TITLE: The Forever Of Ella & Micha
SERIES: The Secret #2
AUTHOR: Jessica Sorensen
PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2013
PUBLISHER: Forever
PAGES: 416 pages
FORMAT: Paperback
SOURCE: Purchased
RATING: 5 bows
Ella has finally agreed to be wih Micha and things look like happily ever after between the two….except Ella has to go back to school and Micha is going on the road with his newly found band-mates. They both know it’ll be hard, but together they can accomplish anything and the worst is behind them, right? But Ella is becoming more and more effected by the depression that plagued her mother and Micha can’t always get through to her. Micha is beyond frustrated that Ella keeps shutting him out and he can’t just drop everything to run and help knock her out of her funk. He loves her more than anything, but is that enough to overcome Ella’s walls?
It’s been a while since I read The Secret, but Ella seems to be the same girl. Smart and determined to do things her way, stubborn the core, with self-worth so low that she’s constantly worrying about bringing Micha down to her level. She has spent her entire life taking care of everyone and just doesn’t know how to let go and allow Micha to help her. She worries about everything so much, especially the possibility of succumbing to the craziness that drove her mother to suicide. She feels the depression creeping in more and more every day but doesn’t know how to accept her therapists help to improve….until she hits rock bottom with a nervous breakdown. Then things finally start to improve for her, learning how to breathe through the bad stuff and focus on the good.
Micha, my badass Micha, is one of my top swoon-worthy males. He has that great combination of being a total rocker badass, but also being a complete sweetheart to Ella. He is so completely in love with her (and always has been) and is determined to pull her through whatever shit she’s gotten herself into and show her that she isn’t like her mother and she’s amazing. Even when Ella fucks up royally****SPOILER****and convinces him that she cheated so he’ll break up with her because she’s in the middle of a nervous breakdown****END SPOILER**** he still can’t bring himself to hate her or abandon her. She’s the center of his life, whether she likes it or not and now amount of depression or craziness is going to push him away. He’s only downfall is the fact that she demands Ella not hide her problems from him when he hides his sometimes, worried that she can’t handle it. Dude, that’s not how it works. It’s a give and take and if you hide things, you can’t expect her to act any differently.
Ella and Micha have to be Jessica Sorensen’s crowning achievement. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Callie & Kayden and all their side characters, but there is just something more magical about Ella & Micha’s story. These two have that all consuming romance that most people would kill for and I just can’t get enough. They are so attached to the other that it’s impossible to really imagine life with anyone else. These two give hope to everyone who searches for that lifelong love. Even though it’s obvious that they have problems, it’s equally clear that they will figure out a way through it.
We get a bit more of Lila and Ethan here, a taste I expect of what the next novel will be like. I’m pretty excited to see those two finally get together because there is definitely something there, despite how much they both deny it. We get a glimpse at a few other side characters, but the story focuses on Ella & Micha pretty tightly so there isn’t room for much else.
Though I had a nervous suspicion this would venture into love triangle territory to provide adequate conflict for these two, it never does. There is a new possible partner for each character but neither shows interest in anything other than a platonic relationship, thank goodness. I would have hated to see Ella & Micha’s love degraded in that manner. They both seem above the cheating path and I’m glad to see that Sorensen agrees on that point. And no cliffhangers either, the story wrapping completely, so well that I was suprised to learn there would be/is another sequel about them, not just Lila and Ethan spinoffs. Not that I’m not excited to read more of then, I just hope they don’t get put through too much more drama. They deserve a happily ever after.
Why can’t all NA authors write this well? Jessica Soresen has proved over and over that she is a master of this genre, making me love her characters and their stories even when I don’t initially like them. All aspects are perfect, making me feel the characters pain, making me curious about the past that caused whatever hangups they have in the present, and drawing me into perfectly steamy love scenes. Her characters are so deeply flawed, but lovable. The type of character you can’t help but sympathize with and root for. I eargerly await the chance to get ahold of her next novel. I can only hope Lila and Ethan’s tale is half as enthralling as Ella & Micha’s is! If you like contemporary romance, NA, or are just a fan of Jessica’s other works, definitely pick up this series. It doesn’t disappoint!
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