Spending a month filming a reality TV show with your ex is no picnic.Especially when you’ve signed a contract stating that the two of you will not, under any circumstances, have romantic relations while filming. Leanne Simmons and Callum Davidson never had an easy relationship. From enemies to lovers and back to enemies, they’ve been on again/off again for years. Things come to a head when Callum … a head when Callum gets into an altercation with a rival for Leanne’s affections. Their management decide enough is enough and give them both an ultimatum: sign the contract or leave the show.
Unwilling to give up their livelihoods, Callum and Leanne sign on the dotted line. However, like always, they can’t resist making a bet. Callum thinks it’s only a matter of time before they break the agreement, while Leanne is determined to see it through.
Can she resist him for an entire month without losing her sanity? And what if this is the one bet that finally breaks them both?
Off the Air is a contemporary romance and Book One in L.H. Cosway’s brand new “Running on Air” Series. Each book focuses on a different couple and can be read as a standalone.
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Stars reassured me. They made me feel like I wasn’t the only tragic thing in the world. They showed me that you could still shine bright even after you’d died inside. That’ all wasn’t lost just because you’d lost something.
There’s a reason L.H. Cosway is a “will always read” author for me. I love her storytelling; it is immersive, fluid and imaginative. You will never get the same story from her. Her characters are beautifully flawed and filled with potential. She exposes their flaws and brings them to life; making them more, making them awesome, making them human. Her characters grow and change. Who they were at the beginning of the story is not whom they end up at the end.
We were given a brief introduction to these characters in HEARTS ON AIR; I couldn’t wait to read more about this group and their soon to be reality TV show. With OFF THE AIR, Cosway brings us a passionate, second chance romance about Callum and Leanne. They fight with the same kind of passion with which they love. Their chemistry is off the charts explosive and when they are together, sparks always fly.
He was an untamed, wild, unpredictable thing that I willingly let devour me, body and soul. Not only that, I wanted to be devoured
Leanne is a risk taker and thrill seeker. She’s also fiercely independent and strong-willed. She doesn’t back down in a fight and will not let anyone stand in her way. Filming a reality show with her ex isn’t easy, but would be made easier with some rules and boundaries. If she could only get Callum to comply.
She didn’t even know it yet but I was going to make her mine. I was going to tear down all the barriers between us. Tonight I might’ve knocked down a few bricks, but soon I’d demolish the entire wall.
Callum exudes bad boy charm. He’s a rebellious, risk taker and thrill seeker like Leanne. But he’s also extremely loyal to the ones he loves. When he loves he does so with wild abandon. He refuses to accept Leanne’s rules. He isn’t satisfied with friendship and he plans to show her she wants him just as much as he wants her.
You’re going to kiss me by the end of this trip, Leanne. And you’re going to do it because you want to.
The next book in this series is about James and Michaela, and I’m like a giddy school girl. I can’t wait!
OFF THE AIR is an angsty and passionate second-chance romance with a charismatic hero and courageous heroine who encounter tragedy and fight their way back to one another.
I was provided a review copy by AUTHOR; this did not influence my opinion of the book nor my review.
5 stars!
“When we were together, we burned bright but always self-destructed in the end.”
I am a sucker for second-chance romances and after reading Air Kiss, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Leanne and Cal’s love story. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy read and that they would have to fight for their HEA. Nonetheless, I trusted that it would be worth it and in the end, Off the Air did not disappoint. It is type of book that will make your heart pound from the very beginning and will consume you long after the last page it turned. It will break you over and over again before piecing you back together. Days after finishing it, I am still emotionally invested in Leanne and Cal’s love story. It has completely taken my heart hostage and I can’t let it go.
The prologue gutted me. I experienced the pain, fear, and heartbreak alongside Leanne and Cal. I understood the what-ifs and regret that came along with everything they experienced. It was too much to bear and it broke them and the love that was only just beginning.
Fast forward three years, Leanne and Cal are not together. However, they are still part of the reality show Running on Air and they find themselves in close quarters as they begin filming Season 4. Living in the same house for weeks at a time will be a challenge considering their turbulent past and the heartache that is still very real.
“Constantly being around someone who hurt you, and hurt with you, was a painful experience. One I was still living in.”
They just need to make it through filming and then they can part ways and get on with their lives for a little while. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as it sounds because every time they are together they find themselves in the same cycle they’ve always been in.
“I pushed him away, he pulled me back. We fought, broke up, then found our way back to each other again. Wash, rinse, repeat.”
This time, things are different. There is a new clause in Leanne and Cal’s contracts stating that there can be no romantic relationship between them if they want to keep their jobs. This only cranks up the sexual tension in the house. The air around them remains charged no matter how hard they try to ignore their intense chemistry. The banter is fantastic whether it stems from lightheartedness or passion, and I loved Leanne and Cal together.
From the start we see that they are an on again off again kind of couple and the way the story is written sucks you in completely. Flipping from past to present, the story unfolds flawlessly in alternating points of view. We get glimpses into their history and all of the feels that overwhelm them (and me) and I desperately wanted to know everything that happened between them. It is angsty and full of drama but it is believable. There is so much pain and heartache that I couldn’t keep the tears from falling. What they go through is devastating and it’s hard to grasp how they could ever come back from it.
Leanne never could quite get Cal out of her head. She pushes him away more than I liked but I couldn’t fault her reasons. A broken heart can cloud your mind and blind you to the truth. I hurt for her even when I wanted to shake some sense into her.
Though I really liked Leanne, I think that Cal stole the show. His love for her is undying. It is engrained in his soul. He is persistent, determined, and committed to her one hundred percent even when she pushes him away. He couldn’t let her go and he couldn’t erase his feelings. I kept falling harder for him the more he opened up and showed his insecurities and vulnerabilities. He was real, relatable, and flawed, and his love was everything.
“We’ve always been so busy loading our bullets we never realised we were already covered in battle scars.” His hand moved down over my shoulder to my neck, his fingertips brushing my collarbone. “But I always took every bullet you wanted to shoot at me, because being hated by you felt better than being loved by anyone else.”
Though this story puts you through the wringer, the forgiveness, healing, growth, and love are beautiful, and we get a perfect epilogue for Leanne and Cal. Finally, my heart was as happy as theirs.
“He knew all my scars, inside and out, and I knew all of his. Pain was a part of our history, but we wouldn’t let it ruin us.”
I am so excited that this is just the beginning of the Running on Air series and I cannot wait for more. Book Two, Floating on Air, is coming later this year!!
This is such a good book!
I read the prequel for the series and I fell in love with the characters right away. I was really excited to read Off The Air and when I finally started, I was amazed and shocked by how quickly I was getting surprises in the story. I didn’t think that I’d get on the emotional rollercoaster ride as fast as I did.
Even though while turning the pages my emotions where all over the place, I was completely sure of my love for the main characters, Callum and Leanne. They were both real, with flaws. And even when they had me wanting to knock some sense into them, they also made me experience the beauty of the passion and love (even if they didn’t knew it yet or hadn’t accepted it just yet) that burned between them. My entire being rooted for these two throughout the story, I wanted them to get me out of the angst hole I was in!
And let me just say that Callum is SO dreamy. I love how much effort he put into being a better person, a more deserving man of Leanne, but what he didn’t realize was that even if sometimes the way he acted was wrong and irrational, it never came from a pure bad place. His heart is so pure. He is kind and caring and he made me swoon every time. And that’s why I hated Leanne sometimes, because I couldn’t wrap my head around of how she was so oblivious to that, but at the same time I did understand where she was coming from, my mind was having an inner battle. But yes, my bad feelings towards Leanne was more powerful, because I hated how she constantly used him as his punching bag and he took it all and that even when hurting, he had so much love to give to her. She did redeem herself a little bit towards the end and I became a bit more understanding of her, but I still wish she had opened her eyes sooner than she did, and gave him the love he deserved.
I loved Cal for being so humble, for being capable of owning up to his mistakes and for giving an apology when needed.
I also loved the angst! I lived for their fights and their pain, for the slowburn and the build up in their relationship, their emotions were raw and I could feel them all.
Heartwarming, intense and sexy.
I’m confused right now. A little bitter. A little sad it’s over. And very much in love with Callum Davidson.
I don’t think L. H. Cosway can write a bad book. As Penny Reid mentioned in her review, Ms. Cosway has a unique voice. She always comes up with these tiny original ideas, which makes me wonder – how much time does she spend on doing research? Perfumes, illusions, parkour… You name it. She slays it every single time, bringing something completely unexpected with each new release. She would fit in the Erudite faction of the Divergent wold. Seriously, she is a genius. But back to the couple of my current obsession.
Callum and Leanne’s relationship has been never easy. Heartbreak after heartbreak. All the drama, ups and downs kind of wore me off. In the good way. But tbh, in the bad way as well, as it seemed the characters were stucked in purgatory instead of fighting for their HEA. These parts felt more like a reality than a fiction which I was grateful for. Just my heart – the sucker for romance – had a mind of its own and was infuriated to no end when the characters were working their problems out. Be prepared. The first couple of chapters are marked with a heartfelt loss.
I truly loved the first book of the Running on Air series. It’s fun, has some deep thoughts. All the characters stole every piece of my heart. See, there’s nothing to complain about. BUT. While reading I couldn’t shake off the little disappointment that Off the Air fell flat compared to Air Kiss, the prequel. Maybe I shouldn’t have read the novella first because it put this wrong idea in my head, not to mention the high expectations that all lead to me not fully enjoying the beauty of the author’s otherwise flawless writing.
Give this book a chance. There is more to the story than my words could ever express.
FINAL RATING: 4.25 air STARS
Off the Air is an amazing read! We have Leanne and Cal who have had an on again off again relationship for a while. They suffered a horrible loss which added to the tumultuous and intense feelings they share. Leanne did irritate me a bit. She was mean at times and was a bit blinded, thinking she was the only one hurting. I admit I have no idea how I would react if what happened to her happened to me so her behavior is probably understandable. Fortunately, she saw what she was doing, acknowledged her faults, and apologized. Cal is amazing. He really is the perfect book boyfriend. He still has flaws, but boy is he loyal and loves deeply. I loved the parkour element! There are so many sports romances out there, but I’ve never read one with this discipline. Cosway has a wonderful ability to transport the reader to different locations and provide descriptions that are detailed and easy to imagine. Must read! Can’t wait to see what the other characters get up to!