Trigger Warning: The subject of this review, Heartaches 2: Bad Boy Vibes by H.M. Irwing contains discussions of rape as well as depictions of sexual situations and violence. If you are under 18 years of age, are triggered by such depiction, or would otherwise like to avoid them, proceed with caution.
As promised, here’s the second review of the Heartaches: Bad Boy Vibes trilogy. Be warned that, as this book is a sequel, there will be some spoilers for the first book. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, my review of Heartaches 2: Bad Boy Vibes by H.M. Irwing.
Oh, the tangled webs we weave—especially in fiction! Rafe and Anna are back, and this time, their hearts are not the only ones at risk of aching. With the return of Eric Dayton and the Prestons, Rafe, Anna, Pat, and their friends are on-edge and on-guard. And now that their flawless reputations have been tarnished, who knows what Rafe’s and Anna’s abusers/rapists will do for revenge. Will evil—and money and power—win out over good? Will the ghosts of their pasts drive a wedge between Rafe and Anna? And how will the relationships and drama of their loved ones affect them?
Image retrieved from Amazon
In the second installment of Heartaches: Bad Boy Vibes, Irwing pulls no punches. Even in times of relative peace, drama invades Rafe’s and Anna’s lives, whether it’s theirs, Pat’s, the Prestons’, whoever. Unfortunately, this amount of drama was simultaneously invigorating and draining. On the one hand, it got my blood pumping and anxious to see what could possibly go wrong next. On the other hand, I really just wanted a break. While I understand that the emotional turmoil of a rape victim never truly goes away, couldn’t they have a couple days without having to confront anyone’s troubles? Much like the first book, the second part of Heartaches: Bad Boy Vibes really reminded me of a soap opera, perhaps too much so. The secrecy, the mood swings, the eternally-entangled plots and relationships, they all seem too contrived to be believable at points. I’m not sure if I would want all these extremes to be gone as they help this novel fit the romance genre perfectly, but it’s also what makes romance books hard for me to get through.
Regardless, I found a lot to like about this sequel as well. Irwing ensures to weave in themes of friendship and strength, giving Anna a life outside of her rape and her relationship with Rafe, which is a relief considering the melodrama of hers and Rafe’s feelings for each other. While Rafe and Anna are still the center of the story, subplots such as that between Pat and Dan add an extra flavor to this book which was somewhat lacking in the first.
I loved watching Anna realize her self-worth, the toxic influences that people in her past had had on her, even as her ultra-dependence on Rafe grated on my nerves. The fact that their relationship is co-dependent, that Rafe is as dependent on her for as she is on him and that she protects him as he protects her, eased my discomfort at Anna’s dependence. In a way, it made them one of the better-balanced couples I’ve seen in the romance genre. The fact that the focus shifted from Anna’s troubled past more to Rafe’s aided this balance, giving readers as much of a look into the inner workings of Rafe as the first book did with Anna.
Irwing does well in tying together minor plot points from parts one and two of Heartaches: Bad Boy Vibes. I had a feeling that we would be seeing the rich old woman and her grandson again, but I certainly did not expect the role they ended up playing. Better yet, their role brought a mixture of drama and humor to the book which, while maintaining the tension, brought a lighter feel to the story at the same time. It also gave me a glimmer of hope, even as it seemed that this plot line might end in some discontent.
As with the first book, Heartaches 2: Bad Boy Vibes is ripe with socio-political commentary. Rape, victim-blaming, and gay marriage are just some of the many social issues which play a part in this novel. While they are difficult to swallow, they also add a depth which romance novels often lack, and frankly, that’s the only way to keep me as engaged in this genre as this series has. I wear my heart on my sleeves, so these books are hard for me to read. However, the characters and the social commentary keep me moving right along.
Still, as I pointed out earlier, this book is not perfect. The excessive drama—melodrama, at times—killed me a little inside, made Irwing’s writing almost a guilty pleasure for me. The oscillation between a lack of agency for Anna/her total dependence on Rafe and her serving as his protector gave me a headache at points, and the intensity of their feelings toward each other bordered so much on cliché that it made me roll my eyes a little. (Perhaps it would have helped if Irwing had not brought up these emotions so often, usually for several paragraphs at a time.) I suppose that I just have to take the bad with the good in this case.
Overall, Heartaches 2: Bad Boy Vibes Part Two is an entertaining read, filled with emotional and psychological complexities similar to the first. When compared to the first book, it’s a bit disappointing as it falls even more into the stereotype of a soap opera-like romance novel. Regardless, it also maintains several of the strengths of the first novel as well, and so I was still anxious to move on to the third once I had finished with this one. If you like romance novels, I highly suggest you try these books. If you are triggered by discussions of rape or can’t deal with a lot of (almost forced) drama, you might want to avoid them.
You can buy Heartaches 2: Bad Boy Vibes Part Two by H.M. Irwing as an eBook and in paperback on Amazon. Remember to check out Irwing’s website for more information on these and Irwing’s other books.
Do you know of a book I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!
Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011