The Whispering Pages Book Blog

~ Blog Tour Review & Giveaway ~
Breaking Alexandria
by
K.A. Robinson

Release Date: April 1, 2014

~ Synopsis ~

Alexandria’s drug-dealing boyfriend, Joel, isn’t exactly the white knight she’s always dreamed of, but she can’t deny the crazy connection they have. She would do anything for him, including helping him sell drugs in order to fit perfectly into his world.

After catching Alexandria dealing for Joel, instead of turning her into the cops, Alexandria’s mother forces her to move to her grandparents’ farm in West Virginia. Spending the summer in the country, away from Joel, is the last thing Alexandria wants to do. But lucky for her, the sexy farmhand, Landon, who helps out around her grandparents’ place, is a very nice distraction. She tries her best to ignore her attraction to him, especially since she still loves Joel.

When Joel does the unforgivable, Alexandria turns to her new friend, Landon, for comfort, and it ignites an undeniable spark of attraction between them. Soon, she finds herself caught between two very different men, and the struggles within her heart just might end up breaking Alexandria.

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~ Excerpt ~

“Whatever. Even when you’re tired, you never shut up.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Are you trying to tell me that I talk too much?”
“Nah. If you talked too much, I’d just put duct tape over your mouth.”
“At least you’re honest,” I grumbled.

- Landon and Lexi

~ Read the First Chapter ~

Chapter One

I groaned and rolled over to escape the sun shining through the window of Joel’s bedroom. My body tensed as I realized for there to be sunlight, then it must be day. My eyes opened and I grabbed my cell phone from the table beside the bed to check the time. Shit. I was almost three o’clock in the afternoon and I had a ton of voicemails and missed calls. I was so fucked.

I sat up and pulled the blanket up to cover my naked body. I had snuck out of my parent’s house last night after they grounded me for fighting in school again. I thought I could sneak back in this morning before they woke up, but that obviously wasn’t going to happen now.

My eye’s traveled to Joel as he snored lightly beside me. The sun was directly on his back, showing the skull and crossbones tattoo that covered most of his back. His normally guarded expression was gone while he slept. Joel looked like the typical badass, but he was so much more. His body was covered in tattoos. And when I say covered, I mean covered. There was barely an inch of him that didn’t have ink with the exception of his face. His hair was a dark brown color and he kept it just a bit shaggy. His eyes were a starling green color that made you stop and look twice. He had cheekbones and a face that would make any male model jealous.

I smiled dreamily as I thought about our night together. At twenty-two, he was five years older than me, but our age gap never seemed to bother him. We’d been together for almost a year now and I couldn’t be happier. I’d met him at my cousin’s graduation party two years ago and I’d instantly developed a crush on him. He hadn’t paid me any attention then, but when I started hanging out with some of his younger friends that were in high school with me, I’d finally gotten him to notice me.

I’d been drunk that night and braver than usual. He had been surrounded by girls much older than me, but I had shoved through them and walked straight up to him. He’d raised an eyebrow when I stopped in front of him, but I simply hopped onto his lap and kissed him until I couldn’t breathe. After I was finished, I stood up and walked away.

We’d been together ever since then. My parents weren’t happy that I was dating someone so much older who was covered head to toe in tattoos, but I’d sworn to them over and over that we weren’t having sex. Obviously that was a lie, considering where I woke up at just now, but they didn’t need to know that.

Joel was trouble. I knew that before I got with him, but I still took a chance and I was glad that I did. Everyone knew he was the son of the town drunk and it showed. Joel had one hell of a mean streak. Even when he was in high school, everyone was terrified of him. He had been kicked out more times than I could count for fighting. On top of that, everyone knew he was the go-to-guy if you needed a fix. He’d later explained to me that he’d started selling drugs to help pay the bills that his dad never worried about, but he was good at it and he stuck with it even when he could have left this town and started fresh.

He was already living on his own by the time we met and I was glad. I wasn’t sure how I would handle seeing the man that abused him for years without trying to cause him as much pain as he did to Joel. I knew it had been years since Joel had talked to his father, but it still bothered me.

“Joel, wake up. I need to leave.” I said as I nudged his shoulder.

He groaned in his sleep, but refused to open his eyes. I sighed as I started nudging his shoulder harder. His eyes finally opened when I started smacking him on the ass. He shielded his eyes as he rolled over to look at me.

“What?” He grumbled.

“I need to go home, like right now. We slept in.” I said as I stood up and started looking for my clothes.

“You’re already in trouble. Why hurry home to be yelled at?” He asked as he sat up.

He didn’t bother to cover himself and I couldn’t bring myself to look away from his naked body. I loved the trail of black hair that led down his stomach to… other places. His nose was a bit crooked from being broken more than once, but it didn’t take away from his appearance. If anything, it made him look sexier and dangerous. His eyes his best feature by far though. They held a vulnerability in them that made you want to crawl into his arms and try to make everything better.

He was in great shape. I guess he had to be when you dealt with strangers who were high and desperate for their fix on a daily basis. The muscles in his arms were well defined and his chest was as hard as a rock. I loved curling up in his arms, I always felt like he could protect me from anything.

“I don’t want to make it worse.” I said as I located my clothes. They were next to the door, making it obvious as to how they came off. We’d barely made it to his room before he started stripping me.

“Your parents suck. Why do they care about you fighting so much? At least they know their kid can defend herself. Personally, I’d be proud.” He said as he stretched.

“They’re sick of me getting kicked out of school. Something about college and doing something with my life.”

“I fought and look at me. I’m living the high life.” He said as he grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes even though I knew he had a point. He used drugs occasionally, but he sold more than anything and he’d made quite a lot of money doing it.

“I’m sure they’d be so proud of me if I decided dealing drugs was going to be my career choice in life. I might even get daughter of the year award.”

He grinned as he watched me pull my shorts on. I still couldn’t find my underwear so I decided to skip them.

“Looking for these?” He asked as he held my underwear up.

I walked over to the bed and held my hand out. “Come on, I need to hurry. Give them to me.”

“Make me.” He taunted.

I grumbled as I reached for them, but he held them just out of my reach. “Damn it, Joel.”

He reached up and pulled me back onto the bed. “Maybe I don’t want you to go home. Maybe I should hold your underwear for ransom so that you’ll stay.”

“Keep them. I’ll get them another time.” I tried to sit up, but he kept me pinned against him.

“Stay for a little while longer. We can light up and have some fun.”

“I can’t go home stoned. That’s just asking for trouble.”

“But you could go home thoroughly fucked.” He said as he ran his fingers down my back.

I shivered. “I could, but I need to leave.”

“I’ll make it quick.” He said as he started pulling my shorts down my legs.

“Joel…”

“Shhh, you know you want to.”

Of course I wanted to, but I was already in so much trouble.

He silenced my protests as he rolled me onto my back. His naked body was tight against mine and I could feel just how much he wanted me. He tweaked both of my nipples with his fingers, making me moan. Fuck it, going home would have to wait.

“Oh, fuck.” I said as he nudged my opening with his dick.

He leaned down and ran his tongue down my throat and across my breasts. I arched my back, trying to get as close to him as possible. His hands traveled down my body to my core and he started rubbing my clit. His dick was still at my entrance, teasing me as I tried to adjust my body so that he would enter.

“I thought you had to go home.” He taunted.

“I do, but I thought you said you wanted to fuck me.”

“Oh, I do. Grab the bed posts.”

I did as he said, preparing myself for his entry. He didn’t disappoint – he slammed into me hard enough that I had to hold onto the bed posts to keep myself from moving up the bed. I gasped out his name as he pulled out and ran his thumb along my clit. God, I was going to kill him for torturing me.

“Again.” I said as I shifted again, trying to force him to enter me.

“You like it rough, don’t you, baby?” He teased.

“You know I do.” I groaned.

He ran his hands over my body before grabbing my hips and thrusting into me again. Over and over again, he slammed into me until I was gasping for breath. He wasn’t gentle and I didn’t expect him to be. It was just the way we were. He liked rough sex and I was happy to oblige.

I wrapped my legs around his waist to allow him to go deeper as I met him thrust for thrust. His grip on me tightened as he came closer to his release. I couldn’t hold out much longer either, I was so close. He continued to pound into me as he reached between us and flicked my clit and sent me screaming into my orgasm. My legs clamped tighter around him as I came. His thrusts became harder and more erratic as he came with me.

My body went limp and I could see again once my orgasm left me. Joel was panting above me with his forehead resting against mine. Once his breathing returned to normal, he slipped out and rolled to his side.

“I told you I’d make it quick.” He said as he grinned over at me.

“Yay for you.” I said as I stuck my tongue out at him.

He continued to grin as he leaned over and kissed me. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

We both dressed quickly, trying to hurry. Now that I wasn’t staring at Joel’s naked body, the need to get home was strong. I knew I was in trouble, but I just didn’t care. I was tired of spending all of my time trying to figure out ways to get around my parent’s rules.

I knew fighting didn’t solve anything, but it sure as hell made me feel better. I’d made quite a few enemies since Joel and I had become a couple, especially from the female population, but I didn’t really give a fuck. He was mine and if anyone tried to come between us, I’d take care of them.

I wasn’t the sweet and innocent girl that I’d been before I’d met Joel. He’d changed me, but for the better. Before him, I’d rarely drank and I never got in trouble. Now, I did what I wanted and I didn’t care what anyone thought of me. I had no friends of my own, I only hung out with his. It didn’t bother me though, I hated girls. My solitude and bad attitude usually led to rumors that I was on drugs or helping him sell them – which I was, so they didn’t bother me either.

It made most people leave me alone, but there was always some dumb skank who thought she could talk about me or try to push me around. Joel had taught me how to fight since he brought me along to deals or even sent me out to do them if he was busy, so I knew how to take care of myself. The girls that talked about me or tried to start fights with me? They always ended up with blood dripping down their faces as the cowered on the floor.

I knew most people that were aware of the fact I was helping Joel deal thought I was nuts, but I considered it a normal part of our relationship. Besides, he never sent me out on deals that were dangerous. He always handled those on his own. I tried to help him as much as possible, knowing that if I got caught I wouldn’t end up in as bad of a situation as he would since I was under eighteen.

I never used drugs, with the exception of weed. While I had no problem dealing, I didn’t want to end up as one of the addicts I supplied. They were gross and pathetic. Joel smoked weed a lot, but as far as I knew, that was the only thing he did. We both knew that if he started using, his profits would disappear.

We walked down the steps from the house to where he had his Harley parked outside. He was the only guy I knew that was confident enough in his bad ass reputation to leave his bike out on the street all night. I grabbed my helmet and put it on before climbing on the bike behind him. I wrapped my arms around him as it came to life and we tore down the street. The ride was short, but exhilarating. I loved being on his bike more than anything else. I’d made him promise me that we would go for a road trip the summer I turned eighteen. I wanted out of this town and my parents. I just wanted to be free.

We arrived in front of my house faster than I would have liked. While I was in a hurry to get home, I hadn’t taken the time to mentally prepare myself for the fight that was sure to ensue. Sure enough, the front door flew open as soon as Joel parked. My mother stomped down the sidewalk to where we were sitting before I even had the chance to take my helmet off.

“Get. Inside. Right. Now!” She shouted.

I sighed as I pulled my helmet off. This should be fun.

“I can explain…” I started, but she held up her hand to stop me.

“I don’t want to hear it. Inside the house, now.”

I kissed Joel’s helmet and hopped off the bike. He started it back up and left, leaving me to deal with my mother alone. Asshole.

“Mom, let me explain.” I started again, hoping that she would let me talk. “I just wanted to see him for a little bit. I only planned to stay with him for an hour or two, but I fell asleep when we were watching a movie. I woke up and started freaking out.”

“You never should have went to him in the first place. You’re grounded.”

“You can’t keep us apart. I love him and he loves me!” I shouted.

“You have no idea what love even is, Alexandria! You’re still a child.”

“Yeah, I do. I know what I feel for him is love and there is nothing you can do to change that.”

I stomped past her, focusing on the front door in front of me. Once I made it inside, I hurried upstairs to my room. She followed, obviously not finished with me.

“You are not to leave this house for a week. You were kicked out of school for the rest of the week and since you don’t need to be there, you don’t need to be anywhere.”

“What does it even matter? This is the last week of school anyway. If I hadn’t been suspended, I would have skipped anyway.”

My mother shook her head. “I will never understand you, Alexandria. You’re not my baby girl anymore and I have no idea what happened to you. I’d blame Joel, but this attitude of yours started long before him. If things don’t change, I’ll…”

“You’ll what? You might as well figure out what you’ll do to me, because this is me and I won’t change who I am to make you happy.”

“You’re destroying yourself, Alexandria. Look at you – you’re as thin as a twig. You’ve dyed your beautiful blonde hair black and put red through it. You won’t listen, you have no respect for your father or me.” She glared at me. “And don’t even get me started on those piercings in your lip and nose. They look horrible.”

“Don’t forget my tattoo. I know how much you love it.” I said sarcastically. I’d come home almost three months ago with a tattoo on my left arm. It covered most of my inner arm from my elbow to my wrist. I wasn’t eighteen yet, but Joel’s friend was a tattoo artist so he did it for me. I’d wanted a tattoo forever, so I jumped at the opportunity to get one. I drew the design myself. At the top was a skull that ended with partial butterfly wings. Below that was a blue rose. I loved it even though I’d ended up being grounded for a month when my mother saw it.

I really wasn’t sure why she was so angry over it. I came home with new body modifications all the time now. I would have thought she’d be used to it by now. Currently, I was rocking a septum piercing and a nostril piercing in my nose along with looped snakebite piercings.

“I’m tired of your attitude, Alexandria. Enough is enough.”

“I love you and dad, but I’m tired of being looked down on by both of you. This is my life and I’ll live it however I want to. I don’t have an attitude, I just can’t handle how you freak out over every little thing.”

My mother’s nostrils flared as she tried to control her temper. She closed her eyes and I watched as she counted to ten under her breath. Her entire body sagged the second she hit ten. It was like someone dropped a ton of bricks on her shoulders.

“I don’t know what you expect from me, Alexandria. I refuse to just sit here and I watch you self-destruct.”

I stared at my mother as she spoke. She looked tired, the kind of tired that comes from worrying. Her blonde hair was hanging limply around her face and there were lines around her mouth and eyes that I hadn’t noticed before. Her hazel eyes that were identical to mine had fear in them. I felt a twinge of guilt for causing her to worry, but I pushed it away.

“I don’t expect a damn thing from you.”

~ Links to Buy ~

Amazon ** Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble ** iBooks

~ Review ~

I have been waiting to get my hands on this book and it did not disappoint. This is another amazing read from K.A. Robinson.

Alexandria is in love with her boyfriend Joel and therefore overlooks somethings that she probably shouldn't. She has adapted to Joel's way of life and in the process has turned into a person unrecognizable to her parents.

When faced with choice between having her way or protecting the love of her life, she chooses Joel. Forced to spend time apart at her Grandparents farm for the summer Alexandria's parents hope it will be a turning point.

Enter Landon, the good 'ole country boy. You could tell that Landon was more taken with Lexi than he let on. Their name calling and banter kept me entertained and brought a smile to my face on more than one occasion.

However, I was #Team Joel. I guess I like the underdog. Lexi's arrival at her grandparents had her just as devoted to Joel as before but with limited cell service and no response to texts Lexi starts to doubt the strength of their relationship.

When curiosity gets the best of her, she breaks her grandparents rules and heads back home with Landon in toe. Only to discover her worst fears have come true. With her heart torn out and unwilling to listen to anything that Joel has to say Lexi decides to forget Joel and try to move on.

Will Alexandria be able to put her heart back together and make a go of it with Landon or will Joel haunt her until she breaks? Is she strong enough to accept the truth, deal with the pain and guilt and find a way to survive? Can Alexandria be repaired?

Well now if I answered all of those questions what would be the point in you reading this book. I love the characters and the revelations that are revealed. K.A. Robinson delivered another amazing story that had me at times, elated, screaming at my kindle, No! NO! NOOOOOO!, reduced to tears and in all wrapped up in a nice little bow.

~ Rating ~

~ Other Books by K.A. Robinson ~

Add to Goodreads

Links to Buy

Amazon ** Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Add to Goodreads

Links to Buy

Amazon ** Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Add to Goodreads
Links to Buy
Amazon ** Amazon UK
iTunes ** Barnes & Noble

Shattered Ties
(The Ties Series #1)

~ Add to Goodreads ~

~ Links to Buy ~

Amazon ** Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble ** Smashwords ** Kobo

Twisted Ties
(The Ties Series #2)

~ Add to Goodreads ~
~ Links to Buy ~
Amazon ** Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble ** Smashwords ** Kobo

~ About the Author~

K.A. Robinson is the New York Times and USA Today Best Selling Author of The Torn Series and Shattered Ties. She lives in West Virginia with her husband and toddler son. When she isn't writing, she loves to read dystopian, zombie, and New Adult books. She has an addiction to Caribou and Starbucks coffee.