Thursday, August 1, 2013

Release Blitz: Let Love Stay by Melissa Collins

           Synopsis for Let Love Stay #2

If you’re lucky, you’ll fall in love – truly, madly and deeply in love.  But what happens when that honest and pure love isn’t enough to erase your fears?  What happens when your past rears its ugly head and threatens your future? 

Maddy and Reid had that kind of love – the all-encompassing, Earth shattering, once in a lifetime kind of love.  Then life happened.  Old wounds that were thought to be long healed and scabbed over are ripped opened and they are forced to face the possibility that, maybe, they are not strong enough to fight their demons and embrace the light. 

Together, they found out what love is, but now they will each need to heal on their own before they can ever be together again.  They must face their fears and beat down their pasts in order to find their way through this crazy uphill battle called love. 

They’ve let love in, but now, they need to find out how to Let Love Stay. 


Excerpt from Let Love Stay:



I get out of the truck and walk over towards the two of them.  Maddy’s back is to me as I approach her and her date, so she doesn’t see me right away.  But once the guy sees me, she spins around to look at what has caught his eye. 

Her face is shocked and when our eyes lock, my heart skips a beat.  There’s a pull between us.  As much as I hate to admit it, she owns me.  Her eyes are magical.  They dance with light and passion and when she looks at me, they are filled with love. 

The love and passion that are sparkling in her emerald green eyes evaporate when she realizes the scene that I’ve just stumbled upon.  I can only imagine what’s going through her mind, but I’m sure the images of me kicking Logan’s ass are flashing vividly through her mind. 

I’m no more than a few feet from them when the guy pushes Maddy behind him to protect her from what he perceives as a threat.  He’s not very far from the truth, but she’s not the one who needs protecting. 

Menacingly close now, he pipes up.  “Who the fuck are you?  What do you want?”  Okay, I’ll give the prick a little bit of credit for trying to stand up to me, but he has no clue what he’s competing against here. 
The caveman in me wants to deck this guy and drag Maddy into a bed – any bed – and claim her, repeatedly, until she understands that she’s mine and no one else’s.  I’m going to do that anyway, but hopefully I can refrain from knocking this guy on his ass.  I’d like to have the use of my hands tonight. 
My eyes never leave Maddy’s, but my words are directed at him.  “Me?  I’m the boyfriend, asshole.”  Maddy’s eyes widen slightly as I say “boyfriend.”  Did she really think we ever broke up? 
I avert my gaze from Maddy for a minute to stare this douchebag down.  “And who the fuck do you think you are?”  He falters, not enough that most people would notice, but I’m in predator mode.  I see his throat work hard to swallow past the newly formed fear.  His pupils dilate slightly and the pulse beating in his neck picks up as adrenaline surges through him.  If he thinks he’s going to win this battle, he is wrong – so fucking wrong. 
He puffs out his chest as he says, “I’m Maddy’s date for tonight.”  He snickers lightly as he says, “You know?  She never mentioned a boyfriend when I asked her out.  Must not be much of a boyfriend if she doesn’t even mention you.”  He swells with pride at his snarky little quip.  In the split second he looks away from me to gauge Maddy’s approval, I lay him flat on the ground as I drop my shoulder into his gut and take his legs out from underneath him with one of my own.  I freaking love my takedown skills.  I didn’t even have to bust up my hands.  I’m definitely going to need them in a little bit. 
I straddle over him and pull him up by the collar.  “Whether she mentioned me or not, she’s mine, so lay the fuck off.  Got it?”
Maddy still hasn’t said a word and I haven’t actually spoken directly to her.  I’m pretty sure she understands my actions though.  Wordlessly, I reach my hand out to her.  This is her chance.  If she still wants me, then she’ll come with me.  This is who I am, who I’ve always been.  If she can’t understand that I love her, that I want her more than anything, then it’s not because I haven’t tried as hard as I possibly could to prove it to her.
Hand still outstretched, I look her directly in the eyes, as I try to convey everything that I’m thinking, that I’m feeling.  In what feels like an act of God, she understands me and laces her hand in mine.

4.5 Star Review by Guest Reviewer Nicole Lorenzo 


When Maddy watches Reid walk away from her she realizes she made the biggest mistake of her life. She pushed the love of her life away because of her own insecurities and now she will need him more than ever.  Between still not dealing with the pain over losing her parents, and now losing Reid it takes all of Maddy’s courage to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and continue on. Knowing she cannot live without Reid in her life, Maddy hopes he can forgive her and come back to her.
 

“ I never wanted to let anyone in until Reid, and now that I love him, I don’t know how to give him up. I can’t let him walk out of my life even if he has already chosen to walk out of mine.”


Reid is lost without Maddy in his life. He is hurt that she pushed him away, but he knows he needs to deal with the demons of his past in order to be whole again. Determined to makes things right, Reid goes down a road he thought he never would again, home. Going home again is hard for Reid, and he learns things that shed a new light on his past, but is it too late for him to forgive and start to heal?  Overwhelmed from dealing with his past Reid decides he is going to go to Maddy and prove to her how much he loves her and wants her to be his future.
 

“I wish I was smarter. I wish I had more experience in this whole relationship thing. I wish I could make you understand the weight of my words, but please, baby, please understand that the words ‘I love you’ don’t even come close to expressing how I feel about you”

Together again Maddy and Reid try to focus on their future instead of the past. Maddy learns that she cannot punish Reid for dealing with his past the way he needs to, especially because she is still dealing with hers. Reid knows ignoring his problems is wrong and in order to have a healthy future with Maddy, he needs to try to forgive his family. Together can they overcome their insecurities and move on to build the future they both deserve? Together can they learn to let love stay?

“I will not let my demons ruin a future with my angel.”


Let Love Stay is the second novel in The Love Series by Melissa Collins and like the first installment it did not disappoint!  I was happy to see Reid confront his past so he can heal and move on with his life with Maddy.  I was also happy to see Maddy grow up a little, understanding that she can’t live in fear of love.  The Epilogue was my favorite part! It’s heartwarming and gives you a little insight into Maddy and Reid’s future! I would love to see the series continue, maybe another novel featuring Maddy’s best friend Mel! Whether the series continues or not I would definitely read anything else Melissa Collins writes!
   
Synopsis for Let Love In #1

What would happen if you lost everything?  If the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally were no longer there for you, how would your world change? 

That’s exactly what happened to Madeleine Becker when her parents died when she was ten years old.  Ripped from her home and everything that she has ever loved, she is forced to start all over again.  The only way for her to move on is to build walls around her heart and keep everyone at a safe distance. Her logic: she can't get hurt if she doesn't fall in love.

That theory is blown to pieces when she meets Reid Connely during her freshman year at college. He is gorgeous and darkly mysterious. He understands Maddy's pain all too well, but sharing his pain would mean breaking down the walls he put up around his own heart. Conflicted between loving Maddy and hiding his dark past, Reid starts to reevaluate his world.  Maddy's inner strength, snarky personality and breath taking beauty help Reid to make peace with his past.

Together they find out what happens when they let love in.
Excerpt from Let Love In:
There was a group playing quarters on the island and another group lining up shots on the breakfast bar – so not my scene.  I just shrugged my shoulders, opened the door, pulled out a bottle of water and, when I turned around to walk back outside, I face-planted into a wall of solid muscle. 
“Hand me one?” His voice was smooth and... gruff at the same time.  Red-faced, I turned back around and got him his water, glad for the cool respite that the opened refrigerator door offered.  
“Here you go.” I could not peel my eyes away from his mouth as he moved the bottle to his lips.  They were perfect - beautiful and full in a completely masculine way.  I watched, completely fascinated, as his throat moved, downing the water in three or four large gulps. He wiped his mouth with his forearm and I couldn’t help but let my eyes travel up the rest of his arm to his biceps and shoulders – those were the same as his lips – perfect.  Amazingly, gorgeously, utterly, divinely perfect.  Muscled and tanned, his arms were mouthwatering.
My knees wobbled.  My heart thudded.  Thousands of butterflies spread their wings in my belly. 
“Thanks…” he stared blankly at my face for a minute and I couldn't help but wondering if he liked what he saw.  He cleared his throat and roused me from my little daydream where the gorgeous boy is mesmerized by the maybe-a-little-above-average looking girl.  That’s when I realized he was asking for my name.
“Maddy.  Sorry, my name’s Maddy." I nearly choked on my tongue to get my freaking name out.
Author Bio: 
I’ve always been an avid reader.  Majoring in English Literature was a no brainer.  Becoming a teacher and instilling my love for reading into my students was also a no brainer.  I’ve spent the last ten years teaching and I’ve loved (mostly) every minute of it.  When I was home on maternity leave for my third son, I discovered a new genre that sparked my creativity.  My passion for writing sprang from my love of reading and once I knew I had a story to tell, I couldn’t wait to get it out there.  I only hope that my readers enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it. 



Links:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MelissaCollins.Author

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17902155-let-love-stay


Twitter - @mcollinsauthor


Buy Links

Nook Let Love Stay 

Nook Let Love In
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