Review: Everything I could Have Hoped for in the Sequel!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 22, 2014
I have been waiting for a sequel to V is for Virgin for what seems like forever, and when Kelly Oram announced there would be a vote as to which of her "heroes" was getting a sequel, I knew Kyle Hamilton was The One. Ladies (and gents) if you haven't read V is for Virgin, then this review is probably going to spoil some of it, but I'll try my best not to spoil much. I absolute loved V is for Virgin--the storyline, the characters, the obnoxious, maddeningly-sexy mess that is Kyle Hamilton--I loved it all! And with the ambiguous ending to V, I was just dying to know more about Val and Kyle's story.A is for Abstinence is told completely in Kyle's POV, and while I certainly missed Val's narrative, I truly got to know the infuriating mess that is Kyle Hamilton. Picking up a couple of months before the epilogue in V, A is for Abstinence gives us an inside look into everything that went down with Kyle's relationship, and ultimately, what set his new "journey" in motion. Val Jensen has always been the one that got away, and once Kyle starts thinking about what could have been, he becomes determined to win her back, no matter the cost.Like Val, I always had a soft spot for Kyle, and the sequel, I'm able to really get to know him. It's pretty clear to everyone around Kyle that he's been in love with Val from the moment he first met her, and it takes him a long time to truly understand the reasons that drove Val to abstain from sex. Val's choices and her beliefs were the main issues in V is for Virgin, and they're recurring the second time around. This time, however, Kyle knows that if he wants a future with Val, he has to be willing to wait for her.It was such a treat to see all these characters I loved from the first book make an appearance this time around--Cara, Shane, Robin, etc.--and I'm happy that Val and Cara are able to slowly repair their friendship. I always found V's ending bittersweet, not just because it's never clearly defined that Val and Kyle end up together, but because Val and Cara's friendship had taken a big hit after that final Tralse (Kyle's band) concert. Despite the story happening through Kyle's eyes, we get to see Val and Cara take those first steps in becoming friends once more.A is for Abstinence was everything I was hoping for: sweet, funny, heartfelt, and final. Val and Kyle get their happy ending, and I couldn't have asked for more. While the sequel could be categorized as New Adult--after all, Kyle and Val are well into their 20's--the romance is still mild. But in true Kyle Hamilton fashion, it's certainly present and sensual. If you haven't read V is for Virgin, I would definitely advise you to do so because a lot of the backstory is lost otherwise. If you have read V, then A is for Abstinence should be next in your TBR pile!