Unfixable by Tessa Bailey
Released: April 14, 2014
New Adult
Entangled
Reviewed by Mandi
I believe this is Tessa Bailey’s first foray into the New Adult genre. I’ve enjoyed the heck out of her previous books, yet I have to say I had a little bit of a frowny face when I heard this would be a new adult. I was hoping this wouldn’t fall into the typical angsty/moody category, but it did. If you are a fan of this author, you will remember Willa from Bailey’s first book, Protecting What’s His. Willa is Ginger’s younger sister. They grew up with a mother who was a prostitute and addicted to heroine. At one point she tried to pawn Willa for money to get her next fix – so home life was a horrible place. In that first book, Ginger takes Willa far away from their home and they start a new life together (and Ginger falls in love with the oh so sexy Derek). Between that book ending and this book starting, Willa started dating a boy named Evan. Willa has a harder edge, likes to dress in all black and has major attitude. Apparently Evan was an All-American boy, and Willa never felt like she belonged with him or his family. She tried to change to fit in with his life style and Evan tried to tell her he would be patient, but after two years, she just couldn’t fake it anymore.
I’ve been avoiding making embarrassing scenes and pissing people off for two years. I’ve been swallowing my pride and acting like a reasonable adult because I felt that was the kind of girlfriend Evan deserved. I wanted him to be proud of me and not sorry he’d taken a risk on my scrawny, emotionally stunted ass.
Willa is a great photographer and wins a contest to head to Dubin, Ireland for a few weeks to take pictures. Seeing this as an opportunity to start over, she looks forward to this trip. This is where she meets our hero, Shane.
Shane runs the family pub and is also a formula one race car driver. After his father’s death, he backs out of racing for a bit to help his sister and his sick mother (I believe she has dementia) run the pub. Shane is somewhat bitter of this but he is also terrified of becoming his overbearing father who he did not get along with. All of this leads to a lot of frowning and grunting at people. As part of the contest, the winner gets to stay in the apartment over Shane’s pub. When these two first meet, it’s hate at first sight. This hate eventually turns to lust and you can guess where that lust takes them.
My initial feeling after finishing this book is that it felt unfinished. Willa holds such anger to start this book. She is angry at Evan, she is angry at herself and mostly she is angry at Shane. I’m not sure I ever truly understood her anger towards Shane to start this book. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with him – she is quite rude actually. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t want Shane to turn into another Evan. And maybe it’s because Shane isn’t that friendly to start things off either. I would have liked to see this anger explored a little more. Willa is so defensive and touchy about everything, it’s a lot to take in at first. And why is Shane so angry at her? I get he is angry because he want to be racing and instead is stuck with his family, but what does that have to do with Willa? I didn’t get it.
Willa can’t deny her attraction to Shane though – and after a bit he makes it quite clear he wants her too. Tessa Bailey’s romances usually work quite well for me. This one is more angsty than her other books but the sex is pretty intense.
“Take back your words. Tell me I can touch you.” His breath shudders out, the sound almost lost in the pounding rain. “Take it back.”
“No,” I choke out, but my bottom presses back against him harder, contradicting my words.
Shane groans and the sound liquefies my insides.
It’s hot and needy and male.
I just wish their other issues had been resolved more throughout the book for the sex to feel like it had more of a place. Shane’s apparently this awesome race car driver but it never comes across. Willa’s anger just kind of magicially disolves and I needed more from that. The one thing I did really like is Willa’s relationship with Shane’s sister. I liked her story. I also liked the setting in Dublin. I think the author did a nice job with the details there.
The end just wraps everything up way too fast and pretty. They both have dirty issues to deal with and that gritty part feels glossed over. Almost like because this is a new adult, there had to be angst and super emotions, yet the ‘why’ part was missing for me.
Rating: C
Want a Tessa Bailey rec? Try one of these.
Boo. Sorry it didn’t go over well for you. I have found that an important ingredient in NA is extreme unidentifiable anger. lol
Whhhhy? Can’t we have college age kids who are emotionally stable? Aren’t there story lines out there that don’t resort to emo heroes and heroines with horrible pasts?
If they were emotionally stable, no one would want to read it.
Your point about her anger and rudeness helped to articulate why I struggled with the book. For so much of the story I struggled to understand the character motivations. Shane’s POV doesn’t come until much later in the book so it was mostly Willa and why she was this angry boot stomping girl was never well conveyed.
She had just won a huge opportunity. Was in another country. Was doing something she loved yet she was very surly. The lack of dialogue was frustrating and I kept wondering at the attraction.
I love a quiet hero but Shane was almost too reserved. I think the sister is getting a story but I’ll wait to hear from others on that score .
I wish there had been more focus on her photography – I never felt she truly loved it – and she must have….
Shane’s sister’s boyfriend – the street performer – he could be fun I think..(if that is who she ends up with)
I agree – the missing dialogue was tripping me up. There was great sexual tension, but I missed a real emotional connection between Willa and Shane.
I felt the same about this book. I was excited about Willa’s story but something stood in the way of me falling for this one completely.
Hmm not going to read this, NA is just not my genre.
Probably the first TB book that I didn’t love completely. There was something zingy that was missing, I think. Not as saucy, for sure, and I couldn’t really connect with either of them. The secondary characters were just meh.