Title: Before Hadley
Author: J. Nathan
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: March 14, 2016
Blurb
What's worse than a cocky new guy at school? A cocky new guy with a killer body and the attention of the entire female student body. Hadley can tell the minute she lays eyes on Caynan that he's someone to avoid. He may have looks and charm, but he's also got heartbreak written all over his pretty face.
Unfortunately for Hadley, Caynan has his sights set on her. She's the one girl who doesn't want him. The one girl who's turned off by his charm. The one girl who challenges him like no other. And, though she couldn't possibly know the truth about him, she seems to be the one girl who really sees him.
But with Caynan, things aren't at all what they seem. His secrets have secrets and everything out of his mouth straddles the line between truth and fiction. He knows better than to get involved with anyone, especially with his time limited in the new town, but he just can't seem to get Hadley out of his mind. Too bad for him, secrets never remain secrets for long.
Unfortunately for Hadley, Caynan has his sights set on her. She's the one girl who doesn't want him. The one girl who's turned off by his charm. The one girl who challenges him like no other. And, though she couldn't possibly know the truth about him, she seems to be the one girl who really sees him.
But with Caynan, things aren't at all what they seem. His secrets have secrets and everything out of his mouth straddles the line between truth and fiction. He knows better than to get involved with anyone, especially with his time limited in the new town, but he just can't seem to get Hadley out of his mind. Too bad for him, secrets never remain secrets for long.
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Excerpt
Caynan and I stepped outside into the unseasonably cool night, walking through the parking lot in silence. I pressed my key to disarm the alarm. My car beeped, its lights flashing and briefly lighting up the dark lot. I stepped up to my door and turned to face him. “Thanks again.”
“Stop thanking me.” His tone was cold and clipped as he handed me my backpack.
“Sorry. I just meant—”
He stepped into me, forcing my back against the door. He grabbed my cheeks between his hands and stared down at me. “I want to kiss you so fucking bad right now.”
My heart slammed against my chest as my voice came out a mere whisper. “Then do it.”
His eyes didn’t waver from mine. “This isn’t a date. I said I wouldn’t kiss you if it wasn’t a date.”
I dropped my backpack to my feet, the thud carrying through the silent lot. “I don’t care.”
He closed his eyes and dropped his forehead to mine. “Part of me wants to prolong this. Make you crazy for me.” His eyes opened and he looked me dead in the eyes. “But the other part wants to taste what I’ve been thinking about doing since the moment I met you.”
I couldn’t stop my hands from drifting up the front of his shirt, over the solid muscles in his abs and chest. I’d never felt anything so freaking amazing in my life.
He didn’t seem to mind my exploration because he groaned deep in his throat. His breath, a mixture of soda and mint, floated between us. “Go out with me,” he said.
“I’m out with you right now.”
“A date. Then you better believe I’ll kiss you at the end of the night.”
“Maybe I don’t want to wait until the end of the night,” I challenged. What the hell was I saying? It was as if I was in a trance. A Caynan-induced trance. And my words were not my own. My body was not my own. My thoughts were not my own.
His lips twitched. “Is that a yes?”
I paused, trying to maintain every last shred of dignity I possessed. But I knew with every fiber of my being that Caynan Abbott would ruin me for all others. And when he finally kissed me, not only would it be explosive, but it would be something no one else would ever live up to.
I was so screwed.
“Stop thanking me.” His tone was cold and clipped as he handed me my backpack.
“Sorry. I just meant—”
He stepped into me, forcing my back against the door. He grabbed my cheeks between his hands and stared down at me. “I want to kiss you so fucking bad right now.”
My heart slammed against my chest as my voice came out a mere whisper. “Then do it.”
His eyes didn’t waver from mine. “This isn’t a date. I said I wouldn’t kiss you if it wasn’t a date.”
I dropped my backpack to my feet, the thud carrying through the silent lot. “I don’t care.”
He closed his eyes and dropped his forehead to mine. “Part of me wants to prolong this. Make you crazy for me.” His eyes opened and he looked me dead in the eyes. “But the other part wants to taste what I’ve been thinking about doing since the moment I met you.”
I couldn’t stop my hands from drifting up the front of his shirt, over the solid muscles in his abs and chest. I’d never felt anything so freaking amazing in my life.
He didn’t seem to mind my exploration because he groaned deep in his throat. His breath, a mixture of soda and mint, floated between us. “Go out with me,” he said.
“I’m out with you right now.”
“A date. Then you better believe I’ll kiss you at the end of the night.”
“Maybe I don’t want to wait until the end of the night,” I challenged. What the hell was I saying? It was as if I was in a trance. A Caynan-induced trance. And my words were not my own. My body was not my own. My thoughts were not my own.
His lips twitched. “Is that a yes?”
I paused, trying to maintain every last shred of dignity I possessed. But I knew with every fiber of my being that Caynan Abbott would ruin me for all others. And when he finally kissed me, not only would it be explosive, but it would be something no one else would ever live up to.
I was so screwed.
Review
This was the first book I’ve read by J. Nathan, and I
guarantee it’s just the beginning!
Before Hadley is a book that wrings out so much emotion that
it takes a few days afterward to process. The relationship that developed
between Hadley and Caynan was many things - awkward, fun, swoony, angsty, desperate,
consuming, heart shattering. Oh the fuzzy beautiful, stabby hurty feels!
Caynan knew what not to do, but my in my heart I knew he was
still a teenager, in a very difficult situation and driven by a strong sense of
loyalty, and would make the mistakes. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for
the final mistake and the fallout.
I loved the gentleness and support of those around Hadley,
wanting her to shuffle off her anger and be free. I loved the determination of
Caynan, and it broke my heart because his dreams didn’t match the reality and
he couldn’t go on. And yet somehow, J. Nathan turned things around in a big way
and I ended the book on a high.
Loved it!
Author Bio
J. Nathan is the author of the new adult novels Until Alex, Since Drew, and Before Hadley. When she's not hard at work on her next novel, she's a total romance junkie! Add an alpha male who's unlikable in the beginning...even better. Happy endings are a must. Love triangles and negative people are the bane of her existence. Her family, friends, and watermelon margaritas are the light.
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