TSK, TSK, What to Read?: LOVE & SKATE by LILA FELIX BLOG TOUR

So excited that today is my stop, Kat, on the Love and Skate series blog tour. This is a fabulous series and to catch you up, you can go here to read my reviews of Love and Skate and How it Rolls, books 1 & 2 in the series. Today I am reviewing book 3, Down N Derby..so, scroll down and check it all out...PLUS don't forget...HUGE GIVEAWAY going on too!! Make sure you enter!! Thanks for stopping by!

On the rink she’s tough, she’s a leader, she’s fast and she’s the epitome of a rebellious girl. But Nellie’s been hurt, only once, but it was enough to make her look at life through different eyes and off the rink she’s a timid girl who loves with no pretenses.
A long time ago Owen Black was betrayed by the girl he thought he loved and the guy he called his best friend. The anguish set off a domino effect of negativity in his life and he never has fully recovered. He meets Nellie Forrester and thinks he can let it go for her.
But how can you love someone when the wounds from your past are still wide open?

Despite the odds, Reed Wolfe is making it, by the skin of her teeth. Her dreams and aspirations will have to wait until she can get on her feet. Because right now she’s homeless and churning on a downward spiral.

Falcon Black is existing. Not living, not thriving, just jutting along a path. But when he finds Reed, he can’t resist the urge to help her, lighten her load. But Falcon tends to go overboard, over the line, crossing boundaries he never thought he would and risking her trust in the process.

Can she accept his love or will it end up smothering her?

Maddox is running.
By accident, he discovered long ago that he was adopted as a baby and his need to find his biological father has consumed him ever since. Now, on a road trip, determined to find his father and his sanity, and armed with locations and his cousin, Nixon, to help him, maybe he can find the answers he’s been searching for. With nothing but a suitcase and a wad of cash to get him there, lead after lead takes him further from home.
But he’ll find much more than he intended.
He finds Storey, a pint sized pin-up model who has learned painful lessons about guys. Her wounds run deep, but so do his. She knows what she wants, but will she recognize it when it’s right in front of her?
Maddox can’t touch anyone without feeling like his skin is crawling, but just maybe his instinct to protect this amazing girl will supersede his own hang-ups.
If he can brush her skin and start to feel alive inside...everything will change.

Ahhhh....After I finished reading How it Rolls and knew Down N Derby was going to be about Maddox, I was extremely curious. Throughout both books we only see glimpses of him. Just getting the surface of what kind of guy he is....So, I sat patiently...yes, I actually did...until Down N Derby finally released.

So, I now have Down N Derby in my hands and immediately dive in, so excited to be back in the world of the Black Brothers. I have loved EVERY SINGLE one so far and knew I was going to love this one too!! And let me say...Lila does not disappoint. In fact, I would have to say this is my favorite book of the series so far. Do I love Maddox the most? Hmmmm...*taps chin while debating* I really can't answer that question. I really have to be fair and say I love each brother equally. They have their own unique qualities that make your heart melt. But anyway...Back to Maddox's story.

In the beginning of DND, we find out some very trivial information that sets Maddox on his journey across the US. Finding out he was adopted by his aunt, his biological mom's sister, really weighed heavy on him; he needed to discover some things about himself. I think we can all understand that. I know I would want to know more if I was in that situation. I don't agree with the way he handled leaving and keeping his family in the dark, but I do understand he wanted to do this on his own.

While on his travels, he is chauffeured by his cousin Nixon. I also thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him page after page in this fabulous story...Seeing these two interact and finding out more of each one's stories helped me to gain an understanding of who they are. But as the journey comes to an end destination in California, the guys decide to relax some before seeking out Maddox's dad.

This is where the story begins to heat up, because enter stage right....Storey, our cute little pin up girl, modeling her way through to get back home and ultimately pay her way through college. With a chance meeting on the beach, everything escalates and we now have a fresh budding romance.

And oh their relationship is so sweet. So very romantic!! They both brought so much to the relationship and to each other. Seeing fears overcome, stereotypes banished...*sighs* just an overall beautiful love story. I must say...Lila knows how to write the ones that grip your heart and make sure they stay with you FOREVER!!!

I am glad to say that it ended very well. I was happy for some of the events that transpired. Good things have happened with the Black family...and with the epilogue Lila left us...OH WOW....I cannot wait for our next book...

Down N Derby is a book that is written so brilliantly...characters that you feel like you know on a personal basis and can't wait for when you can all get together again. Forming that type of strong connection reveals the magnificent talent that Lila has.

The Love and Skate series is one of my favorites and I hope that you will pick it up and find out how FABULOUS it is!! :D

Lila Felix made the decision to write a book after being encouraged by friends. She is a stay at home mom to three wild children and three boisterous dogs. Between writing books she loves read and watch sappy 80's movies. Favorite things: ice cream, anything purple, roller derby and any kind of music she can get her hands on. If you're looking for her, try looking under Cypress trees in the swamps of Louisiana.