{ arc } review || FRICTION

Friction by Jamie Magee

Publisher: Self-Published (4/27/2015)
Series: Station 32, book 2
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Purchase links || amazon (soon) | bn || add to goodreads

Rating: ★★★★★






Having the wrong things in common with the right girl at the wrong time has always been a tragic issue for Easton Ballantine. At least it was when it came to Georgia Armstrong.

Georgia Armstrong’s nomadic life had left her worn and lacking the desire to attach to anyone or anything. She’d been burned and felt the coldness of loss and was content to drift at will until she found a reason to stay.

Broken roads and bad decisions, which led to right ones, were the demons in both their past—choices that would either draw them together, or rip them apart.

{ review } .

All he ever wanted from Georgia was for her to stay, for him to be her safe pocket.

Jamie Magee has brought a second book to this Station 32 series that will have you coming back for more…

At least she has me coming back for more.

Book one, IMPULSION, followed Wyatt and his teenaged-into-adulthood love with Harley. Book two, FRICTION, follows Wyatt’s best friend, Easton, as he finally finds his happily ever.

After starting this book, I saw that Jamie actually wrote FRICTION prior to IMPULSION (at least I’m pretty sure that’s what I saw). I have to say, you don’t feel it unless you know it. I would have never guessed that FRICTION was the ‘baby’ of this series, with all of the intensity that IMPULSION brought to the table. But after knowing it? I, at least, could feel that this was the true beginning to this series. There’s just something about the writing, the emotions, the scenes that just make you feel that Easton and Georgia are the root of this series (speaking of roots… hold that thought. Roots. Remember roots).

It only makes sense, I believe, that Easton would be the instigator to this Station 32-fest. Easton is, after all, pretty much centered when it comes to books one, two, and three. Book one was Wyatt. Wyatt and Easton are best friends. When Wyatt’s world came crashing down, the two of them hit the rodeo circuit. 

Book three is going to be Memphis’s book (cue girly squeal here; he's such a damn good brother and friend). Memphis is like the older brother/best friend in this group of boys (group being Memphis, Wyatt, Truman, and Easton). Not only that, but Memphis is Georgia’s older brother, and the Memphis and Georgia’s dad was Easton’s father figure after his own father passed. Whew. Can you see where I feel that Easton is kind of the center of it all? So yes, in my mind, it makes sense that his book came to fruition first in Jamie’s mind; it makes sense that of the three major players, his book is in the center, too. Granted… I can’t wait for Truman to grow up but I’ll save that for another day.

In IMPULSION, we learned a little bit about Easton. We knew that his dad died, and when he did, Easton kind of withdrew into himself. While his father started the teachings of the way of fires, he started to study them more after that. We learned that he became incredibly close to Lucas, Memphis and Georgia’s dad, and when he passed, yet again Easton’s world came crumbling down.

We get a bit more of those years here in FRICTION. What Jamie did incredibly well with both IMPULSION and FRICTION is set the scene. We don’t start immediately in the heart of the whole falling-in-love business (err… well, the setting of the stage is actually where Easton and Georgia’s story starts but shhh). These aren’t quick, we met, we had dinner, we slept together, bam – let’s get married, reads. These are books that lead up to that big moment. 

When Easton’s dad died is when he first met Georgia. He hid while everyone celebrated his life, and before he saw her, he felt Georgia coming. 

Georgia followed him, sat next to him, held his hand, and whispered to him, "We can share my daddy, it'll be ok."

When Lucas dies, while it would seem more appropriate for Easton to be comforting Georgia (the estranged daughter, mind you), again, it is she who comforts him. 

These two have always been meant for one another. They sense the other person before the see them; they feel them in a room before they even know the other’s in the same vicinity. 

They just don’t ever act on it. Georgia, early on, is scared, and Willowhaven is not her home. She’s not staying. Besides, Easton’s a good looking kid; what would he want to hang out with the purple haired daughter for?

Easton, though, has that whole she’s-my-friend’s-sister thing going on, and he’s not about to lose his friendship with Memphis on top of everything else; and when Lucas dies? He doesn't think that his father figure would have ever chosen him for his daughter. Oh, Easton... so much to learn, boy. 

One of my favorite scenes between these two, in their early years, has to be the creek/river and sleeping in a boat scene. For these two kids who have had entirely too much heartbreak in their few years, this was an incredibly innocent scene and I really felt that it set the pace for their future relationship. They calm one another; they have the ability to be the other’s anchor.

Anchors... roots... 'member me telling you to hold that thought? 

Georgia doesn't have roots. When her parents split, Memphis stayed in Willowhaven with their dad, and she left town to live with her mom. After Lucas passed, Georgia became a drifter. While Easton kept her anchored for the few days, she went back to school and Hunter became her anchor. The problem being he was not the best influence. She followed him around with his band, doing the photography thing, and allowed him to mooch off of her. The night she decides to leave him, she smells lavendar and out of nowhere, murmurs the word 'Grace'. She leaves him and heads home, or rather, to her brother.

The one thing Lucas had always wanted for Georgia was roots, so he'd left her money to buy a house. Even if she were to continue to travel, he wanted her a place to come home to. She ends up buying the very house she always wanted as a child -- the same house that Easton told Lucas he wanted. A house that needed help, had a treehouse... was just missing it's princess.

Everything with these two has been parallel over the years, so watching them finally intersect and make a go of it... I absolutely loved their story. I loved that they both thought the other was ignoring them; that they both were extremely aware of the other but didn't act on it. There were fears and insecurities, but they worked through it. It took time and it took some unfortunate miscommunication, but these two...

"This is what I know, Georgia. I know that every time I look at you I feel a burn in my chest. You twist my mind to the point where I can't think. It took me forever to get over the last time I saw you. Hell, I don't think I ever did. Then you show up out of nowhere...then..." his eyes rapidly moved across hers. "I know I can't get you out of my mind." In a whisper he said, "I crave you."

As much as I loved Wyatt and Harley, and was excited to see Wyatt's breaking years in this book, the love I have for Georgia and Easton.... my goodness. This little ready-made-family is just too flipping cute.

Oh! And be prepared for those life lessons! IMPULSION had mama Doran giving lessons to both Wyatt and Harley, and FRICTION has lessons from Lucas being remembered by Easton and Georgia. 

"No matter how broken the road is, they all lead you to where you're meant to be." He glanced over Easton once more. "When you feel your heart stop, then thunder to life, when a burn spreads through you and you know life will never be the same again, know that that road had your name on it. Trust yourself." He laughed. "Never believe your own bullshit."