Review: RATING: 4.5 COLE & RILEY STARS WITH A SIDE ORDER OF COOPER
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 31, 2013
BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:Songbird is Lisa Edward’s debut new adult contemporary romance and I really loved it.Tara has had a rough time with a previous relationship and it is time to throw that dirt bag to the ground and move on to a healthier existence.An independent existence.Kelli is the best friend every girl needs who won't judge you on your past , she will scoop you up and help you realize your inner beauty without controlling and berating you.Enter not one but two delicious specimens of males into Tara's life.Riley the military man and hot bod aka Cole the musician.I have a thing for Cole. I didn’t at first. Sure I saw ‘Hot-bod’ for the beautiful male he was, but then the lad showed me what was underneath his beauty.He has layers.We discover more about him and he has some pretty cool tattoos that speak deeply about him. He reminded me a bit of Kellan Kyle from Thoughtless... sometimes. There is this bad boy image, but there is also a lot of hurt being covered up. You can see these guys change for the right girl, they can stop man-whoring when they find the right one. I loved how Lisa wrote him. He is talented and thoughtful when he chooses to be. I really connected with him. You can’t help watching Cole, the things he says sometimes about himself and the why he does what he does with women. You can’t help reading between the lines with him. I liked the way Jay could almost tell Cole what was off limits.Jay is a good guy. I like him.Yes, there is something special about Cole. He is like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. When he spreads those wings he is quite mesmerising.Captivating.Riley, I do love him because he helped to bring back that confidence in Tara. He was healthy for her. He breathed life back into her. She blossomed around him.He has a job that should pay well, he is highest ranked in his unit and he lives in a military apartment, yet he appears to have nothing to his name after years of service. He has a great heart and is very dedicated to his job. I forgot sometimes how qualified a person he is.I do feel bad for his childhood and his brother. I know he is trying to do the right thing.I think I loved him more than Cole in the beginning but then the scales started to tip. My feelings started to get muddled and slide towards Cole. Don’t get me wrong, Riley is gorgeous, but I am all up in the air who I want as my team guy.I am feeling more with Cole at the moment, but I think I will be devastated if Riley and Tara don't work out. I am having a male conundrum. Cole can show me so much more of himself, but then Riley needs Tara. He made mistakes which he is sorry for. Cole is honest about his behavior to all the women he boinks. He uses them as much as they use him.* sigh * I am in a man sandwich pickle.Cooper is gorgeous. He is funny and quite the sidekick character. He and Kelli are a great couple. She is an awesome friend, has a good heart and knows how to be independent and strong. She misses Cooper but she has built her own life. She has taught herself to get on with her own life, and Cooper slides on back in when he can. He is that puzzle piece missing from her life, while he is away and then when he arrives on her doorstep, he just completes Kelli.Then he must leave again, then there is that missing puzzle piece again until he steps back into her life. She never complains. She is alive when he is gone, but she is vibrant when he is in her arms.They can do long distant.They have something rock solid and special.Perfect.Lisa really showed me the dedication it takes for couples and families who have a loved one in the military. They are away for long periods of time and it is lonely for both people in the relationship. It is tough being separated from your loved one. The military is a dangerous occupation , and such a selfless one. These men and women spend their days working very hard for us.Lisa really made me think about every service person and their loved ones and the separation they go through. They do it to keep our country safe. They do it to keep you and me safe.Jason plays the gay friend to the ‘T’. Every girl deserves a Jason in their life. He will drop everything for you and he has his own heart he needs filled with someone special. He is also a great hairdresser.He has a big heart.Marcus is another great character. Can’t blame a guy for trying. I did think Tara was a wee bit naive with Marcus. I don’t think anything pointed in the direction she was going with Marcus. There was one bad ass assumption going on there. I did laugh out loud when she chose to change her T-shirt in front of him. HA!Stephen was a waste of space. He was a great character to loathe.Feel the loathe.I loved the moment I found out what the title meant. I did love watching Cole and Tara do their musical thing together.But, is that all there is to Tara and the lost career she could have had? Is her talent relegated to the piano bar, only? Or is there more.Will she be able to shine?Once finishing this book you can’t help thinking about the directions the next book could be taking. But time will tell. All I know is it feels like shiz is going down in more ways than one.I highly recommend Lisa’s debut contemporary romance. Me thinks things are gonna get a whole lot more complicated.I am very excited to read Songbird - Caged # 2.Michelle