We started as two strangers. We ended with only one of us in love. Alex Law wasn’t meant to be there on the darkest night of my life. Seven breaths left in my sister’s chest, yet I looked back at him—the new boy who continued to make a habit of showing up when I least expected him, determined to turn my tender grief into some kind of twisted happiness I was too weak to resist. But Alex had demons …
But Alex had demons of his own he tried to hide from me. When his truths were finally set free, so was he. Not all love stories go the same way, and when he gave up on us and walked away, he dragged my broken young heart with him.
I knew there had been life before Alex Law. Now I had to figure out if there was life after him.
That beautiful, tragic first love of mine.
– Natalie Vincent.
more
This book is brilliant! From the very start I was caught up in its emotional rollercoaster of a ride and oh how this book made me feel. I couldn’t put it down, it is a definite page turner and I just had to keep reading to find out where the story was going. I loved how this book was written, it flowed beautifully. The feels…. have I said how much this book made me feel? I feel like the characters are now my friends. I had no idea where the story was leading which explains why I spent the day with that feeling of dread and also feeling nervous that this is going to be the story that doesn’t go the way I want it to. Whether it does or not, you need to read that for yourselves but I’m off to read the next book as I need more.
Put simply this book is just Spectacular,I really Loved it.
Victoria Takes you on such an emotional journey with the romance between Natalie and Alex and it compelled me right from the beginning until the very last page.
The emotions this pulled out of me were such a mix bag,at one point I actually cried in frustration and shock because I just did not predict how this this story would end.
I Would love to have a Love like Nat and Alex do ,to have such an almost spiritual connection that even when apart they knew it was inevitable for them to be together….one day..Victoria’s writing is impeccable .
This book is raw,real and beautiful and an unforgettable romance,a must read that I highly recommend it.
This story is breathtaking.
The words, the journey, the turmoil and real-life decisions.
Natexus is one of those books you just don’t want to put down. I cursed life’s chores and medial tasks for taking me away from this book, I couldn’t wait until I returned to the characters and did so eagerly, you know just in case I missed anything like you would with a soap opera or a drama.
I was swept away with Nat and Alex’s story.
A fifteen-year-old girl who fell in love with the boy on the bus.
A story of love and loss, mistakes and choices.
Natexus starts with Nat and Alex in their teens, goes through the heartwarming and heartbreaking moments then revisits in the college years. A book of two halves.
Victoria L James has such a way with words, I was swept away with waves, rolled with the tides and crashed into the rocks on the journey along with the characters.
I tried to think of what books brought out the same emotions and feelings I felt while reading this book and if I had to liken Natexus to any book to help a reader I would say Taking chances by Molly Mcadams.
For an amazing journey based on two teenagers in England, a journey where you will experience a plethora of emotions, all I can suggest is buy it and enjoy.
Told in first persons pov
Available in KU
I’m sitting here with tears running down my face, not for the first time with this book, tears that are flowing because I really did not want this book to end.
It’s not often a book speaks to me with way this one did, it’s not often I feel what a character feels with such intensity, it’s not often that my heart breaks so many times whilst reading but this book did all of that and more.
I have cried so many times, from a couple of tears to all out total anguish, heart wrenching ugly crying that had my son asking me if I was okay.
Nat and Alex have taken me on a journey, a journey that I know I will never truly get over and one that I really don’t want to ever recover from.
True perfection and I’m gutted I didn’t read this sooner.
So where to start !! I feel so happy and so heartbroken all at the same time, it’s like my heart has to be shredded to deal with all the emotions this read stirred in me.
I was like omg nooooo then 2 seconds later, omg yes !!!!
Alex who would have thought one name could have 2 meanings, one name has you clawing at your insides, rattling around in your brain and in your heart because you can’t don’t seem to have a resolution.
Natalie
The gorgeous girl with such a broken heart when Marcus finds her and wants to put all those pieces back together. He know why she was broken and seemed to flow like a knight and help her…. Until he couldn’t !!
Weddings are a happy affair…. Right ?
Alex law
Well well well this boy made me swoon and swoon hard I did,,,, until I wanted to hug him as my heart shattered for the shity things he had to deal with,
But you always have a choice, right ?
You don’t have to follow the same paths, or do you !
Do you turn into the one thing you never wanted too or go for the one thing you know that can dull the pain,
Life throws curve balls and that’s what I enjoyed about this book, real everyday things we can all relate, and you just need to know which balls to catch and which ones the let fly past.
Natexus all the way baby !!
Amo xx
Oh my goodness, what can I say about this book that will do it justice. It’s beautiful, stunning even. It’s not often a book makes me feel the way Natexus did, deeply and intensely. Ms James is a new author to me and I had no idea what to expect. I wanted to write this review before my feelings completely stripped me of my ability to articulate and all I managed to say in this review was ‘WOW’. I stopped many times whilst reading to utter that small word and to gather myself before diving straight back between the pages.
Pulled in several different directions, I was truly conflicted as to which way I wanted the story to go. Never have I wanted to skip ahead in a book as much as I did here as the suspense was killing me, and I’m not a skipper! I’m so glad I didn’t as I would’ve deprived myself of the journey, the experience of feeling everything, the heart stopping emotions and edge of your seat moments you get when you become completely invested in the characters. Exceptional writing skills brought these enchanting characters to life and made everything they said and everything they did real and relatable. I absolutely loved Natalie, such a caring young woman, I admired her strength and resilience. ‘Still waters run deep’ is the phrase which springs to mind when describing Alex, a young man who keeps his cards close to his chest, for reasons which become apparent as the story unfolds. You feel their love and their regrets as they grow and deal with life’s challenges. The empathy I felt for those involved made for uncomfortable reading sometimes but in a such a good way. I also loved the supporting characters. Their friendships, their humour and camaraderie were hugely important to the story and great fun.
After I finished this amazing book, I did everything Ms James suggested her readers may do, including staring at the wall for a time after I finished, trying to absorb everything I was feeling. I’m so glad I have now ‘found’ this author and I can’t wait to read more of her wonderful words.
This book was an emotional rollercoaster that I couldn’t put down. The story of Natalie and Alex had me gripped from the start all they go through emotionally together and on their own. I have to admit this book had me in tears of it all. This is a must read heart warming beautifully written story. I would highly recommended to others as a must read.
I love to read. I would even go so far as to call it a passion, and it’s only once in a blue moon that a book comes along and really encapsulates me, and Natexus is one of them. I was enamored from start to finish, and so completely invested in each of the characters that by the end of it, I felt like I was leaving friends behind.
Miss James has woven together a story filled with heart and soul that grips you from the get-go. Every pain and emotion these characters feel is raw and real, and the way in which she paints the picture leaves you no choice but to feel it with them.
Natalie has a great head on her shoulders, even with her home life being thrown into upheaval. She knows the cost of what is about to happen, and you can feel it from the moment you meet her. Enter Alex – a force of nature, impossible to ignore and a heart of gold that exists in spite of the skeletons in his closet. Even though their lives are messy, you can’t help but cheer for these two, but as the byline tells us, not all love stories are the same, and this one is certainly different.
The journey through this book is emotional, but it is raw and real. It breaks you down until you’re sobbing around a box of tissues, and builds you back up again until you’re unsure of where the path will lead you. The beautiful supporting cast is just as thoughtfully detailed as our main players, all of which you find yourself wanting more.
I can’t say enough good about this book and this author. This masterpiece needs to be experienced. The emotions need to be felt. This book achieves what so many strive to reach when they write about love and the effects it has on our lives. I see a bright future for Victoria L. James.
Oh my gawd. What have I just read & why oh why have I not opened these pages & lost my heart to everything Alex & Nat sooner. My whole heart has been shattered into a million pieces, as I’ve walked this journey hand in hand with these beautifully broken individuals, only to have them glue it back together ~ less a few pieces, through their sheer love, hope, belief & destiny.
From the first time their eyes met, their connection truly felt like something I could reach into the pages & touch. No matter how much or hard my heart broke, how sad my soul felt or how frustrated I became with such tragic first love, their pain became mine as did their hurt & regret. Every single emotion that VLJ gracefully & painstakingly layered into this stunning, second chance story of love, owned me.
Alex & Nat, Nat & Alex. Two people who carry some many scars & such profound sadness, but who see the sunshine in each others soul. Who learn the hard way about love & regret, but who are courageous enough to listen to the hearts whispers.. Even if they may never be heard, or maybe they will but it will be too late to reply.
I loved them at 15 but wow did they consume me at 22. Victoria’s development of them was breath taking on every level, Who they were & the path they had to travel to finally become who they were destined to be was so powerful. The way in which she made them real in even the most tragic of circumstances, stripping them bare, showing them vulnerable & unsure, really highlighted the depth of their character & with such beautiful poignant dialogue, ensured their world became mine ~ no questions asked.
A second chance love, a couple lost then found & some fabulous side characters that brought sunshine & sparkles means I won’t forget this story ever. Their footprint on my soul is permanent.
Favorite Quotes:
“Never let the end of one thing stop you from enjoying the beginning of another.”
“I’d been searching for a way to describe it for months, but I got it then, I got it. I knew that Alex felt like peace to me. When I was near him, the noise in my head fell quiet. I didn’t find myself thinking so much. I was too busy staring, analyzing, and daydreaming.”
“‘I have a good memory for nice moments, Natalie.’ Alex tilted his head to one side and smirked as he narrowed his eyes. Natalie. He said my name like he cherished it. I’d never heard it spoken that way before.”
“‘You cow! This dental floss g-string is made of delicate lace.’ Danni quickly glanced back at my parents and offered them a full, beaming smile along with a wave that replicated The Queen’s.”
“Our time together back then is one of those moments in life that we will always regret because we didn’t try, not because we tried and failed. Those kinds of stories, they’re the ones that kill us from the inside out. They’re the ones we’ll think about until the day we die. That’s what regret does. It burns under the skin. It taunts you with the possibilities you turned down, and in the end, there’s nothing we can do to get rid of that. Nothing we can do at all.”
“How was it possible to care for two men and love them in two completely different ways? How was it possible to feel like your body and soul were going in two totally different directions? One half wanted to save someone; the other half wanted to be saved.”
“I can promise to love you like no man has ever loved a woman, and I can promise to do that forever.”
My Review:
Reading Natexus nearly wrecked me. Oddly, I have never been so delighted to suffer such conflict, and doubt I ever will again as I cannot envision this intangible quality ever being replicated. I was enthralled and completely engrossed, yet tense and somewhat on edge; a condition I generally don’t appreciate, but I didn’t seem to mind it at all, and remain totally enamored with Victoria L. James – she has mad skills. My cold heart received the equivalent of a thorough cardio work-out while reading, the poor old thing alternated between thumping with anxiety, sinking, pounding in excitement, soaring, then shattering at least 4 times. My eyes remained rather misty, a rare occurrence for me, and there were also a few occasions accompanied with ugly bouts of sobbing. However, by the nail biting conclusion, my fist-sized muscle was singing yet again. While I skipped the gym yesterday without guilt – I find I am now in need of a spa day.
The story was beautifully written, and nothing short of exquisite – tender, sweet, romantic, tear jerking, heart squeezing, mesmerizing, relevant, touching, occasionally steamy, frequently devastating, and highly emotive. If I had to pick one word – it would be poignant. The characters were fully fleshed out, intriguing, and complicated, each having experienced tragedy in their childhoods that would significantly shape, scar, and continually alter their life view. His through trauma and a ghastly home life, hers from the grief of living with and losing a chronically ill sibling. They meshed perfectly as only young/first/epic lovers can. But of course – trouble erupted and it all fell apart. I was deeply conflicted and could not decide whom to root for! I had marked six pages of favorite quotes… six pages… all deeply profound, painfully insightful, or cleverly humorous – it was nearly impossible to narrow it down! Victoria L. James must have been blessed by the pixies as she has magical powers in the use of words. Sigh.
Oh my… My My My My My- I honestly don’t know what to say or how to start this. This author rips your heart out and at times you are not sure if it will be put back together before the story ends.
Getting about 25% into the book and wanting to know how messed up I was going to be when I finished this story, their story. So I did it.. I went to the last chapter and read it before continuing. I needed to know just how bad my heart was going to break. I’ve never had to do that before.
Alex and Natalie, Natalie and Alex. Natexus- All the Way!
Teenage love… You never know if it will last, how it will last. The ups and downs, finding out who you are and who everyone else is around.
”Never let the end of one thing stop you from ending the beginning of another”
Natalie knew love, but she also was unfortunate enough to have lost as well. Grieving the of a loved one is never easy. Never something you’re truly prepared for but, when the time came- he was there. In the doorway someone whom she’d just met minutes ago, A boy who wasn’t supposed to be there just trying to figure out how he would bring her back to life.
”We’re both made up of scars, Alex. You just can’t see mine”
Alex Law was the quiet one with the football under his arm. The boy she had never seen before. The boy who would walk her home and change her life. But, under everything he was a boy that was hurting the most. The one that was lost and the one that she didn’t know how she would survive after Alex.
These two will be put through so much, tested, broken and needing to be pieced back together.
“You’re the biggest regret I never allowed myself to have”
Amazing read that I highly recommend every romance reader to get lost in!