Buy:  Kindle Ebook  |  Paperback

---

---

Review

“She’s the fire in my veins, the breath in my lungs, and the glue trying to hold each of my scars together”

Another ‘WOW’ book from Nyrae Dawn!

The first book in this series, Charade, completely blew me away when I read it, and I am happy to say that Façade is an incredible follow up that packs just as much of an emotional punch. After reading the first few pages, I knew this book was going to be something special!

We met Adrian in Charade – he is the constantly stoned, manwhoring party boy, and best friend of Colt. But from the very beginning of this book, we see that this is a front he puts on while he struggles silently with huge demons. Incredibly damaged following a devastating tragedy four years ago, he is crushed by guilt and living a meaningless life which is just enough to get him by, and my heart instantly hurt for all that he is suffering with.

Delaney has also endured unimaginable pain, and suffers terribly because of it, but she is looking for a way to move forward. And so, wanting to atone for the past, she tracks down Adrian, a man she has never met, but who unknowingly shares a devastating link with her.

Even though he doesn’t know it, we’re tied together. Like there’s this thin thread connecting us that Adrian can’t see. He’s been bleeding for years because of something my father did and I can’t let that go.

From the moment they meet, there is a spark of attraction between them. But where Adrian sees a gorgeous girl that he can lose himself in, Laney sees the brokenness in him, wanting nothing more than to make it better.

Darkness lingers in those eyes and the set of his jaw. One look at him and you can tell he walks around with a bruised soul.

As they get to know each other, their connection deepens as they recognise a kindred soul in each other – both of them putting on a façade for the rest of the world while suffering soul shattering pain that they fight to keep hidden.

“Why Casper?” I ask.
“Because you’re the girl with ghosts in her eyes.”

He’s not perfect, but he’s sexy and beautifully broken, inspiring and passionate and everything at the same time.

They recognise that the other is suffering, but they also see beyond that to what lies behind the secrets and the pain, and instead of using their issues as a way to push each other away, they grab hold. They both realise that they have found somebody that they can open up to, somebody that understands and gives them exactly what they need, and they recognise how incredibly special that is. They may keep the true nature of their demons hidden, but they are open about their feelings for each other, and the attraction between them soon blossoms into something so much deeper.

“You know if you go with me, there will be no escaping me anymore? That I’ll make you mine.”
…
“What if…” Say it, say it, say it. “What if I don’t want to escape?”
“You should,” he tells me. “But I’m bastard enough to want you to stay.”

I love these characters! The dual POV gets you right into the heart of both Adrian and Laney, and at times it’s truly devastating. Dawn’s writing is absolutely sensational, she not only shows you how the devastation of their pasts has shaped their present reality, but I could feel it right alongside them, and I understood their actions and the reasons why they did the things they did. And the connection between them is built beautifully! It’s well paced and realistic, and clearly shows the love and the profound impact that they have on each other’s lives.

Haunt me,
my little ghost,
Possess me.
Live inside me,
And scare away my sins
Until there’s nothing left.
But you.

And just when I thought I was dealing with the emotion really well, along comes the big moment that turned me into a sobbing mess! Seriously, the emotion absolutely floored me! I thought it was amazingly done though, and just thinking about it even now is making me tear up.

Colt and Cheyenne from Charade are both a big part of the story, and we also get to know Laney’s protective (but also damaged) older brother, Maddox (hero of the next book – really excited to see more of him!). Again, the relationships between them all are beautiful, and I love how supportive they are of each other, yet it’s all kept very real as well.

This book completely swept me away. It may be heartbreaking at times, but it’s not all darkness and gloom – it’s a story about forgiveness, about hope, and about finding a way to make peace with the past and move forward. Adrian and Laney’s story is truly beautiful.

4.5 stars.

 

The Games series