I honestly don't even know where to start with this review. I really thought that I was going to love this book, but that wasn't what happened at all here. Bounce is my first book from Noelle August, even though it is the third book in her Boomerang series. Each book is a standalone new adult story, and I really love the new adult genre. I had heard that this series was really good, so to read this one and have the problems I did was the last thing I expected. I think that there are those out there that will really enjoy this book, sadly though that wasn't me.
Skyler Canby has been looking for more from life than the occasional gig as a cellist, so when her friends suggest that she audition for a role in a new movie she decides to give it a shot. She knows that her friend Beth is most likely to get the role with the experience she has, but she figures it is worth a shot. When the lead actor isn't able to make the audition, the CEO's brother Grey Blackwood fills in and the sparks immediately fly between them. But Grey is a bit too wild for her and is only working for the company to earn enough money to pay his brother for the damage his most recent party caused to his house. Though Grey is only there to earn money as he gets his music career going, he quickly develops feelings for Skyler and soon he is there for another reason altogether.
I really liked Grey. He was the best part of this book and I thought that he was a great guy that was struggling a bit. He had some insecurities because of his family situation, and I felt like he handled things poorly a few times but I think that was mostly due to his age. I felt like he was in the right when it came to his stepmother and with Skyler, and I was always on his side more than theirs. Skyler I had issues with, and honestly I didn't really like her. I didn't understand her at all and I hated how she treated Grey. These two were clearly attracted to one another and had a great connection, yet she pushed him away for no real reason multiple times. I thought that Grey deserved so much better than being strung along while she dated someone else. The worst part was that the whole time she was dating someone else, she had strong feelings for Grey. Her connection with Brooks was nonexistent, and even though this was dual POV so we saw her thoughts and feelings, there was no real interaction between her and Brooks. Yes they sent some texts and went on a few dates or hung out, but we never saw them really together or developing a relationship. So the whole thing just came off as completely weird to me. The whole love triangle thing felt completely forced and unrealistic, and 100% unnecessary.
I also felt like this book lacked any real romance at all. Besides a few kisses over the course of the book, and one sex scene at the very end that didn't pack any real heat, there wan't much actually going on. Grey and Skyler were apart the entire book while having these strong feelings for one another, yet nothing was happening. As I said before, there wasn't much of anything happening between her and Brooks either though they were dating. Another thing that bothered me was that I found Grey's whole family situation confusing. Grey is younger than his brother Adam. Adam and Grey share the same dad but have different moms. Adam's mom is Grey's Stepmom and has been in the picture since Grey was five years old. So here is where I got confused (and maybe I missed the explanation somewhere, but I tried to go back and look and never found anything) If Adam is older than Grey and his mom is Grey's stepmom, does that mean that Adam and Grey's dad cheated on Adam's mom with Grey's mother? If not, how does that all work out? If Adam is older than Grey but they still have the same dad, it doesn't make sense to me at all without cheating being the case especially saying that Grey didn't come into her life until he was five and was taken from his mother to live with them. There should have been more drama there in any case, which made the whole situation just weird to me and it didn't work.
The other thing that really bothered me was how everyone in this story kept referring to Grey as a kid. It was multiple people and multiple times, yet Grey was only 3 years younger than most of the characters in this book! He made mistakes, but he wasn't overly immature and the whole kid crap came off as completely condescending. I didn't get it and frankly it made me dislike pretty much everyone in this story. I really wanted to like this book, unfortunately it wasn't for me. Grey was the one bright spot in the entire thing, and even he couldn't save this one for me. I gave it 2 stars for him and the fact that I did actually finish the book.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
Born in England, Stina loves to travel, and has lived in England, the US, Canada, and Finland. She spent a semester in graduate school living in central Finland, and a summer during her undergrad degree working in Helsinki. She has a Master’s of Science degree in exercise physiology and has worked with elite athletes. In her free time, Stina is a photographer, mother of three adorable kids, and devoted wife. She currently lives in Calgary, Canada.
Jessica Ruddick is a 2014 Golden Heart finalist for her new adult novel, Letting Go, which was inspired by her own college experiences. She lives in Virginia and is married to her college sweetheart—their first date was a fraternity toga party (and nothing inspires love like a toga, right?). When she doesn’t have her nose in a book or her hands on a keyboard, she can be found wrangling her two rambunctious sons, taming two rowdy but lovable rescue dogs, and battling the herd of dust bunnies that has taken up residence in her home. To learn more about Jessica, please visit her website at www.jessicaruddick.com.
