Blog Tour: Shelter You by Alice Montalvo-Tribue, Review, Teasers & Giveaway!

4.5 stars

In a way, Shelter You is a little predictable in terms of storyline but Alice Montalvo-Tribue did such a great job with it that I didn't care about that anymore. All I know is that the story warmed my heart and I loved how things played out up to the very end.

The synopsis of the book intrigued me the moment I read it. My first impression was that it's about a runaway young woman and her baby, and a man who will help her and possibly become her love interest as well. I thought I'll be reading more about runaways in general and the challenges they face. I recently saw the movie trailer for Gimme Shelter which starred Vanessa Hudgens when I started reading this though, so maybe that influenced my expectations of the book.

Shelter You turns out to be more of a romance story than an exploration of teenage pregnancy and seeing it as a one of the common problems in society. It does touch on the difficulties young, runaway, single mothers face on a daily basis: financial security, security at home, making enough to pay for the needs of a baby, being able to afford to go to a doctor, and finding trustworthy people, to name a few.

Mia faced all these challenges and more. Her family may have been wealthy but her parents were neglectful, too concerned with keeping their name pristine, and did not support their daughter at her greatest time of need. She was in a scary place at the beginning of the story, but she was brave and determined not to give up her lovely daughter, Lily. At such a young age, her love as a mother had far surpassed her desire to achieve her dreams as a teenager or her heart's wish to be loved by her parents. She had to grow up much too soon. She gave up everything and took a huge risk in running away to Philadelphia.

It's hard to believe that just a few months ago I was graduating high school, Miss Popular, top of my class, my pick of universities. To everyone on the outside looking in, it appeared I had my whole future ahead of me. 

Logan was godsent for Mia, truly. He was there every time she needed help. Even though he wasn't always the right person to give it, he still did what he can to save this young woman with a kid whom he didn't even know. As a cop his instinct to protect and offer assistance to those who need it is immediate, but when it came to Mia, it was more than just him doing his duty.

I really liked these two. Mia, for all her insecurities and fears, is actually very brave. Logan is just perfect. I'm sure he has his flaws, but in the course of this story I found none! lol :) They are a perfect match. She is still very much an innocent while he is more experienced in the world. She stays at home and cares for Lily while he courts danger every day when he goes to work. They complement each other and they bring what's missing in each other's lives. It's not surprising that they became instantly attracted to each other. Oh, and I really liked that they didn't jump into bed right away! They had a relationship first, nurtured it and let trust grow before they crossed that line. I loved it!

of course, Mia had her fears too. Logan is a catch and she has a hard time believing he could ever want her and Lily. But honestly, this is Logan we're talking about. :) He is incredibly responsible and he recognizes a good thing when he sees it. He definitely goes down in my list of heroes-I-never-wanted-to-hit-on-the-head.

What if you decide it's all too much? I'm scared.
I know baby, but you're here, you're with me and you and Lily are safe. And when it comes down to it, I want you, I want you both, I want you to be mine. 

I guess I just want to shelter you. 

At first I felt awkward because I thought the age gap was huge. Mia is just turning 18 and she meets this handsome police officer who owns a beautiful house and two cars.. that immediately had me thinking he must be in his thirties already. But no, he's only 24 and simply comes from a wealthy family too. The only difference is Logan's family are really good, loving and caring people. They are an ideal family and they embraced and welcomed Mia with open arms.

Halfway through the story readers will realize that there's more that Mia is not telling. She's not just a teenage mom. She went through so much more trauma, and it broke my heart when I started to realize what it was. When it was confirmed at the last quarter of the book, I grew to love her even more. She could have easily become a depressed doormat-like character, but she retained her spunk and courage. Thankfully, everyone who needed to repay got their just rewards. Yes, including her parents. They finally saw what they were missing in the end. I just loved that scene when Mia ran into the arms of Logan's parents right in front of her own! I love how she and Logan proved them wrong.

Mia and Logan may have started out as friends, but in the end the three of them, with Lily, became a family.
I recommend Shelter You because it is such a heart-warming story that doesn't lack in the romance department. There are even a couple of tasteful sex scenes for those who like them. You couldn't find a more perfect hero for the heroine, and that's what makes this story work for me. It made me wish that every single moms out there will find a Logan of their own.

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About the Author:


Alice Montalvo-Tribue lives with her husband and daughter in New Jersey. She has a bachelors degree in communications and is currently working on her masters degree. She spends most of her free time reading, writing, and when the weather permits lounging out on a beach.