in

Friday, November 21, 2014

ARC Review: Retrace by Sigal Ehrlich


I honestly couldn't wait to read Retrace by Sigal Ehrlich when I first saw the cover and read the blurb. I thought that this one sounded so good and I was really glad that it was a standalone novel. There have been so many serials and books in series lately, that I was really just looking forward to a good and complete book. However as much promise as this book had, I found myself having several issues with it and it wasn't what I had been hoping for.

Nia Martins and Reeves Mitchell have both been struggling to deal with their pain and guilt. They each lost someone three years ago, and have been unable to move forward. They first meet when they wind up in the same hotel room after a mistake. But soon they are running into each other in their new apartment building, as well as the bar where Reeves works and Nia's new friends often go. As much as they are drawn to one another, things between them are complicated and they find themselves trying to fight what is between them. But when they are no longer able to fight it, they find themselves connecting with each other in a way they have never been able to do before. But as their new friendship with benefits starts to take over their lives, they soon begin to worry about how it is affecting each of them. Nia can't lose someone else and is afraid that losing Reeves will wreck her, while Reeves questions why his feelings for Nia seem to consume all his thoughts. Can Nia and Reeves figure out a way to move forward and let go of the past together?

I liked Reeves and Nia for the most part, but I found them hard to connect with. Reeves was sweet and caring, but he was also completely blind when it came to some things. His actions towards hist best friend's sister Katie beyond frustrated me, and I hated that he allowed her to get away with so much. He tended to focus on her more than he ever did Nia and it really irritated me. Especially because one minute he was so great and tender with Nia, and the next he was cold and unfeeling towards her. I hated that he didn't treat her better and that he often didn't even give her an explanation or reason. Nia was sweet and kind and I loved her as a dance teacher. She was great with kids and also with Reeves. But she also would drop things far too easily and I didn't understand why she put up with everything that she did. She would get mad, but he would sweet talk her and she instantly forgave him with little to no consequences. It just came off as weak and I didn't care for it. I also didn't like that it was brought up a lot that she was from Brazil, and yet she didn't seem to have any of the characteristics that go along with that. It felt forced and as though the author had to constantly remind the reader of that, because otherwise it was easily forgotten. I did think that Reeves and Nia had a lot of chemistry and they definitely could generate some steam. But there was just something missing from these two for me.

Overall, I thought that this was a story that could have been great but unfortunately got lost in the details. It felt forced at times, and I was never able to really connect with the characters or story. I felt as though Katie was far too much drama, and I really hated her. I don't think that she ever was able to redeem herself, and she just came off as a selfish and immature little girl. I wanted to see her experience some growth or understanding after everything, but it was clear that she only thought of herself. Reeves and Nia had really poor communication, and I thought that they seemed to just be going around in circles for most of the story. They were both having strong feelings for one another and jealous of others, and yet they couldn't even tell each other that they liked one another. It got old, and after awhile I started to lose interest. I think that Sigal did a good job of introducing more characters in this story that she could easily expand upon for future books though, and I am curious about Reeves' friend Jake. His relationship and situation were confusing but interesting, and I have to say I am intrigued enough to want to read more about it. I would read more from Sigal Ehrlich in the future despite my issues though, and I am curious to see what she does next.

**ARC Provided by Between the Sheets Promotions**

Purchase: | Amazon |





0 comments :

Post a Comment