Release Date ~ April 25th
Author: L.B. Simmons
☆✮ Synopsis ✮☆
Synopsis:
Death.
For some, it’s simply one of life’s certainties,
nothing more. For others, it’s merely a fleeting thought, one often
overshadowed by the reckless delusion that they have been blessed with the gift
of immortality.
For Aubrey Miller, death is the definition of her
very existence. Overcome with the guilt resulting from the loss of her beloved
family, she alters her appearance from the once beautiful, blonde-haired,
blue-eyed little girl to that of one shrouded in complete darkness, enveloping
herself in her own unbreakable fortress of solitude as a form of protection for
others.
As she enters her first year of college, her goal is
simple: Earn a degree with the least amount of social interaction as possible.
What she never anticipates is the formation of very unlikely relationships with
two people who will change her life in ways she never believed possible: Quinn
Matthews, the boisterous former pageant queen, and Kaeleb McMadden, a childhood
friend from her past who never really let her go.
Over the years, as their connections intertwine and
grow, a seemingly indestructible bond is formed between the three…
But when death painfully reemerges, Aubrey is lost
once again, burying herself deeper than ever before inside the familiar
fortification of her fears.
Will the refuge of friendship, the solidarity of
life-long bonds, and the power of unconditional love be enough to do the
impossible?
Will they be enough to finally bring about…
The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller?
Excerpt
“Thank you so much,
Quinn. This day has been…unbelievable. And I owe it all to you. You have no
idea.” My voice trembles a bit with the admission, because she really has no
idea what
she’s done for me today.
A normal girl,
about to have a normal birthday celebration with her friends, in a normal
(albeit spectacular) dress, with normal hair and make-up.
The only thing
that’s missing is a pair of normal shoes.
“Shoes! I need
shoes!” I exclaim.
“No, you don’t.”
Quinn giggles and reaches for the knob of my bedroom door.
“What? Why wouldn’t
I need shoes?”
That makes no
sense.
She’s drunker than
I thought.
That’s it, I’m
officially hiding the champagne.
“You’ll see,” she
says just as there’s a knock at the front door.
She winks. “Trust
me. Just, stay in here. Don’t come out until someone comes to get you.”
After Quinn quietly
shuts the door behind her, I remain seated. As the sounds of Kaeleb’s murmur
filters into my room, a nervous excitement flitters through my belly and
spreads into my chest. My joy takes flight and I breathe in deeply, contentment
pumping enthusiastically with each thrumming heartbeat.
Damn, it feels good
to be alive.
I don’t have to
wait for long. After a very loud squeal from Quinn in the other room, there’s a
knock at my door. My pulse kicks up and I rise from the bed, smoothing out my
dress. With a glance in the mirror, I pluck a couple of sections of my new hair
with my fingers and set them back into place. “Come in,” I remark,
turning in the direction of the door.
The handle turns
and as Kaeleb pokes his head around the corner, his eyes find mine. His
eyebrows rise as his mouth falls slightly open, and he breaks my gaze as his
focus shifts to take in my hair, my exposed neck and the line of my dress. He
holds his stare briefly at the crystalline sash lining my waist, and then
slowly drifts down to my smoothly-shaven legs and perfectly painted toenails.
The left side of his mouth quirks up as he clears his throat, frozen in place.
He tears his scrutiny away from my feet to fully step into the room, then turns
away from me to shut the door.
I take advantage of
the 1.5 seconds his back is turned, and survey him from head to toe. His
light-blue button-up is folded to his elbows, displaying the prominence of the
flexed muscles along his forearms. As he places both palms on the door and
leans into them, his shirt rides up enough for me to see the designs on the
back pockets of his dark jeans. They hug his ass perfectly, and for the first
time in my life, I want to slide my hands right into those pockets just to feel
the hardness of his toned body.
My fingers itch
with the need to touch him, but I maintain control while Kaeleb braces against
the door, inhaling and exhaling deeply. He stays planted there for a few more
seconds until I suddenly begin to feel self-conscious. I run my hands over my
hair and dress to make sure everything is as it should be.
Just as I start to
ask him if he’s all right, he whips around with a full smile on his face. A few
long strides later, and he’s standing right in front of me. Raising both hands,
he traces the tips of his fingers along the sides of my cheeks, leaving a
scorching trail as they run down my neck and thread themselves into the hair at
my nape. With his thumbs underneath my chin, he tilts my head back and looks me
directly in the eyes.
“You look amazing,
Sunshine. Truly breathtaking.” His head dips slightly and he runs his lips
tentatively along mine, the movement so sensual I can’t keep my hands off of
him any longer. Fisting his shirt in my hands, I pull him into me and press my
mouth hard against his, the need to taste him overriding my caution. A whimper
rises in my throat and escapes into his mouth as his tongue slides in between
my lips, slowly and deliberately, taking his time to stroke and caress mine.
His hold tightens as his fingers curl deeper into my hair, the tinge of pain
sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through my body until they land right
in between my legs, the throbbing sensation growing with each strike.
After another
gentle sweep of his tongue, he lessens the kiss and pulls back slightly.
His lips brush against mine before they slide over to the corner of my mouth,
up along my cheek, and then rest them against my ear as he breathes, “Happy
birthday. The dress is phenomenal.”
☆✮My Review ✮☆
5 stars
Just amazing! I cannot convey the depth of emotion this book brought to me. It is the amazing story of a girl who hides herself away because she feels that death follows her, and the way she is able to come out of that belief with with help of her good friend, Quinn, and her old friend, Kaeleb. Aubrey find a way out of the darkness that she feels surrounds her, and into living a life with their help, love and support. This is one of those books that you really NEED to read for yourself. What I have to say cannot be enough. These characters are fantastic, and the story line is unique and so well written, I couldn't put it down. L.B. has blown me away with this book, and I look forward to reading anything else from her.
☆✮About L.B. Simmons ✮☆
L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science. She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.
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