REVIEW - Live For You (Boys of the South #1) by Marquita Valentine

Title: Live For You
Author: Marquita Valentine
Series: Boys of the South #1
Published: May 17th 2013
Genre: NA Contemporary
Link: Goodreads / Amazon

Summary:
On the surface, twenty-two year old Cole Morgan is exactly what any girl would be proud to take home to meet her parents: He’s charming, intensely handsome and goal-oriented...Only he has some secrets of his own, which include provoking bar fights and a former drug-addict of a mother slowly wasting away in a medical facility. 

At barely twenty, Violet Lynn is Country Music's hottest star, until one night of partying gets out of control. Violet ends up in jail and on TMZ. Suddenly, she’s the girl least likely to be invited anywhere. Sick of the drama and keeping secrets, she runs away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi to her grandmother’s home in Forrestville, North Carolina.

A chance meeting knocks Cole off his feet, but he doesn’t recognize Violet for who she is. In fact no one does and Violet plans to keep it that way. 

Circumstances, however annoying,keep throwing Violet and Cole together. Unable to stop themselves they give into the inevitable.

But when Nashville is ready to forgive and forget, Violet is forced to choose between Cole and claiming her spot as the new and improved Princess of Country Music.

Will Violet and Cole have the courage to live for their dreams...Or their hearts?

4/5

This was a cute and heartwarming read yet at the same time it was so sad and heartbreaking. 

This is the story of Violet Rae Givens who after a landing her self in jail flees to her grandmothers home. Away from the spotlight that comes with being a country music star. Violet Rae's story is an interesting one but it also pulls on your heartstrings. She loses so much more than her good girl image that night and it was great to find out bits and pieces of the story as the book progressed. We don't find out all the details so I'm hoping more will be reveal in the next book. I liked Violet Rae. Even though she has been through so much she is a fighter. She stands up for what she wants and I liked that she stood up to her parents when they tried to tell her what was best. 

The thing that made me love this book though was Cole. Ah Cole. I don't know what it is but I love guys from the south. Maybe it's the accent? Or just everything? Whatever it is I fell in love with Cole. Even though he's only 22 he has to almost single handily care for his family, especially his 6 yr old sister, who is such a little cutie! Not only that he has to manage a bar and the stress of paying bills and paying employees. He has to deal with a lot of shit in his life and he tries to deal with it by getting in to fights to release all the anger and stress. This might seem like he is a real rough character but he is such a sweety. He cares so much for his brother and sister and then when Violet Rae comes into his life you really get to see the caring loving guy underneath. I swooned so much. I want a boy from the south!

The story line kept me engaged. Not much is revealed about both characters at the start so this makes you want to keep reading. I loved watching Rae and Cole's relationship develop into something beautiful. The story is about hope and self discovery and learning to go after what you want in life and not listen to those around you. It had me smiling and laughing and left me with a warm happy feeling inside. 

Cannot wait for the other books in this series. Cole and Rae's story continues in book 2 but book 3 is gonna be about Wyatt and Lacey who we meet in Live for You. I really liked Wyatt and I can't wait to learn more about Lacey. So excited for this book!