Kristen's Reviews > Aflame

4–I'm Impressed–Stars




I have to admit I wasn't planning on reading this book. I don't like authors messing with couples that have already had their HEA. It's a huge no-no in the world of romance readers. However, nothing this author writes could be considered the norm, so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did!

I'm not going to go into detail about the plot; there are plenty of reviews that give a good summary, as well as answering some readers concerns (NO, Jared doesn't sleep around. The author handled that whole situation brilliantly.). I will, however, share my feeling about the story.

First, do I feel this book was necessary...NO! Am I glad the author wrote it...YES! YES! YES! This series has never been a fairytale. It's been messy, and complicated, and steeped in reality. Exaggerated reality, sure, but reality all the same. Because of that, this book worked. At least it did for me.

What shocked me was how my feelings for Jared changed in this story. I've NEVER been a Jared fan. Even after reading and loving Until You, Jared's POV of Bully, I still DID NOT like his character. That all changed after I finished this book. I really came to like, might I even say LOVE , Jared. He grew up and matured during the continuation of this couple's story–as most people do when transitioning into adulthood–and I appreciated getting to read about his progression rather than being told about it in a Falling Away epilogue. That aspect right there made this worth the read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It actually made me a believer in Tate and Jared's HEA. I'm glad Penelope Douglas not only had the courage but the skill to write what could have been a disaster of a book but ended up being a great read. If you're on the fence about this one like I was, I encourage you to give it a try. I don't think you'll be sorry.