The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller
By: L.B. Simmons
Releasing April 25th, 2014
Blurb
****NA Contemporary
Romance******
Death.
For some, it’s simply one of life’s certainties, nothing more. For others, it’s merely a fleeting thought, one often overshadowed by the reckless delusion that they have been blessed with the gift of immortality.
For Aubrey Miller, death is the definition of her very existence. Overcome with the guilt resulting from the loss of her beloved family, she alters her appearance from the once beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl to that of one shrouded in complete darkness, enveloping herself in her own unbreakable fortress of solitude as a form of protection for others.
As she enters her first year of college, her goal is simple: Earn a degree with the least amount of social interaction as possible. What she never anticipates is the formation of very unlikely relationships with two people who will change her life in ways she never believed possible: Quinn Matthews, the boisterous former pageant queen, and Kaeleb McMadden, a childhood friend from her past who never really let her go.
Over the years, as their connections intertwine and grow, a seemingly indestructible bond is formed between the three…
But when death painfully reemerges, Aubrey is lost once again, burying herself deeper than ever before inside the familiar fortification of her fears.
Will the refuge of friendship, the solidarity of life-long bonds, and the power of unconditional love be enough to do the impossible?
Will they be enough to finally bring about…
The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller?
Death.
For some, it’s simply one of life’s certainties, nothing more. For others, it’s merely a fleeting thought, one often overshadowed by the reckless delusion that they have been blessed with the gift of immortality.
For Aubrey Miller, death is the definition of her very existence. Overcome with the guilt resulting from the loss of her beloved family, she alters her appearance from the once beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl to that of one shrouded in complete darkness, enveloping herself in her own unbreakable fortress of solitude as a form of protection for others.
As she enters her first year of college, her goal is simple: Earn a degree with the least amount of social interaction as possible. What she never anticipates is the formation of very unlikely relationships with two people who will change her life in ways she never believed possible: Quinn Matthews, the boisterous former pageant queen, and Kaeleb McMadden, a childhood friend from her past who never really let her go.
Over the years, as their connections intertwine and grow, a seemingly indestructible bond is formed between the three…
But when death painfully reemerges, Aubrey is lost once again, burying herself deeper than ever before inside the familiar fortification of her fears.
Will the refuge of friendship, the solidarity of life-long bonds, and the power of unconditional love be enough to do the impossible?
Will they be enough to finally bring about…
The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller?
Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2014/02/now-booking-release-blast-for.html
Goodreads Links http://goo.gl/edu478
Excerpt
The memory escapes slowly from its confinement, almost
cautiously, before finally freeing itself, rushing my mind so quickly I
physically wince in response. The pain it will yield is inevitable and I’m
defenseless against it as it begins to replay in my mind:
“I don’t
want to go, Kaeleb. I’m scared.” I wipe the endless streams of tears from my
cheeks as I search desperately for the relief of comfort from his glistening
eyes. But there’s nothing that can help me now. Cold darkness threatens to
swallow me as I’m pulled under and barely breathing. I’m dying. Just like my
family.
“Bree,” he
responds, quickly removing the salty trails of sorrow from his own face. “You
have to go. You – ”
“I know. I
have no one here.” I sigh. “They’re all…gone.”
Kaeleb
nods ever so slightly before pulling me into his arms. Only eight years old,
same age as me, yet his hold feels so strong, so secure. I know he doesn’t want
to let me go, and as the pretty lady with the rose perfume comes to break us
apart, the need for us to grasp onto each other becomes more frantic. She calls
for help and as they pry us apart, the tears continue to roll down our cheeks
with the knowledge that this will be our last moment together. We hold as tightly as we can, but are
eventually broken apart, our fingers the last to let go as we reach for each
other.
“I love
you, Kaeleb,” I whisper to myself as they gently guide me into the back seat of
an unknown car. Before they close me in I scream as loudly as I can. “You’re my
best friend!”
His eyes
meet mine as they shut the door between us. With purpose, he stalks to the car
and just as they start the engine, he places his palm flat on the window with
his fingers spread as far as they will go. Slamming my hand against the cool
glass, I mirror his gesture, knowing this will be the last time I will ever be
in the presence of my friend. My best friend.
As we
drive away, I watch out the back window as he runs down the street as long as
his weary legs can carry him. They
eventually buckle underneath him and his knees hit the ground, unable to keep
up any longer.
Throwing
my hand against the back window, the car turns the corner and I lose sight of
him. Not until he’s gone do I allow myself to surrender to the darkness. I no
longer fight for the need to breathe as I let go. Stepping out of myself, I watch the pretty,
blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl slowly dying as she sinks, spiraling lower
and lower, until finally disappearing into the bottomless pit that consumes
her.
“Hell-ooooo!” Quinn’s voice filters slowly through the searing
pain of my memory, bringing me back into the present where I’m still standing
on my bed and the damn poster is still swinging from side-to-side behind
me. But now, instead of the sound barely
registering, it’s grating against my eardrums like nails on a chalkboard.
Review
5++++ Stars
Some of my favorite quotes.....
As though reading my mind, Kaleb offers, "You've always been my Sunshine. Ever since we were kids." He tightens his gaze. "I know you're still in there, Bree. And I will find you." ~ Kaleb
Reaching up, I press my bangs away from where they shadow my eyes, surprised at the life that emanates from them. Life that I never thought I would find the courage to allow myself to experience.
Yet here I am. ~ Aubrey
"As long as you continue to travel through life in this darkness, you will never know how beautiful your light truly shines when you let yourself love and be loved. Trust me when I say, it's a breathtaking sight to see. You burn as bright as the sun."
What an amazing, heart-tugging book to read. I freakin' loved it! Many different emotions/feelings coursed through me as I turned the pages. Add this book to your to be reads.
Aubrey aka Raven, Bree, is a young woman trying to hide behind dark hair color, piercings, an assortment of contact lenses, etc. and remaining closed off from life. You see, she has had to deal with the death of her family and feels that she caused each one. Guilt can be a very hard, punishing emotion to overcome. Thank goodness for Linda, her guardian and mother figure. I absolutely adored the love she poured out to Aubrey through the years since she was left all alone. And Aubrey loves her right back.
This story takes us through the four years of Aubrey's college life and introduces us to some key people that help Aubrey peel away the layers she's been hiding under. You'll meet Kaleb, I cannot say enough about this amazing and charming young man. You'll just have to meet him yourself and form your own opinion. And let's not forget Quinn, Aubrey's college roommate who's a little bit shocking to take in at the beginning. But I think you'll fall in love with her, too. She's dealing with some of her own emotional baggage.
Just when the dark, gray clouds start to move away and let some sun shine through, the clouds reappear. I felt every struggle, loss, painful and happy moments, as well as Aubrey reliving the tragic events that were in her past. How this young woman survived and continued to move on, I haven't a clue.
L.B. Simmons has penned a book that I am adding to my category of "Top 10 Books of 2014". I highly suggest that you check this book out. I'll admit that by just reading the title, I wasn't sure if this would be a book for me. Wasn't I pleasantly surprised as I started to get absorbed into it just how much I loved it!
This is a book about healing, reconnecting, forming bonds and surviving through the worst that life can throw at you and still be able to stand up and smile. I can only imagine what it must have felt like to write this book and how difficult at times it must have been. This is a solid, well-written story. If I could, I would give this more than 5 stars.
Reviewed by Jessie
Author Info
L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science. She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.
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