Review: Lyla Payne outdid herself...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 21, 2013
When I read `Broken at Love', I fell in love with Emilie and Quinn... when I read `By Referral Only', I fell in love with Ruby and Cole... But when I read `Be My Downfall", I became obsessed and consumed with Toby and Kennedy... Their story was so heart-breaking, that rooting for them to come out of all their trials together becomes a necessity.Toby Wright is a good guy. He has good grades, he never gets into trouble and he has the respect of his fellow frat brothers. But being the son of a Senator comes with certain expectations, and putting a foot out of place just isn't an option.Kennedy Gilbert is known as Whitman's party girl. Her reputation is far from stellar and she hides behind alcohol, rough sex and her desire to forget the painful memories that make her feel guilty for being alive.Toby has heard the rumours about Kennedy, but has kept his distance because the last thing his family needs is a public scandal - but one night with Kennedy has him wondering how much more there is to her than what he can visibly see. He finds himself caring about the one girl who could be his downfall. He discovered a side to her that most guys at Whitman had seen, but he also discovered that there is more to her story."But even I, with my limited experience, realized that not being able to feel anything except pain meant Kennedy Gilbert might be a bigger mess than anyone - including me - had guessed."Without realizing it, he started to care about her, yet he still kept a safe distance..."I didn't embrace her - for some reason it mattered to me that she stand there on her own two feet. It was how she'd survived all these years, on her own, and Kennedy was strong. She could learn to keep moving forward and face what lay behind her. I was here, touching her, nearby if she needed to lean on me, but I couldn't be a crutch."Kennedy and Toby have intense chemistry, but they also share a secret that connects them in a way they didn't expect. Toby is hiding something, and on some level Kennedy can feel it, but it's what they don't know about each other that ends up keeping them together. Kennedy is fighting a haunting past and finds an unlikely savior in Toby when the last thing she wants is to be saved."Don't give up. It's harder for you than most, I get it. I gate it, but I get it. All we can do is keep trying. I will if you will." - TobyWhen Kennedy and Toby unknowingly find themselves walking the same path, even if for different reasons, they struggle to ignore the unspoken connection they feel, the invisible pull between them that leaves them both vulnerable to each other."She kissed me the way she had the night we fought, with a deliberate pace. Our mouths and lips and tongues held an unhurried conversation while we braced against the wall in the airplane bathroom, her wrapped around me. I thought again that coming home was the best way to describe it. As though when any part of our bodies met, it was like going somewhere you hadn't been in years, but immediately feeling as though you belonged."But nothing lasts forever, and Toby inevitably finds himself caught up in a past Kennedy refuses to let go, and a lifestyle she refuses to change. In the end, she was his downfall, but he was also hers - she had to make a choice, and this time the idea of being without Toby was an alternative she was unwilling to consider.I'm a huge fan of Lyla Payne's work, and as I said earlier, I loved the first 2 books in her Whitman University series - but there was something intense and addictive about Toby and Kennedy's story. It was so much darker, and a little more alluring, with some major sexual tension and chemistry. Kennedy is such a lost soul and the way Toby feels for her leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, but also terrified because the outcome of their relationship is unpredictable at best. I loved reading this from Toby's story, especially because writing from a male's P.O.V can be challenging, and I loved being inside he's head. I would've liked one scene from Kennedy's P.O.V, simply because I think it would've been interesting to hear her thoughts. Having said that,  Lyla outdid herself with this one and earned 5 big "Kennedy & Toby Together Forever" stars from me!