Review: Sigh...the BEST one yet! <3
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 6, 2014
Until We Fly is the 4th book in Courtney Cole's Beautifully Broken series - and I have to say this may be Courtney's *best* book yet in the entire series!! Love love LOVE this series, love love LOVE Brand!! <3 Sigh - serious.Brand.hangover.going.on! :)We meet Brand in bits and pieces via the earlier books, and although he was a supporting character in those storylines, I have been literally PINING for him to get his own HEA. :) To the point that I came onto Courtney's Facebook page after reading Dominic's story (#3) to shamelessly plead for Brand's story - I was *that* drawn to his character! And so YES Brand is indeed HOTTTTT (*all* of Courtney's men are really ;)) - but what I love most about him is that he's decent AND good AND honorable. He is loyal and fiercely protective of those he loves, even while he is tormented by his own personal demons - "duty first."Normally I am not drawn to a more aggressive heroine, but in this case, Nora is truly the exception to the rule. :) Her aggressiveness makes *sense.* She sees all the good in Brand that he fails to see within himself, and she desires to heal her own tortured soul, find redemption, and quiet her demons simply by being in his presence. Her pursuit of him is what Brand needs - he is at a place where he has closed himself off in order to avoid future pain, and her pursuit allows him to finally be the center of someone else's world, to have someone take care of and attend to *his* needs first and foremost, to offer him the beginning of the forgiveness that he has failed to gift to himself. Nora has numbed herself far too long from her own horrible history, but her relationship with Brand allows her to *feel* again, both the good and bad. These are two strong and resilient characters who are unable to see themselves as anything but weak, "tainted," and/or failures, but can recognize the strengths of the other - and that is the beauty they bring to one another. "Being brave doesn't mean not being afraid, Nora. It means being afraid and doing it anyway" - these characters learn to take a risk and open themselves up to the other, and they can never go back after having done so. They are soulmates who truly understand the other's pain and angst - and most of all, how to heal and move forward.While I was gifted this ARC in exchange for a honest review, I want it on record that I have previously purchased all of the books in this series, and would have for this book as well. :) I truly adored Brand's story and shed both happy AND sad tears at the end. There were several plot twists that I did not see coming, there was the return of several characters from previous books, and all of this further drew me into the storyline...to the point that I could not put the book down until I had finished it in its entirety!I am a passionate fan of Courtney's work, and truly believe that she has a *gift* - and I am grateful that she shares it with all of us. She has again written a love story that touched my soul and captured my heart, and has created characters so truly authentic and genuine and likable/lovable (well the ones that matter anyways! ;))"The best things in life are worth the greatest risk. Sometimes, before we fall, we fly." Until We Fly truly takes you on one heckuva ride and allows your emotions to *soar* wonderfully at the end - this is a MUST read! :)