Thursday, June 26, 2014

Review: Come To Me Softly, by A.L. Jackson



Synopsis
From the New York Times bestselling author of Come to Me Quietly comes a scorching new adult romance in the Closer to You series.

A second chance at life…
A second chance at love…

Jared Holt never thought he deserved either—until he found both in the arms of Aly Moore. Aly has loved Jared for as long as she can remember, and she’s more than ready for the future they’re making together. But Jared can’t help remembering his own family. And he’ll never forgive himself for what happened to them. How can he allow himself the very happiness he once destroyed? 

To live a life worthy of Aly, Jared knows he has to stop running and finally put his past to rest. But when he decides to face his demons head on, he encounters more than he bargained for: a dangerous mix of jealousy, lies, and dishonest intentions. When those intentions threaten Aly, Jared loses all control, giving into the rage that earned him his bad boy reputation years before. And he’ll fight to protect her no matter what it costs…even if he destroys himself in the process.



Review
5 out of 5 stars

Were you aware A.L. Jackson was a master storyteller, you know the kind who when telling a story it completely takes over your life?  It's not often you find an author who first wrecks you then slowly pieces your heart back together with every single one of their books.  A.L. Jackson does this for me and I eagerly anticipate it every single time!  I first fell in love with Jared Holt and Aleena “Aly” Moore in Come to Me Quietly.  In my opinion that book was nothing short of amazing, needless to say you can just imagine my excitement when Come To Me Softly appeared on the Kindle for review!  


This second book picks up immediately where we last left Jared and Aly at the end of Come To Me Quietly.  As you recall, Jared finally made his way back to Aly after several months of running from the inevitable and drowning his sorrows in things which would never fill the void her absences created when he ran.  Aly's forgiven, taken him back and oh yeah, she dropped the shocking news of her pregnancy!  But where do they go from here?  Aly doesn't want to raise the baby alone and she knows her heart will never belong to anyone other than Jared.  Jared on the other hand is done fighting against his feelings for Aly, he may not believe he deserves happiness but he's resigned to the fact he cannot nor does he ever want to be apart from her again.  His plan...to simply bury the demons, and give Aly and his unborn child everything they deserve.  The question we're left wondering is how long before everything blows up, before Jared's demons eventually resurface and completely destroy everything he's built.  Better yet, what's going to be left of Aly, their baby and their relationship?

It was hard not knowing if Jared would ever really succeed in burying his demons, it's a fight he faces not only every day but also every time he closes his eyes, and its nothing short of heartbreaking.  As I read I couldn't help but believe he wanted to be happy, he truly loves Aly and wants nothing more than to build a life together, but struggles with the guilt over his mothers’ death.  A.L. Jackson paints such a vivid picture of his torment and inner turmoil, it just breaks your heart knowing how many years he's lived through it all. I think it all boils down to one of two things, he either doesn't want to face the demons brought on by the accident and his mother's death or he is just too scared to actually face them and become free of their haunting.  I could feel myself with every page willing him to have the courage to attack the darkness head on because I knew I couldn't bear to watch it ruin all the good he finally has.  I respect Jared's character so much because even though he was fighting what felt like a loosing battle with himself I never for once doubted his feelings of love for both Aly and his unborn child.  He always did the best to put the two of them first, to seem better, to keep the darkness at bay.  I loved watching him treasure Aly, she was the light to his darkness.


Speaking of Aly, she too is such a great character.  I found her to be loving and kind, and I also never doubted her love and devotion to Jared.  I respected her most in the moments when she put Jared and their family first, even when the price was quite possibly Jared himself.  Talk about an act of true love!  She is so in tune with him and his emotions, I found it mesmerizing watching her approach towards him vary in order to soothe and comfort when he always needed it most.  Her love for Jared is not only fierce but also protective. We all know Jared's protectiveness of Aly could easily rip anyone apart, but before Come To Me Softly, I don't think anyone of us really understood her protectiveness of him would do the same.  There isn't anyone who is allowed to messes with his emotional state without eventually answering to her.  These two are without a doubt made for one another in every way possible. 


Come To Me Softly is a heartbreakingly, beautiful story of love, redemption, forgiveness and family that you won’t soon forget.  One click this book today and fall even more in love with Jared and Aly, my time with them was well spent and their story is without a doubt cemented into my list of favorites.

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