Bad Romeo

NB. Reiew covers Broken Juliet & Bad Romeo - minor spoilers.Originally written as Twilight Fan Fiction, these contemporary books tell the stories of Cassie Taylor and Ethan Holt, who meet at a performing arts college in New York State.“Cassie was the good-girl actress. He was the bad boy on campus. But the fated casting choices for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing on stage, Cassie and Ethan’s destinies seemed entwined. It was an epic romance. Until it ended in tragedy when he shattered her heart.”Told from Cassie’s point of view, the stories perfectly combine college era and a present day narratives when Cassie and Ethan meet once again as the stars of a Broadway show. Ethan broke Cassie’s heart twice during college. Cassie’s never managed to move on. But Ethan’s determined to convince her he’s changed, that she can trust him again.The narratives are ambitious, flitting between past and present, but Leisa has made them work very well. Present day Cassie and Ethan starkly contrast their college era personalities. Additionally, in ‘Bad Romeo’ we have glimpses of Cassie’s diary entries whilst in ‘Broken Juliet’ we have glimpses of both their diaries. The excerpts from Ethan’s diaries give insight into the insecurities that led him to break Cassie’s heart. And, if that weren’t enough, Leisa has also intertwined elements of the story of those world-famous star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Leisa’s skilfully woven all these elements together to create two of the most emotionally gripping novels I’ve ever read.The books were a delicious sumptuous and sensual delight, suspending disbelief so completely for me that I’ve had to read them again with a more critical eye for this review instead of being swept along in a heart-wrenching storm. Leisa hasn’t wasted time with anything more than brief sketches of place and setting; everything is about the poignant emotional and physical connection between Cassie and Ethan but without being irritatingly angst-ridden. The sexual attraction and tension between them was simply perfect, creating precisely the scenario every woman wants physically from a real-life relationship. Leisa also wrote possibly the most realistic losing-your-virginity scene that I’ve ever encountered, managing to make it simultaneously sexy and sweet.Thankfully, there are no ill-timed poisons or handy daggers for these star-crossed lovers but the parallels are clear; Ethan’s low self-esteem was the death-knell of their relationship in college and Cassie’s trust issues could prevent their present-day happy ever after. Sometimes your own worst enemy is yourself. Both juxtapositions lead to plenty of tumultuous highs and lows. The characters were well-drawn and plausible, with clear growth. Ethan was satisfyingly and believably male even though his story is primarily told through Cassie’s eyes. I felt every moment of their anger, happiness and sadness as though it were happening to me.Aside from the breath-taking attraction and turbulent feelings, there are also sporadic, but utterly memorable, hilarious one-liners that made me actually laugh out loud. Most of them are from Cassie; there are more in ‘Bad Romeo’ when Cassie hadn’t been broken by Ethan. They provide many relatable moments and much needed light relief from the rest of the story.Leisa is a new author for me and caught my eye on a blogger’s post on Twitter. I’m so glad that I succumbed to their cover appeal and bought these books as they are definite contenders for my Shelf of Inspiration (the ultimate accolade). There are few books where every word fits, every sentence is justified and the whole is just so right that you can only marvel. I was utterly gripped and read both books in one weekend.I can’t wait for Ethan’s sister’s story, Wicked Heart, which is released in May 2016 in the UK.

Review ~ Bad Romeo by Leisa RayvenReviewed by Donna ~ 4 Stars“She can have all the faith in the world. All I’m capable of giving her is bad Romeo.”For those that know me and my reviews, they know that I am a sucker for second chance romances and this one fell beautifully into that category. Between beautiful yet witty prose and the Romeo and Juliet theme running throughout the book I was totally captivated by Cassie and Ethan’s story.Romeo, Romeo, where for art thy Romeo…well our Romeo in this case is Ethan Holt, is he bad? Well, personally I don’t think so. Ethan seemed disconnected with life in general, he was cut off, aloof, broody, he just seemed emotionally broken; disenchanted with life in general. He was a successful actor an up and coming star, but he was a man on a mission.Cassie is our modern day Juliet, a natural, talented actress, but one that seems despondent with the opposite sex. She has obviously been burned…and badly. It is only once you get to see what has happened in the past that you finally begin to understand the dynamic and the past between them.“Love at first sight is a myth invented by romance novel authors and Hollywood. It’s bulls***.”This story is told in the present but with alternating chapters of the past. I must admit, at times this was frustrating because just as the story was beginning to come alive, you would then flash back to the past. For fluidity, I would have preferred fewer flashbacks, but with the flashbacks that were there to be longer, but that is just me.It is during the flashbacks that you begin to understand the past that these two share. Through acting school these two connected and Ethan did not connect with anyone. I have to admit the difference between “past” Ethan and “present” Ethan is gargantuan and “past” Ethan was someone that irritated me…a lot. However, “present” Ethan was lush and was totally reformed from the man he was before. Now it was up to him to try and make up for his past mistakes and try and get his Juliet. Without Juliet, Romeo was nothing and that is exactly how Ethan felt in the present.“Cassie, I felt like a ghost while I was away from you. Now, I want to feel real again.”The present is Ethan and Cassie reunited on stage in a production of Romeo and Juliet, their chemistry is still undeniable and they literally set the stage on fire, but the past plays a huge part and this is something that Ethan needs to atone for. Cassie, on the other hand, needs to forgive, but is the past too raw, too fresh for her to forgive and forget? Cassie however is not the Cassie that Ethan once knew, gone is naïve and innocent Cassie. Ethan now has to contend with the emotionally broken, hold a grudge forever Cassie and those walls that she has built up to protect herself seem impenetrable. Ethan was the cause of their erection, can he also be the demolition man?“I saw what I wanted to see. Felt what I wanted to feel. He just played his part. Sometimes he’s behind my eyes, weeping and exposed, and he’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. But it was an act. He’s an actor. And he’s very, very good.”The connection between these two was undeniable and I was totally invested in their story. The stark differences between the past and the present leave you toying with your emotions and especially your opinion of Ethan. The “past” Ethan was a bit of an ass, yet you knew that something must have happened for him to be that way. Even though not all was revealed during Bad Romeo, I feel that the surface has been scratched and now I desperately want to know the nitty gritties.“Believe me, I know. I don’t say this to make you feel bad, but between my self-imposed dry spell and doing this show with you, my balls are bluer than the entire cast of Avatar.”For me, what made this book was the Romeo and Juliet setting, forever the romantic this book grabbed my emotions and despite the ups and downs with the characters, the angst, the tooing and froing, the sexual tension and sometimes the frustrating situations my pleasure never waned as I made my way through this book in one sitting. I cannot wait for what comes next and will be eagerly awaiting the next instalment of their story.

I ordered Leisa Rayven's book by a recommendation of another author I enjoy. I'm SO glad I ordered all three of her books at once! The books (Bad Romeo, Broken Juliet as well as Wicked Heart) are great reads. Many of the things that come out of the characters mouths or the thoughts they have are true to life. The stories are well written and in parts down right hilarious! She is a fantastic gem! I cannot wait to read her next book!

Impresionante manera de unir pasado y presente... Dios santo, Holt espero demasiado para decirle que la amaba, con ese correo me gano el alma y el corazón.. Dos almas que son hechas la una para la otra, sé que mi final será feliz así que lo espero con ansia y tener por supuesto esta historia en español. Magnifica historia, la adore.

Sabe aqueles livros que fazem você desejar que o governo criasse uma bolsa livro? Do tipo que te permitisse ler o dia todo... Bad Romeo é um desses. Ele conseguiu me envolver logo nas primeiras páginas e eu me vi relutante em parar a sua leitura. Com um enredo repleto de conflito, tensão sexual, humor e ótimos diálogos sobre uma estória de amor volátil, tumultuada e intensa, ele me fez engolir as páginas, na maior velocidade possível e depois querer reler tudo de novo só para apreciar melhor sua trama.A narrativa começa com Cassie sendo chamada para fazer parte de uma grande peça da Broadway. O problema é que ela terá que fazer par romântico com o último homem da face da terra que ela gostaria de rever: Ethan. Ele foi o seu primeiro namorado, o seu grande e único amor e aquele que destruiu o seu coração; coração este que mesmo anos mais tarde ainda não está totalmente recuperado. Ou melhor, nada recuperado. Agora, ela o odeia. Com todas as suas forças.O problema é que o ódio e o amor andam de mãos dadas...Ethan e Cassie se conheceram quando faziam um curso de artes cénicas. O primeiro encontro deles não foi nada além de antagônico. Ela era a típica boa menina que está sempre tentando agradar a todos e ele era o bad boy, lindo, sexy e arrogante que queria ficar na dele e tinha a aptidão social de um eremita. Eles eram como óleo e vinagre. Mas, a atração eletrizante que emanada deles era impossível de se negligenciar.“E enquanto eles atuavam na maior estória de amor de todos os tempos, eles descobriram uma estória para si próprios.”O relacionamento entre eles é uma deliciosa mistura de desejo reprimido e animosidade. Ethan é daqueles que fala uma coisa e age de outra forma. Mas, é simplesmente impossível não se apaixonar por ele. Mesmo quando ele é um idiota.A estória é contada sob o ponto de vista de Cassie e alternada entre o presente, quando observamos Ethan tentando reconquistar Cassie, e o passado quando vivenciamos o desenvolvimento do relacionamento entre eles.Eu simplesmente amei este livro! A forma como a estória vai sendo revelada aos poucos fazia com que eu constantemente ansiasse por mais, o que tornou impossível coloca-lo de lado. Ethan é tudo menos o típico herói romântico. Ele é carrancudo e confuso. Já Cassie é insegura e imatura. O relacionamento entre eles está mais para uma tragédia romântica do que flores e arco-íris. Contudo, enquanto o amor entre eles talvez seja tudo menos poético, paradoxalmente tudo o que eu fiz durante esta leitura foi suspirar. Eu provavelmente tenho citações marcadas em todos as páginas!Bad Romeo é muito bem escrito, seus diálogos são espirituosos, os personagens interessantes e ele traz uma trama intrigante, construída sob um pando de fundo engenhoso. Ele é sobre amores que desbravam o tempo, a separação e corações partidos.Com esse romance de estreia Leisa realmente conseguiu me cativar e me deixou ansiando por mais... Porque infelizmente a estória não termina aqui e a única coisa que eu posso fazer é circular mil vezes no calendário a data de lançamento de sua continuação.

Wow, I really, really loved this one! A fantastic mixture of humor, angst, romance, drama and character development. It has all of my favorite elements - second chance romance, slow build romance, snarkiness, a good girl and bad boy, lots of awkward situations and undeniable chemistry. Cassie and Ethan have such a unique dynamic with each other. This story shifts back and forth from present day to 6 years earlier in Cassie's POV. In the early days, Cassie was so real and down-to-earth, a girl with very little big world experience, pushing herself to pursue her dreams in the world of dramatic arts. She has some insecurities knowing that she isn't in the same playing field as the other students but she works hard and is a natural. Cassie's weakness is that she is a people pleaser and always wants to blend in with the crowd. Ethan is equally motivated in his pursuits to succeed in drama but he doesn't care what people think about him, it's not a priority to please other people, much less even make friends. He comes off very direct, rude and dismissive. Although he isn't friendly, he still talks to Cassie even if the conversations aren't necessarily pleasant. Obviously they are attracted to each other and fighting it very hard, Ethan especially. I really enjoyed watching him deal with his internal conflicts because while he was the one that was holding back in so many ways and clearly bad news, I still loved him, he was the perfect flawed male who had nothing to offer and could only take but yet he had moral dilemmas of doing the right thing with regards to Cassie. He feared intimacy and letting people in too close. Cassie really impressed me with how openly honest and giving she was, she had a very innocent and endearing quality about her that left her very vulnerable, but Cassie didn't let that stop her from getting to know Ethan. They are cast as leads in Romeo and Juliet and every scene of them trying to work through the scenes of the play while keeping their emotions at bay were so well written because of course there's going to be overlap. Shifting to present day Cassie and Ethan, they are not the same people from 6 years ago. Cassie is now a bitter shell of who she once was and very closed off, she guards her heart with thick walls and goes through the motions of each day. Ethan is actually a lot more communicable and expressive as he tries to break through Cassie's walls. It's like they reversed roles from the past because Ethan is the one who wronged Cassie and while it's not exactly clear yet what epic douche moves he made, because likely Cassie was beyond forgiving more than once, but the story is very clear that he is a jerk overall throughout the time described in their early days. Ethan's past isn't anything new to fiction, but it forms his character and I was amazed at how likable he could be despite his beliefs that he was incapable of loving. His path to redemption is one I am eager to learn more about but still need to hear how it all fell apart first. The other characters are great and help to really add to the atmosphere of creative arts. One thing is for sure, despite that Ethan and Cassie's acting talents are impeccable onstage, there's no mistaking how they can't cover up their real feelings off stage. I can't wait to read Broken Juliet!

This book fascinated my from the beginning. I haven't finished it yet but I am addicted to it already so in case you are looking for a romantic and also very hot story this is a MUST read.