Last Summer by Rebecca A. Rogers + GIVEAWAY!

Last Summer by Rebecca A. Rogers
Published: July 18, 2012
Received: gifted by author for review

All Chloe Sullivan wants to do is get through the summer. Her life has been in disarray for more than six months, and she knows the only reason her parents made one final trip to Sandy Shores is because of her. They are, after all, two seconds away from filing for divorce. When Chloe stumbles upon a boy in one of her childhood hangouts, she’s in for more than just a relaxing summer vacation.

Logan Andrews is exhausted, famished and, quite frankly, kaput. His parents kicked him out when he refused to attend a rehabilitation program for his drug addiction. Now, he wishes he would’ve listened; he’d be receiving appropriate medical care rather than living in a dingy, godforsaken shack, holing up from money-hungry drug dealers.

Logan’s godsend arrives in the form of Chloe, who can’t hold her tongue when it comes to matters of the heart. They’re both in for a rude awakening when Logan’s past catches up to them, though. Can they escape the drug dealers showing up at every twist and turn, or will things end much worse than they ever imagined?

WARNING: contains strong language, drug use, and sexual situations, including an explicit sex scene and a near-rape scene. Mature audiences only. 17+ [goodreads]

INTENSE is the word that came to mind once I finished this novel by Rebecca Rogers.  From the first encounter that Chloe and Logan have, to the hot-steamy love scene; there is tons of intensity.  I am always a fan of "summer books" and that is what grabbed my attention first when I came across this novel.  Factor in two characters, living opposite lives, yet colliding in an unexpected way and you've created a delicious story to consume in one hot afternoon.

The story takes no time placing you right in the middle of the drama.  Immediately we are introduced to Chloe and all the hang-ups her summer has to offer.  She's forced to spend it with her parents who are on the verge of splitting up.  Between her mother's alcohol/pill induced state of mind on the couch, and her father's absent appearance, it's a lot for Chloe to take in.  Lucas presents himself with not much reprieve either.  He's run away from home due to his own drug addiction, trying to forget the perfect life he screwed up and left behind, but knowing he can't continue down this path much longer.  Chloe sees Lucas as a resolve.  If she can't fix the situation within her own family, then maybe she can help Lucas by regaining control of his own life.

The relationship between these two characters happened immediately.  I was hoping for a larger build up, because let's be honest.. the tension is almost always better than the actual result.  Once things finally did arrive though, oh my goodness -- it was definitely hot! There are a lot of factors that come into play in this novel, so much that I sometimes had difficulty wrapping my brain around it all.  Just when I became comfortable with one aspect of the story, Rogers threw something else at us.  Some may see this as too much for one story, but I think it just added to the intensity.  If you're a fan of intense, high-drama in your mature young adult novels, then I recommend this one.

Please be aware that this story is written for an older, mature audience.  I would not recommend it to younger teens.

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