Book Review: Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I really wanted to love Scorched.

As the second book in Jennifer L. Armentrout's Frigid duology, I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this. I loved
Frigid when I first read it. Actually, Frigid was the very first new adult book I ever read. When I heard about a companion novel being released, I was so excited. Andrea and Tanner had such a complicated relationship in the first book, and I was glad to get the opportunity to see the depth of their companionship.

Scorched follows two main characters; Tanner and Andrea. In the first book, they were the best friends of Kyler and Sydney. When the group goes to a vacation in a cabin, Tanner and Andrea's relationship evolves.

The novel itself is quick and fun for about half of the novel. That part of the book is the one I really enjoyed, and it reminded me of how quickly I delved into Frigid. The story starts off with a bang and never slows down. I literally just sat down in my bed and kept on reading until I was done. As fast-paced as the novel was, I did get annoyed at times. While the plot itself was fun, it reminded me a bit too much of the first book. Andrea has a lot of issues communicating their feelings and insecurities. While it is explained throughout the book as to why, it was so infuriating to see two characters be pulled about by only themselves. Do keep in mind this is a new adult novel, so it is more promiscuous than young adult novels.

At the halfway point, the book took a turn. All of a sudden, the plot revealed itself to be deeper than what I expected, and was blown away. Though it was interesting to see how the characters dealt with Andrea's internal struggles, I just couldn't get into it. Though Armentrout handled a serious matter extremely well, I couldn't relate. I wanted a fun novel filled with  non-stop "oh my god" moments. When the book became deeper, it wasn't as fun. Though I loved Andrea and Tanner together, Andrea annoyed me when she was alone. Tanner was an amazing character; I loved him. He was such a better man than what I presumed from the first novel.

To say that I liked this book would not be a false statement. I did enjoy the story for what it was, but nonetheless, I was slightly disappointed. Scorched was not what I expected, and I think that is why I was slightly thrown off. If you loved the first book and want to know more about Andrea and Tanner, than I would recommend this to you. Just know that when you do read this novel, it is deeper than what it seems.

With that, I give this book

3 out of 5 Stars!