A rebound is just a small thing, right?

Synopsis

The first hookup after a long relationship is always meaningless. Right?

Still reeling from his divorce two years ago, Joe Larson sleepwalks through life until a chance encounter with Liz Jensen jolts him awake. Their sexual chemistry is undeniable, but Liz is fresh off a broken engagement and has no intention of letting anyone get close. Joe must overcome his fear of being hurt again if he is to convince Liz that love does not mean being powerless and that their rebound fling is actually their happily ever after.

My review

After her ex-fiancé breaks off the engagement with Liz Jensen, Liz wants to start all over again. Especially as she doesn’t truly know (anymore) who she is. Being an accountant for her parents’ business has always taken for granted, but what does Liz truly want? She doesn’t know that, all that she knows is that for now, she doesn’t want let anyone getting close to her again. Until one night in a bar, she meets Joe Larson. The sexual chemistry is palpable between them, but not only Liz is carrying hurt with her, also Joe is still reeling from his divorce a few years ago. However, they both realize that perhaps being each other’s rebound may be exactly what they need right now. Because rebounds are known for being meaningless, right?

I am the kind of person that cannot have just flings, one nightstands, or having some ‘action’ without any feelings involved. For me, there always has to be some kind of base before I can take things further. But that doesn’t mean I condemn people who aren’t like me, who can have all the above mentioned. Everyone has a different cup of tea, and as long as there is no hurting in the process, and they are both consenting, who am I to judge them?

What I did completely understand, both from Liz and from Joe, is that they weren’t initially looking for anything.

At the start of the book, they just want to be left in peace, enjoy their lives in any possible way, and just sit and lick their wounds.

The way they meet is rather an unusual one. I am not the kind person that would sit alone in a bar, but we see clearly that Liz is sending off many many signals of wanting to be left alone. And it angered me a little bit reading how both Liz and Joe, who is being stood up by his friend, are forced of or going sitting at the bar, or leave, so that other customers could have their table. Why shouldn’t they have their own table? They are customers too!

On the other hand, I liked Joe’s courage in this instance. While Liz is emanating so many bad vibes, he decides to take a chance, and wants to sit at her table. Not for flirting, but just to still have a table instead of going to the bar, and they can enjoy just the peace they both require.

Both Liz and Joe are feeling the sexual attraction, and those for sure fly off the pages. And yes, i was even a bit envious how well they get ‘along’, if you know what I mean 😊.

But I also felt that their story isn’t just about being each other’s rebound, but it is about their emotional journey, their growth they are having, after having met.

Liz is still coping over the choices she has to make about her own future. And it saddened me, because she has been living up to so many expectations from her own family, that now that things have fallen apart, she just doesn’t know who the real Liz is.

Perhaps going AWOL isn’t the best decision she made, but was the only option for her. And slowly, also with the help of her new BFF, we see her blossoming, we see her learning what she truly wants and needs in life. She also learns to finally stand up for herself.

Seeing that progress with her felt to me like the real message of the whole story.

The same can be said of Joe. Because his divorce may have happened two years ago, yet the betrayal clearly still hurts. And he for sure doesn’t want to be burnt by love anymore.

He doesn’t love his ex anymore, as it’s clear that something has been irrevocably broken by her behaviour. But I could also understand how it’s stronger than himself, wanting to check up on her.

I found it even refreshing to read how this magnificent specimen that Joe is, shows that it is okay to ask for help. He knows that there are aspects that he cannot solve on his own, and he needs someone to help him through this process.

It is not in a physical way Joe and Liz help each other out. But by having met, they are able to put both their pasts behind them. They are growing, maturing, evolving together. And even if there are several bumps on their journey, every bump is a moment of learning.

And that is what made me enjoy reading this book, because yes there is a lot of action (wink wink). But we see how things evolve, in a direction we desperately need, or even in a direction we weren’t ready yet to take. But sometimes the best things come unexpected, isn’t it?