Review: Steamy and sweet
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2013
We begin with Violet (a.k.a. Rae) arriving in North Carolina, running away from her past as a famous country star. She's broken, but as readers we do not know the whole story.The book alternates between both Cole's and Violet's point of view, so we know what's going on in each person's mind. I really liked this, because if the story had been told in just one point of view we would have lost so much more depth into each character.Both Cole and Violet are broken by their circumstances. Cole, along with his brother Parker, is taking care of his little sister because his mom is in rehab. Unfortunately, this "mom" is a horrible human being, only caring about drugs. We do get a few flashes into the past where we see that his mother did show kindness to his son, but mostly she was concerned about keeping Cole's father with her, and when that didn't happen, she'd hide it with drugs.Cole and Violet's attraction is immediate, but for good reasons they don't want to pursue it. But the attraction grows until they can't stop it.I really enjoyed the plot as well. We don't get all of the information at once, even with both points of view. We know there's more to Violet's story, but it isn't revealed until much later in the story. I did suspect--correctly--what was in Violet's past, but I wasn't completely sure until it was revealed.Violet's grandmother was an absolute gem. I really loved how she accepted Violet and all of her problems, and how she never judged her for them.There were occasions where I felt the author smoothed things over a bit too easily, and the problems could have been fleshed out and expanded on. There were some occasions where either Cole or Violet made a mistake and the other was rightfully mad--and then after a little while they'd soon forget about it and forgive the other person.All in all, though, I felt like their story was heart-warming and I really liked how perfectly they fit together. They both healed and helped each other with their respective problems, and I was really happy with the way it ended.Though, I have to say, the ending is open-ended. We know that Violet and Cole end up together, but it's not overly expanded and we don't know if they get married or what. But to be honest, I kind of liked it like that for this book.I read this book in one sitting. It had a nice pace and it was a really good writing style. I felt pain for both Cole and Violet, especially when the flashbacks began. This story is a somewhat short read, but a good one. I do feel like their story could have been expanded and fleshed out a bit more, but I was satisfied with the ending. And I really connected with the characters.I really enjoyed Cole and Violet's relationship (did I already say that?). They were strong characters, but they made each other stronger. I loved their banter, their flirting, and their attraction--and I can't wait to read more of this series.I recommend this book for people who enjoy romance, passion, and characters that help each other heal through their problems.