Also by this author: Fly With Me, On Broken Wings (Wild Aces, #3), Next Year in Havana
Published by Berkley, Penguin on July 5, 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Fiction
Format: ARC
#Review #IntoTheBlue by @ChanelCleeton @BerkleyRomance #LLLTopPickForJuly #MustRead #BlogTour
Synopsis
From the author of Fly with Me and the Capital Confessions Novels comes the newest in the sexy Wild Aces Romance series.
Eric Jansen—call sign Thor—loves nothing more than pushing his F-16 to the limit. Returning home to South Carolina after a tragic loss, he hopes to fix the mistake he made long ago, when he chose the Air Force over his fiancée.
Becca Madison isn’t quick to welcome Thor back. She can’t forget how he shattered her heart. But Thor won’t give up once he’s set his sights on what he wants—and he wants Becca.
Thor shows Becca that he’s no longer the impulsive boy he used to be, and Becca finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. But will Thor be able to walk away from his dream of flying the F-16 for their love or does his heart belong to the sky?
Yesi’s Thoughts
The Wild Aces series is quickly becoming an all-time favorite… so far both books in the series have blown me away and I am expecting the third one to do the same. Into the Blue was one of my most anticipated books for July and it certainly did not disappoint. This is Thor’s story and while we only spent a little bit of time with him in Fly With Me, I was so looking forward to his story. Second chance romances hold a special place in my heart and if two people deserve a second chance, it’s Eric Jensen, call sign Thor, and Becca Madison.
It had been 10 long years since Eric and Becca had seen each other… they were once madly in love, engaged, and planning a life together, that is until Eric left to pursue his career as an F16 fighter pilot. Ultimately choosing an aircraft over the love of his life. Becca was not only left heartbroken but slightly bitter and no longer able to trust easily. Fast forward to the here and now and Eric is back in town. Their first encounter a shock and his return to their hometown even more of a shock. From the moment they first see each other those old feelings that really never left, return in full force. Becca so reluctant and angry and Eric so ready to fight for the woman he was never able to forget. Becca is clearly still harboring pain and holding on tight to her heart, one that she was never able to give away again. And Eric is filled with regret over that one life choice that changed everything.
“It had taken me years to get over him, years to get to the point where the sound of his name didn’t’ send a dagger through my heart.”
From the reader’s perspective, obviously we know that this is their second chance and their time to be together, the question is how will they finally get to their Happily Ever After? And this is where Ms. Cleeton shows her brilliant writing ability. She’s able to make us understand Eric and the choices he made and she’s able to make us truly hope Becca can open her heart again. This isn’t a quick, happy reunion, and I loved that. The military aspect of the story is full on… Eric can’t just walk way, and Becca has a job she loves as a local attorney. The obstacles they face are real and even though they do fall into bed, and they seriously burn up the sheets, that is not enough. As hot as Thor is, he needs to win his girl’s heart again and make her trust him enough to let him back in. The push and pull between these two characters is magnificent.
“It seemed like my entire adult life had been spent either running from or to this one girl. She was the compass when I was so lost I couldn’t find my way.”
Bottom line, this book is GOOD. It has the right blend of real life, obstacles to overcome, hearts that need to be mended, and some of the hottest scenes written. These characters are mature and complex, and this story is beautifully written. Into the Blue is steamy, sexy, and exhilarating! Second chance romance at its BEST! Add it to your summer TBR and be ready to fall in love with the sexy world of fighter pilots. And seriously, Easy’s story can’t get here soon enough!!!
Excerpt
Eric’s hand felt warm against mine—warm and big. He squeezed, and even though he touched my fingers, I swore I felt an answering tightness around my heart, as though the power to crush it lay in the palm of his hand.
I wanted to pull back, had never intended to let him get this close, but here we were, and I didn’t move. The temptation was just too strong to ignore and it felt too good to have him hold my hand.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered again, his voice and eyes full of an emotion that spelled trouble.
This time I did pull back, too close to losing my heart. Too much time had passed, too much between us. I didn’t want to fall into the trap of thinking that this could be something again, of letting old feelings confuse me.
“I need to go.”
“Can we get dinner sometime, or coffee, or something?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I know I don’t deserve for you to let me in again, not after what I did, but what if we just gave it a chance. If we took things slowly? What if we started as friends?”
I didn’t know how I was supposed to answer that one, what slow was with people who had the kind of baggage we did. We’d been engaged; I didn’t know how to pretend we were just two people getting to know each other. At the same time, I didn’t really know him. Not anymore. But what was the point of getting to know him if he was just going to leave again?
“What’s changed?”
“What do you mean?”
“What’s changed?” I repeated. “You’re back here, but what’s different? What’s the point? You’re going back to Oklahoma in a few weeks, aren’t you?”
He nodded.
“Then what?”
He shifted in his seat, his expression guarded. “Well, we have the deployment coming up, and then I’ll probably go on to my next assignment. I don’t know where yet.”
Yeah, I’d been here before.
“So nothing has changed. Not really.”
“I’ve missed you.”
I’d missed him, too. It wasn’t enough. It had been ten years. We’d been apart longer than we’d been together. It wasn’t like we could just hit “Play” and pick up where we’d left off.
“We still want different things.”
He didn’t answer me for a beat. “What if we didn’t want different things?”
I froze. He knew me too well, knew just how to worm his way back in.
“Don’t try to make this about me. Don’t come back here with your ‘maybes’ and your ‘what-ifs’ and expect me to hang my future on it. I’ve been here before. I know how this goes. You’ve been back, what, a day? Do you honestly think that after everything we’ve been through, I’m going to trust that you want a future together? That you’ll actually choose me?
“I’m not going down this road with you again. I’ve been there and all it did was give me years of heartbreak. I don’t trust you anymore. There is no us. Not anymore.”
I grabbed my wallet, putting some cash on the table for my breakfast. I got up on shaky legs, not giving him a chance to respond, not sparing him another glance.
Wild Aces Series
Check out Book 1 in the Wild Aces series, Fly with Me:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ZMneLv
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/20ewq86
Google Play: http://bit.ly/23eFOei
iBooks: http://apple.co/1ny66aS
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1UbE3Ze
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26822886-fly-with-me
First Chapter: https://chanel-cleeton.squarespace.com/fly-with-me-chapter-one
On Broken Wings, Wild Aces Book 3 Pre-order (out January 3, 2017):
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1sbwU2X
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1XaprN9
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1rM6yVg
iBooks: http://apple.co/1TbGBdN
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1ZR6qyD
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24820451-on-broken-wings
About the Author
Originally a Florida girl, CHANEL CLEETON moved to London where she received a bachelor’s degree from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel fell in love with London and planned to stay there forever, until fate intervened on a Caribbean cruise and a fighter pilot with smooth dance moves swept her off her feet. Now, a happily ever after later, Chanel is living her next adventure.
Law school made Chanel realize she’d rather spend her days writing sexy stories than in a courtroom, and she hasn’t looked back since. An avid reader and hopeless romantic, she’s happiest curled up with a book. She has a weakness for handbags, her three pups, and her husband.
Chanel writes contemporary romances, women’s fiction, and thrillers. She is published by Harlequin HQN, Penguin/InterMix, and Penguin/Berkley and is the author of the International School, Capital Confessions, Assassins, and Wild Aces series.
AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: www.chanelcleeton.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorchanelcleeton
Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1545366192398558/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/chanelcleeton
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/chanelcleeton
About Chanel Cleeton
Originally from Florida, Chanel Cleeton grew up on stories of her family’s exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England where she earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics & Political Science. Chanel also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. She loves to travel and has lived in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.
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