Today Alicia Rae is making a return visit with the next installment in her Beautiful series, My Beautiful. Keep reading to get my impressions of this book and learn even more about it by visiting the other blogs hosting this tour. Make sure to fill out the form for your chance to win some great prizes like a Kindle and copies of the first book in this series too!
Deep down though, Lily realizes that living without Kyle is too painful. She finds strength in Kyle’s arms, and he gives her the courage to face her past. With every step forward, Lily continues to nurture and mend her damaged heart.
Just when Lily feels closure within her grasp, secrets from the past finally catch up with her, and Lily will discover that more than her heart is on the line.
Will love be enough to save Lily?
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
As the second book in the Beautiful series it's imperative to have read the previous book as this one picks up right where the last one ended. While some things have changed for Lily some things have stayed the same. Though she's trying to put past pains behind her more pain rises up that keep her, and us, on an emotional roller-coaster that ultimately ends in yet another cliff hanger. Fortunately for Lily she has Kyle, a wonderful hero who's always there to support her. He's a rock in her ever-rocky road to healing and my affection for him continues.
As part of her journey to healing she revisits relatives that she turned her back on previously which leads to some powerful moments full of heartbreaking emotions. I enjoyed the family interactions which allowed another side of Lily to shine through. After so much loss it brought a tear to my eye to see her embrace the family she has left and the love and support they give her. Ms. Rae's handling of these scenes though requires a box of tissue as the emotions run deep. After such touching scenes it saddens me that once again the past intrudes with events that were touched on in the previous book but aren't completely wrapped up before yet another cliff hanger arises. The mystery of the stalker is treated as an afterthought throughout the story and wrapped-up quickly at the last minute. That's not the end of mysteries though which further weigh on Lily and show a woman maturing and handling grief and pain in a more reasonable way.
While this story is mostly about Lily's continuing growth we do get a bigger glimpse into Kyle's past that merely whetted my appetite for more. His relationship with Lily is powerful and intensely sexual reflected by the MANY sexual interludes that overtook the storyline at times. That's not to say I don't enjoy a steamy read, but I don't like to see characterization sacrificed for sex. I also felt that this book went on a bit too long. Between the numerous sexual interludes and the drawn-out emotional reunion this book got a bit weighty at times and I feel that a bit of deleting would've been beneficial to the overall story.
Along with the intense familial issues dealt with throughout the story there was an overall sense of foreboding in regards to Kyle. There's more to his past than we've seen and as Ms. Rae enjoys putting her characters through the wringer I'm convinced the path to HEA for Kyle and Lily will get even rockier in the next installment and I'm greatly anticipating it as my adoration of Kyle continues.
My rating for this is a B-
*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Alicia Rae is a Contemporary Romance Author who lives in Dekalb, Illinois, with her husband and three beautiful boys. Alicia has a passion for reading all types of romance, writing to bring a story to life, and photography.
Thank you to my dear sister, Kels, who showed me a few years ago how much I truly missed reading. And to my loving husband, for not throwing away my Nook, and planting the seed of writing into my mind. I am forever grateful. Xo
Readers, words cannot thank you enough for supporting me along this incredible journey. I hope you enjoy my novels as much as I do writing them. I thank each and every one of you.
Believe in yourself and follow your dreams…
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Thank you for reviewing and sharing My Beautiful <3 Alicia
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