Ryder Hawkley swallows his words the way he swallows his guilt. A life-altering tragedy keeps him locked away in a silent prison—a self-imposed punishment for a horrific mistake. His reputation…
Freak.
Weirdo.
Alexis Honeycutt arrives at college craving one thing—independence. Now, away from home and free from her family’s overprotection, she attends a party with friends that will ultimately change her life. The moment she spots Ryder Hawkley sitting across the room, Alexis is intrigued.
Dangerous.
They whisper.
The intensity shimmering from Ryder’s haunting eyes beckons her, but Alexis vows to stay away from him. Only, she can’t seem to get Ryder’s unnervingly quiet stare out of her head.
Ryder is determined to ignore Alexis’s contagious smile the instant she strolls into the room. Despite his efforts, he is drawn to her and finds himself questioning everything he’d been holding on to for the past two years.
Review
Ryder’s story had me choking up and reached a grief-stricken place in my soul that no book has touched for quite some time. Alexis can hear Ryder without his words: through his eyes, expressions, and art work. Ryder’s anxiety driven mutism builds a solidly deep connection between him and Alexis as she listens to him through other means of communication. Alexis doesn’t stop as she proves to Ryder again and again that she’ll be there. I’ve loved this So Much It Hurts series by Melanie because she gives us well-developed, realistic characters that allows us to fully accept and empathize with their experiences. I didn’t want the story to end because although there was minimal dialogue between Alexis and Ryder, what was being spoken was more powerful than the spoken words. Melanie’s words allowed me to feel the emotions with her thorough descriptions. The dance-a-thon was an extremely powerful scene for me as so much was said, while not being “said”. Ryder is growing and making much progress in his grief and determination to help others and Alexis is his strongest supporter. I was longing throughout the entire novel to “hear” Ryder’s voice and this kept me reading…I wanted to claw the words from his tongue myself. I love this series and can’t wait for more. Give Ryder a try and find your next book crush! Rating: 4 stars
In some ways, closing the book on my first love was the worst day of life. I was gutted, and yet I was completely at peace with my decision. I walked away knowing that I did what was best for her, unsure if I could ever recover. Little did I know that one concert would change the entire course of my life. There I stood, signing autographs and snapping pictures with fans when a familiar face in the crowd catapulted my mind back in time—Salem Honeycutt, once a balm to my pain and a calm in my storm. Yet again, her smiling face gave me hope. Only one question remained: did she still see me as a wayward teenage boy who was completely off limits, or could she see the man I’d become…focused and driven, yearning for another chance at love?
For Salem Honeycutt, postpartum bliss seemed like a lie…
No one told me that I’d hate my baby when I brought her home from the hospital. No one told me that I’d want to put a pillow over my husband’s head and smother him in his sleep. No one told me that I’d want to slap every person who gave me the ever-so-cliché advice to ‘cherish every moment.’ No one told me that I’d despise my life the minute I became a mother, but I did. Then I met Chris King, the kid who made me want to pull myself up from the dark recesses of my mind and face each day. This kid, whose passion for life and talent for music, touched my soul deeper than I could ever touch his. Chris gave me a reason to live. I was once affectionately known as Mrs. H., Chris’s juvenile detention counselor. This is our story.
I was so excited to crack open this second installment in the So Much it Hurts series because I wanted more Chris King. I waited to read the first in the series until I could follow it with the second because I’d heard so much love for Chris King from fellow readers. If you’ve read So Much it Hurts, then you know Chris is our beloved rock star. In this sequel we get the details of his time in juvie. This was a painful time for him in which he came to the understanding that people do care and have hopes for him, as well as his ability to reach for his dreams. Along his journey in juvie, he meets and befriends Salem. Salem is Chris’ counselor while in juvie although she’s only 7 years older than him. We experience with Salem and Chris their personal struggles, anger, and depression, although it strikes them in different ways. Salem and Chris had me mourning along with them during their good-bye from juvie as I hate goodbyes like everyone else. The triumph and finding one’s happiness is the life message I got from this read. What gives you hope, breathes life into you, encourages you not to give up? That’s what Salem and Chris are both searching for and their journey to finding those things was trying at times but lesson-learning at the same time. Give this a try and deepen you crush with Chris King!! Rating: 4 stars
Caryn’s thoughts…
I have to say I was a little apprehensive going into this only because after being emotionally wrecked by So Much It Hurts, I was desperate for Chris and Kaitlyn to get their happy ever after and all thoughts of morality went right out the window. So what if Kaitlyn was married?? In my heart of hearts I wanted so badly for these two soul mates to be together…….forever!! That being said, Melanie Dawn…..you are a rock star of the literary world girl!! Your writing moved me, like Chris, to let Kaitlyn go and fall in love with Salem. Bravo!!
And Chris King…….oh how I love that man. So selfless, so giving, yet so self sabotaging that I want nothing more than for this man to love, be loved, and get his happy ever after.
~ Chris ~ “I’m afraid of me….of screwing up….terrified of finding one glimmer of happiness in my life and doing something stupid to mess it all up. Just like I’ve always done.”
I love how Melanie Dawn took us through Chris’ past journey, how he first met Salem, the connection they shared then, and how that connection evolved and intensified on a whole new level 14 years later.
~ Chris ~ “I made a connection with you that I never expected. You always listened to me. You never judged me. You always had the right thing to say. You were always there when I needed you. There will never be anyone who could fill your shoes.”
His words, his story, his journey will melt your soul. An absolute must read!! Fall in love with Chris King in the pages of Then There Was You!!
~ 5 ~ “You’re everything I’ve been wishing for” ~ Stars!!
Melanie Dawn is a thinker, a dreamer, and a hopeless romantic. When her head isn’t in the clouds, she spends her time as a jack of all trades to her family. Melanie resides in the hills of North Carolina with her husband, her three children, and her cat. She enjoys lazy summer afternoons cruising around the lake on the pontoon boat with her family.
Melanie graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BA in Psychology and earned her MA in School Counseling from Appalachian State University. She spent the first six years after graduate school as a middle school counselor. Those were years she deems as some of the best years of her life. That is, until she had children of her own. The last seven years have been spent as a stay-at-home mom. She has learned some tough life lessons, like what the inner absorbent pellets of a diaper look like scattered in the washing machine. She has also learned the strength of the willpower of a two year old lacking a nap. Through it all, Melanie has learned how to roll with the punches and appreciate the time she has been able to spend at home with her children.
Now that her last child has started Kindergarten, Melanie is ready to add a new chapter in her life. That chapter begins with her debut novel—So Much It Hurts.
Popping the top off his own bottle, he leaned toward me, his voice gravelly, “I mean, come on. I’m not gonna dance around it. You’re beautiful.”
I nearly choked on my beer, but quickly recovered, masking my freaking-the-hell-out face with a subtle smile.
He continued, nervously glancing at the beer in his hand. I wondered if he was praying to the gods of liquid courage like I was. “Salem, you’ve…you’ve always been sexy as hell,” he stammered. “You had to know how hot all the guys at Fairbanks thought you were, and you probably just chalked it up to some silly teenage fantasies.” His eyes shot up to meet my gaze. “But I hope you know that you meant way more to me than that.”
I nodded. I understood where he was coming from because he’d always meant more to me than ‘just some client.’ He was my saving grace. “You were more to me too,” I said softly.
Continuing to stir up my already mixed emotions, he added, “You were my lifeline back then.”
He stood up, walking over to the massive windows. Leaning both hands against the glass, he stared out at the city for several seconds. “And yet, here we are again…crossing paths.”
Without thinking, I spoke what had been on my mind all night, “Does it make you question fate?”
He whirled around to face me. A brooding expression was plastered on his face, and he seemed just as perplexed as I was. With each ragged breath, his sculpted pecs rose and fell, defining themselves in his fitted, thermal shirt. Finally speaking up, he said, “Yeah…yeah, it does.”
Suddenly the air between us changed. I soaked in the way he looked at me with a softness in his eyes. The expression on his face was different than the canned smile he normally used to pose for the cameras of his adoring fans. This smile was warm, inviting, comforting—a smile meant just for me.
What does all this mean? Part of me felt so ridiculously wrong, but then again, another part of me felt so utterly, hopelessly…right.
Life is full of uncertainty, so what happens when a what-if from your past collides with your present?
Kaitlyn Thomas, a weary wife and mother, is taking a much needed getaway with her friends. All she wants to do is relax and rejuvenate on her weekend escape to the beach. Having a drink at the bar with the girls sounds like the perfect way to unwind. That is, until Kaitlyn hears a familiar voice from the stage that shakes her to her core. She grapples with her memory until Chris King, the lead singer of the band, walks up to her and eliminates the questions in her mind.
Chris King…the misunderstood bad boy who once saved her in ways that no one else could.
Kaitlyn’s friends beg to know the story behind this mystery man. Forced to revisit a painful past from which she has spent years trying to heal, Kaitlyn’s recollection of Chris awakens intense feelings that she has kept buried deep inside her heart. Has time changed him, or is he still the same person Kaitlyn fell in love with so many years ago?
Marriage vows are sacred, but temptation is a powerful thing.
Seeing Chris again has caused a war between her head and her heart. In the end, which one will win the battle? Facing a difficult decision, Kaitlyn just wants to be sure of one thing when she walks away from this weekend—no regrets.
This reads had my heart hurting with a pain that’s left me sobbing. The heavy weight that Kaitlyn had on her shoulders throughout high school tugged at me in a hollowing way that I’ll never forget. To feel helpless, trapped, without a voice is lonely and when she found a savior, a safe place that comforted and cared for her just to have it ripped away tore me apart. I’m never one that condones cheating, but Kaitlyn having her time with Chris was perfect in every way with their re-connection, ability to communicate and be open with one another. It was beautiful. Michael, wow his heart is huge and his forgiveness speaks volumes to the type of man he is. This story is with me and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I heard from others how moving it is, so I reluctantly waited until closer to the sequels release to read it to so I could read them one right after the other. Now I’m nervous to start the next, Then There Was You. Melanie has written of gut-wretching, painful experiences that unfortunately occur all too often. Having your “someone” to run to is crucial so you don’t find unhealthy ways to try to “escape” the pain. Give this a try and join in the “Chris King Crush”!! Rating: 5 stars
Karen’s Review…
This debut novel by author Melanie Dawn can resonate with so many women. Love, fate, choices, healing are all packed into this book and so much more.
Kaitlyn is a married woman that while on a girl’s getaway comes face to face with her past and the choices that she made that lead her to this point.
Throughout this story the reader is able to experience Kaitlyn’s past and the pain she suffered in silence. This book reminded me that you can never know someone’s story just by looking at them and you should never assume to know what a person might be going through. This was a story of hurt, hope and was written with a solid, emotional punch. Give this a try! 4.0 Stars
Author Bio:
Melanie Dawn is a thinker, a dreamer, and a hopeless romantic. When her head isn’t in the clouds, she spends her time as a jack of all trades to her family. Melanie resides in the hills of North Carolina with her husband, her three children, and her cat. She enjoys lazy summer afternoons cruising around the lake on the pontoon boat with her family.
Melanie graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BA in Psychology and earned her MA in School Counseling from Appalachian State University. She spent the first six years after graduate school as a middle school counselor. Those were years she deems as some of the best years of her life. That is, until she had children of her own. The last seven years have been spent as a stay-at-home mom. She has learned some tough life lessons, like what the inner absorbent pellets of a diaper look like scattered in the washing machine. She has also learned the strength of the willpower of a two year old lacking a nap. Through it all, Melanie has learned how to roll with the punches and appreciate the time she has been able to spend at home with her children.
Now that her last child has started Kindergarten, Melanie is ready to add a new chapter in her life. That chapter begins with her debut novel—So Much It Hurts.
2013 has been another great year for reading some amazing books. As the year comes to an end, Karen, Kara, and Caryn would like to share some of the books we read this year and, as hard as it was, list our Top Ten reads for 2013 with the hope you may find your next Book Crush.
In no particular order ……
Caryn’s 2013 Top 10 picks
Fading by E.K. Blair
A Brutal Tenderness by Marata Eros
Beautiful Broken Rules by Kimberly Lauren
The Thrill of It by Lauren Blakely
So Much It Hurts by Melanie Dawn
A Love Like This by Kahlen Aymes
Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker
Going Under by Georgia Cates
Fueled by K. Bromberg
Every Breath by Tasha Ivey
Kara’s 2013 Top 10 Picks
Ethan by Nicole Edwards
Thief by Tarryn Fisher
Burning Up by Marie Coulson
Forever, Jack (Eversea series) by Natasha Boyd
His Ever After (Love Square series) by Jessica Ingro
Panic (Rook & Ronin) by JA Huss
Arsen by Mia Asher
Out of Breath by Rebecca Donovan
Hopeless series by Colleen Hoover
The Last Hour by Charles Sheehan-Miles
Karen’s 2013 Top 10 Picks
the Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
Left Drowning by Jessica Park
Ruining Me and Ruining You by Nicole Reed
Breaking the Wrong by Calia Read
Ten Tiny Breaths by KA Tucker
Good by S Walden
Reckless Longing by Gina Robinson
Connected by Kim Karr
Arsen by Mia Asher
Feel the Rush by Kelsie Leverich
Life is full of uncertainty, so what happens when a what-if from your past collides with your present?
Kaitlyn Thomas, a weary wife and mother, is taking a much needed getaway with her friends. All she wants to do is relax and rejuvenate on her weekend escape to the beach. Having a drink at the bar with the girls sounds like the perfect way to unwind. That is, until Kaitlyn hears a familiar voice from the stage that shakes her to her core. She grapples with her memory until Chris King, the lead singer of the band, walks up to her and eliminates the questions in her mind.
Chris King…the misunderstood bad boy who once saved her in ways that no one else could.
Kaitlyn’s friends beg to know the story behind this mystery man. Forced to revisit a painful past from which she has spent years trying to heal, Kaitlyn’s recollection of Chris awakens intense feelings that she has kept buried deep inside her heart. Has time changed him, or is he still the same person Kaitlyn fell in love with so many years ago?
Marriage vows are sacred, but temptation is a powerful thing.
Seeing Chris again has caused a war between her head and her heart. In the end, which one will win the battle? Facing a difficult decision, Kaitlyn just wants to be sure of one thing when she walks away from this weekend—no regrets.
Sometimes in life you just love someone so much it hurts.
So Much It Hurts was just an incredibly written story that makes you want to have one good soul cleansing cry. I am all over the place with my emotions and thoughts about this, that I’m not even sure I can get all my thoughts out. I loved this story and hated it at the same time, and I do not mean that in a bad way at all. I feel as if my soul has been ripped out and my heart broken, yet my soul has been mended and my heart swells.
Chris and Kaitlyn, as Chris puts it, have this crazy, cosmic, soul connected energy and I promise you that you feel every emotion between these two. Clearly from opposite sides of the tracks. Two people, so opposite, that by society’s standards should not be together, but have a connection and a love so strong, it hurts. The sometimes extreme sacrifices we make for the ones we love. As a parent, as a lover, as a spouse, as a friend. The sacrifices you make when you love someone so much it hurts.
So Much It Hurts is one of those stories that pulls your heartstrings, burns your soul, has you crying uncontrollably, ties your stomach in knots, has you feeling scared, yet has you smiling and feeling comforted and protected as well. As I said before, my emotions were all over the place with this story. The author took me to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and I’m still undecided about how I feel about the ending. Talk about torn between two lovers, feeling like a fool!!!! So amazing and so devastatingly heart wrenching. Give it a try!! 5 ~ must read ~ starsReviewed by Caryn
Author Bio:
Melanie Dawn is a thinker, a dreamer, and a hopeless romantic. When her head isn’t in the clouds, she spends her time as a jack of all trades to her family. Melanie resides in the hills of North Carolina with her husband, her three children, and her cat. She enjoys lazy summer afternoons cruising around the lake on the pontoon boat with her family.
Melanie graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BA in Psychology and earned her MA in School Counseling from Appalachian State University. She spent the first six years after graduate school as a middle school counselor. Those were years she deems as some of the best years of her life. That is, until she had children of her own. The last seven years have been spent as a stay-at-home mom. She has learned some tough life lessons, like what the inner absorbent pellets of a diaper look like scattered in the washing machine. She has also learned the strength of the willpower of a two year old lacking a nap. Through it all, Melanie has learned how to roll with the punches and appreciate the time she has been able to spend at home with her children.
Now that her last child has started Kindergarten, Melanie is ready to add a new chapter in her life. That chapter begins with her debut novel—So Much It Hurts.
I sat with my back to the stage. My friends and I were laughing hysterically at the fools we had made of ourselves during our poor rendition of Aretha Franklin’s song, Respect. Downing a few drinks prior to our performance gave me enough liquid courage to embarrass myself on stage. I had immersed myself so deeply in the conversation that I barely noticed karaoke had ended and a band had started setting up on stage.
In the background, a voice emerged from the microphone. “Testing…one, two, three. Testing…”
The hair on the back of my neck stood upright. My body seemed to recognize the smooth and soothing voice, but my mind could not recall it. I quickly spun around in my seat and peered at the figure on stage. However, we sat too far away, and the terrible lighting in the bar restricted my view.
“What’s the matter, Kaitlyn?” Shannon sounded concerned. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“That voice…it sounds so familiar. I’ve heard it before,” I stammered.
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