Review: In Review: With This Heart by R.S. Grey
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2014
"Love will make you reckless. It can drag out parts of you that common sense and fear usually keep hidden away. Because love is selfless and selfish."This is one of those times when I went into a book knowing full well it was probably going to leave me an utter disaster. I had prepared myself mentally for an amazing story that would ultimately rip my heart out. It definitely made me feel a lot of emotions, but I loved absolutely every single moment of it.With This Heart has so many elements I love in books, it's no wonder I loved it as much as I did. I can't resist a road trip book. Be warned, this is NOT your average road trip book though. Heavy subject matter lies ahead. Second chance love stories are among my favorite type of books and this has a touch of that, too, though it's more of a second chance at life, overall, than just love."Everyone thinks about going to college. I had read enough New Adult romances to know that the moment I stopped on campus, I would surely be noticed by the mysterious loner jock or hot nerd that didn't get noticed in high school, or maybe the off-limits TA."The characters in this book were phenomenal. Abby is the girl with heart disease who, freshly recovered from a transplant, is on a mission to scatter ashes across the country... and maybe figure out who she is and wants to be, along the way. Beckham is the total stranger she meets just days before the trip who accompanies her. It's one of those things that might not necessarily happen in real life, but is magical when you read about it in a book. They share an immediate chemistry, obviously, otherwise they wouldn't be likely to be on this journey together. But it's more than simply attraction. There's something solid there from the start. During their trip, Beck helps Abby heal. He pushes her outside of her comfort zone and helps her discover who she really is."He pushed me against the passenger door and pressed his lips to mine. It was a soul-stealing kiss, the kind that lifts you off your heels and makes your spine curl. I wrapped my arms around his neck and moaned into him. Our hearts were already beating rapidly from our run, but they blended together as Beck gave me the best second-first kiss anyone has ever had."Abby and Beck were wonderful together. The moments they shared were so real. It was easy to see them growing closer together. They were sweet and sexy together. They were good for each other. Unfortunately, their road trip was cut short by news from home and things began to short-circuit a bit after that. Guilt is powerful thing and Abby had it in spades. Beck is persistent and determined to be there for her and slowly things begin to fall into place.I won't tell you anything more specific about the plot of the book, save this one part - the events of the Trancing Pranny were among some of my favorites in the book. First, I love that name for a drag bar. The people Abby met that night and the experiences she had were perfect for her in that moment.With This Heart was made of feels. It was an emotional roller coaster, for sure. I reached a point where I was almost afraid to continue for fear of how it would all end. There were moments that I figured out, others that I didn't see coming a mile away, ones that left me with a huge smile on my face and lastly those ones that left me with tears streaming down my face. Through all of it, I was completely enraptured and couldn't have walked away if someone had made me. Part romance, part second chance and part coming of age tale, I couldn't get enough of Abby's story. The fact that Beck was so damn swoony didn't hurt matters either. He was so perfect it was impossible not to love him.This book shows that sometimes life gives you exactly the people or situations you need in order to deal with what you're going through at the time. It was a beautifully-written story. My first by R.S. Grey, but certainly not my last.I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and might not appear in the final version.