Review: The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

Title: The Vincent Boys
Author: Abbi Glines

Published: Oct 12, 2011

Find: Goodreads | Amazon UK

Compared to the amount of paranormal and fantasy books I read, contemporary or realistic fiction is not an area I delve into all that often. When I do choose to read a book in the genre, it has nearly always been a moving, heartfelt story – not anything like The Vincent Boys. In fact, the cover for this book is enough to tell me that this book and I are not meant to be. A lollipop and bright green font? Yeah…not me at all. Strange thing was that I actually wanted to read this book. I will admit, the description didn’t excite me, but the gushing, positive reviews most certainly did. If anything, it sounded like a light-hearted fun book that could put a smile on my face. And, quite honestly, I was intrigued by this Beau character. I just had to find out why he had such a fanbase… 

Let’s just say, I understand now. I completely get why Beau has so many girls weak at the knees, because he has unquestionably had the same effect on me. First impressions of the so-called Vincent Boys weren’t too great admittedly, but I soon found myself falling for both Beau Vincent AND Sawyer Vincent. 

I’ll start with Beau. First of all, I don’t actually know how to say that name, but it sounds pretty hot whichever way I approach it. Beau is pretty hot. A different kind of hot to what I am used to, but hot nonetheless. He was teetering on the edge of my fence at first. As a character, he was very close to falling into the ‘major jerk’ side, but thankfully he landed in the right spot after a few chapters. Once I got over his less-than-admirable behaviour towards his girlfriend (he was using her, there’s no other way to look at it) I soon let myself warm to the good parts of his character – assets that make themselves more known to the reader as the story progresses. He was genuinely hilarious, while at the same time showing he had the ability to really care for Ash, the female protagonist. Soon I found myself swooning on every other page and seriously wishing Beau was real. And older. And preferably mine. ;) 

When I wasn’t lusting after Beau, I found myself being strangely drawn towards Sawyer. I really do mean strange, as I’m not quite sure why I like him. He has less of a presence in the book than Beau but I grew fond of him anyway. Or perhaps it was just sympathy I felt for him? I did certainly feel sorry for him, and nervous too. I felt nervous for the majority of the story actually – a precarious love triangle like the one weaved together in this book is bound to accumulate to a sticky situation. Funnily enough, my appreciation for both boys convinced me that – dare I say it? – I liked the love triangle. I liked it a lot. 

Throughout the book, I was either cringing or grinning from ear to ear. Most scenes were entertaining, steamy, and generally fun to read. Others…not so much, unfortunately. Very occasionally, my attention wavered, especially when Ash was alone, thinking – you know, being the narrator. I can’t say I liked her very much. I can’t say I liked her at all, to be honest. Perhaps a story of cheating and secrets is not for me, but I couldn’t appreciate her one bit. When her grandmother passed away, I expected something more from Ash, anything more really, than being fixated on the predicament that she was dragging herself into deeper. 

Other than that, and a few moments of wishing the writing was more skilled, The Vincent Boys proved to be a pretty entertaining and sort-of addictive read. I may not have appreciated the story as such, but I did thoroughly love the two boys and enjoyed the charming romance between Ash and Beau. I only wish the romance had developed in a different situation. Regardless, I have high hopes for the sequel and can’t wait to read it. Hopefully it will be just as enjoyable, if not more. 

Rating: 3.5 stars