Double Book Review: STAND by A. L. Jackson

Title: Stand

Author: A. L. Jackson

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 20th, 2017

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

From NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author A.L. Jackson comes the next seductive, unforgettable Bleeding Stars Stand-Alone Novel…

Zachary Kennedy has never been known as a fighter, but he’ll never regret fighting for her…

I’m Zee Kennedy.
Quiet. Reserved. Predictable.
When my brother died, everyone thought I was just the good guy who stepped up to take his place in the band.

No one knew what I was hiding. The one thing I’ve been fighting for.

For six years, I’ve never lost focus.

Not until one chance encounter with Alexis Kensington.

Now she’s become my greatest temptation.
I knew better than to touch her, but now that I’ve had a taste, I can’t get enough.
Her kiss becomes my air. Her body my salvation.

She needed a savior and somehow she became mine.

Taking her was a betrayal. But keeping her means risking everything.
One look at Alexis Kensington, and I know she’s worth the fight.
Will my past continue to keep me down or will I finally find the strength to pull myself up and Stand…

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Ugh, where to even begin with the perfection of this book. I'm a sucker for an A. L. Jackson book...big time. If you've never read one of her books, you MUST. They are the greatest and such a treat to read. She knows exactly what she's doing when she sits down with pen to paper. She has such a beautiful way of writing and telling a story, that will leave you lost to the world.

The Bleeding Stars series has been one of my all time favorite series for so long and it was so bittersweet to see it coming to an end. But this beloved series couldn't have ended in a more eloquent way.

"She felt so perfect. So good. I wanted to touch her. Explore her. Claim her."

Stand follows the story of Zee Kennedy and Alexis Kensington. Their story took my breath away. Zee is the drummer of Sunder and he loves what he does. Though he never pictured himself where he is now...he's learning to enjoy the moment. He knows he can never change his life cause he owes everything to his brother and his legacy.

"Fall with me," I whispered. He leaned down, lips just brushing mine, and Zachary Kennedy murmured his truth.

"I already jumped."

Zee has always been a fighter, that's why when he sees her for the first time...he knows he has to fight for her. Alexis has struggled with life due to the struggles her twin sister has drug her in. But she knows she will never turn her back on her sister, no matter how much she should.

Though Alexis may not have the best life...she knows how to embrace life and just live. She pushes forward full force and is always living life to the fullest. When she meets Zee, she knows he is the drummer of Sunder but she soon finds herself lost to him, no matter how famous he is.

"I felt bound to him in an unfathomable way. As if when he'd been holding those splintering pieces together, the man had managed to chip away a small piece of my soul. A piece that would permanently belong to him."

It's so hard to describe their love over the course of this book and the evolution to these characters because it's truly magnificent. It's something so rare and beautiful, that you feel so privileged peeking inside their life. Zee and Alexis are two broken people that held the missing piece to each other. The book couldn't have ended in a better way for these characters that I have loved for so long and I look forward to reading more from this author.

STAND is the final book in the Bleeding Stars series by AL Jackson. I've had this book since release and I've been putting off reading it. Not because I didn't think it would be good, or because I didn't want to read it. But because I HATE, no loaaathe, goodbyes. If you know anything about me, you will know that I have a million and one abandoned and unfinished series sitting on my TBR. Series that are some of my all time favorites, yet I still haven't finished them. Why? Because if I just don't read it that means it's never completely over, right? Am I the only one who does this? Please tell me that I'm not alone.

"I knew this would cost me. Everything important in our lives did. Nothing was free and every action came with a consequence"

My co-blogger and I have buddy read most of this series, so when we both had a gap in our reading schedule we decided that it was time to dive in and finally read STAND. You guys! This book was so much more than I ever could have hoped or dreamed it would be. It was heartbreaking and heartfelt. I could tell that the author poured everything she had into this story. I already want to reread it! Alexis and Zee are two broken souls, with secrets and so many personal demons. I have waited so long to hear Zee's story. It almost broke me, but it was worth every second.

"Sometimes the people we love most end up in the places we never imagined they'd go."

This series is one of my absolute favorite "rock star romance" series and I think everyone should read them!!! I did the majority of this series in audiobook (migraines suck!). I HIGHLY recommend these if you're a person who likes to listen to books. If you haven't ever read a book by AL Jackson, these books are a great place to start. She has a new series with the first book, SHOW ME THE WAY, coming out on October 2nd. I am so exited to dive into this book.

"Living is a choice. We decide how we wake up each morning and face the day. Either we're lead by hope or ruled by fear."

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.

Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, and BLEEDING STARS novels. Watch for A.L. Jackson’s upcoming novel, SHOW ME THE WAY, the first stand-alone novel in her brand new FIGHT FOR ME SERIES.

If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.