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
Add it: Goodreads

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*

Where Life Takes You by Claudia Burgoa BLOG TOUR (Claudia's Top Ten Favorite Words)

Claudia Burgoa's TOP TEN FAVORITE WORDS!

Whimsical

Wicked

Impunity 

Transcend

Bizarre

Zen

Connoisseur

Infinity

Nevertheless

Interesting

(About the Book)

Check out my review of Where Life Takes You HERE

Where Life Takes You by Claudia Y. Burgoa

Series: Life,#1
Release Date: July 31^st 2013
Publisher: Createspace 
Format: Paperback
Pages: 242
Genre: New Adult - Contemporary
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

BECCA TRENT LIVED HER CHILDHOOD NEXT TO A CRUEL WOMAN—her mom—who lived to torment and neglect her. During her high school years, her mother married; bringing home not only a new husband, but a step sister her same age. The latter took over her Mom's role—making Becca's life miserable. Including stealing Ian—Becca's best friend and boyfriend—Lisa treated her worse than her mother had for the previous fifteen years. A couple years later, thing ended up in tragedy.

Becca buried that part of her life in the deep corners of her psyche, caught between sanity and nightmares. Between therapy, work and her constantly looming past she can't seem to find room to breathe. The memories of her late step-sister, Lisa, are her closest company.

Her best friend, Dan gives her that family love she always lacked. Everything was close to perfect, until everything and everyone from her past came back. Now she's trying to figure out how to survive and keep that bond which seems now to be held together by a thread.

Find the Blog Tour Schedule HERE

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{About the Author}

Claudia lives in Colorado with her family and three dogs. Two beagles who believe they are human, and a bichon who thinks she’s a beagle. While managing life, she works as a CFO at a small IT Company. She’s a dreamer who enjoys music, laughter and a good story.

Review & KINDLE GIVEAWAY: Where Life Takes You by Claudia Y. Burgoa

Where Life Takes You by Claudia Y. Burgoa

Series: Life, #1
Release Date: July 31st 2013
Publisher: Createspace
Format: Paperback
Pages: 242
Genre: New Adult – Contemporary
Source: For Review 
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

BECCA TRENT LIVED HER CHILDHOOD NEXT TO A CRUEL WOMAN—her mom—who lived to torment and neglect her. During her high school years, her mother married; bringing home not only a new husband, but a step sister her same age. The latter took over her Mom's role—making Becca's life miserable. Including stealing Ian—Becca's best friend and boyfriend—Lisa treated her worse than her mother had for the previous fifteen years. A couple years later, thing ended up in tragedy.

Becca buried that part of her life in the deep corners of her psyche, caught between sanity and nightmares. Between therapy, work and her constantly looming past she can't seem to find room to breathe. The memories of her late step-sister, Lisa, are her closest company.

Her best friend, Dan gives her that family love she always lacked. Everything was close to perfect, until everything and everyone from her past came back. Now she's trying to figure out how to survive and keep that bond which seems now to be held together by a thread.

Note: This is the first part of a two book novel

I need the second book in my life. Right now. That should tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I don’t really pick up “new adult” books because I feel they are mostly just romance novels but the synopsis of this book really called to me so I went ahead and requested it. I am so glad that I did. I have not wanted to not put a book down in a while. I did not want to put this book down.

The main characters name is Rebecca Trent. She has major relationship problems because of how she was treated when she was younger. She grew up with her mother, a horrible woman who couldn’t have cared any less for her. Then when her mother got remarried to a man with a daughter of his own, Lisa, she was instantly replaced. Her mother continued to not care about her but Lisa decided that she was going to torture her. She took Ian, Rebecca’s boyfriend, and completely changed him. Everything in Rebecca’s life was going downhill. Then one day Ian did something he would completely regret and that started a chain reaction that ended in his and Lisa’s death. Rebecca is still dealing with Lisa’s effect on her life.

Dan is Lisa’s fortress. He is a major business man with connections everywhere and can pretty much start a business whenever he feels like. He has assistants, body guards, and private planes. He owns an entire floor on a building he owned for an apartment for himself and one for Rebecca. He pulled Rebecca out of the life she was in and as far away from the people she hated. They owned a non-for-profit organization and according to Rebecca, they were like brother and sister. Dan’s only downfall is that he is extremely protective. At times it’s almost overbearing. Being the big business man he is, he is often seen in tabloids and has major media attention, so he is insistent on Rebecca’s safety.

I really enjoyed the writing in this book, although I did find a few grammatical errors. Other than that it was good. You only get one point of view with this book, which worked out perfectly. There are flashbacks scattered throughout and also some journal letters that she is supposed to write to Lisa for counseling. You can see Rebecca grow as a person through those letters. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. Without adding spoilers, she is very dependent on Dan. In order to really grow and overcome what has happened in her past and change her outlook mentally, she must become her own person.

There is definitely major growth with Dan and Rebecca’s relationship. I absolutely loved their interactions together. Especially more towards the end of the book. Although he does tend to call her “Little one” which was sort of weird. Especially at a couple scenes in the end. I could see how some people would call him a little possessive, which he definitely was, but that was the type of person Lisa needed in her life. I don’t think he ever stepped over any boundaries, and most of the time it was for things that Lisa needed to do, but wouldn’t.

The ended was a shocker. I really didn’t see that coming at all, and that’s why I need the next book. I highly recommend this book. Especially if this is your first NA book or if you have given up on NA like I know some people have. You should still give this book a go. Already like NA? Then you have no excuse not to read it!

*This book was provided for free in exchange for an honest review. 

My Rating:

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