Give Me a Reason

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨✨

I got it then. Saw it. His wounds. His scars. His fear. A sweet warrior. A wicked savior. This terrifying man who was somehow tender. Goodness in his spirit and demons in his soul.

First Impressions
Give Me A Reason was SO much better than I expected. There is something about this author's writing that just works for me so well. I just love the way she writes her dynamics and how her characters just end up fighting for each other so deeply. This book isn't going to be what you actually expect though. I was going into this book expecting a super angst enemies to lovers and yeah this isn't enemies to lovers and I have NO clue why its labeled as such. Its really what put me off from reading this one for so long, because while there is some early angst, it doesn't last long at all. So keep that in mind when reading this book. It definitely won't be what you are expecting it to be, but I found it had such a fresh edgy feeling to the story that just knocked me out of the park in every way!


“There’s still time to run, Kitten. I promise I won’t even chase you.”


First Line
It was just before ten when I eased my bike into the packed parking lot at the front of the club.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Trent Lawson
The Heroine: Eden Murphy

But the thing about vulnerability? It didn’t always make you weak. Sometimes the only thing it did was make you fight harder. Make you more determined to go after what you needed in your life.

Summary
Eden is in dire straits. Her father's school who offers a sanctuary for kids and also a spiritual learning aspect to it for Christian families is about to go bankrupt when her sister stole everything they had. So Eden has come to a night club that is owned and run by Trent Lawson who is a bad boy that Eden shouldn't be drawn to. She is a good girl, from a good Christian family, but she is drawn to Trent who is edgy and has a darkness around his soul, but she also senses the good man he hides beneath the surface. Trent has gone through hell and back for his family and is tormented by his past. He will do anything it takes to protects his brothers and his 6 year old son. He has a fresh start in Redemption Hills, wanting to find a future of peace, but never expected to find such a woman in Eden or that she would make him believe in love or true joy again, but he has a past that could break apart everything he has built...


“You have the choice. You have the choice of how you live your life, no matter how you’ve lived it in the past. You have the power to decide who you are now. The kind of security you give. The kind of father that you want to be. You have the choice to love him with everything you have.”


What I Loved
Give Me A Reason was so heartfelt and poignant and tore my emotions apart. What is it about this author? LOL I have NO idea. I actually think I liked this book WAY more than any of the books in her Time River series and I didn't think any book could top those haha But this book was just more for me in how it was written. It definitely gave me edgy Jay Crownover type of vibes. So if you loved her Point books....then this series and this book is a must read for you. I loved how tortured our hero was and the growth that we see in him. His devotion to his son was infectious. And the little boy, Gage, I just wanted to gobble him up. He was adorable and just added the right amount of light and laughter into the story and charmed me from beginning to end.


see a treasure. I see a vision. I see light and goodness and grace. I see Heaven. I see everything I shouldn’t want. Everything I don’t deserve.”


I really loved how well this author developed this relationship. And while there is some inner angst, its not overkill or overly dramatic, but feels so real. I resonated so much with these two. And the way that they connect and the ways that they are willing to fight for each other was EPIC!!! THIS is what I need more in my romance novels, couples that are equally fighting for one another and willing to lift each other up. I loved that the heroine learned to fight and she had such a inner strength that made me admire her so much!


“You are perfect, Trent. You’re perfect in your flaws. Perfect in your strengths. Maybe you believe you’re all wrong, that you don’t have anything to offer, but I can’t help but believe you’re perfect for me.”


What I Struggled With
Honestly...the only thing I would have liked to see more of is the heroine's dad and Trent having some more scenes together lol I really wanted to see Trent find a good relationship with a father figure as his birth father was HORRID. But this didn't take away anything from the story, just something that would have made it even better.


“No, Eden, you’re not weak. I see your goodness for what it really is. Strength. Resilience. But you also don’t understand where I come from, how ugly it gets, and it’s the last thing I want to involve you in. Don’t want to taint who you are, and that world has a bad way of doing just that.”


Overall View
Give Me A Reason was a stunning portrayal of heart and soul, it fleshes out the human condition, the value of forgiveness and the belief in hope for a better future! MELTED MY HEART IN EVERY WAY!

I lost it because of what I feel for you. Because I can’t fucking lose you. Because I love you. You said I brought your heart back to life, but Eden, you made mine beat for the first time.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Character Types: Bad Boy, Billionaire/Mr. MoneyBags, Single Dad, Teacher Heroine
Themes: Kids/Children, Leading Lady, Book Boyfriend, Danger/Suspense, Family Saga
Tropes: Opposites Attract, Forced Proximity, Office Love

The only thing I see is a man who is willing to sacrifice. I see goodness. I see an amazing father. I see a sweet, vicious warrior. Someone who’s fought for me. For his son. For his family. And that’s what you are to me, Trent. Family. My life.”

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
More plot than relationship

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Jay Crownover
Catherine Cowles
J. Kenner

Song This Book Inspires
Lead Me Out of the Dark by Limitless

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standalone

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.

Let me be honest with you. The MAIN reason I picked up this book is because of the cover. I’m 18462% a cover slut. I LOVE a gorgeous cover and this cover, this cover is just drop dead gorgeous. This is hands down one of my all time favorite covers and it fits the main characters so well. I also have, and very big shocker here, never read anything by A.L. Jackson until this book. I’m sorry, how I have been sleeping on her for so long?! This book was great, I loved this book. Eden Murphy and Trent Lawson make my heart flutter. I love these two. Eden is super sweet, kind and incredibly selfless. Her heart and kindness radiated off the pages of this book. Trent is a broody and broken single dad with all the alpha vibes. In all honesty, he’s just perfect. His intensity and passion for the ones he loves just jumped off the page. They’re very different from one another, but they fit so well. It was a great story about redemption, hope and love with suspense to keep you on your toes. A.L. Jackson does such a great job with laying the foundation of this story and lets it flow smoothly and lyrically. Also Connor Crais and Desiree Ketchum do such a great job with narrowing this book. They were the perfect voices for these two. This book is a MUST read and listen!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was everything I didn’t know I needed! The fierce love in this story is out of this world!

I liked this book but almost didn’t finish it because of the writing style in Trent’s POV. I understand that it was (most likely) intentional and was to build the character’s identity but it was very distracting for me. However, I persevered. The plot is great, the story itself was entertaining,if a little wordy (I did find myself just skimming over a lot of the characters’ inner monologues), but I really liked Eden and how much feeling Tent expressed for his son.

Honored that the author sent me an ARC to read and review. [Review coming soon] PS: Can we please talk about what a pretty cover that is?