This author never fails to pull me into the story within the first chapter!! I started this one yesterday and normally it takes me about a week to read a book these days, this one took me less than a full day! I couldn't put it down. I really loved the character of Constance as a strong woman who didn't take crap from anyone, yet she still has a vulnerable side that can break her if you happen upon it. Tony is a vulnerable male scared of getting close to this chick but unable to stay away from her. The story grabbed me from the beginning and kept me anxious to see how it all ended up. I loved it! I've loved all the books in The Blow Hole Boys Series but I think this one has shot to the top of my favorites in the series. You can definitely read this one as a stand alone though which is great too. I look forward to the last installment of the series. It will be interesting to see if someone can tame the playboy Chet! Definitely a fun, fast read! Picked this up late last night around 9PM-ish and finished by 4AM with no breaks between. From what the synopsis says, we follow Constance and Tony through their up-and-down relationship spread out over four years' time.It starts with Constance trying to figure out where the heck she is, and why she can't move. At fifteen, she's drugged at a party, unable to control her body from anything… or anyone. When a familiar face comes into sight, she thinks there's a chance she'll be saved from the embarrassment of being drugged, only to find out her savior is nothing but the devil in disguise as he uses her in the worst way physically possible. Fast forward a few years, and Constance is a balls-to-the-wall girl with no leash to speak of. She speaks her mind freely, refuses to fall into the drug scene that seems to circulate around her ring of friends and family, and has finally decided to move past the hellhole that is the remains of her broken family. At a chance event where she is pulled on-stage to play guitar, Constance is approached by a man who offers her the chance to make something of herself as a musician, and while at first she doesn't accept, she soon finds herself calling him up and landing the gig of a lifetime: cover guitarist for the Blow Hole boys. From there, we run into the mix of boys shown throughout the series: Finn, Zeke, Tony or 'Tiny', and Chet. Each comes with their own shining personality and set of whacky baggage, but as mentioned before, this book focuses on Tony. Constance and Tony are drawn to each other the way flies are drawn to honey; it doesn't take much before they're mixing business with pleasure as they finish the tour without Zeke and his broken hand. But along the way, they're given a taste of the outer dangers lurking beyond the bus doors and hotel room walls. Constance is confronted with her past in a way that leaves her even more battered than before, if that were possible. Tony must deal with his own problems, both mental and physical, while still trying to keep hold of the love he has found with Constance. Through the book, we read the ups and downs of their very edgy relationship, and the first three quarters of the book is a good, slow and steady burn that builds the characters up marvelously. Then the last quarter of the book seems to rush to toss everything together, tying up plot ends in a few sentences and paragraphs and slapping a happy ending on the back. I'm not saying the happy ending was deserved; after everything these characters have gone through, a little HEA is nice to see. But the way it was formulated makes me frown. There are bits in the end of the book that, if they were elaborated on just a tiny bit, would have made the difference between feeling rushed or feeling satisfied. Overall, the read is fantastic- this isn't my first rodeo with Tabatha Vargo, and it will never be the last. I'm just bummed at the sudden ending.
What do You think about Convincing Constance (2000)?
I love this series! Can't wait for the next!
—Lindsay
