They always say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what happens when your brain is set on lying to you every time you look in the mirror?
The thing about emotional pain is that it leaves invisible scars.No one sees them but you.No one feels them but you.But those scars can be traced by the gentlest of touch and I found that touch in the form of a man. He didn’t heal me, but his love … form of a man. He didn’t heal me, but his love changed me.
The start of our relationship was … intense. Why? Well, because that same man rejected me years ago and he didn’t even remember. I was invisible to him.
Now his heart beats for me and mine for him. Our souls are entwined in a way that would never be separated, but this almost perfect man has a secret that could alter the course of our lives forever.
This is a standalone contemporary romance novel that is part of the Imperfectly Perfect Series. No book is required to be read before this one.
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“If you could see yourself through my eyes then you’d understand how beautiful you are.”
We met both Ezra and Christina in Falwed,first book in the Imperfectly Perfect series. They were both rejected and dealing with pain that comes with unrequited love. Both of them are trying to make it through their lifes one day at a time. Christina is having a hard time when it comes to dealing with her emotions.She has an eating disorder and at the times she feels like she doesn’t have anything in common with her friends,like no one could help or understand her. Watching her struggle with her eating disorder broke my heart. There were times where she was lashing out and being mean to people who didn’t deserve it, and that I didn’t like about her, but still I could understand and empathize with her. Ezra made some decisions that put his life, and life of his loved ones in danger. Just like Christina he was dealing with his problems alone. It’s an understatement to say that at first they didn’t like each other, but there is a fine line between love and hate. I loved how when they finally got together their problems didn’t just magically disappear. I loved how they helped each other heal and how real these characters were.
Rejected is the second stand alone book in the Imperfectly Perfect series by Lym Cruz. There are triggers in this book about eating disorders.
This story is about Christina and Ezra. It was very emotional and real. Ezra used to have feelings for Christina’s friend. It broke Christina’s heart. To cover her hurt, she take out her pain in anger. These two hate each other with a passion. But there’s a fine line between love and hate.
Both characters struggle with serious problems. Ezra’s danger comes from the outside, while Christina struggle mentally. Ezra is involved in some illegal things he wants nothing to do with, but he can’t get out. Christina is struggling with inner demons. Demons that affect her health.
It’s a slow burn romance. But the chemistry between these two was undeniable. I loved the banter between them. Their love won’t solve all their problems, but now they have each other’s support and love to fight their own battles.
This is book 2 of a series if you haven’t read book 1 you will be lost as to who is who, that being said,
Rejected starts by showing Ezra’s side of being rejected by Melissa who he’s had a crush on sine they first meet, after a trip to his favorite bar he’s finds himself in an unfortunate situation that can and will put the people cares for in danger.
Christina has always been bullied growing up, her natural defense mechanism has always been to lash out and hurt others. One night out at a club Christina found her very intoxicated and nothin the best situation and Esra stepped up and took her to Melissa’s to sober up.
Christina feels like a third wheel as her friends plan Melissa’s wedding and Erica settles into Marie’s life, broke and unemployed she excited to land a job at a local accounting firm, the only problem.. Esra she’ll have to work sis by side with the one person she can’t stand.
The more they worked sides by side and there slow burn office romance through the use of post it notes, their quick wit and hilarious office banter back and forth definitely left you wanting more!
You will fall in love with Esra and Christina their love doesn’t happen fast but it will be definitely worth it!
Christina’s and Ezra’s story was so good. It really was wonderful. Neither of them are perfect but their imperfections complement each so that they are stronger together. Erza doesn’t fix Christina but he does help her see what she needs to do to be stronger. Christina makes Ezra see that he is a really great guy. The sex scenes were hot but they were also healing in that they made you believe in love that doesn’t care about imperfections. Lym Cruz was a new author to me and I’m so glad I took a chance on her. She really knows how to craft a story and keep the action moving but also knows when to pause for the quiet moments of a love story.
5 out of 5 stars for an interesting engrossing love story.
I was given this story as an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
ARC received for an amazing freveiw enjoyed this book better than the first one! I connected with Christina more than I did with Melissa. The plot was well thought out and executed nicely. I love a good enemies to lovers romance!
Rejected is a story full of plot twists and hardships. Ezra finds himself wishing for more status to impress Melissa before he realizes it his choices leave him in to deep.
Then on a night out ezra finds Melissa’s friend Christina in a drunk state.So Ezra does the right thing and brings Christina to Melissa’s house but he forgets her belongings in the back seat.
They meet up to exchange it and that’s when the tension begins. Ezra and Christina both have secrets they have to navigate through. When they finally trust each other enough with their secrets will what Ezra has to tell Christina be too much for her to handle?
This story left me shocked I want to type so much more but you need to just experience it yourselves add it to your TBR !!!
Trigger warning: eating disorders are discussed in this story.
If you thought the first imperfectly perfect novel was good then wait til you read this one! Ezra and Christina are to broken imperfect people. Christina fights with how she views herself. She thinks shes ugly and fat. That her stretch marks make her hideous. Ezra is so far from perfect that after Melissa (book1) turned him down for a man with money he went on the wrong path of life. Selling drugs and laundering money. He wants out but out isnt going to be easy.
These two characters compliment eachother in a beautiful way. He sees her beauty and she accepts his mistakes. It makes for one intense ride that’ll leave you holding your breath til the very end!
I recieved an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
Christina and Ezra’s story was beautiful, emotional, broke my heart but also mended it back together. I loved everything about this.
Christina is suffering from an eating disorder, something she has struggled with for years. You can feel her pain and her struggles that she experiences daily. Ezra isn’t squeaky clean, he has his own problems. These two start out as enemies, however, things change for them and their relationship develops into something more. Ezra has a sweet, caring, protective side and the way he is with Christina had me swooning.
Christina and Ezra’s story is real, raw, emotional and heartbreaking. The slow burn is worth the wait in the end. I couldn’t put this book down. The moment I picked up this book I was sucked into their story, into their struggles, the love, everything. This story will grab you and hold you hostage until you reach the final page.
Rejected is the second book in a series and it can be read as a standalone, however, I would highly suggest that you read book one, Flawed, for additional background on all the characters. I can’t wait to see what is next for Lym Cruz.
Rejected is an emotional MUST READ!
Wow, talk about a heart stopping, edge of your seat, emotional rollercoaster. This was it! I am beyond impressed with this second book of the series. I am officially hooked.
First, I totally didn’t see the whole Ezra and Christina relationship coming after book one. I never would have expected them as a couple. They both have a darkness, whether it is from their past or their present life. What I found amazing was how they were able to look past each others flaws and see the real person behind it all. Ezra learned so much about Christina and why she is the way she is. He helps her see past the image of what she has of herself. Making Christina see that she is beautiful not only from the inside but outside as well, that she too deserves loemve and happiness.Their relationship and love for one another is incredible.
Secondly, Lym Cruz took this story to a whole nother level that I wasn’t expecting. By the last few chapters I felt my heart racing, it was as if I was living the events of the book with the characters. I couldn’t pull myself away from reading this book. So much was divulged in the end, all of which you need to read to find out. Because I’m not spoiling it for you. I am excited to see where the author takes this series.
In my opinion, this book truly deserves 5… stars just like Ezra.
The blurb pulled me in and I had to read the story. While the story was good I felt like it didn’t live up to the excitement I got for the story reading the blurb.
It deals with 2 major story lines, Christina’s eating disorder and Ezra and his side “money maker”.
I just felt like each topic could of had its own book this one brushed the surface of each but wasn’t deep in my opinion, which is how I prefer my stories.
Overall the story as a whole was not a bad read I just felt it could of been a lot better.
I swear the second book in the Imperfectly Perfect series was even better than the first one.
WOW! Christina’s and Ezra’s story is as beautiful as tragic.
This emotional and heartbreaking story is an example that you can overcome all difficulties with enough support and love.
Lym managed to describe the difficult topic of eating disorder in a way that maybe will help people understand it a little better and show people with this illness more understanding.
I love the dynamic between the characters. They are both ridiculous at the beginning and the enemies to lovers development is funny and swoony-amazing.
I love Ezra and his no bullshit strategy.
He is intense and determined (and not forget hot ).
Just what Christina needs.
I love Christina’s character, she is depressed and ill, but has under all this a strong and funny personality.
What I said before, with the right one you can overcome your worst fears.
And that I love drama and this book is overlooked with it, I loved and enjoyed this fantastic story enormous.
This is Lym’s second book and can be read as stand alone, but I recommend to read Flawed at first, to understand the characters better and because the book is unbelievable good and I’m sure you’ll love it.
Rejected is a fantastic, page-turner story with a dreamy HEA and a mysterious ending, that prepares you for the next book.
I was hoping that we would get to read more about Christina and Ezra when we met them in the first book in this series and this book gave me more than I thought possible.
Ezra seems like your typical good guy but he has a secret that could cost him not only his life, but the lives of those around him. Christina is dealing with an internal battle, the emotions she feels on a daily basis and the scars of her past are bubbling up inside of her. The two of them start out as enemies but develop quickly into something more. It’s not easy, but it’s real and raw. There is no question, they are meant to be, but when Ezra’s secret is revealed, Christina has to choose her path. Stay with the man she loves and who loves her endlessly, or try and move forward without him.
This was a book that was filled with heart wrenching moments. Lym hits on a tough topic with a delicacy but also with reality. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything in this book. Everything is hard hitting and powerful and I loved everything about it. There were some major swoony moments as well, and Ezra has a heart of gold. It took me a minute to really enjoy Christina, but Lym made me root for her as only a good writer could have! I only hope that she continues with this series because the epilogue from this book gave me literal chills!! Absolutely amazing!
Rejected by Lym Cruz
I am voluntarily reviewing this ARC.
Honest, real characters come to life in this enemies to lovers romance. Christina and Ezra have known each other for a while, but Ezra has no idea why Christina hates him so much. He doesn’t know that while he was crushing on her best friend, she was crushing on him. The perceived rejection is a real hurt. Both Ezra and Christina have secrets. For Ezra, it’s a hidden life in crime that he is desperately trying to get out of. For Christina, it’s her crippling body image that has her relapse into bulimia. As their story unfolds, so does the healing power of love. It’s a beautiful story that deals with some uncomfortable topics and honestly, at some points in this story, I didn’t like these characters very much. But they won me over. There were no short cuts taken in this plot, and the progression had me loving it. I was pleasantly surprised at the twists and turns towards end. Very good read.
This is my first read by this author and it was really good!!! There were a lot of twist and turns that kept me waiting to see what happened. Ezra was a wonderful character and his i be for Christina was amazing. It took me a minute to warm up to Christina but after you settle in and try to see things from her eyes you will end up liking her. There are triggers in this book about eating disorders so be prepared but it was written very well. I wish I could have read this first book before this one but the author asked me if in would like you read this one and I’m glad I didn’t say no. Thank you Lym for the ARC I really enjoyed this! I voluntary reviewed this book !
This book is very emotional and touches very sensitive subjects that are possible triggers (eating disorder) for some.
With that said, I know that this book might not be for everyone (no book is).
We first meet Christina and Ezra in book 1 (Rejected). Christina is a sassy girl who hides her insecurities under a sharp tongue. She is a very relatable character and some parts of her struggles were hard to read because they brought to memory old wounds. I never had a problem with food, but I do believe that most of us had certain insecurities at some point in our lives.
Ezra was also a good character and well rounded. He had secrets that could put in jeopardy everyone around him. I felt his struggles and immediately fell in love with the way he cared for and admired Christina. Regardless of her problems.
This is a slow burn but the emotion and chemistry between the characters was palpable. And when things got hot, it burned through the pages.
Like the author’s previous book, this too was filled with twists and turns and one that completely blind sighted me.
I loved reading this book and will probably read it once more because it is very emotional.
This was a great story, really intense and unexpected twists and turns, Ezra what a great character he was. And Christina a strong and courageous woman
4 IMPERFECT STARS
Ezra lives a double life – working for his uncle during the morning and collecting drug money during the night. He’s in love with Melissa, but she doesn’t love him back. Will he ever find the right person for him?
Christina has suffered from eating disorders since she lost weight. She’s trying to find her balance while trying to get over her last breakup and accept her body. But seeing her friends blissfully happy with their better halves isn’t helping. Will she ever find the one?
When I started reading this book, I didn’t think I would end up loving it as much as I did, because it took me a while to connect with Christina. She is angry – angry with the world, with her body and with her need for food. But when she starts to spend more and more time with Ezra, she begins to accept herself. Thanks to Ezra and his love, she finds her inner strength and the will to fight against her demons.
“Why couldn’t you see me before? All these years we’ve known each other but you never saw me.”
“That’s because I had my eyes fixed in the wrong direction. But I won’t ever take my eyes away from you. I’ve found my north star.”
This book is a hymn to love and I loved it for that, totally recommended.