Review : Rebound by Noelle August

Summary (from Goodreads)
 
Title : Rebound (Boomerang #2)
Author : Noelle August
Publication Date : February 10th 2015
Publisher : Harper Collins
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Hooking up is only the beginning of the fun in this sexy and irresistible second installment of the thrilling New Adult series, Boomerang.

Adam Blackwood has it all. At twenty-two, he’s fabulously wealthy, Ryan Gosling-hot and at the top of the heap in the business world. His life is perfect, until a scandal from his past resurfaces and knocks the tech wunderkind down, throwing his company, Boomerang, a hook-up site for millennials, into chaos.

Three years ago, Adam married his high school love—and then lost her in a tragic accident. Now, the heartbreak and guilt he’s tried to bury with work and women begins to take over his life.
Alison Quick, the twenty-one-year-old daughter of a business tycoon—and the very ex-girlfriend of Boomerang’s former intern, Ethan—has a problem of her own. She’s got one chance to prove to her father that she deserves a place in his empire by grabbing control of Boomerang and taking Adam down.

But as Alison moves in on him, armed with a cadre of lawyers and accountants, she discovers there’s much more to Adam and Boomerang than meets the eye. Will earning her father’s approval come at the price of losing her first real love? It appears so, unless Adam can forgive her for wrecking his life and trying to steal his livelihood. But Alison hopes that old adage is right. Maybe love can conquer all.

Personal Thoughts

It's official! This series is one of my favorite lighthearted NA reads. Having thoroughly enjoyed Boomerang, I was looking forward to reading Rebound. I knew, going in, that these two lovely authors would not disappoint and of course, I was right. Rebound was for me, an even stronger novel than Boomerang! I sighed and swooned and basically felt all kinds of feel-good emotions while reading the book.

I know a lot of readers were wary of Alison in the first book after what she did to Ethan, but I was actually looking forward to seeing what Noelle August would come up with to redeem her character. I'm all for flawed characters! Turns out, Alison didn't really need any kind of redemption. I honestly loved her character so much, even more than I expected. She was actually a sweetheart, which might come across as a bit of a surprise to a lot of readers. You understand where she was coming from and get a good grasp of her actions. No, this doesn't mean I condone cheating, but everything becomes clear as the story progresses. Alison was also a character who underwent some tremendous growth throughout the series. She found herself being confined in the "cages" that her father built around her and it was hard for her to really escape from there. Over the course of the book, she became independent, grew a backbone and fought for what she thought was right. By the end, she had become a fabulous character. Alongside her and also propelling her towards her growth was Adam! The very swoony Adam, might I add. I was intrigued by Adam's character in the first book. After all, he had built a thriving business at such a young age. In Rebound, we get to know him through his POV. I loved that we got glimpses into his past, even though it was heartbreaking, because it helped understand his character. The more I got to know him, the harder I fell for him.

The romance between Alison and Adam was all kinds of lovely. They made a complementary couple who fit really well together. What I loved about the romance in this book was how they both indirectly helped each other grow up. The book might have started off with strong sexual chemistry between the two, but their romance was slow to develop. Additionally, the dreaded drama that is typical of romances was kept very low key, so it wasn't frustrating. Of course, the two of them had some obstacles to overcome, in the form of secrets, but the book never grated on my nerves. It was also nice to see Mia playing an important role in Alison and Adam's romance. I also have to talk about one of my favorite scenes of Rebound : the diving scene. Alison, her family and Adam take a boat trip and there's a scene where Alison and Adam go diving. You guys, it was such a luscious and gorgeous scene because of how beautifully it was described. I felt myself being transported into the book and I imagined myself swimming alongside with them! It was a treat!

Rebound was a sweet story and if you enjoyed Boomerang, there's no doubt you'll enjoy this one. I highly recommend it to readers looking for an entertaining and romantic book to spend an evening with.

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper for the e-ARC of Rebound.