Saturday, December 19, 2015

Book Tour for Wicked Reunion by Michelle A. Valentine (Review & GIVEAWAY)


With Wicked Reunion by Michelle A. Valentine, readers are presented with an emotionally intense and rocky road to HEA featuring some of my favorite themes.  Keep reading to get a glimpse of this tale of reunited loves, along with my impressions of it, and then add it to your bookshelf.  In honor of this book make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $20 Amazon GC too!

College sweethearts London Uphill and Jared Kraft were inseparable. He was a rising baseball star with a promising future, and she seemed destined to become “Mrs. Kraft.” Then a tragic night and a series of devastating mistakes caused Jared to walk away from his life, leaving London without any explanation and tearing the couple apart.
Five years later, Jared has reinvented himself by putting down the bat and picking up a guitar to play for the red-hot band Wicked White. In all that time, London hasn’t gotten over her forever love—or the pain—despite seeking solace in the arms of the one man no one dreamed she’d run to.
When Wicked White's lead singer goes MIA, Jared finds the time--and courage--to return to his hometown and face the mess he made. He's shocked at how London's life has changed, yet he's determined to prove their love is worth fighting for. Is this breakup too big for any hope of a reunion tour? Or can London open her heart to Jared once again?

FIND THIS BOOK AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN

BUY THE PREVIOUS BOOK IN THIS SERIES, WICKED WHITE, AT:  AMAZON  |  BN


MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

With its compelling blurb of a rocky journey to HEA between reunited loves amidst a background of sports and rock n roll I was immediately drawn to the promise of this story.  Ms. Valentine's smooth flow in storytelling and gripping life events kept me further engaged, but somewhere along the way I became frustrated.  By story's end I was exhausted by the roller coaster of emotions but still engaged in the future of one character while satisfied with the ending for others.

Jared was once considered the Golden Boy of the ballpark with a supportive and caring girlfriend who'd been by his side for years.  Their future was clear until everything unraveled for him which had him turning his back on his past in anger. Years later he's resurrected himself as a musician and hoping to reclaim the girl he never stopped loving but who he let slip through his fingers.  Jared and London were a very cute couple once upon a time with her happy to stand on the sidelines while he followed his dreams.  Their sweetness brought a smile to your face as seen through the flashbacks to happier times.  When the rug was pulled out from under him it brought out a nasty and bitter side where he turned his back on friends, family, and London.  Whereas he'd always been confident before he's now arrogant and a much more bitter man, a bit hard to like at times truthfully.  He's a determined man though and steamrolls right back in to London's life as though no time has passed.  Though I didn't care for his caveman attitude you have to admire his conviction in getting London back.

London was always there for Jared, sacrificing everything for him when his baseball career was taking off.  She was the perfect girlfriend which is why his betrayal hurt so much.  After he left she gave him yet another chance to make things right with all those he hurt but he hurt her even deeper which led her to finding comfort from an unexpected source.  Most women would completely forget a man who hurt them as often and as deeply as Jared, but London's heart is living in the past and still wanting him.  Her actions upon his return left me frustrated and disappointed as her forgiveness comes way too easily and at the expense of the kindhearted Wes. Though the chemistry between London and Jared is steamy her betrayal of Wes, and their life/family together, was disillusioning but convinced me that her and Jared are a perfect match as both of them didn't care who they hurt as long as they got what they wanted.

As a fan of rock star reads I found the time spent in the music world realistic in bringing out all the competing egos of a band and I hope to see more of the band in the future. Though the lead character's actions disappointed me there's no denying their connection.  From past to present it's clear they were meant to be and Ms. Valentine certainly puts everyone through the emotional wringer to get them there.  I just wish the sweet and supportive Wes hadn't had to be hurt at the expense of their happiness as he stood by London's side through all her hurts, picked up the pieces to his family that his brother left in shambles, and was the quintessential good guy.  I would love to see him find his own HEA as he had enough hurts piled on him here. Though this book didn't reach the promising heights of the blurb, it did keep me engaged.  For better or worse this was a book hard to put down.  Though the characters didn't act as I'd hoped it did make for a unique read bound to get people talking.

My rating for this is a C+

*I got this book from NetGalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Michelle A. Valentine is a Central Ohio nurse turned New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic and New Adult romance.  Her love of hard-rock music, tattoos, and sexy musicians inspired her erotic BLACK FALCON series.

NEWSLETTER:  http://bit.ly/21XNoJL

***Be a little naughty - join Valentine's Vixens (http://on.fb.me/1mh1uFq) on Facebook for sneak peeks at Michelle's upcoming works, as well as fun and chatting with her and other readers!

**********GIVEAWAY**********

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