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A**R
More, please...and thank you!
Most people who know me know that I am as loyal as they come when it comes to authors I love. Their books become my go-to reads and they become a part of my battered soul, filling in the broken cracks and leaving a healing mark. Belle Aurora is part of that club.I first stumbled upon this author when she published Friend-Zoned. The level of love I had for that story was borderline unhealthy, as I read it about 40 times by now, and gifted it even more than that. This is because this author knows how to craft a character, tell a story, invoke emotions, tug at the heartstrings and have you breaking out your proverbial pompoms to cheer characters and the events alike. That is how that whole Friend-Zoned series reads, and Lev is no different.Levβ¦my sweet, naΓ―ve, unsure, adorably clueless, immaculately dressed, honest, blunt, scarred and triumphant man. He is everything you hope he is, nothing he thinks he is and just enough of what he wants to be. He welcomes into his life a very lost girl, Mina, who turns out to be more like him than even he realizes. Both are lost and trying to find their way, both are somewhat damaged by their past and both want to be more and donβt know how. Their behavior is ingrained, their actions desperate, and their reasoning justified. But at the end of the day, will any of those things be able to be changed?How does a girl in poverty and a man steeped in affluence find common ground? Well, they start out by balancing each otherβs weaknesses with strengths, support what is right, discourage what is wrong, try to look forward and never behind and, most of all, impart patience. They wait for each other to learn, grown, accept, embrace, and catch upβ¦all while holding each otherβs hand and leaning on each other in all aspects. Each one is coming from a different situation, yet the same place emotionally.There was something so special about this story and these characters. Watching them each change from who they thought they were, who they actually were and who they soon became, was magical. It was like watching the transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly. It was emotional to endure some of their truths, but it was encouraging to watch them overcome themβ¦especially together. By the end, the door that was always closed and locked up tight, which is symbolic of so much, was finally open in a true display of the world being fully open for the taking, filled with new adventures, love and possibilities. In one simple move, Lev left behind the anchor that held him back and chose to embrace the winds in his sailsβ¦and he wanted Mina with him for the ride.Belle writes some of the best secondary characters in literature today. The kind of characters that make you long for a own book of their own and hear their unique story, and this book was no exception. Every secondary character added true value and dynamic and you slowly saw their own story unfold before your eyes. At the end of the book, you sat and realized you wanted more, and you didnβt care who it was because they were all worthy.I loved every single word of this book. Not just because Belle Aurora wrote it, but because Belle Aurora wrote it right. She writes real characters, with real lives, having real problems, with relatable personalities, believable interaction, comical commentary, lovable and intriguing connections, all of which leave you with a sense of hope for something good, a desire for something more and an excitement of what is yet to come.I, for one, was not disappointed, and I know that as this series continues, I will continue to reap the rewards that the kind of special story telling only Belle Aurora can give. She makes it real, she makes it fun and she just makes you crave more.Well, I want more, and I cannot wait until the day comes that I can indulge in it. Color me eager, waiting and impatient!
V**Y
cute
Very cute love story. Nothing crazy happening her but the character progression was nice as well as the storyline. Could have used another edit though with some words missing or the wrong word used but overall, a nice read.
M**E
Loved Lev and Mina!
I love books with socially awkward heroes or heroines and Lev was exactly that. Mina is living on the streets, desperate for her next meal when she meets Lev, who catches her stealing. Lev comes off as apathetic, precise, quiet and impassive. But from his first encounter with Mina, she strikes a deep chord somewhere within him and he offers to help her. I was a fan of both Lev and Mina immediately. Lev may not be good with feelings or social cues, but he can be intuitive and considerate with the people he cares about. While he may not offer up much in the way of conversation or affection, he does provide loyalty and protection, especially when it comes to Mina. He's very direct in his words and even though he thinks he is incapable of love, it's apparent in Mina's observations that Lev is far from cold-hearted.Mina herself is a fun character. She possesses a certain innocence about her, but she isn't entirely clueless. She's perceptive and compassionate. She appreciates any kind gesture towards her and she also understands the value of good friends and family. Although she is attracted to Lev, their relationship starts out as strictly friendship and it's very sweet and endearing in the way they interact with one another because they seem to understand one another in a way that others do not. Mina isn't looking for a relationship because she has to get her life back on track and Lev simply doesn't do relationships for obvious reasons. However, they are injected into each other's lives so everything becomes intertwined and that comfort they find in one another's presence continues to grow.The development of their relationship, along with Mina and the other characters that are part of Lev's life is at a natural pace and I enjoyed all the different dynamics. There were several times where I laughed out loud by something one of the characters would say, but there were other times when my heart squeezed, too. The cast of secondary characters is great, and I can tell that they have some interesting stories coming up ahead, which I look forward to. Mina came into the story with nothing to lose but now that she's a part of Lev's life, she has everything to lose if Lev doesn't want her to stay. For a guy who doesn't believe in or understand love, would Mina be the exception? I really loved that scene with Lev and the cue cards, definitely a unique one of its kind for something that often happens frequently in books. Fantastic story overall.
L**Y
β¨Uma histΓ³ria de superação e renascimento, o amor tudo fortalece.
β¨Uma histΓ³ria de superação e renascimento, o amor tudo fortalece.Mina, uma menina sofrida e triste, estava sofrendo muito, com fome e suja, ela realmente chegou no fundo do poΓ§o, ela nΓ£o queria fazer mal a ninguΓ©m, mas estava com muita fomeβ¦ quando ela roubou a carteira daquele cara no barβ¦sentada no banheiro analisando, resolveu pegar apenas o necessΓ‘rio e deixar jogada a carteira em algum canto com o restante do dinheiro.Quando ela abriu porta deu de cara com uma parede de mΓΊsculos, quando ela olhou para cima foi confrontada, nΓ£o restou outra solução a nΓ£o ser contar a verdade.Lev, ficou surpreso, na carteira tinha dinheiro o suficiente para ela usar por semanas, e ela pegou apenas 100 dΓ³laresβ¦ algo lhe atingiu e ele deu duas opçáes, vocΓͺ me devolve o dinheiro e eu te ajudo com um emprego ou chamo a polΓcia.Lev ficou olhando de perto onde ela ia sem ela perceber e quando ele viu o local onde ela morava, algo atingiu ele bem no coração π, e levou essa garota estranha para sua casa, surpreendendo a todos de sua famΓlia, pois ele nΓ£o deixava ninguΓ©m se aproximar de mais.Mina estava muito agradecida por ele ter ajudado, mais nΓ£o entendia porquΓͺ ele era tΓ£o sombrio e conversava pouco. Logo mina comeΓ§ou seu treinamento na boate e fez uma grande amiga (irmΓ£ de lev), aos poucos todos eles foram tornando uma famΓlia que ela nunca teve.Conforme o tempo foi passando, Mina comeΓ§ou a se sentir atraΓda por Lev, queria saber mais sobre ele, sempre foi calado e se mantinha afastado.SerΓ‘ que Mina vai conseguir chegar perto de Lev e quebrar sua proteção?VocΓͺ caro leitor vai se emocionar com essa histΓ³ria, a superação de Mina e Lev, ambos os dois sofreram muito na vida e quando vocΓͺ conhecer a histΓ³ria de cada um vai aquecer o seu coração esse romance. Vai ter algumas reviravoltas e surpresas nessa histΓ³ria. O final do livro Γ© tΓ£o lindo β€οΈ ganhou meu coração esse casal.
K**R
Fantastic read couldn't put it down
Fab read really enjoyed this. Different story line for a romance which was brilliant. Loved all the characters and the depth of the book
R**L
Beautiful
An incredible story about someone who was on the outskirts of existence, withering away without food, love, a home, all these things most people take for granted. She finds everything she was missing and so much more.Lev was beautifully awkward but so sincere and real, and Mina was so grateful to him and his family but doesn't let her gratitude keep her from having a backbone.Very believable characters, development, and interesting twists with satisfying endings.
L**Z
Favorite book ever
"π»πππ ππ π΄πππ. πΊππ πππ ππππππππ. π° πππππ πππ. π°βπ πππππππ πππ. πΊππ πππππ ππ. πΊπ ππβππ πππππππ πππππππ .β π¨ππ π° π πππ . π¬ππππππππππππ ππππππ πππ ππ ππ ππππ ππππππ πππππ."Lev is the first book in the Shot Callers series by Belle Aurora. Luckily, it's a complete standalone because no other book has been released yet and the readers have been waiting for 5 LONG YEARS. We know the second book will be Vik. It'll be Vik's and Nastasia's story and we have both the cover and blurb.. But no release date. Finally, we have the title of the last novel, Sasha, which will be about Sasha and Anika.Now, Lev is awesome. I love the sweetness that both the leading characters can display despite their history and their personal traits. I also like the family dynamics and can't wait to read more about the other characters. Lastly, I love that Lev and Mina are extremely different yet they fit perfectly together.β dark romanceβ new adultβ crime/mafiaβ homeless heroineβ complex heroβ family ties
S**S
Imperfection is beautiful
This was my first book I've read written by belle.I thoroughly enjoyed & was lost in the book of wanting to know will mina survive, the hurt, the pain, the frustration, the embarrassments I felt for mina a few tears slipt from my eyes.My heart strings were pulled for Lev, he sound like my nephew (mentally) Lev was imperfect as his beautiful self.Love nas, vik, Sasha to bits & in walks alessio in the picture.It always takes one person to build those burnt bridges & bring people together.I honestly was dreading for the last few chapters I didn't want the book to end. I didn't want Lev & minas story to end...π₯ π₯ π₯ π₯ π₯
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