~ About the book ~
Let Love In by Melissa Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
* 4 1/2 Stars *
What better way to make sure you never experience pain the way you've experienced it in the past, than to build enormous walls around your heart?
That's exactly what Maddy and Reid have done although for very different reasons.
But...
"Self-preservation is a double edged blade -- keeps you safe, but at a fairly large cost"
Maddy, a freshman in college with an impenetrable wall around her heart, has experienced great loss and heartache, feelings that she desperately tries to keep at bay if she can help it. She has decided it's time to make some changes in her life and at least try to not be so sad ALL the time. She made some promises to herself.
1.Choose happy
2. Appreciate beauty
3. Let love in
That last one is easier said than done.
Reid is tall, dark and fucking amazingly handsome. He is in similar predicament as Maddy. The demons in his past hunts him daily. He refuses to allow anyone to get to know him. He is so mercurial that he gives you whiplash. But you love him regardless.
From the moment Maddy and Reid see each other they are drawn to one another. After a very sensual dance Maddy recognizes what's drawn her to him. A kinship of sorts.
There is something on those eyes that make him so familiar to me. It takes me a minute to put my finger on it and I think he catches my quizzical stare. He spins me around ballerina style and then dips me as the song ends. By the time he rights me and releases my waist, I figure it out. It is pain. It's the pain I see in my own eyes all too frequently."
Love doesn't come easy to these two. They really try to "let love in". Reid is soooo good to Maddy. He was a bit of an ASSHOLE in the beginning. BUT he makes up for it in a big way!
"You've completely knocked me off my game. I've never met anyone like you and it scares the shit out of me. It's like you don't see me." My brow furrows in confusion and I move to interrupt but he continues before I get the chance.
"You don't see me; you see straight through me. You see beyond the outside and it's like you see the me that no one else sees. I saw it in your eyes that first night I met you and it knocked me on my ass. I was a goner and since then I guess I've just been trying to push you away."
He shushes me and continues.
"You're a smart-ass and I love that you keep me on my toes. You are most definitely not like the other girls and I love that, but it also scares me like nothing else. I haven't let anyone in for years and well with you I feel like I want to give it a chance."
Ohhhhh, I adore him!!!
Can they finally let those walls down and completely Let Love In?
This story is angsty, and emotional. I devoured it and it left me wanting more. What an amazing ride this was. Melissa created two very believable characters that each had very "real" issues. The supporting characters were also really great and funny. They were all thick as thieves. They became a family for Maddy.
The ending is much definitely a cliff-hanger. The type where you kind of see it coming but refuse to believe its going to happen. I am happy that Melissa is not making us wait too long for the second part of this series Let Love Stay ,it's due out summer 2013!
Fabulous first book by Melissa Collins.
View all my reviews
Here's an excerpt so you can get a taste of this amazing story
He was right. A hot shower has definitely helped clear my head and I feel refreshed when I'm all done. His clothes are huge on me but I don't care. I roll the sweats up a few times and tie the string as tight as I can, but there's really no point; they will not stay up. The t-shirt he's left out is huge as well. It comes to the middle of my thighs. I take a peek in the bedroom to see that he's still downstairs. I go to the drawer I saw him pull boxers our of before and steal a pair. Even though the shirt is long there's no need to go around flashing everyone the goods.
He comes in a few minutes later with some coffee and a bagel with cream cheese. He's just taken a sip of coffee when I tell him that I'm wearing a pair of his underwear. When he all but chokes on it, I realize I should have waited to share that sexy tidbit.
He regains his composure and goes to take a bite of his bagel. Before he does, he says "Have you got anything else to share with me before I take this bite. Because more information like that and I might just stop breathing all together." I laugh and scrunch my face pretending to think about anything else that might throw him off his game. "No I think that's it. but I'll let you know if I think of anything else that might make you want to swallow your tongue."
"Thanks for the heads up, babe." He smiles and playfully elbows me in the side.
We eat in companionable silence and when we're done he piles the dishes up on his nightstand. Between the shower and the full belly and basically everything else that's transpired over the last twelve hours, sleep is claiming me quickly.
Reid pulls me into his arms. I rest my head on his chest and close my eyes. He kisses me sweetly and whispers in my ear, "Close your eyes sweetheart. You've had one hell of a morning. Let's take a little nap and I'll take you home later."
I nuzzle in closer to him and, before I can say anything in response, feeling safe and warm and secure, my lids close and sleep washes over me.
~About the Author~
I've always been an avid reader. Majoring in English Literature was a no brainer. Becoming a teacher and instilling my love for reading into my students was also a no brainer. I've spent the last ten years teaching and I've loved (mostly) every minute of it. When I was home on maternity leave for my third son, I discovered a new genre that sparked my creativity. My passion for writing sprang from my love of reading and once I knew I had a story to tell, I couldn't wait to get it out there. I only hope that my readers enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Connect with Melissa
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Website ~ Goodreads
US only Giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What would happen if you lost everything? If the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally were no longer there for you, how would your world change?
That's exactly what happened to Madeleine Becker when her parents died when she was ten years old. Ripped from her home and everything that she has ever loved, she is forced to start all over again. The only way for her to move on is to build walls around her heart and keep everyone at a safe distance. Her logic: she can't get hurt if she doesn't fall in love.
That theory is blown to pieces when she meets Reid Connely during her freshman year at college. He is gorgeous and darkly mysterious. He understands Maddy's pain all too well, but sharing his pain would mean breaking down the wall he put up around his own heart. Conflicted between loving Maddy and hiding his dark past, Reid starts to reevaluate his world. Maddy's inner strength, snarky personality and breath taking beauty help Reid to make peace with his past.
Together they will find out what happens when they let love in.
~ Buy it! ~
~ Our Review ~
Let Love In by Melissa CollinsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
* 4 1/2 Stars *
What better way to make sure you never experience pain the way you've experienced it in the past, than to build enormous walls around your heart?
That's exactly what Maddy and Reid have done although for very different reasons.
But...
"Self-preservation is a double edged blade -- keeps you safe, but at a fairly large cost"
Maddy, a freshman in college with an impenetrable wall around her heart, has experienced great loss and heartache, feelings that she desperately tries to keep at bay if she can help it. She has decided it's time to make some changes in her life and at least try to not be so sad ALL the time. She made some promises to herself.
1.Choose happy
2. Appreciate beauty
3. Let love in
That last one is easier said than done.
Reid is tall, dark and fucking amazingly handsome. He is in similar predicament as Maddy. The demons in his past hunts him daily. He refuses to allow anyone to get to know him. He is so mercurial that he gives you whiplash. But you love him regardless.
From the moment Maddy and Reid see each other they are drawn to one another. After a very sensual dance Maddy recognizes what's drawn her to him. A kinship of sorts.
There is something on those eyes that make him so familiar to me. It takes me a minute to put my finger on it and I think he catches my quizzical stare. He spins me around ballerina style and then dips me as the song ends. By the time he rights me and releases my waist, I figure it out. It is pain. It's the pain I see in my own eyes all too frequently."
Love doesn't come easy to these two. They really try to "let love in". Reid is soooo good to Maddy. He was a bit of an ASSHOLE in the beginning. BUT he makes up for it in a big way!
"You've completely knocked me off my game. I've never met anyone like you and it scares the shit out of me. It's like you don't see me." My brow furrows in confusion and I move to interrupt but he continues before I get the chance.
"You don't see me; you see straight through me. You see beyond the outside and it's like you see the me that no one else sees. I saw it in your eyes that first night I met you and it knocked me on my ass. I was a goner and since then I guess I've just been trying to push you away."
He shushes me and continues.
"You're a smart-ass and I love that you keep me on my toes. You are most definitely not like the other girls and I love that, but it also scares me like nothing else. I haven't let anyone in for years and well with you I feel like I want to give it a chance."
Ohhhhh, I adore him!!!
Can they finally let those walls down and completely Let Love In?
This story is angsty, and emotional. I devoured it and it left me wanting more. What an amazing ride this was. Melissa created two very believable characters that each had very "real" issues. The supporting characters were also really great and funny. They were all thick as thieves. They became a family for Maddy.
The ending is much definitely a cliff-hanger. The type where you kind of see it coming but refuse to believe its going to happen. I am happy that Melissa is not making us wait too long for the second part of this series Let Love Stay ,it's due out summer 2013!
Fabulous first book by Melissa Collins.
View all my reviews
Here's an excerpt so you can get a taste of this amazing story
He was right. A hot shower has definitely helped clear my head and I feel refreshed when I'm all done. His clothes are huge on me but I don't care. I roll the sweats up a few times and tie the string as tight as I can, but there's really no point; they will not stay up. The t-shirt he's left out is huge as well. It comes to the middle of my thighs. I take a peek in the bedroom to see that he's still downstairs. I go to the drawer I saw him pull boxers our of before and steal a pair. Even though the shirt is long there's no need to go around flashing everyone the goods.
He comes in a few minutes later with some coffee and a bagel with cream cheese. He's just taken a sip of coffee when I tell him that I'm wearing a pair of his underwear. When he all but chokes on it, I realize I should have waited to share that sexy tidbit.
He regains his composure and goes to take a bite of his bagel. Before he does, he says "Have you got anything else to share with me before I take this bite. Because more information like that and I might just stop breathing all together." I laugh and scrunch my face pretending to think about anything else that might throw him off his game. "No I think that's it. but I'll let you know if I think of anything else that might make you want to swallow your tongue."
"Thanks for the heads up, babe." He smiles and playfully elbows me in the side.
We eat in companionable silence and when we're done he piles the dishes up on his nightstand. Between the shower and the full belly and basically everything else that's transpired over the last twelve hours, sleep is claiming me quickly.
Reid pulls me into his arms. I rest my head on his chest and close my eyes. He kisses me sweetly and whispers in my ear, "Close your eyes sweetheart. You've had one hell of a morning. Let's take a little nap and I'll take you home later."
I nuzzle in closer to him and, before I can say anything in response, feeling safe and warm and secure, my lids close and sleep washes over me.
~About the Author~
I've always been an avid reader. Majoring in English Literature was a no brainer. Becoming a teacher and instilling my love for reading into my students was also a no brainer. I've spent the last ten years teaching and I've loved (mostly) every minute of it. When I was home on maternity leave for my third son, I discovered a new genre that sparked my creativity. My passion for writing sprang from my love of reading and once I knew I had a story to tell, I couldn't wait to get it out there. I only hope that my readers enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Connect with Melissa
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Website ~ Goodreads
US only Giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Thank you so much for that awesome review!!
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