Bounce A Boomerang Novel

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 :)

Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads . I've been a fan of Noelle August's Boomerang series since I fell in love with Mia and Ethan last year in the first book. I loved the characters and the story and the writing. It was fresh, funny and sexy. The second novel, Rebound, was a great addition (if not my own personal favorite book) and I've been eagerly awaiting the final installment since I finished it. Grey was an intriguing character in Rebound, so I couldn't wait to see what his story would bring. There was a lot to love about Bounce. Grey and Skyler were wonderful. I loved the character development and growth. It was easy to get behind these characters and hope they could find happiness. Both Grey and Skyler had some issues and challenges to address and, because of this, Bounce didn't have the same light tone as the first two books in the series. I was totally ok with that, however. This book dealt with some tougher issues and the heavier tone fit it well. I was sucked in from Grey and Skyler's first meeting – totally enamored by their chemistry – and I was excited to see what would happen when they got together. It pains me to say that, despite all the chemistry and sexual tension, the romance did fall a bit flat for me. Maybe it was Skyler's resistance due to Grey's age and issues. Maybe it was the quasi-triangle. Maybe it was because they had to work a little harder for their romance when it seemed like it was off to a fiery start. I can't pinpoint the exact issue I had, but it just didn't flow as easily for me as the first two books did. Despite my slight issues with the romance (which probably boil down more to personal preference than anything else), I still thoroughly enjoyed Bounce. I loved the dynamic between the different characters. I liked the supporting characters and the friendships. This could've easily turned into a story of frenemies, but it didn't and I love that. Strong friendship – particularly between females – is something I love to see in books because sometimes I think it's lacking. It definitely wasn't here. All in all, I think Bounce was an excellent addition to the Boomerang series. I liked how things wrapped up and I loved getting more from some of my favorite characters from the earlier books in the series. I wanted a little more from the romance, but also appreciated the sweet and sexy moments we got here. I think fans of the series, and new adult in general, will enjoy this one as I did. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

This book was jointly reviewed with my co-blogger, Becca! THE STORY: Lisa: I first fell in love with Grey, Adam’s younger and much more rebellious brother, in Rebound where we got to know him on a smaller level. I had no idea how much I would love him once I got to hear his story. Grey is basically a mess. Living with his brother, not speaking to his mother, Grey spends his days partying hard, playing in his band, and living the life… the unconventional rock star life, that is. After throwing a party that causes excessive amounts of damage to his brother’s house, he is forced to work with Adam until he has worked enough to pay the cleaning and repair bills. Little did he know that he would get more out of this job than just money. Skyler is a cellist with an intense love of music. Since her musician father has left his mother to go on tour, Skyler feels the pressure of not only supporting herself, but also coming up with money to help support her mother and their household while her father’s away. The few gigs she gets playing her cello isn’t enough anymore, and she decides to try for a position as an actress to make some quick, much-needed cash. It blows her mind when she is cast for the leading role, quickly thrown into the celebrity lifestyle, one that she never expected… and doesn’t know quite how to deal with. Becca: *Swoons* Yup I fell for Gray in Rebound as well. Even in just those brief glimpses I knew that I needed to hear his story. I really enjoyed experiencing the movie world setting through Beth’s eyes. It was so interesting and different. At the same time, we follow Grey on his journey into the music world. I also really enjoyed this aspect of the story and his passion for music really opened him up as a character. As with the other books in this series, Bounce was humorous and a lot of fun to read, with just the right amount of romance! THE CHARACTERS: Becca: This cast of characters just keeps growing throughout the series and I absolutely love them all! Skyler and Grey were no exception! I just loved them both so much! Grey was sexy and intriguing and Skyler was sweet and passionate. They had such amazing chemistry from the very first scene and I loved it! Grey is “young” as they mention, about ten thousand times in the novel ( and I’m not kidding LOL). He is 19 and living in the shadow of his brother Adam. He discovers his love of music and that he wants to be a musician. He however, really needs to grow up! At times his immaturity really makes an appearance. He definitely has some issues he needs to work out, with his family and with himself. Skyler is trying to save the world, or more like her family. She has the burden of a failing family farm, an absent musician father and her own well being to take on. She of course puts herself last in every way and is always sacrificing herself to help others. I could see a lot of myself in her and so I really identified with her. We get to see all of our favorites from the series in this novel, including Mia and Ethan and Adam and Alex. This is one of the reasons that I love companion novels, because we get to see all our favorites from the past and know what is going on in their lives. Also as secondary characters we meet Grey’s band mates, including Titus who was so fun! And Skyler and Mia’s roommate Beth, who was so sweet and I loved their friendship so much! I think that my favorite was Garrett though, Grey became his assistant on the film set and he was hilarious, outgoing and a breath of fresh air in this novel! Lisa: YES!!! Loved, loved, loved Garrett! He was so entertaining. Can we just talk about Grey and his age for a second. I mean, seriously… I get that he’s only 19… but SO WHAT?! It was seriously mentioned throughout the first half of the book in basically every chapter, more than once. I actually had to rant to Becca at one point as it was really starting to annoy me. I was happy to see that once the point was made (and, I mean, it was HAMMERED into our brains!) then the second half of the story didn’t mention it quite so much. I just didn’t understand why it was such a huge issue. Nineteen is legal where I come from. And Sklyer was early 20’s, making their age difference only a few years. So I didn’t understand why so much emphasis was put on Grey’s age. I adored these characters as a whole! This story was very much about self-growth and friendship. I loved that the characters learned so much throughout the book and grew as individuals. No, these characters weren’t perfect. They had their issues, their flaws, and they all made bad decisions at different times. But they grew from these mistakes and learned a lesson or two in the process. Such a strong emphasis was put on friendship throughout this story (the entire series, really.) and I personally really love that. Seeing the bond between Skyler and her BFFs as well as Grey with his band members was a lot of fun. Seeing friends stick by each other during the tougher times is always a plus! OVERALL: Lisa: Another fun addition to this series. I’m so sad it’s over though. I would have loved to have seen a book about Beth and… nope, no spoilers here!! I thought this book was very different from the others in this series, but I still really enjoyed it. Sometimes it’s okay to be a little different, even if you’re part of the same series. Although this series is considered New Adult because of the age of the characters, it’s really a rather clean read. There were a few sexy scenes, but very minimal. This has been one of my favorite series over the past year or so, and I’m so sad to see it come to an end. A great conclusion to a very fun companion series and I continue to highly recommend. Becca: You are so right Lisa I would have loved a Beth book or even a Brooks book! I think there were more storied to tell in this series and I am so sad to see it come to an end! I have truly enjoyed each book and have truly become a Noelle August fan! Her writing is so fun and full of humor! I love the friendships that were developed throughout the series and of course the OTP’s! I will definitely be on the look out for more by Noelle August in the future!! (Thanks to William Morrow Paperbacks for the review copy!) Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

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 :)