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Life #2
Next to You
Him
…I need time. Time to heal those wings and learn to use them…
Was part of the letter Rebecca Trent, Daniel Brightmore’s fiancée and best friend left when she ran away. The person he trusted the most for the past decade disappeared without giving him a second glance. She taught him how to love, believe in family and that everyone deserves a happily ever after. Now he’s struggling between wiping any traces of her from his life and drowning his sorrows away with the help of his new best friends—Don Julio and Jack Daniels.
Her
Rebecca’s past suffocated her to the point of not wanting to continue, her lifeline and the only reason to live began to withdraw from her. She wished it had been her imagination, but heard it loud and clear: “If not, there’s always a divorce, nothing is forever.” This time it became a leave or die situation. Something has got to change—she had to change. Packing light and leaving a letter behind, she takes a journey that can help her find herself through the shards of her painful childhood.
As letters, memories and stories are exchanged, two once inseparable people reconcile what’s left of their relationship. Beyond the confines of everything they built together, they’re left with two lonely people searching for what it means to be whole. Will they find meaning under their bruised psyches or will their pasts get the better of them?
…I need time. Time to heal those wings and learn to use them…
Was part of the letter Rebecca Trent, Daniel Brightmore’s fiancée and best friend left when she ran away. The person he trusted the most for the past decade disappeared without giving him a second glance. She taught him how to love, believe in family and that everyone deserves a happily ever after. Now he’s struggling between wiping any traces of her from his life and drowning his sorrows away with the help of his new best friends—Don Julio and Jack Daniels.
Her
Rebecca’s past suffocated her to the point of not wanting to continue, her lifeline and the only reason to live began to withdraw from her. She wished it had been her imagination, but heard it loud and clear: “If not, there’s always a divorce, nothing is forever.” This time it became a leave or die situation. Something has got to change—she had to change. Packing light and leaving a letter behind, she takes a journey that can help her find herself through the shards of her painful childhood.
As letters, memories and stories are exchanged, two once inseparable people reconcile what’s left of their relationship. Beyond the confines of everything they built together, they’re left with two lonely people searching for what it means to be whole. Will they find meaning under their bruised psyches or will their pasts get the better of them?
240 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2014
5 people are currently reading
837 people want to read
About the author
Claudia Y. Burgoa
142 books6,422 followersClaudia is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author.
She writes alluring, thrilling stories about complicated women and the men who take their breath away.
She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and her youngest two children. She has a sweet Bichon, Macey, who thinks she's the ruler of the house. She's only partially right.
When Claudia is not writing, you can find her reading, knitting, or just hanging out with her family.
At night, she likes to binge watch shows with her equally geeky husband.
Instagram: http://bit.ly/ClaudiasIG
TikTok: https://bit.ly/CBstiktok
Bloggers/Influencers: https://geni.us/CBBloggers
Newsletter: https://geni.us/CBNewsletter
She writes alluring, thrilling stories about complicated women and the men who take their breath away.
She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and her youngest two children. She has a sweet Bichon, Macey, who thinks she's the ruler of the house. She's only partially right.
When Claudia is not writing, you can find her reading, knitting, or just hanging out with her family.
At night, she likes to binge watch shows with her equally geeky husband.
Instagram: http://bit.ly/ClaudiasIG
TikTok: https://bit.ly/CBstiktok
Bloggers/Influencers: https://geni.us/CBBloggers
Newsletter: https://geni.us/CBNewsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 13, 2014
Book – Next to You (Life #2)
Author – Claudia Y. Burgoa
Publication Date – July 1, 2014
Type – Part of Series
Genre – Romance, New Adult
Rating – 4 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Complimentary Copy generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Review
The first thing I must get out is that you definitely should read “Where Life Takes You” before this one. I was so confused in the beginning and I know I should have put this one on hold and read the first book in the series. But, nooooo, not me – and after awhile, I was able to piece together the first story….and that’s the reason why Ms. Burgoa is so amazing….She included the major aspects of #1 but scattered them throughout the story instead of bundling everything in the very beginning. The recollection of events are so well done that you don’t even know that the author is reminding you of what happened.
It didn’t take long until I was sucked into this story and found myself in a crazy mood of feeling the depression and sadness our characters were feeling. There were times that I sympathized with each character and then other times I wanted to throttle them and their stubborn behavior. At a point this got me so riled up that I was ready to quit because my frustration level for Becca reached an all time high…but instead I just walked away (well, I mean I actually did some work) and after some relaxing breathing techniques…I was able to continue.
This is when you know you are reading a story by a wonderful author, when they can get you to feel so man emotions that parallel with the main characters.
Passion….one word to describe this story…
Re-Cap
Becca needs to heal and figure out how to control her own life. This leads her to leave Dan and get help for herself. Dan in turn goes through all the stages of grief….he does some really stupid things like driving drunk, picking up women, setting fire to things etc.
During the time away, Becca continues to write letters to Dan confessing her love and explaining why she did the things, she had to do while begging Dan to open up to her about his past.
They start a journey toward each other but hit a bump in the road, which sends them both scampering away. This still doesn’t get rid of the Dan’s all encompassing love for Becca ---- it’s frustrating, it’s painful to these two to fight in order to save their relationship.
Dan must learn not to always feel the need to control and “mother” Becca while Becca has to learn to trust and depend on Dan. It turns out to be a hard battle for the two of them to give up the past and learn to live in the present and prepare for the future.
A touching beautiful love story while fighting so many demons from the past.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
Author – Claudia Y. Burgoa
Publication Date – July 1, 2014
Type – Part of Series
Genre – Romance, New Adult
Rating – 4 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Complimentary Copy generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Review
The first thing I must get out is that you definitely should read “Where Life Takes You” before this one. I was so confused in the beginning and I know I should have put this one on hold and read the first book in the series. But, nooooo, not me – and after awhile, I was able to piece together the first story….and that’s the reason why Ms. Burgoa is so amazing….She included the major aspects of #1 but scattered them throughout the story instead of bundling everything in the very beginning. The recollection of events are so well done that you don’t even know that the author is reminding you of what happened.
It didn’t take long until I was sucked into this story and found myself in a crazy mood of feeling the depression and sadness our characters were feeling. There were times that I sympathized with each character and then other times I wanted to throttle them and their stubborn behavior. At a point this got me so riled up that I was ready to quit because my frustration level for Becca reached an all time high…but instead I just walked away (well, I mean I actually did some work) and after some relaxing breathing techniques…I was able to continue.
This is when you know you are reading a story by a wonderful author, when they can get you to feel so man emotions that parallel with the main characters.
Passion….one word to describe this story…
Re-Cap
Becca needs to heal and figure out how to control her own life. This leads her to leave Dan and get help for herself. Dan in turn goes through all the stages of grief….he does some really stupid things like driving drunk, picking up women, setting fire to things etc.
During the time away, Becca continues to write letters to Dan confessing her love and explaining why she did the things, she had to do while begging Dan to open up to her about his past.
They start a journey toward each other but hit a bump in the road, which sends them both scampering away. This still doesn’t get rid of the Dan’s all encompassing love for Becca ---- it’s frustrating, it’s painful to these two to fight in order to save their relationship.
Dan must learn not to always feel the need to control and “mother” Becca while Becca has to learn to trust and depend on Dan. It turns out to be a hard battle for the two of them to give up the past and learn to live in the present and prepare for the future.
A touching beautiful love story while fighting so many demons from the past.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
July 1, 2014
This is the much awaited sequel of Where Life Takes You. I can tell you that I was in pins and needles after reading the first book waiting to find out how Daniel and Rebecca were ever to resolve their issues.
With Rebecca's past literally paralyzing her and making her suicidal and Daniel's need for control, my emotions were flying everywhere when I read her goodbye letter. Our author has a way with her words where the emotions are brought to the surface and we cannot hold back - we are involved!
Following these two lovers through their reactions to their separation is probably best described as bungee jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Down ... Up... Down ... Chaos! Loved the scene with the burning car. What can I tell you - I am divorced and know how it feels to think someone you love has abandoned you! The rage you feel can make you do crazy things!
With Rebecca's past literally paralyzing her and making her suicidal and Daniel's need for control, my emotions were flying everywhere when I read her goodbye letter. Our author has a way with her words where the emotions are brought to the surface and we cannot hold back - we are involved!
Following these two lovers through their reactions to their separation is probably best described as bungee jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Down ... Up... Down ... Chaos! Loved the scene with the burning car. What can I tell you - I am divorced and know how it feels to think someone you love has abandoned you! The rage you feel can make you do crazy things!
August 20, 2014
Absolutely stunning conclusion to Dan and Becca's story. 5 stars! Full review will be posted on the 20th August for my stop on the Next to You Blog Tour : http://www.oldvictorianquill.wordpres...
Book Review ~ ‘Next to You’ by Claudia Y. Burgoa ~ 5 Stars!
This was a stunning conclusion to Daniel and Rebecca’s heartbreaking yet beautiful story. I was dying to get my hands on this book ever since I finished the first one, and knowing that it would be from Daniel’s point of view, only made me want it even more. I loved seeing the first book from Rebecca’s narrative, so was intrigued to see the difference in how Daniel and Rebecca had viewed their relationship.
‘Next to You’ really packed the emotional punch, and there were many times when I just had to put my kindle down and remind myself that it was only fiction as I could feel my heart break for the pain the characters went through. Yet, I was determined to persevere, as I became so entwined with the characters and just had to finish their journey with them.
I grew to adore Daniel even more in this book as we start to see the perfect facade he presented to the world in ‘Where Life Takes You’ couldn’t be further from the truth. Inside he is broken, desperate and intensely traumatised from his own past, something that was all brought to the surface again when Rebecca left him at the end of the first book. I really rooted for him throughout this story, as I began to see the cracks that he’d tried to hide splinter now that he’d lost the only thing in the world that had kept him fighting.
Seeing Rebecca’s development in this story, made all the pain and heartbreak worth it. I did worry that Rebecca was broken beyond repair at the end of the first book, even as I held out hope that she would return to Daniel and the love they shared, but this book really showed the inner strength she had, and I really admired her for finally putting herself first and starting her journey of self discovery where she began to accept her past, and look forward to a brighter future. To see the toll that her absence from Daniel’s life had on not only him, but also her was just heartbreaking, and I wept throughout the scenes where we began to see the two of them doubt a future between them was every possible.
Even though Daniel was still Rebecca’s rescuer in this novel, in many different ways, it was wonderful to see Rebecca become her own saviour, and to in turn become the stronger and healthier one of the two, something so different to the way they were in the first book.
Hearing of some of the things that Rebecca went through in ‘Where Life Takes You’ unknown to the reader just broke my heart, and it really made it clear to me why she felt she had to leave Daniel, giving me the closure I needed after heart-wrenching ending to Book One.
In addition, I felt that the authors writing style was a lot more fluid than in the previous book, and details of the story flowed better, as I remember commenting in my review of ‘Where Life Takes You’ on how certain aspects of the first book seemed contradictory to what had been mentioned in previous chapters, which is why I rated it 4 over 5 stars. In ‘Next to You’, the whole novel flowed beautifully, and I never once felt that the plot or pasts of the characters were jumping in different directions.
This was an absolutely stunning, heartbreaking and beautiful conclusion to the ‘Life’ series, and this is one that will definitely stay with me for many years.
Book Review ~ ‘Next to You’ by Claudia Y. Burgoa ~ 5 Stars!
This was a stunning conclusion to Daniel and Rebecca’s heartbreaking yet beautiful story. I was dying to get my hands on this book ever since I finished the first one, and knowing that it would be from Daniel’s point of view, only made me want it even more. I loved seeing the first book from Rebecca’s narrative, so was intrigued to see the difference in how Daniel and Rebecca had viewed their relationship.
‘Next to You’ really packed the emotional punch, and there were many times when I just had to put my kindle down and remind myself that it was only fiction as I could feel my heart break for the pain the characters went through. Yet, I was determined to persevere, as I became so entwined with the characters and just had to finish their journey with them.
I grew to adore Daniel even more in this book as we start to see the perfect facade he presented to the world in ‘Where Life Takes You’ couldn’t be further from the truth. Inside he is broken, desperate and intensely traumatised from his own past, something that was all brought to the surface again when Rebecca left him at the end of the first book. I really rooted for him throughout this story, as I began to see the cracks that he’d tried to hide splinter now that he’d lost the only thing in the world that had kept him fighting.
Seeing Rebecca’s development in this story, made all the pain and heartbreak worth it. I did worry that Rebecca was broken beyond repair at the end of the first book, even as I held out hope that she would return to Daniel and the love they shared, but this book really showed the inner strength she had, and I really admired her for finally putting herself first and starting her journey of self discovery where she began to accept her past, and look forward to a brighter future. To see the toll that her absence from Daniel’s life had on not only him, but also her was just heartbreaking, and I wept throughout the scenes where we began to see the two of them doubt a future between them was every possible.
Even though Daniel was still Rebecca’s rescuer in this novel, in many different ways, it was wonderful to see Rebecca become her own saviour, and to in turn become the stronger and healthier one of the two, something so different to the way they were in the first book.
Hearing of some of the things that Rebecca went through in ‘Where Life Takes You’ unknown to the reader just broke my heart, and it really made it clear to me why she felt she had to leave Daniel, giving me the closure I needed after heart-wrenching ending to Book One.
In addition, I felt that the authors writing style was a lot more fluid than in the previous book, and details of the story flowed better, as I remember commenting in my review of ‘Where Life Takes You’ on how certain aspects of the first book seemed contradictory to what had been mentioned in previous chapters, which is why I rated it 4 over 5 stars. In ‘Next to You’, the whole novel flowed beautifully, and I never once felt that the plot or pasts of the characters were jumping in different directions.
This was an absolutely stunning, heartbreaking and beautiful conclusion to the ‘Life’ series, and this is one that will definitely stay with me for many years.
January 12, 2015
***Received an ARC copy of Next to You by the author, Claudia Y. Burgoa, in exchange for an honest review***
Please do not read this review if you have not read the first book in the series, Where Life Takes You, since it contain spoilers on how it ended.
Next to You, by Claudia Y. Burgoa, is the second book in the Life series. It had been awhile since I read Where Life Takes You (Life #1) and even though I remember the gist of it, I had forgotten a lot of the minor detail/event that happened in the first book and again brought up in the second. I would recommend reading these together so you get the full effect of the story.
Next to You is a little different that Where Life Takes You. Unlike the first book where is was told in Becca’s POV, Life #2 is written in Dan’s POV but you do get Becca’s POV from the letter’s she wrote to Dan. I thought this was a very creative way to provide both POV’s and loved how it all fell together.
Next to You picks up right where Where Life Takes You ended. Dan had just found the note that Becca had left him saying that she needed time to fix herself and to please try to understand. I fell in love with Dan in Life #1 but didn’t agree with how he was trying to help Becca and how controlling he was, but I still didn’t think that gave Becca the right to leave him the way that she did. I was heartbroken for Dan, but that quickly faded by his actions,
“This is what I think about your letter and your dreams, Rebecca, I yell at no one in particular since I’m alone. Of course I’m not a dumbass and by now I’m far enough away to see the car ignite and explode – but at a safe distance so I don’t get burned. Stay in fucking hell, or wherever you decided to take that sorry ass of yours. I hate you.”
Dan was so stubborn and thick headed that he couldn’t see that Becca was just trying to save herself and Dan from resenting her. I became so frustrated with him that he after reading her letters declaring her love for him and why she was doing what she was, he couldn’t get it thru his head and was still a complete asshole.
It takes a pretty big catastrophe for Dan to finally pull his head out of his ass and realize all the mistakes he has made and what it is he wants.
“I am now aware that this is my girl, my woman the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I just have no fucking idea how to get there.”
These two go through so many trials and heartache in their journey it’s amazing they came out alive.
“I do accept that I’m vindictive and can be cold enough to make a baby cry, but not you, you’re my everything – my life.”
It’s a long road filled with pain and hurt, but eventually they are able to find their way back to one another and get their HEA.
My Review of Where Life Takes You (Life #1)
Please do not read this review if you have not read the first book in the series, Where Life Takes You, since it contain spoilers on how it ended.
Next to You, by Claudia Y. Burgoa, is the second book in the Life series. It had been awhile since I read Where Life Takes You (Life #1) and even though I remember the gist of it, I had forgotten a lot of the minor detail/event that happened in the first book and again brought up in the second. I would recommend reading these together so you get the full effect of the story.
Next to You is a little different that Where Life Takes You. Unlike the first book where is was told in Becca’s POV, Life #2 is written in Dan’s POV but you do get Becca’s POV from the letter’s she wrote to Dan. I thought this was a very creative way to provide both POV’s and loved how it all fell together.
Next to You picks up right where Where Life Takes You ended. Dan had just found the note that Becca had left him saying that she needed time to fix herself and to please try to understand. I fell in love with Dan in Life #1 but didn’t agree with how he was trying to help Becca and how controlling he was, but I still didn’t think that gave Becca the right to leave him the way that she did. I was heartbroken for Dan, but that quickly faded by his actions,
“This is what I think about your letter and your dreams, Rebecca, I yell at no one in particular since I’m alone. Of course I’m not a dumbass and by now I’m far enough away to see the car ignite and explode – but at a safe distance so I don’t get burned. Stay in fucking hell, or wherever you decided to take that sorry ass of yours. I hate you.”
Dan was so stubborn and thick headed that he couldn’t see that Becca was just trying to save herself and Dan from resenting her. I became so frustrated with him that he after reading her letters declaring her love for him and why she was doing what she was, he couldn’t get it thru his head and was still a complete asshole.
It takes a pretty big catastrophe for Dan to finally pull his head out of his ass and realize all the mistakes he has made and what it is he wants.
“I am now aware that this is my girl, my woman the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I just have no fucking idea how to get there.”
These two go through so many trials and heartache in their journey it’s amazing they came out alive.
“I do accept that I’m vindictive and can be cold enough to make a baby cry, but not you, you’re my everything – my life.”
It’s a long road filled with pain and hurt, but eventually they are able to find their way back to one another and get their HEA.
My Review of Where Life Takes You (Life #1)
August 22, 2014
Can I just start by professing my love for drunk Daniel Brightmore? Seriously. The guy is True Awesomeness.
Look at this:
I bang her desk a couple of times with the crystal paperweight that reads employee of the year. It was a present from Rebecca to her. “I’m in the mood to destroy a company or two.”
And this:
“This is what I think about your letter and your dreams, Rebecca,” I yell to no one in particular since I’m alone. Of course I’m not a dumbass and by now I’m far enough away to see the car ignite and explode—but at a safe distance so I don’t get burned. “Stay in fucking hell, or wherever you decided to take that sorry ass of yours. I hate you.”
I. Know. Right. He’s amazing.
He’s still a controlling, over-protective, pain-in-the-ass boyfriend, mind you, but he’s pretty amazing when drunk. #JustSaying
At the end of Where Life Takes You, we see Becca Trent leaving long-time friend and recent boyfriend Dan Brightmore to do some soul searching of her own. Considering how I was staunchly against Daniel in book #1 and didn’t particularly like his idea of a relationship, I was fairly sure I knew how book #2 was going to go. And up to a certain limit it was just as I thought it would be.
Dan over-reacted. He raved, hebitched cried and he got destructive. See: Burning Becca’s Car. But he learnt that some things take time, and that the only way to let Becca heal was to give her both time and space. I could feel how strongly he fought against Becca being away from him but the poor fucker was helpless. And as much as I dislike Dan, I have to say that the guy loved her. He truly did.
What I didn’t expect is to see the tremendous growth of a vertebral column in Becca! It was amazing. I was cheering for her throughout the book. Sure, she needed to say stuff in a certain way and with certain words for her jerk boyfriend Dan to get it, but the girl needed to grow balls, dammit! And she did.
Ms. Burgoa also managed to sneak in a bit of an unexpected surprise so yay!
Sometimes I fear that when books are in a series, the last one will never be able to deliver as quite as the first one. But this book was just the absolutely perfect end to the series (unless there’s another) and while I wasn’t quite sure I was shipping these two (See: Dan is a tyrant), I’m glad they got together :)
Find this review and more at Rhea's Neon Journal.
Look at this:
I bang her desk a couple of times with the crystal paperweight that reads employee of the year. It was a present from Rebecca to her. “I’m in the mood to destroy a company or two.”
And this:
“This is what I think about your letter and your dreams, Rebecca,” I yell to no one in particular since I’m alone. Of course I’m not a dumbass and by now I’m far enough away to see the car ignite and explode—but at a safe distance so I don’t get burned. “Stay in fucking hell, or wherever you decided to take that sorry ass of yours. I hate you.”
I. Know. Right. He’s amazing.
He’s still a controlling, over-protective, pain-in-the-ass boyfriend, mind you, but he’s pretty amazing when drunk. #JustSaying
At the end of Where Life Takes You, we see Becca Trent leaving long-time friend and recent boyfriend Dan Brightmore to do some soul searching of her own. Considering how I was staunchly against Daniel in book #1 and didn’t particularly like his idea of a relationship, I was fairly sure I knew how book #2 was going to go. And up to a certain limit it was just as I thought it would be.
Dan over-reacted. He raved, he
What I didn’t expect is to see the tremendous growth of a vertebral column in Becca! It was amazing. I was cheering for her throughout the book. Sure, she needed to say stuff in a certain way and with certain words for her jerk boyfriend Dan to get it, but the girl needed to grow balls, dammit! And she did.
Ms. Burgoa also managed to sneak in a bit of an unexpected surprise so yay!
Sometimes I fear that when books are in a series, the last one will never be able to deliver as quite as the first one. But this book was just the absolutely perfect end to the series (unless there’s another) and while I wasn’t quite sure I was shipping these two (See: Dan is a tyrant), I’m glad they got together :)
Find this review and more at Rhea's Neon Journal.
August 24, 2014
Holy wow. There are a few authors that send me through emotional turmoil with the books they write. Claudia Y. Burgoa is one of them… and I love her for it.
If you haven’t read book one, Where Life Takes You, do not read my review. I will not spoil Next To You are all for you, but there is something that I have to say about something that happened in book one.
You probably already know it because it’s in the blurb for Next To You.
I CANNOT BELIEVE BECCA RAN AWAY FROM DAN!!!!!
I mean, I get it. She needs to work through her issues from the past, which if you read Where Life Takes You, you know that Becca has had some really heavy heartbreaking stuff happen to her.
BUT SHE LEFT DAN!
Ok. I’m almost better.
We know the characters at this point, we know who the good guys are, the ones who will protect Becca with their lives, the ones we love, and I was so happy to see them back, but I wouldn’t have blamed Dan for strangling anyone in the beginning of the book.
We go back and forth with their letters, my heart being ripped out a little more here and there, I wanted to shake Rebecca into today, you love him, he loves you, come on now.
Rebecca isn’t the only one who kind of needs to find themselves. Dan does too.
I loved the letters between the two of them. I loved Dan’s POV being what we get as he is dealing with life without Becca.
Next To You is an amazing story of healing, of growing, of finding who you are, being able to stand on your own two feet. It’s also a story of family, of friendship, of knowing when it’s ok to let someone help you.
I cried more than once, the tears were seriously flowing at the end as I said goodbye to these characters that I have grown to love.
Both Where Life Takes You and Next To You are absolutely beautiful books, even when they are dealing with hard subject matters. I would recommend these to everyone.
Thank you so very much for my copy of Next To You! It’s one of those books that I felt honored to read.
If you haven’t read book one, Where Life Takes You, do not read my review. I will not spoil Next To You are all for you, but there is something that I have to say about something that happened in book one.
You probably already know it because it’s in the blurb for Next To You.
I CANNOT BELIEVE BECCA RAN AWAY FROM DAN!!!!!
I mean, I get it. She needs to work through her issues from the past, which if you read Where Life Takes You, you know that Becca has had some really heavy heartbreaking stuff happen to her.
BUT SHE LEFT DAN!
Ok. I’m almost better.
We know the characters at this point, we know who the good guys are, the ones who will protect Becca with their lives, the ones we love, and I was so happy to see them back, but I wouldn’t have blamed Dan for strangling anyone in the beginning of the book.
We go back and forth with their letters, my heart being ripped out a little more here and there, I wanted to shake Rebecca into today, you love him, he loves you, come on now.
Rebecca isn’t the only one who kind of needs to find themselves. Dan does too.
I loved the letters between the two of them. I loved Dan’s POV being what we get as he is dealing with life without Becca.
Next To You is an amazing story of healing, of growing, of finding who you are, being able to stand on your own two feet. It’s also a story of family, of friendship, of knowing when it’s ok to let someone help you.
I cried more than once, the tears were seriously flowing at the end as I said goodbye to these characters that I have grown to love.
Both Where Life Takes You and Next To You are absolutely beautiful books, even when they are dealing with hard subject matters. I would recommend these to everyone.
Thank you so very much for my copy of Next To You! It’s one of those books that I felt honored to read.
July 7, 2014
As the second book in a duology, this was a great second half of the story. Unlike the first book, this book is told from Dan’s point-of-view, with their written correspondence also taking a narrative role. I found this an interesting twist, as most romance stories seem to be told from a female view.
While I did find the narration style interesting, I could never bring myself to like Dan. He’s just not a likeable character. He’s very controlling and overbearing and more than once he said that if Becca would just let him make the decisions, then everything would be fine. Ugh. Not someone I could root for at all.
Becca is a completely different story though. I loved her in this book. She began to take steps at the end of the previous book that she continued in this one, and I was so proud of her. She knows what she needs to do in order to get better and more comfortable with herself, and she followed through, no matter what Dan wanted. Her newfound inner strength was beautiful.
Overall, this was a good finale to the duology. While I didn’t like Dan at all, and am not totally sold on the ending, all of the progress that Becca made was worth it. She’s a great character, and I was so happy every time she did something to help herself.
While I did find the narration style interesting, I could never bring myself to like Dan. He’s just not a likeable character. He’s very controlling and overbearing and more than once he said that if Becca would just let him make the decisions, then everything would be fine. Ugh. Not someone I could root for at all.
Becca is a completely different story though. I loved her in this book. She began to take steps at the end of the previous book that she continued in this one, and I was so proud of her. She knows what she needs to do in order to get better and more comfortable with herself, and she followed through, no matter what Dan wanted. Her newfound inner strength was beautiful.
Overall, this was a good finale to the duology. While I didn’t like Dan at all, and am not totally sold on the ending, all of the progress that Becca made was worth it. She’s a great character, and I was so happy every time she did something to help herself.
September 2, 2014
** JOSIE'S 5 STAR REVIEW **
*If you have not read book 1 in the Life Series, Where Life Takes You, please do not read this review it will have spoilers.*
OMG, where do I begin!!! Claudia Burgoas, my hat (If I wore one) goes off to you. Next to You, is amazing, emotional and heartwarming journey. This one picks up right where the first ended. After getting engaged to Dan, Becca ran away from everything she knows and only leaves a letter behind explaining her exit. This story is told in Danny’s POV and let me tell you I love it! The author did an amazing job with bringing his POV to light and needless to say he is not happy that the love of his life walked out on him.
From reading the first one, we know that Becca was raped by her ex-boyfriend and was blamed for her step sister’s death. She was treated poorly by her mother and step-father and never recovered from the violence she experienced. In order for Becca to truly move on with her life with Dan and find a sense of normality and balance in life she goes to Geneva to attend intensive therapy. Dan is a controlling man and takes over every aspect of Becca’s life, but he does this because he wants to protect her and keep her safe. After Becca takes off Dan really starts to spirals out of control.
“Never mind, she left. As in she’s no longer a part of the company or my life.”
“Setting the Subaru on fire was a once in a lifetime thing. A way to….fu*k she’s going to go nuts when she learns about it. She’s going to crack my nuts.”
Although this story is told in Dan’s POV the author gives parts of what Becca is going through as well. I think the author did an amazing by offering readers’ letters and email correspondence between them during their time apart. It really made the story not feel all one sided and I really liked knowing what she was going through at the time. Becca can see the trepidation, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, hurt and anger that’s going on with Dan. He does not understand that Becca asking for this time to heal is not a reflection on her love for him but more for her. She needs to love herself but he reacts bitterly, rash and vengefully which only pushes an already fragile Becca away. I understood Dan’s frustration, but at times I was so upset with him. The author really lets readers get into his head and let me tell you something, he is a riot (Swear To God).
“She asked me to email her, even if I’m upset. Did I show you the fu*king essay like letter she sent me? It was pages and pages written front and back. It is easier via email like what I send her on a daily basis.”
Although Becca is not around Dan, he is still protective and a total alpha male when it comes to Becca. He starts to take out all those that had a part in destroying her soul. I loved that author gave us bad Dan, funny Dan and Alpha Dan.
“This is my house and you bullying us—“
“Not bullying, only protecting my own. Protecting the woman who’s a fu*cked up mess because neither one of you gave a sh*t about her. Your son had no right to tell you what happened to Becca, your wife shouldn’t have gone to our house and give her sh*t…the lack of parenting on your part destroyed my girl. Let me repeat this one more time so it’s clear for the two of year. If you contact my girl again, I’ll destroy you. The two of you have two weeks to leave, or I’ll make sure your life becomes a living night mare, like the ones Becca has nightly because of your fu*king son.”
Months later when Becca comes back to the states Dan realizes that he really pushed Becca away. When he finds out through friends and family that she has been back for months he slowly to starts to realize he pushed for control for his needs and hers. He starts to repair the damage he has done and works to be a better man but Becca is not the same fragile girl he met years ago. She is stronger and only gave him what he pushed for. Dan is so cute, he is jealous of any man that comes near Becca and all buts pees on her leg.
“Dan you barged into my house without saying hello and kicked out the nice guy –”
“Who was staring at your ass.”
“There’s not much to stare at.”
“There’s plenty to look at, princess.”
“I’m fu*king branded by her and my body responds to hers with only being a mile from it. This is not healthy. I stare at my hand. It’s going to be you and me for a while.”
“Friends, I guess Dan. I like the sound of it better than being nothing.”
“But be away, that won’t last long. To be blunt, I want more, including getting in your panties, Rebecca. Not long ago I discovered that you and I are vined together, branded and there’s no way in hell I’m spending the rest of my life like I’m missing a part of myself. Don’t ty to confuse me with your brother this time, because I don’t need more siblings.”
This is the conclusion of Dan and Beccas’s story and I think the author did an amazing job! I could not put this book down. I cried, laughed, swooned and was left panting. The way she gave readers drama but added humor was awesome. I was not bored or lost with this story at any time. The epilogue was EPIC – What can I say she ended in a way that was perfect for this couple!!! I really loved this story and would highly recommend everyone picking up this series.
“Why don’t I prepare her a hot chocolate with extra foam? That fu*king elephant she described is getting huge and one of these days we’ll have to move to a new building so he animal has room to grow.”
“Tony? What’s with him, should I fire him?”
“Yes. Well, no, I mean why he is guarding my butt? “
“What happens to you at night?”
“You really want to know Rebecca?” I go to bed without you, needing you and then of course. I wake up with you next to me. I detest it. I love you, Rebecca Trent; please fight for this with me. I don’t want to lose you.”
*If you have not read book 1 in the Life Series, Where Life Takes You, please do not read this review it will have spoilers.*
OMG, where do I begin!!! Claudia Burgoas, my hat (If I wore one) goes off to you. Next to You, is amazing, emotional and heartwarming journey. This one picks up right where the first ended. After getting engaged to Dan, Becca ran away from everything she knows and only leaves a letter behind explaining her exit. This story is told in Danny’s POV and let me tell you I love it! The author did an amazing job with bringing his POV to light and needless to say he is not happy that the love of his life walked out on him.
From reading the first one, we know that Becca was raped by her ex-boyfriend and was blamed for her step sister’s death. She was treated poorly by her mother and step-father and never recovered from the violence she experienced. In order for Becca to truly move on with her life with Dan and find a sense of normality and balance in life she goes to Geneva to attend intensive therapy. Dan is a controlling man and takes over every aspect of Becca’s life, but he does this because he wants to protect her and keep her safe. After Becca takes off Dan really starts to spirals out of control.
“Never mind, she left. As in she’s no longer a part of the company or my life.”
“Setting the Subaru on fire was a once in a lifetime thing. A way to….fu*k she’s going to go nuts when she learns about it. She’s going to crack my nuts.”
Although this story is told in Dan’s POV the author gives parts of what Becca is going through as well. I think the author did an amazing by offering readers’ letters and email correspondence between them during their time apart. It really made the story not feel all one sided and I really liked knowing what she was going through at the time. Becca can see the trepidation, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, hurt and anger that’s going on with Dan. He does not understand that Becca asking for this time to heal is not a reflection on her love for him but more for her. She needs to love herself but he reacts bitterly, rash and vengefully which only pushes an already fragile Becca away. I understood Dan’s frustration, but at times I was so upset with him. The author really lets readers get into his head and let me tell you something, he is a riot (Swear To God).
“She asked me to email her, even if I’m upset. Did I show you the fu*king essay like letter she sent me? It was pages and pages written front and back. It is easier via email like what I send her on a daily basis.”
Although Becca is not around Dan, he is still protective and a total alpha male when it comes to Becca. He starts to take out all those that had a part in destroying her soul. I loved that author gave us bad Dan, funny Dan and Alpha Dan.
“This is my house and you bullying us—“
“Not bullying, only protecting my own. Protecting the woman who’s a fu*cked up mess because neither one of you gave a sh*t about her. Your son had no right to tell you what happened to Becca, your wife shouldn’t have gone to our house and give her sh*t…the lack of parenting on your part destroyed my girl. Let me repeat this one more time so it’s clear for the two of year. If you contact my girl again, I’ll destroy you. The two of you have two weeks to leave, or I’ll make sure your life becomes a living night mare, like the ones Becca has nightly because of your fu*king son.”
Months later when Becca comes back to the states Dan realizes that he really pushed Becca away. When he finds out through friends and family that she has been back for months he slowly to starts to realize he pushed for control for his needs and hers. He starts to repair the damage he has done and works to be a better man but Becca is not the same fragile girl he met years ago. She is stronger and only gave him what he pushed for. Dan is so cute, he is jealous of any man that comes near Becca and all buts pees on her leg.
“Dan you barged into my house without saying hello and kicked out the nice guy –”
“Who was staring at your ass.”
“There’s not much to stare at.”
“There’s plenty to look at, princess.”
“I’m fu*king branded by her and my body responds to hers with only being a mile from it. This is not healthy. I stare at my hand. It’s going to be you and me for a while.”
“Friends, I guess Dan. I like the sound of it better than being nothing.”
“But be away, that won’t last long. To be blunt, I want more, including getting in your panties, Rebecca. Not long ago I discovered that you and I are vined together, branded and there’s no way in hell I’m spending the rest of my life like I’m missing a part of myself. Don’t ty to confuse me with your brother this time, because I don’t need more siblings.”
This is the conclusion of Dan and Beccas’s story and I think the author did an amazing job! I could not put this book down. I cried, laughed, swooned and was left panting. The way she gave readers drama but added humor was awesome. I was not bored or lost with this story at any time. The epilogue was EPIC – What can I say she ended in a way that was perfect for this couple!!! I really loved this story and would highly recommend everyone picking up this series.
“Why don’t I prepare her a hot chocolate with extra foam? That fu*king elephant she described is getting huge and one of these days we’ll have to move to a new building so he animal has room to grow.”
“Tony? What’s with him, should I fire him?”
“Yes. Well, no, I mean why he is guarding my butt? “
“What happens to you at night?”
“You really want to know Rebecca?” I go to bed without you, needing you and then of course. I wake up with you next to me. I detest it. I love you, Rebecca Trent; please fight for this with me. I don’t want to lose you.”
March 23, 2016
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
Next to You is the second book in Claudia Y. Burgoa's Life series and is the continuation of Dan and Becca's story. I would definitely recommend reading these in order as I think you will be lost and miss out on so much if you don't start at the beginning. I have been looking forward to finding out what was next for Dan and Becca since I finished their first book, and I am so glad that these two were able to make so much progress in this story. It was frustrating at times and heartbreaking at others, but I knew that what they shared was special and I just had to have faith that they could find their way back to one another.
After Dan's fiance and best friend left his saying that she needed time to heal, he is left shattered and heart broken. He drowns his sorrows in alcohol while he goes about destroying any evidence of her from his life. Rebecca struggles to heal after the painful events of her past, and she knows that if she doesn't take the time to work on herself that there is no chance for a future with anyone else. While she never meant to hurt Dan, she knows that he is suffering from her absence just like she is. While they miss each other, there is also a lot of resentment and hurt feelings between them that need to be dealt with. The two begin to write to each other and finally begin to explain things to one another, being honest in a way that they never were before. Can these Dan and Rebecca find their way back to one another and the inseparable relationship that they once had? Or will the pain and hurt be too much for them to ever overcome?
I felt like Dan and Rebecca both made a lot of progress in this story. I have to say that Rebecca surprised me with how much growth she showed. She knew what needed to be done and finally stood on her own two feet to get it. It was hard and painful for her, and yet it didn't stop her. She knew that by leaving she might be losing Dan forever, but she also realized that if she didn't go she would end up losing him anyways. It was great to see her really put forth that effort and stick to it. I felt like she really showed her maturity in this story, and it was great to see her focusing on her health and well being. Dan continued to try to control things, and he went through a pretty destructive patch in this one. While I didn't agree with his actions or support a lot of his decisions, it was clear how hurt and frustrated he was. He didn't understand, and was left to feel the hurt and pain of Becca leaving. I was glad that he was able to come around eventually though and that he started to see that he needed to deal with some things as well.
Becca and Dan were such a different couple, and I really felt like what they shared was special. These two were great together and had always been there for one another, but they still had such a journey to take. While their journey as a couple was just beginning, it was really their separate paths that ultimately made a relationship between them possible. It was hard to see these two struggle and be apart with no hope at times, but it was clear from the start that what they went through was necessary for them both. I felt like my main issue from the first book was again the problem with this book. I thought that there were a ton of side characters that were unnecessary and left me confused and lost multiple times. I just had a hard time keeping track of all these different names and back stories, and frankly I just didn't think that they added much to the story and I couldn't really care about them. I think that Dan and Becca's story was still one worth reading and even though it was tough at times it was one that will stick with me. I would definitely recommend this series to those that are looking for something deep and real. This story wasn't always pretty or sweet, but it showed that true love sometimes require some work from the individuals to be able to work as a whole. I will look for more from Claudia Y. Burgoa in the future, and be interested to see what she writes next.
**Review Copy Provided by Xpresso Book Tours**
Next to You is the second book in Claudia Y. Burgoa's Life series and is the continuation of Dan and Becca's story. I would definitely recommend reading these in order as I think you will be lost and miss out on so much if you don't start at the beginning. I have been looking forward to finding out what was next for Dan and Becca since I finished their first book, and I am so glad that these two were able to make so much progress in this story. It was frustrating at times and heartbreaking at others, but I knew that what they shared was special and I just had to have faith that they could find their way back to one another.
After Dan's fiance and best friend left his saying that she needed time to heal, he is left shattered and heart broken. He drowns his sorrows in alcohol while he goes about destroying any evidence of her from his life. Rebecca struggles to heal after the painful events of her past, and she knows that if she doesn't take the time to work on herself that there is no chance for a future with anyone else. While she never meant to hurt Dan, she knows that he is suffering from her absence just like she is. While they miss each other, there is also a lot of resentment and hurt feelings between them that need to be dealt with. The two begin to write to each other and finally begin to explain things to one another, being honest in a way that they never were before. Can these Dan and Rebecca find their way back to one another and the inseparable relationship that they once had? Or will the pain and hurt be too much for them to ever overcome?
I felt like Dan and Rebecca both made a lot of progress in this story. I have to say that Rebecca surprised me with how much growth she showed. She knew what needed to be done and finally stood on her own two feet to get it. It was hard and painful for her, and yet it didn't stop her. She knew that by leaving she might be losing Dan forever, but she also realized that if she didn't go she would end up losing him anyways. It was great to see her really put forth that effort and stick to it. I felt like she really showed her maturity in this story, and it was great to see her focusing on her health and well being. Dan continued to try to control things, and he went through a pretty destructive patch in this one. While I didn't agree with his actions or support a lot of his decisions, it was clear how hurt and frustrated he was. He didn't understand, and was left to feel the hurt and pain of Becca leaving. I was glad that he was able to come around eventually though and that he started to see that he needed to deal with some things as well.
Becca and Dan were such a different couple, and I really felt like what they shared was special. These two were great together and had always been there for one another, but they still had such a journey to take. While their journey as a couple was just beginning, it was really their separate paths that ultimately made a relationship between them possible. It was hard to see these two struggle and be apart with no hope at times, but it was clear from the start that what they went through was necessary for them both. I felt like my main issue from the first book was again the problem with this book. I thought that there were a ton of side characters that were unnecessary and left me confused and lost multiple times. I just had a hard time keeping track of all these different names and back stories, and frankly I just didn't think that they added much to the story and I couldn't really care about them. I think that Dan and Becca's story was still one worth reading and even though it was tough at times it was one that will stick with me. I would definitely recommend this series to those that are looking for something deep and real. This story wasn't always pretty or sweet, but it showed that true love sometimes require some work from the individuals to be able to work as a whole. I will look for more from Claudia Y. Burgoa in the future, and be interested to see what she writes next.
**Review Copy Provided by Xpresso Book Tours**
September 1, 2014
After I read the first book in this series Where Life Takes You, I was ready to throw my kindle across the room out of anger over the cliff hanger. Becca left Daniel after they both had finally found their future together. Next To You explains her reasons and how Daniel sees this relationship and thankfully picks up right where the first book ended.
Becca destroyed him when she left without saying goodbye. The letter she wrote trying to explain her thinking served only as a reminder that she didn’t give them a chance. Becca had been a victim all of her life, she felt he deserved more than that in the woman he wanted to marry so striking out on her own, her goal was to become strong and independent. Hoping that he finds happiness while she is gone, she gives him permission to go on dating other women but when she returns, if they have a chance she would be willing to consider it.
Daniel didn’t see things the same way. Burning her belongings and truck and getting drunk was how he planned on healing from the empty heart he now had. This book gives us his POV to the events and allows us to invest even more in him. While she was evolving into the woman she needed to be, he was being shattered from the powerful man he once was. Both had to suffer in this journey but at times I didn’t know if there would be anything for her to come back to the way he was suffering. He knew she couldn’t have arranged her departure alone and their friends appeared to be supporting her choice so he felt absolutely alone in life. Now you can read how this unfolded because giving you more description to the book at this time will take away from the emotional journey you are about to embark on.
The author gave us a powerful story of how the two dealt with the separation and once they saw each other again. Daniel wasn’t done rescuing Becca but she did find more strength in herself and came back a stronger woman. We also learned more about her story in this book and it made her leaving a better choice. Trust me I was furious at the end of book one, it made no sense for her to just leave when she was on the edge of happiness, but the author showed us what she had wasn’t real and she needed to find what she had buried deep inside of her soul long ago. It also made her love for Daniel even more realistic. She wanted to give him the best and she was far from that even though she had a great mask on.
This story is about truth, trust and love. It also portrays what the heart and soul can overcome when given the chance to heal and process the events. It would have been easy for the author to let Becca keep her past buried and continue to pretend but she knew that both of these characters deserved more than that. It did break the reader’s heart to see the pain, but I think most of us understand now and applaud the author’s courage to tick her readers off for the good of the story.
I would recommend this series to any reader who loves realistic life stories. The world isn’t a nice place but for people like Becca, home is even worse. Daniel wanted to be her super hero but what she needed was a man to just love her, the real her and give her the time to find that person. I fell in love with these characters in the first book and I think I fell even deeper in book two.
Reviewed by Tbird for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*
Becca destroyed him when she left without saying goodbye. The letter she wrote trying to explain her thinking served only as a reminder that she didn’t give them a chance. Becca had been a victim all of her life, she felt he deserved more than that in the woman he wanted to marry so striking out on her own, her goal was to become strong and independent. Hoping that he finds happiness while she is gone, she gives him permission to go on dating other women but when she returns, if they have a chance she would be willing to consider it.
Daniel didn’t see things the same way. Burning her belongings and truck and getting drunk was how he planned on healing from the empty heart he now had. This book gives us his POV to the events and allows us to invest even more in him. While she was evolving into the woman she needed to be, he was being shattered from the powerful man he once was. Both had to suffer in this journey but at times I didn’t know if there would be anything for her to come back to the way he was suffering. He knew she couldn’t have arranged her departure alone and their friends appeared to be supporting her choice so he felt absolutely alone in life. Now you can read how this unfolded because giving you more description to the book at this time will take away from the emotional journey you are about to embark on.
The author gave us a powerful story of how the two dealt with the separation and once they saw each other again. Daniel wasn’t done rescuing Becca but she did find more strength in herself and came back a stronger woman. We also learned more about her story in this book and it made her leaving a better choice. Trust me I was furious at the end of book one, it made no sense for her to just leave when she was on the edge of happiness, but the author showed us what she had wasn’t real and she needed to find what she had buried deep inside of her soul long ago. It also made her love for Daniel even more realistic. She wanted to give him the best and she was far from that even though she had a great mask on.
This story is about truth, trust and love. It also portrays what the heart and soul can overcome when given the chance to heal and process the events. It would have been easy for the author to let Becca keep her past buried and continue to pretend but she knew that both of these characters deserved more than that. It did break the reader’s heart to see the pain, but I think most of us understand now and applaud the author’s courage to tick her readers off for the good of the story.
I would recommend this series to any reader who loves realistic life stories. The world isn’t a nice place but for people like Becca, home is even worse. Daniel wanted to be her super hero but what she needed was a man to just love her, the real her and give her the time to find that person. I fell in love with these characters in the first book and I think I fell even deeper in book two.
Reviewed by Tbird for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*
January 7, 2015
Also on Stacking Books
Finally, an author that knows how to write for the hero. I've been let down so many times when it comes time for the male POV that I figured this would be more of the same. But this time the author not only got it right, she made it even better than the first novel. I loved drunk Daniel. He had one of the best breakup meltdowns ever. And I for one loved being in his mind. It was hilarious and heartbreaking and gave me a whole new appreciation for him as a character. In the first book, I was torn about Daniel because he was obsessive and controlling, but I still loved his relationship with Becca. I just didn't like the codependency at all. Luckily, neither did the author, because in this book, Becca runs off to find herself and to heal.
"At this point in life, I'm an empty vessel that can't belong to anyone, nor can I hold onto anyone."
"I need to break out of the codependency and find myself."
I know I'm going to be one of the few that loved that ending of the last book, but I did. I usually hate cliffhangers, but it needed to happen for this beautiful book to happen. The issues I had with the first book, mainly the cracks in their relationship and some of the choices in dialogue, were fixed completely. There is some beautiful writing in this novel, the pacing is perfect, and the overall flow is better than the first novel. I thought the letters were a smart choice by the author to include interaction between the two while she's away without switching POV and still letting us get inside Becca's head a little bit. I really enjoyed them. There are so many quotes, dialogues, and parts of the story I want to mention but I don't want to spoil the story. It all deserves to be experienced first hand.
My favorite part of the book was the character arcs for both characters. You see so much growth out of Becca and Daniel. It plays out so beautifully and I loved every single second of it. These are the kind of characters I wish for every time I pick up a book. The level of depth and believability is so uncommon to find that I latched onto these two like they were real people. I lived their lives. I was sucked into this world from those first few pages and couldn't put it down. Their relationship goes through the ups and downs but that's what gives it the relatability because it's messy. There's not too much contrived drama. It's just normal people with real life issues, and I love that the author gives the reader the whole backstory on Becca and Daniel by the end.
Overall, this has been my favorite book that I've read in a long time. It's a beautifully written conclusion to Becca and Daniel's story that aims to top the first novel and completely delivers. Officially on my all time favorite list now.
*I received an ebook of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Finally, an author that knows how to write for the hero. I've been let down so many times when it comes time for the male POV that I figured this would be more of the same. But this time the author not only got it right, she made it even better than the first novel. I loved drunk Daniel. He had one of the best breakup meltdowns ever. And I for one loved being in his mind. It was hilarious and heartbreaking and gave me a whole new appreciation for him as a character. In the first book, I was torn about Daniel because he was obsessive and controlling, but I still loved his relationship with Becca. I just didn't like the codependency at all. Luckily, neither did the author, because in this book, Becca runs off to find herself and to heal.
"At this point in life, I'm an empty vessel that can't belong to anyone, nor can I hold onto anyone."
"I need to break out of the codependency and find myself."
I know I'm going to be one of the few that loved that ending of the last book, but I did. I usually hate cliffhangers, but it needed to happen for this beautiful book to happen. The issues I had with the first book, mainly the cracks in their relationship and some of the choices in dialogue, were fixed completely. There is some beautiful writing in this novel, the pacing is perfect, and the overall flow is better than the first novel. I thought the letters were a smart choice by the author to include interaction between the two while she's away without switching POV and still letting us get inside Becca's head a little bit. I really enjoyed them. There are so many quotes, dialogues, and parts of the story I want to mention but I don't want to spoil the story. It all deserves to be experienced first hand.
My favorite part of the book was the character arcs for both characters. You see so much growth out of Becca and Daniel. It plays out so beautifully and I loved every single second of it. These are the kind of characters I wish for every time I pick up a book. The level of depth and believability is so uncommon to find that I latched onto these two like they were real people. I lived their lives. I was sucked into this world from those first few pages and couldn't put it down. Their relationship goes through the ups and downs but that's what gives it the relatability because it's messy. There's not too much contrived drama. It's just normal people with real life issues, and I love that the author gives the reader the whole backstory on Becca and Daniel by the end.
Overall, this has been my favorite book that I've read in a long time. It's a beautifully written conclusion to Becca and Daniel's story that aims to top the first novel and completely delivers. Officially on my all time favorite list now.
*I received an ebook of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
August 21, 2014
Review originally written for Rolling with the Moments.
He thought he had finally gotten his girl - but she up and flew the coop, leaving nothing but a letter and his heart torn apart. To say that Daniel isn't dealing well with Becca's disappearance is an understatement. Things are getting burned and broken, but the big question is, will Becca come back? And will Dan ever be able to forgive her for leaving him, let alone survive it?
Unlike Where Life Takes You, the first in the Life series, Next to You has the POV from Daniel rather than Rebecca. It is nice to get things from his perspective, especially considering the way Becca left him at the end of the last novel. We still get a bit here and there from Becca, in the form of letters that she sends Daniel periodically for the first two thirds of the novel since there is an ocean and several countries between the two of them. And when I say letters, I mean MAMMOTH sized letters (just a little heads up ;) ).
There is a lot of information thrown at you, a whole bunch of back-story making things clearer as to how the two of them got to the places they are now. I did feel like some things were just thrown in my face without any prelude, like Drew and Raj being a couple. The third page in and there is more important subtext going on, but all I could think was, Gay? They're gay?! Where the hell was that in book one?! Now, I'm not sure if I was just off in La-la Land when reading Where Life Takes You, and didn't see it, or it was something that Burgoa just threw in for shits and giggles to mess with people like me... But I have to say, they're my favourite couple in the series, in all their cuteness and making other people uncomfortable - my kind of people.
I suppose that I enjoyed Next to You, and the first novel, well enough, but it was a little too poor-bugger-me with all the angst for me to really enjoy it. It wasn't without funny quips and moments that made me laugh out loud, but it just didn't hit the spot for me like Burgoa's other series A Knight's Tale, did. So, a little bummed but not disappointed.
He thought he had finally gotten his girl - but she up and flew the coop, leaving nothing but a letter and his heart torn apart. To say that Daniel isn't dealing well with Becca's disappearance is an understatement. Things are getting burned and broken, but the big question is, will Becca come back? And will Dan ever be able to forgive her for leaving him, let alone survive it?
Unlike Where Life Takes You, the first in the Life series, Next to You has the POV from Daniel rather than Rebecca. It is nice to get things from his perspective, especially considering the way Becca left him at the end of the last novel. We still get a bit here and there from Becca, in the form of letters that she sends Daniel periodically for the first two thirds of the novel since there is an ocean and several countries between the two of them. And when I say letters, I mean MAMMOTH sized letters (just a little heads up ;) ).
There is a lot of information thrown at you, a whole bunch of back-story making things clearer as to how the two of them got to the places they are now. I did feel like some things were just thrown in my face without any prelude, like Drew and Raj being a couple. The third page in and there is more important subtext going on, but all I could think was, Gay? They're gay?! Where the hell was that in book one?! Now, I'm not sure if I was just off in La-la Land when reading Where Life Takes You, and didn't see it, or it was something that Burgoa just threw in for shits and giggles to mess with people like me... But I have to say, they're my favourite couple in the series, in all their cuteness and making other people uncomfortable - my kind of people.
I suppose that I enjoyed Next to You, and the first novel, well enough, but it was a little too poor-bugger-me with all the angst for me to really enjoy it. It wasn't without funny quips and moments that made me laugh out loud, but it just didn't hit the spot for me like Burgoa's other series A Knight's Tale, did. So, a little bummed but not disappointed.
August 25, 2014
I have talked with some friends as we team read this book. Yes team read and so many of them thought Daniel was a control freak who didn't learn or grow up like becca did. I say they are wrong. granted Daniel didn't walk away from his relationship so he could fix himself by only leaving a letter but he did go through a evolution and self discovery.
To me daniel is the best character in the book. Why? His many facets. He feels emotion, shows the emotion, lets the emotion go and gets control. The control for him isn't a ego thing its survival. his past has this ingrained in him. So much control was taken from him as a child that now he needs it to feel safe. It's his Linus blanket so to speak. He does I will say lose control when Becca walked away but hey the dear John letter and than getting those crazy letters afterward yeah he deserved to lose a little of his cool. I loved the car incident that was really a great turning point for him that and his Brother buddy calling him on the carpet.
this had Daniel begin to face his issues. But he still held onto the anger. Don't blame him but I don't think all the anger was directed at Becca. Alot yes but not all that is where Becca is mistaken. His anger is over his past. Over who allowed himself to become and what he lost. His anger is over his failures and not knowing how to fix them and take control back. This is something I don't think Becca really truly understood. He talked to her and they began to forge a solid foundation for their love with communication something that was lacking before but she never really grasped the why of the anger. I think that these two had to go on this crazy journey of anger, self discovery, self healing to be able to come back to one another whole and able to help each other and support one another. That is what this book is about-healing and finding oneself and having enough love and faith in another that no matter what you do not give up.
A wonderful tale of self discovery and healing wounds of the past. Of finding a way to become strong and give into love while not losing a piece of who you are.
August 20, 2014
I received this book to give an honest review.
As soon as I read book one I just had to read book two to see what Becca had in mind after the letter she left Dan. We start off in Next To You with the letter Becca wrote which I think is great so you don't forgot what was written. We see the downward spiral of Dan as he takes the news that Becca is off on her own. We all know that Dan has to be in control and when things don't go his way it makes him a bit angry.
Dan is one of those characters in a book that I try to like but he has too many issues for this lady right here to like him. He is controlling and very angry and we get more information on his past which make him the way he is. Which makes you go awww but at the same time go you need to change.
We watch as Becca grows a lot within this book. She changes for the better in my opinion. She confronts her demons and she learns things about herself also she becomes more out spoken which I think is great for her to do. I enjoyed how she wanted to take things slow with Dan even though it drove him crazy.
I really enjoyed how Becca wrote letters and put her feelings and thoughts out there to Dan. It seems to be really good therapy and works for Becca.
I do have to say it drove me batty the relationship that Dan and Becca have. Are they friends, together, acquaintances? It just went back and forth so much that it was crazy. Like literally pick what you are lol.
It is easy to get caught up in the story of Becca and Dan, you laugh with them and get upset and that is what you want in a book. We do get a HEA with this book and honestly I truly didn't even think of the ending happening that way. Not sure why I didn't I guess because I figured Becca would still be coming to terms with her past and present and not only that she would continue trying to get Dan to let go of the rage that he feels.
Let me just say you will go through tons of emotions within the book. You will want to hug the characters, strangle them and then pat them on the back. The author did a great job with this sequel.
October 3, 2014
Next To You is the sequel to Claudia Y Burgoa's moving, Where Life Takes You.
I was surprised by the author's approach in this book; using Daniel as its main narrator, rather than Becca, but the change is a really successful one.
We join Daniel immediately where we left him in the first book; reading Becca's heart-breaking letter. We follow him through his anger, despair and dedication. Previously he was a character whom the reader saw as Becca's guardian angel, but now Claudia Y Burgoa reveals his flaws, weaknesses and painful past. Before our eyes we watch him develop and mature, as he realises what is truly important.
During the first part of the book Becca's voice is heard via the letters she writes to Daniel, as she attempts to reconcile herself with the trauma of the abuse she suffered and she tries to stand on her own two feet. These letters are honest and touching and show a real understanding, on the author's part, of mental illness and its repercussions.
Although it is clear that Daniel and Becca still have feelings for each other, these evolve throughout the course of the novel, and though we want a fairytale ending for them, Claudia Y Burgoa never allows this to be a forgone conclusion.
I was committed to Daniel and Becca's story, but the latter parts of the book left me unfulfilled, especially because of the inconsistent decisions of the couple and the 'rainbows and unicorns' atmosphere. However, I may have cried a little (or a lot!) at the end!
In Next To You Claudia Y Burgoa takes an imperfect, and very human couple, and we watch them in their attempts to heal themselves and their friendship. The Life Duology is like a rollercoaster journey and any emotional readers or criers should approach with caution! :-)
I was surprised by the author's approach in this book; using Daniel as its main narrator, rather than Becca, but the change is a really successful one.
We join Daniel immediately where we left him in the first book; reading Becca's heart-breaking letter. We follow him through his anger, despair and dedication. Previously he was a character whom the reader saw as Becca's guardian angel, but now Claudia Y Burgoa reveals his flaws, weaknesses and painful past. Before our eyes we watch him develop and mature, as he realises what is truly important.
During the first part of the book Becca's voice is heard via the letters she writes to Daniel, as she attempts to reconcile herself with the trauma of the abuse she suffered and she tries to stand on her own two feet. These letters are honest and touching and show a real understanding, on the author's part, of mental illness and its repercussions.
Although it is clear that Daniel and Becca still have feelings for each other, these evolve throughout the course of the novel, and though we want a fairytale ending for them, Claudia Y Burgoa never allows this to be a forgone conclusion.
I was committed to Daniel and Becca's story, but the latter parts of the book left me unfulfilled, especially because of the inconsistent decisions of the couple and the 'rainbows and unicorns' atmosphere. However, I may have cried a little (or a lot!) at the end!
In Next To You Claudia Y Burgoa takes an imperfect, and very human couple, and we watch them in their attempts to heal themselves and their friendship. The Life Duology is like a rollercoaster journey and any emotional readers or criers should approach with caution! :-)
August 20, 2014
3.5 stars!
This book started off great for me, picking up right at the end of book 1. The next thing I knew there were so many different revelations I wasn't sure I was reading the same story I had in Where Life Takes You. It seems there was a conversation that happened between Dan and Tyler that set Becca off, that I missed. That set up the second book and while I enjoyed it, I did have some, "What the...?" moments.
Once it became clear Becca was working through her issues and Dan had some he hadn't dealt with, the biggest mystery was trying to figure out their relationship status. Were they friends, together, or nothing? I felt like it dragged on too long and I skimmed that part a little. It felt like their personalities were completely changed from the first book and since I read them back to back, I was really taken aback by it.
The story picked up a little in the middle and then again towards the end. I was thinking the book was going to end on another cliffhanger, but luckily it didn't. Claudia Y. Burgoa was able to slip another doozy of a surprise in there though. I didn't see that coming, but I probably should have.
The book has some slow moments but also has lots of dramatic moments that will keep you turning pages. I was really rooting for Dan and Becca and though I think the ending was a little rushed, I got what I wanted in the end. I'm looking forward to seeing what Claudia Y. Burgoa will write next. If this series is this dramatic, angsty, and interesting, I imagine her next work will be too!
This book started off great for me, picking up right at the end of book 1. The next thing I knew there were so many different revelations I wasn't sure I was reading the same story I had in Where Life Takes You. It seems there was a conversation that happened between Dan and Tyler that set Becca off, that I missed. That set up the second book and while I enjoyed it, I did have some, "What the...?" moments.
Once it became clear Becca was working through her issues and Dan had some he hadn't dealt with, the biggest mystery was trying to figure out their relationship status. Were they friends, together, or nothing? I felt like it dragged on too long and I skimmed that part a little. It felt like their personalities were completely changed from the first book and since I read them back to back, I was really taken aback by it.
The story picked up a little in the middle and then again towards the end. I was thinking the book was going to end on another cliffhanger, but luckily it didn't. Claudia Y. Burgoa was able to slip another doozy of a surprise in there though. I didn't see that coming, but I probably should have.
The book has some slow moments but also has lots of dramatic moments that will keep you turning pages. I was really rooting for Dan and Becca and though I think the ending was a little rushed, I got what I wanted in the end. I'm looking forward to seeing what Claudia Y. Burgoa will write next. If this series is this dramatic, angsty, and interesting, I imagine her next work will be too!
August 28, 2014
Claudia Burgoa never fails to amaze me with her writing style and the way she can make me cry,laugh, and scream at the characters she brings to life in her books. This book was no exception to that rule!
This is a continuation to Where Life Takes You which was a great book by itself. This book finds Becca Trent & Daniel Brightmore almost to the point of marriage when Becca just ups and leaves him. She is suddenly in a state of panic, and emotional distress with all the things she has dodged or let go of in her life. Her inner emotions just get the best of her and she decides it is best for everyone if she goes far away. Dan does not take the "Dear John" letter well and begins a self destructing phase that has his friends and family worried about him.
Then Becca and Dan start to share letters back and forth while Becca is still away. They both learn a lot about themselves and their relationship. Their lessons are hard and emotional to say the least.
I was so torn during this book, I couldn't decide if I was pissed off at Becca or Dan, it kept switching. I devoured this book just as I always do with this authors work. I am in love with these characters and the way that Claudia grabs at your heart strings. Her characters are relatable, well thought out and timeless.
Stay tuned for my extended review on Bookish Sept 3rd.
This is a continuation to Where Life Takes You which was a great book by itself. This book finds Becca Trent & Daniel Brightmore almost to the point of marriage when Becca just ups and leaves him. She is suddenly in a state of panic, and emotional distress with all the things she has dodged or let go of in her life. Her inner emotions just get the best of her and she decides it is best for everyone if she goes far away. Dan does not take the "Dear John" letter well and begins a self destructing phase that has his friends and family worried about him.
Then Becca and Dan start to share letters back and forth while Becca is still away. They both learn a lot about themselves and their relationship. Their lessons are hard and emotional to say the least.
I was so torn during this book, I couldn't decide if I was pissed off at Becca or Dan, it kept switching. I devoured this book just as I always do with this authors work. I am in love with these characters and the way that Claudia grabs at your heart strings. Her characters are relatable, well thought out and timeless.
Stay tuned for my extended review on Bookish Sept 3rd.
August 18, 2014
If your looking for a book that will tug at your emotional heart strings and keep you captivated, Next To You is the next book you need to add on your to-be-read shelf. Claudia Y Burgoa does a wonderful job in the follow-up novel to Where Life Takes You carrying on from the first book. Readers are treated to his/her point of views with both Rebecca and Dan writing letters to one another throughout most of the book.
I personally love stories with his/her points of views and really enjoyed the novel. I felt that it had more depth and the characters were more developed then Where Life Takes You. Burgoa allowed readers into the minds of both Daniel and Rebecca and could first hand see the angst and the despair that both characters felt during their separation.
Becca really developed as a character in the second book and I found myself enjoying her character more. She gained a back-bone and didn't allow Daniel or anyone else to push her around and she really grew as a person. At times I felt myself having a hard time rooting for Dan as his personality is almost stalkerish/control freak and I felt that Becca deserved more.
Overall this was a good read and I would give it 3 1/2 Stars!
I personally love stories with his/her points of views and really enjoyed the novel. I felt that it had more depth and the characters were more developed then Where Life Takes You. Burgoa allowed readers into the minds of both Daniel and Rebecca and could first hand see the angst and the despair that both characters felt during their separation.
Becca really developed as a character in the second book and I found myself enjoying her character more. She gained a back-bone and didn't allow Daniel or anyone else to push her around and she really grew as a person. At times I felt myself having a hard time rooting for Dan as his personality is almost stalkerish/control freak and I felt that Becca deserved more.
Overall this was a good read and I would give it 3 1/2 Stars!
January 21, 2015
4.5 Stars
This was an incredibly intense and beautiful conclusion to Daniel and Rebecca’s story. Talk about a difficult, almost impossible path!
Few things I adored-
Daniel’s POV, drunk Daniel was raw and also hilarious. His pain was palpable, not being the fixer, her person, just about killed him.
Their friends and family. What an incredible group of characters. Especially Buddy, Tyler and Nate.
The slow pace of their travel back to “them”.
I was in tears- some sobs, mostly a slow trickle as their story unfolded. Each chapter brought more of their story to light. Even when Daniel was at his lowest and meanest he still reached out to Becca, still needed some connection to her. More truth brought about more pain and confrontations- both personal and public.
The path to forgiveness, both of themselves and moving on from their past pain was almost their undoing. Honesty and healing while learning to be their true selves-stunning.
Seeing Rebecca through Daniel’s eyes was amazing. Rooting for their HEA was so very worth it.
Was so happy to have book two to read immediately after book one or I may have died from the cliffhanger at the end of book one.
This was an incredibly intense and beautiful conclusion to Daniel and Rebecca’s story. Talk about a difficult, almost impossible path!
Few things I adored-
Daniel’s POV, drunk Daniel was raw and also hilarious. His pain was palpable, not being the fixer, her person, just about killed him.
Their friends and family. What an incredible group of characters. Especially Buddy, Tyler and Nate.
The slow pace of their travel back to “them”.
I was in tears- some sobs, mostly a slow trickle as their story unfolded. Each chapter brought more of their story to light. Even when Daniel was at his lowest and meanest he still reached out to Becca, still needed some connection to her. More truth brought about more pain and confrontations- both personal and public.
The path to forgiveness, both of themselves and moving on from their past pain was almost their undoing. Honesty and healing while learning to be their true selves-stunning.
Seeing Rebecca through Daniel’s eyes was amazing. Rooting for their HEA was so very worth it.
Was so happy to have book two to read immediately after book one or I may have died from the cliffhanger at the end of book one.
January 15, 2015
Is is possible that I loved Next to You even more than I loved Where Life Takes You... the answer is YES!!!
Next to You picks up where WLTY left off, after Becca left Daniel with only a letter to explain why. I loved seeing more of Daniels thoughts and his point of view after Becca left him. This book dug so much deeper into who Daniel Brightmore is and how he became that person. Originally I didn't understand why Becca left, however, I was happy to see her transformation and how she handled getting help for herself.
I truly enjoyed that Next to You was mostly written as correspondences between Daniel and Becca. It was unique and made it feel genuine and real.
I loved seeing Becca's journey to better herself and making Daniel open up and share some of his darker past. This was an amazing novel and that ended PERFECTLY! Usually I am always left wanting more and Next to You delivered the perfect amount!
Check out more from this review and others at Inkk Reviews
Next to You picks up where WLTY left off, after Becca left Daniel with only a letter to explain why. I loved seeing more of Daniels thoughts and his point of view after Becca left him. This book dug so much deeper into who Daniel Brightmore is and how he became that person. Originally I didn't understand why Becca left, however, I was happy to see her transformation and how she handled getting help for herself.
I truly enjoyed that Next to You was mostly written as correspondences between Daniel and Becca. It was unique and made it feel genuine and real.
I loved seeing Becca's journey to better herself and making Daniel open up and share some of his darker past. This was an amazing novel and that ended PERFECTLY! Usually I am always left wanting more and Next to You delivered the perfect amount!
Check out more from this review and others at Inkk Reviews
September 26, 2014
One of the things that I love about books is sometimes it can make you feel like you are a part of the story line and you know the characters personally. That is what I feel whenever I read a book by Claudia, like these characters are my family and friends. NTY picked up where WLTY leaves off and you are left for a few minutes wondering what happen to make Rebecca leave like she did. I loved the fact that you got to see a different Bex and that you finally got the back story to Daniel. Becca and Danny both had to go through some personal things to get back to where they belonged and really figure out what they meant to each other. I loved the fact that there were letters going back and forth between them and no matter what Danny's feelings never change for Becca no matter how hard he tried to fight them. The fact that I got to see other sides to the supporting cast of characters made this story even better. Int he end all ended how it should have and Daniel and Rebecca finally got their HEA
January 8, 2015
I received a copy of this book for an honest review..
Wow so much better than expected. This book is told in Dan's POV and you will not be disappointed.
As you know from book 1 Becca ...she leaves Dan.. I know I couldn't believe it. But let's face she wasn't healthy and she needed to get there. So she leaves to get help. However, she doesn't tell Dan and well he goes nuts and even burns her car. Yup..He had the future planned and she ruined it, so he thought.
Becca is far away and can only write letters. At first I was so mad at her but after while I realized it what she had to do.
I don't want to give to much away. Becca does come home and there is so more drama..But in the end she gets her HEA not saying its with Dan but she does get it. You just going to have to read it. The author is a great writer.
Wow so much better than expected. This book is told in Dan's POV and you will not be disappointed.
As you know from book 1 Becca ...she leaves Dan.. I know I couldn't believe it. But let's face she wasn't healthy and she needed to get there. So she leaves to get help. However, she doesn't tell Dan and well he goes nuts and even burns her car. Yup..He had the future planned and she ruined it, so he thought.
Becca is far away and can only write letters. At first I was so mad at her but after while I realized it what she had to do.
I don't want to give to much away. Becca does come home and there is so more drama..But in the end she gets her HEA not saying its with Dan but she does get it. You just going to have to read it. The author is a great writer.
September 10, 2014
Ahhh Becca and Daniel, I just love these two. We learned a lot about Becca's past in Where Life Takes You and now we learn about Daniel's.
Becca has left him, but everything is not what it seems. Becca has gained insight into herself and seeks to become whole, or as whole as she can be.
Of course her leaving causes Daniel to spiral downward before he too can start climbing the healing ladder. And there are still some dubious plots taking place that try to unravel them both.
And through their healing Becca and Daniel rediscover each other of sorts. And when they finally come together again, they are stronger than they ever were.
I was so happy at the end of this book for them I almost cried. This is a great series, just the perfect mix of well everything.
Becca has left him, but everything is not what it seems. Becca has gained insight into herself and seeks to become whole, or as whole as she can be.
Of course her leaving causes Daniel to spiral downward before he too can start climbing the healing ladder. And there are still some dubious plots taking place that try to unravel them both.
And through their healing Becca and Daniel rediscover each other of sorts. And when they finally come together again, they are stronger than they ever were.
I was so happy at the end of this book for them I almost cried. This is a great series, just the perfect mix of well everything.
August 9, 2014
This is the second in the series. It picks up Where Life Leads You leaves off. Rebecca Trent has a lot of emotional and mental problems and she takes off leaving a note for Daniel who thought she would never leave him. She tries to convince him she needs to do this to heal herself, but he is furious. It is weeks before she sends him a note. He has already gotten rid of her clothes, her apartment, and her car. He set them all on fire to try to burn the memories, but it doesn't work. She tries to explain but he doesn't want to listen. She tells him he needs to work on himself while she is away, but he tells her they are through. This is such a sweet story and I really enjoyed it. It does have a few sexual scenes so it isn't for everyone.
November 21, 2014
Full Review at: What's Beyond Forks?
Everything came to a head, and Rebecca is facing her pain now. I give her major props for getting the help she needed. I knew this would be super hard for Daniel, but I thought he'd have a little more understanding and support her from the start to get help. Like the first book, this was hard to read, but for different reasons. Mostly, I was feeling bad for Daniel and was hoping he'd understand instead of taking it personal. The time apart was good for them.
Next to You by Claudia Y. Burgoa was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.
January 4, 2015
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I especially loved this book after reading the first. The cliffhanger from the first was brilliant and the second started where the first left off. I will say that I was a little shocked at the extreme reaction he had when she left but not sure why as he was described as opinionated and strong headed throughout. I loved the back and forth correspondence and was saddened at what the outcome meant for them at the time. I really felt the back and forth between the two which made the book so much better when you're reading and you feel the anxiety of what may happen next right along with them. The characters are strong and the story was fast paced and and easily read that I couldn't put it down. Thanks for allowing me to read this.
I especially loved this book after reading the first. The cliffhanger from the first was brilliant and the second started where the first left off. I will say that I was a little shocked at the extreme reaction he had when she left but not sure why as he was described as opinionated and strong headed throughout. I loved the back and forth correspondence and was saddened at what the outcome meant for them at the time. I really felt the back and forth between the two which made the book so much better when you're reading and you feel the anxiety of what may happen next right along with them. The characters are strong and the story was fast paced and and easily read that I couldn't put it down. Thanks for allowing me to read this.
January 9, 2015
Received from the author for a honest review. Next to You is the second book in the Life series written by Claudia Burgoa. This story starts where the cliffhanger left us in Where Life takes You. Becca has left and Dan is lost, angry and ready to give up on love. This story is from Dan's voice. We see his pain and get to watch how they grow and deal with all the challenges that life has given them - together & separate. The best part of this book is the letters that Bex & Dan write back and forth. Not emails but the long lost art of writing letters. Just like why we read these stories is because we get so much more from the written word. I enjoyed this journey and look forward to reading more from Ms. Burgoa.
January 16, 2015
This book picks up right where book 1 ends and is Dan's POV. I loved Dan in Where Life Takes You so I enjoyed being in his head. He too has demons and as much as it pained me to see him so broken, Becca was too. I really liked that Becca and Dan worked on themselves and then took the next step. This is another emotional journey and I truly enjoyed it! I will definitely be looking at this author's other work.
September 21, 2014
So much turmoil, I felt each emotion that Dan went through. And even though this book was completely Dan's POV, Becca's voice was still there. One of my favorite books this year.
February 24, 2018
The first book, ‘Where Life Takes You’ is told from Becca’s point of view. This book is told from Dan’s point of view.
Dan thought he and Becca had it all and were about to get married, he knows she has issues but he says they can work them out. But the next morning he finds a letter, telling him she has left, please don’t look for her, he should date and maybe find the love of his life and forget about her, and how he deserves better than her with her baggage. Dan is devastated, furious, and goes a little crazy. His first instinct is to wipe any traces of her from his life, including torching her car.
Becca had been borderline suicidal and knew she needed to escape from Dan’s controlling tendencies, plus she had many issues to work through. She checks in to a clinic in Switzerland for a total immersion therapy.
Slowly, over months, they write letters back and forth. He wants to get back the love of his life, she needs her space. It is a real struggle for both of them.
I liked Becca more in this book, although it annoyed me that she still took everything he offered financially and never really stood on her own. I actually laughed at Dan a few times, the way he wanted her back in his bed….after how many dates?
Dan thought he and Becca had it all and were about to get married, he knows she has issues but he says they can work them out. But the next morning he finds a letter, telling him she has left, please don’t look for her, he should date and maybe find the love of his life and forget about her, and how he deserves better than her with her baggage. Dan is devastated, furious, and goes a little crazy. His first instinct is to wipe any traces of her from his life, including torching her car.
Becca had been borderline suicidal and knew she needed to escape from Dan’s controlling tendencies, plus she had many issues to work through. She checks in to a clinic in Switzerland for a total immersion therapy.
Slowly, over months, they write letters back and forth. He wants to get back the love of his life, she needs her space. It is a real struggle for both of them.
I liked Becca more in this book, although it annoyed me that she still took everything he offered financially and never really stood on her own. I actually laughed at Dan a few times, the way he wanted her back in his bed….after how many dates?
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