Balance

Off Balance #1

by Lucia Franco

He’s my coach.
One chance. That’s all I get when it comes to the Olympics.
I’ve given up everything for my chance to train under Konstantin Kournakova.
Kova is demanding. He only works with Elite gymnasts.
I follow his every command fifty hours a week.
He can’t break me. I thrive with the way he pushes me to my limits.
Whatever it takes to compete – before it’s too late.
He’s everything forbidden. Older. Taken. My father’s friend.
I shouldn’t want him – wish he was mine.
When I put my mind to it, there’s nothing I can’t do.


I’m her coach.
Fifty hours a week I tell her what to do.
Gymnastics isn’t for the weak and Adrianna is as strong as they come.
I’ll break her down so she can build herself up.
I know that she wants me, with every secret glance.
But I’ll lose everything if I give in.
I’m too old for her. I have someone else I love. I’m her father’s friend.
Adrianna Rossi is the sum of everything forbidden to me.
She makes me wish I could burn it all down just for her.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Sports Romance, Dark Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Forbidden Romance

610 pages, ebook

First published August 28, 2016

About the author

Lucia Franco has written over a dozen romance novels. Her emotional stories often include an age gap and forbidden love.

Her novel Hush Hush was a finalist in the RWA 2019 Stiletto Contest. Her novels have been translated into several languages.

Lucia resides in South Florida with her husband, two boys, and five pets. She was a competitive athlete for over ten years – a gymnast and cheerleader – which heavily inspired the Off Balance series. When she isn’t writing, you can find her at the beach getting slammed by waves or wandering through her butterfly garden.

Reviews

[Snow · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the fuck is this?!

First of all, when i read the blurb, I have to admit i was intrigued cause honestly I am a sucker for a SPORT romance and it was like an immediate pull, I also saw some high reviews, and even though I NEVER read the reviews before I make a decision to read the book myself, now I regret not doing so.
1. I have no problem with the big age gap between the characters (it's not my fav, but I don't mind it)
2. I have no problem with taboo/forbidden subjects (God knows, I have read enough of them to be able to gain a personal satisfaction from it, no matter the quantity of the mentioned)
3. I'm no prude, either…pfft

BUT

I found out that I DO HAVE a problem with UNDERAGE SEX, (especially if one of the acting parties is an actual ADLUT and should KNOW better than engaging in a sexual intercourse with a minor) no matter how the female character „seems“ mature, there's an existing LAW regarding a person's legal maturity, no matter the way person „looks like“, „acts like“ or „seems like“,
there's a reason for that LAW, cause it builds a sort of a safety line for the „mature look alikes“, but still very young. And why do they need that kind of protection too, cause they are teens, hormonally driven, emotionally hypersensitive, almost unstable in co-ordinating the mixed turmoils of enormous span – emotions vs. physical and biological functions, and the LAW is not FOR them per se, it's for those who SHOULD KNOW better but ACT against it.

Especially regarding the girls, physically/biologically they are women, fertile, beautiful, fresh, unspoiled young inexperienced human beings, therefore, I am sure, very tempting and alluring BUT emotionally and mentally there's a fuckin huge gap, more like an abyss of insecurities, awaken desires that they have no knowledge of how to sustain, make it work, indulge in it, or even control it…you learn all that, while you are GROWING UP, while you get to know your body, get to know how your body reacts and how to make your body react accordingly to the information your BRAIN is giving you.

Now, if you are confused with all the mixed up emotions and hormonally induced reactions they do become prey and when an older man states that she „seduced“ and „pursued“ him, and HE as a fucking ADULT with a DICK, couldn't „control“ his little friend from definitely ILLEGIT action,

You pursued me every chance you got and you know it. A man can only take so much before he loses his fucking mind and caves

Oh, you poor bastard, you and your little DICK are in pain, right?!





who's the fucking GROWN UP here?

Not to even mention the cheating part, I won't even go there, right now…

So when the author writes a WARNING like this:

If grafic language and underage, consensual sex are bothersome to you, I highly suggest not reading this novel.

You didn't do shit with it, you just made your conscience clear, and actually passed over the responsibility to someone else, the reader, and let's just hope the next potential reader is an ADULT who will know the difference between the actual CONSENTING sexual intercourse between the TWO consenting grown ups, or even if they are not of the legal age yet (cause of course, you can't forbid the teens to have sex, BUT in that case, you can try your best to EDUCATE them how to protect themselves and hope for the best they are AWARE enough to USE the same protection, of which THERE is NONE in this book).

And just because she said YES, doesn't mean HE, the ADULT, had to act upon it, cause after all she still is just…a little inexperienced

“I was kind of afraid to keep going. Not afraid of Kova, but because for the simple fact I had no idea what to do when I reached him. I mean, my friends talked about it, i knew, but I'd never done any of it myself.“

No SHIT, Sherlock!

But not to worry, he'll show you, cause…he KNOWS best, doesn't he?

You put your little fingers around my cock. Stroke it hard. You know you want to.

Fucking, really?! REALLY?!
You know it! Cause a 15 year old said YES, and she sure the fuck knows what she wants and what she's doing?!



This really gives me the creeps…



I'm truly sorry for ranting like this, but this very issue actually destroyed this book…

And author's note:

My main goal was to focus on the beauty of the actual sport, but also show what goes on behind closed doors and how working with a coach for nearly forty hours a week can transpire into something more.

lost its initial meaning, cause neither I have enjoyed the described sport, nor have I actually „felt“ something „MORE“ happening between the coach and his gymnast on the emotional level as I have initially expected and really thrived towards it, other than his tantrums, and mood switches in between intermezzoes of giving her his sad, sad life story!!! He fuckin had one job only, to coach her!



It was merely impulsive lust and an incompetence of an ADULT, who should be developing trust, to keep his DICK on a short leash. Instead we get to see the ADULT acting like a fucking spoiled, jealous, cheating asshole who deserves not only my contempt but also a huge fucking punishment in prison.

I hope you take the plunge and look outside the box before making judgement

I did, all of the three, plunged in, looked outside the box then made MY judgement.

I might have sounded like a short-sighted bitch right until now, but I don't give a fuck, cause now, I'm speaking as a mother - I just hope I'll be successful in educating my kid to know the very difference in consenting to something she's lurred into and the actual given consent made in judgement based on the knowledge and advice from someone more apprehensive than the fucking Google research.

And in the worst case scenario, don't be alarmed just yet, I will act upon this…with any means available…

This was wrong on so many levels

And yet, thank God it's ONLY fiction, right?!





*drops mic*

[Bibi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Look, if it's good enough for Emmanuel Macron then who am I to say, paedophile. But just so we're clear, in Florida, there's nothing like underage consensual sex between a 15 yo girl and a 32 yo man (or vice versa); rather, it's called statutory rape.

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchase: | MOBI | EPUB |





★★★★★! Balance, book 1 of 5. An aspiring gymnast & world-renowned older coach are caught in a dangerous game of forbidden lust & reckless seduction!

“I watched his control waver, and secretly for a selfish moment, I hoped it snapped.”

Books in Off Balance series should be read in order:
Book 1: Balance
Book 2: Execution
Book 3: Release
Book 4: Twist
Book 5: Dismount

“I was sixteen.
He was thirty-two.
There were many laws we would break if we took another step.”

Balance (book 1) opens up to heiress and student Adrianna Rossi, Ana, Aid aka Ria pleading with her parents to let her pursue an advanced gymnastics program for a chance at the Olympics. Her parents agree, but only if she trains with a business college of her father who recently took over a very reputable gym.

An aspiring gymnast is about to come face to face with the legend who can make or break her…

Olympic gold medalist, real estate investor, gym owner and gymnastics coach Konstantin Kournakova, Kova has come a long way since his meager upbringing in Russia. He is reluctant to take on Adrianna as she needs a lot of coaching requiring him to spend extra time with her.

Under the watchful eye of other trainers, envious rivaling gymnasts, girlfriends and suitors…

Kova and Adrianna start a rigorous training regimen and volatile, toxic relationship that alternates between hate, respect and frustration with sweet moments of vulnerability only to take a dangerous turn when lust and recklessness clouds their better judgment and puts everything on the line.

“He was sin, a man wild with lust, and I loved that I was the reason for it.”

Konstantin Kournakova, Kova is everything I ask for in an anti-hero. He played his part to perfection. Ten words to describe Kova: Brooding, conflicted, hot-cold, reckless, determined, commanding, possessive, mysterious, selfish and ruthless.




Nine words to describe Adrianna Rossi, Ana, Aid aka Ria: Focused, ambitious, smart, stubborn, reflective, strong, resolute, confused and impressionable.

Balance, told from Adrianna’s POV, is forbidden romance at its best, center stage a reckless, hot-cold, conflicted yet ruthless Kova, who had not only Adrianna’s head spinning, but mine as well. It was a glued-to-your-kindle unraveling of events and a candid account of a doomed affair, all the way to its beyond perfect and shocking ending. I am considering hibernation until book 2, Execution and the continuation of their story.

Excellent story-telling! Controversial, daring and addicting plot! Compelling heroine! Larger-than-life anti-hero!

“We were a revolving door of temptation and persuasion.”

***
Hero rating: 5 stars
Heroine rating: 5 stars
Sexual tension rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4.5 stars
Plot rating: 5 stars
Dialogue rating: 5 stars
Storytelling rating: 5 stars
Story ending rating: N/A
*******************************************
Overall rating: 5 stars

Would I recommend this series: Yes.
Would I re-read this series: Yes.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.



ARC provided to me by author Lucia Franco in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: | MOBI | EPUB |

[Miss H · Rating 1 out of 5]

Warning: spoilers aplenty.

Let me preface this by saying that I do not shy away from taboo subjects, nor am I bothered by May-December relationships. Generally speaking, that is.

Student-teacher romance tropes, and all its variations, are ubiquitous, and I fully admit to being a sucker for such a story-line. So long as the individuals involved are capable of consenting—legally, by state law. In addition to that, the author has to show me, the reader, that the characters truly belong together. That fate or some higher power is pulling them toward an inevitable outcome. I have to believe that, despite the age difference, despite the risks, the characters are meant to be—consequences be damned. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there has to be more than just lust driving their actions. Unfortunately, however, I'm of the opinion that the author failed in these endeavors.

Balance revolves around Adrianna Rossi, a very innocent, naïve 15-year-old gymnast whose one and only goal is to compete at the upcoming Olympics. To make that dream a reality, she transfers to World Cup Academy of Gymnastics to train under the tutelage of 32-year-old, two-time Olympic gold medalist, Konstantin Kournakova, otherwise known as Kova.

After her first day of training at her new gym, Adrianna can’t help but to notice that her skills don’t quite measure up to that of the other female gymnasts in her age bracket—something her new coach seems to delight in, as evidenced by his disdain:

"Had I evaluated you before you came, without a doubt, I would have turned you away from the elite program. But your father made a generous donation to have our café funded, which allows you to be here. So here you are."



Way to inspire confidence in your new charge, Coach.

Adrianna might be there to further her chances of success, but never before has she had a coach who looks like Kova—younger, incredibly good-looking, and in excellent shape. Being a young girl, with hormones racing through her veins, she's not immune to his allure. But despite Kova’s rude, arrogant demeanor, Adrianna finds herself reluctantly attracted to him. An attraction that, for reasons I failed to comprehend, wasn't one-sided.

And therein lies the problem. A successful, good-looking man in his early thirties, owner of his own elite gymnastics academy, and practically engaged to a beautiful woman with whom he could share his life, allowed his lust to overrule his better judgment when he caved to temptation. Rather than doing the right thing, he indulged Adrianna’s infatuation of him. A girl who was half his age—emphasis on girl. Even worse, while doing so, he took no responsibility for his actions. Instead, he adopted a “look what you made me do” mentality, which only served to put the blame onto the shoulders of a child.

“Why do you do this to me, Adrianna. Why do you make me want you so bad? You make me want you in ways that should make me ashamed.”

He should be ashamed. Kova tossed his morality aside, abandoning any dignity he may have possessed, when he made a conscious decision to pursue a sexual relationship with a girl, who, by law, wasn’t old enough or mature enough to consent. And perhaps even more disturbing, while letting his lust do the talking, this grown-ass man couldn't even be bothered to wear a condom. No matter his outward appearance, no matter how good-looking he was, his actions and behavior made him a pedophile first, and a statutory rapist second. And that's a fact, not an opinion.

Adrianna was a vulnerable girl who couldn't think beyond her lust. She went from the single-minded focus of improving her craft, to jumping headlong into an affair with her coach. She hardly knew what it meant to be intimate with a boy her own age, much less a grown man. All she knew was that she liked the way her body felt when her coach touched her in places he had no business touching a gymnast under his care. It didn't matter that she was accepting of his touch—welcomed it, even. Wrong is wrong. Everything this poor girl was learning about sex, she was learning from a man twice her age. A man who didn’t have her best interests at heart. A man who, by all accounts, had an active sex life with his long-term girlfriend.

To make matters even worse, the narrative would have readers believe that the legal age of consent in Florida is 16. That is false, at least according to Google. The legal age of consent in Florida is 18. Close in age exemptions allow for 16 and 17-year-olds to engage in sexual intercourse with a partner no older than 23, which didn't apply in this case, considering the hero was twice the age of the heroine by the time they engaged in full-on sex.

Adrianna's best friend, who had her own slightly older boyfriend, spouted these words of wisdom delusion:

“As long as there is no penetration with the old man, you’re good to go. But if you consented, I think you’re fine anyway. Consent is consent.”



Willing or not, a child cannot consent to such an activity. Period.

“I will tell you right now that if you get pregnant and it somehow comes back to me, I will deny it until the day I die,” said the creep who couldn't be bothered to consistently wear a condom.



That quote, right there, was reason enough to despise this piece-of-shit hero. It was bad enough that he was carrying on an illicit affair with a minor, but for him to refuse to step up, should the unthinkable happen, was unconscionable. There is no bigger turn-off than a man—real or fictional—who won’t step up and take care of his child or handle his responsibilities, the way a good, decent man would.

Everything about the relationship between Adrianna and Kova was wrong, the reasons for which I have outlined below.

➺ Because Adrianna and Kova’s relationship was unbalanced from the start. There was an inherent inequality to their respective roles, with Kova being in a position of power.

➺ Because the age difference was a problem, despite the numerous times the narrative tried, and failed, to convince me that the heroine was mature for her age.

➺ Because it was wholly unnecessary to make the heroine so young.

➺ Because age of consent statutes are put in place for a reason.

➺ Because willingness to participate doesn't negate the fact that statutory rape is a crime.

➺ Because the hero was old enough to know better, and should have known better.

➺ Because the hero had a long-term girlfriend, a woman his own age whom he lived with, and whom he happily cheated on when he began an illicit affair with a minor.

➺ Because cheating is cheating, no matter who's doing the cheating or how one chooses to rationalize such behavior.

➺ Because the hero—whose own mother died from complications of HIV, a disease she contracted from having unsafe sex—made a habit of having unprotected sex himself.

➺ Because the hero’s reckless sex life put the underage heroine at risk every time he had unprotected sex with her.

➺ Because the hero's preferred pregnancy prevention method was the morning after pill. For both Adrianna and his live-in girlfriend.



➺ Because the hero seemed to be under the misguided assumption that since his sexual encounters with the heroine weren’t premeditated, he was thereby absolved of any wrong-doing.



➺ Because the hero made it abundantly clear that if ever they were caught, he would not, under any circumstances, risk his career for the heroine.

➺ Because the hero wasn’t above threatening the heroine’s gymnastics career.

➺ Because when Adrianna and Kova were caught in the act, quite literally, she alone was tasked with the responsibility of fixing it—or else.

➺ Because Adrianna and Kova had nothing in common, besides an inability to control their impulsive lust.

➺ Because, per the author’s note at the beginning of the book: “ My main goal was to focus on the beauty of the actual sport, but also show what goes on behind closed doors and how working with a coach for nearly forty hours a week can transpire into something more. ” That's all good and well, but that goal could've easily been accomplished without an adult sexually exploiting a minor.

Overall, I found that Balance was nothing more than shameless smut that tried, unsuccessfully, to masquerade itself as an overly long, wordy, "forbidden romance." Romanticizing pedophilia in the name of true love, or whatever justification one chooses, is inexcusable. Statutory rape is a crime, even if the perpetrator is attractive. Normalizing this kind of behavior in fiction doesn’t take away the wrongness of the act itself. So, with that being said, you'll have to excuse me for not finding this book to be romantic or sexy. But to each their own, as they say.

[Dilek VT]

Girl 15 - guy 32... She is half his age, for God's sake, no even younger than that! And not an adult yet...

Nope, no way I am reading this. Thanks a lot to all the reviewers who warned us about it.

Besides, he is told to have a girlfriend that he cheats on with the heroine. Ha ha, adding insult to the injury!!!!

For more information, here you are:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[maddison · Rating 1 out of 5]

say it with me everyone.. PEDOPHILIA🤢

if you actually enjoy this book and recommend it to people, i hope you get help. Age Gap books are completely ok until it gets to stuff like this. it is NOT ok to have a 15 year old girl dating a 32 year old man?!?! it’s literally disgusting. plus him being her coach? it makes me want to puke even thinking about it. i haven’t even read this shit but y’all actually have?! i’m just 🤢 don’t read this book. if you don’t agree i dont care keep it to yourself....

“Age is just a number” yeah but the girl is UNDERAGE! nothing is ok with that. 15 and 32? it’s statutory rape. he’s grooming her.

“the book is fiction” “it’s just a book” “but you didn’t even read it”

and i get that to a certain point, but when’s it about real disturbing topics like that it’s all of a sudden a lot more. and a book like that is an informative way where it’s about understanding the seriousness and how heartbreaking and wrong it is VS a book where it’s romanized and young impressionable girls are so vulnerable to it and imagine if they thought it was okay or that it was something be happy about. that is just heart breaking.

the main problem here besides the book itself is the people promoting this book to young girls. on tiktok one day, someone got so much hate for posting a tiktok about an 18+ book without putting 18+ anywhere in the video. they got mad they were promoting it to young girls without saying it was meant for 18+ people. but then when this book is promoted on tiktok and instagram it is suddenly ok? suddenly it’s “hot” is this really where your mind set is at? if so, i’m truly disappointed.

for those talking about other tropes, the problem isn’t reading about different tropes, the problem is PROMOTING and ROMANTIZING pedophilia, statutory rape and grooming. that is the problem so do not go into victim mode cause you are mad someone says something about your 15/32 forceful relationship book. i do not understand how this is not a problem for some people.

( @ all my instagrams fans being mad. i still see y’all if you block me💀try harder sis)

[Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Update: I loved it! 😍 I'm buying book 2 now!
It might not be for everyone, but I devoured it. I feel a binge coming on!


When I first started reading romance, I wouldn't have read this book. If you know me now, you may be shocked by that, because it didn't take long for me to get into taboo. 😂 It's one of my favorite subgenres now. The point is, even when I didn't want to read it, I would NEVER EVER think it was okay to have this book banned. What I'm seeing happen to this author right now is a disgrace. The hate people are directing at her to bring down her career and take away her livelihood makes me sick.

Censorship is not okay. I just went to iBooks where it's still available, and I'm reading it this weekend in support. Whether I love it or not, this book should be available for purchase and people should feel okay reading it without the fear of being attacked.

[Mischenko · Rating 2 out of 5]

After a very involved conversation with a good friend over this book, I had to read it to see for myself what all the fuss was about.

Spoilers!

After reading All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, I was challenged with similar content as far as underage sex, but it was something I could overlook based on the 13-year-old's character and how she was raised. In this book we have Adrianna, a 15-year-old who is fairly mature for her age. She's practically emancipated from her parents because they're never around and Adrianna spends the majority of her time in gymnastics training. She does love her parents, but doesn't have much guidance from them at all due to their absence. Now, Adrianna has decided that she wants to up her game and begin training at a new facility. Her dad finds her a gym where the coach is actually one of his friends. She'll be living here a few hours from home and training 40+ hours a week as she works to be part of the World Cup elite team. After taking one look at her new coach (Kova), she about falls to the floor. He's that gorgeous--very different from Adrianna's past coaches.

This book was 'meh' for me at best, probably because of the age gap between Kova and Adrianna. I couldn't get into their 'romance' which really isn't a romance at all because there's zero love. Plus, I just flat-out didn't like these characters and thought Adrianna was disrespectful and incredibly annoying. Kova who's 32 years old isn't much more mature than Adrianna either; in fact, he's incredibly irresponsible and cheats on his other girlfriend while repeatedly offering the morning after pill to Adrianna so she doesn't get pregnant. Also, he thinks by waiting to have sex with Adrianna until she's 16 puts him in the safe zone, but he's wrong. Sure, consenting age is 16, but from what the law says, 32 years old is not within the legal age bracket. I personally found certain sexual descriptions disgusting too and it was hard to endure. Adrianna's parents are jerks and her mom doesn't even care when she gets an injury. The only character that was bearable here was Hayden, Adrianna's teammate and friend. So, you can see why I just really didn't enjoy this book.

The blurb is deceivingly disastrous too. Why wasn't it mentioned in the blurb that Adrianna was only 15 years old going on 16? If there were a disclaimer, people could choose whether or not to read it. I feel like that's an important detail that was left out with controversial behavior such as this.

I've read this entire book from front to back. If I were to rate it based on the writing alone I'd give it four stars, but it doesn't seem right to rate it that high because this wasn't a book I truly enjoyed. Books are entertainment, and here we are with a story that seems very relevant. These things happen, whether they're right or wrong, and I'm not sure the author is promoting underage sex by writing a story such as this. The underage law was mentioned multiple times in the story. To me, when you write a story like this, It doesn't mean you condone these behaviors, but with this being categorized as an erotic romance, I can understand how some see it that way and feel that a precedent is being set.

When reading books like this I remind myself of other stories or genres like crime and murder. Murder is illegal as well and people still get away with it all the time. There are many stories with troubling content like rape, and child abuse as well, just like in the movies. These aren't favorites for me which is why I don't read them that often. While this book isn't for me, I'm not going to beat the author down for writing it. The author writes well; however, the story was a bit drawn out at 600+ pages. I won't be continuing with this series; however, I might check out more books by this author in the future.

2.5 stars

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I decided to give this a try, but the age of the heroine was just making me so uncomfortable, especially with what the hero says about her (he even calls her “little girl” at one point...). She is very immature and didn’t seem to take his coaching seriously, even though she begged her parents to let her train for the Olympics. Yet we were supposed to this she was “so mature” for her age? I made it to page 400 when we got a consensual scene that turned non-consensual real fast and that was a no for me. So I stopped. And I’d just like to forget I ever read this book.

[K. Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book. I'm a huge taboo romance lover and this book did not disappoint. The writing was on point, the characters were really fleshed out, and the execution was spectacular. It was the perfect balance....a solid ten from this judge! If you love age gaps and taboo, you'll love this book. This was my first read by this author and I can't wait to read more!!

[London · Rating 1 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT STATUTORY RAPE! THE HERO IS 32 AND THE HEROINE IS A 15 YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRL.

This book is filth. You sick perverted author. Who the hell writes about child rape and tries to pass it off as romance? A pervert. This is disgusting and the fact that the author consistently makes the heroine come off as the one that’s in the wrong for “tempting” the hero? Sick.

Did you not read anything in the news about that perverted child molester doctor for the girls gymnastics team in Michigan? Shame on you.

[Darien · Rating 1 out of 5]

Y’all got me fucked up!!

You know me I read all the things, I get down and I’ll get dirty. THIS BOOK IS NOT IT!! This is not a romance book, this book is fucking illegal in Canada and shouldn’t be sold on any Canadian platform. I read the contents of this book and it’s fucking vile. Black authors get dragged through the mud for using AAVE and this book gets praised 😤

No one is stopping anyone from reading what they want, but what you not finna do is call it romance when romance get shit on all the time. NOT A ROMANCE!! I’m sorry I ain’t down with anyone fucking a 15yr old and being 30+ because I was that teenager once and Naw I ain’t about that life.

Call it taboo, call it whatever you want but don’t tell me to call it alright and it’s just fiction. Fiction has its place in literature and has been used to teach and shape minds.

HOMOPHOBIA IS IN FICTION
RACISM IS IN FICTION
TRANSPHOBIA IS IN FICTION
I GUESS NOW STATUTORY RAPE IS GOOD TOO.

The idea that something can’t be harmful because “fiction” never been faced with reading a book and having your whole existence stereotyped and made to look like you aren’t a real person. Harry Potter inspired a generation, To Kill a Mockingbird showed me that the colour of my skin will forever have an affect on my life. So don’t try to pull your shit by saying fiction because as readers we fucking know better. Fiction gets studied in schools you can’t both value a thing and then use it to decrease the value of something simply because you want to read something that normalizes a relationship that would have your ass put in jail.

Unfriend me I don’t care, Bye!!

SideNote: I’m not even gonna get into what the average gymnast body looks like and how initially the character should have been 12 but to each is own.

[moretomary · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 glorious stars the second time around.

To be honest, I forgot how intoxicating Kova and Ria are. I also forgot how much of an a-hole Kova is. He is pure chaos. A true sadist and I loved every minute of it.

Is he still my number one book boyfriend? We shall see if he can make me swoon again as I continue to reread the series.

What a glorious clusterf*ck

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

**My review contains major SPOILERS!**

Reasons I did not like this book:

1. If there is going to be a relationship between a 15/16 year old and a 32 year old then the author needs to make us believe they are soulmates. I didn't feel the connection between Adrianna and Kova. What was it about her that made him want to risk everything? It was just lust and Kova should have resisted. Plus, he had a girlfriend that he never broke up with.

2. Kova was an a-hole. He was hot and cold. When he was hot he was aggressive, when he was cold he was cruel and that's definitely confusing to a teenager.

3. The sexual innuendo was so cheesy. I flew through those scenes. Oy.

4. Adrianna was a mediocre gymnast. To get in Kova's elite gym her father donated money for a new wing. She messed up constantly, she injured herself a lot and kept silent on some. I was hoping for an inspirational story but it was really hard to respect her dreams of the Olympics when she was sleeping with her coach.

5. Instead of getting on birth control, Kova kept making Adrianna take the morning after pill. Dude. That's not how you do it.

6. Kova was an a-hole. Oh yeah I already said that. He pulled Adrianna from a competition as punishment because he was jealous.

7. Adrianna threatened to tell the police she was raped unless he put her back in the competition. <--- This is a big reason victim blaming happens.

8. The argument that ensued over #6 and #7 naturally led to sex in his office with an unlocked door. Oh brother. I'm glad that was the end.

I went in with the best intentions. I was hoping I would like this book but sadly no. FYI it ends with a cliffhanger. I won't be purchasing book two.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

When I tell you this book was so messy... but also, I couldn't stop reading. This book is not going to be for everyone and I can certainly see why people wouldn't like it, but it's fiction ya'll and even though in real life this would be a huge no for me, in the book it worked.

I struggle to say this is a romance (though I'm sure it will be when I get farther in the series) and I struggle to call Kova a hero because he was seriously the worst throughout so much of the book, but I became obsessed with reading this and finding out what was going to happen next. It reminds me of an addictive tv drama you can't stop watching no matter how messed up it is.

The story was intriguing and I loved the gymnastics aspect and hearing about Adrianna's training etc. The ending left me with my jaw on the floor and I'm looking forward to starting book 2.

Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 4.25 stars
Narrators: Sarah Puckett
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Sports romance
Length: 17h 18m

[Vintage]

What is wrong with people?

Yes, I am going to be judgey and bitchy because child abuse and rape are not really romantic no matter how deep, dark and complicated the story.

Does the guy below look familiar? If the hero were a sniveling bastard like Nassar would readers be so enthralled?

[Claire Louise¤°.¸¸.•´¯`» · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't even know where to start with this. What a doozy of a book. I was ready to DNF at the halfway point, I was just done. I continued my hate-read to see how the train wreck ended. Little did I know it's part of a series......I don't think a book has pissed me off this bad in a while.

So yay for ranty incoming review.

Again, I feel like I need a header here to say I am not against forbidden romances. Emphasis on the ROMANCE because I searched this whole damn book and found zero. If you're going to tell a story that will test the readers morals and hard limits of what is acceptable, then you have to give more than clandestine sex between a man who knows better and an impressionable child living away from home on her own and using the flimsy excuse "I couldn't help myself" Yeah, buster, that doesn't wash with me. There has to be some hook to this forbidden story otherwise, as this was the case for me, it just left me cringing throughout.

My skin was crawling for this gross story. A 32 yr old coach seducing his 15 yr old gymnast. Sure, it was consensual in the fact she said yes, but hello, 15. They had sex when she was 16, but did other things before that. I was uncomfortable throughout, both of them are unlikable, she is arrogant and pushy and doesn't talk/think like a child, but then has to be told not to call it a penis. Like either have her childlike or a raving nympho, she can't be both. I couldn't care less what happens to either of them.

I've read lots of age-gap romances, loved some ( looking at you, Original Sinners ) hated others, but at the crux of any of those stories is love. When you have a hero who talks the way Kova does, who actively has a gf throughout ( I hate OW/OM ) and shoves his exploits with the gf in the heroines face, that to me is not romance and instantly a turn off. He didn't come across as he liked this girl, other than lusting after her, he was constantly ridiculing and talking down to her.

Kova was just a dickhead, plain and simple, and an un-redeeming one at that. I like asshole characters, give me them all, but this guy, besides his penchant for a young girl and blaming it on her that he can't control himself ( major eye roll ) he was just not nice, I hated everything, down to the way he spoke.

“I did no such thing, it was all you. You pursued me every chance you got and you know it. A man can only take so much before he loses his fucking mind and caves.” THIS is the hero. How can you not fall in love with that. *sarcasm much implied*

- I didn't feel any chemistry from either character at all, I might have got on board a connection/friendship from them and then something sexual to happen once she was over 18, but there was nothing to hold onto. It was just a lusty pervert wanting his cake and eating it. He stayed with his gf throughout the book, actively told the h he was fucking his gf and thinking of her because he couldn't have her. I mean really, is this what romance heroes are now??? #Toolbag

- She has to take the morning after pill TWICE. Naturally this dude can't control himself or provide condoms for his underage sexing.

- He pulls her from a competition through jealousy over a teenage boy he thinks h is dating ( she's not ) and she in turns tells H if he doesn't let her compete she'll blab about their relationship and everyone will think it was rape.
"And everyone believes a girl who cries rape.” *sighs hard enough to suck up the sun* I just can't with this heroine and this stupid af line.

But the shit doesn't end there. Here's some stellar lines I rolled my eyes hard at;


“Does it make me a pervert for wanting you so desperately?”
“No,” I responded immediately. Because it didn’t.
“Good, because if it did, well, I would not give a fuck. I want you.” --- he has the morals of a perverted alleycat.

“Why do you do this to me, Adrianna,” he said huskily. “Why do you make me want you so bad? You make me want you in ways that should make me ashamed.”

what they do not teach us is it is not always the coach who seduces the athlete. That sometimes, maybe sometimes, it is the other way around.”
“You think I seduced you,” I stated plainly. “Because at fifteen I knew what I was doing with an older man, so I set out to get you.”

“If you want to do what Katja does, you are going to have to suck harder. She loves sucking my cock.” --- Taunted her with the gf. I think I need all my heroes to be exactly like this guy from now on.....


I got so distracted in the actual forbidden/ick relationship that most of the storyline got skimmed, it was too long, and unnecessary, frankly boring in many places. I don't think I needed a blow by blow account of h inspecting her vagina and finding it torn and then more details of every time she needed to pee and how it stung. It's like every unappealing detail you could NOT want in a romance book is thrown in there, and that's on top of every single word of gymnastics every spoken ever in the world. I'm now a gymnast expert, I'm thinking of trying out for the next Olympics, I just need some chalk and Vaseline.

And the injuries this girl had, how is she not dead? And I'm going to have to be the one to say it; she's not all that good at gymnastics. I didn't see her excel in anything, so she's only at that training camp for two reasons; daddy's money and the pervert coach wanting to diddle her.

I'm not trying to ridicule someone's hard work, but ugh, my thoughts on this book were too strong to hold in and not review, I would have burst like confetti.

This didn't work for me on many wrong levels, it's my own fault for getting caught up in book hype, I just can't resist, lesson learned.

I shan't be reading the following book.

[D.L. Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right off I will say I’m 100% against censorship and I don’t think this book should’ve been banned. But I’m assuming that came about with the whole Nassar debacle. If that’s the case, I can understand why it became an issue for some, there was moments that were pretty reminiscent of some of those gymnast’s confessions.

Do I think Kova is a hard ass? Absolutely. Do I think he’s an asshole? Not really. If you want to be the best at anything you need that tenacious insanity that will drive you to your brink and beyond. Unfortunately that doesn’t come in the form of sweet and sentimental.

As we progress, I’m relieved to say that Adrianna became more likable. It went along with her realization that he did things for her benefit. Once they become more comfortable I can’t help but compare them to Rose and Dmitry from The Vampire Academy. Which is fine, great really because I adore them.

Hayden’s adorable! And he’s willing to drain your blisters? Sounds like a keeper. Not a fan of triangles but I can’t deny the chemistry is there with both. And Avery is a riot! When she wanted to name the beam, I couldn’t stop laughing.

I had originally been concerned with Adrianna’s maturity but based on Kova’s behavior after ‘that night,’ that concern is dead.

Overall I’m confused on my feelings about Kova. While I appreciate his honesty, everything he says about fucking his girlfriend while he thinks about Adrianna is a bit cringeworthy. Honestly, his whole persona is cringeworthy at times. Like he clearly crossed lines well before consent. Yet I still like him. I appreciate his rough exterior, how hard he drives her and I do think he’s sexy. But sometimes I also think he’s off. I guess I’m just as confused as he is.

“That is what you wanted, right? A good fuck?" When I didn't answer, he said, "Was it as good for you as it was for me?"
And then he stalked off and was out the door like nothing had ever happened.” -Ok, the last third is proving that Kova is a fucking prick.

“I don't want you." Lie.
He shook his head. "You do not get it, do you?"
Confusion set in my face and he answered my question. "I want you, that is what you do not seem to understand. But you never refuse me. So you hating me will make this easier for you, for both of us. I want you to hate me, so when I do try to come after you, you tell me no.” -What a fucking coward!

What a mess!

Overall the growth for both characters was phenomenal. Not only as two separate entities but as a duo. Both as coach/gymnast and what shouldn’t be but won’t be stopped. The drama was great, the ups were amazing and the downs were fucking horrible. I’m interested to see how this roller coaster progresses.

Anybody seen Center Stage? At the end the girl tells the asshole. “You’re A Great Dancer Cooper, But As A Boyfriend… You Kinda Suck” Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

[Shabby -BookBistroBlog · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's one of the most touted book in the Dark Genre circle. In fact Two of my Fav authors really pushed for me to read it.
Since I'm a dark, tabboo, forbidden read addict, I looked so forward to it. The story is really tabboo <3
A sweet little 15 year old Adrianna is a dedicated, passionate gymnast. Her ultimate dream is to become Elite and then make a good for Olympics. So her father , who is a real estate mogul, donates money to his friend's Elite Gym and she enrolls.
Konstantin Kournakova is a Russian Gymnastics Coach. He's a pedal pusher, really exacting from his students and is a hard taskmaster. Which serves Adrianna's ambitions really well . Kova's Institute produces champions, Olympic enthusiasts and elite seniors.
He trains Ria really hard and in the process they fall for each other
Oh BTW he's 32 years old to her 15 !.....yeah that too .
And I loved the concept and I was really excited how that was gonna play out :)
The story dragged a bit in the first half, going into tiny details and technical terms. But very less is revealed
Here the story starts slipping. The Coach is a mature teacher, he's supposed to know better than make out heavy and sweaty with a underage 15 year old teenager. But she's really mature for her age and he's really enamored by her.......or is he?
I was waiting for the Lust to turn into Love. But it was pure sex from BOTH sides. He touches her, stares into her eyes, in short teases and then indulges in heavy kissing and petting right in the gym! When his girlfriend interrupts ( Yes!!!!) He asks Ria to jump in the pit and Hide!
So not only is he cheating , he's a coward. But to be fair he's caught with his pants down literally in an immoral and illegal activity and Ria is naive enough to obey him. I really pitied her at that point.
Kova is , I think Bi-Polar. He blows hot, blows cold one day to next. He yells and screams at her when in front of company, but kisses her and paws her when in private.....huh !!
Then he goes to her place and has sex with her. Oh, pretty rough sex. She accepts all because she's totally in love with him. Ahhhhhhhhh the naiveté of youth !
So everyday he yells and paws, screams and kisses . Poor Ria is confused, so am I.
The worst part is He tells her that he'll deny everything about their relationship
“But even if anyone suspects it, says that they found out, do not fall for the trap.” My brows angled toward each other and he continued. “I will never speak a word of this to anyone, no matter what anyone says. And you cannot either.”He cut me off. “I will tell you right now that if you get pregnant and it somehow comes back to me, I will deny it until the day I die,”
She's not on the pill and he doesn't use condom...twice, yet gives her Morning after Pill both times. ( like seriously!!!)
He explicitly tells her that I'm going to my girlfriend Katja's house to have rough sex because he still wasn't satisfied with Ria......Oh My Gawwdd!!!
Ultimately they're caught while having sex in his office by Hayden ( God Bless his sweet heart) and he blackmails Ria by withdrawing her from Meet, should she not stop Hayden
“You better fix this, Adrianna, this is your goddamn fault. I swear to God, if he utters a word of this to anyone, you will regret it.” He was seething with anger but with every right. “Do you understand? I will personally make sure your career is over.”
The Pieces De Resistance --> He blames EVERYTHING on her
i did no such thing, it was all you. You pursued me every chance you got and you know it. A man can only take so much before he loses his fucking mind and caves.”
I had NO PROBLEM with the forbidden factor, age difference or tabboo relationship
I had the problem with with the treatment of the story and character development. Kova and Adrianna were supposed to be in Love, having found their soulmates, but Kova came across as a sexual predator and a pedophile. And when caught , he bails!
Bails on an innocent naive teenager.. he destroys her career, breaks her heart and literally ruins her. He's a selfish A-Hole, a cheat who betrays a her girlfriend of 5 years for a cheesy, lusty quick and dirty romp with his 15 year old student when his job is to protect her and train her.
It actually made me cringe at his words that he'll deny their relationship, threatens to ruin her and her father's careers and yet will continue to be in safe cushion with his back up gf Katja.
What do you want me to make of that ?
Maybe it's just me. So please read at your own discretion. This book wasn't for me. It maybe for you
The only saving factors- Hayden and hot sex.thats about it.
I'm dreading the hypothetical scenario, if she had become pregnant, with her Olympic dream shattered, ruined and maybe disavowed by her family, humiliated. What then ?
I know it's a story, just an imaginary situation, but still Kova's was hard to digest creep for me .I'm sorry I was really looking forward to enjoying this book.

[Quirky Omega · Rating 1 out of 5]

She 16 he's 32. He's her coach.
And they have sex.


As if that's not enough, these two are not above threatening each other with career ruining or rape charges. Yes, perfect romance. Gah. Somebody's gettting slapped here, stat.

[Miss Rail · Rating 1 out of 5]

Adrianna Rossi is a 16 years old gymnast and she's pushed herself hard all her life to make her olimpic dream come true.

The World Cup Academy of Gymnastics is the biggest chance she has to achieve her goals.

Konstantin Kournakova aka "Kova" is a 32 years old two-time Olympian, a successful business owner, one of the best Gymnastic Coaches there is and he isn't exactly happy with the new athlete joining his program.

It'll take a lot of work to make her a better gymnast and the way he's attracted to her... makes things even more difficult.



This is my first Lucia Franco's book and it will probably not be the last because I enjoyed her writing.
Unfortunately I had BIG issues with it.

My main problem with the MC wasn't the age gap and Adrianna being only 16 even if, legally, IT IS RAPE.

I had trouble with their relationship because I didn't feel a strong connection between Adrianna and Kova and, since Arianna is underage...that's even a bigger deal to me.
I actually truly despised Kova for giving in to the lust he feels for her. 

He's supposed to be her mentor and lust isn’t a good enough reason to seduce his 16 years old gymnast!!
Well, nothing is.

He treats Adrianna like a "good fuck" he isn't able to resist while he keeps on fucking and cheating on his girlfriend Katija.
THERE ARE NO EXCUSES FOR HIS ACTIONS.

He doesn't care for Arianna's wellbeing in the slightest.
He doesn't even think about proper contraception FOR GOD'S SAKE!!

“I will tell you right now that if you get pregnant and it somehow comes back to me, I will deny it until the day I die,”

Kova's actions made the second half of this book cringe worthy. 
That quote right there shows the piece of shit he truly is!

I hoped for some kind of redemption but it actually gets worse in the last pages where he uses her again, acting in the worst way possible out of petty jealousy.
I completely agree with this GR review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


As I said in the beginning, I actually enjoyed the writing when I wasn’t cringing about what was going on between the MC.
Arianna's training as a gymnast is realistic and very well narrated.
It clearly shows the author knows what she's writing about.

I can't, in good conscience, give this book a rating that's not the lowest though.
Thinking about this plot and characters just makes me upset.

--> If you're looking for a good romance in the world of gymnastics you should definitely try These Battered Hands by Laurel Ulen Curtis instead.

⭐ 1 Star ⭐

* Balance by Lucia Franco is book 1 in the Off Balance series and ends in a CLIFFHANGER.

~ My Ratings ~
Writing: 3 /5

Plot: 1 /5

Hero: 1 /5

Heroine: 2 /5

Secondary Characters: 2 /5

MC's chemistry: 2 /5

Steam: 3.5 /5

Triggers: Explicit and UNPROTECTED sex between underage athlete and coach, Cheating.

Are you looking for a specific mix of ingredients for your next read?

[Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

*giggle* Ok, so this book was chosen by one of my book club members for me, as the Pick-for-Me challenge for July 2018. It was a little comical as she politely inquired whether I was up for it... picture these scenes if you will because this is sort of how I imagine it went down... and then the following really did...

Friend (I pictured her in this flowery house dress making dinner as she texted this into her phone): Um, Grey... do you have... uh, have any sort of ... um... limits? triggers.. that you stay away from?
Me (sprawled out on my couch with a bowl of popcorn on my chest): Nah, I'm good, girl...
Friend: (trying again... with the best of intentions, worrying her lip with her teeth) Are you sure? Because this one has some people up in arms.
Me: I'll read anything. (Now more intrigued... because you know the saying... curiosity killed the cat and satisfaction brought it back, right?)

Fast forward to yesterday... as I'm trying to focus on ANYTHING but reading this book.

Kid #1: "Mom... Mom... MOM!"
Me: What?
Kid #1: We need to leave now?
Me: For what?
Kid #1: My doctor's appt.
Me: No we don't... it's at ten...shit... get in the car.

(in the car)
Me: You don't have any male dance teachers right?
Kid #1: No, you know all my dance teachers, why are you asking me this?
Me: No reason, just checking...
Kid #1: *giving me serious side-eye* You're weird
Me: Your ponytail is crooked and your eyeliner is uneven
Kid #1: *yanking down the visor to check out her makeup and fix her hair and invisible makeup blunder* What??? Why didn't you tell me before we left the house?
Me: *thinks to self* just making sure there is no 'Kova' in your future, young lady...

Fast forward again...

Kid #2: Mom, are we going?
Me: Yep. *eyes remain glued on kindle and butt remains firmly fixed to couch*
10 minutes later
Kid #3: Mom? Are you coming?
Me: (Almost...) I mean... yep.
Kid #1: Are you ok?
Me: Get in the car, it's time to go, we're gonna be late!

Watching fireworks last night...

Kids... Did you see that! Wow that was amazing...
Me *reading my kindle* humina, humina, that was amazing... *waves hand at face* wow, it is hot out here, so beautiful!

*End of my replay*

Ok, so... this was SOOOO forbidden and taboo... eek! Get ready to turn your moral compass upside down, give it a flick, watch it spin and then look away don't even take a peek at it anymore. Being as though I have a 16 year old daughter, Balance did kind of make me a little squirmy and think omfg, I would legit have a murder charge on my hands if this was my daughter and her life. I really enjoyed the book though. There was some repetitive technical jargon that felt like overkill, and a few little proofy bits that needed to be spiffed up, but my copy was a prior edition that I haven't updated so those parts may have been fixed by now.

It felt like I was reading an insider's account... did I know that 15/16 year old girls and boys are given apartments and left to basically raise themselves in different cities with these schedules? Nope. Eye opener for me. Sad, actually. I can't imagine sending my babies off like that... but I am a very involved Mom. (except for maybe today, LOL!)

No spoilers from me. Read a different review if you're into that sort of thing. But I will give you a couple of quotes...

"Do not ever be sorry for the passion that lives inside of you. It is a gift not everyone is given."

Attraction is the root of all evil, not money like some say.

This story was HOT. I mean, call the fire department and have them on standby hot. I'm in the middle of a heat wave and this was just added kindling to the inferno, hot. However, heed the author's warnings... it is NOT for everyone. It was a first person, present tense POV, in her POV only. And there is a bit of a cliffy at the end... Luckily for me, book 2 is already available on Kindle Unlimited and I've started it already. I couldn't write a review like this at 3am. Sorry, LOL!

I can't quite give it a 5, because there were a few things that bothered me, but it's not a 4 either, so right in the middle it goes at a 4.5. I'll ramp up the star rating though, because for whatever reason, the 1/2 stars still aren't an option.

[vee]

dnf @ 30%

not even coz of the problematic stuff (age gap, cheating etc. i knew bout all that going in)

😶‍🌫️ writing style did not workkk for me
😶‍🌫️ i dnfed this author’s hush hush one coz of that
😶‍🌫️ so am not sure why i even bother w this one
😶‍🌫️ the dialogues. no. (same as writing style)
😶‍🌫️ characters. i suggest u learn from pam godwin;
😶‍🌫️ on how to create a hot demanding asshole
😶‍🌫️ and their innocent submissive brat student
😶‍🌫️ coz kova’s type of assholeness aint even hot
😶‍🌫️ he was just that;
😶‍🌫️ a dick that happens to have attractive physiques
😶‍🌫️ adrianna? yeah no thx
😶‍🌫️ boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooring

[benevolent bastard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m coming down from the most incredible high of my life.
Reading this book was what I needed.

Kova my dear Kova. Naughty.
I’m not even sure how to properly review this book! I will eventually. Just know I loved it. Also thank god im reading this after ALL the books have been released. I seriously HATE cliffhangers. On to the next.

[drew :)]

THATS THE SOUND OF THE POLICE 🚨🚨 everyone say it with me: PEDOPHELIA. if you read this book and liked it I’m seriously concerned about you because the fmc is 15, FIFTEEN and the mmc is 32 THIRTY TWO!!! excuse me but what the actual fuck- how the actual fuck did this get published

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 3 out of 5]

With all the controversy surrounding this book...there was no way I wasn't going to give this one a try. First of all, because I am of the opinion that I myself decide what I want to read and no one else gets a say... and secondly because I am very curious by nature :P



I used to be a gymnast myself in my much younger years...and I actually trained a whole lot. Back then a slap on the ass by my coach was just the way things were. I have no idea how things are now, but I am pretty sure there is no more slapping teenage girls butts (and there shouldn't be).

This book goes way beyond some ass-slapping though. I am sure most of you have read reviews and the warning that comes with this book, but just in case you didn't... There is sex with a minor, and as far as I am concerned he does abuse his position as her coach.

I know that Adrianna tried her very best to seduce him, but in my book...he is still the adult here and blaming a 15-year-old is just madness, no matter how deviant she is acting. Not to mention the way he goes about it. I don't think any adult woman should take the shit he dissed out, let alone a 16-year-old girl.

That said... I do think this story was very intriguing, though I have to say that Adrianna did get on my nerves quite a bit. It just gets harder and harder for me to relate to the girls in YA books and as much as the 18 years olds annoy me... 15/16-year-olds are even worse.

I have no idea if I am gonna finish this series, but I probably will in time... and no that doesn't mean that I condone rape or statutory rape or sex with a minor or whatever you want to call it. It just means that I am a reader and I read fiction... any kind of fiction I feel like reading.

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Condom doesn't exist in this book's world, just saying.

Anyhow, what a hard book to talk about. She was 15 when they started getting involved, while he was 32, so yeah problematic. I'm still trying to figure out my feeling as I'm writing this down. Let's talk pros first.

I did appreciate the detailed background on the whole gymnastics area. You can tell there's a lot of research was done on this part. Actually, that's the only pro. Huh.

To cons:
Cheating . I might've considered chopping his penis off a bazillion times.
It was kinda boring. Despite the whole gymnastics thing, I did find it a bore reading about them. I know nothing about gymnastics, so my imagination and constant googling was a tad exhaustive for me.
Worst hero ever. I hate... no, loathe the hero. Loathe him. I have so many choices of words for this child fucker but I'll refrain. Just know I don't want to talk about him again.
Toxic relationship. I know it's a taboo relationship, underage one at that, but damn if this couple doesn't have one toxic relationship, where it all boils down to getting the forbidden fruit and, to be honest, extortion.

In the end, the whole underage thing didn't matter that much to me (I knew what I was going into after all), when I could see so many problems with the relationship they have. All in all, problematic but a definitely unique story to tell.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going straight to hell for reading that.

She's 15/16, he's 32 and her gym coach.

It was intense and it made my head spin. She's a child by law, yet she's living away from her parents in her own apartment. Does that make it ok? Hmmm. In this, you can make excuses for him, but if she were my daughter I'd be removing his bollocks with an axe. Fortunately for our Russian former Olympic gymnast coach, this is fiction.

I've struggled to put this one down today, it's compelling and raw, hot as fuck and full of risky behaviour and some scenes that had me reading with my arse clenched.

The author is a former gymnast and that really comes through in the detail, not just of the moves, but also in the understanding of how it feels to push your body to extremes, to have that passion and craving for success. That detail really enriched this story, made it about more than just lust.

Unfortunately it ends on a cliffhanger and the next part isn't available yet. Normally I wouldn't even start a story if I knew that, but once I started reading this I couldn't put it down again so now I've got an anxious wait for part two.

Recommended, but heed the author's warning at the start - this won't be for everyone.

[Biancaarielle ☘︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 starsss cause I have no morals when it comes to fictional, sexy ass russians. i also have to preface this by saying that balance isn’t going to be for everyone!! it pushed many of my boundaries, and I didn’t think i had any to be pushed lol. this book can be highly controversial regarding the subjects which are at hand. That being said, this is a work of fiction, and would I honestly feel the same way about this dynamic in real life? fuck no. But nevertheless, I enjoyed the fuck out of this book. It’s an absolute clusterfuck of bad decisions made by both the mmc and fmc. Let’s say it definitely knocked me off balance;) tee haha…i hate myself.

[Mg ♥ The Bookishmedialite · Rating 5 out of 5]

LIVE: http://amzn.to/2c3ghzH

5 “I’m high on Kova” Stars.

I started Balance expecting just another hot book about a Gymnast coach and his student. What I got was a deliciously “romance” thrill-ride that didn't let me breathe until the very end.

This book was a challenge for me. It went against two topics I believe in. But Lucia’s exceptional writing, plus her mind blowing knowledge about gymnastics, made me forget about it most of the time.

To say I didn't hesitate to keep reading the moment I realized how forbidden the story was, would be a big fat lie. But again, Lucia’s captivating words made me got completely caught up in all the red burning passion that flows through this book.

Adrianna Rossi is a fifteen, turning sixteen girl. A heroine who’s as fierce as she is vulnerable. One that knows what she needs to reach the Olympic glory, her ultimate goal.

“Gymnastics was everything to me—it was my heart and soul, the air I breathed. It was the one thing that allowed me to be me.”

Dreams don't work unless you take action. So in order to make hers come true, Adrianna moved 3 hours away from home to train at World Cup. Determined to reach her end she trained day in and day out for it. Nothing would bring her down. Not even Konstantin Kournikova, her deliciously forbidden new coach.

There were a few moments where I dislike Adrianna’s behavior because I believed that she was being selfish. She knew that what she was doing was wrong. And even though the author gave her a level of maturity that made me forget about her age, at the end of the day she was just a teenager.

“…he looked like the perfect package, if there ever was one.”

Now, let’s talk about KOVA. The big bad wolf. But the questions is: Does he really is the bad guy? Don't forget that lust can overpower even the strongest man.

KOVA!!! *Breath in-breath out* Just the name brings out so many different feelings in me. The man was beyond confusing but endlessly fascinating, even intoxicating. All of his back and forth was giving me whiplash. But I wouldn't change a thing about him.

“Ria, you may be my undoing.” And you may be mine, KOVA!

I wanted to fuck him all the while I bit his fucking head off.

I can’t say that I didn't hate him at some point, because I did. He was a real bastard but in a twisted way I understood his motivation. So the hate just longed like 10 min. I’m not proud of my feelings for him. But just like Ria, I got caught up to an unhealthy level in his net. One I don't want to escape.

I wish the author gave us Kova’s POV in the next book. I think that reading his thoughts would be very interesting and not just because I wanted to know all of his lustful thoughts but because I want to know how he feels about the situation he had put himself in.

“His presence dominated the air surrounding us. Why that made my heart race faster, I wasn't sure.”

"A perfect storm of tension and heat” That’s how I would describe the chemistry between them.

Theirs was a can’t-eat-can’t-sleep kind of attraction.

And Forbidden or not. The obvious connection between them couldn't be denied. It was there. There for you to feel it. To experience it. To make it yours.

The devotion to the sport and the mutual respect for their ambition and focus, was what drove them together.

Was it “morally wrong”? YES. It was obscene. But nauseatingly addictive and I LOVED IT.

“We were balancing on a fine line and we both knew it.”

They knew it, I knew it and you will know it. But consequences be damned.

Raw and intense, yet sensitive and touching. It will keep you hooked till the very end. Forbidden Romance at its finest.

This is a book where people will have to go with an open mind. This is a forbidden romance, one that is not easy to digest. If you are not keen on this genre, avoid it. Or give it a chance just like I did and get ready for one of the most torturous but delicious rides of your life.

You have been warned.