Declare - Book Review

By Michelle Irwin

Synopsis

Fly down the straight, fight for first, and keep the end in sight.

In Declan Reede’s mind, the road ahead is free of doubt and indecision. He knows the path that he wants to travel, and that it can only be traversed with love at his side. He’s ready for it. Wants it.

Only, as he races toward the finish line, old adversaries become new threats. Declan must overcome the past and face the challenges head on if he’s to claim the life he now believes he deserves.

What will it take for him to declare his true desires?
Will it be enough to claim the ultimate victory?

Review

With DECLARE, we have gladly and sadly reached the end of Declan Reede’s untold story, and what a story it was. We’ve seen Declan, a teen who thought he knew what he wanted in life, turn into a young piece of shit that you wanted to kick in the nuts, who then grew up to become an honourable family man. His wild days are over and we see a man whose idea of a perfect night is one spent with his family. Although he’s changed, there are still some elements of the old Declan to be seen here and there, and thank god for that. His cockiness is a big part of who he is and I’m happy to see that he retained some of it, despite his personal growth.

What can I say about DECLARE? The beginning had me crying. The bachelorette stripper scene had me laughing. The wedding reception speeches had me cringing and furious on Declan’s behalf. And the ending? Well, the ending was perfect. There’s also a wonderful epilogue that is set six years in the future and briefly shows what Declan and Alyssa have been up to. I felt there were a few things we needed closure on, such as his mum, his dad and his therapy. Apart from Alyssa and racing, they all played a big part in all four books, so I was a little disappointed that those parts were never finalised. But other than that, I enjoyed reading DECLARE as much as I enjoyed reading all books in the Declan Reede series.

So is this the last we’ll hear of Declan and Alyssa? Maybe not. PHASE (The Untold Story # 5) is scheduled for release in August 2016 and will be about their daughter, Phoebe.