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Thursday, July 17, 2014

|Review| Boomerang by Noelle August

Title: Boomerang
Author:
Published July 8, 2014 by William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: contemporary NA
Rating: A
Goodreads summary:
The first book in a sensational New Adult trilogy from Noelle August

Welcome to Boomerang.com, the dating site for the millennial gen with its no-fuss, no-commitments matchups, and where work is steamier than any random hook-up

Mia Galliano is an aspiring filmmaker. Ethan Vance has just played his last game as a collegiate soccer star. They’re sharp, hungry for success, and they share a secret.

Last night, Ethan and Mia met at a bar, and, well . . . one thing led to another, which led to them waking up the next morning—together. Things turned awkward in a hurry when they found themselves sharing a post hookup taxi . . . to the same place: Boomerang headquarters.

What began as a powerful connection between them is treated to a cold shower courtesy of two major complications. First, Boomerang has a strict policy against co-worker dating. And second, they’re now competitors for only one job at the end of summer.

As their internships come to an end, will they manage to keep their eyes on the future and their hands off each other, or will the pull of attraction put them right back where they started?
I wanted to say something cheesy like Boomerang came along and boomeranged itself onto my favorite shelf! But since its a boomerang, wouldn't that mean it would fly right back to me? Anyways, you get the point! Boomerang is a surprise. I thought it would be fun to read but I didn't expect it to become a new favorite.

Mia wakes up in bed with Ethan and she doesn't remember his name or what they did. Post hook-up, they share a taxi to their jobs and lo and behold, they're starting the same internship which will end with one of them getting the job. What follows is a whole lot of laughs, attraction and competition!

Early on, Boomerang reminded me of Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James where the couple are in a big competition to be named partner at their law firm and Julie James is the queen of dialogue so there is a whole lot of witty repartee. Boomerang is familiar in that sense, especially with the sexual tension between Mia & Ethan. But what impressed me even some more is the growing friendship between Mia & Ethan. They're supposed to be against each other so they can beat the other for the permanent job position but that doesn't stop their attraction or their understanding of each other. Couples who understand each other and grow to be friends of sorts (think Annabel & Owen from Just Listen by Sarah Dessen) is just one of my all time favorite things in romance. It's a beautiful thing to read about.

Boomerang is told from alternating (Mia & Ethan) first person POV, which if you don't know by now, IS MY FAVORITE. I loved Ethan who's a NICE GUY. He's nice and sweet and it just makes my heart happy to read about a positive relationship and a nice guy. Thank you, Noelle August! (Who's actually half Veronica Rossi and half Lorin Oberweger). Plus he plays and loves soccer, which makes him more than super awesome. I loved his passion for the sport and his kindness with the young boys he coached and how truly caring he was.
I'm screwed because of his thick, serious brows, his perfect angular nose, and his eyes like a lake in the rain. I'm screwed, most of all, because of his kindness, which radiates from every pore. His passion, when he lets himself talk about things he loves.
Pretty much, I just loved getting to know Mia and Ethan. Mia and her love for films and her famous artist mom and her Nana with Alzheimer's and her dad and how they make up a dysfunctional family. Ethan and his passion for soccer and teamwork and the kindness that does radiate from his every pore. Honestly, if I  have a complaint about Boomerang, its that the book ended. I wanted it to go on and on. I wanted to delve deeper into the characters' lives and see them interact with their family and friends more. I want a Boomerang reality tv show.

In Boomerang, you have positive portrayals of family and friendship. Mia has an eccentric family and even crazier friends. Ethan has the standard working hard family and friends so it was nice to see the two sides. Here is a snippet from Mia about her two best friends Beth and Skyler (I would pretty much die for a Beth book and a Skylar book. I wanted to see more of them SOO bad.)
For the next hour, I watch my best friends: one of them onstage, transported, in love with what she's able to do, the other here with me, wearing an avid expression that tells me she's dreaming of her own turn in the spotlight. I want to thank them both for the awesome gift they give me every day. The gift of being kickass beautiful girls.
Can I get an amen for positive female portrayal and positive female friendship portrayal?! AMEN! Mia is comfortable with her body and sexuality and it is A-okay. I would love to see more girls like Mia. She might have ex-boyfriend problems but it never turned agnsty or something like The One (Ethan) Will Fix Me. Anothr round of applause for Noelle August.

Next in my fangirling check list: Boomerang perfected the balance between sweet and sexy. This is not easy. Sweet books are my favorite to read because they put a smile on my face but I also like steamy scenes! Nothing is more disappointing than reading a sweet yet intense romance build up that ends up G rated (this recently happened to me with Warprize and I wanted to CRY). On the other hand, the steamy books get annoying really fast. There is only so much talk of passion I can take before I start skimming (ok so I've been reading a lot of historical romance lately...). Boomerang got the balance just right. I laughed out loud and smiled way too many times to count. Then when it came down to the sexy scenes, they didn't disappoint! Boomerang pretty much hit ALL the right buttons.

Fun books don't get enough credit but there are so many things that Boomerang does RIGHT. The truly nice hero who respect the heroine and the positive portrayal of females is something I want to see more of in books. The characters are just real people and so layered, just like the whole book! So for a "fun" book, Boomerang just goes above and beyond. I've already pre-ordered Rebound, the next book in the series about a different couple. (Ok, I actually haven't pre-ordered it because that option isn't available yet but the sentiment is true).

For $2.99, Boomerang is holy-shit! steal. The book is set in the summertime, it's summer right now, it will make you laugh and swoon and finish the book with a huge smile on your face... so what are you waiting for?! This is a NA for YA fans, a NA for NA fans, and a NA for people who are looking for something fresher (meaning less angsty) from NA. Noelle August did something a lot of readers were asking for and it they did it excellently.

Recommended for people looking for:
  • a fun book
  • a summer read
  • a nice hero
  • Positive portrayals of females and their sexuality
  • NA that is not angsty
Rating: [A] It made me laugh and swoon and it had all my favorite things too!
First:
On the single most important day of my life, I wake up with the thought: oh crap, where are my panties?

Favorite:
I want to tell her my toaster oven misses her thong.

Teaser:
"So, that's the image we're unveiling for our investors? Sex organs whipping through the air?
*thanks to the publisher & Edelweiss for the arc 

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