Wilson Mooney Eighteen at Last by Gretchen de la O

Chained by unfortunate timing and restricted by society’s expectations, every choice Wilson and Max make becomes pivotal to their future together.Eager to take their relationship to the next level, Wilson returns to Aspen with Max to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. When an uncontrollable situation leads to a split-second decision, both will be tested like never before. Butterflies will soar, hearts will clash, and Wilson’s relationship with Max will spin into a silken cocoon with choices that seem too impossible to overcome.Could it be…uncovering the deep ache that lays dormant in their hearts will become the real threat to their forbidden love? Or will the pressures of keeping their relationship a secret be too much to bear?

Excerpt from Wilson Mooney Eighteen at Last

A massive, thick bubble sat wedged against my vocal chords, but I held back my need to cry. Max tightened his arms around me, the card pinned to my heart just beneath my hands. I knew Max was hurting so much more than me, and yet again he was making sure I was okay. I couldn’t let him worry about me.

I could feel Max’s breathing become shallow, his heart thumping faster, and I knew he was struggling to stay strong for me. He pushed his face against my shoulder before turning to press his lips to the space between my collar and the bend of my neck. He took a deep breath before his hands pushed harder against my back. I felt him ripple as he battled to catch his breath, and knew he didn’t want me to know he was crying. Worn from the emotional rollercoaster of the day, I pushed him slightly toward the bed.

“Honey, I think you should try and get some sleep,” I told him as I pulled slightly away from him. But he adjusted his hands and held me tighter.

“I can’t let go. Please—I don’t want to let go.” He struggled to say the words that admitted he was broken.

“You don’t have to,” I whispered, trying to soak up his pain.

We stood in each other’s arms for a good five minutes. I rocked back and forth, swaying my hips in a hypnotic rhythm. Then I felt Max take the lead and continue the motion until he loosened his grip to a relaxed pressure across my back.

He pulled away, making sure he didn’t make eye contact as he led me to the bed. I didn’t question him. I let him take me wherever he needed to be healed. He knew what he needed, I wasn’t about to change that. Turning to face me, his gaze rose to meet mine. His red and wet, eyes searched for some type of answer to help him heal faster. I wished I had it—wanted to have it for him. With his hands pressed warmly on my cheeks he kissed me. His lips, salty from his tears, tasted painful, achy, and remorseful. I cautiously kissed him back. My butterflies trembled down low, trying to keep from being discovered. I didn’t want anything to stop us, but he was balancing on such a precariously thin edge of anguish and guilt.

Max nibbled at my bottom lip—his way of telling me he wanted more than a reserved kiss. He pushed, I opened my mouth, and the tip of his tongue slowly moved to taste more. His shoulders rose, his hands pressed against my ears, and the echo of our desires filled my head. Now I couldn’t keep my butterflies from coming to life. He sparked a desire low in my groin that vibrated up through my body and caused my hands to seek a way to soothe him. I pressed against him, my hands knotted in his hair, with no idea where we were heading or how far we were going let this go.

Wilson Mooney finally is basking in the love she has longed for. She is in love with Max and her plans for her becoming eighteen are quickly becoming a reality.

This book is about when faced with challenges and struggles, can their love endure? There are plenty of sweet, sexual, beautiful moments. Moments that keep you falling in love with the couple right a long with them. This book also has some teary eyed, want to hug a character moments. There was heart break in so many different ways.

In some ways my thoughts on Wilson Mooney is that she is just eighteen and she is so young. It seems she has so much to figure out. I am hoping I get to watch her growth a little more.

By the end I am left wiping my tears, hoping that in the next story things will work out.

I think that there is a ton of room for a lot of story to be told in the future which is exciting and I can’t wait to see what more Gretchen delivers.