Review: Shielding Lily by Alexa Riley


Note: This ARC was provided by Ardent PRose in exchange for an honest review.

Shielding Lily is the latest work from bestselling author Alexa Riley and my favorite one so far. It's a story of one's first love becoming their forever love, but it isn't necessarily all sweet and sunny for high school seniors Lily Parker and Ren Hendrick. Lily and her father have recently moved to town, making this the fourth transfer to a new school. Lily still misses her mom, but her death has affected her father more adversely, causing him to not just drink but to become increasingly abusive. Keeping her head down is something Lily is used to, preferring to remain unnoticed. But varsity football star Ren can't help but take note of the quiet but stunning new girl. He's immediately protective and keeping his distance isn't even an option. Young love can be a beautiful thing, but is Ren old enough to keep Lily safe from her father's rage?

There's a touch of innocence in this story about first love, but it is an Alexa Riley book so the expected sex is very much there, but in a way that seems befitting two eighteen-year-old main characters. That's not to say that the two have sedate sex. Remember, they're teens on the cusp of adulthood plus they've never experienced being physically intimate with anyone else. I mentioned Lily enduring the abuse handed down by her alcoholic father, but there's also a fair amount of bullying that occurs, and I loved not only how Ren's protective instincts always had wanting to make sure Lily was okay but also how Lily is able to truly come into her own and learn to stand up for herself. This was a little bit longer than the past Alexa Riley reads I've had. Maybe it's in preparation for the first full-length novel? I'm giving Shielding Lily five stars. ♥

Date Read: 13 September 2016

Learn more about Alexa Riley.

Purchase Shielding Lily on Amazon.

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