Thicker Than Water

I adored Dylan Allen books.. the story was written beautifully with some perks… angst and lots of emotion 🙂
Reece and Lucia came from a very different background.. the story is very heartfelt…
The sensitive topic is very profound…
Thicker than Water is a book of hope in many ways.. in this.. its Reece and Lucia… their love is slow burn.. its meant to be.. its sexy and classy.. well done 🙂

Lucia Vega is a writer whose book, Throw Away the Key, is about a Mexican Dreamer who braves the United States as undocumented. It’s a runaway hit. Little does anyone realize it hits close to home for Lucia. Now Reece Carras wants to make it into a movie with Lucia writing the screenplay.

We learn Reece has a very personal story related to a young man who came to this country as a Dreamer. This is his motivation for producing Lucia’s book into a film. Reece is the president of Apex Film Studios where he recently took over operations from his father and mother. We discover that Reece used to be a swimming athlete until an accident cut short his Olympic career.

Once Reece has an opportunity to meet Lucia he is captivated. And all he can think about is how to convince her to sell the film rights to his Apex. While doing this he also starts to develop feelings for Lucia, only to find out she herself, is a Dreamer.

Wherever you come down on the political issue of immigration, I believe you will enjoy Thicker Than Water. Dylan has a wonderful way of sharing Lucia’s story, so you feel connected to her and understand both points of view around this issue. As a reader, you get the happily ever after, but you learn a few things in the process.

I found the story to be a wonderful account of what it means to have come to the U.S. illegally as the child of an illegal immigrant; what is involved and what someone who is undocumented can and cannot do. Dylan Allen also shares how our current system has changed in recent years for Dreamers in the United States. She does all of this without info-dumping but weaves it into the story through the eyes of Lucia.

You cannot help but fall in love with this couple and how they sacrifice to make their relationship work. This is a story not only about female empowerment but what it takes to be a United States citizen. This was an interesting backdrop for a romance I had never seen before. I found it to be a delight. I can only hope you do too.

This book has me on a fence. On the one hand I have a great love and appreciation for the books this author published after this one because her characters are focused and driven women that you can respect. That is how I feel about Lucia and especially about the status and trials especially of the Dreamers. While I do know of people who have dealt with this issue I have been blessed to not be touched by it on a personal basis. Ms Allen does a wonderful job of telling this story and the resolution for her characters.

Strange but productive way of bringing attention to a real life issue, which is something this author is very talented at doing. I love that she brings attention to real life issues and incorporates it into her story.

Thicker Than Water by Dylan Allen is a standalone and I’ve awarded this book 5 stars.

My brother, Julian used to say a variation of those words all the time. He would say, “Faith or fear, Luc. Choose one.” – Lucía

This is the first book I’ve read that tackles the realities of immigration and I couldn’t put it down. Dylan Allen has selected a subject that so many feel very strongly about and I’m so glad that she decided to write this amazing book. For me, as a reader, I love books that deal with sensitive and difficult subjects. I have great admiration for authors who don’t avoid the realities of life and show how things really can be, warts and all. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy ‘fairytale like’ stories but at the end of the day, life isn’t perfect and I want to read books that show the struggles some of us go through.

My father always told me that if something were meant to be, I wouldn’t have to chase it. That fate and I would meet just where we should, at just the right time. – Lucía

Dylan Allen keeps you hooked as she doesn’t give you the expected and there’s no sudden solution to Lucía’s situation. She shows the truth of what so many face and the sacrifices they often have to make in order to have the same rights we take for granted each day. Dylan also shows how people can be passionate about the subject of immigration but having a difference of opinion doesn’t mean that you can’t support each other or that your views won’t change once you listen to a person’s life story. I think one lesson that could be learnt from this book is not to judge someone until you know all the facts. Not everyone is the same and sometimes people are in a situation because of choices that were made for them.

Your grandmother, God rest her soul, used to say love is thicker than water. Blood means nothing without love. – Lucía’s Mother

*I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book and all opinions are my own

Thicker Than Water was my first novel by Dylan Allen and she sure made a positive impression. This story was such an eye opener. It was more than just a romance as really brought to light the plight of the DREAMERS and we learn about DACA. There was a important message in this story than needed to be told and Dylan Allen did it in an amazing way bringing our attention to the millions of people living in fear because they don’t have documents.
This novel will take you through a range of emotions and have you hooked from start to finish. While the relationship between Reece and Lucia was a slow burn, the chemistry between them was so intense you could feel it of the pages of the book. This story will take you on a journey and it might not go where you expect but it will be worth it in the end. This page-turner was a phenomenal read and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

Controversial, enlightening, and in your face reality. Thicker than Water takes on the controversial topic of immigration from the viewpoint of an undocumented girl Lucia. Lucia was brought to the U.S. by her parents when she was 2 years old. The decision to be American was never a question for Lucia, she grew up and spent her life in American. It was all she knew. But the decision was never hers. With laws that prevent undocumented immigrants from having rights and freedoms that most Americans take for granted, Lucia was scared and lived her life under the radar.
Lucia’s life was forever altered with the pending deportation of her brother, that tragically lead to his death. Lucia takes that pain and she write a best selling book. With a movie deal comes Reese, former Olympic swimmer and current studio head. Reese has been fighting for immigration reform for years and Lucia’s book is just the movie to put this topic in the pubic eye. Upon meeting Reese, Lucia is smittened and their chemistry is undeniable, but with fame and the spotlight comes exposure. Exposure that Lucia can’t afford to be brought to light.
The raw emotions in which Dylan writes is haunting. She brought real life issues to the forefront and mixed in a story of loss, love, and acceptance.

4.5 stars

“I see you, Lucia. The scarred places. And the beautiful parts.”

This is the third full-length novel I read by Dylan Allen, and I can say that I am a huge fan of hers. The author raises awareness to a very relevant and important issue in the USA. I don’t live in the States so I don’t know a lot of about this issue, but this book was an eye-opener. After reading hundreds of romance novels, I look for more in that genre. Books like Thicker Than Water are perfect in my opinion, it has a great romance story but it’s so much more than that. It highlights what a group of people go through every day and it makes you look a bit differently at the world. We need more books like Thicker Than Water, it is sexy and entertaining but also raises awareness.

“We were made for each other. You were looking for freedom…I thought I’d already found it. I had no idea.”

I really enjoyed Lucia and Reece’s story. This was a very heartbreaking but also uplifting story. It was emotional at times but also very sensual. The sex scenes were hot, and I loved the build-up towards it. Dylan has done another incredible job in creating such an unique and engaging story. I didn’t know what to expect and that is always a good thing. So why not rate it 5 stars? I don’t know how to explain it, but it was just missing something. I think if the book was longer, it would’ve had an even bigger impact on me (even though my heart broke to read what people go through). When I was at 80% I was thinking to myself: Will there be a sequel…, because I didn’t feel like everything could be resolved in the last 20% of the book. So I had a bit of mixed feelings about the last quarter of the book. I loved what happened, but I also wanted more and told in a slower pace.

Dylan Allen has taken the romance genre by storm. I am completely blown away every time I pick up a book of hers. I can confidently say that her books reflect the author, beautiful on the inside and outside.

The thing that makes her books so unique are her characters. I love how she creates two different people and brings together. If you want chemistry then Lucia and Reece are what you need. They are so perfect I was swooning like a madwoman. The sexual chemistry is off the charts hot. I love how they were able to communicate with one another and open themselves up. It was so refreshing and all around beautiful to read. What makes the relationship in this book unlike any other is that it is so real. I see Lucia and Reece as someone I could know or interact with in real life. And there is a message that speaks volumes. I give Dylan Allen a standing ovation for writing the most uniquely diverse characters that romance needs.

Thicker Than Water has it all and then some. It will stick with you long after you’ve finished reading. I am just blown away by this book. Utterly speechless and the only way for you to understand how I’m feeling is to pick this book up and read it yourself. This book is something special and it really touched me. You will not find amazing characters like this anywhere else.

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.* Dylan Allen has left me astonished, awestruck, and really, just flat out STUNNED! “Thicker Than Water” is the story every author should want to tell, and she did it immaculately. PURPOSE! It’s not everyday that I read an all encompassing love story that serves a purpose other than my own personal escape. For me, this story is also about courage, self-evaluation, and emphasizing that family is about who YOU CHOOSE.

The “kismet” nature in which Reece and Lucia are brought together in this book left me speechless. To have their lives intertwine the way they did made my heart pause, and at the same time have a “reader moment” where I felt like it would all be swept away. Having this story immersed in a subject that is so key for today’s real world made for an engaging read. To see the inside of Lucia’s life, her point of view, brought a rawness to this contentious subject. We are able to see the true long lasting, seemingly never ending struggles that she had to endure. It made me want to hug her and fight for her, which is what Reece did. He was drawn to her like a fish to water. The love these two display is nothing short of amazing. The fortitude they have to try and overcome their obstacles is certainly something to behold. And in their case, you certainly come to understand why LOVE is definitely thicker than water.

This book is a MUST read! Leaving it for another day is unacceptable. And to leave it standing in line amongst your other “To Be Reads” is borderline offensive. As soon as you get it, READ IT. You will not regret it. And if you have never read anything by the magnificent Dylan Allen, Thicker Than Water is a perfect starting point.

Thicker Than Water is an amazing, sensitive and touching romance. Don’t let the subject matter turn you off if you read the blurb and think it’s something you don’t want to think about. It deals with an issue that’s been in the news lately, and while the subject is a political hot button, it’s dealt in a way that it doesn’t come across as preachy or partisan rhetoric. Only a truly amazing writer could do this, spin a romance that will also make you question what you think is right and wrong, no matter your political beliefs.

Lucia Vega is the pen name of the first time, best-selling author of Throw Away the Key. The book is about a young girl who’s a DREAMER, one of many such young adults, living in the USA without legal documentations, through no fault of their own. Very few people know her true identity and what she’s hiding. Sometimes you need to face what you are most afraid of.

“Faith or fear, Luc. Choose one.”

The book is being optioned as a Hollywood movie, and the leading contender is Artemis Films. Reece Carras, one of the CEO’s of Artemis and its heir apparent, read the first few chapters and immediately decided his vision is the only one that can do the story justice. He’s been a passionate activist for several years, and the subject is dear to his heart, so he convinces Lucia to let them be the ones to make it a movie, with her writing the screenplay. His motto has been:

“What we feel isn’t as important as what we know.”

This is one time that what he feels and what he knows are in tune. As a stipulation in her contract, Lucia will be living in Malibu, in a Carras guesthouse, working with other screenwriters. And since this project is near and dear to Reece’s heart, he’ll be closely monitoring the work. Oh, goody for us!

Using the stanzas from the poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling as part of Lucia’s yoga meditation, they were also so fitting to her story and struggle.

“If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken by knaves to make a trap for fools, or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools.”

There’s so much to this incredible story within a story. Lucia’s best-selling story is heartbreaking, made more so when we learn the work of fiction is based on her life. The shame and fear of her family’s legal status were too much for a child to have to deal with. And when we learn about her family tragedy, one that is so painful to read about, it will make your chest ache. It’s also an integral part of the story, fate playing a hand in several lives. I’m in love with Reece and Lucia! Not having many options to choose from you wonder if Lucia will have a HEA ending, or the Libertad (Freedom) she so longs for. You’ll have to read to find out.