Review: Next To You by Claudia Y. Burgoa

This is the review of the second book in a series and may contain spoilers.

Next to You by Claudia Burgoa

Series: Life, #2
Release Date: July 1^st, 2014
Publisher:  Alpaca Illustrations
Format: ebook
Genre: New Adult – Contemporary Romance
Source: Author
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
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Him

…I need time. Time to heal those wings and learn to use them…

Was part of the letter Rebecca Trent, Daniel Brightmore’s fiancée and best friend left when she ran away. The person he trusted the most for the past decade disappeared without giving him a second glance. She taught him how to love, believe in family and that everyone deserves a happily ever after. Now he’s struggling between wiping any traces of her from his life and drowning his sorrows away with the help of his new best friends—Don Julio and Jack Daniels.

Her

Rebecca’s past suffocated her to the point of not wanting to continue, her lifeline and the only reason to live began to withdraw from her. She wished it had been her imagination, but heard it loud and clear: “If not, there’s always a divorce, nothing is forever.” This time it became a leave or die situation. Something has got to change—she had to change. Packing light and leaving a letter behind, she takes a journey that can help her find herself through the shards of her painful childhood.

As letters, memories and stories are exchanged, two once inseparable people reconcile what’s left of their relationship. Beyond the confines of everything they built together, they’re left with two lonely people searching for what it means to be whole. Will they find meaning under their bruised psyches or will their pasts get the better of them?

This is the follow up book to Where Life Takes You, which for the record, was an amazing book. You should definitely pick that one up at least. The ending to that book was killer and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. So naturally I was ecstatic when the author contacted me and asked me if I would like to read this….  Um yes please! I actually read this book quite a while ago and I guess I somehow forgot to write the review. So this is probably going to be a shorter review since everything is not fresh in my mind. 

This book is told from Daniel’s POV, whereas the first book was told from Rebecca’s POV. Thankfully, this picks up where the first book left off. Right after Rebecca runs off and leaves only a letter as an explanation. After learning that Rebecca has left Daniel goes into a downward spiral. Naturally Daniel is pissed and decides he needs to be drunk. He’s so upset that he decides that burning her car sounds like a good plan. He gets rid of her apartment, her clothes, everything. It is weeks before he hears anything from her.  

They share letters back and forth to each other and Rebecca tells Daniel that he needs to work on himself while she is gone. I love the letters part of the book, not emails but actual letters. That ads something special to the story. I loved reading about Rebecca really trying to better herself and learning more about Daniel’s past. 

This duology was really fantastic and I am so glad that I stumbled across the first one. I highly recommend picking it up if you are into new adult romances!

*This book was provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review*