Reviewer: Holly Ruin by C.J. Scott
Series: Summer in Winter #1
Publication Date: August 19th 2013
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 127
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Series Rating:
Kate Bell isn't perfect. Not even close. The things she got up to in college would cause her parents to fall off their pedestals in shock. Home for the summer vacation, Kate settles in for a long, boring break in the tiny backwater of Winter with folks who still treat her like she's twelve.
Then Ben Parker arrives and suddenly Winter gets interesting. He's hot, mysterious and good with his hands. Kate falls for him instantly, but her cop father warns her to stay away. But how can she stay away from someone as compelling as Ben? Someone who thinks she's perfect just the way she is?
When Ben's dark secrets catch up to him, not only is Kate's heart in danger of being broken, but Ben's entire future could be ruined.
RUIN is a short new adult contemporary romance novel intended for mature readers. It contains strong language and sexual situations. Available at this bargain price for a short time.
The story is told from the first person point-of-view of Kate, a college student home for the summer. She hates the small town where she grew up, and only comes back because her parents guilt her into it. When a sexy strangers lands in town, she decides immediately to have him. Only her feelings for him develop into more than lust in a very short time (like, minutes). When the dark secrets from his past come to light, Kate’s whole world is rocked…
The premise is a good one. I like the idea of a small-town girl home from college starting an affair with a bad boy that turns into more. Unfortunately it didn’t deliver what I expected it to.
Kate was a whiny, immature brat. She acted more like a 17 year-old drama queen than a third-year college student. She blamed her parents for everything, acted out against them and made stupid, naive assumptions. For all her claims of her “bad girl” behavior at college, she acted more like a spoiled high school student.
I liked Ben and thought his past was interesting. I also liked Kate’s best friend, Jane, and her grandmother, Mrs. M. But they weren’t enough to save the story for me.
The author’s note in the back of the book mentioned Jane’s book coming next. I may try it, but I’m a little gun-shy after reading this one.
2 out of 5
This book is self-published. You can buy it here or here in e-format.