Review: Fantastic romance novel
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 8, 2013
What a fantastic love story. This book really skirted several categories of genre. When I first started it, I was a bit worried it would be a dry YA read. It starts out with the story of Rowan- the stringy hair dirty trailer park kid that lost her mom in a car accident and now lives with her drunken abusive father. She befriends Sara, who comes from an intact, well-to-do family..... Sara's family pseudo-adopts Rowan. She spends the night with Sara whenever she knows Dad is at the bar and will likely come home swinging his fist. Sara's parents even go so far as to pay her dance classes she takes with their daughter when her dad's checks bounce. Enter Logan, Sara's 7 year older brother. Rowan has always cared for him equally as family..... Until the night she's beaten by her father and Logan answers her call to the family home. Logan drops everything and picks up bruised and emotionally broken Rowan and takes her back to his apartment.How can Row go back to that hell hole she lives in? Why won't she let him call the police? Because she knows she will be sent to foster care. They compromise- when dad hits the bar, Rowan stays with Logan. Nobody needs to know. It's the only way. Time passes, Row gradually spends more and more nights with Logan. Feelings grow. Logan refuses to take Rowan's innocence. He's got a job waiting for him in Denver as soon as he graduates. He won't be " that guy." She deserves better.Gah! This damn book left ME sexually frustrated. Lord son......There was oodles of sexual scenes without penetration. Logan stood firm. Rowan begged him. But they did everything else. Boy they did everything else.This is where categorizing the genre of this book is murky. It seemed like total YA, then went to more contemporary romance.....boarding on erotica. Some of the more erotic scenes almost didn't fit for me since the story started out so sweet and lovey.... and her being only 18. I got over it. The book was fantastic I loved Logan for his never ending protection of Rowan, the girl who had nobody. As frustrating as it was with his abstinence, I so loved his maturity and respect for all things Rowan. He cherished her. He protected her. When the day finally came and he finally took her virginity, it was that much sweeter. What a fantastic love story.