A.C.H.E

S.M Soto

Genre: YA/NA, Romance

Release Date: April. 9, 2019

Blurb:

A second chance romance.

What happens when you fall for the boy next door?

Bea Norwood had the market on normal.

Drama free life? Check.

A single-mother who doubled as her confidant and partner in crime? Check.

A neighbor and best friend she trusted more than anyone? Check.

But that was until the day her mother remarried. The day that changed everything.

When her best friend’s cousin, Liam Falcon, is sent to live with his aunt and uncle to clean up his act, Bea finds herself falling for the boy next door. With their hearts so infinitely entwined, Bea turns to Liam as her only escape from her new step-brother’s daily torment at home. Bea thought their love could conquer anything. But she was wrong. Love was for fools, and she was the biggest fool of them all. When Liam left Lakeport, he took her heart with him, shattering the organ to pieces.

Six years later, Liam takes a trip back to Lakeport to visit his family, and to see HER.

His first love.

The girl who holds his heart.

The same girl who shattered it six years ago without looking back.

Liam is hell-bent on seeing Bea again after six years, but what he finds tears his heart in half. Bea Norwood is a shell of the girl he fell in love with. Underneath the baggy clothes, and pale skin, he knows she’s still in there somewhere, he just needs to find her.
Liam will stop at nothing to win his girl back, but sometimes, ignorance is bliss, and Liam isn’t prepared for Bea’s truth.

Warning: Contains themes of abuse. May cause triggers.

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My Review

Ache by S.M Soto has jumped straight up to my top 3 favorite reads of 2019!

So first off let me say that there is a warning for a reason, there are quite a few graphic scenes including rape, suicide, and abuse that could be a trigger for some.

I wasn’t even 4 chapters in when I realized I was completely captivated in Bea and Liam’s story. Reading Ache took me a lot longer than it normally would have because at some points I had to just stop and catch my breath. Ache is a really emotional read that will break you down over and over again, but just remember there is a HEA. I won’t lie and say I didn’t shed a few tears because I most definitely did. S.M Soto is a brilliant writer and you truly feel like you aren’t just reading, you are totally IN the scene with them and feeling the emotions come straight off the page… it was absolutely magical.

Soto turned a truly tragic story into a story of love, understanding, and hope.

Bea Norwood at 13 years old has had a normal childhood. Bea’s father isn’t in the picture so it’s just been her and her mom. They aren’t rich but they are comfortable and Bea has had a nice life. But life for Bea is about to change. Her mother just married Robert and he and his son Connor are moving in with them.

When her best friend, Myrah that lives directly across the street tells her that her cousin is moving in with her for the Summer it’s enough to take her mind off the impending changes happening over at her own house.

The first time Bea sees Liam she’s immediately fascinated by the shaggy-haired, blue-eyed, bad boy.

The two of them develop a friendship and a relationship that’s just… more. Bea and Liam have the kind of first love romance that every young girl dreams of having.

Their relationship continues to grow but in order to follow the dreams that Liam has for Bea and him, he has to leave Lakeport.

Which means leaving Bea behind.

What Liam doesn’t know is that the night he left was the catalyst to Bea’s life being completely shattered.

After what happens that night… and continues to happen. Bea pushes everyone away. She stops answering Liam’s calls, she stops talking to Myrah. She is a shell of the girl she used to be, and she’s drowning with no one to help pull her up. Memories of the love she had before are her only solace now.

For 6 long years, Bea’s life has been unimaginably traumatic and lonely.

But Bea’s life is about to change once again because Liam Falcon is back in Lakeport.

But now Liam isn’t just her ex-best friend’s cousin and the boy next door. Unbeknownst to Bea, he’s now known as Liam ‘The Gunner’ Falcon, the San Francisco Giant’s all-time best pitcher.

Liam went on to complete those goals that Bea and he had set together, the only thing he’s missing is the girl that he left behind.

Liam doesn’t understand why Bea just stopped answering his calls, and once he catches a glimpse of the girl she is now, he doesn’t even recognize his “sweet Bea” anymore.

Liam is still madly in love with Bea, he’s never been able to get over her and he’s determined to either win her heart back or finally get some closure.

But what Liam doesn’t know is he’s never not had her heart. Bea still loves him but there are other factors at play… and things that Liam nor anyone else knows.

What is Bea hiding? What’s happened to her in the 6 years that Liam has been gone? Can he win her heart again or will he finally get the closure he needs to walk away…?

You’ll have to read Ache to find out for yourself.

Liam is the sweetest boy, and as a man, he’s even better! The way he loves and protects Bea leaves you with no doubt that he literally LIVES and BREATHES for this girl. It’s incredible to watch their story unfold. Even though there are a couple of times you want to shake him, it’s clear that he would do absolutely anything for her.

“Bea, I’ve wanted you to be mine since I first laid eyes on you. I don’t just want to be your boyfriend, I want to be your everything.”

“Listen to me, Bea, I don’t care how many girls you think like me, because I don’t want any of them. I don’t even see any of them. I just want you. Sweet B, you’re easily the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on. With your thick brown hair, pink plump lips,” he runs his finger over my lower lip sensually. “and that beautiful milky skin. Don’t even get me started on those eyes…they’re my favorite part of you. I could stare into your eyes all day, and never get tired of it. You are everything to me, Bea. I don’t want to rush into this, not with you.”

Sweet Bea. Bless her heart. You can literally feel the pain she goes through in every single word during her worst moments. My heart broke over and over for her. She is the strongest heroine I’ve ever read. No matter how beaten down she was, she endured and she survived!

That ending… I can’t even put it into words.

“And I can finally breathe. The pain is gone. The ache is gone. I’m finally free.”

Thank you to S.M Soto for bringing light to something that doesn’t get talked about very often, if at all. Things like this happen all the time, and most of the time it’s happening in the homes where you would LEAST expect it.

I’ve seen a few reviews saying why didn’t she just tell someone, her friend, her mom, etc. or why let it go on for so long. Well, let me just tell you, until you or someone you care about is in a situation like that, please don’t judge how we all deal.

This story is RAW and REAL! If you aren’t ready for that then think again before opening this one up, but if what you are looking for is a book that will envoke a plethora of emotions with every single sentence, then trust me when I tell you, Ache is the book for you.