![Begin With You by Claudia Burgoa [Review]](https://thespellboundstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BWUAmazon.jpg)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Begin with You by Claudia Burgoa was a beautifully written story that is the first book in the Chaotic Love duet. I love Burgoa’s writing and the way she tells a story and Begin with You was no different. Although some of the subject matter in this book was difficult for me to read as it deals with the abuse of a minor, I am also in awe of the way Burgoa wrote Abby and Weston’s story. The trauma of her childhood haunts Abby, and as her best friend, Wes as well. Although Abby has never shared the events of her past that led to her fostering with the Ahren’s, her PTSD is as apparent as the nightmares she suffers from. Now, six years have passed, and the pair of best friends have developed feelings for one another. The story does not progress linearly and is told through a series of memories and Abby’s nightmares as the couple attempts to take their relationship from friends to lovers. Yet, it’s not as easy as they would like, for while their love for one another is strong, Abby’s childhood traumas are extremely dark and dictate much of her present.
The Characters in Begin with You are going to move readers and without a doubt be memorable long after the duet is complete. Weston Ahren is the eldest son of the Ahren family. Once also a deserted boy, he becomes a foster child and is eventually adopted into an affluent family. It is because of his background that Wes understands Abby like no one else. Their foundation is built as he protects the new foster child under his family’s care and their friendship only deepens over the years when they spend time at their family home on the West Coast – away from the invisible chains tying Abby to her horrific past. Abby’s agreed to move home to the Denver area to again live close to her foster family, yet once she returns, her nightmares take over her once happy existence. Abby is a beautiful soul and her innocence is apparent regardless of her past. She is timid in some ways and while she feels like she is being watched, she hides in the only way she knows how. These two characters are so amazing and complex, and where Claudia Burgoa is taking them on this journey is a complete mystery. As a matter of fact, the whole story is a mystery because it has been completely unpredictable from the beginning!
Begin with You is tragic and darker than I expected. Yet, its also so beautiful and I cannot wait for the next book to release so that I can read what happens to Abby and Wes. Claudia Burgoa is extremely talented, and I was unprepared for the tears this story led me to shed. I am positive there will be more in store for me with the second book in the duet – but I can no wait to get my hands on it! In the meantime, just be forewarned, this book does end in a cliffhanger and will absolutely leave you in a book hangover!
Chaotic Love, #1 – Available Now
