Review: amazing, moving romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 29, 2014
Love Show Audrey BellReview from Jeannie Zelos Book reviews.I saw this book, read the sample and was hooked. Sometimes after the sample the story goes downhill, but not here, it just gets better and better.Hadley is an overachiever and against relationships, having seen her parents divorce and remarry numerous times. She's decided its career only for her. Then she meets Jack, and he's her opposite – totally laid back, unambitious, in fact he has no idea what's going to happen next in his life. He really is a go with the flow man, so when Hadley proposes a friends with benefits stance, after she tells him why she won't date he accepts. He's convinced somewhere there must be a downside, no dates, no dinners, no flowers, or any of the usual boy/girl stuff, just lots and lots of hot erotic sex. And it is hot, sensual, sexy, they really steam when they are together. I loved them and the way Jack gradually insinuates himself into Hadley's world, without either of them really noticing. We just know that its going to end up more then either of them envisaged. When we learn more about them we see that their positions are shaped by the past, and Jack especially has some pretty horrific stuff happen.I liked Hadley's flatmate too, David. Gay and proud of it, he had escaped from his small town, bigoted background and was a real friend to Hadley. It was him that dared Hadley to kiss someone at the tailgate which let to her meeting Jack. There's a secondary  storyline about homophobia, and the problems of being gay. David has a boyfriend who isn't out, is a football jock, and insists they keep their relationship totally secret. He’s a homophobe in public, ignores David, goes out with girls and yet insists David change for him, cut his hair, dress more conservatively, not go out with his gay friends, and then there are incidents where he gets violent. Poor David, its one of those where you can tell it isn't going to work but he is convinced its love :(  Its a very real story both from the Not Out part, and the dangers that poses to a relationship, and the violence which can happen in any partnership. There's good things happen to David too thankfully, as you just can't help loving him and wanting something nice for him, but I would have liked to know more about what happened to Ben in the end.When University ends and they go off to their respective plans I was moved to tears, Yep, you know how I love that, a story that has that much emotion and drama, and it didn't stop there. Poor Hadley, there were harrowing stories from her reporting job, she was thrown in at the deep end and saw much more than she's anticipated.So, a fabulous book, full of people who felt real, who I could understand and feel for, and wrapped up in a terrific plot with deep emotions, dark, long lasting dramas and then the sweetest of highs. Its priced at just 2.05 for 354 pages, and if you're looking for a well written and plotted story with plenty of emotion and drama this book is for youStars: Five, and one for the keepers file to be re read.ARC supplied by author