ARC Review: Touch the Sky by Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn

Touch the Sky is the first book in the Free Fall series from Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn. I was excited to read this since I have read and enjoyed books from both of these authors before. I liked Lucas and Gabriel a lot, and there was a lot about this story that I liked. I did have some things that kept me from loving this one though. 

Both Lucas and Gabriel had tough childhoods for very different reasons. They met online and a friendship formed between them over the fact that they not only had bad home situations, but over the fact that they were both in the closet. They agreed to someday meet and move to LA when they were old enough. But on the day that they agreed to come out to their families, Gabriel disappeared with not even a goodbye. Now five years later, both are living in Hollywood where they run into each other in a bar. Gabriel will do whatever it takes to show Lucas that he had a good reason for losing contact, but Lucas isn't so quick to forgive him. But the connection they once shared is stronger than ever, and both will have to deal with their pasts that continue to affect them if they have any hope at a future together. 

I liked both Lucas and Gabriel. They each had so much going on beneath the surface, and I really felt for both of them. They had a lot to deal with as kids that no one should ever have to go through, and I was so glad that they had found one another. They desperately needed someone to connect to, and their bond was so strong. It was clear just how much these two had always meant to one another and neither time nor distance changed that. I loved the heat and chemistry between these two, and they were so hot together! Gabriel and Lucas really were perfect for one another, and I couldn't get enough of them together! 

I did think that it would have been nice to see more of them actually together. At times it felt as though their relationship was a bit rushed and that we didn't get to see it fully develop. The connection was always there, but we didn't really see a lot of them actually building a relationship. I also felt like there were times that something felt a bit off here. As though maybe the two writing styles didn't completely mesh or we were missing things. The book was pretty slow for the most part pacing wise, and yet parts of this story just felt rushed to me. These two had a tendency to text one another, and it was confusing at times with the way it was done. Sometimes the texts would be in the middle of paragraphs or sentences with no way to differentiate between their thoughts and the fact that they were speaking. It just didn't always work, and I found myself struggling to figure out what was going on at times when they were texting one another. Overall, I think that this book had so much potential and I really did like the characters. I just wish that the execution of the story was better, since it had so much promise that just didn't quite get there for me. I loved some of the secondary characters as well though and I really hope that they each get stories. Their friends were some of the best parts of this story, so I would love to get to know them more. I am hoping that as Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn write together more that their styles will blend better and that their books will feel more seamless than this one did. It was still a good story though, and if you are a fan of second chance friends to lovers M/M stories, this is one you might want to check out.

**ARC Provided by Authors**

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Forever Young Blog Tour: Shannon Richard, Nyrae Dawn, Jessica Sorensen + J.A. Redmerski

Things Paige Morrison will never understand about Mirabelle, Florida:

Why wearing red shoes makes a girl a harlot
Why a shop would ever sell something called “buck urine”
Why everywhere she goes, she runs into sexy-and infuriating-Brendan King

After losing her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend, Paige has no choice but to leave Philadelphia and move in with her retired parents. For an artsy outsider like Paige, finding her place in the tightly knit town isn’t easy-until she meets Brendan, the hot mechanic who’s interested in much more than Paige’s car. In no time at all, Brendan helps Paige find a new job, new friends, and a happiness she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel again. With Brendan by her side, Paige finally feels like she can call Mirabelle home. But when a new bombshell drops, will the couple survive, or will their love come undone?

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Interview with Author Nyrae Dawn and Giveaway

Meet Nyrae Dawn, author of Masquerade.

Writing has always been Nyrae Dawn's passion. Nyrae gravitates toward character-driven stories. She loves going on emotional journeys with characters whether it be reading or writing. And yes, she's a total romantic at heart and proud.

Nyrae resides in sunny Southern California with her husband (who still makes her swoon) and her two awesome kids.

When she's not with her family, you can be pretty sure you'll find her with a book in her hand or her laptop and an open document in front of her. Nyrae also writes adult romance under the name Kelley Vitollo.

Places to find Nyrae:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

Feature and Giveaway: Facade by Nyrae Dawn

No one knows who twenty-one year-old Adrian Westfall is behind his façade. After what he's done, he deserves to live alone with his pain, even if he'd do anything to forget. Anything for a moment of quiet without his past haunting him.

Eighteen year-old Delaney Cross wants nothing more than to absolve her family from her father's sins. To keep her suicidal mom off that ledge, and help her brother Maddox get the light back in his eyes. She thinks their road to freedom is through Adrian.

Adrian and Delaney are bound together by tragedy... Only Adrian doesn't know it. As their lives intertwine, they find a solace in each other they never knew existed. Laney knows she needs to tell him-to come out from behind her smoke screen, but to say the words could mean losing him.

Two people. Two disguises. True love. Will it be enough to save them when all secrets are bared?

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ARC Review: Facade by Nyrae Dawn

Facade is the second book in the Games Series by Nyrae Dawn, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one after having read Charade. I loved Colt and Chey, but I was really excited to get Adrian's story. On the surface Adrian seems to be just a typical guy out to have fun and party, but I knew there was something below the surface that we just weren't aware of yet. This book was an awesome follow up to Charade and I loved getting to see some more of Chey and Colt.

After her father commits a horrible act Delaney's family is left in ruins. She decides that she needs to set out to try and make amends to the family that her father hurt in one of the worst possible ways. She never expects that in doing so, that she will end up in a huge mess of lies and develop feelings for the one person that she should never be with. Adrian is good at hiding behind his charming and easy going facade, but underneath he suffers with a secret he cannot share with anyone. He chooses to let others see what he wants them to see, and never actually letting them get to know the real him. But when he meets Delaney, for the first time he begins to think that he has found someone who he can actually begin to share his life with. Delaney and Adrian begin to form a friendship, but the attraction between them becomes something that neither of them can fight. With both of them bearing the damage of the past and keeping secrets from each other, its just a matter of time before the truth comes out. Can they help each other heal from the past, or will the truth tear them apart?

I loved Adrian. He was sexy and charming and a little bit damaged. Having been through a tragedy he places a lot of blame on himself and runs away to try and escape. He keeps up his facade even with his closest friends, but when Delaney comes along he finds that he starts to have feelings and actually wants to share parts of himself with her. I really loved seeing him start to let her in and watch as he began to heal. Delaney was strong and brave and had a general kindness to her that I really enjoyed reading. She was constantly trying to help others, even if they didn't deserve it. I also enjoyed seeing her growth, and it was nice to see her stand up for herself at the end. These two were absolutely perfect for each other and I really felt the emotions and connection that they shared. The attraction was also there from the beginning and that made for some really hot scenes together!

Overall, I really enjoyed this story! I didn't want to put it down. With Facade, Nyrae Dawn has written an emotional roller coaster of a story and I enjoyed every minute of the ride! There were some absolutely heartbreaking moments to this story and they were so well written that I felt every bit of them. But there were also many uplifting parts as well, and at its heart this story is the beautiful process of two broken people finding themselves and each other. I'm really looking forward to reading book number three, Masquerade, which centers around Delaney's brother Maddox. I think this is a must read for fans of the New Adult genre, but also for those who just love a good romance about people overcoming their past and finding love in the process.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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