{The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden} by Jessica Sorensen {45¢}

Plot –  9¢

This book had timing. Perfect timing. The structure and plot progression was spot on. It felt like a steady pace and never lost my interest or attention. Callie is damaged. Kayden is damaged. Together they make a perfectly complete pair. The story was without all the popular dominance and power struggle common in contemporary romance. It was more about protection. Through alternating POV’s, (which, you know I love) a coincidental story of shame, abuse and survival blooms. It was so different than a lot of other books in it’s genre, because all the characters had demons. Not a single one was “normal.”  That gave so much depth to the book. I really enjoyed this one.

Main Characters – 4¢

Callie and Kayden. Callie is abused and sadly, at the beginning of the story, kind of a victim. She hides who she is to repel people. She cut her hair to look ugly and weird. She wore big, baggy clothes and too much black eyeliner in high school. By the end of the book, she has taught herself, through small daily steps on a list to live, like really live. She changes and becomes not just brave, but fun, sarcastic, a friend and almost happy.

Kayden is from a postcard perfect family. He’s the star quarterback where they went to high school and dates the bimbo. He does everything to avoid his emotions. He’s bottled them up for so long that letting any out would open him up to further abuse. Speaking of abuse, his father has beat the living shit out of him constantly since he was a young child. Yeah. That’s not a spoiler either. It’s learned in the first couple of pages. He only allows himself to feel pain. He uses pain to cope and relax. Plus, he super hot and adorably protective.

Callie and Kayden end up at the same college a few hours from their hometown and it’s like a new start for them both. They get the space they need from the nightmares they were living and wake up to opportunity and the promise of real friendship and love.

Secondary Characters – 4¢

Seth and Luke. Ok, there was a shortage of girls in this book, but I didn’t care at all. Seth and Luke were awesome. Sarcastic, down to earth, true-blue friends  these two were. Seth, as I mentioned before, has his scars from his past, too. By sharing them with Callie, she feels comfortable enough to finally open up to someone and let them share her pain. Loved Seth. He was really funny and I want a Seth.

Luke was the typical wing-man style bro that accompanied Kayden from their hometown to play football together at college. They cut up, they know all of each other’s secrets and Luke always has his back. Luke also makes fast friends with the “new” Callie, because she reminds him of his deceased sister. Yeah, Luke’s got some shit, too.

Setting – 4¢

This was really good. Ms. Sorensen was almost poetic when she described certain places. There were many settings or scenes that came off the page and felt real to me. The grocery store, their houses back home, the campus, their dorms, the stadium, the hiking hill and rock and everywhere else. I was a fly on the wall in this book.

Humor – 4¢

Even though these kids are majorly effed up, they all laugh. They all make fun of each other and speak fluent sarcasm. Sure, a lot of the book is serious and the subjects are not for the faint of heart, but  every opportunity to laugh or play these four characters grabbed with both hands. It was fun reading this book about abuse and mental illness. Sounds, strange typing that, but it is true.

A/R – 4¢

This was a straight shot for me. I could have stopped, if I had to. But I wouldn’t like it. And the few times I was forced to stop for, oh say, work or sleep I fought it both times. I wanted to keep reading and I wanted more when the book was over. I’m still in that world. I am still in that kitchen. What the hell am I going to do?

Vocab – 5¢

She told that story brilliantly. I mean that, for real. Her word choices, metaphors, similes and analogies were so cool. She had a way of describing things that pointed my thought process in the same direction as the character. The way her characters chatted and goofed off was easy and honest. It wasn’t all prettied up with fancy words, it was just written really well. And I think I only saw one, that’s right, one typo/mistake in the book.

Steam – 4¢

Similar to Colleen Hoover books, this book wasn’t the graphic literary porno in the likes of E. L .James. It had scorching kissing scenes and so much sexual tension that it really didn’t need sex in every other chapter. This book had a story. I think it’s funny that if the plot sucks, the sex must be smoking hot or I’m out. And in the same turn, if the book is smart and the storyline compelling, I don’t need all that slap and tickle. This was a good example of the more plot, less porn book that I equally love. Do not misunderstand me, there is much affection and there is sex, but because of the story, it couldn’t be more than it was. Oh, how very cryptic I am with this one.

Value – 5¢

This book is $0.99. Jessica Sorensen is getting robbed. Burgled even. Probably, one of the best values out there now is this book. Buy two, for crying out loud. Give one away. If you have a friend that hasn’t read it, gift it to them! Ninety-nine cents, y’all!

Ending – 2¢

If you have read my reviews, you’ll know how much I hate waiting for sequels. This book amplified that feeling up to eleven. I shouted, “No!” (Literally, I sat up in bed and yelled “No!” like a defiant child.) That couldn’t be right. The last chapter was missing. My reader is defective. This download is corrupt!

I was mystified. How in the hell…wait…why in the hell would you do that to me, Jessica Sorensen? We were becoming such friends, what with your wonderfully funny and emotional dollar book and everything. I was prepared to give you so many atta girls in this review and then you bent me over on page 270 something and left a girl hanging. Really? Talk about frustrated.  You better hurry up with that book, friend. I’m holding out on my ending cents in protest because you barely finished the last sentence. Ha!

(P.S. If I were my rating rig was setup with a cliffhangers section, this one would have received all 5 cents. Dammit.)

This book was really, really great. I loathe waiting for the next, but what are my options? Write it myself? Beat her to the punch, eh? Er. I think that’s illegal. So I’ll relinquish the duty to her. She’ll do it justice and I’d just have them making out the whole time in rain. They’d have to move to Seattle, just to make it believable.

I won’t put any of the amazing quotes out there, because you can buy them all for the low, low price of ninety-nine cents.

Buy this book. Buy. This. Damn. Book.

Jessica Sorensen’s Blog

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