Giveaway - Come to Me Quietly by A.L. Jackson

From the acclaimed bestselling author of Lost to You and When We Collide comes a new adult novel of one woman’s obsession: a man who’s as passionate as he is elusive—and as tempting as he is trouble…

Aleena Moore is haunted by Jared Holt. It’s been six years since she’s seen her brother’s best friend, the self-destructive bad boy she secretly loved in high school. As the years pass, she knows it’s time to move on. Time to decide between a practical nursing degree and her true dream as an artist. Time to get over Jared and give another guy a chance…

Just when she opens her heart to her friend Gabe, Aly returns home to find Jared sleeping on her couch. The teenage boy she loved has grown into a man she can’t resist. Covered in tattoos and lost in rage, he’s begging to be saved from his demons—the memories of the day he destroyed his family. As the two reconnect, their passion is hot enough to torch Aly’s judgment. But can she risk her future for a man who lives on the edge of destruction?

5 FINDING – LOVE – AGAIN STARS

Come to Me Quietly (CTMQ), is a beautiful, finding-yourself, searching-for-love kind of read.

Aleena has been in love with Jared since childhood.  Jared was best friends with Alenna’s brother Christopher. Something happened and Jared left town.  Now, Aleena is older, she’s living with her brother Christopher and is trying to move on with her life. Jared comes back into town and crashes on Christopher and Aleena’s couch until he can find a better place to stay.  Jared doesn’t know what he wants, but he knows he’s not good enough for Aleena and tries his best to stay away.

I LOVED CTMQ so much and it had a lot of elements I do not like in a read.  Such as, there are some (small) flashbacks, the “issue” wasn’t presented until towards the end of the book and the ANGST was crazy severe, so how could I love it so much? One word -------- > WRITING!  I loved the dialogue flow, I loved the character development, I EVEN loved the angst **GASP**

I’m a big fan of childhood romance kind of reads, even though a lot of them do contain flashbacks, but in CTMQ, it was so minor that the little flashes I did read, really help build the kind of relationship Aleena and Jared had growing up. I also liked seeing it from both sides.

Oh the pain you can feel from Aleena. She loved Jared so very much. I never had a brother, but if I had one with a best friend like Jared, yeah I would have a major crush on him too. How could you not? Jared didn’t treat Alenna like crap as a kid and it just made it even cuter. Jared was kind of like Aleena’s protector growing up. Because Alenna loved Jared so much, it was hard for her to move past it, meaning no guy she dated really had a chance, but she did her best to try.

I loved Alenna and even her little nick name “Aly Cat”, I’m a huge stickler for nick names, the more unique it is, the better in my opinion.  She was a strong, level headed Heroine, at times, I felt like she allowed Jared to kind of push her around, but she acted like a typical girl, so I totally got her.

As for Jared, oh man, the pain and tormented and damaged hero he was. It’s very apparent from the beginning, something happened that caused Jared to leave, something Jared blames himself for, we do not know what, but because of this, he tries to punish himself, by keeping away from Aleena. The tug of war between Aleena and Jared is yummy to read. It was hot and cold and up and down, it was a crazy mixed of rollercoaster of emotions, which made me on edge the whole time.

I loved it.

CTMQ is a beautiful story about loss of innocence and seeking punishment, two things I love to read. If you like Jackson’s writing style or never read a book by her, I suggestion Come to Me Quietly, it’s a must read.

PURCHASE

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A few minutes later she returned. She’d changed out of her work clothes and into the same sleep shorts she chose to constantly taunt me with night after night. 

God, the girl had the best legs I’d ever seen. 

She was twisting her long hair up into a high ponytail as she walked barefoot into the kitchen. The mixture of her skin and the food she’d brought smelled like heaven. 

She cracked open the fridge. “Either of you want another beer?” she asked as she bent down to dig through the fridge. 

In my head I was screaming at myself to close my eyes or to look up or to look down or to just look the fuck away. 

I didn’t. 

Instead I watched.

A curl of lust twisted my stomach into the tightest knot, so tight I had to struggle to get a breath of air into my lungs.  

Christopher’s voice broke my trance. “Yeah, I’ll take one.”

I cut my attention in his direction, and eyes so much like Aly’s stared back at me. 

I dropped my gaze and mumbled, “Sure, I could use another.”  

Aly stood and knocked the door closed with her hip. She had three beers woven between her fingers, their caps pressed together. Maybe there was something inherently wrong with me, but I thought it had to be one of the sexiest moves I’d ever seen. 

She set them down on the table. “One for you.” She passed one to Christopher, grinned as she slid one across the table to me. “And one for you.” 

“Thanks,” I said.  

She twisted the cap off the third and plopped heavily into the chair as she tipped it to her mouth. 

“Long day?” Christopher asked as he arched a brow at her. 

“Oh, yeah.” She released a long breath. “It was super busy.” A little shrug lifted her shoulders. “Made good tips, but I couldn’t wait for my shift to end.” She began opening the take-out box lids. My mouth watered when I was hit with the heavy aroma of thick red meat sauce and pasta. 

I stood. “Here, let me grab some plates and forks.” 

She threw a soft smile up at me as I passed. “Thanks, Jared.”

“Yeah, no problem.” 

Even though it was only three feet away, I stumbled into the kitchen as if it were some kind of oasis in the desert. For a second, I dropped my head as I pressed my hands into the counter and filled my lungs with the deepest breath of air I could find.

Get a grip, Jared.

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, When We Collide, and If Forever Comes.

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. 

Look for Come to Me Softly, book two in the Closer To You Series, coming July 1, 2014 

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Be sure to enter the COME TO ME QUIETLY Blog Tour Giveaway!!

Grand Prize:  A.L. Jackson Complete Signed Paperback Collection (all six titles) + Come To Me Quietly Poster and swag

Second Prize:  Come To Me Quietly Collection, which includes a signed copy of Come To Me Quietly, a Come To Me Quietly poster, keychain, and custom bookmark

Third Prize:  A.L. Jackson Fun Pack stuffed full of A.L. Jackson book swag

Fourth Prize:  Audiobook Gift Set from Audible.com of The Regret Series (Lost To You, Take This Regret & If Forever Comes)

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