December 15, 2014

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Ripped (Real #5)


If you're a big Remy fan, then you really have to meet Kenna. Check out my review of RIPPED, Katy Evans' latest book in her Real series, and don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour, organized by AToMR Tours!

Ripped (Real #5), by Katy Evans
Published December 9, 2014
Publisher: Gallery Books
Format: e-ARC, provided by AToMR Tours
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) The fifth book in the New York Times new adult series that began with Real. When an angry, heartbroken girl is forced to be near her rocker ex-boyfriend, only time will tell if the fire between them will consume them both.

Pandora, the gothic friend of Brooke (Real, Mine, Remy) and Melanie, thought that getting her heart broken by her bad boy rocker ex could only happen once. But now, he's back in town with the biggest concert of the year. Pandora hates him so much that she gets Melanie to come with her and play a prank on him at his gig. But when they are caught by security, and her ex himself is summoned, he decides not to press charges if she'll follow certain conditions. Pandora likes none of his rules, or that he's in charge of her, especially since they seem designed to make sure she's in close contact with him again. But the closeness reignites the passion they once shared, and soon no matter how much she wants to hate him, it's clear she's still hung up on him. And worse: he knows it too.


So, you know Pandora, right? Brooke's and Melanie's other friend from the other Real books? She's always been cagey about the man that broke her heart, and now, in RIPPED, we get the whole story about the man that brought Pandora down. 

When Pandora finds out that the ex that destroyed her is in town with his world-famous rock band, she decides to prank him. But, when she's caught, she's forced to do her time, which includes touring with the band and spending a ton of time around the man she loathes. But, eventually, she has to tell him the whole story about why she hates him and she also has to come to terms with the fact that she still loves him. 

Pandora has always been the angry goth girl who hates men. And, in Ripped, that really hasn't changed. She's still really mad at pretty much everything. We always knew it was because a man had broken her somewhere along the way, but we didn't have the whole story. 

People choose to fall in love because it makes them feel protected, safe. Not me. I choose hate. It makes me feel good. Protected and sane. Hating him means what he did to me doesn't matter. I can still feel something. I am not yet dead, because I can feel this hate corroding me. He's ruined me for other men. Stopped me from being the woman I could have been. He's broken every dream of a future with him I had. He was my first love and my first everything, including my first heartbreak. 

It seems from the first meeting (or, re-meeting) of Pandora and McKenna that he feels the same for her too. To be fair, she did throw rotten fruit at his head during his performance. But, He really doesn't seem much happier to see her either. In fact, her intense ire seems to feed him and his mega attitude. But, if you read between the lines, it's clear that both of them are still very much affected by one another. 

   
Passion can manifest in many ways, and it's clear these two have passion in spades. For awhile after Pandora joins his band on tour, the passion between them comes out as extreme irritation, anger and sadness. There's so much regret and misunderstanding between them, it's just heartbreaking. 

And, thank goodness Katy Evans made Ripped a dual POV, because Kenna's POV is the best part of this book. I couldn't wait to get his outlook on Pandora and how she acted. As it turns out, he's just as conflicted as she is. And even more confused. 

Their reconnection happens in stages. Once they get past the extreme hate, they realize that they can have sex without feelings. Except, when has that ever worked in the history of ever? It brings them closer together, but it also complicates things more, because they finally have to face what caused them to break up in the first place. 

I have to say, out of all the Katy Evans books I've read, Ripped was my favorite. Katy Evans brings the feels, and this book was even more feelie for me than any of the other ones. We get cameos from Brooke, Remy and Melanie, which was fun. And, Pandora's and Kenna's relationship was volatile and passionate and sexy and I was in love with these two from the first page. 

About the Author

Katy Evans grew up with books and book-boyfriends until she found a real sexy boyfriend to love. They married and are now hard at work on their own happily ever after. Katy loves her family and friends, and she also loves reading, walking, baking, and being consumed by her characters until she reaches “The End.” Which is, hopefully, only the beginning…



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