Review: Wanted it to be better
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 9, 2013
A runaway train. That is the only way for me to describe this story. This is a spinoff about the extremely broken character of Rhye that we met in Ruining You and Ruining Me.  Rhye knows how to love. We saw how he loved Jay in the other books and how he gave up fighting for her so that she could be happy. He is packed with a ton of emotional baggage because of the past and because of recent events in the present. He is the quintessential bad boy rock star! SEX, DRUGS, ROCK AND ROLL.I will put emphasis on the drugs. Now that you know or remember hell, let me introduce you to heaven. Her name is Syn, sweet wholesome virginal country star. I think you all get it now. She is all that but a bit Alpha female and I like it on her. Opposites attract, the angel trying to save the soul of the sinner.  Syn immediately falls for Rhye when she meets him.I really wanted to love this story, but I am not sure if I can say I liked it or not. I am in a mindset that the author may have wanted it that way. Not all stories can be hearts and flowers and magically everything is ok in life because you fall in love and love heals everyone. I give kudos to the author for taking the story in the direction that she did. Nicole Reed wrote this story with some realistic truths. On the other hand I felt parts were not real at all. Drug addicts thrive on people believing them and manipulating their loved ones. In turn, family and friends become enablers and that is not what will help the addict. Syn believes that she should fight for their love and stick by him no matter what.  Heroin addicts don’t just go cold turkey and get clean on their own. Rhye falls off the wagon a few times; Syn leaves him, but comes back again.I have to say, I did not connect with these characters in any possible way, and I just did not find her love for him believable. On the other hand, Rhye’s character I felt was real; I just did not fall in love with him. I felt bad for him at times; it was impossible not to feel bad for him. I did not get the closure on Rhye’s demons that he was trying to purge even though the story tried to do it.Now did this review confuse you, did it feel contradictory? You are probably shaking your head yes right now. Well that is how I felt by the time I finished.