Title: Rival (Fall Away, #2)
Author: Penelope Douglas
Genre: NA | Contemporary Roman
ce
Release Date: August 26, 2014
Synopsis
From the New Adult
sensation and New York Times bestselling author of
Until You
Madoc and Fallon.
Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the
boundaries between love and
war...
She’s
back.
For the three years
she’s been away at boarding school, there was no wo
rd from her. Back when we lived in the
same house, she used to cut me down during the day
and then leave her door open for me at
night.
I was stupid then,
but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game...
I’m
back.
Three years and I
can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he
’s better than me.
But I won’t be
scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff an
d fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As
long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how mu
ch he affects me....
~ Rival - Excerpt~
Reaching around, he
twisted my chin towards the mirror, and I sucked in
a breath. “What do you see?!” he
shouted.
“You and me!” I blurted
out. “Madoc and Fallon!”
My heart was
racing.
I looked at him through
the mirror. I sat on one side of his lap, so he could see from the other side, and we stared at each
other, my chest rising and falling more urgently.
“That’s not what I see,”
he said in a low voice. “Those names mean nothing t
o me. They’re simple and empty. When I’m
with you, I don’t see the daughter of a gold digging bitch and an Irish drug lord or the son of a
crooked lawyer and a vegan Barbie.”
I almost wanted to
laugh. Madoc had an ironic way of looking at the world.
But he wasn’t smiling.
He was scowling. He was dead serious, and I knew from experience that his genuine moments
were few and far between.
He reached up,
threading one hand into my hair while the other hand rested on the chair.
“I see everything I want
for as long as I can have it,” he continued. “I see
a woman that wears the cutest little scowl like
she’s two years old and was just told she couldn’t
have candy. I see a guy that went and got an
apadravya piercing, because he wanted to live in her world for even a little
while.”
I closed my eyes.
Don’t do this to
me, Madoc. Please.
4.5 Stars
ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review
When I first read Bully, I became enamored with Penelope Douglas’ writing style. She
eloquently pens romantic stories about troubled teenagers who struggle with
sorrow, betrayals, forgiveness and love. What impressed me the most was the way
Douglas masterfully presents her characters’ development and dialogue on a
mature level. Although the stories are
about teens, I sense nothing immature about them or their life experiences. This
holds true for Madoc and Fallon’s love/hate illicit drama in Rival.
Madoc and his stepsister, Fallon, have a unique
connection. Forced to live together, they despise and taunt one another. Yet,
powerful feelings and sexual urges draw them into an unthinkable relationship.
Even though their affair is considered ‘taboo’, I was not put off by their
intimacy. They were just two lost souls living with unpleasant circumstances,
seeking comfort from one another. It all comes to a painful end when they are
discovered. Horrible parents conjure lies and Fallon is quickly shipped off to
boarding school, causing both sorrow and distress. For two years, Fallon’s
heartache festered leading her to design a plan of revenge against the center
of her anguish – Madoc.
Madoc also has his demons to contend with, believing a cold-hearted Fallon abandoned him. I was saddened by how these characters
suffered emotionally and felt both were justified in their agony.
When Fallon returns, dark secrets see the
light of day and misunderstandings are revealed, leaving Fallon and Madoc to
help heal one another. Their journey, filled with both pain and pleasure, was
captivating. I savored each heart clenching moment. Lust and desire, fueled by
anger, lies and treacheries, made for some sizzling intense love scenes. Their
chemistry was off the charts HOT.
Fallon was difficult at times for me to connect with. I felt as
if I was dealing with a split personality. On one hand, she is this tough,
tattooed and pierced brazen girl with tomboyish traits. I could not grasp the
rebellious Fallon. On the flip side, she was vulnerable, sincere and tender - a
total contradiction. It is her sensitive side I liked. Fallon’s character
suffered deep pain and I felt great sympathy for all of her misfortunes.
All in all, she made an interesting female lead.
Madoc was maddening – but in a good way. When I
first met him in Bully, I disliked
him, but gradually come to find I adored his endearing side. In Rival, I found myself despising him once
again. It frustrated me rediscovering his cold-hearted cruel personality.
Then…he revealed his heartaches and I fell back in love with him. It was clever
how Douglas scripted his character – evolving from a tough, mean spirited
douche to a sweet, affectionate lover. His changed persona added even more
angst within the plot. Add to that, his sex appeal, Madoc totally fascinated
me.
On a whole, Rival
was a great read for me. It had an interesting storyline, passionate love scenes
and written in dual points of view – giving a clear insight into the characters
mindset. There was, however, some troublesome issues involving Fallon’s bitch
of a mother. I found her too treacherous for my liking and her actions were
despicable. Aside from that, Rival
was an exceptionally written, emotionally driven romance. Looking forward to
the next installment in the series – Falling
Away – Jaxon’s story.
TRIPLES with EMMA
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~ Buy books 1 & 2 of the Fall
Away
series ~
Bully (Fall Away,
#1) - Buy Links:
Until You (Fall
Away, #1.5) - Buy Links:
~ About Penelope ~
Penelope Douglas is a writer in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is
the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the
University of Northern Iowa, earning a
Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, because
her father told her to "just get the degree!"
She then earned a Masters of Science in Education a
t Loyola University in New Orleans, because
she hated Public Administration. One night, she got
tipsy and told the bouncer at the bar where
she worked that his son was hot, and three years later they were married. To the son, not the
bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter
named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, The
Originals, and she shops at Target almost daily.
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