Heavy by J.C. Mells

Heavy: A Contemporary Romance - J. C. Mells

Book – Heavy
Author – J.C. Mells
Publication Date – August 31, 2014
Genre – Romance/New Adult
Type – Stand-Alone
Cliffhanger - No
Rating – 4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Complimentary Copy generously provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

Synopsis

***A New Adult Contemporary Romance recommended for those aged 18 and up***

When Thatch Reston, new, up-and-coming hot shot in the tattoo world, goes to do a private ink job for the rock legend that helped put his name on the map, he never expected to meet the girl of his dreams.

And he didn’t.

Instead, he met California Huntington, who according to the tabloid press is a rich, self-absorbed, over-privileged socialite with a drug and alcohol dependency. In other words, everything Thatch is NOT looking for in a potential soul mate. If he were, hypothetically-speaking, looking for one at all, that is.

California Huntington has a secret she’s ashamed of. She perpetuates the media image of party-girl-gone-wild, only because it covers the real and ugly truth. Yes, she does abuse drugs, and yes, she has a problem with them, but it’s less addiction and more a side effect of what her real issue is.

Cali is bulimic – and has been since she was fifteen. 

In her world, drugs and alcohol are glamorous, while an eating disorder is something sordid and dirty and should never be discussed in public. Cali soon realizes she needs to seek help before she falls deeper into that rock bottom she’s hovering on the edge of.

It takes one intense night with Thatch, a stranger who she’s just met, to change her life forever.

If only she could convince him that despite her past, she’s worth taking a chance on.

My Thoughts - Story
Wow….just….WOW – it has taken me days to come to terms with this book.  Within the first few chapters, I was fucking hooked!  I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED Cali – especially after her bout in rehab.

 

Now to be honest, there was a time I did get pissed at Thatch for the way he treated Cali, especially without knowing everything that was going on.  I quickly got over it though and absolutely loved the character development of these two.

 

 

The secondary characters also tugged at my heartstrings – being Thatch’s son, his dad and Cali’s dad.

 

I can’t say enough about this book and how this story gripped me.

 

My Thoughts – Writing Style
Ms. Mells definitely did her homework when writing this book – she got the “bulimic/drug” correlation perfect and the personality of Cali while struggling with her addiction and her battle with controlling her own life.

 

I found myself tearing up with the author’s choice of details and the words used to describe the battle Cali was facing.  And then again with this girl’s strength to overcome her addiction and battle to break free from her old lifestyle.

 

 

No plot holes – the writing was smooth – the story flowed from beginning to end – just a bit of a rushed feeling at the end to take away a bit of stars.

 

Re-Cap
Cali has grown up a spoiled rich kid battling with drug addiction and bulimia – her controlling stepmother and stepsister like having Cali in the state that she is and don’t want to let her go. 

 

One night in a hotel room, Cali opens up to Thatch and from there the two of them are obsessed mentally with each other. Thatch knows he doesn’t have the room for drama and addiction in his life so works on getting this girl out of his mind.  While Cali seeks help for her problems and decides to take her life into her own hands and break free of ropes tying her down.

 

 

First order of business for Cali is to seek forgiveness from Thatch but a busy tattoo shop, an angel of a father and the innocence of a child take Cali on a different route.  She is immediately enfolded into the family….until Thatch gets home and realizes who it is, his son can’t stop talking about.

 

Will Thatch open up his heart again?  Why is addiction such a taboo to him?

 

Reason for Reading – Author request
Story – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Steam – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Angst – 5 out of 5 Stars
Writing – 4 out of 5 Stars
Content Flow – 5 out of 5 Stars

Told In – Dual POV

Heroine/Personality – California/Self Absorbed…but develops into unselfish and loving woman
Hero/Personality – Thatch/Hot…awesome dad…tattoo artist…troubled…unforgiving
HEA (Spoiler) - [spoiler]Yes[/spoiler]
Would Read More from Author? Definitely
Recommend To – Readers who like a like to read about characters struggling with problems and changing their lives for the better.