Review: Boys of the South!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 19, 2013
I have been a fan of Ms. Valentine's novels since Twice Tempted. When I heard her latest novel was a New Adult/Adult I wasn't sure what to expect.  When I started reading, it totally captured me, and didn't let go to till the last page, and I wanted more.Cole Morgan is owner and bartender of his dad's bar the Double Deuce. He's 22 and  grew up the hard way. He likes to drink, get in trouble and deal with problems with his fists.  There is a totally different side to Cole though. He takes care of his six year old sister, who worships him, and his younger brother Parker who helps out at the bar, and he's  working  very hard at on-line college courses.  Cole's Mom is a drug addict in rehab the latest being one of multiple visits. I thought a revealing quote by Cole early in the novel was " Sometimes I want more than the cards I've been dealt."Violet Rae Givens is a country music star from Nashville, that's fallen to earth. She was in a  terrible  accident,  which left her alive, but took so much more. She has come to try and get her heart and life back, staying with her Nana in Forrestville, N.C.  She  is known  to the townspeople as Rae, and hopes to keep her identity secret.  "There is something about having your mug shot going viral on the Internet".  Her relationship with her former boyfriend is toxic, and she is having a serious communication problem with her parents.  At nearly 20,  Rae feels she has nowhere to go.  Cole  and Violet accidentally meet in a grocery store, and  the meeting doesn't  go well, even though they both feel the spark of attraction.  Violet accepts her bad behavior, and decides to apologize with a homemade cake.  That spark ignites.I felt so many emotions reading this novel.  Anger, sadness, fear and  appreciation of  how lonely these two young people were before they found each other.  There were so many obstacles constantly thrown in their path.  Their loyalty and love made them strong.  I think Violet's  statement tells the story.  "Sometimes we need to break things before things break us".I remain a loyal fan of Ms. Valentine's works. This book gave me a new appreciation of her talent .  I would recommend this book to new adults, and adults who like to read emotional stories, and  a very entertaining love story, with a lot of spice.I received this novel from the author for an honest review. No compensation was offered nor accepted.