I loved this author’s Cougar; it was one of the most emotional, epic love stories I have ever read and still remains one of my favorite books. It would be hard to outdo Emerson and Cam’s story, but Liam and Vanessa come pretty close.
One of the things that I like most about this author is that she writes in a more narrative style than others. What do I mean by that? I am not exactly sure – it makes sense the way I think of it but is hard to explain. I’ll give it a shot.
With other stories, it is easy to recount a plot in terms of plot points: boy meets girl, boy does something dumb and loses girl, boy regrets it, boy gets girl back…that sort of thing. You know that there is going to be stupidity and tears, and worrying about making the right choices before everyone ends up where they are supposed to be.
I suppose you could pigeonhole Baller into this framework, but that would be to do it an injustice because there is nothing formulaic about the author’s storytelling. She creates whole worlds with fully realized characters who have complex relationships and connections. Her stuff is just…real. That being said, you can get book report reviews elsewhere; I’m going to talk about what I liked about the book.
I loved the story arc, and how it overlapped with past books before moving forward. That’s another thing that I like about this author. Her stories aren’t exactly linear (as in book one happens, and then book two happens). It’s more like watching a tv show from different points of view; the holistic approach is another thing that lends realism to her plots.
I thought that Vanessa was an interesting character. She was stubborn, even when she knew she might be wrong. Thank goodness her friends were there for her from the beginning. I really enjoyed the scenes with the four of them, because it was straight-talk from real women – not just the “my tribe will always agree with me.” We could all use friends like that.
I also liked how the author captures male camaraderie, which isn’t always easy. One particular scene in a restaurant bathroom had me literally laughing out loud because I know people who would say the exact things that the guys said.
If I had any complaints about this story, and this is being nitpicky, is that everything seemed to go a little bit fast at the end. I kind of expected a little bit more angst or drama. But how it all played out didn’t bother me (if that makes sense).
This is also the only author who, in addition to the detailed character lists she shares, I also need to keep my own notes. But that’s okay, because I enjoy active reading much more – it keeps me engaged.
I love this author’s style, I love Heritage Bay, and I’ve become attached to the characters. I can’t wait to see who gets the next story!
