Review: Likable characters and mostly enjoyable book. I felt the ending was rushed and the relationship lacked depth though.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 26, 2014
Review for Ramblings From This Chick. ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.comI have never read a book by Heather London before, but I thought that the blurb for this one really sounded interesting and I loved the cover. I had some mixed feelings with this story, and while there were things that I liked there were also things that just didn't work for me. I think that this story is one that a lot of people will like though, and even though there were things I didn't care for I was interested enough to stick with it. Once I had started, I really wanted to see how everything played out. The Hardest Part was a quick and easy read, and was a mostly entertaining book.After leaving Las Vegas and her abusive boyfriend Jake, Emily heads to NYC determined to live a new and low key life. She needs to stay out of the spotlight and avoid giving any clues as to where she has run to. She gets a job at an event planning business and begins attending self defense classes. There she meets Lexi, and immediately becomes friends with her. When Emily gets chosen to plan an important event, she learns that Lexi and her brother Reed asked for her specifically. Emily and Reed are immediately attracted to each other and they feel a connection to one another. But with Reed and Lexi's past, they are extremely well known and are constantly being followed and watched. Emily knows that she needs to stay away from Reed, but the more she gets to know him the less she can fight the feelings she is developing. Just when she thinks that she may be able to have it all, her past finds her again putting those she cares about in danger. Can she figure out a way to escape from Jake once and for all and have a future with Reed?I liked Reed's character, but I feel like we didn't get to know him that well. It was nice to get Reed's POV towards the end of the book, but I really wish that we would have seen it throughout the whole book. I would have really liked to have seen what he was thinking while Emily was trying to avoid him and turn him away. I did like that he was patient with her and he seemed to be extremely understanding. I also loved that he was so persistent with her and didn't allow her to keep pushing him away, even though frankly I didn't understand it. Emily had her moments for me. There were times that I really liked her and then she would do something that irritated me. I liked that she was trying to keep Lexi and Reed out of danger, and I understood why she didn't want to tell them about her past. But I also felt like they had every right to know and she should have been more honest with them after everything that they had been through. She knew she was putting them in danger and yet despite her initial attempts to stay away, I felt like she just continued to knowingly put them at risk. I thought that she was caring and a great friend though, and I liked that she would drop everything and help out when she was needed. I felt like Reed and Emily had a lot of chemistry and they were great together.But I do feel like Emily and Reed's connection felt a bit rushed. I would have liked to have seen more development between them as I feel like the majority of the story was about Emily starting over. By the time that things were resolved, it was pretty much over. I thought that with the epilogue that we were going to get some closure, but it just ended. I feel like it was really abrupt and could have given the reader more. All those criticisms though didn't keep me from finishing this story or enjoying it. I thought that the characters were likable, and I even enjoyed reading about crazy Jake. It was interesting to get some of his POV, and I thought that it added a lot to the story. This book kept me guessing, and I didn't see everything coming. I was glad that it was able to surprise me, and I enjoyed the twists and turns. I think that this book had a lot of promise, and for the most part it delivered. I would recommend this story if you are looking for a quick and easy read that has some suspense, romance, and is about a heroine that is able to overcome a bad and abusive situation. If you are looking for a deep and emotional connection between the hero and heroine though, this one might not be the one for you. I will look for more from Heather London in the future though because I enjoyed her writing style and i'm interested to see what else she comes up with.**Review copy provided by Auhor**