Neat

He was my Romeo, and I his Juliet, and our families be damned- we were going to make it. And this story wouldn't end in tragedy. 

"My life is over. I swore I would never work at the whiskey distillery with my last name on it, that I would never be a part of my father's legacy. But when I graduated with my art degree and realized there were no jobs, the devil appeared, and I sold my soul, agreeing to work int he family business if he'd give me the art studio I'd always dreamed of. It can't be that bad, I thought. Until I realized my new boss was Logan Becker. The Becker brothers have a reputation for being trouble, and since I love trouble, it's no surprise to me that I'm infatuated by the forbidden fruit the first day I walk into the distillery. That lean, whiskey-eyed, too-hot-for-his-own-good man hates me- and I can't blame him. His family has been at war with mine for decades, and for good reason. The Becker's and the Scooters are the Montague's and Capulet's of Stratford, Tennessee. But if he's Romeo, and I'm Juliet? Well..we all know how that story ends- and for that reason, I tell myself to steer clear. Because if my father finds out I'm falling for Logan Becker, m life actually will be over. And Logan's will be, too. 

I received an ARC copy of this book from the author, and thank goodness, I didn't even know I needed this in my life until I finished it! Neat releases on September 19th!! 

Since I started this blog I have done many reviews of Kandi Steiner books, so it's no surprise that I'm a huge fan. She has this way with words that pulls you into a story, makes you feel like your a part of it, makes you feel like your experiencing everything the characters are. It's pretty amazing how she can paint a scene in a book and I can see these things come to life, and I can feel the same things the characters are feeling. 

I loved this story, like really loved it. I started it yesterday and refused to put it down. I spent my whole day just wrapped up in the world of Stratford, in the romance between these two characters that were struggling with their feelings of each other. I thought On The Rocks, the first Becker brother book was good, and then I opened this one. I could feel the agonizing heartbreak these two were going through, wanting to be together, but knowing their families wouldn't think it was right. That push and pull between doing what you need to do for yourself, and doing what your family wants you to do. 

"Do you think there's a universe that exists where you could be mine?"

"Let's make one."

I felt so connected to Mallory. This is the first character, from a book, in a long time that I really felt like had bits and pieces of my personality. She went to the beat of her own drum, didn't care what anyone thought, and chased her dreams no matter what anyone else thought of them. She was so strong and independent, and I admired the way she lived her life. There was a scene, where she tells Logan something that happened the summer before high school and it felt like I was there, it felt like we were old friends and she was telling me the story. Kandi brought this character to life so well for me, that it almost felt as if we had been friends forever and she was letting me have a little piece of her soul. 

Logan Becker was a fantastic book boyfriend. He had been through so much in life, and he was so painfully lonely, until Mallory came around and breathed life back into him. She was like a breath of fresh air for him. He was neat and she was the mess he didn't know his life needed. He was loyal to his family, and my heart truly broke for him because I could feel how agonizing it was for him to be falling for this woman that he knew his family would never approve of. He knew they wouldn't understand, but he couldn't help the way his heart felt. He had to make a decision for him for once, and not for his family. 

That kiss was an answer. That kiss was a lie. And distantly, I realized that kiss might be the biggest mistake of my life.

There are some authors that can write a fist kiss scene so well, it's like you can feel the electricity in that moment. Kandi has always been one of those authors for me, but there was something about the first kiss scene in this book that just blew me away. I don't know if was the anticipation, the waiting and wondering when it was going to happen, or it was the way the scene was painted out to me, but it was a fantastically well written first kiss. It was one of those scenes that take you back to your first kiss with someone, pull you into memories you may have forgotten. Everyone knows what their first kiss with a new person was life, that build up, the short intakes of breath, the will they or won't they anticipation, and Kandi was a master at this scene. I went back and re-read it multiple times because it was just that good. 

My heart ached so violently inside my chest I thought it would revolt and tear itself out of my body just to escape the pain. 

I cried several times reading this book. I just felt the pain these two were going through deep down in my soul. My heart ached for them, I was so mad at everyone for not understanding their need to be together, and I just wanted the two of them to run away together and get the happy ending they deserved. The pain they had to go through, and the hoops they had to jump in order to realized they were meant to be together just wasn't fair. This was a prime example of how love is not easy, it's messy, it's complicated, and sometimes it's worth the loss and worth the fight. 

Overall, this rating is a no brainier for me. This book absolutely deserves ALL. THE. STARS. Every time I read a new book by Kandi Steiner I am blown away. I'm blown away by her ability to make you feel what the character is feeling, make you relive your own first kisses, and make you feel like your somehow a part of this story. I'm going to shout from the rooftops how amazing this book is, how amazingly talented Kandi is, and I hope you all take my advice and start picking up as many of her books as possible. She does not disappoint. 

It was like two magnets being held away from each other for years, finally being released and clashing together in the middles, touching for the first time, feeling what it's like to be whole.