I have very mixed feelings about this book. I liked the idea of the story and the characters were fun, but there were a lot of plot holes and flaws.
The writing was repetitive, and the past tense seemed off. So many times, they threw their heads back and laughed hysterically. Hysterically? I'm a happy person and don't laugh like that over everything. Snickered, giggled, chortled, snorted, etc. There are so many options.
One of my biggest complaints was that there wasn't any tension or build-up between the two main characters. They slept together before they even "liked" each other. It really felt like it came out of nowhere. One of them should have realized that they loved the other. I feel like it should have been Niko. Maybe that's the reason he was a man whore. He slept with every girl in town because he couldn't have the one he wanted? Otherwise, why? Both of them just decided to sleep together out of the blue, which was weird.
HoneyBee as a nickname, was annoying for me. It was long, and he didn't always was it. He called her Vivian, Vivi, Viv, and HoneyBee. The reason behind the nickname was cute, but it should have been shortened to Bee or Honey, and he needed to have used it all the time. Unless talking about her to someone else or using her full name in an argument. All thoughts of her and speaking to her should have been the same, short, nickname.
When the characters finally realized they loved each other, they seemed stupid. It wasn't like one person helped them uncover their feelings. All of a sudden, everyone they talk to has known they love each other and gives them the same "deep" advice. Yet they were too stupid to figure it out? Both of them?
The story felt disjointed because it was like a sappy, sweet Hallmark trying to have deep, dark depth. It needed to go one way or the other. The mom stayed with the dad because he threatened to hurt her kids, yet he hurt her kids anyway? The story needed editing.
*This book is rated R. The F word is used more than once. The spice scenes are detailed. There is very minor violence.
Barbara Murray
Darlene Richardson