Author: Lynn Stevens
Genre: YA Contemporary Sports Romance
Publication Date: 9th December 2019
Book Summary:
Rachel Westbrook has it all: looks, money, prestige. What she doesn't have is a good reputation.
She's tired of being the rebound girl.
When her friend Vicky proposes a blind-ish date with Adam Marshall, Rachel thinks she might actually have a chance to turn things around. Then she sees Adam checking out his ex-girlfriend Heather. She knows how to play this game. She’s played it before.
But Adam doesn't want Rachel to be just his ruse to get over his ex, he wants to help Rachel change her reputation. They make a deal to fake a relationship until they can both move on.
Now Rachel’s falling for an unavailable guy. She focuses on her three-person basketball team to keep her sane as they prepare for a tournament they need to win. Except Adam’s on her mind more than he should be.
Adam opens up to her, and she’s not sure if it’s authentic or all part of the game. When tragedy strikes, can she turn to him for a shoulder to cry on? Or would that only lead to more heartache?
As Rachel discovers things aren’t always what they seem, she has to figure out if what she has with Adam is legit or if she really is just another rebound.
She's tired of being the rebound girl.
When her friend Vicky proposes a blind-ish date with Adam Marshall, Rachel thinks she might actually have a chance to turn things around. Then she sees Adam checking out his ex-girlfriend Heather. She knows how to play this game. She’s played it before.
But Adam doesn't want Rachel to be just his ruse to get over his ex, he wants to help Rachel change her reputation. They make a deal to fake a relationship until they can both move on.
Now Rachel’s falling for an unavailable guy. She focuses on her three-person basketball team to keep her sane as they prepare for a tournament they need to win. Except Adam’s on her mind more than he should be.
Adam opens up to her, and she’s not sure if it’s authentic or all part of the game. When tragedy strikes, can she turn to him for a shoulder to cry on? Or would that only lead to more heartache?
As Rachel discovers things aren’t always what they seem, she has to figure out if what she has with Adam is legit or if she really is just another rebound.
MY REVIEW
After being set up on a blind date, Rachel and Adam come to an agreement to scratch each other's backs. The agreement: they pretend to be in a relationship in a bid for Rachel to rid her bad reputation and Adam to get over his ex-girfriend, Heather. Sounds straight forward enough. However, when feelings start to complicate their relationship, it soon starts to become difficult to distinguish between what's genuine and what's just part of the game.
Rachel is known for being the rebound girl and is tired of her bad reputation. Adam needs a distraction to get over his ex, Heather. The two concoct a plan to help rid Rachel of her reputation and help Adam get over Heather. What could go wrong? Well, in terms of plot development and characterization, a lot. I found the story very predictable, which I had expected it to be, but I had hoped for more depth to the characters and for it not to drag on for so long. The book wasn't long, but in terms of the plot actually kicking off and taking us on a journey, it took too long to get anywhere. I was waiting for something significant to happen or for Rachel to do something that would throw the story in a different direction. For the majority of the story, it was all about Rachel trying to convince herself that she didn't have strong feelings for Adam and failing miserably. I was looking forward to the sport aspect of the story, but it was marred by a seemingly unrequited love - or lust, at best.
My feelings towards the story got off to a rocky start and improved only slightly towards the end in the sense that the main character became a little more likeable and tolerable, so she did go through somewhat of a change from start to finish, and she became a little more relatable. Rachel for the most part was unlikeable. I couldn't relate to her, but I did sympathize with her in some instances, particularly in the incident surrounding her mother's absence in her life and the way her feelings are neglected by her father, who's away from the home for days at a time for work-related reasons. Although I didn't like Rachel, I will say that the author portrayed her well as a privileged, judgmental person putting on a facade when deep down inside she's a broken person looking for someone to love her. Adam's portrayal was much less desirable. We didn't really get to know much about him, thus he was merely eye candy for Rachel, serving not much purpose and not adding much to plot development. Having said that, it wasn't the characters or the inability to connect with them that made me not enjoy this book; it was the story. I was searching for something that made me want to find out more and something that would make me want to delve deeper into the plot. Take Rachel's father's assistant, Angela, for instance. Angela played a pivotal role in the story, her actions having had a major effect on Rachel, which took her life on a course that caused a separation between her and her mother, yet we didn't know anything about Angela. Her presence was so minuscule that the interaction between her and Rachel that took place after the big reveal was ineffective.
I didn't have any expectations to begin with, however, I had hoped for more engaging characters and a plot with a little more purpose. The Rebound has the hallmarks of being a good book with a meaningful and intriguing storyline, but it needs editing to fill the void that is causing that feeling of emptiness.
VERDICT:
Award: Bronze
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
I'm so sad you didn't end up loving this one. It really does sound good from the synopsis! Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI know. I really wanted to love this one. I chose it just because the blurb sounded interesting, but it just didn't work for me. Perhaps it will work for others as it does have a lot of potential of being a good book. Thanks for reading!
Delete