Review: Lead Me Not by A. Meredith Walters

Lead Me Not

By: A. Meredith Walters

Pub. Date: August 5, 2014

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pages: 288

Source: Edelweiss

In this dangerously sexy novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Find You in the Dark, a straight-laced college student meets a handsome but enigmatic stranger who lures her into an underground club scene, where she finds it difficult to resist temptation

Aubrey Duncan understands loss. She knows what rock bottom looks like, and she is determined to crawl back up to the top after the sudden death of her younger sister. She blames herself for her part in the tragedy, convinced that she could have done something, anything, to help her.

In her effort to gain redemption, Aubrey starts fresh at Longwood University and facilitates an addiction support group, hoping she can support someone else in the way she failed her sister. But what she doesn’t count on is an all-consuming fascination with group member Maxx Demelo, a gorgeous, blond, blue-eyed enigma who hides dark secrets behind a carefully constructed mask. He only reveals what he wants others to see. But Aubrey glimpses another Maxx hidden below the surface—a Maxx who is drowning in his own personal hell.

As Aubrey and Maxx develop an attraction too intense to ignore, he pulls her into the dark underbelly of the city club scene, where she is torn by her desire to save him and an inexplicable urge to join him in his downward spiral. Worst of all, she is beginning to love everything she should run away from—a man who threatens to ignite in her a fire that could burn her alive.

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I really, really loved this book. A. Meredith Walters made me care so much about these characters, I was still thinking about them days after I finished the book. Aubrey and Maxx were written so beautifully. They were so broken, but Maxx, sweet, scared Maxx just stole the entire show for me.

After her sister overdosed on drugs, Aubrey has decided to make it her life's work to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else. Maxx deals and takes drugs to help deal with the pain in his past. Lead Me Not is definitely not a fluffy, light read. I actually had to put the book down a few times just so I could process my thoughts and feelings.

I really liked Aubrey as a character. She was very strong, and I liked that she could hold her own with Maxx. 

Maxx is someone who basically acted like a jerk, and never let anyone see his vulnerable side or what he was really thinking and feeling. It isn't until you see him with his younger brother that you start to realize there is something way more to him. The events leading to the end really angered me, but they were just so realistic. The actual ending made me so excited for the next book (well, I hope there is a next book!).

Once Maxx started opening up to Aubrey, I really loved the two of them together. They had such a wonderful connection. What made their relationship so hard was that Maxx is a full on addict, who never realized that he had a problem. It was just so heartbreaking, especially when things got so bad that he started to lie to his brother. Those parts killed me.

I've read other books from Walters, but Lead Me Not has definitely been my favorite by far. I am so excited to see what's next!