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Review
ABSOLUTELY, STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL! ♥ ♥ ♥
Priscilla Glenn takes us on yet another breathtaking, emotional journey. I laughed, I swooned, I cried sobbed, and I fell in love – and I loved every freaking minute of it! Leah and Danny’s story is absolutely amazing. They are incredible characters – I love them individually and I love them together, and from the very beginning, I knew that this book was going to be something very special. So prepare for much gushing!
Leah is wary of relationships after having her heart broken two years ago in a bad relationship. She has avoided men since then, but when she meets Danny, and the two of them develop a bond, she finally feels ready to risk her heart for a chance with him.
Things are easy and comfortable between them right from the very beginning. Obviously there is attraction there, and the banter is absolutely sensational.
“You have dimples when you smile.”
“Yes, I’m aware,” he laughed.
When Leah didn’t respond, he said, “So, was there a point to that comment, or were you just stating the obvious?”
She kept her eyes on her salad as she continued to cut. “Just stating the obvious, I guess.”
He laughed softly before he leaned on the table with his forearms. “Dimples turn you on.”
“What?” she scoffed.
“Oh, sorry. I thought we were still stating the obvious.”
“Oh my God,” she laughed, pointing at him with her fork. “You are cocky as hell.”
“Nah, not really. I just like it when you blush.”
But while they have a raging attraction, and effortless chemistry, Danny is hiding something. And as much as he wants Leah, he tries to protect her from his secret, and things become complicated. But Leah is not to be deterred, and I loved her confidence in letting Danny knows how she feels, and pretty soon Danny is powerless to resist.
“Right.” Leah laughed as she sat back against the headboard. “Because in your current condition, I’m sure you would rock my world.”
… “Believe me, if given the opportunity to rock your world, there isn’t a hangover in existence that would prevent me from getting the job done thoroughly”
I love the development of this relationship. From friends with incredible chemistry, there is a sensational build-up to an amazing, all-consuming love. They are funny, they tease, and it’s the kind of relationship where every little glance, and every little touch is significant. Seriously, the first time they held hands I squeed out loud and almost had to fan myself! Let alone their first kiss! And I also have to say that this book contains one of the most heart-felt love scenes I have ever read! My heart was pounding at the intensity and absolute beauty of such a very special moment. The emotion that Glenn pours into these characters and the way they are with each other is just astounding!
I thought the set up to the story was original and intriguing. Watching Danny struggle with a secret so obviously important kept me guessing during the first part of the book. And when all is revealed, it just made me even more excited for the story to come. It’s unique, and it provides some fantastic challenges for Danny and Leah to face, and I loved watching them deal with everything that they went through. Their reactions were realistic, and understandable, and once again, the high level of emotion was maintained throughout.
“When you love someone, you don’t bail when it gets hard. That’s when you stay the most.”
Oh Danny… how I love you! This is the kind of guy that could turn any woman (myself included) into a big pile of goo – or, as Leah puts it, “a besotted, quivering pile of easy. He’s funny, he’s kind, he’s loyal, and he’s got a huge heart. He is confident and strong, but not afraid to admit his vulnerabilities, and he’s also gorgeously sexy and clearly very talented in the bedroom! I fell for him pretty much instantly.
I thought Glenn did a fantastic job giving us Danny’s story. He goes through so much in this book, and watching him trying to deal with his feelings, and do what he thinks is right is both admirable and absolutely heartbreaking.
“I figured we could just be friends, you know?” His voice was low and throaty as he added, “No harm in that, right?” He shook his head as he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes before running them up through his hair. His eyes flew open, but they were bleary and unfocused. “But every time I talk to you, I like you more and more, and every time I see you…. it’s so fucking hard, Leah.”
And Leah is a fantastic heroine! She’s been through a lot, but I love her confidence and her bravery, and her ability to just pick up and keep going. She is intelligent and witty, and cares deeply for her family and friends. She is such a great match for Danny – not afraid to stand up to him and tell him when he’s being a jerk, but all the while loving and supporting him absolutely. I love her!
“The magnificence and purity of her love for him—the all-consuming force of it— could break him and heal him simultaneously. It could destroy him and piece him back together, better than he was before.”
Danny calls Leah his “sweet girl”, and the love between the two of them is absolutely incredible. There is a lot of time spent on the development of their relationship, as well as those beautiful little moments between a couple that has gushy romance readers like me swooning. And then seeing them deal with the drama, as well as some massive moments of heartache (ugly crying people… ugly, ugly crying!), showed how truly remarkable the two of them are together. And throughout it all, there is no stupid, no eye rolling, and I thought the way it all unfolded was absolutely perfect.
“Leah,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “I could suffer through anything if you were my reward.”
Despite all the heaviness, this is actually a really funny book. I laughed out loud a number of times – not just at Leah and Danny’s banter, but also the antics of their friends and family, and the snappy dialogue between them all. The side characters in this book are fantastic! Leah’s family, and her two best friends are funny, supportive, and exactly the kind of people you would want at your back in any situation. And Danny’s friends are rude, crude, and utterly hilarious.
“Do whatever you gotta do. Go fuck that girl six ways from Sunday.”
Danny laughed, trying to keep his hand steady as he glanced up. “I hope you have a daughter one day.”
Jake’s face dropped. “Dude, fuck you, that’s not even funny.”
This book is absolute perfection! The writing is tight, emotive, and beautifully poetic, the story is well paced, the characters are fantastic, but realistically flawed, and it’s all set against an interesting and unique situation that was handled really well. And, of course, it’s an incredible love story that had me weeping with both devastation and happiness.
“I need you,” he said hoarsely. “I need you, Leah.”
“I’m yours,” she promised. “Always.”
My only complaint is that I wanted more. I didn’t want Danny and Leah’s story to end, and I know that this is a book that is going to stay with me for a long time.
I absolutely adored it – 6 sensational stars.