Read January 2024
2.5 stars
I read the original and rated it 2-stars. This extended book was a little better, mainly b/c of getting Luc's POV. But I still found Reese to be very annoying, and I disliked how the ending was painfully dragged out. I had to skim the last couple chapters to finish it.
🚨 Spoilers Below
This is a second chance romance. Reese fell in love with Luc when he was 20. Luc, the bass player for Heaven Sent, rejected him. Heartbroken, Reese spiraled into a dark place, giving up his art and turning to drinking, drugs, and casual sex. He eventually settled into a dull job as a teacher, came out as straight, and started dressing more conservatively.
Four years later, Heaven Sent returns to their hometown for Reegan's wedding—Reese's twin and Luc's ex-girlfriend. Luc realizes what he lost all those years ago, apologizes, and works hard to win Reese back. Their insta-love develops in a single week. They mostly have sex, while talking off-page, making it feel like sex equals love.
How Luc worked Hard: Reese was stubborn and refused to believe Luc truly loved him. He pushed him away repeatedly. Yes, Luc made mistakes too, like outing Reese at the club and at work. But Reese was stuck in his boring life and afraid to take a chance on Luc. Something had to happen to push him toward making positive changes.
😡 I hated that Reese refused to go with Luc on tour, and the MCs were apart for weeks. During that time, Reese moved on with his life, even getting a boyfriend he was planning to sleep with. If Luc hadn’t come back then, Reese would have done it.
So, Luc again starts chasing after Reese, trying to make him see his love. Reese had been avoiding him, refusing to answer calls or texts. Honestly, I have no idea why Luc was so in love with Reese. He could've done better and avoided much heartache.
Garth, the owner of Purgatory, paid Reese to paint a mural, which helped launch his art career. It turned out that Luc was the one who paid for the mural. When Reese finds out, he says,
"I don't need you to help me."
Are you serious?! Ugh, he should've been grateful! 😤
(90%) Luc is frustrated b/c foolish Reese is
still
not willing to work things out. I
felt
Luc's frustration!
After Luc says some very sweet words, Reese FINALLY admits his feelings. But I didn't care about their HEA, b/c Reese didn't deserve one. 😤
I rated this a bit higher than the original, but overall, it wasn’t a very satisfying romance. My favorite part was the friendship between Luc and his bandmate, Brent. Brent seems like a good guy, and I plan to read his story next—I’ve never read the original. Hopefully, it turns out better than this one.
🔥 A Positive: The well-written, steamy sex scenes.
★ Book 1 (Johnny and Tyler) remains my favorite in the series. I enjoyed the scene at Purgatory, when Heaven Sent plays on stage. J & T are shown together, still very much in love. 😍
✘ Enough writing errors that even I noticed them.
✘ The MCs drink a lot of alcohol.
✘ Luc smokes cigarettes regularly.
✘ 143 F's (compared to 51 in the original)