Review of Sweetness and I'm Yours by Lindsay Paige

Disclaimer: I received these books from the author in exchange for a review. 

The first two young adult novels in a series dealing with serious issues that suffer from unbelievable personality changes.

Sweetness (Bold As Love #1) by Lindsay Paige

Summary: Emily wished she was invisible. But after moving to a new town with her dad, a charming boy makes it impossible for her to disappear. Despite her feelings of unworthiness, Emily soon finds herself drawn to the safety of Jake's world.
Good looking and the star of the hockey team, Jake has a lot going for him. What most people don't see is the difficult life he has at home. When quiet Emily steals his heart, Jake vows to help her discover she is worthy of love.

Just when the two of them realize the sweetness of their relationship, they are put to the test. Only together can they overcome their haunted pasts to fight for a future together.

Review: Emily has been verbally and sexually abused. She shows a number of signs of someone who has gone through trauma. As someone who has gone through years of trauma, I know how hard it is to learn to function again. Even after ten years, I still have symptoms and am still dealing with many issues. So in short, you can’t get over abuse as quickly as Emily does. I am glad that Jake is there to break her out of her shell and help her to cope, but I can’t believe the very abrupt change in Emily. I am glad this book deals with serious issues, but it needs more length to show a more realistic change.

I'm Yours (Bold As Love #2) by Lindsay Paige 

Summary: After the incident with Claire, Emily encounters more problems. Conrad is back with explanations and hope. Emily wants to give him a chance to explain himself. She can't help but wonder why he left. However, Jake isn't comfortable with Emily going out to eat with an old lover.

Will things be too much for Emily to handle? Will Emily do the one thing she knows best and withdraw? Will Emily and Jake's love for one another keep them from shattering?

Review: I’m Yours was a little better because the relationship between Emily and Jake was set. Conrad showing up was certainly a surprise, but not totally unexpected. What was unexpected though was how quickly he disappeared. I thought Conrad would have been used to create drama through the book, but he leaves so quickly and causes barely a ripple. Having read the first book, I was quite surprised by how quickly Emily decides to have sex again and how much sex she does have. It’s not realistic. I was disappointed by how the big issue in the book was solved. It felt like a cop out. 

Rating: 

Recommendation: I would recommend these books to those that enjoy young adult novels about serious issues.