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Battling Beckett by T. Christensen – Review by Christie Mitchum

Battling Beckett: A Contemporary Step Brother RomanceBattling Beckett: A Contemporary Step Brother Romance by T. Christensen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For me, there is nothing better than an angsty romance, and Battling Beckett gave me exactly what I was looking for, far exceeding my expectations.

Greer is so far from the life she has known. Her mother has just become engaged to a very, very rich man, and now finds herself living in a mansion with none other than her soon-to-be stepbrother, Beckett Dawson. Needless to say, these two are complete opposites. He is the ruler of his private school and the center of everyone’s attention. Greer, on the other hand, tries to blend into the background, just trying to make it through the next nine months until she leaves for college. Beckett has made it very apparent, she and her mother are not welcome. Yet, he feels this pull towards her that he has never experienced before, which makes him even more frustrated and angry. He makes it his plan to break Greer so she will eventually show her true colors, but it may be Greer that breaks Beckett.

As I noted before, the story itself is fantastic, keeping my attention throughout the book. The characters, even the secondary ones, were people I felt invested in. Greer comes across as a timid heroine, but as the book unfolds, she becomes more confident and is determined to not let people walk all over her. I have to say I wasn’t a big fan of Beckett in the beginning. I thought he was going to be your normal, entitled jerk, but he really wasn’t. I could understand his motivation, to protect his father. He revealed his true colors as a guy who passionately protects those he loves.

In older reviews, some have mentioned that the book needed a good proofreader and editor. For those of you who are hesitant to read this one because of that reason, it has been re-edited, and I saw no major editing or proofreading mistakes.

If you are looking for a good story with great characters, you should give Battling Beckett a try! You won’t be disappointed.

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I Loved You Yesterday (Trading Heartbeats Trilogy Book 1) by Julie Navickas – Review by Christie Mitchum

I Loved You Yesterday: Book One in the Trading Heartbeats TrilogyI Loved You Yesterday: Book One in the Trading Heartbeats Trilogy by Julie Navickas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a fantastic, emotional second chance romance!!!

Mavis and Josh were high school sweethearts who had a wonderful future planned together, that is until an unplanned pregnancy upended all those dreams. Mavis made a choice she thought would be best for all of them, but as it turned out, it wasn’t good for anyone. Josh went on to attain his dreams, but his heart never healed from the loss of Mavis and the questions left unanswered in the wake of her leaving him. Now, ten years later the past will collide with the future and that secret along with another bombshell will come to light, and the broken pieces of their hearts may never be put back together again.

I was hooked from the very first page, and I have truly been in a reading slump, and Julie Navickas got me out of it!!!! I was in love with most of the characters, especially the main three…Josh, his brother, Austin, and Mavis. They were far, far from perfect, but their imperfections are what made me love them. Their relationships were messy and complicated but full of love and forgiveness.

While this book does involve a love triangle, it is done so differently and so realistically. I could actually see why Mavis fell in love with both brothers, and she loved them in very different ways. Yes, she does make a choice! I believe that the flashes to the past clearly show the close relationship both Josh and Austin had with her and their genuine love for her.

Navickas is a phenomenal storyteller. She completely wrapped me up in the story and had me totally invested in her characters. On top of that, her writing is fantastic, almost lyrical! Can’t wait to see what happens in the next two books!

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