What do you think?
Rate this book
Steinbeck U #1
On The Rebound
They say your first love leaves a mark.
For Calliope James it didn't only leave a mark, it tore out her heart and left it bleeding on the ground.
He was her best friend.
Her first kiss.
Her everything.
Until one day, he wasn't.
Zachary Messiah will never forget the girl with eyes the color of whiskey. But he's not that boy anymore.
Cold.
Cruel.
He's devoid of emotion.
Their paths were never supposed to cross again. But love doesn't always play by the rules.
Now he's the King of Steinbeck University and she's the new girl on campus ... and the pasts they have fought so hard to bury are about to collide.
Only this time, they might not survive the fallout.
For Calliope James it didn't only leave a mark, it tore out her heart and left it bleeding on the ground.
He was her best friend.
Her first kiss.
Her everything.
Until one day, he wasn't.
Zachary Messiah will never forget the girl with eyes the color of whiskey. But he's not that boy anymore.
Cold.
Cruel.
He's devoid of emotion.
Their paths were never supposed to cross again. But love doesn't always play by the rules.
Now he's the King of Steinbeck University and she's the new girl on campus ... and the pasts they have fought so hard to bury are about to collide.
Only this time, they might not survive the fallout.
460 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2020
415 people are currently reading
3409 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Cotton
120 books3,128 followers Reckless Love. Wild Hearts.
L A COTTON is USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty mature young adult and new adult novels, LA COTTON is happiest writing the kind of books she loves to read: addictive stories full of teenage angst, tension, twists and turns.
Home is a small town in the middle of England where she currently juggles being a full-time writer with being a mother/referee to two little people. In her spare time (and when she’s not camped out in front of the laptop) you’ll most likely find LA immersed in a book, escaping the chaos that is life.
L A loves connecting with readers, and you can find her at:
Official Website
www.lacotton.com
Social Media
www.facebook.com/authorlacotton
www.instagram.com/authorlacotton
L A COTTON is USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty mature young adult and new adult novels, LA COTTON is happiest writing the kind of books she loves to read: addictive stories full of teenage angst, tension, twists and turns.
Home is a small town in the middle of England where she currently juggles being a full-time writer with being a mother/referee to two little people. In her spare time (and when she’s not camped out in front of the laptop) you’ll most likely find LA immersed in a book, escaping the chaos that is life.
L A loves connecting with readers, and you can find her at:
Official Website
www.lacotton.com
Social Media
www.facebook.com/authorlacotton
www.instagram.com/authorlacotton
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 499 reviews
December 16, 2020
MY REVIEW AND OTHERS: can also be found on my blog:
➽ KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
'ON THE REBOUND' Is a full length college sports romance novel by L.A. Cotton. Told in dual perspectives. Get ready to meet our hero Zach and our heroine Calli.
This was everything I was hoping for and more, all the stars, all the angst, all the feels! These are the types of books I chase, where my emotions get all scrambled up and I go from feeling the highest high to the lowest low, this was such an emotional angsty story, I felt every little emotion these characters went through. Sadness, happiness, hate, love, passion this author did such an amazing job bringing life to these characters. I was pulled in straight away, loving every second, minute, hours I spent inhaling, devouring every single word this author wrote.
Zachary Messiah used to be Calliope James everything, her best friend, her first love, her first kiss, the first boy she gave herself to freely. One could also go so far as to say that these two were soul mates.
But that was then, and this is now.
Calliope James is now seeking a new start, leaving her old town and life behind her. She'd spent the last right months living in a permanent state of darkness and depression, she'd lost the only person she'd loved unconditionally and its taken its toll on her. Now she's fulfilling a promise. A whole new start, close to whats left of a family which turned their backs on her, and starting at Steinbeck a basketball school.
So imagine her surprise when she sees Zach on campus, with hate in his eyes and accusations on his tongue, he's out to make her pay for something she has no recollection of.
Calliope was Zach's everything, until she betrayed him and broke everything they had shared. Now he's going to make her life a living hell.
Highly recommend!! 👍👍👍👍👍
January 11, 2021
SPOILERY
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
readers love this kinda thing
authors will not write this trope if people didn't buy it or sign up to review it
then there are readers like me who don't enjoy Romances driven by ONLY misunderstandings, lack of communication and evasion
there are some tropes I can read over and over again but not where the ONLY cause of conflict are misunderstandings, lack of communication and evasion
it doesn't add a sense of mystery to my reading experience
I don't find it entertaining
it’s not intriguing
I find it irritating, the plot doesn't move, it's been overdone in this genre and it makes for skimming
and once I find myself skimming it's practically over for me
the blurb says it all except that the reason for his hatred of her is that he MISUNDERSTOOD a conversation he eavesdropped on
the issue she has with her family stems from NOT COMMUNICATING
the issues she has on campus is because of EVASION
his issues are dealt with by not dealing with it
3 years ago, in high school:
the Hxh adore each other
he thinks she betrays him
he betrays her
now in college:
he's hates her
she has no idea why
he treats her like shite
she accepts it
he's been in stacks of girls during their 3 years apart
she's only been in therapy
he's attracted to more than one girl now
she's...tentatively...attracted to one guy now
they both see the other kissing someone else
he is a liar
he nearly allows himself to be seduced by his brother's gf
he bonds with her in their shared grief (his brother is in a coma)
he's gentle and kind to her despite knowing she's conniving trash
he tells the h he was never attracted to ow - lies
he's not so much clueless as stupid: he's surprised EVERY TIME his friends tell him it looks like he and the ow are too close
he's not so much clueless as stupid: when he finally tells the ow to back off, he makes HER out to be the only baddie when he knows he messed up there too
that's when I liked her for one second because she smacks him across the face for his trouble LOL
when the Hxh finally communicate, he "needs space" and is in no hurry to make amends
he assfarts around campus instead of putting his weak words into action
he shows much more passion for his basketball protege
then they all live happily ever after
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
readers love this kinda thing
authors will not write this trope if people didn't buy it or sign up to review it
then there are readers like me who don't enjoy Romances driven by ONLY misunderstandings, lack of communication and evasion
there are some tropes I can read over and over again but not where the ONLY cause of conflict are misunderstandings, lack of communication and evasion
it doesn't add a sense of mystery to my reading experience
I don't find it entertaining
it’s not intriguing
I find it irritating, the plot doesn't move, it's been overdone in this genre and it makes for skimming
and once I find myself skimming it's practically over for me
the blurb says it all except that the reason for his hatred of her is that he MISUNDERSTOOD a conversation he eavesdropped on
the issue she has with her family stems from NOT COMMUNICATING
the issues she has on campus is because of EVASION
his issues are dealt with by not dealing with it
3 years ago, in high school:
the Hxh adore each other
he thinks she betrays him
he betrays her
now in college:
he's hates her
she has no idea why
he treats her like shite
she accepts it
he's been in stacks of girls during their 3 years apart
she's only been in therapy
he's attracted to more than one girl now
she's...tentatively...attracted to one guy now
they both see the other kissing someone else
he is a liar
he nearly allows himself to be seduced by his brother's gf
he bonds with her in their shared grief (his brother is in a coma)
he's gentle and kind to her despite knowing she's conniving trash
he tells the h he was never attracted to ow - lies
he's not so much clueless as stupid: he's surprised EVERY TIME his friends tell him it looks like he and the ow are too close
he's not so much clueless as stupid: when he finally tells the ow to back off, he makes HER out to be the only baddie when he knows he messed up there too
that's when I liked her for one second because she smacks him across the face for his trouble LOL
when the Hxh finally communicate, he "needs space" and is in no hurry to make amends
he assfarts around campus instead of putting his weak words into action
he shows much more passion for his basketball protege
then they all live happily ever after
December 12, 2020
Wow... I really needed this !!
I was hoping this one would push all the right buttons and I am so glad that it did. I don't know what it is about ya books, especially with a "sports" setting, that makes me devour them. Must be that I am trying to relive my youth :P
We've also got a "second chance love" trope going on right here. You see, Calliope and Zachery used to be the best of friends, and after some growing up together, they became so much more than that. That is until something happens that tears the two apart for years to come...
Now Calliope, after going through some tragedy that would break the most of us, is attending the same college her estranged brother goes to, which is pretty nerve-racking for her in the first plays.
Throw in the fact that she comes face to face with her first love, while she didn't even know he was attending the same college... yeah, she is a nervous heartbroken wreck. But she tries and puts on a smile and a brave face.
In the beginning, I just wanted her to stand her ground a bit more. I know he was the love of her life, but still.... that whole body over mind thing tends to annoy the crap out of me. If someone is mean to you and tells you all kinds of awful things... would you still care that he smells so good?
But hey, that is just me, and it annoys me in every book where these situations pop up... and trust me, there are a whole lot of them.
Of course with these two being soul mates and all, they can't stay clear of each other. Pretty soon bitterness is trying to eat Zach up, and no matter how hard he tries... he just can't let go of his Calliope. But the past is never far away, and there are still some secrets that need to be shared.
I had an awesome time reading this one and I really really hope there will be more. I could do with a book about all Zach's friends, but I would also love to read one about Calliope's brother!!
Let's all hope I get what I want oke!!??
Highly recommended!!!!
An ARC was provided to
in exchange for an honest review
Follow Me On:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Blog
Read
December 18, 2020I am proud of myself that I managed to read 60% of the book. After that I dnf it.
The characters were lacking of depth and were not that likeable. Too much push and pull, Callie was pathetic, Zach was an arsehole and they had a lot of baggage that it was suffocating.
Trying to find out why Zach broke up with Callie, became tiring and exhausting!
I was so fed up that I didn’t even read any more as to get the answer of their breakup!
No, thank you!
The characters were lacking of depth and were not that likeable. Too much push and pull, Callie was pathetic, Zach was an arsehole and they had a lot of baggage that it was suffocating.
Trying to find out why Zach broke up with Callie, became tiring and exhausting!
I was so fed up that I didn’t even read any more as to get the answer of their breakup!
No, thank you!
December 12, 2020
I was fourteen the first time I’d fallen in love with Zachary Messiah. A naïve girl with nothing but stars in her eyes and love in her heart.
I wasn’t that girl anymore.
Misunderstandings, missed chances, and miscommunication abound... 4.5 stars!
I discovered LA Cotton earlier this year through her Verona Legacy series, and she has quickly become one of my go-to authors when I want an angsty and emotional read. And even though I love angst, I feel ON THE REBOUND let the angst carry on a little too long until we finally figured out why Zach hated Calli so much.
It was a little anticlimactic after how much he bullied her to discover the reason was a simple misunderstanding, but considering what both Zach and Calli have been through, I can understand why he was so unsure of the people around him and their intentions.
That being said however, I really enjoyed the drama and angst that came after their reconciliation. I felt like both Zach and Calli had a lot of pain, guilt, and anger to wade through separately before they could finally come together fully, and seeing them make that transition was so amazing. I loved seeing both characters heal throughout the story, and surprisingly Callum ended up being one of my favorite characters! I hope we get Josie's story next as I feel like she needs her own HEA ♡
*ARC provided by Candi Kane PR, and I voluntarily reviewed it*
January 13, 2021
*** 3.5 stars ***
So it took me way too long to finish it (ughh...exams).
But when I'm done with it. Let me put some facts here.
Things I liked :
◾Hero Heroine had their problems. It seemed too relatable and real. No doubt some points/twists were repeated and already heard of in one book or another but atleast the situations seemed very real.
◾The writing style of the author is good. I think I'm reading this author for the first time but the way of expression is good.
◾The story/plot was cathcy. It was a good combination of sports and teenage-becoming-adult thing.
So the negatives are :
◾The repeatative plot... ugghhh it was really frustrating!! I mean I get that they have really GOOD chemistry doesn't mean they're gonna have random hate sex after every chapter.
◾The whole book was way too much stretched than it should be. I mean I got the plot, predicted the end and literally wanted it to end but no...there had to be extra 100 pages.
◾The misunderstanding was the main culprit behind the whole mystery stuff, which shouldn't have been. I mean I know that misunderstandings are real but when the whole story revolves around it then it becomes kinda boring, predictable and not even interesting.
So it took me way too long to finish it (ughh...exams).
But when I'm done with it. Let me put some facts here.
Things I liked :
◾Hero Heroine had their problems. It seemed too relatable and real. No doubt some points/twists were repeated and already heard of in one book or another but atleast the situations seemed very real.
◾The writing style of the author is good. I think I'm reading this author for the first time but the way of expression is good.
◾The story/plot was cathcy. It was a good combination of sports and teenage-becoming-adult thing.
So the negatives are :
◾The repeatative plot... ugghhh it was really frustrating!! I mean I get that they have really GOOD chemistry doesn't mean they're gonna have random hate sex after every chapter.
◾The whole book was way too much stretched than it should be. I mean I got the plot, predicted the end and literally wanted it to end but no...there had to be extra 100 pages.
◾The misunderstanding was the main culprit behind the whole mystery stuff, which shouldn't have been. I mean I know that misunderstandings are real but when the whole story revolves around it then it becomes kinda boring, predictable and not even interesting.
February 3, 2022
ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS
“On the Rebound” is a standalone by the author L.A. Cotton. Told in dual perspectives , get ready to meet Zach and Calli!!
I still remember the first time I read a prologue or bonus scene of this book in the Halloween Anthology. I went absolutely nuts to get my hands on this masterpiece!! I marked it there and then on my calendar , and added it to my TBR!! The amount of anticipation I had for this one was immeasurable!
Zach and Calli were everything my soul hoped for and so much more! The book had an edge to it that only Laine can provide and it was absolutely mindblowing! The starting was perfect , the ending was fabulous and don’t even get me started on that angst!!!
Calliope is excited to be away from her town. From a family who never cared for her and the only person who cared for her is now dead , she is the loneliest person in the world. Her plans of a fresh start go into the gutter when she meets the eyes of her first love and heartbreak in her first college party. Zach was everything to Calli. He was her best friend and her first love. The boy who she had fallen in love with and been with was now a man who hated her with every fiber of his being. And was hell bent on making her pay for something that she has no idea she did. His words cut like knives and his actions shred her heart. That does not mean he is stopping , the boy who once cherished her so much was now hell bent on destroying her soul.
Calliope was everything to Zach. The one girl he would have died for. That is until she betrayed him. Now he knows that no matter how tempting she is from the outside , from the inside she will always be a snake. And this time , he is not stopping until she pays for her betrayal. She can stay here in the college with him but that does not mean he is going to make it easy for her.
The whole story was perfect and I dived into this one as soon as it landed on my kindle!! A definite recommendation to all the contemporary romance lovers out there! If you are into themes like second chase , bully romance and enemies-lovers romance then there is no chance that you should miss this masterpiece! It is my suggestion that you read the Bonus scene of Halloween night before reading this book , so you’ll understand how everything turns out.
🏀𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗟:
𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑍𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖'𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦, 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑟 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡, ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒!
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B08L...
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Bookbub | My Blog
August 22, 2021
this wasn't bad but could be better. coming straight to what bothered me
1. the reason why they hated each other. it was stupid because they could have clarified this but oh well
2. the hero in the beginning, idk I didn't connect with his character and his want to fuck his brother's girlfriend.
3. victoria, a very predictable character.
honestly, it could have done much better because the element of angst in this book was good. had very promising potential.
1. the reason why they hated each other. it was stupid because they could have clarified this but oh well
2. the hero in the beginning, idk I didn't connect with his character and his want to fuck his brother's girlfriend.
3. victoria, a very predictable character.
honestly, it could have done much better because the element of angst in this book was good. had very promising potential.
August 20, 2021
Pur non dandogli un premio per l'originalità la storia mi ha preso fin dalle primissime pagine, merito della scrittura dell'autrice : per me è un SÌ
not-for-me
February 13, 2022Note to self- lack of communication separation
Spoilers on ow stuff
H and h are together, in love, and H thinks something of the h after he overhears a conversation.
3 years later, H is a hoarrr while h is in therapy, not with OM (unlike H who’s with tons of OW).
h doesn’t know why H hates her.
H’s into 2 girls, h is kind of into 1 guy.
They both see the other kiss OP.
H almost gets seduced by his brother’s gf while brother is in a coma.
H finds out truth about what happened 3 years ago and he needs space from h🙄.
There’s an HEA though.
Spoilers on ow stuff
H and h are together, in love, and H thinks something of the h after he overhears a conversation.
3 years later, H is a hoarrr while h is in therapy, not with OM (unlike H who’s with tons of OW).
h doesn’t know why H hates her.
H’s into 2 girls, h is kind of into 1 guy.
They both see the other kiss OP.
H almost gets seduced by his brother’s gf while brother is in a coma.
H finds out truth about what happened 3 years ago and he needs space from h🙄.
There’s an HEA though.
December 15, 2020
On The Rebound is the first book in L.A. Cotton's new college sports romance series, Steinbeck U. Told in dual perspectives, this is Calliope James and Zach Messiah's story. A story that is jam packed with all of the feels. It's intense, angsty, passionate, juicy, addictive and heart-wrenching. I simply could not get enough of these characters that consumed me heart and soul.
Back in high school, Zach meant the world to Calli. He was her best friend, her first kiss, her first love, her first everything. She was convinced that he was the one. But then one day, without an explanation, he walked away from her leaving her confused and heartbroken. Then to make matters worse, she loses the one family member who was her rock. The one who was always there when the others had turned their backs on her.
Fast forward to college. With a promise to fulfill, Callie enrolls at Steinbeck University. A college far away from the town that caused her so much pain and sorrow. Here she's hoping for a fresh start, and things are going well until she crosses paths with Zach. He is filled with so much rage and is determined to make her life hell. To make her pay for something that she has no memory of. So much for that fresh start she wanted.
Overall, I don't know what more I can say other than I absolutely loved this book. I hope that all fans of second chance romance, bully romance and enemies-to-lovers romance will take a chance on this one. The realness, the rawness, the heart, the love... It's amazing! It's a top read for me that I can't possibly recommend enough. All of the stars and more for Calli, Zach and On The Rebound!
Back in high school, Zach meant the world to Calli. He was her best friend, her first kiss, her first love, her first everything. She was convinced that he was the one. But then one day, without an explanation, he walked away from her leaving her confused and heartbroken. Then to make matters worse, she loses the one family member who was her rock. The one who was always there when the others had turned their backs on her.
Fast forward to college. With a promise to fulfill, Callie enrolls at Steinbeck University. A college far away from the town that caused her so much pain and sorrow. Here she's hoping for a fresh start, and things are going well until she crosses paths with Zach. He is filled with so much rage and is determined to make her life hell. To make her pay for something that she has no memory of. So much for that fresh start she wanted.
Overall, I don't know what more I can say other than I absolutely loved this book. I hope that all fans of second chance romance, bully romance and enemies-to-lovers romance will take a chance on this one. The realness, the rawness, the heart, the love... It's amazing! It's a top read for me that I can't possibly recommend enough. All of the stars and more for Calli, Zach and On The Rebound!
December 16, 2020
With On the Rebound, L.A. Cotton has composed an angsty, sexy and heartfelt story about love and second chances.
When Calliope James decided to go to Steinbeck University to honor her deceased mother’s wishes, the last person she expected to run into was her ex-best friend. The first guy she ever kissed, the only guy she’d ever loved and had tried so hard to forget.
In the years since Calli betrayed him, Zach Messiah has erected a harsh and cold barrier around him. Because of a family tragedy, he’s transferred to SU to fill a void. More upset than before because he’s wanted for his last name and not himself, Zach rues the moment he locks eyes with Calli again.
Angry that he still craves her, that he can’t get over her, Zach tries hard to avoid her, to dissuade from hanging out with this teammates, he’s even cruel. But as much as they try fight their attraction, they chemistry is undeniable and a love like theirs is hard to cannot be denied.
Cotton knows how to write complex characters; Zach is one of them. His and Calli’s story kept me hooked and turning pages until the very end wanting to know how their love hate relationship would unfold. Their miscommunication was predictable but I loved Zach’s change from harsh and detached to a loving and caring boyfriend, not to mention their sizzling hot chemistry that overwhelmed them no matter what their heart dictated.
On the Rebound is a standalone college basketball romance by L.A. Cotton. It’s book #1 of the Steinbeck U series. It is told from both points of view, and has a happy ending. Sub-genres: Enemies to lovers | College Basketball| Second chance
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via Candi Kane PR. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title. *
Amazon -> https://amzn.to/33OIl68
Stalk me on FaceBook * Instagram * More reviews
When Calliope James decided to go to Steinbeck University to honor her deceased mother’s wishes, the last person she expected to run into was her ex-best friend. The first guy she ever kissed, the only guy she’d ever loved and had tried so hard to forget.
In the years since Calli betrayed him, Zach Messiah has erected a harsh and cold barrier around him. Because of a family tragedy, he’s transferred to SU to fill a void. More upset than before because he’s wanted for his last name and not himself, Zach rues the moment he locks eyes with Calli again.
Angry that he still craves her, that he can’t get over her, Zach tries hard to avoid her, to dissuade from hanging out with this teammates, he’s even cruel. But as much as they try fight their attraction, they chemistry is undeniable and a love like theirs is hard to cannot be denied.
Cotton knows how to write complex characters; Zach is one of them. His and Calli’s story kept me hooked and turning pages until the very end wanting to know how their love hate relationship would unfold. Their miscommunication was predictable but I loved Zach’s change from harsh and detached to a loving and caring boyfriend, not to mention their sizzling hot chemistry that overwhelmed them no matter what their heart dictated.
On the Rebound is a standalone college basketball romance by L.A. Cotton. It’s book #1 of the Steinbeck U series. It is told from both points of view, and has a happy ending. Sub-genres: Enemies to lovers | College Basketball| Second chance
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via Candi Kane PR. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title. *
Amazon -> https://amzn.to/33OIl68
Stalk me on FaceBook * Instagram * More reviews
December 21, 2020
Oh my...I0m on a roll here...
*sigh* and *sigh, again*
Anyhow, I expected something different to tell you the truth...
This was the most awkward book I have ever encountered LOL
Damn, first of all, the time span is weird, like the characters fisr hooked up when she was 15 and he was 17, so...gah, and everything went downhill from there....a lot of things happened, loss, grief, resentment, anger, and "misunderstanding"...
after that, we jump into the "three years after", they are in college, she's 18, and he's 20 (if my calculus still works correctly) and these two lovebirds are on a binge...they hate each other but they want each other...and so it goes on and on and on and on....and I got tired of freaking drama...
First of all, I realized I am too old to read about this...it doesn't really interest me anymore, I am way pass that kind of teen, juvenile sex-ploration with the undeveloped little humans...
damn, the best thing about the whole story was the background prop...the heavy stuff added for the deep emphasis of why the characters act like they do...
I just couldn't get into it...
And since the book contains some seriously heavy smoking hawt experiences BUT they are pretty much too young to realize what they are doing without involving some over the top drama, it's plain to see, that it could be annoying for the readers over 30...and it would be too bold for those till 20...does it really focus on the readers of the age span of 20 - 30?
maybe?
I dunno...most likely
But this one, didn't work for me...
*sigh* and *sigh, again*
Anyhow, I expected something different to tell you the truth...
This was the most awkward book I have ever encountered LOL
Damn, first of all, the time span is weird, like the characters fisr hooked up when she was 15 and he was 17, so...gah, and everything went downhill from there....a lot of things happened, loss, grief, resentment, anger, and "misunderstanding"...
after that, we jump into the "three years after", they are in college, she's 18, and he's 20 (if my calculus still works correctly) and these two lovebirds are on a binge...they hate each other but they want each other...and so it goes on and on and on and on....and I got tired of freaking drama...
First of all, I realized I am too old to read about this...it doesn't really interest me anymore, I am way pass that kind of teen, juvenile sex-ploration with the undeveloped little humans...
damn, the best thing about the whole story was the background prop...the heavy stuff added for the deep emphasis of why the characters act like they do...
I just couldn't get into it...
And since the book contains some seriously heavy smoking hawt experiences BUT they are pretty much too young to realize what they are doing without involving some over the top drama, it's plain to see, that it could be annoying for the readers over 30...and it would be too bold for those till 20...does it really focus on the readers of the age span of 20 - 30?
maybe?
I dunno...most likely
But this one, didn't work for me...
August 19, 2021
4-
Carino, un po’ noioso in alcune parti
Carino, un po’ noioso in alcune parti
December 30, 2020
I was really enjoying it OH-SO-MUCH until the end.
That 'reason' for the hate kinda made me go "really?! that's it! All this for THAT?!"
That 'reason' for the hate kinda made me go "really?! that's it! All this for THAT?!"
December 9, 2020
I hate to love you. Rebound was heated and of angsty. It was everything I expected from a LA Cotton novel. The freebie Halloween sequel is worth reading before this.
Zach hates everything. The basketball team is the gift he didn’t want. The step in lifestyle wasn’t where he expected to be. The girls he used to love wasn’t out of his mind.
Cali is used to secrets. They are wants made her strong. When she arrives at college she doesn’t expect the secrets to run so deep. Her ex, Zach is king of the campus and she tries to get on with her own life but he seems to be everywhere she is.
Cali and Zach are familiar with pain in their hearts. They both hate hard but can they get something from each other nobody else can offer.
This is intended for an adult audience. It’s a dark romance with a tug at the heart. I very much enjoyed this college romance.
Zach hates everything. The basketball team is the gift he didn’t want. The step in lifestyle wasn’t where he expected to be. The girls he used to love wasn’t out of his mind.
Cali is used to secrets. They are wants made her strong. When she arrives at college she doesn’t expect the secrets to run so deep. Her ex, Zach is king of the campus and she tries to get on with her own life but he seems to be everywhere she is.
Cali and Zach are familiar with pain in their hearts. They both hate hard but can they get something from each other nobody else can offer.
This is intended for an adult audience. It’s a dark romance with a tug at the heart. I very much enjoyed this college romance.
December 15, 2020
Every time I read a book by an author who is new to me I try to keep my expectations low so that the thrill is greater. And L. A Cotton has managed to leave me breathless this time. Her writing high jacked my thoughts from the very beginning, giving me everything I love in a book and more. Surely, I’ve read lots of amazing YA angsty romance, but this one here left me gasping for air and on the edge of my seat till the end, lifting this genre to a whole new level.
Trying to survive and start a new life after a tragedy that can break even the strongest among us. Calli ends up at the same college that hew estranged brother attends. The last thing she needs is to come face-to-face with the boy who once was her everything. Her best friend, her first kiss, her first true love, and first heartbreak. And now that boy is a man dark as hell, and twice as hot. A man whose words cut like blades and whose actions crush her heart…. Is she strong enough to survive all that? What hurts the most is being tortured without knowing why. Will she ever discover the truth?
For the better part of the book, I was struggling to figure out what was going on. Where all that hatred came from? Can they tame that insane attraction? Trying to make the puzzle pieces fit together and believe me this author didn’t make it easy and I loved that. I also loved Calli, this amazing young woman who doesn’t give up because of heavy weather. And Zach… OMG…he’s a hero you love to hate and hate to love. He had me questioning my sanity and my morals as I was slowly falling in love with this jerk that no father would like around their daughters. I literally wanted to get in the book and punch him, then I wanted to cuddle with him…. And those two together, the agonizing push and pull, the hysterical bantering, heartbreaking truths, and off-charts chemistry are absolute perfection and amazing gift of this incredible author.
To say I was nailed to the pages from the very beginning is such an understatement. I literally couldn’t put the book down, I loved every single moment of this emotionally charged and unpredictable journey, full of twists, misdirection, and half-truths. The plot is so sharp and unique with the perfect amount of angst, drama, and heartbreak. And the epic love story in the middle of all that drama is more than perfect.
If you’re looking for a book that will leave you unable to step away from the story and more than willing to return to the pages one more time, then this is it. It is the perfect choice for you.
Trying to survive and start a new life after a tragedy that can break even the strongest among us. Calli ends up at the same college that hew estranged brother attends. The last thing she needs is to come face-to-face with the boy who once was her everything. Her best friend, her first kiss, her first true love, and first heartbreak. And now that boy is a man dark as hell, and twice as hot. A man whose words cut like blades and whose actions crush her heart…. Is she strong enough to survive all that? What hurts the most is being tortured without knowing why. Will she ever discover the truth?
For the better part of the book, I was struggling to figure out what was going on. Where all that hatred came from? Can they tame that insane attraction? Trying to make the puzzle pieces fit together and believe me this author didn’t make it easy and I loved that. I also loved Calli, this amazing young woman who doesn’t give up because of heavy weather. And Zach… OMG…he’s a hero you love to hate and hate to love. He had me questioning my sanity and my morals as I was slowly falling in love with this jerk that no father would like around their daughters. I literally wanted to get in the book and punch him, then I wanted to cuddle with him…. And those two together, the agonizing push and pull, the hysterical bantering, heartbreaking truths, and off-charts chemistry are absolute perfection and amazing gift of this incredible author.
To say I was nailed to the pages from the very beginning is such an understatement. I literally couldn’t put the book down, I loved every single moment of this emotionally charged and unpredictable journey, full of twists, misdirection, and half-truths. The plot is so sharp and unique with the perfect amount of angst, drama, and heartbreak. And the epic love story in the middle of all that drama is more than perfect.
If you’re looking for a book that will leave you unable to step away from the story and more than willing to return to the pages one more time, then this is it. It is the perfect choice for you.
December 15, 2020
There Is No Rainbow Without The Rain
An emotionally charged and deliciously seductive sports romance! And the angst!!! His hold on her never waned. You’re going to love and hate him in equal measure. Young love that turned to hate, but in the end their connection could not be denied. Hold onto your heart, it’s going to get taken on a roller coaster ride of emotion.
Zach is angry. He has so many reasons for it, but it’s slowly destroying him. He’s just transferred in to SU to take over and lead the school’s basketball team to victory. He’s filling in for his brother since a tragic accident left Declan in a coma. A place he never wanted to be, living someone else’s life.
The last thing Zach expects to find at his new school is her. Calli is just starting her freshman year. She made a promise to her mother that she would try and embrace the college experience. She’s carrying a lot of pain and emotional baggage, so she’s struggling. Finding Zach at her new school makes her new life even more complicated.
They share a past. He was her first love in every way, until he callously cast her aside and embraced a new life. She never understood why the love they shared transformed so quickly to hate. Zach has his own story to tell that led them down this path.
This is an angsty, heart-wrenching journey to an incredibly deserving happily ever after. Both of them will have to confront their ghosts to move forward. It’s going to get ugly before they find their way, but even then their chemistry just sizzles. Their mutual hate makes for some explosive love scenes, because even when they hated each other, the love was still lying in wait. This is an unforgettably emotional enemies to lovers romance and easily my favorite read by this author.
An emotionally charged and deliciously seductive sports romance! And the angst!!! His hold on her never waned. You’re going to love and hate him in equal measure. Young love that turned to hate, but in the end their connection could not be denied. Hold onto your heart, it’s going to get taken on a roller coaster ride of emotion.
Zach is angry. He has so many reasons for it, but it’s slowly destroying him. He’s just transferred in to SU to take over and lead the school’s basketball team to victory. He’s filling in for his brother since a tragic accident left Declan in a coma. A place he never wanted to be, living someone else’s life.
The last thing Zach expects to find at his new school is her. Calli is just starting her freshman year. She made a promise to her mother that she would try and embrace the college experience. She’s carrying a lot of pain and emotional baggage, so she’s struggling. Finding Zach at her new school makes her new life even more complicated.
They share a past. He was her first love in every way, until he callously cast her aside and embraced a new life. She never understood why the love they shared transformed so quickly to hate. Zach has his own story to tell that led them down this path.
This is an angsty, heart-wrenching journey to an incredibly deserving happily ever after. Both of them will have to confront their ghosts to move forward. It’s going to get ugly before they find their way, but even then their chemistry just sizzles. Their mutual hate makes for some explosive love scenes, because even when they hated each other, the love was still lying in wait. This is an unforgettably emotional enemies to lovers romance and easily my favorite read by this author.
Want to read
October 23, 2020just read the free prequel on ibooks and sports romance with exes angst and a dark edge? i’m sold!
December 15, 2020
DNF but past the half way mark so it gets rated.
I got to the reason why they broke up...and stopped reading. What a stupid, weak-arsed reason! I don’t have time for stupid...and to make it worse, he tells her he loves her and she forgets how he’s treated her since the beginning of the book 🙄🙄🙄
I got to the reason why they broke up...and stopped reading. What a stupid, weak-arsed reason! I don’t have time for stupid...and to make it worse, he tells her he loves her and she forgets how he’s treated her since the beginning of the book 🙄🙄🙄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
December 16, 2020Okay, so I've read the book, I have thoughts, but they are not all that positive so I have to think!
Standby for full review!
Standby for full review!
December 26, 2020
***4,5 "BHS (Basketball Haters Society)" stars***
AVAILABLE NOW
"Love wasn't real. It was a lie people told themselves to feel better. Love didn't make a person strong, it made them weak. It made them vulnerable. If you weren't careful, love had the power to ruin you."
I have read so many genres by L. A. Cotton and seriously, this woman excels in each one of them, but for a reason, I love her sports romances the most!!!
This was a very beautiful story, full of pain, heartache, friendship, and second chances!!!
It was an amazing story leading to recovery cause both of our heroes souls were damaged and maybe they just needed each other to pull them out of their despair!!!
"Didn't anyone tell you, love and hate are just the same emotions experienced in different ways?"
Back then, Calliope and Zach were best friends... They had found something strong that was connecting them... The hatred for the game. A game that was bringing too many problems to both of their lives in the form of resentment from their own family...
Zach and Calli had something beautiful that was breeding between them... They were friends, but they become something more and they witnessed something unique to growing up between them.
But then one day, everything that they built together wrecked down and that left Calli heartbroken and Zach full of hatred...
"Zachary Messiah. My first best friend. My first love. My first everything. Including the worst heartache I'd ever experienced."
Now, Calli's life is changing for once again. She just felt the biggest loss on her life and still, she is trying to fullfill a promise...
Now, a new chapter is starting for her on Steinbeck U and even though she knows that in there there would be so much basketball and a person of her past, she has no other choice...
The only thing that she wasn't expecting was for a second person of her past to be there as well...
Zach is here. Zach whom Calli still couldn't get over. But this man doesn't resemble the boy with hearts in his eyes... Now, he has flames burning his stare.
"One thing was for certain though, Zach -my Zach- was gone. It was easier to think of my Zach and this Zach, the cold cruel boy with arrogance in his eyes and hatred in his heart, as two completely different people."
Zachary Messiah has his own cross to bare, even though someone could characterize him like the King of SU. The captain of the basketball team. The guy that everyone would love to be him. The girls are falling on his feet, but he is cold and detached. He just wants to fullfill his promise and to get over with it. His heart and soul is bleeding and when Calliope is appearing on his turf, he is starting to lose his mind. He hates her, but still... She is getting under her skin and he doesn't really knows what to do...
"I wanted to hurt her. To punish her and ruin her. I wanted to break her. It wasn't healthy, the feelings she invoked in me. Feelings that had once been pure and good, now tainted with pain and darkness and betrayal."
The sure thing is that this story was a giant mess in every aspect, not only in the romance part...
There was so much angst and wild heartbeating in each encounter between Zach and Calli and I was anticipating like crazy to find out the reasons that lead them to be apart...
Of course, there were people in here that were causing unnecessary drama and that was making the plot even more interesting!!!
"You can't let me go, just like I can't let you go.
So the question is... what are we going to do about it?"
Zach and Calli were meant to be, but there have happened too many things between them. It's hard to find their way back to each other. They have too many work to do, especially from Zach's part, since he was out for blood.
The guy that Calli once knew didn't exist anymore and it was sad to witnesss what he had become, but i totally understand him... There was a heavy load upon his shoulders. The expectations of others were killing him slowly, and he was feeling helpless, but that doesn't justify the way he was treating Calli in the beginning. But hell, his slips out from time to time were so wonderful to see.
"The harsh reality was, Calliope James was under my skin. She'd never left. But all the love I'd once felt for her was now something else entirely. Something darker and volatile. An unpredictable storm brewing beneath the surface. If she kept pushing me, I'd snap. And if I snapped nothing good would happen... For either of us."
As for Calliope??? She was an amazing creature who was kind of lost.... She just needed some peace after everything that had happened to her life. And she might needed Zach, in all his twisted and mean glory to pull her out of her funk.
Yes!!! These two were fitting perfectly and I really enjoyed their story.
"My chest squeezed at his name. It always did. It probably always would. I fugured first love was supposed to leave that kind of mark. An everlasting stain on your soul. But I'd underestimated just how much it would affect me still every time I heard his name."
Hell! There were so many other people that i loved in here and I would love to read their stories one day... Josie and Brad were amazing persons and honestly, I would love to read more of them... I liked Joel, even though he was very narrowminded in some matters. And I liked Callum, even though he was a big duchebag to Calli, but at the end, he was really trying and I loved him for that!!!
Also, Maverick Prince!!! OMG!!! I need to read this story!!! He was the best!!!
"We were two lost souls, vying for attention, desperate to feel worthy and wanted. And we'd found that in each other."
**I received an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**
AVAILABLE NOW
"Love wasn't real. It was a lie people told themselves to feel better. Love didn't make a person strong, it made them weak. It made them vulnerable. If you weren't careful, love had the power to ruin you."
I have read so many genres by L. A. Cotton and seriously, this woman excels in each one of them, but for a reason, I love her sports romances the most!!!
This was a very beautiful story, full of pain, heartache, friendship, and second chances!!!
It was an amazing story leading to recovery cause both of our heroes souls were damaged and maybe they just needed each other to pull them out of their despair!!!
"Didn't anyone tell you, love and hate are just the same emotions experienced in different ways?"
Back then, Calliope and Zach were best friends... They had found something strong that was connecting them... The hatred for the game. A game that was bringing too many problems to both of their lives in the form of resentment from their own family...
Zach and Calli had something beautiful that was breeding between them... They were friends, but they become something more and they witnessed something unique to growing up between them.
But then one day, everything that they built together wrecked down and that left Calli heartbroken and Zach full of hatred...
"Zachary Messiah. My first best friend. My first love. My first everything. Including the worst heartache I'd ever experienced."
Now, Calli's life is changing for once again. She just felt the biggest loss on her life and still, she is trying to fullfill a promise...
Now, a new chapter is starting for her on Steinbeck U and even though she knows that in there there would be so much basketball and a person of her past, she has no other choice...
The only thing that she wasn't expecting was for a second person of her past to be there as well...
Zach is here. Zach whom Calli still couldn't get over. But this man doesn't resemble the boy with hearts in his eyes... Now, he has flames burning his stare.
"One thing was for certain though, Zach -my Zach- was gone. It was easier to think of my Zach and this Zach, the cold cruel boy with arrogance in his eyes and hatred in his heart, as two completely different people."
Zachary Messiah has his own cross to bare, even though someone could characterize him like the King of SU. The captain of the basketball team. The guy that everyone would love to be him. The girls are falling on his feet, but he is cold and detached. He just wants to fullfill his promise and to get over with it. His heart and soul is bleeding and when Calliope is appearing on his turf, he is starting to lose his mind. He hates her, but still... She is getting under her skin and he doesn't really knows what to do...
"I wanted to hurt her. To punish her and ruin her. I wanted to break her. It wasn't healthy, the feelings she invoked in me. Feelings that had once been pure and good, now tainted with pain and darkness and betrayal."
The sure thing is that this story was a giant mess in every aspect, not only in the romance part...
There was so much angst and wild heartbeating in each encounter between Zach and Calli and I was anticipating like crazy to find out the reasons that lead them to be apart...
Of course, there were people in here that were causing unnecessary drama and that was making the plot even more interesting!!!
"You can't let me go, just like I can't let you go.
So the question is... what are we going to do about it?"
Zach and Calli were meant to be, but there have happened too many things between them. It's hard to find their way back to each other. They have too many work to do, especially from Zach's part, since he was out for blood.
The guy that Calli once knew didn't exist anymore and it was sad to witnesss what he had become, but i totally understand him... There was a heavy load upon his shoulders. The expectations of others were killing him slowly, and he was feeling helpless, but that doesn't justify the way he was treating Calli in the beginning. But hell, his slips out from time to time were so wonderful to see.
"The harsh reality was, Calliope James was under my skin. She'd never left. But all the love I'd once felt for her was now something else entirely. Something darker and volatile. An unpredictable storm brewing beneath the surface. If she kept pushing me, I'd snap. And if I snapped nothing good would happen... For either of us."
As for Calliope??? She was an amazing creature who was kind of lost.... She just needed some peace after everything that had happened to her life. And she might needed Zach, in all his twisted and mean glory to pull her out of her funk.
Yes!!! These two were fitting perfectly and I really enjoyed their story.
"My chest squeezed at his name. It always did. It probably always would. I fugured first love was supposed to leave that kind of mark. An everlasting stain on your soul. But I'd underestimated just how much it would affect me still every time I heard his name."
Hell! There were so many other people that i loved in here and I would love to read their stories one day... Josie and Brad were amazing persons and honestly, I would love to read more of them... I liked Joel, even though he was very narrowminded in some matters. And I liked Callum, even though he was a big duchebag to Calli, but at the end, he was really trying and I loved him for that!!!
Also, Maverick Prince!!! OMG!!! I need to read this story!!! He was the best!!!
"We were two lost souls, vying for attention, desperate to feel worthy and wanted. And we'd found that in each other."
**I received an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**
December 16, 2020
I have read a few of this authors books. Mostly sports high school college romances. I think I’ve outgrown them especially high school. It’s become a little uncomfortable since my kids became high schoolers 🤪
This one is a second chance romance which I’ve read a lot of. Not involving secret kids though so there’s that. These guys were best friends, shared firsts, understood each other etc but all of a sudden Zach treats her badly and they’re not friends anymore. She battles on being left by her dad, brother and boyfriend only to have her mum get the big C and pass away which is the saddest part of her life.
Reconnecting with the ex is mortifying. I don’t understanding authors can’t or won’t give their heroines more of a backbone. It astounds me to read a scene where they are on the Ferris wheel and she repeatedly says no but he forces himself on her. Yes, she eventually gets onboard but really? It was uncomfortable for me to read because it was assault pure and simple. She mentions this again later in the book and him being mean says she was gagging for it. Yuck! She said no arsehole and the author let you get away with it. Wrong. So assault is ok once a guy wears her down? Wrong. Luckily I’ve had more robust talks with my two boys about when a girl says no. She can say no at any point and they have to respect that. Apparently not in contemporary romance, how disappointing.
When the reason for their friendship breakdown is revealed it s pathetic. The hero pathetic, the heroine basically the same. No grovel. No rehashing of bad things he did that independently need apologies just OK let’s get back to where we were. I mean these things need discussion. That’s why YA and NA are not my genre anymore.🙃
This one is a second chance romance which I’ve read a lot of. Not involving secret kids though so there’s that. These guys were best friends, shared firsts, understood each other etc but all of a sudden Zach treats her badly and they’re not friends anymore. She battles on being left by her dad, brother and boyfriend only to have her mum get the big C and pass away which is the saddest part of her life.
Reconnecting with the ex is mortifying. I don’t understanding authors can’t or won’t give their heroines more of a backbone. It astounds me to read a scene where they are on the Ferris wheel and she repeatedly says no but he forces himself on her. Yes, she eventually gets onboard but really? It was uncomfortable for me to read because it was assault pure and simple. She mentions this again later in the book and him being mean says she was gagging for it. Yuck! She said no arsehole and the author let you get away with it. Wrong. So assault is ok once a guy wears her down? Wrong. Luckily I’ve had more robust talks with my two boys about when a girl says no. She can say no at any point and they have to respect that. Apparently not in contemporary romance, how disappointing.
When the reason for their friendship breakdown is revealed it s pathetic. The hero pathetic, the heroine basically the same. No grovel. No rehashing of bad things he did that independently need apologies just OK let’s get back to where we were. I mean these things need discussion. That’s why YA and NA are not my genre anymore.🙃
July 18, 2021
4.5 stelle
La storia di Zach e Callie ti prende dall'inizio con la sua intensità e ti commuove, non riesci a staccarti dalla lettura, due migliori amici che s'innamorano, per poi allontanarsi senza che Callie capisca perché o insista per saperlo; si ritrovano nello stesso college, tutti e due stanno passando un momento difficile, Zach non è più lo stesso ragazzo, la rabbia ha preso il sopravvento dentro di lui, anche Cally è cambiata un grande dolore ha forgiato il suo carattere...
Tra i due sono fuochi d'artificio, ci sarà per loro una seconda possibilità? Si vedranno per ciò che sono veramente? Zach riuscirà a vedere oltre la rabbia che lo sta divorando?
Li ho amati tanto, anche se Zach avrebbe meritato una padellata in testa ogni tanto 😅...
La storia di Zach e Callie ti prende dall'inizio con la sua intensità e ti commuove, non riesci a staccarti dalla lettura, due migliori amici che s'innamorano, per poi allontanarsi senza che Callie capisca perché o insista per saperlo; si ritrovano nello stesso college, tutti e due stanno passando un momento difficile, Zach non è più lo stesso ragazzo, la rabbia ha preso il sopravvento dentro di lui, anche Cally è cambiata un grande dolore ha forgiato il suo carattere...
Tra i due sono fuochi d'artificio, ci sarà per loro una seconda possibilità? Si vedranno per ciò che sono veramente? Zach riuscirà a vedere oltre la rabbia che lo sta divorando?
Li ho amati tanto, anche se Zach avrebbe meritato una padellata in testa ogni tanto 😅...
December 20, 2020
To much high school drama. And they weren't in high school.
I wish I dnf it!
I wish I dnf it!
January 1, 2021
✽ 2.5 STARS ✽
When I was looking for my next read I chose this book because of:
⇨ enemy to lovers
⇨ second chance
⇨ college sports romance
But here are some things you need to know if you plan to read this book:
✔ Up to 45% I loved this book, it was everything I mentioned above. Very fast paced with right angst increasing.
✘ After 45% everything went south. H and h were wallowing in endless misery, this was caused by author repeating same facts thousand times through the story. Thousand times same things over again and again - very tiring and boring, so story lost all it's magic.
✘ From the beginning we are waiting bomb to drop - what is the reason they broke up in the first place. All angst was built on this question. At 75% we found out this reason and it is just MEH, WTF this is it???!!! It's pointless to increase this strong tension through whole book and than the reason is some tiny miscommunication / misunderstanding. The reason always must be strong, so we readers don't lose interest and we are strongly motivated to read until the end. I just wanted to DNF it at this point.
✘ Last 25% was just plain torture and unneccessary drama.
When I was looking for my next read I chose this book because of:
⇨ enemy to lovers
⇨ second chance
⇨ college sports romance
But here are some things you need to know if you plan to read this book:
✔ Up to 45% I loved this book, it was everything I mentioned above. Very fast paced with right angst increasing.
✘ After 45% everything went south. H and h were wallowing in endless misery, this was caused by author repeating same facts thousand times through the story. Thousand times same things over again and again - very tiring and boring, so story lost all it's magic.
✘ From the beginning we are waiting bomb to drop - what is the reason they broke up in the first place. All angst was built on this question. At 75% we found out this reason and it is just MEH, WTF this is it???!!! It's pointless to increase this strong tension through whole book and than the reason is some tiny miscommunication / misunderstanding. The reason always must be strong, so we readers don't lose interest and we are strongly motivated to read until the end. I just wanted to DNF it at this point.
✘ Last 25% was just plain torture and unneccessary drama.
December 15, 2020
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 STARS
Holy smokes was this book beyond amazing. I love enemies to lovers stories, then throw in a second chance romance and you've got PERFECTION!!! Zach and Calli's book is filled to the brim with so much of... EVERYTHING! You'll get it all to the extreme—the love, the hate, the ups, the downs and so much more! I am eagerly anticipating the rest of the Steinbeck U series! I could not put this book down. On The Rebound by L.A. Cotton is an EPIC read that will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ARISTOCRACY!!!
Holy smokes was this book beyond amazing. I love enemies to lovers stories, then throw in a second chance romance and you've got PERFECTION!!! Zach and Calli's book is filled to the brim with so much of... EVERYTHING! You'll get it all to the extreme—the love, the hate, the ups, the downs and so much more! I am eagerly anticipating the rest of the Steinbeck U series! I could not put this book down. On The Rebound by L.A. Cotton is an EPIC read that will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ARISTOCRACY!!!
July 1, 2021
Non posso dire di non essermi appassionata alla storia o di non aver avuto voglia di arrivare alla fine per vedere cosa sarebbe successo, però non posso dire nemmeno che mi abbia convinta del tutto. Soprattutto nella prima parte, l’ho trovato molto ripetitivo, le stesse situazioni e perfino le stesse frasi ancora e ancora. Mi aspettavo qualcosa di meglio, anche se effettivamente si lascia leggere.
June 29, 2021
Sul blog trovate la mia recensione qui ⬇
https://www.leggereromanticamente.com...
L.A. Cotton è un’autrice romance che scrive storie fatte su misura per me, le sue trame mi ispirano sempre e per adesso non mi ha mai delusa.
Non spezzarmi il cuore è un new adult auto-conclusivo ambientato al college, uno sport romance ed anche un second-chance con una buona dose di angst e odio-amore.
Se queste tipologie di storie vi piacciono probabilmente lo apprezzerete quanto me, io sono entrata subito in sintonia con la storia e i personaggi e l’ho divorato in fretta!
La narrazione alterna il punto di vista in prima persona dei due protagonisti principali, Calliope e Zachary, ed è ambientato durante il primo anno di Cally alla Steinbeck University, anche se viviamo qualche ricordo del loro passato insieme.
Al liceo Zach è stato prima il migliore amico di Cally, poi il suo primo ed unico grande amore ed infine colui che le ha spezzato il cuore.
Cally è una ragazza di diciotto anni che ha subito varie perdite ed è stata ferita troppe volte nella sua giovane vita, l’unica persona che l’ha sempre amata e sostenuta è stata sua madre, ma ora non c’è più, ed è per mantenere una promessa che si è iscritta alla Steinbeck University come matricola. Non si aspettava però di ritrovarsi nella stessa università del ragazzo che le aveva spezzato il cuore qualche anno prima e che tutte quelle emozioni riaffiorassero all’improvviso.
Zack è uno dei giocatori di punta della squadra di basket della Steinbeck, molte sono le aspettative sulle sue spalle, soprattutto per il cognome che porta.
Lo Zach che conosciamo non è più il ragazzo gentile e dolce di un tempo, è diventato freddo, distaccato, arrogante e odia Cally anche se lei non sa il perché.
Fortunatamente con il POV alternato riusciamo ad entrare nella sua testa e capire la difficile situazione che sta attraversando e capire certi suoi atteggiamenti.
Diciamo che per nessuno dei due protagonisti è un momento facile della vita, tutti e due hanno sofferto, sono cresciuti e cambiati, ma i loro sentimenti sembrano forti come non mai, anche se cercano di trattenerli, soprattutto Zack.
Sicuramente questa è una di quelle storie dove alla base ci sono incomprensioni e decisamente dei problemi di comunicazione, questo è un po’ un cliché dei second chance, ci fanno ammattire per gran parte del libro per capire cosa è successo per arrivare ad odiarsi e lasciarsi in quel modo e alla fine bastava davvero poco per non perdere tutto quel tempo.
La narrazione è scorrevolissima, semplice ma carica di emozioni diverse. La Cotton è riuscita a trasmettermi la sofferenza dei suoi personaggi e l’intensità dei loro sentimenti.
Sono presenti alcuni personaggi secondari a movimentare la storia, alcuni mi sono piaciuti, altri li ho detestati. Mi piacerebbe molto leggere un libro su Josie, la nuova migliore amica di Cally, le premesse ci sono tutte! ;)
Lettura consigliata a chi ama le ambientazioni universitarie, i personaggi sportivi, le situazioni familiari complicate e le storie romantiche sulle seconde possibilità.
Punto di vista: prima persona, alternato di Cally e Zack
Sensualità: scene hot presenti, ma soft
Caratteristiche: romance new adult, universitario, sportivo, second-chance
Stile narrativo: scorrevole
Tipo di finale: autoconclusivo
Voto: 4 stelle
pass-not-interested-stay-away
January 11, 2022Author writes doormat heroines with body betraying syndrome.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 499 reviews