COURTNEY REVIEWS: INEVITABLE by NICOLA HAKEN

Series: stand alone
Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Nicola Haaken
Publication Date: 5/19/13
Format: ebook
Pages: 351
Source: Received from author for review

Thanks to her mother’s unstable moods and knack for making bad decisions, seventeen year old Maddie Davis has never lived in one place long enough to remember its postcode. A life spent running and caring for her wayward mother has turned British-born Maddie into the strong, outspoken and independent girl she is today – if not a little lonely. This time, running away is a whole new ballgame. For the first time her mum is not just dragging her to a different town – but a whole new country. It is only when they arrive in sunny California to be near Trudy - an old friend of her mum’s - Maddie starts to hope they’ve reached their final destination. For the first time she dreams of a future. She makes friends, commits to an education and meets a boy who has the potential to steal her heart… and break it even faster.

Trudy’s stepson Blaine Elwood appears to have it all. To the outside world quarterback Blaine is rich, confident and has the ‘arrogant bad boy’ image down to a tee. But nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors. Nobody ever can. He has vowed never to let anyone get too close – let anyone discover how weak he is. So when new girl Maddie starts tugging at strings he didn’t know existed in his heart, his only option is to push her away – until he realises how much he needs her.

Maddie and Blaine are heading for a future neither of them dreamed of – a happy one. But then, not only are Blaine’s issues at home intensifying, he discovers a shocking secret that could either send Maddie back running and force her out of his life forever, or pull them closer than they’ve ever been before. Will their shattered secrets leave too many broken shards to piece back together, or was their love inevitable from the start?

 

Inevitable is a story of a girl named Maddie who is moved from England with her mother, basically on the run. Her mother has a lot of issues, and has a lot of difficulty holding down a respectable job (aka, she mostly is a prostitute)...but that is really the tip of the iceberg. Maddie has spent most of her teenage years taking care of her mom when times are bad, so she knows no different now, except now she is in an entirely different country.

I really liked this story...but I have to tell you...pretend everyone is British and you will get along great! The first few chapters have legit dialect changes when we are in Maddie's POV and then when we switch to Blaine's...but then more English terms start coming in (which I heart, hardcore, so I didn't mind) and made things a bit confusing. When it shifted back to 100% English terms about a quarter of the way through, I let out a relieved sigh, because it was just better that way. Blaine also seemed like less of a douchebag that way.

Blaine has so many secrets too...and it takes quite a while for his DB ways to subside and for him to admit that he feels something for Maddie. I was shocked by how his storyline played out and so freaking sad. One might think that some of this stuff was glossed over...but really for the subject matter at hand I was glad that it was handled very sensitively. Blaine is a much better guy than he gives himself credit for, and he has to learn over and over to stop trying to protect everyone else and let himself lean on Maddie for support.

The ending...whoa! It came on fast, and I spent a good portion of the last 10% with my hand over my mouth. I just knew something really bad was going to happen, and while it doesn't say too early what is going on..it is implied...and while I figured it out....the conclusion was still sad and crazy. Luckily we have enough time left for a phoenix out of the ashes moment, and get to see these characters fight their way out of the fire and get closure and move on.

The sensitivity for psychological issues in this novel really make me want to hug Nicola...like a lot. As a nurse I see a lot what happens when somebody is unable, sometimes by their choice...sometimes not, to get the help that they need. And I've had the joy of getting appointments for some of these people...by joy I mean getting an appointment 4 months from now for someone who really needs to talk to somebody NOW! (Sorry, sarcasm doesn't portray well through text, working on it) Obvs, this whole system needs some work...but I thought this was a very real plot line that is pretty dear to me. So yeah..thanks! <3

Purchase Inevitable 

            

About the author:
I live in Rochdale, England with my wonderful family. I have two novels under my belt (Inevitable and Saving Amy) and am currently working on a new book to be released in the next few months.

When I'm not playing with my imaginary friends I can usually be found looking after my four adorable (sometimes!) children (five if you include the dog, six if you include the hubby!) or studying towards my English Literature degree.

All in all I'm just an ordinary mum with an addiction to reading about hot book guys, writing about hot book guys and Pepsi Max!


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