Lead Me Not by A. Meredith Walters is a new adult romance book. This is the first book of the Twisted Love series by Walters. I have read a few books over the years written by A. Meredith Walters like – Perfect Regret, and loved reading them. So, picking up another book written by her was an easy choice. This book follows the story of Aubrey, who is trying to help other people, to come to terms with a loss she faced, and Maxx, who hides many secrets behind his façade.
Aubrey Duncan is a college student. She is studying psychology and decided to facilitate an addiction support group because her aim is to become an addiction counselor. She lost her younger sister suddenly due to drug addiction. She feels guilty that she wasn’t able to help her sister and also feels like she missed signs that her sister got too deep into her addiction. Helping others who are struggling with addiction is a way for her to come in terms with the unexpected loss of her sister. At a session, Maxx Demelo walks into Aubrey’s support group. Their attraction to each other is instant, but she is his support group counselor, and he has problems with addiction.
In the beginning, Aubrey and Maxx start getting closer, yet maintain some boundaries. I think they can notice the emotional burden in each other. Maxx starts dealing drugs in order to support his brother and himself. He gets hooked on the pills that he sells. He knows he has a problem; it makes him angry and also, a little helpless. Aubrey is right to be wary of Maxx; she can notice signs in him that she noticed, but ignored in her sister. She wants to help him, but she is scared of feeling something more for him. Aubrey and Maxx have a natural chemistry. Their emotional connection is extremely strong, and they understand each other well. I loved how their love story played out. They have difficult moments with Maxx’s issues, and Aubrey is scared of losing someone she loves again.
A. Meredith Walters did justice to the story that deals with darker themes like addiction and drug abuse. The emotions of these characters are very raw and gritty; you can feel their emotions. Both the characters have difficult journeys in the story. For Aubrey, being with Maxx threatens her career and her mental health. Maxx wants to get better but struggles with it. The climax of the story was extremely difficult to get through for me. It felt too real, and it was emotional. In the end, both of them have to find a way to help themselves. No matter what Aubrey does, Maxx needs to find it in him to get better.
I loved reading Lead Me Not by A. Meredith Walters. It is a beautiful love story that has dark themes and emotional weightage to the story. I am not sure if I’ll read the second book immediately; it might be too soon for it. I liked the writing and realistic portrayal of a sensitive subject like addiction. Although it is a college romance, it is darker, than what one would expect. I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading it; I really liked this new adult romance book.
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