Review: 4.5 to 5 stars for Lane! This book totally surprised me!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 27, 2014
(Quote)I had made those promises and I was doing everything in my power to make things right.We met Lane in Beautiful Broken Mess as Audrey's protective best friend who had a mysterious past. I knew he had some secrets, but I never imagined what his story would really entail.And I can't really tell you without ruining it. You need to just start this book blind and let the story and mystery unravel as you go. Believe me it will suck you in quickly, make you want to figure it all out, mess with your emotions, and surprise you.I loved Lane before, but in this one we see him as even more alpha and even quite bad ass at times. But he also had a soft vulnerable core that had been hurting for years. He hid it from most of his friends and did not burden them. But it was a huge emotional burden and pull for him. He had been missing something for years and nothing could fill that void. I think Audrey and Lane became so close because in reality he needed her for support as much she she did him, even if she was not aware of his full story. But he never stopped hoping and fighting to get back what he lost and was willing to do whatever he had to to keep fighting. I fell even harder for Lane.Lane's life changed again in an instant and became complicated in good and bad ways. He had to face his past, deal with guilt and pain, and navigate his changing world. And he also found himself in close quarters with Raegan. She was sassy, strong, protective, and determined. And she was not afraid to stand up to Lane and make her own demands. But she had been through a traumatic experience herself and had her own demons and fears. But she was amazingly resilient. I could not help but like her. Her attitude and how she took on the world was admirable.Their complicated lives were mixed up and intertwined due to history, but they also gravitated towards each other. They had a natural ease about them and complimented each other so well that it made me smile. Their lives really just fit together and even though it was somewhat fast, I understood how connected and intense their situation was and how it could progress at a faster rate."Hate to break it to you, but nothing about this situation has been normal. Let's roll with the punches because I've d**n sure never been this happy."But sometimes the past does not stay buried. And they still have more challenges to face. Are they strong enough to face their demons and fight them together or will Lane end up hurt and broken once again?This can easily be read as a stand alone since the author provided enough background on the side characters, but fans of the series will love spending more time with the rest of the crew: Em and Jaxon (Beautiful Broken Rules), Audrey and Jace (Beautiful Broken Mess), and Quinn and Cole. They are such a fun and quirky bunch of characters. They taunt and tease, but they are there for each other and are truly family. I loved the additions of Kate and Braden. Their sparkling personalities, enthusiasm, and devotion just melted my heart.This was a beautiful love story about redemption, family, devotion and keeping promises. It was born from tragedy and pain, but was also inspiring and hopeful. It was told in both Lane and Raegan's points of view and I completely enjoyed each of these characters. They were multi-facted, and showed courage, strength, loyalty, and deep emotions. They were more mature and grounded so this was not as angsty as the other two books when they were college-aged, but it was more emotional and heart warming. I would have never imagined that this was how Lane's story was going to go, but thoroughly enjoyed all of it. It was so full of foreshadowing, surprises, and twists that it kept me intrigued, but was also sweet, funny, and emotional. I have loved all of the books in this series and am looking forward to more from Kimberly Lauren.I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.