5 Smooches!
Synopsis
Within these walls, he became my solace, my sanctuary and my strength.
I am not strong. I am just a survivor of circumstance.
Isn’t that what we all do? Survive?
Each of us has our own set of circumstances to muddle through. Mine are just more…complicated.
Born with a severe heart defect, I’ve seen the inside of a hospital room more than my own bedroom.
I was drowning, a prisoner to the illness that owned me, until he appeared. He thinks he’s blocked out the world with his tattoos and hard exterior, but I see the real Jude, the one he so desperately wants to forget.
But is he the answer to my prayers or will he break my already damaged heart forever?
My name is Lailah Buchanan, and this is our story of hope, redemption and sacrificing it all for the one you love.
Review
Within These Walls is a story about hope, young love, strength, moving forward, heartbreak and forgiveness. Lailah has been ill all her life with a default heart and the hospital is her second home. She dreams of being able to get out the hospital for good and live a typical teenage life. She never thought it would be possible till Jude walks in her life.
Jude is heartbroken and can’t let go of the love of his life. But Lailah starts breathing life back into him and he’s all of a sudden desperate to help her live her life as best she can and to try and save her. But Jude is harbouring a secret which could potentially tear these two apart and make Lailah’s already suffering heart become heartbroken.
“Within these walls, I gave my less than perfect heart to the man I loved. And then…he walked away.”
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this story. It was completely and utterly beautiful. I was so desperate for these two to work and for Lailah to get well because they were the most deserving people I have ever read about. This was such a beautiful, sad, hopeful story that will capture many readers hearts, like it captured mine.
“Two broken hearts-we would destroy each other before we even had a chance to begin.”
Jude and Lailah were wonderful characters. Lailah showed such strength and beauty for someone who had suffered greatly in life. She is really someone you can look up to and admire. She managed to find happiness and laughter despite being so ill and her reactions to Jude were cute and endearing.
“Today I feel…everything- happiness, love, fear, desire and yes, even that dangerous little emotion, hope.”
Jude was a hero in my eyes. Devastated by the loss of his fiancé I admired that he fought to come back to the land of the living and that he did this by trying to do everything he could to give Lailah her life back. The things he did so she could cross items off her list were so adorable and yet he also managed to be so sexy at the same time. He was the perfect man for Lailah.
“Never forget the never-ending ways in which I love you and know that I will never stop fighting for you, no matter where I am or what I’m doing. I’ll always keep your wings in flight.”
The plot was sweet and sad but it also had some very hot scenes and it made me laugh. I was desperate to read the end and find that everything worked out because I had fell in love with the characters and I was desperate for them to get their happy ending. Now to answer the question, does this have a happy ending? I’ll leave that for the readers to discover but I will say even during the terribly sad moments there is always another aspect such as strength or hope or forgiveness.
“Love had brought me to her and there, it had given me a reason to live again. She was my angel, my Lailah, my love.”
A heartfelt 5 stars I give to this story and I can’t wait to read more from the author who has managed to create one of my favourite reads so far this year.
Bethany
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