DNF Review: Unfixable by Tessa Bailey

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 Unfixable (from Goodreads):

He’s the last thing she wants…but the only thing she needs.

Willa Peet isn’t interested in love. She’s been there, done that, and has the shattered heart to prove it. Ready to shake the breakup, she heads to Dublin, Ireland. But there’s a problem. A dark-haired, blue-eyed problem with a bad attitude that rivals her own. And he’s not doling out friendly Irish welcomes.

Shane Claymore just wants to race. The death of his father forced him off the Formula One circuit, but he’s only staying in Dublin long enough to sell the Claymore Inn and get things in order for his mother and younger sister. He never expected the sarcastic American girl staying at the inn to make him question everything.

But even as Willa and Shane’s fiery natures draw them together, their pasts threaten to rip them apart. Can Shane give up racing to be with the woman he loves, or will Willa’s quest to resurrect the tough-talking, no-shit-taking girl she used to be destroy any hope of a future together?

Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Heat Rating: Toasty
Point of View: First Person, Single
Publication Date: April 7, 2014
Source & Format: Own–eBook (Kobo)

Disclaimer: I stopped reading Unfixable at 37% (Start of Chapter 9). Find out why below…

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I bought this book years ago, probably when the New Adult trend was just peaking…and I was into angsty leads. But I actually read Tessa Bailey’s Broke and Beautiful Series first and really enjoyed it for it’s lightness and fun. And while this book seemed like it would be a touch darker, I went in optimistically.

What I Liked:

–The Setting–

When I picked this book up, I had just finished looking at a possible trip to Ireland…and this book totally made me wanderlust after the country. I really want to see Dublin one day so it was nice to live vicariously through Willa for a bit.

What I Didn’t Like:

–Lack of Chemistry–

I was excited by the I-hate-you vibes Willa and Shane were throwing each other’s ways when they first meet. But that was about all the sparks I got from them. Seriously, I didn’t see the connection between them at all. And before I knew it, Shane was busting out some serious dirty talk and it just felt so out of place for me.

I had a similar experience with Bailey’s Broke and Beautiful Series:

So while I could see the basis of their relationships forming, they fall quick and hard solely based on a few interactions and not much else.

I let it slide a bit in that series because they were a lighter read. But I had hoped that things would be a little deeper here.

–Lack of Shane’s POV–

As I read more and more romances, I find I really prefer ones with dual POVs. Unless the hero needs to be kept a mystery for some reason, I much prefer that he have his own chapters so I can understand his motives a little more. Perhaps I would have felt the chemistry between these two more if Shane’s inner monologue was available.