Lovin' los libros

 

First of all, I am so happy Faith offered me the chance to read this! I love visiting her blog and reading her swoons for Swoon Thursday and she always teases us with steamy swoons from her books! Ever since I couldn't wait to get my hands on them!

 

I really liked both Katie and Adam's characters in the story. I think Faith did a great job of presenting them and really making them both likeable characters. Katie is 18 years old, living with her father and her grandmother. Her father is overbearing and really expects to be taken care of- meals cooked, laundry done, etc. When he first sees Adam hugging Katie, he makes it very clear that she is to have nothing to do with him despite the fact he hasn't even spoken to the guy. Katie is not only young, but she is inexperienced and a bit naive. The only sexual experience she has had was with a guy she knew from high school and after saying she wasn't ready to go all the way, he dropped her off at her destination and didn't look back.

 

Adam is good-looking, hardworking and an all-around nice guy. He has been hurt in the past and has moved away from California in order to move on with his life. He drives an ambulance, so he works long shifts and hours and tends to go home and crash. He isn't a social butterfly, hitting up bars, grabbing drinks all the time after work.

 

Adam and Katie first meet after Katie and her grandmother are involved in a car accident. Her grandmother, complaining of neck pain, is picked up and brought to the ER just for precautions. Adam, of course is the ambulance driver and the two connect instantaneously. I personally felt like I could have used a bit more development with Katie and Adam's relationship. Both were clearly attracted to one another but never got the courage to make their move and kept letting the other slip through their fingers. I feel like Katie fell way too fast for Adam without really getting to know him. It almost seemed that she fell in love with the idea of him in the beginning. I really felt the same about Adam. He sees that sadness in Katie's eyes and there's something about her that makes him want to take care of her and protect her. As dedicated as he is to his work, he would make sacrifices for Katie, for the chance to truly be with her.

 

That was my only major issue with the novel. I felt like their relationship was just a bit hard to believe in because I really wanted to see them connecting a bit more before their relationship evolved as it did.

 

But, let me forewarn you. Faith doesn't not hold back on her ending. I won't say what she does, because after being really angry, I stopped and reflected. And then I thought, well played Faith Sullivan, well played. And so now I'm curious if maybe my earlier thoughts were really justified about their relationship. Maybe it was supposed to feel that way and my mind is being messed with. I don't know, regardless, the ending. Whew.

 

Overall, despite a few issues I thought this was a cute read and I really did enjoy the characters which is a huge thing for me. If my characters are unlikeable, I really can't get into a book. This is the first book in the Heartbeat series.