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roxyrolla 's review for:
A Brand New Ending
by Jennifer Probst
Once again, I jumped at the chance to be an early reader of a Jennifer Probst title, as she has quickly become one of my favourite authors. By now, I've come to expect certain things from Probst's books, including enjoyable and unique characters, realistic struggles, a fast-paced plot, and tons of steam and swoon. I think, for the most part, "A Brand New Ending" delivered what I was expecting.
Starting with the characters, they were great, as anticipated. Kyle is not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, which means he's pretty clear with Ophelia - he wants a second chance with her, and he's not giving up without giving it all he's got. Ophelia, understandably, is petrified that she is going to have her heart shattered again if she gives Kyle a second chance, but eventually he convinces her to give their relationship another shot. Hopefully, they won't mess things up again!
I also always enjoy how Probst is able to weave secondary storylines or characters into her novels. In this case, my heart was gradually won over by a geriatric rescue dog, and to a lesser extent, Kyle's dad. I even shed a few tears at the culmination of this book, to my surprise!
As for the pacing, I feel that this is one area that could have been improved. It's possible that because there are several flashbacks from the present to the past, things felt sluggish. Usually, I love dual timelines in romance novels because they seem to add an element of suspense - what on earth happened to make these two so estranged, when they are so obviously meant for each other? - but in this case, I found myself constantly losing focus. I wanted things to move along more quickly, especially in the present.
Of course, just because "A Brand New Ending" wasn't my favourite Probst title, doesn't mean it's not good. I'm still glad I read it, and I'm sure most contemporary romance fans will agree.
Starting with the characters, they were great, as anticipated. Kyle is not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, which means he's pretty clear with Ophelia - he wants a second chance with her, and he's not giving up without giving it all he's got. Ophelia, understandably, is petrified that she is going to have her heart shattered again if she gives Kyle a second chance, but eventually he convinces her to give their relationship another shot. Hopefully, they won't mess things up again!
I also always enjoy how Probst is able to weave secondary storylines or characters into her novels. In this case, my heart was gradually won over by a geriatric rescue dog, and to a lesser extent, Kyle's dad. I even shed a few tears at the culmination of this book, to my surprise!
As for the pacing, I feel that this is one area that could have been improved. It's possible that because there are several flashbacks from the present to the past, things felt sluggish. Usually, I love dual timelines in romance novels because they seem to add an element of suspense - what on earth happened to make these two so estranged, when they are so obviously meant for each other? - but in this case, I found myself constantly losing focus. I wanted things to move along more quickly, especially in the present.
Of course, just because "A Brand New Ending" wasn't my favourite Probst title, doesn't mean it's not good. I'm still glad I read it, and I'm sure most contemporary romance fans will agree.