Review: GREAT READ
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 24, 2014
SUMMER'S BOOK BLOGEscaping Heartbreak is a stand alone novel by Regina Bartley. Sawyer is a sweet, heartbroken young girl who put her whole life on hold at the age of fifteen when her parents died. She stepped into the role of a caretaker for her older brother and her uncle Jake who became her guardian. She never stopped to take care of herself or take the time to grieve her tragic loss. She is going through the motions of life when she decides it is time to move forward. She packs up her life and moves into the lake house she and her brother inherited from her parents.They had spent their childhoods there and the house was filled with memories, some good and some bad. Travis was one of those bad memories for Sawyer, her first love and her first heartbreak. He was her brother's best friend and when she runs into him at a party she doesn't even recognize him. He recognizes her though and is blown away by how the little girl he once knew has grown up. Can he make her forgive him for the things he did when he was a stupid kid? Can she escape the heartbreak of her parents death in the arms of her childhood sweetheart?Escaping Heartbreak is a sweet and emotional story of second chances, Travis was Sawyer's childhood crush but being a stupid teenage boy he treated her terribly. Due to certain circumstances Travis was forced to grow up quickly and it has turned him into a wonderfully sweet young man who regrets how he once treated the girl he cared deeply about. I found him to be a very realistic character, his emotions and actions really matched up with his situation and his age. He has alot on his shoulders and he does his best but is scared, confused and unsure of himself at times.Sawyer is a tough young woman who has been through alot and is very mature for her age but in someways is still a scared, heartbroken kid. I found both characters to be well developed, lovable and very relatable. Even if the reader has never experiences a situation like theirs, the author described them and their emotions so well that the reader can easily put themselves in their shoes. The story was captivating from the very first page and the author keeps the reader engrossed with the developing relationship, revealing tragic secrets and some major dramatic twists. The secondary characters in this novel were absolutely incredible and added an amazing second layer to this romance novel.Sawyer's brother Dane is troubled and the author doesn't reveal the extent of what is going on but it adds some interest and intrigue to the story. Her best friend Wren is adorable and finds herself in some trouble that Sawyer doesn't know how to help her with. Sweet, troubled Waylon is by far one of my favorite characters, he made me cry a few times with everything that happens. Each of these characters had an important impact on the plot and the main characters.While this novel is a standalone the author reveals a few things toward the end that will lead into an amazing second novel about the wonderful secondary characters that I fell in love with. I can say I will definitely be reading more by Regina Bartley!