Review: Blow by Heidi McLaughlin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Standalone - Virtuous Paradox #1
Release: November 8, 2016
Length: 199 pages

Bodhi McKnight has always had everything handed to him on a silver platter: fame, success, money, girls. The raven-haired, blue-eyed hottie is the son of Hollywood A-listers, and when he’s asked to join the boy band Virtuous Paradox, his star shoots even higher. But so do expectations, leading Bodhi down a destructive path of addiction—until a drop-dead gorgeous guardian angel shows him her sizzling brand of tough love.

When Bodhi ends up in rehab, he doesn’t expect to meet someone as cool and down-to-earth as Kimberly Gordon. Although he’s enjoyed the company of beautiful, charming women before, none of them have tried to get to know the “real” Bodhi. But Kimberly isn’t fazed by his stardom. She’d rather go horseback riding, teach Bodhi to play guitar, or ask him about his feelings. Soon Bodhi realizes he’s fallen head over heels for her. He just hopes that he’s strong enough to protect what they have from all the pressures and temptations of the outside world.

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My Review

This book was equal parts heartwarming, heartbreaking, sweet and incredibly hot. It's a story about addiction: how it ravages the mind, body and soul; how it harms relationships; and how the road to recovery may be hard and long, but so freaking worth it.

Bodhi (btw, I LOVE that name) was the son of two Hollywood icons. Left pretty much to his own devices, he fell into a boy band, known as Virtuous Parodox, and they almost instantly became famous in their own right. But the pressures of fame can be too much. Sometimes fame comes with fuckery and Bodhi became an addict. Thankfully his father and his manager staged an intervention, launching him onto the road to recovery. Along this path he met Kimberly, who was beautiful, pure, compassionate and had a heart of gold. Together they battled his demons and found love in the process.

This story was pretty raw. There were a few intense scenes that gave a clear picture of just how far Bodhi's addiction had reached. How hard the battle was that Bodhi was waging against his addiction, such as his cravings, paranoia, hallucinations, the itching, the pain, etc. The author did an amazing job of creating the beautiful evolution of Bodhi and Kim's relationship amidst the ugly chaos that initially brought them together.

The next book in the series is Bang and I'm hoping to see more of this couple within its pages.

An ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review