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Closer to You #3
Come to Me Recklessly
From the New York Times bestselling author of Come to Me Softly comes another irresistible new adult romance in the Closer to You series.
His heart was turned off…
Until she turned him on…
Christopher Moore gave up on the idea of love years ago. Now, his life is an endless string of parties and an even longer string of girls. Enjoying the physical perks with none of the emotional mess, he’s convinced everyone that he’s satisfied—everyone but himself.
Samantha Schultz has moved on with her life. Finishing her student teaching and living with her boyfriend, she’s deluded herself into believing she’s content. But there is one boy she never forgot—her first love—and she keeps the memory of him locked up tight. She will never allow any man to break her the way Christopher did.
When Christopher’s sister and her family move into a new neighborhood, Christopher is completely unprepared to find Samantha living at the end of the street. Memories and unspent desires send them on collision course of sex, lies, and lust. But when guilt and fear send Samantha running, Christopher will have to fight for what has always been his.
His heart was turned off…
Until she turned him on…
Christopher Moore gave up on the idea of love years ago. Now, his life is an endless string of parties and an even longer string of girls. Enjoying the physical perks with none of the emotional mess, he’s convinced everyone that he’s satisfied—everyone but himself.
Samantha Schultz has moved on with her life. Finishing her student teaching and living with her boyfriend, she’s deluded herself into believing she’s content. But there is one boy she never forgot—her first love—and she keeps the memory of him locked up tight. She will never allow any man to break her the way Christopher did.
When Christopher’s sister and her family move into a new neighborhood, Christopher is completely unprepared to find Samantha living at the end of the street. Memories and unspent desires send them on collision course of sex, lies, and lust. But when guilt and fear send Samantha running, Christopher will have to fight for what has always been his.
448 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2015
165 people are currently reading
5629 people want to read
About the author
A.L. Jackson
97 books14.6k followersA.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, FIGHT FOR ME, CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART, FALLING STARS, REDEMPTION HILLS, TIME RIVER, and MOONLIT RIDGE novels. Start your binge with the first book in her latest series, From Here to Eternity! A broody single dad, a heroine on the run, and all the steam and suspense!
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
GET TO KNOW ME EVERYWHERE
Website: www.aljacksonauthor.com
Facebook: facebook.com/aljacksonauthor
Twitter: @aljacksonauthor
Instagram: @aljacksonauthor
Snapchat: aljacksonauthor
Newsletter: http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson
Reader Group: http://smarturl.it/AmysAngelsRock
Text "aljackson" to 33222 for special updates!
Want to know what music inspires my books?
I have book specific playlists on Spotify!
https://open.spotify.com/user/1255231879
Represent by Brower Literary & Management
subrights@browerliterary.com
Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, FIGHT FOR ME, CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART, FALLING STARS, REDEMPTION HILLS, TIME RIVER, and MOONLIT RIDGE novels. Start your binge with the first book in her latest series, From Here to Eternity! A broody single dad, a heroine on the run, and all the steam and suspense!
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
GET TO KNOW ME EVERYWHERE
Website: www.aljacksonauthor.com
Facebook: facebook.com/aljacksonauthor
Twitter: @aljacksonauthor
Instagram: @aljacksonauthor
Snapchat: aljacksonauthor
Newsletter: http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson
Reader Group: http://smarturl.it/AmysAngelsRock
Text "aljackson" to 33222 for special updates!
Want to know what music inspires my books?
I have book specific playlists on Spotify!
https://open.spotify.com/user/1255231879
Represent by Brower Literary & Management
subrights@browerliterary.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
April 6, 2015
4 stars!
AL Jackson does second chance romances frequently, and she does them so well. All of her books stress me out, they make me feel, they make me infuriated at times, but she also has this way of making me fall in love with the characters. To sympathize with what they’re going through even when they aren’t acting right. I love a romance that’s real, that’s not always easy. Samantha and Christopher’s story was just that. Real. And not easy.
Samantha met the love of her life in high school. She knew Christopher was it for her. But things happened, and now it’s years later and she’s with someone else. It doesn’t feel the same. No one has ever made her feel like Christopher.
Christopher lost the one love of his life the same time his entire world went crazy. He has a lot of regrets. And his life has been a wild tailspin of girl after girl ever since. He knows he won’t find another Samantha.
There is so much of this book that Christopher is such a JERK. He just… ugh! Then Samantha. She stressed me out too. They both had their moments I just wanted to knock some sense in them. But they had so many more moments that I just completely adored them both. Seeing Samantha with her brother melted my heart. And when Christopher started coming around, he was so dang sweet.
This couple is damaged. Not just one of them, but both of them. They have a lot to work through. I loved getting the flashbacks of them when they were younger. Getting to see all the events that led up to the big thing… that one thing that changed everything between them. Even though in the present they both try to push each other away at times, they just can’t. They are completely and utterly drawn to each other. Made for each other. They both know it, but Samantha has to decide if Christopher is a risk she’s willing to take…
Nothing was better in this book then seeing all the changes Christopher made. To go from this completely jerky manwhore to the sweetest man ever was nice to see.
Come to Me Recklessly is the third book in Jackson’s Closer to You series. So it would be wise to read book one and two before this. You get Aly and Jared’s epic love story and get introduced to Christopher. I’ve enjoyed this series a lot. I was happy to see so much Aly and Jared in this book.
If you’re looking for a heart breaking, emotional, angsty, and beautiful second chance romance- this would be the book for you. There were a few scenes that had me in tears, but overall the ending left me happy and satisfied.
AL Jackson does second chance romances frequently, and she does them so well. All of her books stress me out, they make me feel, they make me infuriated at times, but she also has this way of making me fall in love with the characters. To sympathize with what they’re going through even when they aren’t acting right. I love a romance that’s real, that’s not always easy. Samantha and Christopher’s story was just that. Real. And not easy.
Samantha met the love of her life in high school. She knew Christopher was it for her. But things happened, and now it’s years later and she’s with someone else. It doesn’t feel the same. No one has ever made her feel like Christopher.
Christopher lost the one love of his life the same time his entire world went crazy. He has a lot of regrets. And his life has been a wild tailspin of girl after girl ever since. He knows he won’t find another Samantha.
I’d been the fool who’d let that kind of crazy love go. Didn’t matter that I’d been just a stupid punk kid, barely sixteen, or that the girl and I were nothing alike and the entire world was against us. None of it mattered. Not at fucking all. The only thing that mattered was that it’d been real.Samantha has never forgotten her first love, but she has moved on. One day while shopping she runs into Aly Moore. Little sister to Christopher. And all those memories come rolling back. Aly and Samantha always got along, so they reconnect. And that brings all sorts of feelings back. And as it’s bound to happen, she runs into Christopher.
There is so much of this book that Christopher is such a JERK. He just… ugh! Then Samantha. She stressed me out too. They both had their moments I just wanted to knock some sense in them. But they had so many more moments that I just completely adored them both. Seeing Samantha with her brother melted my heart. And when Christopher started coming around, he was so dang sweet.
This couple is damaged. Not just one of them, but both of them. They have a lot to work through. I loved getting the flashbacks of them when they were younger. Getting to see all the events that led up to the big thing… that one thing that changed everything between them. Even though in the present they both try to push each other away at times, they just can’t. They are completely and utterly drawn to each other. Made for each other. They both know it, but Samantha has to decide if Christopher is a risk she’s willing to take…
Would I risk it all on a boy who was the ultimate risk?AL Jackson can write steamy. Christopher and Samantha has a crazy intense connection. Their sexual tension was off the charts hot. I loved watching it build between them.
Nothing was better in this book then seeing all the changes Christopher made. To go from this completely jerky manwhore to the sweetest man ever was nice to see.
“You’re my world, Samantha. Everything I do, from now until the end of time, I’m going to be doing it for you.”
Come to Me Recklessly is the third book in Jackson’s Closer to You series. So it would be wise to read book one and two before this. You get Aly and Jared’s epic love story and get introduced to Christopher. I’ve enjoyed this series a lot. I was happy to see so much Aly and Jared in this book.
If you’re looking for a heart breaking, emotional, angsty, and beautiful second chance romance- this would be the book for you. There were a few scenes that had me in tears, but overall the ending left me happy and satisfied.
Never stop believing in magic.
March 30, 2015
5 AMAZING STARS
I loved this book so much! Once more AL Jackson managed to captivate me with her beautiful, heartbreaking,sweet and compelling story!!What I love more about this author is that always manages to make me have so many feelings when I read her books.In this one there were moments I was sad and wanted to cry and others that I was so happy!This book isn't a simple romance it's a story about true love...This story is about loss,love and family.
Are you ready for Samantha and Christopher's story?
"What does it take to delete the past? A thousand apologies? A million regrets? A litany of prayers? If I shouted them, would you hear? If I whispered them, would you believe? If I fell at your feet, would you forgive? If I asked, would you start again?"
Samantha is Christopher's first love.Both are damaged from what happened between them in the past..But circumstances make them meet again after many years. Two people with broken hearts still in love are trying to find their way back to each other....
Will it be easy? Or will the past still follow them?
OMG I didn't know what to say!Lately I have become a little obsessed with AL Jackson's books!!I love so much the way she writes her stories!Her writing is phenomenal!!I need more of this author!!
Christopher is so delicious!!I loved Jared but I think now Christopher is on top!!!He is so sweet and I like the way he treated Samantha so much and the way he tried to become friends again!!These two made me swoon so many times!!!I loved their moments together!
It was so good that we could see their past because you can understand them and feel more for them!Also the fact that there was Christopher's POV it was so good because I wanted to know what he was thinking and how he felt about Samantha!!
I highly recommend this powerful,unique story to everyone!!
I loved this book so much! Once more AL Jackson managed to captivate me with her beautiful, heartbreaking,sweet and compelling story!!What I love more about this author is that always manages to make me have so many feelings when I read her books.In this one there were moments I was sad and wanted to cry and others that I was so happy!This book isn't a simple romance it's a story about true love...This story is about loss,love and family.
Are you ready for Samantha and Christopher's story?
"What does it take to delete the past? A thousand apologies? A million regrets? A litany of prayers? If I shouted them, would you hear? If I whispered them, would you believe? If I fell at your feet, would you forgive? If I asked, would you start again?"
Samantha is Christopher's first love.Both are damaged from what happened between them in the past..But circumstances make them meet again after many years. Two people with broken hearts still in love are trying to find their way back to each other....
Will it be easy? Or will the past still follow them?
OMG I didn't know what to say!Lately I have become a little obsessed with AL Jackson's books!!I love so much the way she writes her stories!Her writing is phenomenal!!I need more of this author!!
Christopher is so delicious!!I loved Jared but I think now Christopher is on top!!!He is so sweet and I like the way he treated Samantha so much and the way he tried to become friends again!!These two made me swoon so many times!!!I loved their moments together!
It was so good that we could see their past because you can understand them and feel more for them!Also the fact that there was Christopher's POV it was so good because I wanted to know what he was thinking and how he felt about Samantha!!
I highly recommend this powerful,unique story to everyone!!
April 8, 2015
5 AWWWW Stars
Come to Me Recklessly is a standalone and is part of the Closer to You series.
It’s Chris and Samantha’s story! YAY!!! I love A.L. Jackson so much!!!
You have to be in a certain frame of mind when you read a Jackson book. You have to be willing to go on a journey and it will have heartache, tears and sadness, but it will also be beautiful.
Chris is Aly’s brother and Jared’s best friend. Once upon a time, Chris and Samantha were the perfect couple and so in love. Chris is the bad boy that couldn’t be tamed and Samantha is the goodie girl, always obeying her parents. Something happens and the two go their separate ways.
As much as I hate flashbacks, I really enjoyed reading the moments in high school when Chris and Sam dated. It just seems so innocent, cute and carefree. They were so young and so in love.
Years later, Sam runs into Aly at Target and Aly wants Sam back into her life, since they were once good friends. Sam doesn’t know if she can be friends with Aly because of her brother Chris. When Chris sees Sam for the first time, well, CRAZY happens and I love it.
Chris is not the typical Hero. He’s mean, a jerk and a ball of emotions. We love it don’t we?!
The tension between Chris and Sam is wonderful. I couldn’t get enough of it. Chris hates Sam so much but he can’t stop thinking about her. As you read, you get glimpses of why he hates her so much. Sam doesn’t want anything to do with Chris either.
She also has a boyfriend! **GASP** I’m usually against love triangles or things that involve in that storyline, BUT this one works for me. Also Sam’s boyfriend isn’t great, so that helps too. Sam wants to move forward and just be friends with Chris. Of course it’s never that easy.
As you read, you kind of piece together what happened.
I really enjoyed Come to Me Recklessly because it wasn’t easy. Sometimes you need those tough books to make your heart melt. I felt the chemistry between Sam and Chris and I got what I crave for in a read, a love story.
If you are a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed.
An arc was provided in exchange for an honest review
Series Order
REVIEW | AMAZON
REVIEW | AMAZON
AMAZON
<--- NOW LIVE!!!!
Come to Me Recklessly is a standalone and is part of the Closer to You series.
It’s Chris and Samantha’s story! YAY!!! I love A.L. Jackson so much!!!
They say time mends all things. I say they are liars.
You have to be in a certain frame of mind when you read a Jackson book. You have to be willing to go on a journey and it will have heartache, tears and sadness, but it will also be beautiful.
Chris is Aly’s brother and Jared’s best friend. Once upon a time, Chris and Samantha were the perfect couple and so in love. Chris is the bad boy that couldn’t be tamed and Samantha is the goodie girl, always obeying her parents. Something happens and the two go their separate ways.
As much as I hate flashbacks, I really enjoyed reading the moments in high school when Chris and Sam dated. It just seems so innocent, cute and carefree. They were so young and so in love.
Years later, Sam runs into Aly at Target and Aly wants Sam back into her life, since they were once good friends. Sam doesn’t know if she can be friends with Aly because of her brother Chris. When Chris sees Sam for the first time, well, CRAZY happens and I love it.
Chris is not the typical Hero. He’s mean, a jerk and a ball of emotions. We love it don’t we?!
I’m not a toy. You don’t get to play games with me. Not ever again.
The tension between Chris and Sam is wonderful. I couldn’t get enough of it. Chris hates Sam so much but he can’t stop thinking about her. As you read, you get glimpses of why he hates her so much. Sam doesn’t want anything to do with Chris either.
She also has a boyfriend! **GASP** I’m usually against love triangles or things that involve in that storyline, BUT this one works for me. Also Sam’s boyfriend isn’t great, so that helps too. Sam wants to move forward and just be friends with Chris. Of course it’s never that easy.
All I want is to be inside you, Samantha. To [be with] you until you never forget who you belong to
She was so close that she was filing up my breath.
As you read, you kind of piece together what happened.
I really enjoyed Come to Me Recklessly because it wasn’t easy. Sometimes you need those tough books to make your heart melt. I felt the chemistry between Sam and Chris and I got what I crave for in a read, a love story.
If you are a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed.
An arc was provided in exchange for an honest review
Series Order
REVIEW | AMAZON
REVIEW | AMAZON
AMAZON <--- NOW LIVE!!!!
February 22, 2017
Come to Me Reckless was definitely a step up from Come to Me Quietly! I ended up skipping the second book in the series because I was getting annoyed with Jared's self-pity and after looking at the reviews, I'm glad I decided to skip it.
From the very beginning, I was intrigued by Christopher's character and I was really looking forward to his story once Samantha was mentioned in Come to Me Quietly. As much as I loved Sam and Christopher's story, I did have a few complaints.
First, I'm getting sick and tired of author's using terminal illnesses as a plot device or a way to further another character's development. This book was probably the second book I read in two weeks where cancer played some part in the story. It's getting really tiring and as soon as Stewart was mentioned, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the notion. As terrible as that sounds, I'm exhausted with authors killing off characters due to a terminal disease to bring couples together. And I've noticed that it happens often in romance novels.
Secondly, I'm strongly against cheating. But reading this book, I found myself not minding much. When that happens, there's definitely an issue lol. And in this case, it's the terrible boyfriend trope. Make the boyfriend as horrid as possible to make the audience not mind it when the heroine cheats with hero and vice versa. Yeah, I'm really tired of that trope too.
The main issues I had mainly had to do with typical tropes we see in novels, but besides that, I really enjoyed this one. I love the chemistry between Christopher and Samantha. And the tension was so thick, I was just begging for them to get together already. XD I wish we had another book for them because I would love to see more of Samantha and Christopher.
From the very beginning, I was intrigued by Christopher's character and I was really looking forward to his story once Samantha was mentioned in Come to Me Quietly. As much as I loved Sam and Christopher's story, I did have a few complaints.
First, I'm getting sick and tired of author's using terminal illnesses as a plot device or a way to further another character's development. This book was probably the second book I read in two weeks where cancer played some part in the story. It's getting really tiring and as soon as Stewart was mentioned, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the notion. As terrible as that sounds, I'm exhausted with authors killing off characters due to a terminal disease to bring couples together. And I've noticed that it happens often in romance novels.
Secondly, I'm strongly against cheating. But reading this book, I found myself not minding much. When that happens, there's definitely an issue lol. And in this case, it's the terrible boyfriend trope. Make the boyfriend as horrid as possible to make the audience not mind it when the heroine cheats with hero and vice versa. Yeah, I'm really tired of that trope too.
The main issues I had mainly had to do with typical tropes we see in novels, but besides that, I really enjoyed this one. I love the chemistry between Christopher and Samantha. And the tension was so thick, I was just begging for them to get together already. XD I wish we had another book for them because I would love to see more of Samantha and Christopher.
April 7, 2015
LIVE on AMAZON
Come to Me Recklessly is the third book in the Closer to You Series. In this installment we get Christopher and Samantha’s story.
I love a second chance romance and I think AL Jackson is one of the best authors at these types of stories. I love how when I start I always know what to expect in regards to me getting plenty of anxiety, but I never know what to expect in regards to how things will play out for our couple.
Christopher and Samantha were high school sweethearts, but more than that they helped each other through difficult times. Despite their love being real and genuine, things happened and they broke up. The story picks up years later and Samantha is in a relationship with another man and Christopher is enjoying the single life.
Regardless of where they are today or how happy they are, once they see each other again all bets are off. The love story between Christopher and Samantha was difficult and frustrating at times, but real. While reading I was able to empathize with the characters and my heart hurt for them.
This story kept me captivated from the beginning. At first I wanted to know what caused this breakup and to see how they ended up where they are at. We are able to see this as the story is told in dual POV and alternates from past to present. I enjoyed seeing all aspects of the story and also getting both their thoughts.
AL Jackson’s writing has a way of just completely breaking my heart, in the best possible ways. Her characters are identifiable and easy to relate to, I think that’s why it’s so easy to get attached. I highly recommend if you are looking for a heart warming read with tons of heart and lots of steam.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Come to Me Recklessly is the third book in the Closer to You Series. In this installment we get Christopher and Samantha’s story.
'Would I risk it all on a boy who was the ultimate risk?'
I love a second chance romance and I think AL Jackson is one of the best authors at these types of stories. I love how when I start I always know what to expect in regards to me getting plenty of anxiety, but I never know what to expect in regards to how things will play out for our couple.
Christopher and Samantha were high school sweethearts, but more than that they helped each other through difficult times. Despite their love being real and genuine, things happened and they broke up. The story picks up years later and Samantha is in a relationship with another man and Christopher is enjoying the single life.
Regardless of where they are today or how happy they are, once they see each other again all bets are off. The love story between Christopher and Samantha was difficult and frustrating at times, but real. While reading I was able to empathize with the characters and my heart hurt for them.
“You’re my world, Samantha. Everything I do, from now until the end of time, I’m going to be doing it for you.”
This story kept me captivated from the beginning. At first I wanted to know what caused this breakup and to see how they ended up where they are at. We are able to see this as the story is told in dual POV and alternates from past to present. I enjoyed seeing all aspects of the story and also getting both their thoughts.
AL Jackson’s writing has a way of just completely breaking my heart, in the best possible ways. Her characters are identifiable and easy to relate to, I think that’s why it’s so easy to get attached. I highly recommend if you are looking for a heart warming read with tons of heart and lots of steam.
“It was always supposed to be you.”
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2015
(Source: I received a paper copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Little Brown Book Group.)
"Promise me you'll never lie to me,"
This was a sexy adult contemporary romance, but boy did these guys make some mistakes!
Samantha obviously felt like Christopher had wronged her in this book, but it seemed clear that both Samantha and Christopher still cared about each other, even when they claimed not to. They really needed to work on their communication though.
The storyline in this was about Christopher and Samantha, their failed relationship, and them coming together again, and these guys really did make some mistakes! The pace in this was quite slow though, and there was some cheating which I know some people don’t like.
The ending to this was okay, but again, like in previous books, these couples don’t hang around on speeding their relationships forward.
6 out of 10
"Promise me you'll never lie to me,"
This was a sexy adult contemporary romance, but boy did these guys make some mistakes!
Samantha obviously felt like Christopher had wronged her in this book, but it seemed clear that both Samantha and Christopher still cared about each other, even when they claimed not to. They really needed to work on their communication though.
The storyline in this was about Christopher and Samantha, their failed relationship, and them coming together again, and these guys really did make some mistakes! The pace in this was quite slow though, and there was some cheating which I know some people don’t like.
The ending to this was okay, but again, like in previous books, these couples don’t hang around on speeding their relationships forward.
6 out of 10
April 9, 2015
Completely, crazy in love with this book !! I loved it !! 5 stars !!!
May 1, 2015
A gripping, emotional, beautifully written second chance romance.
A.L. Jackson concludes the emotional Closer to You series with Christopher’s story… a story which is rife with regret, misunderstandings, pain and an almost unbearable, aching, soul-deep desire. It’s a moving second chance romance about two people who loved each other deeply, but whose love shattered in the aftermath of tragedy. As always, I love A.L. Jackson’s lyrical style, her heartfelt words, the emotion she evokes. Her romances seem larger than life, but in her trademark approach, she first breaks our heart before she can repair it beautifully.
Christopher and Samantha had made promises to each other that were supposed to last a lifetime. As teenagers, whispered words of love and forever had painted a bright and happy future. Christopher was there for her during a time when she felt caged by her family, during a time when her younger brother fought for his own life. But when Jared Holt’s life spun out of control, his best friend Christopher felt lost as a result. His entire world turned upside down as his emotions raged between sadness and anger, pushing him to make mistakes he could never take back… Unfortunately Sam was there to witness and experience those mistakes. They cut her deeply. As a result, hearts lay broken in the wake of the chaos.
Years passed and destiny made a play bringing Sam back into Christopher’s life. Anger resurfaces and feelings feel raw and fresh all over again. Everything is different, yet familiar emotions surge as both struggle to suppress the inescapable longing they feel for each other.
Their story is all about finding their way back together, but only if they can face their pasts and figure out what—and whom—truly makes them happy. I love that we get to see Aly and Jared all over again, seeing their happy lives continue. The novel is deeply emotional, sexy and heart wrenching. And if you love A.L. Jackson’s work, you’ll undoubtedly be again swept up in her words that deliver all the feels.
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Follow Vilma's Book Blog: Website | Facebook | Twitter
“What does it take to delete the past? A thousand apologies?
A million regrets?
A litany of prayers?
If I shouted them, would you hear? If I whispered them, would you believe? If I fell at your feet, would you forgive? If I asked, would you start again?”
A.L. Jackson concludes the emotional Closer to You series with Christopher’s story… a story which is rife with regret, misunderstandings, pain and an almost unbearable, aching, soul-deep desire. It’s a moving second chance romance about two people who loved each other deeply, but whose love shattered in the aftermath of tragedy. As always, I love A.L. Jackson’s lyrical style, her heartfelt words, the emotion she evokes. Her romances seem larger than life, but in her trademark approach, she first breaks our heart before she can repair it beautifully.
“From the moment we met, he always had the power to bring me to my knees. I should have known his control over me would never diminish or dim. I should have known it would only intensify. Maybe I should have run. But somewhere inside, I knew he’d never let me get far.”
Christopher and Samantha had made promises to each other that were supposed to last a lifetime. As teenagers, whispered words of love and forever had painted a bright and happy future. Christopher was there for her during a time when she felt caged by her family, during a time when her younger brother fought for his own life. But when Jared Holt’s life spun out of control, his best friend Christopher felt lost as a result. His entire world turned upside down as his emotions raged between sadness and anger, pushing him to make mistakes he could never take back… Unfortunately Sam was there to witness and experience those mistakes. They cut her deeply. As a result, hearts lay broken in the wake of the chaos.
“Ashes. That’s what had remained after he was finished with me the first time. After he’d promised me forever.”
Years passed and destiny made a play bringing Sam back into Christopher’s life. Anger resurfaces and feelings feel raw and fresh all over again. Everything is different, yet familiar emotions surge as both struggle to suppress the inescapable longing they feel for each other.
“Fire and light. Heaven and hell. The most exquisite kind of torture. And I couldn’t see. Could only feel.”
Their story is all about finding their way back together, but only if they can face their pasts and figure out what—and whom—truly makes them happy. I love that we get to see Aly and Jared all over again, seeing their happy lives continue. The novel is deeply emotional, sexy and heart wrenching. And if you love A.L. Jackson’s work, you’ll undoubtedly be again swept up in her words that deliver all the feels.
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Follow Vilma's Book Blog: Website | Facebook | Twitter
April 10, 2015
Come to Me Recklessly has a strange combination of things I love in a book and things that drive me completely crazy. I had a hard time on how to rate this book. I loved the storyline, really liked the main characters and liked the concept it just didn’t do it for me all the way.
The two main characters are Christopher Moore and Samantha Schultz and they are both suffering from a past that haunts them.
Samantha is living with her childhood boyfriend Ben but she isn’t too invested in the relationship and she feels suffocated. As the daughter of a pastor, she always felt trapped and not free to make her own decisions and mistakes in life. She has never forgotten Christopher, her first love, the one who broke her heart seven years ago. Now her life seems to take a turn for the better because she gets hired as a newly qualified teacher, giving her the opportunity to fulfill her teaching career dreams. Christopher wants to hide his past by seeking comfort with strangers, and he sleeps around. He loves his family and friends, he’s working hard and he’s enjoying the single life. He still can’t forget though his high school sweetheart, Samantha, whom he loved with all of his heart.
This book is dual POV and past and present POV. The past being the start of their relationship seven years ago, when they were 16. We read how their relationship progressed, how they fell in love, how Christopher helped her lose her inhibitions and made her feel more confident and finally how all came to an end and they had their heart shattered into a million pieces. Today, they are fighting their own demons. When they accidentally meet, their love is heated up, rekindling their old relationship.
This book is a great second chance romance and I’d like to share my personal thoughts on it with you and justify my rating.
I adored the writing – it was evocative, fluent, brilliant, engaging. The dialogue is effective, the characters are well-developed (except for Ben, I explain this later) and the heartache they face will keep you biting your nails throughout. Sex scenes are sizzling hot and the sexual desire is strong throughout the whole book. I loved all the detail that was put into the back-story and the suspense it brought. I liked the angst, the love, the longing...the questioning of everything that's taking place. It’s amazing and will set off every emotion in the dictionary.
But, the narrative is repetitive and it feels like a long, drawn out story where little actually happens. There was not a whole lot that really happened in this book, and it only really got to the good part in the last pages. The plot’s twists and turns are not ingenious and energetic, something that makes it quite predictable. But, what bothered me most in this book is that Ben is physically ABSENT for the greatest part of the book. Ben’s role in Samantha and Christopher’s relationship has been determinant and his character should have been better developed. The narrative around him is extensive but where is he? He’s always absent, on a business trip, a meeting, or out with friends. Ben’s character is neglected and this really annoyed me.
A little more expansion on key concepts and less predictability would have taken this book from 'enjoyable' to 'incredible'.
The two main characters are Christopher Moore and Samantha Schultz and they are both suffering from a past that haunts them.
Samantha is living with her childhood boyfriend Ben but she isn’t too invested in the relationship and she feels suffocated. As the daughter of a pastor, she always felt trapped and not free to make her own decisions and mistakes in life. She has never forgotten Christopher, her first love, the one who broke her heart seven years ago. Now her life seems to take a turn for the better because she gets hired as a newly qualified teacher, giving her the opportunity to fulfill her teaching career dreams. Christopher wants to hide his past by seeking comfort with strangers, and he sleeps around. He loves his family and friends, he’s working hard and he’s enjoying the single life. He still can’t forget though his high school sweetheart, Samantha, whom he loved with all of his heart.
This book is dual POV and past and present POV. The past being the start of their relationship seven years ago, when they were 16. We read how their relationship progressed, how they fell in love, how Christopher helped her lose her inhibitions and made her feel more confident and finally how all came to an end and they had their heart shattered into a million pieces. Today, they are fighting their own demons. When they accidentally meet, their love is heated up, rekindling their old relationship.
This book is a great second chance romance and I’d like to share my personal thoughts on it with you and justify my rating.
I adored the writing – it was evocative, fluent, brilliant, engaging. The dialogue is effective, the characters are well-developed (except for Ben, I explain this later) and the heartache they face will keep you biting your nails throughout. Sex scenes are sizzling hot and the sexual desire is strong throughout the whole book. I loved all the detail that was put into the back-story and the suspense it brought. I liked the angst, the love, the longing...the questioning of everything that's taking place. It’s amazing and will set off every emotion in the dictionary.
But, the narrative is repetitive and it feels like a long, drawn out story where little actually happens. There was not a whole lot that really happened in this book, and it only really got to the good part in the last pages. The plot’s twists and turns are not ingenious and energetic, something that makes it quite predictable. But, what bothered me most in this book is that Ben is physically ABSENT for the greatest part of the book. Ben’s role in Samantha and Christopher’s relationship has been determinant and his character should have been better developed. The narrative around him is extensive but where is he? He’s always absent, on a business trip, a meeting, or out with friends. Ben’s character is neglected and this really annoyed me.
A little more expansion on key concepts and less predictability would have taken this book from 'enjoyable' to 'incredible'.
July 4, 2017
“What does it take to delete the past? A thousand apologies?
A million regrets?
A litany of prayers?
If I shouted them, would you hear? If I whispered them, would you believe? If I fell at your feet, would you forgive? If I asked, would you start again?”
4.5 swoontastic second-chance stars
I absolutely loved this book! So beautiful, so full of feels, and so absolutely, heart-clenchingly, passionately romantic.
The third book in the Closer to You series, this book tells the story of Christopher, big brother of Aly, and best friend of Jared, the couple from the first two books. Christopher has so far been painted as the manwhoring yet protective big brother, and that’s actually pretty accurate. He loves his family and his friends fiercely, yet lives the life of a party boy – moving from woman to woman, with no desire for commitment. But secretly he is hiding a hurt that dates back to his high school days when he loved and lost the girl he’s never been able to get over.
Samantha has always felt trapped. As the daughter of a pastor, she has lived with a high level of expectation, and has never really been given the opportunity to be on her own, learn about herself and explore her life freely. She has followed her career dreams, and is a newly qualified teacher, but she has few friends and is stuck in a passionless relationship with a childhood friend that was orchestrated by their parents. And she too, has never forgotten about the boy that she loved with all of her heart, until he shattered it and left her broken.
When Samantha unexpectedly runs into Aly Moore, she is quickly drawn into a friendship that feels incredibly right. She is also incredibly nervous, knowing that spending time with Aly will most likely bring her into contact with Christopher. And when it does… sparks fly!
The intense chemistry between them still sizzles, but despite all that Samantha feels, Christopher is not happy to see her. This book is dual POV, and I love that we get to see the thoughts of both Samantha and Christopher. Both still so desperately in love with each other, but so hurt over things that have happened in the past. It was heart-wrenching to see them in so much pain as their reunion dragged up all of the heartache from years ago.
But even with all of the anger and hurt, they are still drawn to each other, and very slowly the old feelings start coming to the surface, and neither of them can hide the way they still feel about each other.
The events of the present are intermingled with flashbacks to them as teenagers falling in love, and I loved the added dimension to the story. Their reconnection is slow paced and realistic, and even though their mad lust for each other becomes overwhelming at times, you can feel their deeper emotional connection underneath it, and it makes the whole thing really epic.
And SO freaking romantic! OMG, Christopher the manwhore is no more once Samantha comes back into his life. He is so consumed by her, and all that she means to him, his actions and his declarations had me a swoony mess! And let me tell you, the man sure knows how to grovel!
And Samantha, who has lived her life trying desperately to protect herself from being hurt again like she was in the past, finally starts to open up. And as time goes by, and as they start to grow closer again, her walls start to come down.
But it’s not all happy times. They have a lot to overcome in order to be together again – secrets and lies from the past, and events in their present - and there is a lot of heartache as they find their way forward together, but I loved every single minute of it!
I have to say, I wasn’t overly happy with the way that Samantha handled the situation with her live-in boyfriend. The man is a douche, and she should have ditched him long ago, but I get that it’s part of her issues, wanting safety and protecting herself. But still, she held on for way too long. And while his presence is definitely a major storyline in the book, I wouldn’t consider this a love triangle. It’s clear from the very beginning where the story is going, so it’s just a matter of waiting for it all to play out.
There is a lot of time spend with Aly and Jared, and I loved getting the opportunity to see them together and happy and living out their HEA. They are so gorgeous together, and seeing them in the role of supportive sister/friend and brother was really gorgeous.
Shout out too, to Stewart. Samantha’s younger brother plays a very important part of the story, and I thought he was absolutely sensational!
AL Jackson does an amazing job with heart-felt, dramatic, romantic stories. Her writing is so beautiful - somewhat flowery and poetic, but in this case not overdone, and conveying so much emotion. I was sucked into this book from the very first page, and struggled to put it down. I laughed and I cried and it left me swooning with a huge smile on my face.
I loved it – 4.5 stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A million regrets?
A litany of prayers?
If I shouted them, would you hear? If I whispered them, would you believe? If I fell at your feet, would you forgive? If I asked, would you start again?”
4.5 swoontastic second-chance stars
I absolutely loved this book! So beautiful, so full of feels, and so absolutely, heart-clenchingly, passionately romantic.
The third book in the Closer to You series, this book tells the story of Christopher, big brother of Aly, and best friend of Jared, the couple from the first two books. Christopher has so far been painted as the manwhoring yet protective big brother, and that’s actually pretty accurate. He loves his family and his friends fiercely, yet lives the life of a party boy – moving from woman to woman, with no desire for commitment. But secretly he is hiding a hurt that dates back to his high school days when he loved and lost the girl he’s never been able to get over.
Samantha has always felt trapped. As the daughter of a pastor, she has lived with a high level of expectation, and has never really been given the opportunity to be on her own, learn about herself and explore her life freely. She has followed her career dreams, and is a newly qualified teacher, but she has few friends and is stuck in a passionless relationship with a childhood friend that was orchestrated by their parents. And she too, has never forgotten about the boy that she loved with all of her heart, until he shattered it and left her broken.
When Samantha unexpectedly runs into Aly Moore, she is quickly drawn into a friendship that feels incredibly right. She is also incredibly nervous, knowing that spending time with Aly will most likely bring her into contact with Christopher. And when it does… sparks fly!
Christopher. Facing the way he made me feel. All of it – the chaos and confusion and uncertainty. The anger and the hate. The passion and the need and those flickers of a naïve young love that had never dimmed or died.
The intense chemistry between them still sizzles, but despite all that Samantha feels, Christopher is not happy to see her. This book is dual POV, and I love that we get to see the thoughts of both Samantha and Christopher. Both still so desperately in love with each other, but so hurt over things that have happened in the past. It was heart-wrenching to see them in so much pain as their reunion dragged up all of the heartache from years ago.
She was supposed to be mine.
Mine.
And I’d fucking lost her and I’d hate myself for the rest of my days for doing it.
And I’d forever hate her for letting me go.
But even with all of the anger and hurt, they are still drawn to each other, and very slowly the old feelings start coming to the surface, and neither of them can hide the way they still feel about each other.
I didn’t want to pretend anymore. Didn’t want to keep pretending she was dead when she’d been the only person who’d ever made me feel alive. Didn’t want to keep pretending she meant nothing when she meant everything.
The events of the present are intermingled with flashbacks to them as teenagers falling in love, and I loved the added dimension to the story. Their reconnection is slow paced and realistic, and even though their mad lust for each other becomes overwhelming at times, you can feel their deeper emotional connection underneath it, and it makes the whole thing really epic.
“What is this?” I forced out, the words shaky.
He grasped both sides of my face, bringing us nose to nose. “This is unstoppable.”
And SO freaking romantic! OMG, Christopher the manwhore is no more once Samantha comes back into his life. He is so consumed by her, and all that she means to him, his actions and his declarations had me a swoony mess! And let me tell you, the man sure knows how to grovel!
“Falling in love with you? That was the best gift I’ve ever been given.”
And Samantha, who has lived her life trying desperately to protect herself from being hurt again like she was in the past, finally starts to open up. And as time goes by, and as they start to grow closer again, her walls start to come down.
“It’s always been you.”
But it’s not all happy times. They have a lot to overcome in order to be together again – secrets and lies from the past, and events in their present - and there is a lot of heartache as they find their way forward together, but I loved every single minute of it!
“Just you and me and forever.”
I have to say, I wasn’t overly happy with the way that Samantha handled the situation with her live-in boyfriend. The man is a douche, and she should have ditched him long ago, but I get that it’s part of her issues, wanting safety and protecting herself. But still, she held on for way too long. And while his presence is definitely a major storyline in the book, I wouldn’t consider this a love triangle. It’s clear from the very beginning where the story is going, so it’s just a matter of waiting for it all to play out.
There is a lot of time spend with Aly and Jared, and I loved getting the opportunity to see them together and happy and living out their HEA. They are so gorgeous together, and seeing them in the role of supportive sister/friend and brother was really gorgeous.
Shout out too, to Stewart. Samantha’s younger brother plays a very important part of the story, and I thought he was absolutely sensational!
AL Jackson does an amazing job with heart-felt, dramatic, romantic stories. Her writing is so beautiful - somewhat flowery and poetic, but in this case not overdone, and conveying so much emotion. I was sucked into this book from the very first page, and struggled to put it down. I laughed and I cried and it left me swooning with a huge smile on my face.
I loved it – 4.5 stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2018
Loved Christoper in book one and two, so I was quite intrigued to read this book.
I really enjoyed this book but maybe not as much as book one and two.
👌🏼⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- enjoyable series!
I really enjoyed this book but maybe not as much as book one and two.
👌🏼⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- enjoyable series!
April 12, 2015
I liked this book, but I think it would have been better if I had read the previous books. Christopher was an asshole half of the book and I was so irritated with the fact that he felt he was the one who was wronged. I didn't really feel a connection with Samantha either. She was kind of pathetic to me. she was pining for a boy she was with when she was sixteen. I mean 7 years later she was still crying over him while living with someone else. It was all a bit to much for me. I can't relate to their story so maybe that's why I didn't feel the connection. I mean 16 is really young and to still be crying after 7 years and thinking of him while being with someone else, they didn't have sex, they were not together very long and he betrayed her trust in the worst way...so to me that felt a little unbelievable. I hope I'm not passing of all the "true love" believers. I mean, I believe in true love and I love those kind of books, but this was a bit of a far stretch for me. I did like Stewart..he was so funny and his story did make me cry. So yeah..I liked it but I did 't love it. They were definately not one of my favorite characters. I liked Aly, so maybe I'll go back and read her and Jareds books, but I'm not sure. 3 stars from me.
Want to read
July 18, 2014 New Closer To You series book. This is a second chance romance about Christopher & Samantha.
There is one boy she never forgot—her first love—and she keeps the memory of him locked up tight. She will never allow any man to break her the way Christopher did...
There is one boy she never forgot—her first love—and she keeps the memory of him locked up tight. She will never allow any man to break her the way Christopher did...
April 15, 2015
Come to me Recklessly (Closer to You #3) by AL Jackson
4.5 stars!!
Although this book is part of the Closer to You series this can be read as a standalone as it is not about the same characters as the previous two books. However, I would highly recommend you do as not only are they a fantastic read, but Christopher does appear in them and you will have a better understanding of the man and the other characters that make appearances.
One thing that you do know when you pick up an AL Jackson book is that it will be beautiful...in the end...but you will have undertaken a major emotional trip to get there. Amy does love a second chance romance and writes them extremely well and this one is no different. It is angsty, it is emotional but overall it was a beautiful read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Christopher is Aly’s brother and Jared’s best friend and I have to admit I have always wondered what his story was so I was super excited when AL Jackson said that she was writing his story. Chris and Sam dated a long time ago, for Chris and Sam it was both that forever kind of love, but alas as always, parents interfere as does life and it was not to be. Chris however was extremely affected, it was his first love, his one and only love and Sam had scarred him for life and to this day he remained extremely bitter. He lived his life, flitting from one woman to another, vowing to never let a woman have that power over his heart again.
Sam and Chris’s separation had scarred her too, even though she was in a relationship, he wasn’t Chris. Chris was the man that Sam measured every other guy up to and no-one ever fit the bill, no-one would ever fit the bill, so she just settled.
A chance meeting at the store leads to Aly and Sam reconnecting, this reconnection means that Sam and Chris’s paths are inevitably going to cross, will the past stay in the past or will these two be able to forgive and forget. One things for sure is that you know AL Jackson will put you through the mill to find out.
I have to say, I could have throttled Chris at times, and as much as I understood his reasoning his actions and thoughts totally aggravated me at times. I felt sorry for him, but I just wished he would have opened up a lot sooner. There was a lot of miscommunication in the past, they were younger and naïve, gullible and unfortunately had no-one on their side. I was itching for them both to see the light so I ended up reading the entire book on tenterhooks and with my heart in my mouth.
Sam does have a boyfriend, but he wasn’t a good guy. He took advantage of a situation and made it his own. He is never there for Sam and lives his own life as long as she does not live hers. He is manipulative and just one incredibly shady character. This is by no means a love triangle as such but he needs to be dealt with and as usual for overbearing men, he is not going away easily.
I was totally wrapped up in this story; AL Jackson always manages to deeply entrench me into her stories and characters. Through the flashbacks we were treated to what actually happened way back then and they give you a great insight into the sorry situation that they now find themselves in. You always know that you are going to get a beautifully woven story and this one stayed true to form. These two are now adults and it is up to them to see the errors made in the past and to now focus on if they have a future. There is a lot of soul searching to do and they need to understand what each other has been through. This leads to some amazing scenes and ones that really tug on the heart strings. As much as Chris comes across as an ass at times it was great to finally see those walls coming down and the true man underneath come out. Their chemistry is blatantly obvious, it is hot, it is palpable and it oozes from the page, why fight it...embrace it.
In short I loved it, it was great to catch up with old characters and see how they have come along but it was great to finally get Chris’s story. For fans of this series, it is a must read and for those that are new, jump on the AL Jackson bandwagon and read this series from the start. It is too good not to.
www.theromancecover.com
4.5 stars!!
“Letting go of those fears was so difficult, but when I finally did, the greatest joy was unearthed”
Although this book is part of the Closer to You series this can be read as a standalone as it is not about the same characters as the previous two books. However, I would highly recommend you do as not only are they a fantastic read, but Christopher does appear in them and you will have a better understanding of the man and the other characters that make appearances.
One thing that you do know when you pick up an AL Jackson book is that it will be beautiful...in the end...but you will have undertaken a major emotional trip to get there. Amy does love a second chance romance and writes them extremely well and this one is no different. It is angsty, it is emotional but overall it was a beautiful read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
“But tonight, there was a hostility saturating it, more intense than ever before. Pure sex bidden by a brilliant, raging fury. Like he’d consume me and there’d be nothing left. Ashes. That’s what had remained after he was finished with me the first time. After he’d promised me forever.”
Christopher is Aly’s brother and Jared’s best friend and I have to admit I have always wondered what his story was so I was super excited when AL Jackson said that she was writing his story. Chris and Sam dated a long time ago, for Chris and Sam it was both that forever kind of love, but alas as always, parents interfere as does life and it was not to be. Chris however was extremely affected, it was his first love, his one and only love and Sam had scarred him for life and to this day he remained extremely bitter. He lived his life, flitting from one woman to another, vowing to never let a woman have that power over his heart again.
“You broke up with me, Samantha. Remember? I think it’s time you admitted who broke who.”
Sam and Chris’s separation had scarred her too, even though she was in a relationship, he wasn’t Chris. Chris was the man that Sam measured every other guy up to and no-one ever fit the bill, no-one would ever fit the bill, so she just settled.
“You broke my heart once. You don’t get to do it again.”
A chance meeting at the store leads to Aly and Sam reconnecting, this reconnection means that Sam and Chris’s paths are inevitably going to cross, will the past stay in the past or will these two be able to forgive and forget. One things for sure is that you know AL Jackson will put you through the mill to find out.
“Don’t ever hide your light, Samantha. Let it shine. Let it burn bright. Because you? You’re everything in this world that’s right.”
I have to say, I could have throttled Chris at times, and as much as I understood his reasoning his actions and thoughts totally aggravated me at times. I felt sorry for him, but I just wished he would have opened up a lot sooner. There was a lot of miscommunication in the past, they were younger and naïve, gullible and unfortunately had no-one on their side. I was itching for them both to see the light so I ended up reading the entire book on tenterhooks and with my heart in my mouth.
“I’d sold my soul to Lucifer himself.”
Sam does have a boyfriend, but he wasn’t a good guy. He took advantage of a situation and made it his own. He is never there for Sam and lives his own life as long as she does not live hers. He is manipulative and just one incredibly shady character. This is by no means a love triangle as such but he needs to be dealt with and as usual for overbearing men, he is not going away easily.
“I was tired of it all. How’d I become enemies with the person I cared about most?”
I was totally wrapped up in this story; AL Jackson always manages to deeply entrench me into her stories and characters. Through the flashbacks we were treated to what actually happened way back then and they give you a great insight into the sorry situation that they now find themselves in. You always know that you are going to get a beautifully woven story and this one stayed true to form. These two are now adults and it is up to them to see the errors made in the past and to now focus on if they have a future. There is a lot of soul searching to do and they need to understand what each other has been through. This leads to some amazing scenes and ones that really tug on the heart strings. As much as Chris comes across as an ass at times it was great to finally see those walls coming down and the true man underneath come out. Their chemistry is blatantly obvious, it is hot, it is palpable and it oozes from the page, why fight it...embrace it.
“Christopher took me completely. Recklessly.”
In short I loved it, it was great to catch up with old characters and see how they have come along but it was great to finally get Chris’s story. For fans of this series, it is a must read and for those that are new, jump on the AL Jackson bandwagon and read this series from the start. It is too good not to.
“Never stop believing in magic.”
www.theromancecover.com
April 27, 2015
This is a story of second chances, with two people who are made for each other in every way, yet have a number of forces that continue to try and pull them apart.
Having read the first two books in this series, which focused on Aly, Christopher's sister, and Jared, his best-friend, I always wondered about him and what made him the type of player he became. With this story, I now have the answers.
Back when they were teenagers . ..
Christopher broke Samantha's heart.
Samantha broke Christopher's heart.
"He broke me. I never should have acted like it was okay to set foot back into his world."
I had to wonder though, were they truly both in the wrong all those years ago? Through flashbacks told in dual POVs, you get the story of how they built their relationship, despite Samantha's parents lack of approval. But you really don't get the answers to what happened to tear them apart until 60% into the book.
There is good drama - a rival girl trying to take away the heroine's guy, family stepping to stop a relationship. And there's bad drama - lying, not having a backbone to stand up to those same parents when one becomes an adult. It's this second kind of drama that frustrated me to no end in this book.
Both of Christopher and Samantha seem to give up on each other and not fight for what is meant to be. Blame it on their youth and lack of experience. However, years later, they still hold a grudge, blaming the other for the events that destroyed them. When we finally find out what drove them apart, I'll have to admit, I think most of the blame lands on Christopher. And I'm left scratching my head as to why he had so much angry toward Samantha when he was clearly in the wrong. If he had made an effort to talk with her back then, instead of give up, so much heartache could have been avoided.
"Two very confused, very hurt people. Two people who obviously need to forgive each other. Two people who are trapped somewhere in the past."
With Samantha now living near Aly and reconnecting with her, Christopher is forced to spend time with her. His hostility was rough, and looking back at why he was so hostile, I honestly wanted to slap him. It turns out all that hostility was just a shield to protect his heart, because from the moment that Samantha reenters his life, he can't stop thinking of her and can't stay away.
The switch from jackass to friend seemed to move quickly, although it actually takes place over several months - this was due to the story jumping ahead at points, so to me, it gave the element of being rushed. What I struggled with was why, over those months, Samantha continually lied to her boyfriend on her whereabouts, no matter how innocent everything was at the time. She truly lacked a backbone in standing up to Ben who wanted to control who she could and couldn't see. And then, I struggled with why she even stayed with him. It was obvious from the beginning of the book that any former passion for Ben had died, particularly when she couldn't stop thinking about Christopher.
The dance these two play throughout the story dragged for me, and I just wished they would talk it out, discuss what drove them apart years ago, and move on. But when that talk happens, and Christopher lies, I was just about over it. I couldn't fault Samantha for her reaction.
What does it take to delete the past? A thousand apologies?
A million regrets?
A litany of prayers?
If I should them, would you hear? If I whispered them, would you believe? If I fell at your feet, would you forgive? If I asked, would you start again?
A tragedy of all things, oddly enough seems to heal their wounds, both past and present.
While the story was frustrating at times, one should always expect a heavy dose of angst with this author. Overall, if you like a second chance story, with some boneheaded main characters who take FOR-EVER to get their shit together, then this book is for you.
Side note: It was nice to see that Aly and Jared had their shit together. They were my favorite part of the story.
*An ARC was provided for an honest review.
Having read the first two books in this series, which focused on Aly, Christopher's sister, and Jared, his best-friend, I always wondered about him and what made him the type of player he became. With this story, I now have the answers.
Back when they were teenagers . ..
Christopher broke Samantha's heart.
Samantha broke Christopher's heart.
"He broke me. I never should have acted like it was okay to set foot back into his world."
I had to wonder though, were they truly both in the wrong all those years ago? Through flashbacks told in dual POVs, you get the story of how they built their relationship, despite Samantha's parents lack of approval. But you really don't get the answers to what happened to tear them apart until 60% into the book.
There is good drama - a rival girl trying to take away the heroine's guy, family stepping to stop a relationship. And there's bad drama - lying, not having a backbone to stand up to those same parents when one becomes an adult. It's this second kind of drama that frustrated me to no end in this book.
Both of Christopher and Samantha seem to give up on each other and not fight for what is meant to be. Blame it on their youth and lack of experience. However, years later, they still hold a grudge, blaming the other for the events that destroyed them. When we finally find out what drove them apart, I'll have to admit, I think most of the blame lands on Christopher. And I'm left scratching my head as to why he had so much angry toward Samantha when he was clearly in the wrong. If he had made an effort to talk with her back then, instead of give up, so much heartache could have been avoided.
"Two very confused, very hurt people. Two people who obviously need to forgive each other. Two people who are trapped somewhere in the past."
With Samantha now living near Aly and reconnecting with her, Christopher is forced to spend time with her. His hostility was rough, and looking back at why he was so hostile, I honestly wanted to slap him. It turns out all that hostility was just a shield to protect his heart, because from the moment that Samantha reenters his life, he can't stop thinking of her and can't stay away.
The switch from jackass to friend seemed to move quickly, although it actually takes place over several months - this was due to the story jumping ahead at points, so to me, it gave the element of being rushed. What I struggled with was why, over those months, Samantha continually lied to her boyfriend on her whereabouts, no matter how innocent everything was at the time. She truly lacked a backbone in standing up to Ben who wanted to control who she could and couldn't see. And then, I struggled with why she even stayed with him. It was obvious from the beginning of the book that any former passion for Ben had died, particularly when she couldn't stop thinking about Christopher.
The dance these two play throughout the story dragged for me, and I just wished they would talk it out, discuss what drove them apart years ago, and move on. But when that talk happens, and Christopher lies, I was just about over it. I couldn't fault Samantha for her reaction.
What does it take to delete the past? A thousand apologies?
A million regrets?
A litany of prayers?
If I should them, would you hear? If I whispered them, would you believe? If I fell at your feet, would you forgive? If I asked, would you start again?
A tragedy of all things, oddly enough seems to heal their wounds, both past and present.
While the story was frustrating at times, one should always expect a heavy dose of angst with this author. Overall, if you like a second chance story, with some boneheaded main characters who take FOR-EVER to get their shit together, then this book is for you.
Side note: It was nice to see that Aly and Jared had their shit together. They were my favorite part of the story.
*An ARC was provided for an honest review.
April 6, 2015
4.5 stars
A.L Jackson has a way of captivating you with her words from page 1 - simply breathtaking, poetic and lyrical. I have been waiting for Christopher's story since we met him in Come to Me Quietly and Ms. Jackson has yet again shown us that she is a force to be reckoned with. I do want to mention that Come to Me Recklessly can be read as a standalone however I adore this series and these characters so I encourage you to start from book 1 :)
Samantha Schultz is living a lie - she believes that she is happy living with her boyfriend but deep down inside has never forgotten her first love, Christopher Moore.
It has been 7 years since they have seen each other, but upon seeing Christopher for the first time and experiencing his cruel and hurtful words, I can't help but wonder what happened 7 years ago to separate them? Can 2nd chances happen for those who have experienced such pain and anguish? Can they find forgiveness and move forward?
Told in present and past POV, I loved experiencing their first interactions growing up. Samantha is the pastor's daughter, innocent and good, and watching Christopher protect her, love her, giving her confidence in herself and teaching her how to live life fully was mesmerizing.
This couple throughout time will experience many hurdles, lies and hurt. It pained me to experience it because in my heart, I knew that they belonged together. Ms. Jackson gives readers "the feels" - I could literally feel the want, the heartbreak, and the love emitting from the pages of this book.
So I know I'm not telling you TOO much about the book as I feel that readers should experience stories for themselves but I will leave you with this....Beautiful imagery and emotionally connected characters - Ms. Jackson has written a spellbinding 2nd chance love story between a crazy boy and the girl who he has always loved that will stay with you for a long time to come <3 Move over Jared Holt because I have a new favorite AL Jackson boyfriend in Christopher Moore!
A.L Jackson has a way of captivating you with her words from page 1 - simply breathtaking, poetic and lyrical. I have been waiting for Christopher's story since we met him in Come to Me Quietly and Ms. Jackson has yet again shown us that she is a force to be reckoned with. I do want to mention that Come to Me Recklessly can be read as a standalone however I adore this series and these characters so I encourage you to start from book 1 :)
Samantha Schultz is living a lie - she believes that she is happy living with her boyfriend but deep down inside has never forgotten her first love, Christopher Moore.
It has been 7 years since they have seen each other, but upon seeing Christopher for the first time and experiencing his cruel and hurtful words, I can't help but wonder what happened 7 years ago to separate them? Can 2nd chances happen for those who have experienced such pain and anguish? Can they find forgiveness and move forward?
Told in present and past POV, I loved experiencing their first interactions growing up. Samantha is the pastor's daughter, innocent and good, and watching Christopher protect her, love her, giving her confidence in herself and teaching her how to live life fully was mesmerizing.
This couple throughout time will experience many hurdles, lies and hurt. It pained me to experience it because in my heart, I knew that they belonged together. Ms. Jackson gives readers "the feels" - I could literally feel the want, the heartbreak, and the love emitting from the pages of this book.
So I know I'm not telling you TOO much about the book as I feel that readers should experience stories for themselves but I will leave you with this....Beautiful imagery and emotionally connected characters - Ms. Jackson has written a spellbinding 2nd chance love story between a crazy boy and the girl who he has always loved that will stay with you for a long time to come <3 Move over Jared Holt because I have a new favorite AL Jackson boyfriend in Christopher Moore!
January 13, 2018
This review is filled with spoilers. Please don’t read it if you want to go in blind or just want to know a little.
Christopher goes through a rough patch as a teenager and is very aggressive with his GF Samantha (a virgin) one night. He was high on drugs and just wanted to be close to her but he lost control He comes out of it but not before he realizes he pretty much attacked her. She tells him to go and he does. He is lost and drowns himself in alcohol or gets high at a party, I forget. Anyway, he’s out of it and feeling bad for himself so the school slut and girl who bully’s Samantha leads him to a room where he has sex with her. Sam comes to look for him and help him but finds the slut riding him and he looks at her and smiles, he thinks he’s imagining it. She is broken and leaves with Ben. Ben has liked her forever and they stay together for 7 years because she is devastated by Christopher. Christopher becomes a manwhore, Samantha lives with Ben. 7 years later, Aly, Chris’ sister runs into Sam and they hang out. They live on the same street or something. Anyway, Sam runs into Christopher in the hallway of Aly’s house and he’s making out with some girl and it’s like deja vu. He looks at Sam while kissing the girl to hurt her then tells her to stay away from his family. Great guy. He does this, he says in his mind, because he can’t handle her, he hasn’t stopped thinking of her and he is who he is because of her, his one love. Okay. He is really a jerk then they are friends then romance. She does end up telling him what she saw after she asks him if he’s ever been with Jasmine(I think that’s her name, anyway she’s the slut) and he says no, he would never touch her. Well, she knows it’s a lie because she SAW him so he tries to backtrack and say it was just once but now she doesn’t trust him. Ben put a bunch of stuff in her head about him cheating for months when they were younger so now she really believes it. Ugh. It just seemed like so much stupid shit by both these guys.
Stewart, Sam’s brother, He was my favorite and I cried. The book got a whole lot of real with Stewart and I felt that.
There is a then and now aspect of the book. It goes from 7 years ago to now and back and forth.
Duel POV Christopher and Samantha
Epilogue 9 months out.
Aly and Jared and their daughter are in this quite a bit so you can catch up with them.
I won’t say how it all washed out because, damn, I’ve pretty much told you everything but the color of their underwear already.
There is cheating between the H and the h when they were young one time and she sees it. Other than that, after he sees her at Aly’s House when they are adults 7 years later, he isn’t with anyone else. So that’s good.
I don’t know how you get over seeing him with that girl that torments you and Christopher knows this. Even if it was years ago, I would always have the image. Anyway, that my opinion.
Christopher goes through a rough patch as a teenager and is very aggressive with his GF Samantha (a virgin) one night. He was high on drugs and just wanted to be close to her but he lost control He comes out of it but not before he realizes he pretty much attacked her. She tells him to go and he does. He is lost and drowns himself in alcohol or gets high at a party, I forget. Anyway, he’s out of it and feeling bad for himself so the school slut and girl who bully’s Samantha leads him to a room where he has sex with her. Sam comes to look for him and help him but finds the slut riding him and he looks at her and smiles, he thinks he’s imagining it. She is broken and leaves with Ben. Ben has liked her forever and they stay together for 7 years because she is devastated by Christopher. Christopher becomes a manwhore, Samantha lives with Ben. 7 years later, Aly, Chris’ sister runs into Sam and they hang out. They live on the same street or something. Anyway, Sam runs into Christopher in the hallway of Aly’s house and he’s making out with some girl and it’s like deja vu. He looks at Sam while kissing the girl to hurt her then tells her to stay away from his family. Great guy. He does this, he says in his mind, because he can’t handle her, he hasn’t stopped thinking of her and he is who he is because of her, his one love. Okay. He is really a jerk then they are friends then romance. She does end up telling him what she saw after she asks him if he’s ever been with Jasmine(I think that’s her name, anyway she’s the slut) and he says no, he would never touch her. Well, she knows it’s a lie because she SAW him so he tries to backtrack and say it was just once but now she doesn’t trust him. Ben put a bunch of stuff in her head about him cheating for months when they were younger so now she really believes it. Ugh. It just seemed like so much stupid shit by both these guys.
Stewart, Sam’s brother, He was my favorite and I cried. The book got a whole lot of real with Stewart and I felt that.
There is a then and now aspect of the book. It goes from 7 years ago to now and back and forth.
Duel POV Christopher and Samantha
Epilogue 9 months out.
Aly and Jared and their daughter are in this quite a bit so you can catch up with them.
I won’t say how it all washed out because, damn, I’ve pretty much told you everything but the color of their underwear already.
There is cheating between the H and the h when they were young one time and she sees it. Other than that, after he sees her at Aly’s House when they are adults 7 years later, he isn’t with anyone else. So that’s good.
I don’t know how you get over seeing him with that girl that torments you and Christopher knows this. Even if it was years ago, I would always have the image. Anyway, that my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2024
This one was a lot better! Christopher is brother to Ally (previous books), and Samantha is the one that got away!
'What does it take to delete the past?
A thousand apologies?
A million regrets?
A litany of prayers?
If I shouted them, would you hear?
If I whispered them, would you believe?
If I fell at your feet, would you forgive?
If I asked, would you start again?" (Him)
“You’re my world, Samantha. Everything I do, from now until the end of time, I’m going to be doing for you.” I leaned in, kissed her with all the tenderness I felt for her. And that was the thing with this girl. She made me feel good, like just being around her made me part of something greater. Something bigger than all the empty, frivolous ambitions that fueled the thoughts and actions of most of the people I hung out with. (HIM)
Chapter 19 🥹😫
**Overprotective parents
**Anguish/Torment
**Slow burn
P.S. I don't know what it is about this book ... but it's never-ending. 🤐🤨
Hoopla listen 🎶 👌 ♥️
'What does it take to delete the past?
A thousand apologies?
A million regrets?
A litany of prayers?
If I shouted them, would you hear?
If I whispered them, would you believe?
If I fell at your feet, would you forgive?
If I asked, would you start again?" (Him)
“You’re my world, Samantha. Everything I do, from now until the end of time, I’m going to be doing for you.” I leaned in, kissed her with all the tenderness I felt for her. And that was the thing with this girl. She made me feel good, like just being around her made me part of something greater. Something bigger than all the empty, frivolous ambitions that fueled the thoughts and actions of most of the people I hung out with. (HIM)
Chapter 19 🥹😫
**Overprotective parents
**Anguish/Torment
**Slow burn
P.S. I don't know what it is about this book ... but it's never-ending. 🤐🤨
Hoopla listen 🎶 👌 ♥️
April 7, 2015
This is only the second book of AL Jackson’s, that I have read. She is the queen of 2nd chance romance stories. The angst that comes along with these types of books, is what I live for!
Come to Me Recklessly, is Christopher and Samantha’s story. I have not read the first the first 2 books in this series, and never once felt lost, or like I was missing anything. So feel free to read it as a stand alone.
My heart ached for Samantha, and the life she was living. She was doing what she thought was safe, and what would keep her from getting hurt. Until one day she runs into her first loves sister, and eventually is met face to face with Christopher. I was surprised at the bad feelings Christopher had towards Sam, and it made me want to smack him a couple times!
“As I watched. I realized there was no evil in Christopher Moore. And if there was. I wanted to be infected with it.”
I loved their chemistry. Good girl with a deep love for a bad boy, yet they have so many misunderstandings and history in the way, how will they get past it all? This is why I gave a 3.5 stars, I don’t like the misunderstandings, that could have been easily solved, but that is my own personal thing.
A.L. Jackson writes beautifully, her words flow so clear and romantic. Not to many authors have that talent, and I have crazy respect for that. If you are a fan of A.L. Jackson and 2nd chance romance, then I highly recommend this read.
“No, Samantha. You just make me better. You cant see all my ugly when I’m surrounded by your light.”
3.5 Stars
Come to Me Recklessly, is Christopher and Samantha’s story. I have not read the first the first 2 books in this series, and never once felt lost, or like I was missing anything. So feel free to read it as a stand alone.
My heart ached for Samantha, and the life she was living. She was doing what she thought was safe, and what would keep her from getting hurt. Until one day she runs into her first loves sister, and eventually is met face to face with Christopher. I was surprised at the bad feelings Christopher had towards Sam, and it made me want to smack him a couple times!
“As I watched. I realized there was no evil in Christopher Moore. And if there was. I wanted to be infected with it.”
I loved their chemistry. Good girl with a deep love for a bad boy, yet they have so many misunderstandings and history in the way, how will they get past it all? This is why I gave a 3.5 stars, I don’t like the misunderstandings, that could have been easily solved, but that is my own personal thing.
A.L. Jackson writes beautifully, her words flow so clear and romantic. Not to many authors have that talent, and I have crazy respect for that. If you are a fan of A.L. Jackson and 2nd chance romance, then I highly recommend this read.
“No, Samantha. You just make me better. You cant see all my ugly when I’m surrounded by your light.”
3.5 Stars
Want to read
January 8, 2015COVER REVEAL!! We're getting Christopher's story on 7 April 2015!! :D
Blurb:
His heart was turned off…
Until she turned him on…
Christopher Moore gave up on the idea of love years ago. Now, his life is an endless string of parties and an even longer string of girls. Enjoying the physical perks with none of the emotional mess, hes convinced everyone that hes satisfied—everyone but himself.
Samantha Schultz has moved on with her life. Finishing her student teaching and living with her boyfriend, shes deluded herself into believing shes content. But there is one boy she never forgot—her first love—and she keeps the memory of him locked up tight. She will never allow any man to break her the way Christopher did.
When Christopher's sister and her family move into a new neighborhood, Christopher is completely unprepared to find Samantha living at the end of the street. Memories and unspent desires send them on collision course of sex, lies, and lust. But when guilt and fear send Samantha running, Christopher will have to fight for what has always been his.
Pre-order:
Amazon
Blurb:
His heart was turned off…
Until she turned him on…
Christopher Moore gave up on the idea of love years ago. Now, his life is an endless string of parties and an even longer string of girls. Enjoying the physical perks with none of the emotional mess, hes convinced everyone that hes satisfied—everyone but himself.
Samantha Schultz has moved on with her life. Finishing her student teaching and living with her boyfriend, shes deluded herself into believing shes content. But there is one boy she never forgot—her first love—and she keeps the memory of him locked up tight. She will never allow any man to break her the way Christopher did.
When Christopher's sister and her family move into a new neighborhood, Christopher is completely unprepared to find Samantha living at the end of the street. Memories and unspent desires send them on collision course of sex, lies, and lust. But when guilt and fear send Samantha running, Christopher will have to fight for what has always been his.
Pre-order:
Amazon
April 9, 2015
3.5-4 stars.
“What does it take to delete the past?
A thousand apologies?
A million regrets?
A litany of prayers?” - Chris
This is a second chance romance story between Christopher (Aleena's brother from Book 1,2) and Samantha, his first and only love.
So If you read the first 2 books in the series , you'll know that Christopher is a complete man-whore , but a good guy and a great brother nonetheless.
This book alternates between the past and the present . The past being the start of Sam and Chris's relationship when they were 16 years old, It takes us through how their relationship progressed and how it all came to an end. In the present, which is 7 years later , Sam bumps into Chris's sister in a store which leads them to starting a friendship that inserts Sam back into Chris's life.
I really struggled with how to rate this one , At first I was 100% sure this was going to be a 5 star read for me , then I started to feel ,, Maybe 4 ? .. then 3 ,, then at the end it came back to the 4-5 range. So yeah ,, I was so confused.
But First I want to say that I love this series , specially the first book . The author's writing is amazing in it and this book's no different.I wanted to highlight every other sentence !
To explain what I liked and didn't like , first I have to tell you the state of Sam and Chris's relationship in the present . Samantha has a boyfriend of 7 years , Ben . She's living with him but from the start you know that she is not there happily. She feels forced by her parent's expectations of her , and she feels like she owed Ben for being there for her after her fallout with Chris.
When Sam and Chris meet in the present for the first time, we're not really sure who was in the wrong, because both of them feels like the other one broke their heart and stomped all over it . So As a reader, I was sure it was a case of a big misunderstanding that led to the big heartbreak. But it wasn't a misunderstanding at all and that just frustrated me to no end . Because Chris had no right to feel that he was by any means the victim in this. He does end up apologizing soon enough though.
“When your life is made up of more regrets than joys, you no longer know who you are.
You are desperate and violent.
You destroy what is good and go in search of what will destroy you.” -Chris
So I'll start with what was it that I didn't like ::
- I guess what felt off to me was the timing of the flashbacks. Flashbacks ,if done right ,don't bother me . And this author did it right in the first book if I remember correctly. But this time ,when I was so sure that what happened between them was a misunderstanding that I'll forgive easily, I was really hurt by it. And what made it worse for me, that when I read about what actually happened in the past, I didn't get enough time to process or forgive because meanwhile in the present Sam was already forgiving him and falling in love with him all over again . So I just felt disconnected for a while there.
- Another thing that just irritated me , was why Sam didn't break up with Ben sooner than that ? He's her boyfriend for like 70% of the story , and while he's never there and always traveling . It somehow cheapened some scenes for me , because even though I hated Ben from the very first scene and he's obviously an asshole , I wanted Sam and Chris's reconciliation to have absolutely no shadows of him [ To be fair it was understood that she'll break it off with him after,but for me it was still too late ] .It just didn't feel right her having a boyfriend while she was clearly so in love with Chris. I mean it's hard to believe that for 3 months , Ben didn't try to sleep with his girlfriend or kiss her or whatever !
Ok , Moving on to what I liked ::
- I liked that I never doubted their love for each other , even through all the hurtful words and actions, It's plain obvious how much they're head over heels. From the beginning of the relationship 7 years ago, they were amazing together. and even though there were mistakes and so much hurt, I had to remind myself that they were only 16 years old going through a lot of bad things.
“He loved me and he always had.
And no, that love didn’t come without mistakes and wounds.
But that didn’t mean it wasn’t real.”
-Samantha
- I also loved Stewart (Sam's brother) and their relationship with each other. And it was great seeing more of Aly and Jared.
- What I said about being disconnected for a while , I'm glad I kept reading because at the end , Chris explains his actions as much as he can , and there was no loose ends and I really appreciated that.
- I also really liked that the characters acknowledged everything that I was feeling, like Chris owning up to his part in their breakup and taking the responsibly for not fighting for her hard enough and for the actions that followed. And Sam for feeling guilt about sneaking around with Chris without Ben's knowledge ( but to be complexity honest , by the end of it , you don't give a damn about Ben at all , but in the middle while it's all happening It didn't feel right to me ) , so even though the things I said in the first part of the review bothered me, them owning up to it all lessened my frustration a lot.
- Although Chris was supposed to be a man-whore , other than a small incident the first time he met Sam in the present , he has only eyes for her.
“You see, baby?” he grated. “I’ve never touched anyone like this. Never touched someone because I loved them. Because I cherished them. No one but you.”
So To Conclude , I think it was a good second chance love story , a few things bothered me which may not bother most people , so If you can get over those, I think you're going to love this one.
A Note about the safety of this book regarding OW/OM::
“What does it take to delete the past?
A thousand apologies?
A million regrets?
A litany of prayers?” - Chris
This is a second chance romance story between Christopher (Aleena's brother from Book 1,2) and Samantha, his first and only love.
So If you read the first 2 books in the series , you'll know that Christopher is a complete man-whore , but a good guy and a great brother nonetheless.
This book alternates between the past and the present . The past being the start of Sam and Chris's relationship when they were 16 years old, It takes us through how their relationship progressed and how it all came to an end. In the present, which is 7 years later , Sam bumps into Chris's sister in a store which leads them to starting a friendship that inserts Sam back into Chris's life.
I really struggled with how to rate this one , At first I was 100% sure this was going to be a 5 star read for me , then I started to feel ,, Maybe 4 ? .. then 3 ,, then at the end it came back to the 4-5 range. So yeah ,, I was so confused.
But First I want to say that I love this series , specially the first book . The author's writing is amazing in it and this book's no different.I wanted to highlight every other sentence !
To explain what I liked and didn't like , first I have to tell you the state of Sam and Chris's relationship in the present . Samantha has a boyfriend of 7 years , Ben . She's living with him but from the start you know that she is not there happily. She feels forced by her parent's expectations of her , and she feels like she owed Ben for being there for her after her fallout with Chris.
When Sam and Chris meet in the present for the first time, we're not really sure who was in the wrong, because both of them feels like the other one broke their heart and stomped all over it . So As a reader, I was sure it was a case of a big misunderstanding that led to the big heartbreak. But it wasn't a misunderstanding at all and that just frustrated me to no end . Because Chris had no right to feel that he was by any means the victim in this. He does end up apologizing soon enough though.
“When your life is made up of more regrets than joys, you no longer know who you are.
You are desperate and violent.
You destroy what is good and go in search of what will destroy you.” -Chris
So I'll start with what was it that I didn't like ::
- I guess what felt off to me was the timing of the flashbacks. Flashbacks ,if done right ,don't bother me . And this author did it right in the first book if I remember correctly. But this time ,when I was so sure that what happened between them was a misunderstanding that I'll forgive easily, I was really hurt by it. And what made it worse for me, that when I read about what actually happened in the past, I didn't get enough time to process or forgive because meanwhile in the present Sam was already forgiving him and falling in love with him all over again . So I just felt disconnected for a while there.
- Another thing that just irritated me , was why Sam didn't break up with Ben sooner than that ? He's her boyfriend for like 70% of the story , and while he's never there and always traveling . It somehow cheapened some scenes for me , because even though I hated Ben from the very first scene and he's obviously an asshole , I wanted Sam and Chris's reconciliation to have absolutely no shadows of him [ To be fair it was understood that she'll break it off with him after,but for me it was still too late ] .It just didn't feel right her having a boyfriend while she was clearly so in love with Chris. I mean it's hard to believe that for 3 months , Ben didn't try to sleep with his girlfriend or kiss her or whatever !
Ok , Moving on to what I liked ::
- I liked that I never doubted their love for each other , even through all the hurtful words and actions, It's plain obvious how much they're head over heels. From the beginning of the relationship 7 years ago, they were amazing together. and even though there were mistakes and so much hurt, I had to remind myself that they were only 16 years old going through a lot of bad things.
“He loved me and he always had.
And no, that love didn’t come without mistakes and wounds.
But that didn’t mean it wasn’t real.”
-Samantha
- I also loved Stewart (Sam's brother) and their relationship with each other. And it was great seeing more of Aly and Jared.
- What I said about being disconnected for a while , I'm glad I kept reading because at the end , Chris explains his actions as much as he can , and there was no loose ends and I really appreciated that.
- I also really liked that the characters acknowledged everything that I was feeling, like Chris owning up to his part in their breakup and taking the responsibly for not fighting for her hard enough and for the actions that followed. And Sam for feeling guilt about sneaking around with Chris without Ben's knowledge ( but to be complexity honest , by the end of it , you don't give a damn about Ben at all , but in the middle while it's all happening It didn't feel right to me ) , so even though the things I said in the first part of the review bothered me, them owning up to it all lessened my frustration a lot.
- Although Chris was supposed to be a man-whore , other than a small incident the first time he met Sam in the present , he has only eyes for her.
“You see, baby?” he grated. “I’ve never touched anyone like this. Never touched someone because I loved them. Because I cherished them. No one but you.”
So To Conclude , I think it was a good second chance love story , a few things bothered me which may not bother most people , so If you can get over those, I think you're going to love this one.
A Note about the safety of this book regarding OW/OM::
March 6, 2019
This was a hard book to rate. There were things I liked and things that I didn't like. It drove me so nuts throughout the book that . Yet, . Because of that that and how she was acting about it made it hard for me to really enjoy this book. One good thing is that they got their HEA in the end.
February 11, 2015
Oh My Gosh! I freaking adored this book! A 2015 Favorite.
His heart was turned off…
Until she turned him on…
Christopher Moore gave up on the idea of love years ago. Now, his life is an endless string of parties and an even longer string of girls. Enjoying the physical perks with none of the emotional mess, hes convinced everyone that hes satisfied—everyone but himself.
Samantha Schultz has moved on with her life. Finishing her student teaching and living with her boyfriend, shes deluded herself into believing shes content. But there is one boy she never forgot—her first love—and she keeps the memory of him locked up tight. She will never allow any man to break her the way Christopher did.
When Christopher's sister and her family move into a new neighborhood, Christopher is completely unprepared to find Samantha living at the end of the street. Memories and unspent desires send them on collision course of sex, lies, and lust. But when guilt and fear send Samantha running, Christopher will have to fight for what has always been his.
His heart was turned off…
Until she turned him on…
Christopher Moore gave up on the idea of love years ago. Now, his life is an endless string of parties and an even longer string of girls. Enjoying the physical perks with none of the emotional mess, hes convinced everyone that hes satisfied—everyone but himself.
Samantha Schultz has moved on with her life. Finishing her student teaching and living with her boyfriend, shes deluded herself into believing shes content. But there is one boy she never forgot—her first love—and she keeps the memory of him locked up tight. She will never allow any man to break her the way Christopher did.
When Christopher's sister and her family move into a new neighborhood, Christopher is completely unprepared to find Samantha living at the end of the street. Memories and unspent desires send them on collision course of sex, lies, and lust. But when guilt and fear send Samantha running, Christopher will have to fight for what has always been his.
July 3, 2016
This book is amazing!!! I literally couldn't put it down. Its a must read !!!! Samantha and Christopher's story have such an intense relationship. Their love for each other never dies. Author A.L Jackson really brings life to the characters and elicits raw emotions. Not only did I love the main characters, I also loved the secondary characters as well. Ally , Jared and Ella were the cutest family. The story is unlike anything I have ever read. The story gives us the background on how Samantha and Christopher got together and what brought them to their demise. This book is heartbreaking, and also brings happiness and hope. I finished it in one day!!! I would 100% recommend this book to people who love romance novels and cant wait to read more by AJ! :)
September 9, 2015
This book was all about second chance love. The strongest kind of love, that love that you fall into. The love that fills you so full of love, you forget what being unloved feels like. This book was beautiful. Truly stunning.
I can't decide if I fancy Jared or Christopher more.. maybe both? ❤️
I can't decide if I fancy Jared or Christopher more.. maybe both? ❤️
December 6, 2015
The change in main characters was a nice change at first, but after a bit they both annoyed me.
This was an okay read, but it felt rather long. All three books have had the same problem, and unfortunately, it causes them to drag for me.
Overall, A long, but okay read.
This was an okay read, but it felt rather long. All three books have had the same problem, and unfortunately, it causes them to drag for me.
Overall, A long, but okay read.
April 10, 2015
Review to come.
April 15, 2020
✨Review Come To Me Recklessly (Closer To You, #3) by A.L. Jackson✨
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“𝙄 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙚.”
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This is book three in the Closer To You Series by @aljacksonauthor and features Christopher & Samantha🤍 Can be read as a stand-alone but you should definitely read books one & two first because Aly & Jared are dynamite.
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My heart is shredded. I have been put through the ringer and I don’t think I ever want to come out of it. This was a beautiful, mesmerizing, second chance romance with so many ups and downs it will have you on the edge of your seat. Once again Amy delivers a beautiful story of lust, passion, and tainted pasts that leaves you spell bound. If you haven’t read one of Amy’s books before I highly suggest you do because this women writes ROMANCE like none other💙
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This story is about Christopher & Samantha who were each other first loves but unfortunately were torn apart and never had the chance to love each other fully because of so many lies, hurt, and misunderstandings.
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Once their lives become entwined again because Samantha runs into Christopher’s sister Aly, she fears letting Aly into her life will ultimately be letting Christopher back into her life. The one man who seven years later still owns her heart. Both are different people now, she has a boyfriend she lives with and Christopher has an endless string of women. But have either of them ever fully moved on? And was this chance encounter fate finally setting them on the right path to eachother?
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5⭐️ This Series will forever own my heart.💙
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“𝙄 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙚.”
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This is book three in the Closer To You Series by @aljacksonauthor and features Christopher & Samantha🤍 Can be read as a stand-alone but you should definitely read books one & two first because Aly & Jared are dynamite.
•
My heart is shredded. I have been put through the ringer and I don’t think I ever want to come out of it. This was a beautiful, mesmerizing, second chance romance with so many ups and downs it will have you on the edge of your seat. Once again Amy delivers a beautiful story of lust, passion, and tainted pasts that leaves you spell bound. If you haven’t read one of Amy’s books before I highly suggest you do because this women writes ROMANCE like none other💙
•
This story is about Christopher & Samantha who were each other first loves but unfortunately were torn apart and never had the chance to love each other fully because of so many lies, hurt, and misunderstandings.
•
Once their lives become entwined again because Samantha runs into Christopher’s sister Aly, she fears letting Aly into her life will ultimately be letting Christopher back into her life. The one man who seven years later still owns her heart. Both are different people now, she has a boyfriend she lives with and Christopher has an endless string of women. But have either of them ever fully moved on? And was this chance encounter fate finally setting them on the right path to eachother?
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5⭐️ This Series will forever own my heart.💙
June 12, 2019
Come to Me Recklessly is my favorite in the Closer to You series! Not only because I loved Christopher and Samantha's second chance at love - because I truly did! - but because Aly and Jared were also very present in this story.
I loved all the torment Christopher and Samantha had been living with because of missed opportunities, and the lies other people had fed them. Not that I enjoyed the fact that they were tormented, but because the way they still found it in their hearts to love and trust again was magnificent!
COYER Summer 2019 Treasure Hunt: Read a complete trilogy - 5 POINTS - Done!
I loved all the torment Christopher and Samantha had been living with because of missed opportunities, and the lies other people had fed them. Not that I enjoyed the fact that they were tormented, but because the way they still found it in their hearts to love and trust again was magnificent!
COYER Summer 2019 Treasure Hunt: Read a complete trilogy - 5 POINTS - Done!
July 6, 2019
solo lo acabe por que queria acabar la saga 🙄🤷🏻♀️❣️💆🏻♀️ estuvo dos tres nada del otro mundo ,me desespero la chica 🤦🏽♀️
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