Publisher: L.B. Simmons

Publication date: 4/23/2014
Pages: 306
Death.

For some, it's simply one of life's certainties, nothing more. For others, it's merely a fleeting thought, one often overshadowed by the reckless delusion that they have been blessed with the gift of immortality.

For Aubrey Miller, death is the definition of her very existence. Overcome with the guilt resulting from the loss of her beloved family, she alters her appearance from the once beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl to that of one shrouded in complete darkness, enveloping herself in her own unbreakable fortress of solitude as a form of protection for others.

As she enters her first year of college, her goal is simple: Earn a degree with the least amount of social interaction as possible. What she never anticipates is the formation of very unlikely relationships with two people who will change her life in ways she never believed possible: Quinn Matthews, the boisterous former pageant queen, and Kaeleb McMadden, a childhood friend from her past who never really let her go.

Over the years, as their connections intertwine and grow, a seemingly indestructible bond is formed between the three...

But when death painfully reemerges, Aubrey is lost once again, burying herself deeper than ever before inside the familiar fortification of her fears.

Will the refuge of friendship, the solidarity of life-long bonds, and the power of unconditional love be enough to do the impossible?

Will they be enough to finally bring about...

The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller?

****Standalone NA Contemporary Romance/HEA****

****WARNING - Due to the graphic nature of some scenes, this book is intended for mature audiences only. Contains adult language and themes.****

@ Goodreads

Review

This book… what can I say?

How about; This book was freakin’ amazing on so many levels?

Or; This book made me cry my eyes out and laugh out loud… at the same time?

Or; You need to read this book ASAP?

All of the above fit this book perfectly. This book was so unique and heart wrenching. I kept waiting for moments where I could breathe but they never were long enough. This book had a lot of drama, but the drama was so well placed and fit so perfectly with the book that I couldn’t not like the book.

Where to start… The book was set up with some major breakages. Kind of similar to the Twilight series in the aspect that the reader isn’t privy to everything that the characters go through. There were some large gaps where I was led to believe one thing, when the book totally switched on me and it started on new terms and on a new level. Yet this just ADDED to the book! Literally, the author had so many opportunities to throw me off the book, but she took every moment and made it worth reading. Of course, there were some parts that I cringed in embarrassment for the character, but they weren’t because I thought she was stupid, it was more like it was really embarrassing yet could totally happen. And there were some moments where I had to take a break from reading and take some yoga breaths because the writing was just that intense. I LOVED IT.

“Without heartache, there is no understanding of the true meaning of love. Without anger, passion cannot be comprehended. Without fear, there is nothing gained when overcome. And without sorrow, happiness can never be realized.”

Aubrey. Aubrey Miller. What can I say about this amazing dysfunctional character who hides behind makeup and crazy hair? She took so many things on herself and blamed herself for so many things, I can’t help but think that she had some real-world qualities. Qualities that are missing from other books. This definitely amped the rating for me and became a key ingredient to this book. Everything about her was at once off putting and then again likable. She was one of those characters that comes into her strength as the book progresses. Of course, a lot of up and downs happen first, but I really could appreciate the trouble she went through to protect those around her. At times, I cried because of how bad her self-image was. Yet, she had a strong support basis from which to grow and change. That’s what makes the book so freakin’ amazing.

“I hope that one day you’ll find that source of light and let it heal you, too. Because if you do, it will illuminate your path and eventually lead you home. To me.”

Quinn and Kaeleb (Part of the support basis I mentioned above). The author made them so imperfectly perfect (kind of confusing I know). They weren’t these perfect side characters that had nothing going on in their own personal lives. They went through struggle and fell into bad habits just like Aubrey. I really enjoyed the way the author made these supporting characters real. She didn’t just throw any character in the book to tell Aubrey how much better she could be, no she went and created these characters that had their own drama and their own struggles. Characters that seemed to better understand Aubrey her life crisis.

“Beautiful people tend to be ugly, ugly people tend to be beautiful, storms tend to brew below a person’s cool, calm exterior, and tremendously happy people tend to be overcompensating for their own grief. Nothing is ever really what it seems.”

Overall the only thing that I can leave you with is the strong suggestion to read this book. So read it Winking smile

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Author Info.

L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science. She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.