Holt
She likes it quick and dirty.
I like orders and rules.
She hates small talk.
I hate to share.
She’s an open book.
I’m a closed dresser drawer.
She rides a Harley.
And that drives me f’ing nuts.
Annalyse and I have both lived in our own personal hells for half a decade. She’s learned to love the warmth, and I’m still consumed. But my new neighbor is stoking more than my libido these days. We agreed on only pleasure. But she changed the rules.
And now I’m not even sure what they are.
Maybe there’s a reason she found me that night, maybe there’s a reason I can’t stop thinking about her, maybe there’s a reason for the pain. Maybe not.
We all look for reasons in life. Reasons for death, love, pain. Why one thing happens and not another? It’s human nature. We’ve been looking for the meaning of life since the beginning of time. But maybe the reason for all of it — life, love, loss, heartache — is the curvy brunette living next door.
Annalyse
“You should have on a life jacket.”
“When I kayak or when I ride my motorcycle?” I ask.
He tries not to smile, but he does. “Pissed, huh?”
“Observant, aren’t you?”
“Motorcyclists are twenty-five percent more likely to die and five times more likely to be injured than a passenger in a car,” he says.
“You looked that up just to lecture me, didn’t you?”
“Not the point,” he says. “No more motorcycle.”
Did he really think he could go all alpha male on me? Usually, it would be hot as all-get-out to see a man in control, dominant, but right now alpha equals asshole! Note to self — I should do a blog post on that. Where have all the good alphas gone? “Who do you think you are?” I say, walking away. “You’re not my husband or my father. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t let my father or husband order me around like this.”
His fingers lightly touch my elbow. It isn’t a grab. I barely feel it, and as quickly as he touched me, it’s over. “I’m a doctor. I’ve seen what . . .”
“You’re a gynecologist! You’ve seen what a motorcycle can do to a vagina?”
Oh God, I’m in trouble. He’s got the dirtiest look in his eye. “I’d imagine the vibration would feel pretty damn good.”
I can’t help it and bust out laughing. “You are impossible.”
“And it’s the law to carry a life vest for every person in a kayak,” he says.
I roll my eyes. “You like rules.”
“I like order.”
“Ordering people around,” I say.
“Only certain people,” he says.
Don’t ask me why, but the thought of him “ordering” me around made my legs clench together, or maybe it was the mention of vibrations. Either way, the idea of him taking control of my body didn’t sound bad to me at all. It would be nice to not think so damn much all the time and just feel something good for a change.
All I could think about while reading this story was the song Bring Me To Life by Evanescence. They are one of my absolute favorite bands and this song just fits perfectly! It's also a song that means a lot to me personally for a similar reason...which I will share with you during my review..it's gonna be a little different because of the way this book hit me. It's not the flippant, happy go lucky usual review for me. So enjoy this most excellent song while you read...
Oh and in case I get carried away...let me make sure you know it's a most definite 5 star read!
The Reason for Me is another freaking awesome book by Prescott Lane. I should now by now her stories aren't the insta-love insta-sex funny rom com's full of sexy and witty banter...Her books always mean SO much more to me..I always connect with the story and the characters, just maybe not in the way most do.
We've all loved and lost. A parent, grandparent, friend, lover...whatever, it's happened. It's how you deal with it that makes the difference. Prescott Lane's writing is phenomenal...really! It's touching, gut wrenching and always comes from the heart..I know a lot of authors will say all their stories come from the heart, but many of them sound like they simply come from the head...especially when you put them side by side with those from Prescott Lane.
I'm not going to regurgitate the synopsis...I'm not going to tell you how sexy Holt is (oh wait, I just did) and I'm not going to tell you how I connected with the characters and enjoyed their story. Instead, I'm going to tell you how very fucking true this story is...maybe not in the biographical way you'd think...I've not lost my husband on our wedding day...matter of fact we just celebrated our 20th anniversary. I'm meaning the feels, the way both Holt and Annalyse were going through their lives...walking in the flames, wallowing in darkness because it's SO much easier than dealing with it. But it's not...easier I mean...
Have you ever gotten pissed off at your significant other..or your sibling.. whatever...it's SO much more difficult to be mad and pissed off than blowing it off and forgetting it ya know? Living in the darkness just perpetuates depression, erratic self deprecating behavior, more fear and that leads you round and round. Like with Holt's character, it's hard to get beyond that. It's easier to paste on that face everyone expects to see and fake it...instead of dealing with the issue in the first place...and pretty soon you're going through life like a mirror...just reflecting back that which they want to see, while underneath the sparkle you're dark, scratched, hiding cracks that will eventually make you shatter. It's how you pick yourself back up when that happens, or who you have around you to lend a hand to bring you back to life.
I've been there. Annalyse and I? We're two peas in a pod. That's why this book hit so hard.
My son Brady was 6 when he died. It was a tragic accident, perpetuated by an acquaintance of my husbands...a guy he worked with. He was the oldest of 3, Ethan was 5 and Elizabeth was 3. We were all outside and saw it happen right in front of our eyes. One minute all was fine and the next it was all falling apart. Who knew time could move SO slowly. It felt like forever before the ambulance got there...and all of the first responders and firefighters that were there, just standing around...That was hard for me. A lot of them I'd known forever and to see the way they looked at me? The sadness and disbelief in their eyes? To this day (it's been 11 years) most of them say that was the hardest call they'd ever been on. But just like Annalyse, I made myself stay too busy to think. I didn't want to be home because this was where it happened...but this was where I could feel him the strongest. I could smell his pillow, his favorite blanket. Look at his favorite shirt to wear (power rangers) see his favorite toys...until I couldn't.
All of a sudden, his pillow and blanket didn't smell like him anymore...that was the hardest day. Maybe even harder than the day he was buried...harder than those days where you wake up and it takes you a minute to remember that your joy is gone...that you're not supposed to be happy right now. It's the should's and the expectations that are the hardest to get away from. Everyone expects you to feel so sad and bad and be grouchy and pissy that they become enablers...until they feel you should be over it. What they don't know is for every hour, every day they enabled you to wallow in the darkness it just made it that much harder to want to leave it behind. It becomes comfortable...until one day you really do have to choose to be happy. You have to choose to live life. You have to open your eyes and realize that so much has passed you by. THEN and only then do you really begin to heal. For me it was realizing just how old my other children were getting to be. I missed so much...well, I didn't really miss it... I was there. I just really missed it...it didn't sink in, because I was too busy trying not to be so sad that everyone would see...faking it, that's how I spent a good couple of years I will never get back.
So The Reason For Me hit closer than any other book has. Annalyse was just like me...surrounding herself with Logan's things, always on the go so she wouldn't have to think too hard, yet always talking things through with him..yep, I did that too. I still talk to Brady. Not every day, maybe not even every week...but I do..and sometimes I think he sends me signs. Just like I believe that what happened was pre-ordained...maybe it wasn't meant to help me or my family. Maybe it was meant to help the other person.
Regardless, we all have to dance with the flames at some point in our lives...It's how we rise from the ashes that makes you who you are.
Oh and in case I get carried away...let me make sure you know it's a most definite 5 star read!
The Reason for Me is another freaking awesome book by Prescott Lane. I should now by now her stories aren't the insta-love insta-sex funny rom com's full of sexy and witty banter...Her books always mean SO much more to me..I always connect with the story and the characters, just maybe not in the way most do.
We've all loved and lost. A parent, grandparent, friend, lover...whatever, it's happened. It's how you deal with it that makes the difference. Prescott Lane's writing is phenomenal...really! It's touching, gut wrenching and always comes from the heart..I know a lot of authors will say all their stories come from the heart, but many of them sound like they simply come from the head...especially when you put them side by side with those from Prescott Lane.
I'm not going to regurgitate the synopsis...I'm not going to tell you how sexy Holt is (oh wait, I just did) and I'm not going to tell you how I connected with the characters and enjoyed their story. Instead, I'm going to tell you how very fucking true this story is...maybe not in the biographical way you'd think...I've not lost my husband on our wedding day...matter of fact we just celebrated our 20th anniversary. I'm meaning the feels, the way both Holt and Annalyse were going through their lives...walking in the flames, wallowing in darkness because it's SO much easier than dealing with it. But it's not...easier I mean...
Have you ever gotten pissed off at your significant other..or your sibling.. whatever...it's SO much more difficult to be mad and pissed off than blowing it off and forgetting it ya know? Living in the darkness just perpetuates depression, erratic self deprecating behavior, more fear and that leads you round and round. Like with Holt's character, it's hard to get beyond that. It's easier to paste on that face everyone expects to see and fake it...instead of dealing with the issue in the first place...and pretty soon you're going through life like a mirror...just reflecting back that which they want to see, while underneath the sparkle you're dark, scratched, hiding cracks that will eventually make you shatter. It's how you pick yourself back up when that happens, or who you have around you to lend a hand to bring you back to life.
I've been there. Annalyse and I? We're two peas in a pod. That's why this book hit so hard.
My son Brady was 6 when he died. It was a tragic accident, perpetuated by an acquaintance of my husbands...a guy he worked with. He was the oldest of 3, Ethan was 5 and Elizabeth was 3. We were all outside and saw it happen right in front of our eyes. One minute all was fine and the next it was all falling apart. Who knew time could move SO slowly. It felt like forever before the ambulance got there...and all of the first responders and firefighters that were there, just standing around...That was hard for me. A lot of them I'd known forever and to see the way they looked at me? The sadness and disbelief in their eyes? To this day (it's been 11 years) most of them say that was the hardest call they'd ever been on. But just like Annalyse, I made myself stay too busy to think. I didn't want to be home because this was where it happened...but this was where I could feel him the strongest. I could smell his pillow, his favorite blanket. Look at his favorite shirt to wear (power rangers) see his favorite toys...until I couldn't.
All of a sudden, his pillow and blanket didn't smell like him anymore...that was the hardest day. Maybe even harder than the day he was buried...harder than those days where you wake up and it takes you a minute to remember that your joy is gone...that you're not supposed to be happy right now. It's the should's and the expectations that are the hardest to get away from. Everyone expects you to feel so sad and bad and be grouchy and pissy that they become enablers...until they feel you should be over it. What they don't know is for every hour, every day they enabled you to wallow in the darkness it just made it that much harder to want to leave it behind. It becomes comfortable...until one day you really do have to choose to be happy. You have to choose to live life. You have to open your eyes and realize that so much has passed you by. THEN and only then do you really begin to heal. For me it was realizing just how old my other children were getting to be. I missed so much...well, I didn't really miss it... I was there. I just really missed it...it didn't sink in, because I was too busy trying not to be so sad that everyone would see...faking it, that's how I spent a good couple of years I will never get back.
So The Reason For Me hit closer than any other book has. Annalyse was just like me...surrounding herself with Logan's things, always on the go so she wouldn't have to think too hard, yet always talking things through with him..yep, I did that too. I still talk to Brady. Not every day, maybe not even every week...but I do..and sometimes I think he sends me signs. Just like I believe that what happened was pre-ordained...maybe it wasn't meant to help me or my family. Maybe it was meant to help the other person.
Regardless, we all have to dance with the flames at some point in our lives...It's how we rise from the ashes that makes you who you are.
$50 Amazon Gift Card
Prescott Lane is the Amazon best-selling author of Stripped Raw. She's got five other books under her belt including: First Position, Perfectly Broken, Quiet Angel, and Wrapped in Lace, and her new release, Layers of Her. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and holds a degree in sociology and a MSW from Tulane University. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren't enough happily ever afters in real life.
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