"I wasn't always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way. Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him. 
 Colton didn't teach me how to live. He didn't heal the pain. He didn't make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go." 
 With a description like this, I was dying to read this book, and needless to say, I had high hopes for something different in the New Adult genre. The beginning was sweet, as best friends from childhood, Nell and Kyle discover each other as teenagers, and fall in love. Tragedy strikes, and Kyle dies. Nell and Kyle's relationship was so sweet, young, New love, that it was very emotional when, and the way he died. I may have shed a tear or two. Nell was almost catatonic after Kyle's death. At the funeral, she runs into Kyle's older brother Colton, who has been estranged from his family for several years. The two share their hurt from Kyle's death, and get a bit too close, then Colton leaves. 
 Next chapter brings us two years in the future. While I appreciate when authors skip portions of time in order for the reader to draw their own conclusions about how the characters got to be where they are today, I think that we at least needed to see more of Colton during that period of time. See, the book changes POVs and we get Colton's POV when changing from past and present, and somehow Colton is enamored with Nell, and feels physically drawn to her. Without seeing Colton's POV until this point, there is no context for how Colton is feeling. It's too much "insta-love" for my taste. 
 Nell obviously has a great deal of guilt and sadness regarding Kyle's death, and running into Colton brings some of that back, but she also realizes that she has stronger feelings for him. They begin a sort of relationship that is based on mutual grief, and unresolved issues. What happens between the two of them is sometimes sad and difficult, while also loving and respectful. 
 Still, the relationship between them felt a bit too forced for me. I would have appreciated a bit more build up for them to discover each other and build a relationship through time. Their sexual relationship, when they finally got there was hot, at times, while leaving this reader a little uncomfortable, at first, not fully understanding where it was going. And, unfortunately, Nell's inner monologue of constantly thinking "oh God, oh God, omigod" every paragraph brought back (very negative) flashbacks to Fifty Shades of Gray" and that main character's awful and annoying inner dialog. (there was also kinky stuff, and some ads slapping in this book that was a bit too close to Fifty Shades - along with the inner monologue for me!). 
 So, to wrap up this review, I gave the book 3 stars, and I think it deserves at least that. However, I am disappointed that I didn't like it more. I think both characters needed more character development. I did like how the book ended, though, and that's a big thing for me.