Book Description:
Is time for Kellan Kyle, the rockstar who captured our hearts in Thoughtless, to tell
his side of the story. The only place Kellan has ever felt at home is on stage. Gripping his guitar in a darkened bar, he can forget his painful past. These days his life revolves around his music and his band mates, and that's the way he likes it. And then one woman changes everything . . .
Kiera is the kind of girl Kellan has no business wanting - she's smart, sweet, and dating his best friend. Certain he could never be worthy of her love, he hides his growing attraction . . . until Kiera's own tormented heart hints that his feelings might not be one-sided. Now, no matter the consequences, Kellan is sure of one thing: he won't let Kiera go without a fight.
Find it on Goodreads here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23200620-thoughtful
Our Review:
**ARC Received for honest review**
Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 Stars
“Why can’t you love me like I love you? Why can’t anyone? How awful am I?”
OMG!! The emotions!! I am emotionally spent and now all I want to do is re-read the whole series. I was very wary of reading this book as sometimes when an author writes a male POV for an epic love story such as this they can never do it justice and often fall short. I have read stories where it has been done before and I have come away bereft and feeling that the book destroyed my love of the original. However, I needn’t have worried, SC Stephens nailed this one. For me personally, I actually feel this is my favourite of the series. To get inside Kellan's head was pure magic, finally getting to see all his chinks and insecurities, his internal monologue, his past, his pain, while unbearable at times it has only enhanced my love of this series. In fact it has greatly enhanced it and I for one have come away from this book with an even greater appreciation. This is emotional, if you are a soft sap like me you will need lots of tissues, but I applaud SC Stephens, she really bought her A Game, this is a gem for any Kellan Kyle fan.
Kellan Kyle, we all love him dearly, he was one of the first original BBF’s and we all have that emotional tie to him. He went the extra mile to get what he wanted, what he needed and he had never asked for much in the past, he nearly lost everything to get it, but he made it…just.
When I read Thoughtless I loved both Kellan and Denny, but I loathed Keira. Thoughtless was the most epic of love triangles but was an addicting read none the less. It had people torn, it made people angry but it made us all fall in love with Kellan Kyle, the broken rocker that finally found love and it was a love so intense it nearly broke them both.
“Your face is my light. Without you, I’m drenched in darkness.”
You never really appreciated what Kellan went through in Thoughtless but Thoughtful goes into his pain and inner turmoil in heart breaking detail. He was conflicted, he was torn, he was in love, he was desperate, he was hurting, he felt guilty but most of all he was going out of his mind. The feelings he had for Keira were alien to him, they were daunting, he knew they were wrong but how could something that felt so right be so wrong?
“I’d ripped off the Band-Aid, but the wound beneath it hadn’t healed yet, and I was bleeding out.”
In Thoughtful Kellan’s heart is open for all to see, at times it was brutal, I cried…a lot. It is rare to have such an affinity to a male character but SC Stephen’s manages it with Kellan. He wears his heart on his sleeve in Thoughtful, nothing is hidden, he bears his heart and soul warts and all and it was heart breaking, devastatingly heart breaking.
“I’m in love with you. You gave yourself to me, then ran right back to him. You. Killed. Me.”
Another thing I loved about Thoughtful was also seeing the relationships developed between Kellan and his bandmates. Thoughtful drummed home just how close the bandmates are. How they met, how they started and how they will do anything for each other. How this bunch of misfits became the D-Bags, how they found each other and became each other’s saving grace. Kellan’s childhood was heart breaking, the little glimpses that we are shown give you an insight into why this man is so broken, so afraid of love. Having never experienced it, even maternally, never feeling wanted and always feeling as if he never belonged.
“The guitar needed to be played. I needed to play it. It was a mutual, beautiful symbiotic relationship, and for a long time, it was the only relationship I had.”
Kellan’s relationship with Denny is also developed, we find out how they met and just how much of an impact Denny had on Kellan’s life. Although they were only friends for a relatively short time, the bond that they had was for life. It is by seeing how their bond came about that you realise the depth of guilt that Kellan must have felt.
“In a daze, I stared at the front door. They’d left without me. My parents had stolen my final goodbye to the best friend I’d ever had.”
In summary this book is an enhancement, it is by no means just Thoughtless retold. While the story is the same as is the ending you are treated to so much more. As I have said above, relationships are developed, the plot is expanded and most importantly, Kellan as a person gets a voice. Yes at times it is not pretty, it is emotional and heart breaking but for me it made me love him all the more (if that was even possible). You will empathise, you will sympathise but most of all you may despise Keira a little bit less…yes…I did just go there…once you get inside his head you realise that actually, Keira never stood a chance.
“Our history is a mess of twisted emotions, jealousies, and complications, and we’ve both tormented and hurt each other…and others.”
Buy Links:
Pre Order Links – releases 24th February 2015
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/17Gfphr
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1L4gygJ
About the Author:
S.C. Stephens is a New York Times #1 bestselling author who spends her every free moment creating stories that are packed with emotion and heavy on romance. In addition to writing, she enjoys spending lazy afternoons in the sun reading, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with her friends and family. She lives in Washington State with her two children. Follow her on Twitter @SC_Stephens_
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