R. S Grey

If someone had told me a year ago that I was about to fall in love, go on an epic road trip, ride a Triceratops, sing on a bar, and lose my virginity, I would have assumed they were on drugs. Well, that is, until I met Beckham. Beck was mostly to blame for my recklessness. Gorgeous, clever, undeniably charming Beck barreled into my life as if it were his mission to make sure I never took living for granted. He showed me that there were no boundaries, rules were for the spineless, and a kiss was supposed to happen when I least expected. Beck was the plot twist that took me by surprise. Two months before I met him, death was knocking at my door. I'd all but given up my last scrap of hope when suddenly, I was given a second chance at life. This time around, I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers. We set out on a road trip with nothing to lose and no guarantees of tomorrow. Our road trip was about young, reckless love. The kind of love that burns bright. The kind of love that no road-map could bring me back from. **Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual situations.**

With This Heart

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    "Love will make you reckless. It can drag out parts of you that common sense and fear usually keep hidden away. Because love is selfless and selfish."
  

This is one of those times when I went into a book knowing full well it was probably going to leave me an utter disaster. I had prepared myself mentally for an amazing story that would ultimately rip my heart out. It definitely made me feel a lot of emotions, but I loved absolutely every single moment of it. 

With This Heart has so many elements I love in books, it's no wonder I loved it as much as I did. I can't resist a road trip book. Be warned, this is NOT your average road trip book though. Heavy subject matter lies ahead. Second chance love stories are among my favorite type of books and this has a touch of that, too, though it's more of a second chance at life, overall, than just love. 

  
    "Everyone thinks about going to college. I had read enough New Adult romances to know that the moment I stopped on campus, I would surely be noticed by the mysterious loner jock or hot nerd that didn't get noticed in high school, or maybe the off-limits TA."
  

The characters in this book were phenomenal. Abby is the girl with heart disease who, freshly recovered from a transplant, is on a mission to scatter ashes across the country... and maybe figure out who she is and wants to be, along the way. Beckham is the total stranger she meets just days before the trip who accompanies her. It's one of those things that might not necessarily happen in real life, but is magical when you read about it in a book. They share an immediate chemistry, obviously, otherwise they wouldn't be likely to be on this journey together. But it's more than simply attraction. There's something solid there from the start. During their trip, Beck helps Abby heal. He pushes her outside of her comfort zone and helps her discover who she really is.

  
    "He pushed me against the passenger door and pressed his lips to mine. It was a soul-stealing kiss, the kind that lifts you off your heels and makes your spine curl. I wrapped my arms around his neck and moaned into him. Our hearts were already beating rapidly from our run, but they blended together as Beck gave me the best second-first kiss anyone has ever had."
  

Abby and Beck were wonderful together. The moments they shared were so real. It was easy to see them growing closer together. They were sweet and sexy together. They were good for each other. Unfortunately, their road trip was cut short by news from home and things began to short-circuit a bit after that. Guilt is powerful thing and Abby had it in spades. Beck is persistent and determined to be there for her and slowly things begin to fall into place. 

I won't tell you anything more specific about the plot of the book, save this one part - the events of the Trancing Pranny were among some of my favorites in the book. First, I love that name for a drag bar. The people Abby met that night and the experiences she had were perfect for her in that moment. 

With This Heart was made of feels. It was an emotional roller coaster, for sure. I reached a point where I was almost afraid to continue for fear of how it would all end. There were moments that I figured out, others that I didn't see coming a mile away, ones that left me with a huge smile on my face and lastly those ones that left me with tears streaming down my face. Through all of it, I was completely enraptured and couldn't have walked away if someone had made me. Part romance, part second chance and part coming of age tale, I couldn't get enough of Abby's story. The fact that Beck was so damn swoony didn't hurt matters either. He was so perfect it was impossible not to love him.

This book shows that sometimes life gives you exactly the people or situations you need in order to deal with what you're going through at the time. It was a beautifully-written story. My first by R.S. Grey, but certainly not my last.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and might not appear in the final version.

Kate

3.75* I think With This Heart is the definition of an emotional rollercoaster. I had high hopes as I'm a sucker for a road trip book but ended up starting this feeling extremely sceptical and admittedly pretty cynical. *Boy basically stalks girl into a funeral home, invites himself on her road trip, she agrees after talking to him once but he's cute so that's totally okay*. It would be hard for anyone not to feel slightly dubious when this all happens within the first few pages. It took a while for me to get over Abby and Beck's odd and pretty unrealistic meeting but once I did (and basically pushed it from my memory) I was totally hooked. There were so many elements to this story. Love, loss, friendship, family and heartbreak. Despite everything Abby had been through in her life, things that I haven't personally been through, at times, I found myself really able to relate to her. She was overwhelmed by the prospect of the future and wasn't entirely sure how to handle it, as a character she had a depth to her which I really enjoyed reading. (Her 'celebrity crush' was also Jim from The Office which I totally approve of.) Beck was gorgeous of course. I loved how he dealt with Abby's illness, he always tried to bring light to the situation but in a way that was sensitive and not over bearing or patronising. I warmed to him the moment I forgot how he met Abby (I still find that whole situation hard to believe and slightly creepy). :') Abby and Caroline's friendship was both heartwarming and heartbreaking, I adored it. This is definitely a book for older readers but despite my early scepticism I ended up really enjoying it.

With This Heart

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