Review: We Are Us, Tara Leigh

We Are Us, an all-new, suspenseful and emotional second chance love story from Tara Leigh is available now!

I fell in love with a beautiful, broken boy.
His whispered words of love were the sweetest of lies.
He gave me his heart and destroyed mine.
I am his.

I fell in love with the beautiful man who broke me.
His boldly spoken vow was the cruelest of cages.
He gave me his name and destroyed my soul.
He is mine.

The boy I once loved is now a man.
The man I once loved is now gone.
We are us.

I have been called many things.
Victim. Survivor. Daughter. Sister. Wife.
Now I am called something else.
Murderer.

Believe it or not, this is our love story.

REVIEW

There are some books in this world that give you more than an emotional reaction, they give you a physical one. I'm stitting here writing this review after I just finished reading and I can't stop thinking about it, there are tears in my eyes and goosebumps on my arms... I just had to sit down and write my review because I need to let all these emotions and feelings out. That in itself is very rare for me. I usually give a few hours if not a few days to sit down and write my review.
These kind of books are super rare for me. I've become that sort of reader that although is an emotional one, is almost never surprised, can easily figure out the plots and isn't that easily affected by a book. Yes, I cry and get emotional but it doesn't really affect affect me. And this book, this book did just that. This is one of those rare books that had a physical reaction in me. I read this book sick to stomache, heart in my throat because it touched me in some kind of way I can’t comprehend. And after reading Tara's note, it hit me even deeper.

I was sick for Poppy, for what happened to her and everything that came after... everything she let happen. I have never been in her shoes, I don’t know what I would have done in her place but it bothered me so much that she gave up on herself, on her life. She just chose to let things happen... she chose to forgive and in doing so she gave up her self, her freedom, her dreams, her life. I was not okay with any of that. Everything about her and Tucker made me sick. I couldn’t understand, I don’t. He took over her life, controlled everything and she just let him. 
Poppy seemed weak but it’s understandable after that night, after being abandoned by the love of her life and then going through what she did... it completely broke her. So I hate what she let happen, I don’t agree with it, I don’t understand it but truth is I can’t even really imagine her true state of mind, what she felt. She was numb, she pretended everything was okay and that she had forgiven and was able to move on. The fact is, I didn’t forgive or forget and reading about her building a life with Tucker and losing a piece of herself every single day well that was really hard to stomach. I had to pause my reading so many times and just breathe and take a break but at the same time I wanted to just keep on reading and reach the end of this book and that happily ever after  I craved with every bone in my body for Poppy and Gavin.

I had no idea what was still ahead for Poppy. No clue. Even though now that I think back to it... there were so many clues since the beginning of the book that had me figuring out everything towards the end. But everything that happened astonished me. That Poppy that I felt had been weak showed how much strength she had in her. Even though I figured some things out in the end, there were still so many things that surprised me and I had not been expecting at all. Jeez just thinking about everything Poppy was put through for the majority of her life... I can't even. She is a survivor in more ways than one. She's brave, strong, forgiving and even after being broken so many times, she had so much love to give. 
Gavin, goodness. he didn't have it easy either and when he was faced with saving someone from his past, he ended up losing his present and future. He was always such a great guy and he loved Poppy so much. No matter what had happened, no matter how many years had passed he never once stopped loving her, checking on her and waiting for the moment where he could finally save her. 

Oh man, I am not okay you guys. I think this book broke me a little. It's definitely a book I won't soon or ever forget. I don't even know how to rate this book, I had such a strong reaction to it... there were some things I hated that happened but I don't know if that should affect my rating because just the fact that I'm having this reaction to this book means something. It was a very powerful, thought provoking book that deals with so many real issues and just because I don't agree with some things doesn't mean this book wasn't phenomenal and had an heartbreakingly beautiful love story. 

We Are Us is a deeply touching and emotional second chance romance that is different from your usual. It's sort of a bit of a love triangle too but again so very different than anything out there. It has a touch of suspense and a whole lot of shocking events. It's a real and raw story that will without out a doubt touch you in some way. These characters are characters you won't soon forget and all the turmoil, heartbreak and tragedy they go through only makes the ending sweeter. I can't say I didn't want more of Poppy and Gavin in the end because I did, I wanted so much more from them but that epilogue made my heart warm and finally getting something from Gavin's POV made it all the more special.

Damn, I feel a book hangover coming and again that's something very very rare for me. Gosh I'm getting emotional again... Tara, I just want to say thank you for sharing this book (and a piece of yourself) with us. 

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Excerpt:

“Close your eyes.”

I slant a curious look at Gavin, taking in his kiss-swollen lips and flushed skin, his untamable mop of hair and the blaze of excitement lighting up the blue of his corneas.

Gavin squeezes my hand reassuringly as I do what he’s asked, then slowly walks me the remaining few steps toward our cave. Without vision, my other senses are heightened. The cry of birds sounds closer, like they are perched just overhead instead of on branches thirty or forty feet above. The bite of the breeze on my skin is sharper, each gust sending a chill racing along already sensitive nerve endings. The smell of ripe earth and rich evergreen and the clean, bracing scent of Gavin himself is downright intoxicating, my head swimming as I pull breaths deep into my lungs.

Most of all, the moonstone pendant laying against my collarbone is making my chest tingle, my heart fluttering against my ribcage.

“Okay, open them.”

I do, immediately gasping in surprise at what Gavin’s done to our little cave. There are candles burning and scattered rose petals—no, poppy petals—and a basket filled with drinks and snacks. A pile of blankets and pillows.

“You did all this for me?” I ask, my voice sounding whispery and weird.

I feel whispery and weird.

I’ve never had a birthday like this. I’ve never even imagined a birthday like this. First the necklace and now, seeing the lengths Gavin has gone for me…

Beneath the surface of my skin, I’m a chaotic mess of emotions. I don’t know what to say, how to act. This is uncharted territory for me.

“Of course,” he says, as if it’s nothing. But it’s not nothing. It’s everything.

Before I dissolve into a teary puddle, Gavin reaches into his pocket and pulls out a deck of cards. “You taught me how to play gin rummy—how about I teach you to play poker?”

A strangled laugh leaves my throat. “I think that’s fair.”

We sit down and Gavin spends a few minutes going over the basics of the game before dealing out the cards. It’s not as easy as gin rummy, but I get the hang of it after a few rounds.

And when Gavin lifts a mischievous brow and asks, “Want to make things interesting?” I know exactly what he’s doing. Not just poker. Strip poker.

That’s when I realize just how much planning has gone into tonight. Beyond buying me an expensive present. Beyond pimping out our cave. Gavin found a way to make my first time—our first time—a mix of old and new. An experience evoking our past and celebrating our future.

I’ve imagined the night Gavin and I would finally go all the way a million times. But I’d only focused on the physical aspects. Would it hurt? Will there be blood? What if I do it wrong?

It never crossed my mind that he would take such care with… everything.

But, of course, it should have.

Gavin Cross is one of a kind.

And he’s mine.

About Tara Leigh

Tara Leigh is a multi-published author of steamy contemporary romance. To keep in touch, click here! http://bit.ly/TaraLeighNwsltr. A former banker on Wall Street, she graduated from Washington University and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, but she much prefers spending her days with fictional boyfriends than analyzing financial spreadsheets. Tara currently lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut with her husband, children, and fur-baby, Pixie.

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