Three Chicks and Their Books: Blog Tour: Ella Fox Catch & Release

Blurb

Love endures all things.

Darby McKenzie’s heart started beating funny the day that she met Trace Chamberlain. She was four, he was five, and that meeting altered the course of both their lives forever.

Trace was born into a nightmare. Before meeting Darby and her family, the only love he ever knew was that of his twin brother. The two of them endured years of abuse that left scars. The permanent kind.

For Trace, meeting Darby was like catching a rainbow. She exploded into his life in a pop of Technicolor that awakened his senses. She wasn’t just his best friend—she was his life. His touchstone, his safety, his heart—she was everything.

Darby had been through it all with Trace and her love for him never wavered for a second. But no amount of love could make Trace believe that he was worthy of her. Knowing that she deserved better, Trace pushed her away, when what he really wanted was to pull her closer. Emotionally destroyed and bitter from the back and forth, Darby finally let go and decided to move on.

Sometimes hitting rock bottom is the only way to understand that you need to change. Realizing that losing Darby means losing everything, Trace sets out to fight for the love of his life.

Is it too late for Darby and Trace to have a happily ever after?

Excerpt #1

“We can talk every day on the phone or by text and Skype, right?” he asked anxiously.

I knew if I said yes, he’d call every day. Distance would be useless if I didn’t put my foot down.

“Once a week,” I told him. “Pick a day and we’ll talk then. This is our time to redefine our relationship.”

“I don’t want anything to change,” he complained. “I don’t want to see less of you or spend six fucking days a week not hearing your voice. Even thinking about doing it makes me feel sick.”

I understood how he felt because I was experiencing all the same anxiety, but I stood my ground.

“This is the way it needs to be for a while,” I answered. “You can like it or lump it, but I’m not backing down. Call me next Friday.”

When I went to leave, I let him hug me because friends hugged. I counted off five seconds and then pulled away. He tried to hold tighter, but I wiggled away. The benefits of being strong meant that he couldn’t keep me where I didn’t want to be.

“We can’t hug?” he asked in a panicked tone.

“We can,” I said calmly. “When I hug Tristan, it’s probably a two or three second process. I gave you five. Friends don’t hug for minutes at a time unless there’s a crisis.”

“This is a crisis! You’re fucking leaving me.”

I knew then that drawing it out any more was only going to make things worse. There were times when cutting something short was the way to go, and that moment was one of them.

“This isn’t a crisis,” I refuted calmly. “This is a reality. I’ll talk to you next week. Take care of yourself.”

I kept my chin up as I walked away, and I ignored him when he called out my name three separate times.

4 Star Review by Lisa Kane

This is a great follow up to Catch My Fall. That story was about Tristan and Mia's romance. This is Darby and Trace's story. Trace and Tristan Chamberlain; twin brothers, spent the first years of their lives suffering from the abuse of their grandmother. A religious zealot, she told them repeatedly that they were the devil's spawn. Over and over she told them their mother, her own daughter Lynette had been raped and they were the result of that rape. Their mother could not stand to look at them and she left them to the care of their grandmother.

Their lives changed forever when Darby, her brother Austin and her parents Anna and Robert and moved into town. Darby and Austin became instant friends with the twins and showed them a life they had never known. Their parents thought of these kids as their own family and became very protective of their care.

Darby and Trace felt an instant connection in spite of the few years age difference between them. Trace never thought about her as Austin's pain in the butt little sister. As they got older, her brother Austin, Trace and Tristan caught the eye of just about every female in their vicinity and they all reaped the benefits. Darby hated knowing Trace had sex with so many girls, but he made it known that they meant nothing to him. (Unlike Tristan and Austin, Trace used sex as a way to punish himself. (a result of his low self esteem due to his mother's abandonment and his grandmother's rants)

I thought that living with my grandmother had been the worst thing ever, but keeping myself from touching Darby had been worse in a different way. Every single day she grew more beautiful, and it was a huge problem. I woke up sporting full wood each morning and every night I went to bed with a raging hard on-and she was always the reason. Darby was the rock star of every wet dream I ever had.
There were other things I did that didn't result in coming. Those things included getting head from most of the girls my age within a ten-mile radius and f#*king almost as many of them. It was my way of trying to keep my sin in check.

Trace has deep feelings for Darby but he can't seem to stop his whorish ways. The older Darby gets, the more confusing things become between these two. When Tristan meets Mia he stops playing around and things revolve around her. Trace's demons are much deeper and in spite of loving Darby, he takes the stance of more of a big brother than a romantic partner. But there comes a time when Darby is too much of a temptation and the two make love. But a scare convinces Trace he needs to leave Darby alone. He will never be the type of man she needs-being a husband and father is not in the cards for him.

"None of that matters, Darby. You know they don't mean a damn thing."
She didn't back down. "I didn't ask for excuses. I asked for a number. How many?"
"I'm not answering that," I said desperately. "It doesn't matter."
"You promised me you would never, ever lie to me. You said that if I asked, you would tell me. I've put up with this shit for years like a bitch, waiting and praying that you would love me enough to change. I never asked, never tried to put you on the spot. Now, I'm asking you. How.F#*king. Many?"

Darby tries to get over Trace, but in spite of what her head tells her she needs to do, her heart can not be swayed. Trace has ruined her for any other man, but how long can she keep letting him hurt her? Is Trace really willing to let Darby go, and risk the possibility that another man may replace him?

"I've learned that there are a million ways to hurt yourself. Cutting, alcohol, drugs, sex, shoplifting, and even food-each and every one of those things can turn into a prison."

I loved the angst in this book. Both Trace and Darby frustrated the hell out of me, but it's the good kind of frustration, knowing that eventually one or the other, or both will realize they would rather hurt together than to hurt alone. Ella Fox has kept the same level of steam with this one as she did the first. Loved this book!

"You're all that I've ever wanted. I love you so much that it hurts to breathe when you aren't here. I swear to you on everything I hold dear that I'm going to be the man you need, baby."

About the Author:

Ella Fox writes like a woman possessed whenever she gets the chance! She is the author of The Hart Family Series, The Renegade Saints Series and The Catch Series.

When she’s not writing, Ella indulges the gypsy in her blood and travels the country. Ella loves reading, movies, music, buying make-up, reading Tmz, Twitter and pedicures… not necessarily in that order. She has a wild sense of humor and loves to laugh. Her favorite thing in the world is hanging out with her family and watching comedy movies.