It’s an angsty and unforgettable romance readers will discover with this book release as two people find a connection over their love of music. When past pain and addiction rear their ugly head though their feelings are put to the test in a journey that’s just starting. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Lovin’ You by Lyssa Cole, along with my impressions of this rockstar romance, then add it to your bookshelf. In honor of this first installment in the You and Me series make sure to visit the link below for the chance to win a tote bag, a signed print copy of this book, swag, as well as a $25 Amazon GC too!
The moment I met Levi Reed, I knew he was trouble.
Dark, sexy, and a musician to boot.
As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t stay away.
Raina Adams stood across for me that rainy night, the night that defined my life.
Something inside me shifted and inspiration filled my empty soul.
I wanted her, a pull so strong I couldn’t ignore.
I wanted her, a pull so strong I couldn’t ignore.
EXCERPT:
Once inside, Raina giggles in my ear and pulls on my arm. “Um, what? What kind of connections do you have, mister?”
I flash her a wink and lead her down the hall and to the right. “When you want something bad enough, you find a way to make it happen.”
“Okay, but in the art building?”
“Yep.” We round the corner, and I stop at the first classroom on our left. When I open the door, the room illuminates with soft light, and I hear Raina gasp.
“No way,” she says as she moves in front of me, walking toward the piano with a look of awe on her face. “How? Where? What?”
I chuckle as I watch her sputter to herself and run straight for the bench. She slides all the way over and pats the seat next to her. I sit down, moving close so that our legs touch.
Raina runs her fingers over the keys with a goofy smile on her lips. “How did you make this happen?”
I hook one finger under her chin and turn her head to face me. My eyes drop down to her mouth, and I want to taste her. Need to taste her. “I have my ways,” I whisper before taking her mouth with mine. Pushing my tongue inside, I glide it along hers. The kiss grows heady, all hands, mouths, and teeth, but I pull away before I go too far.
I didn’t bring her here to make out with her. As much as I want to, there’s time for that later. I kiss her lightly and adjust myself in my pants, hoping she doesn’t notice.
Too late.
She grins, and I find her watching me. Her tongue darts out and licks her lips, and I almost say fuck it all and take her right here on the floor.
Focus.
Fuck, she’s gorgeous.
Focus.
Fuck, I’m horny.
“You drive me crazy, girl, but I’m loving every second.” Raina’s long lashes flutter upward, and when her eyes meet mine, my heart pounds so hard, it feels like my ribs will break.
“Me too. Now, teach me some piano.”
I laugh and playfully bite her neck, which causes her to break into a fit of giggles. “Okay, okay. Do you know any of the keys?”
Raina shakes her head. “Uh, no, not really?”
She’s adorable. I can’t get enough of her laughter mixed with her sweet voice, and her cute jokes. “Let’s start with the basics.”
An hour later, Raina has most of the keys memorized. She’s a quick learner, but she loses focus easily. It doesn’t help when I can’t control my need to kiss her neck.
We laugh and joke, tickle each other and play around. I play her a couple of songs, the feel of her next to me fueling my musical soul.
“I want to learn those songs. They’re beautiful,” She looks at me with wide eyes, and I lean down and kiss her softly.
“I’ll teach you whatever you want. But I have one question for you.”
She nudges my shoulder as I finish the last notes of the song. “Yes?”
My stomach’s full of knots. I’ve wanted to ask her all week, but I was afraid she’d say no. The past six weeks of knowing her have been amazing.
“Will you please be my girl?” I watch her as I wait for her answer.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
The love of music is on display in this book that will grab you from the very first page to its ending that leaves you longing for more. Along the way readers will find themselves on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, a journey full of heartbreak and harsh reality as an immensely appealing main couple struggles to find themselves and their HEA.
Set in the college world, where everything seems possible, Raina and Levi make an instant connection. Their mutual love of music and lyrics binds them together in a beautiful story that ultimately brings Levi’s broken psyche to the forefront. As the story progresses things take unexpected twists and turns, captivating readers while putting them through the emotional wringer alongside the main couple. The romance between these two grows steadily from their unforgettable first meeting, turns sweet and sensual, but with the weight of his past and future on him Levi has them taking a damaging turn. Readers will ache over what comes next but I applaud Raina (and the author) for the hard decision made, a decision that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.
Raina’s a wonderful heroine, easy to relate to, and I loved seeing her joy in getting to experience all that New York has to offer. She quickly immersed herself in the exciting big city culture and it added to my delight of her interactions with her friend Mable, which were reminiscent of my own college years. She’s a strong-willed young woman who’s a strong support to Levi from the moment they meet in a crackling connection that had me rooting for them every step of the way. She can only support him so much though before she’ll end up broken herself. To truly prove her love she’ll have to make a heartbreaking decision that brought a tear to my eye but made their romance even more believable. Levi’s a very likable hero who longs to make music for a living. He’s had a difficult past and is determined to do better this year in school than last year. Meeting Raina seems like a good start to the new school year and together things seem perfect. It’s not long though before his past and his band’s burgeoning success starts to bring him down. All the pain from his past comes to rest on his shoulders and it’s not long before the alcohol starts to ruin the connection he has to Raina, before she has to make a very tough decision that will change everything for them. I was drawn to Levi from the very start, drawn to his perfectly imperfect personality, and all I wanted to do was hug him. I was often left with a tear in my eye, but I appreciated this story for its realism in handling such a serious topic which is still in my thoughts.
This book is an unforgettable beginning to this couple’s story, an angsty and romantic tale that pulled at my heartstrings and kept me frantically turning the pages to see where things would go for them next. It was an emotional rollercoaster ride from the first page to the last and I was captivated by each low and every high and rooted for this couple even though I sensed things wouldn’t end as I’d hoped. Those who dislike cliffhangers will be frustrated by the ending of this story, but the narrative and characters are well-worth any frustrations you may have by the end as this is an epic love story. Though my heart’s a bit bruised right now, I’m definitely counting down the days until the next installment in this series hits bookshelves with an ending that I KNOW will have made all the angst worthwhile!
My rating for this is an A.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Lyssa Cole has been in love with books for as long as she can remember. Escaping into a story is her favorite pastime. Wanting to be a writer for a couple years, she is now crafting her own stories. She loves to write angsty & sexy romance with lots of heat and some suspense to keep you guessing and wanting to turn that page! She lives in Southeastern Mass with her two children and two dogs. Lover of coffee, all things chocolate, & always the avid reader, you can keep up with Lyssa Cole by subscribing to her newsletter HERE.
**********GIVEAWAY**********
PRIZE IS A TOTE BAG, A SIGNED PRINT COPY OF THIS BOOK, SWAG, ALONG WITH A $25 AMAZON GC TOO! ENTER here. ENDS 6/6.
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