Blue
by Jill Patten
Published: September 22, 2016
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
He is a thief.
She is his victim.
Lance King, known as Blue, is the charming, local surfer bad boy everyone falls for. This comes in handy since he enjoys taking advantage of privileged college kids as they throw money around wherever they go. What turns out to be a typical spring break quickly changes when he meets the one tourist who exceeds his expectations.
Phoebe McCormick is on her way to having the time of her life. With Panama City Beach in her sights, and her two best friends by her side, the possibilities are endless, or so she thinks. What she isn’t expecting is Blue, the local surfer to nearly ruin her long anticipated spring break. Her carefree attitude and his charismatic personality is the perfect combination for a successful friendship, but their relationship turns out to be anything but. Once the fantasy world of spring break is over and life resumes in Pennsylvania, a secret she thought she’d be able to keep hidden emerges, making it difficult to ignore.
He steals her money, but she will steal something far more valuable from him — a memento that will forever change his life.
She is a thief.
He is her victim.
Review
3.25 Stars
Blue does bad things for good reasons, he doesn't see it as a crime, taking from the rich and helping the poor. Until he meets Phoebe. She isn't entitled or rich and he's the jerk that's ruined her vacation. Determined to make it up to her, Blue sets out to make her vacation unforgettable, but he doesn't have to try once she finds out the truth. Too bad he's already given her his heart, not that he realizes it. Once Phoebe returns to her real life she finds that nothing compares to Blue and his acceptance of her truths. When given the opportunity to try again, they both leap, but neither can predict what the future will bring.
Blue is a story filled with life lessons set in a beautiful coastal town on the water. Told from the POVs of Blue and Phoebe, we see life through their eyes and they enjoy a week long affair with secrets buried deep into the sand. The two are different, their worlds so far apart, but their personalities are similar, both are young and restless with their current circumstances. I enjoyed that a perfect storm of events seemed to occur that brought Phoebe and Blue together, though the circumstances weren't ideal. I also liked being "in" on the secrets, knowing the two were holding so much back. It allowed for me to have some sight into the coming drama, but also hold onto hope that they could fix things between them. It's definitely a younger story though and while some of the subject matter is heavy, it's the kind of book you can read on the beach over your own spring break.
Unfortunately, Blue also has all the cliche moments you've come to expect from new adult aged romances. I definitely found myself tearing up at moments, Jill does an incredible job of evoking emotions with her writing, but several parts were predictable. The relationship between Phoebe and Blue is standard boy meets girl meets drama, though the circumstances are a bit more unusual. I liked what the two saw in one another, but the way their connection played out is confusing. While Blue played the part of beach bum perfectly, Phoebe sometimes seemed like a combination of two people, confused on who she wants to be. I ended up having a hard time feeling compassion for her, because she was so outlandish in some of her ways, especially since she seemed to never make up her mind. Ultimately, I enjoyed what they shared, though how it happened seemed a bit unrealistic.
If you're looking for a new adult contemporary romance with a fair share of angst, Blue by Jill Patten is for you.
About the Author
Jill Patten was born a Yankee, but raised a southerner. She lives in the small town of Mayberry, North Carolina which was made famous by a popular TV show back in the sixties. (Maybe there will one day be a statue of her at the end of Main Street. Ha! A girl can dream, right?)
Jill has always loved to read, even during reading labs in middle school for reading comprehension. Judy Blume was her first author she hero-worshipped, maturing to revere the works of Stephen King. With all the fantastic authors today, she simply cannot choose a favorite. Her taste is very eclectic and she loves almost all genres. When she's not captivated by her fictional characters, she spends time with her sweet husband and two beautiful children.
Music is her muse. Jill also loves elephants, sarcasm, and anything made with sugar, especially sweet tea. She enjoys all things rude and crude and laughs at stuff she probably shouldn't. She has been accused of being bossy a time or two, but doesn't really see it herself.
All in all, Jill is just a small town girl in this great big world trying to enable your book addiction.
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