Review ~ Past Imperfect ~ Alison G. Bailey #ShelfLove #TakeControl #TravelingtotheTerminus

Past Imperfect by Alison G. Bailey
Perfect #2
Release Date: February 15, 2014
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #ShelfLove, #TakeControl, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
In Present Perfect, Brad Johnson was sexy, cocky, rich and a complete Smurff**ker. He could afford anything he wanted and could charm any girl he set his eyes on. Everything was laid out in front of him. all for the taking except the one thing he craved and needed. A tragic event forces him to reevaluate his life. When he tries to change, will the people in his life let him move on from his past or will they constantly hold him to the life altering mistakes he's made?

Mabry Darnell is intelligent, ambitious, beautiful, and sassy. Secrets from her past haunt the present causing her to question her actions in order to shield her heart and protect her life.

From the moment Brad and Mabry met, their connection was strong, intense, and electrifying. Both knew they had found the one person who could satisfy what the other ached for. When their pasts collide with their present, will it prevent them from having a future together or will love be strong enough to conquer their demons?

I met Brad in Present Perfect and while he did appear smarmy and I understood Noah's dislike of him, I always felt there was more than met the eye with him. Past Imperfect illustrated all that "more" and I ended up believing my feelings about him were validated. And Mabry - she was just the woman to bring out the best in Brad.

Can a person truly change and leave the past behind them? Can a person prevent the past having undesired effects on their present? I think  these are the two main questions addressed in Brad and Mabry's story. Brad, for all his terrible treatment of girls in his past, truly has changed. It took a tragedy to get him to pull his head out but his childhood didn't lend itself to having empathy. Fortunately for him, the tragic event pulled his inner goodness to the surface. But he had a hard time getting people to forgive him his past.

Mabry experienced a different sort of tragedy and didn't have the support network she needed to cope with it. Luckily she did have a really good friend but it wasn't enough. This tragedy not only brought about an unhealthy coping mechanism in Mabry, it also served to breed a fear in her - one that's prevented any sort of close relationship or real intimacy with anyone but especially men. And although she felt a connection with Brad from the get-go, she fought it tooth and nail.

The relationship between these two could be something so special. They're both willing to accept the other's past and look beyond it. They bring out the best in each other - they want to be better for the other. But Mabry isn't being totally honest. And when the truth is revealed, it'll take a lot of work on both their parts to shore up the foundation of what's developed between them.

ABailey did so well in conveying the ramifications of Brad's past as well as Mabry's. I loved how the common denominator between them came about and how ABailey used it. And I appreciated how respectfully she dealt with the topics of self-harm, depression, and suicide. These are all tough topics and ABailey gave us characters to root for as well as crafting a heartwarming story around the topics and characters.

ABailey delivered a poignant story and now that I've finished the Perfect series, I'm going to go see what else she's written.  =)

**Review ~ Captivating Bridge ~ Michelle Mankin**

Captivating Bridge by Michelle Mankin
Tempest Series #3
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Release Date: May 22, 2014
Source: I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased my own copy.
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms

Synopsis

“War” Jinkins is that guy. The bad one. Tempest’s ex front man, an arrogant rock god. The only thing larger than his ego is his capacity for self-destruction. His bad attitude has cost him. His woman. His best friend. His band. Everything.

Shaina Bentley is that girl. The good one. Hollywood’s pink candy-coated sweetheart. The star of Pinky Swear, television’s top rated teen show. She’s been practically perfect since that horrible day. But she’s starting to crack under the strain of being everything to everyone. He’s a one man island. She’s a fragile captive soul. Is love a current too dangerous to cross or will it be the bridge that brings them together? 

*Author note: Each book in the Tempest series features a different band member and can stand alone.* 

Dammit, War. Your story was every bit as captivating as I thought it would be. I wasn't sure if there really were any redeeming qualities in you. Shaina found them all. You had me worrying you were going to ruin it all - in typical War fashion. Thankfully you pulled your head out before it was too late.

***

War - we know all about Warren Jinkins. The hell he's lived through, the trouble he's made. But he's deeper than that. The attitude he projects, the image he conveys are all part of his hiding what he really feels. The day he's wondering if it's all worth it - if he should just give it all up - is the day he meets Shaina Bentley.

Shaina has trouble of her own - invisible scars that run deep. She's living her life in order to please everyone else - keep her parents happy and together - and she's tired.

"It was a lot of pressure being the key to everyone else's happiness." -Shaina, Loc 193, eARC

She's ready to move beyond the image she's created, finally be the grownup she is rather than pretending to be the little girl her parents and fans see her as. She's just unsure she has the strength to do it. And as she's contemplating these heady things, she meets Warren Jinkins - on a bridge.

The emotions evoked as I watched these two broken souls building a bridge toward one another were stormy. War and Shaina have been to the same dark places and understood one another in a way no one else could. Their bridge building wasn't pretty or smooth - nothing with War ever is. But I loved the way in which they reached one another. Shaina made War realize he was worthy of someone's love...

"When she looked at me that way she made me feel as if I were somehow the best thing that had ever happened to her.No one had ever looked at me that way." -War, Loc 2224, eARC

...taught him what love really is. And he was right when he said

"I definitely got the better deal in this partnership." -War, Loc 5221, eARC

War filled in all the cracks in Shaina's soul. He gave her strength to finally live her life for herself. Together they really are stronger.

The love they built also helped War to see the error of his ways in regards to Tempest as well. And as much as I was feeling about all that was happening between he and Shaina, it was the interactions between he and Bryan that were powerful. The change in War - his emotional growth and the maturity he showed was heartwarming.

One of the things I admire in Mankin's writing is her bringing awareness to social issues and mental health issues. Captivating Bridge addresses depression and suicide prevention in a touching way.

War's story was an incredible one. He and Shaina came so far. I look forward to seeing them again as Tempest's story continues. I'm not sure whose story is next but I'm kinda hoping it's Dizzy's.

**Captivating Bridge is **ONLY 99 CENTS** during it's release week.**