Review: Volume 1 with a few adjustments
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 22, 2014
It pains me to say this because I am a big fan of Whitney Williams but I fear that this story might turn into another 'Arrangement' series, where we get really small moments in time before breaking to the next volume. Books cost money, yes, 99 is still money, so it's really not fair the amount of content we get but we buy these books anyway because we love the authors and their work.Volume 1 was an introduction and I am fine with that because it was a powerful and memorable introduction that lined you up for so much more that I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next copy. Therefore, I genuinely expected more than I got from Volume 2. I like that Andrew kept his blunt personality and we even got some more information about his character from New York with not only one this time but two flash backs to before Durham.It's all the same issues though with a new variable in the form of his ex-wife that was mentioned at the end of volume 1. It was average sex and a blow job lesson that was quite crass but that's fine.There is no real growth in their relationship, because even though he is out of his comfort zone for a majority of the second half of this novel which we are not privy to details, by the end he is right there again and I don't feel like I know them well enough as individuals or a couple. They have great chemistry when it comes to arguing and I find that I like that and Andrew's blunt, conceited personality more than I did the story line. Those and the length of this novella were the saving points for me.Personally and professionally Andrew almost remains the same with the exception of getting his real name and a look into his relationship with his ex-wife. Some might say this is progress and should be enough and it could be but it's how it was delivered. I can remove so many unnecessary scenes and conversations that could make way for more or better timed reveals.Aubrey seems stuck in a rut also because nothing has changed on her front. She did 1 ... I repeat 1 ballet duo in the entirety of this novella so the cover kind of stump me now because I was looking for a full on ballet themed performance. Call me crazy!It's the same old characters doing the same old things with the introduction of Andrew's ex-wife. The editing and writing is fine but I just think the delivery was weak and I really expected more growth in the content than what we got.For another author, this could be a work of art, but Whitney has set the bar ridiculously high and I just don't think this is her best. She strives on packing the most intense feelings, emotions and stories in the smallest of packages so I don't know what went wrong here.I wouldn't not recommend this novella nor skip out on reading the next but I didn't get much from this volume and I am hoping for a better volume 3. If that will be the end then I expect her to pull out every trick she has in her bag because she is gonna need it to not fall on a loop again.