Review - Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven

Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (23rd Dec 2014)

Blurb:
While performing the greatest love story of all time, they discovered one of their own…

Cassie Taylor was just another acting student with big dreams at her prestigious performing arts college…then she met Ethan Holt. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy on campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing on stage, Cassie and Ethan's epic romance seemed destined. Until it ended in tragedy when he shattered her heart.

Now they've made it to Broadway where they're reunited as romantic leads once again--and their passionate scenes force them to confront the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their intense college affair. For Ethan, losing Cassie was his biggest regret--and he's determined to redeem himself. But for Cassie, even though Ethan was her first and only great love, he hurt her too much to ever be trusted again. The trouble is, working with him again reminds her that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks. And when it comes to love, sometimes it's the things that aren't good for us that are the most irresistible.

I enjoy a good romance because I love the idea of falling in love and what other way can a miserable singleton like me get a fix of romance if not by living vicariously through characters in books? Before starting on Leisa Rayven's Bad Romeo, I expected it to be a typical new adult storyline with steamy sex scenes and flawed characters. As much as I love reading the books that fall under the genre, lately I am finding them rather hackneyed and predictable.

Well, thank you Jesus and the sweet baby orphans because Bad Romeo is every bit as enjoyable as it is exciting and unpredictable. Although the blurb has more or less drew a vague illustration of the book, I jumped right into the love story between Cassie and Ethan and I was so unprepared by the plethora of emotions that were oozing out of the pages of the book. I loved the fire and passion between Cassie and Ethan, on and off stage. As you've gathered from the title and blurb of the book, it's based on the epic love tragedy between literature's most adored star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet.

Although I was frustrated with all the (sexual) tension between Ethan and Cassie, it only led to the build up of the crescendo of their relationship and all the pages of waiting finally paid off. Their verbal attacks to each other and quick-witted comebacks are rather fun to read. What I didn't really approve was Ethan's rage when he lashes out on Cassie, which could be dealt with less harshly, perhaps?

The book flowed pretty well for me and I didn't feel bored at all. Leisa Rayven managed to keep me on my toes as she told the epic love story between this modern star-crossed lovers which is rockier than a roller coaster and sweeter than maple syrup. Bad Romeo's timeline is divided to the past, when Ethan and Cassie first start off as students auditioning for a spot at the elite arts college and the present, after their messy relationship and coincidentally, they are cast in a Broadway production. Throughout the entire book, I kept wondering aloud "WHAT DID BLOODY ETHAN DO, FFS?!" because in the present section of the story, Cassie fumed when she sees Ethan. See what I mean when I say "on my toes"?

A sizzling hot romance by a new author on the block who has a sassy writing voice. Filled with the right amount of steam, Bad Romeo is a New Adult success and drawing inspiration from Shakespeare's famous romantic tragedy, it entwines the readers' attention with the epic drama between Cassie and Ethan.

I'd like to thank Pansing for sending me a copy in exchange for a review. Bad Romeo is out now on paperback and eBook.