Relentless

Shattered Hearts #2

by Cassia Leo

"Sometimes letting someone go is the ultimate act of love."

Claire Nixon is a college student with a past full of secrets and heartbreak.

At seven years old, the death of her mother by drug overdose destroys her faith in humanity and herself as she is tossed from one foster home to another. Feeling unwanted and disposable, she fights to keep herself safe in the system. Until, at the age of fifteen, she is saved by her first love, and soon-to-be rock star, Chris Knight and his mother, who quickly becomes the mother she always wanted.

When Claire encourages Chris to leave town to pursue his dreams of musical stardom, both Claire and Chris don't realize this will be the biggest mistake of their lives.

One year after Chris leaves on tour, Claire has carved out a new life for herself in a new city far away from the life she left behind with Chris. On a fateful morning, she meets sexy surfer Adam Parker.

To Claire, Adam is just another flirty customer at the cafe, until a chance encounter and seemingly innocent comment spurs a bet between them. The bet is simple: If Adam can get Claire to reveal the secret that made her drop out of college and leave her life behind, she has to re-enroll. If he doesn't succeed, she gets to keep her secret and he has to stop stalking her at the cafe.

Claire thinks she has this one in the bag. She's perfected the art of forgetting her past. But she isn't prepared for Adam's relentless pursuit or for him to share his own secrets. And she's definitely not prepared for the love of her life, Chris Knight, and her secret, to come banging down her door one year later.

New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language, drug use, and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, College, Young Adult, Music

232 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2013

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cassia Leo grew up in California and has lived in three different countries. She loves to travel and her dream is to one day score a record deal based on her awesome shower singing skills. She is the author of the Shattered Hearts series (Relentless, Pieces of You, Bring Me Home). She is also the author of the popular Luke and Chase series.

Come chat with her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorcassialeo or Twitter:www.twitter.com/AuthorCassiaLeo

Or you can follow her blog at http://cassialeo.com to stay up to date on new releases and giveaways.

Thanks for reading!

Reviews

[Angie - Angie's Dreamy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS REVIEW WAS POSTED AT ANGIE'S DREAMY READS

5 BRILLIANT STARS

"The relentless pull of love is a thousand times harder to fight than the tides. If you're lucky, you'll make it out before you drown. If you're even luckier, you're pulled under just long enough to wash away the sorrow. If you're really lucky, like me, you resurface just in time to find the one you love floating right beside you." -Claire

[image error]

I have no words to even start reviewing this book. It was amazing, superb and super emotional story. There was something about it that I was drawn to immediately when I started. The writing was beautiful and the way the plot moved and pulled you in was fantastic. This is a pull on your heart strings, angsty book. It's a story of survival, love and learning to let go. It's a story of learning to trust and forgive yourself when you make decision that goes against the norm. It's a story of love and acceptance! The kind of love that wraps you up, soothes you and makes you realize you're not alone.

I LOVED it, absolutely LOVED it.

Claire is a twenty year old college drop out that's carrying around a huge secret. Claire has trouble coping with the past that haunts her. She lives her life addicted to meditation and keeping people at bay. She is so heavily filled with guilt over what she's done to the love of her life Chris that several times a day she has to take a minute to calm herself down and relax. Claire comes from and extremely rough background. Her mother died when she was seven of a drug overdose and she was sent to live in one foster home after another. The thing about Claire is that her mother had a very bad history/past so when Claire was little there were things that were instilled into her that keep her scared of the world and more specifically men. When she's finally finally placed in her last foster home she meets Chris. Chris becomes Claire's first love. He becomes her lifeline and her home. He soothes her and helps her adjust and make friends. She never knew a safe, secure and normal home until she met Him.

"With every choice you risk the life you would have had. With every decision you lose it." - Claire

[image error]

But a year after their break up Claire finds herself on the run and trying to escape a mistake that haunts her every day. A mistake that leaves her feeling guilty and shameful. She meets Adam who is running from some pretty big secrets himself and they instantly connect. Their pasts pull them together in a magnetic way. They find comfort in each other. But Claire and Adams secrets are pretty huge and they have to figure out if they can trust each other enough to lay it all out on the table. Their path to healing their hearts in hard. Is their love for each other enough to heal a past riddled with cracks and tears that have left them in tatters?

"You're perfect," he insists as he grabs my face and forces me to look him in the eye. "Just the right amount of flaws." -Adam

I have to say that I really fell in love with Adam in this book. He's a surfer, sexy, sweet and fun to be around. He has a heart of gold but is definitely carrying around a large amount of baggage. His instant attraction to Claire and the way he nurtured her were really what sold me on him. He has a way of just knowing what to say to her to lighten the mood or what to say to make her feel good about herself. He loves her and it shines through. He accepts her flaws and all and honestly isn't that what makes the perfect book boy?!

[image error]

Chris is in the story briefly. There really is no love triangle or anything like that but he definitely plays a big role in Claire's life and history. Chris left Claire to go be a rock star and live his dreams. What I got from him was that he's still in love with her and has major regrets about the way things ended with Claire.

I thought the end of the book left me thinking CRAP, CRAP, CRAP...It's not a cliffhanger in my opinion but the plot is definitely left open making us wonder how this story is going to play out in book two and if Adam and Claire are going to be able to survive the bumps that are sure to come up ahead.

I guess that's the way secrets are. They're only heavy when you're holding them. As soon as you let go, the significance of keeping those secrets hidden blows away and everything falls into place."

Overall I loved this book!! I would definitely recommend it to you if you are looking for a deeper read. Something with some substance and emotion. I thought Cassia Leo did an amazing job!! Her writing was passionate and emotional and that showed in her characters. The book was filled with angst but more than that it was filled with hope. The hope that it's NEVER too late to have a happy ending, to make another choice and to start over. I can't wait to read book two.

eBook provided for honest review by the author

[Jx PinkLady Reviews ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 "Where we love is home.' beautiful stars.



This book is about a lost girl, Claire Nixon, who is trying to find her way through the shitty life she's been dealt.... She has a dead mother, no father, a history of life in the care system, a lost love, a new love and a huge, there's no-going-back-from, secret.



To help herself cope, Claire meditates... all the time... it seems a little random at first but you actually get used to it by the end of this book and completely accept it in book two.


The boys.....



The lost love, is Chris Knight.... Mr gorgeous, (I couldn't wait to meet you) Rockstar, with tattoos and piercings. He's was once everything to Claire and she was everything to him. She encouraged Chris to pursue his dream..... however this had far reaching consequences for them both....


The new love, Adam Parker has, 'sun-kissed brown hair,' he's another hottie and a sexy surfer and works his way, very quickly, into Claire's life, and Claire's heart.

Adam, surfer boy has his own secret....



I felt the tingling jitters when they were getting to know each other.... their first date, their first kiss.... it was lovely.... if not maybe a little too instant (I didn't quite feel it as the characters, but by the end of the book I didn't care that the insta love was too quick)... I enjoyed Adam flirting (he's very good at it)The silly jokes he tells to ease situations..... that new romance butterfly feeling was there for me.



Why only 3.5 stars?????

I feel a little mean but if I'm completely honest, up until about the 75/80% mark it was just an ok read with an 'insta love' that was all too quick. Then some book magic happened.....Claire's secret is revealed (I never would've guessed!) and the story skyrocketed for me. It made me feel sick, the finality of her secret.





It's a love triangle and I'm not sure which guy I want....both are great in their own way... I thought Adam was too much too soon but after the revelation he was just an amazing character and Chris is simple lovely. I fell in love with the story; I fell in love with Claire and the two gorgeous boys, Adam and Chris. If I'm honest, I'd fallen for Chris before his character spoke his first words in his first scene... maybe that is a sign!!!

On this beautiful book journey the reader makes a number of discoveries, the biggest and most intense being Claires..... it is these discoveries that drives the story forward and by the end of book 1, I was rooting for the characters. I've already finished book 2 (It is AMAZING!!!) and I'm straight onto book 3. Over all, this series is cute, sexy and sad and has a 4 star feel about it with lovable characters and an interesting story. I'm sure with the next book I will be awarding 4 gorgeous stars!!! xxxx




Just beautiful!!

BR with my lovely, Barb... xxx

[Elizabeth (Liz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted at: Swept Away By Romance



Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: HOT, 18+

Angst Level: Not OTT

Warnings: Possible love triangle? Book #1 of a (3-book) series. It does not end mid-scene, but you will be looking for book #2. Thankfully, the expected release for book #2 is May (2013).


4 Stars

Honestly, Relentless was a FANTASTIC SURPRISE for me!! I adore opening a new book, from a new-to-me author, settling in to read with very few expectations, and becoming completely absorbed by the storytelling!

Claire Nixon is twenty years old and hiding from life. She's run from college, from the family that raised her, and from the boyfriend that loved her and knew her best...who also just so happens to have skyrocketed to musical stardom in the past year. Twenty-two-year-old Adam Parker is, in his own way, running as far as possible from the life he resents, as well. The two meet at the coffee shop where Claire works and soon find themselves in a relationship. They're both determined to lock away some pretty big secrets, but sometimes those locks don't hold. Trying to make a relationship work is tough at the best of times. What happens when the best of times seem like a distant, or even non-existent, memory?

Relentless is driven by the characters, which is what I love most about it. Those characters provide all the depth and complexity the story needs. There is deeply-felt emotion within the pages of this story, most especially as it progresses toward the end. Though I cannot discuss detail, certain aspects of this story resonate a great deal with me, as I imagine it will with some others.

The characters themselves are, for lack of a better term, an interesting mess. Claire is, in many ways, a very young twenty-year-old. For someone who experienced such an ugly life as a child, she is very sheltered and quite innocent, which surprised me a bit. There *are* aspects of her personality, however, I found myself identifying with to a certain degree. I truly enjoyed her much more toward the very end of the story. I began to see a more mature individual emerge at times, glimpses of the adult she would become. What I did find frustrating is the fact that she so steadfastly refused to be honest about her past with Adam.

Adam, Adam. Adam is sexy, charming and fun, but he's been wallowing in deep-rooted guilt and anger stemming from a past tragedy, which occasionally made his character somewhat volatile. He is extremely kind, generous and patient with Claire, though. He becomes devoted to her very quickly. The chemistry between he and Claire is there, and it ignited almost immediately.

I must say, and you will understand why when you read Relentless, Chris won my heart! He is Claire's ex-boyfriend, newly-crowned rockstar, and he has a beautiful heart. I adore him, and I cannot wait to see more of him in the next book (HINT, HINT;)!!

The author, Cassia Leo, has a way with this story. I find her writing style, her 'voice', remarkably engaging. She makes it all too easy for me to get lost in what she creates. It is also a particular joy for me to be able to note that Relentless is, technically, so very well written! I don't recall any grammatical errors, and I cannot possibly bestow enough praise on this author (and editor) for this achievement. Truly. For me, when I read, I want nothing to come along and take me out of the story I've lost myself in. Lack of editing, bad editing, either one, can and does. This will oftentimes make or break a book for me.

The are only two items I would love to have seen done differently. Well, perhaps actually only one. I wish the story had been just a little longer. I think, if it had been, Claire and Adam would have been able to move in a more natural progression toward a relationship. Their coming together as quickly as they did, particularly the heartfelt declarations coming when they did, felt rather rushed.

In the end, I can only say that I enjoyed so many moments of this reading experience. Relentless is wonderfully appealing. It's sexy. It's inviting. It will hold your attention. It will grab your heart. I guarantee you will be eagerly anticipating the next book in this series!


**Copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review**

[* Meli Mel * · Rating 3 out of 5]

♥♥♥ 3.75 "Olive you" Stars ♥♥♥

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

“I guess we both had to lose something to find each other.”

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

Relentless is about a nineteen year old girl named Claire who is just trying to move forward, day by day. Her upbringing was not an ideal one, but she was happy. That is, until her mother died of a drug overdose. From then on, she has been moved from one foster home to another. She finally finds a woman that cares about her and a son, Chris, that shows her what love is for the first time. Chris aspires to be a rock star, so she breaks up with him so she doesn't hold him back. One year later, she meets Adam, a surfer guy who can't seem to stay away from her. Very soon they start to fall for each other, but Claire is hiding a big secret.



When I started the book, it really intrigued me. You get a glimpse at what her life was like as a child with her drug addicted mother. They loved each other. I actually liked how much her mother cared about Claire. It moves back to the present where she works at a cafe and meets Adam. From then on, I had trouble connecting with the characters. I felt like their relationship was moving too fast. Especially when they didn't see much of each other during the week, only weekends. But I decided to see if things got a bit better.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

With every choice you risk the life you could have had. With every decision you lose it.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

What I liked about Claire Nixon was that she was independent and she was a good friend. Considering what she had gone through, which was really heartbreaking, she was still had a bit of a cheery personality. I loved that she references Titanic (because I totally do too!). When she meets Adam, she calls him Jack Dawson because of his good looks and well, because she didn't know his name. I liked that she was still very much strong. What I didn't like about her, was her meditation, which she did way too much. It was what she used to cope (which is fine by me), but she was overdoing it, trying to bury all her emotions deep inside instead of letting them out and confronting them. I didn't think she would love again, and it took her awhile but I'm glad that she did. The only thing that bothered me a bit was that once she accepted what she felt and willingly wanted to be open with Adam, she still held back valuable information from him. I understand why, but I really wanted her to trust him.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

"I love you, Claire. I want to make you happier than you've ever been."

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

When I first met Adam Parker, I thought he seemed like a really nice guy. He was freaking persistent, let me tell ya. No matter how many times Claire insisted she didn't want to date, he kept pursuing her with the "I just want to be friends" line. Of course, he wanted more, but he was biding his time. I can't say that I loved Adam, but I did get to really like him in the end. Because there was a point in which I thought, Claire might be better off without him. He has quite the temper which totally freaked me out, and I kept thinking... 'how does this not scare her and get her running'. He could be a bit hot and cold at times because of it, which usually I don't mind, but I didn't really like with him. Maybe it was because I had trouble understanding him. In the end I really liked him, and his sweet words, funny lame jokes, and how he was there for her when she finally opened up. They really worked together and I enjoyed seeing them interact.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

"Claire I miss us. I still think about you every day."

"Don't do this."

"And you know what I think about? I think about how I can have any girl I want, except for you. How fucked up is that?..."

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

Then there was rock star Chris Knight. We got glimpses of him throughout the book through Clarie's flashbacks. I loved seeing how their relationship was like. I liked him instantly. He was super sweet and patient with Claire. He waited two years before they finally did the deed. They connected through music and that was a way for him to show her how he felt, through his lyrics. He shows up in the present time near the end during which the big secret is revealed. He still has feelings for Claire and remembers her constantly. He also wants her back and wants to make sure she stays. I don't know if the author did this on purpose, but if she did, she totally has me confused. Remember... I didn't "love" Adam, but I liked him. I also really liked Chris. NOW WHO THE HECK AM I SUPPOSE TO CHOOSE?? Don't worry, the story doesn't really involve a love triangle, per say... I'm just talking about me.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

“The relentless pull of love is a thousand times harder to fight than the tides. If you’re lucky, you’ll make it out before you drown. If you’re even luckier, you’re pulled under just long enough to wash away the sorrow. If you’re really lucky, like me, you resurface just in time to find the one you love floating right beside you.”

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

The ending left off on a happy note. So, I was glad about that. I'm kind of excited to read the next one now. It started really good. The middle was okay for me, and the ending picked up again and I was enjoying the drama. Like I said, there was no love triangle, but I feel like that might change in the next book. Afterall, Chris said he wasn't giving up. I still don't know if I'm Team Adam or Team Chris. But I think for right now, I'm actually kind of swaying towards Chris. Oh, the decisions! Let's see what happens. Overall, it was a great read.

[♥ Barb ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5... Is it going to be HIM or ME.... stars??








When i first read the blurb...and it was about a love triangle...i thought it was going to be like Thoughtless? Nope, it is nothing like it at all. I don't want to spoil anything so i'm going to make this as short as possible. This is the story about 20 yr old college student, Claire, 21 yr old musician, Chris, and 22 yr old surfer Adam.
Claire and Chris dated for 3 yrs, were soul-mates, she broke up with him to let him pursue his music and tour, he didn't want to leave. A year later, she meets Adam. They start dating, he is sweet and gorgeous but tells the most awful jokes. He's a sweetheart. We don't meet hottie Chris until almost the end of the book when he comes back and he discovers why Claire really broke up with him. This is HUGE...and heartbreaking. Now Claire is torn.....will she stay with Adam or go back to Chris?? To be continued in "Pieces of You"




Relentless love and heartache are mine
You've got me, got me
But I can't make this call just to find
You don't want me













“I guess that’s the way secrets are. They’re only heavy when you’re holding them. As soon as you let go, the significance of keeping those secrets hidden blows away and everything falls into place."















“The relentless pull of love is a thousand times harder to fight than the tides. If you’re lucky, you’ll make it out before you drown. If you’re even luckier, you’re pulled under just long enough to wash away the sorrow. If you’re really lucky, like me, you resurface just in time to find the one you love floating right beside you.”











If you ever leave me, baby,
Leave some morphine at my door
'Cause it would take a whole lot of medication
To realize what we used to have,
We don't have it anymore.

There's no religion that could save me
No matter how long my knees are on the floor
So keep in mind all the sacrifices I'm makin'
Will keep you by my side
And keep you from walking out the door.

Cause there'll be no sunlight
If I lose you, baby
There'll be no clear skies
If I lose you, baby
Just like the clouds
My eyes will do the same if you walk away
Everyday, it'll rain, rain, rain

I'll never be your mother's favorite
Your daddy can't even look me in the eye
Oooo if I was in their shoes, I'd be doin' the same thing
Sayin' there goes my little girl
Walkin' with that troublesome guy

But they're just afraid of something they can't understand
Oooo but little darlin' watch me change their minds
Yea for you I'll try I'll try I'll try I'll try
I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleeding
If that'll make you mine

Cause there'll be no sunlight
If I lose you, baby
There'll be no clear skies
If I lose you, baby
Just like the clouds
My eyes will do the same if you walk away
Everyday, it will rain, rain, rain

Oh don't just say, goodbye
Don't just say, goodbye
I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleeding
If that'll make it right

Cause there'll be no sunlight
If I lose you, baby
And there'll be no clear skies
If I lose you, baby
And just like the clouds
My eyes will do the same if you walk away
Everyday, it'll rain, rain, rain








**BR with the sweet Jxxx**

[D.G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out this review and others like it at Badass Book Reviews.

**3.5 stars**

In case you’ve never heard of this genre, New Adult is a recent fiction category about 20-somethings who are legally adults but who are still figuring out what it means to be a grown up. I had a disastrous start with the genre but I’m glad I decided to give Relentless a try.

Relentless is a story about learning to live with yourself after making difficult decisions. It’s about dealing with pain and finding the fortitude to move on. The romance is an integral part of the story but Claire’s decisions are at the root of the conflict. Her secret is eating her alive and she’s tormented with pain and guilt. Then she meets Adam, her neighbor, who underneath his cool guy vibe has his own painful secrets.

I liked many things about this book. It made me think. A LOT. Maybe because I’m not much for regrets – whenever I’ve had to make a difficult decision, I make sure I understand the consequences for each choice and pick the one I can live with – but while I was reading this, I felt pulled in two different directions. Although I understood Claire’s actions, I didn’t like the way she went about them.

Claire’s previous relationship was very important in her life and when the book starts, she’s still dealing with the fallout. Even though Chris (the ex-boyfriend) only shows up for a few scenes, he’s a palpable character and for some reason, he appealed to me a lot more than Adam. Maybe it was the way he treated Claire when they first met or the lyrics of his songs, but right away I started rooting for him.

But after I learned Claire’s secret, I stopped wanting them together because no matter what Claire says, she didn’t really love him. If you are deeply in love, you find a way to make it work (I can tell you this because I know.) Yes, they were very young and had some challenges but nothing that couldn’t be worked out if they had been willing to compromise. But I think Claire prefers to see herself as a self-sacrificing martyr who gave him up so he could follow his dream, instead of being honest with herself and acknowledging that what she did, she did for herself.

Relentless suffers from the “first book in series” syndrome and that’s its biggest weakness. Claire has a lot of baggage dealing with her dead mother, her unknown father, her time in foster care, her secret, dropping out of school plus the requisite love triangle. The latter is not as prominent in this book but I expect it will be in the sequel, although I don’t know how Chris could EVER trust her again. Claire was bombarded with a lot of these issues and by the end she didn’t really deal with any (and let me tell you, at least 2 of them are big enough to warrant therapy for several months.) I think the author did this to obscure the nature of the secret ��� I was in the ballpark but didn’t figured it out – but it seemed weird that Claire would learn such life altering revelations and didn’t even mention them again.

Regardless, Relentless is definitely worth the read, specially if you like stories that are not black and white. I’m sure fans of the New Adult genre will really enjoy it.

[~ Becs ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I want to make love to you,” he whispers as his lips brush my temple and leave a burning trail down the side of my face before he reaches my ear. “I want to leave you dazed and confused for a week with nothing but my name on your lips.”

I really enjoyed this one. I love an anguished, tortuous ride with our characters and Cassia Leo totally delivers. This is one of those stories that you know right from the very beginning that the characters have dark secrets in their past that have lasting effects over their actions today and they’re revealed very slowly throughout the book. I was guessing and I came close but I was still surprised by Claire’s big reveal and I absolutely love it when an author can still surprise me.

Claire and Adam are our main characters. Claire’s traumatic past has led her to where she is now – a college drop-out, working in a coffee-shop just trying to make ends meet. She’s constantly zoning out due to her flashbacks and has become addicted to meditation as a coping mechanism.

And along comes Adam to rescue her when she is sinking like The Titanic. He’s a wonderful hero and not without issues and dark secrets of his own. He’s gorgeous, caring, patient, loving and very understanding. He can see that Claire is hurting and understands that she needs time to open up to him and that’s exactly what he gives her.

But I wouldn’t give my heart to someone I didn’t trust. And you have my whole heart, Claire, so please be gentle with it.

Their bond grows stronger but it’s always slightly overshadowed by secrets not yet shared and I was constantly on edge waiting for that moment when the past would come roaring back to shatter their fragile happiness. Claire and Adam are going to have to dig deep, to learn to trust one another as Claire’s ex, Chris, comes back into her life and we’re left with, while not strictly a cliffhanger, still a very much unfinished story

It’s a beautiful love story, a story about learning to trust and love and be loved and, ultimately, learning to share the good and the bad times and come out the other end stronger.

“I love you, Adam, and only you. I love the way you smell. I love your voice.” I reach up and touch his face. “I love the way your scruff rubs me raw. I love your eyes. I love your lips.” He finally looks down as I press my finger against his lips. “I love waking up next to you. I love falling asleep in your bed. I love feeling you inside me. I love your stupid jokes. I love you more than I can ever fully express with words.”

I have no idea where the story will head next – there’s so many possibilities. Am I Team Adam or Team Chris? I should be Team Adam – I’ve definitely learned to love him and invested a lot of time in him but my heart hurts badly for Chris. I want them ALL to be happy – let’s hope Cassia Leo has something magical up her sleeve for Pieces Of You.

4 good and angsty stars

For more reviews, please visit Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews or visit us on Facebook.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review


"There are some things that, no matter how hard you try to convince yourself they're for the best, always seem to cut a chunk out of your heart. And you know that no matter how many wonderful people and beautiful adventures you welcome into your life, you'll never be whole again. You'll never be you again."

When Claire Nixon was seven years old, her drug addicted mother died from a drug over dose. Growing up, her mother prepared her to take care of herself and to be 'safe.' As Claire bounces from foster home to foster home, her mother's advice often came in handy to protect herself. At fifteen, Claire moves into a new foster home, where she finally feels comfortable and happy to actually call it her home. However, when Claire’s life dramatically changes her first year in college, the home she’s come to love, and the memories that come with it, become a thing of the past when she drops out and leaves everything behind and runs from Raleigh, NC.

Claire has a secret. A heartbreaking, doozy of a secret that left her with no choice but to run from her past so she could start over. Present day, Claire is working in a coffee shop in Wrightsville Beach, NC, where she rents an apartment with her best friend, Senia - one of three people who know her secret.

While working one day, Claire is suddenly thrown back into the past when a memory comes barreling to the surface. These flashbacks cause her to space out while in the midst of them. When she comes to, she realizes she has messed up a customer’s order. This customer then becomes irate and yells at Claire for screwing up his order.

That’s when Adam, Claire’s very own hero, who she nicknames Jack Dawson, rescues her from the irate customer. I think Claire has a thing for the movie Titanic. Anyway, Jack aka Adam, puts the douchebag customer in his place. Adam and Claire share a few words, an attraction is formed, and with a wink, Adam is gone... until he almost runs her over one night. But don't worry, Claire is safe, and she soon learns that Adam is her new upstairs neighbor.

From the moment Adam and Claire meet, he relentlessly pursues her. But, because Claire is very stand-offish and doesn’t let anyone in, Adam must figure out a way to get her to open up to him. He propositions her with a bet. This bet means Adam must find out why Claire dropped out of college. If he wins, she re-enrolls in school. If she wins, he must leave her alone. However, what started out as a simple bet between the two ends up becoming so much more.

"I want to leave you dazed and confused for a week with nothing but my name on your lips."

Adam won me over immediately with his sexy charm and snarky humor. I love how he playfully poked and prodded Claire to loosen the tight hold she has on her emotions. Claire eventually gives in to Adam and goes out with him. She finds herself unable to resist his easy charm and heartthrob smile.

But Adam is not perfect. He is harboring his own secret, one that has affected his relationship with his father and causes him to lose his temper and even become volatile at times. The guilt he carries around with him is eating him alive and he really wants to make amends with his past. Even though Adam may lose his temper when he gets angry, he would never do anything to hurt Claire. He’s extremely generous, caring, and patient with Claire. He adores Claire. Because of this affection he has for Claire, he eventually reveals his painful secret to her. This revelation brings them closer.

Claire, on the other hand, still has issues with revealing her own secret. I really did like Claire. She has a great personality. She's quirky and funny and cool. She has a strange obsession with water. And, one of the ways she copes with the bad memories from her past is by meditating. She meditates to help push the memories back inside her mind, so she doesn't have to think about them. The problem with this, though, is that she is not forcing herself to come to terms with her past. But Adam helps her see things about herself that she has denied for a long time. And, eventually, she does let her guard down just enough to reveal some things to him.

The chemistry between these two is extremely potent. I really love how these two verbally spar back and forth. It helped bring a lighter note to a dark story, where these two broken people struggle with forgiving themselves. And, over time, as they become inseparable, they fall in love. They form a solid relationship. But no matter how strong and solid these two are together, there is always the big secret Claire has yet to share with Adam that could essentially tear them apart.

Though I really do like Claire's character, I felt fairly frustrated with her. Adam deserved to know the truth. It was heartbreaking to see him be denied knowing all of Claire when he confessed his soul to her. But, my frustration and annoyance was just a blip on the radar compared to the sorrow I felt for Claire when the secret finally comes crashing down on her. Her whole life is turned upside down. It was shocking and intense. I felt for Adam. I really felt for Claire. But I also felt really bad for the other person connected to this secret. I seriously thought I had it all figured out. I was wrong.

There is an interesting twist to this story. I deliberately left out the third party involved in this story. This person is introduced in bits and pieces of Claire’s flashbacks. And, I'm sorry to say, this story abruptly ends with a lot of things left unresolved. But have no worries, the second book comes out in May.

Relentless is an engaging story about young romance, secrets, love, loss, forgiveness, consequences, past, and futures. What comes next is unpredictable. Claire has a tough decision ahead of her that could affect her relationship with Adam. I'm scared and nervous to see what happens next, but, at the same time, eager to read Pieces of You.

Rating: B
Heat: Warm


Find us on Twitter and Facebook too!

[Dee Montoya · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3.5 Team Adam Stars****

I loved the really cool music feature this book has where you can click on the name of the song in the scene and it takes you to YouTube to watch the video of it; this novel has a beautiful playlist...

I gotta say I wasn't a big fan of Claire she just had too many issues going on and I wish her personality was a bit stronger and more centered . This book has a love triangle but so far I'm team Adam all the way...

Claire is a broken girl who's trying to escape her secrets in a new place, and Adam is the new sexy neighbor who likes being her shinning knight, while keeping dark secrets of his own. Claire's ex boyfriend is super a famous rock star and they are forever connected by more than one bond, and he is determined to get her back...

Love triangles are not my favorites and this kids are all young and immature, but the writing style was great, the story kept me interested and the music was amazing, this series definitely has a lot of potential...

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

16/11 - Hmm...what to say about Relentless. I picked it up from the library because I recognised Leo's name, with good reason it seems as I have just realised that I got the Kindle edition of the omnibus from Amazon nearly two years ago. Well, I guess that's two books I don't need to add to my library hold list.

This is a series you pretty much have to read in order. I wouldn't say there's a cliff hanger at the end, but if you were to read the second book first there would be a lot of back story that you just wouldn't understand and with the shorter length of these 'full length novels' there's not enough room to go over everything again. You also can't read the plot summaries for any of the subsequent books as they have spoilers for this book (if not others, as well). I accidentally did that while fixing the catalogue record and now I know how the love triangle turns out - not how I imagined, I didn't really think there was a triangle in this book, I thought there was an ended relationship that was still causing pain, and a new one that was going to mend a broken heart.

I didn't love this as much as it seems most of the other readers did. I'm still fighting this new trend of first person romances, I just don't like hearing/reading I and me all the time, so that brought the rating down by at least a star. My other problem was with Adam's drug use, and Claire's tacit acceptance of it considering her history. I have trouble putting myself in other people's shoes, so I can only speak from my own experiences, but I couldn't become invested in someone who has anything to do with drugs (and I'm lucky, no one I know has died as a result of drug use/abuse). I will read at least the next two books in the series on my Kindle, when I get around to it.

[Natasha is a Book Junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You think I can’t see it? You think I can’t see that I’m sinking like a stone and no one, not even you, can rescue me?”

I love nothing more than a book that grips you from the very first page and holds your attention to the very last. This story was not what I expected it to be at all. It had me from the get-go and now I want MORE!

Claire is a young woman with more emotional baggage than any average twenty-year-old. She carries so many nightmares from her childhood that haunt her even when she’s awake, giving her brief episodes of total disassociation from reality that she has no control over. Her only coping mechanism against anxiety and emotional distress is meditation, something she does as often as possible, anywhere and everywhere. It numbs her mind, offering her an effective escape from reality and the scars from her past, as well as short-term relief. But her issues are never really dealt with properly, they are simply pushed away deeper into her mind, never knowing when they would suddenly resurface again.

“When I meditate, I become someone better. I’m not this person who’s made a million mistakes; the kind of mistakes that will haunt me for a lifetime. I’m not the person who should be lashed for all the awful, selfish decisions I’ve made over the last year… When I meditate, I’m the new Claire.”

Claire is starved for love. The loss of her mother’s love when she was very young left a void in her heart that she filled with her first love and her foster mother at the time, but now she is alone again and unknowingly starving for love. That is why she falls for Adam and accepts his love so readily and so quickly shortly after meeting him. She is predisposed to love, she loves easily and she loves unconditionally because that is the kind of love she craves the most.

Her relationship with Adam, her next-door neighbour, starts reluctantly, but light-heartedly. Adam pursues her stubbornly and persistently, their humorous banter lighting up entire scenes between them. While they are both damaged individuals with their own secrets and their own crosses to bear, the dynamic between them is equally fun as it is intense, loving and supportive. I love the idea of two broken people healing each other and in their case it works perfectly. With love comes trust, with trust comes sharing of each other’s demons, and with sharing their bond grows.

But secrets rarely stay hidden and when they come back, they come back with a bang. Everything changes and Claire finds herself having to choose between her past and her future.

“With every choice you risk the life you would have had. With every decision you lose it.”

An extremely emotional and well-paced story that unfolds slowly, peeling off its layers one by one, building the whole picture for the reader gradually rather than all at once. Very serious themes are brought into this picture and, as it stands, the story is full of holes, both in plot as well as character development, but since this in only the first book of the series, it is not unusual to be given only hints of what would be resolved much later.

Even with that in mind, I had some reservations about what behaviour is perceived as being “in love” but I am giving the story the full benefit of the doubt in light of its sequels. Some themes need to be threaded with carefully, never negligently and possibly with greater detail and clarification in order to avoid misunderstandings regarding what is intended to be a character’s trait and what is meant to be a flaw. There is a subtle theme of violence that we get quick glimpses of which made me uneasy at times but I have no objections about it as long as it gets developed properly in future instalments and its presence makes greater sense for the development of the characters and the overall storyline. There were a few scenes in the story that made me stop, shake my head and say, “This is NOT OK!!”, but I am hoping they were just an introduction to what is now brushed on but dealt with appropriately later on. For instance, a hot-cold personality must be addressed with care, the very nature of its volatility is a sensitive topic, and I hope it is in no way used as an example of what being in love really looks like. Themes such as bad temper, anger, predisposition to violent outbursts must be tackled sensitively and carefully, never recklessly or in an admiring fashion, no matter what the motivation behind them is meant to be. Perhaps giving a voice to other characters as well, not just our heroine, might make us understand those characters better.

We are left with an unfinished story but in a happy place. The next instalment is expected to be released in May 2013 and I cannot wait to see where the story will takes us. I have become engaged in the storyline and totally invested in the characters, having clear preferences in regards to how the story should end, but I await anxiously to see it unfold one way or another.

“I came here for you and believe me when I say that I won’t stop until I get you back.”

~ N ♥


See this review on my blog! | Follow me on Facebook!

[Jessica's Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read More Reviews | Find Me on Facebook


Wow! I LOVED Relentless by Cassia Leo. I seriously read it in like three hours because I couldn’t put down the book! I was rushing so fast to read it because I was dying to know Claire’s secret and let me just say this… this is a secret I did not see coming. Sometimes in books when characters are hiding something when it is finally revealed, you think, “Really, that’s it?” Well don’t worry because this time the secret is HUGE and I really did not see it coming!

Relentless is an emotional overload of a book with fantastic chemistry between all the characters and a sweet tale of TWO romances. I was not expecting the book to take such an emotional toll on me. I thought it would be a sweet romance, which it is but there is so much more depth to the novel then that. I was really blown away.




The story is told in present time with flash-backs of a younger Claire, who is a 20 year-old college drop-out. She was raised by her drug addict mother who dies when Claire is just 7. She is then bounced around from foster home to foster home and has built a giant wall up so no one can get close nor does she trust anyone, particularly men. When Claire is 15 she is put in her last foster home and meets Chris. Chris lives in the home and the two instantly form a bond after a rough start when they first met. Chris is a musician with facial piercings but quickly steals Claire’s heart and is her first best friend, her first boyfriend, her first love, and her first lover. They have a sweet romance for four year until Chris gets his chance to make it big in the music industry and Claire dumps Chris before he has a chance to break her heart.



Chris leaves for the road and his chance to make it big, Claire quits college and moves an hour away to start new without telling anyone but her best friend Siena where she is at. A year goes by since Chris left and Claire meets Adam and is a rather heroic way. Adam is the complete opposite of Chris. He graduated from Duke, is a blonde surfer, has a trust fund, but holds his own secrets. Adam instantly falls for Claire and finally Claire lets herself fall for Adam as well. Everything seems to be going wonderfully even though Claire and Adam are still keeping secrets from one another about their past. But then, Chris returns into Claire’s life and all of her secrets are revealed.



Oh it’s just SO good!! I honestly can’t tell you if I am on Team Adam or Team Chris’ side. I love Adam because you get to know him so much more then Chris in this book but there is something about Claire and Chris that you can’t deny and first loves have a deep impact on your heart. The book will leave you wanting more of their story and I am so glad the book Pieces of You will be out May 17, 2013 so you won’t have to wait long.

I can’t wait to find out what happens between the characters and who Claire will end up with at the end and what the secret will do to her relationship with both men.

This is a must read! Sexy romance with an emotional depth you don’t get from many books.



I give Relentless (Shattered Hearts #1) 4.5 Stars


Book provided by the author in return for an honest review.

[Dilushani Jayalath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally another really cute New Adult book I actually enjoyed. I've had the first adn third books with me for a long time without the second and was waiting for a long time to read and I finally managed to find it this time at the Bookfair here. Aren't I glad I did. If not I would have actually missed out such a gem.

The whole concept of I-got-knocked-up-by-you-and-for-that-reason-I-should-break-up-with-you is kinda getting old school. Though still that's my favorite theme. I've been seeing it too many times now. Also for some reason even without reading 0.5 I really like Chris. For some reason I couldn't exactly like Adam. Something didn't exactly click with him. I felt like Claire was trying to use Adam to actually move on from Chris rather than actually loving him. For a second I don't doubt that Adam's feelings are not real, but it's Claire I'm not sure. This book almost remind me of Lily, Ryle and Atlas from It Ends With Us. Not the premise but the love triangle. Chris loves Claire the same way Atlas did to Lily. Their love is sweet and nice adn patient and just like Ryle, Adam loves Claire but not the same strong feeling as Chris. Team Chris all the way for me.

So I'm pretty excited to see what's in store for Chris and Claire in the other two novels.

[Vikki ~ *squee* lite ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Wow. That was a whole bunch of messed up stuff. I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. I think the one character I really like is Chris.

Claire is one messed up chick. Her childhood and recent past have done a number on her. Her secret, well, usually they come out and I feel like the character is feeling guilty over something that isn't their fault, or isn't that bad. This time, no, I pretty much feel like she did something she should feel really bad about not the adoption, but not telling Chris

I liked Adam. He seemed to genuinely care about Claire. I have to wonder about how different he seems now then he did in the recent past the anger management issues etc. it seems like things like that wouldn't just go away and I think we saw some of that directed at Clair at the end .

I felt like their relationship got to serious to quickly. They were exchanging "I love you's" within two weeks. It was all very intense, very suddenly. This didn't seem natural, and makes me wonder if it can really last. . Especially in light of her relationship with Chris

I will definitely be looking for the next book to see where this will head.

. I'm not an adoption lawyer, but I'm fairly certain that the adoption can't be legal if Chris didn't agree. Also, I don't understand why Chris wasn't more angry with Claire. And I don't understand why they broke up to begin with. It seemed like Claire didn't really want to - and Chris didn't want to, so why did it happen? And I really don't get how Claire isn't
More torn between Chris and Adam. I mean it sounds like Chris was the perfect boyfriend and best friend for three years, and she has know Adam three weeks. I'm not saying she needs to choose Chris, but I'd think it would be a harder choice

[Aestas Book Blog]

Review requested by author.

[♥Sharon♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great story! I am really looking forward to reading the second book in this series! I am a bit anxious though. I know the road wont't be easy for Adam and Claire.

[Christina Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

April 30, 2013, Tuesday

I re-read this again this morning to relived the story of Adam, Claire and Chris!!! Same excitement that I felt while reading this. Felt loved, cry all along with Claire, feeling sorry for her for what she did but then again RIGHT NOW I'm so excited to read "Pieces of You". woot woot!

*****************************************************

From the moment I started reading this, I get totally hooked by it. Claire and Adam is two broken people who happens to meet at the right place and the right time.

Claire meditate every time she remembers Chris her ex-lover. Claire story fascinates me. I never thought she is so broken and the things happen in her past. Sadly the decision she made to drop college wasn't a brightest idea of all. Knowing she find her mother how she died broke my heart. And the thing happens to her when she was seventeen years old.

For Adam the guilt he carry in his life by one accident eats him alive. Knowing his father told him it was only an accident but still it cut him through all these years.

Knowing Chris Knight wants to be part of Claire back's in her life again makes me question my judgement. Chris wanting to be with her again and to wanting to adopt their own daughter back is very romantic for me. Chris motives is pretty clear to me, he wants Claire and their daughter back in his life and wanting to be have a family on his own.

That's leave to Adam. His very sweet, noble and understanding guy. What will happen to them if he goes to that 3 months trip to Hawaii with his dad? What will happen to their relationship? Is Claire willing to be with him?

For Claire, I truly understand her. Its really hard to decide who takes in. For Chris wanting her to back and their daughter in their life and for Adam its a fresh start. He helps Claire a lot and they both exposed themselves to their deepest secrets they have in their lives.

So the question now which of which Claire will choose? Is it Chris her first boyfriend and the father of their daughter Abigail and will do anything to win her back and be a family? Or is it Adam who will support and loved her whatever decision will she come up to?

I truly can't wait for your next book Cassia! Great job in Relentless!!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, lets get the important part out of the way... I'm team Chris.

Ok, so that makes no freaking sense because this book is about the relationship between Adam and Claire, but I'm sticking with it at this point.

This book surprised me. I thought for sure this was a story of a just Adam and Claire and the secrets they harbored and finding their way to love. While it had that, it turned into so much more with that ending. I'm very intrigued by where this is going and I'm guessing at some point, there is going to be a love triangle (and I'm just saying that I think this is the one time that I may actually be for the guy who doesn't win).

Claire is one hot mess. She has every reason to be (once the secret is exposed). Adam is the guy who helps her through that, but has problems/secrets of his own. I really struggled with Adam's character. At times, he was a really sweet guy and at others, he was just way crazy. He was kind of hard to support throughout parts of the book. I would like him for a bit and then I wouldn't like him at all. I'm interested to see what Chris is like.

Definitely going to be picking up the next one and see where this goes.

[Austlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

So is it just me or is everyone team Chris? What has Adam done that's so special? Yeah he's a nice guy, but he will eventually make mistakes too. So Chris made some, but he still loves her and is willing to prove it. I am so for Chris and I would be surprised if the author could change my feeling on this one.

[Kim Person · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that once I started I couldn't PUT IT DOWN!!! It was THAT AWESOME...Ladies, I started and I got.......



When the book opens Claire is at working at the coffee shop and there's a little incident with a "roided" out dude in a Tap Out shirt. Yes, this was quite humorous but what wasn't funny was the "flashback" that poor Claire had that gives us a small glimpse at what had happened when Claire was 7 years old. This will make you.......



Anyway, she's saved by her own personal "Jack Dawson" seems our girl really likes Titanic. When Claire returns home to the apartment she lives in with her BFF Senia we learn a little more about Claire's quirks such as her obsession with "water" yes drinking water. Personally, I think that's quite healthy and her fondness for meditating when things get "rough." Well I saw no problem with that either but well you will find out all the but's when you read this one.

Senia drags Claire to a local party, which she doesn't, want to be at. Claire had dropped out of UNC 10 months prior and has no desire to return and her reasoning for dropping out is a "secret" heck I started right then and there to try and figure it out :) Well, only three people know this secret.. Claire, Senia, and Joanie Tipton who both girls can not stand! How does a person they can't stand know the secret will that is also in the book :) Joanie shows up to the party and Claire is out of there! She insists Senia stay and she will walk home since it isn't that far away. Well as she's walking home she crosses into the street and all she notices are the on-coming headlights of a truck...I was..................................



but then I slapped my forehead going come on it can't end here that would be the shortest non-book in all history. Well, of course the truck comes to a stop and out hops OMG!!! Jack Dawson ~ well his name is Adam and oh boy ladies Adam will have you ...........



oh he is a hottie with a body! Turns out Adam is also Claire's new neighbor having rented the apartment above hers' & Senia's. Oh, he's dead set on going on a "date" with our girl and she is dead set on pushing him out the door. Well he makes a bet one that she thinks she will for sure if he guesses the reason why she left college she has to return. I sat there going.................................



Well time passes and these two get to know one another and you can see the bond forming. Adam has a past that he is slowly revealing and Claire well she's not revealing a damn thing. She continues to have flashbacks of her horrendous childhood and also her first love that she broke up with. Chris Knight she pushed him away so he would pursue his dreams and he has become a famous Rock Star.... WAIT ROCK STAR?? DID I JUST READ THAT? Oh put the Kindle down and let me............



Well folks does the past stay in the past? Haven't we learned that in other books that secrets can rip us apart not only internally but those secrets we hold from others can also rip them away from us? Well, I have to tell you this book was so damn emotional and I didn't want it to end. Let's take a little journey into Kim's world so I can show you what went through my little mind. Ladies this did happen...



but not as fast as you might think but at the time it was supposed to happen which made it all the more real. Oh yes I did this at parts..



Claire & Adam's relationship was pretty awesome and they really injected humor. Now when Claire turned 21 years of age and something happens I was doing this........................................



then to add insult to injury later on her birthday night when well let's just say I was..............................................



then when THIS Happened I was totally .............................



and immediately jumped into wanting to do this.....................



back to this when the secret was "out"............................



and then whole heck of a lot happens with a whole little of the book left leaving me going I so know there is going to be another book but right before the very end of this one I was sitting.................



then I got out of my reading chair, really need to take a pic for you gals, and started doing this........................................



O.M.G. I NEED THE NEXT BOOK LIKE NOW!!!!!!!!!!! In all seriousness, Relentless is an emotional story about secrets, endearing love and forgiveness and moving on but does this all happen? Well, maybe not as much as I wanted but it sure is leading to a heck of a follow-up book. How does one decision affect the lives of so many others? Was this decision the best for all involved? What happens when this secret is out? and what are the ultimate ramifications? Well read this one!

Cassia has written in my opinion a 5+++++++ read that had me laughing, crying, gasping, shaking my hips and smiling and then it all started right back again! I recommend you get out there and buy this one NOW! It's worth every cent and the follow-up will be released in May 2013!!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fan-freaking-tastic! Review to come! I need more!!!!


This is the first book I have read penned by Cassia Leo, and if it's any indication of what I can expect in her other books, then I have found a new author to stalk. This book pulled me in and it refused to be put down. I finished it in less than 24 hours.

Relentless is about a very damaged 20-year-old college drop out. Claire has had an extremely difficult life. She witnessed the aftermath of her mother's death when she was 7-years-old, staying with her deceased mother for more than a day, waiting for her to wake up. Between the ages of 7 and 16, Claire was passed around from foster home to foster home. At 16, she was taken in by a very loving lady who also had a son named Chris. Chris and Claire had an intense and deep four year romance that was ended by Claire when Chris' career took off. At the time, Claire was a student at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Something happens to Claire that makes her drop out of school and move far away from her life at UNC.

He squeezes my hand tighter. Between this and the look Jo gave me when she offered to take my shift, I'm beginning to understand that we all must be walking around with secrets that eat away at us, driving us to do foolish things in the name of keeping those secrets buried.

A year after leaving school, Claire works in a coffee shop. One day, Adam walks into her store and her life. Adam oozes sex appeal. He's tall and built from years of surfing. He has a chiseled face and messy, just-got-out-of-bed hair. And he just happens to be renting the apartment upstairs from Claire. Adam is the perfect hero for me. He's sweet and patient, charming and funny, yet relentless in his pursuit of Claire. He is also very flawed and has his own dark secrets, not to mention a temper. Who wants a squeaky clean hero? Not me. As Claire and Adam fell in love, I fell in love with this book.

"Yeah of course. I'll walk you to work and I'll check on her when I get back." "Walk me to work? I don't need you to do that. I walk to work every day. It's literally four hundred feet away from here.""I know, but I have to take this stalker gig seriously."

Claire is very secretive about her past, and reluctant to start a relationship with Adam. Adam makes a deal with Claire - if he can get her to divulge her secrets, then she has to promise to re-enroll in college. The relationship between Claire and Adam feels real and organic. There is some angst, but it's no over-the-top. Their relationship progresses as time goes by. There are many dates and sweet moments between these two, and scenes that shed light on both of their inner demons.

We learn that Claire's ex-boyfriend, Chris, is a rock star. He's all over the radio and MTV. We don't actually see a lot of Chris in this book, but Leo doesn't take the easy way out. Chris is not villified in the least, and actually becomes a sort of victim. As much as I adore Adam, I want to learn more about Chris. I like him at this point, and I can understand why he is suffering, even being a famous musician. I want more of him!!!

Yesenia, aka Senia, is Claire's best friend. They met in college and Senia is spending the summer with Claire. I love Senia. This is an example of a best friend that every girl should have. She is fiercely protective of Claire and is one of the only people who know all of Claire's secrets. She pushes Claire to do things that Claire wouldn't otherwise do, such as give Adam a chance, as well as provide solid advice. When Claire's arch enemy tried to hurt Claire, Senia was there to stick up for her. Senia also provides some lighter moments in this book that had me laughing.

"It doesn't matter. The guy is either in love or jonesin' for you hoo-hah. Just do me a favor and trust me when I say you need, need, need to let yourself experience this. Even if it's just a fling. He's the kind of guy who can help you put that other shit behind you."

This book doesn't end on a cliff hanger, and there's really no love triangle at this point. This book is Claire's book all the way - we see her deal with her past and what she feels are her sins. Claire has a lot of baggage to carry around, yet she hasn't become jaded. By the conclusion of this book, Claire believes that she cannot become a mess again, like she was after her experience with Claire. She realizes that her life has moved on, and is happy to fight back those demons she carries around. I love the growth we see in her and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series!

If you are a fan of New Adult books, or contemporary romance, please give this book a try. It is well-paced and the writing is excellent. The emotions that Claire feels seem so real - they jump off the page, and this can only be attributed to the talent of the author. With the New Adult genre exploding right now, it can sometimes be difficult to find a book that you really feel and that is realistic. I assure you that this book is a gem!

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

This guy is trouble. He purses me to the point that begging him to go to bed with him. Plus he’s admitted to having rage issues. This is wrong, wrong, wrong. So why does it feel so right.

I read Relentless without knowing the summary or reading the reviews. I just knew it was a new book with a pretty cover. I have to say, I have mixed feelings.

1% I was hit with a crazy beginning and was instantly drawn

2% through 89% I was happy, enjoying the dialogue and chemistry

90% I gasped, jaw dropped, I wanted to throw my tablet against the wall!!!

Yep, I won’t give anything away, but basically I started with a 5 star review and at that 90% mark and we all know what I am talking about, I just COULD.NOT. TAKE. IT …. I was just slapped and punched in the face, so I dropped to a 4 star rating.

My disagreement is a personal issue with me and anything involving that issue just makes me upset. I just want to stress it doesn’t relate to the writing style.

On to the review…

[Summary]

Claire works at a coffee shop and should be going to college, but she drops out (we don’t know why). Adam is the new tenant where Claire lives. He is very attracted to Claire and peruses her. Because of Claire’s past issues, involving, her mother, ex, financial and school problems, she doesn’t want to start anything with Adam. Adam is a charmer and although he has his own issues, he slowly breaks down Claire’s defenses.

The summary is pretty generic, but I would say the most interesting part of the story is learning about Claire and Adam’s secrets (and there’s plenty).

[Claire]

I.DO.NOT.LIKE.CLAIRE there I said it! I get that she is messed up, I get that she has issues and when she said she couldn’t tell Adam her secret, heck, I even understood that, BUT and there’s a HUGE BUT… she got under me, I felt like her actions were like nails scraping against my skin. Ug, needless to say, she is not my kind of Heroine.

[Adam]

Adam is okay, he’s beach-boy, very laid-back, chill and kind of generic. Yes, he has anger issues, yes he’s handsome and confident, but is it enough? I didn’t have any issues with Adam because he wasn’t annoying, in fact I wonder at times what he saw in Claire, but everyone likes a damaged girl right. There’s a lot of criticism towards Adam because he wasn’t I dunno…. “bad” enough? I get it, we readers like the bad-boys and Adam was missing the mark on that, but I am pretty sure Cassia Leo was painting the exact kind of picture she wanted us to see. I’m leaving it at that.

You’re perfect, he insists as he grabs my face and forces to look him in the eye. “Just the right amount of flaws.

[Overall]

Relentless (despite my rant) was a good read. There are a few more issues I had, like how short the story was, how quickly Adam and Claire formed a relationship and that unexpected twist! I get that Cassia Leo wanted to break the story out, hence the second book and maybe it worked out, because I am not sure I am ready for book 2. I still need time to recover.

There is no cliff-hanger ending, well I guess it depends on how you look at it. There is a cliff-hanger, meaning, there’s a HUGE OPENING for book 2, but you do get your HEA, it’s just kind of well bittersweet? I am not sure how to explain it.

Relentless is not for everyone, so I want to warn people, but I don’t want to give anything away. I just want to say, there’s more to the story than what you read.

For more reviews, visit http://jacquelinesreads.blogspot.com/

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It’s easy. Just move your jaw and your tongue a little and – voila! – out come the words. It’s like magic.”

Yeah not so easy after reading this book, I keep stalking the author thinking wait maybe the next book is out. But no such luck the good news it’s not a cliffhanger, cliffhanger, the bad news you will definitely want more!

This book starts with us meeting Claire who has dropped outta college for reasons unknown and we find out she is a foster care child who has bounced from homes however in her last home we meet Chris!! We find out they have a interesting relationship but there’s a secret (I know you gotta love a secret).

“There are some things that, no matter how hard you try to convince yourself they’re for the best, always seem to cut a chunk out of your heart. And you know no matter how many wonderful people and beautiful adventures you welcome into your life, you’ll never be you again.” (See did I tell ya secrets)

Flash forward alittle bit and we are at a coffee shop with Claire and we meet Adam! I love Adam and Claire together he is so funny and he brings that out in Claire. Adam is a pothead and I kinda loved it on him ”I wouldn’t miss the chance to see your sexy lips wrapped around my hookah.” Their chemistry can be felt immediately and it instantly makes you fall in love with them. But they both have a deep secret that neither wants to share. (Oh yes, Adam has a secret of his own.) I know you love it!!!

Can I just say at this point I am Team Adam!!!

“If this guy gets any sweeter I’m going to need a dentist. I can’t even be angry that he’s moving in on my turf because he seems to be doing a better job than me at keeping Cora company.”


Finally all is revealed and someone comes back into the picture hmmm I wonder who.…. Chris Knight who is now a freaking ROCKSTAR!! Now I am standing her saying am I Team Adam or Team Rockstar wait WTH I am Team Adam, right?

”Goodnight, Adam” You persistent, sexy little shit!

I loved this book I can’t wait for Book 2 and Book 3 and whatever else this author writes. This was a great read and it had the right amount of everything I love, Angst, Great Sex and characters I wanted to be my friends in real life. And my favorite part the playlist at the end and of course the song lyrics from Mr. Rockstar.

And like always I will leave you with this…

“I guess that’s the way secrets are. They’re only heavy when you’re holding them. As soon as you let go, the significance of keeping those secrets hidden blows away and everything falls into place. “

[VEL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire Nixon at 21 years has a secret that no-one can know about. She has had to drop out off UNC Chapel Hill, ten months ago, with the intention to disappear away from anyone she may know. To make this happen she has taken up a job the tiniest Beachcombers cafe, in Wrightsville Beach. Claire has seen tragedy at a young age, loosing her mother to drugs, having no family to care for her, being moved around from one foster home to another. Her only way to cope with all the memories, is her addiction to Meditation, which literally saved her from taking her own life, only 3 months ago.

Adam Parker, the hot surfing, sexy white knight, fell for her the instant he saw her. Little does Claire know that this white knight is actually her new neighbour! Adam relentlessly pursues Claire to get to know her physically and emotionally.

Although the characters are young, the story line feels more towards older characters, which i preferred. Just the opening scene had me hooked. Both characters are great with some great dialogues and the ending was perfect...But there are 2 more books to follow, so you know more is going to be happening, especially so with Chris being part of the love triangle!

Well I need to find out where the storyline in book 2 is going to lead to...I'm routing for Adam in not getting hurt here!!

[✨AimaraBooks✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in this book after reading the description and looking at the ratings, and I liked it, I couldn't put it down, I mean I read it in two days!!

I was happily surprised by the way the story unfolds, it never goes how you'd expect and that's something I love so much in books.
I really liked Claire and Adam, as characters and as our main couple, they were just great, the dialogue is one of the best I've seen in this type of books.

That opening scene got me hooked to read the entire book and the back stories of both main characters make you care and root for them despite their flaws like few books actually do.

I imagine what could be Claire's secret but I didn't want to think too much about it in case I was right, and I was, but that didn't make me less surprised when the secret was expose and how it was expose.
The way the author made my heart clench every time I thought things were ok, and one second later they were absolutely not, was another welcomed surprise.

In conclusion this book deserves the praise it's getting and of course more than one read, it was truly a breath of fresh air for me with this type of novels and I can't wait to read more about this characters even if I know my heart will suffer from all those turns, thank you Cassia Leo, you have a new fan.

[Jess (jessreads1985) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADAM PARKER,

[image error]

Source: beautyadvertiser.com via Teresa on Pinterest

That is right Adam Parker, you complete me!
Oh thanks heavens there is a sequel. Chris Knight seems like a sweet guy, and I liked his character, but dammit he cannot take Claire away from Adam! Sorry Chris, but Claire and Adam belong together.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished my ARC copy of Relentless all I can say is WOW Great Read!

I'm not going to go into the plot or giveaway anything but I'll just say:

I was hooked from page 1 and I did not put it down until I finished the whole thing.
I loved the characters and I felt every emotion Claire was going through.

"You're not going to poison me are you?"~ Claire
"I'm going to poison you with my charm"~Adam

Adam, Adam, Adam, what can I say about him other than I loved him! He has a great sense of humor, l loved his sympathy, understanding, his cockiness, patience and love.


I want to know and see more of Chris, he looks like a genuine guy and I'm sure he will stir things up even more in the sequel, speaking of sequels I need it SOON!!!

Claire I just hope things go her way.

Great read!

4.5 stars

Full Review can be seen at http://thesubclubbooks.com/?p=8129&am...

[.Lili.]

DNF @ 47%

Not sure what happened. It just didn't capture my interest. I wouldn't dissuade others from reading it, just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you. I encourage others to give it a try.

[Shyralf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars!

[Sarah's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

www.sarahsbookblog.com

Giveaway!!

"There are some things that, no matter how hard you try to convince yourself they're for the best, always seem to cut a chunk out of your heart.  And you know that no matter how many wonderful people and beautiful adventures you welcome into your life, you'll never be whole again.  You'll never be you again."

5 STARS!!



Get Relentless Amazon eBook Here!!



Claire Nixon is a 20 year-old college drop out with a HUGE secret.  She grew up with a very unconventional childhood.  Her mother was a drug user who has a past of her own leading her to be super protective of Claire.  She died when Claire was only seven and the sad part is she was in the house with her for two full days before anyone came.



I swear I will never be able to eat maple glazed donuts EVEN again...guess I should thank Cassia for that though considering I need to lay off the donuts anyways.  ;o)



Claire moved from Raleigh to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.  After dropping out of college 10 months ago, when her now rocker ex boyfriend leaves her to pursue his career. She has gotten herself an apartment in which she shares with her best friend Senia over the summer.



Adam Parker is the new tenant in Claire's small apartment complex.  He is also, super sexy....DUH!

Claire and Adam have an instant attraction to one another mainly from their awesome old lady landlord Cora.



This is why I love reading Cassia Leo's work.  She doesn't waste any time at all.  She doesn't beat around the bush and have the characters go back and forth and fight about this and that when it all means nothing in the end.  Everything that is written in her books has a meaning.



OK, lets talk more about our sexy Adam...He has sandy brown hair, sun kissed skin and green eyes, and reminds Claire of Leonardo DiCraprio from Titanic (which leads her to call him Jack at first....HEEEELLLLLOOOOOO SEXY SURFER!! Oh YES.....he drives a truck!!



"My gaze follows Jack as he slides into his truck, one of the newer models that looks like something conceived in the wet dreams of a redneck and a star wars geek"



One thing I really like about Claire is that she meditates. With the secret she is holding onto and her past growing up she uses it to get on with her life, it even saved her from taking her own life....YES her secret is that serious!!



"Meditation is the friend who intervenes when you're about to say or do something very stupid"



Adam is very persistent with pursuing Claire.  He doesn't believe in personal spaces, comes right out and asks her out and gets called things like "you persistent, sexy little slut" LOL



OMG...the jokes....LOL, they are so great....corny....but that seriously makes them that much more awesome!



Their first "date" and the macaroni....I swear it was like their own little Lady and the Tramp movie.



After Adam making a bet with Claire, one that includes her telling her that if he can get her to reveal her secret to him she will have to go back to school.  She thinks it would be an easy bet to win but she didn't expect to fall for someone so soon.



Ugh...Question Tennis!!! I love it, actually never heard of it before.  It's when you ask a question and the person has to answer back with a question that is relevant to the topic.  The first to not ask a question has to answer one honest question.



This book definitely has it H.O.T. moments....LOL....Adam has quite the dirty mouth, well actually so does Claire, I LOVE IT! Their first kiss was super cute...yea I said it...cute!



" I want to leave you dazed and confused for a week with nothing but my name on your lips"



I need to get Cassia to give my husband some lessons.  If Adam can do all the hot things at only 22, well than DAMN, my hubby needs to attend a Sex 101 class. (Sorry Brian, I love you)



As the story unfolds we learn that Adam has is own secrets, they both have gone through and seen some pretty crappy things.



"I guess we both had to lose something to find each other"



The flowers.....SWOON!



THE SECRET....WOW!!!  When the secret is finally revealed I honestly didn't expect that. I mean now that I know it I'm kicking myself for not figuring it out....GO CASSIA for finally giving me something I didn't guess.  The question is always....Once Adam knows her secret, will he still want to be with her?



The story is told in Claire's POV, no complaints though. I really love Cassia's work.  He full length books go by too quick though...they hook you right away.



I highly recommend this to anyone.  I swear you will become a big time Cassia Fan like me.



Relentless Goodreads Page

Cassia's Chase Series On Amazon

Cassia's Luke Series on Amazon





Here is my Casting!

a Rafflecopter giveaway