Title: Running in Place (Book #2 in The Mending Hearts Series)
Author: L.B. Simmons
Genre: Contemporary Romance
PURCHASE LINKS: AMAZON
Author: L.B. Simmons
Genre: Contemporary Romance
PURCHASE LINKS: AMAZON
Synopsis
Tatum O’Connell:
Some call me a party girl. People see me as happy, full of life, with absolutely no cares in the world. They see what I want them to see. But no one knows me - really knows me. Not even Noah Reese. Mr. Perfect is always watching me, most likely judging every single imperfect thing I do. But, if Noah wants to keep an eye on me, that’s just fine. I definitely don’t mind. I just hope he doesn’t have any plans to save me from my new-found life of self-destruction because in order to save me, he will have to see me…
And I’m never going to let that happen.
Noah Reese:
Perfect. That’s me. That’s the only acceptable way to be, according to my father. Perfect grades. Perfect manners. Perfect athlete. Perfect SAT scores. Perfect college. And recently, I was accepted into the perfect med school. My future has already been mapped out for me and there’s nothing that can change that. Not even Tatum O’Connell. That girl is out of control, yet for some reason, I can’t seem to keep my distance from her. I watch her closely, hoping that one day she’ll let me in, but watching her lead her life down the dangerous path she’s on right now isn’t easy…
I have a feeling I’m about to find myself swept away by the hurricane that is Tatum O’Connell.
“Two fleeting souls,
Unknowingly tethered.
Too slowly drawn,
Impatient fate calls.
The jolting collide intertwines their lives
And splinters their walls.”
“Catalyst” – Noah Reese
~MY REVIEW~
"Hopes and expectations can leave very, very broken people. So after a while, you learn not to aim so high because when people fail you, you land hard and there’s only so many times a person can be shattered before they’re beyond repair."
(Thank you to Brandee's Book Endings and L.B. Simmons for providing me with an ARC of Running In Place)
My goodness! I didn't even fathom how much I would LOVE Tate and Noah's story. I've read the previous books in The Mending Hearts series and thought: "Yeah they are good but something is missing.". Which is what I thought I would say about Running in Place. I was so wrong!
L.B. Simmons took the second installment in the series to a whole new level. The writing was breath-taking, the characters were amazon and the story was BEAUTIFUL. I cannot gush enough about this book! But I will stop so that I can tell you about this story. :)
“You may not believe this but it’s the truth. You deserve to be treasured. You should be with someone who respects you, who makes you a better person, and most of all, who makes you happy.
Tatum O'Connell is a very bitter women. With the loss of a father, the anger and resentment of a mother, and the abandonment of a brother, her life has not been easy. She has been alone since the age of 6 and she has a lot of pent up anger. She stands by the notion that no one knows her and no one understands her pain. And because that pain and resentment has festered, Tatum is rebellious and she pushes everyone out of her life. To her Noah Reese is a constant reminder that she lives a miserable and terrible life. His perfection makes her feel inferior. But the day that Noah Reese decides its time he show her otherwise, Tatum finally has the chance to realize that maybe she should stop running from dealing with her demons.
"You have no idea how much your words, when I read them, touched my soul. To know that someone out there feels the same pain, the heartache…well, it makes me feel not so alone."
Noah is the perfect man. He has the looks, the intelligence, the maturity and the positive attitude everyone adores. But under all of his "perfection" Noah suffers his own agony. Everyone see's only what he wants them to see. No one knows the real Noah Reese. So even though he is going through his own pain and he and Tatum do not get along, Noah realizes just how similar they are. He has been watching Tate and has struggled against his need to help, but he finally gives in when they are assigned to work together. He has the whole summer to make her realize just how worthy she is and he will put his feelings for her aside so that he can help her heal. A healing that turns out to be mutual.
“I would rather have one night with you, than to live the rest of my life with the possibility of never being able to experience loving another person the way that I love you.”
Tatum and Noah both have demons to deal with in Running In Place and both struggle through their journey to relinquish the feelings that has them living in the past. Through all of the pain, the tears, and the resentment, these two find something so pure and so beautiful in each other. The love that develops between these two is so beautiful that you can't help but root for their HEA.
I cannot for the life of me sit here and tell how much I adored Tatum and Noah's story. L.B. has taken these two haunted individuals and showed them the powers of healing through love. From the very first page of their story you will be so consumed with their story that you won't want to stop or want it to end.
"This is family. People who would do anything for you, no questions asked. People who support you and love you as you try to make your place in this world as you see fit, with no ulterior motives. Good people. People that I'm lucky to know."
And I have to also mention that I enjoyed being reunited with the gang. Checking in with Blake, Alex, the girls, Harlow and Trace was wonderful! Being Tatum's older brother, Trace must finally deal with the consequences of his actions and has his own demons to deal with during the story. I look forward to his and Harlow's story and hope that L.B. is working on it. :)
BUY this! READ it! LOVE it!
HAPPY READING!
~About the Author~
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.
~Buy the books~
~GIVEAWAY~
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