Book review: Stolen Wishes (New Hope #1.5) by Lexi Ryan

Stolen Wishes (New Hope #1.5) by Lexi Ryan

New Adult contemporary romance

Novella, 91 pages

Published January 7th 2014 by Ever After, LLC (first published January 3rd 2014)

Cally… 

A sexy smile. Intense blue eyes. A goodness that makes him want to save me from these rumors when no one else would care. I didn't ask for a hero. William Bailey was never supposed to be anything more than a wish, a dream, an unrequited crush. Not for a girl like me--a girl whose fractured family has stolen her chance at a decent life.

William… 

Since the death of my parents, I've always done what’s expected of me, what's "best" for me. Until Cally. The moment her haunted eyes meet mine, the fractured pieces of my heart feel whole again. I don’t just want to save her. I need her to save me.

Stolen chances. Unbroken wishes. Two lonely souls grasping for hope in the darkness. 

**This novella takes place seven years before the events in WISH I MAY and shows William and Cally falling in love for the first time. It can be read before or after WISH I MAY or on its own.**

**Contains sexual content and adult language and situations. Intended for mature readers.**

Purchase: Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

The innocence, newness and unpredictability of first love is the basis for Stolen Wishes (New Hope, #1.5) by Lexi Ryan. This is a younger version of William from Unbreak Me who loves Maggie in that novel. Here we see William at his younger, purer self. A teen interested in the shy, pretty girl he sees in class, so unlike the cheerleaders who so blatantly pursue him. Cally comes from a dysfunctional home, parents who no longer speak to each other, a mother lost in her need for her next fix, a father keen on reading his New Age self-help books than spend time with his three daughters. When William flirts with Cally, she not only sees a handsome, popular jock, she sees escape from a dreary life.

William and Cally's romance is a delight to read and emotionally described. Lexi Ryan truly captured the excitement of a first kiss, the blossoming need of passion, the physical need to intimately advance with a loved one when the mind may or not be prepared to do so, and heartbreak. The love story of these teens touched me, brought back memories of my own, and that in itself is a testament to the author's talent and skill.

I also learned from this insightful view into William himself. He is the nice guy, living with his grandmother after losing his parents, wealthy, carefree, and generally good and immensely likable. I'm glad I was fortunate enough to gleam his younger self and see his first heartbreak in Stolen Wishes since I now like his character even more.

Rating: 4

Cover comment:

Consistent in style to the other cover in the series. I like them.

Book source:

I received a promotional copy in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to Lexi Ryan for the digital ARC.