Giveaway and Review The Upside of Letting Go by Nacole Stayton

 
 
The Upside of Letting Go by Nacole Stayton

Haley Martin decides the only way to let go of her lingering nightmares is to literally move on. Taking a leap of faith she finds herself enrolling at a campus hundreds of miles away from home.

She leaves any thoughts of dating again in Jersey, that is until fate crosses her path with a blue-eyed stud named Kyler King. He is notoriously known for being emotionally unattainable, but his façade is only to hide the burdens he bares every day.

As Kyler and Haley’s physical attraction becomes deeper, the secrets of the past threaten to surface. When Haley’s past collides with the present, will her secrets prove too big of an obstacle hindering their happily ever after, or will letting go be the key that locks their bond forever?

Warning: This book is intended for readers 17+ due to explicit language and sexual encounters.

4.5 Star Review

Haley is a college sophomore who has moved 1000 miles away from her childhood home.   She leaves behind her past, her friends, and her boyfriend in search of a fresh start.   She has planned 3 funerals and has replaced her pain with sex, drugs, and alcohol for the past 2 years.  She is self destructing and refuses to let anybody close to her because they will either die or she will push them away.

 Kyler is a college student who likes women..in fact, a lot of women.   He also has a painful past and fills his void with odd jobs and sex.  He doesn’t want a relationship because that would mean he’d have to let somebody get close to his heart.

 “He gets the goods and sends them packing.”    

 On the first day of Haley’s arrival at her new college she meets Kyler.  And she meets him again the next day and that evening.  Unfortunately, each meeting has not been conducive to a friendship although there is definitely sexual tension in the air, and it appears that there is going to be a love-hate relationship in the mix.  All that changes in one evening when a drunk Kyler gets punched in the nose by Haley.  They make their amends to each other and agree to a “friends with benefits” arrangement. 

 

“I don’t want you to be my girlfriend as much as you don’t want me to be your boyfriend.”

 

This is an arrangement that will be exclusive, but no feelings are to be involved and there is to be no discussion of their pasts or families. 

“If you don’t ever care about someone, you won’t get hurt.  This was going to be a marvelous agreement.” – Haley

This goes on for a few weeks until Kyler lays his heart on the line and tells Haley that he wants more.  He feels a connection with her and he feels it is mutual.  

 “I can’t promise we won’t fight or have disagreements, but I promise you if you stick by my side I will get up every day and be the best man I can be.”   **swoon** Kyler may be emotionally broken, but WOW can that boy make a girl love him. 

 Things are going very well for Kyler and Haley, until one morning she wakes up and literally comes face to face with her past.   Wow – I didn’t see that coming.   Enter the angst…

Kyler and Haley’s relationship now feels strain and it takes trust on both ends to continue it.  Unfortunately neither Kyler nor Haley are strong enough to conquer their own fear to put faith in each other.   Words are spoken, fists are thrown, and doors are slammed.   Throw in a devastating crisis and Kyler and Haley have essentially pushed each other away.

 “There are no emotions on his face and suddenly I don’t feel like the love of his life…”

Kyler and Haley need to work to accept the hurt that they caused each other.  Just when things are starting to move forward for them again, they are thrown another tragedy.  Is this what they need for closure or will it open the door to their future?

I enjoyed this story.  It had the heartwarming, swoonworthy moments in the first half and the angsty, chest-pounding moments in the second half.   You will love Kyler!  This is a stand alone novel. 

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