Rock Wedding (Rock Kiss, #2.5)

by Nalini Singh

[stacey_is_sassy]

It would be easier to blame Abe for it all.

I’m not sure what’s changed with me lately. Beforehand I needed my hero to be Mary Poppins in hero form – Practically Perfect In Every Way. But who are we kidding here? Blokes are not perfect. Then again, chicks aren't perfect either. If everyone was perfect and perfectly matched it would be a bloody boring old world. What we can do is try and find a perfect for me "type" of guy or gal, even in our romance reads. At times I don't mind the bad boys eg. bikers, mafia men, assassins, manwhores and criminals and in that space of time, I can even forgive them for bad deeds. I don’t always forgive them when they push my comfort levels that wee bit too far. The one thing that seems to be the deciding factor on whether I can forgive a hero is if they show remorse and acknowledge they did the wrong thing. In Rock Wedding it doesn’t take long in meeting and getting to know Abe that it’s obvious he knows he’s done wrong, regrets it enormously and will do everything in his power to put things right.

Rock Wedding is not an easy story to read. There are sections that will be sensitive to some readers as the heroine has previously had issues with pregnancies. I admit, I cried a few times while reading their tragic tale. It was a struggle to read Sarah’s heartbreak and what she has lived through. The fact that she has come out the other side strong, self-sufficient and more confident (not full of confidence but definitely more than what she started with) shows how remarkable she is. I wanted to hug her so many times and give her the support she was lacking but desperately needed. I will say this…while a lot of things that happened to her were not her fault, it wasn’t necessarily the people around hers fault either. Sarah hides her past and is scared to show the real her because she thinks they will think less of her. The people who grew to like and love her weren’t really given the full Sarah.

Now, Abe is no angel. We’re getting the clean cut version of him now and only the bad stuff in bits and pieces. Abe is a recovering addict. He knew that when he was in a drug-fuelled frenzy his words were like daggers. Abe knew that his violent rages never hurt another person physically, but being witness to it hurts loved ones just as much. He’s on the right path now but it will always be a struggle for him. The person he hurt the most, suffered because of her love for him. Abe knows he doesn’t deserve Sarah’s forgiveness but he wants to make clear to her now that he regrets his mistakes and her misguided belief that he never loved her.

So, in the big scheme of things I couldn’t really blame either of them fully. Oh, Abe really peeved me off at times and I wanted to hate him. I knew the reasons why he spiralled into darkness and while I don’t condone his behaviour, I understood it. I think Abe’s biggest fault was in being a coward. Even though I understand why it didn’t make it any easier to swallow his pushing Sarah away. When it comes to Sarah her biggest fault was in being young and inexperienced. She’d lived through some horrendous situations and when Abe showed her kindness and affection she thought she’d found a family. I think both of them were at fault but Abe’s words broke their love and it took years for them to put the pieces back together.

Rock Wedding is a second chance love story that left me with a happy buzz. This was a steamy read that definitely showed the connection between Sarah and Abe. It wasn’t easy and I struggled a little with the pain Sarah had lived through. The descriptions were thorough enough to understand what has previously happened but not graphic that I felt uncomfortable. I enjoyed catching up with the other characters, especially when Charlotte and Gabriel came for a visit from New Zealand. I managed to smile a few times, but I will admit there were probably more tears than smiles.

Nalini Singh has done an excellent job of telling the story of the heartbreak and devastation when you’ve lost someone who is important to you. Death is never easy and how you deal with it is your own battle. These two took all the knocks but managed to come out the other side with smiles on their faces.

To purchase Rock Wedding from Amazon - http://amzn.to/29K0iVE




I’m an Aussie chick who loves to read and review romance, drink coffee, be a Style Setter and stalk David Gandy. To see more of my reviews, fashion, food and pervathons -