Review: 4.5 sweet broken stars
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 13, 2013
"I want you to always believe you deserve whatever you can wish for, Cally. As long as you'll let me, I'll make your wishes come true."We begin as two high school kids are madly in love. William is the wealthy, popular boy and Cally is the girl from the poor family that no one thinks is good enough for him. But they are being ripped apart by circumstances. No amount of wishing is going to stop it. She is moving away with her mother and sisters ...they vow to stay in touch long distance....Seven years later, we see where their lives have taken them. William has not been lucky in love. On top of losing Cally, he now has two failed engagements...to sisters, no less. He is still a good guy, but just keeps searching for the right woman. He is handsome, a successful business owner, and has good friends in New Hope. He is still right where she left him.Cally's life took an even darker turn after moving to Vegas with her mother. Her mother was unreliable and a poor caregiver, leaving Cally to support her two younger sisters. And in order to do that, she had to resort to things that she was ashamed of. And therefore, had to let her love for Will go. But now she is back in New Hope, bringing her sisters home to their father. And of course, the first person she runs into is the one she is afraid to look in the eye....Will...(Quote)I look up at the stars. When did I lose sight of mine? My father raised me to believe in magic, in wishes, in beautiful destiny. And then life went to shit and destiny played second fiddle to just getting by.(Quote)I look up at the moon and stars we once wished on together. They make me feel lonelier than ever. Because she may no longer be the girl I once loved, but she's the woman I want.Will has always been chasing the the elusive idea of family since he was raised by his grandmother. Cally is running from part of her past she is not proud of. But they still have a connection that is hard to deny."Forget about the past. Forget about the future. You're here now, and what's happening between us is inevitable. You're mine."They have so many opposing forces against them. So many lies and omissions between them. So much guilt. So much pain. So much history. So much left unsaid. But also so much passion, need, and  unresolved feelings. But when her past comes back for her, will it ruin her chances at starting over again in New Hope?Cally was put in a horrible situation that she had no control of. She was then, and is now, just trying to do what she has to do to keep her loved ones safe, even though she sacrifices herself. My heart literally broke for Cally and all she suffered. And for Will too. Because he never really got over the loss of Cally. I really felt their longing, their need, their deep feelings, and connection. They really did seem like soul mates that were thrown terribly off course by circumstances. And they both suffered considerably. And every time it seemed like they might find a chance for happiness, something would happen to throw a roadblock in their path. It had me tense and anxious and just hoping that somehow they could find a way to make it all work out."I need you to believe again. I need you to be brave. You hold on to me, and I'll hold on to you."We see characters that we met in UNBREAK ME. Maggie and Asher are in this book too so we get to catch up with them. Maggie's twin sisters Hanna and Lizzy are friends with Cally so they are a big part in this book. We meet Will's friends, Sam and Max. And I can already see more stories brewing with those characters. Cally's younger sisters Drew, an outspoken, semi spoiled fifteen year old and Gabby, a sweet, troubled ten year old really tugged at my heart. I could see Drew possibly getting a story of her own.Lexi Ryan creates such flawed, emotional, beautiful characters. Their backgrounds have such depth and their experiences significantly affect them. And she does not pull any punches with the trauma the characters have dealt with. I thought Cally had such an inner strength about her. She was smart, determined, loving, and really wanted to make things better for herself and those she loved. Will was such a strong, caring man with a big capacity for forgiveness and love.  And their chemistry and passion were seriously hot and intense.I love most of the citizens in the town of New Hope (but of course there are a few you have to dislike) and how they stand behind each other in difficult times. It is such a tight knit community and even when they disagree, it is obvious they are doing it to protect those they care about it. But they are not afraid to admit when they are wrong either. This book was raw, heartbreaking, tense, sweet, suspenseful, and poignant. It makes you believe that there is a destiny and that soul mates do exist. And that no matter how off course or how broken people may be that they will find their way back to their true place in life.