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grisette_books 's review for:
Hitting the Wall
by Cate C. Wells
4 stars
This is the second book I have finished from CCW and I can see the patterns... the very good patterns that she has and that she masterfully threads out in her books. That woman is a genius. Her writing feels so much authentic and gripping with raw, visceral feelings. In both this book and [b:The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate|59046399|The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate (Five Packs, #1)|Cate C. Wells|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1632234964l/59046399._SY75_.jpg|93098768], though they have different universes, I can the similarities in the book mechanism: a young, vulnerable but resilient and courageous heroine; a strong, righteous but somewhat oblivious to realities hero; a small community full of prejudices but still down, very human in their flaws and realities. CCW has not invented the wheel, but she clearly knows how to use basic romance tropes and twist them simply but effectively into a compelling heart-gripping romance, full of slow dripping sweet angst.
Shay was a wonderful heroine. Full of doubts, hurt and bad experiences, but she stands good. She knows her weakness, she knows that part of herself is her enemy but she has her eyes wide open on herself and the ugliness of the world around her and this helps her steel her spine and forge her way forward. Her relationship with Mia was beautiful to watch. CCW wrote in a simple but so effective way the feelings running inside Shay's head and how she embraced the perfection of Mia's quirks. And Mia was just adorable; I am glad that now she has her parents and family, as she deserves.
Kellum was a perfect book boyfriend. Solid, present, responsible, patient, listening, even-tempered. So perfect that CCW does not hesitate to show us his flaws, namely of never believing the worst of his close family and friends despite all the evidence before him. The community of Stonecut comes up beautifully as full of rot behind the charming veneer, and Kellum is as much a victim of his good heartedness as he is 'part of the problem'. At first, I was very dubious on how he could have seduced young Shay and then not made any effort to see how she was after. CCW gave a good realistic rationale for what happened, how Kellum always lived his life doing what was expected of him without asking too many questions and just assuming that things could continue this way, with no real feelings. In a way, Shay was fated for him, fated to turn his world upside down, to make him remove his blinkers and at last live his life in the real world - full of love, hope and joys but also heartache and disappointments. In this way, their romance felt very real and genuine. I loved reading about their everyday lives. It felt very real to read.
Apart from a few inconsistencies (e.g. the bankruptcy story with the ex-wife, practical issues with the Trust, Kellum's mum being sudddenly a Miss Wall) that I can set aside, I felt that the climax of the book, where Shay let Kellum know about the ultimate threat of his uncle and how Shay and Kellum dealt with it was a bit too weak. Shay should have gone all out, in her quiet way, to tell Kellum verbatim what Van threatened and what happened when she went to pick up the check and sign the papers. If Kellum had to open his eyes to reality, better that he was aware of the whole ugly truth so that he can scale up the danger accordingly and take measures. The confrontation with the uncle, in front of the family, felt flat as home truths were not spelt out so that everyone would see how ugly and real it was. Too much mild verbose and not enough firmness imho. Also, after all the problems raised by Van over the years, the epilogue was not satisfying enough for a reader like me to feel avenged. I wanted blood for sure, but I know that the realism of the story would not handle it so primally, but I still wanted to see harsh consequences... instead of the vague 'something is going on' conclusion.
The book was quite long and slow burn, which was very appropriate for the atmosphere that CCW has created, and so I expected that the conclusion would be as slow and long and with enough details to satisfy the wait, but no, the conclusion felt suddenly rushed and incomplete. And not just about the family/ community drama, but even for the story between Shay and Kellum. I am glad they have now a solid relationship but I guess I am hungry for more. All in all, it was a book that I enjoyed (with the tell tale heart squeezing at the tragic beginning of the romance between Shay and Kellum). The last 10% could have been much more long and detailed to better mirror the first 90%'s awesomeness, but I will live