Review: Don't be stupid..... read this today!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 26, 2014
**I received this book via NetGalley and TKA Distribution for an honest review**5 Stupidly good stars!!It seems like from the reviews I skimmed on this book before reading this that people either hated this book, or loved it. I happen to freaking love this story and everything about it. From the setting, to the plot, to the characters.... All. Of. It!Yes, this does have some of that steereotypical NA genre story lines. Young virginal girl meets typical hot stuff bad boy.... you know the rest. If you don't want that story line, you should probably stay away from the NA genre for awhile. However, while the story line did somewhat fall into that category, it was more, so very much more.Olivia Beaumont aka Gracie (only if your Brax), is a young and innocent girl ready to escape her home and the past she has lived in and start her first year of college. Olivia is everything I love in a protagonist. She is strong, not whiny, is decisive, caring, and hard working. At times even witty. Olivia is from a small horse ranch whose family is struggling to make ends meet. Growing up it was always her, her three brothers, mom, and her grandpa Jilly. Her dad left the family when she was young. When Gracie was ready to start her senior year in high school, her high school boyfriend drugged and raped her. Because he is rich and powerful, knows how to say the right things and has the right connections, it looks like everything was Olivia's fault. She is called horrible names and her senior year is awful. She doesn't let this stop her. She studies hard, gets a scholarship, and works to be sure her future is different from her past. She is quiet and unassuming and absolutely loveable!On the first day of moving into her dorm Olivia meets Brax, when he quite literally sweeps her off her feet, by knocking her down. Despite his reputation, the many people who warn her otherwise, and even her own fear of letting people get to close she becomes friends with Brax, spends time with him, and lets him in.Yes Brax is the epitome of the bad boy we all love. Its hard not to fall for his looks, personality, brutal honesty, and sweetness. He befriends Gracie, looks out for her, becomes protective of her. Wants more from her....This story for me was much more than boy meets girl for me. There wasn't instant love (thank you Jesus), there was instant attraction, but lets be real. Who has not had instant attraction to someone! Reading this book was a journey, a progression. Gracie and Brax were friends, a natural progression took place. We get to see both of these characters grow. We fall in love with all the secondary characters... let me just say I love Tessa, Gracie's roommate. She is one cool chica! We witness heartache, changing family dynamics, healing, and trust take place. It is a journey from youth to maturity and I loved being a part of every step.I rate books simply on how much I like the story, on what I feel while reading it. This book gave me the major feels, all the way through. I felt angst, frustration, happiness, love, and sadness. I shed tears, and laughed out loud a few times. I found myself wanting to punch things at times, and eat chocolate at others!!For me the test of a true book is when you get so caught up in the story, you forget you aren't actually a part of it. Cindy Miles' writing made me part of this story. I was right there loving every minute of it!Do not be stupid and waste another minute not reading this book!!