BOOK REVIEW for "Ever After (Dirtshine, #3)" by Roxie Noir

***(3) out of 5 Stars!

SYNOPSIS:

Once upon a time, a girl saved my life.
I was piss-drunk, high as a kite, and about to jump from a bridge. 
She stopped me. I told her to fuck off.
Exactly how all great love stories start.
A year later, I met her again. Sober this time, after yet another stint in rehab.
She’s still pretty, still a spitfire, still lights up a room when she walks in.
And she doesn’t realize I’m the guy from the bridge.
Frankie doesn’t know anything about me or my past. She doesn’t know I’m a former rock star or an ex-junkie.
She doesn’t know that two years ago, someone died because of me.
She doesn’t need to know. She’s got problems of her own, and they’re what keep her coming back to see me time and again, even when we both know she shouldn’t.
I should be staying far, far away from this girl, but it’s like telling water to flow uphill. Can’t be done.
Frankie and I may be going down in flames, but we’ll be going down together.

REVIEW:

I absolutely hated Liam with a passion in “Never Enough,” the first book in the “Dirtshine” trilogy!  By the time we actually get to his story in “Ever After,” my attitude toward him had begun to soften a bit – but not too much.  He was just such a total jerk and worthless idiot, which he insisted on proving over and over and over again.  That his addiction fueled most of his issues wasn’t at all lost on me, but it certainly didn’t excuse any of his behavior. 

In short, I didn’t think there was any way that Liam could become a sympathetic enough character to make me even interested in following his story.  But I was completely wrong.  The author does an amazing job of making him seem at least worthwhile enough to follow his story.  It’s really a rather sad and depressing story, especially before Frankie comes along, but to a great extent, afterwards as well.    

That Liam finally, finally, finally, after so many stops and starts and missteps, gets his act together, and holds on to not only his sobriety, but his girl, and reacquires his alienated friends as well, is pretty much a testament to the power of hope and faith and simply not giving up. 

While I did not feel that this volume was quite up to the quality of the prior two in the series, I did find it much more enjoyable than I had anticipated, and ultimately was glad that I read it.

~

I received an eBook copy of this title free from Xpresso Book Tours,
and have willingly provided an honest review. 

#EverAfter  #Dirtshine