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Sarah’s Musings…

4 CROWNS

I wasn’t sure at first whether I was going to fully connect with this story, it started out fairly slow, a first meet between our couple, then it drifted into describing the characters’ daily routines, scene setting really. But as I read on, I found that I was becoming increasingly invested in the lives of these characters and liking them very much. Soon, I couldn’t put it down.

I absolutely loved Brighton. She’s multi layered and a bit of a contradiction. A very strong willed, take no nonsense from anyone type of young woman, except when it comes to her over protective, overbearing parents. This controlling behaviour on their part is explained as the result of a tragedy some ten years ago, but they are infuriating and I wanted to slap them. However, even when Brighton gives in to their will, there’s a part of her that is fighting back and I was cheering her on. She’s caught between a rock and a hard place really, until an opportunity presents itself and she grabs it with both hands.

Madden is definitely up there with the best book boyfriends. Yes he’s brooding and a little rough around the edges but although he’s a straight talker, I didn’t feel he was deliberately mean for the sake of it. Carrying his own scars from his past, the only commitment he wants to make is to remaining single. That is, of course, until he meets the lovely Brighton. Don’t get me wrong, there’s no insta love here, although there’s plenty of chemistry and initial attraction. If he’s guilty of anything, it’s judging a book by its cover when it comes to Brighton. The feelings develop between them in a really sweet way and it’s clear from the way Madden acts around Brighton that he’s kidding himself when he says he doesn’t want more. Although they come from completely different backgrounds, these two are perfect for each other.

Now, in the midst of their burgeoning love story, there’s some clever twists and turns, deceit and lies revealed, and some secrets are brought to light. One secret I did guess, but the outcome was a complete shock and not what I was expecting at all. All in all I really enjoyed this book. There were parts I would’ve liked to have seen expanded on a little more, including the ending, which I felt after all the drama was slightly rushed. Nevertheless, an engaging storyline, appealing lead characters, together with humorous moments and a sweet happy ending, made Pricked a delightful read. Continue Reading →