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Without Boundaries
Bailey Hayes has a past that is currently affecting her present. Ten years ago she made a decision that suited her at the time. Now because of that decision she finds herself extremely successful in her chosen career but extremely unhappy in a relationship she thought was her forever.
Bailey met, fell in love with and moved in with Hollister Harrison six short months after meeting him. Hollister's true colors shine through epically when he no longer has his personal space to contain them.
Talon McAllister loves his family, his family's marketing firm that he runs along side his sister and the game of hockey. He plays hard and works even harder but leaves no room for any one woman exclusively. That is until he meets the lovely and ultimately sexy Bailey.
Can Talon convince Bailey that her twisted sense of loyalty and commitment to her boyfriend is absolutely unnecessary and dangerous?
Will Bailey miss out on the greatest love she will ever know due to fear of repeating her past of quick decision making?
Or will Talon show Bailey that she can live and love without boundaries?
Bailey met, fell in love with and moved in with Hollister Harrison six short months after meeting him. Hollister's true colors shine through epically when he no longer has his personal space to contain them.
Talon McAllister loves his family, his family's marketing firm that he runs along side his sister and the game of hockey. He plays hard and works even harder but leaves no room for any one woman exclusively. That is until he meets the lovely and ultimately sexy Bailey.
Can Talon convince Bailey that her twisted sense of loyalty and commitment to her boyfriend is absolutely unnecessary and dangerous?
Will Bailey miss out on the greatest love she will ever know due to fear of repeating her past of quick decision making?
Or will Talon show Bailey that she can live and love without boundaries?
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
June 26, 2013
Without Boundaries by CJ Azevedo
Review Written by Jen (BestSellers & BestStellars)
Without Boundaries by CJ Azevedo was very enjoyable to read. If you’re a fan of Contemporary New Age Romance, you’ll like this novel. This is also her debut novel.
Bailey Hayes moved across the country to New York 10 years ago after losing her mother in a tragic accident. She is determined to not experience the loss of a loved one again, so she keeps her only friendship with a girl she met her freshman year in college. She dated during those college years, but she never allowed it to turn into anything serious. That all changed when she met the handsome and successful Hollister Harrison. After six months of dating, Bailey moved in with Hollister. After moving in together, Bailey noticed how possessive, controlling, and borderline abusive Hollister started to become. Due to the fear of repeating her past and making a spontaneous decision by leaving too soon, Bailey insists on making her relationship with Hollister work. Hollister goes out of town and Bailey decides to go out with her friend Kali for the first time in months. They decide to go to a hockey game and then out for drinks. On her way back from the bathroom, Bailey runs into Talon McAllister, literally! Bailey immediately realizes that everything is about to change based on this one chance encounter. Bailey had already been having doubts about her relationship with Hollister. She was unhappy being with him because of the way he treated her. Hollister comes back home earlier than expected, and shows Bailey how upset he is with her by using his hands. Bailey decides she needs to go away for a few days with Talon and Kali to think things through and decide what she is going to do.
Talon McAllister has been single for years– focused on family, working in the family business, and playing hockey. The second he lays eyes on Bailey, everything changes for him. He wants her more than anything. He finds out she lives with her boyfriend and that instantly gets him on a mission to make Bailey his. After getting a call from Bailey to go on the vacation with Kali, he gets excited to spend time with her. He picks her up and sees her bruised face, and immediately decides he is going to show her how she deserves to be treated. Talon shows Bailey that he will be there for her and with her no matter what happens. He cares about her so much and he is willing to do anything for her. Because of the situation Bailey is facing with Hollister, Bailey tries to push Talon away because she doesn’t want him involved.
Does Bailey finally realize she’s strong enough and capable of walking away from Hollister? Or will she still have the fear of repeating her past and let her greatest love go? Read this beautiful love story and find out!!
I have to say that I found Bailey’s character to be sweet, caring, strong and smart. Even though she wasn’t in a healthy or happy relationship, she didn’t let fear or anything else keep her down. I respect her for the decisions she made, although some of the ones concerning Talon had me disagreeing, but she needed to work through things her own way. Talon McAllister … LOVED him just for the fact that he plays hockey. I love athletes! Anyway, I found his character to be very protective, sweet, caring, family oriented, and funny.
Talon pulls me close with one hand and grabs my other hand to hold in his as we sway together to the sounds of Frank Sinatra. “You are so beautiful,” Talon whispers close to my ear causing me to shiver. He pulls back from me and grins. “Did I just cause you to shiver Bailey?” I can tell he’s holding back from laughing at me.
“Are you laughing at me? You whispered in my ear, what did you expect?” I’m trying real hard to be super serious but the smile I can’t hide is a dead giveaway that I’m not the least bit mad at him.
“I am not laughing at you; I just have never made a woman shiver before just by the sound of my voice. I like it.”
I also really liked the flirty banter between Bailey and Talon. They always started off serious, especially Talon, by saying something sweet.
Now he’s all confident and maybe even a bit smug while still whispering in my ear and I am making a vast effort to keep from sighing. I decide quickly to even the playing field some. So I slide my hand out of his and slowly run it up his arm, over his shoulder, and gently grasp the back of his neck. While playing with the small hairs on his nape, I pull his head down so I can reach his ear since even in my heels he is several inches taller than I am. “Can you honestly say that me whispering in this way does absolutely nothing… for you?” I pull back to look him in the face and I see his eyes are heavily lidded. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
“Nope, I can’t honestly say that. But you’re not playing fair.” He’s smiling happily at me and I love that I’m the one who made him so happy.
“Oh, I think I’m being plenty fair.”
I really enjoyed that the story was told in dual point of view. It alternated between Bailey and Talon. I didn’t know at first it was going to be told in dual point of view, but I was glad because in the back of my mind I kept hoping to find out what Talon was thinking or what his point of view would be during certain scenes. That made me really happy!! I liked the whole book, but I LOVED the Epilogue!! If you thought Talon was sweet before, wait until you read the Epilogue!! I definitely fell in love with him all over again! I have to say that CJ really does a great job incorporating such a heavy issue of domestic abuse into the story.
CJ Azevedo provided BestSellers & BestStellars with an unedited copy of Without Boundaries to review. There were quite a few errors that I found, but they did not distract or take away from the story. I did have to re-read a few lines, but this can be expected with an unedited version. Overall, I was impressed with the quality of the writing. It was strong enough to keep me interested and intrigued.
4 Diamonds for this beautiful story!!
Review Written by Jen (BestSellers & BestStellars)
Without Boundaries by CJ Azevedo was very enjoyable to read. If you’re a fan of Contemporary New Age Romance, you’ll like this novel. This is also her debut novel.
Bailey Hayes moved across the country to New York 10 years ago after losing her mother in a tragic accident. She is determined to not experience the loss of a loved one again, so she keeps her only friendship with a girl she met her freshman year in college. She dated during those college years, but she never allowed it to turn into anything serious. That all changed when she met the handsome and successful Hollister Harrison. After six months of dating, Bailey moved in with Hollister. After moving in together, Bailey noticed how possessive, controlling, and borderline abusive Hollister started to become. Due to the fear of repeating her past and making a spontaneous decision by leaving too soon, Bailey insists on making her relationship with Hollister work. Hollister goes out of town and Bailey decides to go out with her friend Kali for the first time in months. They decide to go to a hockey game and then out for drinks. On her way back from the bathroom, Bailey runs into Talon McAllister, literally! Bailey immediately realizes that everything is about to change based on this one chance encounter. Bailey had already been having doubts about her relationship with Hollister. She was unhappy being with him because of the way he treated her. Hollister comes back home earlier than expected, and shows Bailey how upset he is with her by using his hands. Bailey decides she needs to go away for a few days with Talon and Kali to think things through and decide what she is going to do.
Talon McAllister has been single for years– focused on family, working in the family business, and playing hockey. The second he lays eyes on Bailey, everything changes for him. He wants her more than anything. He finds out she lives with her boyfriend and that instantly gets him on a mission to make Bailey his. After getting a call from Bailey to go on the vacation with Kali, he gets excited to spend time with her. He picks her up and sees her bruised face, and immediately decides he is going to show her how she deserves to be treated. Talon shows Bailey that he will be there for her and with her no matter what happens. He cares about her so much and he is willing to do anything for her. Because of the situation Bailey is facing with Hollister, Bailey tries to push Talon away because she doesn’t want him involved.
Does Bailey finally realize she’s strong enough and capable of walking away from Hollister? Or will she still have the fear of repeating her past and let her greatest love go? Read this beautiful love story and find out!!
I have to say that I found Bailey’s character to be sweet, caring, strong and smart. Even though she wasn’t in a healthy or happy relationship, she didn’t let fear or anything else keep her down. I respect her for the decisions she made, although some of the ones concerning Talon had me disagreeing, but she needed to work through things her own way. Talon McAllister … LOVED him just for the fact that he plays hockey. I love athletes! Anyway, I found his character to be very protective, sweet, caring, family oriented, and funny.
Talon pulls me close with one hand and grabs my other hand to hold in his as we sway together to the sounds of Frank Sinatra. “You are so beautiful,” Talon whispers close to my ear causing me to shiver. He pulls back from me and grins. “Did I just cause you to shiver Bailey?” I can tell he’s holding back from laughing at me.
“Are you laughing at me? You whispered in my ear, what did you expect?” I’m trying real hard to be super serious but the smile I can’t hide is a dead giveaway that I’m not the least bit mad at him.
“I am not laughing at you; I just have never made a woman shiver before just by the sound of my voice. I like it.”
I also really liked the flirty banter between Bailey and Talon. They always started off serious, especially Talon, by saying something sweet.
Now he’s all confident and maybe even a bit smug while still whispering in my ear and I am making a vast effort to keep from sighing. I decide quickly to even the playing field some. So I slide my hand out of his and slowly run it up his arm, over his shoulder, and gently grasp the back of his neck. While playing with the small hairs on his nape, I pull his head down so I can reach his ear since even in my heels he is several inches taller than I am. “Can you honestly say that me whispering in this way does absolutely nothing… for you?” I pull back to look him in the face and I see his eyes are heavily lidded. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
“Nope, I can’t honestly say that. But you’re not playing fair.” He’s smiling happily at me and I love that I’m the one who made him so happy.
“Oh, I think I’m being plenty fair.”
I really enjoyed that the story was told in dual point of view. It alternated between Bailey and Talon. I didn’t know at first it was going to be told in dual point of view, but I was glad because in the back of my mind I kept hoping to find out what Talon was thinking or what his point of view would be during certain scenes. That made me really happy!! I liked the whole book, but I LOVED the Epilogue!! If you thought Talon was sweet before, wait until you read the Epilogue!! I definitely fell in love with him all over again! I have to say that CJ really does a great job incorporating such a heavy issue of domestic abuse into the story.
CJ Azevedo provided BestSellers & BestStellars with an unedited copy of Without Boundaries to review. There were quite a few errors that I found, but they did not distract or take away from the story. I did have to re-read a few lines, but this can be expected with an unedited version. Overall, I was impressed with the quality of the writing. It was strong enough to keep me interested and intrigued.
4 Diamonds for this beautiful story!!
May 3, 2013
4.5/5 (ARC provided for an honest review)
Loved this story. For a debut author it was pretty remarkable! It was missing one tiny component but that Epilogue made up for it 100x over. I think everyone will agree with me.
Hoping this one gets a beautiful cover soon. Can't wait to read an edited version of this one. You guys definitely need to read it.
8/26 update:
Recently reread this story for the blog tour and I still standby with what I said above…
Yes, I was frustrated with Bailey for not realizing sooner that she deserved better but I also admired the fact that she was willing to give Hollister the benefit of the doubt that he could change. I loved when she finally decided when enough was enough that she didn’t just jump back into a another relationship but she spent months healing on her own. She took a huge risk and even if it pained her to be without her “one true love” she took everything in stride waiting for that perfect time when she thought she was ready.
What I loved most about this book was Talon. How romantic and caring he was with Bailey. Bailey repeatedly told him he deserved more and not to get involved but instead of turning the other way he comforted her and offered her a way out. He was always patient and never looked for anything in exchange. He put his heart on the line for someone he knew was incapable of making a commitment.
I also liked that no matter how these two were physically attracted to each other it never was about sex to them. Their connection was so much deeper that it was never even brought up. I find that very rare in current contemporary romance stories of today. Even without that element in this story the author was able to completely hold my attention which I was very much impressed with. And the ending? Just wow – total swoon worthy…
Kudos to the author who was able to deliver such an impressive, wholesome and heartwarming book.
Loved this story. For a debut author it was pretty remarkable! It was missing one tiny component but that Epilogue made up for it 100x over. I think everyone will agree with me.
Hoping this one gets a beautiful cover soon. Can't wait to read an edited version of this one. You guys definitely need to read it.
8/26 update:
Recently reread this story for the blog tour and I still standby with what I said above…
Yes, I was frustrated with Bailey for not realizing sooner that she deserved better but I also admired the fact that she was willing to give Hollister the benefit of the doubt that he could change. I loved when she finally decided when enough was enough that she didn’t just jump back into a another relationship but she spent months healing on her own. She took a huge risk and even if it pained her to be without her “one true love” she took everything in stride waiting for that perfect time when she thought she was ready.
What I loved most about this book was Talon. How romantic and caring he was with Bailey. Bailey repeatedly told him he deserved more and not to get involved but instead of turning the other way he comforted her and offered her a way out. He was always patient and never looked for anything in exchange. He put his heart on the line for someone he knew was incapable of making a commitment.
I also liked that no matter how these two were physically attracted to each other it never was about sex to them. Their connection was so much deeper that it was never even brought up. I find that very rare in current contemporary romance stories of today. Even without that element in this story the author was able to completely hold my attention which I was very much impressed with. And the ending? Just wow – total swoon worthy…
Kudos to the author who was able to deliver such an impressive, wholesome and heartwarming book.
August 27, 2013
This is a beautiful love story, I was swept away by the charming Talon McAllister :) This character makes you fall head over heels in love with him. CJ has written a perfect book husband..yes I said husband. From the moment we are introduced to him I knew he was going to be great. He's sweet, charming, sexy, and a hockey player.....so that means he's built!!
We are introduced to Bailey Hayes and I'm immediately drawn to her. She has such a strong beautiful spirit. She is currently living with her boyfriend Hollister, who happens to be a very angry person. Of course he was sweet and charming in the beginning but as soon as Bailey moves in with him he changes. So when she meets Talon for the first time she is immediately drawn to him, but she holds herself back because of her relationship with Hollister.
Hollister, his character made me what to throw my iPad across the room! The only good thing about him was his good looks. He is abusive to Bailey, but Bailey refuses to leave him because of her loyalty to him. And the sad part is, this is how most women react to situations like this, they stay hoping the person they fell in love with reappears.
This love story is beautifully written, and I enjoyed it imensely. If you are looking for a sweet romance with a little angst thrown in this is the book for you. I give a solid 4 stars, and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.
We are introduced to Bailey Hayes and I'm immediately drawn to her. She has such a strong beautiful spirit. She is currently living with her boyfriend Hollister, who happens to be a very angry person. Of course he was sweet and charming in the beginning but as soon as Bailey moves in with him he changes. So when she meets Talon for the first time she is immediately drawn to him, but she holds herself back because of her relationship with Hollister.
Hollister, his character made me what to throw my iPad across the room! The only good thing about him was his good looks. He is abusive to Bailey, but Bailey refuses to leave him because of her loyalty to him. And the sad part is, this is how most women react to situations like this, they stay hoping the person they fell in love with reappears.
This love story is beautifully written, and I enjoyed it imensely. If you are looking for a sweet romance with a little angst thrown in this is the book for you. I give a solid 4 stars, and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.
May 30, 2013
Without Boundaries by C.J. Azevedo dealt with some real heavy relationship issues. The main character was in an abusive relationship. One that I could relate to. Sometimes you have to build up your strength in order to move on. Being able to stand on your own two feet is so important in this story. Now it isn't super angsty or dark but just the opposite. There is a lot of happiness as well as the importance of friendship. I really fell in love with this story.
Bailey has been living in New York for the past ten years after her mother was tragically killed in an accident. She is living with her boyfriend Hollister who she really never knew until they lived together. When he gets angry he becomes physically abusive with her. He is very possessive of her. It's not until he is out of town that she gets away. She ends up going to a friend of her's brothers hockey game. When at the game she literally runs into Talon who happens to be her friends brother. They have an instant attraction which spells bad news for Bailey. She becomes confused about her feelings for Talon. She has a boyfriend and even though she is unhappy, she can't see herself leaving Hollister. Things become worse between them and she ends up going to the Hampton's with Talon and his family. While there she learns how it is to be with someone who truly cares for her. She has a big decision to make. Will she have the strength to walk away from Hollister and be with someone who wants to give her the world? Or stay with Hollister and walk away from the one man that makes her feel alive?
I thought Bailey's character was pretty sweet, honorable, caring, and yes strong. Just because you are fearless doesn't mean you can just walk away. Bailey's past is something that led her to New York, led her to the person she has become. It's not until she feels something for Talon does she realize that she is in charge of her life. She is a smart and accomplished women and nothing should stand in the way of her happiness. Talon has finally found something irresistible in Bailey he never thought he would have the feelings for a women that he has for Bailey. No one compares to her. He want to love and protect her. He is the kind of man that Bailey should be with. A woman he can cherish and adore.
This was a kind and beautiful love story. One that you should surely add to your tbr list. I can't wait for you to meet Bailey and Talon. They are definitely more than what you see is what you get.
Bailey has been living in New York for the past ten years after her mother was tragically killed in an accident. She is living with her boyfriend Hollister who she really never knew until they lived together. When he gets angry he becomes physically abusive with her. He is very possessive of her. It's not until he is out of town that she gets away. She ends up going to a friend of her's brothers hockey game. When at the game she literally runs into Talon who happens to be her friends brother. They have an instant attraction which spells bad news for Bailey. She becomes confused about her feelings for Talon. She has a boyfriend and even though she is unhappy, she can't see herself leaving Hollister. Things become worse between them and she ends up going to the Hampton's with Talon and his family. While there she learns how it is to be with someone who truly cares for her. She has a big decision to make. Will she have the strength to walk away from Hollister and be with someone who wants to give her the world? Or stay with Hollister and walk away from the one man that makes her feel alive?
I thought Bailey's character was pretty sweet, honorable, caring, and yes strong. Just because you are fearless doesn't mean you can just walk away. Bailey's past is something that led her to New York, led her to the person she has become. It's not until she feels something for Talon does she realize that she is in charge of her life. She is a smart and accomplished women and nothing should stand in the way of her happiness. Talon has finally found something irresistible in Bailey he never thought he would have the feelings for a women that he has for Bailey. No one compares to her. He want to love and protect her. He is the kind of man that Bailey should be with. A woman he can cherish and adore.
This was a kind and beautiful love story. One that you should surely add to your tbr list. I can't wait for you to meet Bailey and Talon. They are definitely more than what you see is what you get.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2013
Reviewed by Beth for Best Sellers and Best Stellars
Synopsis
Bailey Hayes moved across the country ten years ago after a tragic accident left her motherless. Distraught, confused and just sad, Bailey opted to leave the only life she has ever known to attend college at NYU. Determined to not experience the loss of a loved one again, Bailey keeps her one friend that she made as a freshmen in college. And that’s it. She dated during her college years but she never let anything really stick. Not trusting herself enough to give her heart and not get hurt she was satisfied with the life she led. That is until she met the handsome, confident and successful Hollister Harrison.
Bailey was swept off her feet instantly with his charm and charisma. Six short months of dating, she finds herself moving in with him. The minute she had her bags unpacked, the fun loving romantic she fell hard for was starting to dwindle away as he became unnecessarily possessive and borderline abusive. Bailey insists on making her relationship work in fear of repeating her past and making a haste decision by leaving too soon. On a weekend when Hollister is out of town, she meets a guy. The beautiful charming guy is none other than her running partner’s brother. Bailey finds herself in an oddly nice predicament.
The beautiful charming guy is none other than her running partner’s brother. Talon McAllister has chosen to dedicate himself to his family’s business his entire adult life. He adores his parents and his sister and hockey. Not leaving much time for anything else he has been single for years. Meeting Bailey Hayes changed his outlook. He wants her. He will do whatever he has to do to get her on the same page.
Finding out she lives with her boyfriend deters him from his mission of getting her to be his. But when she calls and asks to tag along on his vacation with his sister, he can’t help but get excited. When he picks her up and sees her bruised and battered face he figures “game over” he is going to show her how she deserves to be treated. By the end of their first day together alone, Bailey propositions Talon with a brief relationship without boundaries and no lines to cross. He’s in… all in.
Will this brief encounter without boundaries relinquish her twisted sense of loyalty to Hollister or will she walk away from her greatest love for fear of repeating her past?(less)
Review
Without Boundaries is C. J Azevedo’s not only her debut novel but it is also the first book in the Without series. This book was really a great read; the characters had depth, as did the story line. C.J did a great job of incorporating the very real and heavy topic of domestic violence into this story very realistically.
There was so much that I liked about this book I couldn’t put it down, I just wanted Bailey and Talon to have their happily ever after and for Talon to have a chance to punch Hollister! The connection that Bailey and Talon had was immediate and intense and it couldn’t help but draw you in and keep your attention. One of the things that I always wonder while reading a book is what the other character is thinking during major events or interactions. C. J wrote this book using dual perspective, switching POVs between Bailey’s and Talon’s, taking that wonder out and really allowing me to get a deeper understanding of the characters thoughts, feelings and reasons for doing certain things. This is one of my favorite elements in books.
I loved both Bailey and Talon. Bailey was a very independent, loyal and intelligent. While I didn’t always agree with the decisions Bailey made she always thought about what she was going to do before doing. Talon had a wonderful ability to show Bailey what a relationship is suppose to be like but at the same time gives her the space she needs in order to make the decisions she feels are right. I also loved his protectiveness over Bailey, always ready and willing to be there when she needed him, lets face it Talon is a modern day knight in shinning armor!
The story itself was well written, flowed nicely and didn’t leave gaps in the story, with that being said it did leave me wanting to know what happened after the epilogue. I am hoping C.J’s subsequent books continue Bailey and Talon’s story. There were some grammatical and spelling issues but I didn’t feel they took away from the story in any way.
Over all this book was a great read, very sweet and romantic. You couldn’t help but connect with the character, fall in love with them and become part of their lives. I can’t wait for her next book. I give this story a 4.5 diamond rating.
Synopsis
Bailey Hayes moved across the country ten years ago after a tragic accident left her motherless. Distraught, confused and just sad, Bailey opted to leave the only life she has ever known to attend college at NYU. Determined to not experience the loss of a loved one again, Bailey keeps her one friend that she made as a freshmen in college. And that’s it. She dated during her college years but she never let anything really stick. Not trusting herself enough to give her heart and not get hurt she was satisfied with the life she led. That is until she met the handsome, confident and successful Hollister Harrison.
Bailey was swept off her feet instantly with his charm and charisma. Six short months of dating, she finds herself moving in with him. The minute she had her bags unpacked, the fun loving romantic she fell hard for was starting to dwindle away as he became unnecessarily possessive and borderline abusive. Bailey insists on making her relationship work in fear of repeating her past and making a haste decision by leaving too soon. On a weekend when Hollister is out of town, she meets a guy. The beautiful charming guy is none other than her running partner’s brother. Bailey finds herself in an oddly nice predicament.
The beautiful charming guy is none other than her running partner’s brother. Talon McAllister has chosen to dedicate himself to his family’s business his entire adult life. He adores his parents and his sister and hockey. Not leaving much time for anything else he has been single for years. Meeting Bailey Hayes changed his outlook. He wants her. He will do whatever he has to do to get her on the same page.
Finding out she lives with her boyfriend deters him from his mission of getting her to be his. But when she calls and asks to tag along on his vacation with his sister, he can’t help but get excited. When he picks her up and sees her bruised and battered face he figures “game over” he is going to show her how she deserves to be treated. By the end of their first day together alone, Bailey propositions Talon with a brief relationship without boundaries and no lines to cross. He’s in… all in.
Will this brief encounter without boundaries relinquish her twisted sense of loyalty to Hollister or will she walk away from her greatest love for fear of repeating her past?(less)
Review
Without Boundaries is C. J Azevedo’s not only her debut novel but it is also the first book in the Without series. This book was really a great read; the characters had depth, as did the story line. C.J did a great job of incorporating the very real and heavy topic of domestic violence into this story very realistically.
There was so much that I liked about this book I couldn’t put it down, I just wanted Bailey and Talon to have their happily ever after and for Talon to have a chance to punch Hollister! The connection that Bailey and Talon had was immediate and intense and it couldn’t help but draw you in and keep your attention. One of the things that I always wonder while reading a book is what the other character is thinking during major events or interactions. C. J wrote this book using dual perspective, switching POVs between Bailey’s and Talon’s, taking that wonder out and really allowing me to get a deeper understanding of the characters thoughts, feelings and reasons for doing certain things. This is one of my favorite elements in books.
I loved both Bailey and Talon. Bailey was a very independent, loyal and intelligent. While I didn’t always agree with the decisions Bailey made she always thought about what she was going to do before doing. Talon had a wonderful ability to show Bailey what a relationship is suppose to be like but at the same time gives her the space she needs in order to make the decisions she feels are right. I also loved his protectiveness over Bailey, always ready and willing to be there when she needed him, lets face it Talon is a modern day knight in shinning armor!
The story itself was well written, flowed nicely and didn’t leave gaps in the story, with that being said it did leave me wanting to know what happened after the epilogue. I am hoping C.J’s subsequent books continue Bailey and Talon’s story. There were some grammatical and spelling issues but I didn’t feel they took away from the story in any way.
Over all this book was a great read, very sweet and romantic. You couldn’t help but connect with the character, fall in love with them and become part of their lives. I can’t wait for her next book. I give this story a 4.5 diamond rating.
May 20, 2013
We meet Bailey as she’s getting ready for a much needed night out. Kali, a friend from the gym, and Bailey are going to a hockey game, then to the pub afterwards. She’s nervous and has no idea why. She used to go out all the time with her boyfriend, Hollister, but since they moved in together it’s stopped. Things started to change with Hollister after moving in with him and now that he’s out of town, she’s more relaxed than she’s been in a long time. I haven’t even met Hollister at this point and something is telling me I am not going to like him!
A chance encounter with Talon, our tall, dark and handsome hero, outside the bathroom will change everything for Bailey. She had already been having doubts about Hollister but a night of hanging out with Talon and his friends showed her there is better out there. And when Hollister comes home before planned, he lets it be known how much Bailey has upset him, with his hands. Bailey decides to leave town for a few days with Talon and Kali and tries to figure out what she needs to do. Bailey, I can tell you what you need to do!!
Talon shows Bailey in every way possible that he will be there for and with her. But with this awful situation with Hollister, she doesn’t want to put him in that position. What she doesn’t seem to get is that he wants to be in that position. He wants to protect her from Hollister and provide a better future with her. When Bailey finally smartens up and moves out, she keeps to herself for quite a while. She doesn’t even let her family know what’s going on.
It takes running into Talon again for the ball to get rolling. ABOUT DAMN TIME!!! When tragedy strikes and Bailey needs to fly home to be with family, Talon proves he’s the man, again. I enjoyed this story very much and there were a few times I would get frustrated. It was mainly the situation with Hollister and Bailey’s inability to leave him. I totally get that she had to have time to herself and heal. She also had to figure out what she wanted to do with her life and what that meant for her future. That said, I wish that Talon had ridden in on his horse and swept her away sooner. The things he did for Bailey had me reaching for the tissues and I thoroughly enjoyed the surprises he prepared for her. It was very touching and once again made me happy she had found her way.
A chance encounter with Talon, our tall, dark and handsome hero, outside the bathroom will change everything for Bailey. She had already been having doubts about Hollister but a night of hanging out with Talon and his friends showed her there is better out there. And when Hollister comes home before planned, he lets it be known how much Bailey has upset him, with his hands. Bailey decides to leave town for a few days with Talon and Kali and tries to figure out what she needs to do. Bailey, I can tell you what you need to do!!
Talon shows Bailey in every way possible that he will be there for and with her. But with this awful situation with Hollister, she doesn’t want to put him in that position. What she doesn’t seem to get is that he wants to be in that position. He wants to protect her from Hollister and provide a better future with her. When Bailey finally smartens up and moves out, she keeps to herself for quite a while. She doesn’t even let her family know what’s going on.
It takes running into Talon again for the ball to get rolling. ABOUT DAMN TIME!!! When tragedy strikes and Bailey needs to fly home to be with family, Talon proves he’s the man, again. I enjoyed this story very much and there were a few times I would get frustrated. It was mainly the situation with Hollister and Bailey’s inability to leave him. I totally get that she had to have time to herself and heal. She also had to figure out what she wanted to do with her life and what that meant for her future. That said, I wish that Talon had ridden in on his horse and swept her away sooner. The things he did for Bailey had me reaching for the tissues and I thoroughly enjoyed the surprises he prepared for her. It was very touching and once again made me happy she had found her way.
May 13, 2013
I love any books about sports; baseball and hockey being my favorites, but really anything about athletes and throw in a little romance - it's a no brainer. Without Boundaries, hockey - I'm there. An ARC was provided in exchange for an unbiased review.
I liked the breezy opening tone and the cute meet of Bailey and Talon. Talon( I love that name ever since MTV's Laguna Beach). I like that Azevedo took a risk on dealing with a sensitive subject of domestic abuse.
I loved the dual POV. I really love getting to know both characters in a story and what better way than getting into their heads. I especially like when 1 character is questioning the other's feelings for them (does he like me, does she like me?) and they really both feel the same way. Sigh. it's so sweet.
The physical abuse was tough. I didn't like that Bailey
I liked the breezy opening tone and the cute meet of Bailey and Talon. Talon( I love that name ever since MTV's Laguna Beach). I like that Azevedo took a risk on dealing with a sensitive subject of domestic abuse.
I loved the dual POV. I really love getting to know both characters in a story and what better way than getting into their heads. I especially like when 1 character is questioning the other's feelings for them (does he like me, does she like me?) and they really both feel the same way. Sigh. it's so sweet.
The physical abuse was tough. I didn't like that Bailey
August 30, 2013
Without Boundaries is an incredible debut story from C.J. Azevedo. I have to say that when I first looked at the book cover I was intrigued and then I read the blurb and I was determined to get a copy of the book. I normally don't do the stocking thing when it comes to authors and finding out how to get an ARC copy but this book pulled me in and I knew I needed it like I needed air to breathe. I am so glad I received an ARC copy and started reading it straight away because this is one story that will take you on an emotional journey of pain, loss, love and finding one's self.
Bailey has a great life and wouldn't ask for more until one day tragedy strikes her and her family and her mother dies. Without her mother Bailey feels lost and confused so she does the only thing she thinks will help and that is to go away to college and get away from the grief and pain that haunts her everyday. She moves to NYU and starts her college years where she has only one friend and keeps to herself. Yes she has dated but nothing serious because she keeps her heart locked up under lock and key because she never ever wants to experience the pain of loss from a loved one again.
Then Bailey meets the handsome charismatic Hollister Harrison and her life is about to change and take on a direction she thought she would never have. Hol is fun loving and treats Bay with respect and love and he soon wears down the walls she has crafted around her heart. It only takes six months for Bay to fall hard and decide to move in with him. But after she moves in with him the honey moon is over because Hol shows his true side and that is that he is controlling and possessive and at times abusive. Bay can't believe she is going through these things with Hol but she puts up with it because she opened up her heart and she thinks she can change things between her and Hol. She thinks deep down inside there is the guy she fell in love with but Hol is an asshole through and through and he is not going to change for anyone no matter what so he continues to treat her like crap.
Then one day while out running she literally runs into a guy. She is mortified that that has happened but she and the guy start to talk and she finds out it is her running partners brother. He is good looking and funny so she starts a friendship with him. Talon McAllister is taken by this beautiful girl who never ceases to amaze him with her loving and carefree attitude. Bay awakens something in Talon and he decides he is ready to start dating. Talon has spent his life caring for his family and running the family business so when he finds himself thinking about Bay he knows she is special. But then Talon finds out she has a boyfriend with whom she lives with and he decides to step back because he has never been the type of man to infringe on anyone's territory so he decides to remain friends and keep his feelings to himself.
Then Talon and his sister are going on vacation and when Bay calls and asks to go Talon is excited because he wants to spend time with her. But things change when Talon goes to pick Bay up and she comes out battered and bruised because Hol decides she was going to be his punching bag. Right there Talon decides he is going to protect her at all costs. And this is where the story truly develops and changes for everyone. I won't go into detail because this story is truly amazing and the beginning is just a prelude to what is going to happen and how much Bay has to endure before she sees that there is a rainbow at the end of the rain storm. This is a must read and I can't wait to read book two to see what happened to everyone!
Bailey has a great life and wouldn't ask for more until one day tragedy strikes her and her family and her mother dies. Without her mother Bailey feels lost and confused so she does the only thing she thinks will help and that is to go away to college and get away from the grief and pain that haunts her everyday. She moves to NYU and starts her college years where she has only one friend and keeps to herself. Yes she has dated but nothing serious because she keeps her heart locked up under lock and key because she never ever wants to experience the pain of loss from a loved one again.
Then Bailey meets the handsome charismatic Hollister Harrison and her life is about to change and take on a direction she thought she would never have. Hol is fun loving and treats Bay with respect and love and he soon wears down the walls she has crafted around her heart. It only takes six months for Bay to fall hard and decide to move in with him. But after she moves in with him the honey moon is over because Hol shows his true side and that is that he is controlling and possessive and at times abusive. Bay can't believe she is going through these things with Hol but she puts up with it because she opened up her heart and she thinks she can change things between her and Hol. She thinks deep down inside there is the guy she fell in love with but Hol is an asshole through and through and he is not going to change for anyone no matter what so he continues to treat her like crap.
Then one day while out running she literally runs into a guy. She is mortified that that has happened but she and the guy start to talk and she finds out it is her running partners brother. He is good looking and funny so she starts a friendship with him. Talon McAllister is taken by this beautiful girl who never ceases to amaze him with her loving and carefree attitude. Bay awakens something in Talon and he decides he is ready to start dating. Talon has spent his life caring for his family and running the family business so when he finds himself thinking about Bay he knows she is special. But then Talon finds out she has a boyfriend with whom she lives with and he decides to step back because he has never been the type of man to infringe on anyone's territory so he decides to remain friends and keep his feelings to himself.
Then Talon and his sister are going on vacation and when Bay calls and asks to go Talon is excited because he wants to spend time with her. But things change when Talon goes to pick Bay up and she comes out battered and bruised because Hol decides she was going to be his punching bag. Right there Talon decides he is going to protect her at all costs. And this is where the story truly develops and changes for everyone. I won't go into detail because this story is truly amazing and the beginning is just a prelude to what is going to happen and how much Bay has to endure before she sees that there is a rainbow at the end of the rain storm. This is a must read and I can't wait to read book two to see what happened to everyone!
August 28, 2013
Cover-to-cover this book was a fantastic read! Overall I found the book to be uplifting and downright enjoyable. I was impressed!
I commend C.J. Azevedo for approaching the issue of abuse in this novel. Dealing with a serious topic like abuse, I expected the book to be dark and unsettling.
Instead, I found the book to be incredibly uplifting. She handled the topic with such finesse.
Writing the story from dual points of view was a great way to give insight on the main characters, break up some of the more intense scenes, and create a balance between heavy and carefree moments.
I was able to digest the gravity of Bailey’s situation without being absolutely overwhelmed by the severity of it.
“That day, something inside me broke and I’m pretty sure it was my soul. Apparently your soul can heal after some time passes because I know for a fact that it’s shattering this very moment.”
Bailey is a character that I think every woman can relate to whether or not she’s been in an abusive situation. If you remove the abuse, you’re left with a story about a girl who has to make a choice.
Does she stay loyal to Hollister whom she’s invested time with even though the relationship is longer emotionally gratifying? Will this relationship turn around with more time and effort?
“I just know that what I’m going through is because this is the path I chose many months ago when I moved in with him.”
Or does Bailey take a chance on a stranger who gives her the spark she’s been missing with Hollister? Is there a future with Talon or is there connection nothing more than a fleeting moment?
“It felt like she was ripping my heart out of my chest.”
Deciding whether to stay in or leave a relationship whose expiration date is looming is something all women can relate to. The choice isn’t always black and white, and sometimes the choice you make isn’t always the right one.
I was rooting for Talon the entire book. He’s just an all-around catch. I may not have agreed with all of Bailey’s decisions, but that didn’t take away from how much I love this story. Not to mention the epilogue was absolute perfection.
I highly recommend adding Without Boundaries to your TBR list and reading it as soon as possible! This book is a MUST READ!
I commend C.J. Azevedo for approaching the issue of abuse in this novel. Dealing with a serious topic like abuse, I expected the book to be dark and unsettling.
Instead, I found the book to be incredibly uplifting. She handled the topic with such finesse.
Writing the story from dual points of view was a great way to give insight on the main characters, break up some of the more intense scenes, and create a balance between heavy and carefree moments.
I was able to digest the gravity of Bailey’s situation without being absolutely overwhelmed by the severity of it.
“That day, something inside me broke and I’m pretty sure it was my soul. Apparently your soul can heal after some time passes because I know for a fact that it’s shattering this very moment.”
Bailey is a character that I think every woman can relate to whether or not she’s been in an abusive situation. If you remove the abuse, you’re left with a story about a girl who has to make a choice.
Does she stay loyal to Hollister whom she’s invested time with even though the relationship is longer emotionally gratifying? Will this relationship turn around with more time and effort?
“I just know that what I’m going through is because this is the path I chose many months ago when I moved in with him.”
Or does Bailey take a chance on a stranger who gives her the spark she’s been missing with Hollister? Is there a future with Talon or is there connection nothing more than a fleeting moment?
“It felt like she was ripping my heart out of my chest.”
Deciding whether to stay in or leave a relationship whose expiration date is looming is something all women can relate to. The choice isn’t always black and white, and sometimes the choice you make isn’t always the right one.
I was rooting for Talon the entire book. He’s just an all-around catch. I may not have agreed with all of Bailey’s decisions, but that didn’t take away from how much I love this story. Not to mention the epilogue was absolute perfection.
I highly recommend adding Without Boundaries to your TBR list and reading it as soon as possible! This book is a MUST READ!
January 11, 2014
Great book! One thing before I go to book 2 .. I love Talon really I do. I look forward to Blaine, Declan and Kali getting a story. WOWYou know when you start something and by page 3 you know you wont sleep? That was this book. Bailey was living with Hollister (wicked name) and he was physically abusive. I was in love with this character from the get go. The writing was really good for him. You just felt such fear when she would come home not knowing which side of him she would see tat night. What I liked about the author's style was the fact that you were kept on edge for small amounts of time. Just when I was thinking maybe Hollister is going to come clean, get help, go to a rehab for a psych consult, he turned bad.
Bailey Hayes was an interesting girl. She had me thinking that she came to NYU and moved in with Hollister, and regrets it. So I think her line was more that she made her bed so she must lay in it. All the elements of angst were loaded into the one character. I really wanted to see where he swept her off her feet. I think a little bit more would have solidified her feeling that she should hang in there.
When the character of Talon starts to become serious about Bailey there are parts of the book that will make you sob. He is letting her choose. Secretly praying that she will choose him. What a page turning book!
So when Hollister is out of town and she meets Talon, well that is the turning point. The authors descriptions of New York City and the Hamptons were spot on. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. When it was over I was thinking about book 2 and then of course 3, 4 and five. I liked Talon, his sister, Declan and everyone from the pub. There is so many ways the next book can go. For me I want to see Kali, who is Talon's sister and his cousin Declan. Another even more interesting characters are Hunter, Drea (who is a friend and co-worker of Bailey's) and Kali. All of them are so promising. When they are out at the pub you can get the feeling that Declan and Greyden really are best buds who wanna hang out and drink a beer.
Bailey Hayes was an interesting girl. She had me thinking that she came to NYU and moved in with Hollister, and regrets it. So I think her line was more that she made her bed so she must lay in it. All the elements of angst were loaded into the one character. I really wanted to see where he swept her off her feet. I think a little bit more would have solidified her feeling that she should hang in there.
When the character of Talon starts to become serious about Bailey there are parts of the book that will make you sob. He is letting her choose. Secretly praying that she will choose him. What a page turning book!
So when Hollister is out of town and she meets Talon, well that is the turning point. The authors descriptions of New York City and the Hamptons were spot on. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. When it was over I was thinking about book 2 and then of course 3, 4 and five. I liked Talon, his sister, Declan and everyone from the pub. There is so many ways the next book can go. For me I want to see Kali, who is Talon's sister and his cousin Declan. Another even more interesting characters are Hunter, Drea (who is a friend and co-worker of Bailey's) and Kali. All of them are so promising. When they are out at the pub you can get the feeling that Declan and Greyden really are best buds who wanna hang out and drink a beer.
January 2, 2014
Bailey is sucked into a whirlwind romance which quickly turns to crap once she moves in with her boyfriend Hollister. His true colors begin to bleed through and due to some insane need to honor her commitment to him, she struggles though, unhappy as ever. Especially when she meets her friends brother, Talon. Bailey knows immediately Talon is her forever, but with her in a relationship, they can never be.
This book was ok for me. I was engrossed but could not support Baileys decision to stay in an unhappy and potentially abusive relationship especially when a guy like Talon is standing on the sidelines. Talon may have a promiscuous past, but once he gets to know Bailey he knows she’s it. His one and only, and he is waiting and hoping she will come to his senses and return to him.
Most of the story is full of tension and Bailey trying to figure out a way to please everyone. She was a bit tiring at times and I wanted to smack her to wake up and smell the roses. She’s not the most likable of characters and even towards the end, I didn’t really warm up to her.
What I did love was the brief interludes with Declan whose story is next. Well and Talon, mmm this man is yummy. I enjoyed the book enough but I wasn’t blown away. (I can already say that the second book is soooo much better.)
There are so many male characters in the stories that it is impossible to guess whose story will be next, after Declan’s but I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us. This was a sweet and fast paced story that I would recommend to book-a-holics looking for a easy read.
This book was ok for me. I was engrossed but could not support Baileys decision to stay in an unhappy and potentially abusive relationship especially when a guy like Talon is standing on the sidelines. Talon may have a promiscuous past, but once he gets to know Bailey he knows she’s it. His one and only, and he is waiting and hoping she will come to his senses and return to him.
Most of the story is full of tension and Bailey trying to figure out a way to please everyone. She was a bit tiring at times and I wanted to smack her to wake up and smell the roses. She’s not the most likable of characters and even towards the end, I didn’t really warm up to her.
What I did love was the brief interludes with Declan whose story is next. Well and Talon, mmm this man is yummy. I enjoyed the book enough but I wasn’t blown away. (I can already say that the second book is soooo much better.)
There are so many male characters in the stories that it is impossible to guess whose story will be next, after Declan’s but I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us. This was a sweet and fast paced story that I would recommend to book-a-holics looking for a easy read.
August 9, 2013
This story grabbed me from the beginning. I continued to turn the page, late into the night. CJ kept me interested with her well developed characters. I want to know these people. I want them in my life. Each character had layers to them that slowly pulled back to reveal the strong person they were underneath.
The story line was strong, keeping me guessing at what was about to unfold. I loved living in CJ's world for the few hours it took to read this incredible book. I cannot wait for more. Well done job by a debut author. Congratulations CJ for an amazing love story.
PS the ending will have everyone of you wishing you had a Talon. He is definitely swoon worthy!!
The story line was strong, keeping me guessing at what was about to unfold. I loved living in CJ's world for the few hours it took to read this incredible book. I cannot wait for more. Well done job by a debut author. Congratulations CJ for an amazing love story.
PS the ending will have everyone of you wishing you had a Talon. He is definitely swoon worthy!!
May 9, 2014
Without Boundaries is a sweet love story.
Bailey - a country and farm girl at heart, works and lives in NYC. She is in a committed relationship with her boyfriend of six months, but the relationship has become strained due to Hollister's very jealous nature.
While her boyfriend was away to see his family, Bailey literally bumps into a gorgeous man at a hockey game. There is instant chemistry between her and the hockey player and she finds out that Talon is the brother of her friend, Kali. They all spend time together at a pub after the game where their mutual attraction grows.
“He makes me laugh, a lot. He makes my heart skip and my stomach flip. He invades my thoughts, even when I’m sleeping. His touch sets my skin on fire and he makes me forget all of the negative.”
Hollister returns from his trip unexpectedly. His foul temper gets the better of him and he assaults Bailey physically and leaves her with bruises.
In spite of her damaged face and body, Bailey decides to accept Kali and Talon’s invitation to their house in the Hamptons for a holiday away. Her and Talon enjoy one another’s company and he takes care of her in a very sweet way. Baily even thinks of him as her soul mate.
At first it was difficult to understand why Bailey would not immediately leave her abusive boyfriend for Talon, a man who seems so perfect in every way. A man she admits that she is falling in love with after only knowing him for a very short time. After all, Talon is sweet and protective and makes her laugh.
Halfway into the book it becomes apparent that Bailey has very strong values. She has committed to the relationship with Hollister, and even though they aren't married, she values her commitment as if they were. This makes it extremely difficult for her to walk away from him, especially when he apologizes profusely and promises that it won’t happen again. She sees glimpses of the man she originally fell in love with and that causes her to be confused about leaving him.
The author touches on the issue of domestic violence within a relationship and Bailey asks the question: “…abuse, even if it's only one time… Is it okay to ignore? Is that something I agreed to when I committed myself to him? I don’t believe it is. Abuse is not ok, in any form or any amount of occurrence.”
This is not a five star book due to some grammatical errors and needs good editing. Also, the dialogue is sometimes immature for a twenty-five-year-old accomplished business woman. With a bit of polishing, the author could greatly improve the story.
Talon is every woman’s dream man. Besides being extremely good looking and an athlete, he is kind, caring and protective. Both hot and very sweet. The author did an excellent job of portraying his swoon-worthy nature.
A great read for 99c and a sweet love story with a HEA.
- Review by Jeanette
Bailey - a country and farm girl at heart, works and lives in NYC. She is in a committed relationship with her boyfriend of six months, but the relationship has become strained due to Hollister's very jealous nature.
While her boyfriend was away to see his family, Bailey literally bumps into a gorgeous man at a hockey game. There is instant chemistry between her and the hockey player and she finds out that Talon is the brother of her friend, Kali. They all spend time together at a pub after the game where their mutual attraction grows.
“He makes me laugh, a lot. He makes my heart skip and my stomach flip. He invades my thoughts, even when I’m sleeping. His touch sets my skin on fire and he makes me forget all of the negative.”
Hollister returns from his trip unexpectedly. His foul temper gets the better of him and he assaults Bailey physically and leaves her with bruises.
In spite of her damaged face and body, Bailey decides to accept Kali and Talon’s invitation to their house in the Hamptons for a holiday away. Her and Talon enjoy one another’s company and he takes care of her in a very sweet way. Baily even thinks of him as her soul mate.
At first it was difficult to understand why Bailey would not immediately leave her abusive boyfriend for Talon, a man who seems so perfect in every way. A man she admits that she is falling in love with after only knowing him for a very short time. After all, Talon is sweet and protective and makes her laugh.
Halfway into the book it becomes apparent that Bailey has very strong values. She has committed to the relationship with Hollister, and even though they aren't married, she values her commitment as if they were. This makes it extremely difficult for her to walk away from him, especially when he apologizes profusely and promises that it won’t happen again. She sees glimpses of the man she originally fell in love with and that causes her to be confused about leaving him.
The author touches on the issue of domestic violence within a relationship and Bailey asks the question: “…abuse, even if it's only one time… Is it okay to ignore? Is that something I agreed to when I committed myself to him? I don’t believe it is. Abuse is not ok, in any form or any amount of occurrence.”
This is not a five star book due to some grammatical errors and needs good editing. Also, the dialogue is sometimes immature for a twenty-five-year-old accomplished business woman. With a bit of polishing, the author could greatly improve the story.
Talon is every woman’s dream man. Besides being extremely good looking and an athlete, he is kind, caring and protective. Both hot and very sweet. The author did an excellent job of portraying his swoon-worthy nature.
A great read for 99c and a sweet love story with a HEA.
- Review by Jeanette
August 26, 2013
Rating 3.5 out of 5 (To some this book may be a 5, but I need some more heat and depth)
Without Boundaries is a sweet story. I was provided a copy in exchange for my honest review of this debut novel. And I enjoyed it. It was not the normal ‘smut’ that I read, but the characters were likable and the writing was lovely. Bailey and Talon have a connection right from the second they meet. Talon changes his ways from workaholic with no serious relationships to a man on a mission. His mission being to protect Bailey and show her how he thinks she deserves to be treated. Bailey, the poor thing, is so blinded by trying not to get hurt after losing her mother that she winds up in an abusive relationship. She feels the pull from Talon and even decides that they could be soul mates, but she won’t leave Hollister without giving him a chance to get help. And that’s when I wanted to throw my Kindle.
Because of how she was raised and the fact that she is supposed to be a successful publicist, I kept hoping Bailey would reach out for help. She should have known better than to stay. Those who knew of the abuse, should have been more supportive and forceful in getting Bailey out of the relationship. I really enjoyed the friendships that Bailey had with her friends from back home and the ties she felt for her hometown. She was raised on a farm and enjoyed a good life until losing her mother and running to New York City. I wanted her to show her “roots” and reach out to someone, but unfortunately abuse victims can rationalize a lot of poor decisions. Bailey was so twisted in her thoughts that she even makes a joke about being polyamorous so she can stay with Hollister and be loved by Talon. Crazy, I tell ya! But I respected her character for finally getting out of a bad situation and taking the time to heal before moving on. Talon was a gem. He was almost too sweet, but love will do that to a man. He was not the dominate alpha that I love to swoon over, but he was a good man and he was sincere in his actions and words with Bailey. I appreciated that there wasn’t any angst over him and “other women”. The Epilogue was very romantic. Bailey deserved all of it and more!
Overall, the book was a good book. Good writing, good characters, good storyline. But it just didn’t ring my bell, so to speak. I need more depth and definitely more heat for a book to be on my top reads list. CJ Azevedo has a future in the Indie book world and many will love her book. I enjoyed it. I really did, it just wasn’t my normal cup of tea.
Read more reviews @ www.rawbooksonline.com
Without Boundaries is a sweet story. I was provided a copy in exchange for my honest review of this debut novel. And I enjoyed it. It was not the normal ‘smut’ that I read, but the characters were likable and the writing was lovely. Bailey and Talon have a connection right from the second they meet. Talon changes his ways from workaholic with no serious relationships to a man on a mission. His mission being to protect Bailey and show her how he thinks she deserves to be treated. Bailey, the poor thing, is so blinded by trying not to get hurt after losing her mother that she winds up in an abusive relationship. She feels the pull from Talon and even decides that they could be soul mates, but she won’t leave Hollister without giving him a chance to get help. And that’s when I wanted to throw my Kindle.
Because of how she was raised and the fact that she is supposed to be a successful publicist, I kept hoping Bailey would reach out for help. She should have known better than to stay. Those who knew of the abuse, should have been more supportive and forceful in getting Bailey out of the relationship. I really enjoyed the friendships that Bailey had with her friends from back home and the ties she felt for her hometown. She was raised on a farm and enjoyed a good life until losing her mother and running to New York City. I wanted her to show her “roots” and reach out to someone, but unfortunately abuse victims can rationalize a lot of poor decisions. Bailey was so twisted in her thoughts that she even makes a joke about being polyamorous so she can stay with Hollister and be loved by Talon. Crazy, I tell ya! But I respected her character for finally getting out of a bad situation and taking the time to heal before moving on. Talon was a gem. He was almost too sweet, but love will do that to a man. He was not the dominate alpha that I love to swoon over, but he was a good man and he was sincere in his actions and words with Bailey. I appreciated that there wasn’t any angst over him and “other women”. The Epilogue was very romantic. Bailey deserved all of it and more!
Overall, the book was a good book. Good writing, good characters, good storyline. But it just didn’t ring my bell, so to speak. I need more depth and definitely more heat for a book to be on my top reads list. CJ Azevedo has a future in the Indie book world and many will love her book. I enjoyed it. I really did, it just wasn’t my normal cup of tea.
Read more reviews @ www.rawbooksonline.com
August 12, 2014
Let me first start by saying this book felt very much like it belongs in the Young Adult genre, though the main hero of the book, Talon, is stated as being Thirty One years of age, I did however get the sense he was much younger. As for Bailey, it isn't mentioned exactly how old she is but I assume that she's in her mid twenties.
The book is basically about Bailey being in a relationship with Hollister, where domestic abuse is apparent. She meets Talon one night and there is an instant attraction between the couple and Bailey must decide whether to remain in an abusive relationship in the hope that Hollister will change or take the leap and be with her soul mate Talon.
I'm sad to say I had major issues with the domestic violence subject. Having no real experience on this subject, I can really only go off how I felt when reading and although Hollister appeared to display clear anger issues, it was Baileys reasons for staying with him that I couldn't connect with. It is my belief that the main reasons someone would stay with an abusive partner would be because they still felt they loved that person or they felt too scared to leave. Neither of these reasons or any reason for that matter was clear to me, therefore I spent a large portion of the book becoming extremely frustrated with Bailey and found her character to be self centred and on occasion a martyr.
Talon didn't fair much better for me, because he clearly knew about the abuse, yet I didn't get the sense he put up enough of a fight to get Bailey away from Hollister. I didn't get the feeling Talon was of the alpha male variety and seemed to be let down by Bailey on more than one occasion.
Besides a couple of minor editing errors, this book was pretty well written, but sadly my lack of connecting with the main characters affected my overall enjoyment of the book. I'm hoping Book 2 fairs much better because I notice it features Declan, who we briefly get to meet in this book and for me he was the character I was drawn to the most.
The book is basically about Bailey being in a relationship with Hollister, where domestic abuse is apparent. She meets Talon one night and there is an instant attraction between the couple and Bailey must decide whether to remain in an abusive relationship in the hope that Hollister will change or take the leap and be with her soul mate Talon.
I'm sad to say I had major issues with the domestic violence subject. Having no real experience on this subject, I can really only go off how I felt when reading and although Hollister appeared to display clear anger issues, it was Baileys reasons for staying with him that I couldn't connect with. It is my belief that the main reasons someone would stay with an abusive partner would be because they still felt they loved that person or they felt too scared to leave. Neither of these reasons or any reason for that matter was clear to me, therefore I spent a large portion of the book becoming extremely frustrated with Bailey and found her character to be self centred and on occasion a martyr.
Talon didn't fair much better for me, because he clearly knew about the abuse, yet I didn't get the sense he put up enough of a fight to get Bailey away from Hollister. I didn't get the feeling Talon was of the alpha male variety and seemed to be let down by Bailey on more than one occasion.
Besides a couple of minor editing errors, this book was pretty well written, but sadly my lack of connecting with the main characters affected my overall enjoyment of the book. I'm hoping Book 2 fairs much better because I notice it features Declan, who we briefly get to meet in this book and for me he was the character I was drawn to the most.
September 2, 2013
When I first started reading this book I got so excited because I thought that the book was going to have a lot of hockey references in it. Well it didn't, but am I sad absolutely not Talon McAllister made up for any lacking of hockey references. He is charming and gentle yet still rugged enough to still keep his man card.
I have to admit that throughout the whole book I wanted to pull Bailey in for a hug. I cannot imagine being treated the way that she was treated. Which brings me to her Douchebag boyfriend Hollister. Don't be fooled he is not a hot model, he is a controlling and manipulative douche. However, Bailey had some great friends but she was so embarrassed with her situation that she didn't seek their help like she should have.
In this book there may have been an instant attraction between Bailey and Talon, however there was no insta-love. Thank you CJ Azevedo. I don't know how much more insta-love I can handle.
All in all I do believe that this book had a lot of great qualities. I laughed, I got angry, I cried and I felt love. This book definitely takes you through every emotion possible.
So here is the part where I tell you that I really think you should buy this book why you ask, Well if you must know, TALON MCALLISTER. Yes ladies he is that hot and so damn sweet. Below is the link to buy it. Let me know what you think about it. Just because I love y'all here is my Talon. And yes I went against all my morals and chose someone not on my team, but I refuse to chose anyone from the Flyers (just typing that word makes my skin crawl).
*Hugs*
Brandi @ Dirty Girl Book Club
I have to admit that throughout the whole book I wanted to pull Bailey in for a hug. I cannot imagine being treated the way that she was treated. Which brings me to her Douchebag boyfriend Hollister. Don't be fooled he is not a hot model, he is a controlling and manipulative douche. However, Bailey had some great friends but she was so embarrassed with her situation that she didn't seek their help like she should have.
In this book there may have been an instant attraction between Bailey and Talon, however there was no insta-love. Thank you CJ Azevedo. I don't know how much more insta-love I can handle.
All in all I do believe that this book had a lot of great qualities. I laughed, I got angry, I cried and I felt love. This book definitely takes you through every emotion possible.
So here is the part where I tell you that I really think you should buy this book why you ask, Well if you must know, TALON MCALLISTER. Yes ladies he is that hot and so damn sweet. Below is the link to buy it. Let me know what you think about it. Just because I love y'all here is my Talon. And yes I went against all my morals and chose someone not on my team, but I refuse to chose anyone from the Flyers (just typing that word makes my skin crawl).
*Hugs*
Brandi @ Dirty Girl Book Club
September 25, 2019
Without Boundaries, by the amazing C.J. Azevedo was the most heartfelt, beautiful, love story ever!
This book brought out the hopeless romantic in me, and reminded me why I love to love.
I was first introduced to Bailey Hayes. Bailey is a beautiful, sweet, charming girl, who happens to be in a horrible relationship. After only months of being in a "puppy love" state with her current boyfriend, Bailey decides to take the next step and move in with him, not knowing everything was going to change.
Soon after moving in, Bailey was introduced to the controlling and abusive ways of her boyfriend. Bailey was left hopeless, feeling like she was going to be stuck with the wrong person forever.
That is until fate brings Bailey crashing into Talon. Literally she crashes right into him while not looking where she was going.
Talon from the start is completely taken with Bailey, and of course Bailey cant help but think Talon is just dreamy.
Will Talon be Bailey's shot at a chance of real love without boundaries?
C.J. once again had me hooked from page one! I read this book in one sitting. I wasn't able to put it down!!
Without Boundaries will take you through the hardships of being in an abusive relationship, and learning the true meaning of not settling for less. This book proves that there is such thing as a soul mate, as long as your willing to believe.
C.J. did an amazing job with the writing in this book. I felt so connected to each character, I felt every hurt, pain, happy, sad, and humorous feeling they felt. I cried like a baby, both happy and sad tears. I loved, loved, loved this book and cant wait for more of C.J.'s work! I'll forever be a dedicated fan to the lovely C.J. Azevedo!
This book brought out the hopeless romantic in me, and reminded me why I love to love.
I was first introduced to Bailey Hayes. Bailey is a beautiful, sweet, charming girl, who happens to be in a horrible relationship. After only months of being in a "puppy love" state with her current boyfriend, Bailey decides to take the next step and move in with him, not knowing everything was going to change.
Soon after moving in, Bailey was introduced to the controlling and abusive ways of her boyfriend. Bailey was left hopeless, feeling like she was going to be stuck with the wrong person forever.
That is until fate brings Bailey crashing into Talon. Literally she crashes right into him while not looking where she was going.
Talon from the start is completely taken with Bailey, and of course Bailey cant help but think Talon is just dreamy.
Will Talon be Bailey's shot at a chance of real love without boundaries?
C.J. once again had me hooked from page one! I read this book in one sitting. I wasn't able to put it down!!
Without Boundaries will take you through the hardships of being in an abusive relationship, and learning the true meaning of not settling for less. This book proves that there is such thing as a soul mate, as long as your willing to believe.
C.J. did an amazing job with the writing in this book. I felt so connected to each character, I felt every hurt, pain, happy, sad, and humorous feeling they felt. I cried like a baby, both happy and sad tears. I loved, loved, loved this book and cant wait for more of C.J.'s work! I'll forever be a dedicated fan to the lovely C.J. Azevedo!
January 8, 2014
Received an ARC for an honest review
5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoy the characters. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series!
Bailey is struggling with her relationship to Hollister. He isn't the same guy she fell in love with. He completely changed after they moved in together. She doesn't know what to do about there relationship. She wants the guy she fell in love with back, but she doesn't think that was ever him. Once her gets physical she knows she needs to leave, but she feels committed and is having a hard time making a decision and it doesn't help that she ran in to the one and only Talon McAllister and believes he is her soil mate. Will she stay with Hollister out of fear and commitment? Or will she follow her heart and pick Talon?
Hollister is a controlling, jealous jerk. He has major anger problems and thinks everyone needs to do as her says. He isn't liking the fact the he could lose Bailey. So he turns in the charm. Will he keep her or will she walk away?
Talon is the hot, sexy hockey player. He is knocked off his feet when Bailey crashes into him. He feels an instant connection and wants to know this amazing woman. He doesn't catch her name and is scared he will never find out. To his surprise Bailey is his sisters friends that he has been hearing about. When sparks fly will lines be crossed? Will he convince her that she is worthy of true love and not to just settle?
This is a series, but can be a standalone book. Book two is about another character that we meet briefly in this book. This book holds your attention and makes you fall in love with the characters. This is a MUST read book!!
5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoy the characters. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series!
Bailey is struggling with her relationship to Hollister. He isn't the same guy she fell in love with. He completely changed after they moved in together. She doesn't know what to do about there relationship. She wants the guy she fell in love with back, but she doesn't think that was ever him. Once her gets physical she knows she needs to leave, but she feels committed and is having a hard time making a decision and it doesn't help that she ran in to the one and only Talon McAllister and believes he is her soil mate. Will she stay with Hollister out of fear and commitment? Or will she follow her heart and pick Talon?
Hollister is a controlling, jealous jerk. He has major anger problems and thinks everyone needs to do as her says. He isn't liking the fact the he could lose Bailey. So he turns in the charm. Will he keep her or will she walk away?
Talon is the hot, sexy hockey player. He is knocked off his feet when Bailey crashes into him. He feels an instant connection and wants to know this amazing woman. He doesn't catch her name and is scared he will never find out. To his surprise Bailey is his sisters friends that he has been hearing about. When sparks fly will lines be crossed? Will he convince her that she is worthy of true love and not to just settle?
This is a series, but can be a standalone book. Book two is about another character that we meet briefly in this book. This book holds your attention and makes you fall in love with the characters. This is a MUST read book!!
August 27, 2013
I continue to be blown away by these amazing debut novels! Ms. Azevedo does a fantastic job of catching your attention from the very beginning as we're introduced to Bailey and her controlling & manipulative boyfriend, Hollister. The subject matter takes on a serious tone when it becomes clear that not only is Hollister extremely domineering but he becomes abusive as well. The way in which Bailey was portrayed really helps the reader get inside the mind of an abuse victim & understand their thought process when they decide to give their loved one another chance, even though we as the reader are screaming for them to leave as soon & fast as possible.
Talon, bless his little heart, is an absolute gem for sticking around & waiting for Bailey to come to her senses and deal with her personal issues. He truly is one of a kind and quite possibly the sweetest man in existence…fictionally speaking. He is exactly what book boyfriends should aspire to be. I only wish that her friends had stepped in a little more. While they were definitely supportive and patient with Bailey, they didn't force their way in enough. But they were there for her nonetheless, in good and bad times.
I found this one pretty hard to put down. This is the kind of story you will get lost in for hours and then before you know it you're done. I have to warn you though, the last 15% is an emotional roller coaster. So make sure you have your tissues handy b/c you will need them! If Ms. Azevedo's debut novel is this good, I can't wait to see what else she comes out with.
Talon, bless his little heart, is an absolute gem for sticking around & waiting for Bailey to come to her senses and deal with her personal issues. He truly is one of a kind and quite possibly the sweetest man in existence…fictionally speaking. He is exactly what book boyfriends should aspire to be. I only wish that her friends had stepped in a little more. While they were definitely supportive and patient with Bailey, they didn't force their way in enough. But they were there for her nonetheless, in good and bad times.
I found this one pretty hard to put down. This is the kind of story you will get lost in for hours and then before you know it you're done. I have to warn you though, the last 15% is an emotional roller coaster. So make sure you have your tissues handy b/c you will need them! If Ms. Azevedo's debut novel is this good, I can't wait to see what else she comes out with.
Read
December 31, 2013Without Boundaries was excruciatingly hard for me to finish...or not finish.
In this story we meet both Bailey and Talon. Who quickly fall in love at first sight. That was strike one. Although I can believe in love at first sight, sometimes it just doesn't flow well with the story. And I get annoyed. I found it very cliche with how they met and in turn I felt no chemistry with the two.
I have to have some sort of connection to the characters or the story in order to enjoy the book and I felt nothing AT ALL. Instead I found myself rolling my eyes and wondering when it would end.
"I have been around beautiful women my whole life, running into someone that gorgeous has never done that to me." -Talon
Um...yawn. Strike 2. Why are characters always like this? You know where they've never been attracted to anyone but that "one" person. I get that authors are trying to differentiate between liking someone and loving someone. But why couldn't they ever love someone before? I loved somebody before my husband...it can happen!
"We all pile into a van for the ten minute ride over to the pub. I had ordered myself not to think of my soul mate any longer. Yes, my soul mate."
And there's strike 3.
They had an encounter that lasted like what? Thirty seconds, a minute tops? And they're already soul mates. No thanks.
The characters were one dimensional and I couldn't tell the two main characters voices from one another. They both sounded the same to me.
This was a DNF.
*thank you kindly to the author for providing a review copy for an honest review.
In this story we meet both Bailey and Talon. Who quickly fall in love at first sight. That was strike one. Although I can believe in love at first sight, sometimes it just doesn't flow well with the story. And I get annoyed. I found it very cliche with how they met and in turn I felt no chemistry with the two.
I have to have some sort of connection to the characters or the story in order to enjoy the book and I felt nothing AT ALL. Instead I found myself rolling my eyes and wondering when it would end.
"I have been around beautiful women my whole life, running into someone that gorgeous has never done that to me." -Talon
Um...yawn. Strike 2. Why are characters always like this? You know where they've never been attracted to anyone but that "one" person. I get that authors are trying to differentiate between liking someone and loving someone. But why couldn't they ever love someone before? I loved somebody before my husband...it can happen!
"We all pile into a van for the ten minute ride over to the pub. I had ordered myself not to think of my soul mate any longer. Yes, my soul mate."
And there's strike 3.
They had an encounter that lasted like what? Thirty seconds, a minute tops? And they're already soul mates. No thanks.
The characters were one dimensional and I couldn't tell the two main characters voices from one another. They both sounded the same to me.
This was a DNF.
*thank you kindly to the author for providing a review copy for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2014
This is the first book that I’ve read from CJ Azevedo and I really enjoyed her writing style. It was fresh and her characters were ones that I wanted to read about.
Bailey is a young woman in a difficult situation, but honestly I would go back and forth on actually agreeing with her. I understood what her issues were but I didn’t understand why she walled herself off and ignored things/people that could actually help. There were moments that I wanted to knock some sense into her, but alas probably not my best idea. And then there’s Talon. Talon is the perfect hero, really. He’s stable, sexy, loves the heroine and is beyond patient. Let me say that again. He’s.Beyond.Patient. There.
The secondary characters were an important part of Baily and Talon’s story. I may love Declan, but I’ll know for sure after I read his story in Without Doubt. Bailey’s friends from back home reminded me of some of the guys I used to hang out with in high school. A little redneck, a little fun, a lot protective.
Once Bailey got on board with plan, I really enjoyed the book. I’m starting the Without Doubt now and I’ll let you know what I think. All in all, Without Boundaries was a solid start to this series.
Bailey is a young woman in a difficult situation, but honestly I would go back and forth on actually agreeing with her. I understood what her issues were but I didn’t understand why she walled herself off and ignored things/people that could actually help. There were moments that I wanted to knock some sense into her, but alas probably not my best idea. And then there’s Talon. Talon is the perfect hero, really. He’s stable, sexy, loves the heroine and is beyond patient. Let me say that again. He’s.Beyond.Patient. There.
The secondary characters were an important part of Baily and Talon’s story. I may love Declan, but I’ll know for sure after I read his story in Without Doubt. Bailey’s friends from back home reminded me of some of the guys I used to hang out with in high school. A little redneck, a little fun, a lot protective.
Once Bailey got on board with plan, I really enjoyed the book. I’m starting the Without Doubt now and I’ll let you know what I think. All in all, Without Boundaries was a solid start to this series.
July 19, 2014
Bailey is struggling with her controlling relationship with Hollister. Since her boyfriend is out of town, Bailey decides to have a night out with her friend Kali. At the beginning of the night she has a run in with the one and only Talon. There is an instant connection that neither one can deny. Through certain events, she ends up spending an unforgettable weekend with Talon and is convinced that he is her soul mate. Will her commitment to Hollister and need to try to make their relationship work win out or will she go with her heart and be with the love of her life?
Without Boundaries is a sweet love story and a good debut novel for C.J. Azevedo. I would have like to have had a little bit more character development and depth but overall it was a good book with a good storyline. This is a great start to the Without Series and I look forward to reading more!
Without Boundaries is a sweet love story and a good debut novel for C.J. Azevedo. I would have like to have had a little bit more character development and depth but overall it was a good book with a good storyline. This is a great start to the Without Series and I look forward to reading more!
December 4, 2013
I loved this story. In the beginning, Bailey is in a controlling and abusive relationship with Hollister. One night while Hollister is out of town, Bailey goes out with her friend Kali. Bailey literally bumps into Talon. She finds out after that Talon is Kali's brother. Bailey is convinced that Talon is her soul mate. There is a little bit of cheating in the story but the storyline makes it seem alright. Bailey feels that she has a commitment to Hollister and needs to try to make their relationship work. I really like the fact that when Bailey decides to break up with Hollister, she gives herself time to figure things out and she doesn't run immediately to Talon. Another plus for this book is there is no cliffhanger.
April 6, 2014
I really don't get the high ratings for this and I think if I give my honest opinion it will not go over well so I will give the cliff notes version...
Bailey - selfish, whiny heroine that I just wanted to slap. Honestly I wanted to beat her myself she was so stupid and annoyingly!
Talon - waste of a nice name! He was stupid in the sense that he didn't realise that he was too good for a cow like Bailey. I wanted to slap some sense into him.
I think when a book causes me to get in touch with my buried violent trendies it's time for me to call it quits and so I put this book to rest. The plot was good but it was poorly executed with boring characters with no personality whatsoever! It came across way to high school!
Bailey - selfish, whiny heroine that I just wanted to slap. Honestly I wanted to beat her myself she was so stupid and annoyingly!
Talon - waste of a nice name! He was stupid in the sense that he didn't realise that he was too good for a cow like Bailey. I wanted to slap some sense into him.
I think when a book causes me to get in touch with my buried violent trendies it's time for me to call it quits and so I put this book to rest. The plot was good but it was poorly executed with boring characters with no personality whatsoever! It came across way to high school!
March 1, 2015
I enjoyed how the characters met and the circumstances that brought them together. A bit of a instant connection without the said 'I love you's'. I liked the idea behind the book, although it didn't pan out like I had first thought, which is a great thing. I think most of this book was told too quickly, the time span was needed but some of what happened during that time needed to shown in detail and not in a paragraphed wrap up way. I really wished Bailey would have leaned on Talon more. Opened up. Not just stories but actually rely on him. I really liked Talon!
January 9, 2014
This book didn't really hit any high notes for me. Bailey lives with a guy who is controlling and a bit abusive. He is obviously a momma's boy too because he spends quite a bit of time out of town with his parents. When Bailey meets Talon, a hockey player. I didn't feel much emotion between the two and once Bailey smartened up and leaves her boyfriend she obviously doesn't think much of Talon because she doesn't run to him. So mediocre story for me, not much excitement just regular romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2013
I was hooked from the beginning. I finished the book the same day I bought it. I just couldn't put it down. There are a few things that giveaway that this is a debut book, but it doesn't take away from the story line at all. Great first book and I look forward to reading the second book this fall!
September 13, 2013
Winner of most romantic epilogue! TALON ...swoon. LOVE his character ..would have loved him more if he crushed Hollister' s windpipe, better yet if Bailey did it herself . Cute and quick read ..would sit on a blanket in that field any day .
August 16, 2013
I really enjoyed this book and wow loved Talon! I wish more men in the real world were like him!!!
I will be posting my review on my blog Aug 29th!!!
I will be posting my review on my blog Aug 29th!!!
January 7, 2014
Full review to follow
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews