Review: The type of crazy I crave
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 11, 2013
4.5 starsYou can read this and other reviews at [...]Holy snots! My brain hurts. My emotions are everywhere. I am happy, sad, pissed – you name it, I’m feeling it. ELECT is, much like ELITE, a bunch of crazy splashed out on some pages and slapped between two covers. If you thought ELITE was entertaining, it’s got nothin’ on ELECT.Holy smokes.I’m still recovering.When we last met up with Trace and the boys, they had held a meeting with the representatives from each of the families to decide Phoenix’s fate. Things went a little wonky and Trace’s gramps shot Phoenix’s dad in the head. Oops. Turns out that that wasn’t such a hot move. Now Gramps is forced into hiding by Nixon in the hopes that he can save his life and in turn Trace’s. When the families decide to snuff out the head of a family (like they could possibly decide when it comes to Trace’s Grandpa) they usually kill his or her whole family line. That would meant that Nixon would lose Trace, again. This time forever. He obviously can’t let that happen. He has to fight."I truly believed that the greatest sacrifice someone could make in life was putting someone else’s needs before your own wants and desires. Loving someone with such a passion that you’d suffer the rest of your life just so you could see them smile. You’d go to hell and back if only it meant keeping them safe."Even though he doesn’t want to, Nixon comes up with some cockamamie plan that will once again that him away from Trace. Only, this time, his plan pushes her right into Chase’s very capable, muscular, loving arms. Did you forget that he’s kind of got a thing for her? Well, if you did, you’ll be reminded of it repeatedly during this installment of the Eagle Elite series. I really struggled with this “love triangle”. I think Nixon is amazing, but there is something so real about Chase that just pulls at my heart strings. He wants so desperately to be loyal to Nixon and yet his heart yearns for Trace. He’s stuck between a rock and a hard place until the decision is taken out of his hands."I sighed, toughing my forehead to hers. “Sweetheart, I’m only going away for a while, okay? Remember that. If you remember nothing else, remember that. I’m going away. But I’ll always be here.” I pressed my hand to her chest. “And when the time is right…” I kissed her lips and then grazed them with my fingers. “I’ll be right here, kissing you, loving you, being with you and only you.”We’re introduced to a bunch of new characters. Two of the most important being Mil, Phoenix’s step-sister, and Luca Nicolosi, head of one of the original families from Sicily. Mil is determined to save Phoenix and in doing so will end up aiding Nixon on his quest to find out who killed Trace’s parents. Luca has come to the U.S. in order to dish out the appropriate punishment for Mr. Alfero, or Trace’s grandfather. Nixon pleads with Luca, asking for time. He just needs time to figure everything out – to find the answers he’s so despirately searching for. Luca isn’t a very giving man, but decides to allow it. He makes reference to Trace being Nixon’s girlfriend and in an effort to save her, Chase jumps in and says she’s actually his girlfriend.If Luca knew how much Nixon loved Trace, he’d use her to hurt him in a heartbeat. Neither Nixon nor Chase could let that happen. So now, Chase and Trace are forced to play out a fake relationship. It shouldn’t be all that hard, except for the fact that Chase is head over heels in love with Trace. It’s obvious that she loves him as well, but is it enough to convince Luca? Is there enough of a spark for Chase to win over her heart?"Brother? A freaking brother? Was she insane? Yeah, pretty sure I would never ever think of her as family. She wasn’t family. She was – s***. She was everything."While ELITE was told from Trace’s POV, Elect alternates between Nixon and Chase with a few chapters dedicated to Phoenix’s POV, as well. This is basically a love triangle with a healthy sprinkling of lies and deceit. There are so many things I want to share with you, but if I do, I’ll ruin the story for you. I just can’t do that. You’ll just have to take my word for it. ELITE was good, but ELECT? ELECT is a horse of a different color. It’s gritty and rough; filled with love, loyalty, and betrayal. There are surprises around every corner, and with the flip of each new page you will be both torn apart and sewn back together.It should go without saying that I am on the edge of my seat waiting for book three. The ending of Elect gave me hope. Hope that all these intense characters will be able to find love and happiness by the time all the I’s have been dotted and the T’s have been crossed. I want both these tough, badass boys to find love and happiness. In the end, only one can have Trace. I’m anxious to see which Abandonato boy that will be.