REVIEW: Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven

In Bad Romeo (Starcrossed #1) by Leisa Rayven, Cassie Taylor fell almost immediately for Ethan Holt when she saw him on campus. Maybe it was his indifference to her. Being a people pleaser her whole life, Cassie goes out of her way to change Ethan’s mind about her. But his avoidance of her runs deeper than she could imagine, which causes friction when they’re paired together in acting class. Their undeniable chemistry is noticed by everyone and eventually leads to them not only being cast as Romeo and Juliet, but they become secretly involved as well. With an attraction as combustible as theirs, it shouldn’t have been a surprise when everything exploded and ended badly, but it left Ethan and Cassie reeling for years.

‘This is what we should have been. Always. Mouths and hands on each other, breathing each other’s air. Reveling in our soul-deep connection, not running from it.’

Years after their fateful romance, Cassie and Ethan are once again together on stage. Cassie has spent a long time trying to get over the hurt caused by Ethan. And now he’s back in her life asking for another chance. The chemistry is still there between them. And if anything, it’s only grown stronger. But can Cassie believe anything Ethan tells her and trust her feelings for him? She can’t go through the same loss again. But will she always wonder what would have been if she doesn’t give them a second chance?

“Don’t even try to tell me you’ll ever love someone as much as you love me, because as arrogant as it is to say, that’s bullshit. And I feel the same way about you. Everyone else is just going to be second best for us. Don’t you get that?”

Bad Romeo was an angst-ridden romance filled with comical inner monologues and raw emotions. Just when I thought I understood Ethan and Cassie, author Leisa Rayven threw another twist into their relationship making it even more complicated.

I can see why readers are fired up about this novel, both for and against it. Ms. Rayven’s writing style was something I really latched onto, with the authentic dialogue full of dry humor and the emotions described so accurately. I personally enjoyed my time getting to know Cassie and Ethan, following their antics as the story flashed back and forth between their time in acting school and years later when they were again cast in a play together. To me this story combines both New Adult and Contemporary Romance, blending the best of both worlds. There was the discovery of new love and the myriad of emotions that brings about, as well as the complication of hurt feelings and the hope of a second chance to get things right.

Cassie is my new queen of awkward moments. There are just some characters that find themselves in strange, or humiliating, situations constantly. That would be Cassie. Especially when she was in acting school, falling for Ethan. Some of the scenes were so open and honest that I even cringed for her, or felt the blush working it’s way up my face for whatever faux pas she made. I did really enjoy seeing the contrast between Ethan and Cassie when they were college age and when they were adults. Seeing the roles reversed, with Cassie being the one holding back as an adult was pretty intriguing and spoke of how dealing with heartbreak completely changed her. I will also mention that the ending of this story was not a cliffhanger, per se, but did end abruptly…on a good note, though.

I hope readers will give this emotional story a try and that it will entertain you all as much as it did me. I am definitely looking forward to the sequel, Broken Juliet, when it comes out in 2015.

Book Info:

Published December 23rd 2014 by St. Martin’s Griffin | (Starcrossed #1)

When Cassie Taylor met Ethan Holt at acting school, sparks flew. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy about campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing, Cassie and Ethan’s romance seemed destined. Until he broke her heart and betrayed her trust. Now the A-list heartthrob is back in her life and turning her world around. One touch at a time.

Cast as romantic leads once again, they’re forced to confront raw memories of the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their secret college affair. But they’ll also discover that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks