My rating: 5/5 stars
I don’t know why, but I often confuse L.J. Shen with Penelope Douglas because they seem very similar in style and have that raw energy you can feel in the book. I loved the cover of this new release and considering I know the series and read it a while ago, I certainly wanted to dive straight in.
I knew what to expect because this series is Romance, but not in your traditional sugar-coated – roses are read – kind of Romance. The style that this author has is impeccable, but it’s not for everyone. The heroes are flawed and they make mistakes, often impacting the reader with their choices and way of loving. So, if you are not prepared for that, you might want to choose another book. I love the style because it brings a maturity level to the series and it makes you more connected to real situations. I often prefer this one that the unnatural feeling I get from other stories because we need to face it – fiction is often coated with an extra layer, but you know that is not real… So, L.J. Shen really has her unique trademark which as you can see, I enjoy.
This time around, it’s the girl who has problems and the plot is centered around her. Bailey wanted all her life to get into Juilliard and when that happened, she struggled to keep up. Her desire surpassed everything humanly possible, but after suffering from an injury, she kept herself on painkillers to be able to perform. As you can imagine, the meds didn’t help her for too long and she became an addict. After an incident that could have become fatal, Bailey returned to Todos Santos and tried to settle things out. The problem is that Lev, her best friend is not taking her bullshit and he insists on her entering rehab. From this point on, Bailey will begin a confusing journey, full of addiction, and mistakes but also life lessons. Her relationship with Lev will spiral into something more, even though they have been in love with each other since kids. For those who are not familiar with the timeline and family tree, Bailey is the daughter of Melody and James from “Defy” and Lev is the son of Dean and Rosie from “Ruckus” and “Broken Knight”.
I loved this book because it felt raw and heavy to read and I think this was the key element that got my attention. Bailey’s addiction, her toxic relationship with Lev, his toxic relationship with his family and dreams, all that drama grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. It’s not an easy book, but it goes pretty well. You fall in love with Lev and understand him, and also develop that need to take care of him when Bailey does it again. It’s really dynamic and powerful what some teens live, beginning with their drama and ending with their sexual encounters, but I’m used to this “maturity” and in a way, I really like it. 😀
Ramonisme 