Closer to You #3
By:
A. L. Jackson
Published:
April 7, 2015
Publisher:
NAL
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Source:
eARC from Publisher for a honest review
GR's Summary:
His heart was turned off…
Until she turned him on…
Christopher Moore gave up on the idea of love years ago. Now, his life is an endless string of parties and an even longer string of girls. Enjoying the physical perks with none of the emotional mess, hes convinced everyone that hes satisfied—everyone but himself.
Samantha Schultz has moved on with her life. Finishing her student teaching and living with her boyfriend, shes deluded herself into believing shes content. But there is one boy she never forgot—her first love—and she keeps the memory of him locked up tight. She will never allow any man to break her the way Christopher did.
When Christopher's sister and her family move into a new neighborhood, Christopher is completely unprepared to find Samantha living at the end of the street. Memories and unspent desires send them on collision course of sex, lies, and lust. But when guilt and fear send Samantha running, Christopher will have to fight for what has always been his.
Lindy's Thoughts:
The Closer to You Series has pulled heavily on my heart strings. All three of these books are reads, that will give you a major case of the "feels," as they touch on real life circumstances, such as first love, second chances, the emotional turmoil that loss brings, learning from one's mistakes, and growing up by taking responsibility for one's actions and happiness.
In Come To Me Quietly, and Come To Me Softly, we get Aleena "Aly" Moore and Jared Holt's story. In Come To Me Recklessly, their story continues as secondary characters, with the focus being on Christopher Moore (Aly's older brother,) and his first love, Samantha Schultz.
Christopher and Samantha were each other's first and only love in high school. However, they had many obstacles. Samantha's pasteur father and conservative mother did not approve of him, and they didn't allow her any freedom. Her parents, along with a traumatic life event caused problems that they couldn't overcome. Christopher thought Samantha gave up on their relationship, while she felt betrayed by him due to poor communication and mistakes that were made.
When Aly and Jared move in to a new home, they run in to Samantha at Target. Aly and Samantha make a connection and become close friends, which puts Samantha and Christopher in each other's paths. Unfortunately, they both never got past the anger and hurt from when their relationship ended. Samantha lives with her boyfriend Ben, (an overbearing, controlling, and manipulative man,) and is unhappy in her relationship. He railroaded her in to living with him, when she told him she wasn't ready. The more time that Samantha and Christopher are in each other's company, the more obvious it becomes that they never stopped loving one another. Has too much damage been done, or is there a possibility for them to have a second chance at love?
I really enjoyed the way Come To Me Recklessly was written. Ms. Jackson has a poetic writing style and expresses the character's thoughts and emotions beautifully. She gave us both the present and past in their dual perspectives, and I loved getting the full picture. It added substance, and depth to the plot, as well as the character's makeup. The entire storyline held my interest, as I looked forward to watching the story unfold. I wanted to learn the details of why Christopher and Samantha's relationship had ended when they were teens, as well as how everything would play out in the present time.
Ms. Jackson's characters came to life on the page. I could not stand Samantha's boyfriend, Ben. He was pompous, arrogant, and selfish. I was dying for Samantha to get a backbone. She let him get away with treating her horribly, and this frustrated me! I loved the special friendship that Aly and Samantha cultivated. I admired how determined Aly is, and how she does what she believes to be in the best interest of those that she loves. Samantha's younger brother, Stewart, was one of my favorite character's in this story. He was such a strong person, wise, supportive, loving, and fun. My heart wept for the pain and suffering he endured at the hands of a cruel disease.
I would really love to see Christopher and Aly's brother, Augustyn, get a love story with Jared's younger sister, Courtney! Please, Ms. Jackson! I am not done with these characters yet!
My Rating:
I give, Come To Me Recklessly, by A.L. Jackson, 4.5 Wistful Desires, Second Chance at Love, All Encompassing Passion Filled Stars! This story was a tremendous read, and a major tear jerker!
Mikki's Review:
When I read Come To Me Quietly, which is the first installment of the Closer to You series, I fell in love with A.L. Jackson’s writing style. It’s powerful and unforgettable. From the moment you pick up one of her books you not only read the story, you feel it! I can still remember the double book hangover that I got from reading Aleena and Jared’s memorable journey. I was ecstatic once I found out that Christopher, which is Aleena’s brother and Jared’s best friend, would be getting his own book. We don’t get much of his story in the previous installments since it’s mainly focused on Aleena and Jared, but I knew that I wanted to know more about him. I have been a fan of Christopher since the moment he was introduced in this series. I am so happy of how A.L. Jackson wrote Samantha and Christopher’s love journey. You will get all the feels with Come To Me Recklessly. A.L. Jackson does not disappoint!
CTMR is a second chance romance. Samantha and Christopher met when they were in high school. The fell in love fast and they were ready to fight for their love, but unexpected events make them grow apart. Several years later Samantha and Christopher are reunited again, but will they be able to overcome the lies and betrayals that have left them heartbroken? Will they be ready to give their love a second chance?
It never fails!!!! Every time I get my hands on one of A.L. Jackson’s books I escape to the most wonderful place. A place where I live and feel every single moment of the story I am reading. Samantha and Christopher’s journey was heart breaking and intense, but it was romantic and heart-melting as well. These two were amazing characters to follow. I laughed and cried with them. I love the way they reconnected with each other. It was super intense from the very beginning and until the very end they had me on the edge of my seat. I never knew what was going to happen next. I knew that this reading escape was going to be emotional, but my heart broke into a million a few times for these two characters. I was cheering for them to finally find the HEA that they desperately needed. They lost so many years together because of things that they could not control.
From the moment that they reunite you can feel their chemistry. It’s out of this world hot and intense! Be prepared for some major “swoon attacks”. Christopher Moore will make your heart melt! The way he loves Samantha is beautiful and breathtaking! He knows that he did some wrong things in the past, but he’s determined to show Samantha that the love he has for her is sincere. I just loved the way he became Samantha’s friend before sweeping her off her feet. It was perfect in every single way! Samantha totally captivated me. She was a lovable heroine that grew so much on a personal level. She took a step toward what she wanted for once in her life. I loved her transformation and how she put her foot down. This couple totally rocks in my books and their story will stay with me for a long time!
My Rating:
Book Teasers:
About A.L. Jackson:
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including Pulled, When We Collide, If Forever Comes, and Come to Me Quietly. She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life. Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children. Look for Come to Me Softly and When We Met: Behind Her Eyes coming soon.
