They always say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what happens when your brain is set on lying to you every time you look in the mirror?
The thing about emotional pain is that it leaves invisible scars. No one sees them but you. No one feels them but you. But those scars can be traced by the gentlest of touch and I found that touch in the form of a man. He didn't heal me, but his love changed me.
The start of our relationship was ... intense. Why? Well, because that same man rejected me years ago and he didn't even remember. I was invisible to him.
Now his heart beats for me and mine for him. Our souls are entwined in a way that would never be separated, but this almost perfect man has a secret that could alter the course of our lives forever.
Lym Cruz is a Contemporary Romance Author who strives to create heartfelt novels and short stories.
Her stories revolve around strong, but imperfect heroes and heroines, both struggling to find love in the face of adversity, and that's what makes them relatable. Fall madly in Love with your next characters by simply reading one of her stories.
When Lym is not reading or writing, she spends her time with her family. She considers them, her greatest accomplishment.
'REJECTED:' is the second stand alone romance book by 'New to me author' Lym Cruz 'Imperfectly Perfect' series. In this we meet (Christina and Ezra). Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives.' This book deals with real life problems.
This book took me completely by surprise. So many twists and turns that even I didn't see coming they just came at me out of nowhere which I loved, I loved that element of surprise! It did take me a bit to connect with our heroine Christina, anger seemed to be her constant companion along with a couldn't care less attitude with a sharp tongue which could cut you down swiftly, BUT colour me blind because towards the end she did start to grow on me, and she came across more real allowing me to empathise with her and her insecurities, we all wear scars just some are better hidden.
In the beginning we see a rejected Ezra getting turned down by Melissa, a girl that he'd harboured a crush on for years so that was the catalyst with him wanting to make more of himself he finds himself in situations where he's well over his head which could in turn jeopardise his loved ones.
One night out at a club where he's closing out a deal he sees Melissa's close friend Christina intoxicated and jumps in and takes her back to Melissa's place to sober up.
As her two friends lives seem to be on the up and up her life is on stand still, broke and unemployed but life started to look up for her when she lands a job at an accounting firm. The only downer is she'll be working alongside Ezra, the guy she can't stand, even being close to him makes her skin crawl.
A slow burn office romance commenced, I loved their post it notes, the quick banter backwards and forwards, the ending definitely had me thinking that there was more to come and I for one would love to read more.
"Why couldn't you see me before?" "All these years we've known each other but you never saw me." "That's because I had my eyes fixed in the wrong direction." "But I won't ever take my eyes away from you. I've found my north star."
This is my first read by this author and it was really good!!! There were a lot of twist and turns that kept me waiting to see what happened. Ezra was a wonderful character and his i be for Christina was amazing. It took me a minute to warm up to Christina but after you settle in and try to see things from her eyes you will end up liking her. There are triggers in this book about eating disorders so be prepared but it was written very well. I wish I could have read this first book before this one but the author asked me if in would like you read this one and I'm glad I didn't say no. Thank you Lym for the ARC I really enjoyed this! I voluntary reviewed this book !
My main character suffers from an eating disorder and I know that it’s a very sensitive topic. But I want you to keep in mind that this is a work of fiction.
I tried to show, to the best of my ability, the character’s struggle without creating an overly depressing book. I have first-hand experience with bulimia and I know that not even a fraction is covered in this book.
You will also notice that there is never a “healing moment” in the story because I strongly believe that love conquers all, but some things require professional intervention.
This was a great story, really intense and unexpected twists and turns, Ezra what a great character he was. And Christina a strong and courageous woman 😊
This book delivers in a big way! Hang on for an emotional ride with some surprising and suspenseful twists and turns.
We met Ezra and Christina in Flawed, the first book in this series. Ezra was rejected by Melissa, while Christina felt rejected by Ezra, although Ezra didn’t even realize he did it. “All these years we’ve known each other but you never saw me.” “That’s because I had my eyes fixed in the wrong direction.” Initially they hate each other with a fiery passion, but that fine line between hate and love eventually starts to blur.
Ezra is caught up in something he wants nothing to do with but getting out isn’t an option. Christina is battling demons that are affecting her life and her health. Ezra may not have been able to completely save Christina, but with his love, he supports her while she saves herself. Nobody’s perfect and these two help each other to live with their scars. I love how Lym Cruz dealt with a very difficult subject without being unrealistic.
I received an ARC and promised to provide an honest review.
Rejected was an interesting novel that got my attention from the first page. Both main characters are flawed and struggling with serious situations. For Christina, it was emotional and mental problems while for Ezra the danger was very real and threatening.
What I like about this upcoming author is that she never seizes to surprise me with the plot twists and turns and I appreciate that in a novel. I also appreciated the originality she brought to the story. After reading a few romance novels, they all pretty much sound the same and this story was refreshing. I strongly believe that the author can write but there is still room for improvement.
I will admit that, although the story grabbed me by balls right away, I had a bit of a hard time connecting with Christina. She took out her pain in the form of anger. Being nasty was her weapon of choice but later on, my heart broke for her and all she'd been through. I just wanted to hug her and make it all better.
This was a beautiful story and I will continue reading this series. I can't wait to see who the author writes about next.
This enemies to lovers romance is emotional, suspenseful, sweet, and swoon worthy.
If you read Flawed, the first book in this series, you met Ezra who was rejected by Melissa. We also met Christina who we discover felt rejected by Ezra, although Ezra didn’t even realize he did it. “All these years we’ve known each other but you never saw me.” “That’s because I had my eyes fixed in the wrong direction.” Initially they hate each other with a fiery passion, but that fine line between hate and love eventually starts to blur.
Ezra is caught up in something he wants nothing to do with but getting out isn’t an option. Christina is battling demons that are affecting her life and her health. Ezra may not have been able to completely save Christina, but with his love, he supports her while she saves herself. Nobody’s perfect and these two help each other to live with their scars. I love how Lym Cruz dealt with a very difficult subject without being unrealistic.
Hang on, because your emotions will run the gamut, including some crazy twists and turns and edge of your seat suspense...this book delivers in a big way!
Wow! What a read. I really liked it. I thought the writing was good with an interesting storyline. There was enough drama, action, and tender moments to keep things moving nicely. It certainly took me in a direction I didn’t see coming
It was also raw and emotional; I really felt for these two characters. Each fighting their own personal demons and secrets, it seemed like an uphill battle, but their chemistry was undeniable and they were exactly what each other needed
Overall I really enjoyed it. I hope she has plans of writing more about these characters.
Rejected is a story full of plot twists and hardships. Ezra finds himself wishing for more status to impress Melissa before he realizes it his choices leave him in to deep.
Then on a night out ezra finds Melissa's friend Christina in a drunk state.So Ezra does the right thing and brings Christina to Melissa's house but he forgets her belongings in the back seat.
They meet up to exchange it and that's when the tension begins. Ezra and Christina both have secrets they have to navigate through. When they finally trust each other enough with their secrets will what Ezra has to tell Christina be too much for her to handle?
This story left me shocked I want to type so much more but you need to just experience it yourselves add it to your TBR !!!
Trigger warning: eating disorders are discussed in this story.
A great read with some darker elements which I absolutely love. Ezra was so lovely & the way he loved & cared for Christina made me want to climb into my kindle & hug him. Lots of angst & tension too. After that ending I need to find out what happens to Vinnie and the family. Great job Lym!
This book is very emotional and touches very sensitive subjects that are possible triggers (eating disorder) for some. With that said, I know that this book might not be for everyone (no book is).
We first meet Christina and Ezra in book 1 (Rejected). Christina is a sassy girl who hides her insecurities under a sharp tongue. She is a very relatable character and some parts of her struggles were hard to read because they brought to memory old wounds. I never had a problem with food, but I do believe that most of us had certain insecurities at some point in our lives.
Ezra was also a good character and well rounded. He had secrets that could put in jeopardy everyone around him. I felt his struggles and immediately fell in love with the way he cared for and admired Christina. Regardless of her problems.
This is a slow burn but the emotion and chemistry between the characters was palpable.
And when things got hot, it burned through the pages.
Like the author's previous book, this too was filled with twists and turns and one that completely blind sighted me.
I loved reading this book and will probably read it once more because it is very emotional.
Very good book. I loved it very much. The character Christina and Ezra were strong and the story beautiful. And that cover is wonderful. It fit well with the story.
I really enjoyed this book. Both of the main characters are dealing with being rejected. It took me awhile to warm up to Christina but I ended up loving her by the end. Ezra was a sweetheart and I loved how he wanted to help Christina. These characters wormed their way into my heart. Truly a great read with an entertaining storyline.
Wow, talk about a heart stopping, edge of your seat, emotional rollercoaster. This was it! I am beyond impressed with this second book of the series. I am officially hooked.
First, I totally didn't see the whole Ezra and Christina relationship coming after book one. I never would have expected them as a couple. They both have flaws that they aren't happy with, whether it is from their past or their present life. What I found amazing was how they were able to look past each others flaws and see the real person behind it all. Ezra learned so much about Christina and why she is the way she is. He helps her see past the image of what she has of herself. Making Christina see that she is beautiful not only from the inside but outside as well, that she too deserves love and happiness.Their relationship and love for one another is incredible.
Secondly, Lym Cruz took this story to a whole nother level that I wasn't expecting. By the last few chapters I felt my heart racing, it was as if I was living the events of the book with the characters. I couldn't pull myself away from reading this book. So much was divulged in the end, all of which you need to read to find out. Because I'm not spoiling it for you. I am excited to see where the author takes this series.
In my opinion, this book truly deserves 5... stars just like Ezra.
I thought I was prepared for this book. I’ve read Flawed so I thought I knew how Lym Cruz could mess with my emotions. But I wasn’t prepared for this story. My poor heart is bruised after experiencing what Christina’s feelings for herself, so heartbreaking! And don’t even get me started with Ezra and his secrets. The back and forth between Christina and Ezra had my heart and head confused, I didn’t know if I wanted them to love one another or run in the other direction. This book has the perfect mix of imperfect characters, angst, romance and some sexy times. Such an emotional roller coaster but so good!!
I'm new to the world of reviews and this is the first ARC that I review.
I'm glad that I requested this book because it did not disappoint. I loved the chemistry between Ezra and Christina. I loved how unique they were as individuals and how their stories came together at the end.
It was beautifully written and I hope to get Alexa's story next, the prologue left my chin hanging.
Lym Cruz has created another masterpiece with this book Rejected which is the second book in the Imperfectly Perfect series. It can be read as a stand-alone novel with no difficulty. The characters are realistically complicated. In the explanation of the story the author explains that there are some subjects addressed that are difficult to discuss and could be triggers for readers.
The main female character Christina suffers from an eating disorder but the author did a great job showing her struggle without making it too depressing or unbelievable by making it seem like she's cured of her problems by having a relationship. Ezra is a strong main male character that has his own issues.
This is a bit of an enemies to lovers type novel as Christina and Ezra have a complicated history that causes them to clash in fiery disagreements. Once they get over their differences their chemistry is white hot and the sexy romance is combustible! This book had a storyline that was unexpected and interesting. It keeps the reader guessing and intrigued the entire time. I can't wait to see what Lym Cruz creates next in this series! I gave it a very enthusiastic five out of five star reviews.
Spanish: “Rejected” de Lym Cruz es el segundo libro completamente independiente perteneciente a la serie “Imperfectly Perfect” Es un romance contemporáneo con mucho suspense, de enemigos amantes y con temas sensibles como desorden alimenticio que pueden que pueden herir la sensibilidad de algunos lectores.
Ezra rompió el corazón de Christina años atrás, teniendo una relación con su mejor amiga, aunque el destino rompió esa relación. Ahora ambos se vuelven a encontrar, pero cada uno con sus problemas personales, pero con ayuda mutua ambos intentaran salir adelante y darle una oportunidad que años atrás no aprovecharon.
Madre mía, que demonios acabo de leer. Este libro me mantuvo demasiado intrigada y enganchada con todo el suspense que hay, además los personajes han mostrado partes de ellos que no me esperaba.
Empezando con Christina y su problema alimenticio. Es un tema del que estoy familiarizada, aunque no tal extremo que sufre Christina. Su narración de cómo empezó todo, y lo que la lleva a ello, es un claro ejemplo de lo que muchas personas sufren. Con ella he llorado por su lucha diaria y constante.
“No me curó, pero su amor me cambió.”
Ezra para mí es un héroe que se merece muchísimo más. Paso por tantas cosas y se metió en aguas muy turbulentas, para que en los últimos capítulos te deje impactada y con ganas de saber que ocurrirá. Me encanto el breve repaso de su relación con Melissa, protagonista del primer libro “Flawed”.
"Me di cuenta de que no estaba enamorado de ella. Estaba enamorado de la imagen que había creado de ella cuando en realidad, no tenía ni idea de quién era"
Su relación ha tenido demasiados baches por ambas partes, aunque no es culpa de ninguno. Este libro te abre los ojos en muchas cuestiones, y te deja las expectativas muy altas, pero habiendo leído el libro anterior no me esperaba nada menos. ⚜Rate: ★★★★★
English: "Rejected" by Lym Cruz is the second standalone book in the "Imperfectly Perfect" series. It' s a contemporary romance with a heavy dose of suspense, enemies to lovers, and with sensitive topics like eating disorders that may hurt some readers' sensibilities.
Ezra broke Christina's heart years ago, having a relationship with her best friend, although fate broke that relationship. Now they both meet again, but each one with his problems, and with mutual help, they both try to get ahead and give her a chance that years ago they didn't take.
Oh my God, what the hell did I just read? This book kept me too intrigued and hooked on all the suspense there is, plus the characters have shown parts of themselves that I didn't expect.
Starting with Christina and her eating problem. It's a subject I'm familiar with, though not to the extreme that Christina suffers. Her story of how it all began, and what leads to it, is a clear example of what many people suffer. With her I have cried over her daily and constant struggle.
“He didn't heal me but his love change me”
Ezra, to me, is a hero who deserves so much more. He went through so many things and got himself into very turbulent waters so that in the last chapters, he leaves you shocked and wanting to know what will happen. Also, I loved the brief review of his relationship with Melissa, the protagonist of the first book, "Flawed".
"I realized that I wasn't in love with her. I was in love with the image I'd created of her when in reality, I had no idea who she was"
Their relationship has had too many bumps on both sides, though it's not the fault of either. This book opens your eyes in many ways and leaves your expectations very high, but having read the previous book, I expected nothing less. ⚜Rate: ★★★★★
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
Content warnings: violence, eating disorder
Rating: 4/5 stars
Rejected is book number two in the Imperfectly Perfect series by Lym Cruz. It follows the ebb and flow of Christina and Ezra’s relationship as they navigate from hate to love. Even though it is book two of the series, it can be read as a stand-alone because the secondary characters are introduced and woven into the story of the main characters very well.
The book alternates the storyline between Ezra and Christina’s points of view. It starts off with finding out that Ezra, who was in love with one of Christina’s best friends, being rejected by this friend. He is wandering around and trying to figure out how he’s going to go on without her and runs into an old friend of his who has an opportunity that might help him get her off his mind and make him a little cash in the process. Christina is introduced when Ezra is making a deal at a club and sees that she is way too intoxicated to be left alone with a shady guy. She is none too happy with Ezra interfering with her hookup.
Ezra and Christina end up having some serious arguments ensue that send sparks flying. Ezra doesn’t understand why Christina hates him so much, but will soon find out. Christina doesn’t understand why Ezra keeps disappearing and is being so secretive about where he goes. Once communication finally opens up then they both start to understand the other.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Lym definitely has a knack for writing suspense and character arcs that leave you wanting to keep going to find out where it will lead. I highly recommend this book.
I received a copy of this ARC for an honest review.
Lym Cruz is a new to me author and Rejected is the 2nd book of the Imperfectly Perfect novels. If you are new to this world, I would highly suggest starting with Flawed and then working to Rejected. Both novels are standalone, but you will meet the characters from Rejected in Flawed and will understand Ezra's fight with rejection a little more.
Rejected is the story of Ezra and Christina, both of whom you meet in book 1, Flawed. Both of them have imperfections that they can't work past, both not knowing that they are inevitably being drawn together.
I would call this book an Enemies to Lovers standalone. Lym brings the story of Ezra and Christina to life in a way that had me grasping for more as it all played out in front of me. Ezra is reeling from his own pit of rejection, stung by it, and ultimately it leads him to a life he never saw himself in. Then we have Christina, sweet misguided Christina. She is suffering from an eating disorder that not only plagues her mentally, but physically as well, and creates her own reeling from the pits of rejection. Lym highlights the effects that this disease has on a person without buying into the hoopla that surrounds it in the world of today.
When they first come together, it is a forced working relationship that causes so much tension that you could literally cut it with a knife. I loved the banter they had back and forth, but what I loved even more was how Ezra helped Christina. His overall devotion and love in her was amazingly beautiful and heartfelt. He melted my heart.
All in all, the storyline was captivating and engaging. You had to keep turning the page, wanting and needing more from the book. As it came to a close, you are on the edge of your seat, hoping and praying that you aren't really reading what you are reading... but Lym redeems it in a way that is beautiful and breathtaking.
Four beautiful stars for this romantic suspense novel that will literally have you on the edge of your seat most of the time, biting your nails in anticipation.
I was hoping that we would get to read more about Christina and Ezra when we met them in the first book in this series and this book gave me more than I thought possible.
Ezra seems like your typical good guy but he has a secret that could cost him not only his life, but the lives of those around him. Christina is dealing with an internal battle, the emotions she feels on a daily basis and the scars of her past are bubbling up inside of her. The two of them start out as enemies but develop quickly into something more. It’s not easy, but it’s real and raw. There is no question, they are meant to be, but when Ezra’s secret is revealed, Christina has to choose her path. Stay with the man she loves and who loves her endlessly, or try and move forward without him.
This was a book that was filled with heart wrenching moments. Lym hits on a tough topic with a delicacy but also with reality. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything in this book. Everything is hard hitting and powerful and I loved everything about it. There were some major swoony moments as well, and Ezra has a heart of gold. It took me a minute to really enjoy Christina, but Lym made me root for her as only a good writer could have! I only hope that she continues with this series because the epilogue from this book gave me literal chills!! Absolutely amazing!
Per usual I was excited to read this book. I read the synopsis and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. It sounded right up my alley. But unfortunately as I continued to read on. It just did not click.
Ezra is the epitome of a nice guy. Who just so happens to be sexy as all hell and has skeletons in his closet.
Christina is in a whole world of her own. She is force to reckoned with. She is fierce, strong and determined.
I applaud the author for taking on such an issue. To bringing light to it. But I would have liked to see more of the recovery process. It seemed the further the book went the issue just disappeared.
Overall it was a good book. The chemistry was on point between the characters. Whether it be bad or good. You felt the emotions of the characters come off the pages as you read.
Christina and Ezra have been enemies since he wanted to be with her friend Melissa from the previous book. Ezra never really saw Christina as anything but an enemy because he didn't see past the one he thought he wanted for his own. Now the two have crossed paths again and things take a twist and turn for them. Christina is hard to like at first until you get the feel for her character and what makes her tick. Ezra finally sees what's in front of him after letting go of a fantasy. This is an intense read with real life problems and open ended as to how the couple will end up.
I received a copy of this book and am leaving a review.
Honest, real characters come to life in this enemies to lovers romance. Christina and Ezra have known each other for a while, but Ezra has no idea why Christina hates him so much. He doesn’t know that while he was crushing on her best friend, she was crushing on him. The perceived rejection is a real hurt. Both Ezra and Christina have secrets. For Ezra, it’s a hidden life in crime that he is desperately trying to get out of. For Christina, it’s her crippling body image that has her relapse into bulimia. As their story unfolds, so does the healing power of love. It’s a beautiful story that deals with some uncomfortable topics and honestly, at some points in this story, I didn’t like these characters very much. But they won me over. There were no short cuts taken in this plot, and the progression had me loving it. I was pleasantly surprised at the twists and turns towards end. Very good read.
This enemies to lovers romance is full of so many twists and turns you cant put this book down. I dont want to say to much as I dont want to spoil it but what i will say this is a beautifully written story with so much emotion, suspense and is totally swoon worthy. Dont miss out.
This book really surprised me, I really enjoyed it! It had so many twists and turns which I love because it keeps things interesting! A great read and my first book by this author! 4 stars from me!
I'm loving the Imperfectly Perfect series. Rejected can be read as a standalone and it's the story of Christina and Erza. I was sucked in from the first few pages so I knew it was going to be good.
Erza is an accountant who is involved with some dirty people and Christina is dealing with eating disorder and describes what a bulimic person struggles with on a daily basis. I think what I liked most about their story is that it was so realistic. I could totally picture these things happening. Christina did annoy from time to time since she would snap at Erza for no good reason but as their relationship grows, she will grow on you. I loved how Erza handled Christina so delicately given her eating disorder. He truly shows you what a boyfriend/partner should do. They should support you, look out for you, protect you, and love you...flaws and all.
I enjoyed this book better than the first one! I connected with Christina more than I did with Melissa. The plot was well thought out and executed nicely. I love a good enemies to lovers romance!
The blurb pulled me in and I had to read the story. While the story was good I felt like it didn't live up to the excitement I got for the story reading the blurb.
It deals with 2 major story lines, Christina's eating disorder and Ezra and his side "money maker".
I just felt like each topic could of had its own book this one brushed the surface of each but wasn't deep in my opinion, which is how I prefer my stories.
Overall the story as a whole was not a bad read I just felt it could of been a lot better.