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Beautiful Boy

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One introverted girl.
One extroverted guy.
One assignment.
One afternoon.
Then everything changed…


“You destroyed me.”


Novah wanted nothing more than to walk away, never see him again. She was determined to pick up the pieces of her tarnished reputation and move on. Her torture became her muse, earning her well-deserved notoriety for capturing beauty with her lens. She had come full circle. She had it all…until he returned.


Nolan found himself surrounded by the grim facets of life, no longer the prominent boy from an affluent family who’d caught Novah’s eye. The years had been unkind and left him in the dark, painful trenches of life. He needed her help.


Fifteen years can equate to a lifetime of change, neither one the same person they once were. Despite the humiliation, the latent wounds, the missing years…they’re destined to heal one another in unexpected ways.


“You saved me.”

400 pages, ebook

Published January 28, 2017

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About the author

Leddy Harper

32 books1,312 followers
Leddy Harper had to use her imagination often as a child. She grew up the only girl in a house full of boys. At the age of fourteen, she decided to use that imagination and wrote her first book, and never stopped.

She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters.
The decision to publish her first book was made as a way of showing her children to go after whatever it is they want to. Love what you do and do it well. Most importantly Leddy wanted to teach them what it means to overcome their fears.

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5 stars
75 (28%)
4 stars
103 (38%)
3 stars
69 (25%)
2 stars
11 (4%)
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8 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
Profile Image for Rachel  L.
1,938 reviews2,397 followers
May 3, 2016
3 stars

I was a big fan of Leddy’s Harpers My Biggest Mistake, such an angsty emotional read. So going into Beautiful Boy I didn’t really know what to expect, I didn’t even read the blurb. This book is about two teens who work on a school project together, and they act on the attraction between them. Consequences come into play and it alters their lives for years later when the two reconnect.

The first 20% or so of this book was a huge slam dunk for me, it had everything! Lots of emotions and feelings flying everywhere and I couldn’t wait to read what happened next. But after 20%.... it felt like an entirely different book from the one I started. Which isn’t a bad thing, but the flow of the book completely changed and I found it hard to get back into the swing of things. Plus everything that was happening was internal dialogue instead of actions.

I had a hard time putting my finger on Nolan, sometimes I hated him, and other times I felt for him. He was a complicated hero and not easy to figure out. Novah was a strong heroine and didn’t seem to let the past prevent her from being tough when she needed to be, she was a survivor.

If you are looking for an emotional and shocking read, this is the book for you. Leddy is a compelling writer and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Jacqueline's Reads.
2,926 reviews1,507 followers
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
May 1, 2016
DNF 50% mark

It PAINS me to do this because I LOVED My Biggest Mistake, but I was seriously questioning if the same author wrote this book.

I wouldn’t say Beautiful Boy is bad, I would just say, I felt like I was going into one thing and then it turned out to be something else, but at that point, I was invested in the original thing, I COULD NOT GET OVER IT.

It really did hinder my experience.

I basically started the book and it was good. I was hooked from the first page and I got to know the Heroine, she’s a photographer.

Then we slowly find out something happened to her in the past and it was because of HIM.

At this point, I was thinking, oh man, I’m going to get this angst filled tension filled book with a lot of pent-up sexual frustrating right?

Nope. The best way to explain it is that the book becomes something different from what I expected, it’s not bad, it’s just different.

At this point, I’m confused and wished she started out with this shift, instead of the original storyline. I couldn’t connect with the characters nor could I understand the issue. There’s so much tension coming from the Hero’s side, I was left scratching my head. Like wait…. Shouldn’t she be mad at him? Where is all of this coming from?

The book starts to get deeper and I again, couldn’t connect with it. I couldn’t understand the meaningful dialogue, I couldn’t feel the character’s emotions and at that point I told myself I had to stop reading.

I still love the author, just highly disappointed this one didn’t work out for me.

READ on Kindle Unlimited
Profile Image for Jenny - TotallybookedBlog.
1,858 reviews2,068 followers
April 29, 2016
description

“Fifteen years ago, you showed me something beautiful, but it became ruined, tainted, turning our moment into a nightmare- for us both. We were too young to defend ourselves, which left our fate in the hands of others.”

We love Leddy Harper; her writing is beautiful and her characters demand such attention. Beautiful boy is the epitome of a second chance at love. The premise that when you give your heart to another, you truly give it circumstances and life be damned. We had a brief snapshot of a soul destroying moment in the past which heavily played into the present for Nolan and Novah. Whilst we would’ve loved more from their teens, been allowed to live it with them and what transpired we did thoroughly feel its impact now that they’re in their thirties.

‘I’d found myself clinging to the emptiness, scared of what I’d be without it. Because in my mind, letting it go didn’t mean it’d be replaced with the opposite. No. It’d be replaced with absolutely nothing. And if I had nothing…I’d have even less to live for that I do now. And that’s what scared me.’

We did find that the story was a tad on the slow side. We completely understood the poignancy and beautiful human element of this story. Of healing and redemption. However the focus was lost along the way until towards the end where it picked up and re-stole our complete and undivided attention. Yes, healing is a long drawn out process and knocking down barriers to find your true self takes blood, sweat and tears.

‘I want to hit play. I want to live.’

In order to fully love another and live unburdened you need to heal, love and fight for yourself. Beautiful Boy showed us just that with stunning writing and a hero and heroine who grabbed our hearts and never let go from start to finish. It is clear to see where Leddy Harper got inspiration from and this story truly is that. Inspiring.

‘Because with her, I felt no pain. Because with her, I wasn’t in the dark. Because with her, I wasn’t…me. Because with her…I was somebody.’

description

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April 25, 2016
3.5 Second-chance Stars

 photo CDCDBD53-2192-4B23-8D33-AC14B4978BD3_zpsobpwxdwi.jpg


Well, I gotta admit, I have a love/hate thing going on with this book. Beautiful Boy, by it's book blurb attracted my attention right off the bat. Couple that with a hot as heck great book cover and the fact that I five-starred Leddy Harper's last book My Biggest Mistake, I figured this book would be a slam dunk winner. Add to it a certain plot trope (that I'm not gonna give away), and I found myself texting all my blogger buddies at 20% to hurry and pick this one up. That being said, as the book progressed, it fell a bit short in my high expectations.

Beautiful Boy is a second chance romance that starts out when two teens do what teens do...they find a connection and one thing leads to another, and bam, they fool around. Nothing too unusual there. It's only when Nolan, our hero, takes pictures of this encounter and they get spread throughout the school that things between them become a complete cluster f@ck array.

Novah's life has been permanently affected by the events of that high school debacle. Nolan, being 18-years old, drops off the radar while she, as a 15-year old freshman, is left to piece together what's left of her soiled reputation.

"Everything has a positive and a negative side. Everything. You can sit back and only think about what you’re missing or what you can’t do, and then live life watching everyone and everything pass you by. Or, you can find the good side and live in it.”

Fast forward 15 years... They meet again. Is he still the self-assured rich boy that doesn't have to own up to his mistakes? Is she the shy, introvert with the reputation to 'spread them' on command? Have the past 15 years done anything to lesson the hate Novah's got festering for this sickening man?



So here's the thing. This is one of those tropes where nothing is as it seems.. I really felt this book had a lot of the things I love in those love/hate second chance romances. I really thought I'd hate Nolan with every fiber of my being and I ended up with a total bleeding heart for him. Novah surpassed all expectations for a victim such as she was over a decade ago. I'm not entirely sure events as they played out, a victim could morph into such a profound support person. Baggage and all that.

My little issue with this book is not a lot of 'stuff' happens within the pages. It's a ton of dialogue and working out deep-seated issues. It felt like an insta-love and had we gotten more time with them in their younger years forming their bond, that it would maybe justify their connection 15 years later. But the time spent on their past was seriously just a chapter in the book- and seriously just a one-night stand. So I felt this emotional connection was a bit underdeveloped both early-on and in current time. Because of that, I was fairly bored with the almost constant psychoanalytical-type dialogue between the two. Not a lot of time passes in this book. Maybe two or three weeks? No meeting of the parents or building of a relationship to finish the book in the way it did.

That all being said, Leddy Harper can write seriously emotional plots and her writing style is beautiful. Regardless of the insta-love feel to it, Leddy has a way of really bringing out the empathy with her heroes/heroines. She's a go-to if you're in the mood to shed a tear and just tug at the heart strings.

So, if you're in the mood for a love story that'll deliver a very imperfect and painfully scarred hero with a heroine that knows just how to fix him, and you're not deterred by quick love connections, this one delivers. Looking forward to more from Leddy Harper.



Advanced copy received by author in exchange for my honest review.



Profile Image for Angela (Reading Frenzy Book Blog).
983 reviews466 followers
Want to read
May 4, 2016
DNF @ 50%

It's not often that I do not finish a book. If you'd told me in the beginning I wouldn't be able to finish, I would have said, "No way, Jose!" I enjoyed the first quarter or so of the book. Interesting conflict. Quality writing. Good plot progression. I'm not sure what happened. The characters started acting in ways I found difficult to understand and I struggled to remain interested. The story became too choppy but dragged out at the same time. It just didn't work for me, but it may appeal to others who like tortured heroes.

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**

Reading Frenzy Book Blog
Profile Image for Liz.
202 reviews21 followers
Read
May 1, 2016
Dnf. Sorry, I guess I'm in the minority opinion

Profile Image for Donna ~ The Romance Cover.
2,798 reviews319 followers
May 3, 2016
Beautiful Boy by Leddy Harper
3.5 stars!!

“Maybe you need to find yourself before you can be found by anyone else.”


Once again Leddy Harper has penned a beautiful, emotional novel that managed to tug on so many emotions as I read Nolan and Novah’s story. I have to say that this book was not what I was expecting, from the blurb I was expecting an angst filled ride with love/hate and no second chances, however that was not what was presented. Yes, this is a love story, but most of all it was about Nolan learning to love himself.

“The eyes are the windows to the soul, and I see yours.”


Nolan and Novah fell victim to young naivety fifteen years ago just when a potential love match was in the making. One day, one moment that would be felt for a lifetime ruined that potential. Now fifteen years on their paths cross once again, fifteen years is a long time and a lot of built up hatred, anger and guilt can fester in fifteen long years. Would this be a case of forgive and forget, was what happened fifteen years ago the beginning or the end?

“I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to be happy with someone when I’m unhappy with myself. Or how to love someone when I hate who I am.”


Nolan was hard to love in the beginning, but once you begin to understand just what has happened to him over the past fifteen years you begin to empathise and sympathise. Nolan has the worst case of self-loathing and self-deprecation that I have read about in a long time, he only sees the bad, he only sees the victim, he doesn’t see the kind hearted man underneath who was desperately in need of love.

“You’re beautiful… so fucking beautiful.”


Novah had never forgotten Nolan, after what had happened he was hard to forget for all the wrong reasons, but Nolan got more than he bargained for that day, he got Novah’s heart whether she wanted to give it or not. Novah’s heart has never forgotten that first connection, unsure whether she imagined it, but her heart always told her it was there. Now years after and after several failed relationships the man that she blames for it all waltzes back into her life. She hates him, she loves him, she hates him, she loves him.

“You say you unknowingly gave me your heart. But I unknowingly took it.”


For me, the forgiveness element of this book came way too quick after very little grovelling. I know that the blame was misplaced in the first instance but for her to get to that point and for love to be declared just didn’t scream plausible. I will say that this book is very slow in places but this is where Leddy Harper really drums into you the building of bridges, the downing of walls and barriers and the minds willingness to heal. Nolan had a lot of battles to win, most of which were internal and Leddy Harper really captured Nolan’s fight to win the war. It was an uphill struggle for both of them, Nolan’s willingness to see what Novah saw and Novah’s battle as to how much help was too much after all dependency can be just as bad. Nolan had to fight this one himself but the rewards were bountiful.

“…this isn’t to question you or your abilities…it’s to see if I have what it takes.”
“What it takes for what?”
“What it takes to be the man you see when you look at me. The person you see in my eyes. The man worthy of you instead of the boy that broke you.”


I really think that this book would have benefitted from more of them at school, albeit their dalliance was quick it is intimated that Nolan had admired from afar, I just felt that building that relationship in the beginning would have lessened the insta-love effect and given more credence to their story fifteen years later. This is a book about forgiveness and healing first and foremost, not a lot happens between the pages but is a great insight into one man’s battle to find the love within.

“…at least I didn’t have to worry about my life turning into ashes anymore. I’d been burned enough. And I had the scars to prove it.”


www.theromancecover.com
Profile Image for Sybil aka Lala.
478 reviews214 followers
April 29, 2016
If you’re looking for a book that can take you to the extremes of frustration, sadness and happiness – then you probably don’t need to look much further than Beautiful Boy.

It wasn’t an easy read by any means. It’s an intense exploration of depression, loss, trauma, humiliation and the conventional notion of beauty. It takes these notions and lays out what it truly means to be beautiful and a survivor and what it takes to forgive. It drags you through many difficult emotions but ultimately leaves you with happy tears in your eyes.

The plot itself was quite unique and the first quarter or so was unlike anything I’ve read before. It had me simultaneously feeling extremely emotional and totally proud of a bunch of characters that were mere features in the story. It’s a testament to this author’s ability that she was able to suck me in so completely and care about a bunch of strangers.

The rest of the book was a slow, yet steady, battle with warring emotions. This is a brilliantly written book with many sentences that will make you sit up and think. Ultimately, this book sends a beautiful message and I am glad to have read it.

(ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review)
Profile Image for Shannon.
441 reviews148 followers
April 29, 2016
Review coming! An absolutely consuming and emotional read. Definitely not light or fluffy, and so unexpected.
Profile Image for Gitte TotallyBookedBlog.
2,022 reviews938 followers
April 28, 2016
description

“Fifteen years ago, you showed me something beautiful, but it became ruined, tainted, turning our moment into a nightmare- for us both. We were too young to defend ourselves, which left our fate in the hands of others.”

We love Leddy Harper; her writing is beautiful and her characters demand such attention. Beautiful boy is the epitome of a second chance at love. The premise that when you give your heart to another, you truly give it circumstances and life be damned. We had a brief snapshot of a soul destroying moment in the past which heavily played into the present for Nolan and Novah. Whilst we would’ve loved more from their teens, been allowed to live it with them and what transpired we did thoroughly feel its impact now that they’re in their thirties.

‘I’d found myself clinging to the emptiness, scared of what I’d be without it. Because in my mind, letting it go didn’t mean it’d be replaced with the opposite. No. It’d be replaced with absolutely nothing. And if I had nothing…I’d have even less to live for that I do now. And that’s what scared me.’

We did find that the story was a tad on the slow side. We completely understood the poignancy and beautiful human element of this story. Of healing and redemption. However the focus was lost along the way until towards the end where it picked up and re-stole our complete and undivided attention. Yes, healing is a long drawn out process and knocking down barriers to find your true self takes blood, sweat and tears.

‘I want to hit play. I want to live.’

In order to fully love another and live unburdened you need to heal, love and fight for yourself. Beautiful Boy showed us just that with stunning writing and a hero and heroine who grabbed our hearts and never let go from start to finish. It is clear to see where Leddy Harper got inspiration from and this story truly is that. Inspiring.

‘Because with her, I felt no pain. Because with her, I wasn’t in the dark. Because with her, I wasn’t…me. Because with her…I was somebody.’

description

✦✦✦ TB Blog :TotallybookedBlog
✦✦✦ Come say Hi : TB on Facebook
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✦✦✦Check out: TB on Pinterest
Profile Image for Simply Love Book Reviews.
7,046 reviews840 followers
April 27, 2016
Kitty's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

I cannot believe that I have never read Leddy Harper before. Beautiful Boy just dragged me under and didn’t let me up until the Epilogue. It was powerful, it was emotional and it is definitely making my “Best Reads of 2016” list.

I won’t even try to summarize this story. The story of Novah and Nolan has to be read to understand everything that happened between the two of them throughout their lives. The Prologue sets up the story and then you go on an emotional and heart-wrenching ride through two lives that were inexplicitly changed from one young, stupid act. But, after hearing everything that happened, understanding why Nolan did what he did and the reasons why they both gave in, you know that the two of them belonged together and that whatever obstacles they had to overcome, they would.
The topics that were covered from beginning to end were all strong, powerful ones. From embarrassment to PTSD … from ruination to validation … from hate to love. The two of them went through every emotion possible and came out, in the end, stronger and bigger than either one of them thought they would. Together they could take on the world.

Novah saw good in everything … Nolan couldn’t find the good or the beautiful in anything but Novah. It was a battle that Novah, once she learned the truth, had to fight. She was empathetic, she was serious, she was fun, she was shy, she was strong and she was talented. Nolan, once outgoing and popular is now pessimistic, angry and confused. There were times I wanted to slap him and tell him to get his head out of his ass and then there were times I just wanted to hold him, sooth him and love him. But, when he came around, when he started to see the beautiful around him again and when he finally stood up for himself … he was the man that I knew was lurking beneath the self-pity. He just totally had me heart and soul, from the beginning to the end of the story.

Leddy Harper gave us one beautiful story. She was honest and true to both of these characters from beginning to end. She showed us their passion, pity, support and self-loathing in a way that will leave you breathless, crying and smiling all within one paragraph. She brought out emotions in them that were so close to true life that you really didn’t know if you were reading fiction or non-fiction. The love was true and deep. Her main characters were compelling and her supporting ones were the way real friends would be – supporting, caring and virtuous. Her writing of life was spot on and the Epilogue totally enthralled me. I was awed, I was overwhelmed, I was inspired.

Review copy provided for an honest review.
Profile Image for S.
408 reviews114 followers
May 19, 2016
This review and more: Sharing Inspired Kreations

Ugh. I didn’t care for this book at all. It was just too much on the whiny side. Everything screamed that the reader is supposed to feel sorry for this man, Nolan. I don’t know. I just didn’t get it. It just felt like it was begging for me to care and I just didn’t.

I didn’t like Nolan. He’s annoying. His thoughts just go on and on in a whiny way and it just bothers me. Okay, I understand he went through a lot. I understand he is insecure about how he looks. I do get that. But something about how he just goes on and on about how sorry for himself he feels and oh poor me kind of thoughts, it’s just a bit much and it annoys me.

The story has a nice message. I like how Novah finds the beauty in everything (even some things that society may deem as ugly) through photography. But still I found everything to be too much. Too feel sorry for these people and poor them. It’s asking for too much sympathy in an annoying way.

Because of all the annoying qualities in this story, I wasn’t able to get into the romance. I didn’t like the characters. I wasn’t at all captivated by the story; in fact, I was bored throughout and had to skim my way through parts. This book just wasn’t for me.
Profile Image for ★ Belle The Bibliophile ★.
876 reviews260 followers
Shelved as 'not-interested-anymore'
May 13, 2016
"I knew I wasn’t an ugly girl. I may not have been the prom queen or a runway model, but I wasn’t ugly. I had dark-blond hair, eyes a unique shade of aqua, and a figure most girls would die for. But I had never been about physical appearance. “Real beauty lay on the inside” had always been my philosophy. And because of my beliefs, I did without makeup or trendy clothes to enhance my appearance. I kept to myself at school and only hung out with the few people I considered friends. I was simply a quiet girl. Shy."

Oh for fuck's sake! Cool story, sis. What do you want? A MEDAL??????! Annoying heroine, is ANNOYING. No way. Thanks. Goodbye. There are better books for me to read. Ciao, sister.
Profile Image for Jo - •.★Reading Is My Bliss★.•.
2,415 reviews230 followers
April 26, 2016
Novah was only fifteen years old when her innocence was taken from her by a boy who should have known better. A boy she trusted. A boy who completely humiliated her and crushed her. Her life after that was forever tainted by the memory of that day.

Fifteen years later and Novah is a successful photographer and living a happy life. Then she receives an email from 'him' - Nolan Richards, the boy who destroyed her all those years ago. He has something to prove and is determined to get through to Novah to convince her that her memories of that fateful day are wrong. That, in fact, he was the one whose life was irrevocably changed 15 years ago.

Nolan was a jock in high school, he was one of the rich kids, popular with girls and seemed to have it all. The man who Novah meets 15 years later is not who she thought he would turn out to be. He is still strikingly handsome but he is completely broken. Inside and out. The hate that Novah has harboured for Nolan starts to slowly dissipate as she begins to unravel all the pain he is carrying around inside himself. Novah is determined to show Nolan that life is beautiful and you can find beauty in everything if you only just open your eyes and look.

'Hearing the pain in his voice, the brokenness of his tone, tore me from my fearful state. I knew, beyond a doubt, this man wasn't to be feared. He was to be saved. To be brought back amongst the living and given a reason to fight.'

I loved getting completely caught up in this story, I think I may have highlighted half of it because Leddy does such a wonderful job at sewing words together in such a way that I found myself re-reading them just to enjoy the way they made me felt over and over again.

'You're alive. Make this life mean something. Don't let it go to waste.'
Profile Image for Jen.
3,248 reviews
April 28, 2016
Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.

Note: This ARC was provided by InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review.

I'm feeling a bit torn. While I liked the journey that Novah and Nolan decided to embark upon fifteen years after their lives imploded, I found it difficult to believe that the feelings they had for each other were as strong as they were, considering their one interaction in high school resulted in something so traumatic and they didn't have any contact in the decade and a half they were apart. I also think Novah's change of heart was too sudden, because I was certainly expecting her to struggle trusting him. I was more drawn to Nolan's difficulty in seeing himself as someone who was worthy of still being alive and having a second chance with the only girl who's occupied his thoughts for almost half his life. I did like how Nolan and Novah tried to figure out where their relationship was headed. It was plausible that one event was all it took to leave an indelible mark for the rest of their lives. Nolan was a very complex, tortured character and one I won't immediately forget. Overall, Beautiful Boy was a good and interesting four-starred read. ♥
Profile Image for Pauline.
271 reviews1 follower
April 30, 2016
Difficult for me to believe she would succumb to him so quickly after 15 years of hatred. Frustrated me constantly, hence did not finish.
Profile Image for aNneMarLi - Chatterbooks Book Blog.
416 reviews292 followers
April 21, 2016



4.0 BEAUTIFUL BOY STARS!!!
“What was that for?” I asked softly. “Just finding the girl beneath the disguise.” Shock struck me and rendered me useless for all of ten seconds before my fingers moved, finding their way to the button on his pants. “What are you doing?” His eyebrows knitted together harshly, yet he didn’t move from my touch. Instead, he allowed me to continue with the button on his pants. “Finding the boy beneath the armor.”

It' been days since I finished reading the book but to be honest I'm at lost for words. I really do not know what to expect with this book. I mean it's Leddy Harper, the blurb is interesting, the cover is eye catching but what really that was imprinted on me after reading this book is to "appreciate the beauty from within because that would surely let you find true happiness..Forget about the past...Take a leap...Move on...Be Strong and finally fall in love or if you just did,make the best of it".

Okay, it may sound cryptic but really this story envokes a lot of emotion and touches several issues. I for one thing could not contain the boiling feeling inside of me the moment I started reading the book. Well, for a start, it really was cute. Oh yeah it is, when you read the blurb, what would really comes to mind was this is kinda sweet and cute..uh..uh..that sure is what I felt from the start because it definitely is, but there's still this nagging feeling that made me take a pause and said, "something's gonna come up".But man, even then I wasn't prepared for what I have read the moment I keep turning the pages.

So, Novah and Nolan was paired up to an assignment. These two are extremely different. For instance, Nolan is a jock, rich, he was popular , had the cheerleaders hanging all over him, seemed cocky in his better-than-thou swagger as he strutted up and down the halls at school and Novah is the complete opposite.
But...their love for photography seems to be the one that binds them, that and the undeniable chemistry. So, the assignment,
"to capture something they believe was beautiful" which then started to a point where I smiled so sweetly, literally swooned, made my heart melt and then obviously made me more hooked and the then for all smokes....to fanning!





Fanning to moving on or so I thought because man, 15 years later???That feeling when you thought you knew where the story leads you but then just made your jaw drop instead because that twist is kinda "what the hell???"







So yeah,I wasn't prepared at all. All I know is that Leddy Harper had a way with writing lines full of emotions. Touched issues that could be an eye opener but did not forget about the romance. This story may not be for everyone, but hell if I wasn't touched with it. It's not my usual read, but I was captivated and I fell in love with the story -- HARD!
The heroine, oh for the love of all holy...I love her guts! I love how strong she is. That faith and that love!! Wow!!! I'm in awe. Words after words of this book, I devoured it. The emotions were just overflowing I thought my heart was wrenched. The hero's struggle to finally moving on is worth my damn read. Ahhhh... it really felt like I'm lost in the story.

And that Epilouge? Ahhhh...so touching and heart gripping I didn't know what to do or felt because damn I wasn't even aware a tear just escaped. I felt proud and it juat warmed my heart. Way to end the story Leddy!

I guess I'll just have to stop here because this book is best read without any spoilers. You'll get to know what I've been talking about the moment you started reading the book and I tell you WOW!!!.
All I can say is that, Leddy Harper just delivered a one of a kind story that will be forever etched in my heart and mind. It's a must read. Highly recommended!
"When it comes to hurdles, sometimes it’s not about how fast you run, but about how high you jump. You offered me a decent head start, gave me the push I needed. All I had to do was plant my feet on the ground and rise above it.”





Profile Image for Three Chicks.
2,610 reviews420 followers
April 28, 2016
4.5 Stars
Review by Jen Skewes

Leddy Harper has done it again. I swear I love this woman’s writing. She always manages to suck me in, making me feel so many emotions and the writing is just fantastic. She just has this amazing way with words. I love dialogue in a book more than anything and there are times when too much descriptive words or inner monologue from the characters, makes me wants to skim a little. But when Ms. Harper writes I want to read and hold on to every word. She just has this way about her writing that I just love and cannot get enough of. And Beautiful Boy was no different.

The story starts out with a prologue that will capture you from the start. We see one of the first moments together between Nolan and Novah. It is a moment that was sweet and made you feel the connection. Until a few days after that something happens that will change everything. And I don’t mean just their relationship or what happens in the days to come. I mean change in a way that the next 15 years of their lives will never be the same.

Fifteen years after that moment in high school, Nolan gets in touch with Novah again. As the reader you can feel the anger, and the bitterness between the two of them and you’re not really sure why, after all this time Nolan is getting in touch with someone who he seems to hate. I wondered what his game was and what did he really want. Novah of course wondered the same thing. But as time goes by and walls start to come down, they both begin to open up to each other and Novah realizes how wrong she was about Nolan. But she also sees just how broken this man is. He is no longer the beautiful boy she once knew, but she believes that somewhere deep inside he is still there and she is determined to find him. But how far will she go before Nolan begins to push her away? And can he really be saved?

The love story between Novah and Nolan is a beautiful one but there is so much more to this story than just love. It is about a very broken man and the woman who saves him. In that moment when you find out what happened to Nolan to make him go from the beautiful boy that Novah remembers to this broken man just broke my heart broke. And to be honest it was so unexpected and so far from what I thought happened to him. You see how much Nolan has been through in his life and you understand why he is who he is today. I loved him, I wanted to hug him and comfort him and tell him it was ok.

Novah was a great heroine who was a very strong woman. At times I will admit she did frustrate me a little because at times she may have pushed too hard and sometimes because of that it felt like she was pushing for the wrong reasons. But in reality she just cared and loved this man and truly wanted to help him. She needed to make him see that he is not broken and he is completely worth it. She was everything he needed and wanted. She was there for him and gave him what he needed. Yes she saved him and helped him to acutally heal himself but I think in ways they saved each other.

This book brought out so many emotions. The moments when they both went back to the past and opened up about their feelings and what happened honestly caused me to become all choked up. At times it just felt so emotional, so intense and so powerful. This was an emotional and beautiful story. And yes I may have wanted a bit more romance at times but the truth is this story was so much more and didn’t need it. Novah and Nolan had such an amazing connection that you felt it between them. And while it may have seemed like insta-love I thought it was more than that. I think fifteen years ago Novah unknowingly left this impression on Nolan’s heart. And no matter how much he thought he hated her he knew he needed her and loved her.

Leddy Harper is an amazing and talented author and this book is the perfect example of that writing. I always look froward to anything she writes. She knows how to capture the reader and make them feel like they are a part of the characters' world. I felt the pain and the hurt in this book but I also felt the intense love that these two characters have for each other. another fantastic read from Ms. Harper.
Profile Image for Lustful Literature.
1,822 reviews331 followers
May 2, 2016

Beth's Review 3.5 STARS

I recently read My Biggest Mistake by this author, which was my first book by her and absolutely loved it. So after reading the synopsis for her newest one, Beautiful Boy I jumped at the chance to check this one out. I really loved how this book started off, it sucked me in instantly, totally grabbing my attention and I was completely engaged. Sadly though, the further I got into the book the less engaged I remained and at times truly struggled to not skim.

Novah was a young shy fifteen year old who was now paired up for a class project with Nolan, an 18 year old fellow student in her photography class. But while working on their project, they allow their emotions to take over, never thinking about the consequences of their actions. In just one afternoon, both of their lives were changed forever. Now fifteen years later, all grown up they now come face to face with what happened all those years ago and together try to find the people they once were and face the future.

At first when I picked up this book I saw really great potential in both characters along with the storyline the author has began to lay out for us. As we first see their characters as young students, Novah the shy introverted unpopular girl and Nolan the popular football player and son of a well known political, we see them finally getting a chance to get to know each other away from school. They get express their true feelings and I began to connect with them instantly. But as we got further into the storyline of is book, I really began to struggle to connect to both characters and I feel this truly set tone for me for the remainder of the book. I am a reader who needs to connect with the characters if I am going to be engaged with the story. I admired Nolah’s strength to go on after what had happened to her and completely felt her anger 15 years later was justified so I really struggled with how quickly she forgave Nolan. I also couldn’t feel the connection between them and couldn’t understand how only after what brief time they shared together, how fifteen years later such strong feelings remained especially after what happened.

I did feel for Nolan and all he had been through and that his life was never his to truly live it how he wanted. He was young and made a stupid mistake and paid dearly for his consequences. His life completely changed because of a stupid mistake so I felt for him but I really didn’t care for how he treated Novah. I also couldn’t understand why he put the blame on her, she was the victim, not him. I wanted to love him but I just couldn’t warm up to him.
Overall the story was good that was well written, I just found at times it too drawn out with too much back and forth between them. This was a very emotional story, with a lot of hurt and anger over what had happened that just couldn’t go away overnight. I know I will probably be I the minority with not loving it but for me the characters and how the story played out just didn’t work enough for me to love it.
Profile Image for Christine.
129 reviews8 followers
May 10, 2016
3 STARS!

How does it feel to be humiliated by someone you thought you trusted? Confused, betrayed, hurt...and especially hatred towards the person who had done it to you, right? Will you be able to forgive that person after fifteen years?

PLOT LINE - Beautiful Boy is a story about an incident leaving a girl humiliated by peers for the rest of her high school career. An incident she will never forget, let alone have the ability to forgive the boy who had done it to her. But, as Nolan appears back into Novah's life. it may all change. Fifteen years can change a person. Traumatic experiences can change everything. Nolan is asking for forgiveness but is Novah willing to give it to him? In the process, will the feelings she felt for him before the incident all those years ago make a reappearance? The beginning of the story will hook you because you'll get a taste of the past and the anger from Novah when Nolan first makes contact. As the story progress, I felt like Novah turned into a person I didn't expect to be so quickly. It is a fast paced book, where I wished there was a little more time for some more angst to make an appearance. However, it was an enjoyable book. It will take you on a roller coaster of events from start to finish.

CHEMISTRY - That need from Nolan will carry on the plot line. The connection Novah felt during the assignment made her let go of any thoughts she previously had of Nolan. Nolan finally wanted to show her how he felt. But as events unraveled unexpected, feelings change. And over time, they have a chance to go over what really happened and move forward. As they reconnect, that hatred Novah felt will add on to the tension that surrounds them. Nolan's experiences after the incident will add more anger into the fold. You don't know which way this story will turn.

*ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Susan (susayq ~).
2,241 reviews128 followers
April 21, 2016
This is one of those books where in the midst of reading I had to stop and go look at other people's reviews on it to see if I should stick it out. All the reviews I read said it was good, so persevere I did. And I have to say, I feel like I'm in the minority here; reviewers liked Novah, while she is what I had major trouble with in here.

Novah and Nolan have a past. They knew each other in high school; took a photography class together. Well, without giving anything away, something happened that changed both of their lives. Novah has held on to her anger and has blamed him for the last 15 years. When Nolan reaches out to her, she is still angry and lashes out at him. But then! In the space of one breath and the next, she's kissing him, telling him he's beautiful and she can see the good in him. She almost immediately let go of 15 years of anger and hurt and wanted to be there for him. I just couldn't buy into her abrupt turn around. And as our story progressed, I felt she was selfish by continually pushing him. There were several times she questioned whether or not this would be the time he would break, but then would go on with whatever it was that was making Nolan uncomfortable. I felt like she was diminishing his feelings and concerns. I didn't like it.

What I did like was Nolan. Sure, he was angry, moody and depressed. He had every reason to be; but he was strong, a hero and he knew he needed to get better. He's the reason I kept reading. And I get why Novah wanted to fix him. Heck, I wanted to reach out and snuggle him and make everything good for him.

I'll give Leddy Harper credit. She can write. She wrote an engaging story that made me feel compassion and anger and I will gladly read more of her work later on. Even though I still wanted to smack Novah ;0)

*Thanks to the author for a copy of this for an honest review*
Profile Image for Romance Readers Retreat.
2,346 reviews219 followers
May 7, 2016
I have been a fan of this author from her first book yet with Beautiful Boy I struggled a bit but I persevered as I was sure Leddy would not let me down and in the end she didn’t.
Beautiful Boy starts with the two characters Novah and Nolan coming together during a photography project at high school which leads to much more and what you think is about to be the start of beautiful first love romance is anything but. Fast forward fifteen years and we find Novah is a seemingly happy woman now involved in photography as a career but tainted by the fallout from the incident with Nolan, harbouring a hatred for him even. Until Nolan unexpectedly reaches out to her.

Nolan is a truly complex character with many issues and honestly his character is what I struggled with somewhat in this book. I felt for him but I really wanted to shake him and tell him to man up, however I did fall for him a little in the long run when he eventually came through his issues.

I think the author handled the issue of PTSD beautifully and respectfully through Nolan and his issues. I did find Novah’s easiness to forgive Nolan after holding him in such contempt for so long a little frustrating but I loved that she made him work for her.

Overall an enjoyable yet emotional read.
Profile Image for Jennifer Sons.
403 reviews16 followers
May 10, 2016
4 1/2 stars

I really liked this book. This was the 1st book of Leddy Harper that I've read & I can't wait to read more.

At the beginning, I hated Nolan. I felt like Nova was done so wrong by him. I felt there was a slight disconnect with their relationship or maybe it was just hard for me to understand their connection since her hurt her so many years ago. Thankfully, as the book goes on we understand what REALLY happened & Nolan totally redeemed himself in my eyes, which isn't always easy. I applaud the author for turning him around & makes us understand him & feel the pain he endured those 15 years.

This story is raw, emotional & gut-wrenching at times! I love books that bring out emotion & this one falls in that category! I love Nova! She's a great character! I look forward to more from Ms. Harper!
Profile Image for Randi.
371 reviews9 followers
May 8, 2016
Good but but but

Ok this was a good story, there was a lot of pain and heartache. Now this is my beef. Nolan was an immature child man who never grew up. He was always down, never saw the good in nothing. He absolutely wore me out. There is no way I could have tolerated his attitude. Novak was the opposite, she really tried to bring him out of his depression. Another beef was Nolan vontinued to blame her for something that she was the victim of. Just too much pessimism.
108 reviews
July 22, 2016
This book had a beautiful message. I was sucked in at the beginning but when they got together it just threw me off .. All that contempt she had, forgotten in a night? But overall it was a good book .. Can't wait for the next one!
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