Review: The spark between Jax and Aubrey is undeniable!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 29, 2014
“Before You” by Lisa Cardiff5 out of 5 starsWhat would you do if the life you always pictured for yourself was really just a lie?  What if the one person you thought you really knew became a complete stranger?  What if the door opened for new opportunities that you never thought you wanted?  Would you charge on through or shut the door and pretend you never regretted it?Those are the questions that face Aubrey Keaton in “Before You” by Lisa Cardiff.  The once idyllic life she thought she wanted is crumbling all around her and it is scaring the hell out of her!  The road map she had for her life is useless and she’s so afraid to take the wrong path.  Will she follow her head or take a leap of faith and go with her heart?Aubrey wears blinders and she seems to like it that way.  She’s so focused on the future she thinks she is destined to have that she can’t see the changes happening in front of her.  Given her history, I could completely understand why she chose to cling to the things that had anchored her childhood.  I felt her fear and doubt in embracing the unknown.  I walked her journey with her and for me that makes for a great book.  I was emotionally invested in Aubrey’s choices and rooting for her to find her version of happiness.  Cardiff did an excellent job drawing me in and keeping me engaged in the story.Jax is hot.  He’s the ultimate bad boy thrown for a loop by a girl he never saw coming.  He’s passionate about his music and that spills over onto all the things he loves.  I loved watching him come to terms with his feelings and adjust to life from his new perspective.  The spark between Jax and Aubrey is undeniable!  They fit together like puzzle pieces and they had amazing verbal sparring going on!The secondary cast all add to the different flavors in the story.  They provide the many layers of back story and help the main characters come to terms with the possibility of a different future.  This book is the lead in for what has the potential to be a great series.  I am looking forward to seeing what the second book has to offer in the lives of this group!Cardiff has written a book that flows well and is an easy read.  It keeps you interested and I had a hard time putting it down…in fact I read the entire book in one sitting!  Her characters are developed well, the story was well thought out, and the pacing was perfect.  She’s an author I would love to read again and again!  You won’t regret purchasing this one!*I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*Shannon, My Secret Book Spot