Review: Boomerang (Boomerang #1) by Noelle August

Series: Boomerang #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Boomerang #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: 7/8/14

Format: Paperback

Pages: 304

Source: Publisher

Rating: 3.5 stars

 

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Welcome to Boomerang.com, the dating site for the millennial gen with its no-fuss, no-commitments matchups, and where work is steamier than any random hook-up.


Mia Galliano is an aspiring filmmaker. Ethan Vance has just played his last game as a collegiate soccer star. They’re sharp, hungry for success, and they share a secret.
 
Last night, Ethan and Mia met at a bar, and, well . . . one thing led to another, which led to them waking up the next morning—together. Things turned awkward in a hurry when they found themselves sharing a post hookup taxi . . . to the same place: Boomerang headquarters.
 
What began as a powerful connection between them is treated to a cold shower courtesy of two major complications. First, Boomerang has a strict policy against co-worker dating. And second, they’re now competitors for only one job at the end of summer.
 
As their internships come to an end, will they manage to keep their eyes on the future and their hands off each other, or will the pull of attraction put them right back where they started?

My Review

Boomerang was a very charming, lively and quickly-paced story. Yay! While I really liked it, the story has been so heavily hyped as pretty much the best thing to happen to NA in forever. It was  really good, but never ventured close to "OMG! This is awesome and you must read it!" territory. For me. Not sure if it's the hype, my mood, or a combination, that left me feeling like "Yeah, this was a good one."

The story begins with an awkwardly funny, yet sweet morning after, between Mia and Ethan. When they share a cab to work, they end up at the same office, interning together and competing for the same job. The awkward meter just bumped up a few notches, y'all, and it's fun. Both Mia and Ethan were incredibly likable young adults. Ethan is fresh out of college and the proud papa of  ton of student loans. My husband and I have been there and it sucks. I was feeling Ethan's panic. Mia is from a wealthy, successful artistic family, so she doesn't have the financial pressure, but needs the job to help make her own way. Because she didnt have bills and lives with her parents, I didn't quite sympathize with Mia the way I did Ethan, but I respected her.

At the Boomerang office, there were a lot of fun moments. Intraoffice relationships are a no-no here, so what are the two to do? Deny, deny, deny that they have feelings for one another, which always goes according to plan. I especially loved when the two were forced to use the dating site, to disastrous results. I really appreciated that the two were on the up-and-up, until Mia pulls a crap move and really puts Ethan in a bad place, professionally and privately. Mia really lost me for a while, and I almost wanted Ethan to completely ditch the idea of being with her. I wasn't quite on board with the way it shook out, but appreciated that it was dealt with.

As an aside...It's really interesting. I just came off a story in which a character has black-out sex, 
meaning she doesn't remember anything, but apparently had sex with a friend. This was really upsetting to her, she remembers nothing beyond kissing, and for me it meant the sex was with dubious consent, at best. In Boomerang, Ethan and Mia woke up naked with no memory of what actually happened, and it was funny (?). Maybe because it's an equals situation here, and no one had the power over the other. Not sure what I'm saying here, or even how I feel exactly. It simply it what it is, in this instance. But I wanted to throw in that commentary, because it was on my mind the entire story.

Boomerang was a fun book. The short chapters, and the question format had me rapidly turning the pages and smiling. I'm not sure where the Boomerang series is headed next, but will definitely stay tuned for more.

Favorite Quote

   "Mia," I say, smoothing back her hair, "you said something at the bar yesterday. You said I didn't choose you. That every time we've ended up together, it's been becasue of circumstance. Because we just happened to be at the same place at the same time. You were right. It has been that way, and you deserve better. I'm going to give you better. I want you to know that. When this happens between us, it won't be because we've been thrown together. It'll be because we both choose it."

Question: What do you get when friends pen a story with heart, plenty of laughs, and toe-curling kissing scenes? Answer: Noelle August, the pseudonym for renowned editor and award-winning writer Lorin Oberweger and New York Times bestselling YA author Veronica Rossi, the masterminds behind Boomerang. You can visit them at NoelleAugust.com, @Noelle_August,

and facebook.com/NoelleAugustBooks.