Review: 4.5 stars for a wonderful addition to this great series.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 7, 2014
Embrace is such a good addition to Emerge….but it is essentially Evan’s story as he processes what happened to his relationship with Laney and how he is going to move on, but still continues on with the main story and characters. We live through some more drama that causesEvan gave up everything to be with Laney…..everything. He gave up his scholarship in a romantic gesture….a way to get back closer to Laney and nurture their ‘relationship’. It broke my heart at the end of Emerge, but I also knew that it just wasn’t meant to be for them. If Laney could give her heart to Dane, then it wasn’t Evan’s in the first place. The pain, mental and emotional, that Evan goes through in this book was very palpable. I felt his hurt, his anger, his pain….I felt it.“Absence makes the heart grow fonder” my a55. Not stitching that little pearl of wisdom on a pillow anytime soon. How about “absence makes the head dizzy and fills the heart with aching bewilderment.” ~EvanI also saw him war with himself as he was meeting others and trying to move on. Sawyer took in Evan and made sure he wasn’t destructive to himself, or to Laney and Dane’s relationship. It seemed as though Sawyer was a backwards wingman to me. Instead of helping him get the girl, he was helping him move on. However, not for lack of trying was Sawyer also trying to get “A” girl for Evan.  From this odd alliance comes a bond that grows into an amazing friendship. Sawyer and Evan become really good friends. Laney and Evan need to figure out their relationship now. It takes some getting used to….and certainly a mind shift on Evan and Laney’s part, but at least they can start to come to terms with their new lives and hopefully become friends again. Laney wanted nothing more than to get back her friend….she hurt for him. I felt that compassion from her….even when Evan was mad and lashing out, she understood what he was going through. She was hurt as well by his actions, but I think that the way it played out and the way it was written made for a really good storyline. I loved seeing Evan grow in this book and learn more about himself and who he really is. I wanted to smack him a few times for his thoughts on things, but overall he showed that he really is a true southern gentleman.Evan is a good man….and him moving on was inevitable, he just needed to come to terms with it. Eventually, the ladies notice and he starts to feel normal again. He struggles for a bit about moving on from Laney, but once he finally does and opens up and accepts that this was supposed to be the way it was, he can embrace his happiness. I loved seeing Evan get his smile…I loved seeing him finding someone that touched his heart, and the fact that he got to feel what love was heartwarming.Maybe your true self only thrives in the accompaniment of the one made to bring it out in you. ~EvanFirst love? First love is so much about curiosity. I read that somewhere and agree. But what I’ve found, and what I think Evan may be discovering as well, is that the only forever we were meant to be for each other is friends. ~LaneyWe got to see a little more of Tate and Bennett’s relationship and watched as Laney and Dane’s grew as well. Dane showed a very possessive side in this book, and it was panty melting…and I will admit, I am still madly in love with him. I loved how much deeper their love became, and the growth of their relationship. The intensity gets ramped up in this book and we get to see what Dane is really made of. Oh my. Just….mmmm. He is delectable.  I loved the focus shifts, but also enjoyed that we still got to focus on Evan as well. We got to see his love and understanding grow….and it was beautiful and romantic. He is such a romantic at heart.