REVIEW: BEFORE YOU BREAK by CHRISTINA LEE

Series: Between Breaths #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Intermix
Publication Date: 2/18/14
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars
 

A sexy, emotional New Adult romance about a bad boy on the edge and a good girl about to lose control…

The star catcher of the college baseball team isn't supposed to have skeletons in his closet. But Daniel Quinn is hiding a guilty past so dark he refuses to let anyone get close. Except there’s something about gorgeous, studious Ella Abrams that goes beyond the electric attraction between them—something that makes him want to open up.

Ella has suffered enough heartache and guilt to fill one of her psychology textbooks, but she keeps that part of herself hidden behind a bubbly exterior. Until she receives an anonymous call while working the suicide helpline and the voice on the other end touches something inside of her that she can’t ignore.

Soon Ella and Quinn’s physical connection heats up, even as their deep and revealing hotline talks intensify. But by the time Ella realizes that her seductive jock and her sensitive caller are the same guy, it might be too late to save him—or to stop herself from falling too far.

*A companion novel to ALL OF YOU*

 

 

First Impression...  Nice cover. I really liked Christina Lee's style in All of You, and hope to find another enjoyable read in Before You Break.

The Story... The book description pretty much nails it. This isn't the first time I've come across this scenario: a lonely and desperate call to a suicide hotline leads to a connection between the caller and the responder. Meanwhile, the two make a connection in real life, never realizing the parallel paths. Over time, both relationships become more involved, more intense. And when the two realize what's going on? It will be a make-or-break situation.

The Characters... Ella was introduced in All of You. I never really connected with her, but I certainly did in Before You Break. A look at her background paints Ella in a sympathetic and favorable light. Yes, she's fairly crass at times, but there is much more going on with Ella. I particularly admired her caring nature and that she devotes much time to helping others.

 

About Quinn. Christina Lee certainly creates endearing book guys. I really liked Bennett in All of You, but I think I like Quinn even more. He's such a genuinely good person, though he doesn't see that in himself. He's dealing with so much guilt, so much pressure from his family, and falling for his frat brother's girl. My favorite thing about Quinn was his respect for Ella. That he doesn't want a quick hook-up, but a strong connection. That he wants Ella, but will not have her until they are both free of whatever holds them back.

The Writing... I enjoy Lee's style, it's quiet and intense at the same time. But what I love about Before You Break was that it focused so heavily on the emotional healing of the characters. What Lee did in this story- focusing on mental health and emotional healing, the power of listening, of being heard - was so very important.

 

The Heat... was perfect. I've stressed several times that Before You Break was not a story of sexual healing. And while that is true, it was also a sexy story. Quinn and Ella had a great chemistry, obviously very attracted to one another. The build-up between them was slow and romantic.

In the End... Before You Break was a very good story. It was an emotional tale of forgiveness and the power of simply being there for another person. I look forward to more of Lee and this series.  

 

Favorite Quotes:

  I still had a burning desire to see Quinn. Even though I knew it might head nowhere good. I was leaving one fire behind and walking into another. But this one was already consuming me.


  I wanted to savor this girl. Show her how much I relished her. I didn't want her to think I was anything like Joel. This girl needed to be cared for, protected, and valued. This was Ella standing before me, allowing me to touch her and taste her, and all I wanted was to make her feel good. Special. Exquisite.



 

 Between Breaths Series

 

    

(covers lead to GoodReads)

My Review of All of You
 

Purchase Links

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

About the author

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives near Cleveland with her two favorite guys. She's addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything.

New Adult/Young Adult author. NA Contemporary Romance ALL OF YOU, out now (Penguin/InterMix). The companion novel, BEFORE YOU BREAK releases February 18th, 2014. Repped by Sara Megibow.

Also the creator of Tags-n-Stones (dot com) jewelry.

            Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads