Evie and Leo met in foster care as children and formed a bond of friendship. As they grew, their bond turned to love, and they vowed to make a life together when they turned 18 and were no longer a part of the system.
When Leo unexpectedly gets adopted as a teen and he moves to another city, he promises Evie that he will contact her as soon as he gets there and come back for her in a few short years. She never hears from him again.
Now eight years later, in spite of the odds, Evie has made a life for herself. She has a job. She has friends. She's content. Then a man shows up out of the blue, claiming that her long lost love, Leo, sent him to check up on her. The attraction between them is undeniable. But, should she trust this sexy stranger? Or is he keeping a secret about what his connection to Leo is really all about and why Leo disappeared all those years ago?
Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. A little. Well, those who've read LEO will get my reference but if you haven't, you'll get it when you read it. :)
Honestly though, LEO may not be THE WORLD'S GREATEST BOOK per se but I can say that I really enjoyed reading this one. It's light and easy with just a tiny pinch of drama that will keep you reading page after page. It's also a pretty quick read (which I REALLY loved since I don't have much time to read these days what with the exams and all).
I knew this has been released for a while now and a lot of my friends recommended it to me. There are just so many books to read that it kind of got under my TBR pile. Anyway, I was finally able to get it started last night and I regretted the way I put off reading LEO when it turned out to be a quicker read than I initially expected.
So yeah, LEO. First, I'm a sucker for the kind of love stories that start from friendships. I mean, the love at first sight thing kind of gets old after a few time (read: a lot -______-). It was refreshing to read from the flashbacks about how Evie fell in love with Leo, how they're friendship evolved into something seemingly infallible. And then, Leo gets adopted and moves away. Promises were made but, like most things, everything fell apart around Evie and Leo.
Fast forward now and we see Evie 8 years after Leo left and we find her making a life for herself. Granted it's not glitzy and glamorous, but she's been been through so much worse and she can't help but feel content and grateful for what she has. She's got a decent job (or two), decent friends, a decent home... all these things a far cry from her childhood of neglect in the hands of her perpetually stoned mother and from the time she spent in the system, going form one foster home to the next. She may be doing well but she finds her mind occasionally wandering to thoughts about the boy whom she last saw on the roof of her foster home. The boy who promised to write to her., to never forget her The boy who promised to build that life with her after they both graduate from the system... the boy who never did.
Until one day, a stranger, Jake Madsen, comes from out of the blue and introduces himself as friend of Leo's. Or used to be. Jake drops the bomb that is Leo's death right on that sidewalk near Evie's home. Evie has no idea who this gorgeous stranger is but suddenly, her life is turned upside down. She already feels betrayed by Leo's leaving (and the radio silence) but she still felt the grief of losing her lion.
This is where it all got sketchy for me. I've had my suspicions, and I'm pretty sure you have them to right about now. I'm not telling but you should probably read the book.
Anyway, Evie finds herself drawn to Jake and, surprisingly for Evie, it seems as if Jake, the BMW-driving-suit-wearing new owner of a multimillion dollar company, is interested in little ol' her. It's sweet how Jake woos Evie and I loved how Evie refused to mooch off of Jake (even though he would gladly let her haha). It showed a lot about Evie's character and I liked her more for it.
Of course, playboy millionaire, right? There were a lot of trust issues in this book. Especially because Evie felt as if Jake is holding out on her. She can't move any further in their relationship until he tells her what big secret is keeping them apart. So, boom, cue: life-changing revelation.
Okay, I don't think the author meant for it to be this huge mind-blowing secret. I mean, I've had my suspicions right from the beginning but I guess I loved how the secrecy kept me on the edge of my seat. Is he? Or is he not?
The revelations might not have been earth-shattering for the reader but I kind of felt for Evie. You can practically see the ground slipping right from under her. And it adds just the right of drama to spice things up in this book. It was written so-well! Especially considering that this is Mia Sheridan's debut novel. She writes and paces so amazingly and I'm looking forward to more of her work in the future!
LEO being THE WORLD'S GREATEST BOOK may still be up for a lot debate (okay, maybe it isn't the world's greatest book, at all, but confidence is key, right?) but it's still a must-read for all you New Adult Contemporary Romance lovers out there!
Go check it out. Highly recommended. :)