Escaping Me by Elizabeth Lee {Review}

Genre: New Adult Romance

Publication Date: July 27th 2013

Pages: 400

Format: Beta/ARC

Source: provided by author for review

All she wanted to do was forget. Forget the memory of walking in on her boyfriend in the middle of, well, another girl. Forget how she had her entire life planned out. And, forget about being perfect all the time. Unfortunately, she was Whitney Vandaveer and despite the fact that she moved to the middle of nowhere—she couldn't. He always knew he would never be more than nothing. No job, no money, no future. Cole Pritchett had accepted the fact that he would always be the screw up and he was okay with it. Until he met her. Here's the thing they quickly found out—sometimes we all need a little help escaping who we think we are.

My Take:

I have always been a fan of chance encounters and there was none more interesting than the meeting of Cole and Whitney. Finding her passed out on the side of the road from heat exhaustion, Cole picks her up and makes sure she gets home safely. Escaping Me was a sweet, sexy and romantic tale of two people from completely different sides of society who found love in an unusual place.

When Whitney walked in on her stable, safe choice in a boyfriend banging a redhead in his dorm room she runs back to her mother's farm to get away and clear her head. While out running during the heat of the day she passes out on the side of the road. When she wakes her mother and sister Mallory are giddy about the pierced hottie who brought her home. They try to push her to look him up in order to get her ex out of her system but Whitney refuses. When Mallory drags her out to a local bar, she finally comes face to face with Cole Pritchett. With an immediate attraction to his dark looks and sexy swagger she can't help but want to get to know him. I loved Whitney's character instantly. Feeling solidarity with any woman who has been cheated on she wasn't hard to like. When her parents divorced she opted to live with her father and grew up thinking she was supposed to be a trophy wife for a wealthy, prominent young man despite what she wanted for herself. When she found her ex with another woman it was a liberating thing for her because she ends up finding out exactly who she is and what she wants in life. When she meets Cole she is exposed to a different lifestyle and ultimately discovers that just because someone is raised with a silver spoon in their mouths doesn't make them a good person.

The name Cole Pritchett should be in the dictionary next to a cold glass of ice water. Not only was he absolutely sexy but he was just a down to earth good guy. Coming from his own crappy circumstances, Cole has to start over in a new town and make something of himself in a last chance move that his brother arranges for him. Cole has a bit of a temper problem and has been known to fly off the handle, especially if he gets some ackahawl in him. He gets into some trouble with the wrong crowd and his brother Finn advises him to leave town and get himself together. I hated the way he was treated by not only his brother but he is also dealing with a bad ex issue. His ex girlfriend Megan leaves him for his brother of all people and when he meets Whitney he has no intention of getting involved. Cole feels a sizzling attraction for Whitney but he wants to focus on his new job and fixing up the old house he is renting. It was so funny watching Cole try to resist her. He knows she is out of his league and suggests they be just friends but that only delays the inevitable because when the attraction between them combusts, it's HOT!

Lee did a fantastic job with several pantie melting scenes between these two. The slow burn and build up between Cole and Whitney just trying to be friends created a sexy tension you knew was going to be good once they gave in. Cole knows his way around a vagina and Whitney is used to mediocre sex with her ex so you know once he shows her what she's been missing she won't be the same. Great sex will change a woman's life it seems. Of course I wouldn't know but I digress. Beyond the steamy romance of the story though, you have a couple who are opposites in almost every way who work together and fight for their love. Cole has to overcome his perceived shortcomings within himself after thinking he wasn't good enough for anyone due to what his slutty ex made him think. Whitney also doesn't feel like she fits in either her dads world filled with Caviar and champagne or Cole's more laid back, blue collar world. They both have to decide if what they have is strong enough to survive several obstacles that come at them from all sides.

The second best part of the story was Whitney's sister Mallory. While Whit chose to live with her father, Mal stayed behind with their mother and grew up completely different from Whit. Mallory was the down home, country girl wild child of the book. hard labor and hard liquor were her constant companions and any time she was in a scene she brought laughter and fun. What I loved about her is, even though she came across as wild and unruly, she had a softer side to herself when it came to her family. The relationship between her and Whitney was so sweet. Even though they didn't grow up together and hardly saw much of each other their bond was evident. Mallory was so easy going and became a much needed confidant and companion to her sister. I loved how these two stuck together especially when a big family secret rocks their entire foundation. This revelation opens the door for Mallory to have her own story and I can't wait to see what this crazy girl gets herself into.

Escaping Me was a great story about opposite attraction and gave me everything I wanted. A beautiful love story, hot sex, and hilarious characters that brought humor and fun to lighten up the more serious moments. I enjoyed falling in love with this couple with every step from friends to lovers. The story had an overall down to earth charm that was very easy to get into and hooks you from the beginning. The way things came to a close was a little nerve wracking and made me teary eyed with how amazingly sweet it turned out to be. Escaping Me just proves how awesome this author is at delivering a story that draws you in and makes you feel right along with her characters. If you are looking for a book with a little drama, a sexy, pierced/tatted roughneck guy and a somewhat uptight girl who needs to loosen up then this should be your next read! You won't be disappointed.

Quotes:

~ Girls like that didn't come home with guys like me. I didn't get the girl with freshly manicured nails and perfectly styled hair. I got the girl with too much cheap make-up and low standards. Beta/ARC 12%

~ Cole Pritchett had warned me before, but something about the way he was looking at me made me believe that despite how bad he thought he was, there was something deep down in him that was worth the risk. Beta/ARC 24%

~ Every time he touched me, I lost the ability to think about anything other than what he was doing to me with his hands and that talented mouth. Beta/ARC 38%

~ I really wanted to lick the tip of my finger to see if she tasted as sweet as I thought she would, but I didn't want to scare her off, plus she looked so content wrapped up in my arms that I didn't want to move. So, I kissed her forehead and held her tight, knowing that any chance I had of not falling for her was gone. Beta/ARC 43%

About The Author:

When I'm not writing or playing the part of wife and mother, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand.  Here's the thing about being born and raised in a small town—you have a very vivid imagination!  Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!

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