Book Review: Bounce

Bounce (Boomerang #3)

By: Noelle August

Published By: William Morrow

Publication Date: August 25, 2015

Page Count: 304

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Kindly Provided by Publisher

Audience: New Adult - Contemporary

Review of Book #1: Boomerang

Review of Book #2: Rebound

I've enjoyed my time with the Boomerang series and I was saddened to see the last book arrive. I know this will be the end for awhile, but I sincerely hope that the team of Veronica Rossi and Lorin Oberweger continue to write New Adult novels together. I love the fun and humor they pack into each novel. Plus, they do a great job of crafting book boyfriends and sweltering kisses.

As with the previous novels, the story focuses on a guy and a girl who should be together, but life's complications keep them apart. Told in a dual narration style, readers get intimately familiar with the minds of hearts of both Grey and Skyler in this installment. Grey is the younger brother of Adam Blackwood. He's a little rough around the edges and carries a massive chip on his shoulder. He's not sure he deserves to be happy, but after meeting Skyler and having some success with his band, he begins to realize that maybe he was wrong about himself. Skyler, the female love interest, is one of Mia's roommates and best friends. She's an amazing cello player who is dealing with some difficult family issues. To make ends meet, she takes a chance and auditions for a role in an Austen inspired film that puts a modern spin on the classic, Emma. She lands the role of a lifetime and is thrown into the Hollywood spotlight, but is it truly where she is meant to be?

Grey and Skyler make an attractive pairing. I found their relationship to be realistic, earnest, and laced with the right amount of sweetness and heat. They both had issues to work through in order to try to make things work. It was also interesting that age plays a major factor as Grey is only nineteen and Skyler has finished college. It's not often you see the female character being older than her love interest, but it worked well for these two. While I liked them together and enjoyed watching their story unfold, I didn't like this novel as much as the previous ones. I feel like some of this was the plot. I was not as interested in the acting and music storylines as I was in the plots from the prior novels. The characters are as strong as ever, but something kept me from loving this one.

One of the most powerful elements of this novel revolved around Skyler's body perception. Prior to getting the part in the movie, Skyler had always been happy with her curves and appearance, but she soon finds herself wishing she was thinner and leaner. This leads her to make some decisions that are detrimental for her health. I think in our society it is so important to remember that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. It was difficult for me to watch Skyler make such unhealthy choices and change herself based on others' perceptions.

As always, I love reading these connected series that allow me to see favorite characters in glimpses as they move on with their lives. While Ethan, Mia, Adam, and Ali are not the focus of this novel, they do make appearances throughout the story. Reading a series like this one always feels like visiting old friends.

If you're looking for a New Adult series with compelling characters, swoon worthy romances, and snark, you need to give this one a go. These novels always make me smile and sigh.

One Last Gripe: Grey's stubbornness - particularly toward his Mom - irked me. It also made him seem more immature than was fair.

Favorite Thing About This Book: I liked that friendship was the core of the relationship between Grey and Skyler.

First Sentence: "Grey, wake up."

Favorite Character: Skyler

Least Favorite Characters: Skyler's parents

Summary:

Playing the occasional club gig just isn’t cutting it for twenty-two-year-old cellist Skyler Canby, who’s trying to support herself and her mother back home in Kentucky. Persuaded by her best friend Beth to accompany her on an audition for the first feature film launched by Blackwood Entertainment, she figures why not? Beth’s a shoe-in for the lead, but maybe Skyler’s newly dyed pink hair will help her stand out enough to score a small speaking part.

Never in her wildest dreams does Skyler imagine she’ll land the lead role or that she’ll have her shoes knocked off her feet by the kiss her audition partner, Grey Blackwood, plants on her—a kiss that feels very real and not at all “acted. ” 

After throwing a party that causes thousands of dollars of damage to his older brother’s home, reckless musician Grey Blackwood gets roped into working off his debt on the set of his CEO brother’s newest project. Grey spends his days fetching coffee and doing odd jobs around the studio, but he lives for nights when he performs with his band. He knows if he can stay focused, success as a singer is just around the corner. But that’s tough with a distracting pink-haired girl occupying his every waking thought. 

Skyler and Grey have every reason to resist each other. But, like a song neither of them can get out of their minds, they have no choice but to go where the music takes them.