Always Red (Red #2) by Isabelle Ronin

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THE RIVETING CONCLUSION TO RED AND CALEB'S EPIC STORY

Veronica "Red" Strafford's painful past has made trusting Caleb Lockhart difficult. But Red might have pushed Caleb away one too many times...

I want you to fight for me. Just as I fought for you. But you wouldn't.
I stood there, staring after him, tears pouring down my face.


Source: advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review

I so much enjoyed Veronica and Caleb's story in the first book, and completely fell in love with them as a couple. There was just something about their dynamic that just appealed to me that I was so distraught at the end when they broke up because of a horrible misjudgment. In Always Red, something is different. In fact, it feels like a completely different book because it tends more towards soap opera and dramatics. This time as Caleb and Veronica try to work out their problems they're hindered by Caleb's jealous teammate, Justin, and also his jealous best friend, Beatrice-Rose, who has resorted to extremes to break up the couple for good. 

So here's what didn't work for me: I felt Beatrice-Rose's character hijacked this story. She has some serious mental health issues that I felt were acknowledged but then just set aside. Her actions became too over the top for me that she became more of the cliche. I felt Veronica and Caleb's relationship suddenly hit the accelerate button once they got back together and that didn't feel right to me especially when she still had trust issues that keep popping up.

What did work for me and what I wish there was more of: Justin. He's the supposed friend who is insanely jealous of Caleb and we learned of this in the first book. He also suffers from becoming a cliche which disappointed me because I would've been interested in his backstory and his attempts at undermining Caleb whenever he can. 

I was really looking forward to Always Red and in the end, this sequel felt like a soap opera which was not for me. 

~ Bel

Chasing Red (Chasing Red #1) by Isabelle Ronin

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They said she was going to be my ruin...

Then let her ruin me.

Caleb Lockhart has everything—wealth, adoration, a brilliant future. Until a chance encounter with a siren in a red dress changes everything.  Until he meets the woman he dubs Red.

Veronica Strafford's past makes it hard for her to trust anyone. Now, kicked out of her apartment, she reluctantly accepts Caleb's offer for a place to stay.

Caleb feels intensely drawn to Veronica. And, for the first time in his life, he really wants something—someone. Too bad Veronica's heart might just be the one thing Caleb can't win.

Source: advance e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Apparently I'm one of the last few people to catch on to Chasing Red, a Wattpad sensation with a very tantalizing title. But late is better than never and I have such a crush on this book it's ridiculous.

Our two main characters meet under unusual circumstances. They're at a club when Caleb, who's known around campus for having his fair share of dalliances notices Veronica dancing on the floor. There's something about her movements, her face, that red dress that captures his attention. Next thing you know she sidles up to him but when she perceives that he's just throwing out his typical lines, she walks away. He's baffled by what just happened and leaves only to find her outside drunk and being propositioned by a very sketchy guy. Hesitant to leave her a dangerous situation, Caleb takes her home with him where she can sleep it off and be on her merry way the next day. Only he finds out that she has nowhere to go and so offers to let her move in with him rent-free. The rest of the story is them dancing around each other as Caleb is obvious in his attraction towards her and Veronica is always skirts around it.

So yes, it's all unusual and requires some suspension of disbelief but Caleb is a genuine-hearted person who finds himself in front of a person who has faced more disappointment than she can bear. The easiest solution is simply to cut herself off from people and not get attached. But he makes that difficult because he's so incredibly kind and funny.

Honestly, I enjoyed this story more than I expected I would. I was hooked on it right away and thank goodness, too because I was in danger of falling into another reading slump. While I don't relate directly to either of these characters there were some basic emotions that spoke to me such as Veronica's sense of self-preservation and the immense leap of faith that's required in order to trust anyone, or Caleb's innate need to take care of people and have love reciprocated. I did like the inclusion of POVs from two of Caleb's friends, both of which are surprising and their presence adds drama to an already unorthodox and vulnerable relationship. 

I so wish I had the second book handy as soon as Chasing Red was over. It's been a while since I've been left longing for the next installment as I have been with this one. I hope you feel Chasing Red is as captivating a read as I did so that we can all look forward to Always Red together!

~ Bel