A second-chance, small town, stand-alone romance in A.L. Jackson’s Confessions of the Heart Series
Amazon | Paperback | Audible
Message from A.L. Jackson
My loves!! It’s here – the first stand-alone novel in my new CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART series. Oh my gosh, I have to confess, MORE OF YOU absolutely stole my heart. Writing Jace and Faith’s story was one of my best experiences as an author. Their story poured out of me, their chemistry so intense and palpable that the words burned inside and came to life in a way I’d never imagined!
It’s intense.
It’s sexy.
It’s suspenseful.
It’s packed with all the feels.
It’s everything and more that I’d hoped it be.
I fell so hard for MORE OF YOU, and I know you will, too.
Are you ready for my newest romance?
Synopsis
My daddy warned me never to fall for a boy like Jace Jacobs . . .
The second I saw him walk through the door, I knew he was trouble.
A gorgeous rebel with a bad attitude and a huge chip on his shoulder.
My heart warned me. I didn’t listen. I saw something protective and good beneath the fierce, tough exterior.
I fell hard and fast.
He promised we’d be together forever, and then left me with a broken heart.
Now, ten years later, Jace Jacobs is standing at my door.
Sexier than he’s ever been.
Provocative and commanding.
Successful and powerful.
The man I always knew he would become.
But I promised myself I’d never lose my heart to him again.
Even time couldn’t dim our chemistry. One glance of his intense eyes, and I become weak. One brush of his hand, and he brings me to my knees.
Little do I know, Jace holds the key to everything I’ve lost and everything that threatens my future.
Now he will either save me, or he will break me all over again . . .
More of You – a Confessions of the Heart second-chance, stand-alone romance
Review
“I always believed in us.”
The beginning of a new series for A.L. Jackson, this is a second-chance-romance with a twist of suspense, and a raw, intense and emotional love story that is full of heartache and passion, and beautifully swoony.
Jace and Faith met as teenagers, she the naïve good girl, and he the dangerous and mysterious boy from the wrong side of the tracks, but despite their differences, they fell deeply in love and dreamed of a future together. But it didn’t turn out that way, and Jace left their small town, breaking both of their hearts in the process.
It’s ten years later when he returns. Faith has been left alone with her small daughter following the murder of her husband, and is receiving threatening messages. Jace knows that she’s in danger and he rushes to protect the girl he still so clearly loves.
“I know you hate me, Faith. You have every right to. You should hate me every bit as much as I hate myself, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m here. That I’m going to take care of you. Protect you. Whatever it takes.”
It’s a great set-up as Jace moves himself into the huge rambling house that Faith is living in, under the guise of protecting her and her daughter while he works on much-needed renovations. It’s clear from that first moment that there is SO much emotion between these two, and that neither of them ever moved on from the other, and the feels are intense from the very beginning.
“Do you think I could ever forget a single moment with you? Not ever. Not for a second. You were the only good thing I ever had.”
The mystery of why Jace left, and what he’s been doing in the years since unfolds throughout the story, as does the mystery of Faith’s husband’s death, and why she is in danger now. It’s all very cleverly woven together, and creates even more intensity in the story as glimpses from the past reveal pieces of the puzzle. And as danger in the present becomes very real, it pushes Jace and Faith together even more as he situates himself into her life, and all of that long-ago emotion comes flooding out.
“You took my heart when you left,” I whispered.
He took a slow step forward, his confession cracking in the air. “And I left mine with you.”
OMG, this book is full of emotion, heartache and longing. You can feel the connection between Jace and Faith, how much they want each other and how badly they wish everything could have been different, and watching them work through it all is heartbreaking.
“I’m terrified of you hurtin’ me all over again,” I whispered. “I can’t take any more.”
Flinching, his eyes dropped closed. “I don’t want to hurt you, Faith. Never. I never wanted to. I’d give anything to stop that from happening again.”
It’s an exercise in patience waiting for the big moment, and we feel every angst-ridden, sexual-tension-filled second of it! But when it eventually comes, it’s worth it as we get even more emotion in a swoony, romantic and passionate reconciliation that is absolutely gorgeous!
“I never stopped loving you. Not for a second. Not for a day. Because you’ve consumed every one of my goddamned thoughts since the second I left.”
It’s not easy, and there are still things they need to work through, and as secrets are revealed and danger looms closer, the book builds to an exciting and intense climax that will test them both like never before, and make them question everything.
I really liked this book. Though the emotion is intense, and the love story is beautiful, I wasn’t as invested as I was expecting and hoping to. I was definitely cheering for these two to get their happy ending, but I found the reason for their split and all that contributed to their separation to be a bit frustrating. I also think that the writing was perhaps a bit flowery and poetic for me – but this is a very personal thing. I tend to zone out a bit when writing gets a bit repetitive and overly descriptive, and I found myself skimming descriptions of their broken-heartedness, their connection and the way their souls spoke to each other, especially because the book is quite long. But Jackson does a wonderful job of letting us feel everything that the characters are going through, and the way the story is put together is really well done. And every moment with sweet little Bailey is heart-meltingly adorable!
This is a strong start to the series, and I’m looking forward to reading more, with Jace’s brother, Ian up next!
3.5 stars
An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Confessions of the Heart
More of You (#1)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback | Audio
Excerpt
“Let me take care of you.” The words grated from my tongue.
She blinked at me. “Why did you really come here, Jace? After all this time? After all these years? What is
it you want?”
You.
“I need to be here. I tri—”
The confession locked in my throat, and I swallowed hard, forcing it out between the constriction I could
feel baring down on every cell in my body.
“I tried to stay away. But I couldn’t. Not knowing what’s happening. Not knowing what you’ve been
through.”
Not knowing just how fucking deep Joseph had gotten. Not knowing the lengths those assholes might go
to. I was getting a better and better idea of what that might be.
Protectiveness swelled.
An anger so intense I saw black curled through my muscles.
I could feel it, a wire tripping somewhere inside me, one of those pieces I’d been trying to keep contained,
held back, ripped free.
No way in hell was I backing down from this. No way in hell was I walking away from her.
“I’m moving in.”
She reared back. “What?”
“You heard what I said.”
A heated anger rushed in to take over the helplessness. “Well, I thought I did . . . and what I think I just
heard you say was you’re movin’ in here, and that’s not goin’ to happen.”
“You need someone here to look after you. Besides . . . there are what? Eight rooms here? You will hardly
notice me, and someone needs to be here to watch over things.”
“And you think that job lands on you?” It was all a rushed horror as she pushed back her chair and
stumbled to her feet.
Energy flashed.
So intense my chest tightened.
Painfully.
Protectiveness pulsing out. Filling everything.
“I think that’s exactly what it is.”
Harsh, hoarse laughter rocked from her, and she was biting at her lip like she wanted to bite back her
words.
“You are the last person I want movin’ in here. I already told you, all of this is too hard. It feels too
complicated. It’s hard enough you bein’ outside. You want to take up the inside, too?”
I edged closer, breathing in all that intensity.
Taking it on as my own.
Standing next to the girl felt like inhaling life.
Did she think this wasn’t going to be brutal for me, too?
My voice quieted, though it was hard as stone. “You aren’t safe here. You’re scared. You can’t deny that.”
I edged closer, and she edged back. She hit the wall behind her.
She was so close.
So damned close I wanted to take one step closer and feel all of her. What it was like to be against that
skin.
Her words were so rough she could barely force them out. “Then I’ll call my daddy to come and stay.”
My fingers were back to toying with a lock of her hair, my head angled to the side. “Let me take care of
you, Faith. Let me be the one.”
“Jace—”
“Please . . . let me do this for you. I’m your family, whether you like it or not.”
“This is a terrible idea,” she whispered. Like it was her last plea.
“It might be the only good one I’ve ever had.”
Giveaway
Don’t miss the adorable giveaway for the More of You release! It’s a Fight for Me Bundle + the EXCLUSIVE products from my MORE OF YOU release boxes!
ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE
The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway
About the Author
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, and BLEEDING STARS novels. Grab A.L. Jackson’s latest novel, MORE OF YOU, the first stand-alone novel in her brand-new CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART series.
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson – Sign up to receive her NEWSLETTER or text “aljackson” to 24587 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.
FACEBOOK | FB READER GROUP | AMAZON
BOOKBUB | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
Check out our A.L. Jackson Author Spotlight for more great reads!
