~ Blog Tour: Be My Downfall by Lyla Payne ~

Welcome to our stop on Be My Downfall blog tour for Lyla Payne.  

Title: Be My Downfall
Author: Lyla Payne
Publisher: Createspace
Release Date: September 20, 2013
Page: 310
Format: E-ARC
Source: Publisher/Ink Slinger PR
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult

AMAZON | B&N

Toby Wright has always prided himself on being one of the most normal guys at Whitman University. He loves his parents, has a great job lined up after graduation, and with the exception of attempting to cross the unbalanced Sebastian Blair sophomore year, has kept his nose pretty clean.

But the rich never have empty closets, and memories long stashed away come spilling free when notorious party girl Kennedy Gilbert almost dies in his dorm room.

Nobody really knows how Kennedy manages to stay in good standing at Whitman–she never goes to class, doesn’t pretend to care about her future, and as far as people can tell, is never sober. This isn’t her first meeting with a stomach pump, but it is the first time she’s woken up to Toby’s concerned brown eyes. Despite the fact that she prefers life without friends, he gets under her skin with his insistence on playing her guardian angel.

No one knows better than Toby that people can only be saved if they want to be, but the realization that she has no one else draws him back into the shadows of Kennedy’s life–and eventually into her bed. But she long ago came to terms with a truth that Toby refuses to accept: she doesn’t want to be rescued, she only wants to forget.

Unwilling to give up on her, Toby’s dragged under by this broken girl and her dark, twisted Whitman University he never guessed existed. If he struggles to the surface, he’ll abandon someone he loves for the second time in his life. If he doesn’t, it won’t be long until they both drown.

Be My Downfall has to be one of the most emotional book I've read this year. You go through so many emotions throughout this book that when you get to the end, your eyes are puffy, nose is burning red, yet you have the biggest smile on your face. Lyla Payne has yet to disappoint me. 

Toby Wright has always prided himself on being one of the more normal guys at Whitman. He's always been somewhat in the spotlight. With his dad in politics he's always had to keep up good appearances. Of course he's dated, but he's never kept someone around long enough for it to become serious. Friends? Those are always better kept at arms length. He really doesn't need anybody coming around asking unnecessary questions. Families always have secrets and the Wright's are no different. Kennedy Gilbert is the resident wild child at Whitman. I don't think anyone has ever seen her sober. She keeps to herself, sleeps around and doesn't do much else. Kennedy's story isn't all fairy tales and cupcakes. She's lived a hard life and the cards just never seem to be right. Everyone has a story, but when Toby and Kennedy's world collide, it's hard to put into words what exactly happens next. Toby already knows what path Kennedy is falling into, yet he can't seem to give up on her. It's hard to refuse somebody that won't go away. Will Kennedy let Toby in and realize there is something better or will she be his downfall?

It's amazing what Payne decided to do with this novel. We don't get the basic girl see's guy and they instantly fall in love. No, Payne decided not to go a route many authors use now-a-days. We get to see them develop somewhat of a friendship, because really, that's what Kennedy needs. My heart ached for both of these characters. I've never experienced a character like Kennedy before. She was broken beyond repair. In her mind she wasn't meant to be happy and she ran from any emotion that would make her show signs of happiness. The depth of emotion is heart wrenching, yet you come to an understanding that some things are meant to happen or meant to happen on their own time. That is exactly why I loved Toby's character. He himself has gone through things and knows nobody can save someone unless they want to save themselves. 

On a completely side note: Call me masochistic, but I need Sebastian to get his own novel. I have this thing about secondary characters and the smaller their role is, the more intrigued I am by them. We have seen Sebastian lurking around in all three novels, so I say he deserves some attention. Now Miss Payne, I know I'm not the only one begging to get inside of Sebastian's head. Throw a girl a bone here! ;D

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