NEW ADULT MONDAYS: Unafraid (Beachwood Bay #2)

The New Adult genre - their bad boys and big problems and epic loves make them engrossing tales that are so easy to lose yourself in. What's not to love about that? And, now, thanks to the cool chicks at Bewitched Bookworms, we can show these books the love they deserve in a weekly feature - New Adult Mondays.

Unafraid (Beachwood Bay #2), by Melody Grace
Published August 27, 2013
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-book, purchased
Genre:  young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads)  Brittany Ray doesn’t care about her bad reputation. Growing up in a sleepy beach town with a junkie mom and a runaway dad, Brit’s learned the hard way that the people you love will only let you down. It’s no use hoping for love or happiness. Some dreams aren’t meant for girls like her.

Hunter Covington is one of those dreams.

Gorgeous, charming Hunter is damn near perfect—and it’s killing him. Son of Charleston royalty, he’s been trapped in a gilded cage since the day he was born. Now he’s breaking free. He’s quit law school to restore his grandpa’s old horse ranch, trying to soothe the demons in his soul. But Beachwood Bay is full of old ghosts, like the mysterious girl who spent an unforgettable night with him—and then slipped away before dawn. Brit.

Everything about her screams danger, but Hunter doesn’t care: he’s never felt a connection so deep. And try as she may, Brit can’t resist the desire consuming her —or the safety she finds in Hunter’s arms.

A reckless passion. An undeniable bond. Scarred by their pasts, Brit and Hunter fight to heal old wounds. But will dark secrets tear apart their new beginning? And when love is the biggest risk of all, can they find the courage to face the future unafraid?

I don't even care about the insta-love. Hunter was... *sigh... And, Brit was all... RAWR... and... Yeah. I liked Unafraid. A lot. 

Brittany has been hurt again and again by the people she loves. She's the town slut. Despite her talent at fashion design, no one will give her a break. So, when Hunter Covington, golden boy of Beachwood Bay, shows up and starts wooing her, she doesn't fall easily, despite his good looks and charming disposition. It's impossible to resist forever, though, but Brit isn't exactly an expert at sticking around when the going gets tough. Can Hunter be the one who changes her for good?

So, like I said. There was insta-love here. Normally, that is a major irritation for me. I'm not a fan of love born out of instant physical attraction, or whatever, with no basis on shared experiences or knowledge about one another's lives or families or anything. How can you know you love someone when you don't even know them? 

For some reason, though, the insta-love in Unafraid didn't irk me like it usually does. Hunter and Brit shared one night together three years before (which is detailed in the novella, Untamed Hearts - good stuff, that novella), then after Brit left him, the had no contact until Hunter walked back into the bar that Brit works in with a mission. He came back to Beachwood Bay for two reasons. First, he's looking to escape his parents' stifling hold on his life and follow his own dreams for a change. And second, he's back for Brit. 

Hunter was pretty awesome. He was confident and sweet and had the patience of a freaking saint. Brit did not make things easy on him at all. It was the classic case of the damaged girl doing all she could to push the one person she found herself caring about away in order to protect him from her poisonous life. Hunter didn't fall for it, though. Then again, he had some secrets of his own that he didn't want to share with Brit either, for fear that, if she knew, she wouldn't want him either. 

These two kids totally belonged together for many reasons, not least of which is their ability to heal the wounds of each others' pasts. There were a few stops and starts along the way, as is to be expected. But, really, those are the best parts, right? If everything went smoothly, that HEA wouldn't feel as deserved, right? 

Unafraid is told in dual POV, and includes all the wonderful spiciness that I've come to expect from Melody Grace. Since Emerson is Brit's brother, we have the opportunity to see how he and Juliet are doing. There was also a lot of set up for Garrett's book, which releases in just over a week (YAY!). 

Unafraid is a fantastic story with a little switch up. For once, it's the good, Ivy League guy chasing the bad girl, instead of the good girl going after the bad boy. There's lots of drama, tons of heat, and more swoon than you can shake a stick at. There's still time to get all caught up on this amazing new adult series before the third book, Unconditional, comes out on March 18!