Review: Before We Fall - Courtney Cole

Before We Fall by Courtney Cole, published by Hodder on 4th November 2014

Goodreads synopsis:
Sometimes, one dark moment is all it takes to turn your world black...For 24-year old Dominic Kinkaide, that moment took place on the night of his high school graduation. One dark incident changed him forever. He's a hardened actor now, famous in the eyes of the world, but tortured in his own. He doesn't care about much of anything, except for losing himself in the roles that he plays.

23-year old Jacey Vincent doesn't realize how much her father's indifference has affected her. She is proof that sometimes it isn't one specific moment that wrecks a person, but rather it's an absence of moments. She's like a bird with a broken wing-strong yet fragile, as she tries to float through life, finding acceptance in the arms of random guys, one after the other... to fill the void that her father left in her.

Until she meets Dominic.

Review:
This is the third book in the Beautifully Broken series by Courtney Cole.  I've enjoyed both of the previous two titles in the series but I wasn't sure about this one because it focuses on Gabe's sister Jacey who I wasn't a big fan of previously.  However she really did win me over.  I came to see that yes, she had made a lot of mistakes in the past but she was strong enough to realise that and to make a conscious decision to try and put her life back on track and build a better future.  She learnt to respect herself and to not take any crap from anyone else. 

As Jacey is trying to turn her life around, handsome actor Dominic Kinkaide is still haunted by a traumatic event in his past.  Although he may be broken inside, Jacey could be just the one to put him back together again.  I love Courtney Cole's characters.  They are not perfect but that makes them much more real and human.  They slip up a lot and sometimes I didn't like the decisions they made, but they always keep on going and that is an admirable quality to have. 

Sexy Dominic wasn't necessarily my kind of guy in the beginning but he opens up a lot as the story progresses and I came to see quite a different side to him.  Some of his lifestyle choices are questionable but when you begin to find out more about him, I began to see why he had closed parts of himself off. 

'Before We Fall' turned out to be another great instalment in what is a thoroughly enjoyable series about men and women finding love against the odds.  Although it wasn't my favourite, I still found it a great read and I loved hearing titbits about Gabe and co.   

I would love to read a book about Gabe and Jacey's friend Brandt in the future.  He is definitely boyfriend material!  

Review: If You Leave - Courtney Cole

If I Leave by Courtney Cole, published by Hodder & Stoughton on 20th February 2014 

Goodreads synopsis:
26-year old Gabriel Vincent is a badass hero. Or he used to be, anyway. As an ex-Army Ranger, Gabe never thought he needed anyone. But after one horrible night in Afghanistan scars him in a way that he can't get past, he needs someone who can help him heal...even if he doesn't realize it.

25-year old Madison Hill doesn't need anybody...or so she thinks. She grew up watching her parents' messed-up abusive relationship and she knows there's no way in hell that she's ever letting that happen to her.

They don't know it in the beginning, but Gabriel and Madison will soon develop a weakness: Each other. But Gabriel's got a secret, a hidden monster that he's afraid Maddy could never overcome... And Maddy's got issues that she's afraid Gabe will never understand. They quickly realize that they need each other to be whole, but at the same time they know that they've got demons to fight.  And the problem with demons is that they never die quietly.

Review:

This is a cross between an Adult and New Adult book but whichever category you put it in, it is a really moving and quite emotional read.  This is the second book in the series but I don’t think that it matters too much if you read them out of order because they are more like standalone stories anyway.  Some characters do appear in this one from the first book but I personally don't feel like it spoils anything.

 

Maddison or Maddy as she’s known to her friends and family is searching for something although she doesn’t quite know what.  Gabriel (which happens to be one of my favourite guy names ever!) is running from something which haunts him.  The two together are a combustible combination if they can first help each other deal with the ghosts of their past.

 

I wasn’t too sure about Maddy to begin with.  She displays some behaviour which I wasn’t particularly a fan of.  However, as I got to know her and learn more about what she had sacrificed, I came to really admire her and her self-sacrifices.  She is incredibly tough and very protective of her younger sister which is another quality I loved about her.  It was great getting to see her character grow over the course of the story and come out a stronger person on the other side.

 

Gabe on the other hand I liked instantly.  He is dealing with a lot of issues but his determination to overcome these made me like him even more.  I loved the way in which he eventually became someone on whom Maddy could lean on, rather than her always having to look after herself.

 

Courtney Cole does a great job of showing the emotional and mental impact that serving in the military has on the brave men and women that go out there to protect us and this was an element of the story which really resonated with me. 

 

‘If You Leave’ was a fantastic book which I devoured in one sitting. I will definitely be picking up book three which is about Gabe's sister and is called 'Before We Fall'.