Reviewer: Rowena Riot by Jamie Shaw
Series: Mayhem #2
Also in this series: Mayhem, Riot, Mayhem, Chaos, Havoc
Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins
Publication Date: February 10th 2015
Genres: New Adult
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When Dee Dawson meets sexy mohawked guitarist Joel Gibbon, she knows it won't be long before she has him wrapped around her finger. No guy has ever been able to resist her … but Dee's met her match in a player like Joel.
Dee's not the relationship type—not after seeing the pain "love" has caused her friends and family—yet she's desperate to make Joel want her more than anyone else. He quickly becomes an obsession, and when a reckless attempt to make him jealous ends in disaster, Dee turns into the damsel in distress she never wanted to be. With her carefree world crashing down around her, the last thing she needs is Joel's pity.
But Joel is suddenly determined to prove he cares, and no matter how hard Dee tries to push him away, he refuses to let her shut him out. Now the girl who swore she'd never say those three little words must choose between guarding her heart and losing Joel forever … or falling head over heels for the tattooed rock star of her dreams.
This was not an easy book to get through, at least it wasn’t for me. I’ll explain in a little bit but first things first…this book follows Rowan’s (from Book 1) best friend Dee to her happily ever after. Or actually, to her happy for now ending with Adam’s (from Book 1) bandmate, Joel Gibbon.
Dee doesn’t do relationships. She’s got some issues with her Mom leaving her and her Dad when she was a kid and she’s seen what love can do to the people she loves and she doesn’t want to have anything to do with that…until Joel Gibbon walks into her life. Dee knows that guys like her and she likes that guys like her but after hooking up with Joel, Joel doesn’t play the game the way she’s used to it so she becomes obsessed with making him want her more than anyone else.
She’s a game player. She plays with guys emotions. She likes the thrill of wrapping guys around her fingers and while that’s all fine and dandy if the guys are okay with playing the game, it got really old where Joel was concerned. I can’t even count how many times I emailed or texted Tracy to bitch about how crazy Dee was driving me while reading this book. There were so many.
Joel was just as guilty of playing games with Dee but he didn’t go overboard the way that Dee did. She did things and said things that made me see red and all for what? To get Joel to fall in love with her? Why? She had no intention of loving him back so why play that game? Why was it so important for her to bring him to heel if in the end, Joel had no chance at all at a real relationship with her?
The romance between Joel and Dee fit their personalities. They were both passionate people and they both ran hot and cold so their story made sense but it didn’t stop me from getting royally pissed at the both of them. I knew that nothing good was going to come from the game she was playing with Cody. Do I blame her for what happened? Heck no! But did that stop me from being pissed off at her for using people to make Joel jealous? For playing those idiotic games? No.
As the story progresses, Dee gets her shit together. Joel’s birthday party? LOVED IT. Dee’s present for Joel? LOVED IT. The scene that happens when Joel shows up at Dee’s house for Easter? HATED IT. Dee was so hot and cold where Joel was concerned that I got mad right along with Joel when she would turn away from him. Joel put himself out there so many different times, opening up to her about every little thing because she wanted to know him but I hated that it took her so long to return the favor. I hate that it was all or nothing with Joel but she didn’t play by the same rules she set out for Joel.
Now I know that it sounds like I hated this book but I promise, I didn’t. There was only one time that I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish this book and that was BEFORE Cody but I’m so glad that I stuck with this one because Shaw does a great job with the payoff. When Dee finally signs her grown up papers, I was glad. When Joel tells her, “You don’t get to be hurt about this” after she comes storming to his apartment the night of her birthday party, I cheered for Joel. Joel was a bonehead too but it was Dee that drove me nuts in this one. When they finally get their shit sorted and get together, I was content.
Overall, this book was good. I was completely invested in what happened with the characters and I am so anxious to start Shawn and Kit’s story. I thought the lead up to their story was good. I liked the way Shaw handled Adam and Rowan being together and in love in this book. They were in love but still normal and not fused at the lips. I’m pretty anxious to get more Mike in the coming book too. I hope Mike gets his own girl…maybe Macy from Book 1? I wouldn’t be mad at that. And Mike better be getting his own book. I’m thirsty for his story.
This wasn’t an easy story to get through but I’m glad that I read it.
Grade: 3 out of 5
This book is available from Avon Impulse. You can purchase it here or here in e-format.
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