Holy cow this book! Seriously this book is not at all what I expected! I really loved Flawed Perfection, and I am still thinking about this book days after I read it. When I first finished this one I tried to sit down and write a review. I kept having to delete anything I would type because it just wasn't right. So I took a break, and I can tell you that this book and these characters have been on my mind ever since. There were things that I loved so much about this book and things that drove me absolutely crazy. But regardless of all those things that drove me nuts, this book is one that I would highly recommend and absolutely couldn't put down. I will warn you that there isn't necessarily a cliffhanger, but the story does end with a lot up in the air. This is a series, and you will have to start at the beginning with Flawed Perfection. One thing that you should know though is that you should go into this one blind. It's ok to read the blurb and get the gist of the story. But avoid any spoilers to make sure that you get the full experience. Trust me you won't want to spoil the ending!
River grew up with two best friends Adam and Bobby. Adam and Bobby are brothers and are completely different. Bobby is the extremely built hockey player who excels at everything he does, is used to winning, and is the family favorite. Adam is the quiet more serious one, he is into music, and he has always been overlooked by his parents. River has been in love with Adam since forever while only ever seeing Bobby as a friend. It breaks River's heart seeing the constant stream of bimbos that Adam hooks up with and she lets her friend Tara fix her up with Bobby look-a-likes even though they never go anywhere because she is convinced that Adam will never feel the same. Bobby loves River though and thinks that if she could only see past Adam, that they would be perfect for each other. Tara has always had a crush on Bobby, but knows how he feels about River. As they all circle around each other, it is clear that things between them all are changing. What happens when the events of one night change everything?
I loved Adam from the very start of the story. I thought that he was sweet and vulnerable, and he was a little bit insecure because of his upbringing. I loved the relationship he had with River though. They were emotionally connected, and I loved that they were able to have fun together but also have the deeper and serious side to them as well. I loved how they supported each other and were there to lean on each other when they needed it. Adam was exactly the type of hero I love to read about. He is the one that you can't help but fall in love with right away regardless of his mistakes and his less than perfect actions. I was rooting for him from the start. Bobby was fun and playful, and the type of guy that you always have a good time with. Even though I liked his character, I never felt like he was right for River. He was a great friend to her, but that is all that I ever felt between them. There are times that I wanted to strangle Bobby because he did things that were so ridiculous and sometimes flat out mean. He often did them to try and get at Adam, but usually it was River that ended up getting hurt in the process. I felt bad for him knowing that he had feelings for River that weren't returned and he had to watch her love his brother in the way that he desperately wanted. But I did feel like he seemed to view River as more of a prize than actually seeing her as a person that he really loved and wanted a relationship with. River was great. She was smart and sweet, and she was a really good friend. She never lead Bobby on, and was always upfront and honest with him. I loved that she was able to keep the relationships with each brother separate from the other, and that she connected with them individually. I thought that Adam and River had a ton of chemistry together besides just their amazing and undeniable connection. They just seemed to be made for each other and were the perfect fit.
Overall, this book was amazing. It broke my heart at times, had me laughing at others, and had me swooning with sweetness for parts. I was really emotionally invested from the start and I truly came to care about these characters. It was a journey from page one that I never could have predicted and the ending absolutely shocked me. I was left feeling pretty wrecked and I can't even tell you how much I need the next book. The wait might actually kill me, and I really have to know what happens with these characters that I have come to know and love. I can't tell you anything else without ruining or spoiling anything, but trust me when I tell you that you have to read this one. The one criticism I had with this book is that the chemistry and tension are really strong, but there is not a lot of steam. The scenes pretty much fade when things start to get heavy, and I missed that a little bit. Not enough for me to drop my rating or anything, but it would have been nice to get a bit more heat. I can't wait to read more from Cassandra Giovanni in the future and I really loved her writing style. The story flowed well and I felt the pacing was great. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment in this series and I know that these characters will continue to be on my mind until I get more of them. I can't wait to go back and reread this story in the meantime though as I tide myself over for the wait.
**ARC provided by Author**
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