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A. L. Jackson
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A Stone in the Sea (Bleeding Stars Book 1) Kindle Edition

by A.L. Jackson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 5,661 ratings

I come with a reputation.
A bad one.
I’m no stranger to trouble.
It follows me wherever I go.
So, when I leave Los Angeles to hide from what I’ve done, I should know better than to hunger for the innocent cocktail waitress serving my drinks.

But soon, this sexy, southern girl is all I can see. The only thing I want.
Our attraction is scorching, and with one stolen kiss, we’re drowning in a sea of desire.

I thought I’d ruin her like I do everything else.
Only what I didn’t know is she has an inescapable past.
One that promises to destroy us both . . .

A spicy, small-town romantic suspense from NYT and USA Today bestselling author A.L. Jackson…

A Stone in the Sea is book one of Sebastian and Shea’s epic duet. Their story continues in Drowning to Breathe.

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  1. Book 1 of 6
    Bleeding Stars
  2. Print length
    306 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    February 21, 2015
  6. File size
    3.0 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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  1. He was both the sun and the darkest night. A promise of heaven and the curse of hell.
    Highlighted by 282 Kindle readers
  2. “I didn’t know what it really meant to miss someone until I was missing you.”
    Highlighted by 228 Kindle readers
  3. But I guess when you loved someone, you were willing to accept all the pieces and factors and fragments that made them up, the sum of those adding up to the whole, and you were left with no choice but to wholly accept the total of that creation.
    Highlighted by 194 Kindle readers
  4. I lifted my face to the stars that stretched on forever, an eternal canopy that seemed too low yet impossible to touch.
    Highlighted by 173 Kindle readers
  5. Love of a voice that was never really heard. Love of a face that was never really seen.
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From the Publisher

I gave up a long time ago, then there was you
these words, her words. They're powerful. they pull me in. they hold me hostage,
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Drowning to Breathe
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4.4 out of 5 stars 5,661
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Other Ways to Enjoy A Stone in the Sea Narrated by Sebastian York & Andi Arndt Custom Interior Formatting Custom Interior Formatting Features Alternate Cover Dust Jacket with Original Cover Inside - Custom Interior Formatting The conclusion to Shea & Sebastian's epic romance
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A Single Dad, Enemies-to-Lovers Romance
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A passionate ride of secrets, surprises, and steaming hot sex." ~Penelope Ward, NYT Bestselling Author

"AL Jackson has done it again. A Stone in the Sea is a perfect example of what AL does best. These emotional journeys that will make you feel all the feels". ~All Romance Reviews

"Sexy, heart wrenching and a must-read! All the feels you've come to expect from A.L. Jackson, but with edgier, unexpected plot turns to deepen the experience." ~Vilma's Book Blog

"A.L. Jackson is genuinely gifted and her symphonic style of writing consistently blows me away.She always seems to excel and flourish with each page turned." ~ Dawn, Blushing Babes are Up All Night Book Blog

"A.L. Jackson writes a story that will capture your heart and never let it go. She creates characters that you fall in love with time and time again. Just when you think there is no way you can love a book more than the previous one she's written, you do. She is an automatic one click author for me and I can't wait for more!" -Jen, SchmexyGirl Book Blog

"These words, her words. They're powerful. They pull me in. They captivate me. They hold me hostage,demanding that I devour each one of them....." -Once Upon a Book Blog

"How on earth do I even begin to put into words the absolute magnificence that A Stone in the Sea was for me? A.L. Jackson has completely captured both my heart and my mind with this book. I was so immersed in this story line, I just couldn't put it down until the very last line." -MJ Loves to Read

"A Stone in the Sea has melted into my heart, my soul.This book is hauntingly beautiful. You can feel the character's deep in your gut, in your heart... their individual fears and heartache, their turmoil, their secrets, their past, their present... their PASSION!" -KSJ, Amazon Reviewer

"The depth and emotion that flows through this book is beautiful, haunting, and poetic. A.L. Jackson's writing is exquisite, her prose elegant and lyrical. Her words flow like water over the grains of sand she describes so exquisitely in her story. The visuals she paints in your mind are vivid, so much so, that I was transported into this world, she had created. The connection I felt to these characters was intense." -Fan Girl Book Blog

"Beautiful, passionate and heart wrenching, A Stone in the Sea will have you believing that everyone deserves a second chance, regardless of their circumstances." -Hooker Heels Book Blog

"The plot is provocative, brilliantly crafted, flows flawlessly, and is fraught with such tension and bristling intensity it left me in a perpetual state of breathless anticipation. Bottom line? There is just so munch exquisite beauty and blazing chemistry and astonishing twists and turns to behold in this enthralling romance." -Kim R., Amazon Reviewer

About the Author

A.L. Jackson is the NewYork Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. Shewrites emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to bea little bit bad.

Her bestselling seriesinclude THE REGRET SERIES, BLEEDING STARS, and the FIGHT FOR ME series.

If she's not writing, youcan find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails withher friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.

Be sure not to miss newreleases and sales from A.L. Jackson - Sign up to receive her newslettersmarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson or text "aljackson" to 33222 to receiveshort but sweet updates on all the important news.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00TWOLMC0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ A.L. Jackson Books Inc.
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 21, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.0 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 306 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1938404870
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 6 ‏ : ‎ Bleeding Stars
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 5,661 ratings

About the author

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A. L. Jackson

A. L. Jackson

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.

Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, FIGHT FOR ME, CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART, FALLING STARS, REDEMPTION HILLS, TIME RIVER, and MOONLIT RIDGE novels. Get her latest surprise single dad, small town romance stand-alone, AT THE EDGE OF SURRENDER, out now!

If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.

You can connect with A.L. Jackson on all social media platforms or through her newsletter. Head over to her website for more details!

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
5,661 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a beautiful story with passionate romance and intense emotional content. The characters are well-developed with depth of emotion, and the writing style receives mixed reactions - while some praise the poetic feel, others find it wordy. Customers appreciate the potent sex appeal and mystery elements, with one review highlighting the twists and secrets between Baz and Shea. The pacing receives mixed feedback, with some praising the great pace while others note the slow plot.

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Story qualityRomanceEmotional contentCharacter developmentSexinessMystery contentWriting stylePacing
425 customers mention "Story quality"415 positive10 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, finding it beautiful and worth their time, with one customer noting they savored each and every word.

"...I feel all sorts of warm, gushy, euphoric feelings about this novel, I am beside myself . Not even sure where to begin. But first...a confession...." Read more

"...He’s a fantastic mixture of intensity…darkness…with a side of brooding emo artist…and it worked for me in all the right ways...." Read more

"...Devoured both books in 2 days. So, here is the thing: I met this beautiful author in Vegas before I read any of her books – she was so nice and..." Read more

"...Shea's love for Sebastian was pure and beautiful. Sebastian did not give himself enough credit for the way he made Shea feel, though...." Read more

207 customers mention "Romance"153 positive54 negative

Customers enjoy the romance in the book, describing it as a good rockstar romance that speaks to their hearts with passion and breathtaking love.

"...story churning with heartbreak and exquisite tenderness, angst and passion, soul shattering tragedy and bittersweet triumph...a romance that will..." Read more

"...Despite his hard exterior, he had a wonderful heart. In many ways he was misunderstood, and I found myself falling hard and fast for him...." Read more

"...Too much? Not enough? Pretty decent balance, enough to keep you interested but not so much that you're over hearing about Baz' epic D. Hot but not..." Read more

"...An intense attraction forms, curiosity seeps in, and from that moment on, it becomes painfully aware, there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, it..." Read more

152 customers mention "Emotional content"147 positive5 negative

Customers find the book emotionally engaging, describing it as an intense emotional roller coaster that pulls at heartstrings and features just enough angst.

"...tenderness, angst and passion, soul shattering tragedy and bittersweet triumph...a romance that will completely consume you, heart and soul, and..." Read more

"...But Sebastian had revealed in me everything I’d been missing, stamped out my loneliness and inserted himself in its place...." Read more

"...Shea and Baz’s story is touching, beautiful, emotional, and full of angst...." Read more

"...Jackson knocked it out of the park with this fantastically emotional roller coaster of a story. I felt so deeply for both Sebastian and Shea...." Read more

106 customers mention "Character development"96 positive10 negative

Customers love the characters in the book, particularly appreciating their depth of emotion and how well their voices match their personalities.

"...I really love both main characters in this book, even the secondary characters and I am very excited to read about them in the next book...." Read more

"...I loved the guys (though the universe would be a better place without Lyrik, see book 3). I couldn't wait to read their stories...." Read more

"...The angst, the fear, the tension of these characters pulls at your heart strings and I became so deeply involved in Baz and Shea's story that I..." Read more

"...I really enjoyed these characters. Baz and Shea are both very emotionally charged characters...." Read more

50 customers mention "Sexiness"50 positive0 negative

Customers find the book sexy, with one review describing a hot rockstar meeting a beautiful girl, while others appreciate the sweet southern girl character.

"...Baz is 100% alpha male....he practically oozes testosterone and potent sex appeal!..." Read more

"...Baz is sexy, talented, damaged but an amazing guy despite his temper...." Read more

"...While there Baz meets Shea, a beautiful woman whom he instantly feels an attraction for- like no one else ever before...." Read more

"...With a massive dose of hot passionate sex on the side, very thoughtful and well developed side characters and one little girl that will STEAL the..." Read more

49 customers mention "Mystery content"46 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the mystery content of the book, which is full of secrets and surprises.

"This was an emotional story wrapped up in an intriguing little package...." Read more

"...I loved it. It was full of all kinds of surprises and the book ended with one of the best cliffhangers ever. I cannot wait to read the next book." Read more

"...Sexy, intriguing, realllly had my heart pounding more than a few times but I wouldn't have changed anything about it..except the maybe the ending..." Read more

"This book had a lot of potential. She is almost there with lyrical writing but she pushed too hard. She tried to make every sentence breathtaking...." Read more

173 customers mention "Writing style"116 positive57 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some praising its poetic feel while others find it wordy and repetitive.

"...A.L. Jackson's narrative voice is so beautiful and poetic, and pulsating with such powerful, aching emotion it left me speechless...and utterly..." Read more

"...Baz is sexy, talented, damaged but an amazing guy despite his temper...." Read more

"...One the other hand, the way the author repeats words continuously throughout the text aggravated me to no end...." Read more

"...Sebastian and Shea's story was beautiful, tumultuous, and completely captured my heart...." Read more

32 customers mention "Pacing"17 positive15 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some praising its great flow while others find the plot slow.

"...The sexual tension is thick, and heady...." Read more

"...The repeating things 3 times gets old quickly...." Read more

"...It was so electrically charged and immediate. The only problem that I had with the romance was the instalove nature of it...." Read more

"...It dragged. And dragged. And dragged. There was too much inner monologue and way too much repetition. He wanted her. He couldn't have her...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kim R.
    5.0 out of 5 stars AN EPIC ROMANCE THAT LEFT ME DROWNING IN FEELS!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    "DO YOU SEE ME, SHEA? I SEE YOU."

    Sighhhhh!!!! There are certain books you read that are so remarkable, touch you so profoundly, leave such a permanent imprint on your heart and soul that you want to exalt about it from the rooftops. Reread over and over again so you can revel in its AWESOMENESS! Well...A Stone in the Sea (Bleeding Stars, book 1 ) is one of those books!

    I feel all sorts of warm, gushy, euphoric feelings about this novel, I am beside myself . Not even sure where to begin. But first...a confession. I am late to the game. A bunch of my book buddies have been raving about this series for a while, imploring me to "just read this book already !!" but I kept blowing them off because I was not familiar with this author’s work and had so many others books ahead of it on my massive TBR list. Well, I finally did cave and OMG...now I am kicking myself, lamenting: “Why oh why did I wait so long to dive in?”

    First and foremost, the writing is just mesmerizing! A.L. Jackson's narrative voice is so beautiful and poetic, and pulsating with such powerful, aching emotion it left me speechless...and utterly spellbound!! And Baz...no words! A direct quote from one of my Aussie Book Besties: "I want to marry Sebastian Stone!" Well, honey, you better wait in line because he is the ultimate book boyfriend...a, smokin' hot, deliciously broody rocker with a TORTURED soul! I mean...come on!! I couldn't have dreamed up a more perfect hero. Baz is 100% alpha male....he practically oozes testosterone and potent sex appeal! But beneath the uber-macho veneer is a terribly conflicted young musician whose meteoric rise to fame as lead singer of the Sunder rock band came at the ultimate cost. Too say Baz is complicated would be an understatement. He is angry, volatile, fiercely loyal, kind, noble, drowning in self hatred, regret and self recrimination. Everyone wanted a piece of Sebastian Stone and all HE wanted was be left the heck alone. To stay out the limelight. Regroup. Figure out his next move.

    Now with his life on the verge of spiraling dangerously out of control, he needs to hole up in Savannah, GA with his baby brother and bandmates for a short spell. Quiet and sanctuary were what he sought, but his plans for keeping to himself in a corner booth at Charlie's bar take a nosedive when he catches the eye of stunning small town waitress Shea Bentley.

    "Sweet caramel eyes flitted through my mind. Long, long legs. Killer body with a cautious heart. Dark. Light. Heavy. Soft.
    Trouble.
    Trouble.
    Trouble."

    Haunted by heavy burdens of her own, the sweet , shy, achingly vulnerable southern belle arouses a primal, elemental need in him. To claim! To ravish! To protect! To possess! With every fiber of his being, he longs to be SEEN by Shea, the one and only girl who has ever infiltrated his steely defenses and brought hope and beauty into his tainted, brutally harsh world. And, in return, he is desperate to see her as well. The real women who tries to camouflage a raging storm of hurt behind her sweet, sunny demeanor and charming smiles.

    "Shea had become the only thing I wanted, this untouchable girl the only thing I craved. I was itching to get lost in caramel eyes and to swim in honey skin. To be blinded by her light while she drowned me in her sea of dark."

    Their attraction is electric, intoxicating, utterly undeniable. But she is wholesome and pure and there is no place for her quiet, assuming beauty and beguiling innocence in his loud, chaotic, toxic world.

    Their love is an impossible dream. Or is it? Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants and there is no fighting fate. Or destiny. But will their long awaited happiness prove to be their ultimate downfall?

    Sweet heavens…the things this book did to me!. The tangle of heart twisting, soul deep, wrenching emotions it stirred up were beyond words. I felt such a magnetic pull to these protagonists that my chest physically ached the entire time I was reading. A master at her craft, A.L. Jackson evoked such a raw, visceral response with her breathtaking prose and achingly real characterizations that I felt Every Single Thing that Baz and Shea were experiencing. The agony, the ecstasy, "the flashes of fear…the shivers of pleasure "…all of it!…and was irresistibly swept up in a riptide of hot, searing, quivering emotion.

    "Sebastian was never gentle. But I could feel something inside him had slipped. Tripped. As if he’d sat out here alone, and during those passing hours he’d wondered if he’d ever get to touch me again and, now that he was, he was taking everything he could while he had the chance.

    Frenzied, his thumbs raced along where we were joined. Something about it felt intimate and raw and honest, and I was falling further, being sucked beneath the surface.

    A stone in his sea.

    Completely drowning in this man."

    This is just one mere example of the sheer magnificence of A.L. Jackson's writing prowess …the magnitude of feverish passion this book inspires in me. In ALL her adoring fans!!

    The plot is provocative, brilliantly crafted, flows flawlessly, and is fraught with such tension and bristling intensity it left me in a perpetual state of breathless anticipation. Bottom line? There is just so munch exquisite beauty and blazing chemistry and astonishing twists and turns to behold in this enthralling romance, and I don't want to spoil any of it. So I will keep mum about the specifics. But I will leave it at this: If you are looking for an epic love story churning with heartbreak and exquisite tenderness, angst and passion, soul shattering tragedy and bittersweet triumph...a romance that will completely consume you, heart and soul, and drown you in such intoxicating feels you won't ever want to come up for air...One Click now! But fair warning it ends in a jaw dropping cliffy that will leave you REELING, so unless you want to risk a nervous breakdown, plan on to immediately submerging yourself in the sequel, Drowning to Breathe.

    So thank you, A.L. Jackson for rocking my world! Soul crushing heartbreak never felt quite so good!!!

    #ERRKR
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  • Lisa Maurer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Intense...emotional...compelling - Baz and Shea took me on an amazing love filled whirlwind - can't wait for Book #2!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    4 “I don’t have time for distractions.” “Butterfly” “You see me” “Dark. Light. Heavy. Soft.” Kisses

    Wow…what an amazing, emotional storm of a book! Good gravy…this had everything I could have asked for and then some…fantastic, tie-me-up-in-knots angst...incredible passion and chemistry…a gorgeous broken rock star and a heartbreakingly beautiful girl…plus so many feels it almost made my heart explode. I couldn’t get enough of Baz and Shea – finished this book in less than 24 hours and all it did was leave me begging for more!

    Sebastian Stone…oh Baz…my torn and twisted rock star. He’s a tortured soul…plagued by demons from his past and he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s a fantastic mixture of intensity…darkness…with a side of brooding emo artist…and it worked for me in all the right ways. I mean, Baz is, at his core, a musician…guitar, piano, singer…writes songs – he doesn’t have to try very hard to be sexy…but it’s in all the ways he doesn’t try that made me love him more. He’s very self-deprecating…can never see the good part of himself…but he’s got a huge heart and an enormous capacity to love and care for the people that mean the most of him. He keeps very few people close…he’s been burned enough times to know who to let in but I don’t think he knew what he was getting into when he met Shea.

    ‘But that didn’t change the fact she made me feel different when I was with her, like maybe not every single thing in this world was bad. As if this girl saw me for who I really was and she actually liked him.
    She’d asked me what I wanted from her. The problem was I had no clue. All I knew was it was more. That I wanted more of her dark and her light and her heavy and her soft. I wanted more of her sweet breaths and more of her pounding heart.
    I wanted more of her kisses
    F^@%.
    I wanted more of her kisses.’

    Shea Bentley…my sweet, strong Shea Bear…I have a deep-rooted love for this girl. I love her personality…her strength…her beauty…she’s very calm and unassuming, she kind of flies under the radar. I know that’s a really random thing to say but…overall, I enjoyed Shea…she’s easy to connect with but I always felt like there was more to her….and it’s not until the very end that it kind of all clicks into place and makes sense. And for the record...I was right. She’s determined and focused…kind and genuine…plus she’s a good old country girl through and through. Shea…surprised me…a lot. I’ll be honest, Shea had me fooled…I knew she had secrets…and I thought I figured them all out but I was so wrong. But I think that made me love her even more.

    ‘When I found him sitting there that first time, I thought I’d known better than to go looking for his brand of heartbreak. But Sebastian had revealed in me everything I’d been missing, stamped out my loneliness and inserted himself in its place. He made me believe in something I’d given up hope on a long time ago because I’d never found it to be real, never believing giving myself to someone wholly was worth the risk.
    Now I knew better.
    Now I knew it was worth everything.’

    I love the build of Baz and Shea…it was slow…steady…gradual. There was always this simmering passion…unending chemistry between the two of them, but it wasn’t rushed or forced…it just came in, like it was the most natural thing in the world. The chemistry between the two of them is the stuff I live for…the smoldering, the desire, their connection is fierce and hot and I couldn’t get enough. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve read Ms. Jackson’s books before and they’re steamy but holy hell on wheels…Baz and Shea are f^@%!$# hot. Like five-alarm-fire hot…and I loved every second of it. Once again, it was all part of that build so watching emotions continue to mount, I was itching for that bursting point…and once they let go…I was in heaven. I cannot get over how much I loved the balance between these two characters…it was effortlessly perfect. She was the calm to his intensity…the quite to his noise…the light to his dark…they’re like the epitome of ying and yang and the peace that they brought each other brought joy to my heart.

    ‘I swallowed around it and rolled to lie on my side. Like she was drawn, she did the same, and in that second, the world felt small, like the two of us were side-by-side. Like she was right here with me, and those slender arms were wrapped around me. And there was no sound, nothing vocalized, but I could hear her whisper those same words that terrified me.
    I love you.
    But she was saying it with her care, with her concern for me. Because she saw me.
    The real me. The girl didn’t give a f^@% who the world thought I was or the way other people saw me. I’d been so fearful of her knowing, of it changing what we were…how we were.
    But no.
    Shea reached in to touch beneath it.’

    I know to expect excellence when it comes to A.L. Jackson…she’s just one of the authors that I can count on to give me everything I need…a complete journey with two beautiful characters and all the intense emotions that I crave. We go back and forth between Baz and Shea’s POV’s…it’s never repetitive…they may share thoughts and feelings about a situation that has happened in the previous chapter, but there is no re-hashing past events. I love dual POV so it totally worked for me…but for whatever reason I feel like I had a stronger connection with Baz than Shea…and that’s not usually the norm. Baz just overall is a stronger more powerful presence…and there’s nothing wrong with that…it’s not that he overpowers Shea…I already said I loved their balance…he’s just a very deep, solid character and I enjoyed that about him. I had two teeny tiny pet peeves that happened throughout the book…one, was the way Baz talked sometimes irk’d me…and it’s going to sound really dumb, but when he would say something, he’d drop the “I”…so he would say “Don’t wanna hurt you.” instead of “I don’t wanna hurt you.” I can handle this on rare occasion, but towards the last 30% of the book it started to bother me…for whatever reason I found it forced and it made him sound uneducated…and he’s not a dumb guy. The other thing was the word repetition…this was another thing I didn’t really catch on to until the end of the book…I liked it, at certain points, but the problem is…both Baz and Shea did it. Interchangeably. Two characters don’t think alike and I get trying to tie them together, but it made their POV’s sound too similar and they need to have individual tones.

    ‘I set my hand on her cheek, words strained as my eyes darted over every inch of her face, memorizing this moment. “I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you.”
    A small gasp escaped from between those full lips, and a gentle smile tweaked just one side of my mouth as I tilted my head, shifting so I could brush my fingertips along the butterflies taking flight on her hip, my voice growing softer with the power of this admission. “I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with her.”
    Tears streamed ceaselessly from the corners of Shea’s eyes, gliding down the side of her face and into her hair as she stared up at me.
    “Yes, you were,” she said.
    Wind pummeled at the outside walls, its power matching the devotion I felt inside. I took her hand and pressed it over my pounding heart.
    “You told me you wanted this more than anything, Shea. I’m giving it to you. All of it. Every piece of me… it belongs to you. I have so much s#!% in my life, and I always thought that was all I was ever going to have. That this life was a trade-off for the band making it, retribution for all the crimes I committed on the road to getting us here. But you changed all that. You gave me hope. Something good to hang onto, and I’m not ever going to let it go.”’

    There are so many ways to possibly spoil this plot…things that individually I wouldn’t normally consider spoilers but when the entire story comes together, it’s a crucial detail that could take away from the moment…which I don’t wanna do. I do have to say that overall…I did not see anything coming and that was pretty awesome. Even the stuff I thought I figured out…just…no, I didn’t. At all. Which made the ending even more jaw dropping and as things clicked into place it was like I couldn’t process the facts quickly enough and while it was tearing me up, I was still loving every second. I knew something big was coming but I was not prepared for that. At all…wow…my heart was in my throat and I’m dying! Great cliffhanger…I am so excited to see where A.L. takes Baz and Shea next because…there are still so many things that need to be addressed and I’m itching to see what happens.
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  • Turnie65
    5.0 out of 5 stars I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the sequel
    Reviewed in Australia on November 16, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the sequel. Very well written and kept me turning each page wanting more, more, more. I was cheering Baz and Shea along right from the start, and was swept up in the anticipation, tension, passion, lust, frustration, love, anger and elation of their story, and I'm so pleased that the baddy got his comeuppance in the end! A.L Jackson's writing flowed really well and the editing was spot on. I've found another really good author and want to consume all her stories.
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  • Sophie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Red alert: feelings overload!
    Reviewed in France on September 13, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I've waited months to read this one. Not because I thought it would be bad as I'm a huge fan of AL Jackson's books but because my friends told me it ended on a big cliffhanger.

    As the second book should be published in 2 days now I went to read this one yesterday. And I read it in one sitting, litterally. Now, I'm mad I did not wait another day or two because I still have to wait! I'm dying of frustration right now and don't have any nails left "unchewed".

    The story is not a really complicated one, even if the main protagonists have secrets we learn throughout the book (the biggets being Shea's secret and it explodes like a nuclear bomb at the end of the book) but the feelings I got from reading She and Baz's story overwhelmed me completely. I could not be detached, the were drowning me in their emotions.

    Shea is such a beautiful and luminous heroine. Baz is gorgeous (yes ladies he is HOT), dark, tormented and drawn to Shea's light. They were so right together, there is no other words. They deserve their HEA and I hope they'll get it in Drowning to Breathe. I've faith in AL Jackson, she always give HEA. Well, mind you, she never ended a book with a cliffhanger before this one so I hope she won't change with the "and they lived happy ever after"!

    So now, fingers crossed, only 2 days to sleep (yes, I feel like a kid before Christmas) but it's still too long!
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  • Lori
    4.0 out of 5 stars Lírico e sexy
    Reviewed in Brazil on March 9, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Esta é uma resenha difícil de escrever eis que este livro me evocou emoções conflitantes. Enquanto algumas partes de sua estória me consumiram completamente e me deixaram sem ar, outras realmente conseguiram me entediar.

    O que definitivamente me atraiu foi a escrita lírica da Sra. Jackson, que tornou tudo um pouco mais mágico, já que o enredo a princípio traz o velho chichê de duas pessoas com um passado conturbado que não querem um relacionamento, mas que acabam não resistindo a paixão que sente um pelo outro. Temos um herói sexy, tatuado e com um coração enorme e uma heroína doce e misteriosa. Mas, há outras facetas nesta narrativa que doam uma singularidade a mais para a trama e das quais eu prefiro não mencionar - já que o melhor é ir desvendando aos poucos e por si só as suas camadas.

    Sebastian Stone é um rock star e ele não está nada bem. A sua vida está se despedaçando. Uma vida marcada por perdas, decepções e pelo peso da responsabilidade. Ele é incrivelmente leal e protetor, principalmente no que se refere aos seus companheiros de banda e ao seu irmão mais novo. Contudo esta característica protetora já o trouxe vários problemas... ele está, agora, enfrentando uma ação criminal que poderá coloca-lo atrás das grades e por isso, o seu agente decide manda-lo para Savannah, na Geórgia, a fim de afastá-lo um pouco do burburinho da Califórnia. Savannah é uma cidade essencialmente country, talvez lá ele consiga um pouco do sossego que ele tanto almeja...

    Shea voltou para sua cidade natal na Savannah para escapar do seu passado e ela não tem tempo para distrações. E por distrações eu quero dizer o incrivelmente lindo, deliciosamente sexy e misteriosamente enigmático homem que passou a visitar todas as noites o bar em que ela trabalha e pelo qual ela sentiu uma atração avassaladora desde a primeira troca de olhar.

    Sebastian e Shea são dois personagens bastante parecidos. Eles são leais, altruístas e almas torturas que tentam fugir dos erros do passado. O encontro entre eles é rápido e intenso. Nenhum dos dois quer se envolver com outro, mas o magnetismo que eles sentem é mais forte que qualquer pensamento racional. E eu não posso mentir, eu senti esta atração em meus ossos. Jackson fez um excelente trabalho ao retratar a conexão carnal entre nossos heróis. Romances do tipo instalove realmente não me atraem, contudo o fato da autora não ter feito eles se apaixonarem loucamente logo de cara foi um alívio. Afeição a primeira vista eu posso entender.

    O amor entre eles foi sendo construído aos poucos. Contudo, apesar de eu ter sido vendida completamente no que se refere a atração fatal experimentada por nossos protagonistas, o abrochar do amor não me convenceu tanto. Em partes eu me vi completamente investida na relação deles, em outras eu já não estava mais ligando tanto para este casal. E apesar de outros mistérios trazidos pela narrativa, por vezes eu não me encontrei mais tão compenetrada na leitura.

    A Stone in the Sea traz uma estória que foca muito mais no romance e na angustia do que no humor. Aqui não há diálogos espirituosos, mas a autora compensa ao entregar um enredo incrivelmente poético que definitivamente me deixou suspirando. Mas, o livro não termina aqui... ele traz uma reviravolta em seu final que eu não consigo dizer se me deixou ansiosa pelo próximo volume ou com raiva da autora - já que eu acredito que esta estória tenha se arrastado um pouco e talvez pudesse ter sido amarrada em um standalone.

    A Sotne in the Sea faz parte de uma trilogia que continua em Drowning to Breathe que será lançado em Junho de 2015 e conclui em Through the Storm, a ser publicado em outubro deste ano.
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  • alison phillips
    5.0 out of 5 stars New favourite A.L Jackson book
    Reviewed in Canada on February 27, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Wow, such an amazing book..
    Aww sweet and amazing Shea...just the greatest heroine from a book that you'll ever find. I just wanted everything good for her from the start.
    Sebastian....poor guy, had all the fame and fortune in the world but had nothing he really wanted and so much loss and pain.
    Loved them together and loved the book so much...can't wait for the next book.
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  • S. Holroyd
    5.0 out of 5 stars prepare for a cliffhanger
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 19, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    OMG I was not expecting that!! Been reading the back catalogue a little out of order and was thoroughly enjoying Shea and Baz’ story and the. I get to the last chapter expecting a nice hea!!! Well I was shocked! Thank goodness I have the whole series on kindle and don’t have to wait.
    Awesome story but just about stopped my heart with that ending!
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