* ARC PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR FOR AN HONEST REVIEW *Soar by Zara Cox is the 4th and final installment in the Indigo Lounge series. A warning up front ... do not read this review if you have not read High, Higher, and Spiral as there is no possible way to talk about this novel without spoiling some of the things that had already happened in the lives of Leia and Noah. This is most definitely not a stand-alone read.This whole series has been a crazy ride, and I was really looking forward to reading how the story ends. Since Noah's past always has a way of catching back up to him, which is where we obviously have to begin when his ex-fiancé shows up with a life-altering announcement."Oh yes. One hundred percent, yes. You are going to be a father, Noah."And if there was one thing that could send Leia running from Noah, despite their intense and passionate connection, it definitely was THAT. "She opened her mouth to remind him that she was only half a woman but the pain shredding her stopped her.""She was dead certain he hadn't even realized the naked emotion on his face for a split second Ashley had told him about the baby. Wonder and elation."So she runs even though Noah literally begs and pleads for her stay with him. She runs even though her ex stepfather is still blackmailing her and Noah is her only protection. And this makes Noah enraged. Not only that she leaves, but also that she walks out with Warren, a man who Noah is certain has ulterior motives when it comes to being guardian to Leia. She runs and she breaks both of their hearts."She wasn't ashamed to admit Noah King had become her whole world in a stupidly short time. And now she had to walk away.""She'd been the promise of everything he wanted come to life. With ever atom of this body he wanted to be back in that place, in that time with her."I could totally understand Noah's anger. There was never a single moment he even entertained the idea of "playing house" with Ashley. He knew he would have a responsibility to his unborn child, but he never wavered in his desire to be with Leia. He was not hesitant to communicate this fact and I respected that blunt honesty. But he also did not hesitate to let Leia know how furious he was that she chose to leave him, and these were the moments I lost some of the love I felt for Noah. "This was never going to be pretty, baby. I don't play fair and I can't promise that I won't tear chunks out of you every time I see you."And man, oh man, did he ever. He was HARSH. He didn't tear chunks out of her. He ripped her to shreds. Yet he continued to take extreme measures to protect her from her from her ex stepfather’s blackmail. I could see that he was protecting himself through that anger because he couldn't understand why Leia would chose to end things just because his ex used extremely deceitful and illegal practices to become pregnant with his child. He isn't aware of how devastating this news is to Leia because he doesn't remember that Leia cannot have children. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're saying you don't want to be with me because I'm about to become a father. Tell me I'm mistaken, Leia.""Yes, Noah. I'm afraid your impending fatherhood is going to be a problem for me."Instead of reminding him or explaining her actions, she chooses to protect herself with cold indifference. "I'm twenty-three years old. Is it so wrong to believe that I don't want to be saddled with a kid by proxy just yet?"So while I could understand Noah's anger (just not the way he chose to communicate it), I had a hard time understanding why Leia would chose this path instead of just talking to him.The story is fast paced and I found myself flying through the pages. Noah's impending fatherhood, his pain at Leia's desertion and Leia's fear from her ex step father's threats. Her pain at choosing to walk away from Noah. Warren's scheming. Ashley's scheming. The hurt they insist on inflicting upon one another. Will they ever be able to make their way back?"This time my problem isn't holding back. My problem is letting go."Written by Bobbi for Summer’s Book Blog. “She’d been the promise of everything he wanted come to life.”In Spiral, both Noah and Leia live out their fantasizes with each other on the Indigo Lounge adventure, but when they get back to their real lives and their pasts come crashing down on them, they soon realize that their realities are filled with more pain and scars than they can control, forcing them to make decisions that threaten to ruin their relationship before it even truly gets started. With everything that comes out at the beginning of Soar, the fragile bond that was forged between Noah and Leia slowly unravels. Noah is put in a situation that he never saw coming, and despite his best intentions to keep Leia by his side, Leia doesn’t feel like she’s strong enough to handle it all and does the only thing she can – she runs, leaving Noah angry and heartbroken. But if there’s anything readers have learned about Noah since his story began, it’s that he doesn’t give up on something he wants without a fight, and he desperately wants Leia to surrender her body and her heart to him.While Leia’s reaction to the situation she finds herself and Noah in is frustrating to witness, it makes sense given all that she’s been through with her parents and her step father. When something out of her control occurs, self preservation mode sets in, and the choices she makes and the things she says, even though they aren’t true, make her feel like she has the final say in how everything plays out. But Leia can run and hide as much as she wants to but that doesn’t mean that Noah will back down; he promised to protect her and he follows through with all promises, and he has a vested interest in the one he made to her because she’s the woman who has allowed him to truly free the darker side of his sexual desires and bend her body to his will. If Noah can’t reason with Leia, he knows that he can wear her down with her desire for him, and he fully takes advantage of that by using and abusing her body in a plethora of down and dirty sex.What starts out as a purely sexual connection – a way to freely give into their baser desires – turns into so much more than either Noah or Leia thought possible given their pasts. But in order for them to have a true shot at making things work between them, they both have to contend with those individuals who threaten to tear them apart as well as figure out a way to work past their own concerns, especially Leia.Zara Cox takes readers through several twists and turns in Noah and Leia’s story. The way she writes allows readers to feel the anger and heartache that both of them experience when Leia attempts to pull away from the situation. Noah’s domineering side really comes out in full force in Soar, which, in my opinion, helps him to get through to Leia in a way he probably wouldn’t have been able to without forcing the issue with her. Soar fits perfectly into the Indigo Lounge series; the passion and uninhibited actions are still a huge part of Noah and Leia’s relationship even though they are no longer on the fantasy flight and just like in the other books, there are outside forces threatening to impede on their happiness; it’s up to them if they can withstand the stress or walk away. Despite Leia’s actions, I never doubted her feelings for Noah and I hoped he would somehow get through to her despite her stubbornness, and thankfully, his tenacity pays off.A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.4 poison apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)
What do You think about Soar (2000)?
I enjoyed the entire series.. Wish there was more. Couldn't put it down.
—TitianaGore
Love the series, couldn't stop reading it, can't wait for the next one
—moodyjs
Awesome book. So sad that it's already over. :(
—Tayler
