Kristie J’s review of Because of You (Not Yet, Book 4) by Laura Ward
Contemporary Romance published by Life Changing 23 May 18
Sometimes I find new books in the most roundabout ways. With this book, I noticed it in my update feed on GoodReads. I found the colours nice, so clicked on the book itself, It sounded interesting, so I gave it a try. Now I’m patting myself on the back for my genius/shallowness, since this book is good – really good.
There is a very strong link between the families of Aveline Gerard, the heroine, and Ricky Martinez, the hero. It’s a link that goes back many years and born out of tragedy. Ricky’s father saved Aveline from drowning when she was a young child, and, as a result, became a paraplegic, unable to even talk. This changed the course of Ricky’s life. Instead of attending college and playing football like his friends, once he graduates from high school, he works and goes to community college since he’s the main bread winner for his family. They live on the very edge of poverty and Ricky holds a lot of anger at the family of the young girl who, because of them, his world was destroyed due to of what he considers their negligence.
He is rocked when in one of his classes he puts two and two together and realizes the shy, awkward girl in his classes is the girl his father saved. He decides to befriend her in order to get some kind of nebulous revenge.
But he realizes that Aveline is a very sweet, caring young woman and not the snooty rich girl he thought at first. Things become complicated as his feelings for her grow deeper and deeper.
Both Ricky and Aveline are wonderful characters. It would be easy to dislike Ricky with his bitterness and schemes, but instead the reader feels for him in how his life has been upended. Everything he plans and does is born out of a deep love for his family and his own misguided attempt to help them. The more he comes to care for Aveline, the more he has misgivings about his plan. And there is important information that he doesn’t know, that Aveline doesn’t tell him that would change everything.
And Aveline is such a great heroine. After her near death, her parents keep her wrapped in cotton in order to protect her, and by doing so they’ve isolated her to the point her normal growth and maturity is stunted. She’s been home-schooled and never been allowed to really live. With Ricky as her catalyst, she is finally beginning to spread her wings.
While not the typical Big Misunderstanding, both Ricky and Aveline are keeping something important from the other, but their reasoning for doing so makes sense.
This is the fourth book in the series but worked quite well as a stand-alone. Since reading this book I’ve gone back and got the previous books, not because I’m missing anything but because I love this author’s voice and want to read more of it.
Grade: B+
Summary:
All Ricky Martinez knows of life is loss, loyalty, and family.
When his father became a quadriplegic after breaking his neck saving a drowning girl, Ricky gave up his dreams of playing football at a big college to stay home and take care of his family. His new dream? Find the girl who caused his father’s injury and get justice.
Because of her, his family lost everything.
All Aveline Gerard knows of life is a quiet, protective love.
Home-schooled ever since her accident eighteen years ago, Aveline’s parents, both deaf, have kept her safe the only way they know how—sheltered and alone. Aveline’s deepest desire? To experience life in all its loud and messy glory, and the tattooed guy in her first college class is all of those things.
Because of him, her life is finally beginning.
But fate has a wicked sense of justice and when Ricky realizes the sweet, shy girl in his class is the one who wrecked his family, will he be able to walk away? Or will the bitter rage inside cause him to make the biggest mistake of his life?
Because of them, the pain of two families will finally collide.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
