Bad Romeo

Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ladies and gentlemen, let the well-written dysfunction begin.

Talk about a Bad Romeo. I couldn't put this aside (not down) because I just needed to see how it ended. But it was difficult, because it's been awhile since I've read two more screwed up characters.

Obviously this is a character driven book, so let's talk about said characters. Cassie is an ingenue, desperate to please everyone and well-liked because she usually does please everyone. She's also a very good actress. She meets Ethan at the auditions for a prestigious east coast drama school and is drawn to his dark moodiness and general disdain for not just her, but everyone. We progress relatively quickly through the "I hate you/I love you" stage with a strong emphasis on the chemistry between these two actors.

Ethan pushes Cassie to stop trying to please everyone and she does, at least everyone but him. She goes from being a shy innocent desperate to be liked to being a closet nymphomaniac. This isn't a book filled with sex, it's a book filled with a girl who can't think of anything else. Rayven could have used that element in a way that would have added spice to the story. Instead, we got this deluge of Cassie's pent-up sexual frustration. It was like dumping an entire container of cinnamon into a spice cake. It completely overwhelmed the story.

Then we have dark, moody Ethan with his relationship issues. They were well-founded but again, too much! This was a boy with deep feelings, granted. But some degree of acting like a typical male would have lent some believability to the story.

The story is told alternating present day with flashbacks. This really does save the story. It's a good story and well-told. But these characters! I'm glad I stuck it out to the ending, because it was worth it. But it was a struggle.

On audio this book is narrated by Andi Arndt. Her voice for Cassie rang pretty true to the character. But her lower register male voices weren't as good. That's something that just can't be helped with her vocal range. So while she might not have done the male characters true justice, she still related the story well.

I'm interested in the sequel. Rayven is a good author; I just hope we'll get characters who've grown up and figured out their demons.

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