What is Founded on Rejection by Kat Singleton about?

I’ll only disappoint you.

That sentence should’ve deterred me from Poe Hanson—it should’ve at least kept me from falling in love with him.

The problem was, by the time he uttered those words it was already too late. He already had my heart, whether he wanted it or not.

From the moment I first saw his sad eyes and guitar-worn hands, I knew I wanted him. His darkness spoke to my darkness.

His hurt danced with my hurt. We seemed like a perfect fit.

Except for one small detail—the only thing he will ever love is music.

When he came to me offering a way I could finally have some part of him—to be friends with benefits—I knew it was dangerous, destined to fail.

I’d always need more.

But it didn’t matter. I took him in any way I could have him, knowing one day my heart would pay the price.

I didn’t expect to be anything more than friends. I didn’t foresee our damaged puzzle pieces fitting perfectly together. It didn’t occur to me that while I was handing my heart over to him; he was unknowingly doing the same.

Most of all, I never thought the scars of my past could be mended by a love that had always been founded on rejection.

Founded on Rejection is an angsty age gap romance and the fourth interconnected standalone in The Mixtape Series.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review:

I’m so excited that we finally have Lennon and Poe’s story! The book itself is a slow burn, but it’s really an extra slow burn, because these two have been having vibes for more than just this book. This is book number four in the series, and although they can be read as standalones, I highly recommend reading them in order! The second book, Founded on Temptation, is a bit of an outlier because although that couple are main characters in the first book, Founded on Goodbye, we don’t see them pop up as much throughout the other books as the other protagonists.

What’s really cool about Lennon and Poe’s story is how interconnected it is with the previous book, Founded on Deception, which is Aiden and Monica’s story. There are various scenes that appear in both books, but getting to see what else was happening at the same time, along with other glimpses into what was happening during their tour, was so awesome.

One of my favorite things about this book is Lennon’s relationship to books. Obviously, romance books aren’t talked down on in a romance book, but I really loved how Lennon talked about them. A lot of my own feelings were reflected back to me from the page in the way she connected to the stories she read (and the speed in which she made her way through them), along with how her and Poe connected over their love of stories. Him picking books for her to read and annotate so that he could catch glimpses into her mind was so sweet! (Although, no matter how much I liked a guy, I don’t think I could stand for him cracking a spine of one of my books…) It felt like a love letter to romance readers.

This is an age gap romance, which I’m not necessarily that huge of a fan of (even though Aiden and Monica’s is a similar age gap too). I can’t remember exactly how old Lennon is, but I know Poe is in his mid-thirties, and that’s a main point of contention for him throughout the book, with his character acknowledging many times (especially to himself) the power imbalance between their ages and feelings. They also both have their own past traumas to work through (TW: mentions of sexual assault are in the book), and it’s interesting to see how they navigate that alongside their feelings for each other.

Overall, I think this was a great addition to the series. I absolutely adored getting to see more of Nash and Nora together, because I think they’re just the sweetest couple! I’m pumped that Lennon finally got her time in the spotlight, and as long as Kat keeps writing books in this series, I’ll keep reading! Huge thanks to Kat and her team for allowing me to review an early copy. The book is out now on Kindle Unlimited!

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Reviews of Kat Singleton’s Books:

Founded on Goodbye (Mixtape Series #1)

Founded on Temptation (Mixtape Series #2) – ARC

Founded on Deception (Mixtape Series #3) — ARC

Holden (Hot Boy Summer Anthology) — ARC

Playlists of Kat Singleton’s Books:

Founded on Goodbye (Mixtape Series #1) ♪

Founded on Temptation (Mixtape Series #2) ♪

Founded on Deception (Mixtape Series #3) ♪