*~*Escaping Me by Elizabeth Lee Sale Blitz – Excerpt & Review*~*

Title:   Escaping Me

Author:   Elizabeth Lee

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

All she wanted to do was forget. Forget the memory of walking in on her boyfriend in the middle of, well, another girl. Forget how she had her entire life planned out. And, forget about being perfect all the time. Unfortunately, she was Whitney Vandaveer and despite the fact that she moved to the middle of nowhere – she couldn’t.

He always knew he would never be more than nothing. No job, no money, no future. Cole Pritchett had accepted the fact that he would always be the screw up and he was okay with it. Until he met her.

Here’s the thing they quickly found out – sometimes we all need a little help escaping who we think we are.

 

 

 

 

 

 Check out an interview Brooke did with Elizabeth and a Love Note from Cole to Whitney – plus keep reading for an excerpt & Brooke’s Review!

 

 

I hold my head back and walk toward the delivery truck. Cole’s eyes are down on the clipboard he is holding in his hands as he double-checks what he has to take off the truck.

“You’re a little late to take me up on the drink offer,” I tease as I cross the gravel drive toward him, shuffling my flip-flops against the rocks. I am hoping that maybe he is a morning person and will be in a better mood than the last time I saw him. No such luck. He looks up at me quickly, adjusting the bill of his hat to shade his face, and then back down at his clipboard. Not even the hint of a grin on his lips. Wow. His expression is as cold as it was last night when he walked away from me. He shakes his head, albeit subtly, but to me it is like a flashing neon sign that says, “Go away.”

He sets the clipboard down on the hood of the truck, his eyes never once drifting back to mine. Instead, he turns his back and walks behind the truck. He lowers the gate and pulls the pallet lift, loaded up with whatever it was my mom ordered. As he lowers the lift to the ground, he keeps his focus on what he is doing. It is painfully obvious that he is avoiding looking at me. Maybe I should have looked in the mirror again? I thought my fitted pink t-shirt and black cotton shorts were cute pajamas. Maybe I was wrong. Do I look that horrible this morning?

“Just put it outside the barn doors over there,” I say between clenched teeth. Who the hell does this guy think he is? Never in my life have I been so callously ignored. I glance over my shoulder at my mother and Mallory, who are still watching from the kitchen window. I roll my eyes at them and turn back to see if Mr. Personality has finished what he came here to do. As infuriating as this situation is becoming, I can’t help but notice how fantastic his ass looks in his jeans. The worn denim hangs from his narrow waist perfectly—not cowboy tight and not gangster loose. The gray t-shirt that is stretched across his back reads Wilson Lumber Yard with their catchy slogan underneath—“We Got Wood”. I fight back a giggle. At least someone has a sense of humor. He unloads the pallet and has the lift back in the truck, all while managing to completely not acknowledge my existence.

“I’ll just go ahead and sign for this so you can be on your way,” I say as he climbs out of the back of the truck. This time, the icy tone of my voice catches his attention. I can feel his eyes on me as I walk to the front of the truck. “I’d hate to keep you from the obviously more important things you would rather be doing.” Leaning over the hood, I pull a pen from the holder on the top of the clipboard. My frustration with his attitude is made perfectly clear as I furiously click the plunger on the top of the pen. My eyes are busy scanning for the space I am supposed to sign when a sudden shadow is cast over my shoulder. I can feel his breath on my neck and his body resting behind mine. It must be the nature of the position we are in because I have to fight the urge to back into him. To feel his hard body against my backside. My skin is on fire and my brain immediately

tries to reason that it is anger as opposed to something else.

“Do you mind?” I snap, turning to tell him to back off. But he doesn’t. Instead, he places his hands on the truck, catching me between his muscled forearms and pinning me between his delicious body and the truck. Even under the bill of that hat he is always wearing, I can see his shaded eyes narrow in on mine. It isn’t with contempt or agitation—it is something else. Yes. He is looking at me like he wants to tear my clothes off, and I would let him.

He closes the distance between us. Here we are, chest to chest. The air around me instantly thickens, making it nearly impossible to breathe. His eyes go to mine and then to my lips, the same way they did at the bar. He takes in a shallow breath, and I can tell he is having a hard time breathing, too. I’m not sure if I should duck out from under him and run or throw myself against him. I’ve never been so intimidated or so turned on in my life. It is infuriating. He licks one corner of his lips and I think for sure he is going to kiss me. Seconds tick and he still hasn’t moved. Is he waiting for me to give him the okay? Does he really want to kiss me? I raise my chin slightly and let my eyes close. I hold my breath, waiting for his lip to fall on mine, and forget every reason I should be mad at him for. That is until he utters three words that manage to remind me.

“No signature required.”

Escaping Me by Elizabeth Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Impeccable writing, an emotional journey, and two of the most amazing characters I have ever read about, Escaping Me took my breath away. An amazing story of what it’s truly like to fall in love. Especially when you can’t figure out who you really are, and who everyone expects you to be.

We first meet Whitney Vandaveer. Trying to start over in a small town, very unlike the highlife society she was used to living, and pushing any thoughts of her lying, cheating, ex-boyfriend out of her head.

I need to escape the fact that my boyfriend of four years went and slept with the first girl who flashed her tits at him in college. The majority of my teenage life was wasted on a guy I was sure was going to be my future husband. What a joke. The cold, dark organ that used to be my heart still beats strong as I eye the gravel lane that signals my homestretch, only now it beats out of rage instead of love.

Whitney is now living with her mother and younger sister, Mallory, which is a huge change for her because after her parent’s divorce many years before, Whitney chose to stay with her father. But Whitney adapts very well and actually develops a very close relationship with her long lost family.

The last thing Whitney ever expects is to, under very strange circumstances, meet an extraordinarily good looking (okay, VERY FREAKING HOT…I couldn’t help myself) guy. He literally sweeps her off her feet. No, not kidding. She decided it’s a brilliant idea to go for a run on one of the hottest days of the year.

But no worries, Cole Pritchett is there to save the day. Hmmm, Cole…*sigh*. Cole is also running from things of his past. Known as his hometown’s troublemaker and having his brother as a cop in that town, this is his last “get out of jail free” card. He left behind a life that he has no plans of returning to any time soon and he is only looking forward. He has a temper to say the least and I have to admit, I’m with Whitney…it’s kind of hot.

I imagine the wild look in his eyes and the way his body would move in the heat of an attack. Somehow, in my mind, all I can think about is how badly I want Cole to channel his obvious agitation into something a little more sexual, preferably with me on the receiving end.

Whitney and Cole decide that being friends as all either can handle at the time of things getting a little too…comfortable. There is so much flirtatious banter between these two and I found myself laughing and internally screaming at them to just give in already!

“Let me know of ever want to use my…hammer,” he chuckles as he settles into his truck and fires up the engine. As he backs out of the parking lot and drives away, I feel the fire return to my cheeks as he confirmed knowing what I hoped I’d hidden. Cole Pritchett know I am interested in his tool.

Both have issues they need to work through and pasts that haunt them but no doubt that these two can overcome them. They are both turning over new leaves if you will. But I am not blind. Oh no, I could see through these two from the get-go!! And thank God for that because all I wanted was for these two to either hash it out or get naked. I preferred the latter 😉 Friends, huh? Yeah I didn’t think so.

“I don’t you need you to do me any favors.” With a determined smirk, she wraps her hand around my neck and pulls my head down to hers. “And I sure as shit don’t want to be your friend.”
As she crashes her lips to mine, every doubt I have about us vanishes…

There was so much that I loved about this book. The developing relationship between Whitney and her sister. The denial of want and desire between Whit and Cole. The sexual tension that you felt like you could choke on! The emotions…oh GOD, the emotions!! All of it…just amazing!

But just like with everything else in life, when things start going good, well great actually, the bitch known as life comes in and puts up a big ass toad block right in your path. This road block is also called Whit’s dad!

Whitney’s dad, being the high society asshole he is, lives for one thing and one thing only. Appearances. It’s all about keeping up those damn appearances. And so of course when he finds out that Whitney and Cole are together, he will stop at nothing to insure that it comes to a halt. But thankfully, Cole Pritchett doesn’t back down to anyone. And I mean anyone. And let me just give you the one line that he said to her dad that melted my fucking heart and produced these weird salty little liquid drops to leak from the ducts of my eyeballs.

“And you’re right, I’m probably not good enough for her but I’d spend every second with her trying to prove that I am.”

See how damn perfect he is? And he doesn’t even know it. Everything Cole Pritchett does and says just makes me want to jump into this damn book with my rope and duct tape and take him home and make him my own!

Cole seriously LOVES Whitney. Like realllllly loves her. He is even willing to do questionably crazy things just to make her happy.

“You wouldn’t really shoot those poor little squirrels would you?” she pouts.
I shake my head to appease her. The truth is I love to go hunting, but if she asked me to, I’d become a member of PETA tomorrow.

And don’t for one second think that Whitney is immune to Mr. Pritchett.

When the cause of my excitement walks into the bathroom and wraps his arms around me, my body immediately reacts. He doesn’t do anything other than rest his chin on my shoulder and smile, and every drop of blood in my veins rushes between my legs as my skin start to surge like it is begging for his touch. I am officially addicted. Perfect. I am a sex junkie and Cole Pritchett is my dealer.

Well hot damn, can you blame her? He is tall, extremely good looking, has just enough bad boy in him, and he’s even a little alpha to top it off.

“Look at me,” I plead, but she gives me nothing. “Look at me goddamnit.” I raised my voice and immediately regret it until I see the way her eyes snap to mine. She takes in a heavy breath between her parted cherry-red lips as she leans in, waiting for my next command. It appears Ms. Vandaveer like being told what to do. I can definitely work with this.

Okay so time to wrap it up. Overall, amazing book. I fell in love with the words, the story, the characters, and by the time all was said and done and my emotions weren’t going in 84 didn’t directions, my happy little heart was…well, happy and content! I hope you all enjoy this one as much as I did and feel free to contact me with your thoughts!

I will leave you with some more amazing words from Mr. Cole Pritchett.

“I need you to tell me how you feel, Whit. I need to know that the way I feel about you isn’t one-sided and that you don’t actually agree with what your father said. I need you to tell me that I’m not crazy for being in love with you, and that despite the way you acted in front of him, you feel the same way.”

HAPPY READING!

View all my reviews

 

 

 

 

Born and raised in the middle of a Midwestern cornfield (not literally, that would be weird), I’ve spent my entire life imagining stories. Stories where the right guy always gets the right girl, first kisses are as magical as they are on the big screen and anything is completely possible if you believe.

Although this journey began years ago, it recently took on a whole new life.  After years of devouring hundreds of Romance, YA and New Adult novels, I had an epiphany… I should write a book. And I did it!

If I’m not reading, writing, enjoying drinks with my amazing group of girlfriends or chasing around a sarcastically funny kid, I’m probably watching television shows that were created for teenagers, while my husband teases that I’m too old to watch them.