Review: Come To Me Recklessly (#3, Closer to You) by A.L. Jackson

My Thoughts

A gripping, emotional, beautifully written second chance romance.

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Synopsis

His heart was turned off…

Until she turned him on…

Christopher Moore gave up on the idea of love years ago. Now, his life is an endless string of parties and an even longer string of girls. Enjoying the physical perks with none of the emotional mess, hes convinced everyone that hes satisfied—everyone but himself.

Samantha Schultz has moved on with her life. Finishing her student teaching and living with her boyfriend, shes deluded herself into believing shes content. But there is one boy she never forgot—her first love—and she keeps the memory of him locked up tight. She will never allow any man to break her the way Christopher did.

When Christopher’s sister and her family move into a new neighborhood, Christopher is completely unprepared to find Samantha living at the end of the street. Memories and unspent desires send them on collision course of sex, lies, and lust. But when guilt and fear send Samantha running, Christopher will have to fight for what has always been his.

My Review

“What does it take to delete the past? A thousand apologies?
A million regrets?
A litany of prayers?
If I shouted them, would you hear? If I whispered them, would you believe? If I fell at your feet, would you forgive? If I asked, would you start again?”

A.L. Jackson concludes the emotional Closer to You series with Christopher’s story… a story which is rife with regret, misunderstandings, pain and an almost unbearable, aching, soul-deep desire. It’s a moving second chance romance about two people who loved each other deeply, but whose love shattered in the aftermath of tragedy. As always, I love A.L. Jackson’s lyrical style, her heartfelt words, the emotion she evokes. Her romances seem larger than life, but in her trademark approach, she first breaks our heart before she can repair it beautifully.

“From the moment we met, he always had the power to bring me to my knees. I should have known his control over me would never diminish or dim. I should have known it would only intensify. Maybe I should have run. But somewhere inside, I knew he’d never let me get far.”

Christopher and Samantha had made promises to each other that were supposed to last a lifetime. As teenagers, whispered words of love and forever had painted a bright and happy future. Christopher was there for her during a time when she felt caged by her family, during a time when her younger brother fought for his own life. But when Jared Holt’s life spun out of control, his best friend Christopher felt lost as a result. His entire world turned upside down as his emotions raged between sadness and anger, pushing him to make mistakes he could never take back… Unfortunately Sam was there to witness and experience those mistakes. They cut her deeply. As a result, hearts lay broken in the wake of the chaos.

“Ashes. That’s what had remained after he was finished with me the first time. After he’d promised me forever.”

Years passed and destiny made a play bringing Sam back into Christopher’s life. Anger resurfaces and feelings feel raw and fresh all over again. Everything is different, yet familiar emotions surge as both struggle to suppress the inescapable longing they feel for each other.

“Fire and light. Heaven and hell. The most exquisite kind of torture. And I couldn’t see. Could only feel.”

Their story is all about finding their way back together, but only if they can face their pasts and figure out what—and whom—truly makes them happy. I love that we get to see Aly and Jared all over again, seeing their happy lives continue. The novel is deeply emotional, sexy and heart wrenching. And if you love A.L. Jackson’s work, you’ll undoubtedly be again swept up in her words that deliver all the feels.

Reading Order and Links

Come To Me Recklessly can be read as a standalone.

http://amzn.to/2vrLnx3

About A.L. Jackson

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including Pulled and When We Collide.

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. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.

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