Bad Romeo Review

Bad Romeo - The Starcrossed series #1 by Leisa Rayven

Add to Goodreads
When Cassie Taylor met Ethan Holt at acting school, sparks flew. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy about campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing, Cassie and Ethan's romance seemed destined. Until he broke her heart and betrayed her trust. Now the A-list heartthrob is back in her life and turning her world around. One touch at a time.

Cast as romantic leads once again, they're forced to confront raw memories of the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their secret college affair. But they'll also discover that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks.
ISBN: 9781447282969 - coming 23rd Dec. 
I received a copy from the UK publisher Pan Macmillan (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: I'm gonna admit that I hadn't realised Bad Romeo was part of a series but this didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story. The book is a second chance romance focusing on up and coming actress Cassie Taylor, who finds herself staring opposite former love Ethan Holt. Ethan completely shattered her heart several years ago and she's never recovered. 
The story is set across two timezones; the past when they met, and now as they have to work together. I was expecting Ethan to be an absolute arse and although he has his moments, he came across as more lonely and damaged than horrible. I liked them both and was empathetic to them. 
Ethan goes all out to win Cassie back but she has no intention of giving him another chance. She wants answers about why he did what he did in the past (don't worry I'm not going to spoil it for you). Although I thought Bad Romeo was a standalone, I did think the ending was rather abrupt and I was confused as to why certain questions hadn't been answered, but I'm hoping we'll finally find out in the follow-up Broken Juliet (coming in April 2015).

I'm torn over the spilt timelines because it did make the story a little confusing at times and I would have like to see more of the plot set in the present. BUT I appreciated the concept and found Cassie and Ethan's story enjoyable. I wanted them to sort their s**t out and figure out a way to be happy together. 

I enjoyed the Shakespeare in Love style focus on actors telling the Romeo and Juliet story, and liked the insight into the strange world of acting. 

4 Stars in my Sky!