{ARC Review} Before You Break by Christina Lee
Labels:
5 Stars,
ARC,
Book Review,
Christina Lee,
Contemporary Romance
·
Title: Before You Break
Series: Between Breaths #2
Author: Christina Lee
Published: 18th Feb 2014
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC provided via Netgalley for fair & honest review
Rating: 5/5
BLURB:
A sexy, emotional New Adult romance about a bad boy on the edge and a good girl about to lose control…
The star catcher of the college baseball team isn't supposed to have skeletons in his closet. But Daniel Quinn is hiding a guilty past so dark he refuses to let anyone get close. Except there’s something about gorgeous, studious Ella Abrams that goes beyond the electric attraction between them—something that makes him want to open up.
Ella has suffered enough heartache and guilt to fill one of her psychology textbooks, but she keeps that part of herself hidden behind a bubbly exterior. Until she receives an anonymous call while working the suicide helpline and the voice on the other end touches something inside of her that she can’t ignore.
Soon Ella and Quinn’s physical connection heats up, even as their deep and revealing hotline talks intensify. But by the time Ella realizes that her seductive jock and her sensitive caller are the same guy, it might be too late to save him—or to stop herself from falling too far.
*A companion novel to ALL OF YOU
A Touching & Poignant Story With A Swoon Worthy Romance!
REVIEW:
The story:
This is certainly a very intense and emotional story. Quinn is struggling to deal with the pain and guilt from a tragedy years earlier, and is living a life he never really wanted. He's confused and alone and calls in a desperate moment calls a helpline after contemplating suicide. On the other end of the line is Ella, and over several phone calls they build a connection, with Ella helping him learn how to forgive himself and heal.
Meanwhile at college, Ella and Quinn, begin a new friendship, unaware their paths have already crossed. As they get to know one another the heat and attraction between them is undeniable and they embark on a intense and emotional romance. However when they discover their unlikely connection, will it bring them closer together or break them apart forever?
The characters:
Ella is an incredibly compassionate and caring character. She's had such a terrible loss at a young age, and through tragic circumstances, but instead of breaking down she uses it as motivation to help others. She's not perfect and does make mistakes, but that just made her all the more relatable.
Quinn is such a tortured soul and racked with guilt. He has such a low image of himself, he can't even see how incredible he really is. He doesn't feel worthy of Ella and is reluctant to become intimate with her until he can completely commit to her. He's a very genuine and kind guy, and it was so rewarding to watch him overcome his issues and forgive himself.
The romance:
The chemistry between Quinn and Ella was perfect. From their first scene together, you could feel their attraction, but it the beauty of their romance was the slow burn. It developed slowly, building their relationship with a perfect mix of sweet and steamy interactions. It was beautiful to see that the romance is kept separate from the 'healing' part of the story. Neither character's issues where resolved purely because they fall in love. They support and help one another, but ultimately they heal themselves, and for me that made their romance so much more special!
The writing:
With most books it takes at least a few of chapters for me to start to connect with the characters and their story. However within the first couple of pages I was already emotionally invested and teared up at their very first conversation. THAT is an example of how amazing Christina's writing is. I also felt she respected the very serious topic of suicide. She doesn't gloss over it or simplify it to make the subject more palatable, instead it's the centre of the story and highlights how it effects so many people is so many different ways.
FINAL WORD:
Before You Break is a touching and poignant story of heartbreak, forgiveness and the power of letting go.
CONTENT:
Sexuality: medium / some descriptive sex scenes
Violence: mild
Language: medium / some f words
Drugs & alcohol: medium / characters drink ad get drunk in one scene
Other: suicide is a major theme throughout the book
Have you read this book, or the companion novel All Of You?
What did you think?
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Beautiful Review Amy! I loved this story as well, and agree that the romance was sweet, sexy, and delivered a slow burn. I immediately became attached to the main characters as well. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series :)
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
Wow her writing does sound amazing. I am so glad to hear you connected with the characters quick. The story sounds heartbreaking and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOh wow!! I have this book and I think I will have to bump it up my list! I love when you connect to the characters early in the book. Fab review!
ReplyDeleteNaomi @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace
I really enjoyed Before You Break too! And I completely agree, I connected with Quinn and Ella at their first conversation. I can't wait for book three.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous review, Amy!
Great review! This was such a great read and you know I loved Quinn! This series just does NA right!
ReplyDeleteTeresa @ Readers Live A Thousand Lives
I hate perfect characters so Ella sounds very realistic and easy to relate to! I also find it refreshing to see the romance is kept apart of the healing aspect and that it's not love that it takes tt heal it. That's such a common theme now in NA especially and it gets tiring bc in real life that's rarely how that happens >.< I have seen a lot of great reviews on this series I'll have to add it to my TBR! :)
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