Bounce: A Boomerang Novel (Boomerang Trilogy, #3)

by Noelle August

Playing the occasional club gig just isn’t cutting it for twenty-two-year-old cellist Skyler Canby, who’s trying to support herself and her mother back home in Kentucky. Persuaded by her best friend Beth to accompany her on an audition for the first feature film launched by Blackwood Entertainment, she figures why not Beth’s a shoe-in for the lead, but maybe Skyler’s newly dyed pink hair will help her stand out enough to score a small speaking part.

Never in her wildest dreams does Skyler imagine she’ll land the lead role or that she’ll have her shoes knocked off her feet by the kiss her audition partner, Grey Blackwood, plants on her—a kiss that feels very real and not at all “acted. ”

After throwing a party that causes thousands of dollars of damage to his older brother’s home, reckless musician Grey Blackwood gets roped into working off his debt on the set of his CEO brother’s newest project. Grey spends his days fetching coffee and doing odd jobs around the studio, but he lives for nights when he performs with his band. He knows if he can stay focused, success as a singer is just around the corner. But that’s tough with a distracting pink-haired girl occupying his every waking thought.

Skyler and Grey have every reason to resist each other. But, like a song neither of them can get out of their minds, they have no choice but to go where the music takes them.

• ISBN10: 0062331108
• ISBN13: 9780062331106
• Publish Date: 25 August 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 10 April 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperCollins
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.com.au/9780062331106

Reviews

[bookishzelda]

I would have to say Noelle August writing team are definitely go to books for me when it comes to new adult romance. Bounce does not disappoint and I feel sad it’s the last book in the trilogy. I kept thinking about what characters they could write the next book about and then was like oh I think this is the last book. Do book series have encores?? I definitely would be yelling encore for this.

I have loved the characters in this series thus far and I’m always thinking I couldn’t love another couple more than the one I’m currently reading. Then I fall in love all over again. I loved Sky and Grey, especially Grey. I’m so glad that Grey gets the chance to show everyone what he can be.

Skylar and Grey have chemistry and she knows it but she also seems him as being a bit immature and a musician. Now the thing about Sky is that her dad is kind of a deadbeat. He’s in a band and takes off at the drop of a hat. Leaving her mom and her family high and dry until he doesn’t to come back again. So you can see why Brooks, someone who has it together, has a plan for his life is more appealing to her. It’s not always about chemistry when you are looking down that long dusty road. So I could see her dilemma with not wanting to jump into anything Grey.

Grey is so sweet and adorable it’s hard not to love him. Although he does what Sky says and smashes and avoids. Everytime he ran away from problem I would get frustrated with him but it was so easy to forgive him. He would do something fun or cute for Sky and you would have to like him all over again. Plus you can tell he is the type of guy who doesn’t take a good relationship lightly. Out of the two main characters he is definitely the one that grows up the most.

As always great side characters. Titus and Beth and of course Garrett were my favs. Of course there is Brooks as well. How can Brooks not be the encore. come on.

The plot is great and revolves around a movie set which is different than the office setting of Boomerang. Gives them more to play with in a way. The thing I also enjoy is that the books all feel different.

I loved this addition to the series. I’m sad to say the series is supposed to be ending with this book. encore...maybe if I write that enough it will become true. Just a fantastic feel good romance that I think you should read.

[whisperingchapters]

This review was originally published on Latte Nights Reviews on August 28, 2015.

What I liked:

1. Our main character has pink hair! Skyler wanted a change and she ended up with pink hair, which I totally loved because… Well, I don’t really have a reason. I just love pink hair haha It also felt like Sky could take on the world, like she was a bad-ass. She’s not, by the way, but I really liked it on her. Skyler was a character that I quite liked. I related to her because at times, she thinks low of herself and I do that more times than I can count. Also, Sky has friends that love her, have her back and are there to cheer her up when she needs it.

2. Grey’s character major development was lovely to read about. Grey starts off by pushing everyone away, including his brother Adam, whom we read about in Rebound. Grey has a couple of demons to deal with and he also hasn’t really found himself. Throughout the book, Grey starts to slowly find himself through the help of his band mates/friends and Sky. By the end of the story, Grey has grown so much and I feel he has become more mature. Slowly, without realizing, I started seeing him in a new light.

3. The importance of family is every-present. Right from the start, Adam is trying to get Grey on the right path and also wants him to reconcile with their mom. Grey doesn’t like this so he moves to another place so he doesn’t have to face his mom. The thing is Adam and Grey’s mom never give up on him. They are always there, trying to bring him back, trying to fix what has happened between them. But then we read about Sky’s family and it is kind of the complete opposite. Sky’s mom is struggling to pay the bills while Sky’s dad is on tour with his band, never looking back to help his family. But family isn’t only blood and that’s where Sky’s friends come in.

4. The friendship is great! Beth and Mia are always there for Sky to cheer her up and boost her self-esteem. They are great friends that I would love to have in my life because they are also very fun! Then there is Garrett, Skyler’s co-star in the movie and oh my gosh, I love him! He was so much fun to read about. He was always hyper and he would act like a little kid at times but wow. I totally wouldn’t mind to read a novella on him. He made the story very light and fun. He was a good friend to Sky and an amazing friend to Grey. We also have Grey’s band mates who really care about Grey and they are all very tight.

What I didn’t like:

1. The romance. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked the relationship Skyler and Grey had but the thing is, most of the time Skyler was with Brooks. Although, Brooks is close to never being mentioned with Sky, the reader knows they are kind of dating so Sky tries to keep what she has with Grey very platonic and she succeeds but she still has feelings for Grey. I wish the author had explored more their relationship because they didn’t really got to spend time together as much as I would have liked.

As you can see, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I recommend others to read it as well. It was a fun and good read, very light at times, too. If you are looking for a New Adult read about self-discovery, great character growth and characters that are fun, I totally recommend Bounce :)

[Rowena]

What a treat this book turned out to be. I was a little wary going into this one because I had such high hopes for the last book in this series and it didn’t live up to the hype that I had going for it in my head but Noelle August bounced back because I really liked this one.

Bounce follows Grey Blackwood (younger brother to the hero of the last book, Rebound) and Skyler Camby (best friend to heroine from book 1, Boomerang) as they make that journey toward true love. The story starts off with Adam and Ali (hero and heroine from Book 2) coming home to find Adam’s house trashed and the responsible party? Adam’s younger brother, Grey. We’re introduced to Grey in the last book and I’m going to be honest and say that I was not impressed with Grey upon first meeting him in Rebound. I thought he was immature and didn’t know if I’d even be interested in reading his redemption story. Going into this book, Grey had some strikes against him. The irresponsible party that caused his brother’s house to be trashed? Did absolutely nothing for me and for his case.

I’m glad that I continued this story because boy did things turn around.
Skyler had issues of her own to work through and I thought that Noelle August handled her story well. She had family issues with her father disappearing for weeks and months on end, leaving her mother to deal with their money issues at home and that took its toll on Skyler because her mother leaned heavily on Sky for extra money and the guilt trips she threw at Skyler weren’t easy to read through as well. On top of that, Skyler lands the lead role in Blackwood Entertainment’s new movie, Bounce and wanting to please everyone really takes its toll on her.

Grey and Skyler know a lot of the same people so they know about each other but they don’t know each other. They’re thrown together when Grey starts working for Adam, to repay him for the trashed house and one of his first jobs is to read lines for the girls coming in to audition. One of the girls that he has to read lines with is Skyler and their audition together ends with a kiss that makes them both sit up and take notice.

I really liked the way that this story played out. I loved seeing Grey come into his own and I loved seeing him come into his feelings for Sky. He had a lot of growing up to do but boy does he do it. He wants to do right by Sky so he signs his grown up papers and then Sky becomes the one that I want to strangle because I thought she dangled maybes with Brooks for far too long but alls well that ends well. This story had me happy sighing all over the place and I really enjoyed seeing everyone come together from the previous books but more importantly, I really liked the romance between Grey and Sky.

I enjoyed this story from beginning to end and I thought this book ended the series on a high note. I definitely recommend.

Grade: 4 out of 5

[Lynn]

The Boomerang series finishes on a high as Bounce is definitely my favourite book of this fun and entertaining series.

Grey Blackwood moved to California to live with his brother when his life fell apart on the East Coast, shunning his father and stepmother out of his life. He's looking for direction in his life and finds it in music. Now he's a lead singer in a band but somehow still manages to land himself in trouble. Big brother Adam barged in and turns him into a gopher on his latest film project in an exercise to instill some responsibility into his young mind. Surprisingly, Grey accepts the new challenge.

Skyler Canby is living on the breadline as she's struggling to meet her own loving expenses and support her family back in Kentucky. Her friend Beth pursued her to have a makeover and go to along with her for an audition as an extra in a film. Skyler can't believe her luck when she lands the leading role after an off-the chart hot kiss with a gorgeous stand-in at the audition.

Grey is portrayed as young and impetuous, but masks the real reason for turning his back on his parents and his deep rooted insecurities. Once in California he finds his niche in music but still manages to get himself in to trouble. I'm impressed how Adam deals with his wayward little brother and sets him on the straight and narrow in an attempt to make him accountable for his actions.
Meeting Skyler, a musician at the audition is a distraction he needs and gives him the impetus to change. Skyler is dealing with her own insecurities and problems, overwhelmed with supporting her family whilst her wayward musician father tours around with his band. Her judgement is clouded so she turns to Brooks, a more mature guy to confide in. But Grey is the one to cause the sparks to fly. Only she has to believe that he is mature enough to give her what she desires.

The writing style is light and humorous and well written. The “feel” of Bounce is slightly different from the previous two books; due to the protagonists being a few years younger than the rest of the Boomerang gang! The film set back drop is fun however I missed the quirkiness of Boomerang and the crew.

Overall a fitting conclusion to the Boomerang Trilogy and I'll definitely look out for more from the writer collaboration that is Noelle August.

4.5 stars

***arc generously received courtesy of publisher William Morrow via Edelweiss***