Book review + excerpt: The Legend ~ Dylan Allen

Title: The Legend
Author: Dylan Allen
Series: Rivers Wilde #2
Release date: February 25, 2019
(Sub)genres: Contemporary Romance
Buy: Amazon US ~ Amazon UK
Rating:
I received this book from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Remington Wilde had heartbreak written all over him.
He was the most beautiful boy I’d ever seen.
When I looked into his midnight eyes,
I saw a happy ending I’d never dared to dream of.

I was seventeen the first time he asked for my heart,
I didn’t hesitate to hand it over.
In exchange, he gave me the best summer of my life.
He was my first everything.
Falling in love felt written in the stars…

But, our legend, it turns out, was all a lie.
And when our story ended, all I had was a broken heart.

Now, he wants a second chance.
But this time, I’ve got more to lose than just my heart.
When the lies that pulled us apart, threaten again,
it will take more than sweet words from his sinful mouth to convince me.

He says the love of a lifetime deserves a million chances,
But am I strong enough to fall again?

Painful family secrets, broken dreams and years without each other, can true love overcome these things? The Legend tells the heartbreaking and beautiful story of Kal and Remi. Their love is a given fact, but the road to their Happily Ever After isn’t the easiest one. I adore this book, plain and simple.

“That summer, we found something special with each other. Something, we’d never find with anyone else again. I was just a kid, but I knew it in my bones, then. I still know it, now.”

Young Kal and Remi met and fell hard, but their young love didn’t survive the harsh reality of their very different worlds. Fast forward 14 years later where Kal and Remi are both grownups with adult lives and responsibilities. But what hasn’t changed are the deep, overwhelming feelings they had and still have for each other. A job opportunity from Kal gives the couple the opportunity to spend time together, to reconnect and to find out if they can give their love another chance.

“There’s no space between us, and I could stay right here forever. “We still feel each other. Want each other.”

Remi and Kal, just swoon. They’re cute together as teenagers, and I was hurting with them when everything fell apart. Grown up Kal and Remi are amazing; they’re strong, they’re loveable, but unhappy when it comes to love. They’re ‘the one’ for each other, but life has kept them separately for years. When they reconnect, their love isn’t in question, but they do have a lot to talk about; their past, the future and what happened.

Kal and Remi are an amazing couple, and they deserve that hard-fought, all-consuming love. And luckily, Dylan Allen gives them exactly that. There were moments I wanted to yell at the couple, other times I just wanted to hug them. Remi and Kal are both products of their upbringing, which dictates their actions and reactions to a certain degree. But luckily, they also listen to their heart’s desires, giving their love a second change.

“You’re the love of my life,” I tell him. “You are the love of mine. That deserves at least a million chances, don’t you think?”

The Legend is the second book in the ‘Rivers Wilde Series’, and continues the story the has started in The Legacy. The Legend is a standalone love story, but I highly recommend reading the first book first (due to spoilers, and besides that, it’s an amazing story). The reconnection of Remi and his Kal are the main focus of the story, but the history of Remi’s family is an interesting secondary storyline. I felt deeply for all involved, and I couldn’t help thinking life would have been very different, if there has been less pride, less hurt and less entitlement.

“I’ve always been by myself.” “Not anymore. And as long as I’m alive, you won’t be again.” Be still my beating heart. This magnificent man is mine. He always has been.”

 

Excerpt

I can see the heat in her eyes and right away I know.

“You watched me?” I ask.

Her dark eyes widen, but she doesn’t look away.

“Yes.” She swallows hard.

“Did you like it?” I ask her.

“Remi,” she admonishes sharply, but I don’t miss the way she shifts her stance. She liked it.

“I want to hear you say it.” I ask again.

She nods and sucks her fat lower lip into her mouth.

I want to suck it, too.

“You know you could have gotten in and watched up close. You could have helped if you wanted.”

I circle her wrists and hold her hands in front of my face.

“They’re a little small, they wouldn’t fit all the way ’round.”

She draws in a big gulp of air and takes a step closer to me.

“Really?” she whispers her eyes flit down to my pants.

“I would have covered your hands with mine. We could have done it together.”

I let go of her wrists and slide my hands up so that we’re palm to palm.

Skin to skin.

It’s not nearly enough.

I’m this close to crossing a line I shouldn’t. But, when it comes to Kal, I can’t seem to help myself.

“Remi…we shouldn’t.” Her voice is husky and her fingers flex a little against mine.

“Yeah, probably not,” I agree, but I see the reflection of my own disappointment flash in her eyes and it emboldens me.

I know I should stand down. Even if it feels like it, we aren’t a good idea.

But she’s so tempting. And when it comes to her, I can’t seem to get a grip on my control.

I link our fingers and bring her hand to my lips for a kiss. She inhales sharply and looks up at me through the inky fringe of her lashes.

Her gaze lingers longingly on my mouth and I smile.

“Oh, Kal. We have a dilemma.” I drawl.

“Really? Then why do you sound amused? A dilemma isn’t generally a good thing.” The corners of her mouth turn up in a small smile.

“It’s a very good thing…because even though you don’t want to be, and I absolutely shouldn’t be, we’re interested in each other.”

“Well, that’s the perfect recipe for an unhappy ending, if I ever heard one.”