The Thrill of It by Lauren Blakely

I have read a few of Lauren Blakely's books, and have loved them all so far. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of her latest work "The Thrill of It", in the email I received it said to keep an open mind because this book was different from the other books that she has written. Boy, oh boy was that right! This book is so intense from the very beginning! I must admit I was a little confused as to what Harley's problem was, but as I continued to read I figured it out. It is a very intense, drama filled book, unlike anything that Lauren has written before, but I could not get enough of it!

This book tells the story of Harley and Trey, both have had a troubled past and are trying to move on from it, while trying to fight their demons they find one another and in each other find what they are looking for. Neither of them are proud of their past, or proud of the person that they have become but together they begin to try and battle those demons from the past that won't let them fully recover. Harley and Trey are plagued by shame, fears and insecurities. No matter how hard they try to leave the past behind them, it seems to find a way to pop up into their present lives and become a burden once again. This story is told from both points of views, which I believe is necessary to fully understand both of these characters troubled past. We see each character struggle with their inner demons and fighting through their fears. But we also see how supportive and caring they are towards one another, how they see each other as being strong and capable of changing and improving even if they don't feel that way about themselves.

Throughout this story I could feel the characters emotions, the connection that they formed with one another. Harley opens up to Trey and shows him the real Harley, one that almost no one has seen. Trey sees how open Harley is to him, and he wants to do the same, but can't seem to talk to her about the one topic that has brought him the most pain. Throughout the book we see them try to overcome their past. Get rid of those demons from their lives and start over once again. Many secrets are uncovered throughout the book, secrets that tear relationships apart but also create stronger ones.

This is not only a story about two people falling in love, but also about two people who face their past and come to terms with their present, having hope for a better future with one another.

This book is a lot darker and intense than your typical Lauren Blakely book, it was filled with emotion and angst. The struggles that Harley and Trey went through to try to be better people was felt in this book. I found myself rooting for their happiness, hoping that somehow they would free themselves from the past that was holding them hostage. At times I would want to scream at them for the choices that they made, but ultimately these choices led them to finally finding the strength in themselves to break free. At times I wanted to be pissed off at the characters, to hate them, but then they would find a way to redeem themselves to me. I still kind of hate some of the characters but then again, they were written to be disliked. Overall I highly enjoyed this new side of Lauren Blakely, and I cannot wait for the next book. I want more of Harley and Trey's story!!