Book Review: There You Stand (Between Breaths #5) by Christina Lee

There You Stand
Between Breaths #5

By:
Christina Lee

Published:
April 21, 2015

Publisher:
Penguin/InterMix

Add to Goodreads

Source:
eARC from Publisher for a honest review

Mature Content
18 & Up

GR's Summary:

From the author of All of You and Before You Break comes a new Between Breaths male/male standalone romance about the silent, inked up skateboarder and the tattoo artist who unravels him piece by piece… 

Tattoo artist Cory Easton has worked long enough at Raw Ink to know, just by looking at a dude, what his body art reveals, what makes him tick, what even makes him scared. Until he meets the quiet and remote Jude York—so unreadable, so unreachable, and so unlike anyone else, he can’t help but arouse Cory’s curiosity. 

As captivating and complex as his ink, Jude is a mystery—and Cory’s falling fast and hard under his spell. Against his better judgment to steer clear. 

The rumors of Jude’s past overshadow him—whispers of prison and an unmentionable secret that’s kept him in the protective shadows of a local motorcycle club. As Cory probes deeper, he wonders how much he really wants to know. Especially since Jude has awakened something inside him that has been buried too long—and has him feeling completely alive for the first time in forever…

Between Breaths Series:

My Review of All Of You Here

My Review of Before You Break Here

My Review of Whisper To Me Here

My Review of Promise Me This Here

*Add this Series to Goodreads Here

My Thoughts:

The Between Breaths Series is such a great New Adult Romantic Series.  I would recommend all of these books.  They are entertaining, fast-paced, have just the right amount of angst and light heartedness, depth, and excellent fully developed characters.  I have been a fan of Corey Easton's, since I was first introduced to him.  I am so happy that he finally got his own story!

Corey works at Raw Ink and has a passion for his career as a tattoo artist.  While his closest friends are his co-workers, he is still lonely.  The only living relative that he has left is his Grandma, and he is really close to her.  He's had a rough road as far as relationships are concerned, and is tired of one night stands.

Corey  notices the uber sexy, gorgeous, newcomer Jude York right away.  He constantly runs in to Jude in his small town.  Jude is a talented skater.  He is very shy, mysterious, and a man of few words.  Cory is pretty sure that Jude is straight, but he can't help but crush on him.  When Jude makes appointments for Corey to give him a large tattoo over several sessions, they start to get to know one another better, sparks fly, and feelings grow.  However, there are rumors surrounding Jude being connected to a local MC, and being dangerous.  What is Jude hiding, and can Corey trust him with his heart?

The beginning of There You Stand was slow moving.  Initially, I had trouble connecting with Jude, because I was getting frustrated about how he avoided answering Corey's questions.  It drove me crazy.  I thought a dual perspective would have worked better, so that I could get in to Jude's head, and know what he was thinking.  Then, I realized why Ms. Lee wrote the story the way she did.  The revelations and plot twists would not have worked as well with both perspectives.  About a third of the way in to the story, and the pace picked up!  Then, the story flew by!  

I loved learning about Jude little by little.  The slow-building friendship and romance between Corey and Jude made everything so much more believable, special, and intense.  The sex scenes were very detailed, and frequent once they began.  However, there was a lot of emphasis on emotional intimacy, trust, and Jude and Corey opening up and taking a chance on love as well.

Dog lovers will really enjoy this book.  We get to learn about Corey's dogs antics, especially, Chopper!  Grandma was a great character.  I cherished the scenes where Corey spent time with her, and then introduced her to Jude.  They had such a strong, and loving bond, which reminded me of the way I am with my grandparents.   

My Rating:

I give, There You Stand, by Christina Lee, 4 Mysterious Crush, Rich Romance, A Beautiful Love Filled Stars!  This was another great addition to the Between Breaths Series and an outstanding M/M romance!

Book Teaser:

Casting by the Author:

"Cory" 

"Jude"

Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo

About Christina Lee:

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son--her two favorite guys. She's addicted to lip gloss, salted caramel everything, and believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Cover Reveal : Promise Me this (Between Breaths, #4) by Christina Lee

Promise Me This
Between Breaths,#4
by Christina Lee

Release Date:
October 7th, 2014

Publisher:
Penguin/Intermix

Genres:
New Adult /
Contemporary
Romance

Synopsis: 

A new love will test the boundaries of passion between a privileged boy next door and the tattooed, blue-haired girl who helps him embrace his wild side... 

Nate has developed quite a playboy reputation around campus. It's not that he doesn't respect or trust women; he doesn't trust himself. The men in Nate’s family are prone to abusive behavior—a dirty secret that Nate’s been running from his entire life—so Nate doesn't do relationships. But he can’t help himself around one girl… 

Jessie is strong, independent, and works at a tattoo parlor. Nate can’t resist getting close to her, even if it’s strictly a friendship. But it doesn't take long for Nate to admit that what he wants with Jessie is more than just friendly. 

With Jessie, he can be himself and explore what he’s always felt was a terrifying darkness inside him. Even when Nate begins to crave her in a way that both shocks and horrifies him, Jessie still wants to know every part of him. Testing their boundaries together will take a trust that could render them inseparable… or tear them apart.

Add to Goodreads

Pre-order: Amazon|B&N|iTunes

Between Breaths Series

About the Author

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son--her two favorite guys. She's addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. She believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job. 

Author of the Between Breaths series from Penguin. ALL OF YOU, BEFORE YOU BREAK and WHISPER TO ME available now, PROMISE ME THIS on October 7th, 2014. 

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

Facebook|Twitter|Website|Goodreads

Blog Tour: Whisper To Me (Between Breaths #3) by Christina Lee

Whisper To Me
Between Breaths #3
By:  Christina Lee
Release Date:  May 20, 2014
Publisher:  Penguin Group
Add to Goodreads
Purchase At:  Amazon | B&N | iBooks |Kobo

Hot and consuming, this is a New Adult romance about a wayward musician and the one girl who keeps him grounded…

At college, Rachel has a reputation for being a sarcastic flirt with a thing for ripped athletes. No one at college knows her heart was ripped to shreds by her high school boyfriend, who’d driven them both off the side of the road on a borrowed motorcycle. And then subsequently abandoned her. No one really knows Rachel Mattson at all, with one exception… 
Ever since he helped nurse his sister’s feisty best friend back to health, pierced bass player Kai Nakos has been head over heels in love. But the supposed bad boy can’t risk letting Rachel know the truth—especially now that the two of them are back in their hometown for the summer, together for the first time since the months following that horrible night. Never mind that Rachel’s ex is also back, groveling for her forgiveness.

Shaken by her ex’s return, Rachel finds herself turning to the one guy she knows she can trust. Now that Kai has had a taste of Rachel, he’s willing to do anything just to have her touch him again, even hiding his true feelings. After all, she only wants a temporary fling. Until it becomes something more. But perhaps it had been more all along.

Between Breaths Series:

My Review of All Of You Here

My Review of Before You Break Here

My Thoughts:

I love the Between Breaths Series, by Christina Lee.  It is a wonderful, and entertaining series about three good friends in college, and their journey with falling in love.  Each story can be a read as a stand alone and focuses on a different girl's story.  Whisper To Me is the third installment in the story, and was Rachel's story.  Before reading Rachel's story, she was my least favorite of the girls.  She slept around a lot, had the largest potty mouth, and didn't seem to have any depth to her character.  I am so glad that Rachel got her story!  It was amazing, and I ended up connecting with her once I learned more about her past.

In high school Rachel tended to be quiet around guys.  She was shy, and the only people that she was comfortable being herself with were her best friend Dakota, and Dakota's older brother, Kai.  They saw a funny, sassy, spirited, and independent side to her that other people weren't exposed to.  When Rachel got a serious boyfriend, who happened to be a popular jock, she changed.  She lost herself in her relationship.  Then after being in a serious motorcycle accident, Rachel almost died, and was left with a horrible brain injury.  She had to go to rehab, and learn how to walk, and learn to do everyday tasks again.  Her boyfriend left her and she was devastated.  Dakota and Kai were by her side every day cheering her on and supporting her as she worked hard towards her recovery.  Kai fell in love with Rachel, but never told her.

Rachel was tired of people feeling sorry for her and treating her differently, so she left her small town to attend college an hour away in the city.  She changed and became the person that partied, slept around, and oozed confidence and fun.  She didn't do relationships.  Now three years later, Rachel returns home for the summer to help her mother with her business, and stays with Dakota.  She is shocked when she finds out that Kai is also back, and staying with Dakota for the summer as well.

I loved learning about Rachel's past.  It added depth and made me understand her more as a character.  I loved the strong foundation of friendship, support, humor, and good memories that Rachel shared with Kai.  These two also had strong sexual chemistry, and wanted to spend every spare moment together.  I loved the person that Rachel was when she was around Kai.  She was herself, and didn't have to put up a facade.  Kai was amazing.  His love for Rachel was strong and unconditional.  He was a gifted musician, but was a little lost in deciding what direction to take in his life.  Rachel helped make him want to be a better version of himself, and get his life on track.

My favorite parts of the book were when Kai and Rachel were together.  It was magical, and obvious that they shared a special connection.  Both of them were so worried about ruining their friendship, and thought that the other person only wanted a fling.  I wanted them to come together, take a chance, and realize how much they meant to each other.

I also loved when all the friends came down to visit for the weekend.  It was fun seeing Avery, Bennett, Ella, and Quinn.  I'm hoping that we get Dakota, and Shane's (Kai's best friend's) story next.      

My Rating:

I give Whisper to Me, by Christina Lee, 4 Magnetic, Sexy, Dirty Talkin', Resilient, and Unconditional Love Filled Stars!  Between Breaths is a very fast-paced, entertaining, addictive, and swoon-worthy, new adult series!

My Favorite Quote:

"As soon as I gripped his fingers, I could breathe again.  He was my anchor, my respite, my North Star."  (eARC, Loc. 2214)

~Rachel

Book Teaser:

Courtesy of Ms. Lee's Facebook Page

About Christina Lee:

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son--her two favorite guys. She's addicted to lip gloss, salted caramel everything, and believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Before You Break (Between Breaths #2) by Christina Lee

Add to Goodreads

Before You Break

Between Breaths #2
By:  Christina Lee
Release Date: Feb. 18, 2014
Publisher:  Intermix
Source:  Publisher

GR's Summary

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

Between Breaths Series:

My Review on All Of You HERE

My Thoughts:

I had the pleasure of reading Ms. Lee's debut story, All of You, the first book in the Between Breaths Series, and became an instant fan of hers.  I enjoyed her unique storyline, the way she brought her characters to life, and completely pulled me in to Bennett and Avery's story.  Along the way, we were introduced to Avery's good friends, Ella and Rachel.  I liked Ella, and was really excited to get to know her better, and read her story, Before You Break.

In Before You Break, Ms. Lee did an excellent job of developing her main characters, Ella and Quinn.  I knew very little about Ella before I started her story.  I was excited to see the depth of her character, as I got to know who she was.  Ella was a psychology major, who enjoyed helping others.  She worked at a suicide hotline, and she had a real gift of connecting with others through her sensitivity and compassion.  Her brother, Christopher, had committed suicide when she was in high school, and she wondered if there was something she or someone else could have done to prevent it.  Therefore, she took her job seriously, and when she was on the hotline, she thought about her brother, and how she could help the person that she was speaking too.  One night, she gets a call from a suicidal guy by the name of Daniel, and the two of them connect.  Pretty soon, Daniel is periodically calling the hotline to speak to Gabriella, (Ella) whom he knows as Gabby, and the more the two talk, the more that they connect.

Daniel, "Quinn" carries a huge burden of guilt, over the death of his best friend, Sebastian.  He comes from an upper middle class family that is immersed in politics.  Sebastian and Quinn's families were always close.  They played baseball together their whole lives, and even though they were opposites, they couldn't have been any closer.  Sebastian was outgoing, wanted to be a baseball star, and all the girls wanted him.  Quinn enjoyed baseball, but didn't want to play professionally, was introverted, and had a passion for restoring cars.  Once Sebastian died, Quinn stopped working on cars, and focused on doing all of the things that his best friend had planned on doing.  He wasn't happy in his life, but he felt like he owed it to Sebastian, and Setbastian's parents, to make them proud.  

Ella has a womanizing boyfriend, Joel, who is disrespectful and doesn't treat her well.  Joel belongs to a frat, and Quinn is one of his frat brothers.  Quinn can't stand Joel, and the fact that he disrespects and cheats on Ella.  Soon Ella and Quinn are around one another at the frat house and for fundraising events.  They both have a strong attraction but beyond that they end up making an emotional connection.  However, things are complicated.  Ella has a boyfriend, Quinn doesn't think he deserves to be happy, and Ella doesn't realize that Quinn is Daniel, just as he doesn't realize that Ella is Gabby, the girl he's been trusting with his darkest secrets, on the suicide hotline.

I really loved, Before You Break.  I enjoy Ms. Lee's writing style, her realistic characters, and portrayal of real life situations.  In both of her books, it was the guy who was holding back from intercourse, and I liked how she reversed the typical cliche, where the woman is usually the one holding out for it.  Also, I appreciated that Ella was described as having curves.  She didn't have a flat stomach, and wasn't skinny.  Yet, Quinn found her beautiful, sexy, and loved who she was.  A lot of romance stories deal with women that are described with as what our society deems as beautiful.  I applaud Ms. Lee for giving us a, "real" woman, who had depth to her character, and dealt with a lot of the same insecurities that typical females deal with on a daily basis.  I love that Ms. Lee always gives me a story that is realistic, touching, and not filled with cliches.  Quinn was very different from most of the males that I read about in romances. He wasn't an outgoing, womanizing, alpha male.  He was a good guy, who kept to himself, and wasn't looking for a relationship, and he didn't sleep around.

My Rating:

I give, Before You Break, by Christina Lee, 4 Beautiful, Touching, Realistic, and Steam Filled Stars!  You will fall in love with this story, and will hope that Ella and Quinn find peace, love, and happiness with each other.  This story was very sweet and romantic, but it also had some very steamy and swoon-worthy love scenes.  If you enjoy a great series, with a little bit of angst, healing, friendship, and growth, try out Ms. Lee's, Between Breaths Series.

My Favorite Quotes:

"What I saw in Quinn--beneath the surface of his eyes--was something wholly uncultivated, despite his smooth exterior.  Something passionate and undisciplined.  And it made me want to throw all my rules out the window and feel wild and untamed with him."  (eARC, Loc. 496)

~Ella

"Ella was mesmerizing.  A force so captivating she was difficult to resist.  Like a powerful tide washing over me, pulling me under, and compelling me along a path that was terrifying and exhilarating all at once."  (eARC, Loc. 1344)

~Quinn

"Guilt and regret are powerful things.  But they can destroy your life.  Somehow you have to learn to forgive yourself so you can move on."  (eARC, Loc. 1464)

~Ella

"I didn't know anything about her.  What she looked like, how old she was, where she lived.  Only that she was this calming voice.  This peaceful force that permitted me to spill my guts.  Spill my soul."  (eARC, Loc. 1525)

~Quinn

"Kissing Ella was like coming hime.  There was no other way to describe it.  It felt natural, thrilling, right.  (eARC, Loc. 2115)

~Quinn

Casting:

Courtesy of Ms. Lee's Facebook

Book Teasers:

Courtesy of Ms. Lee's Facebook

Preorder At:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

About Christina Lee:

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, releases September with Penguin. BEFORE YOU BREAK in 2014. Repped by Sara Megibow. 

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter