If You Leave Release Day Launch - #Review, #giveaway & synopsis

IF YOU LEAVE Synopsis:

26-year old Gabriel Vincent is a badass hero. Or he used to be, anyway. As an ex-Army Ranger, Gabe never thought he needed anyone. But after one horrible night in Afghanistan scars him in a way that he can't get past, he needs someone who can help him heal...even if he doesn't realize it.

25-year old Madison Hill doesn't need anybody...or so she thinks. She grew up watching her parents' messed-up abusive relationship and she knows there's no way in hell that she's ever letting that happen to her.

They don't know it in the beginning, but Gabriel and Madison will soon develop a weakness: Each other.

But Gabriel's got a secret, a hidden monster that he's afraid Maddy could never overcome... And Maddy's got issues that she's afraid Gabe will never understand. They quickly realize that they need each other to be whole, but at the same time they know that they've got demons to fight.

And the problem with demons is that they never die quietly.

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

 

Courtney Cole Bio:

Courtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could. She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds. She loves chocolate and roller coasters and hates waiting and rude people.

Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.

Links:

Website:  http://www.courtneycoleauthor.com/

Blog:  http://courtneycolewrites.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Court_Writes

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/courtneycolewrites

Author Goodreads:   http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3112212.Courtney_Cole

IF YOU LEAVE Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17454088-if-you-leave?ac=1

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Courtney-Cole/e/B004Y4Z8ZU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1375577792&sr=8-2-ent

Grand Central: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/publishers/grand-central-publishing/

Grand Central Twitter: http://twitter.com/grandcentralpub

Grand Central Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrandCentralPub

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

Source: eARC for Honest Review from Forever Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley

Genre: Adult Contemporary

My Review...

First off I think we need a little kudos to Courtney for knowing how to write and capture very broken people, especially men.

"Is everyone in the world broken, Gabriel?" Even to my own ears, my whisper itself sounds broken in the velvety night. I can feel the weight of Gabriel's gaze as he stares down at me in the dark.  "I think so," he finally answers. "in their own way."

 Gabriel is a broken ex ranger trying to live in the now but not being able to let go of his past. With this burden comes many demons.

Madison is an ex-model who gave up everything to pick up the pieces of her broken family.  She steps into a life that she doesn't want and with this becomes a heavy weight to bear which is slowly breaking her.

Suddenly their worlds collide and makes them realize that they need each other to become whole again.

For Maddy she lets the fear of losing people start to break her. To the point that she lets it consume her.

"I don't know," I tell her hesitantly. "He still left me, Mila. This doesn't change anything." She stares at me incredulously. "Madison. He left to get help. He came back. He's here. Anyone in this room can feel how much he loves you when he looks at you. Trust me. It changes everything."

Thank goodness for Mila because during that part because I wanted to drop kick her in the head because he left her for a friggin' week and during that time he emailed her and let her know why.  I know he still left for a couple of days but he did explain and he did go to therapy. Grrrr! I digress that was really the only part that bothered me because come on Gabriel needed help and she couldn't get past the fact that he left for a very short time but thank goodness she started to see clearly or I don't know what I would have done.

Being ruled by fear is worse than never living at all.

For Gabriel once he lets his fear and past drown him he does the unthinkable and hurts Maddy so then he does the only thing he knows how to do in order to protect her which is run.

During this running he makes some very poor judgements (thank goodness it does not go all the way through with these choices) and some heartbreaking decisions until finally he is able to see the light and fights the fear. He fights it for himself and the hope of an us with Maddie.

"Maddy, I consider wherever you are home."

 Finally all the kings horses and all the kings men were able to put humpty dumpty back together again.  Well ok not really for Humpty but for Madison and Gabriel together they were able to hold on and help fix themselves and each other in the process.

This is a beautiful and heartfelt series with real issues and heartbreaking stories but there is also hope, love and second chances.  This story deals with fallen heroes and the reality of PTSD as well as abuse and loss.  I can't wait for book three Before We Fall but I was surprised it is going to be Jacey and Dominic I was hoping for Jacey and Brandt but I hope he too gets his HEA.

For this beautiful yet broken love story

4.5 Heartfelt Thumbs Up!
. 5
Lauren