Review: Classic bad boy with a heart of gold
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 3, 2014
Olivia “Gracie” Beaumont has left her hometown and the ranch behind for college, determined to start anew, somewhere she can just blend in and move forward.  But all that’s out the window the moment Brax Jenkins crashes into her and kisses her senseless.  She’s not ready to date anyone, but he’s not giving up, and all the warnings about the bad boy campus player aren’t doing anything to calm the butterflies in her stomach.But... Well, if I’m to believe the synopsis, we’re now calling date rape “heartache” for some reason.  Yeah, that was a pretty nasty shock in the first chapter.  I’m usually pretty good at avoiding stories that include that subject, since most summaries make it pretty clear, even when they don’t actually spell it out ahead of time, or the author thinks to add a vague warning.  I’m gonna have to start deferring to other readers’ reviews from now on, I guess, so at least I’ll have some clue.  Needless to say, if you’re all triggery, you’re probably gonna want to avoid this book like the plague.There were some small editing issues throughout the book, but it’s not as bad as some I’ve read lately.  The most glaring one was "kookoo," which I finally just Googled to see what the hell it was.  Everything points to "cuckoo," like the bird or the crazy or the Cocoa Puffs, so I’m guessing Hooked on Phonics is to blame.  Oh, and it’s "cojones," not "cahones."Also, I think I could have done without the constant italicized Boston accent pronunciations that followed much of Brax’s dialogue.  At first, I suppose it served to point out how different he sounded from all the Texans, but it’s a pretty distinct accent, and once I got it, I got it.  The incessant reminder got rather old long before the last chapter.The Verdict:  So I totally skipped the first chapter, given the subject matter (I think it was just aftermath, not in-the-moment, but don’t quote me on that), but after that, it was a pretty good read.  Olivia, whom Brax dubbed Gracie, was an interesting character, smart and determined while rather capable of taking care of herself.  She wasn’t what I would call ballsy, and she was definitely traumatized by the rape, but she was moving forward with her life in the best way.  She was 100% girl, yet she didn’t hesitate to change tires, and sporting a shiner after being thrown from a horse was nothing.  She had just enough grit to make her strong.Brax was a hot mess, but that’s what made him so… well… hot.  He was more than your average tatted up romance hero, and his rough edges were really rough, but Gracie brought out the best in him.  At first he was just crazy flirty and cocky, but when he warmed to her, it was obvious his feelings were genuine.  That, of course, made the break up so much angstier, but that’s why we read these stories, right?  Without all that emotion, they’re just no fun.  And that’s what this story did best — pile on the emotion.  Brax and Gracie’s relationship was sweet, a slow build of trust and friendship that became all-consuming and just perfect.  Of course, there was the nasty bit of drama that led to the break-up, but then there was the make-up, so I can’t really complain.I was more than a little irritated that Gracie’s skeevy rapist ex-boyfriend was apparently coated in Teflon, but it’s not entirely unrealistic.  Small towns, families with money, lack of morals and accountability… It’s not really that uncommon, sadly.  It would have been nice, though, to see him get some kind of karmic kick in the face, something more than just presumably flunking out of school.All in all, it was pretty great read, high on the friendship and romance, with Brax living up to everyone’s fantasy of the bad boy with a heart of gold.  There’s plenty of romance, angst, and even grief, but there were also some great laughable moments.  It’s definitely a pick for those who love a heavy dose of drama with their romance, but isn’t that what college love is all about?