Published Nov 2017, Bastei Entertainment, 278 pages, £4.31

A sizzling new adult novel that got sparks flying between the MCs pretty much from the first page. I kindly received a copy from the publishers after the cover caught my eye on twitter. I wasn’t expecting anything unique, just a familiar plot of love-in-denial and dramatic spins. It mostly delivered and made a nice transitional read between more serious texts. If you are experiencing an endless winter season, it is an ideal book to crawl away with and escape under the sheets.

I think there is something seductive about new experiences in plot, following a character who moves to a new town and meets new people. Allie runs away from her domineering parents to start college and begin a new life. The only available apartment left, however, is owned by the most intolerable, arrogant and insensitive (but of course incredibly attractive) guy. Determined to suck it up, she agrees to move in with Kaden and grudgingly accepts his outrageous ‘rules’, one being never to talk about her ‘girl problems’.  But of course, with each day the beast reveals snippets of his vulnerability and painful memories. Just as they begin to connect, their past lives seep back in causing mayhem and destruction.

There is some clumsy narration where the story lacks subtlety, and certain scenes were a little crass for me, which is the case for many contemporary NA, especially college based ones. The characters are not the most memorable, but the pacing and build-up of heat between them is well done. Their friends add a comedic touch to the story. A tiny bit of lag during the bonding moments, but this picks up towards the second half of the book. Simple, direct and satisfying.

Many thanks Bastei for my copy.

xxx

For more live-in romances I would recommend Japanese high school drama ‘Good Morning Call’ on Netflix. And For new starts, Nicholas Spark’s Safe Haven.