“An epic tale of growth and love and family – a truly great read!” Christy A.“A perfect second chance romance.” Melanie“Keith is probably one of the funniest, irreverent, and sarcastic characters I have ever read.” – Cali Gals Blog-A love story that survives the test of time.-Keith McKallister is the king of the stoners. You know the type. Every school has one – the hot, fun, dopey guy beloved by … hot, fun, dopey guy beloved by the student body but despised by, well, just about everyone else. He spends his early mornings in the ocean and his days trying to get to class on time. Life is as easy as it gets until one poor choice too many catches up with him and he’s forced to reevaluate his path.
Samantha Anderson sits in the front row. You know the type. Every school has one – the quiet, faceless, studious girl who fears the taunts of her peers and fades into the background. Life has never been simple for Samantha, and it’s about to get a little more complicated when Keith slides into the seat beside her with a partnership plan designed for his benefit only. But what Keith brings to the table is more than either of them could imagine.
Sometimes the person you least expect to make a difference will change your life forever. Sometimes the person you love the most might be better off without you.
*Although a part of the Cake Series, this book can be read as a standalone.
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WOW!!! I listened to this Audiobook and it was absolutely amazing!! Andi & Alex did a phenomenally perfect job as Samantha & Keith. This Cake series is one of my favorite book series! The way all the stories intertwine at that moment in time that was so pivotal for all of them is a testament to the amazing writing of J. Bengtsson!! The emotion wove its way around me from the beginning and never let go.
Oh Keith McKallister, you adorably sweet stoner with the pirate hair. I’ve been waiting for your story for forever and it certainly did not disappoint. Spanning over many years, Keith’s story is at times funny, heartbreaking and poignant and I never wanted it to end. Samantha was the perfect person to put in Keith’s path. Although they stray off that path a bit, the end of their story was incredibly satisfying!!
Bravo!!
I think I found my favorite Cake Series couple. Don’t get me wrong. I love Jake & Casey, Kyle & Kenzie, &Emma & Finn. But Sam & Keith are epic! They have the cutest beginning. Stoner falls for the good girl. But as always there is more than an appearance shows. Sam & Keith are two of the strongest characters I think I have ever read. Life hasn’t been always good to them, especially Sam. They are what each other needs, no matter how bad they try and screw it up. I was rooting for them the whole time. And I was falling in love with them. When they broke each other, I broke. When they healed each other, I healed. This was a beautiful story that I am keeping close to my heart. These narrators were the perfect voices to bring them to life. All I kept thinking was this was really Sam & Keith telling me their story. I also enjoyed seeing a look into Jake’s stardom. In each story we learn a little bit more about Jake and his trauma and his rock star career. This story showed us from the big brother view of Keith. I enjoyed it so much. I can’t wait for more in this series. I hope it comes soon. I am already feeling the withdrawal.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Samantha Anderson can’t believe her luck. Keith McKallister seems to have a laissez faire attitude. This is one book that may have you remembering your school days. I liked that the author didn’t give us those people that seem picture perfect. They both have issues and seem so polar opposite but this is what’s good about fiction.
What was sad about the beginning was how Samantha didn’t feel as if she deserved catching the eye of someone who could be considered good looking. But it was nice to see that she had a friend that gives her words of encouragement. It was interesting to watch Keith get under her skin and go about changing her mind.
When I first met Keith he had me thinking that this could be an updated version of Grease – minus the music. But instead of Danny Zuko think Pedro De Pacas from Up In Smoke. There will be funny moments but there are serious ones as well. There comes a time when reality sets in and it shows how quickly our lives can change. With everything going on in the news lately, there’s a sense of reality to the story. We all process pain differently but it’s how things come out in the end that turned this into the moment where I couldn’t turn away. It’s a story that will break your heart. It will also bring tears to your eyes so it might be in your best interest to have tissue close at hand. The last thing it will do is get you addicted to the series.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Why have I not read a J Bengtsson book yet? Seriously, why have her books not been on my radar?
I am awed by this author. Her writing squeezes out every bit of emotion possible from her readers.
This was a tremendous book with tons of feel. From exquisite highs to heartbreaking lows, you will laugh, fall in love and maybe even shed a tear or two.
This is the story of Samantha and Keith. Their fight to overcome the labels that have defined them and their self-doubts.
Keith was funny and cute throughout the book. From teenager to adult he is adorably sexy but he has so many demons to fight. It was heartbreaking to see him fall over and over again.
Samantha is not without her own demons. But she is strong and resilient.
These two together? My god , I was cheering them on all the way! My heart dropped during everyone of their trials. I’ve never met a couple who deserve their HEA more!
I am more than ecstatic that I had the chance to read this book. When I read the blurb, I was intrigued. As I delved further and further into this story, I was captivated and enthralled. Amazing! It will keep you on your toes and at the edge of your seat. I devoured this story full of heartbreak, love and laughter.
I now have an absolute need to read the previous books in this series. I need to know the remaining siblings’ stories!
I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Anything Jill writes just sucks you in and Keith and Sam’s story is no different. Loved it. Who would have thought that a stoner boy would be a hero.
Rogue Wave tells the story of Keith and Samantha, but in two parts. The first half taking place in High School before Keith’s brother Jake is kidnapped and has a very young adult feel, and the second half of the novel takes place after Jake’s kidnapping and is most definitely a second chance adult romance novel. The combined story takes the reader on such an emotional journey. We’ve read about the kidnapping from Jake’s view point (Cake), but now we see how it affected Keith and how his choices drew him further from happiness.
I don’t recall ever reading a romance that 1) revolved around a main character who was a stoner and 2) where I really liked him. Even though Keith made bad choice after bad choice, he was so dang likable! Typically, I’m not comfortable with stories that revolve around drugs, drug problems, et. al. However, there was just something about Keith that made me want to see his story to its conclusion and root for him. Another surprising element was that even though Sam was the love of his life, she was not written in the role of savior. That made me like this story even more because it made it so real. Just as in real life, for them to finally be happy Keith would have to find his own way out of addiction and do it for himself. The question was, did I want to read that story? Yes, I really did.
Sam also had a lot of growing up to do. Not quite in the same way as Keith, as she wasn’t fighting an addiction to drugs, but she was fighting insecurity, problems at home, and the sudden suicide of her older brother. Also serious subjects! The fact that they found each other and could see through their outer shells to the good people within was pretty amazing. Sam had a very strong moral compass despite her difficult upbringing and that was a strength Keith needed in his life. Did he always choose to follow the right path? Well, you need to read the book.
There are some really great characters in the Cake series. Obviously Jake and Casey are fan favorites but Keith and Sam have found a special place in my heart. If you haven’t read the previous novels don’t read Rogue Wave until you’ve at least read the first novel, Cake. You need the background story of Jake’s kidnapping even though you get Keith’s side of it in Rogue Wave. I just think the emotional impact is stronger if you’ve read at least that first novel. BUT, if you choose not to pick up Cake I think you’ll enjoy reading about Keith and Sam. If you have triggers for drugs, suicide, mental illness, or kidnappings of small children, avoid this one. It’s a pretty emotional journey, but a very good one.
I was not prepare for Keith McKallister and Samantha Anderson’s 4.5 stars story to turn out the way it did. The least likely of pairing between the troublesome boy and the loner girl who like to keep to themselves with the exception of her best friend, Shannon. The feels were intense thanks to each of their personal back story and will have you aching for hope &/or something more for each of them.
Their first encounters back in their high school days was filled with banter and a growing bond of friendship leading to more and will have you hoping for the two of them until the unthinkable occurrences come into play. Those challenges comes with risks decisions that would make or break them. Which in turn will leave you torn on what they are constantly thrown at them.
I thought Keith’s brother, Jake story was the kicker; however, this one added more than what my mind could have planned. The read was filled with feels across the board containing intense situations that will have you aching and hurting and relationships from all angles entailing banter, fights, and lots of love for one another in their own unique ways. We also get updated snippets of each of the McKallister clan that will have you giddy with updates whether it was positive or negative. Their family bond were strong regardless of the constant challenges that this family faces.
I was loving this book. Keith and Samantha’s story is heartbreaking and full of missed opportunities. Keith especially tore my heart out and had me crying more than once. The character development was spot on and the secondary characters, some of whom we’ve met before, fill out the world wonderfully. I was all in….and then almost at the end of the book, Samantha makes such a stupid, awful decision that it almost ruined the whole story for me! GAHHH! No spoilers, but I was just so angry at her. And then Keith lets her off the hook way to easy. A fantastic book until about 83%, then you will want to scream, then it will be fine again. Still worth it to get inside Keith’s head.
I was not prepared for how much this book moved me. I’m already sensitive to high school love stories and this one touched my heart so so much because I could see and feel the characters as if they were real. I did not suffer the same way that Samantha did, but I remember being that nerdy girl once upon a time. And while I struggle with books that feature drug use, the topic was handled so deftly, sensitively, and with such realness that I didn’t have the same qualms. Keith is such a lovable, affable character – he kept me cracking up but there were also times I just wanted to shake him (or pop him upside the head) and beg him to get his ish straight. This is my first J. Bengtsson book but it won’t be my last; I definitely have to binge the first four books in the Cake series (though I’m happy that this fifth installment read fine as a standalone). The way that she dealt with tragedy, grief, family, as well as how she used time to progress Keith and Samantha’s HEA was absolutely masterful. Rogue Wave wanted to make me give my preteen self a hug (and reminded me to be that much more mindful of my young daughters as they approach this time in their lives) and it made me want to reach out to one of my brothers – who Keith reminds me of so much. And here come the tears again… 5 out of 5 wine glasses.
Keith and Samantha, their story is beautiful, a skater that wants to fit in and so it stumbles upon weed and struggles in school, then the sweet girl that has a difficult family and just wants to leave town. They get paired together and their story goes for 11 years, where they grow up, and they have to help each other. I loved that I got to see the rest of the McKallister siblings, this is a standalone but you will love to read the rest of the series. An amazing 5 star, this author is on my top favorite list and she just keeps getting better and better.
Rogue Wave was a wild ride of heavy emotions complete wipeouts. Keith MacAllister has struggled for years. During his younger years he could find escape on the waves. When that didn’t work he used that day’s drug of choice.
Only a woman can replace the rush of dragon. For Keith her name was Samantha. She became his high school sweetheart and his high. She became his ride and he taught her to ride the wave. So loved riding there wave of love, devotion, exploration. And then it happened the wave crashed taking Keith with him. He could not handle the taking of his brother. In his attempt to escape, Keith destroyed everything. When Sam needed him most; he was no where to be found. All was lost.
Years pass. Lonely and alone, Keith is clean, sober and getting his life back. Samantha has taken a different path, graduated and move back to town. She has tried and failed to move on. Living in the same town, it is only a matter of time before they cross paths. Intervention brings her back to Keith. All is wonderful, enriched with a deep love, at least for awhile.
This story was one of the wildest emotional roller coasters that I have been on in quite some time. Every time I thought life would be amazing for Keith and Samantha, the author would gut me. The characters would have all that was amazing in their lives ripped away. Their lives crumbled. My heart turned to dust. Tears fell. Hope was lost until the author too pity upon my weak emotions.
This HEA was hard one to earn. I turned pages fearing what might happen to the characters. It amazed me how much the author made me work through so much to brighten my day. The story woven reminded me that we must appreciate what we have. The story reiterated the importance of honesty and full disclosure. The story made me wanting to scream “YES, love does conquer all!”
Sometimes you just have to work harder. Keith could have given up. Keith could have crumbled under life’s little jokes. Keith could have destroyed everything. Keith rose above the challenges, and when he could have fallen into the abyss family held him strong.
I’m not quite sure why I dragged my feet in listening to this one from J Bengtsson. I think I was emotionally wrung out from the prior Cake books, and not quite ready for Keith and Sam’s story. But now that I listened, I’m sorry I didn’t listen sooner. Max and Sam’s story was emotional and gritty and took on some really serious issues like substance abuse, physical abuse, family history of mental illness, and genetic diseases. But through the whole story, the one thing that really stood out was heart. Even when Keith was at his lowest, he still tugged at your heartstrings. When Sam was emotionally drained, it tugged at your heartstrings. It gave us another side of the McAllister family’s journey that we haven’t seen in the other books. Well written, dramatic and emotional.
Andi Arndt and Alex Kydd really deliver perfect narration for Sam and Keith. I was so satisfied with their performances.
I. LOVE. THIS. SERIES.
I was so excited to get Keith’s story.
It was well worth the wait.
To finally have Keith’s piece of the McAllister family puzzle put in place is thoroughly satisfying in every way.
Sam, the book smart girl with a horrible home life, who thinks she’s just ordinary.
Keith, the beautiful surfer boy who makes bad decisions, wanting to be noticed, wanting to fit in.
Lab partners that blossomed into so much more.
Platypus dreams.
Surfing lessons.
First loves.
Tragedy.
Broken hearts.
Pain, addiction, heartbreak.
J. Bengtsson delivers Keith & Sam’s love story beautifully and delicately with the expertise I’ve come to love from her.
So many questions are finally answered and my love for Keith only grew stronger.
I listened to the audiobook – the narrators were PERFECT.
There are so many second chance romances out there that leave me questioning how a character can be forgiven for the decisions they made in the past, luckily Rogue Wave didn’t leave me unsatisfied with Keith and Sam getting a second (and third) chance. Life threw those two so many curve balls and obstacles that I couldn’t help but cheer them on through it all! J. Bengtsson has a gift for making her books so real and heartfelt that you can picture so much of it happening to people you know. The issues the characters struggle with, family love and turmoil are all a perfect combination.
Rogue Wave takes place well over a 10 year period. We get a small glimpse of Keith in middle school, which shows an insecurity that leads to poor choices. Keith was always portrayed as the fun loving and care free McAllister so watching him struggle with his issues was very eye opening. I really liked how realistic Keith’s problems were, they weren’t solved by finding love in high school. He continued to struggle through so many years, until he truly hit rock bottom and took the time to find out where his problems began and why. Sam was a closed off insecure girl who had her own family problems. The conversations between those two where hilarious and the banter was great, even from the beginning… I will forever think of Keith when I hear platypus! They helped each other grow and become stronger, until tragedy struck. I loved that we got to see yet another side to the McAllister tragedy that gets mentioned in all the books, this time from Keith’s point of view. Jakes ordeal affected each of his family members differently and J. Bengtsson really took the time to show us that.
The Epilogue at the end was a perfect spoiler! I absolutely love to see glimpses of the characters years later after all the dust has settled, and the family is just as crazy and hilarious as they have always been. This really has me chomping at the bit for Quinn’s story!
J. Bengtsson shows us more than these two finding love we see a man who feels like his life is at a crossroads. We see a story of love, laughter, heartache but mostly true love that grows through time. This is one of those books that just wowed me and definitely a series you don’t want to pass. J. Bengtsson showed her best and shined till the end. Loved it.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
I loved this book so much for so many reasons.
firstly because we get to know the main characters as teenagers and that first glance, the first feeling of love and sparkle, first everything is so great written and the instant chemistry between them it feels so real.
so many laughs out loud moments and also many more heartbroken ones.
I really loved that this book treats subjects about addiction at a teenage time as well as all the important topics later on as an adult.
Loving someone with all your heart and soul will always win your way to find happily ever after no matter the obstacles.
Rogue Wave is my first read from this new to me author and let me tell you, this book had me. To say that I went through a roller coaster of emotions is putting it mildly. You can’t help but be emotionally invested while reading this. There were a lot of laugh out loud moments, tear jerking scenes and heart warming feels. The story was very engaging, you will not be able to put it down and just keeps on flipping that page until you finished it.
It tells the story of Keith and Sam and how they deal with their own insecurities while finding that love and validation with each other. Keith is that loveable and popular slacker/stoner, skating along through school until he realizes he needs to straighten up his act if he wants to graduate senior year. He then met Sam, his Chemistry lab partner. Sam is your typical nerd shy type of girl but hides a tough personality brought by family issues. This two could never be more opposites or worlds apart, but as the saying goes, opposites attract and it couldn’t be more true in this story.
This book will make you laugh (oh my goodness, Keith will make you die laughing!), cry (I swear I bawled my eyes out through most emotionally charged scenes here), fall in love (all the feels man!) and most of all hope even when that “rogue wave” in life catches you unaware.
4.5 Stars!
I loved Rogue Wave, a Second Chance romance that starts off as a YA love story and spans eleven years before we reach the beautiful and happy ending! This moving, emotional, and beautifully written story deals with so many issues, some that were extremely painful due to the subject matter, but thanks to Keith, the MC, and his unintentionally funny banter, it never became too heavy. This is the fifth book in the Cake Series and can be read as a Standalone, although I really suggest you try the previous books first; the sibling’s stories are amazing and you’ll want to know more about the McKallister bunch!
“As long as I wore my insecurities around my neck like a shock color, I’d never be good enough, smart enough or confident enough to ever truly belong.”
When Keith McKallister transfers to a new school in the middle of 7th grade, he makes the seemingly simple, but oh so wrong, choice of what crowd to join for lunch. While he’d been a skater at his other school, this middle school group was combined with stoners and by joining their group, desperate to fit in somewhere, he makes a decision that will affect him for years to come. He soon becomes their leader and enters high school as part of the popular crowd; he has connections, and can supply his fellow classmates whatever they want to buy. After a wakeup call from his dad and the principal, Keith realizes he’ll have to make a few changes if he wants to graduate this year. And with the help of the person he least expected, Keith finally makes a right decision, to turn things around.
“This wounded girl was reactivating my brain and, like a speeding train barreling toward me, there was nothing I could do to stop it.”
Samantha Anderson is desperate to graduate with a high GPA, one that would guarantee she could attend college as far away from her mother as possible, like her brother Sullivan had done. Her father had decided he couldn’t live with his mentally unstable wife anymore and had abandoned her, and his kids too. They moved to a small beach town after her grandmother died two years ago and left her mother the house. Now a sophomore, Sam has only one friend in school, and she knew very little about Sam’s unhappy home life. And after finding out her Chemistry partner is the stoner boy, who might not graduate this year due to his grades, and could drag her GPA down, she decides to help him out. For her sake, as well as his, or so Sam tells herself.
“Damn, she made me happy. It was like we were mismatched socks in this weird static cling world.”
These two start off as unlikely friends and things quickly progress as they fall in love, but then some unbelievable and tragic incidents occur, to both of them; they’re splintered and break apart, and they don’t meet again until many years, and lovers, have gone by. Can it be too late?
“The reason I hadn’t bonded with other men wasn’t because I was cold and heartless, as Preston had suggested, but because my heart was already pledged its allegiance to another.”
4.5s
I have been on this journey with the McKallister’s from the very beginning, so I was super happy when Keith’s book was released and we got more details on his take of the family’s events and his life moving forward. This is a standalone book, and you won’t feel left out by reading it by itself, but I do recommend you start from the beginning for a fuller experience.
Keith has the same sense of humor that his brothers do, and it’s debatable if it has gotten him into more trouble than done good. What he lacks though is confidence, in himself, that he can be more than just average and make something of himself. It takes hanging with Samantha that Keith realizes maybe he can earn his diploma and graduate after all. Then the unthinkable happens to Jake, and Keith is thrown into despair with worry for his closest brother.
The stars are just not aligned for Sam and Keith, issues on both sides mean that they aren’t meant to be together at this time. Maybe sometime down the track when Keith has his demons slain and Sam is in a more productive environment, but there are plenty of twists that they need to overcome to be able find each other and their HEA.
Being a McKallister, Keith loves the banter and is very quick witted, which I love. Even though I wanted to shake him silly at times, mostly I wanted to hug him and console his heartache. And he was dealing with plenty at different stages throughout the book. Samantha, Sam or Sammy as she is getting used to being called, is the perfect companion for Keith. She didn’t let him get away with much, even if she blushed with most of his antics. I loved her transition from a shy teen to blossom into a beautiful young woman. I wanted to shake her a few times too but I could fully understand her state of mind. I will cherish the epilogue as it had every sibling in there with their significant other and the patriarchs. I’m in two minds as to what we saw here….. a complete ending to the series or is it setting up the time frame for Quinn’s book?
I love Keith and Samantha’s story. These are standalone books but you will see the other brothers and other characters in the books.
I stumbled upon Cake and fell in love instantly and needed to read them all!!!
This story brought all the emotions out.
Keith is not your average stoner kinda guy.
Love loved this story.