Review: Likeable characters, uncomfortable subject-matter
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 23, 2013
Can I start by saying wow, just wow. I love the premise of this story. What if the lovely, if restrictive life you had and the overprotective family you had were not really yours? What if you had a different life and family out there and only got to find out after 17 years? What would you do? How would you cope with it?This is the underlying premise of this coming of age story. It is also about familial love as it is about romantic love. Aquilla is a very likeable character. She is brave and kick-ass, unlike some of the bitchy and whiny heroines you get in some NA novels. She had her faults but I could overlook them because underneath she was a good girl.What do I say about Julius apart from that I loved him right from page one and he never faltered in my opinion. I also loved Seri.One thing the author did very well was getting you to love the people Aquilla loved just like she did.Where this story fell down for me was in the detailing. It started off very well but by the time Aquilla was reunited with her old family, the story lost some of its page-turning quality.However, I loved the rather sweet, mushy ending. I'm a romantic at heart.On the whole, I enjoyed this book. If you're looking for a sweet romance, this isn't it. The subject-matter is uncomfortable sometimes, the language is coarse in places and the sex scenes are explicit. Oh, and there are illegal drugs involved too.Would I recommend this? Yes. Would I read this author again? Yes.Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.