Review: If You Leave by Courtney Cole

*This is not YA

After reading and loving If You Stay, the first book in the Beautifully Broken series, I ended up buying If You Leave the day it launched. But I was really busy with writing and editing at the time, and I had finished the first book recently, so I decided to let it sit.

Then this week I read two books that totally didn't work for me, and I basically went, "That's it. I'm done reading stuff that I'm not sure I'll like. It's time to stack the odds in my favor.". I'm kinda obsessed with reading books that are on my beautiful new Kindle, so when I noticed If You Leave there it seemed like just the thing. I was still in the mood for something contemporary and romantic, even though the other book I'd just finished in the genre didn't end up being my cup of tea.

So...did I prejudge If You Leave? Were my hopes fulfilled or totally dashed? Read on and find out!

(Summary from GoodReads)

26-year old Gabriel Vincent is a badass hero. Or he used to be, anyway. As an ex-Army Ranger, Gabe never thought he needed anyone. But after one horrible night in Afghanistan scars him in a way that he can't get past, he needs someone who can help him heal...even if he doesn't realize it.

25-year old Madison Hill doesn't need anybody...or so she thinks. She grew up watching her parents' messed-up abusive relationship and she knows there's no way in hell that she's ever letting that happen to her.

They don't know it in the beginning, but Gabriel and Madison will soon develop a weakness: Each other.

But Gabriel's got a secret, a hidden monster that he's afraid Maddy could never overcome... And Maddy's got issues that she's afraid Gabe will never understand. They quickly realize that they need each other to be whole, but at the same time they know that they've got demons to fight.

And the problem with demons is that they never die quietly.

I really loved If You Stay. And if you'd like a quick verdict without all the technical details for this book, let me say this: I loved If You Leave even more. 

Everything that was great about If You Stay is back: a kickass, albeit broken, hero; a likable heroine; a terrific supporting cast; zippy writing (with especially great, funny and honest / real dialog) that keeps those pages turning. If you liked If You Stay, you will likely enjoy If You Leave. 

The connection and chemistry between Madison and Gabriel is hot, instant and undeniable. Yet the emotional impact these two will have on each other has a delicious slow burn and by the time they actually get to do anything real with the attraction they show in the beginning, you'll pretty much be begging them. And the wait totally pays off. A lot of times I feel that people might misunderstand my view regarding sex scenes in novels and think I just don't like them. That's not true. I like well written scenes that move the characters--and their story--forward. And again, just like she did in If You Stay, Courtney Cole beyond delivers. 

But wait. It gets better...

...Every criticism I had against the first book in this series has been addressed and (mostly) dealt with. Unlike Mila, Madison has a real spine and has problems of her own which are actually addressed in the story. The habit I noticed Courtney Cole had of summarizing things that might need more detail only cropped up once, and in all fairness it was information the reader already knew. 

In parting, my one request would be this: I want to know what happens to Brand. I really, really, like Brand. <3 

As far as I'm concerned, If You Leave is a must read, and it secures Courtney Cole as an auto buy author for me. On top of all the good things I said above, I will also add that Gabriel is one of, if not my favorite, contemporary heroes ever. I don't think I can give much higher praise than that. If you haven't checked out the Beautifully Broken series yet, and you like contemporary or NA, I would highly recommend that you do. 

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository 

What's Next? (1)

What's Next? is a weekly event hosted by Icey Books where you guys get to suggest what book I should read next from a list that I provide.

Some of you might have guessed I've been having trouble reading books lately! Between writing, family stuff and fall weather (which for some reason makes me really, really, sleepy!) the books on my shelves are doing that weird thing where all the words sorta meld together. But I need to take a pause between doing edit notes for Sealer's Promise and actually making the edits, and if I want those edits to come out well I know I need to read stuff. That's non-negotiable.

What's Next? seems like a win-win to me. I hopefully get some motivation to read something and you guys get to hear my thoughts on something, rather than wondering what random book I'll finally come back with. So without further ado, here are...

The Burning Sky
by Sherry Thomas

It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

Why I Bought It: Magic, a prince, and romance? What's not to love, it's right up my alley. :D

Why I'm hesitant: Things could go very bad for this couple. It's the first book in a trilogy. It's historical, which can be hit or miss for me--and I didn't know that when I bought it.

If You Leave
by Courtney Cole

26-year old Gabriel Vincent is a badass hero. Or he used to be, anyway. As an ex-Army Ranger, Gabe never thought he needed anyone. But after one horrible night in Afghanistan scars him in a way that he can't get past, he needs someone who can help him heal...even if he doesn't realize it.

25-year old Madison Hill doesn't need anybody...or so she thinks. She grew up watching her parents' messed-up abusive relationship and she knows there's no way in hell that she's ever letting that happen to her.

They don't know it in the beginning, but Gabriel and Madison will soon develop a weakness: Each other.

But Gabriel's got a secret, a hidden monster that he's afraid Maddy could never overcome... And Maddy's got issues that she's afraid Gabe will never understand. They quickly realize that they need each other to be whole, but at the same time they know that they've got demons to fight.

And the problem with demons is that they never die quietly.

Why I Bought It: I totally, madly, loved If You Stay. I bought If You Leave the day it released, but I've been so busy I haven't had time to even take a glance at the first page.

Why I'm Hesitant: A string of contemporary NA / Adult reads that didn't click with me is part of what caused me to need to take time away from blogging, so I'm not 100% sure this is the right thing to read as I dive back in.

Elsker
S.T. Bende

You don't win the heart of an immortal assassin without making a few enemies along the way. Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs, but when she transfers from her one-stoplight town to Cardiff University in Wales she falls in love with Ull Myhr. Her new boyfriend isn't exactly what she was expecting. He's an honest to goodness Norse God - an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth. Kristia's crazy visions are the only thing that can save their realms. Her orderly life just got very messy.

Why I Bought It: I love books based on mythology, and Norse myth is both interesting and less common. This was one of those books where I went "Oh, I have to read that." Yet it's still on my Kindle. Go figure.

Why I'm Hesitant: Mythology based fantasy is, to some extent, the driving force of my own novel. I've been very careful about what I read while doing the latest draft. However, I'm at the editing stages now so I should be okay. Still, it'll be weird to read this after the two months I've had.

Cinder
by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Why I Bought It: Cyborg Cinderella? Again, how could I resist. I honestly can't tell ya why I haven't read it. I've never even opened it. It just hasn't happened.

Why I'm Hesitant: Every time I look at this book all I can think is "It's big.". That's silly--one of my favorite series is The Tiger Saga! If I was patient enough to get into that, Cinder should be cake. But at least I'm honest. :)

The Liberator
by Victoria Scott

Bad boy, meet bad girl.

Dante has a shiny new cuff wrapped around his ankle, and he doesn't like that mess one bit. His new accessory comes straight from Big Guy himself and marks the former demon as a liberator. Despite his gritty past and bad boy ways, Dante Walker has been granted a second chance.

When Dante is given his first mission as a liberator to save the soul of seventeen-year-old Aspen, he knows he’s got this. But Aspen reminds him of the rebellious life he used to live and is making it difficult to resist sinful temptations. Though Dante is committed to living clean for his girlfriend Charlie, this dude’s been a playboy for far too long…and old demons die hard.

With Charlie becoming the girl she was never able to be pre-makeover and Aspen showing him how delicious it feels to embrace his inner beast, Dante will have to go somewhere he never thought he’d return to in order to accomplish the impossible: save the girl he’s been assigned to, and keep the girl he loves.

Why I Bought It: The Collector was the most recent recipient of my writing award, the Kat's Meow. With how much I loved the first book, it only makes sense I want to read the second.

Why I'm Hesitant: Here's the thing, though. When I love a book that can prove a double edged sword. Will The Liberator be able to match The Collector? That'll be a tough act to follow! 

Now for the fun part. 

Leave a comment and tell me...

Stacking The Shelves / What's Up This Week? (Aug. 24th)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly event hosted by Tynga's Reviews where people can share the fabulous books they've bought, borrowed or received during the week.

For Review

Won

Bought

Bought

Bought

Breaking The Reins by Julianna Haygert

Snapshots by Patricia Lynne

The School For Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

If You Leave by Courtney Cole

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins 

Hey guys! 

I know--it's been a bit of a barren wasteland here for the last couple weeks. I've been insanely busy with the Sealer's Promise rewrite, though, and anyone who's been here a while knows how bad I can be about balancing blogging and writing. 

My plate's about to get even more full. Today is the start of Early Access for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and I'm logging on there the moment I'm done here. <3! For those who don't know, I'm a huge gamer geek. :D I don't play as much as I use to, but I've been waiting months for this and the experience I had last weekend for their open beta was totally awesome, so I'm pretty excited. Anyone want the occasional screenshot in my "What's Up" posts? :) 

Are you attending the Ontario Book Blogger Meet Up? If so, you might want to go here and get involved in the book swap going on. :) I attended last year's meet up (my recap is here) and had an absolute blast. I can't wait to go again this November! :) 

Breaking The Reins

by Julianna Haygert

Horses, mansions, tea parties, and lies are twenty-year-old Hannah Taylor’s life. To others, her family and her relationship with Eric is perfect. But she knows the truth. She lives it.

After a fire takes her grandma's life and kills her horse, Hannah's immaculate life spirals out of control. Her father disapproves of her decision to run her grandma’s ranch instead of focusing solely on learning the family business; Animal Control brings her Argus, a mistreated horse that she can't turn away even though she's not ready for another horse; and her boyfriend, Eric Bennett, a world famous polo player, becomes possessive and authoritarian. Despite her best efforts to disguise it, Hannah grows wary of him.

Then, Leonardo Fernandes struts onto the polo scene. A cocky rookie with a messy life of his own, he’s drawn to Hannah and isn’t afraid of showing it, even when Eric makes it clear she is his and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Hannah suffers for Eric’s jealousy. The abuse only gets worse when Leo steals the title of best polo player in the world from Eric.

But the title isn’t enough for Leo. He wants Hannah too, and she can’t deny her attraction to him either. Somehow, she must find a way to break free from abusive Eric before he breaks every bone in her body.

**New Adult Contemporary Romance Novel**
**Contains scenes of domestic violence**

I don't accept that many review requests, since I can't always get to them. This was a rather unique situation, though. I got contacted by Julianna after putting my name in for a twitter giveaway. I've been interested in this book for months, so I'm pretty thrilled to have it on my Kindle right now. I'm not reading quite as fast as I'd care for--which is why I'm only listing Breaking The Reins this week--but I am genuinely enjoying the book so far. :) 

Sealer's Promise Word Count Update: 45,000 words 

16 / 25 planned chapters. 

The blog is admittedly suffering, but progress on this rewrite is exceeding my wildest dreams. I started on August 3rd and have been writing four nights a week. I should be done by the middle of September by the latest, which should keep my lined up with my goals. 

I think the most shocking thing is how much the characters have grown in the jump from YA to NA, and how certain elements of the story have basically kicked it up a notch in response to this. Sealer's Promise won't be as long as my last draft (at 135,000 words) but it has a lot less fluff and a lot more meat.

Sarena has a lot more humor this go around and seems to know more what she wants, while Kesyl is doing things I could never have planned in a draft. (My drafts are like tourist guides--they'll help you find the landmarks, but they're not the same as living the experience of going somewhere.) I'm having an absolute blast writing this and am so glad I finally sat down and got to it. :) 

I'm going to be starting to look for betas in the coming weeks. If you think you'd be interested, feel free to leave your e-mail and a note that you're interested in the comments, or e-mail me. (The address is on my contact page.) 

So, did you get any awesome new goodies this week? Has anything exciting happened? Feel free to share in the comments, or link me to your STS, IMM, etc.