Total Book Geek: Tour Review & Giveaway: Break Away by Ellie Grace

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*

When Olivia Mason catches her fiancé cheating, her life gets turned upside down. With no family and no real place to call home, she heads south for a fresh start in Charleston, South Carolina. Determined to gain her own independence and protect her heart, the last thing she needs is a sexy, tattoo-covered guy to cross her path and test her resolve. Just as she’s beginning to put her life back together, she uncovers a piece of her past that shakes up everything.

Dex Porter has his own demons. A former Marine, he’s haunted by the past and uses whiskey, women and fighting to drown the pain and guilt that consume him. When Olivia arrives in town, he finds himself drawn to her immediately and is surprised by his desire to get to know her. She’s unlike anyone he’s ever met but he knows he can’t get close to her without exposing the part of himself that he keeps hidden.

As Dex and Olivia strike up a friendship and fight their attraction to one another, they begin to chip away each other’s walls and help each other heal. However, the past is never far behind and they soon learn that no matter how fast they run, it will always catch up with them.

Review:
For as long as Olivia can remember her and her mom moved around a lot. That was until Olivia went to college and her mom died in a car accident. Since the she hasn't been the same. With no other family it was just her against the world. In her need for stability and that feeling of belonging, she started dating Steven. Biggest mistake of her life, when she finds him in bed with another woman. Realising he was actually never what she wanted, Olivia packs her bags and moves to Charleston. It was a place like any other, though she remembered on one of her visits from college she liked the town.

After settling in and finding a job, she meets Dex. First he seems the very stereotypical, a hot, cocky womanising marine. Which he kind of is, though behind that facade he is hiding something. After losing his best friend in the war and being honourably discharged, he is quite lost and angry (mostly at himself). It is a side that he hides from everyone. After these two meet and start of the wrong feet, they decide to give each other a second chance, as friends since Dex doesn't do relationships and Olivia wants to enjoy single life for a while.

Of course as they become closer as friends, it gets harder to deny the attraction between them. There is of course that physical appeal, but most of the time that doesn't get in the way. Dex is showing Olivia an other side of that most don't get access to. Still he will need to learn to open up more and face his demons, before he feels worthy enough of Olivia. And when she gets confronted with hidden secrets of her own, she will need him to help her through.

What I loved most about their story is how naturally it flowed. Their relationship grows from a superficial friendship, to a deeper friendship, 'till eventually love. The pacing was brilliant, it never felt rushed or too slow, it was just right. Both characters are very well developed and simply amazing. Olivia is very strong, as she has been mostly on her own and she longs for that feeling of being wanted and loved. Dex has his issues, but he is also the nicest, sweetest and most importantly the funniest guy ever.

There was never much angst and it felt all very laid back. Olivia and Dex felt like real people you could meet on the street. The drama overall was okay, definitely not too heavy. I absolutely enjoyed reading Break Away by Ellie Grace and I definitely recommend it.