The boy next door. That’s what he was. Dash Frasier—my hero
from the day we met, when I was six and he was nine. His sister was my best
friend, the three of us one happy crew. Then one sweaty summer night changed
everything.
No one understood me like Dash. No one made me feel so
loved. That’s why, when he skipped town, it wrecked me.
Now I’m older. Wiser. I’ve just snagged my dream job,
writing at a film studio. The lead animator on my project?
You guessed it.
He’s not the boy next door. Not anymore.
I’m guarding my heart this time.
But Dash has secrets that could break us both.
99c for a limited time
-
Admittedly, The Boy Next Door was much different than I expected. It was little more...intense, I guess. The blurb doesn't give much away, and I found that, as most would, intriguing. This was my first tango with Ella James, and while I took issue with some of the book, I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style.
First, the issues:
1. Amelia was a doormat - And if that's not enough, she couldn't control herself (sexually) around Dash. At all. We're talking an 'Oopsie, I tripped and his dick ended up in my mouth' type situation here. I would have liked some more build up. After what Dash did, he should have suffered a little more.
2. The sex was occasionally too rough for my taste. If a woman is crying because you're jamming your man meat down her throat so vigorously, we have an issue. I'm well aware that some women like that kind of bedroom behavior. I am not one of those women. And since this is my take on the book, it's a strike against the story.
3. There's some underage sexual content. I'm pretty sure it's even under the age of consent. I don't know about you, but that stuff makes me a little uncomfortable.
4. Dash's secret was revealed waaaaaaay too late in the story. And to be honest, it wasn't all THAT surprising by that point. Grimy? Yes. Surprising? No.
Now, what I liked:
1. The pacing - There was a lot of tension throughout this novel - sexual and otherwise. It kept me on my toes. For a good deal of the novel, I couldn't figure out what had kept Dash away. It's always fun when the author keeps you hanging for a while.
2. The writing - There is no debating that Ella James can write. She keeps you engaged and interested in the story with little issue. After reading this story, I'd definitely pick up another of hers, even with the various issues I listed above.
3. The setting - I haven't read many books set in Nashville, and this is my first dealing with an animator and writer. A look into the world of animated movie making was very interesting. P.S. It seems like a crap ton of work.
Listen, while over all, The Boy Next Door wasn't exactly for me, it was more of the little issues with the characters than anything else. They were things I was mostly able to overlook. And in all fairness, they may be things that don't bother you at all...
I'd say, give The Boy Next Door a try. It's definitely an easy read. It has some hot and heavy moments and others that will have you possibly reaching for a box of tissues. If nothing else, it'll make you feel, even if what you feel is anger or disgust.
Also Available
FREE for a VERY limited time
Ella James is the USA Today bestselling author of sixteen
teen and adult love stories. She's an angst-a-holic who loves exploring
difficult situations and the emotions of the people caught up in them. Also,
smut. But always, always romance.
Ella's obsessions include vanilla cream soda, hiking, other
weird, crunchy things like rock collecting, and the antics of her three little
monsters.
To find out more about her projects, follow her on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/ellajamesbooks, tweet her at author_ellaj or follow her on
Instagram (authorellajames).
Interested in the foreign rights for one of Ella’s books?
Contact her agent, Rebecca Friedman, at rebecca@rfliterary.com.
No comments
Post a Comment