From the outside, Abby’s life looks like a fairytale. Loving family, wealthy lifestyle, education at a prestigious university. The truth? She’s barely managing to survive. Few know the nightmare she lived before she was adopted. And no one knows the secret agony that still haunts her nightmares.With a degree from Berkeley, she could have gone anywhere, but she’s back in Colorado. Not for a fresh … but she’s back in Colorado. Not for a fresh start—fresh starts are only an illusion—but for Wes Ahern. Her protector, who throws around words like “therapy” and “talk to me.” Her brother in every way but blood. The one man she wishes could be so much more.
Maybe, just this once, she can stop running from her demons.
But does she dare let Wes see inside the darkest closets of her pain…or will love be the biggest mistake of her life?
An inspirational and emotional contemporary romance Begin with You is a heartbreaking tale of fresh starts and old wounds. This jarring and dark novel will leave readers at the edge of their seats. This is part one of a duet, thus containing a cliffhanger that leads into the next installment. It contains references to childhood trauma, rape, kidnapping, and PTSD.
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I knew that I would be on edge. I knew that Claudia Burgos had no intention of letting me get through this book without tears. I had no idea how dark my thoughts could go…until now.
I’m one of those people that believe in torture for the right reasons. I know that sounds sadistic and maybe I am. I like to think of it as more…”an eye for a motherfluffing eye”. (Yes ,I said motherfluffing. I’m not Samuel L. Jackson so…)
Now before you write me off as crazy and this book as something it’s not, only certain acts cause my inner sadist to venture to the surface. This book alludes to and even mentions that. It’s impossible as a living breathing compassionate person not to be effected by trauma. We all process it differently.
Abby hides from her own mind.
Wes bottled it up a long time ago. He dealt with it. Therapy and all.
Abby refuses to acknowledge the horrors and so runs from them.
Life isn’t fair. You can fall in love with the perfect man but when your demons come crashing in…
Begin with You became a second chance at life. It was the start of everything they ever wanted. Was.
Now we are only left with questions, hope, and nightmares.
Begin with You by Claudia Burgoa was a beautifully written story that is the first book in the Chaotic Love duet. I love Burgoa’s writing and the way she tells a story and Begin with You was no different. Although some of the subject matter in this book was difficult for me to read as it deals with the abuse of a minor, I am also in awe of the way Burgoa wrote Abby and Weston’s story. The trauma of her childhood haunts Abby, and as her best friend, Wes as well. Although Abby has never shared the events of her past that led to her fostering with the Ahren’s, her PTSD is as apparent as the nightmares she suffers from. Now, six years have passed, and the pair of best friends have developed feelings for one another. The story does not progress linearly and is told through a series of memories and Abby’s nightmares as the couple attempts to take their relationship from friends to lovers. Yet, it’s not as easy as they would like, for while their love for one another is strong, Abby’s childhood traumas are extremely dark and dictate much of her present.
The Characters in Begin with You are going to move readers and without a doubt be memorable long after the duet is complete. Weston Ahren is the eldest son of the Ahren family. Once also a deserted boy, he becomes a foster child and is eventually adopted into an affluent family. It is because of his background that Wes understands Abby like no one else. Their foundation is built as he protects the new foster child under his family’s care and their friendship only deepens over the years when they spend time at their family home on the West Coast – away from the invisible chains tying Abby to her horrific past. Abby’s agreed to move home to the Denver area to again live close to her foster family, yet once she returns, her nightmares take over her once happy existence. Abby is a beautiful soul and her innocence is apparent regardless of her past. She is timid in some ways and while she feels like she is being watched, she hides in the only way she knows how. These two characters are so amazing and complex, and where Claudia Burgoa is taking them on this journey is a complete mystery. As a matter of fact, the whole story is a mystery because it has been completely unpredictable from the beginning!
Begin with You is tragic and darker than I expected. Yet, its also so beautiful and I cannot wait for the next book to release so that I can read what happens to Abby and Wes. Claudia Burgoa is extremely talented, and I was unprepared for the tears this story led me to shed. I am positive there will be more in store for me with the second book in the duet – but I can no wait to get my hands on it! In the meantime, just be forewarned, this book does end in a cliffhanger and will absolutely leave you in a book hangover!
Five chaotic stars! This book will warm your heart and soul. Abby and Wes’s story is a soulful journey of forgetfulness and forgiveness!
Holy heaven! From the beginning I knew I was going to need a box of tissues because reading a book written by Claudia Burgoa is always an emotional journey. This time she penned a heartbreaking romance between two angels who are broken into pieces full of pain. Abby and Wes have deep scars in their souls and they need urgently forgetfulness and redemption. Their past is dark and disturbing and fortunately they were saved at the right moment.
Begin with You is a beautiful book that pours the best and the worst of the human condition. It is smartly and carefully writing by one of the most talented writers. The pacing is fast. The plot is original and emotional. The story is flawless and the characters are complex and strong. Their complexity made them extraordinary real and human; and their weakness made them real like the air we breathe. Their story is a broken pain that stained their hearts and made them aware of the ugliness of some people who never care about them when they should have done it.
Life is not easy. Fate is unknown. Love is selfless. Simple things can turn complicated when evil is around to drag its claws out. This book is everything and more. It is a roll coaster of tangled feelings that made my heart ache for Abby and Wes. They can be broken but their broken pieces fit perfectly to make them whole. Love is a simple word of for letters but its meaning is bigger than that. It is the key to heal any wound and scar.
It is clear that Claudia Burgoa poured her heart in this book. It is shown in her smart writing. Each word sang to my soul. Each chapter made me fall in love with the beautiful story behind the pages of this book. I was afraid to actually finishing it because deep in my soul I have already known that I wasn’t going to like the end. (Because it ends with a big cliff-hanger) and I can’t wait to read the conclusion of this duet.
Abby is a strong survivor just like Wes is. They have many things in common. They can be damaged but only damaged souls can heal themselves with love and trust. She healed her wounds superficially but deep inside her there are scars that only love and forgiveness can heal. Wes is her person and the only boy she trusts enough to open up. He can see the real her in the pain she hides in her eyes. Wes is the white knight who can fight her demons and the monsters that hide in the darkness.
Wes is sweet and I love his protective side. He is what every woman wish. He has the good boy look and his heart is big and loyal. Since Abby came to live with his adoptive parents, his protectiveness increased. She awoke a pure feeling in his heart. She was the light to his darkness. She needs him like he needed her. Their friendship means everything to them and taking the things to another level will be an exciting journey of discovery and healing.
Begin with You consumed my soul like no other book before. I can’t find the right words to tell you how much I love this book because they are not enough. This is not a plain book it is so much more. The book is full of twists and turns and when I least expect it, the author managed to put me completely in the story and make it impossible for me to let go of story. Claudia’s writing is impossibly clever, strong and poignant. Once again she was able to transport me and captivated me from beginning to end.
Claudia has really done a great job with this book; we go through many emotions, sadness, empathy, joy, hope, laugh and love etc. This book is very complete in terms of emotions; we go from tears to hope in a few pages. However, it seems that the author has put kindness in the topics she addressed not to shock the readers excessively.
I highly recommend this book for every reader who craves an emotional romance full of everything that made your skin break in goosebumps. The passion and love between Abby and West will leave you breathless. This book is worth its weight in gold. Five stars are not enough to rate this book. It deserves a galaxy!
Terrific writing makes this a must read. An intensely emotional story that is so beautifully moving in it’s rawness and realism. As the story unfolds in flashbacks and time jumps we get to know our couple, Abby and Wes, and the traumatic events in their pasts as well as their current relationship. Abby and Wes’s slow-build romance from childhood friends to lovers is wonderful and the highlight of the story. This story does has several sensitive issues at play that are crushing and dark. So be ready to go down the rabbit hole with this one. Let’s hope our couple makes it through to the other side. This does end in a cliffhanger. I’m looking forward to the continuation of Abby and Wes’s story. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
Absolutely Fantastic! This book takes on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. It’s heartbreaking and painful but beautiful in its intensity. I believed this is her best book yet, it kept me on the edge of my seat, it’s real, it’s dark, it’s painful, it’ll grab your soul. You will feel every single emotion the characters feel it’s that freaking good. This is a 6 read!
This is the first book in the Chaotic Love duet and I can’t wait to read the second book, Back to You, to find out what happens with Abby and Wes. This story has captivated me and I hope that we find out what happened to Abby and Wes when they were younger and what happens next since the end of Begin With You.
Abby and Wes both had very traumatic pasts that they both don’t want others to know. Wes was a foster child with the Aherns that they adopted. He was young when he came to the Aherns so he grew up with the luxury of the rich. Abby came to the Aherns when she was just 17 years old. She was very traumatized so she had a lot to work through. With the help of Wes and the Aherns, she moves on with her life and pushed all the bad things from her past away, but it is never forgotten. Abby loves the Aherns and Wes but she feels most safe when she is away from Denver, their hometown. As the Aherns and Wes realizes this, they always make plans so that the family can get together for vacations and holidays without it having to be at home in Denver.
When Abby comes back to Denver to take a job with Wes in the Aherns company, her past comes back to haunt her. However, she loves Wes too much and is willing to try and be there for him since he is always there for her. They have been best friends since she first arrived at the Aherns and as the relationship develops, each of them feel more than friendship for each other. It is a sweet friends to romantic relationship story but they each must come clean to the other about their past since it gets in the way of their present and future. Abby is scare that Wes will not want her if he finds out everything that had happened to her but knows that in order to be free of her past, she needs to tell him. Wes also has a past that he doesn’t want people to know but he also knows that if he wants Abby to trust him with her past, he must reveal his to her. However, Abby’s past seems to become her present which terrifies her.
Claudia Burgoa never fails to disappoint. This book has everything!! Tortured but incredibly strong , heroine?Yes Hero that wants to save her ? Yes but most of all this book just takes you on a rollercoaster of emotion, it’s dark, full of angst, complicated and a little bit hot. Again Claudia deals with mental health issues brilliantly. I could not put it down and was totally worth the sleep deprivation. Cant wait for the next instalment.
Begin with Me (Chaotic Love #1) by Claudia Burgoa is a contemporary, slow burn, friends to lovers, billionaire romance told in first person, dual POV with a story that moves through time using multiple flashbacks and time jumps.
Wes and Abby meet when she comes to live with his family as a teenaged foster child. Wes had also been a foster child before the Aherns adopted him when he was five. He feels an instant connection to Abby, and a desire to help and protect her. They become best friends, and over the years, their feelings grow and develop into much more. But Wes is worried about Abby. She has never told him what she’s been through, but he can tell she’s haunted by the monsters of her past. They increasingly wreak havoc in her life, and if she doesn’t get help, they might destroy her future.
I enjoyed Begin with Me, the first half of Wes and Abby’s love story. It’s emotional, high on angst, and touches on some sensitive topics that may be triggers for some. As part one of a duet, it also ends on a whopper of a cliffhanger. I was glad that book two was available, so I could continue their story right away.
I didn’t realize that this book was “continued” and not complete. I don’t like having to purchase another book just to know the ending.
Oh my gosh. I am in a puddle on the floor. This book broke me and I still need to read the second book. This is not only sexy and hot but so heart-wrenching. There is darkness and so much emotion into everything that Wes and Abby go through that I have to pick up the second book immediately in order to know what happens.
What a mind bending book this was, mental darkness is evident in most of this story of a broken teen girl who suffered something unknown but obviously horrible at the beginning of this book.
Abigail, who doesn’t speak after a traumatic incident that changed her life is starting over with a foster family. She hopes no one asks what happened the night her stepsister died, she can never tell anyone, not ever.
Most of this book deals with a young man, oldest son, Wes Ahern, who gently welcomes Abby into his family’s home like the fragile, skittish waif she is and he becomes her everything as she tries, unsuccessfully to forget what brought her into in his world of privelege. He is so kind and patient, wanting to help the girl who he has probably loved in some way for as long as he’s known her, to overcome whatever it is that she’s never spoken of from her life before she came to be part of the Ahern family. His family is wealthy and his mother, father and brother, Sterling, care deeply for Abby although she doesn’t ever feel worthy of any love she receives from them. She feels emotionally ruined and positive she will never lead a ‘normal’ happy life.
The abuse Abby’s mother allowed after her beloved grandmother died is told through flashbacks of her past, revealed in tiny pieces at a time and its hard to imagine anyone coming out the other side unscathed. She doesn’t, she hasn’t. Over their years together, Wes gives Abby the comfort and security she craves, he’s her best friend, always in her corner but he would love to know everything she avoids saying so he can help her to heal her troubled mind.
What is all this secrecy about? What is Abby keeping from everyone who cares for her? Why is she hiding such important details of her past? Wes seems to hiding as well, but what?
I have been taking in every clue to her past and his, having been plunged deep into the drama unfolding between Wes and Abby as this part of their story draws to a close, for now. The next books is thankfully out for me to jump right into, thank god for not having to wait!
Claudia Burgoa knows how to keep you on the edge as another angsty tale is played out so well, the characters pain so raw, so real, that you won’t be able to rest until that last page of the next book is turned and all secrets are revealed! Well done.
It’s kind of difficult to write a review without a spoiler in a book that you loved so much, and do it in english it’s harder.
The story of Abigail Lyons is sad, it’s heart wrenching at times, but this book it’s just part of the process of healing (I really hope so!!). Even when this book leaves you in a cliffhanger it’s amazing, has lots drama, but lots of great characters. I think this author writes the best men characters around. And in this book, Weston Ahern isn’t the exception. He’s sweet,loving, patient and a great protector. He loves Abby so much, but life isn’t always straight foward, so they would need to survive some curveballs.
Abby’s new family is great, but she still need to fight with the demons of her past to have the opportunity to be happy someday.
Sterling is great too, kind of childish sometimes but a great brother none the less And this first book of this duet I think is a really easy read, but I think the next one would be darker and harder to read. More emotional. I can’t wait!
This book….Wow!!
Begin With You is Book 1 in the Choatic Live series by Claudia Burgoa.
This is an up all night read. It had me on the edge of my seat, unable to do anything else but read until I was done.
Abby and Wes are brought together by tragic circumstances. Wes is Abbey’s strength, her best friend and he gets her through her darkest times.
This story is full of angst and ends in one hell of a cliffhanger. It is a very emotional read, dark, suspenseful and so well written as all of Ms. Burgoa’s books are. I can’t wait for Back to You.
Holy crap!! This was a serious emotional rollercoaster ride!! By heart broke for Abby and her tragic life but I adored how Wes was there for her. This book was equal parts heartbreaking and angsty. I couldn’t put it down once I started.
What a roller coaster of a ride Ms. Burgoa took me with Begin With You. It was heart warming in parts, and heart breaking in others. Both Abby and Wes have sad pasts. Abby being the saddest. Abby goes to the Ahearn household at age 16 and keeps a secret up until she graduates and comes to work with Will at their foster father’s company. Technically they are not siblings before you all jump down my throat. Will has always loved Abby from a far and has a God complex in trying to save Abby from her “demons”, but there’s so much he can do if Abby doesn’t open up.
There are some strong, thought-provoking, and sad moments that has happened in Abby’s past that will catch up to her in the future.
Ms. Burgoa is known for her angst, but now she has brought an element of suspense to this story and leaves it with the mother of all cliffhangers. Thank God we get the second book soon.
This is the first book in a duet and is so extremely addicting but also heart wrenching and a roller coaster of emotions. It will keep you on edge from page 1 til the end. To me this is one of those stories that will be with you even way after you read it. Abby has some major emotional scars and trauma due to her horrible past. Wes is her foster brother and they become best friends. Then after a while they both develop deep romantic feelings for each other. After everything shes been through your heart will seriously break for her. Wes is is so sweet because he is so caring, patient with her and so very fiercely protective of her. The way it ends will definitely leave you waiting for the second part of their story.
I already finished reading this book a few days ago, but I needed some time to process everything that happened and be able to write a decent review.
The book begins with Abby being sent to live with the Ahern family, who gives her all the structure and love she deserves. Over the years, the further from Colorado she is, the better her nights of sleep are. But when Abby decides to accept Wes’s proposal to work with him and return to Colorado, the nightmares return with full force.
Feeling that Abby is not well, Wes decides to take her to Tahoe, their favorite place. There Abby’s nightmares cease and the two manage to deepen the relationship between them.
Throughout the book, I was tense waiting for the moment when Abby would finally tell what happened to her in the past. And when that happened, it was like a tragedy for Wes, which leads him to make some decisions that could put everyone’s life in danger.
The end of this book left me totally open-mouthed and tense. I’m anxious for the next book to know what will happen to these characters.
What a story and what a ride! I think the author did such a great job developing characters whose flaws made them more endearing and easier to relate to. Abby is such an amazingly strong character just trying to survive and find her normal. Wes is the guy every woman dreams of meeting in her life. The struggles the characters have gone through in order to survive absolutely broke my heart and had me cheering in their corner the whole time. I loved the dynamic of the family and need for Sterling to get his own book when all is said and done. T
Well worth the lack of sleep right now and I am wreck right now waiting for book 2 to be released
Wow, what an emotional roller coaster. This book gave me so many different feels of love, friendship, heartache, sadness and more. These characters are not only soul mates but they are best friends and the past of the heroine is getting in the way of the future of the couple. I recommend this book to anyone looking for just a little more from their romance read. A little bit more than sunshine and happiness. Not all pasts are pretty and Abby’s sure isn’t. This was a fantastic read and I’m looking forward to book two.
Abby is one hell of a tormented sole and only Wes and distance from Colorado keep her from completing losing it but when Wes asks her to come home and help him she can’t say no. I love how we really get to know Abby and Wes from when they first meet as it is that world building that helps you see that Abby isn’t just going mad nor is Wes wasting his time trying to help her. This is not a light fluffy read, this is about heartache, cruel and evil people who are meant to care for children, loss, hopelessness, love and so much more. I can not wait to read the next book to see what happens as I need ot know that Abby and Wes can have there happy ever after and that things haven’t gone so far that there is no hope for them!