BREAKING DOWN BY CALISTA SMITH REVIEW************

BREAKING DOWN BY CALISTA SMITH

4 STAR REVIEW ****

                                                        SYNOPSIS: BREAKING DOWN

Raquel, "Rocky" as her friends call her, is an introverted girl, on the brink of turning eighteen. Having already been dealt a bad hand recently, her life gets even more complicated when her parent's divorce forces her to relocate with her mom to the city of Rancho Cucamonga, California. She will be facing her senior year in a new high school. Fortunately Natalia, her best friend since birth, will be there. It's the one thing keeping Rocky from completely going off the deep end.


She plans to stay focused on her future, which includes trying to join the Peace Corps. Then in walks Dante. He's cocky, handsome, well-built, popular and so not her type. She is determined to keep her distance. The last thing she needs is someone prying into her past. Dante loves a challenge though, and when his relentless pursuit captures her attention, she just can't stop herself from falling for him. They soon realize that things aren't always what they seem and find themselves forging an intense bond. But when life continues to hand them obstacle after obstacle, can their new found love help save her or will she finally find herself Breaking Down?




This book is a mix between YA/Contemporary romance. Raquel 'Rocky', is a teenager with a tough past, causing her to move schools and try to deal with her issues. Dante, a smooth player with problems of his own, puts himself in Rocky's life with his so-sure-cocky and humourous personality that you can't help smile at. They are both heading into their senior year in school and planning their future, but that doesn't stop their attraction. Raquel and Dante are attracted to eachother instantly, and from the get-go Raquel senses Dante's trouble, and maybe she is right, considering he has got a girlfriend while trying to win over Raquel.

So I wasn't sure what I was going to make of this book..considering all I read is New adult romance books..yes fifty shades has ruined me lol!! I, however was still excited about reading it as I haven't read something in this genre in a long while.



I loved dante!! bloody hell even as a teenager/ eighteen year old he is so smooth and will have you smirking at his quick wit and also breaking your heart at the hurt he hides behind with his humour. He pushes raquel and he loves it! As much as he was a player and cocky at times he was so damn sweet!! I loved Natalia, her friensdship with Raquel was so special and she was so sassy and that complemented Raquels character so well! Natalia and her boyfriend Aiden, are friends with Dante and that's how he and Raquel come to be in one anothers lives..and the whirlwind begins!!

I liked how sweet this book could be but even though they were young it was so intense at times! This is a coming of age story, I love how it shows all different sides of young love, it was very well done by Calista. I was surprised how much I liked this but I did.


However, I liked Raquel, but she did get on my nerves..I usually get immensely pissed off at the Alpha in a book but I kind of love that but Raquel was pissing me off big time! she seemed so whiny, I didn't get some of her choices.. her friendship with shaun? I didn't get it. That girl didn't make the greatest of decisions. I am used to a certain genre, and a way with books so Dante and Raquel's relationship, when others were involved  (without giving much away) wasn't my favourite and just didn't particularly enjoy that in the book. BUT I did enjoy it and thought it was a good story and done well.

4 stars ****

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