Laura’s Review of Blow (Virtuous Paradox, #1) By Heidi McLaughlin

Synopsis

Meet the complicated men behind the sexiest boy band in America! In Blow, the start of an emotionally charged series from bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin, an insatiable heartthrob gets blinded by the spotlight—and learns to fight for love.

Bodhi McKnight has always had everything handed to him on a silver platter: fame, success, money, girls. The raven-haired, blue-eyed hottie is the son of Hollywood A-listers, and when he’s asked to join the boy band Virtuous Paradox, his star shoots even higher. But so do expectations, leading Bodhi down a destructive path of addiction—until a drop-dead gorgeous guardian angel shows him her sizzling brand of tough love.

When Bodhi ends up in rehab, he doesn’t expect to meet someone as cool and down-to-earth as Kimberly Gordon. Although he’s enjoyed the company of beautiful, charming women before, none of them have tried to get to know the “real” Bodhi. But Kimberly isn’t fazed by his stardom. She’d rather go horseback riding, teach Bodhi to play guitar, or ask him about his feelings. Soon Bodhi realizes he’s fallen head over heels for her. He just hopes that he’s strong enough to protect what they have from all the pressures and temptations of the outside world.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

What I Loved

         I really liked the beginning of the book, it laid out Bodhi’s Rockstar lifestyle and the depth of his addiction.  It was easy to see how desperate he had become; how low he had sunk and how much his family loved him and wanted him to get help.  Watching him go through this whirlwind of being high to being shipped off to rehab and then detoxing immediately hooked me. 

        I liked the instant chemistry between Kimberly and Bodhi and the connection they built from there.  It was scary to watch Bodhi go through all these side effects in the beginning and I loved how Kimberly was by his side through all of it.  The connection between the two grew stronger the longer Bodhi stayed there and it was sad when his 30 days was up and he had to return to his “normal” life. 

Not So Much

        This was my first Heidi McLaughlin book and I was so excited to jump right in and begin this experience but by the end I was disappointed.  After the beginning the book fell short of many of my expectation. I felt like the plot became shallow and just skimmed the surface of what the story could be, rather than develop any type of depth.  Certain characters were introduced with no explanation as to who they were and why there in Bodhi or Kimberly’s life.  You’re introduced to Bodhi’s band members but don’t play a big role or have a lot to say.  I know that this is a series and that they will probably get their own story but a paragraph or two describing them or giving them more of a role in Bodhi’s life would’ve given the story more depth. 

        The instant connection between Kimberly and Bodhi was cute at first but then all the gushy love and pledging forever crap was laid on too thick way too fast making it hard for me to connect to both main characters.  Everything felt so rushed once Bodhi left rehab and felt like we just needed to get to the end of the story rather than worry about the plot and details.  I felt like many of the secondary characters were talked about rather than even given their own voice which made them pointless.  If the booked added about 50 to 100 more pages the plot would’ve had more depth and more detail could’ve been added making this book out of this world amazing.

To Sum It All Up!

     Like I mentioned before this was my first Heidi McLaughlin book and I was excited to finally begin my Heid McLaughlin journey.  So, I guess I feel a little let down by this story, I felt like Blow told half the story and just barely skimmed the surface of what could’ve been an amazing love story.  The insta-love was just too overdone and I felt like Bodhi traded one addiction for another.  Kimberly became his end all be all and as the reader we are all just supposed to be okay with this. 

        When Kimberly first meets Bodhi, she has her own prejudices about him and I would’ve loved to have seen more of that struggle of discovering the real him.  Rather than her changing her mind in a couple hours and falling in love with him the very next day.  Also, I would’ve loved if the book delved more in Bodhi’s addiction making the book a little darker giving me the opportunity to connect more with his character.  I liked their relationship in the beginning but it was just too much too soon, and Kimberly was Bodhi’s fix it for his addiction. It wasn’t realistic at all making it hard to be emotionally connected to either of the characters or to the plot.  I liked that we got introduced to the other band members and I’m intrigued enough about their lives to see how the rest of the series plays out, and I hope I can make a better connection to their romances then I did with Bodhi’s.

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