Saturday, September 21, 2013

Unafraid by Melody Grace ~ Review

Source: Received an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

"The first time I saw her, I knew this girl was wilder than any stallion I’d ever trained. She was headstrong, wounded, passionate and free. And I had to have her…"

Brittany Ray doesn’t care about her bad reputation. Growing up in a sleepy beach town with a junkie mom and a runaway dad, Brit’s learned the hard way that the people you love will only let you down. It’s no use hoping for love or happiness. Some dreams aren’t meant for girls like her.

Hunter Covington is one of those dreams.

Gorgeous, charming Hunter is damn near perfect—and it’s killing him. Son of Charleston royalty, he’s been trapped in a gilded cage since the day he was born. Now he’s breaking free. He’s quit law school to restore his grandpa’s old horse ranch, trying to soothe the demons in his soul. But Beachwood Bay is full of old ghosts, like the mysterious girl who spent an unforgettable night with him—and then slipped away before dawn. Brit.

Everything about her screams danger, but Hunter doesn’t care: he’s never felt a connection so deep. And try as she may, Brit can’t resist the desire consuming her —or the safety she finds in Hunter’s arms.

A reckless passion. An undeniable bond. Scarred by their pasts, Brit and Hunter fight to heal old wounds. But will dark secrets tear apart their new beginning? And when love is the biggest risk of all, can they find the courage to face the future unafraid?




My Thoughts:




2 stars - The characters didn't do it for me in this one.

I loved book one, Unbroken.  Emerson and Juliet were so real for me.  And I was so looking forward to Unafraid, hoping it would be more of the same.  Sadly, my experience was not the same at all.

Let me start with things I did enjoy.  The ending was my favorite part.  I really liked how a few elements of the book came together at that moment to create a sweet ending.  There was also a lot of very hot, steamy moments in this one.  Enjoyed these things tons.

However, this type of story is very character driven for me.  I have to believe these people are real and that their actions match who they claim to be.  When there is a disconnect, I don't enjoy the story.  That was the case for Unafraid.

I didn't understand their relationship.  They had met and had one night three years before.  Brit had ran off before Hunter woke up.  This short time together (that we only get a few glimpses of) is apparently where they both fell in love.  I needed more than that to accept their feeling for each other.  The story doesn't give us enough to see them fall in love.  I just needed more.

Every couple has some reason they can't be together.  Some are more plausible than others.  I wasn't buying Hunter and Brit's reasons. I'm not sure I even understand it.  Brit feels like everyone she loves leaves her, so she not risking it with Hunter, even though the feeling are apparently already there.   Hunter fights her but he's not convinced he's worthy of her.  His crimes are painful and I, maybe, got his reasons more.  But the distance that it causes between them never felt real.  I never had that "OMG...are they not going to be together" moment.  It was always a fact how the story would end.

Then there was this kinky side of Hunter that didn't really fit him.  He's a rebel only in the sense that he doesn't want anything to do with the high society life his parents lead.  Sweet, caring, thoughtful, understanding, helpful, sexy, gorgeous all describe him.  He's not a kinky guy.  When he's demanding...or commanding Brit come, I'm like...really?  There might have been some horse leads used for purposes other than there intended use as well.  That really seemed out of character for Hunter too.  I just don't like it when a character acts one way for some scenes and a very different way in other scenes.  It make me realize he's not real and it makes me sad.

While this book is not my taste, others felt differently.  Check out their reviews below:




About the author:

Melody Grace is the USA Today bestselling author of UNBROKEN and UNTOUCHED. A small-town girl turned SoCal beach-lover, she spent years with her nose in a book before deciding it was time to write them for herself. She loves bad boys, good books, and pistachio-flavored ice-cream.



4 comments:

  1. I can see what you were saying and you know I had some issues with this one as well. In the end, I did like it, but I think more could have been done with this couple. I had had high hopes for Brit.

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  2. Sorry that this one didn't work out for you as well as the first one. I think I would have the same issues as you did with this. Great review hon!!

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  3. I totally get what you're seeing about lack of connection between the characters and their actions. I'll probably give this a try sometime to see what I think.

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  4. I'm so sad you didn't like this one! I actually liked it more than Em & Juliet for some reason. I can see where you wouldn't get their connection though and maybe if you give Untamed Hearts a try, you'll see (it's their prequel story). Reading what you have to say, makes me rethink things though, lol. Hoping you give the author another try some time. Great review!

    Vi
    AKA Vi3tBabe
    Deity Island

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