Author: Sophie Jordan
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Fiction
Series: The Ivy Chronicles #1
Trigger Warning - Assault, Child Abandonment, Child Endangerment, Nudeness, Underage Drinking
Disclaimer - This book contains erotic content for ages 18+ that may be mentioned below and should be read with discretion. Do not read further if you would like to avoid any discussion on those topics.
General Review
The first of a trilogy of girls with complicated pasts and never believing that they'd find "the one". After pining after the boy-next-door, Pepper finds herself in a predicament. He's finally available for her taking but she has developed feelings for the man that's teaching her about the things that happen behind closed doors. A beautiful love story with passion from the start, Pepper finds a way to overcome her own trauma and makes the choice between what she always had dreamed of and what she had never dared to dream for.
In-Depth Review (contains spoilers)
The process that they go through shows the development of their relationship. Often with romance books when things go beyond kissing, they go the full way to sex. But in this case Reece gradually takes Pepper through the steps with each meeting. He allows her to come to him and set the boundaries which is the perfect example of what consent should be. Doing this shows just how strong they will eventually become as a couple.
Pepper's trauma did not entirely make sense to me. Yes, her mother hid in her the bathroom. Yes, her mother abandons her which gives reasoning to why she wouldn't allow herself to want Reece initially. But a guy finding her wasn't necessary and would have had such deeper consequences than what was presented. If she was really that bothered by it then she would have been much more effected by having a kiss forced upon her rather than just brushing it off. And her mother's abandonment came up much more frequently than anything else. So the complexity to her trauma added nothing to the story beyond the abandonment.
It is interesting though, how Pepper craves safety with the boy-next-door but does not find it there. Instead she is safer with a man who owns a bar in a college town. It shows how safety is just a thought construct depending on your experiences. And through their experiences Reece proves to be the much safer and more desirable option.
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