Review: 3.5 Stars and Hot Triplets!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 27, 2013
I gave A Perfect Mess 3.5 Stars.*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*I'm not going to lie, it was absolutely the mention of hot triplets that drew my attention to this book. And I can't say I was disappointed.Aubree Walker is called back to her home town after her aunt has been in an accident. Aubree had been avoiding this return for nine months. There were a lot of skeletons she did not want to revisit. And a certain Outlaw she wanted to avoid. Right from the start I got the eeriness of the scene (probably shouldn't have read it alone in the dark ;)) and the writing was really descriptive so it enabled me to have a clear picture in my head and it played out like a movie, Aubree scared and terrified while the wind and rain was lashing around her. It really started off strong.Booker Outlaw is soon introduced and it is clear both of these characters share a dark secret but also some strong feelings that they are not ready to admit. Booker was the perfect guy, maybe too perfect but I didn't care. He was rich but humble, sexy, talented and vulnerable all at the same time. Yeah he had it all going on. I got Booker's southern charm straight away and if Aubrey didn't give in as quickly as she did I would have happily jumped in ;) It was good to see Aubree's character grow, she had a lot of demon's to shed and to be the person she was meant to be. I really got the relationship between Booker and his brothers. I loved their camaraderie and they really did have each other's backs.My favourite scene would have to be when Booker and Aubree finally got it on, beforehand we were mercilessly teased with hot kisses and nothing more. I really felt their connection during their first time. I also really liked that we got to see it through Booker's eyes as we discovered just how long he had lusted after Aubree and just exactly how deep those feelings went. *Sigh*I did enjoy Zoe's writing, I loved the Louisiana setting, I really got a feel for the culture and atmosphere. For someone that has never ventured near that area, this book sure made me want to. I also want to go looking for my own Booker but that is neither here nor there ;) I liked the action and suspense aspect of the book, although it was clear who was behind Aubree's troubles you didn't quite know what was coming next and it was and interesting read in that respect.There were a few aspects that did stop me from loving this book completely. The main problem was the age of Aubree and Booker, now I am not doubting Booker's success I know this can happen but their 'voices' felt older than their nineteen years. Obviously neither Booker or Aubree had the best upbringing so that can account for some accelerated maturity but I felt their actions and general demeanour would place them at least 22+. Booker could even be placed as late twenties, I felt he had that authoritative edge to him.The storyline with Aubree and her aunt towards the end felt rushed to me, if this revelation was going to be told, I felt it deserved more time to be fleshed out. I felt it was to tie up a loose end and wrap the HEA up in a bow rather than adding to the story. It could have had a greater impact I felt if it was introduced earlier and talked about more. Then there was the aftermath at the end of the book, I know it is fiction so I will try not to get too hung up on the dismissal of serious actions and the characters brushing some things under the carpet. Again I felt this was to wrap the ending up quick and secure. I went along with it but it was enough for me to question the reality of it.The other thing that niggled me was Aubree's secret, she alluded to it for 75% of the story. I know the suspense was building for the big 'reveal' but as I was reading and we found out what she witnessed I didn't get what Aubree was so worried about, so I wishing she would tell Booker already. It wasn't until Booker found out that I realised why he was so upset and yes he had every reason to be but I felt this wasn't obvious when Aubree was dreading to tell him. I would have sympathised with Aubree's reluctance more if I had known it wasn't what she had seen that would have hurt Booker it was in actual fact her actions or in this case inactions that did the damage. But I felt this wasn't obvious until it all came spilling out.For some reason I feel like Booker is going to be my favourite Outlaw Triplet, he charmed me completely, but saying that I am looking forward to his brother's stories. Aubree's best friends Verity and River Pearl (the name became a bit tedious after a while) have a lot of unfinished business with Boone and Braxton respectively so I imagine more fireworks to come ;)A Perfect Mess was definitely a change to my typical New Adult read. I did like the "I know what you did last summer" vibe. I fell for Booker as soon as I read his POV. He was a tortured, misconstrued bad boy, just my type ;) If you are looking for something a little different then I would certainly give this a read. ~Ava