The
Beautiful Series are standalone romances, each with their own HEA.
They can be read in order or on their own.
New
Adult romance, for 18+ only due to sexual content and adult themes
It's
never easy to go back. That's something chef, Bradley Rae is sweating
bullets about as the date of his kayaking team’s reunion draws
near. When his old school friend and teammate, Elliot Roberts,
convinces him to go, he thinks he'll be fine going back there. After
all, chances are, she won't be there at all. It’s been almost ten
years. Maybe she she’s moved away. Maybe he won’t see her at
all...
Dakota
Morgan is a girl with many regrets, and Bradley Rae is on top of that
list. You see, she did something - she didn't wait five minutes, and
that tiny amount of impatience changed the course of her life
forever.
When
her father sets up a fundraising reunion for their family owned
kayaking club, her heart beats out of control when she sees Brad's
name on that list. Part of her wants to refuse to go so she doesn't
have to face him. But a larger part of her needs to see him, even if
it's just a window into what might have been...
When
Brad and Dakota meet again, will sparks fly, or will the past remain
firmly in the past? And what about secrets? Can they survive the
reality of what that one split decision, made all those years ago,
has done? Or will they let it all go again?
Dakota
Morgan is both head-strong and naïve as a
thirteen year old girl. She has a crush on Brad Rae, an older boy
who's enrolled in the Summer kayaking programme
run by her parents. She knows he's interested in her too, but left
feeling humiliated when he confronts her for being three years
younger than himself. Over time, her love for Brad only get stronger
and just when they reach a point they can finally act on their mutual
attraction, everything they hoped and dreamed for is destroyed.
Thanks
to his Aunt Sara, Brad's future prospects don't look quite as
hopeless as they could have been. He may have dropped out of school,
but he's working in a restaurant to train as a chef. He works during
the evenings, so spends his days hanging out with other kids on the
Summer programme he's attending. Brad
can't believe that the girl that has caught his eye is three years
younger than himself. Even worse when he's asked by her father to
keep an eye on her so other hormonal teenagers in the group don't hit
on her. He wants to move on, but the feelings for Dakota just wont
go away, so he settles with a friendship. Just when there
relationship is moving forward, and incident beyond his control
changes everything.
This is
such a heartwarming story and was immediately drawn to the
protagonists and into the plot where we hope that love conquers all.
You will root for Brad and Dakota to find a way back to each other
and, will them to overcome both the physical and mental pain stemming
from that fateful night seven years ago. Whilst it is easy to
understand the anguish and resulting
consequences Dakota has faced and is now living with. We are
reminded that Brad also has to come to terms with what happened in
order to move on. The author has done a wonderful job of dealing
with a sensitive incident in a compassionate way, translated via the
actions of the main characters. Dakota is living each day the best
she can, but is suffocated by her
overprotective parents. Brad is protective, caring and compassionate
way beyond his young age. He's willing to do whatever it takes to
finally be with the woman he loves.
I'm
familiar with and like the author's writing style but unfamiliar with The
Beautiful Series. I read “A Beautiful Taste” as standalone
novel, but plan to catch-up with the rest of the series as soon as I
can.
4½
Stars
***arc
generously received from the author in exchange for an honest
review***
Dakota
“Cody?”
I turn to the sound of a male voice, and when I turn, it takes me a
moment to recognise him.
“Elliot?”
I confirm, as I take in his cropped hair, his broad shoulders, and
his massive height. I’m smiling because while I know it’s him –
he still has those iridescent blue eyes - but, I can hardly believe
it at the same time. He’s about twice the size I remember him,
although it’s all muscle. He looks amazing.
He
smiles and gives me a friendly hug. “It’s been a long time. This
is my wife, Paige.”
The
obviously pregnant woman at his side gives me a beautiful smile and
holds her hand out to shake mine. She’s a little taller than I am
at five foot, eight, and she has beautiful brown curly hair and
interesting amber coloured eyes which gives her an otherworldly
quality. They’re a stunning couple and I feel as though I’m
staring, but I can’t stop.
“It’s
lovely to meet you. Elliot’s been telling me all about his time
here. Sounds like you all had a lot of fun,” Paige says when she
withdraws her hand from mine.
“We
did,” I confirm then have a brief conversation with them to catch
up on the last seven years of Elliot’s life. “Sounds like you’ve
been really busy. Have you kept in contact with anyone else from your
squad?” I try to slip the question in there naturally.
He
smiles knowingly. “I still talk to Brad. He should be here soon. He
just had a few things to do at work before he could come.”
“Oh,
I didn’t mean…” He pats me on the shoulder.
“He
wants to see you too.”
The
blush creeps up my cheeks before I can stop it.
“Elliot!”
Paige reprimands. “You’ve gone and embarrassed the girl.”
I
shake my head. “It’s fine, really. And he’s right. I am asking
about Brad. I don’t know how much you know, but it’s been a long
time and things didn’t exactly end well. I’ve been worried he
might still be angry and wouldn’t want to speak to me.”
“It
was a long time ago,” Elliot says, kindly. Then another male voice
speaks up from behind me.
“It
feels like yesterday being back here though.”
I
freeze at the sound of his voice and stay that way as he greets
Elliot and Paige before turning to me. He smiles. I can’t breathe.
He still looks the same but the lip and brow rings are both gone.
There’s a small scar in his right eyebrow where the ring was torn
out.
That
scar is my fault I think, as my eyes graze over it, noticing all
of the tattoos covering his forearms. One side is new. He didn’t
have both sides done before. The realisation of missing out on so
much of his life hits me in the chest and twists like a knife. I wish
things were different, I really do…
“Dakota,”
he says, and my name rolls off his lips like a fine piece of music. I
long for him to call me Cody like he did back then.
“It’s
so good to see you. How have you been?” I ask breathlessly. My
heart beats in my ears, and I feel incredibly warm and a little
shaky.
He
drops his gaze to the floor for a moment and slides his hands into
his pockets. “I don’t want to do small talk with you, Dakota.”
I’m
a little taken aback. “You don’t?”
He
shakes his head. “No. Will you walk with me?”
I have
to force myself to swallow as a fear grips my heart. If I tell him
now, he’ll go away forever. I just got him back. I want to keep him
for a moment…just a moment. Then I’ll let him go.
“But…but
there’s dinner… and… and…”
He
holds out his hand. “I don’t want to wait any longer than I
already have.”
Apprehensively,
I slide my hand in his, knowing that mine will feel warm and clammy
to him. How is he acting so calm?
As his
hand closes around mine, I close my eyes, taking a brief moment to
acknowledge that it feels like home. It feels right. It feels the
same.
He
escorts me out to the balcony then down the stairs that lead to the
pontoon. He releases my hand at the bottom and slips his hands back
in his pockets again. Before I was feeling warm–now I’m suddenly
cold.
“I
guess you brought me out here for some sort of an explanation,” I
state, as we walk along in silence for a few moments.
“Well,
it is the great mystery of my life. It’s supposed to be the guy who
ditches and runs, not the girl.”
It’s
his attempt at a joke, but neither one of us laughs. I think we’re
both caught in the same memory. The last time we were together before
he asked me to wait for him and I didn’t…
“Are
you OK?” he asked, lying beside me, as he held a warm compress
between my thighs.
I
nodded and lightly ran my hand down the side of his face, my finger
touching the ring in his brow and ending at the ring in his lip. He
was so beautiful. He was everything I had wanted or even hoped for.
He turned slightly and kissed my fingertips.
“I’m
perfect,” I whispered.
He
smiled, leaning down to lightly kiss my lips. “Yes. You are.”
“I
love you,” I told him.
“I
love you,” he whispered in return, taking my mouth in his…
“I
don’t know what to tell you,” I say, trying to blink away the
tears that sting my eyes when I remember what we lost.
“How
about you just tell me what happened?”
I take
a deep breath, thinking back to that day, and wanting to tell
him–even if I just tell him that I didn’t leave him. I was forced
away…
I look
at him, my mouth opens to speak but all I manage is “I…I…”
“You
what?” he presses, and I clamp my mouth shut before shaking my
head.
“Cody,”
Stacey interrupts, holding out my phone. “It's Riley. He's saying
he needs you to go home.” I wince because Brad doesn't know about
Riley. She glances over at Brad. “Oh, uh…hi, Brad, I didn't know
you were here.”
He
looks from me to her, and there's a ticking in the side of his jaw.
“Actually, I was just
leaving.”
Australian
born and bred, Lilliana Anderson has always loved to read and write
considering it the best form of escapism that the world has to offer.
Besides writing Angelien's biographical trilogy, she also writes
contemporary romance and drama all based around Aussie characters.
When
she isn't writing she is a wife, and a mother to four children. She
has worked in a variety of industries and studied humanities before
transferring to commerce/law at university.
She
currently lives a fairly quiet life in suburban Melbourne.
