Whoever said the truth will set you free is lying. The truth won’t set me free. It will destroy me. Our relationship is forbidden. I should stay away. He’s a teacher.I’m a student.He lives by a code of ethics and truth.I hide behind lies and misdirection. I have good reason to.My childhood was a living nightmare. It damaged me, hurt me, destroyed me. No one knows what I’ve been through. And I … destroyed me.
No one knows what I’ve been through.
And I won’t let anyone know.
Especially not him.
Cold. Calculating. Judgmental. Professor Dylan Beckett.
But there’s something about the way he looks at me…
The way I feel when his eyes are on mine…
And I wonder what will happen if I open my heart.
Is a happily ever after ending even possible for someone as broken as me? Or will the truth destroy everything I worked so hard for?
“Because of Dylan is a standalone, slow burn, forbidden, angsty romance featuring a heroine who is stronger than she realizes, and the cocky-on-the-outside, sweet-on-the-inside hero of her dreams. A satisfying HEA is guaranteed.”
Trigger warning content. Please do not read past this point if you do not wish further trigger information.
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This book contains off-the page references to childhood abuse, rape, drug addiction, alcoholism and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.
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I am obsessed with the Riggins U series! The series just keeps getting better and better. There is just something about a forbidden romance that just draws me in and this story captivated me from start to finish. I loved the whole premise of the book, Becca and Dylan are relatable and I loved their journey to happily-ever-after. I felt every emotion reading this book and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. Becca and Dylan definitely faced their share of struggles and ups and downs throughout this novel but I really enjoyed watching them work through it all. This book is book three in the series but can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend checking it out!
Becca had a horrible childhood, she had a drug addict for a mother, no father, and a revolving door of men that were her mother’s “Boyfriends”. Becca was sexually abused by one of her mother’s boyfriend when she turns to her mother for help and protection her mother doesn’t believe her, and Becca can’t take it anymore and leaves home to go to college somewhere else. However no matter what her past isn’t something she can let go of, and she finally decides to seek help in online therapy, and she’s finally moving on from her past and putting herself back together. Determine to have a better present and future she sets out to make her life what she wants it. She meets her Dad and starts to form a relationship with him and his family. She even makes a new friend Tommy. Only Tommy likes her and wants to be in a relationship with her. Now if she can only let the past once and for all.
Becca is a young woman with a ton of baggage. When she and her professor fall into a secret relationship, that baggage might be the biggest obstacle for these two, even more so than the forbidden aspect.
You see, Becca has a past she’s not proud of, a past she still has not dealt with, and the last thing she wants is for her new man to know that past. If he finds out, will Becca stand and let him know all of her, or run the way she’s always run before?
God, this story is a heartbreaker. Becca is so damaged, has so many demons, and I wasn’t sure she was going to ever deal with them in a significant way. Her relationship with Dylan was actually the best part of her life, but it so easily could have been a casualty of her past and not dealing with that past. I applaud the author for giving Becca such a layered, complicated personality, and not the usual shallow character so often found in New Adult fare. And Dylan? Damn, talk about the perfect guy, and perfect to heal all of Becca’s complicated, messy parts.
This is the 3rd book in this awesome series and is Dylan and Becca’s story. Dylan is a Professor at Rigging and he gives off the persona of being a cold and judgemental alpha who stands by his ethics, yet he is so sweet and supportive when he needs to be. Becca is strong and courageous and has been destroyed by her childhood, and she thinks that she does not deserve to be loved. Can Becca move on from her past to have a future? No spoilers: this is a definite must read. This is a beautifully written profound tale which is and emotional roller coaster throughout, as well as having angst, lies, twists, heartbreak, turmoil, and is a slow burn student / teacher love story. I cannot wait to read more from this author, and I highly recommend her work, just be aware that there may be triggers for some.
I love forbidden romance novels, specially student/teacher. So, that was what grabbed my attention first on this one. But as I started reading I knew it was more than a forbidden romance. It was a lesson on how we need to let go of the past to welcome the future.
Dylan and Becca didn’t have a good start but that didn’t matter when it came to Dylan, he knew there was something about her that would keep dragging him to her.
“I don’t have to look. I always know when she’s near. It starts with a shiver on the back of my head”.
Becca has always lived through the lies people say about her, and to her, that’s all she is, until someone makes her realize there is more for her.
“Because we believe the lies others tell about ourselves. And even worse, we believe the lies we tell ourselves too”.
Dylan and Becca are so perfect for each other, I loved their story and all the stories that surrounded them. Love, family and forgiveness. I hope we get more about all of them.
“A closed heart can’t give love”
I think, when you read this book, you relate, or you know someone who could or did relate.
Ms. Alexander is a new author for me and wow, I’m so darn glad I found her.
Thank goodness I have tissues at strategic reading spots!
Becca and Dylan, amazing characters, both!
If you want an amazing, true to life, it could happen, has happened, will happen again… this story is a must read!
I received an advanced reader copy, and this is my honest and voluntary review.
I’m a big fan of with Erica Alexander and her brilliant writing style. Because of Dylan by Erica Alexander is the third book in the Riggins U series. It is brilliantly written and developed with simple and powerful storytelling. It was a beautiful and heartwarming tale. The characters are complex and relatable; the plot is strong and it captures your attention immediately.
This was the gorgeous, slow-burn love story between Becca and Dylan, mainly told from Becca’s POV. This book is not an easy read.. it’s a tough read at times. It is full of angst and turmoil and pain and heartbreak. I simply adored Becca and Dylan and loved reading their amazing journey to happiness; from the pain of their pasts to the joy of their future.
This is such an exceptionally well written book where the characters conquer their past and their mutual love heals lots of wounds. It also speaks about forgiving ourselves, leaving the past and hurts behind and opening our hearts to new experiences and people. This book was simply wonderful and a terrific read. It was touching, heart wrenching and heartfelt.
This story moved me. My heart went out to Becca as she worked through her past and basically admitted that she was worth loving. Dylan was strong for her when he needed to be, adding to my enjoyment of this story. Tears and smiles filled my reading time.
I received a copy of this story through Enticing Journey Book Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.