Mad Love by Colet Abedi | Rating: ★★★☆☆

"When I was growing up my parents always told me never to talk to strangers, and here I am, about to sleep with one."

I received this novel during a Goodreads giveaway and was firstly quite surprised to see just how short it actually was. Based on the description as well as various reviews I’ve seen, it sparked my interest and promised to show me a juicy romance with a perfect (and stunning) setting. And how cute is its cover? I mean, really?! Totally cute and oh, what I wouldn’t give to be in such a paradise. I mean really, who doesn’t want an escape?

As you probably could guess this is a romance/new adult novel and if that isn’t your cup of tea (or if you’re still a little nugget!) this isn’t recommended for you. Mad Love’s plot starts off right away with our virginal narrator and her two best friends (who are happily together) spending a large chunk of change on a vacation that promises relaxation, fun and a ton of beautiful scenery. This comes after the lead quits law school, dumps her boring fiance and needs an escape.

Enter exotic getaway, potential (hot) mysterious male lead and endless possibilities.


I’d firstly like to say there are many flaws in the male love interest that may be triggering and not pleasant for many readers. He is quite pushy and possessive and the stereotypical alpha male. I suppose, for the genre, this is common and fans will eat it up and consider him to be a major turn on. There’s something, for some people, that is just so intriguing about being dominated.

This is a major turn off for some readers, however. And that is definitely something I understand — men who act like Clayton can zero in on creepy and disturbing really quickly. As a feminist, a majority of his actions made my skin crawl and I didn’t quite like the instalove that blossomed from lust.

With that being said, our main character, Sophie, was able to acknowledge that she shouldn’t be drawn to a man who acted in such manners and managed to acknowledge the flaws in their budding romance. Which I did appreciate, but there were many occasions throughout the story where I wanted her to just walk away from Clayton and spend the rest of her trip with her adorable friends Erik and Orie.

I wouldn’t mind knowing what happens next in Sophie’s life, but I don’t think this is a book that I’ll reread countless times. Mad Love ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and I admit that I am a curious person when it comes down to how a characters stories ends so I will be reading any sequels.

Although there were many aspects that bugged me in the story, it wasn’t a total waste of time — it was dramatic, steamy and had all the qualities of a beach read to fill up your romantic fantasies and daydreams. If you’re into that.

At the end of the day, my favorite parts of the story weren’t between Sophie and Clayton. Aside from the gorgeous setting, I really found myself interested in the few scenes between Erik, Orie and Sophie. They have a lovely friendship that I’d like to know more about and personally, I’d love to see more of Erik and Orie’s romance. Both of these two males were the novels biggest saving grace.

I mean seriously: OTP!

If you’re looking for something light to read and fantasize about, this is the book for you. If you’re looking for a steamy and angsty romance and often catch yourself fantasizing about a dark, mysterious (and hot) man who wants to make love to you and spoil you — this is absolutely for you.