Jenna's Monsters is the prequel to the Woods Lake series. It tells Marco & Jenna's history told through a collection of Marco's memories. Marco was sixteen when he met Jenna. At the time, she was his best friend's little sister. Over the years, their relationship changed. They saw each other through their best and worst moments. No longer just his friend's sister, she's his best friend, and the person he promised he'd always protect. Jenna's Monsters takes place prior to the start of the series and is told from Marco's perspective. It is written to be a companion to the series and does not need to be read in order to enjoy the series.

In book one of the Woods Lake series, we meet Marco and Jenna. Each book within the series can be read as a standalone novel, but you get the most from the series if you read it in order. 10 years ago Jenna's life changed forever when she watched her brother Ricky die in a race accident. No longer the outgoing party girl who spends her weekends racing the quarter mile strip, she spends her days battling anxiety and tries to just get by. The nightmares still come and the only person who has ever been able to save her from the nightmares in her dreams and the nightmares in her reality is Marco. When she was 12 and he was 16, he was her brother's best friend. When Ricky died four-years later, Marco become her protector. Now 14 years later, they have been debating the should we or shouldn't we and have to decide if their friendship can survive the relationship they both crave. Marco has loved Jenna since he was 16 and she was 12. When Ricky died, his mom had Jenna move into their house because she had nowhere else safe to be. Marco held her every night when the nightmares came for the next year. The friendship has always felt like it was destined to be more than just a friendship, but the timing was never right. Can their 14 year friendship survive the relationship trial he asks her for? Will this week long trial be what they need to finally make things work or will they lose each other in the process? “I’m scared. Okay! I’m so scared. I’m scared that I won’t live up to the expectation that you have built up in your mind or that I won’t be what you want after a while. Mostly I’m scared that if this blows up, then I lose you and I don’t think I can survive losing you. Nothing good ever lasts in my life. I can’t lose you. I won’t survive it.” “Babe, you’re not going to lose me. You and me, we are forever. I made that decision the first night I held you through the nightmares. I’m good and I’ve lasted fourteen years. I’ve loved you for all of those fourteen years. I loved you when I shouldn’t have loved you. I loved you through the good times and the bad time... I held you every night while you slept for almost a year after Ricky died. What else do you need from me to show you that I’m not going anywhere? I’ll give it to you right now. I have no expectations built up in my mind. I don’t want anything from you except you... I want you to let me love you the way you deserve to be loved every day. Those are my expectations. Yesterday you told me you were in. Completely in. Now that you know all my expectations, are you still in?” His hands were on each side of my hips. He hadn’t broken eye contact since he started talking. I leaned in and kissed him. I spread my knees apart and wrapped them around his waist drawing him into me. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he said when he pulled away. . . . . . “We’ve talked about what happens if I decide I don’t want this to continue after the week. We go back to what we were before and file it away as now we know if we should or shouldn’t. We haven’t talked about what happens if I decide I’m in and you decide that this isn’t working for you the way you thought it would and you want things back to how they were.” “Not going to happen, that’s why we haven’t talked about it. There’s nothing to talk about. It’s always been you. I couldn’t act on it because you were too young and by the time you were legal, you lived across the hall from me.” . . . “I can’t lose you Marco. I don’t know how to not have you in my life. I can’t lose you.” He softly spoke into my ear. “You’ll never lose me. Let’s just see what happens this weekend and next week and go from there. Pretend to be my girlfriend and get an idea of what it would be like to be my girlfriend and then you can decide. If you decide it won’t work or you don’t want to, you’ll still have me, and we will both have the answer to the question of ‘should we or shouldn’t we’ so we can move on.”

The books in the Woods Lake series can be read as a complete standalone novel, but you will get the most out of the books if you read them in chronological order. This will give you the background of the characters and the history of the linked friendships and relationships. Jesse - 28; mechanic; self-proclaimed "not a relationship guy"; described by others as "a fun for a weekend guy not a relationship guy.” Lexie - 22; art teacher; recently out of a relationship and has sworn off dating and men. After finding out that they both like pizza, poker, swimming, and video games; they decide to be friends. When Lexie's ex shows up and she needs a place to stay, Jesse offers his guestroom for a week until he knows her apartment is safe to return to. By the end of the week, Jesse may not want Lexie to leave, but he's not sure she would want to stay. . . . . I was always the weird art girl that never fit in because I’m super shy, would rather being reading or painting, and there were exactly zero art classes offered all through school.” “Since when are you shy?” “Since forever.” “But you’re talking to me and telling me everything.” “I’ve literally known you my entire life. It’s different." . . . “You need to come hang here. It’s a small town. You’ll see people you know.” We both reached for pretzels again and laughed as I pulled my hand back so she could grab first. I took a sip from my beer and then grabbed a couple pretzels. “Not really my scene. I do it when I get dragged out, but I’m more a small get together person. I’m a total nerd Jesse. Backyard BBQs, pool hangouts, poker, or video games. That’s more my speed.” “If you tell me you know how to cook, you might just change my mind about my opinions on relationships. I love barbecues, pool hangouts, poker, and I’m a video game nerd.” She squinted her eyes together a bit. “What’s that face?” She smiled. “I’ve just been warned and heard stories about your opinion on relationships.” “It’s not something I hide. I don’t do relationships. I have no interest in getting married or having kids. I’m honest about that from the start. I’m a fun guy for a weekend, or a week, or few weeks at most. Then girls move on because they realize I was serious when I said I don’t do relationships.” “At least you’re honest about it and don’t hide it.” There was a hurt in her eyes when she said it. “I’m a firm believer in what you see is what you get and with me you get someone to hang out and do things with and have the freedom to walk away anytime because I’m not looking for a commitment.” I reached across the table and touched her hand. “I don’t know what he did Lexie, but if he let you walk away or pushed you away, it’s his loss.” . . . “Where have you been all my life? You play video games. You can kick my ass swimming. You like poker. You like pizza and beer and you eat brownies from the pan.” “All of that describes a friend. That’s where I’ve been, in the friend zone, and since you don’t do relationships and I only end up with assholes so I’m swearing off men, I think we have potential to become good friends.” . . . I like coming home to her. Shit. I’m so screwed. I don’t want her to leave, but what if she doesn’t want to stay? What if I’m just a good distraction from what she went through with Kyle?