Title: Connected (Connections #1)
Author: Kim Karr
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: March 22, 2013
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewer: Yesi
Synopsis
What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice?
Suffering from a past full of tragedy, Dahlia London’s soul has been left completely shattered. Happily ever after is a far cry from reality in her world. But, when she is reconnected with her past, the bonds that form are irrefutable.
When River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde Ones, comes back into Dahlia’s life, the intensity that fires their relationship combined with underlying feelings that have never died lead her to believe she has met her soulmate.
Struggling with confusion as old connections fade and new ones begin, Dahlia’s grief begins to lift–but guilt remains. River wants to be the one to mend all that is torn within her.
But with a past that is never really gone, can their future survive?
*****TORN will complete the duet. Due out October 1st, 2013!*****
Review
“Just know you’ll always be my once in a lifetime.”
What happens when you meet the one— that person you know in your heart is your soul mate? That one person you feel so connected to that you can practically see the sparks flying and flashes of what your future can be. You walk away of course.
“Something… no everything about him drew my attention.”
Dahlia is a beautiful college girl who has had a lot of heartache and loss of loved ones in her life. She is at a point where she is finally happy; she has a great boyfriend, an awesome best friend. Right from the start you think the story is going to go one way and then it doesn’t, and I really liked that. We meet her boyfriend Ben and her best friend Aerie at a Halloween party, and Dahlia leaves her boyfriend behind to go to a bar with Aerie because she promised her she would. It is at this bar that her eyes collide with a gorgeous man, and she just can’t look away. The feeling is mutual, and he walks over to her. They share an intense conversation, a few drinks, and the best time of her life in a very short period of time. She is torn because of her intense attraction to this man she barely knows, but she is fully aware that she has a boyfriend she loves. Although he introduces himself as River, she doesn’t give him her name before he has to go. He asks her to wait for him to be done with what he needs to do, he kisses her lightly, and says to her “this isn’t finished” and all she can do is nod. Dahlia is a good girl and would never betray her boyfriend, so she walks away. As she is walking away, Aerie points to the stage indicating she wants to see “that hot guy” sing…Dahlia is shocked that the sexy, gorgeous, and charming stranger she spent a few precious moments with is River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde Ones. She exits the bar and never looks back. Right then and there as a reader I was instantly intrigued.
The story moves forward to a few years later, and Dahlia and Ben are still together and engaged. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes in Dahlia’s life once again, and she left to pick up the pieces. The way this part of the story is told is absolutely amazing. We see and feel the horror of one moment gone terribly wrong. We mourn along with Dahlia, and we can actually feel the pain that she is going through. I think one of the best things the author does is that she does not rush the story. It takes Dahlia two years to finally start seeing some light, and to me this is where the love story really begins. Her best friend Aerie, who is the head of a music magazine, convinces her to go back to work part time or to at least freelance for the magazine. What is her first assignment? You guessed it–an interview with the now famous River Wilde.
“Could love at first sight be real?”
“I suddenly realize that finding my past in pieces has actually brought me closer to my future.”
From here on out is where my love affair with River Wilde begins. He is just perfect in every way. He is obviously gorgeous, but what makes this rock star different than all the rest is that he is a really good guy and not one that “needs saving”. In fact he will be the one to save Dahlia from her own personal torment. The minute Dahlia and River’s eyes meet is like five years ago at the bar all over again. That attraction is still there and as a strong as ever. This time there is nothing that will stand in the way of River finally getting his girl, his “Once in a Lifetime”. The way the story unfolds is beautifully and tragically told. We see Dalia struggle with letting go of who she thought was the love of her life to move on with this amazing man before her who she knows with all heart is her soul mate. I love that while Dahlia is figuring things out, River never pressures her, he understands her pain and her hesitation, and best of all he never, ever tries to become a replacement for Ben. We witness a wonderful love story in the making, and the way Ms. Karr tells it is amazing. It is not rushed, it is not perfect, but it is indicative of what real life is. It is never easy to let go and move on no matter how right things feel.
“I feel like fate has brought us together again. I also believe that one night, so long ago, just wasn’t the right time for us. But tonight is.”
River and Dahlia’s story is as intense as it is beautiful. There is love and heartache, renewal of life, and the finding of a soul mate. There are also plenty of twists and turns that keep the reader engaged, as well as secrets that lurk in the shadows, and right when we think all will be sweet happily ever after, the rug is pulled from under us. A must read for everyone who loves this genre. The wait for Torn will be excruciatingly painful but so worth it to see if Dahlia and River are truly meant to be.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/17K15yT
Barnes & Noble: http://tiny.cc/w8buww
Kobo: http://tiny.cc/f9buww
iTunes: http://tiny.cc/jt7pww
We’ll be chatting with Kim Karr on Wednesday night, May 8, 2013, at 9:00 PM. Click on the graphic below to be transferred to our events page.
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