Review: Tortured Hero and Feisty Heroine - Fantastic Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 28, 2014
I have a confession to make…I love the tortured hero – the more messed up the better. I can’t quite figure out why, but there’s just something about them. Their darkness. Their don’t give a s*** exterior. Their need to destroy. Their black hearted soul. What I also think does it for me is the fact that beneath all the destruction is a man who really isn’t the monster he believes he is; he just needs someone willing to risk everything to prove that to him.Paige Weaver definitely knows how to write tortured heroes. I loved Ryder Delaney in her Promise Me Series, and now I have another favorite – Cole Walker. Cole’s childhood was anything but ideal. His mother’s death destroyed his father, making him a mean, bitter, and an abusive drunk. Cole learned early on that love was not for him; there was no way he was going to allow himself to be destroyed by someone leaving him. So, he lives his life for himself, taking whatever and whoever he wants as long as it’s nothing more than a good time. But there’s always been one person who’s had the ability to destroy him; he’s grown up protecting her since they lived across from each other during their childhood. He’s fought and stole for her, doing whatever he had to do to make sure she was taken care of, even if it means making her hate him because getting close to her could possibly destroy them both.Samantha Ross has lived19 years staying away from love, doing everything she can to make sure she doesn’t turn out like her strung out, promiscuous mother. She’s only ever had her brother, Bentley, and his best friend, Cole, to look out for her, but even that has come with its own complications. Her feelings for Cole go between love, lust, and hatred. She knows he can destroy her, but he also thinks he might be able to save her. He consumes her with so many contradictory feelings that she doesn’t know what to do with them all. But there comes a time when there’s no longer a choice of acting because overwhelming need takes over…the problem is, when Sam unleashes the monster within Cole, will she be able to save them both before it’s too late?Boy did this book destroy me, but in a really good way. The push and pull of Cole and Sam’s relationship is so realistically portrayed that readers can’t help but feel all of the angst and gut wrenching emotions that are brought out as they try to figure out what they truly mean to one another. Cole has so much self loathing that it’s going to be a long road for him to see the good inside of himself, but if Sam can hold onto him and help him break free from the monster he feels lives inside, they’ll stop destroying each other and realize that a love like theirs is worth the risks.Sweet Destruction is a phenomenal read. The storyline is well paced…nothing feels rushed with how the events unfold. The flashbacks clearly set-up why Cole and Sam hate each other, and they also show Cole’s true reasons for becoming a criminal. The characters are extremely well developed, and Bentley, as a secondary character, provides much needed insight into the dynamics of their relationship as well. The slow burn of Cole and Sam’s relationship keeps readers’ attention and will have them ready to both throttle and hug Cole at the same time. I loved every tortured minute of this text, and I can’t wait to see what Paige Weaver brings readers next!A complimentary copy of the text was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.5 poison apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)