Leisa RayvenBad Romeo (The Starcrossed Series, 1)

I decided to do a joint review because frankly, I read both books 1 and 2 back to back. I normally don’t do this sort of thing but I have so many feelings and thoughts concerning these books that I fear I may leave a thought or two out about these books. I apologize in advance if I offend anyone.First let me do a little disclaimer, I sat for what felt like forever in starting to read Bad Romeo. When I found this gem it was already in the midst of release week and a friend told me there would be a second book, I figured I’d wait since I had other books to read for my blog. So no biggie right? Hindsight, I’m equally relieved and wanting to pinch myself, for Bad Romeo is that book that will resonate with everyone and is one of those books that will stay with you as the years go by. That book that NEEDS to be READ. I dare say a modern classic. A story that can be read over and over again without fear of ever losing that feeling of first love, first heartache, first joy, first defeat; Bad Romeo is a story of two young adults on the cusp of finding out who they want to be in life.“There is beauty born from tragedy.”Ethan Holt and Cassandra Taylor, Cassie, find each other while in the process of an audition into a prestigious Drama school. Two souls that are in constant conflict with each other but in the same way both bring out the most honest parts of themselves. With every turn there is a constant struggle to be content but preparing to be actors, both Ethan and Cassie have to also struggle with outside forces to be successful in their chosen studies. Now don’t let the title lose you, for Bad Romeo fits this novel in more ways than one. Not only does it personify who Ethan is but also does double justice as the breakthrough of angst that Cassie has to endure to be with who her heart clings to.Get ready to read a rollercoaster of writing told through first person and also flashbacks in a way that will completely grip the most cynical reader and make them remember what it was to be completely consumed by another. Bad Romeo is brilliantly written with a flow that is so comprehensive and addicting you have no choice but to dive into this beautiful and tragic fictional story that makes you feel every emotion that each character feels; a story that is written so well with dialog and description that your mind can’t help display vivid colors of richness with every word up until the very end of Bad Romeo.“Without passion, life is meaningless.”Now with Broken Juliet I experienced a role reversal like no other. Setting years later in the adult lives of Ethan and Cassie, Cassie has become distant and wary from all the heartache she endured from Ethan, but still being in the drama environment their paths are destined to cross again and when they do it’s all Cassie can do to keep her castle walls and drawbridge up. Cassie and Ethan are now paired up just like old times, but also like old times the fire between them has never went out.“I invented chemistry with you. Everything else is just pretend.”It’s here in this book of Broken Juliet that we really see the devastation that their tremulous relationship has caused Cassie and when Ethan says he has changed and wants her back… I really didn’t know what kind of book I was going to read. Would I be devastated and left wanting or would I get a traditional HEA. Well you know me I’m not going to tell you which path I was led down, But I can say as long as Leisa Rayven is writing, I am reading. As in Bad Romeo, this counterpart also uses flashbacks to help tell the story but in this case the flashbacks are the thoughts and struggles Ethan had to endure. A tortured soul that can only flow upstage to mend his one and only true love. Let me warn you now, the struggle is real and it takes a lot to not feel as these broken characters feel. Even in their happiness there is still sorrow.And I think that is why I love both Bad Romeo and Broken Juliet by Leisa Rayven because the raw power of emotions set in a fictional setting feel just as real as if you were seeing this story unfolding upon a stage. I can’t give 5 stars or even 6. These books are off the charts and just have to be read; both Bad Romeo and Broken Juliet need to be added to your collector’s shelf.“Love cannot be found where it doesn’t exist, nor can it be hidden where it truly does.”

“Cassie, I felt like a ghost while I was away from you. Now I want to feel real again”*Cue Swooning*I picked up Bad Romeo after a blogger that I adore recommended it and I can say now that I’m extremely grateful that I did!Let me first say that when I finished this book and realized that it was the author’s debut novel I was floored, amazed, even stunned. Bad Romeo in no way shape or form comes across as being a debut novel. It flows perfectly, a novel of 400+ pages will sometimes drag a bit in places, but this one did not, not even once. It sucks you from the very first page, and holds you captive right up to the very last word. I’m forever thankful for the fact that I chose to read this, after Broken Juliet (book 2) had already been released, because if I had read this immediately after it had been released and had to wait patiently for the next book, I would have lost my ever loving mind.Cassie Taylor is our heroine and to be honest, she’s one of my all-time favorites after finishing this first book. She’s incredibly funny, compassionate, stubborn, and lovable. I’d love to be able to hang with her in real life. Ethan Holt is our resident bad boy book boyfriend, and he’s everything you could ever imagine and more. He’s the damaged, emotionally stunted, douche bag that pushes people away and keeps to himself despite the fact that his career choice is acting, it’s his passion. But beneath all the flaws and false bravado lies something else entirely.“I saw what I wanted to see. Felt what I wanted to feel. He just played his part.””But it was an act. He’s an actor. And he’s very, very good.”Ethan and Cassie meet, during their auditions for The Grove, the illustrious acting school that only accepts thirty students a year from the some two thousand applicants that apply. Ethan has auditioned twice before and failed to the make the cut, Cassie attempting to make it on her first try. She is drawn to Ethan from the very moment she lays eyes on him, while he does everything in his power to make sure that Cassie understands that they will never be friends. When fate (their director/instructor partners them, their irrefutable chemistry explodes, from the very start. Neither Cassie nor Ethan has ever experienced such an intense connection before. This excites Cassie and terrifies Ethan. Their relationship radiates sexual tension and it electrified me. I had absolutely no chance of putting this book down once I started it. I was mesmerized and by the time I had hit 40% I knew without a doubt this book would become one of my top reads for 2015, and by the time I finished it had become one of my favorite books of all time.“Love cannot be found where it doesn’t exist, nor can it be hidden where it truly does.”I can’t articulate with words how much I completely adored this book. I loved every single word, page, chapter, and character. The intensity, the prose, the humour, the heart break, the story, the emotions and OHHHHH the feels! It was simply flawless and magical. Bad Romeo held me captive within its pages from the very beginning. Now that I’ve had chance to live within the pages of this story for a while, I never want to go back. I’ve already purchased Broken Juliet, and I’m sinking into it the minute I finish writing this review. Leisa Rayvan has accomplished something not often possible she’s created a masterpiece on her very first attempt. Her words and her story will literally hold you spellbound from start to finish. Get ready to have your heart broken, to have goosebumps, to shiver, curse, swoon, sigh and full on belly laugh, Bad Romeo brings all of it and then more.“Is this what love feels like? Overwhelming gratitude that the other person is with you as you share something astonishing? Knowing that the most astonishing thing they can share is themselves?”

NB. Reiew covers Broken Juliet & Bad Romeo - minor spoilers.Originally written as Twilight Fan Fiction, these contemporary books tell the stories of Cassie Taylor and Ethan Holt, who meet at a performing arts college in New York State.“Cassie was the good-girl actress. He was the bad boy on campus. But the fated casting choices for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing on stage, Cassie and Ethan’s destinies seemed entwined. It was an epic romance. Until it ended in tragedy when he shattered her heart.”Told from Cassie’s point of view, the stories perfectly combine college era and a present day narratives when Cassie and Ethan meet once again as the stars of a Broadway show. Ethan broke Cassie’s heart twice during college. Cassie’s never managed to move on. But Ethan’s determined to convince her he’s changed, that she can trust him again.The narratives are ambitious, flitting between past and present, but Leisa has made them work very well. Present day Cassie and Ethan starkly contrast their college era personalities. Additionally, in ‘Bad Romeo’ we have glimpses of Cassie’s diary entries whilst in ‘Broken Juliet’ we have glimpses of both their diaries. The excerpts from Ethan’s diaries give insight into the insecurities that led him to break Cassie’s heart. And, if that weren’t enough, Leisa has also intertwined elements of the story of those world-famous star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Leisa’s skilfully woven all these elements together to create two of the most emotionally gripping novels I’ve ever read.The books were a delicious sumptuous and sensual delight, suspending disbelief so completely for me that I’ve had to read them again with a more critical eye for this review instead of being swept along in a heart-wrenching storm. Leisa hasn’t wasted time with anything more than brief sketches of place and setting; everything is about the poignant emotional and physical connection between Cassie and Ethan but without being irritatingly angst-ridden. The sexual attraction and tension between them was simply perfect, creating precisely the scenario every woman wants physically from a real-life relationship. Leisa also wrote possibly the most realistic losing-your-virginity scene that I’ve ever encountered, managing to make it simultaneously sexy and sweet.Thankfully, there are no ill-timed poisons or handy daggers for these star-crossed lovers but the parallels are clear; Ethan’s low self-esteem was the death-knell of their relationship in college and Cassie’s trust issues could prevent their present-day happy ever after. Sometimes your own worst enemy is yourself. Both juxtapositions lead to plenty of tumultuous highs and lows. The characters were well-drawn and plausible, with clear growth. Ethan was satisfyingly and believably male even though his story is primarily told through Cassie’s eyes. I felt every moment of their anger, happiness and sadness as though it were happening to me.Aside from the breath-taking attraction and turbulent feelings, there are also sporadic, but utterly memorable, hilarious one-liners that made me actually laugh out loud. Most of them are from Cassie; there are more in ‘Bad Romeo’ when Cassie hadn’t been broken by Ethan. They provide many relatable moments and much needed light relief from the rest of the story.Leisa is a new author for me and caught my eye on a blogger’s post on Twitter. I’m so glad that I succumbed to their cover appeal and bought these books as they are definite contenders for my Shelf of Inspiration (the ultimate accolade). There are few books where every word fits, every sentence is justified and the whole is just so right that you can only marvel. I was utterly gripped and read both books in one weekend.I can’t wait for Ethan’s sister’s story, Wicked Heart, which is released in May 2016 in the UK.

The first book in the Starcrossed series, Bad Romeo begins in present day New York City, where we meet actress Cassie Taylor on her way to the first day of rehearsals for a new play. Although she is excited about the play itself and the director involved, she is very anxious about her co-star. Ethan Holt has made a name for himself in theater, but to Cassie he will always be the boy who broke her heart. Twice.The book switches between the present day and a few years before, when Cassie met Ethan during auditions for The Grove, a prestigious drama school in New York state. Cassie comes from a small town and is slightly overwhelmed at the new environment. Ethan, on the other hand, is desperate to be accepted this time, and annoyed at the show put on by the other hopefuls. Ethan and Cassie are thrown together for part of the audition process, and their connection is intense. Cassie tries to reach out to him, but Ethan shuts down and is very rude to her, to say the least.By alternating the timelines, we observe Cassie and Ethan in their established careers, trying to deal with their painful past while working together; and during a time when their roles were somewhat reversed. Cassie’s sarcasm is present in both timelines, but in the present she is more jaded, bitter even. The chapters taking place in the past help us as readers to understand how this happened.I found myself relating to Cassie very much. She was hurt, badly and repeatedly, by the one person she loved and trusted more than anything. It was interesting to see how their behavior is mirrored between past and present. It was also clear that, despite vehemently denying it at first, Cassie still loves Ethan. The main obstacle is her trust; can she find it in herself to move beyond what has happened, or will her broken trust keep their love broken as well?Ethan is intense, as Cassie herself describes him on several occasions. He loves deeply yet reluctantly, hurts fully, and doesn’t trust himself with Cassie’s heart. At least not when they’re at The Grove. Betrayal in his youth has caused deep emotional scars and make him closed off to love. His sudden feelings for Cassie catch him off guard, and he reacts to them in the worst possible way.The new Ethan is also intense, but in a different way. He makes it no secret that he still loves Cassie and wants her back. He also goes to great lengths to show her that he worked hard to deal with his past issues in order to be worthy of her. All in all, he is every bit the heartthrob, but with a flawed edge.The dialogue is very realistic and honest, allowing you to feel part of the story. Leisa’s descriptions are very detailed, without dumping information on the reader. She gives enough to paint a vivid picture without hindering the flow. The romance will make you swoon, while the heartbreak will cause you to shed a tear. I highly recommend this series.Fun fact: a short film adaptation of this book is currently in the works. Check out Leisa Rayven’s website for more information:[...]

Review ~ Bad Romeo by Leisa RayvenReviewed by Donna ~ 4 Stars“She can have all the faith in the world. All I’m capable of giving her is bad Romeo.”For those that know me and my reviews, they know that I am a sucker for second chance romances and this one fell beautifully into that category. Between beautiful yet witty prose and the Romeo and Juliet theme running throughout the book I was totally captivated by Cassie and Ethan’s story.Romeo, Romeo, where for art thy Romeo…well our Romeo in this case is Ethan Holt, is he bad? Well, personally I don’t think so. Ethan seemed disconnected with life in general, he was cut off, aloof, broody, he just seemed emotionally broken; disenchanted with life in general. He was a successful actor an up and coming star, but he was a man on a mission.Cassie is our modern day Juliet, a natural, talented actress, but one that seems despondent with the opposite sex. She has obviously been burned…and badly. It is only once you get to see what has happened in the past that you finally begin to understand the dynamic and the past between them.“Love at first sight is a myth invented by romance novel authors and Hollywood. It’s bulls***.”This story is told in the present but with alternating chapters of the past. I must admit, at times this was frustrating because just as the story was beginning to come alive, you would then flash back to the past. For fluidity, I would have preferred fewer flashbacks, but with the flashbacks that were there to be longer, but that is just me.It is during the flashbacks that you begin to understand the past that these two share. Through acting school these two connected and Ethan did not connect with anyone. I have to admit the difference between “past” Ethan and “present” Ethan is gargantuan and “past” Ethan was someone that irritated me…a lot. However, “present” Ethan was lush and was totally reformed from the man he was before. Now it was up to him to try and make up for his past mistakes and try and get his Juliet. Without Juliet, Romeo was nothing and that is exactly how Ethan felt in the present.“Cassie, I felt like a ghost while I was away from you. Now, I want to feel real again.”The present is Ethan and Cassie reunited on stage in a production of Romeo and Juliet, their chemistry is still undeniable and they literally set the stage on fire, but the past plays a huge part and this is something that Ethan needs to atone for. Cassie, on the other hand, needs to forgive, but is the past too raw, too fresh for her to forgive and forget? Cassie however is not the Cassie that Ethan once knew, gone is naïve and innocent Cassie. Ethan now has to contend with the emotionally broken, hold a grudge forever Cassie and those walls that she has built up to protect herself seem impenetrable. Ethan was the cause of their erection, can he also be the demolition man?“I saw what I wanted to see. Felt what I wanted to feel. He just played his part. Sometimes he’s behind my eyes, weeping and exposed, and he’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. But it was an act. He’s an actor. And he’s very, very good.”The connection between these two was undeniable and I was totally invested in their story. The stark differences between the past and the present leave you toying with your emotions and especially your opinion of Ethan. The “past” Ethan was a bit of an ass, yet you knew that something must have happened for him to be that way. Even though not all was revealed during Bad Romeo, I feel that the surface has been scratched and now I desperately want to know the nitty gritties.“Believe me, I know. I don’t say this to make you feel bad, but between my self-imposed dry spell and doing this show with you, my balls are bluer than the entire cast of Avatar.”For me, what made this book was the Romeo and Juliet setting, forever the romantic this book grabbed my emotions and despite the ups and downs with the characters, the angst, the tooing and froing, the sexual tension and sometimes the frustrating situations my pleasure never waned as I made my way through this book in one sitting. I cannot wait for what comes next and will be eagerly awaiting the next instalment of their story.

This book blew me away. Honestly i wasn't drawn in by the synopsis and I wasn't going to read this book as I've never understood Shakespeare and wasn't sure if there was going to be loads of Shakespeare in the story.. It's only when I kept seeing it on blogs top books of the year that I finely thought I'd buy it and give it ago. It being on offer helped make my decision too. I started reading it on boxing day night and I stayed up until 6.30am reading it as I just couldn't put the book down. I was gripped right from the first chapter and I couldn't get through the book fast enough. The story was nothing like i expected. Loved the diary entries and how the story was laid out. We would given bits of what was happening now but we so got a very Indepth look in to the past 6 years before when the couple first met. Loved that it was so detailed and nothing was left out. We were taken on a journey with the characters, from when they first met, the audition process, their backgrounds, drama school and their first production together. Through all that we got to see their relationship grow, all the angst, what it's, highs, lows and everything in between. Nothing was left out. I loved how the author wrote a story that had so much in it, she never left any details out. I felt I knew pretty much all I could about the couple in the younger years, except for one big thing which I no will be in the next book. The journey of past and present was captivating reading. Be warned if you buy this book (and you definitely should 1 click right now as its outstanding) you will not be able to put it down, so clear a whole day to read it. When I saw this a debut novel I couldn't believe it. The story was written so well it was perfection. If this is the standard of a debt novel that I can't wait to read more from the author. This book is definitely worth buying and everybody needs to read it and go on the amazing journey with the characters. I can't wait until the next book comes out so i can find out more about the past and what happened, but so if they are able to build a new relationship after everything they've both Bern through.Over all this is a outstanding book, but a extremely talented author. One of my best books of 2014.

I LOVED this book!Cassie Taylor is sheltered, inexperienced and a people-pleaser. Ethan Holt is moody, broody, brash and hugely intense. They are drawn to one another at first sight, although their relationship starts out prickly and snarky. Their chemistry is electric! Their longing for each other simmers and brews.Bad Romeo is told from Cassie's POV and the story moves back and forth between the present and six years in the past. They first met at college as acting students and starred opposite one another in a production of Romeo and Juliet and, in the present, they are reunited for another on-stage love story. Ethan broke her heart twice and they've been apart for three years. He is back in her life and wants to keep her, this time. She is resisting, scared of being hurt, again.This story gripped me from the beginning. The chemistry between Cassie and Ethan is off-the-page, even though Ethan tries to control his reaction to her. I found their attraction intensely sexy, maddeningly restrained and desperate. There were moments, though, that were laugh-out-loud humorous!I love the way this author writes and the devices she uses to tell her story. Not to give too much away, but I liked the antique wine glasses scene and what it meant, and there's a line in one of Ethan's final emails that made me think of Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne.It ends on something of a cliffhanger and the whole story of their past still needs to be unveiled, but I love what I've read so far and can't wait for the next book to be released.