(ARC Review) Lead Me Not by A. Meredith Walters

 

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Publication date: August 5th, 2014

My rating: 4 stars

Book summary:

"Aubrey Duncan understands loss. She knows what rock bottom looks like, and she is determined to crawl back up to the top after the sudden death of her younger sister. She blames herself for her part in the tragedy, convinced that she could have done something, anything, to help her.

In her effort to gain redemption, Aubrey starts fresh at Longwood University and facilitates an addiction support group, hoping she can support someone else in the way she failed her sister. But what she doesn’t count on is an all-consuming fascination with group member Maxx Demelo, a gorgeous, blond, blue-eyed enigma who hides dark secrets behind a carefully constructed mask. He only reveals what he wants others to see. But Aubrey glimpses another Maxx hidden below the surface—a Maxx who is drowning in his own personal hell.

As Aubrey and Maxx develop an attraction too intense to ignore, he pulls her into the dark underbelly of the city club scene, where she is torn by her desire to save him and an inexplicable urge to join him in his downward spiral. Worst of all, she is beginning to love everything she should run away from—a man who threatens to ignite in her a fire that could burn her alive…"

      Lead Me Not was my first book by A. Meredith Walters and it was a love at first reading. Beautiful and heartbreaking story about a girl who falls for a wrong guy will be a perfect choice for fans of new adult genre.

      Feels like there's something broken inside... I've been listening new Coldplay album last few days and one of their songs was absolutely perfect as a soundtrack for this book - Ink. Aubrey and Maxx are definition of doomed couple - one thing that connects them is the one that will destroy them. Aubrey is trying to make up for all her mistakes from past and Maxx lives in delusion that he is in control of his life and addiction. She can't say no to him and he can't say no to the drugs. Vicious circle all the way until the end. You are frustrated with how thoughtless Aubrey acts sometimes, but emotions are not the rational  part of human behavior and when it comes to the people we love, none of us can say that they are one hundred percent objective. Maxx is not bad guy and that is the worst part of whole situation - you can see what he can be and you even understand his reasoning for everything he had done. Lead Me Not is a story that will make your heart hurt.

      So what if there are few clichés? Like every new adult novel, this one is full of angst, bad decisions, forbidden love and drama, but still it's nothing that will bother anyone who loves NA. It is even "mellow"  when you compare it with some other novels.

      This is not a standalone. Nope, there will be a sequel, it should be published next year and I can't wait to see what will happen with Maxx and Aubrey.

Happy reading,

  *NOTE: Copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, Gallery Books, via Edelweiss. Thank you!