Sunny Shelly’s Review: On The Rebound, by L.A. Cotton

On The Rebound is a darker college romance about a boy who hates that he still loves his ex-girlfriend, and the girl who doesn’t understand why. Running into one another on the campus of Steinbeck University kind of ruins both Calli and Zach’s plans for the upcoming year. He doesn’t want to be trapped in the life he’s being forced to lead, and she’s lonely and grieving her mother’s death, even though her dad and estranged brother are right there. Seeing Zach stirs up all kinds of feelings for Calli again, and it’s all she can do to not crumble completely.

This is not a swoony second-chance romance. It has a darker overtone. I wouldn’t say that Zach is a bully, but he definitely goes out of his way to make Calli’s life miserable. While Calli is grieving for her own family loss, Zach’s life has been turned upside-down thanks to an accident that left his brother comatose, and he has been plopped into the basketball team as Declan’s replacement. But instead of seeking solace in Calli, his once best friend, once his everything, Zach does all he can to make Calli regret coming to Steinbeck.

Then finally, FINALLY, we get to why Zach hates Calli… and it was all a misunderstanding back when they were high schoolers. He never gave her a chance to explain what he (thought) he heard her say, but his insecurities twisted the situation into something that ripped them apart. There are some really nice moments after they hash out the past, and they make a mature decision to move forward. But their reunion also means having to face Zach’s dad and Calli’s brother and tell them the truth… Will Zach’s loyalty lie with Calli at the end of the day, or with his teammates?

In the end, this story is one that really pulls on your heartstrings. There really is a fine line between the love and hate that Zach and Calli feel for one another — because it’s really that they hate that they still love the one who broke their heart. Zach and Calli were soulmates from the time they were teenagers, and when his world has gone to $hit, Calli is still the only one who truly sees the real him. Even after the years they were apart and all the hurt they’d caused one another.

This story started out as a novella in a Halloween anthology, and the party that takes place in that prequel is referenced several times in On The Rebound. I later checked it out on iBooks, and it was definitely a bonus to have that backstory, so if you haven’t already read it, I highly recommend doing so.

I am definitely interested in the follow-up books to this series! I’m dying to get Callum’s story, especially. His turnabout from grade-A jerk to protective big brother was like the flip of a switch, and I really want to know what was going on with him as he dealt with their mom’s death and Declan’s accident.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.