AHHHHHH........I LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my first time reading a book by Lila Felix, but definitely not my last!!! Lila Felix is an AMAZING writer and when I first read the blurb about this book I wasn't sure how I would feel. However, I was pulled in from the very beginning and fell in love with the characters and story line and everything about the world that Lila made.
About the Author:
Where to Stalk Lila:
Blurb:
Anguish was the status quo, until she walked in.
Breaker James Collins is confined in a prison of his own making. Scarred doesn't begin to define his hell since finding out his girlfriend had cheated, stolen, and lied two years ago. It led to a single event—one that would blacken his days and his nights from then on. Since then, he hasn't left his house, crippled by fear of people and any social interaction.
Ashland talks too much and has the voice of a meth-laden prairie dog, or so she’s always been told. She’s been called annoying and irritating all of her life and gave up on having friends for a long time. College has given her a new lease on a social life and she’s embraced who she is. But now she’s waiting for the one guy who can take her breath away and put up with her antics.
A simple note pinned to a cork board will lead Ash right to Breaker’s solitary world and she will learn that just because a guy doesn't fit her ideal, doesn't mean she won’t fall head over feet in love.
Where to Buy:
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YEY now my favorite part.....my review of this awesome book. By the way this book was awesome!!! I'm going to have a hard time writing this review without giving too much away. When I first started reading this book I was slightly confused as to what was going on. And I wanted to smack whatever idiot thought calling her boyfriend (who's name is Breaker) Breaky. Ewww....what are we 5? Although I will give Lila credit, the names in this book are awesome!! Breaker, Ashland, and Navy. LOVE IT!!!!
When I first started reading this book I immediately fell in love with Ashland's character. In grade school I didn't really have any friends because I was either too smart or too "sportsy" or my personal favorite too jolly. The girls always made fun of me and I read a lot and hung out in the library during recess. In high school I had a little more room to "have friends" but even with that I was always still kind of an outsider, never really fitting in with any "crowd". I also tend to talk a lot and get yelled at all the time for it. So I can relate in that sense and a few others with Ash soo oooowell.
I also love that the story goes back and forth between Breaker and Ash to give a-round-about point of view to what is going on in the story. Breaker's story is truly interesting because you never see a guy get so low and seem broken and weak. After Breaker walks in on his girlfriend getting it on in public at his best friends house, his life falls apart. He shuts himself in a house that his parents pay for him to live. He has all kinds of different online chatrooms and goes to school online and NEVER leaves the house or really verbally interactions with anyone outside his parents, Dr. Mavis and Memphis (his supposed best friend).
What starts this little story off is that Breaker is a slob and never cleans up and his mother has had enough and she decides she needs to hire a live in maid. There are two candidates that are up for the job; and older lady (Lucy) and Ashland. Breaker is all for the older lady because she won't try and talk to him and he can stay in his shell. Although I love the scene when Breaker first meets Ash. Breaker goes to open the door, after ignoring it and getting a phone call from his mother to answer the door:
I pulled it open, aggravated as all hell. "Look, the position has already been fill..." My lungs took notice of her beauty before my eyes could catch up. They constricted and froze. I was complexly dumbstruck.
I pulled it open, aggravated as all hell. "Look, the position has already been fill..." My lungs took notice of her beauty before my eyes could catch up. They constricted and froze. I was complexly dumbstruck.
"Hi," she said, like everything was just peachy, "I'm Ashland, you must be Breaker." Her voice was feminine and sweet, all honeysuckle and sugar. Holly was always trying to make her voice low and raspy. It made me question whether or not she smoked. But in the place I was, even if she smelled like smoke and had one in her hand -I would've believed any lie she told me.
"Um, hi -I'm Breaker." Focus man, focus! "Like I was saying, I've already hired a maid so..."
She came in, ducking under my arm. My eyes closed as she passed, she smelled so damn good. It wasn't any fruit or heavy perfume. She just smelled -clean.
"Your mom said you would say that. She also said you wouldn't let me in; that you would try to dismiss me at the door."
She looked around, her black hair was tied up in a ponytail. She had on some jeans, dark colored and some kind of white frilly top. And red heels that made me want to question her intelligence status. But damn, they looked so good on her. Sweat beads popped up along my forehead. She needed to leave, and now.
"It's not so bad around here. It's boy clean, not girl clean. But not too bad."
"What the hell does that mean?" I spout out defensively. Maybe if I'm rude to her, she'll go away.
She turned around with a smile, and my lungs seized up again. "You should close the door, you're letting all the bought air out. And you know, boy clean. Boys clean around things, girls pick them up and clean under them too. Like this blender."
And sure enough there was dust under it. And after she left and even until the next day Breaker found himself checking under items to see if there was dust there. Awww...she got to him in like 5 minutes. Well anyways, she ends up getting the job and by Ash just being Ash she slowly is getting Breaker to come out of his shell. She has him wanting to be a better person and a better man. First by helping out around the house and in the yard and working his way out into the world. Another of my favorite lines between these two (who always have smart ass commits to say to one another) is when Ash finally is talking to Breaker about taking a drive in the car.
"You know, a ride in the car? Vroom, vroom, no people?"
"Hey, I'm a little nutty, not stupid. No need to make noises."
From here Ash and Breaker have some bumps in their "friendship" because they both like each other and yet still have a hard time finding a right path for the two of them to follow. Eventually, their relationship does take off and it's adorable. Breaker is such a sweetheart and even though he's kind of a shut in...I'd so be his girlfriend. He has that romantic side that every girl would swoon over. And after one of their kisses Breaker has a wonderful explanation, "I didn't plan to kiss her. But I didn't regret it either. She was soft and pillowy. And I was prickly and rough around the edges -we fit together like the two halves that made Velcro." heheh he compared them to Velcro...I love it!!!
One of my favoritest (yes I said favoritest) lines/scenes happens after they lay together and cuddle and Ash says, "You've done such a number on me Breaker James. I came in here revved up to get a job done and mind my own business. But instead you've caught me in your snare. You couldn't get rid of me if you tried." I turned over facing the window since my arm had fallen asleep. His arm snaked around my waist and pulled me flush against him. "Believe me baby, if someone's gonna do the ridding, it's gonna be you." His voice was faint, I didn't know if he was asleep or not.
O.M.G. all I kept saying here was awww....and that's so sweet. Why can't I have a guy like that. I mean seriously if he was asleep and in his unconscious mind that is what he was thinking....that's like the super sweetest thing a guy could say to a girl in this particular type of scene. See again I love Breaker!!!
O.M.G. all I kept saying here was awww....and that's so sweet. Why can't I have a guy like that. I mean seriously if he was asleep and in his unconscious mind that is what he was thinking....that's like the super sweetest thing a guy could say to a girl in this particular type of scene. See again I love Breaker!!!
One last few lines that I was cracking up over was, He held up his hands, "Shut up Ash."
Well didn't that just scratch my glass.
"What did you just say? Don't you ever tell me to shut up you -you -you weird named boy."
Hahaha she called him out on his odd name. Eventually, heart break has to happen because instead of Breaker really getting better, he begins to use Ash as a crutch. He isn't getting better and that isn't a healthy life that anyone should live through. Breaker has some of his hell yeah moments, especially where skank Holly is involved. But then I had some tear jerker moments and sad moments and happy moments and a lot of funny moments....with his highness. I kept hoping and wishing for true love to prevail. I wanted Breaker to get better so that he could pull the ultimate romantic move and run after Ash and pull her into his arms and be romantic all over her. OMG when she left her job as the in house maid.....my heart was being ripped out. I was soooo involved with these two characters that I just wanted everything to be okay.
Overall, this was an AMAZING read!!!! I'm so thankful for receiving this as an arc...Thank you so much Lila for writing such an amazing book!!! And I'm thankful to be able to read and share it and spread the word for others to join in. I've found yet another author that can be added to my favorites list. So make sure to grab your copy to see if Breaker an break his shell and be the man he used to be and to be the man that Ash needs. Go get your Ash and Breaker on!!!
Overall, this was an AMAZING read!!!! I'm so thankful for receiving this as an arc...Thank you so much Lila for writing such an amazing book!!! And I'm thankful to be able to read and share it and spread the word for others to join in. I've found yet another author that can be added to my favorites list. So make sure to grab your copy to see if Breaker an break his shell and be the man he used to be and to be the man that Ash needs. Go get your Ash and Breaker on!!!
Incinerate
