Review: The Man, the Myth, The Legend
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 13, 2014
~When your heart beats for one and that one isn’t with you, nor do you know how to stop her from consuming you day in and day out, what else can you do? Nothing, that’s what. Your life takes on a different meaning when you break your own heart.~Every once in a while a series comes along that is so beautifully written, each book so flawlessly intertwined with the next, that once you open the newest one there’s only one thing that can describe it; it’s like coming home. That is the simplest and purest way I can think of to describe what the Beaumont series is to me. I’ve been with this series from the beginning, and have now read it in its entirety a few times. This is a series that pulls you into the characters lives, making you feel like you live next door, so entrenched in their comings and goings, you aren’t simply a bystander; you’re family. And as is the case with family, sometimes you have to go back to the beginning to understand where you came from.~Her presence makes the hair on my neck stand up. My body tingles when she’s looking at me. I don’t pretend to understand how love works, but I feel it. She’s in my bones. I need her to survive.~McLaughlin does something a little unique with this installment in the Beaumont series; while this is technically book four, it’s more of a prequel to Forever My Girl. And while you may think this is redundant, as we already know how the events played out, you couldn’t be more wrong. While none of the events will change the outcome, they will definitely alter your perspective. Not only that, but to fully understand the complexity that is Liam Page, we have to revisit the past and discover what made him the man he is today. What you will discover is that things aren’t always so black and white. There isn’t a right or wrong party, just merely misunderstood teenagers, trying to find their place in the world. How can anyone be expected to know at eighteen years old what they want to do for the rest of their life? Who they are? Where they are going? In order to figure those things out, you have to actually experience life a little bit. Because if not, you will always wonder what if? And this is exactly the existential crisis that Liam faces.~She’s my peace. My calm. I just need her in my life to make everything okay.~Full warning: you are going to see a completely different Liam than you are used to. At the core, he is still there, but I found I grew up with him in this book. While my love never wavered for this character, I discovered that like an onion, he had so many more uncovered layers. Each layer you pulled back only revealed how truly passionate this young man was in every facet of his life. Topics that are briefly skimmed throughout the other books are delved into deeply in this one. By experiencing this alongside Liam, you are able to grasp a better understanding of him, and your love only grows deeper with every turn of the page. Sympathy, rage, gut-wrenching moments; they’re all experienced here. McLaughlin leaves no stone unturned.~I put a stop to the dream so we can have a chance at a future…someday.~There are so many specific instances that I could delve into, but I am going to let you experience the journey as I did; blindly. Only then can you truly grasp what it is that McLaughlin achieved in portraying; a broken boy who, through many missteps, grew into a man. A man that Josie could be proud of. A man that knew who he was. A man who followed his dreams towards his forever.~“I love you Josie Preston. You own my heart. You stole a little piece of it the moment I saw you and you’ve taken the rest every day since.” ~