Release Date: February 2nd, 2016Type: New Adult Romance, Contemporary, Stand alone (kinda?), Tattooed Bad Boy, Art, He's a good bad guy - or maybe a bad good guy?
About the Book: Eric Hernandez is the bad boy of every schoolgirl’s fantasies—and every mother’s nightmares. But after serving time for manslaughter, he’s ready to turn his life around. He just needs a chance to prove himself as a professional tattoo artist. The one thing that keeps him going is the memory of the innocent beauty he loved and left behind.
Meghan Young’s world isn’t as perfect as it looks. The preacher’s daughter is living a lie, especially now that Eric is back. Tougher, harder, and sexier than ever, he might be the only person she can trust. But there’s no telling what he’ll do to protect her if he learns the truth, and that’s a risk Meghan won’t let him take. And yet, back in the arms of the troubled boy with the artist’s soul, Meghan can’t help surrendering to the man he’s become. [Description from Goodreads.com]
My Review: So wow. I just finished this one, and I have to say, I was blown away. This is my first book by author Jill Sorenson, but the name is definitely one I've seen around. And after reading "Against The Wall" - I'm ashamed it's taken me this long! There was so much right about this book. Eric's love of art felt real - not just something given to soften him up, or make him sympathetic. He had passion for art, and you could feel how humbled and grateful he was when anyone said he was good at it.
This book was just so.. gritty and real. I love New Adult Romance, and contemporary romance in general - but so much feels like it happens in a dreamy, perfect world. "Against the Wall" is definitely rooted in reality, and you can see the consequences for every action they take - or in Eric's case, what he did in the past. If you want a darker contemporary romance read, "Against The Wall" should definitely be on your wishlist.
What kept this book from being a full five stars was the ending. One of the big story arcs of the book was just left so open ended. It was given a one sentence brush off in the last chapter, and that's it. Definitely not enough! Not when it was so emotionally powerful. Since this novel slightly follows a previous book, titled "The Edge of Night," I'm hoping that maybe Kelsea might get her own story in the future - and the stalker on campus will be mentioned there.
Before I finish out the review, I want to include my absolute favorite quote from the book. And a super high five to the author for writing this!
' "Let me give you a professional tip," Noah says. "When you don't amp up security in front of a building that has already been vandalized, in which female students are frequently targeted with rape threats, you're sending the mesage that their safety is not a priority." '
Cover Lovin': I don't think this cover does the book justice. There's nothing to make it pop, or to showcase the characters.
Recommendation: You need to love your men on the bad side, because Eric is far from a goody-two-shoes!
Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5). Again, the stalker plot point that was thrown aside at the end kept this from being a full five stars. But trust me, even with that - this book is 100% amazing read. A great example of romance that is real and powerful.
Make sure to pre-order your copy of "Against the Wall" today! You don't want to miss this one, trust me.
Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~
Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks, Netgalley!
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