Lovin' los libros

 

 

Upon finishing this book, my emotions let out a huge sigh of relief. After being pulled in so many different directions and being coiled so tightly, it almost felt cathartic to finish. (Even though I desperately wanted more!) I have been staying away from angsty romances as of late, but this one was so filled with raw emotion and passion that I couldn't help but get sucked in to the story Rayven has created.

 

As a former thespian myself, I knew this book would be right up my alley. I love all things theater, so it was awesome that our two main characters were aspiring actors and that we saw them fall for one another behind the scenes. I did feel the book ran a bit long, but I loved getting all of Ethan and Cassie's history. Rayven alternates between past and present, thus doing a great job of showing us the rise and fall of Cassie and Ethan's relationship.

 

And oh what a complicated relationship it turned out to be! Cassie has this naivety about her, but instead of being irritating, it's actually quite humorous. Some of the things that came out of her mouth? Priceless. She was so innocently bold and I really liked that. Ethan Holt, resident bad boy, warns her away from the beginning, but like a moth drawn to the flame, Cassie does not heed his advice. Instead, she finds herself drawn to the gruff, cynical man who simultaneously pulls her in and pushes her away. Ethan certainly has his jerk moments and there are a few where I was aghast that Cassie would still even acknowledge his presence. However, I fell for Ethan just as Cassie did and I can understand the allure. He's good looking and talented and beyond that jaded, hardened exterior is a good guy who is afraid to feel again. Having been burned before by love, Ethan refuses to be the one to hurt Cassie because of his inability to commit. In the end, it doesn't matter because they both end up hurting one another and doing irreversible damage. Being forced to work together again three years later is no easy task. There are so many memories there that lay bubbling just underneath the surface, ready to explode at the slightest touch or look. As a professional, Cassie knows she must get her emotions under control and assume her role as an actor, separating her own feelings from Ethan.

 

While I liked Cassie's character, her younger self was definitely on the pushier side. I hate to say she brought all this heartbreak on herself, but she kind of did. She knew that things with Ethan were different, but she could always see the inner struggle that raged within himself over her. When you're young and in love, it's not easy to hold yourself back, especially with someone who ignites such powerful feelings in you, but Cassie knew that Ethan was a bit emotionally damaged and still took that risk to be with him. Ethan's jealousy could also grate on my nerves a bit. He has no right to be so possessive and jealous over her, especially since he won't take the plunge and claim her as his own. I don't agree with how Cassie would purposefully try to get a rise out of him by playing on that jealousy to her advantage.

 

The ending really gutted me because Rayven FINALLY gives us what we've been waiting for the entirety of the novel in terms of Ethan's character and she cuts the novel off with somewhat of a cliffhanger. I call it a cliffhanger, because I felt like I was hanging on for dear life desperately needing more! I am really excited to read the next book, Broken Juliet, because we will see if these two characters can ever truly forgive one another the pain of the past and begin something new, without constantly living in fear of being destroyed once again. Rayven does an amazing job of evoking so many strong emotions in me that I actually had to put down the book just to get a breather because I was such a mess. (Man, do I love books like that!) I have no doubt the sequel will be filled with the same messy, raw emotion and I can't wait to see how everything plays out!