Review: Disappointing, warning *mild spoilers*
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 5, 2014
We have met Cole and Vivian in the other two books and we knew they were f* buddies. This book starts with Cole making out with another girl knowing that Vivian is about to walk in and catch them and he wants her to because then Vivian will get angry and he loves it when she gets angry and they have hot make up sex. Hm...from the first few pages I immediately disliked Cole. He's arrogant, full of himself and has a big ego. With a romance novel, it helps if you like the hero and heroine - in this book, I'm afraid I didn't like either of them that much.It's been two years with Cole and Vivian having sex on and off. In the last six months, Cole hasn't had sex with anyone but Vivian although he has kissed other women (to make Vivian jealous). Vivian has only ever been with Cole in the last two years but she is starting to realise how stupid he makes her look when he is with other women. She also comes to realise they never really talk much and that Cole doesn't know her likes or dislikes, so for this reason she calls time on their 'arrangement'.There is trouble with Cole's band The Generation Rejects which puts a strain on his relationships with the other band members. In the midst of all this Cole realises Vivian means something to him. Vivian gets a good job and her client asks her out. He was a lovely guy. I actually wished she had ended up with him!There is not much sex in this book but some crude talk from Cole. I just never really cared about either of them really. This didn't feel like a love story at all. We learn that in the two years Cole has been having sex with Vivian he has learnt nothing about her. Apparently she has a scar on her chest and although he has kissed it many times he has never asked how she got it. He doesn't know her middle name, her favourite food, her favourite colour. None of this endeared me to him. He just seemed selfish and full of himself so when he suddenly decides he's in love with Vivian it didn't really make much sense and I didn't feel their love at all, nor their passion.When he tries to win Vivian back she tells him she doesn't know how it can work or how she can trust him. We don't find out how they do make it work as suddenly we're six months later in the epilogue and all is rosy.The other characters from the previous books feature although strangely, not Riley so much. We find out in this book that Gracie and Mitch have sex but then she tells him she can't be with him so he now has a new girlfriend who by the end he has been with for well over six months but apparently still gives Gracie looks of longing. The next book will be about these two.I find it a shame that Bad Rep was so good but the subsequent books are not living up to my expectations. This book was on offer at an introductory price, so I don't feel like I wasted my money but I was disappointed with this offering however, I believe the author has suffered a recent bereavement so perhaps she didn't give this book as much attention as she wanted to. It can't be easy writing a love story when you are suffering with grief. I'm hoping Gracie and Mitch's story can recapture some of the magic I read in Bad Rep.