So far I’ve read two contemporaries by Abbi Glines. In both instances, I was less than impressed. From positively loathing Breeze #1 to not quite loathing its sequel, one would probably wonder why I even bother with other stuff by her. It’s simple I keep hoping that something of hers is going to click for me like her stuff has clicked for others. It didn’t pan out that way for me with Vincent Boys. See, this was like revisiting those aforementioned titles; consequently, a lot of been there and done that moments. Characters…The girl in the middle: Ash. She’s another one of those oblivious ones, like how Low is in not being quite sure about she’s what got to offer... yet surrounded by boys who love her all the same! There's an attempt to change things up a little by making her less the innocent one, rather more the bad girl reformed type. Though to be perfectly honest, I never really did buy into the drama she was selling. She, I thought, was just another girl unaware of what she had going for her BUT a little too aware of her faults. Her faults? There were many, but not as bad as she seemed to think them. There’s a lot of making mole hills into mountains. If that weren’t frustrating enough… there were also those contrary moments when she’d let vital matters slide by. The love interests. (Yup, that’s plural for you. But, isn’t always anyway?) I like that I didn’t really like either of her options initially. One is just too good to be true while the other is simply too bad for his own good. They made things interesting as best friends who really were polar opposites. They’re linked by blood, this is true but by little else. Unless, we count that commonly held love for Ash (as usual, I didn’t really grasp why they loved her so much; she’s just too meh. Still, they did make things more interesting when a different side of both came out. Plot wise… There really isn’t that many new things here. She’s trying too hard, and both boys know it and sort of balance her out with one of them going the extreme and the other doing next to nothing. And when things fell the way they did, she made a couple of realizations about herself and the boys in her life. So, it’s agreed that one isn’t as bad as he makes himself out to be. And that the other isn’t actually that perfect.The boys too make realizations like this about her. Where the pedestal one holds her on, crumbles for good reason; the other just sees all the more clearly, that they’re made for each other. It was so very dramatic. But thankfully, it less so with them facing up to the consequences of their actions. It’s the same fact that allowed me to read on. I upped my rating on account of the minimum time spent running around and denying stuff; there’s an eventual facing up and dealing with. Now, there’s also this side drama exclusive of Ash. Though had I thought about the major spoiler that the sequel’s title was, I wouldn’t have rolled my eyes as much as that aspect was unrolled before me. I’m still reading Vincent Brothers though. Why? despite this being sometimes being eye-roll worthy, it is a quick read. Though more frustrating than it is fun, it's really not that much of a complicated love story.dos
