If You Stay (Beautifully Broken #1) [Pax & Mila] by Courtney Cole

I must admit I was a bit reluctant to read this series. After reading The Minaldi Legacy and being REALLY annoyed with it, I had my doubts about trying anything else by Courtney. I've heard that The Minaldi Legacy was her first Contemporary (she usually writes New Adult) but that wasn't a good enough excuse for the plot problems there. So with many doubts I opened the book and started reading anddd loved it! 

The story was beautiful, heart breaking and the twist that was revealed near the end was truly shocking and left me with a bleeding heart. 

Pax is an asshole, that's how he sees himself but that's basically who he is. He uses drugs, alcohol and women to his advantage which is mainly to lose himself to all three (together if possible). He comes from money, so he doesn't even work, he just wastes his life away with anything that can distract him.

Mila finds Pax one night after one distraction too much and basically saves his life. From there, the mutual interest and curiosity keeps them together yet Pax's past and troubles doesn't leave them and when the truths are revealed Mila has to decide if she can handle Pax, but Pax has to decide if he can handle HIMSELF. 

I love the relationship between Pax and Mila. She is so compassionate and understanding, she truly wants to help him. I totally got her need to "fix" things, to be at his side and I totally got him and how drawn he was to her, for the light she brings him and the fact that she CARES about him, like no one ever did. 

Both Mila and Pax share a troubling past. Mila lost her parents in a car accident a few years back, leaving her and her sister alone in the world. Pax lost his mother also in a car accident when he was a kid. His father couldn't handle the grief so he and Pax moved to another city (baring no memories of his beloved wife) and drowned in work leaving Pax to fend for himself. 

I should say that this one isn't a solid 5 star read. I have my misgivings about Courtney's writing, sometimes I get annoyed with the way she describes each one of their thoughts and feelings, it was somewhat the same in The Minaldi Legacy, yet there I just couldn't FEEL anything from the characters because of the way their voice was brought to us. Here it's better, much better. 

Recommended! 

Note - I continue on to the next installment "If You Leave" and sadly it was a DNF for me. I won't be continue reading the series. 

Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 351 pages, 18-19 November 2014 / On GoodReads