My Thoughts
Beth has so much on her plate. Between taking care of her father and working several jobs in order to pay for his medical needs and going to college her life is overwhelming. She is doing it all alone. She is angry and tired and frustrated. Not letting anyone close. Then she meets Noah. She is assigned to be his tutor and isn't happy about it since he was a soldier. After all her father suffered coming home after the war the last person she wants to fall for is a soldier. She can't resist her attraction to Noah and he falls for her fast as well. The only problem is that he has a secret that could break them apart. My heart broke for both of them, but I loved what they found together. I so enjoyed their story.
I give Before I Fall 4 hearts!
I give Before I Fall 4 hearts!
About the Book
Stay focused. Get a job. Save her father's life.
Beth Lamont knows far too much about the harsh realities of
life her gilded classmates have only read about in class. She'll do whatever it
takes to take care of her father, even if that means tutoring a guy like Noah -
a guy who represents everything she hates about the war, soldiers and what the
Army has done to her family.
Noah Warren doesn't know how to be a student. All he knows
is war. But he's going to college now to fulfill a promise and he doesn't break
his promises. Except he doesn't count on his tutor being drop dead gorgeous and
distracting as hell. One look at Beth threatens to unravel the careful lies
Noah has constructed around him.
A simple arrangement turns into something neither of them
can deny. And a war that neither of them can forget could destroy them both.
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Excerpt
Beth
It doesn't take me long to figure out who Noah Warren is.
He's a little bit older than the rest of the fresh-faced underclassmen I've
gotten used to. I'm not even twenty-one, but I feel ancient these days. I was
up late last night, worrying about my dad.
I can feel him watching me as I hand out the syllabus and
the first lecture notes. My hackles are up - he's staring and being rude. I
don’t tolerate this from the jocks but right then, I’m stuck because Professor
Blake has asked me to tutor him. I can’t exactly cuss him out in front of the
class.
Which is really frustrating because the rest of the class is
focused on Professor Blake, but not our soldier. Oh no, he's such a stereotype
it's not even funny. Staring. Not even trying to be slick about it like the
football player in the front of the classroom who's trying to catch a glimpse
of my tits when I lean down to pass out the papers.
Instead, our soldier just leans back, nonchalant like he
owns the place. Like the whole world should bend over and kiss his ass because
he's defending our freedom. Well, I know all about that, and the price is too
goddamned high.
And wow, how is that for bitterness and angst on a Monday
morning? I need to get my shit together. I haven't even spoken to him and I'm
already tarring and feathering him. Not going to be very productive for our
tutoring relationship if I hate him before we even get started.
I take a deep breath and hand him the syllabus and the first
lecture worksheet.
I imagine he's figured out that I'm his tutor.
I turn back and head to my desk in the front as Professor
Blake drops her bombshell on the class.
"There will be no computer use in this class. You may
use laptops during lab when Beth is instructing because there will be practical
applications. But during lecture, you will not use computers. If your phones go
off, you can expect to be docked participation points, and those are a
significant portion of your grade."
There is the requisite crying and wailing and gnashing of
the teeth. I remember the first time I heard of Professor Blake's no computer
rule. I thought it was draconian and complete bullshit. But then I realized she
was right - I learned better by writing things down. Especially the stats
stuff.
I look up at Noah. He's watching the class now. He's
scowling. He looks like he might frown a lot. He looks...harder than the rest
of the class. There are angles to his cheeks and shadows beneath his eyes. His
dark hair is shorter than most and he damn sure doesn't have that crazy-ass
swoop thing that so many of the guys are doing these days.
Everything about him radiates soldier. I wonder if he knows
how intimidating he looks. And why the hell do I care what he thinks?
I'm going to be his tutor, not his shrink.
He shifts and his gaze collides with mine. Something
tightens in the vicinity of my belly. It's not fear. Soldiers don't scare me,
not even ones who look like they were forged in fire like Noah.
No, it's something else. Something tight and tense and
distinctly distracting. I'm not in the mood for my hormones to overwhelm my
common sense.
I stomp on the feeling viciously.
I’m staring at him now. I’m deliberately trying to look
confident and confrontational. Men like Noah don't respect weakness. Show a
moment's hesitation and the next thing you know they've got your ass pinned in
a corner while they’re trying to grab your tits.
He lifts one brow in response. I have no idea how to read
that reaction.
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army
officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career
NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and
even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon
and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty
well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy
house.
She's also written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS
Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of
OIF/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort
Hood, Texas twice.
She's pursuing a graduate degree in Sociology in her spare
time and most recently, she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's
Americans of the Year for 2012.
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