Tough Critic Book Reviews: Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven: Review & signed paperback GIVEAWAY!

Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis
When Cassie Taylor met Ethan Holt at acting school, sparks flew. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy about campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing, Cassie and Ethan's romance seemed destined. Until he broke her heart and betrayed her trust. Now the A-list heartthrob is back in her life and turning her world around. One touch at a time.

Cast as romantic leads once again, they're forced to confront raw memories of the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their secret college affair. But they'll also discover that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks

My Review
My New Years resolution for July, was to read more books that weren't new releases. As a blogger, you're constantly drowning in new releases. So if you miss one, it's hard to rewind because there are always new books to read. Trying to work in an older book with current releases and review deadlines, can be almost impossible. I often worry that in my crazy race to get them all read, I'm missing something. I need to go backwards. I want to be less of slave to release dates, and just read. Just. Read.

Everything.

I had the pleasure of meeting Leisa Rayven at RT2015. Somehow, in my living under the rock that is my life, I hadn't heard of her, or her books. However, she was one of the loveliest individuals, truly. I adored her. Then in July, I got to spend some time with her in Las Vegas and I loved her even more. She is funny, gracious, kind, and absolutely adorable!!

OH MY GOD! What if I don't like her book!??

The very thought terrified be, but in my quest to read more non-new releases, I decided to give Bad Romeo a shot.

I loved it!!

There is a very fine line between love and hate. This is a romance that blurs that line while using it to feed and build tension between the two main characters. That beautiful tension is something that I felt the entire book. It was so aggressive that I physically felt it. It was intoxicating. The air was so thick with chemistry that it was hard to breathe. When I talk about tension, I'm not just referencing sexual tension. Though if female "blue balls" is a thing, then lalalalalala....I'm a damn smurf!

Did I mention this book is incredibly funny too?

I guess ultimately, it had to be the author's innate talent for character development that had me so indelibly connected to the story that I could not put it down. I didn't want to!

I think the only reason I'm not running naked with my bedazzled five star flag is that even though I loved the progressively building tension and character development, it did get a little repetitious towards the end. The book alternates between the past and present, and since so much time was spent developing their past, I feel the present missed some of that same care and development. I also got a little turned off by Cassie's incessant need for sex. It was great to see somewhat of a gender role reversal, but it was taken just a bit too far, and in the end it took something away from the emotion and feeling of when they finally do come together.

Despite these minor imperfections, I'm still absolutely in love with this book and highly recommend it. I read to find stories that develop characters with this kind of intensity, tension, and passion. I read to find books that pull me in, and refuse to let me go. I read to find books that I don't want to be let go from. I read to find an experience. I read to find this book.

READ ON!

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