Once Upon a Twilight!: A. Meredith Walters

Mortal Danger
Twisted Love #2
Author: A. Meredith Walters
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: June 2nd 2015
Review Source: Gallery Books

Aubrey Duncan has loved…and lost. Should she follow a heart that’s betrayed her or a head that tells her to let go?

Maxx Demelo’s addiction almost destroyed him. It ruined his life and, most importantly, his relationship with the only girl he ever loved.

He has vowed to become the man Aubrey Duncan deserves. Even if he has to tear himself apart to do it. So he enters rehab, trying to fix the parts of him that are shattered as he longs to be healthy and whole.

Aubrey lost everything because she chose to listen to her heart. Now she has sworn to put herself first, to heal in the only way that she can…far away from Maxx and his demons.

But just as Aubrey is starting over, Maxx is released from rehab and thrust back into her world, determined to prove how much they still need each other. And the chaos that had defined them threatens to unleash once again…

But a heart, no matter how broken, is impossible to ignore.

Have you ever picked up a book without knowing what it’s about? This happened to me with this book, well the audiobook. To be honest, I felt completely lost at the beginning. I knew something was missing... Until I realized Follow Me Back is a sequel *Face palm* (Silly, Leydy). Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the story of Maxx and Aubrey. Listening to their struggles… Realizing this can be real... Well, it made the story very dear to me. This is the kind of story I love to hear and/or read. The ones where there is hope. No matter what the circumstances are, no matter the obstacles, no matter what your family and friends tell you not to follow, there is always hope. Love will always conquers. *Tears of joy*

The story begins right where Audrey is facing the consequences of dating Maxx. He was a patient at support group where she was an intern. It seems from the previous book things didn’t go well and Audrey’s college life is in a rough path. She is being kicked out of her program and her grades are suffering. To say the least, she and Maxx haven’t been in touch for a while. As Audrey is trying to get her life back, she learns Maxx is in rehab. From what I gather, this is something she always hope he would do, for himself. As she feels relief he is doing this, her heart is telling her there may be hope for them. Something she doesn’t want at the same time. Maxx has left her for ruins. As the pieces are being put back together, Maxx gets in contact with her. And as Audrey tries to stay away, her heart tells her not to. Yet, she follows what her heart is telling her to do. Little by little she starts to realize things will never be the same. Trusting Maxx will be a challenge, but where there once was fire, ashes remain that could reignite.

Listening to Maxx and Audrey story was not easy. The book is center around addiction and a destructive relationship. It was full of ups and down, deceptions and surprises. My feelings were all over the place. I didn’t know what to believe. Audrey’s emotions were mines. I wanted to trust Maxx badly. Especially after listening to his struggles – his point of view. He really wanted to change. Yet, there was doubt kicking in. My emotions were seriously conflicted. This whole relationship was a total dysfunction but my sucker heart was saying: YES, THERE IS HOPE.

Even though I did not read the first book, Follow Me Back truly capture the love between Maxx and Audrey. This story is brutal and honest. Their love was addicting, unhealthy yet captivating and realistic. I loved how the author captured all this darkness flawlessly. The audio book was phenomenal. From the moment it began, I was entranced in their stories. I would highly recommend this book and audio book to my friends. It’s not an easy story to listen to but the outcomes will make anyone smile.

Welcome to our stop on Reclaiming the Sand spotlight tour for A. Meredith Walters. This tour is hosted by InkSlinger PR.

Reclaiming The Sand
Author: A. Meredith Walters
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Romance
Released: March 17th 2014

Bully and victim.
Tormenter and tormented.
Villain and hero.

Ellie McCallum was a bully. No connection to anyone or anything. A sad and lonely existence for a young woman who had come to expect nothing more for herself. Her only happiness coming from making others miserable.

Particularly Freaky Flynn.

Flynn Hendrick lived a life completely disconnected even as he struggled to become something more than that boy with Asperger's. He was taunted and teased, bearing the brunt of systematic and calculated cruelty, ultimately culminating in a catastrophic turn of events that brought Ellie and Flynn’s worlds crashing down.

But then Flynn and Ellie grew up.

And moved on.

Until years later when their paths unexpectedly cross again and the bully and the freak are face to face once more.

When labels come to define you, finding yourself feels impossible. Particularly for two people disconnected from the world who inexplicably find a connection in each other.

And out of the wreckage of their tragic beginnings, an unlikely love story unfolds.

But a painful past doesn’t always want to let go. And old wounds are never truly healed…and sometimes the further you try to run from yourself the closer you come to who you really are

Excerpt

"I like being with you. I missed you," Flynn said, surprising me. Of all things for him to say, I had not expected that. It was such an innocent thing but it held so much weight.

He missed me.

After everything I had done to him.

He missed me.

I couldn't respond. I had nothing to say to that. I couldn't reciprocate because I hadn't missed him. I had spent most of the last six years despising him. Blaming him for things that weren't his fault. It had been easier to hate him than to hate myself.

"You stopped talking to me. After my birthday. You never called me again. Mom said to leave you alone. That you weren't my friend. But you were my friend. Because you told me I was and I believed you." His eyes were bright and even though he wouldn't look directly at me, I knew his eyes were wet..

I should tell him the truth. I should shatter his illusions of me before they could grow into something more dangerous.

His mother hadn't told him what I had done. She had saved him from that particular pain. I didn't know whether to be thankful or upset that sh e had done that. Because now here were, six years later, on the cusp of something not yet realized and i struggled.

I wanted to tell him. But I wanted to lie as well. I liked the way he looked at me. To Flynn Hendrick, Ellie McCallum was important. She was wanted. If i told him the truth about that night, I was sure that would all change.

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal romance including The Find You in the Dark and Bad Rep series as well as the upcoming stand alone romance, Reclaiming the Sand, and a dark new adult series for Gallery Books.
A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.
When not writing (or being tortured with all manner of beauty products at the hand of her very imaginative and extremely girly daughter), she is eating chocolate, watching reality television that could rot your brain and reading a smutty novel or two.
A. Meredith is represented by Michelle Johnson with the Inklings Literary Agency.