Synopsis:
The
danger in pretending is it becoming real...
Sebastian Stone, Sunder front man and
guitarist with a rap sheet about ten miles long, escaped to Savannah,
Georgia, to get away from the trouble he’d caused.
Not find more of it.
The
moment he saw Shea Bentley, he saw beneath all her sweet and innocence to
something that went deeper.
Darker.
Their relationship was built on secrets; their love built on lies.
Sebastian never imagined how deep her secrets went.
When the past and present collide, Sebastian and Shea find
themselves fighting for a future neither believed they deserved. Their passion
is consuming and their need unending.
Now, holding the truth in his hands, Sebastian is faced with
sacrificing everything he’s come to love to protect Shea and his family.
Two pasts intertwined.
Two lives bound.
Will their demons drown them or will Shea and Sebastian finally
learn to breathe?
Drowning to Breathe
A Bleeding Stars Novel, Book 2
Goodreads http://bit.ly/DTBGoodreads
iBooks Pre-Order http://bit.ly/DTBiBooks
4 Star Review by Lisa Kane
Drowning to Breathe picks up right where A Stone in the Sea left off. Sebastian and Shea heads are reeling with Martin Jenning's legal pursuit to remove Shea's daughter, Kallie from her home. Shea is devastated but Sebastian had no idea Kallie's father was alive, yet alone was his mortal enemy Martin Jennings. We learned about Jennings' involvement with Sebastian's friend Mark's death in book 1 and how something horrible happened between Jennings and Sebastian's brother Austin. Sebastian feels betrayed and is gutted to his very soul over Shea keeping something this big from him. Does he even know who this girl really is?
Sebastian has come to love Kallie and thinks of her as his daughter. He thinks he is responsible for Jennings actions to hurt Shea and wonders how he can stay in her life after this. He will get the best lawyers and spend whatever it takes to get Little Bug back with her mom, but he thinks he needs to step away. Of course that isn't going to fly with Shea.
Even with the short time they have spent together, these two have suffered so much and have come to realize that they are both in this for the long haul. Despite the pressure from the press, or the strong arm tactics Jennings may come up with, they have to stay together. Breaking up is not an option.
Things may be calm now, but Sebastian's life with his band Sunder must go on and that means life back on the road. Shea can't just pick up and travel with the band. So separations are inevitable and they will have to learn to make the best of them. But being apart can only make their hearts (and other parts!) fonder and by the time they are able to have a quick weekend while Sebastian is on tour, things heat up!
But you didn't think it would be that easy did you? Jennings has lots of things up his sleeve. But his greed and need for revenge will open up wounds that have festered and secrets may just be exposed.
Drowning to Breathe is an easy, slightly angsty read that ties up Shay and Sebastian's stories. But there are more novels planned for the other members of Sunder-Lyrik, Ash and Zee and even Austin, Sebastian's younger brother is getting his chance to find his own HEA.
EXCERPT
My heart slammed around in my chest and
my sight narrowed on one singular goal.
Her.
It felt like a lifetime to get to her
house, and there was nothing stopping me now. Unlocking her front door, I
charged up the stairs. I didn’t pause at her bedroom door. I threw it open. I
needed to get to her.
With her back to me, Shea was curled
around a pillow on the center of her bed. She startled with the sudden
intrusion and jerked up to sitting. Caramel eyes blinked at me through the dim
light, confusion and hurt and sorrow.
Motionless, I stood in the doorway as
the silence hovered over all our uncertainties.
On all the questions.
But Shea was right.
None of that mattered.
And this
was enough.
“Shea.” My voice broke on her name.
I took a step inside and latched the
door shut behind me.
Shea’s chin quivered, and she lifted it
because I knew this girl wanted to be brave. I knew she was playing through a
million scenarios. Mentally going through all the ways I was going to let her
go. How I was going to let her down. I knew the words she expected to spill
from my mouth because for too long I’d been a coward and a fool, thinking
sacrifice was the only way to make this right.
Because every time I turned around, I
lost someone I loved.
Not this time.
I swallowed hard. “You want to know
what I see when I look at you?”
When the intensity in my voice hit her,
Shea choked out a tiny sob.
I took one step closer as I began to
speak. “I see someone who’s so fucking sweet and kind that every time I look at
her it just about knocks me from my feet, because I’ve had so much bad in my
life I don’t know how to stand in her presence. I see someone who I know I
don’t deserve, so every time I turn around, I’m runnin’ scared because I’m
terrified of ruining everything she is.”
Slowly, I approached her, and she
watched me in the shadows. Her hands trembled in her lap as I neared.
“I see someone who deserves the
greatest kind of joy.”
Another step closer, and Shea crept
toward the side of the bed. She drew a single leg up to her chest. Clinging to
it as if it could protect her from any more pain. Everything she felt and
wanted and feared was exposed in the expression on her face.
I stopped at the edge of the bed and dropped
to my knees.
A small cry escaped her mouth.
Reaching out, I gripped her face in my
hands, my fingers burrowing in soft, soft hair.
“I see someone, who even though there’s
not a chance in this world I could ever be good enough to have her…good enough
to hold her…that’s all I want to do. I see someone I want to protect and love
and fight for.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. She
edged even closer and let her legs slip over the side.
I settled myself between her knees and
met the storm in her eyes.
“I see beauty and light.”
Those eyes flashed, and emotion crushed
my ribs. This girl had me twisted up in every way possible.
Shea gasped when I grabbed her by the
waist and pulled her to me. I shifted so I sat on the floor with my back
propped against the bed.
Shea was straddling my lap.
Warmth enveloped me. Her heart was
pounding, all tucked up against me, right where she belonged.
Her skin felt so soft. Mine lit on
fire.
She searched my face and I kept on.
“I see the most fucking gorgeous girl
I’ve ever had the pleasure to lay my eyes on.” My voice dropped as I leaned up
so I could brush my mouth across her ear. “The pleasure to touch.”
A shiver rolled through her, and I
gathered one of her hands between us, threading our fingers. I studied them as
I struggled to form the words.
I lifted my gaze and spoke with the
most honesty I’d ever allowed myself.
“When I look at you, I see a future I
never thought existed, Shea.”
Author Bio
A.L. Jackson
is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary and new adult romance.
She first
found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college
student. She filled the journals she
carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the
difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.
Years later,
she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends
and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel.
A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her
husband and three children.
To stay up to date with important news
on A.L. Jackson, including new releases, sales, and exclusive specials and
excerpts, text “jackson” to 96000 to subscribe!
Instagram
@aljacksonauthor
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for reviewing <3
ReplyDelete