MFB: Toxic

“Don't let pain keep you from moving forward. It shouldn't stop your progress - it should drive it.” 

     Toxic is the second book in Rachel Van Dyken's series, which started with Ruin, Kriesten and Wes' story. Now this book is Gabe's story. Gabe is the cousin of Lisa, who is the roommate of Kiersten. I must admit, I felt really intrigued by him in Ruin, I really liked his character and when I saw that this book was about him, I may have gotten a little too excited.

Here is the official description of the book:

"Gabe Hyde is on borrowed time. He's been hiding his identity for over four years-hidden from the world that used to adore him--obsess over him--driven to the edge of insanity by one poor choice. 
But that one choice, altered the course of his life forever. 
Pretending isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when pretending means hiding your real self from the people that care about you the most. But if anyone ever discovered the truth it wouldn't just be his life at risk--but hers. 
Saylor doesn't hate men. 
Just Gabe. 
Only Gabe. 
He's a reckless, happy-go-lucky, silver spoon fed pain in her ass. Everything about him makes her more and more confused. Unfortunately they both donate time at the same Group Home. If she wasn't afraid of flunking, she'd be long gone. She hates that she's attracted to him almost as much as he hates that he's attracted to her--and she can tell, especially since their first encounter ended up making her knees so weak she couldn't form coherent sentences for weeks afterwards. But the closer she gets to him, the more confused she becomes. He isn't who he says he is, and he's hiding something big. 
What happen when two worlds collide? Two worlds that never should have met in the first place? Some secrets are too big to be hidden forever--the only question? Will his destroy everyone he loves? Or finally bring about the redemption he's been craving for the past four years?
Everyone has a secret...What's yours?"

     At first, I didn't understand a thing that was happening in this book, no joke. The prologue confused me greatly. But then we jump right back in the story, we even get a little bit of Kiersten and Wes from the beginning and Gabe goes back to being his usual self. However, soon enough, he meets a girl which takes his breath away.

     Gabe is really confused and very annoyed with her. He is the kind of boy who doesn't do romance, he just does girls. But when Saylor comes along, everything he thought he knew goes spinning right around him. At first, he acts like a jerk and treats her horribly, but as the story progresses he can't help but want to be better for her.
     It doesn't help that they both volunteer at a house for sick people, where Gabe's ex-girlfriend, Princess, is. The story really goes much deeper than that and the author gives you hints at various points in the book, but I think it isn't until about halfway in that you find out the story about his ex-girlfriend. However, Gabe has a bigger secret, one that will ruin everything he has with Saylor if it comes out.

     He tries to keep it all hidden from her and from his friends, but Wes eventually finds out and encourages Gabe to talk to him about it. Except Gabe keeps saying that he will when he's ready and before he's ready, his money-hungry father comes looking for him and everything goes spinning out of control. Gabe is at the brink of losing Saylor because the secrets he kept from him, except he can't afford that because he loves her.

     In the end, everything works out just fine. I think that this book is more dramatic than the first one but I actually really loved it. I liked Saylor a lot, she wasn't this whiny, dumb girl that many romance novels have as the lead female character, and that made the book really satisfying for me. I liked the ending too, I loved how Gabe was finally able to let Princess go and embrace a future with Saylor. I give this book five stars because it was really good!