Review: Lennon Reborn

Lennon Reborn by Scarlett Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For some reason I thought this was the final book in the series, but I can't see anything in the blurb to confirm.

Lennon McCartney is the drummer in the mega-successful Canadian metal band Preload. For anyone who hasn't read the series, the band was formed by five young boys who lived together in the same group home. Each of the boys had a horrific childhood which has scarred them mentally and physically and given each deep-seated insecurities. Throughout the series Lennon has come across as the band member who seems to hate the others, to bad mouth them and to belittle their achievements. Yet in the last book Nikan Rebuilt we found out that Lennon had secretly assisted Nikan's ex Jenny to leave Toronto and had performed many random acts of kindness that the others knew nothing about. Now that the other members of Preload have found love the band is going on hiatus for eight months and Lennon is spinning.

Dr Georgia Starr is a paediatric neurosurgeon from an elite New York family of neurosurgeons with property all over the most exclusive parts of the city. She has spent her entire life trying to prove her worth to her father, mother and four older brothers. She lives and breathes her work, working at weekends and on holidays, taking conference calls at all hours and generally going above and beyond.

Georgia and Lennon meet under extreme circumstances (I don't want to spoil the way they meet but it is epic) and despite the situation they each feel a special reaction when they first touch. Georgia feels drawn to help Lennon to rebuild his life after his entire reason for living is lost, and as they grow closer they realise that two people from very different walks of life can have more in common than they first imagine.

Don't get me wrong, Lennon's childhood was a nightmare, the stuff of outraged newspaper headlines, and yet I didn't feel that this book reached the heights of angst that I ordinarily associate with Scarlett Cole. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, sometimes reading one of Scarlett's books is a bit like having your emotions put through a wringer - TBH it was nice to read a book in this series that didn't leave me feeling like my heart had been cut out and finely julienned :)

So, I've been vague on the plot because there's something that drives the whole story which was a total shock to me and I want to preserve the shock for others.

All I can say is that I absolutely devoured this book. Having hesitated to start it (because of the aforementioned heart shredding) in preference of light, sexy romantic comedies I started it yesterday evening and before I knew it I was 25% into the book and eager to finish.

I loved this book, I loved Lennon and how he conquered his personal demons. I loved Georgia, she was a fantastic character and a wonderful role model. But what shone through this book was the love that the guys from Preload have for each other and how that love (and their music) has helped to keep each of them going when life threw them curve balls.

If this is the last book from Preload then it is a fitting end, a glorious road to enlightenment and a HEA. For someone who shied away from the first book because the idea of a series about group of long-haired tattooed metalheads really didn't appeal, I have come to love these boys, I've cried at the horror of their childhoods, I laughed with them and their unique brand of humour and I melted when each of these tough guys found the ying to their yang.

All I can say is, whatever Scarlett Cole chooses to write next I'll be an avid reader.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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