Title: Going the Distance (Down for the Count #2)
Author: Christa Cervone
Genre: Romance
Synopsis
Life has been a roller coaster for Gabriel ‘The Saint’ Vega. From surviving a hellish childhood, to reuniting with his lost brother, only to hit the struggle of helping him battle his drug addiction. Boxing saved Gabriel’s life, and just when his career hits the fast track, he finally finds love with Salem; at least for a short time.
Social differences, obligations, and misguided good intentions tore Gabriel and Salem apart before they could ever really get started.
Will Gabriel be able to save his brother from the whirlpool of addiction that threatens to drag him under? Is Salem capable of breaking away from the ropes that bind her to doing what’s expected rather than what and whom she desires? Can Gabriel convince Salem that their mutual feelings are worth fighting for, and that together, they will be able to go the distance?
My Review
This is book two in the
series and thankfully it picks up right where we left off! I wasn’t too happy
with the ending Christa left us with in On
the Ropes. And unfortunately I didn’t get my happy ending right away in
book two either, but it’s okay because the journey to get the ending I was
after was a great one!
As the story opens we have
Saint and Salem still apart and it’s now been 3 months since they were last
together. Thanks to Gabe and his dumb assed idea to let Salem go back to Blaine
without putting up a fight. Needleless to say both are miserable and clearly
need to be together!!!!!
Once Gabe finally pulls his head out of his
ass and decides he wants Salem, he bites the bullet and goes to her. But of
course rather than making things better, he is so inarticulate about his
feelings that he makes things soooo much worst between them. Rather than saying
I need you, I love you!
He basically calls her a cheat and a liar! IDIOT!
He basically calls her a cheat and a liar! IDIOT!
Poor Gabe! I feel so much
compassion for his character; he really is a hot, sexy misunderstood, not very
articulate guy sometimes, who’s lived a shit life and deserves things to go his
way for a change. He goes on such an
emotional journey in this book that so many times I just wanted to hug, cuddle
and soothe this sexy boxer! I’m glad that Salem is there for him as the book
progresses.
There is definitely no
shortage of sex between Gabe and Salem, that’s for sure!
Once their back together Gabe
and Salem have some hot hot sex throughout the book, but the scene that is so
vivid in my mind is the time in front of the mirror, Gabe is all demanding and
kind of sweet at the same time, loved it!
One issue for me in this book
was Salem and her inability to just break things off with Blaine the douche as
soon as she and Gabe got back together. I couldn’t believe she just didn’t tell
this asshat to fuck off already! Then when she finally does, it’s crazy!! She
calls him out on his cheating, tells him that she’s in love with someone else,
and basically tells him she should have done this a lot sooner. Unfortunately
his reaction is awful and nail bitingly scary, I was on pins and and needles as
I read this scene play out. All I can say is thank goodness! And man, do I ever
HATE Blaine!
Love love love how Gabe comes
to her immediate emotional rescue after the Blaine incident, willing to stay
with her and beat the shit out f Blaine. *Sigh* I really loved how these two
support each other and grow as a couple the rest of the book, they have faced
and survived so much that I was glad to see them at the end as simply Saint and
Salem happy and in love.
★★☆ 4 Stars ☆★★
Reviewed by Gillian Grybas
Buy it
Read it
Love it
EXCERPT
PROLOGUE
As
Salem drives away, Gabriel and Jason fade into the darkness. She drives and
drives, as if on autopilot, until she comes to a stop at a traffic light. She
realizes that her palms are sweaty from holding the steering wheel so tightly,
and each tear that hits her cheeks stings as it rolls down her face. Say, what
are you doing? Turn the damn car around. Go to him. Tell him how you feel. She
looks up into the rearview mirror as her inner dialogue plays through her head.
No, Salem! You’re doing the right thing; you already have feelings for him, and
if you continue down this road, someone is going to get hurt.
A
loud honk brings her back to reality. Looking up at the traffic light, she
realizes it’s now turning red for a second time. The car behind her revs its
engine and pulls up next to her. “Why don’t you pay attention? You dumb bitch!”
the driver yells angrily, then cuts in front of her car and runs the red light.
She’s
still shaken from Gabriel’s dismissal of her. “Pull yourself together,” she
wipes the tears away. “It’s not like the two of you would ever work, anyways.
He did you a favor.”
The
light turns green and Salem proceeds through the intersection, managing to make
it home without further incident. She’s greeted by Jocelyn, who’s sitting on
the couch watching an episode of Revenge. “I didn’t expect you home tonight, or
I would’ve waited to watch this.”
Salem
stands at the top of the stairs in silence. She’s disheveled; her typically
creamy, porcelain skin is blotchy, and her puffy, bloodshot eyes are a dead
giveaway that she’s been crying. “What the hell happened?!” Jocelyn kicks the
blanket off of her lap and rushes to her friend’s side.
“Ugh,
where do I start?”
“What
did he do now? I’m going to kill him,” she sneers.
Salem
lets out a heavy, staggered breath as she responds, “No Jocey, it’s not
Blaine.”
Jocelyn
studies her friend’s face. “Then, who? I’m not sure if I’m following you here.”
She leads Salem over to the couch and the two of them climb under the blanket.
“I
messed up, Joce,” Salem sighs, leaning her head onto Jocelyn’s shoulder.
“Aw…
Say.”
“After
I caught Blaine last night,” she takes a deep, calming breath, trying to build
up the confidence to finish, “I ended up at Gabriel’s.”
“Well,
I kind of figured that out when the three of you showed up here this morning.”
“I…”
“Wait,
don’t say another word.” Jocelyn dumps her side of the blanket onto Salem’s lap
and scurries across the room, before disappearing into the kitchen. Salem sees
the light from the refrigerator illuminating the dark kitchen, and then hears
the sound of whipped cream being squirted. A moment later, Jocelyn reenters the
room carrying a half gallon of ice cream in one hand and two spoons in the
other. She smiles warmly, “Okay, proceed.”
The
sadness on Salem’s face softens. “Thanks, Jocey.”
“It’s
just what the doctor ordered,” she laughs. “And by the look of you, you needed
the sundae version, not just plain old ice cream.”
“You’re
so right.” Salem takes the container of ice cream and a look of guilt then
appears on her face, “Yeah, well, I wasn’t so strong last night.”
“Did
you sleep with him?” Jocelyn doesn’t waste any time.
Salem’s
lip begins to quiver and the tears begin to flow as she nods her head, “I made
a mistake.”
“A
mistake?” Jocelyn blurts out. “I don’t think so, Say. I saw the way the two of
you looked at each other. As far as
I’m
concerned, the only mistake you made yesterday was not dumping…”
“Joce.”
“I
know you don’t wanna hear it, but I’m going to say it, anyway.”
Salem
laughs through her tears, knowing full well her best friend is going to speak
her mind. “Of course you are.”
“Look,
we both know I’m not a fan of Blaine’s. Actually, I despise the man. He’s a
fucking scumbag and I’m not sure why you can’t see it.”
The
two friends get quiet and Salem begins to eat the ice cream.
“Do
you think you don’t deserve to be happy?” Jocelyn breaks their silence,
scooping a heaping spoonful of whipped cream.
“I
can be happy with Blaine.”
Jocelyn
shoots her friend a look. “Are you happy right now?”
“No,”
she lets out an exasperated breath, “but, I can get us back to where we once
were. I know I can.”
“Why?”
“Why,
what?”
“Why
do you want him? Help me understand.”
“I’m
not sure you will understand. You’ve never had…” Salem stops herself.
“Never
had, what?”
“Jocelyn,”
she sighs, “you’ve never been in a serious relationship.”
“You’re
absolutely right, and do you know why?”
Salem
shakes her head.
“Because,
I haven’t met a man worthy of me and I’m not going to settle, like you have.”
Jocelyn sees the wounded look on her friend’s face and immediately regrets what
she’s just said. “I’m sorry, Say. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but it’s
the truth. I’ve sat around and watched my best friend being treated like a
doormat for years. I know exactly what not to look for; and as for you, you’d
rather settle for someone who treats you like shit than to be alone.”
“That’s
not…”
“No,
it’s my turn. I’m going to tell you how I see it. I think you felt something
last night with Gabriel.” Jocelyn studies her friend’s face, hoping to get a
glimpse of something. “All these years, you’ve gone through the motions of
being the good girlfriend; thinking that would be enough, that he would change.
Yet, here we sit.”
“You’ve
got it all wrong, Jocey.”
“Do
I? Would you like me to remind you of all the nights I’ve lain next to you,
while you’ve cried yourself to sleep because that asshole stood you up? Or how
about the time he showed up drunk and reeking of another woman’s perfume?”
Salem’s
shoulders sink down. “He doesn’t want me,” her voice is all of a whisper.
“Who
doesn’t want you?”
“Gabriel.
He said what happened last night can’t happen again and he pushed me away.”
“And
let me guess; you being you, just walked away?”
“What
was I supposed to do?”
“Geez,
I don’t know… stay and fight?”
“Stay
and fight for what, a man who doesn’t want me?”
“Oh,
I don’t think it’s a matter of him not wanting you, Say. I think it’s more like
the fact he knows you’ll probably end up breaking his heart.”
“That’s
just it. I told him the first night we went out that I wasn’t what he needed. I
think he sees that now.”
“And
now your feelings are hurt by this?”
“It
would never work, anyways. We come from two different worlds,” Salem tries to
brush it off.
“So,
what difference does that make?”
“Oh
yeah, sure, can you see him at one of my parents’ dinner parties?”
“Yeah,
actually I can. And he’d probably liven it up a little!” Jocelyn laughs.
“You’re
not helping.”
“I’m
not sure what you want me to help you with. I’m certainly not Team Blaine, and
I’m not going to sit by and let
him
continue to treat you the way he does. What’s got you so scared?”
“The
future.”
“The
future?!” Jocelyn exclaims. “Don’t you think you may be jumping the gun a
little here?”
“Jocey,
I’m graduating next spring. The next step in my plan is marriage, then a house,
and then kids.”
“Screw
your plans, Say. Why do you need a damn plan, anyways? You’re young, beautiful,
and you’re going to be one hell of a lawyer. This is the time you should be out
experiencing life. You have your whole life to worry about getting married and
having babies.”
“But,
it’s what I’m supposed to do.”
“Says
who, your parents?”
“It’s
what I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid.”
“Salem,
when are you going to realize it’s not your dream?” Jocelyn repositions herself
on the couch so that she’s directly facing Salem. “This life you’re living, is
your parents’ dream. You need to wake up and be your own damn person, not the
person your parents have molded you into or who Blaine wants you to be. Where’s
that girl I once knew? The one who snuck out of boarding school with me and
went to college frat parties. Where’s the girl who got wasted on cheap beer and
sang karaoke all night long with me?”
“I
am my own person, and ‘that girl’ is still right here,” Salem insists.
“Tell
me one major decision you’ve made on your own lately.”
Salem
sits quietly.
“You
can’t think of one, can you?”
“Actually,
I can,” she bites back.
“Bullshit,”
Jocelyn purses her lips together.
“I’m
not going into corporate law,” Salem spits out.
“Excuse
me?”
“You
heard me. I’m not going into corporate law. I’ve decided to be a guardian ad
litem instead.”
A
glowing smile spreads across Jocelyn’s face. “Holy shit, Say! I’m so proud of
you.”
Salem
tries to hide her smile, but it finally shines through.
“Your
parents are gonna shit a brick,” Jocelyn laughs.
“I
know.”
“When
do you plan on dropping that bomb on them?”
“After
graduation,” Salem says slyly.
“Oh,
to be a fly on the wall when your father hears this.”
“You
and Gabriel are the only people who know.”
“You
told Gabriel before you told your best friend?”
“I
feel comfortable with him.”
“Clearly,
since you gave it up to him,” she nudges Salem’s shoulder.
Salem’s
hands cover her face in embarrassment.
“How
was he?”
“I’m
not like you, Jocey. I don’t kiss and tell.”
“I’m
not asking you to tell me how he kisses. I want to know how he is in bed.”
“No
way,” Salem replies adamantly.
Not
caring about the objection in her friend’s voice, Jocelyn continues on. “Is he
strong? Did he go all ‘Dom’ on you like the guys in some of my trashy romance
novels? Is he big? I bet he’s big!”
Salem
remains tight-lipped. “I’m not telling you, Jocelyn.”
“Come
on, give me a little something? Okay, fine,” she relents on the more risqué
questions, “just tell me if he’s a good kisser then.”
The
corners of Salem’s lips turn up as a smile appears and she hugs her knees.
“I’ll
take that as a ‘yes,’” Jocelyn chuckles and keeps on going with her
interrogation. “How are his hands, are they rough and callused from fighting?”
“Surprisingly
no, they’re very soft and his touch is gentle.”
“Gentle?”
Jocelyn’s face scrunches up. “Hmmm… I wouldn’t have figured him for gentle.”
“Me
either,” Salem utters.
“You
okay, Say?”
“Yeah,
I’m fine. It’s just…”
“It’s
just, what?”
Salem’s
face turns a light shade of pink. “I can’t,” she laughs, embarrassed.
“Look,
if you can’t tell me, who can you tell?”
Finally,
Salem gives in to her friend’s coercion. “He made me feel so wanted, like I was
the only woman in the world.
And
the way he looks at me…”
Salem’s
heart instantly drops into her stomach at the thought of Gabriel’s eyes on her;
how his hands danced over her skin, how his soft lips grazed her neck, then her
breasts, and finally down between her legs. Closing her eyes, she tries to
shake her arousal and regain her composure. If Jocelyn catches wind of it,
she’ll never leave her alone. The questions will go on all night long.
“Um,
if I’m not mistaken, that’s how your man is supposed to make you feel,” Jocelyn
mocks.
“Yeah,
well, I’ve never felt that way with Blaine.”
“Well,
that’s because Blaine is a douche and wouldn’t know a good woman if she bit him
in the ass. And don’t you dare bite him in the ass!”
“You
don’t have to worry about that.” Salem shoots Jocelyn a look, and they both
begin to laugh uncontrollably.
“Thanks,
Jocey,” Salem snuggles up to her best friend, “you always know how to make me
feel better.”
“Say,
I don’t want to be that person.”
Salem
is taken aback by what she just heard and her head jerks away from Jocelyn.
“What?”
“Oh
Say, I didn’t mean it like that,” she frowns. “What I meant was, I want you to
have a man in your life that can comfort you and make you laugh, like I can,
not one that makes you cry.”
“Oh,
okay,” Salem sighs in relief. “I thought…”
“Don’t
you dare even say it! You’re stuck with me, Say.”
“Good,
because I don’t want you going anywhere.”
Going the Distance (Down for the Count #1):
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/mm9k53y
Amazon CA: http://tinyurl.com/lzc6ks9
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/krwa2sr
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/qb55teo
Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/kb9lsdc
iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/pqlbvze
About the Author
Born and raised in New England, Christa is a married mother of three. She began writing her first book, Broken, in October 2012, as a love story to her husband, Frank. During the writing process, Christa managed to keep her book a secret from the majority of her family and friends, including her mother. She finally revealed that she had written a book on her personal Facebook page just two weeks before Broken was released.
Broken was released in February 2013, and within twenty-four hours of its release, it was on Amazon’s Movers and Shakers list as well as in the Top 20 Erotica. Christa released her second novel, On the Ropes - Book One in the Down for the Count series, in February 2014. On the Ropes has also climbed the charts on Amazon, hitting the Top 10 Sports Fiction and the Top 20 Romance Sports Fiction lists. Book Two, Going the Distance, is slated to be released in the summer of 2014.
Christa also has several other novels in the works, with no release dates announced at this time.
Follow the author at these links
No comments:
Post a Comment