One Step Closer is the first book that I have read from Kahlen Aymes, and I will admit that I struggled with it. While there was a lot to like here, there were a lot of things that didn't work for me personally. That doesn't mean that others won't find this book to be a great read, but for me I ended up with mixed feelings and I think that this book is probably better suited for others than it was for me.
After losing his mother the last thing that Caleb Luxon wanted was a new stepmother and stepsister. But after discovering what Wren's life was like, he vowed to protect from everything, even her own mother. As they grew closer, both Wren and Caleb wanted one another but nothing happened until a night together changed everything. But after Caleb ran scared, both were left broken hearted and years go by with barely any contact. The death of Caleb's father brings them back together, and both must decide if it is time to figure things out between them or leave each other behind once and for all.
I mentioned that I struggled quite a bit with this story and a lot of that was with the characters. I wanted to love them, but Caleb came off as weak and that was hard to get past. He was casually dating Macy, who showed up to throw a wrench in the middle of everything and he never put his foot down with her. She was downright awful and he let her get away with treating Wren horribly as well as getting away with her gold-digger scheming and it just got old real quick. I didn't understand why this supposed alpha male who liked to run things wasn't capable of kicking her out and moving on, and I just lost patience and respect for Caleb. Same for Wren, there was one time that she stood up for herself, but otherwise she let Macy's schemes go and actually believed them. For someone who knew Caleb better than anyone and reminded us of that constantly, she seemed to be too easily convinced of the worst of Caleb and never actually went straight to him, believing Macy over him. It just didn't make sense to me, and honestly I was just over it. They had chemistry and a connection, but I just couldn't take the drama and back and forth when the whole thing was just so bizarre to me.
The other thing that I really had problems with as well was the way this story was told. It was in third person and it kept switching back and forth between the different character's thoughts and it was really distracting. I am all for getting multiple POVs and experiencing this story through the character's eyes. But when you switch thoughts and characters on me in the middle of paragraphs and it never stays with one long, it just takes me out of the story and I lose interest quick. I also thought that between the flashbacks and the tendency to provide more details then necessary at times just dragged the story down, and made this one too slow at times. The pacing was just off, and as much as I wanted to be interested at times i wasn't. I did finish because I wanted to know what happened, and I was anxious to see Macy get what she had coming (a bit disappointed there if I am honest) but this one just wasn't for me. There was so much promise and I do think some readers will really enjoy this one, so if it sounds like something you would enjoy then I recommend giving it a try.
**ARC Provided by TRSOR Promotions**
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