Book Review: Because of You

** I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review **

I really wanted to like this book. The blurb immediately drew me in, and I'm a sucker for a love story. 

Seven years ago, Maddie came home to find both of her parents dead. The killers were still in the house, so she ran and hid. She recognized one of the intruders as her best friend's father, and the chief of police. Maddie's aunt and uncle recognize the danger she's in, so they whisk her away from her hometown and get her out of Chief Hadley's sphere of influence.  Hurt and confused, Maddie doesn't even say goodbye to her best friend Kyle before she leaves. 

Kyle writes to Maddie, and calls her, confused about why she disappeared. How can Maddie explain to him what she saw? Would he even believe her if she tried? Her aunt and uncle convince her to cut Kyle out of her life thinking it will help protect her and help her move past her parents' murders.

Everything is going according to plan until Maddie goes away to college. Kyle attends the same school. They are repeatedly thrown together and Maddie eventually runs out of excuses for trying to stay out of his way. Sparks fly, and they become inseparable again. Things get complicated when Kyle's family begins to see Maddie as a threat. Maddie is forced to choose between breaking her own heart by cutting Kyle out of her life a second time, or keeping the few loved ones she has left safe.

Given that I received an ARC, I'm willing to let all the grammatical errors slide--and there were many. There was also a lot of redundancy, like the word opportunity used twice in the same sentence. Maddie also seems to feel everything in her thighs. Excited? Thighs tingle. Kyle walks by? Thighs tingle. A virgin immediately having such sexual reactions to everything seemed very out of place to me. There were a lot of side plots that went unresolved also. Like Gina and her drug problem and enabler boyfriend. And Gina's rape(s) at various parties that went unreported without any repercussions for the rapists. I know that it's tragically common for that to occur, but it was swept right under the carpet in the book as well, and I feel like Gina deserved better than that. Everything else was tied up in a quick chapter at the end. All of the important bits like justice for Maddie's parents were glossed over. The ending felt very rushed. Overall, I was very underwhelmed.

Two out of five stars.