REVIEW: BITTERSWEET MELODY by BELINDA BORING

Author: Belinda Boring

Publisher: Blushing Heart Press

Release Date: October 2015

ISBN: 9781310978517

Book 1 of Damaged Souls

Book Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Cooper Hensley is the perfect front man for Damaged Souls. After returning from his time as a Marine, all he wants to do is to bury himself into the rock and roll lifestyle with music, alcohol, and one night stands. Chasing sweet oblivion to numb his pain, nothing can rattle his carefully guarded heart . . . that is until Caylee Sawyer comes looking for the man she believes a hero, the best friend of her dead husband. What she finds instead is someone broken, someone who needs to forgive himself and move on, someone who affects her so completely, she can’t walk away. But can she convince him to lower his guard long enough for her to claim his heart? And when he does, will she be prepared for the consequences?

Have you ever read a book that you love, but when it came time to write the review you were at a total loss as to what to write? Well, BITTERSWEET MELODY was that book for me. I was not sure I could write a review that would accurately capture what I feel about this story. 

This is my first time reading Belinda Boring’s work and I have to say I was impressed. She has found a new fan in me and I will be adding her to my list of must-read authors. This book was everything I thought it would be. BITTERSWEET MELODY is a captivating story that will inspire you and leave you craving for more. I was pulled into the story from the moment I began reading. I did not want to put it down but, unfortunately, real life has a way of messing up our best-laid plans. By the time I was finished I was totally bowled over. Now I am impatiently waiting for the sequel.

The tale was narrated from two points of view, that of the hero (Cooper) and the heroine (Caylee). This helped me to understand their thoughts and feelings. This was important, especially in Cooper’s case. Cooper was a complex character. They were so many layers to him. He came across as someone cold and unfeeling, but when you see what he has been through, you can’t help but feel for him. He genuinely believes that he deserves to be in pain, and the only way he could cope was through alcohol and mindless sex. Guilt sure does have a way of colouring one’s perception.

In spite of his reckless behaviour, I loved Cooper. Here we have a war veteran turned rocker, who was broken on the inside and who believes he is not worthy of forgiveness, yet Caylee believed otherwise. Caylee came looking for him to get answers about her husband’s death. What she saw was a hero and a man worthy of love. She blew into his world and turned it upside down. She caused him to feel again.

I enjoyed the dialogue between them. It was not all dark and serious. There were moments of laughter. Then there was the constant push and pull vibe they had going on. One minute Cooper is giving in to his feelings and the next he is pulling away. However, Caylee did not give up on him no matter how much he frustrated her.

The romance did not happen quickly. Caylee and Cooper had no intention of falling in love. After all, she was still mourning the death of her husband, while he was blaming himself for the death of said husband. It came when they least expected it.

I appreciated the author’s writing style. Her portrayal of the characters’ emotions was awesome. She made me feel everything they were feeling. This made it easy to connect with them.

If you are looking for a story that will make you cry, laugh and likely scream then you will love BITTERSWEET MELODY. It is a great start to what appears to be a wonderful series. –