Review: Entice by Ava Harrison

   

Print Length: 391 pages

Publisher: AH Publishing (September 14, 2019)

From Goodreads.com:  

Eight years ago, I gave Grayson Price a piece of my heart.

To him, I was the strange girl whose mom had just abandoned her.
To me, he was a savior, an anchor, someone who stood beside me on that beach.
The next time I saw him, I was twenty, and he was thirty-six.
He didn't remember me. And when he flirted...I didn't tell him.
By the time he found out, it was too late.
We tried to deny our desire, but our attraction was too enticing.
Eight years ago, I gave Grayson Price a piece of my heart.
Too bad he’s my dad’s best friend.

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My Rating: 1 star out of 5

Is it too much to ask for that once - just once - I get story where a young adult woman falls in love with an older man and it's not a complete train wreck? That's all I want. 

The premise of this one was interesting. The man in question inadvertently saves a young girl's life by giving her hope. When next they meet, she is full grown and enjoys a moment of playful flirtation with him until he finds out just who she is. 

From there on? Complete train wreck. 

River may physically be twenty years old, but mentally? She's Fifteen AT BEST. This girl has s so many serious issues that I hardly know where to start with her. To begin with, she relentlessly teases Grayson one morning, in her parents home, by barely wearing more than a t-shirt, but then feels "cold and berated" after she makes him uncomfortable and he leaves for his own home. 

In another scene, they all go out for dinner where her step-mother falls ill (she almost passes out after vomiting). Of course River doesn't know this as she's too busy harassing Grayson after once again, making him so uncomfortable he walks away. So when he gets the text message from her father and tells her that HER STEP MOTHER IS ILL AND THEY LEFT - she of course feels abandoned. Crying and pulling a woe is me act that they have "forgotten" about her. These feelings are made worse when it comes out that there is nothing wrong with her step-mother except she's pregnant. This sends River into a tantrum, causing her to move out (and expect her already struggling and strapped for cash father to pay her rent) because how dare they have a child of their own. 

Grayson is nearly as bad with his hot and cold treatment of her. One minute he's capable of having a conversation with her, the next he's distant and glaring. Or worse, he's practically growling at her over everything. Her choice of clothing. Her attitude. You name it. And of course, on more than one occasion he tells himself that it's wrong for him to have feelings for her because she's a child. His friend's child. Oh I guess here is where I should mention that River's parents were in high school when she was born? Or that Grayson is only fifteen years older than her? Or how about the fact that River's father Tyler (you know Grayson's friend) had a tantrum years prior (when River was about eight) and the two men hadn't spoken a word to each other until recently? 

As if the abovementioned things weren't enough to make me want to tear my hair out - the fact that this book is in desperate need of another edit just might. There is so much repetition of dialogue that I was wondering if these characters suffered from some kind of memory loss. For example, in one scene dear River is envious of the relationship Grayson has with his brother and sister - and a few chapters later acting surprised and asking him if he had a sister. Grayson asks River when her birthday is at the very first dinner, even finding out how old she is going to be (twenty-one), but then later on when she mentions it, he becomes very happy to "learn" that she's turning twenty-one "soon". Or my personal favorite when River tells him her mother didn't call her on her birthday, so Grayson asks her to tell him more about her life with her mother. A few paragraphs later this happens. 

“No. Not even on my . . .” I trail off, my emotions rising up and making my jaw tremble. “She didn’t even call on your birthday?” he grits through clenched teeth."

Seriously? You can't remember something that was just said two pages ago? 

Of course, despite him repeatedly telling her that they can't be together he takes more and more risks with her in public until they are caught. And not even in the juicy way I was expecting given one of the side plots. Of course her dad is justifiably furious at first. But everything is wrapped up with a bow by the end. 

I don't think I'll be reading anything else by this author. At least not for a good, long while. 

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                                                                   Entice is available from Amazon.com

                                                             (for free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited)