Violet have chemistry from the get go.

Loved it. I bought this book ($3.99) before reading the sample which is rare for me, but I took a chance and was not disappointed.

I am nervous about what the heroine in the next book is going to be like since I really liked the heroines from the first two books.

I thought the first book was awesome so I preordered this one. Omg this was even better! I loved Zeke so much and Violet was so likeable. Loved how their relationship built slowly. It was so endearing the way Zeke fell for her. You need to read this one. Loved it????

I loved this book! It was the perfect lighter and funnier weekend read! The Failing Hours is book 2 in the How to Date a Douchebag series. Although it can be read as a standalone, it would be best enjoyed after reading book 1, since previous characters appear and it gives a little more insight into the journey of our hero, Zeke.

Zeke was not your typical hero. At times, he said all the wrong things and made some absolutely terrible decisions, but as the story progressed, readers got to see the more vulnerable and lovable side of him. Watching him go from grade A douchebag to (let's face it) moderately less douchebag was awesome. He is broken, guarded, and standoffish, but deep down his intentions are so sweet that I couldn't help falling for him. Honestly, I enjoyed this book more than the first because of Zeke. He is described as a manwhore, but I liked that there was no other women drama and no scenes to add to this reputation. The glimpse of the items in his room and most of his interactions with Kyle, Summer, and Violet paint a much different picture than the jerk everyone thinks he is. Neither him or Violet are perfect, but I loved their opposites attract chemistry and what they brought out in each other. Yes, there is the inevitable push and pull, but it was the perfect emotional gut punch that was needed. I was definitely rooting for them to find their HEA.

I'm excited to read the final book in the series, The Learning Hours, next and hopefully get a few glimpses into the futures of our resident douchebags. It was fun to see Oz and James from book 1 again in The Failing Hours, and I hope to see more of them along with Zeke and Violet in book 3!

Zeke Daniels is definitely a douchebag, no question. But as the story unfolded, I found myself wanting to be able to see him let himself love and be loved back. As each layer of Zeke's personality comes to light, you can't help but love this douchebag. Definitely worth the read!

These books! Sara Ney writes heroines you want to be friends with and root for. These books are Fun the writing is excellent and effortless. She makes dating a douchebag seem like a really great idea.
These are definitely in my Re-Read category

Wow, really loved this book. Zeke was a total douchebag but even douchebags can change. Violet was awesome. She had a rough childhood but still managed to see the good things in life. This is a definite must read. Won't be disappointed.

This was a great story with great characters. It flowed nicely without rushing the story. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author! Read it and you won't regret the time spent.

I love this series! The dialogue and interaction between the characters never feels forced or made up. Some parts make me laugh out loud and the sex is so freaking HOT! Sara Ney is one of my favorite authors!

Sara Ney has done it again! Her writing is phenomenal and the way she brings her characters- even big douchebags like Zeke- alive is amazing! I didn't think I could love a book more than the first one, but she has truly outdone herself! Read it now, you won't be disappointed!

God, I loved this story! Sara is an amazing storyteller. Zeke is the biggest douchebag and Violet gets under his skin like no one has ever done. ALL THE FEELS!! Just read it! You will not be disappointed.

I had picked this book up through the Kindle Unlimited to try out. I'm not eloquent enough to explain what happens in the book but long story short, if you read the first one and enjoyed it (which I did and went through the same Kindle Unlimited to purchasing it to keep deal) you're in for a good ride.

This book was hilarious, just as good as the first one. Hopefully theres another!!! I love this series, cant wait to read a book about elliot! Loved zeke and vi! Their story is the perfect amount of sweet and vulgar!!!!

I loved the first book. Looked every week, then every day for the second book. It was worth every look! I loved it. Zeke was just what he should have been. Violet was awesome. Hope there are more douchebag books coming. :)

Disappointed. Story started off good and I had high hopes for this story. And it got so many 5 star reviews. But it got boring. All it was about was what a jerk the guy was...because he has parent issues. Not very creative. And of course the girl was this sweet, mousy, innocent girlie with a heart of gold who changes his whole world. I've read this story too many times before just under different book titles. It got too predictable and I was getting annoyed while reading it. It became almost a cliché read.

UNFORGETTABLE GOODNESS!!!!! That what this is.... UNFORGETTABLE. GOODNESS. IN EVERY WAY. God, it was just EVERYTHING. Everything I could want from a book and so much more.

Sara Ney's D-bags are my new addiction! I just can't get enough. I am OBSESSED with these boys. They are ALL THE THINGS that are right in NA romance. This series (of standalone novels) has captured my attention and held it. And these characters are so special and important to me! There's something magical about them! Something that sets them apart from the rest. I am completely giddy over Zeke and Violet. I ADORED the way their story was told. The slow burn, sizzling and enthralling romance that unfurled was heartwarming and luscious, leaving me completely breathless. I can honestly say that I am whole-heatedly smitten with these books -- both Oz and Zeke's. And I can't recommend them enough. Decadent and delicious, heartfelt and absolutely intoxicating, this is NA romance at its best.

Zeke Daniels is a d-bag -- an utter a**hole who will literally have you wincing at his biting remarks. Zeke's harsh and cold exterior is ticking off a lot of people, and he seems to be in need of a major attitude adjustment. Lucky for him, his wrestling coach has just the thing to set him straight. And Zeke doesn't like that at ALL.

Violet is a happy-go-lucky girl who, despite having a bad hand in life, is working hard to make something of herself. She's warm and sweet and always ready to lend a helping hand when someone needs it. But when Violet meets Zeke she's intimidated and not impressed. And that leads her to do something that had me laughing out loud.

These two are so charming. My heart beat fast and my hands got sweaty from the butterflies that were taking over my belly. Zeke is a tough guy who is not easy to crack and watching Violet soften him, open him up, and mold him into a man who can make himself vulnerable was so sweet. It had me aching and swooning at the same time.

Honestly, I'm in love with everything about this book and these characters. Zeke and Violet are complete opposites. She's the jelly to his peanut butter, the chocolate to his pretzel (LMAO. Go with me here... chocolate and pretzels go together but still seem opposite (ish) ;p ) **hahahahahaha**

It was so refreshing! Refreshing to read NA Sports Romance with pure heart (and it's steamy too which takes this story to another level all together). Gosh, Sara Ney just knows how to write characters who feel real and authentic. Their emotions easily become your emotions and the story is a tangible thing--you'll close your eyes, see it, feel it and live it. It's invigorating. A romance that's a feast for your senses. And I was totally seduced.

I'm sort of speechless. Truly. This was ANOTHER LEVEL. And to be honest, I've been just sitting on this review, not really knowing what to say to do this book justice. I just ...

I want you to read it.

I've been passionately screaming it to anyone who will listen and I will continue to do so. It's one of my fav reads of the year and I can't recommend it highly enough.

My name is Eliza, and I’m hopelessly addicted to d-baggery. Don’t try to reform me; I’m perfectly happy as I am. With every hit of this series Sara Ney cements herself as my dealer, and I, an addict to her a-hole hero peddling wares.

The Studying Hours was my first read of the year, and if you’ve read it, not so surprising 5 star read of the year also. Of course I could barely contain myself with the unfettered excitement that came with the news of Zeke’s book. In the interest of full disclosure, I could not stand him. He seemed to have a chip bigger than his ego on his shoulder, and for the life of me I could not understand how anyone could tolerate him.

However post reading TFH, I won’t hear a word said against him. Yes, he it’s true; he was bigger d-bag than OZ. It’s also true; he said the wrong thing 90% of the time. He was moody and ungrateful and an all-around pain in the behind.

Beneath his douchey exterior is a kind, giving soul so hurt by his past, his default is to lash out. It’s a redemptive story that would not be made possible without our amazing heroine, Violet. She’s a quiet, gentle character whose world is thrown awry by Zeke’s entrance in it. In tutoring Zeke she teaches him more than he bargained for in more ways than one, which he makes clear he does not appreciate.

Although an unassuming character, Vi makes a huge impact on Zeke. She deserves a medal for putting up with him, but don’t be fooled, she puts him through his paces too. It’s a hilarious laugh out loud journey and I honest to god loved every minute of it. The emotional aspect was one that I did not expect, but it brought dimension to the story and further endeared me to both of them.

I’m desperately awaiting my next fix, and can only imagine what Sara Ney has up her sleeve to topple a d-bag like Zeke.

How to Date a Douchebag: The Failing Hours by Sara Ney.

The Failing Hours is the story of Zeke (obviously) and his tutor Violet - the very same tutor who stood him up in one of the first scenes of The Studying Hours.

Surprise, surprise. Zeke has been pissing a whole lot of people off, not the least of which is his wrestling coach who decides that if Zeke wants to stay on the team, he's going to have to put some time and effort into a mentoring program for younger and mainly underprivileged children. Now let me just say, Zeke is as far away from warm and fuzzy as you can get so the idea of him mentoring and being a Big Brother to a young and impressionable child is beyond laughable. He takes the 'chore' on with as little grace as possible and it was so fitting watching him deal with a younger version of himself, attitude and all. While Zeke and Violet meet per his tutoring requirements, they further develop a friendship of sorts when they bump into each other on his first Big Brother outing.

Zeke comes across as such a hateful person who doesn't care about anyone but himself. He has no family to speak of and he even keeps his friends - if you can call them that - at a far-off distance. He doesn't do relationships, doesn't do attachments, and he certainly doesn't do girlfriends. His treatment of Violet was at times cringe-worthy and once I understood why he was the way he was, I really wanted so much more for him. He had so much heart and generosity in him, but refused to allow anyone any glimpse of that in order to protect himself.

Violet is such a beautiful person. She's an orphan and hasn't seen the small family she has remaining due to financial costs. Essentially, her roommates are her best friends as well as her family. Everything instinct of hers is to give, give, give and she does, with all her heart: whether it's baby sitting, helping a friend in need, or helping someone see their true worth. For all of this, for all her understanding of Zeke and his temperament, she was far from a pushover. She knew her limits of tolerance and wasn't about to let anyone push her beyond those. She was honestly the perfect match for Zeke.

I was so apprehensive about this book, given what we knew of Zeke in book one: he was mean, he was nasty, he was a douchebag of the first degree and I honestly, I didn't think he was redeemable. To say the least, Ney had her work cut out for her buttttt she came through with brilliantly flying colors! The Failing Hours doesn't have the same humor we experienced in The Studying Hours and THAT'S OK! There was still some snorts and smiles throughout but it wasn't the laugh out loud comedy of its predecessor and that's a fact that I'm glad about. This book and these characters have a different story to tell and it's not always a pleasant one: this was intense and sweet and utterly enthralling and an absolutely perfect story for the douchiest of all. I think Ney was true to the characters with the way the book played out and I commend her for it. While this book is a standalone, I'd still suggest you read book one first so you can get a better knowledge of how much of a douchebag Zeke can be. Plus I loved Oz & James so I'm a tad biased!

*Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.

4.5 "Reformed" Stars

Can a irredeemable character ever truly be redeemed? If you're Sara Ney writing The Failing Hours, then yes, absolutely. Zeke was the epitome of horrible in the first book of the series. He was perfectly terrible and it was hard to imagine anyone breaking down that mile high wall around him. But Violet, with her unassuming strength, was the perfect match for the perfect villain.

The Failing Hours is a standalone in the How to Date a Douchebag series. I would suggest reading The Studying Hours first to get a fuller picture of Zeke and some of the side characters, but that's just my humble opinion since I really, really liked book 1. Zeke is a wrestling star with a huge chip on his shoulder. He'll tell you that no one likes him (which is true) and that he doesn't care (which is also true, at least for a while). Then he meets his tutor Violet. She isn't his type, if he had one. But there is just something about her that he can't forget and as they forge an uneasy alliance in the name of helping each other out of a bind, the time they spend together shows each of the them a side to the other they least expected. But with such ingrained horribleness, Zeke isn't used to considering other people. Yet Violet makes him want to, if only he'd allow himself the privilege.

I was hooked from page one. I was so excited when this hit my Kindle that once I started reading, I didn't stop until I was done. I felt every emotion while reading this story and I both loved and loathed Zeke at different times. But Sara Ney has a knack from writing real characters that make sense and make it impossible to hate. The more I learned about Violet and Zeke, the more I fell for them and the more I got frustrated with them. Yet every time, Ms. Ney brought me back from the ledge and made my heart smile. I loved learning about these two. I loved watching them grow. And I can't wait for more.

I am so pleased that I discovered this author because this series is shaping up to be one of my favourite sports romances, containing a kryptonite of mine - douchey but loveable heroes.

Zeke is a big fat grump, he is rude to everyone and moody as hell, but you know how it goes - he is misunderstood! I loved him and I'm not going to lie, he did push my boundaries a little bit, he was so mean and defensive all the time. But..he was hard not to love, he just needed a big cuddle, and Violet was just the woman for the job.

Our heroine in this story is the complete opposite of Zeke, she is quiet, has a stutter, and is full of sunshine and rainbows wherever she goes, she oozes happy thoughts and is the sweetest little thing. Don't let that fool you though, she has had it tough, just like Zeke has, and they find that they have a lot more in common than they first realise.

She was not a pushover that's for sure and I thought she did a fantastic job bringing our guy into line.

If you haven't started this series yet, DO IT. Contains hot douchey guys who compete in the college wrestling league - and heroine's with endearing personalities. Slow burning romance. Bad guys who fall hard. What's not to love?

Eagerly anticipating more to come in this series.

The Failing Hours is a standalone new adult romance, told from dual POV's.