Leo's Chance

by Mia Sheridan


My rating: ★ 5 Breathtaking Stars ★

~"I'm a worthless coward who took what I wanted. And I wanted her, and I thought that was the only way I could keep her from leaving. I panicked and lied, and now…. I know I have to tell her but I'm so fucking scared.~

THIS IS LEO'S STORY…







This way my first time re-reading a story told from an alt Pov.
I wasn't sure what to expect, all I knew is that I fell in love with Mia's writing in Leo. When I went back and re-read my review from Leo and remembered all those feelings she made me feel, I couldn't wait to start this and be drawn back in.

How can a book, told from an alt POV  feel like a whole different story with the same characters?
In 'Leo' I fell in love with their story, I loved Evie. I loved her voice. I really truly believe it was her story to tell.
In 'Leo's Chance' those same scenes that I absolutely loved the 1st time around, didn't capture me the same way in Leo's voice. For me, they belonged to Evie.



HOWEVER…..


Being in Leo's head, Intense.

His past, his pain. I experienced it right along with him.
Those scenes, belonged to him. His story needed to be told.


I kept thinking, "I know I'm reading the same Author cause it's the same story, BUT what the hell? Where did that come from? How did she just do that to me?"
I wasn't expecting to have those emotions pulled from me. I read and re-read paragraph after paragraph of Leo's past.
My mind and soul were ripped apart and my body couldn't  keep up with the emotions Mia pulled from me.



 Deep.   Raw.   Amazing.   Heartbreaking.   Devastating.  



What would you do for a second chance? How far would you go?

We start off with Leo in hospital, recovering from his accident. We are introduced to Dr. Fox, the hospitals psychologist.
Leo refuses to speak about any of the traumas he is recovering from. Feeling lost, broken and devastated. Dr Fox finally gets through and slowly Leo begins to open up.






~"You presumptuous bastard. You think you know me based on a few things you have written down on a fucking piece of paper? You think people can be summed up in a line or two on a clipboard? I'm not some 'poor little rich boy'!" I didn't grow up with more than a pot to piss in. I had just found out my brother was dead - a kid I practically raised. You don't know shit about my situation."~



The story is told at the same pace as "Leo" however we also get flashbacks of when Leo is recovering in hospital. Here we learn all about how he grew up and what he went through with his adoptive parents.

We see everything through his eyes, from when he first starts stalking Evie and seeing her for the 1st time again,



~It's the first time our eyes have met in eight years and I feel it in the depth of my soul, the moment seeming to stand still and shimmer around me.~


To the famous "Worlds Greatest Ice-cream" scene,


~She throws the ice cream in the cart, turns, and starts walking down the aisle as I stare after her. And that's it. If I wasn't before, I'm ruined for life. Hopelessly. In. Love. The girl is it for me. Yeah, ruined. Happily ruined, standing smack dab in the middle of the ice dream aisle.~



I loved being inside Leo's head for the 1st kiss.
It was sexy, sweet, hot.

~I dip my head and settle my mouth on hers. I sweep my tongue inside and as her tongue meet mine, I almost groan at the taste of her. Heaven. My heaven.~




I don't know about you guys, but for me reading a sex scene in a males POV is just so much more erotic.
Reading the fantasy sex scene in the shower… FREAKING HOT!!!!!

~I wipe the semen off the wall in front of me with my hand and I soap myself up one more time before standing under the spray for a few more minutes. I laugh quietly. Holy Shit, if I come that hard just from the fantasy of her, what's gonna happen to me if I ever really have her?~





But on top of all that we get the heartbreaking journey of Leo, finding his way back. You feel his pain, his despair, you heart hurts watching him hit bottom.



~ It takes daily diligence not to fall into the self-hatred trap. Disease can be deadly, and self-hatred is a disease, too. Secrets and shame can end a life just as easily as metastasising cells and viral takeover.~



While his body heals in hospital from his accident, Dr. Fox helps him heal his heart and soul.

I honestly no joke have NEVER EVER read a scene that has affected me so much.
I read and re-read and re-read over and over and every time still gives me the same emotion. I swear absolutely unforgettable.


~ Suddenly I am nothing more than pure anger, my brain filled with and controlled by a roiling tumour of fury. And it's metastasising by the minute, cells multiplying, spreading and overtaking.


"I hate her. I hate her. I hate her."


"Who do you hate?"  Dr. Fox's voice comes from directly behind me, still gentle and controlled.


"Stop asking me that! I told you! Aren't you fucking listening to me? My father! My mother! Lauren! I hate them all! I fucking hate them! Fuck! Fuck them all! Fuck them! I hate them!"  My voice cracks at the end and I'm breathing so hard that I feel like I might hyperventilate. A lifetime of built-up rage over selfishness that steals dignity and cruelty they preys on the weak is cursing through my veins, a fire looking to consume me from the inside out.

"Who do you hate, son?"~



It just didn't stop, I couldn't breathe, my mouth was dry.
I had to put it down, I had to breathe. My heart felt like it was torn from my chest.
Mia's words made me mourn.
Mourn for Leo, how he was wronged.
It was ugly and every word digs deeper into your soul.

~The rage begins to abate and just beyond it is the grief and I feel it coming at me like a wave. I'm powerless to fight it. All I can do is wait as it washes over me, drenching the fiery ball of anger, putting out that flame, but dragging me under, tossing me, flailing and defenceless against it's unrelenting power. It is bigger than the rage, bigger than the guilt and I can do nothing but submit to it.
I choke out, "Me! I hate me! I hate myself? I hate myself? I fucking hate myself? And now the tears are coming and I'm choking on my words and sputtering and punching and yelling.



"I fucking hate myself! I hate myself! Fuck! Fuck!" I hear myself sobbing and muttering.
"Why? Why? Why wasn't I enough? I'm worthless. Why did I do that? Why did I let her do that? Why did I do that? Why? Why?  I hate myself. I hate myself. I hate myself. I'm worthless. I hate myself."


"Who do you hate, Jake?" Dr Fox ask one final time.
"Me. I hate me," I say through panting, hitching breaths. "I hate me. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. I hate me." ~

I can't even, No words.
EPIC, freaking EPIC scene.




And the Epilogue,
I cried in Leo's epilogue and Mia managed to do it to me again!

What a FREAKING BRILLIANT Epilogue…

~We had planned and dreamed and loved on that roof of ours. We didn't know that the journey that would finally bring us to our happily ever after would be full of detours and pitfalls and pain. We didn't know how much love and forgiveness and understanding would be required to make it back on the path we were meant to be on, together. but we id know was that we were here because we had both been willing to fight; to fight for each other, to fight for ourselves.


Despite all the pain that we had endured to be where we are, in the end, love won. ~

I can't even tell you who's side of the story I liked more.
It wasn't even about that. Both sides are essential in making sure we get every detail of this love story.
You can't have one with out the other.
You need to get into Leo's head. You need to know his side.




Mia Sheridan has an amazing talent.
There is nothing better than reading a line and feeling those words transform into pure emotion.
I'm in awe when Author can make me feel what I am reading, make me wanna go back and experience that feeling over and over.
It's a high for me, and I'm constantly trying to chase it to get my fix.
I'm in love with her style and I can't wait for more.


~ Jake is my lion, and Leo is my boy, I love both, I need both - Just one or the other doesn't add up to the complete person that he's become.~

~ ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review ~ Thanks so much Mia.

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Jess xxx