Review: A MUST READ - TRISTAN AND LEAH'S STORY
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 3, 2014
When readers met Tristan in Can't Go Home, strong feelings of hatred were instantaneous for most. Tristan is the epitome of what's wrong with rich men. He flaunts his money, his good looks, and he has zero respect for women...at least that's the faade/role he's played for the past three years. But just like there was more than meets the eye with his younger brother Adrian (Dre) in book one, there's definitely a different person underneath Tristan's mask of recklessness and debauchery."It's no secret. I love money. I f***ing adore the s***. Can't live without it--would never consider living without it.  It's too damn wonderful."Tristan's life is controlled by money; his father has made him that way. It's how his father solves all of his own problems as well as those of his children. It makes total sense that Tristan sees it as something he can't live without because he's never been shown what's really worth not going without...at one time, Leah Franchetti could have been someone he couldn't live without, but lies and blackmail destroyed any chance of that happening or did it? What happens when hard truths are revealed and old feelings are brought back? Can two people learn that perhaps the only thing they can't leave without is each other?Let me start out by saying that I loved Adrian (Dre) in book one...he knew the life he once lived was not the life he needed to live, so he did something about it. He was a fabulous hero, and I'm so glad he was brought back in to book 2. That being said, there's just something about Tristan...don't get me wrong...at the beginning, I thought he was a total a**hat. The way he treats women and the bs that comes out of his mouth is cringe worthy, but those types of actions usually speak to deep rooted torment and boy is he tormented. Just like Piper, I knew at the heart of Tristan was a man who just wanted to be loved and looked at with respect. He thought he had that with Leah, at least for that one night together, but then everything changed when he walked away, and she took her bitterness and made him pay.I love that readers get to see the two-three years ago Tristan...the current deplorable Tristan as well as the Tristan that is slowly starting to change with the help of his siblings and Leah. That's what every reader wants from a story - a main character who they can watch grow and change."'I can walk away and turn my back on a lot in life, but Leah, you are the one thing, the only person in this world that I can't--absolutely cannot--go without.'"Leah's life has been just as bad as Tristan's, but in different ways. Tristan has absentee parents...a philandering father and a stepford wife mother. Their lack of care and negative examples has molded Tristan into the man he is. Leah's mother dying shaped who Leah is. She lost her rock and her passion, and for a long time, she acted out and turned into someone she couldn't recognize nor wanted to be; she definitely rectified her mistakes, but the one she regrets the most is what she did to Tristan, but she doesn't know how to make amends...she doesn't know how to get back the one person she can't/doesnt' want to live without.Can't Go Without is an amazing story of forgiveness and self-discovery. It's about second chances and making amends. Tristan and Leah's struggles are real, and Angelisa Stone does a fantastic job of keeping the storyline realistic and interesting. There's witty banter, sexy scenes, and heartfelt interactions that make this text a must read!Anything worth having is not easy...if it's something or someone you can't go without then you better make sure you do everything you can to hold on!Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.5 poison apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)