Reflection by Jessica Roberts
Release Date: 02/17/12
289 pages
Book Description from Goodreads:
Bright, spunky Heather Robbins has escaped her small hometown and is anxiously beginning her freshman year of college. Rising above her rocky childhood, she’s found a place where good things are finally starting to happen: her own private apartment, refreshing college classes, and an intense attachment to a mysterious and rugged classmate, Nick Richards.
Now, Heather must press forward to unlock the real past, and find the answers buried deep in her mind. What she unlocks instead is a roller coaster ride through flashbacks, embellished memories, and a whirlwind romance.
About the Author…
Jessica Roberts grew up in the San Francisco, California Bay Area where she spent most of her time playing sports alongside her six siblings. She was crowned Miss Teen California her senior year of high school, and went on to Brigham Young University where she graduated in Human Development. Her love of family, church, writing, athletics, and singing and dancing keeps her life busy and fulfilled. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three children.
Review:
I was pleasantly surprised when I realized how much I liked Reflection. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. And I honestly don’t know why I had that preconception, but I did. Maybe it was because I tend not to like e-books (odd, I know, but sometimes I just downright dislike having to read books in that format). Or maybe it was because it’s a self-published book, and I haven’t had the best of experiences with self-published literature. But whatever reasons I had not to like it, I ended up throwing them out the window after I became completely engulfed in Reflection.
The one thing I loved about this book was the romance. Some might call it fluff, but I liked it despite whatever stereotype it’s put in. I will admit that it was a bit laughable at first, especially Heather’s physical reactions to seeing (or even hearing) Nick. I honestly thing I laughed once or twice. Out loud. No joke. But after the rough initial part, it became much more amazing. It wasn’t that there was a lot of physical affection- don’t read me wrong. I’ll spoil a little something for you: they didn’t even kiss until about 2/3 of the way through. Which was a little annoying at times, yes. I often found myself screaming “Hurrrrryyyy upppppp!” at my computer screen, and no, I’m not referring to tech problems. Maybe I liked it so much because Jessica wove their love story like it was first love. First love is dreamy and scary and utterly adorable and that’s how it was with Heather and Nick. I think first love is sometimes so unreal that it seems like it might not be reality- like it might be a dream. Jessica captured this perfectly in Heather and Nick’s relationship.
Now, I did have a little trouble with the characters at first. Heather was difficult to relate to. Very difficult. She was hard to figure out. Half the time I felt like I was in Nick’s shoes; curiously trying to figure out what made her tick, and sometimes coming back a little disturbed. She’s a piece of work, y’all. I wanted to yell at her and shake her and tell her to just drop her stupid “I have a crappy family and I’m poor and I’ve lied about it to Nick” act and just tell him the darn truth. At first I was absolutely confused as to what was holding her back from connecting with people, and then once I was finally enlightened on why she was acting like some deranged hermit, I became frustrated with her. Because there was no reason for her not to make friends and grow close to people. Ok, she lost one loved one. Doesn’t mean everyone’s going to die once she starts loving them. But somehow that logic was lost on her. Anyways, I was confused about her for ½ of the book, frustrated with her for 1/3 of it, and finally started figuring her out after the ¾ point.
I was frustrated with Nick at first, too. He was being a complete jerk. I don’t care if who you’ve lost or what you’ve given up- no one needs to be that cold. That hard. That indifferent. His personality grew on me, though, especially after he stopped being so unemotional toward Heather. He even turned kind of hot after a while. *winkwink*
All in all, I really enjoyed Reflection. The concept of it completely blew my mind (reminded me of Inception, too, which also blew my mind). The ending holds a painful cliffhanger, so as you can imagine, I’m eagerly awaiting the next book, Reaction, which is due out this fall. I highly recommend this to all romance junkies and anyone who is fascinated with the concept and power of dreams, like I am. *grin*
Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*
Language: None
Sexual: Mild (a few kisses, some playful cuddling)
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One of the most thorough and detailed reviews the book has received thus far, and I absolutely loved it! I also liked how you gave ratings to language, violence and sensuality. I'm so glad Reflection was able to be a part of your blog! I look forward to your thoughts on the sequel, Reaction. Thanks!!
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