Combust (The Wellingtons, #1)

Tessa Teevan

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Expected August 19, 2014
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After years of being called a tease and then being labeled the Virgin Queen, Andi Kane decides that when she goes off to college, she's ready to ditch the labels. She's grabbing the bull by its horns and riding as wild as she can. 

Andi Kane is taking on college and ready to try new things. She is leaving behind her small town where she was always talked about and almost suffocated by expectations. Cohen Wellington is also a college freshman focused on his goals. But when he sees the red headed girl at a party, he does not realize just how much she will change his life.

They immediately hit it off and truly connect on many levels especially through music. They share one "almost, but not quite perfect" night  and set themselves up for some miscommunication, misunderstandings, regret, and hurt feelings. They just could not seem to stay connected. Their timing was way off and they were both eighteen and a bit naive. They were each other's "one that got away".

Three years later, fate and chemistry (well, really her chemistry class) puts them back in each other's paths again. Their intense attraction and interest is still there, but so are their fears and insecurities. But they have history, a witty rapport, share common interests, and a magnetic pull and sexual tension that draws them together. 

"Call it fate, kismet, destiny, I never believed in any of those things until you. And I know it's soon, but I couldn't go another day without you knowing how I feel." 

I adored Cohen...ADORED! From the cute, sweet, slightly awkward, funny eighteen old science nerd to the confident, sexy, cocky, witty twenty-one year old. I completely loved him. His internal recognition that Andi was important even when he was such a young man was so sweet and endearing. My heart broke for him at times and I found myself wanting to hug the poor guy. He had such a romantic heart and felt deep. He just got confused and lost inside his own head at times. He could be mature and he could also be impulsive, and sometimes that got him in trouble. 

"Without you, there's no music in my life. Please don't make me live a life in silence."

The Wellington brothers are very different but each is fascinating, sexy, and intense. We saw Knox Wellington go from an embittered, damaged man to one totally besotted by Charlie in Incinerate. We have also met selfish, bad boy Branson who was so competitive that he not only changed the course of his brother's life, but also nearly destroyed their whole family and ended up damaging himself. (He will be the subject of the next Wellington book Conflagration) And now the youngest, Cohen who cares for them both and was sometimes caught in the middle. He is generally a lovable, positive guy, but still has enough sex appeal and attitude to be attractive and charismatic. I loved getting more with Knox and Charlie and seeing more with their progression. And also checking in with Branson, who is kind of a mess at this point. I also enjoyed Andi's friends and room mates Reese, Cy, and Teddy. They all added fun and drama to the mix.

"Hey, I said try. We're Wellington men, after all. We're bound to screw things up one way or another, but as long as they know you're trying, the apologizing part is a little bit easier."

Tessa Teevan always pulls me right into her stories and has created characters that have faults and make mistakes, but also have so much heart and are so likable(even when you kind of want to shake some sense into them). They story lines are interesting and emotions run deep. This one was more of a NA story vs. the struggling ex-Military or really damaged people we have come to expect from her, but it was no less powerful or enjoyable.  It was engaging, sweet, funny, romantic, frustrating, heart breaking, tension filled, and emotional. It was told in both Andi and Cohen's points of views and I felt everything they did.

"...When there's a song in your heart, you can't help but let it out. And Ruby, you're the lyric to the only song that's been beating within me since the moment I met you."

This can easily be read as a stand-alone since it is the first book in the spin-off Wellingtons series. But I recommend reading at least Incinerate (Explosive#2) to get more background about Knox and Charlie's earlier relationship and get to know more indepth about all of the Wellington brothers and their family drama. I have loved each book in these series and the stories are connected with either the characters being friends or related. But each book has a different vibe. The characters and their stories are all unique, complicated, and enthralling. And the deep connections between them just add more to each additional story. So I recommend them all. I absolutely cannot wait for the next Wellington book Conflagration with Branson and more from other friends in the Explosive series too.

From a one night stand gone wrong, neither Andi Kane nor Cohen Wellington will ever be the same again. Three years later, that connection that started forming (before anything physical happened) is still pulling them towards one another. 

When we met Cohen in Incinerate, he was Knox’s little brother, and as such, everyone’s little brother. But this time he is the focus and he is no longer a “little” brother. I loved him from start to finish. As a chemistry major, Cohen is focused on his future. In high school he was the science nerd, and that persona has followed him to college as well, despite his roommate’s efforts to expand his horizons. 

Andi was such a fun character to read. Even before she knew what she wanted to major in, she knew who she was and what she wanted. Leaving her small town behind, and the reputation she had developed in high school, she was looking forward to not having to worry about what others were saying about her. 

And behind it all, was her love of music. There are some great musical details woven throughout the story, from Andi and Cohen’s first meeting, to the years apart, and their re-introduction. I love when a music reference makes me look up unfamiliar bands and songs, as well as when bigger titles are included. This one had both in perfect balance. 

From the very beginning I loved both Andi and Cohen. These two are strong individuals and perfect together. Yes, they make some pretty big mistakes when they first meet which sets the stage for the major plot arch, and even when they are making those mistakes I loved them. I wanted to yell at them to stop and listen, but then it would have been a much shorter book, and wouldn’t have had the impact it did either. 

I didn’t think I like Teddy in the beginning. He seemed the stereotypical fraternity douche. But there were some key scenes when Andi and Cohen were reconnecting that made me rethink my feelings for Teddy, and ultimately I ended up loving him and his character. 

The timeline overlaps Incinerate a little bit, but the overlapping scenes have a completely different feel from Cohen and Andi's perspectives rather than Knox or Charlie's. I loved that we got to see those family scenes again, this time learning what Cohen was going through. And Branson? He's still a mess. And I can't wait to see what has him all twisted up and what it will take to get him sorted.

Combust continually surprised me. Andi and Cohen were on a roller coaster ride filled with chemistry, connection, chances, and choices, and the consequences of all. While parts of the story had been hinted at in Incinerate, the complexity in the details completely makes the story. This is a second chance story, a once in a lifetime meeting, and a case of miscommunication all wrapped up in one beautiful story.