Genre: New Adult
304 pages
Book links:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads
Synopsis:
Can love save them?
After her father commits a crime that shatters her family, eighteen-year-old Delaney Cross is tired of pretending everything is all right. Packing up her car, she sets out to find the people her father hurt. Her search leads her to places she’s never been—and into the arms of Adrian Westfall.
To the outside world, Adrian is a sexy, charming ladies’ man. But his playboy persona is just an act. Secretly his soul is tortured by a memory too painful to share. Only Delaney seems to see through his façade to the real man underneath. And for the first time in his life, Adrian feels he can begin to open up about his past.
Together, Adrian and Delaney share a passionate love they never expected to find. Yet both still harbor their own secrets. When the dark truth is finally revealed, will it bring them closer together—or tear them apart forever?
My review:
Façade is the second book in author Nyrae Dawn’s Games Series and the first of her work that I have read. Two things: first, I am happy to say that you don’t have to read the first in the series to enjoy this amazing book and second, what a positively remarkable and emotional story this was!
Delany had been living a pretty decent and normal childhood. Older football player brother, working dad, stay-at-home mom….your typical all-American family. Until her father has a horrific accident and ruins their picture perfect life. Well, if she’s being honest, the cracks in their foundation were starting to show even before the accident. Always one to want to fix things, Delany sets off with her brother to attempt to reach out to the other family that was affected by the terrible tragedy. She’s hoping that maybe she can help the healing process not only for her, but also for Adrian…the handsome, brokenhearted parallel victim.
Adrian Westfall never really had it very good. His father was an abusive bastard and his mother a battered wife. The only bright spots in his life were his sister and Ash. Now that he doesn’t even have those two bright spots in his life, he has learned to master the façade that now carries himself through his lonely and depressed days. His poetry and his writing have been the only things helping him keep a loose grasp on his sanity. Some days the sadness threatens to swallow him whole. Then, he meets Delany and thinks there may be something in her that can relate to him…he has no idea how right he is.
The secrets and unimaginable hurt that ties Delaney and Adrian together will prove to be a tie that binds and also the bond that can tear them apart. They are instantly drawn to one another and find solace in each other’s company and what starts out as an innocent attempt at healing turns into something so much more. Will they find happiness again? Can they truly ever heal?
If you could see my right at this moment, you would see that my eyes are still puffy and swollen from finishing this book last night. Partly because I couldn’t put it down and read late into the night but mainly because I was a sobbing, blubbering mess by the time I was done. This book was intense and emotional and broke my heart more than once…..but you know I don’t think of that as a bad thing! Adrian and Delaney’s story is painful and beautiful and ran through some pretty intense emotions. Grief, betrayal, guilt, overwhelming sadness….but also love and strength. The connection they share is a heartbreaking one and they truly need each other to start the healing process and attempt to find happiness in life again, even if Adrian isn’t as knowing as Delaney is in the situation. Delany is strong and determined with an innocence she still is able to hold on to despite the terrible hand dealt to her. She knows she can’t change the past and what happened but she is willing to try to bring some peace to Adrian and help him heal. Adrian is a broken soul. The accident left him completely ruined emotionally and no matter how he’d like his life to be different, he can’t change what has happened and that has made him who he is today. He tries hard to keep up a cool appearance and act as though he’s into his partying and sex filled social status, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. The road Delany and Adrian travel down is absolutely gut wrenching but also extremely necessary in healing. I have to mention there was a twist near the end that I didn’t see coming….and it made the story even more emotional than it already had been, which I didn’t think was possible. THAT was what turned my sad sniffles into an all out ugly cry. But remember, I don’t think of that as a bad thing (my family may disagree since I looked like hell the next day, but pffft to them!).
Emotionally stunning is how I would best describe this book. I was drained when I finished but happy with how the book ended…I say book, because I know Delany and Adrian’s story will continue on even when we aren’t reading it.
Four-and-a-Half Loves
About the author:
Writing has always been Nyrae Dawn’s passion. There have been times in her life where she wasn’t able to chase that dream the way she desired, but she always found her way back to telling stories.
One of her loves has always been writing about teens. There’s something so fresh and fun about the age that she loves exploring. Her husband says it’s because she doesn’t want to grow up. She doesn’t think that’s such a bad thing and luckily for her, he doesn’t either.
Nyrae gravitates toward character-driven stories. She loves going on emotional journeys with characters whether it be reading or writing. And yes, she’s a total romantic at heart and proud.
Nyrae resides in sunny Southern California with her husband (who still makes her swoon) and her two awesome kids.
When she’s not with her family, you can be pretty sure you’ll find her with a book in her hand or her laptop and an open document in front of her.
She writes for Entangled Publishing, Grand Central Publishing and is self-published.