Title: Sebring by Kristen Ashley

Title: Sebring
By: Kristen Ashley
Series: Unfinished Hero #5
My Copy: Amazon.com
The BookWhisperer's Rating: 

Nick Sebring has issues. Born feeling like an outsider in his own family, growing up under the shadow of a brother who could do anything, Nick isn’t that great of a guy. But when this culminates with Nick lashing out to hurt his brother through the woman he loves, Nick turns inward and makes some decisions about the man he intends to be.

And as he does this, he falls in love and truly learns the man that he’s grown to be.

When his love is murdered right before Nick’s eyes, Nick knows he has to avenge her. He knows how he’s going to avenge her. And he has no qualms using Olivia Shade to exact that vengeance.

Olivia Shade has grown up on the outside of her family too. Her problem is that they don’t want her outside. They want her all the way in, right under their thumbs. She pays the price for seeking escape and learns her lesson—she’ll never see a dawn where she wakes up free.

Then she meets Nick Sebring, and even as she fights it, the hope that died years ago starts to blossom. She can find love. She can have a man of her own. She can be happy. She can be free.

Olivia hopes while Nick schemes.

However, as Nick peels back the layers of all that is Olivia Shade, he finds something surprising. He understands its fragility. He falls in love with its beauty. He seeks to protect it.

But he forgets to protect his Livvie from one thing: Nick Sebring.

I can definitely say that I closed this book (aka my Kindle app) feeling so many feels, all of them good, and one of them sad. 

Nick Sebring was one character that I thought I could never like solely based on all the crap that he put his handsome, wonderful brother, Knight, through.  I knew if anyone could make me love a character, KA could and the woman did!  That first bit of the story, telling of Nick’s love Hettie and how he loses her made me realize that I needed to let my heart give him a chance and as the story progressed and we learned of his ways to make the Shades pay, I still loved him.  And this is for so many reasons, yes, he set it up so that he would use Olivia to get to her family but while doing so, and reading their interactions together, it all becomes so much more.  Both characters, for that matter, become so much more than what they originally started out as.  Each has horror stories in their pasts but once united it is as if their lives have finally started.  The beauty that is exposed by these characters when they are together is blinding.  It seems as only Nick could ever make Olivia shine so bright and only Olivia could ever make Nick so loving.  Pure beauty. 

But enough about their love, let’s talk about the absolute crazy-town, crime-filled drama that happened.  I couldn’t imagine living the life that Olivia Shade had (good thing that she is just a character in a book.)  With a horrible father who would do anything to keep her in her place and that place being a life of crime that she doesn’t want to be a part of.  Nick, watching the woman he loves die in front of him and now on a mission to rid the world of the Shades but falls in love with Olivia, it just is crazy-filled and I loved every minute of it. 

Okay, now I am going to get deeper into a spoiler so turn away if you haven’t read it.

My favorite part of this whole book was their love for each other, especially at the end when it all hits the fan and they separate but Nick leaves to set a plan to get them together once and for all.  When Knight breaks into Olivia’s house one night and shows her the video of her dream home and she doesn’t even waste a second packing so that she could be by his side….*sighs* that is pure love.  He made it safe for her again and she let him love again.

So that sad moment I spoke of earlier, it is because this wonderful series has ended.  I think the only thing that is consoling me is all the other books Kristen Ashley can write and I can read.  If she can just keep them coming then I would be a happy reader.