Book Review: BAD ROMEO by Leisa Rayven

Book: Bad Romeo

Author: Leisa Rayven

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Contemporary Romance

The Blurb:

While performing the greatest love story of all time, they discovered one of their own…

Cassie Taylor was just another acting student with big dreams at her prestigious performing arts college…then she met Ethan Holt. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy on campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing on stage, Cassie and Ethan’s epic romance seemed destined. Until it ended in tragedy when he shattered her heart.

Now they’ve made it to Broadway where they’re reunited as romantic leads once again—and their passionate scenes force them they’re forced to confront the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their intense college affair. For Ethan, losing Cassie was his biggest regret—and he’s determined to redeem himself. But for Cassie, even though Ethan was her first and only great love, he hurt her too much to ever be trusted again. The trouble is, working with him again reminds her that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks. And when it comes to love, sometimes it’s the things that aren’t good for us that are the most irresistible.

My Review:

Thrills and excitement…… Check
Hot and heavy scenes…….Check
Funny lines……Check
Sarcasm……Check
Witty banter…..Double Check
Great ending………..hmmmmmmm…

Okay.  I won’t lie.  I loved everything about this book.  Everything except the open end.  Of course I later found out there’s a book two coming out in April 2015 called Broken Juliet so I understand the non-end ending, but it doesn’t diminish my twinge of disappointment.
To be fair, the story is great, and the banter? Holy fluffing, fracking funny!

Cassie and Holt are doing a Broadway show together and it would be great since they are both extremely good stage actors.  The problem is they have a past they can’t get over.

Cassie is still head over heels in love with Ethan Holt years after he chewed her up and spit her out.  To put it plainly, he pulled her heart out of her chest, threw it on the driveway, kicked and stomped on it a hundred times before getting in a car and driving over it.  Splat!  That’s how much he destroyed her.  Years after he upped and left her high and dry, he comes waltzing into her life trying to get her back.
Say what?!? The nerve!

But yes, it seems the man has woken up to get back what he finally realizes is the most important part of his life.  But Cassie is more than reluctant.
The extreme fear and pain that Holt used to have about loving and being abandoned has moved on to her.  Much as she would like to forgive the man whose one look can melt her straightaway, she can not get over the fear that once he gets scared, he would just leave her.  It’s finally too much.  She has just put herself back together, will she survive being broken again?

But Holt has changed.  He wants her back.  Everything about her is supposed to be his and he is ready to claim her. Now.  But how will he redeem himself to the person who loved him the most?  The woman who never left even after he did?  The one whose trust he may never gain back?

Reading this is like watching a sitcom.  Specifically watching Ross and Rachel (of FRIENDS) go back and forth, loving and hating each other, where you just want to throw popcorn at the TV and scream “get back together already dumbass!”.  Yep, that’s how I felt.

It’s simple.  Love at first sight for both.  Instant attraction then instant denial.  One gives in (Cassie), the other pulls away (Holt).  The end? Not quite.

The journey is long but the ride itself was great!  I love that the story has two timelines:  the present (preparing for a major Broadway show) and six years priors (when they were still in College and trying hard NOT to fall in love).  It completed the circle and helped me understand how and why she loves him the way she does and why he CAN’T believe that she does.

The banter between them is fantastically funny.  They’re both crazy.  And I love the author’s sense of humor.  I found myself smiling and laughing one too many times by myself which probably made me look stupid.  But hey, that’s the best appreciation I can give to the writer and her book.

Overall I recommend BAD ROMEO (despite its title) to romantics who prefer funny stories full of sweet words one can only wish to hear spoken by a loved one.  Wait…am I describing all of us? Probably.  And if you like Romeo And Juliet? (which I do…Oh My bounty is as boundless as the sea….)  Here’s the bonus….THAT’s here too.  swoooooooon….