Review Friday: Pointe of Breaking by Amy Daws and Sarah J. Pepper

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Stand-alone to date

Goodreads Blurb:

"When Ivy League & Tutus Collide 

A collaboration by Amy Daws & Sarah J. Pepper 

POINTE
Getting screwed over backstage by my married-ex tears my heart into a million tiny pieces.
[Sitting in the audience at the ballet with my former fling wasn’t my idea of fun.]

I live in my pointe shoes, not even my ex can taint my love for ballet. 
[I hate the ballet. This on again/off again crap was getting old.]

And then my whole world changes when I notice the smoldering gaze…
[Then I look to the stage, and I can’t take my eyes off…]

OF...
Leo Richards. 
[Adeline Parker.]

Concentrating on anything except his sexy…everything, is impossible.
[Her presence commands my attention…I’ve never experienced this before.]

He makes me second-guess everything I’ve ever dreamed about.
[She makes me question everything I’ve ever known.]

Fighting him is a strategic sport—no clothes allowed. 
[All I can think about are her sexy ballerina legs wrapped around me—tutu definitely on.]

BREAKING
Our scandalous rendezvous is plastered all over NYC’s tabloids.
[Because of my status in Manhattan, now I’ve dragged her into the limelight.] 

My ex will stop at nothing to tear us apart. 
[Seriously powerful people forbid me to be with her.]

Rumors about his past keep building. 
[I can’t tell her this secret.]

When it came to Leo, I only knew the big things.
[When it came to Adeline, I knew nothing about the little things.]

But uncovering those things about him [her] may push us past our breaking point."

Review:

Thank you to the authors, Amy Daws and Sarah J. Pepper, for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

So there are things that I loved about this book and there are things are just a bit questionable.  Let's get all the ickiness out of the way shall we?

It was pretty much insta-love between Leo and Adeline although it isn't as bad as it could be because it starts out as just lust (they are college students after all) and develops into 'love'.  Which was the other thing I found a little shifty.  At the end of the book, they say they love eachother but you don't really get to see many meaningful conversations except for two early onish in the book.

One thing I will say about this book (that isn't good or bad, mind you) is that it's very, very intense.  What do I mean by that?  Well there's a bunch of swearing and sex scenes (or foreplay) and everything is just very fast and furious (not connected to the movie at all!).  Just be aware of that going in.  Because of all of the explicitness, I'd say an age rating of mature for sure.  This isn't a light and fluffy love story, it's like a teddy bear that you go to hug and realize there are random glass shards sticking out of it.

I really liked the Gold element (I won't explain because I know we all hate spoilers!).  It added something to the story where it otherwise would have seemed a little empty.  I also really liked the alternating POV's.  The authors did such a great job distinguishing the two voices and it really helped the story.

Now for the characters... I did like how we got to see how Adeline poured herself into her dancing and seeing everyone's personalities but sometimes Leo and Adeline frustrated me to no end.  In the middle when they have their weird thing going on, I couldn't believe how stubborn they both were and what an idiot Leo was.  I wanted to smack some sense into that boy!  He couldn't get anything through his thick skull!

But anyway.

The Final Verdict:

I didn't really like Leo's character that much at all although I did like the alternating POV's.  The Gold was a nice touch.  This is a really intense book and an intense love story so you really have to keep that in mind while you read!

4 stars

Quotes:

"'Leonardo!  I am not riding that thing.  I actually lie to myself everyday and say that you use one of our safe service drivers!  Not ride around on this death trap!'

'It's this or the subway, mother'"

"'So these cuties are going to race?' Adeline asked.

'Warriors,'  Chase corrected like she'd just insulted them on the highest level."

"Love wasn't always gentle.  Sometimes it was ugly.  that was the beauty of it.  Sometimes all it took was a gentle kiss, a loving caress of the hand, but other times, force was needed."