Austin Stone and Edie Evans are two people who have been waiting for years to find themselves, feel whole, move forward, and be the person they want to be. They did not really realize it but they were also waiting to see each other again. In their late teens they found solace, understanding, a connection and someone to fill the void. But one mistake left them both even more broken, lost, and alone. 

Now they have found their way back together with all of their missing and broken pieces. Are time, regret, promises, and love enough to glue each other back together? Or will they just shatter each other more?

Austin has had a rough life. He is drowning in loss, guilt, shame, and remorse. He left three years ago to get control of himself and figure his life out. But left his brother, Baz, and friends behind. He has grown up,  is using his talents, and has friends. But his past mistakes never leave him. He has a huge void in his life that only Edie could ever help to make better, But her loss just left a larger gaping hold in his heart.

Edie was devastated when Austin broke her trust. She has been hiding ever since. She also left her own brother, Ash, and Austin behind. She is untrusting, haunted, and vulnrable. She tried to be happy in her new life with new friends, but something has always been missing and she distances herself from others.

These two are intense. Their chemistry and connection is undeniable. The fact they can penetrate the other's defenses so easily shows that it never went away. But they have so much pain and history between them. They actually mirror each other. Their double demons helped destroy them individually and broke them apart. He always tried to calm her nightmares while she brought light to his darkness and helped him breathe freely. And now there are still secrets and outside issues that have potential to cause more problems. Austin is being pulled in different directions and is torn. 

They both need hope, heeling, forgiveness, and redemption. But they are both so terrified of trusting, failing, or hurting. They share a tethered bond and need each other for strength.

Every look, every word, every touch can be felt. Their pain bleeds off the page. Their hope and pieces of joy illuminate the darkness. But Austin feels like he always ruins everyone he loves. And her trust is still fragile she has a tendency to run. Will they come together again just to make the same mistakes? And what about their estranged families?

A.L. Jackson always brings the emotion, heartbreak, and devastation. But she also brings passion, love, healing, and hope. She literally paints pictures with her words that pull you into the scenes and make you feel and see it all so clearly.  This like every other book in this series totally captivated me. I was invested in their story from page one and could not stop reading until I was done. My heart hurt and I was tense for most of the entire book, but I was so touched by these two lost souls. I appreciated the continuation of the ocean theme throughout this one and also the various meanings that the title "wait" had to these characters. 

I loved getting a bit more with Baz, Shea, Lyrik, Tamara, Zee and Ash. Austin and Edie also had some interesting new friends since much of the book did not take place in L.A.. I cannot wait for Ash and Zee's books. I love this series, this group of characters, and cannot get enough of the talented A.L. Jackson's emotional, turbulent, beautiful, and lyrical writing style. 

I was gifted a copy in exhange for an honest review. 

 Austin Stone left to find himself after his brother found him passed out after a drug overdose. He has wandered the country for four years trying to figure out what he needs to fill the void in his heart, the void caused by grief and guilt.

Edie Evans hasn’t contacted those she loves in four years as well. Picking herself up from rock bottom has been a challenge, especially since she knows exactly what is missing but can’t get it back.

These two broken individuals found peace with each other once, but careless words broke their easy peace and sent each into tailspins that led in different directions but the same results. Their history, their shared moments of innocent understanding, was both heartwarming and heartbreaking to read. Exactly what each is grieving is held with varying degrees of mystery. Readers understand at least part of Austin’s grief, knowing what we know about his brother, Julian, but Edie’s grief is a little more buried. A little less clear.

I had a hard time with the first half of the book. I’m not sure if it was a pacing issue, or just an issue with my own reading mood at the time, but it took me longer than I was anticipating to really dig into Austin and Edie’s story. It wasn’t until the second half of the book that the pages started flying by for me, and fly they did. I loved the emotions as Edie and Austin made their way back to each other and let each other back in to the place they once were. But though their connection is still there, there is a lot they didn’t share all those years ago, and many hurdles they still have to face, including monsters from the past.

As with all the Bleeding Stars novels, this was an emotional rollercoaster with imperfectly flawed characters battling their own demons. I loved the sweet flashbacks of the comfort Austin and Edie found with each other, and the emotional war they each fought for forgiveness and healing.

Though much of the action takes place away from the rest of the Sunder family, they are still family, and when the band comes into the picture, the family atmosphere abounds (despite Ash’s best efforts to continue the wild, partying ways they once all participated in). Ash’s book, Stay, is due out next, and though the preview doesn’t give much about Ash’s side of the story, his leading lady’s initial scene promises he will have a fight on his hands getting her to trust him, especially with his playboy reputation.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Shit,” I hissed, bracing myself against the spray of the icy shards pelting from the shower head. 

I sucked in a breath, released it between clenched teeth, and forced myself fully under it.

Head dropped and chest heaving as rivers of ice-cold water slicked down my shoulders and back.

But it did nothing to lessen the need. Gave me no sanity or pacification. 

Because all I could think about was the girl on the other side of the door.

My girl. 

In my bed. 

Wearing just her panties and my shirt. 

An angel I wanted to dirty. 

I always had. 

Love was messy like that. 

All of my restraint scattered. I gripped my cock. Squeezed the base. My mouth dropped open at the pressure of my hand against my rigid length.

A fool thinking it might be enough. 

Shit. 

God, I was a bastard, but there was nothing I could do before I was giving in, leaning forward and bracketing my forearm above my head to hold my weight. 

Water pounded down on my head and back while I pounded my fist against my dick. 

Trying to keep silent when all I wanted was to moan, teeth digging into my bottom lip as I pictured the girl spread out for me. 

My breaths were coming short. 

Panted and hard.

I gave into imagining the sounds she would make when I finally got to bury myself in her body.

A soft, soft gasp. 

I slowed, trying to convince myself that throaty sound was all in my mind. 

Just another part of this fantasy.

Until I heard the small thump against the wall. 

Shit. 

I mashed my eyes closed, like it might hide me. 

Conceal the depravity of my actions after I’d just been comforting her hours before. 

Heart thrashing, I turned and moved far enough to peek out the small section where the fabric shower curtain hadn’t been drawn fully closed. 

It was just a little sliver that left me exposed.

But it was enough. When I peered out, I was looking right at my girl pressed up against the wall.

She stared right back at me. 

And I wanted to be horrified, my mind scrambling to conjure every weak apology I could summon. Ready to fucking grovel to keep her from turning and running once again.

Because that’s exactly what I expected her to do.

But her expression…her expression clutched me in the center of the chest and sent what little brain function I had left stampeding south. 

Red, lush lips were parted, her hand pressed to her hollow of her throat, pupils dilated so big that her hooded, cerulean eyes appeared black. Needy breaths were coming at me from that sweet mouth like a goddamned freight train. 

Desire swelled in the confines of the too-tight room. 

Alive. 

She pressed deeper into the wall as if it might support her weakened knees. Head rocked back. Thighs squeezing together. 

Motherfuck. 

My hand shot to the shower wall to steady myself. “Warning you, Edie, you need to get out of here. Right now.”

Stand (Zee)