Misunderstandings by Tiffany King (Woodfall Girls #2)
Released: May 6, 2014
New Adult
Berkley
Reviewed by Mandi
I was so intrigued when I started this book. Brittni and Justin have a lot of history together and the book starts in present day with these two a couple of years out of college, and having broken up two years previously. By coincidence, they ‘reunite’ in an elevator, which happens to breakdown on its way up – and they are stuck together for several hours. To say there is bad blood between them is an understatement:
Our eyes locked as all the animosity and hatred from two years ago radiated off him in waves.
“Justin,” I squeaked out in a voice that was totally not my own.
“Selfish bitch,” he greeted me with venom dripping from each word as he punched the button for the fifty-second floor with the side of his fist.
Whoa, whoa whoa. Well this is different. Such anger and hatred. I got excited as this is only on page eight. From here, the book goes back and forth from present day to the past, when they first meet. Brittni actually has a bad first impression of Justin when they meet on campus, but they have mutual friends and end up spending time together. When they get to know each other well, they start to fall in love. It’s all very romantic. The author has brief passages in present day as they are trapped in an elevator together and hate each other that somewhat mirrors the next scene when we get dropped into the past. This entire time, we don’t know the events that lead to their break-up – we have two people in present day that can’t stand one another and two people in the past who are totally right for each other. So what happened? Well I’m not going to tell you that. But it does lend to some frustration.
The secret reason they break up itself is worthy of anger – but my annoyance comes in because I feel like events leading up to the breakup are so rushed. We spend meticulous amounts of time with these two as they get to know each other and their family and friends. But the actual time when the breakup occurs whirls by so quickly. They get into a fight prior to this big secret reveal and we don’t see any events that lead up to this fight. This frustrated me greatly. I also feel that in present day when they make-up – is all too rushed as well.
Enjoyed the first half quite a bit but the second half needed to slow down and let the reader explore all of the emotions more.
Rating: C+
I’m intrigued but I think I’d have to know more about the reason for the breakup to invest, since things like cheating, dead exes, dead kids, etc. are on my no-read list and yet figure prominently in these kind of stories!