Title: Changing Forever (Rain 2, can be read as a stand alone)
Author: Lisa De Jong
Age Group: NA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer: Mae I Design
Blurb:
I’ve always let my past dictate my future, letting it paint a picture of exactly what I don’t want to be. Where I don’t want to end up.
Drake Chambers is as arrogant as I am stubborn. A college quarterback, a national star. I thought he was just another one of those guys … the type every girl should stay away from, but he’s carrying more than the weight of the football team on his shoulders.
He unravels the feelings and beliefs I’ve held onto for so long.
I thought we had it all figured out. Two people who’d finally found their happily ever after, but the past always has a way of sneaking into the present.
With one decision, everything changes … forever.
EXCERPT
“Are you sure this isn’t your way of trying to see me without
my shirt again?” I tease. This is how I’ve gotten through the last nine years.
There’s nothing I take too seriously outside of family and football.
Her mouth hangs open as
she looks from side to side then finds me again. “If all I wanted to do is look
at a guy without a shirt, I’d stay home and browse Pinterest. At least the guys
on there can’t talk back.” She pauses, a more serious look appearing on her
face. “I just assumed you didn’t have a partner since you’re just standing here.”
“Well, you assumed
right this time, but don’t make a habit of it. Most people are wrong about me.”
“Do you have a name?”
she asks, tucking more hair behind her ear.
She’s not throwing herself at me or
pretending she has a low IQ just so I take pity on her. She actually doesn’t
have a fucking clue who I am.
“Drake. Drake
Chambers.”
Her eyebrows pull in as
if she’s thinking really hard. It’s actually kind of cute. “That name sounds
familiar.”
“Maybe it’s because
Gavin called me Chambers after you ran into me Saturday.”
She winces. “No, that’s
not it.”
“You’ll figure it out eventually.”
She nods, her lips
pulling up at the corners. “It’s nothing Google can’t fix.”
This girl is quick, and
I kind of like sparring with her. It might be the highlight of my fucking day.
“Well, should we get
started?” she asks as she wraps her arms tightly around her notebook. Her
expression is hard to read. It’s like we’re in the middle of a poker game or
business deal.
“It sounds like I don’t
have much of a choice.” I let her lead the way, watching the way her shorts
mold to her body as she walks. Her body curves in all the right places, and
she’s toned where it counts. Not bad. Not bad at all.
We grab two seats near
the front of the room, neither of us speaking at first. She’s reading her syllabus,
or should I say, pretending to read it. I catch her eyes lifting from the paper
a few times, watching me in the same way she watched me the other day. If she
thinks she’s being sneaky, she’s wrong.
“You never told me your
name,” I say, resting my arm across the top of my chair.
“I usually don’t share
with strangers.”
Sitting up, I lean in
close to her. “I think we’re moving past being strangers. What’s your name?”
She shifts
uncomfortably in her seat, glancing up at the clock that hangs above the door. It’s
good to know I can affect her in some way. “Emery.”
“Emery? That’s
different.”
Ignoring my remark, she
picks up her pencil again, working hard to keep her eyes off me. “Let’s get to
work. We don’t have that much time left.”
“I’m going to be
straight with you, Emery. I’m not going to be able to work on this much outside
of class.”
Her eyes widen.
“Seriously? You had time to play around with your friends Saturday.”
“Look, you picked me. I
can’t do much with my schedule.”
She crosses her arms
over her chest as her eyes narrow on me. Maybe I should feel guilty for the way
I am, but I don’t. Besides, she’s even hotter when she’s pissed. “We’ll get a
better grade if I just do it all myself anyway.”
Her comment should offend me, but
she’s probably right. She has perfectionist written all over her. I bet she
spends her weekends reading and studying, thinking that if she takes one day
off, she’ll fail out of life.
She doesn’t say another
word as she starts jotting things down in her notebook. I thought this was what
I wanted, to sit back and watch her do all the work, but I have to bite my lip
to hide my grimace. If this is what I want, why do I feel so fucking annoyed
with myself?
“Emery.” She stops
writing but doesn’t look up. Again, that unfamiliar guilty feeling hits me in
the face. “Why don’t we exchange numbers, and I’ll try to find time to get
together this weekend.”
“Are you sure you can
squeeze me in?” she asks as she taps her pencil against her lower lip. Her tone
is sharp, and for a second, I consider sticking to my original plan, but maybe
she deserves a break.
My high school coach always said I
was too cocky. He said it would hold me back, but so far he’s been wrong, and
I’m not planning on changing anytime soon. This is who I am. It’s what my life
has molded me to be. It’s how I deal with all the other shit.
“I can try to make an exception for you.”
5 Star Review:
I recently finished Changing Forever by Lisa De Jong and I have to say it was fabulous. I loved all of our main characters and the way the author told the story. It completely captivated me. This was the second book in the series but can be read as a stand alone.
In Changing Forever we meet Emery White and Drake Chambers. It's a story about love being found when you're least expecting it and about heartache that sometimes you just need a little help getting over. Emery and Drake had the funniest friendship when it first started but quickly fell in love, each being exactly what the other needed. Drake made me so mad at times I wanted to be reached through the Kindle and strangle him. He would hurt Emery because he didn't know how to be happy.
Each character suffered from their own heartbreak and together they were broken but so beautiful together by the story the author told. Emery helped Drake fight his demons while he helped her face hers.
This book is an emotional roller coaster but one I would gladly read again. The author captivates you from the first word and holds you until the very end. The emotions of both characters are very high throughout the whole book it's hard to keep up with how Drake is feeling and his mood swings are completely out of control but despite all that you continue to fall in love with the main characters and root for their happily ever after.
Lisa De Jong has made me cry now twice when reading a book. When It Rains completely destroyed my heart and Changing Forever did the same thing. I was happy. I was sad. I was angry but most of all I was hurt for the pain that I watched Emery have to go through and the pain and heart break that I continually watched Drake struggle with.
“I’ve learned not to make any assumptions about you. You surprise me every day. Every fucking day, Em."
This is such a beautiful story. Its so broken, and so sad but the author shows you that even through sadness and darkness, you can find the beauty and the light in it all. I can't wait for more from this awesome author. She took me on a emotional ride I am sure not to forget anytime soon.
GIVEAWAY:
Author Bio:
Lisa De Jong is a wife, mother and full-time number cruncher who lives in the Midwest. Her writing journey involved insane amounts of coffee and many nights of very little sleep but she wouldn't change a thing. She also enjoys reading, football and music. She is the author of When It Rains, After the Rain, Plastic Hearts and Glass Hearts.
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