Book Review: Violet Chain by J. Kahele

Last Updated: 15 May 2021

AD* | After catching her fiancé with another woman at their engagement party, Violet Townsend's world is turned upside down. Desperate to numb the pain, she falls into the arms of charming, young entrepreneur Chain Alexander.

Chain, a notorious womaniser of Philadelphia, not looking for anything more than a night of pleasure with a woman, is drawn to Violet instantly. There is something about her that he needs and wants so desperately and it’s not just sex.

But Violet is resistant. Can she open her heart again after having it broken so brutally? And more importantly, should she?

 

Before I get stuck into my review, I just have to address one thing - the title. I don't know why, but it really bugs me. Perhaps because it's so obvious, or because it just doesn't make logical sense as a title in my head somehow, but there's something about it that just grates on me. I'd be interested to know your thoughts about it.

But anyway, on with the review!

Great Characters 

The characters were the best part of the book, hands down. Both main characters were realistic, and I liked that they fluctuated between being likeable and just plain irritating. That gave them a real human edge, especially when added to their flaws and vulnerabilities. I also liked that Violet kept changing her mind. It's most common in romance for the heroine to fall hopelessly in love with the hero right from page one, and then she spends the rest of the book trying to get him. However, the roles are reversed in Violet Chain because it's the guy who falls hopelessly in love with the girl. I found that an intriguing and different twist on the genre.

The plot wasn't the best I've read. Sure, it was moderately engaging and it kept on at a good pace throughout, but it didn't have that spark that really hooks you into the story. It kept on at a steadily humdrum pace until we started to get towards the end. Then, oddly, everything seemed to happen at once. All of a sudden Violet was in jail, David was in the hospital, and everyone knew the two were a couple. But we didn't really get a chance to address these plot points or really react to them, because almost as soon as they cropped up they were instantly dealt with and filed away again, which was a bit odd.

Pass the Sequel!

However, the biggest catch for me was the end. I'm not going to spoil it for you, but seriously - that is one heck of a cliffhanger ending! Unfortunately, though, it didn't feel like an ending, and I was left feeling dissatisfied and wondering where the remainder of the book had run off to. So if you do choose to read Violet Chain, beware of the ending. I feel like I need to read the sequel just to find out the conclusion of this book, but the bad news is that there's no news on the sequel as of yet.

Still, don't let that dissuade you from reading this book. Although it covers some tricky topics and deals with a lot of raw emotion, Violet Chain is an easy, light read. I'll definitely be keeping up with the author to make sure I don't miss any updates on the sequel!

Rating: 3 stars

Violet Chain is available to buy now (paid link; commission earned).

If you enjoyed this review and want to learn more about the author, you can simply hop over and read my interview with her here.

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* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Will you be reading Violet Chain? Let me know in the comments below!