Secrets well buried.
Until we find the one soul who makes the burden of such secrets just that little bit easier to bear.
Lexington "Lexi" Hart is a senior at the University of Alabama. Surrounded by her best friends, her loving family and having fulfilled her life-long dream of making the Crimson Tide cheer squad, everything is going exactly as she always dreamed it would. But beneath her happy exterior, demons lurk, threatening to jeopardize everything Lexi has worked to achieve. When events in her life become too much to cope with, Lexi finds herself spiraling down into the realm of her biggest fear. Lexi falls hard, victim once again to the only thing that can destroy her and, on the way, finds herself falling straight into the dangerous tattooed arms of a guy from the wrong side of the tracks.
Austin Carillo, starting Wide Receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide, must get picked in this year's NFL draft. He needs it. His brothers need it. Most importantly, his mother desperately needs it. Brought up in a world where the poor are forgotten, the sick are left to fend for themselves and no hero miraculously appears to pull you out of hell, Austin had no other choice but to make a living on the wrong side of the law—until football offered Austin the break to get his life back on track. But when a family tragedy drags him back into the clutches of the gang he believed he had left far behind, Austin finds himself falling. Falling back into criminal ways and falling deep into a suffocating darkness. Until a troubled yet kindred spirit stumbles across his path, where Austin quickly finds he is falling for a young woman, a young woman who might just have the power to save him from his worst enemy: himself.
Can two troubled souls find a lasting peace together? Or will they finally succumb to the demons threatening to destroy them?
Review
This story is very emotional due to the very real and upsetting issues that are battled throughout. Although the issues are in themselves very traumatising, Tillie Cole approached them & highlighted them with sensitivity and brave detail enabling the reader to get an insider understanding of the very real every day sufferance of two extremely crippling conditions.
Lexi appears to be living the all American dream! In her last year of Uni, she decides to follow her dreams of being on the cheer squad. She has some crazy cool friends around her, but all is not what it seems! Lexi hides a huge secret behind her happy go lucky, cheerful persona. One that threatens her very existence!
Queue bad boy trying to turn his life around and unmistakable sparks flying!
Austin is all things hot and dangerous, playing along side his very best friend Rome Prince (who is also hot may I add - wink wink) for the Crimson Tides. He has an awful start to life but things are looking good for him. He has a lot riding on becoming a professional footballer.
But it could all be ruined by circumstances way out of his control.
Individually both Lexi and Austin have enough problems to sink a thousand ships but put them together and things get even more complicated for them. Despite all the negativity surrounding this pair, as a reader you cant help but sit hoping, begging and pleading for them to find some relief and light in each other. After all they have been through, no two people deserve a happy ever after more than these!
As I said before, this is a very emotional, realistic and intense read. I read it in 2 sittings as it was so engaging I NEEDED to keep reading!
I take my hat off to Tillie Cole for writing about something so personal to herself, and thank her for giving me more understanding of the issues that are a huge part of this book.
Definitely recommend this book and award it 4 nail biting Stars!