Love, Ally

Brooks University, Book 1

By: Hannah Gray

Narrated by: Maxine Mitchell, John Lane

The world never granted me much. No warm and cozy home to rest my head, no loving parents to cheer at my games or remember my birthday, and certainly no finer things in life. Just a damn good arm to throw a football and a hunger inside of me that I hoped would lead me straight to the NFL.

I was 12-years-old when the universe finally delivered its first gift. A beautiful angel, though my angel certainly wore no halo. She dressed in the same tattered clothes that I did, and her eyes were as lost and broken as mine were.

All it took was one look at her face, and I knew she had been made for me and me alone. From that day forward, my soul was hooked, taken, a slave to hers. Nothing could come between us. I was headed to college and then pro ball, and she would be by my side, where she belonged.

Until one day, she disappeared without a word.

The love of my life, my best friend, was suddenly gone, vanished, evaporated into thin air. Almost as if she were never even here.

Now, over a year later, at Brooks College in Georgia, she’s back. I want vengeance for her leaving me so callously. But one look into her stormy-blue eyes, and I’m enamored yet again.

But she’s keeping secrets. Pushing me away so that they remain buried in the past. She’s forgetting one thing though—when it comes to her, I’ll stop at nothing.

She can’t keep me at arm’s length forever. After all, she is mine.

This is a complete stand-alone in the Brooks University series.

©2021 Hannah Gray Books LLC (P)2022 Hannah Gray Books LLC

Great Listen!

I devoured this audio!! I really enjoyed this story and the characters!

This book is easy to read and the characters have such great dynamic that you will love.

Cole and Ally are such an amazing couple with a story that will break your heart for them... You will flip the pages wanting to know if they get their HEA!
I adored them and their relationship!!

Love, Ally (Brooks University #1)

PERFORMANCE REVIEW: Maxine Mitchell and John Lane both did an exceptional job bringing this story to life for me!! Well done!

STORY REVIEW: You wanna know what really gets me all excited and want to shout from rooftops? Well, when an author achieves what I perceive to be the impossible and they do it spectacularly! Wanna know what I perceive to be an impossibility? Creating a story about young kids without making me #twitchy and/or want to stick an icepick in my eyeballs. HANNAH GRAY IS MY HERO!

Listen, I’m not saying that I’ve never read YA/NA romance fiction that was spectacularly done or that Hannah Gray is some sort of anomaly with the world’s best word wizardry, but I am saying that while listening to both Love, Ally and Forget Me, Sloane I never once thought about their age and the ridiculousness that is normal behavior for anyone in their late teens / early twenties. NOT ONCE PEOPLE! Do with all that information what you will :) but you should probably drop everything and buy every book she has ever written. Just some friendly advice from one avid reader to whomever is reading this review!

I did a promotional #bingelisten for both these stories and I’m choosing to review them both as one because it’s not like I’m going to give away any plot-points about the story and also, they’re both happening on the same(ish) timeline and you should not read/listen to one without the other. I mean technically one could say these are standalones inside the Brooks University world, but no. More information for you to do with what you will :)

Love, Ally is a 5+ STAR story but Forget Me, Sloane is more like a 4 STAR.

****SPOILER AHEAD****

Why does Forget Me, Sloane get 4 stars you ask? ….

✔️ I hated how far the author took Sloane’s inability to get past the mistake that Knox made because as a reader, we lived through his remorse from almost the minute he did the thing and frankly, he took steps from almost the beginning of his deceit to walk it back. He may not have verbally stated to Sloane his deceit, but he did try to walk-it back. That entire plot-point came across as out of character.
✔️ Maybe this is just a me thing, but I’m pretty sure most people don’t drop F-bombs left and right when speaking with their parents, no matter how old they are. The F word is one of my all time favorite words but even at 52 years old, I’m not screaming it at my parents … *blink*
✔️ The healing time for a complete craniotomy, collapsed lung, broken wrist and collarbone didn’t sit right with me. The story wasn’t specific enough for me to say the research was flawed, but it just felt wrong. *shrug*

*****END SPOILER****

I know I’ve only experienced two stories by this author which is a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things, but I’m quite certain just from this experience that she’s a writer I’m going to keep my eye out for. The stories were relatable and realistic and very compelling. She packed enough of a punch in each story to make them emotional but didn’t quite cross the line into dark angst, which I appreciated.

Okay, enough words from me! Go forth and enjoy ….

What a whirlwind

Wow! This book was so stinkin good! It takes you on a mental roller coaster but well worth the ride! Listening to the life of the storm “cole” and Ally had my heart breaking, becoming a cheerleader and heart melting through out the entire book. Even tho this is fiction I know this book could help so many know they aren’t alone with an awful childhood and can become successful no matter how many obstacles get thrown their way. This book also shows that hard love can be found even 15 years apart. I love the entire ride this book took me on! Bravo on the writing Hannah Gray! Now Maxine nailed all emotions in the book. She had mw so wrapped I didn’t hit pause once. John Lane did a great job as well making me want to give him a huge hug through the phone lol. 5 stars all around here and can’t wait for the next

Ally & Cole

Holy crap this story was so good, I don't even have the words for it. Ally & Cole were together as teenagers. They both came from crappy backgrounds and they both just understood each other, they had a special kind of love. But when something pulled Ally away, Cole was heartbroken but also angry at her. So when they are reunited they have a lot to work through. But the things theyve been through and the love that they share is a special bond they will not have with anyone else.

This audio was done very well