Love Abstract
The Art of Falling #2
B.L. Berry
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 18, 2015

Things aren’t always what they seem.
And in the light, Sleeping Shadows awaken and truths are exposed.

Love...
I love you.
Of all the lies he ever told me, that is my favorite.

Deceit…
Phoenix isn’t who he thinks he is.
He is what he hides.
I know that now.

Lies…
His lies became so real he started to believe them,
deceiving even himself.
His silence lies, too.

The truth won’t set you free. It will destroy you.
Love is deceptive like that.

*PLEASE NOTE- This book is the second in a series and you cannot read it without the first. Make sure to read Love Nouveau before diving into the conclusion of Phoenix and Ivy’s story!*

BL Berry… that woman. She has a way of taking your heart, putting it through an emotional meat grinder and somehow leaving something more beautiful and unexpected than what you thought would be left from before. This book, just like the first book- Love Nouveau, left me breathless. When it comes to dramatic books, many of the stories can be hit and miss for me personally. It is all about balancing the drama with the emotional authenticity of the characters that have been created. Berry does an excellent job of finding that balance and giving us a story that we will not soon forget.

In this story we see Ivy and Phoenix, two very connected yet damaged characters, embarking on the next chapter of their story. We see so much of who they are and where they have been in the first book. I was curious about what would come in the second book of their story and BOY was I surprised. These two are such passionate beings that things can get dicey but they find their way back to one another… the real question is if that will always be the case.

Ivy and Phoenix have both come from homes filled with pain and hurt. Their past situations have molded them into who they have become. The struggle for both of them is to find the good in their life and in their past, focusing on the beauty of now and shedding the darkness and hurt from before. Ivy has come from such a broken and heartless home. She is always on the outside and that life lesson has molded who she is. When she makes the decision to break away from all the negativity and pain, she is able to breathe again, finding herself and working through her demons.

Phoenix is a man on a mission and that mission is Ivy. He understand that this is “it” for him and their connection is something he will fight for to the death. But alas, he has secrets that could destroy what is growing between them. He loves Ivy deeply but there is a fear holding him back from sharing the darkest parts of who he is. Watching these two characters learn to trust one another is painful and beautiful. There is so little trust bred from those in their past that should have been their foundation in life. The ugliness cannot help but seep into their future- causing heart ache and moments that seem to always be the breaking point.

The new secondary characters introduced in this story really pushed this book over the edge and into greatness. Brock, the eclectic artist, is exactly the type of humor and unforeseen voice of wisdom that was necessary to the flow of this story. Phoenix’s father is a man of wisdom and unforeseen forgiveness. Ivy’s dad is a man trying to do what is right and reconnect with his daughter. These three add some much needed perspective and distraction for our two main characters’ issues, adding more insight into what is happening.

Ivy and Phoenix’s story is not always a pretty one. It is full of the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are secrets and lies of omission. There are past wounds that split open and contaminate the beauty that is around them. Yet despite the hardships, these two fight. There are so many precious moments of hope and life. I loved watching them fall in love and fight for what they had. They were not taught healthy love and relationships growing up so they both had to learn through trial and fire to abandon their individuality and strive for a life together.

Some books with this much drama and conflict can turn me off. But in Love Abstract, the beauty of the broken is so well written and displayed that you feel the hurt and love with Ivy and Phoenix. You cheer these two on, willing them to shed their anger and past to find something that is the depth utter love and adoration for their future. This book is the best conclusion for these two characters. Don’t miss out on Ivy and Phoenix’s story and happily ever after!