Rebecca Yarros

Be careful what you wish for... Lt. Grayson Masters is focused on graduating the Apache helicopter course, and the last thing he needs is his gorgeous new roommate Samantha Fitzgerald distracting him. While her smart mouth and free spirit are irresistibly irritating, he can't deny their off-the-charts chemistry, no matter how hard he tries. Having just been expelled from college, Sam has no business digging for Grayson's secrets while she's hiding her own, but that doesn't stop her from trying to tear down his walls. Each barrier she busts through drops one of her own, though, and she's not prepared for the truth: another woman laid claim to Grayson's heart long ago. Falling in love is something neither Grayson nor Sam can afford, and when that line is crossed and secrets are exposed, they'll learn that sometimes it's the answered prayers that will put you through hell. Series order: Flight & Glory Book 1: Full Measures Flight & Glory Book 2: Eyes Turned Skyward Flight & Glory Book 3: Beyond What is Given Flight & Glory Book 4: Hallowed Ground

Beyond What is Given

Tristen D’Amico

How can I get my husband to realize that this is how I want to be talked to?! Ugh, Rebecca does such a good job of putting you smack dab in the middle of the story! Being a military wife, some things she literally describes so well and pulls the words out of my mouth! 1000/10 recommend!!

Ciska van Bokhorst

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I always know to expect an emotional roller coaster from Rebecca's books and Beyond What is Given was no exception. This book wrecked me and put me back together. (At least twice.) But I loved every minute. 

Oooooooh boy, this book. I can't say a whole lot without running the risk of spoiling a huge part of the plot, so I'll tread carefully. I loved both of the characters. Grayson was amazing. He was every bit the swoony, yet complicated, man I expected to find here. He won me over early on, even with the secret he was keeping. (The secret? Broke my heart in so many ways. But I was eventually put back together.) Samantha was pretty darn great herself. She, too, had her fair share of secrets to keep but they weren't quite of the same extent as Grayson's. But she was fun and sassy and the pairing between her and Grayson was so perfect I was rooting for them right from the start. There's no doubt things there were complicated as hell, but it was easy to see how perfect they were. Not only was their chemistry out of this world, but they made each other better. (And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the smokin' hot sexy times because WOW. *fans self*)

I thought Beyond What is Given was a great addition to the Flight & Glory series. I loved seeing more from characters I fell in love with early in the series. I did find this book had a little more drama than the other ones, but it didn't bother me. I was so wrapped up in the story, I'd take all of it. This book has its fair share of twists and turns and I was taken by surprise a couple times. I laughed and cried (quite a bit) but ended the book with a big smile on my face. If you like emotional and angsty (but not TOO angsty) new adult romance, this should be on your list. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

3.5 STARS

I fell so in love with Rebecca Yarros after reading and ADORING the first book in the Flight & Glory series, Full Measures (JOSH!! *heart eyes*). Beyond What is Given is the third standalone in the series and is Grayson and Samantha’s story, who we’ve met in the previous books. I was super excited for them because I was so curious about their characters – and while I ended up liking this book, it just didn’t grip me the way the other two books in the series did.

“There are broken people in the world, Samantha. But you’re not one of them. Dinged-up maybe, but not broken, and definitely not beyond repair.”

After getting expelled from college, Samantha wants a fresh start. She finds herself moving across the country and in with three guys, two of whom are good friends. The third roommate, Grayson, is absolutely gorgeous, but he and Sam get off to a rough start. Nevertheless, she sees beneath his gruff, stoic exterior a man who puts loyalty and duty above all else. I loved Sam, I completely, wholeheartedly did. She’s sassy, awesome, funny, and overall just a fantastic, flawed heroine I loved reading about. She’s in a rough situation with college, but despite the hot mess that she herself is, she takes it upon herself to discover Grayson’s past and get him to open up. What she doesn’t expect is for the chemistry between them to turn into something sweet, something treasured, something more.

“This is not a temporary thing between us. There is no deadline. I. Am. Always. Yours.”
He kissed me softly, his tongue tracing my lower lip. “So go ahead and fall. I’ve gotten really good at catching you.”

Grayson’s past is tragic and guilt-laden, and no matter what he does, he can’t escape it. He’s always got one foot in his present life as an Apache pilot, and the other foot back home in North Carolina, the source of all his demons. The one thing that makes him forget is Sam, her lightness wearing away his darkness. But when his secrets come out from the past to haunt his present, will he be able to keep Sam in his life without letting her drown beside him?

Beyond What is Given is no less emotional than the other two books, but there was a spark that was missing that prevented me from fully loving the book. While I completely adored Sam, connected with her straight from the start, Grayson I took a long while to warm up to. His past consumes him, so much so that at times I wasn’t sure he’d be able to get out of it. There were also parts about this book that annoyed the hell out of me. Grayson’s family is… god-awful. It was mostly his sister Parker who got on my last nerves. I HATED Parker. I honestly hated her so much. She’s a petty, mean, bully of a girl who does nothing but force more guilt onto Grayson, keep him drowning in the past, and create rifts between him and Sam. I would’ve enjoyed the book so much more if Parker didn’t exist… but she did, and her character sometimes made me want to throw my kindle at the wall in frustration.

I still love Rebecca Yarros though – she knows how to write, how to pack a punch with her words… but this book was not what I was expecting it to be. While the romance isn’t particularly slow, it was the whole overlying plot that dragged too much for my taste. The twist in the middle I was able to predict too, sadly. STILL – Sam and Grayson’s romance is sweet and heart-wrenching, the highlight of the book. Rebecca Yarros can write swoony characters SO well, and even when I wasn’t 100% sold on Grayson, my heart fluttered at some of the things he said.

“I’m in love with you, Samantha. You own me, body, heart, mind, soul, what there is to give, it’s yours.”

If you’re a fan of the series, I would suggest reading Beyond What is Given. I feel like it’s an it’s-me-not-you kind of book. I really did like it, but compared to the previous two books, I can’t really say it was as captivating or compelling. I will still be eagerly awaiting any else Rebecca Yarros has in the works – her writing is absolutely amazing and definitely worth the read!

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1gIBYFJ

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Beyond What is Given

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