Up in Flames
Author: Abbi Glines
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Australia
Pages: 246 pages
RRP: $19.99
Spoiled, selfish, rich girl, troublemaker... Rosemary Beach's bad girl, Nan Dillon, has been called every vile name under the hot summer sun. Admittedly, some of her reputation is deserved, but Nan is far from happy. So when Major asks her out, she jumps at the chance to date the gorgeous charmer. Though she doesn't know much about the sweet-talking Texan, and it's clear he doesn't want to be exclusive, dating him beats hanging out with vapid socialites or being home alone.
But when Major burns her once too often with his playboy ways, Nan takes off for an impromptu wild weekend in Vegas. There, she meets Gannon, a darkly subduction and oh-so-dangerous businessman who knows exactly how to handle her. Now Major is asking for a second chance and with Gannon haunting her dreams, Nan has to decide who to her her heart to. But what she doesn't realise is that these players are involved in a much bigger game- and they're already two moves ahead of her.
My review
Thoughts on the book: WOW, Abbi Glines sure know how to change your mind about a villain doesn't she. Nan has been nearly everyone's most hated character in the Rosemary Beach series and possibly the whole bookworld ever since she picked on poor innocent fan favourite Blaire and the many others that followed. She has dated many of the other characters, with one of her main squeezes Grant even leaving her for her own sister. Even after meeting her real father, the dad she always wanted can barely stand her and her mother has barely been in the picture her whole life. The only person who seemed to like Nan was her half brother Rush and I feel that's only because he feels sorry for her because he knows how she was brought up. Nan has been written as a mean, selfish spoil brat in the previous books in the series but in Up in Flames we really get to know her and she is actually remarkably strong and is even attempting to change her ways.
There were a few things that I didn't really like. There didn't seem to be as much back story with Nan as we normally get with our other characters that we are introduced to wether we know them or not. I feel like we did get a good insight into Nan but I felt there was more to be told. I also felt that the synopsis for the book focused a lot on Major when I felt the book was a lot more about Gannon then Major. Yes Major did play a kind of big part in the book, but I felt Gannon's was more and that the only reason we got more about Major was because we knew him. I also felt that what we find out in the end would have been a bit better to know before the end. It's hard to kind of explain this without giving it away but I wanted to know why they were looking at Nan.
Now to the things that I really liked. Where to start. I loved that Nan was attempting to make amends for her previous behaviour. In a perfect world we would have loved for Rosemary Beach to be one big happy family but in saying that it would have been quite boring. So I'm glad that people were starting to be a bit more accepting of Nan and that they could see she was making an effort. I also loved Nan's relationship with Nate. Just from this little bit we know Nan is capable of being fun and can love someone. They have such a special bond. I also loved being inside Nan's head and seeing what really goes on in there. She is such a strong person and we really get to see exactly how much she just wants to be accepted by everyone and fit in.
I thoroughly enjoyed Up in Flames and truly believe that it was a fantastic end to the series however I can't believe that this series is over. I have been with it from the start and have loved every emotional roller coaster ride that I have been on. I have fallen in love with basically each and every character and can't believe I have to say goodbye to them. But I am always able to read them again and again and I can't wait to be able to introduce the series to my daughter when she is much older.
Favourite quote/part:
I loved this because it explains Nan perfectly.
The absence of Nan's mother throughout this episode spoke volumes that I hoped the other saw- those who weren't ready to forgive Nan for her past sins. Villains were created, not born. That was something I'd come to know as a fact. I'd witnessed it over and over.
Although Nan wasn't ever a real villain, she was a deeply damaged and hurt female, and was there anything more dangerous? I doubted it.
Rating: 5/5
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