The Edge of You by Theresa DaLayne Pages: 250
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA, Bloomsbury Spark on September 25, 2014
Genres: contemporary, Love & Romance, New Adult, Romance
Source: eARC from Publisher
He left home to escape. She made a new life out of guilt. Neither one expected to find love—but not even the Arctic can cool this steamy romance.
Maya knows she’s doing the right thing by moving to Alaska with her parents, but that doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it. Forced to give up a scholarship to a prestigious art school, she relocates to a Podunk town with one college the size of her high school cafeteria, all to help hold her family together after the death of her little sister. But a fresh start can only do so much.Jake doesn’t like handouts and he certainly doesn’t need any distractions. Working on a salmon boat in Kodiak, Alaska is the only way to pay for his mother’s surgery back in the lower forty-eight. Juggling college courses and constant worry about his mother’s health, Jake couldn’t imagine anything else fitting into his life. That is, until he meets Maya, the sexy Californian artist who tints his world in technicolor.
But when Maya’s family starts to crumble and Jake’s mom takes a turn for the worse, will they drag each other down, or can they find what they were missing all along?
In this new adult romance, Theresa DaLayne paints a swoon-worthy story about life under the midnight sun, following your heart, and learning to live on the edge.
The Edge of You is a clean new adult contemporary romance. There is some new adult content but it is mostly just alluded to, and I think would be appropriate for upper young adult readers. It is also a standalone book, which is refreshing. The Edge of You is a story that is equally about two people finding each other as it is a story about each of their journeys and dealing with loss/sickness. Maya and Jake are each dealing with a ton of stuff. Holy cow, you really feel for these two young adults. Their issues are at the same time very different, yet the same.
Jake is dealing with a sick mother and paying her hospital and medication bills, while trying to go to school. Maya is dealing with the death of her sister and her mother’s alcoholism. They seem like very different situations on their face, right? But when you look a little closer at the two of them you see that they are both dealing with this pressure all alone. They each have the weight of their respective worlds on their shoulders and they both feel very lonely. The Edge of You had this undertone of despair throughout so much of it. It made the book feel dark, but the ray of light shining through was Jake and Maya relationship. You could so easily see them light up around each other. They were each others’ hope. It was so beautiful to witness.
Maya was complicated for me. At times I thought she acted selfishly and a little immature when it came to Jake dealing with his mom, and then at other times she was so patient and understanding and very mature. It was like a struggle within herself. She knew the right thing to do, but she didn’t always express it.
My favorite part of the book was Maya’s paintings. I loved the descriptions of the light and her sister in her art. I thought it was really beautiful. I would love to see some inspiration pieces for her work. Theresa DaLayne did an excellent job with her description. Her writing was very emotional. The Edge of You is a story that will make you you feel both happiness and despair at the same time. It was an interesting combination for me. The Edge of You is a great read for people that like their romance realistic with a healthy dose of turmoil thrown in. At times, I simply did not know if this book was going to get a happily ever after for the characters. Life threw a lot at these two. And the journey this book took me on was worth it.
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Giselle
Great review, Michelle! I like the dark vibe this book has – that can make for a really emotional and compelling read I find. I like darker books, too, so there’s that >.< And being a stand alone is definitely refreshing. We need more of those in YA and NA! The painting aspect sounds very well done, too. Glad you liked it! 🙂
Michelle @ Book Briefs
Yea, the Dark vibe brought the book to the next level for me. It added so much to the story. 🙂
Theresa DaLayne
Thank you for having me on your blog today, Michelle, and for reviewing The Edge of You! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, and I appreciate the time you took to post!
Michelle @ Book Briefs
Thank YOU Theresa! I really enjoyed The Edge of You 😉
Julia P
This book sounds good!! Thanks for the chance