Review: Finding You by Elizabeth Lee

Finding You is the second book in Elizabeth Lee's Escaping Series, but this book can be read as a standalone. Finding You centers around Mallory, but fans of Escaping Me will get to see several familiar faces including Whitney and Cole. I really enjoyed Escaping Me and would recommend starting with that one, but it is not necessary. Mallory's story was really good, and I loved getting to know her better.

After finding out that the man she always though was her father wasn't, Mallory decides to head to South Carolina to meet the man who actually is. She agrees to stay with her sister Whitney and Whitney's boyfriend Cole, until she finds out that the apartment above her father's shop is available for rent. Not ready to tell her father the truth, Mallory rents out the apartment and figures it is a good way to start getting to know him. Mallory quickly meets her new neighbor Boone, and things don't start off the best between them. Boone has a past that he would rather not be explored, and he prefers to be left alone. But soon Boone and Mallory are unable to stay away from one another, and Boone finds himself opening up to Mallory. But with Mallory's real reason for being in town still a secret, she is hiding some very important details from not only her father but also from Boone. When the truth finally comes out, will Boone be able to get past the fact that she lied to him? Or will it hit too close to home for him after everything he has been through in the past?

Boone and Mallory were both great characters, and I enjoyed their story a lot. Having read the first book, I knew that Mallory was a fun loving girl that liked to keep things casual. She was strong and independent, and I loved her personality. But after finding out about her dad and having been pretty much abandoned by every man in her life at one point or another, it was clear that she had another side to her that most people never saw. She tried to put on a tough face, but it was clear that she had a vulnerability to her because of it all. It was great to see Boone help her out though, and I really liked how he was able to show her that it was okay to open up and take a risk. He was exactly what she needed and I really loved them together. Boone also had issues though, and he was used to others looking to get something from him because of who he was. I liked that Mallory had no clue who he was and that she was genuinely interested in him as a person. I did think that Boone made a few mistakes though, and a few times I wanted to shake him a bit. He didn't mean to hurt Mallory and I know that he was trying to handle things the only way he knew how, but I didn't agree with his actions. I thought that Boone and Mallory were a good couple though, and the chemistry was clear between them.

I will say that I wasn't a fan of how this story started. The prologue was a bit confusing at first, and I will admit that I wondered what I was missing as I was reading it. I didn't care for it giving away some pretty big information, even if it wasn't the whole story. I don't really like when the start of a book gives away any or all of the ending and then we back up to get the whole story. It just leaves me wanting to rush through the whole book to figure out what happened rather than actually enjoying the story and taking my time to get there. It is always in the back of my mind what happens, and I think it detracts from the story. I did like Boone and Mallory's story though, and I enjoyed seeing these two fall for one another and experience the ups and downs of a new relationship. I just wish that I hadn't known part of the ending of the story. It was nice to see Cole and Whitney and some of the other characters from Escaping Me though. I think that fans of Elizabeth Lee's will really like this story, especially those familiar with this series. If you haven't read anything by Elizabeth Lee, I think that you should definitely give her books a shot. They are always well written with unique characters, and I have really enjoyed everything of hers that I have read. I look forward to more from her in the future.

**Review Copy Provided by Author**

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