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Unbreakable #1

Love Me Deeper

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There’s one thing Nova Quentin knows for sure.

346 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 9, 2018

347 people are currently reading
99 people want to read

About the author

Aja Cole

16 books137 followers
In addition to the people in her life that indulge her crazy - Aja Cole loves men that smell phenomenal, food that tastes amazing, and something that college makes it hard to do called sleep. She loves feedback and hearing from readers, as her goal is to become better with every release.

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5 stars
97 (33%)
4 stars
98 (33%)
3 stars
74 (25%)
2 stars
15 (5%)
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8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
Profile Image for Rosie.
1,653 reviews32 followers
April 21, 2018
Asher and Nova suffering love in silence, tried my patience. As a friend of both, there is no way I'd continue to listen to them tell me they love one another, but not each other. Since they didn't want their confidence broken, I would have gotten them together in a room and announced that they were in love with one another and left them to sort it all out. Thus, ending their suffering and mine!

I enjoy this author's writing style and I look forward to the next book in the series.

ARC Received.
Profile Image for Annette.
8 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2018
I'm totally here for the new generation of WOC writers. Fearless & adventurous, trying new stuff & making it work. That's what this book did. Aja is immensely talented, it's awesome reading her new stuff & she creates compelling, complex characters that I want to read more about in every book.
Profile Image for G.
69 reviews
April 3, 2018
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for a honest review. This review is going to go a bit in-depth so keep in mind that this review can be considered full of spoilers.

Brief Synopsis:
Nova Quentin and Asher King have been best friends since the moment they met. When Nova needs help to get away from her overbearing parents, Asher comes to the rescue and proposes they marry. A couple of years later, Asher is now a successful football player and Nova is a sought-after photographer and graphic designer. Will they finally admit their feelings and make their on-paper-marriage a real one?

The Good:
Asher King is a perfect hero. He is strong, assertive, and creative. The secondary characters in this story shine. I want to know more about Elias and Nova's sister, Naja. The sex scenes are some of the most realistic that I've seen in romance especially when dealing with a character who is very limited in experience.

The Bad:
Nova is kind of dumb and clueless. She never questions the things around her and doesn't seem to understand the concept of context clues in regards to the mysterious disappearance of her sister and the power dynamics of her family. Also, there was no need for the "are they still married or not". It would have been better off if the author had made it an estranged marriage instead of both main characters believing they were divorced when they actually weren't. The book was too short. Like it had a lot of plot points that could have been fleshed out more, I'm most especially referring to the power dynamics of her family. Also it would have been great to read Asher and Nova's friendship and their subsequent marriage instead of being told how both characters feel through brief flashbacks or friends nagging them to communicate. Sometimes the reader wants to feel that angst. All that pent up emotion would aid in the powerful climax (pun intended) of the two characters consummating their relationship. Also, if you're going to include the twist of making Asher be a bit kinky there was definitely room to delve into that much more -- after this is a romance novel.

Final Verdict:
Asher King is dreamy and just knows all the right things to say. Naja is so intriguing of a character that I want to know all about her and where she went and all of her adventures. If Elias is her beau, Naja might be more than he can handle. All in all, this is a great read and I'm hoping that this is the beginning of a new series because there are many questions left unanswered and more plots to explore.

Score: 3.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for G.
69 reviews
April 11, 2018
I originally received this book as an ARC and gave it a 3.5/5. Since then, the author has revamped the book and added an additional 10 chapters to give the characters more depth and give the reader a better feel of the story line for the following Unbreakable series. I received a copy of the new and improved book in exchange for a honest review.

Brief Synopsis:
Nova Quentin and Asher King have been best friends since the moment they met. When Nova needs help to get away from her overbearing parents, Asher comes to the rescue and comes up with the wacky idea to get married. They do, but Nova and Asher's fear of being honest about their feelings for one another leads to years of longing for one another now that they are estranged due to miscommunication. A couple of years later, Asher is now a successful football player and Nova is a sought-after photographer and graphic designer. Will they finally admit their feelings and make their on-paper-marriage a real one?

The Good:
Asher King is a perfect hero. He is strong, assertive, and creative. The secondary characters in this story shine. I want to know more about Elias and Nova's sister, Naja. The sex scenes are some of the most realistic that I've seen in romance especially when dealing with a character who is very limited in experience. The new and improved Nova has grown on me. She is as multifaceted as a decahedron dice. I understood why she did what she did, even when I didn't agree with Nova. The love that Asher and Nova feel for each other at such a young age had me hoping that my kids find something like that when they get older. And let it be known that Nova loves Asher and Asher will always be her knight in shining armor.

The Bad:
The book was too short. I could have sat there and read an entire romance novel of Nova and Asher as young adults. I think this author has a knack for capturing angst and should venture into it someday. But since it wasn't a young adult book I would have loved to have seen Asher in his element and letting his freak flag fly. All the reader got was a taste and I'm hoping to see more kink in the next book since I think the next story will feature Naja (Nova's mysterious older sister) and Elias (an acquaintance of Asher).

Final Verdict:
Asher King is dreamy and just knows all the right things to say. And he is also ride or die! He became my book boyfriend when he dumped that water all over Amelie's head when Asher and Nova were young. Nothing is more sexy than loyalty in a man. Naja is so intriguing of a character that I want to know all about her and where she went and all of her adventures. If Elias is her beau, Naja might be more than he can handle. All in all, this is a great read and I can't wait for the rest of the series to come out because there are many questions left unanswered and more plots to explore. I loved this revamped version better than the Bank sisters trilogy (and that's saying a lot because I LOVED that trilogy).

I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves romance and enjoys books where best friends turn to lovers. Aja Cole is a relatively new author in interracial romance but I think her writing is great and just keeps getting better with each book I read from her.

Score: 5/5
Profile Image for Lindaisa.
544 reviews61 followers
June 2, 2018
Unrequited love! I don't read many books with this trope but I enjoy it from time to time and the synopsis of Love Me Deeper seemed intriguing and interesting because there appeared to be a little bit more to the story. So much potential, so little execution.

Love me deeper starts off mysteriously which I was not expecting but welcomed because I love a book that has more substance than just characters falling in love. Someone important to the main character Nova, disappears without a trace and her parents, the people she is supposed to love and trust, seem to be implicit in the disappearance and the efforts of covering it up. Because of this, Nova goes through life feeling resentful, angry and distrustful of everyone around her...until she meets Asher. She and Asher become fast friends, are inseparable and of course secretly in love with one another but afraid to reveal those feelings for fear of ruining the relationship and bond that they have. Years later, Nova's parents past and dealings come back to the forefront, putting both Nova and Asher in the crosshairs. All they have is each other and they have to figure out what is going on before someone gets hurt and Nova's uncooperative parents are the only ones with the answers.

I am really disappointed in this book and how everything played out. I started out really good and then it kind of just fell apart for me. There was a lot of build-up and development at the beginning of the story but then at about the 70% mark it felt like the author kind of lost fuel at puttered out in terms of continuing with the plot development and exposition. I felt like once the characters got over the conflict of being afraid to reveal their feelings for one another, everything else in the book just kind of fell into place without any real conflict. Even the big "climax" of the story was shortlived and didn't really feel all that dangerous or impactful.

What I liked: For the most part, I enjoyed Nova and Asher as characters. I wish I could have learned more about them but again, the book kind of started out really letting you get to know the characters and their lives and then as soon as they got together, it was just all about their relationship and nothing else. I would have liked to read more about Nova and her work, what she was doing in the time that she wasn't with Asher, her friendships, and passions. I would have loved to read more about Asher as well. The author goes so far as to introduce a little quirk about Asher but then it is never discussed again or expounded upon...

What I didn't like: One thing that annoyed me throughout the entire book, was how Nova and Asher kept mentioning the fact that they were in love with one another but they knew the other party didn't feel the same and so they would go through the rest of their days feeling alone and suffering in silence and woe is me, blah blah blah. I understood that they were in love and unaware of the others feelings, but I don't need to read about it every single chapter. I get it, unrequited love isn't that complicated of a concept. There was no need to keep repeating the same thing over and over. Each time one of them mentioned it...again, I would roll my eyes because honestly, the couple of paragraphs used on that same thought process, could have been used for further character development and exposition.

All in all, really disappointed. There were bonus chapters that were at least 20 pages long and I didn't even read them because by the end of the book I was so bored and uninterested. When I started reading this book, I was excited because, despite a few of its flaws, I was really enjoying it and had already looked at a few other titles by Aja Cole to read next...but now I don't even think I want to read those anymore. So the search continues!



Profile Image for Amanda.
574 reviews58 followers
June 26, 2018
This was... okay. Picked it up because best friends in love, etc. Liked the twist that they were once in a MOC to help Nova get independence from her parents. But there wasn’t much build-up to them getting together. And the rest of the book involved a really underdeveloped subplot about Nova’s family and it felt like the book couldn’t decide whether to be suspense or not; it wasn’t integrated very smoothly. We get almost no info about Asher’s background and the fact that he’s a pro athlete is just kind of... there? Also, Asher is part of a sex club because of kink he’s into and there were “bonus chapters” where they visit the club and I was also like... what? Felt like another random thing to throw into the story.
Profile Image for Juan.
13 reviews
July 21, 2018
Fun, but with slight flaws 3.5 stars

Loved the changing perspective from each of Nova and Asher’s views. Giving insight into the characters. The relationship and even the steamy stuff was good, but the twist on what was happening in Nova’s family isnt all that thrilling or unpredictable. A lot of these type of stories lend themselves to go down that route. Luckily the characters interactions and stories save the day.
Profile Image for Molli Moran.
Author 7 books227 followers
May 16, 2018
Really cute and heartfelt with a dash of steaminess and intrigue.
Profile Image for Ashley Smith.
95 reviews2 followers
April 29, 2018
Loved it

Ash and nova's story was very well written. I just love friends to love of my life stories. Great read
Profile Image for TinaNoir.
1,892 reviews339 followers
November 4, 2018
The romance was frustrating.

The characters had some appeal but they were stymied by some illogical decisions.

The suspense plot felt rather ludicrous.

Didn’t work on any level for me.
Profile Image for McKenzie.
45 reviews
April 2, 2018
Meh

It was just ok. I was not very interested in this story, but for some reason I focus more on the sisters story line.
Profile Image for Laverne Brewster.
1,384 reviews18 followers
April 3, 2019
2.25 Stars. Interracial friends to lovers. The story begins 12 years in the past with the 16-year-old Naja, sister of the heroine, Nova Quentin, running away from home, the sisters were close and Nova cherished her supportive sibling. At age 14, Nova is in her second year of therapy and the family gets new tenets, 14-year-old Asher King and his father move into the Quentin guesthouse. Asher and Nova become close friends and secretly fall in love with the other; however, to keep others in the dark abou their feelings, Nova, briefly dates one of Asher's football team mates. Three years later, Nova’s parents tell her that they are arranging for her to marry the son of one of their friends and business associates. She's devastated. To calm and assure her that all is well, Asher offers to marry her. They marry, she enrolls in the school where Asher has a football scholarship, they move in together, he subsidies her tuition short fall, he faithful, loving and attentive; but she decides he's too good and doing too much so right after graduation she leaves for 4 years before returning. When she does return, she tries to hook him up with some woman. Eventually, they get on course to their HEA; but not without some more family drama. One of the shortfalls of this book is that author does paint a picture of many of the main characters; example, Asher has grey eyes and is slightly taller than Nova until about 2/3rds of the book when we are told that he is White, we are also told that Nova is 5'4'' and that head faces rests in the middle of his chest which suggests he's at least 6'3". We she returns, Nova's sister's 16 year absence is never explained. There are lots of other unexplained events and underdeveloped characters. #5 KUB.
Profile Image for Cherryl.
2,162 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2018
Family ties are important!

No matter what a parent does there is always a reason behind it. Nova Quentin was mad as hell with her parents when her only sister Naja disappeared and her parents did not seem to mind her loss. Her only saving grace was her best friend Asher King. They were everything to each other. They both loved each other and were in love with each other but were too afraid to voice it. He was always there to come to Nova's rescue and rescue her he did, more than Nova realized. He'd done so much for her that she thought she was hampering his happiness and was willing to step out of his life so he could find a woman she thought he deserved. It was not until she came back into his life that they finally admitted their love for one another, upon the encouragement of their friend Riley and Asher's father.

Then all hell broke lose and secrets are revealed and Nova finally understood why her parents were so strange. It was a weight being lifted off of her to know her parents were protecting her as best they could under the circumstances.

Aja wrote a story that was about the innocence of young love and what they are willing to do to see that the other has a good life. This story was sweet and heart warming. At the same time there were unexpected mysteries behind the parents and Nova's sister Naja. Naja's and Elias' story should be interesting as well.
400 reviews6 followers
June 10, 2019
This book was really good until it wasn't.

I was thoroughly enjoying the story of Nova and Asher. Your typical friends who are in love but never tell each other story. Their story stretches out over years and is really quite engaging for the first half of the book. For some reason the author decided to take this book in a really weird direction for the second half which would have been fine except for one thing I couldn't get over. Nova is supposedly in love with Asher but decides to have sex with some random guy to try to get over him which makes sense. The problem is that she turns down all the guys that come up to her until one really attractive guy grabs your attention and she is ready to have sex with him right away. They go back to his hotel and you think that she's going to have second thoughts or that she'll be thinking of Asher because that's the love of her life, but know she is 100% invested in having sex with this stranger. Even after her and Asher finally admit their feelings for each other and are 100% committed to each other she lets the reader know again how much she lusts after this other guy and would happily have sex with him. Call me crazy but for two people that were supposedly soulmates for her to have that reaction to another guy just completely took me out of the story.
83 reviews
April 12, 2018
This was a really good friends to lovers romance with a bit of mystery/suspense thrown in. Asher and Nova have been best friends since they were kids and have been in love with each other for just as long. Of course things can never be that easy or straightforward though. Both of them are scared to tell each other their true feelings so instead you get a lot of wasted time. Fast forward a few years after they've drifted apart and the two are thrown back together unexpectedly. This time though, a well meaning friend makes sure these two don't miss out on this second chance. Asher was the ideal book boyfriend and the perfect counter balance to Nova. Nova was a character that at times got a little annoying. She was very insecure when it came to herself and how Asher saw her/his love for her. Having him constantly reaffirm his feelings got to be a bit old but by the end of the books she finally gets it. While these two are working their way to an HEA we also have a mystery going on with Nova's family and finding out what happened to her older sister. We get some answers to that by the end of the book but I'm hoping there's another story about her sister so we can learn more. This was a good book and I think readers will enjoy it!
634 reviews
March 6, 2019
There’s one thing Nova Quentin knows for sure. She’s in love with her best friend. Okay, now here’s what she doesn’t know. How on earth to tell him how she feels. Asher’s already given her everything he can – including a hasty fake marriage to keep her free from her crazy parents (who wanted an arranged marriage). He deserves better than someone who needs him so much and has only drama to give in return. Right? For nearly 10 years, football player Asher King has been in love with his best friend. That hesitant, dimpled smile on her captivating lips – that curly hair unruly around her smooth, brown face – he never stood a chance. But she distanced herself after college, and even though it hurt like hell, he respected her wishes. Now they’re back in each other’s lives. Two people bent on believing that there's nothing between them. One more chance to get it right. When things get complicated (she learns her parents are involved in a criminal enterprise and her sister Naja who went missing at 16 is not dead) and there’s more at stake than their feelings for each other, will they make it out alive and together? Or will they be torn apart for good this time?

Interesting story, not a flowing read...difficult to follow at times, disjointed word usage
Profile Image for Karen Boozer.
31 reviews1 follower
April 3, 2018
I loved it! This is an awesome start to a new series (hopefully). Nova and Asher have been friends since their teens and have loved each other since then but both were too afraid to tell the other because they didn't want to ruin their friendship...even though they are MARRIED! Their best friend pushed them both to admit their feelings and things heated up and went from there. Nova's parents are tied in with a crime family and it ends up getting Asher kidnapped and "worked over" so their is a certain amount of intrigue in here too!

I have been reading Aja's books since her first and you can tell how far she has come and that she is an awesome writer. I really enjoy reading her books and can't wait what she has in store for us. This is an awesome book and I recommend you read it...read all the books on her bookshelf...you will not be sorry. I was provided an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Sonia.
649 reviews4 followers
April 25, 2018
Okay

The first part of the book was too drawn out and it became boring, the kind d of boring that had me wondering when the book would end. It had lots of potential but by drawing out the friendship, it made the characters blah and silly. The background story need to be fleshed out and substantiated. Imagine the big I love you reveal and the characters going to sleep in separate rooms..really? The last 35 percent of the book had all the action with bonus chapters that explained his sexual kink and where he went to satisfy that kink, which was hidden from his best friend and with only a very brief allude by the author. For a while I thought the H only did hand jobs. This story was from his POV, so his sexual identity should have been part of his story. Poor execution of a potentially good story. Oh yeah, he loved her from the moment he met her, blah, blah, blah.
Profile Image for Jackie Bragg.
417 reviews12 followers
August 2, 2018
True love stands the test of time

Asher and Nova has been best friends since Asher Dad rented Property from Nova parents. What started as friendship turned into something more precious the gold, but that is about to change when Nova parents decided to announce her upcoming marriage. What's a girl to do but turned to her best friend Asher, who is in love with her would do anything for her. Forward 10 years later and they still haven't a clue on how the other feels. I have run though all types of feelings reading this book. I was first pissed at the Parents for hiding all that they did, but understood after all was explained. Now what's up with the Sister disappearing and coming back, and her and Ellias. This book was intense, Romantic and I can't wait to read book 2
304 reviews1 follower
April 20, 2018
Love me deeper

Asher and Nova. Best friends. Each loved the other but were afraid to admit it to other. Her family was bizarre, especially the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the older sister. I kind of think parents got off easy, considering everything they were involved in.
Nova. At times she annoyed me, and at times I felt bad for her. Ash was so kind, and so patient with her. He loved her that much. I loved Riley, she was right all along.
Found a few grammar errors, hence the three star rating.
81 reviews
April 28, 2018
BWWM?

Oh yes, that's right, mom is Indian and black and dad is a shade darker.... Okay. This book is about two people who absolutely, are by far the most slow witted characters I've ever tried to like. I finished this but I wasn't satisfied at all.

Nova is ridiculous but then, so is Ash, her parents, the agent who could be a fraud, the sister.... The plot is not really together until the end which feels to me like the story was going in a different direction then was changed.

This just didn't work for me. Even when the characters FINALLY got together.
Profile Image for Cammyjoe.
1,429 reviews8 followers
April 28, 2018
Dang good!!

Aja, you did it again!!.
Ash is so damn hot and loving, ... Loyal ! Too bad, they waste so much time for fear 😱 of rejection. I like the fact the poo parents weren't horrible after all.
Lot of twists and turns... So much intrigues...
I'm waiting for some babies after all the hot wax!!;)
And, I would like to know what happened to Heidi!? Was she a psycho is disguise? Lol. Wow!!I

Can't wait for Naja and Elias. She is one badass, Elias is going have a run for his money!! Hotdamn!!
Great read 🌟!!!!!
2 reviews
April 29, 2018
Flashback

This was my first book by Aja Cole. At first I was disappointed 😞.....hate constantly looking back and dwelling on what could or should have happened. I was pleasantly surprised to realize the way the author set the story was to lay the groundwork for the present story in a way that didn't leave the reader confused. The story did not jump from one timeframe to another one which I loved😀! I did have one big critique, I felt the author dragged a certain aspect of the story too long! I don't want to spoil anything for anyone because I do recommend reading the story.
Profile Image for Nerdyviv.
175 reviews5 followers
May 19, 2018
This book wasn’t bad but I didn’t understand why, Nova was so sure Asher didn’t want her. I also kept thinking y’all have lived together and never once did they have a drinking hookup? Also Asher and his “sex club” visits was soooo damn lame! You go to a sex club cause you like to drop wax on women? You trying to tell me that he couldn’t find some football groupie? I was thinking he was going to a sex club Because he had some super freaky needs. Like I said I didn’t not like the book, I just had a lot of questions after reading.
Profile Image for Theresa.
251 reviews11 followers
June 18, 2018
I was looking forward to this because it was an interracial romance and it didn’t seem like a lot of the ones that are out that about a billionaire saving some poor damsel with no real plot. I enjoyed the first part of the book and was looking forward to the possibility of best friends taking their friendship to the next level but somewhere in the middle the book lost me. I was frustrated that Nova and Asher didn’t communicate their feelings for each other and the plot device that was thrown in toward the end felt cheesy and so not in flow with the story.
109 reviews
Read
July 28, 2019
Best friends in love, but with twist

Nova meets Asher when he and his dad move into Nova’s parents house. They became friends immediately and that friendship turned into love. A story about two best friends who are secretly in love with one another, but are afraid of destroying their friendship. This story is told in a two person point of view which I love because you know what both characters are thinking. I thought this would be a typical boy wants girl, girl wants boy, but it has a nice twist. Overall I enjoyed it and now I get to read about Nova’s sister Naja.
1,759 reviews7 followers
April 17, 2018
I'm a huge fan of how this author tells a story. I loved these characters, especially Asher. Nova and Ash have been best friends forever and, even though they were crazy about each other, were hesitant to show their true feelings for fear of ruining their friendship. This story had a bit of everything: lots of feels, sexiness, suspense, and a great storyline. Hope we will see more of these characters in future stories.
*I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.*
2,670 reviews23 followers
April 17, 2018
Good t

This was such a good story that takes a turn into the strange and what the heck category!I loved that these two people meet and do everything they can to not fall for the other.I looked forward to all the heat and most that come when it's obvious that they are attracted to one another.I just feel some steps are missing.This was good writing and I will read the next installment.I want to see this couple again.
Profile Image for D'Nae Gardner.
69 reviews
April 19, 2018
Best friends to Lovers the long way

Nova and Ash are so sweet and this beat friends to lovers romance is exactly that. It starts a little slow for me, but I understand that's because background needs to be setup.
The romance aspect was sweet and charming. I'm assuming that Ash is not a very DOMinant man considering it took 10 years for him to get Nova to realize that he was in love with her.
I feel this book was really more a setup for the book for Naja and Ellis
274 reviews3 followers
January 14, 2019
Nova and Ash

These two grew to be best friends. There were things going on in her family that was crazy drama and I'm glad that he was there for her. The marriage situation was starting to get on my nerves because neither one wanted to admit they had feelings for each other and I just wanted to shake some sense into both of them. But other than that I really enjoyed reading this story and gonna go read about the sister next!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews

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