It's hard to give Kellan Kyle anything less than 5 stars, I mean c'mon now, it's Kellan Kyle! But Painful just didn't live up to the expectations I had, especially since I loved Thoughtful so much. There was something truly painful for me while reading this book, cringing at just how insecure and dare I say, whiny, our favorite rock star became. I know he was desperate to hold onto Kiera. But after all they had been through with Denny, and now that they were seemingly on the other side of that crazy, you'd think he would be more confident in her love for him.
But these two keep secrets from one another that almost destroy their relationship over and over again. And trust me, I remember it all vividly from Effortless but somehow it made more sense then? Or maybe I just accepted it much more easily. I don't know but Kellan's constant doubts, his inner thoughts there in italics where he is full of despair really did drive me crazy.
I have to admit that I skimmed a good part of this book just to get to the scenes I was curious about...hello, bathroom sex at Matt's, "I'll have a Denver omelet", and Christmas with her family...and that saddens me. However, the positive is that the last 20 percent or so really picked up and maybe it's because they finally figured out how to be together since the DBags' first tour was coming to a close and Kiera was nearing the end of her college career. But the moment they finally knew what they had would last and Kellan faced his demons wrt his parents and his real father, things felt good and I enjoyed how this story ended.
Stephens gives us a glimpse into what Kellan dealt with as a child with horrible parents and my heart broke for his young man. The fact that he is such a wonderful person and truly cares for those closest to him is a testament to what one can achieve despite their upbringing.
Overall, I will always love Kellan Kyle and he will have a place in my heart no matter what. But I may be finally done with his and Kiera's story since to be really honest here: I hated Reckless and never thought it was necessary. I was satisfied with how Effortless ended and honestly didn't need more.
I will also add that it was great catching up with the DBags and the loyal crew at Pete's Bar. There are some great moments featuring that wild man Griffin and his brand of levity helped when times were rough. In the end, my fondness for all of these characters, with my surprise at actually kind of liking Kiera in this version (lol), will never waver, and that isn't painful to admit at all.
2.5 stars.