Title: Next
Series: Kiss #1
Author: Rachael Brownell
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Blurb
What if one kiss could change everything?
It did, for Reagan Brooks. Her fascination with Luke Evans went from a school-girl crush to heart-wrenching love in an instant. Then he left town, leaving a starry-eyed Reagan in his wake. No one will ever be good enough. No kiss will ever compare to his. Reagan’s standards are high. When someone doesn’t meet them, she moves on.
“Next in line, please.”
It did, for Reagan Brooks. Her fascination with Luke Evans went from a school-girl crush to heart-wrenching love in an instant. Then he left town, leaving a starry-eyed Reagan in his wake. No one will ever be good enough. No kiss will ever compare to his. Reagan’s standards are high. When someone doesn’t meet them, she moves on.
“Next in line, please.”
Moving through life with unrealistic expectations can be damaging. Letting those expectations go… It’s in that moment we find out who we are and what we really want.
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Excerpt
I run, as fast as I can. I'm not athletic. I don't play sports. I know he's going to catch me. That's what I want, right? For him to catch me?
My legs feel like jelly. I feel his hand graze my arms once, twice, then I'm caught. I should have started running sooner, faster. It doesn't matter. He would have caught me regardless.
"You shouldn't have let me catch you, Gracie." He pulls me back into his chest, lifting my feet off the ground, as the meaning behind his words begins to register.
"Who says I let you?" I know challenging him isn't a good idea, but I haven't learned how to filter my thoughts around him.
"I do. I know you can run faster than that. I think you wanted me to catch you."
"Really?" I say, struggling to break from his hold. It's no use. He's much stronger than me and since he's holding me off the ground, I can't use my legs for leverage.
"Yes, really. I think you knew what would happen when I caught you."
"And what is that?" I begin to struggle again and this time he lets me break free, but I don't get far. Two steps, maybe, before he's got a hold of my wrist and is pulling me back to him. This time we are chest to chest. I crash into the front of him and can't hide the way my body reacts. I'm sure he can see it, feel it. My breathing is ragged and it's not from running.
"Look at me, Gracie," he commands and I do as he says. Not because I want to but because my body wants to.
"Why do you insist on calling me that? It's not my name, you know?" I love it, though. I would never tell him that, or anyone else.
"Because. You're my angel fallen from grace. It suits you. You're beautiful and you know it. What I don't understand is why you want me?"
"Who says I want you?"
How the hell did he figure it out? No one knows.
"Your body says a lot of things. It's telling me right now how much you want me. The question is – what exactly do you want from me because there are a few things that I can offer you." He wraps his arms around me a little tighter as I contemplate how I want to answer him.
My Review
So, when this story first starts out, nothing about it really grabbed me. I was considering it just an average read...and then I got about halfway in and the author ripped my heart out. And it wasn't even over one of the two main characters.
The main characters actually were a bit frustrating for me, as neither were really going after what they wanted, and it felt like it was taking forever for anything to ever happen with them. For me, all of that was tossed out the window that moment halfway into the story when a huge emotional event occurs that centers on one of the secondary characters. From that point on, everything starts to pick up--although I still was feeling some frustration with Reagan and Luke from time to time.
Next is a pretty quick read, and in the end gives you a fulfilling conclusion to what turns out to be a highly emotional story. The lesson to learn from this book? Go after what you want-don't wait for it to come to you or you might just miss out on something special.
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