There's Wild, Then There's You

May 15, 2014
Social worker and perennial helpmate Violet does her best friend a favor and winds up in the laser-sharp sights of local rocker Jet, just where she wants to be but fighting it all the way.When Violet shows up at an addiction meeting just to give her BFF Tia moral support, she meets Jet, who maneuvers her into acting as his sponsor and keeps her at his side as he works through his addictions, previous bad behavior and a fledgling music career-all the while keeping a horrible secret to himself, one that would surely drive Violet away if she knew. Violet, good girl extraordinaire and first-class square, falls into an uneasy friendship with the rich, sexy, rock-star playboy, keeping the fact that she's not an addict to herself. They inch closer to a sexual relationship, which it's clear he wants, but she is morally conflicted, until all the truths come out and everyone is devastated. Best-selling author Leighton knows how to write sexual tension and conflict, and it's clear why she has such a following. However, without exactly being cliched, the book is unrealistic in annoying ways. Jet is a sexy rock star. Violet's mom was a rock groupie. Violet won't tell Jet the truth, which, for a social worker, seems both unethical and ludicrous. Jet won't tell Violet the truth, and the truth is really pretty despicable, so despite how much he complains to himself and calls himself names, it doesn't do much to engender our sympathy and makes us furious at him in the end. Violet is a really sweet person, but she comes across as a doormat. Tia is a narcissistic witch through most of the book, and Violet's dad is a pathetic drunk. But suddenly, in the end, due to all the trials and tribulations of Jet and Violet, everyone changes his or her ways. Still, there's enough edgy sexiness and seductive storytelling to find an audience.Often overdone and irritating but also engaging and charismatic, so it will find its crowd of admirers.

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