Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Review: From Here to You - Jamie McGuire

From Here to You (Crash and Burn #1)
by Jamie McGuire
Published: August 21, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance

As Darby Dixon sits in a tiny Texas church bathroom on her wedding day holding a positive pregnancy test, she realizes that of all the bad decisions she's made in her life, marrying her abusive fiancé would be the worst. She's never been able to stand up for herself, but she'll sure as hell stand up for her baby. With just the cash she has on hand, she runs to get a bus ticket to the farthest place she can afford. Between her sheer grit and pageant-queen smile, she lands a job as a front desk clerk at the Colorado Springs Hotel. It's not a glamorous life, but she and her baby are all that matters.

A former Marine, Scott "Trex" Trexler has worked in the most dangerous, corrupt, war-torn places on earth. Now he finally has a chance to return to the last place he'd felt at peace--Colorado Springs, Colorado, to take a new job with the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, a top-secret military installation buried deep within the granite.

The moment Trex walks into the inn, Darby knows he's dangerous. There's no way she wants to get involved with another man who seems to be keeping way too many secrets. As charming and devastatingly gorgeous as Trex is, he clearly isn't telling her everything. But as wildfires rage on the mountain and Darby's ex-fiancé shows he isn't so willing to let her go, both she and Trex are soon to find out that what you don't know absolutely can hurt you.


Review
4 Stars
Darby is no damsel in distress, but that doesn't mean Trex doesn't want to sweep her off her feet and protect her in his castle. A sweet, southern girl from Texas with nothing but the clothes on her back and a hotel job, Darby knows the road will be all uphill, but it's worth it to give her baby something better. She isn't just playing hard to get when she ignores the advances of the hotshots in Colorado, but something about Trex makes her change her plans. She lets him in, despite the unknown job that has him taking up residence in the small mountain town.

Trex has always known the one was out there, he just didn't know she'd be an authority hating woman with a suitcase full of secrets. He wants to give her his all, even if he can't tell her his real job, but he's afraid of giving her the truth, he can't give her a reason to run away. He seems to be making all the wrong decisions though, but when Darby's abusive ex shows up he knows he has to take control and show her his secrets will help him protect her.

Told from alternating perspectives, From Here to You tells the story of Darby and Trex, two individuals with more secrets than the hotel they're staying in can hold. Darby is aware of her beauty, but not vain enough to indulge it. She ran away from the beauty and lies she'd believed for so long and I loved that Jamie McGuire wrote her in such a smart way, showing that she recognized that the past couldn't be repeated anymore. Her strength, especially in working her way from nothing to something was empowering to read, even if sometimes I rolled my eyes at her silliness. For someone who does not like people with roles in military or public safety she certainly picked the wrong spot to land, but I liked that in time she opened up to the firefighters and to Trex. Trex is handsome, an alpha, and almost too sweet to believe. His faith in the one is so cute, but also difficult to imagine. I can see why girls, including his own sister, are so wary of his steadfast believe that he'd just find her and know. Of course, once he shows his true colors to Darby I fell in love right alongside her. The connection they have is instant, like two magnets drawn to one another.

The storyline was exactly what I expected, with Darby being pregnant and running from an abusive ex-fiance only to find herself meeting a guy that makes her believe in love again. While nothing was a big surprise for me, I still really enjoyed the read. Jamie McGuire knows how to tell a story, weaving in the character's pasts and several secondary characters to make it well rounded. We get to know the hotel staff, the hotshot firefighters hoping to save the mountainside, and Trex's rowdy team, who I want to see more of by the way. We know all the secrets before the characters do though, so I found myself begging Trex to reveal his and Darby to be reasonable. It can't always go my way though, I know. There is a lot of descriptive filler and dialogue to this book though, be prepared, especially if you aren't a fan of religion in books. For me it didn't bother me, but I admit it does standout a lot in the chapters where it is discussed. That said, it makes the characters who they are and I liked their differences, and I really liked their ability to love through those differences. The two share more than lust, making them a couple that you truly can picture together. Finally the part you're waiting for, I know you're all dying to know about the Maddox brothers' roles in this book and let me tell you, the story alone is fantastic, but seeing the brothers again makes it even better. We get quite a bit of interactions with them, thank you Jamie McGuire, and their roles are important to the story which I appreciated.

Emotional and complex, From Here to You is a stunning new release from Jamie McGuire. Tackling difficult subject matter like abuse and secrets in relationships seems to be McGuire forte and I liked the realness in this book. I rooted for Darby, fell in love with Trex, and clung to every word in this novel hoping that the things they didn't know wouldn't be their downfall. Whether you're a longtime McGuire fan or this is your first book, From Here to You is sure to keep your attention from start to finish.

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