I adore taboo romance. I also adore age gaps. The hero twice the heroine’s age? Sign me up! Teacher/student relationship? Heck yes! Controversial book? Yea please! Those are some of my favourite things, so this should be right up my alley right? Nope.
Before I go off, let me say what I liked. The level of detail that Lucia Franco gave about gymnasts. A couple of the side characters (Hayden). Adrianna’s believable (at first) crush on her new coach. And Sarah Puckett’s perfect narration.
‘I couldn’t help myself’ is not reason to ignore the law. He’s 32 and she’s 15, she cannot consent. Pushing the envelope and limits is different than blatantly ignoring (and misquoting) the law.
I can forgive a lot in books if I feel that they really are meant for each other. Soulmates. But I didn’t even feel that, they have nothing in common. I don’t feel their connection or sense any chemistry.
Kova has a serious girlfriend. He’s good-looking and successful but is lusting over this 15 year old girl. AND blaming her!
“I did no such thing, it was all you. You pursued me every chance you got and you know it. A man can only take so much before he loses his fucking mind and caves.”
Come on, you’re an adult and she’s 15. Keep it in your pants for a couple more years.
Then he comes up with this gem.
“I will tell you right now that if you get pregnant and it somehow comes back to me, I will deny it until the day I die,”
Says the man who can’t be bothered to wear a condom. I mean wow. Just wow.
Another big problem I have is Adrianna wants to go to the Olympics but her skills don’t measure up to those around her. While she’s training, she never excels at anything.