Review: Story of love and hope; betrayal  and heartbreak
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 24, 2013
RIGHT NOW is the second storyline in the new adult, contemporary Moments series by author Marie Hall. The story continues the series a few months after A Moment and follows Alexander Donovan (Ryan's cousin) and Zoe Stone. The premise is similar to A Moment in that Ryan and Alex are both dealing with the same betrayer and demons, only Alex is lost in his own world of guilt and anguish. Now that Ryan has found an anchor and love with Lili, Alex continues to flounder from one woman to another until he discovers the one who will open her heart to the man she has loved from afar.Alex was first introduced in A Moment-the first instalment in Marie Hall's MOMENTS series- and Alex knows the pain and anguish that his cousin has suffered for years. But now it is Alex's story and it is one that will break your heart. Our hero's guilt and torment is multiplied when he believes that the hell his cousin has suffered for so many years may have been prevented because Alex believes he was the intended target. Guilt and the heartbreaking sorrow of his cousin's pain have pushed Alex to the edge and it will take the love and understanding of a woman to keep him from falling over into the darkness that threatens to pull him under.The relationship between Alex and Zoe begins upon a chance meeting. Zoe has `known' Alex for a number of years but Alex is lost in his own world and hasn't a clue. All he knows is that he wants Zoe for himself and there are many obstacles and people standing in his way. Zoe and Alex strengthen each other's resolve especially for Zoe who has a difficult time standing up for herself. But it will take honesty and the truth for Zoe to understand the what and the who behind Alex's dark and dangerous ways.The world building continues from the first storyline and we learn more about the truth behind the betrayal and pain that both young men have suffered for so many years. We also learn that sometimes family is not necessarily the blood that runs in your veins, but the people who love and support you through the good times and the bad.Marie Hall's RIGHT NOW is an eye opening look at the heartbreaking reality of what happens when the people you trust become the stuff of your nightmares and pain. Marie pulls the reader into a storyline that tackles some serious issues; but there are also moments of humor especially between Zoe and her BFF (and I smell a potential story here).RIGHT NOW is a story of love and hope; betrayal and heartbreak; pain and sorrow; lost and found. It is also a story about two cousins, who have suffered because no one was willing to believe two small boys about the demons that lived under the same roof-who proclaimed their love and protection- and used that love as a weapon of pain and humiliation. And sometimes, an apology comes too late, because the damage has been done and there can never be any way to forgive and forget.