Sunday, January 6, 2019

Balance (Off Balance #1) by Lucia Franco

🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Adrianna Rossi is no stranger to the rigorous demands required of her body. Years of pain and determination make her one of the best. Olympic glory is the ultimate goal, and she'll do anything to achieve it. Even if that means leaving home to attend World Cup Academy of Gymnastics, a training center that serves one purpose—producing champions. 

Perfection, precision, and dedication are required of his athletes. When two time Olympian Konstantin Kournakova is persuaded into training the young hopeful, he immediately regrets it. She doesn't come close to his high standards. As the relentless pursuit of her dream keeps her striving, a passion is ignited within him.

Kova's power and domination, coupled with Adrianna's fierce tenacity, reveal there is more for her body to learn. Every interaction can be misconstrued, but there’s no mistaking the darkening of his gaze, the lingering of his touch, or the illicit image of his bare skin pressed against hers. Integrity is on the line. One toe off the beam and their forbidden desires could ruin everything they’ve worked for, throwing it all off balance. 

I originally picked this book up due to it being recommended to me after I read From Lukov, With Love by Mariana Zapata. I thought that it might be similar to that or better which made me feel that I would really enjoy it. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. I have tried and failed to finish this book for over a month now. I finally decided to just throw in the towel. I should mention that I don't think that it is a poorly written book but I had too many problems with it to be able to finish it. 
I'll start with the characters. I didn't like either one of the main characters which made it hard to care or empathize with them. Each of them clearly have issues especially Kova. I felt that Adrianna was naive, selfish, and ignorant. She doesn't seem to care about how her actions affect others  or maybe she doesn't comprehend the gravity of said actions. Frankly it was hard to tell which it was as I was reading. She didn't strike me as the mature type even though I think that is exactly what the author was trying to convey with this character. I liked Kova even less than Adrianna. He was cruel and seemed to be driven by lust alone. I'm guessing that readers of this book are supposed to see that he cares for Adrianna and she for him but I didn't buy it. He seemed to get off on her pain and the control that she gave him. 
This leads me to my next problem with the book. I didn't buy into the relationship between the two of them. I felt some of the chemistry between them physically but there was nothing else there. I needed more from both sides of it. I have trouble reading a book wherein each party within a relationship is only hurting the other regardless of seeing what this does to the other. In my opinion, that isn't romance it is abuse. 
I was disappointed because I really wanted to like this but I just couldn't get into it. I had too many issues with the direction that the author took it in as well as the characters. I didn't feel that either of them had any redeeming qualities. 

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