Connected is Kim Karr's first Novel in the Connections series and is the story of Dahlia and River. After suffering the tragedy of losing her fiance Ben, Dahlia's world is shattered. After living in a state of devastation for over a year, her best friend Aerie decides that it is time Dahlia start getting back out into the world. She sends Dahlia to interview River Wilde the singer for the rock band the Wilde Ones. Aerie knows that Dahlia has always had a sort of crush on River. But she has no idea that one night many years ago Dahlia and River had an intense moment together in a bar. Dahlia and River reconnect and begin to see if the connection they once felt to each other is still there and as strong as they remember. As they grow closer, Dahlia begins to heal from losing Ben and for the first time in years sees a future for herself that is worth living.
I really loved River. He was sexy and sweet and truly patient with Dahlia. He never tried to be a replacement for Ben, but rather a separate love for Dahlia. I loved that although he was a rock star he was actually very modest, pursuing the career for his love of music rather than fame. He was content to play small local bars and preferred to be close to home rather than on the road. I liked Dahlia's character even though she would make me shake my head at times. I thought that her and River had a genuine connection and I really believed that they could fall in love in the short amount of time that it took. Their scenes together were extremely hot and steamy! I really enjoyed the secondary characters also, and I'm excited to read their stories in the rest of the connections series.
However I did have a few problems with this book. I felt as though sometimes things were described in way too much detail. The pacing seemed to be slow at points and I found myself at times wanting to skip ahead a few paragraphs to get through some of the more detailed spots. I love detail, but there is no need to rehash the same things paragraph after paragraph. Also, without going into specifics and to avoid spoilers, I will say there were a few scenes that just came off as cheesy to me. I'm all for romance and some sap when the story needs it, but a few of these really had me rolling my eyes. My biggest problem with this book is the way it ends. I really hate cliffhangers. If the book is in a series, have no doubt I will be reading the next one. No need to make me wait months or years to discover what happened next! The abruptness always throws me off and makes me get a little angry. I'll admit it, I'm impatient! I don't want to have to wait to see where you are taking the characters and the story. This cliffhanger is a real doozy too! Although I saw it coming from the beginning I was still shocked as I was reading it. I couldn't believe that the author was really going there. Just as the story was picking up the pace again we are cut off and left to wonder what just happened, as the story completely flips!
Overall, this book was one I just couldn't put down. It was a very emotional read, running me through the entire gamut of emotions. It kept me interested throughout, and I found myself wanting to call up my friends and talk about it. Its definitely not your typical rock star romance although music plays a huge part in this book. I loved seeing the different ways that the author incorporated it into the story. I'm excited and nervous to see where Karr will take the story in Torn. The cliffhanger really does open up so many possibilities for book #2, but I just know that I will be counting the days until October 1st when it releases. I think this story is one you wont want to miss if you enjoy and emotional read and can get past a cliffhanger.
**ARC provided by NetGalley**
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