Synopsis
** A debut novel from a British writer**
A New Adult novel suitable for readers aged 15+, due to strong language, sensitive themes and sexual content.
Cass is seventeen and never been kissed, let alone touched, when two boys become interested in her. Flynn is the older brother of her best friend, yet Cass has never considered him as anything other than that. Rob is the school sports star and becomes obsessed with Cass when he loses a bet because of her. As the relationship between Cass and Flynn develops, Rob’s interest becomes increasingly malevolent. One night changes Cass’s life and threatens to destroy her relationship with Flynn, as well as her future.
3 out of 5 stars
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My Review
So I picked up this book after seeing a review on GR by a friend and as it’s set in Britain and by a British author I had to download it. So many books are American and it’s always awesome to see a British NA appear from time to time. From the synopsis, it sounded really good and with a little twist in the middle, I wanted to read it right away….
Now this is where is gets tricky….I liked it, but I couldnt get into it either. I don’t want to go on a bashing review because that is not me at all. I really enjoyed the premise of the story, falling for the best friends brother, having a relationship with him, I LOVE books like that. I also love books that have a twist in them, something you aren’t expecting and this twist I kind of knew what might go down but nothing like that! Holy hell, I read that shock.
I love books that include social media and texting, and this book included a lot of texts, from the main character, Cass and her best friend Neve and Cass and Neve’s brother/love interest Flynn. As this world is something I have grown up with, I associate more when books include the social sides to them. I also enjoyed how Cass and Flynn ended the night with their texts, it was continuous and gave my heart a little flutter every time I read it because although its simple, it is every night and you know they are thinking of each other.
The book begins with Cass at her Christmas Winter Ball for her sixth form. She’s not the girl who guys like; She’s on the curvy side (big boobs, big bum and a tummy), she’s never kissed anyone let alone had a boyfriend so when the popular guy Rob, asks her to dance, well who is she to turn him down. Shes cute and seems interested in her…yeah, he’s not. It’s for a dare and when Flynn arrives, shes pissed he stepped in between them, but when she knows the real reason, she is glad he interrupted.
But someone isn’t happy, and Rob is definitely out to get what he wants from Cass.
Flynn has always liked Cass, but after the night in appeared like Prince Charming, Cass starts to see him as more. We watch them in a relationship together, watch Cass and Flynn interact, and when shit hits the fan, you see Flynn be there for her, even if she doesnt want him to be.
Cass is 17, at school and is a curvy girl. She works in her mum and step-dad’s shop and Neve is her best friend. They are inseparable. And when the incident happens at the ball, Neve is there for but so is Flynn. I was and still am undecided on Cass. She is a nice girl, in a horrible situation and yes, I would have acted the same as her if this happened to me, god it probably would have killed me to go through what she did. I understood why she hid it away from everyone really, hid away the severity of the situation because she thought she could handle it until it was too late.
My heart really did go out to her and I was reading in shock over what had just happened to her! The way she retreated, how she was scared, how she was insecure, you can totally understand this from her…it is probably how you would feel and act too if it happened to you. But unless you have been through Cass’ situation or any situation like this, you will never really know how you will react or retreat.
Despite Cass and Flynn being adorable I do think they rushed into their relationship super fast. I would have liked to have seen them progress, go out on dates, take their time together, enjoy each others company. As Flynn is Cass’ first boyfriend, I thought she would want to take it slow, make sure she really loved him before wanting to jump his bones. I thought maybe she would have wanted to wait to have sex but then maybe that is just me and today’s teenagers want sex asap (I know I didn’t…it scared me shitless).
Flynn is 19 and at university but he’s back for the Christmas holidays. I do like the fact that Flynn was really protective over her, tried to make her see she is beautiful to him, that he has liked her for years and can remember everything about her and the first time he properly knew he liked her more than Neve’s best friend. He was sweet and caring and I felt for him badly when ‘THAT’ happened to Cass because he was trying to get in but she wasn’t letting him, instead pushing him away but he never stopped trying. I really adored him for that because although she didn’t want to admit it, she needed that from him, needed that comfort.
I enjoyed the law side of the book. As someone who took a media law module in university and learned all about the reporting on sexual assaults, I liked the research that Nicola did into this part. I was sat nodding at the points the police officer was telling Cass and her mother. I would have liked to have seen a part of the case, perhaps Cass having the courage to go along, but I suppose that Cass wouldn’t have wanted to go and how that ended may have been best. (As a journalism graduate, I think I wanted to know more due to my nosiness and interested into court reporting and the news.)
I gave this book 3 stars because there were just little things that I couldn’t connect with or I wanted more of but this is just me. Everyone reads and loves books differently and that is not to say you wont love this book because yes, there are parts I thoroughly enjoyed and parts I wish there were more of.
Give this book a go and let me know what you think 🙂
Z. Elizabeth 