5 SMOOCHES
Synopsis
MUSIC HAS THE POWER TO HEAL ALL…BUT NOT ALL BROKEN HEARTS CAN BE MENDED.
Always in control, Xander Wilde considered life on the road to be a perfect fit for him. But when disaster strikes on the Wilde Ones’ latest tour, fate intervenes…and a newly single Ivy Taylor, the only girl he has ever loved, steps back into his life.
After moving past her painful breakup with Xander years ago, Ivy was poised to become the next big name in pop music…when suddenly she withdrew from the limelight—the same day she announced her engagement to her controlling agent, Damon Wolf.
Xander knows he should keep his distance. But once they’re on the road, he can’t resist pursuing her for a second chance. Yet a jealous Damon can’t let her go—and he’s keeping dangerous secrets that could destroy them all.
When the three of them come together, everything falls apart. But if Xander and Ivy can hold tight to the bond that connects them, they just might have a chance at reclaiming the powerful love they thought they had lost forever….
Review
“With his first grin in my direction – I melted. When he first played his guitar for me – he scored my mind. When he first kissed me – he stole my heart. And when he cheated on me – he took a piece of my soul.”
Mended by Kim Karr is Xander’s story and if you remember Xander from Connected he was a bit of an ass, so to say I went into this book a bit weary is an understatement. I was not sure what to expect with Xander’s backstory but I was pretty sure it would be emotional and dramatic to make him act like that now. Goodness was I right, Mended is an emotional rollercoaster that had me feeling so deeply for Xander and Ivy that I couldn’t stop reading till I was positive their story would be OK.
Xander and Ivy’s story is a beautiful second chance romance full of surprises both overwhelmingly happy and devastatingly sad. Ivy and Xander were high school sweethearts but it was clear from the beginning that this was not a puppy love but a deep forever kind of love. Xander was so caring and loving towards her and when they ended I am pretty sure both of their hearts broke into a million pieces. Their story shows us that a misunderstanding and failure to explain can ruin a relationship and lead two people on two different paths.
“Roses are so cliché.” Then he kissed me and snickered. “I prefer Ivy.”
When Xander was eighteen his life took a tragic turn and instead of fighting for Ivy he let her go because he honestly belived it was what was best for her. (SWOON always thinking about her first.) Twelve years later when they run into each other it is clear that the connection they once had is still there but one small problem . . . she hates him and can never trust him again. When Ivy ends up on tour with the Wilde Ones (the band Xander manages) it test their boundaries and pushes them to work on a friendship at the very least. Watching them get to know one anther again and get past all the problems of their past was amazing. But watching them fall in love again was PHENOMENAL!
Kim has written a story about a love that endures and once again she has blown me away with her ability to suck me into her story. I never would have thought I could love Xander as much as I do. He is utterly romantic and sexy. His ability to melt hearts and drop panties at the same time makes him the best kind of book boyfriend. Mended was romantic, sad, heartwarmingly happy, and amazingly sexy all at the same time. Even though I do believe this could definitely be a standalone I honestly recommend reading the whole series because it is wonderfully exciting, fun, and sweet! Each one of the books in the Connected Series is better than the last!
“Do you think relationships can work that way?” “What way is that?” “That something once broken, irreparably, like us, can be so easily mended?”
~miranda
