This novel has been out since February 2014 so I was shocked to see the amount of reviews it had on Goodreads, even though I was also weary of picking up the second copy, due to my disappointment with the first. However, I am here to say that this was an improvement that actually caught and held my interest as I went along. I couldn't even put it down in the last 5%.
Landon and Clea is not your conventional couple and I don't expect them to deal with the fall outs of this novel like your usual victims. A few things are still unclear but I connected with the characters this time and learnt to appreciate the many links that kept them together through the years.
Their wasn't an influx of arguments and break ups even though Clea tend to threaten Landon a lot with their relationship. The few arguments were crazy and needed basic communication but I like that they worked it out in their own time and unique ways that made them all a solid unit at the end. They didn't resort to irrational fights and struggles to build and keep the story going and weren't afraid to build and live from their happiness which is rare in stories of this genre.
I enjoyed and appreciated the relationship dynamics even the ones that weren't Clea and Landon's. We got a completely different Evelyn that made me want a piece of her tale to see this woman who takes charge and crushes anything in her path.
Landon was still overly and irrationally jealous but I found it endearing at times, as well as, the continual use of proper words as oppose to the more frequently used dialects. It's good to know that the author didn't run out of proper wording and the tidbits of french that are usually scattered throughout the series. I liked their games to say 'I love you' and the deals they made that remained a secret between them. I even got a back story that led to an appreciation for Ryan and Jude's relationship. The tense moments of this story also helped to highlight a different side to Jude that we never saw before and I have to say that I like it!
There were still a few glaringly obvious issues from the previous novel like the really bad editing and grammar errors and the confusion when it came to similar names. This time, it was Clea mixing up her nieces name with a woman that is hell bent on ruining her life.
A few characters that I didn't expect from book 1 were back but they did their part without seeming insignificant and made quite the impact on the story. I found myself wanting the next chapters because of all the events we had lined up in this novel. It was one event after a next and they all helped transition this story to the end.
It was good to see the growth in all the relationships and the Parisian roots that a few of the characters have. Not as intense and serious as the first story, this one had a more laid back vibe for the most part and I loved to see the friendships surrounding Clea, as well as, the moments Landon stepped out of his comfort zone to try Clea's world and all it had to offer.
Unfortunately, we are still learning some of the basics about the characters but somehow it works in their favour. It's just another tool that helps us as readers to experience their growth and learn as they take their time to their different futures without all the curve balls of cheating, marriage and babies. They talk and I love that because it makes me as a reader feel included.
The sex was frequent but quite frankly didn't do much for me. I understand it's purpose but I could do without half of the detailed sex scenes. I was more a fan of the conversations and progression than I was of their time spent in the sack.
Yes, I wanted insight into a few major issues that were left dangling in the last installment, but we had flashbacks and kept moving as we dealt with the issues of the past, present and future. The ending of this novel is rather unclear but it surely lines us up for an interesting book 3. Though it's still not a 100% I can truly say that the story line and progression improved and I am intrigued as to the reactions the next installment promises.
- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18319805-ignite-me
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