NEW ADULT MONDAYS: Hold On Tight (Sea Breeze #8)

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.

Hold On Tight (Sea Breeze #8), by Abbi Glines Publish Date: June 3, 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Six years ago, Dewayne Falco's life changed. He lost someone he never expected to lose. Resigned to punish himself for something he felt he could have prevented, he goes through life without getting too close to anyone.

What he didn't expect was for the girl across the street to move back home and remind him of what they both lost: Dewayne's younger brother Dustin. However, when a miniature version of Dustin opens the door to greet him, Dewayne realizes he might not have lost everything after all.

Sienna Roy loved Dustin Falco most of her life. He was the boy next door, the high school basketball star and her best friend. But when his life was cut short, she realized he left a part of himself behind.

Now, she's back in Sea Breeze, thankful to have a home for her and Dustin's son, but not sure if she can ever forgive the people across the street who abandoned her when she needed them the most — The Falcos.

Betrayal, lies, and forbidden attraction might end Dewayne and Sienna's story before it's even begun.

I’ve been on a Sea Breeze binge the past four days or so. I’ve read Misbehaving, Bad For You and Hold On Tight right after the other. I don’t usually do that with books. I usually need a break from the same characters and world for a bit before I return. But, it had been awhile since I had read an Abbi Glines new adult book, and once I started, I remembered why I love them so much. This series is all about these epic loves that change lives and equally epic friendships that stand the test of time. What could be better than that?

Speaking of standing the test of time, Hold On Tight is an amazing second-chance love story, and easily became one of my favorites in this series. Dewayne Falco has been in love with his younger brother’s girl for years. But, his brother died, and Sienna left town abruptly, and Dewayne has been filling the void with lots of alcohol and women. But, then suddenly, Sienna comes back, and she has brought with her his brother’s son, whom Dewayne and his parents had no idea existed. Now, Dewayne is conflicted between wanting Sienna and wanting what’s best for Sienna, which he doesn’t think is him.

The Dewayne we see in Hold On Tight is very different from the Dewayne we’ve seen in all the previous books in the Sea Breeze series. The only time we’ve seen Dewayne has been when he’s at Live Bay with his friends, knocking back a cold one with a skanky chick on his lap. It’s obvious that he is still very tight with his friends from high school – he’s always ribbing them about falling victim to the “magical pussy,” and he always has their backs when they’re in trouble.

But, as soon as Dewayne sees his 5-year-old nephew, he turns to mush, and he knows that he would give this boy the moon if he asked for it. Ladies, if that doesn’t make your panties melt, I don’t know what will. Seeing Sienna right after meeting Micah just about laid Dewayne out for the count, though. I just loved that this petite woman and her little boy destroyed this big, brash man with just a look.

Sienna has had a horrific time of things since finding out she was pregnant with her dead boyfriend’s child. Her parents disowned her and shipped her away to live with an aunt she had never met. All her hundreds of letters to Dustin and Dewayne’s parents went unanswered. The only person Sienna can rely on in this world is her son. But, when she returns to town, it quickly becomes clear that things are not how she always thought they were.

For Sienna, everything is different in Sea Breeze. Most notably, she has the freedom to be with Dewayne if she wants to now, which is exciting and terrifying for her. But, Dewayne doesn’t seem to want her, and Sienna struggles with how that makes her feel. She’s been unwanted for a long time, and Dewayne is just one more in a long line.

Sienna broke my heart. I can’t even imagine how a 16-year-old girl could find the strength to survive all she went through. It’s no wonder she doesn’t trust easily any more or feel wanted or loved by anyone. Her relationship with her son was absolutely precious. I love how she kept the memory of his father alive and well, and I also loved how Micah was always stepping up to take care of his mother when he felt she needed it.

Sienna and Dewayne dance around each other for most of the book. The sexual tension between these two made me crazy! And it went on forever. It made the culmination of things all the more awesome, though. And the ending included a little twist that I didn’t see coming. I mean, I figured out parts of it, but not the whole picture. So, that was pretty cool too.

Only one more to go in the Sea Breeze series. I’m both excited to read it and kinda want to avoid reading it. Because if I read it, this epic series about amazing loves and incredible friendships will finally come to a close.