Single Sundays: While this blog may be focused on reviewing book series as a whole, we can’t forget about the good ole’ standalone novel! On Sundays, I will review a novel that is considered to be a standalone novel. Here is this week’s offering:
Synopsis for Lovely (from Goodreads):
A moment can change everything…Ashton Taylor. Six foot one, Dark hair, chiseled jaw, riveting hazel eyes, and a body cut in all the right places. He’s a natural. Things just come easy to him. He’s used to getting everything he wants, excelling at everything he does. The grades, the recognition, the beautiful women.
His path was set. A girl, a full scholarship to UC San Diego, and a bright future. To others, his life seemed perfect. But, things are never what they seem, and life, well, at any moment, something or someone can come along and turn it upside down.
That something…the death of his father.
That someone… Cara Hayward. The girl with the hypnotic eyes, melodic voice, enchanting smile, and lips sent straight from heaven.
The girl who doesn’t want to be seen.
So what happens when a guy who everything comes easy to, meets a girl who doesn’t come easy?
Can he crawl through all the broken glass to find her? Will the girl he discovers deep down be able to see past his perfect exterior?
Together, do they have the power to heal one another? Or, could the very thing that brings them together, be the one thing that tears them apart?
Review:
I bought Lovely as an impulse buy during a mass purchase because it seemed like it would be a cute read and had everything I enjoyed in a New Adult novel: a playboy lead, shy heroine and an interesting family dynamic.
This book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. For one thing, it was told entirely from Ashton`s POV. I haven’t read a New Adult read that is only from the male`s POV so that was refreshing. I didn`t find him overly annoying with his descriptions of Cara and he isn`t a huge alpha male either so that was nice. I also went into this book assuming that Ashton`s father had just died–when in actuality it has been 4 years. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing–in fact I think it worked to its advantages but it just threw me for a bit of a loop at first.
I found the book a little slow and it felt too long to me at times. There wasn`t too much else to the plot other than the two meeting and falling in love. Although Ash`s attraction to Cara borders on insta-love, I really liked that they didn`t dive right into a relationship and they actually took the time to get to know each other. I really did like their relationship and chemistry but I didn`t feel like it was strong enough to carry the whole book. Things get more interesting near the end drama wise but one scene in particular seemed a little forced to me and at that point I felt like the plot was dragging.
Conclusion:
It`s a slower New Adult read that doesn`t focus on over the top drama but on the emotion connection between two people. If you want to try reading a New Adult read told entirely from the male`s POV, this is a good one to check out! But this book didn`t wow me: it wasn`t anything I haven`t read before. It`s well done however so I think if you go in expecting a slower read, you will like it.
Rating: 3.5/5
Would I Recommend this Book to a Friend: No — I would recommend one of the novels below before this one.
Shorthand Stats:
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Recommended for: 18+
Heat Rating: really warm
Point of View: First Person — Male POV
Similar Reads: Charade by Nyrae Dawn (Games Series #1); Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn; and Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken (Ruin Series #1)