Another day, another giveaway and another fabulous book to share with you! I wish I was that good - to do a book and cookies a day, but as everyone knows, life doesn't always allow us to just lay around and read...how UNFAIR! But, when I do shut myself in my cookie room to read, I get to experience great stories! I have SO many to share with you...just bare with me as we make it through them all. For now....allow me to introduce If You Stay: The Beautifully Broken Series: Book 1 by Courtney Cole.
If You Stay by Courtney Cole
Synopsis:
24-year old Pax Tate is an asshole. Seriously. He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match. But he’s got his reasons.
His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count.
As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade. So he slipped far, far from it.
Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right? Wrong.
And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila. Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.
When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one…the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness.
But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it. He knows that. And he’s working on it. But is that enough to make her stay?
His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count.
As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade. So he slipped far, far from it.
Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right? Wrong.
And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila. Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.
When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one…the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness.
But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it. He knows that. And he’s working on it. But is that enough to make her stay?
Sweet Reads Review:
This book starts off like no other that I have read. Whew...heeelllloooo Very.First.Sentence! It was a huge risk for the author to take on such a topic right of the bat but she pushed through like a pro! Kudos Courtney! The drama starts from the very beginning with Pax, aka Super Asshole. His coping mechanism for dealing with the night mares of his past, including the death of his mother, and his broken relationship with his father, are drugs. One night of trying to quiet the emotional demons that haunt his brain turns for the worst, overdosing on a dark desolate highway.
Enter his blessing in disguise, Mila Hill. She, too, is dealing with her own heartbreak of losing her parents. Her release; painting. While walking back from the beach, she stumbles upon a man hanging out of the car half dead, smelling like vomit hanging on to the last thread of life. Once she saves his life, she feels drawn to him, but against her own good judgement. She's heard stories and seen his car around...the local bar, frequently. Keeping her guard up, she begins a friendship with Pax when he shows up at her art studio. They are drawn to one another, a fierce attraction of souls deep down.
Is Pax worth the risk of breaking down her walls of trust? Is Mila worth cleaning up his life? As they both travel down the road of uncertainty together, they must begin to trust one another. Pax finally decides to see a counselor to figure out his terrible nightmares and become sober. What is revealed hits him to his very core. Mila is equally shocked...as was I! Once realized, I was so worried he would fall back into his old lifestyle and not continue through the healing process. I don't want to give anymore away, but the healing process of things can suck! Although it was hard to read through, I really appreciated the realm of reality of this. Too often do you read a book, tragedy strikes hard and the next day the characters are back to normal, acting like nothing needs to be worked through. THANK YOU Courtney for being a realist on this one! Drug addiction is real, and ugly and hurtful. You wrote about it beautifully, if there ever was such a thing.
These two characters really stuck with me. Pax, the swoon-worthy asshole, and Mila, the angel that lifts his spirit into wanting to be so much more. Watching them grow and work through their brokenness together and individually was hard, but so rewarding in the end. I had so many emotions during this book, so for that, Thank You Courtney!
Disclaimer: Suitable for 18+ due to sex, drug use, language and violence.
Rating:
(Like my new new "cookie stars"? I will use these to rate...1-5 "cookies" I have the best hubby EVER!)
Now you know this wouldn't be complete without me inticing you with some cookies, so here ya go! Another great giveaway of a signed paperback with book themed cookies!
Coming up next......drum roll please!!! The Perfect Game by J. Sterling Who's ready for some Jack F'n Carter?
I went in to this book completely blind, not knowing what it was about, not reading any reviews beforehand and not knowing that she was about to drop a hammer of a cliffhanger on me by the next day! LOL I FELL IN LOVE!!!
So you know what that means...it's "Giveaway the Goods Day"!
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is based on the premise of Imprinting, yes, that was in Twilight, but Shelly
blossomed a whole new concept into the world of paranomal with her idea. The
imprint between Caleb and Maggie is absolutley breathtaking, magical, even. The
love story she writes for them is one that every woman in the world would die
for, and for Maggie and Caleb, without one another, they potentially could. She
introduces us to the world of Virtuoso, or Aces, as they are commonly called.
Her ingenious use of various super powers makes this story fresh and keeps it
very interesting. I found myself wishing I was an Ace so I could hear peoples'
thoughts! LOL
. You WON'T be disappointed!