KCBR Blog

I Surrender by Monica James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Ava picks up and leaves everything – college, family and friends to follow her boyfriend to live in Singapore. Then he breaks up with her in a karaoke bar (such a huge dbag!) Ava is completely devastated from the breakup and returns home to LA and moves in with her best friend V. V. drags her track wreck of a best friend out on the town to meet her boyfriend who happens to be in a popular local band. She meets V’s boyfriends' bandmate--Jasper. They have the whole insta-chemistry thing going on. Ava and Jasper decide they can only be friends since she is still nursing a broken heart from her break up with the overseas dbag. Then there is the issue of Jasper’s girlfriend! She learns that he is in an on/off again relationship with some blonde bimbo. Finally, timing is right for the two friends to make a go at a real relationship. Ava emotionally sabotages herself and ends up pushing Jasper away. Their relationship is peppered with a lot of miscommunication related drama and trust issues. She is terrified to about having to have her heart broken again. Jasper has his own set of emotional baggage he is dealing with. Will she finally allow herself to love and trust again? Will Jasper figure out how to be in a “real” relationship? Will he stop kissing his ex? That’s just the start.

I loved the way this story developed. I felt like I was in Ava's head and heart as the story unfolded. Yes, there were times I want to drop kick her when she was in self-destruct mode. Arghhhh…She reminded me a lot of Kiera from SC. Stephens Thoughtless series. What is there not to like about Jasper…he’s hot, plays in a band, has cerulean blue eyes and works in an animal shelter! I loved that he was a straight shooter most of the time...except for some of his douchey behavior with his ex-girlfriend. I am hooked on this series. There is a cliff hanger. I Surrender....Monica James!!! I'm begging for book two.

Review copy received by the publisher in exchange for a fair an honest review.

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