4 Smooches!
Synopsis
Xander Evans has been on the road for many years. Never settling. Always moving from one place to another, unable to let go of his past. He lived a tragic childhood, spending most of those years in foster care. He’s never felt like he’s had a home. That is until he stops in the small town of Truman Valley, Missouri, where he meets a woman who will change everything he’s ever known.
Paige Watson has it all. A loving family, beautiful home, and a great career. The only thing she’s missing….is love. After escaping an abusive relationship, she opens her heart up to a stranger. He is unlike any man she’s ever met. He came into her life and turned it completely upside down. Everything is perfect. That is, until one fateful night.
A night that would tear the Watson family apart, never to be put back together again.
A night that would send Xander away to prison for life.
REVIEW
Into The Nothing, the solo debut novel from BT Urruela, is not his first foray into penning romance. He partnered with KL Grayson on the phenomenal A Lover’s Lament, one of my top favorite books of 2015. While he did encounter some production difficulties with this book, ever the professional, BT still managed to turn out a fantastic book, despite some very minor editing issues.
“…the more I let this girl in, the harder it is to keep myself from wanting her.”
This story is a romance – BT refers to it as a modern retelling of Bonnie & Clyde – but it was the suspense plot that had me at the edge of my seat, tapping my Kindle’s screen furiously to turn the pages. The romance was definitely a bit of a slow burn, and this couple really took the time to get to know each other before taking the leap. A real friendship formed between Paige and Xander first, and while their attraction was right there simmering between them, they stayed within the friend zone, taking the time to build and nurture that aspect of their relationship first. And, you know what? In the end, it was a good thing, too, because it was that solid foundation of friendship and trust that gave Paige the ability to hear Xander out, to listen to her heart and to believe in him when it mattered most.
“…getting lost in those eyes captures me. It’s a feeling my ice cold heart has never felt before.”
I was impressed with Urruela’s writing abilities in his previous work, but what he did here was on another level all together. The suspense plot – and I’m purposefully choosing my words here to avoid spoiling it – was so layered with details and multi-faceted. There were many twists and turns, a few of which I did not see coming at all. It was an interesting story, it was exciting, and I found myself examining many of the characters suspiciously. Until I actually read the words, I was not completely certain who was behind everything. I really loved this portion of the book, and if this is what he put out on his first go, I absolutely cannot wait to see where he takes us next.
“This cannot be my life.”
As with any debut author’s first release – and for all intents and purposes, this is BT Urruela’s debut novel – there are always a few issues. Nothing too serious, but little things that could have been tweaked, and I have no doubt that they will be in his next release. For me, they didn’t take away from my overall experience, but they were enough for me to notice. One of the issues I had was that so much time was spent in the beginning 2/3 of the book building Paige and Xander’s friendship, forming the relationship between the main characters, that the “whodunit” portion, or the reveal, of the story felt a little rushed. I definitely would have really liked more depth and more detail there as that part of the plot was unfolding. The last third of the book, I positively devoured, and I guess, well, I just wanted more. I would have also liked a bit more in the way of a romance between the characters. I totally got the friendship – that came through loud and clear. But the romantic relationship was such a slow burn that, given the fact that this book is billed as a romance, I think a little bit more development was needed for me was to fully connect with Paige and Xander as a couple in love.
“I need Xander and he needs me. We’re all each other has, two broken souls fused together.”
All in all, this was a fantastic debut for BT Urruela. I enjoyed Into The Nothing immensely, and I was so very impressed by his first solo outing. I’m not only excited to read the next book in this series, I’m excited about what the future holds from this author. BT Urruela’s Into The Nothing gets 4 smooches from me.
~ Danielle Palumbo
