Review: S. Walden's "LoveLines (The Wilmington Saga #1)".

Review: S. Walden's "LoveLines (The Wilmington Saga #1)". 

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1vBijrv

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/1HkBJt5

Synopsis:

Arrive at work at 7:58 A.M. sharp. Check. Count forty-seven steps to cubicle. Check. Arrange pens in their red-blue-black-green-purple order of importance. Check. Apply hand sanitizer before opening email. Double check.

And that’s just the first few minutes of her work day.

Thirty-one-year-old proofreader Bailey Mitchell is a slave to her tics. She inherited Obsessive Compulsive Disorder from her father, and it’s done nothing but inhibit her love life. She’s run the gamut of boyfriends—none of them willing or able to cope with her condition.

Enter 32-year-old Reece Powell, her new coworker at Beach Elite Marketing Firm. He’s more than willing to cope. He finds her habits cute and quirky... for now. Reece wins her over, and life coasts along for them until Bailey experiences a devastating blow. Tragedy exacerbates her OCD, and Reece realizes her tics aren’t so cute and quirky anymore. Just like all the others, he has the choice to leave.

But Reece isn’t like all the others. 

Review-Jo 

What a gorgeous book to kick 2015 off with. I adored this story. "LoveLines" was a beautiful journey that took me through the imperfections of life and love. I loved, laughed and cried along the way. It was a journey that touched my heart. In this story, love truly did conquer all. 

Because Bailey had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, she struggled throughout most of her life. Everyday was a challenge for her. When I first began to read this story, I wasn't quite sure that I liked Bailey, however with every new chapter I found myself warming to her, more and more. By the time I had reached the half way point, she had a place in my heart. I loved this quirky girl and her OCD rituals. I loved that she was different. I found myself beginning to understand and sympathise with the difficulties she endured because of the world that she was trapped in. Bailey's life was overtaken with daily rules and routine that was virtually impossible for her to break out of. 

It's impossible living a "just so" life. And I don't want to do it, 

but the idea of not counting, not arranging, not tic-ing sends my heart reeling.

Reece came along when he began working for the same company as Bailey. When the pair first met, Reece found himself captivated by Bailey and he was eager to know her better. Reece melted my heart with how he worked his way into Bailey's life. He was aware of her unusual habits and he took the time to understand her and get to know every little thing about her, determined to win a place in her heart.

"Wanna tell me about your condition?" 

"Not really." 

"You brought it up"

"I'm aware." 

"Soooo..."

"You'll run away," 

"I'm a man. I don't run," 

"It's made all the others run away." 

"Because they weren't men." 

Reece embraced that Bailey was different and he fell in love with every single thing about her. I was rooting for this gorgeous guy. I knew that he would be perfect for her. The more I read of the story the more I realised how much Reece needed Bailey in his life, how important she was to him and how he was willing to hand over his heart to her. Everyone needs someone like Reece in their life. Someone who will accept everything about that person and love them because of their imperfections not in spite of them. 

Id much rather you go tic-ing all over my heart and brain.

Together Reece and Bailey made a great team. I loved watching their relationship develop. Just as I thought, they were perfect for each other. Reece wanted to be there for Bailey, he wanted to support her and work through the problems that were caused by her condition. At the beginning of the couple's relationship everything was going beautifully between them. Reece knew how to handle Bailey and deal with any of her OCD behavior. Both in and out of the bedroom, Life was good. Reece was surprisingly quite kinky and domineering. Bailey reveled in Reece's sexy antics. It was a joy to see them so happy and to see how much Bailey flourished with Reece by her side. 

"I'm not a crazy sex freak in general. I'm just a crazy sex freak with you." 

I knew that life wouldn't be perfect forever between the couple. I knew that there could be a chance that Bailey would face a relapse, despite the progress she had made with Reece, When this did happen my heart broke for the couple and I was willing them to get through the bad times together. 

"How do I open your brain and re-wire it, huh? 

How do I rewire it to make me you trust me? Accept me?" 

Not only did this book have two brilliant main characters but is also had some fabulous secondary characters too. I enjoyed Bailey's relationship with her best friend and I also loved getting to know Bailey's family, especially her Dad. Together they shared such a special bond. There was a particular scene between Bailey and her Dad that made me weep. It really pulled at my heartstrings. This story didn't just cover Bailey's relationship with Reece, there was also the relationship between Bailey and her family and how OCD affected every member of the family. 

"Sounds simple enough, but love isn't about you. It's about the person you love. 

And once my heart understood, it freed me from...me." 

So overall, I'm sure you can guess that I truly loved this book. It did take me a while before I was completely immersed in the story and also to become used to the style of writing. The chapters were either written from either Bailey's POV or from a third person's perspective which was different to most books that I have read. However, I soon became hooked and I did not put my kindle down until I had finished. 

If you are looking for a sweet, love story that is a bit different than the norm, I would recommend this book. Although this is the first book in the series it can be read as a a standalone. 

"LoveLines" gets ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ from me.