Friday, January 17, 2014

Good Vibrations (Welcome To Paradise #1) by S.L. Scott {Review}

Genre: New Adult Romance
Publication Date: May 8th 2013
Series: Welcome To Paradise #1
Pages: 286
Format: Kindle
Source: Gifted by author for review






I grab her exploring finger just as it reaches my happy trail—a trail that if I let her wander down further will lead us to do things we can’t take back. Things like three-word phrases being confessed that would end me if I was rejected. Things like selfishly wanting to own her body and doing things to her that would make my fantasies blush. And things like making her promises too soon that won’t do either of us any good. She makes me want a future that’s not possible, and one I don’t deserve. Listening to my ego got me into this situation. Will listening to my heart get me out.



My Review:

Good Vibrations. Whether the name inspires Marky Mark and the Funky bunch or visions of Beach Boys dancing through your head, upon first glance at that beautiful cover should bring to mind sand, surf and hot surfer guys. Welcome to Paradise indeed, this was the story of a summer vacation that turns into more than just the expected fling for Mallory Wray. 

When she steps off the airplane into Hawaii she is heading straight for her destination when a sexy local catches her eye. As he's saying goodbye to one woman he's flirting with Mallory and the blatant show of disregard for his man whore ways disgust her. At First. When he strikes up a conversation with her as she's leaving she can't help but find him attractive. Evan offers to entertain her when her best friend has a hospital emergency and the two end up wrapped in the sheets for the better part of the book. They spend a few days steaming up his beachside home until Evan freaks out and dismisses her, leaving Mallory confused because she felt like they had a connection. Vowing to forget Evan and their brief tryst she spends more time with her friend and gets a job at a local restaurant that makes avoiding Evan even more difficult.

I have to say Mallory wasn't a character that I really connected with or felt any kind of bond with. She's coming from a bad breakup and dealing with a hectic school schedule and just needs time to relax and take a break. That I can understand but when she gets upset with Evan for doing her the same way she has seen him do another girl baffled me. I got her attraction to him because he was a gorgeous surfer with good looks and who doesn't love a bad boy right? What I didn't get was how she just seemed to fall in love with Evan before really getting to know him. The author didn't give the reader a chance to fall in love with him before Mallory decided how she felt. Evan was aloof and at times a jerk especially in the beginning. He only showed real interest when she started talking to another island boy, Noah, who we find out is Evan's rival for some reason.

Evan Ashford was not a guy I could find myself swooning over honestly. When we first meet him, he's being a complete slut after dropping off one hookup and getting in Mallory's panties. Going by the synopsis I thought the story was going to be mainly told from his point of view but his side comes in a little bit later in the book. It's not until we get a glimpse of his side do we start to kind of get a better grip on why he's the way he is. Something happened to him in his past that has turned him into a lady killer. It's not entirely clear in this book but what is clear is that he feels Mallory is different from all the other girls he's hooked up with. I never really saw what it was exactly that drew him to her other than her looks. I felt she could be a judgemental brat at times and held his behavior against him knowing she has seen how he is. On the other hand he was a little bit of a dog so I could kind of understand


It took a while for character development to take place between these two. I would have liked a little bit more interaction between them before they hooked up at the beginning. I felt like it took too long for them to really get down to the heart of why they acted the way they did leaving me feeling unconnected to their romance. Evan has some past issues that are briefly hinted at while Mallory has ex issues but nothing really gets resolved in this one. They spend the summer avoiding the inevitable time when Mallory will have to go back to her life. One thing that really bothered me was how open Mallory was with her feelings for Evan but he remained guarded and couldn't bring himself to vocalize how he felt for her even though he did attempt to show her. He had sweet moments where he treated her nice but I didn't ever really start to like him. 

Throughout the story Mallory spends a lot of time with Noah and develops a friendship with him and getting to see more of him was great for me. I really felt like Noah had the best growth out of all the characters and I loved his personality. He was kind, sweet and seemed to genuinely care about Mallory and what she deserved. He didn't strike me as the kind of guy who would hold back if he had a woman in his life like Mal. I really enjoyed Mallory's best friend Sunny and the romance between her and Zach. They were so cute, shy and awkward until they finally got thrown together and finally realized they had been pining after the other for a while. 

Overall the story wasn't bad even though I didn't fall in love with it. Once Mallory and Evan finally start talking things out and getting to know each other the story becomes more than just an island hookup/summer fling. I think this would be a good Beach read or something to keep you warm during those winter solstice nights. 


Quotes:

"I never said I was a knight in shining armor. I'm not and I never will be. I'm way too selfish to try that hard." Kindle 7%

Her gentle touches affect me more than she knows. She is warmth and sunshine and the light to my dark. She makes me want to bare my soul even though I shouldn’t. Kindle 59%



About The Author:

S.L. Scott has a degree in Journalism and is the author of the novel, Naturally, Charlie, A Prior Engagement, The Welcome to Paradise Series,and several best selling novellas, including Sleeping with Mr. Sexy and Morning Glory--all currently available on Amazon. Pursuing her passion for telling stories, she spends her days escaping into her characters, letting them lead her on their adventures. She is a Contributor to Huffington Post as well as writes for her own blog along with several other popular sites. Travelling, music festivals, and surfing are a few of her hobbies she loves, but she doesn't get to enjoy on a regular basis. She has an obsession with movies, a varied taste in books, and collects Fitz & Floyd teapots. With a memory full of useless trivia facts, and a Keurig addiction, she loves a fun night in with her family as much as a loud night out with her friends. Scott lives in the lively city of Austin with her husband, two young sons, and two Papillons, enjoying life in the beautiful hill country of Texas.


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3 comments:

  1. I like the sound of this book even if it's not exactly stellar. I can tell it's feel good plus the Beach Boys, Hawaii and all that Summer feeling is always a plus.

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  2. This seems like a fun read. I'm glad you liked it, despite the issues.

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  3. These characters were hard to like, but there were some good moments. Nice review.

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