February 2, 2015

NEW ADULT MONDAYS: Just Let Me Love You (Judge Me Not #3)

he New Adult genre - their bad boys and big problems and epic loves make them engrossing tales that are so easy to lose yourself in. What's not to love about that? And, now, thanks to the cool chicks at Bewitched Bookworms, we can show these books the love they deserve in a weekly feature - New Adult Mondays.


Just Let Me Love You (Judge Me Not #3), by S.R. Grey
Published January 15, 2015
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-book, provided by the author
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 

Rating: 3 STARS

(From Goodreads) When Chase and Kay hit the streets of Las Vegas, the goal is simple—rescue Will, Chase’s brother, from making the biggest mistake of his young life. But keeping Will out of trouble turns out not to be the only obstacle in Chase and Kay’s path. Finding himself back in the city that broke him, Chase’s heartbreaking past threatens to derail all the progress he’s made.

However, Chase is determined not to let that happen.

While striving to help Will before he implodes, Chase seeks to come to terms with the things that almost destroyed him. He soon discovers that the answers to the most complicated questions sometimes lie in one’s own heart. You just have to be willing to dig deep enough to find them.

Can Chase succeed in doing that?

Just Let Me Love You is a story of healing, letting go, and trusting love to guide you. The conclusion of the Judge Me Not trilogy brings everything full circle. 

I had high hopes for Just Let Me Love You. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, and the second book, Never Doubt Me, left things on a cliffhanger. It seems like I've been waiting forever to see what happens next. 

When we last saw Chase, he had left Kay at home after a potentially damaging argument, and was on his way to Las Vegas to stop his younger brother Will from doing something that would ruin his life forever. Not willing to let him face this challenge alone, Kay follows and soon they're racing against the clock to help Will. But, that's not the only stressor in Sin City. Chase also has to deal with his mom, with whom he has a volatile relationship, and all the ghosts of the past. And, when Kay has to return home, he has to do it alone.

The thing that works best for me in books is when the drama and tension and angst is organic. It seems to create itself and take on a life of its own. That's the kind that seems the most real and has the tendency to suck you into the story and not let you go. Just Let Me Love You had so much potential and so many opportunities to latch on to the drama that had already been created in the previous two books and build upon it. Unfortunately, it seemed like that opportunity was wasted. 

Think of every kind of pitfall to befall a new adult character, and it's here. Drinking, drug use, potential murder, dysfunctional families, pregnancy scares, engagements, weddings, near-death experiences, break-ups... they are ALL in this book in one form or another. And, because so many drama-creating things were in such a small space, none of them seemed fully developed. And, that's such a bummer, because some of the conflict that had already been set up had such potential to make for an exciting book. 

Thankfully, the wonderful connection between Chase and Kay was still there. They went through a lot together in the first two books to get where they are now, and I really like the kind of relationship they've built. They're strong together and have tons of chemistry. Although there were times when they seemed so good and wholesome, it was refreshing that their times behind closed doors could still get a little dirty. 

Just Let Me Love You wrapped up all the loose ends created in previous books. It has a nice epilogue that tells us where the characters are in their lives years down the road. 

Just Let Me Love You, although not what I had hoped it would be, was still full of poignant moments, especially between Chase and Kay. I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience the series and this new-to-me author.  

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