~*★Review★*~ Deal Breakers by Laura Lee

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Title: Deal Breakers

Author: Laura Lee

Genre: New Adult & College, Contemporary Romance

Series or Standalone: Standalone

Rating: ★★★★★

Release Date: September 1, 2015

Review

Holy book devour, Batman!

I’m pretty new to the NetGalley experience, so lately, when I’ve been on there, I start randomly searching through genres and then publishers and in one of my jaunts through the site, I came across this story and had it immediately sent to my kindle. The idea, what takes place in the synopsis pulling me in and making me want to see where the author took it.

It also helped that I’m a big fan of second chance romances and that’s definitely what takes place here, with the five year gap that takes place for these two best friend that met in college and then after one night together, found themselves separated.

As it turns out, this book did not disappoint.

Without going into too much detail because I like readers to get a feel for a book themselves more so than be told everything about it, Riley and Devyn meet their first year of college. Devyn has been through a lot in her short life up until this point and isn’t interested in anything with Riley past a friendship. One that you see within the first few chapters (detailing their college experience together), that grows from a normal friendship into a best friendship.

I enjoyed each chapter dedicated to random events during their college experience. It gave insight into how they became the best friends they are and set the stage for the feels that this reader would feel later when everything got much more serious. I believed in their friendship and I also wanted there to be more for them because of the way the author showed them together, long before they actually did get together.

Devyn, trusting Riley more than anyone else on the planet, and wanting to move on from College no longer holding onto her “v-card”, asks him to help her out, and knowing how Riley has looked at his best friend right from the first time they met, I knew he wasn’t going to say no. But neither character realized just how complicated things were going to get once they entered into this agreement.

Time passage, hearts broken, two people who clearly cared for one another losing touch and secrets being kept and held for five years all comes together when they finally do meet up again five years after the disaster that was their one night together and it was in this area where the story, and the characters really took flight and I saw the best parts of them.

This is where the love become paramount and it was such a beautiful thing to read.

Riley was already sweet (even as a young college student who got spooked when the feelings got too real), and when he comes across Devyn again, he’s determined, set in stone and ready to fight for her. Something that years before he hadn’t been ready to admit he wanted to do. Armed with a truth he knew nothing about, he’s determined to win the heart of the girl he left broken in the past and he doesn’t let up until he achieves just that.

The flow in this book was tremendous. I remember starting it, and then getting so engrossed in it that when I looked down an hour or so later, I was already sixty percent of the way through. That is a testament to the author for fantastic pacing. Time moves quickly, but in a way where you’re not missing out on anything as it passes. You’re seeing everything the way you should be and you’re not bogged down by things that matter very little in the long term.

If you’re into happily ever after’s this book is for you. If you like a good second chance romance with characters that aren’t perfect. Ones that have flaws and do make mistakes (as both Devyn and Riley do within this book), then you’ll love this. Add to those things, some pretty romantic yet steamy and beautiful love scenes and you’ve got the makings of one hell of a romance.

I can’t wait to read Brody and Drew’s stories in the future, since during the course of this one, I became attached to both of them as well.

I’m so glad that I came across this book on my journey through NetGalley. It was truly a pleasure to read and this is definitely an author I want to read more of in the future.