Review: Loved seeing a silly scavenger hunt turn into so much more...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 17, 2014
I really loved Daren and Kayla's story. We met them both in Best Kind of Broken and I have been looking forward to their story from the moment I finished back in March. I love that Fine has created a fun, sweet story that at the same time holds such emotional depth that I found my own heart breaking for these two characters.Pacing: I really liked how Kayla and Daren's relationship progressed. Even though this book takes place in a short amount of time, I did not feel for one minute it was done too fast or felt at all rushed. Daren and Kayla definitely have some serious sexual tension brewing, but they have to get past their misconceptions of one another first and begin to really see one another before jumping into anything. Fine did an excellent job of this, so when Daren and Kayla's relationship finally does come together it was really worth the wait.Storyline: Both Daren and Kayla have run into some bad luck. They find themselves in rather desperate financial situations and their one ray of light comes in the form of being handcuffed to one another and sent on a crazy scavenger hunt to find the money that Kayla's dad has left both of them in his will. I absolutely loved watching these two embark on this adventure. They begin as mere acquaintances and both think they have the other figured out. In reality, they have no idea as to what the other is facing or dealing with and that becomes a really big part of this story. The scavenger hunt they are sent on brings them face to face with truths and realities they never knew existed and force them to reexamine the way they look at one another... and life.Characters: I said in my Best Kind of Broken review that I really liked Daren. That still holds true in this book. In fact, I more than liked him. I completely loved him. Underneath that cocky, arrogant exterior is an extremely vulnerable guy who doesn't want the world to see him for who he really is. Surprisingly enough, his self-worth is pretty low and it takes quite a bit of effort on Kayla's part to help him realize that he IS a good guy and he IS worth more than he thinks. No one likes to feel like a failure and that is pretty much how Daren has been feeling for quite some time. He is a proud guy and really struggles with charity from others. Watching him open up to her and realize that the two have more in common than they ever realized was one of my favorite aspects of the book.I also really liked Kayla. She has not lived the easiest of lives in Chicago and is pretty bitter about the fact that she has been called home to her absent father's funeral. Deep down underneath the layer of bitterness, is a great deal of pain. She doesn't understand why her father never came to see her or why he all of a sudden stopped contacting her, but it stings all the same. The last thing she wants to do is shackle herself to Daren Ackwood, notorious playboy. However, being pretty hard up for cash, she is willing to do what it takes to complete this scavenger hunt and find the money left by her father in his will. I like that Kayla doesn't put up with Daren's crap. She quickly passes him off as a spoiled rich guy, but as the two spend time together and she starts to gather the pieces that Daren offers her about his life, she realizes she may have judged him unfairly.The 'enemies to lovers' trope is always a favorite of mine and I liked seeing both Daren and Kayla chip away at the other's walls until they really see each other for who they are. They might pass James Turner off as a crazy person, but he knew exactly what he was doing and what he hoped the end result would be. He wants nothing more than for these two people, whom he held most dear, to find true happiness and live a life that is full and remember that it is fleeting and they must make the most of it.Final Thoughts: This book epitomizes the whole 'Life is a journey, not a destination' quote. It rings so true here and I loved seeing Kayla and Daren realize that what they thought was a silly scavenger hunt turned into so much more than they could have ever imagined. It brought them forgiveness, acceptance, love, and hope and best of all: it brought them each other.