Title: Before You Break (Between Breaths Book #2)
Author: Christina Lee
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
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
Have you read the first book in the series, All of You? Check out my review.
Title: All of You (Between Breaths Book #1)
Author: Christina Lee
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Avery has just met her hot upstairs neighbor. He’s irresistible. Tattooed. And a virgin.
Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she’s perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother’s bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.
When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won’t accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.
Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.
So she needs to make a choice—let Bennett go or finally let him in.
And I cannot wait for the third book – Rachel’s book!
Title: Whisper to Me (Between Breaths Book #3)
Author: Christina Lee
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 20, 2014
A hot and consuming New Adult romance about a wayward musician and the one girl who keeps him grounded…
At college, Rachel has a reputation for being a sarcastic flirt with a thing for star athletes. No one at school knows that she’d had her heart ripped to shreds by her high school sweetheart, who’d driven them both off the side of the road on a borrowed motorcycle, and then abandoned her. No one knows the real Rachel Mattson—except one person…
Ever since he helped nurse his sister’s feisty best friend back to health, pierced bass player Kai Nakos has been head over heels in love. But the supposed bad boy can’t risk letting Rachel know the truth—especially now that the two of them are back in their hometown for the summer, together for the first time since the months following that fateful night. Never mind that Rachel’s ex is back, groveling for her forgiveness.
Shaken by her ex’s return, Rachel finds herself turning to the one guy she knows she can trust. Kai is willing to hide his feelings for her, just to have Rachel touch him again. After all, this is only a temporary fling. Until it becomes something more. But maybe it had been more all along.
At the theater, we bought popcorn, Milk Duds, and large sodas. After we settled in our seats in the crowded room, I opened the box of chocolate caramel confections and dumped them in the large tub.
Before You Break by Christina Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*
4 “Tall boy” Kisses
Wow…Christina Lee totally got me again. Just shot straight through my heart with all these feelings, had me over the moon in love with these characters and completely blew me away with the story line. Before I get ahead of myself…Before You Break is the second book in the Between Breaths series. If you haven’t read All of You…I highly recommend it because…it’s an awesome book and your introduction to these characters…but each book can be read as a standalone and doesn’t have to be read in order.
Gabriella Abrams…Ella…sweet, beautiful, kind Ella. Just like with Avery, I found myself really attached to Ella, but for different reasons…she’s more quite and reserved than her best friend, but that in no way diminished my pull to her. She has this gentleness about her…even though she grew up surrounded by brothers and playing video games…it’s a wonder she turned out as girly as she did! But Ella is also sad…and a little broken. She lost her younger brother Christopher to suicide…and she carries that loss with her daily. She has dealt with the guilt that she originally felt, but it’s a daily struggle and her pain is so tangible. She’s a Psychology major and incredibly smart and compassionate and using what she knows to help others by working at a suicide prevention hotline…in her own way trying to save others from having to suffer like her brother did. And without even trying…she saved Quinn.
“Why did you come up here, Ella?”
“Because,” I whispered. I reached out and traced my thumb along his full bottom lip. I had no idea what I was doing, just that I was desperate to touch him.
A quiet growl emerged from the back of his throat and all at once he backed me against the door. “Tell me why.”
“I…I don’t know.” Suddenly I was scared. Of my desire for him. Of the chance I’d taken coming up here. I was being careless, which was something I’d never done before. I’d broken up with my boyfriend and was now standing in this other boy’s room.
Quinn’s fingers reached out to mine and he laced our hands together. “You do know.”
I felt drunk on his gruff voice. On his touch. I was hyperaware of how his calloused fingers were tracing lazy circles along my palms.
“It’s because I…I like you Quinn.”
Daniel Joseph Quinn…my ‘Tall boy’ …one of the many reasons I love Quinn. Quinn is…the strong, silent type. He holds stuff in…internalizes…but he has so much pain…so much regret…it brings tears to my eyes. My heart breaks for this boy…because his pain is unavoidable and his coping mechanism isn’t working. He is suffering over the death of his best friend and rather than dealing with his death, he’s living the life Sebastian should have led. All the while holding himself back from what he truly wants…what makes him happy, in order to fulfill a penance for a death that should have never happened. A death that was an accident…but that Quinn will never forgive himself for. While Quinn may have broke my heart with his pain, his actions with Ella did nothing but strengthen the love I have for him. He’s truly an awesome and good guy…he’s respectful, protective, sweet, swoony, kind…I loved watching him open up to Ella and learn to trust her.
‘“It’s not just me who feels this, right?” Quinn mumbled. His finger curled around my neck, his thumb mapping patterns in the hollow of my throat. “I’m not crazy?”
The words that had been so readily available just moments before had flittered away on the wind. I’d wanted this moment for days. Weeks. Maybe even years.
“There’s something here, Ella. Between us,” he whispered. His lips were a breath away and I momentarily shut my eyes to gain control of my erratic breathing.
“I don’t know what this is or what the hell might happen,” he said, rubbing his finger along the edge of my earlobe. “But I do know one thing.”
Still, I couldn’t move or even speak. I was motionless – hypnotized by his eyes, his lips, his words. Finally, my hands became unstuck and I slid them up his chest to his shoulders as he shuddered against my touch.
“I know I need to put my mouth on those pretty lips and kiss you,” he said with so much conviction, it felt like a swarm of butterflies had been let loose in my stomach. “Do you know that, too?”
His eyes held me prisoner and all I could do was mouth the word Yes.’
Oh these two beautiful broken people who need each other more than anything!!! They squeezed every ounce of emotion out of my heart that they could. And then some. I felt for them…I ached for them to be together…so they could help each other. Especially for Ella to help Quinn…he desperately needed it. The romance and chemistry I felt between Ella and Quinn was so powerful…but the way they got together is not cut and dry or easy. I knew going into BYB that Ella had a boyfriend, Joel (yes…as in not Quinn) and that’s just an extra layer to the already complicated story that is Ella and Quinn! But seriously though…the connection between Ella and Quinn is perfection! From the moment I first saw the two of them together, I was like Joel, who? I loved how drawn they were to each other…it was like they both knew they had a connection before they even had a chance to get to know each other. But just watching them get to know each other and bond was enough to win me over completely (like I needed any more motivation!). I have to be honest though….after about 85%…I started to get a little worried. There were a lot of unanswered questions and things that needed to be addressed and I was afraid the ending was going to be rushed (which I hate!!!) I love a good build but the ending has to be just as good or else I just can’t connect the two! I was thrilled beyond words with how BYB ended…it was so not rushed…in fact, she threw even more twists that I wasn’t expecting in there and it was just…brilliant!
‘“Don’t misunderstand, Ella. I want you. So fucking bad.” I gathered her face in my hands. “The day I can finally bury myself inside of you is the day I know for sure that you’re mine. All mine. Only mine. And anything other than that isn’t good enough.”
Her chest was heaving and her jaw was slack, but she didn’t say anything.
“Do you understand me, Ella?”
“Yes,” she whispered, her eyes full and glassy.’
So…I don’t want to compare books…butBYB is similar to AoY…like fact that I couldn’t get enough of the characters…the angst is just phenomenal…and the sexual tension is just off the charts. I dunno how it is possible, because trust me I am a dirty book lover…but the sexuality and desire that Quinn and Ella put into kissing is just…breathtaking. I don’t know how Miss. Lee does it but if it’s possible to make someone hot and bothered over a kiss well…mission accomplished. At the same time….while there is a undertone connecting these two books…BYB is very different. It’s dual POV…which was necessary and completely worked. There is no way to tell this story without being in Quinn’s head…this is his story as much as it is Ella’s. They both have a lot of healing to do and there are just some things that cannot be said out loud. Also…while there was pain in AoY it was a different kind of pain…more of betrayal rather than the emotional pain of loss that Quinn and Ella have been through. Theirs is the kind of pain that there is no avoiding…no one can control it…and while others can empathize, the only one who can get through it…is them. And that’s exactly what they must do…in their own ways…deal with the hurt and the loss and figure out who they are after the grief.
‘Even still, there was always a give-and-take. After infusing someone’s sorrow inside your soul, it was nearly impossible not to come away transformed. And sometimes there was that one person who changed you so much, that you were altered for life.’
I am sold on this series, on Christina’s writing, on the whole package. The combination of everything that is put into these books is just straight up my angst lover alley and I am hooked!!! I cannot wait for the next book….Whisper to Me…Rachel’s book! Ooooh…she’s going to be fun! Avery was the tough cookie…Ella is the emotional beauty and Rachel is….the promiscuous vixen! Can’t wait to see what’s in store for her…bring it on!
Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son–her two favorite guys.
She’s addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. She believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.
NA Contemporary Romance ALL OF YOU, out now (Penguin/InterMix). BEFORE YOU BREAK in February and WHISPER TO ME in May, 2014. Repped by Sara Megibow.
Also the creator of Tags-n-Stones.com jewelry.
great review a story i would like to read
Not my type of novel, but I could see how it would be appealing to many.
Awesome! Thanks for the Giveaway. Good luck on the book