First Down

When unfortunate circumstances occur that leads to a chance at a HEA with a few bumps along the way. Friends to lovers vibe.

This is the story of Oz and Lo. Oz has been in love with Lo since the day he met her with his twin sister Dani. They both have had feelings for one another but always seem to have something or someone in the way of them being together.

We find out that poor Lo was assaulted on her college campus and doesn't feel safe there any more and Oz decides she should move back with him and his buddies to their college house and stay. This is where you see Oz become someone who inevitably helps Lo heal from her trauma, and where you see him have the most patience with handling everything Lo is dealing with, along with his own shocking secrets that he so desperately doesn't want to let his close friends and family to find out.

Lo is a resilient character because even though she is wrecked from what happened to her, she fights to find herself again and makes peace that she is no longer the same girl as before. She has a lot taken from her and has so many fears, but it seems Oz can help heal what she thinks is broken in her.

You watch these two navigate this new world between themselves, and while they both are trying to figure out how to be together things begin to pull them apart once again. This story is full of love but also secrets that force this couple to deal with the seriousness of their situation they find themselves with now. You watch this couple fall apart several times and only to be brought back together with a HEA they truly deserve.

If your wanting a love story with a traumatic storyline for both main characters this is definitely a must read for you. This story isn't all sadness but it does deal with serious situations and will make you empathize with these characters as the story progresses. It was fun to see some of the old characters from the first Willow Bay book and I'm totally excited to see what the next book will have in store for readers.

I voluntarily signed up for an ARC for this book with nothing to gain other than giving my honest opinion/review. I definitely loved these two flawed and broken characters that give you hope for a better future, and how they move forward after everything happened between them to being stronger and definitely giving you a perfect ending. Oz and Lo will have you remembering how everyone needs compassion and how things may seem bleak but the right person will always bring you back the perfect HEA.

Erin Lewis

6,202 reviews221 followers

November 14, 2021

5 star review of First Down (Willow Bay #2) by Ella Kade
Ella Kade is a new author to me and I am surprised I have not come across her books before. This is a friends to lovers story that ticked a lot of the boxes for me. Oz has been in love with his twin Dani’s best friend Lo for years, but she is recovering from an attack which has left her feeling unsafe and nervous so she is now staying with Oz.
Oz has a reputation as being a player in the past, something his sister is forever commenting on. However the time is not right for Oz to pursue Lo and he begins to think it never will be.
What Oz doesn't realize is that Lo also has feelings for him. I loved Oz, he is such a caring, protective man who is determined to offer all the support that Lo needs. It will be through Oz’s love and care that helps Lo to heal.
Oz has his own secrets that he doesn't want revealed and that made their journey more rocky. I admired Lo and her strength and determination to move forward. Just when it seems that they are both on the same page, circumstances conspire to pull them apart. Can they overcome their pasts and together forge a lasting love? Never have I wanted a couple to get their happily ever after like I wanted for Oz and Lo after everything they have been through.

Tish

1,532 reviews5 followers

Let me start by saying that I absolutely loved Lo and Oz!!

This book started out with a bang, albeit a devastating bang but it really set the stage for all of the things that were to come both good and bad. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride from start to finish. It was heartbreaking, steamy, exciting and sweet all rolled in to one amazing book.

Rhonda Ziglar

4,390 reviews41 followers

Shawna Jimenez more.books.forever

5 FIRST DOWN STARS!! Lo and Oz will touch every part of your heart in this one. My heart will never be the same again. This story will push every emotion button you have. I can't wait to read more books by this author....I have been missing out on her words.

1,858 reviews87 followers

Amy [Book Addict Reviews]

Oz & Lo are two very special characters. While Lo is going something traumatic she moves in with Oz because he makes her feel safe. While Oz has been in love with Lo forever he didn’t know that Lo was in love with him too. Oz is so sweet, caring and loving while he may have been deemed a player he is so far from that when it comes to Lo. Lo is brilliant the amount of strength she has to heal and move forward with her life is definitely a journey to see. While these two grow closer and build there relationship there are still secrets that are being withheld and once exposes makes their journey to HEA a rocky one to say the least. This is one of those couples that you cant help but root for their HEA because they deserve all the happiness in the world they are just that special. I loved their journey and their story was fantastic.

2,654 reviews179 followers

November 7, 2021

Oz has been in love with Lo since the moment they met, yet he never felt good enough for her and she is his twin sister’s best friend. When Lo is assaulted, he does everything he can to protect her, to keep her safe, and to be there for her. Even if he knows they may never be anything more than friends.

I loved Lo. She is a fighter. I loved seeing her journey of how she overcome her assault and she learned to find herself again. It wasn’t always an easy road but she had more love and support than she could have ever imagine. I loved Oz. He had his own secrets and his own skeletons in his closet, but when he finally got the courage to admit what was going on in his life, I love that he had a ton of love and support from his friends and family.

The connection between Lo and Oz is beautiful. They are friends and will always be a shoulder the other one can lean on when they need it. The chemistry between them is beautiful and captivating. I loved seeing the natural progression of their relationship. Nothing ever felt rushed between them.

It was great getting to see more of Fin and West mixed into the story and see where things are with them. I can’t wait to return back to Willow Bay with the next book of this series.

If you’re looking for a sister’s best friend, friends to lovers, sports romance this is one to read.

emotional-reads forbidden friends-to-lovers

Renee

5,200 reviews73 followers

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

My twin sisters best friend is off limits. But hat hasn't stopped me from being in love with her for the past five years. Every chance my sister get's she reminds me and Lo of my manwhore ways. Obviously, this was long before I ever knew she existed. Now I only have eyes for her. But I'm keeping my hands to myself. After her horrific sexual assault, Lo is sleeping in my bed. living in my house, and invading my every thought. Now that she's away from my sister, whispering in her ear, warning her away, she's too fragile for me to think about starting something that may wreck us both. She's not ready for me and the longer she's here, the closer my past mistakes come back to haunt me, making me realize I might never deserve her.

This is the story of Lo and Oz. He has been in love with her for five years, but she is off limits because she is his twin sisters best friend. They both actually have feelings for each other but because of Dani, Oz has never acted on those feelings. When Lo is assaulted in the worst possible way for a girl, on her college campus and doesn't feel safe any more, Oz decides she should move back in with him and his buddies in their college house and stay. I loved when we got to this part because we get to see some serious growth in Oz and he is really there for Lo and helps her pick up the pieces of her life to be able to live it again without being terrified every day of her life. I fell so in love with these two. Lo is such a strong and resilient girl who is able to though the journey makes herself realize that she is no longer the same girl that she had been. I don't want to give away any more of the story then I have already you need to experience this book for yourself.

Joy Avery

1,309 reviews159 followers

2021-kindle-paperback-reads arc

☆☆☆☆☆
First Down was an amazing read that caused my emotions to go a little haywire. Ella Kade is a new author for me and after reading this story, it won’t be my last.
This forbidden romance, sister’s best friend, and friends to lovers trope tells the beautiful story of Oz and Lo. Before their story begins, Lo is raped on her college campus leaving her in fear of staying there. When Oz and his twin sister Dani first met Lo, it was love at first sight for him. As the years progressed, he wants more but it doesn’t help when his sister is constantly bringing up his playboy ways. He may have been that way at one time but now the only one on his mind is Lo. After the assault, she is living with him as he makes her feel safe. It’s difficult to give her time to heal when she’s always there, on his mind more thanever. Then he finds out his feelings toward her are definitely reciprocated. He also gives her confidence and helps her with healing. She is incredibly strong. If anyone can survive her ordeal and find happiness again, it’s Lo. Just as they are finding their life together, his past secrets come back to haunt him. Their relationship can only be described as a rollercoaster.
The angst within these pages was to be expected and rather enjoyable. Some aspects of this book slammed home in a personal way for me but it didn’t take away my enjoyment in the least. It was emotional but realistic. Their HEA was a hard-fought one and I was rooting for them all along the way. I highly recommend this story. Even though it was difficult with the subject matter, the author did an amazing job. This is my honest opinion, freely given.

Hollyanne

903 reviews

November 8, 2021

First Down is the second book in the Willow Bay Series. This book is told from dual points of view from Oz and Lo.

This book starts out with Oz's sister calling him because something happened to her best friend Lo. Oz shows up in her dorm and begs Lo to come and stay with them. He's had feelings for her for a long time, but with this thing happening to her he tries to keep his distance. With Lo staying at his place and sleeping in his bed, they both start to have feelings for each other.

Something happens and Lo isn't sure she can trust Oz anymore. Even though this thing happened before they started seeing each other. Oz is confused about how this thing happened because he can't remember anything from that night.

Can Lo and Oz get through all their hurdles of the past? Can Lo help Oz prove he isn't to blame for that night? Can Lo get Oz's secret out of him before it tears him apart? Will Lo and Oz get their happy ending? I liked this book, and can't wait to see what happens next with the next character in this series!

Heather Mulvihill

307 reviews27 followers

December 11, 2021

Fin, West, Ford and Oz are all Willow Bay football players enjoying the summer before school and football practice begins.. Oz gets a scary 😧 phone call from his sister, Dani whose at school in UCLA. Her roommate and best friend, Lo was attacked while walking from her car to the dorm. Lo decides that she needs to get away and Oz offers for her to move in with them until she feels comfortable enough to report her attack and move back in with Dani.

I absolutely loved Oz and Lo’s relationship and how it blossomed…. I’m so excited for Ford’s story

bookish_ashley90

217 reviews4 followers

November 9, 2021

First Down (Willow Bay #2) by Ella Kade

Lets start off with that Ella Kade is one of my top favorite Authors. Everything that she puts out is just *muah*. With that being said First Down isnt any different. If you have a trigger I would highly suggest thinking first about going ahead with the book. It mentions that it happens but nothing in detail.

Okayy this is the story of Oz and Lo and you can't help but fall madly in love with these two.
If you're like me, you will need tissues and comfort food. I cried my eyes out in a few of the parts of the story. Lo and Oz goes through alot and grows as people. I loved reading their story and will be going back to reread in the feature.

Merve

80 reviews1 follower

February 6, 2022

Dnf.

n_ow_n

54 reviews

Read

Mari (Mystics & Metaphysics Book Blog)

I feel like I read a different book from all the 5 stars reviewers! DNF around chapter 15.

The writing was meh and the characters were flat but the plot was somewhat interesting. The hero was kind of ok but the heroin was a complete mess and difficult to sympathize with considering what she'd been through. She was all over the place - one moment being the damsel in distress and the next getting annoyed at people for seeing her as fragile. Ultimately, it was the hypocrisy-based drama (induced single-handedly by the heroin herself) that made it difficult to continue reading.

dnf

C L

702 reviews1 follower

February 27, 2022

So disjointed… I know it’s not standalone but no character development, no idea what they look like, it feels like I missed chapters of this book.

I finished it but this was insanely surface level and went super fast.

7,751 reviews169 followers

November 25, 2021

Lo and Oz are sweet together and I love that they have been in love with each other for forever and it took a tragedy for them to finally give in. There is lots of drama and mystery that had me on the edge of my seat while we found out what was happening with Oz. I did feel like Lo’s original problem was never resolved. She just ran and the guy was never brought to justice. But I loved her with Oz and when they finally gave in, it was fireworks. I am intrigued by the rest of the guys and Dani.

ella-kade enticing-journey

London

3,168 reviews79 followers

November 9, 2021

This is a really intense story of longing, healing, forgiveness and facing past problems as a team. Lo and Oz have been friends for years, but after a devastating incident, Lo decides that the only way to get back on her feet is to move in with Oz, who she sees as a safe place. Lo and Oz are really likable characters and they help each other overcome their traumas. We also see Fin, West, and Ford from Away Game help. I volunteered to read and review an early copy of this. All opinions are my own.

angsty arc author-arc-team

BJBichon

208 reviews1 follower

December 13, 2021

Tragic start to a fairy tale ending.

He's her best friend's brother. They've had a secret thing for each other for years. But they didn't acknowledge their feelings to each other because of his sister. Then a tragedy occurred and the sister called her brother for help. He stepped up to the plate in a big way along with his house mates. But he has secrets that could cost him his connection with the love of his life and his friends.
This is an uncomplicated story written down to earth and lacking originality, but still an enjoyable one. I wanted to kick his butt a couple of times for being a dumba$$, but they're both very likable and it all works out in the end.

Jennifer

128 reviews

December 13, 2021

Nope. DNF.
There was absolutely no character development which makes it impossible to get invested in the story.

dnf

Luisa Rivas

2,190 reviews38 followers

Sweet! I didn’t see this book as dark, more as angsty. Even though it begins with a tragic event, I see it as a sweet story of love and friendship.

We met Oz in Away Game, Fin and West’s story. Oz is Fin’s best friend, so when Fin bought a house in Willow Bay, of course, he invites Oz to come live with them. Oz’s twin sister Dani and her best friend Lo study in UCLA, a three-hour trip away from them. The reason for the distance is that UCLA has the best soccer team, which is Dani’s sport, and Willow Bay has the best football team, which is Oz’s sport.

When Lo’s tragic event happens, Oz, Fin and West race towards LA to help Dani cope with Lo’s grief. When it becomes clear Lo doesn’t want to stay in LA, Oz brings her to live with him at Fin’s house. Initially it’s excruciating because they’re close and yet so far. He’s been in love with her for over five years but the fame that Dani has given him as a manwhore has kept them apart. And now with Lo in such despair, all Oz can hope for is being a friend and support her over her ordeal.

With the help of a therapist, Lo is slowly improving and coming back to enjoy life. She’s ready to start something but Oz is ridden with so many secrets that it’s an obstacle for their being together.

I found the story sweet and straightforward. I loved seeing Fin and West, already an established and loving couple and seeing how Fin hasn’t lost his jerky ways, he’s just mellowed out a bit. West is awesome, like he always is. Dani is an unknown, for the little she’s shown in the story she didn’t impress me much, but I have hopes since she’s Oz’s twin. Ford has his story but it hasn’t come up yet. In this book, he cooks for the guys in lieu of paying rent, since he’s broke. And he cooks up a storm!

Lo and Oz are a cute couple and Lo showed a lot of gumption and maturity, dealing with her situation, with the help of her dog Charlie. Oz is a little insecure, a lot scared, immensely in love with his girl, to the extent he changed his ways in order to be worthy of her. To me, he was worthy from the moment he rushed to LA to help! Lovely!

Marni Ortiz

3,291 reviews70 followers

OMG !!! Ella Kade has once again blown my mind !!! She never fails to deliver a story that will literally grab onto all your emotions , and keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish . First down is the second book in the ( Willow Bay series ) and when I say it’s just as addictive as the first one I’m not kidding. Sisters beef friend / sports romances are two of my faves and Ella writes them so beautifully. From the moment I met both Oz and Lo , I knew I was not going to be getting much sleep aka boy oh boy was I right , I could mot devour their story fast enough ,staying up into the early hours to finish . Oz he has been in love with Lo since the moment he met her , but never felt like he was good enough to be with her .Lo is his twin sisters best friend . When Lo expedites a trauma that no one should ever have to experience, he does absolutely everything he can to protect her , support her and keep her safe . I’m not going to disclose too many details as you really need to read this beautiful and emotional book full of so much chemistry, angsty moment , flawlessly written characters and great world building . One of the things I loved most about about Lo Is that she is a fighter and has so much strength to her character . Both oz and Lo have many skeletons And secrets . The connection between both characters as well as their journey to find love and themselves is a truly beautiful one . I don’t even truly have the right words to express how much I loved this story . It’s One of the best I have read this year . Do not miss it

Nedra81

907 reviews

The second book in the Willow Bay series was almost as interesting as the first. Oz and Lo was such a fun, loving couple to get to know, but there were a few unbelievable occurrences in the story along with a change in dialogue for a few chapters that completely threw me off. But, the plot and what these characters were forced to endure, were real and intriguing events.

“𝕀’𝕕 𝕕𝕠 𝕒𝕟𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦, 𝕃𝕠. 𝔸𝕝𝕝 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕠 𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕤𝕜.”

Witnessing Lo’s transformation from a weak, timid girl to a strong, confident woman was such an amazing transformation to witness. What she experienced is every woman’s worst nightmare, and her reaction was exactly what normally would happen. Overcoming her scarred, broken past was nothing short of difficult.

“𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕪. 𝕀’𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕠’𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕖𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦.”

There’s not enough words to express just how much I fell in love with Oz!! He takes charge of Lo without hesitation, handling her with complete care and sincerity. His actions are every woman’s dream for a man, his attentiveness and dedication to her recovery, along with how he protected her, made the entire story!!

“𝕎𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕟’𝕥 𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕪𝕖𝕥.”

Okay, so before I begin with their intimacy, I want to make this known that her MM smut scenes were a thousand times better than this one. A few of these scenes made me feel as though someone else was writing them, not the same Ella who wrote Away Game’s scenes. But, it didn’t take away from their connection nor their desire for one another. Great follow up story and super excited for Ford’s addition!

Tiffany Readz

2,020 reviews52 followers

annoying-but-i-keep-reading heavy-romance novella-romance

Talk About Drama...

In First Down, Ella Kade gives the drama to her readers in spades. The story of Lo and Oz spans a few years and talk about ups and downs...

Lo is Oz'z twin sisters best friend. He has loved her from afar for five years. In that time that he couldn't have her, he was a bit of a manwhore and his sister made sure to point that out to her best friend every chance she got to keep him away. Lo also noticed Oz, however didn't think he would give her the time of day, with him a star football player and all. Not until Lo finds herself lost after a sexual assault, does she start to see Oz for who he has been all those years.

While I am a huge fan of angst, this was pure drama. These two were overflowing with it and at times, I was slightly annoyed. They went to extremes when they couldn't have the other and it felt like a bit of overkill. I know Lo was going through something heavy, however I wasn't a super fan of hers. Oz was a bit better, but not by much. There was a lot of tip toeing and secrets that needed to be revealed and I did appreciate the slight curveball Ella Kade threw in to shake things up a bit.

That said, the book was well written and I enjoyed the previous characters front and center helping Oz and Lo while adding the humor a heavy book like this needed. It is the second in the Willow Bay series and seems to carry the story along well. I thought I had read the first one, but didn't and now need to go back and learn more about Fin and West!

Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.

Jenn

1,177 reviews7 followers

November 30, 2021

So, I really think this is a case of 'it's not you, it's me' with this book. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Away Game, and actually loved Oz in that book, I was rooting for him and so excited to get his story with Lo. But truth be told, I struggled, hard! As much as I felt like I connected with him in the first book, I didn't in this one. I also couldn't connect with Lo either. These two have some rough circumstances and in that respect I felt for them, I really did and I wanted them to be happy, I just felt like something was missing.

Oz and Lo have had feelings for each other for a while, but they've never acted on it. Oz seems to have a bit of a reputation with the ladies and Lo is Oz's twin sister's best friend. After Lo experiences an awful tragedy Oz comes to the rescue and moves her in with him. His goal is to keep her safe and protect her. Lo is hurt and scared and feels safe with Oz. These two build on their friendship and grow and heal together, but Oz has some secrets he's protecting as well, ones that could threaten everything.

There's a slow burn to this book, Lo has a lot to work through and Oz will not pressure her into anything. These two are really sweet together and they really do heal each other, together. Their love for each other is clear and I did like their determination to stay together, even when everything is revealed. Even though I struggled with this book, I was happy to see them happy, they deserved it. And, I am looking forward to more in this series, I do like these characters!

Kelli Miller a_brunette_bookworm

317 reviews14 followers

November 11, 2021

If you are looking for you next sister's best friend or friends to lovers this could be just the book for you. This book is all about finding love, fighting through tough times and coming out on top. I was so intrigued with this story when we first met Oz and Lo in Away Game. I was not sure how their story was going to come across on the page or what obstacles these two were going to face but I knew that it was going to be an epic love story. Oz has been in love with Lo for a very long time but during that time he was trying to make himself better and worthy of a girl like Lo. Lo has always been there in the background with Oz watching, but she is brought to the foreground in this story and what she has gone through and how he is the one that is there for her.

Oz seems like the perfect person to pick her up and make her feel like herself again after what happened to her. But Lo is also the perfect person for Oz. I do not think there was ever a question that these two were made for each other. After reading Away Game (Book 1) you can see the longing he has for her and it you can definitely still see it after all their time as friends.

Ella Kade does dark very well, she brings out emotions in the characters that you cannot help but love and fall for in each of her characters. Cheers, I cannot wait for Ford and maybe Dani's story as well!

542 reviews2 followers

The book is part of a series. You dont need to have read the previous book, it&s a separate story, but there are a lot of recurring characters, so I think it will help you more. I haven;t read the first book, and I am indeed missing some background information. But not everything is answered in the book itself and questions remain. The book is not badly written, but I did not enjoy it. It is not only the lack of background information, it is especially al the problems these main characters, young students, have. It doesn’t appeal to me at all. Everything is magnified and exaggerated. The main characters are Oz and Lo, who have been attracted to each other for a long time, but did nothing with it because Oz has a reputation as a womanizer and Lo is his sister;s girlfriend. Something bad happens to Lo, she gets raped, so she moves in with Oz and his friends, where she feels safer. Oz and Lo grow closer, but there are still many obstacles. In addition, I found the pace so slow that I often found it boring. What I wanted to know I can;t find out, Who is the rapist, why Danis boyfriend (Oz's sister) was looking strangely at Lo, what;s up with the cop who came to the door to tell about an accident, This story and i have no match.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

kittielovesbooks

366 reviews16 followers

November 20, 2021

Trigger Warning: Rape (off screen with little detail)

Oz has been in love with his sister’s best friend for 5 years. That’s 5 years of wanting her, and her alone. But when she is sexually assaulted, he knows that there is no way she would ever be able to be in a relationship with him.

But Lo only finds peace when she is around Oz. And now, he can only see her as damaged goods. This girl in need of constant protection.

But what will happen when Oz’s past comes back to haunt him? Will Lo finally see the monster she has been letting soothe all her nightmares? Or will Oz be the monster that Lo needs to finally rid herself of the real one?

This story really hit me in the feels. The highs and lows that the characters go through just pulled me along. Everyone can see the attachment between Oz and Lo, except for each other, but it is told in a way that is not annoying to read about. I loved that it was told from the dual point of view, which allowed me to totally root for Oz trying to pursue a relationship with Lo. Honestly, the story is told in a way that is both respectful of all that Lo is going through post assault but also truthful in the process that it takes to move forward.

Overall, good story with wonderful characters that I am looking forward to seeing grow and evolve throughout the Willow Bay series!

slow-burn

Sarah Barnes

716 reviews3 followers

THE REVIEW FOR THE BOOK: First Down
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
AUTHOR: Ella Kade
TROPE: contemporary romance, sports romance, sisters best friend, friends to lovers
TYPE: Willow Bay #2
POV: Dual POV
MY RATING: 5.0 Stars

This is the story of Oz and Lo. Oz has wanted to be with Lo since he was first introduced to her by twin sister. The unwritten rule is that you don’t go after your sister’s best friends. Too bad his heart never got the memo. When Lo is assaulted on campus, Oz offers her a safe place to stay. We see the relationship between these two develop as Oz helps Lo deal with the trauma of her attack.

I loved how the author told a love story where the two main characters each deal with a number of traumatic issues. Ella painted a picture of two people with real world issues and showed us how they were able to overcome them and find a way to be together. I find it refreshing to read a love story that is more realism as opposed to fiction. This is a great friends to lovers romance that will have you cheering for this couple. The chemistry between these two is evident in the writing. Readers who enjoy these tropes will enjoy this book.

I was provided an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kylie Taylor

712 reviews22 followers

I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is my first book by this author, and she absolutely made me swoon. This is a best friend’s brother trope, one of my favorites. The MMC and heroine were the sweetest bunch of characters. Lo is in college, living with her lifelong best friend. She experiences a very huge trauma and is in a very bad spot. Dani, her best friend, is at a loss as to how to help her. She calls her twin brother in desperation for help. Ox has been in love with Lo forever and will do anything to help her get through this. Lo has also been In love with him for as long as she has known him. Wanting to get out of her college town, away from her trauma, she moves three hours away with Ox so he can protect her. Their relationship slowly grows as they become inseparable. Her nightmares stay at bay when he is next to her. The feelings they share for one another is beautiful. They way Ox takes care of her and protects her was remarkable. I absolutely fell in love with these characters and this story. I highly recommend this book! I loved every second of it, an it was well worth the slow burn.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Agata Jędrzejewska

861 reviews3 followers

This was very interesting story. I loved it and in the same time I didn’t. There was parts that did really play on my nerves (when she get jealous about things that happen in the past and when he is hiding a « secret » which honestly don’t need to be a secret - or maybe it’s just me who feel so, but it’s what I felt, even that I know it was to make plot more “interesting”). But I loved the evolution of their feelings and relationship. I loved how she trusted him even when she was not really trusting herself. I loved how she fought to find herself back after the rape, it might not seem at the beginning as she is trying, but believe me, I have been there and you not feel as if you were ever going to be normal ever again. This story touch very heavy topic, and I really appreciate the author for writing it. The characters are great as well, real, no perfect, with flaws and traumas, evolving, re-building. And he is just so romantic, almost sappy romantic but luckily we didn’t get there 😅. Can’t give it 5 stars, not that I don’t want.. I would.. but I’m just not able to get out of my relationship with this book.

Jennifer Pierson

11.7k reviews188 followers