Impulsive and Obsessive. Two words people use to describe me. What does that mean?I impulsively jump into hobbies and get…obsessed. Rock climbing. Bungee jumping. You name it. Why? Because I need to keep the glass full. There’s no time for romance or sticky relationships. It’s just not who I am. -Perrin MichaelsBitter and Broken. Two words everyone uses to describe me. What does that mean? I’m … words everyone uses to describe me.
What does that mean?
I’m fucking broken and bitter over it… Leave me alone.
War vet. Life failure. You name it.
Why?
Because I don’t fit in here anymore.
I don’t want to care about someone else when I’m stuck.
It’s just not who I am.
-Emiliano Espocito
Can two people really heal each other, or does it only work one way?
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Full Glasses and Burju Shoes by Blake Blessing had me from the very beginning. There was something about Perrin. Her personality and thirst for life just grabbed me and I think I might have fallen in love a little bit.
Perrin is someone I wish I could be more like. She doesn’t fear a lot in life except for maybe relationships but she doesn’t allow that to weigh her down and dictate how she’s going to live which is life as an adrenaline junkie.
Emil broke my heart from the moment I was introduced to him. He has PTSD and is not dealing with civilian life very well. It only gets harder when he loses a friend. To me he seemed to be in a bit of a free fall. Until he makes a decision which changes everything for him.
Loved this story and the way it ended. I don’t usually have a smile on my face when I have to say bye to the characters I have fallen for but in this case I did.
5 Star
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes By Blake Blessing is an Amazingly written story about two people who are in need of healing. This is a military romance story that I had a hard time putting down once I started reading. Can these two help each other heal? Get ready for one heck of an emotional rollercoaster ride. Both of these characters pulled at my heart strings and I imagined myself going through what they had gone through. I highly recommend this must read Book. I look forward to reading more from this Author.
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes, by Blake Blessing, is a new adult/college romance that takes a spin on the hope of something out there that makes life worthwhile. Perrin and Emil approached life differently, and it shone in their personalities and how they handled situations. There was definite a solid dose of conflicts and a lack of understanding throughout a good portion of this story. Yet, the author, brings together historical background to support actions taken and allows the characters to grow and take on some perspective to see a fuller picture. There were definitely parts of the story that were a little harder to read through, but overall, I felt that the author did a commendable job on addressing various topics that are not always easily added into a story.
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes is a lovely romance novel by Blake Blessing that I really enjoyed reading. The title of this book intrigued me as I had no idea what burju shoes were and reading the blurb interested me.
This is the story of Emiliano ‘Emil’ Espocito and Perrin Michaels, 2 characters that I came to love more and more thoughout this book. Emil has recently returned from duty in Iraq and is having major difficulties in adjusting to normal life again. Perrin Michaels in the waitress at the restaurant that Emil’s friend Danny owns. When Perrin shows interest in learning the Bachata dance, Danny suggests that Emil teaches her. Let’s just say that their first few meetings don’t go well.
However, Cupid has different ideas for these two. They grow closer as they spend more time together and Perrin uses the Bachata dance to help with the signs of PTSD that Emil is displaying. I have to admit to having never heard of the Bachata so paid a trip to youtube to check it out. It sure is as sexy and sensual as Blake Blessing makes it out to be during the book.
I really enjoyed this book and I think that the author did a fantastic job of dealing with the issue of PTSD. Oh, and just incase you are still wondering, Burju shoes are the shoes worn when dancing the Bachata.
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes by Blake Blessing was an overall great read for me. This book had a great addictive storyline that I felt like I was flipping through the pages to see what more the author had in store for the readers.
Emil has recently come home from war and still has a great relationship with all his buddies he served with. One close friend who was like a brother managed to stay alive through the extended tours they did only to come home and be in a fatal car accident. Emil has severe issues with PTSD and sometimes he cannot control his reactions to certain sounds.
Perrin is a woman who does different activities whenever she finds something that interests her. Her most recent interest is to learn to bachata. Her boss Danny knows just the man to teach her but he says no.
The first two times Perrin and Emil saw each other was nothing pleasant. As a matter of fact, Emil was a total jerk to her when she showed up at his place for another reason.
Will Emil finally give in and be able to teach Perrin to dance Bachata style?
They end up becoming very close friends and Feelings get involved. Will Perrin be able to deal with Emil’s PTSD or will that be a deal breaker. This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster. There is so much sadness and loss but there is also some happy times too.
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes was my first book by Blake Blessing. This was a beautiful story that will pull at every emotion you have. Emil and Perrin’s story felt so real like a friend was telling it to me. I loved how when the author was describing the dancing, I could see it so clear in my mind. I don’t know what it is about military stories, I always cry; maybe the subject matter hits a little close to home for me. Highly recommend reading this and remember “always keep your glasses full”.
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes is a romantic standalone novel by Blake Blessing. It tells the story of Perrin, a young, vivacious woman whose main coping mechanism is throwing herself into adventurous hobbies, and Emil, a war veteran trying to build a new life.
One of the central themes in this book is PTSD. Emil and many of his friends from the army are struggling with PTSD and adapting to civilian life, and with a variety of characters we see how this can manifest in different ways. From Emil’s perspective, we get the vivid flashbacks and his concerns as he tries to build a new life and relationships with civilians. We also see how PTSD affects his friends, as well as the other people in their lives. It is done sensitively, highlighting the pain and potential consequences as well as offering hope.
I was drawn to this book by the focus on dancing, and liked that it was central to the plot. Having studied a bit of music psychology, I was particularly pleased about the references to music therapy! The descriptions of dancing are very detailed, and it makes me want to try bachata.
For me, this is a five star book. It’s not always a comfortable read, and there are some scenes that might be triggering (including references to drug and alcohol abuse, suicide and descriptions of war) but it is ultimately optimistic and very well written.
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes by Blake Blessing was an interesting read. This was a military romance story. There is a lot of thought into the characters of the book. The characters are fully developed, and I can substitute them for people who are in my life now. There are emotional roller coaster going through out the story. The story tells of two people who are hurting and is not sure a relationship will really help them out of their pain. Perrin is a story powerful woman who puts her all into everything. She is very inpulsive and obsessive because she does not know any other way to be. She feels there is no time to have relationships. She puts in a lot of time into everything else and that is how she feels. Then there is Emil (Emiliano) who is bitter and broken. He has built up walls around himself because combat left him that way. He did not think anyone could or would want to him heal from this point in his life. That all changed when Perrin and Emil met. You will have to read the story to see how it ends. I promise you will not be sorry.
4 Stars
This is a military new adult Romance that pulled me in from page one. The story is well written and I loved the authors writing style and the main characters were amazing! Their names are Emil and Perrin. Emil is a vet who’s had a rough life and has some pretty big skeletons in his closet. He is asked by a friend to teach Perrin how to dance and let’s just say he wasn’t over the moon about it.
Perrin is the perfect example of a woman i would love to be friends with. She is fun and is always looking for her next adventure. That’s when she comes across a couple and decides she wants to learn how to dance.
These two are fantastic together. There is so much chemistry and they just work. But with demons in both of theirs pasts they have a lot to overcome.
I am looking forward to reading more by this author and I would recommend this to a friend!!
Happy Reading!
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes by Blake Blessing
Four Stars
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes is a military romance by Blake Blessing. This is the first book I have read by Blake Blessing, but definitely won’t be the last. This book hooked me from the very first page and I couldn’t put it down until I read the last. This book is so filled with emotions, love, despair, happiness and bitterness. It had me laughing one minute and reaching for a tissue the next. Perrin and Emil are such an intriguing couple as they are complete opposites. I enjoyed the conversations between the two and how they learned to communicate together. The PTSD aspect was handled well and the all around story was smoothly written. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from Blake Blessing.
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes by Blake Blessing
Four Stars
This story has me in my feelings. It’s so true it hurts. I soldiers come home and are just let go. Therapy should be mandatory not a choice. The things they have to put up with is traumatic. They need help adjusting to the day to day life. Emil needs help but he was just too scared to get it. He has experienced so much loss and pain that when the rage started he should have known it was a bad sign. Perrin had so much joy and life. Her energy was contagious. The author put two unlikely people together and created a bond that was strong. A bond based on friendship and need. Perrin is sunshine in a dark world of IEDs and death.
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes was a great 5 star read.
I loved Perrin right from the start, she was such a fun spirited woman who was always looking for something new to do. One day she happens to walk by a couple that are dancing and she is pulled right in by them. She just found her next hobby, Bachata.
I’m going to live life to its fullest and enjoy everything I possibly can. – Perrin
Emil hasn’t had an easy life. He is a war vet trying to get his life back but he suffers from PTSD and some secrets.When his friend Danny asks him to teach Perrin how to dance, he’s not really thrilled about it.
Could these two help heal each other and find their well deserved HEA?
These two were meant for each other, they both have things from their past that they are trying to overcome. It was like they were drawn to each other. The secondary characters were great, I loved Danny, he was such a great boss and friend to both of them. I was pulled right in by the authors writing, I didn’t want to put it down. There were some emotional pieces here and there that had me teary eyed. This is my second read from this author and I loved it. I look forward to reading more from her.
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes by Blake Blessing
5 stars
Wow! What a story this was. I felt every emotion with this one.
Emil is a broken man who just can’t catch a break. After returning from the war, hes trying to adjust to civilian, but his PTSD is making things very hard. He’s a calm guy but when he’s having a flashback, he isn’t himself.
Perrin lives life to the fullest by picking a hobby and mastering it then moving on to the next. When she takes an interest in learning a type of dance, her boss knows just the person but he refuses.
These two were great for each other and I loved how Perrin just tried to help and embraced all Emil was.
This is a must read.
My best friend works with Vets in a professional capacity and the fact that we talk about that a lot and that one of the main characters is a vet experienced PTSD intrigued me. The plot summary does NOT do this book justice.
Emil has only been stateside for two months and there’s already been a funeral for one of his Army buddies who survived deployment just to die in a car wreck. Perrin is an adrenaline junkie who is always on the lookout for new hobbies so she can live life every single day. An extremely sexy Latin dance (I’m serious, look up a video of bachata) brings them together, and though the sparks are not immediate and Emil’s flashbacks happen at the worst times, the pair cannot deny their feelings. Perrin usually lives her life solo. Emil wonders if he’s even safe to be around. They can both help each other but they need to freaking communicate!!
The tension is great and some of the random stuff that went through the main character’s minds made me laugh out loud.
I’m not sure if I need a tissue or a drink after that!! What a raw and powerful story! Certainly have come to expect great things when I encounter another book from this author. This book definitely did not disappoint. A wonderful read from start to finish even with the emotional rollercoaster it took me on. Loved it.
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes
By Blake Blessing
This book took me through an emotional journey. Both Perrin and Emil are damaged in their own way and have very different ways of dealing it. Perrin who is always looking for the next exhilarating rush for her to jump into and she tries to stay positive at all times. Because she is always so invested in what she has decided to jump into she doesn’t have time for relationships and she isn’t even sure she knows how to be in one, it’s her way of not getting hurt and how she deals with the pain she has already been through. Emil is a broken man since he came back from war and is having a hard time figuring out where he fits in now, and trying to find the person he was before he got deployed. He is angry and bitter and isn’t sure how to change it. These two couldn’t be more different, and although their friendship starts off rocky and they go through some rough times I couldn’t help rooting for them, because they are so good for each other. Everything that Emil has been through is heartbreaking, the author does an amazing job making these feelings jump right off the pages and into my heart. I couldn’t put this book down till I read every last page!! I highly recommend this captivating story.
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes by Blake Blessing
5-stars
This was an amazing read. Emil and Perrin were amazing characters that I couldn’t help but fall in love with. They both had their own flaws but did their best to help each other through them. I loved that the author tied so much detail into Emil’s flashbacks. As much as I hated to see his character have to deal with that, I felt that it was very realistic and helped me understand his PTSD better. Perrin had her own issues with things after the loss of her parents but she did great in helping Emil through his episodes. I loved this novel!
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes is a heart-breaking story by Blake Blessing. It was my first read by this writer and I know it will not be last. The story put us on the front seat of pulling us into what it means to come back into the civilian life after having been in military, what it means to the families and loved ones …
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes is the story of Perrin Michaels and Emiliano “Emil” Espocito. Perrin is young and living her life with glasses full so that she can try to leave her demons behind … Emil is a war veteran suffering from PTSD and finding it hard to adjust to civilian life and finding purpose … They seem so different and it becomes real clear later into the story how young Perrin really is compared to Emil. On the surface they should not work, they should not be able to find anything common but when you dig deeper and the more the story unfolds you actually realize that they balance each other out … the differences actually are the ones pulling them together …
The writer has given us a story that will haunt us for a while … it is a story that shows us that we can find light in the darkness when you lean on each other … she makes us cry and laugh and rage and hate and love and look at our lives and reminds us to be grateful for what we have!
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes
Written by Blake Blessing
4 Stars
“The guilt is so heavy, so intense. I feel like coffee grounds in a cup of coffee. Always on the bottom.”
This book is filled with a lot of emotion…guilt, healing, loss, forgiveness, understanding, loyalty, friendship, love, misunderstanding, empathy, heartache and hope. This is my first read by this author. I’m not sure if all Blake’s stories have such a heavy storyline. This sure gives you a different perspective on what so many men and women are going through.
“…it’s impossible for someone broken to help another broken soul heal.”
When both of you have your own struggles but see the light in one another. Can you heal yourself while trying to heal another? What happens when life keeps feeding you more darkness~ can you keep it from spreading to those around you? Will their light outshine your darkness?
“You are my one light in the smothering darkness of my life, and I pray to God that I don’t ever lose it.”
Full Glasses and Burju Shoes by Blake Blessing is a novel that is an emotional journey of honour, duty, sacrifice, pain, despair, healing, acceptance, moving forward, seduction, charisma, chemistry, limitless love and capacity for forgiveness oneself. I have not read a book by this author, and I swear that this is just the beginning of my exploration of this author’s work. I was stunned beyond comprehension. This story was so realistic, so heartfelt, so humbling. It really made me realise how lucky I am and how much our armed service personnel sacrifice for our freedom. The horrors of war were never more apparent. You usually get the combat stories, not the aftermath of when they try to re-enter civilian life. I could not turn away, and the only time I stopped reading was when the tears blinded me.
The characters in this story were made for each other. Emil has come home broken and unsure of his future. Perrin wants a lot and is never afraid to take the bull by the horns and try her hand at adrenalin soaked activities. She likes what she sees when she runs into Emil. Their beginning was shaky, and the many stumbling blocks put in their path seemed impossible to conquer. They touched fire, they were burned. They survived. I was never sure how their story would end, and sometimes found it so hard to continue because my heart was breaking for them, but Blake Blessing has such a way with words, iy was physically and emotionally impossible to not read to the end. I was Full Glasses and Burju Shoes. I didn’t know anything but Emil and Perrin’s journey. It had everything and when I finished, I felt like I was put through the wringer. But what a beautiful experience reading this story was. It was unforgettable. I will never forget how I felt, the way the characters smashed their way into my heart. I will cherish all these memories and never let go, as they are so rare and precious. 5 stars.