We Are Us, an all-new, suspenseful and emotional second chance love story from Tara Leigh is available now!

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Blurb

I fell in love with a beautiful, broken boy.
His whispered words of love were the sweetest of lies.
He gave me his heart and destroyed mine.
I am his.

I fell in love with the beautiful man who broke me.
His boldly spoken vow was the cruelest of cages.
He gave me his name and destroyed my soul.
He is mine.

The boy I once loved is now a man.
The man I once loved is now gone.
We are us.

I have been called many things.
Victim. Survivor. Daughter. Sister. Wife.
Now I am called something else.
Murderer.

Believe it or not, this is our love story.

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Review

3.5 stars

OMG, this book! I went in blind not really knowing what to expect, and I highly recommend you do the same. It’s the story of a brave young woman dealing with a very difficult life and a series of real, heartbreaking situations. Interwoven throughout is a heart-clutching love story that had me catching my breath on multiple occasions. It’s angsty and dramatic, and it kept me completely captivated.

We meet Poppy as a young but brave 13 year old. She has had a difficult childhood and has had to step up to care for her family in heartbreaking circumstances. The only joy she experiences is with a boy that she meets in the woods behind her house – together they find peace, contentment and, ultimately, love. They were it for each other, throwing themselves whole-heartedly into a romance that will shape both of their futures. But life didn’t turn out the way they planned, spiralling Poppy into a journey that will test her in ways she never imagined.

“I believe in you, Poppy. And I believe in us, too. We all have… stuff we keep hidden from view. If you didn’t have yours and I didn’t have mine – maybe we wouldn’t be here, together. But you do, and I do, and we are<>.
… Our past is an engine, not an anchor. It’s what will drive us forward, not what holds us back.”

I won’t go into detail, because it’s best you just experience it all as it unfolds, but prepare your heart! I thought I was prepared. I wasn’t. There was ugly crying, and my heart literally hurt! It’s not always easy reading, but it’s realistic, it’s understandable and it will bring the feels!

The prologue sets us up with an ominous tone that is cast over the whole book. It’s set in the present, and we then go back in time, meeting Poppy as a 13 year old, and we follow her life back to present day. Through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, we get to see it all, all the time knowing what is coming and wondering just how we’re going to get there.

“I tried to rescue you once before. This time, I hope you’ll let me.”

It’s not all dark misery and depression though. This is ultimately a love story and there are some absolutely beautiful moments in this story that had me smiling and clutching my heart in swoony bliss. The romance is beautifully written, and it ties in so beautifully to Poppy’s story.

“You’re the only one who’s ever claimed a piece of my heart. And you still have it, even now.”

I admit though, that I wanted more. Actually, I needed more. With all that unfolds during the book, I needed more of the love story to bring balance to the story.

I am his and he is mine and we are us.
I am hers and she is mine and we are us.
We are us.

This book is written entirely in Poppy’s POV, and while I’m a big fan of mulit-POV books, in this case it works really well as a single. We get to see all that Poppy is dealing with, we understand the decisions she makes based on what she is faced with, and even though the reader won’t always agree with her actions, you can’t help but feel for her as we get right to the heart of her. She is flawed and she is broken, but she is also incredibly strong, and we get to watch her grow and change over the course of her story, and it’s wonderfully written.

I really enjoyed this book. I was in the mood for a read with an intense romance that would really get my emotions churning, and this one certainly delivered. Angsty and dramatic with some great twists and turns, it was different from what I was expecting, but I enjoyed the unpredictability of it, and I loved Poppy’s journey.

3.5 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Excerpt

“Close your eyes.”

I slant a curious look at Gavin, taking in his kiss-swollen lips and flushed skin, his untamable mop of hair and the blaze of excitement lighting up the blue of his corneas.

Gavin squeezes my hand reassuringly as I do what he’s asked, then slowly walks me the remaining few steps toward our cave. Without vision, my other senses are heightened. The cry of birds sounds closer, like they are perched just overhead instead of on branches thirty or forty feet above. The bite of the breeze on my skin is sharper, each gust sending a chill racing along already sensitive nerve endings. The smell of ripe earth and rich evergreen and the clean, bracing scent of Gavin himself is downright intoxicating, my head swimming as I pull breaths deep into my lungs.

Most of all, the moonstone pendant laying against my collarbone is making my chest tingle, my heart fluttering against my ribcage.

“Okay, open them.”

I do, immediately gasping in surprise at what Gavin’s done to our little cave.  There are candles burning and scattered rose petals—no, poppy petals—and a basket filled with drinks and snacks. A pile of blankets and pillows.

“You did all this for me?” I ask, my voice sounding whispery and weird.

I feel whispery and weird.

I’ve never had a birthday like this. I’ve never even imagined a birthday like this.  First the necklace and now, seeing the lengths Gavin has gone for me…

Beneath the surface of my skin, I’m a chaotic mess of emotions. I don’t know what to say, how to act. This is unchartered territory for me.

“Of course,” he says, as if it’s nothing. But it’s not nothing. It’s everything.

Before I dissolve into a teary puddle, Gavin reaches into his pocket and pulls out a deck of cards. “You taught me how to play gin rummy—how about I teach you to play poker?”

A strangled laugh leaves my throat. “I think that’s fair.”

We sit down and Gavin spends a few minutes going over the basics of the game before dealing out the cards. It’s not as easy as gin rummy, but I get the hang of it after a few rounds.

And when Gavin lifts a mischievous brow and asks, “Want to make things interesting?” I know exactly what he’s doing. Not just poker. Strip poker.

And that’s when I realize just how much planning went into tonight. Beyond buying me an expensive present. Beyond pimping out our cave. Gavin found a way to make my first time—our first time—a mix of old and new. An experience evoking our past and celebrating our future.

I’ve imagined the night Gavin and I would finally go all the way a million times.  But I’d only focused on the physical aspects. Would it hurt? Will there be blood? What if I do it wrong?

It never crossed my mind that he would take such care with… everything.

But, of course, it should have.

Gavin Cross is one of a kind.

And he’s mine.

About the Author

Tara Leigh is a multi-published author of steamy contemporary romance. A former banker on Wall Street, she graduated from Washington University and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, but she much prefers spending her days with fictional boyfriends than analyzing financial spreadsheets. Tara currently lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut with her husband, children, and fur-baby, Pixie. She is represented by Jessica Alvarez, of Bookends Literary Agency.

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