Always You by Shilpa Mudiganti - Blog Tour

Book Title: Always You
Author: Shilpa Mudiganti
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing
Publication Date: March 6th 2012
Format: eBook, Paperback, Kindle 

Book Synopsis:

Lyla has to move on. She’s been stuck in a rut since her heart was broken five years ago. Trying to decide about life with her fiancé, Nick, she resolves to finish one last project before moving to Spain and starting a new life. That is until she is face to face with the one man who broke her heart all those years ago, Alexander Knight.
Five years ago, when Alex and Lyla meet at his friend, Andrew's grave, they fall deeply in love. But, Alex is hiding a secret that will destroy his relationship with Lyla and does. What Lyla doesn’t realize is that Alex has changed since their break-up, because of her love, only she still has hate in her heart towards him.
But now, fate has brought them together in such a way that they have no option but to remain dangerously close - dangerous enough for Lyla to fall in love with him again. How can she? Not after what she knows about Alex and what he did to Andrew.
It’s true that love can change people for the better. But is it enough? What will happen when two broken people with a past come together? Can they forgive and heal?

Book Excerpt 

After the hour-long meeting, Alex sat alone in the conference room, long after his team had left for their coffee break. Today he’d touched Lyla again…his Lyla. He’d casually glanced up from his laptop when she walked unannounced into the room. To say he was stunned was an understatement. It had been five years, two months and sixteen days since he last saw her, and she looked as desirable as always, perhaps a bit more, considering how long he had waited impatiently for the day he’d see her again.

In her white blouse with puffy sleeves and that black skirt hugging her figure intimately, she looked lovely and vulnerable. He didn’t miss the grimace on her face the moment she laid eyes on him but the look of recognition in her deep green eyes made him alive in a way he felt nowhere else.

What he wanted to do was take her in his arms, and kiss her soft, velvety lips, but he knew how impossible that would have been. Neither the surroundings nor their past would allow that.

He had lost her five years ago and failed to win her back. None of his calls and letters were ever answered. After a year of relentless pursuit, he gave up and quietly acknowledged that Lyla would be the one woman he could never have...

It was not his nature to share how difficult it was to lose her. No one expected him to ever lose. After all, he was Alexander Knights, the man who could have any woman he wanted. But he terribly missed her each day and his body ached for her closeness each night. Yet she wouldn’t come back to him because of one mistake, the guilt of which he could never forget.

He knew it was a huge mistake, but first she had to forgive him. He didn’t think it would take so long. However, he tried to move ahead and thought he had safely tucked her into a hidden corner of his heart. Seeing her today proved that wouldn’t work, not when she stood across the room from him, her dark lush hair brushing her soft cheeks?

His stomach muscles clenched as he replayed the image of her shaking hands with everyone in the room, and how hesitantly she had shook his. As their hands connected, he had felt a tremor pass through her. Had she felt it too? Was it longing, pain, or love? Maybe she had. Maybe there was a chance for them yet.

Author Bio 

Shilpa Mudiganti grew up creating stories in her head. She thought her career would be as an author until she completed her technical degree. The security of an IT job lured her into leaving her stories to brew in her head. Yet, she fell in step with what fate had planned for her and penned her first romance novella, Always You. There has been no looking back since then. Always You is now being published by Inkspell Publishing in March, 2012.
Juggling her day job as an IT geek, she tries to put all her corporate learning into Inkspell. When she has time to breathe, she spends time blogging, connecting with her readers and spending time with her loving husband. She lives at Ridgefield Park, New Jersey.

Website: www.smmirza.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/shilpammirza a
Facebook: Shilpa Mudiganti 

And if you have time to spare, she would be delighted to have you on her blog: www.smmirza.blogspot.com.

My Review 

Always You is a quick, snappy and to the point read. It read brilliantly and I ended up finishing the book in a couple of hours. The story line is engaging and there were lots of will she won't she moments. It is very heartfelt in places and I was simply dying to know the whole story of how Alex betrayed Lyla.

5 years ago Lyla was in a relationship with a guy called Alex. He helped her get over the death of her partner, who died in a car accident. When Lyla finds out that Alex had something to do with her partners death, she leaves him.

Five years later in a business meeting for her hi-powered job, Lyla sees Alex again for the first time since their split. They have to work together with a team of people on a assignment. Alex has never stopped loving Lyla and wants to win her back. After hating Alex for 5 years, seeing him again comes as a bit of a shock. Lyla has feelings for him, which she hopes is just physical.

Alex is a genuine nice guy who has had a bad reputation as a bit of a womaniser. He shows Lyla respect and is kind and caring towards her. She is starting to come round to his charms. But all Alex wants her to do is forgive him. Can she put the past behind her? And forgive the man who lied and was the cause of her partners death?

I loved reading about this pair, I only wish the book was a little longer, as Alex and Lyla were such interesting characters. I will definitely be looking out for more works from the author.

My favourite character would have to be:

Alex- He has a mysterious side which had me intrigued from the off. He is handsome, strong, caring, intelligent and doesn't give up easily when he wants something.

4/5 stars

Carly :)

*A review copy was provided for the book tour*