Right Now (Moment #2) by Marie Hall

Since he was six years old, Alexander Donovan has had one purpose – to watch out for his cousin, Ryan. After watching his own father commit a heinous act against Ryan, Alex makes it his life mission to keep Ryan from falling apart. Now that Ryan has Lili, he doesn’t need Alex the same way anymore, and Alex finds himself lost. His life has no direction and no purpose. Alex wants to move on from the past. He is seeing a shrink, trying to do better, but the more he tries, the more adrift he feels.

Until he meets Zoe Stone. Zoe is unlike any woman Alex has ever known. She makes him laugh and smile, but most importantly, she sees past the mask to the real him. Alex knows that Zoe is a game changer, but with his propensity towards self-sabotage, Alex could drive away the only thing that would make life worth living. How can she possibly love him if she knew the truth?

Zoe Stone never thought she would see Alex “The Golden Adonis” Donovan again. Back in high school, she pined for the day when he might glance her way. Alex always fascinated Zoe. Even then she could see that the laid back and jovial exterior hid darkness and pain. When Alex walks into Zoe’s tattoo parlor, she instantly recognizes him, even if he has no clue who she is. The connection between the two is instantaneous and intense, but Zoe has no intention of being just another notch. As the two fall deeper and deeper, Zoe fears that Alex will continue to push her away and never let her in.

When his father reappears in his life with a startling announcement, Alex is forced to confront his past. As the drama comes to a head, Alex faces the ultimate decision – Does he let Zoe in? Tell her the ugly truth? Or lose her forever?

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I loved A Moment. Marie’s writing is angsty, emotional, and perfect for new adult romance lovers. While I loved Ryan’s story, I also fell for his cousin, Alex, and I was thrilled to find out that he was getting his own book. Right Now gives us a much deeper insight into Alex and he comes across as a much more complex character in this book than he does in the first. My heart ached for Alex. Here is this man who has lost his purpose and feels immense guilt over something he had no control over, not recognizing that he was a child and a victim too.

For me, Right Now is even better than A Moment. I couldn’t put it down and Marie had me from the very first page. Alex’s story was a roller coaster of a journey. It was torturous at times, leaving a pit in my stomach that these two characters might not end up together. For every step forward, Alex took five steps back and I have to give props to Zoe for being willing to sick around. I really liked Zoe as a character. She was spunky and remarkably comfortable in her own skin (minus a few instances, but these humanized her) and just a perfect partner for Alex. She saw the real him and called him on his bullshit, which I totally appreciated.

This is a fantastic series that I highly recommend. There is a third book in the works – Tor and Jaime’s story – but no details on the title or release date yet.