Only Between Us

As the drew nearer to the school, one boy finally started shaking his fist. Who is neutralizing my magic? I'm freezing my ass off over here! Matsukawa kept quiet until he was inside school grounds, where he was promptly attacked by Oikawa, a grumbling Iwaizumi following a few steps back. Oh, how Matsukawa hadn't missed Oikawa's surprising natural charms. How was your summer? Oikawa was already beside him, Iwaizumi now caught up and ready to defend himself against Oikawa's retelling of the summer. It was really cool until a water mage showed up and began wreaking havoc!

Then I went to Hokkaido with Iwa-chan. You should have seen his muscles in the hot springs. My mother wasn't happy that she had to buy me another uniform. Oikawa gasped at the sight of the grey stripe on the sleeve of Matsukawa's blazer. Iwaizumi-kun on the other hand, could level this whole school without breaking a sweat. Oikawa chewed his cheek in a pouty way, obviously admitting defeat. Matsukawa chuckled and waved to the two.

Matsukawa walked towards the military interests classroom, feeling rather overwhelmed. Sure, Matsukawa was a tall guy with enough power to shut down the nation if he wanted to, but he was pretty soft. He seriously spent his spare time spamming his friends with memes, cooking, and running until he felt lazy. Compared to most military class kids, Matsukawa was probably a hot cheeto dust smear on a pair of sweatpants. Matsukawa smiled and sent a lazy wink to Futakuchi, who was leaning against the military class' main door. Matsukawa walked inside, saying a lazy greeting to his new classmates.

Immediately, he spotted a few government-mandated controls on his classmates. A cute girl wore an eyepatch over her right eye, a tired-looking boy wore gloves, and another girl, this one tough-looking, had her arm in a sturdy looking sling. Immediately, they all relaxed with Matsukawa's neutralizing powers in play.

The bell rang seconds later, Matsukawa taking a seat close to the back, far away from the window. A few slackers strayed in, seconds before the teacher. Among them was another boy with a mask over his mouth. The class quieted down and the teacher smiled. I work in the military intel division. The cute girl stood up. I'm a first year. I have a flaw detecting eye. A few irrelevant students passed before the tired-looking boy stood up. I have something close to omnipresence.

Futakuchi rolled his eyes and leaned against the window to his left. Introductions continued, Matsukawa slowly tuning out as they went on. So far, the noteworthy were Yui, the arm-sling girl who touched things and turned them into something else, Kunimi, who could avoid anything, including humans, and Kenma, a technological genius.

They were nearing Matsukawa, who was now paying slightly more attention as the introductions also got closer to the boy with the mask and pink hair. A freckled boy stood up, barely opening his mouth before being interrupted by the classroom door slamming open. Teacher looked over and time seemed to stop for a moment before resuming. The newcomer walked in, giving the class a view of his mischievous face and vibrant red hair.

I am in year three. Teacher impatiently tapped her foot as Tendou walked to his desk at a painfully slow pace. He stopped to tap the masked boy on the shoulder, smirking and sticking his tongue out when he received a glare. The introductions continued, skipping the boy who was interrupted and going through Terushima, who could teleport, and Akaashi, who could empathize with anyone.

Then came the pink haired boy. Matsukawa sharpened his ears as the teacher called on the boy. The boy didn't look up. He continued to tap on his phone. Teacher began tapping her foot again. Hanamaki finally looked up, his narrow eyes even more narrowed. He pointed to his mask and held up three fingers before pointing back to himself.

Matsukawa was intrigued and forced himself to look away. He didn't want to be caught staring. The introductions closed off, Matsukawa introducing himself before a small boy named Moniwa closed off. The teacher stepped up as if to begin a lesson, but the bell rang before then. She pressed her lips in a thin line. I'll lay out the basic rules very quickly.

First, you aren't allowed to do anything destructive or malicious. Second, if your power directly interferes with someone else's, take turns. Third, if you need objects to practice on, there are practice materials in the back of the class. The class began moving, Matsukawa reclining in his chair and bringing out his phone. Teacher approached him with an over-friendly smile. Truthfully, I'm not sure why you are still in school.

Teacher nodded thoughtfully and glanced over her shoulder.

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He's not allowed to practice. Honestly, he should just be in a laboratory. Matsukawa almost choked on his own spit. A professional had seriously just bashed a student and given them a sub-human status. He turned to look at Hanamaki, who was staring at him with an amused look. Matsukawa took this as his cue to walk over and talk to him. Hanamaki's body vibrated with what Matsukawa hoped was laughter. Matsukawa smiled at Hanamaki. Hanamaki nodded slowly before sliding an envelope over to Matsukawa.

Matsukawa took it cautiously, looking it over. Hanamaki motioned for him to open it. Matsukawa obeyed, rudely ripping the side open and pulling out the small card. His eyes widened when he saw the rarest of pepe memes, the shrek pepe. Beneath it was written 'you meme a lot to me'. Matsukawa smiled a wide smile and flipped over the card. On the other side was 'Hanamaki Takahiro, meme lord, mlg, atheist vegan feminist, and contract killer', followed by 'My name is Hanamaki, but you can call me anytime'.

Matsukawa smiled even wider and pocketed the card. Hanamaki shrugged and began fiddling with his phone. Matsukawa's smile faded into his usual lazy grin. Hanamaki nodded and they launched into a discussion about the tragedy of Leonardo DiCaprio's oscar. The practice period ended too soon for Matsukawa's liking, but that didn't restrict him from sending the occasional eyebrow wiggle to Hanamaki during military strategies class, even though that was the class Matsukawa was supposed to be paying the most attention to. Hanamaki would attempt and fail horribly at wiggling his eyebrows back, cracking them both up and occasionally drawing Teacher's attention.

Matsukawa glanced over his notes. Or I'd give it a shot, seeing as most cars are magic operated. Teacher gave both Matsukawa and Hanamaki suspicious looks before continuing the class. Matsukawa glanced over at Hanamaki, who was now scrolling through something on his phone. Matsukawa let him be and continued half-assedly listening to Teacher's lecture about the dangers of bringing out laboratory dwellers.

Before Matsukawa could reach Hanamaki at lunch, he was surrounded by another group of classmates. One immediately grabbed Matsukawa's hand and squished it.

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The girl, Yui maybe, smacked Matsukawa's arm pretty goddamn hard. He forced his smile to stay present. His other hand was also taken and immediately Terushima jumped in Matsu's face. Matsukawa turned around and looked over Oikawa. Hanamaki was still sitting in his desk, an untouched bento box in front of him.

There is love, friendship, family ties. Only between us might be one of the most powerful, most touching, most satisfying stories I've read in a long time, maybe ever. My perfect comfort read. View all 4 comments. Sep 03, -y. I usually rely on my GR friends reviews and decide if I want to spend time reading the book.

In this case, I scroll down to check my friends status and find no reviews! I was asking myself "Do I want to be a hero?? So I did apparently: Romy is trying to rebuild her life. She is strong and kind. Caleb is a struggling, yet ver I usually rely on my GR friends reviews and decide if I want to spend time reading the book. Caleb is a struggling, yet very talented artist, a guy who deals with so many difficulties and still manages to take good care of his damaged sister.

I love both LCs. Romy see Caleb's paintings. She listens to his truth when no one believe him. That is how they first met. The story is about life, hardship, and triumph. It feels real and genuine. I really enjoy reading this book: View all 6 comments. Aug 04, Patrycja rated it really liked it Shelves: Only between us is about Romy who escaped from terrible, toxic relationship, that changed her life and destroyed vital parts of it. Now, she has to pick up the pieces of life that Alex had stolen her. Little by little and step by step Romy comes back to the things that were a part of her, before Alex.

With help of her friends, Romy finishes her degree and for the first time in very long time starts to paint. Her great passion for painting, made her enroll in painting classes where she meets Caleb. Sexy and struggling artist who has many difficulties. Everything is on his shoulders and every day is a fight to survive and protect his damaged sister. Still he manages to take care of his mentally disturbed sister the best he can, which was admirable. He never complained, never told a bad word about her.

It was heartbreaking to see how much he could sacriface for her. One Between Us is one of those books that are nice and pleasureable read, yet still heartbreaking. It was incredibly passionate, sweet and tasteful. It was nice to see how much art means to Caleb, and the way Romy can see into his soul by looking at his work made me swoon.

The only issue I had is predictability. As much as I enjoyed it, Only Between Us is very similar to other contemporary romances. I suppose this book should be hotter and more twisted. Everything in Only Between Us is real and sincere. Every page is filled with enaging story about facing obstacles and never letting go of things that are important. Extremely likeable characters and the fact this book has alternating point of views, made it more complex and heart shattering.

View all 7 comments. Sep 03, Anu CN rated it it was amazing. There is so much I want to say about this book. But I find it so difficult to formulate it into words. After a series of books trying to cash in on abuse and trauma, we finally get to read about the collateral damage. Caleb is exactly that. The collateral damage of what happened to Katie. And his story is heart wrenching, if anything it is worse than Katie's. Although he wasn't directly involved,he was equally victimized and its liberating to get a fresh take or to view or comprehend abuse from d WOW! Although he wasn't directly involved,he was equally victimized and its liberating to get a fresh take or to view or comprehend abuse from different angle.

But at least your not reading the same old crap same as in all the other novels of this genre. Never have I met a guy before who makes you wanna be strong for him! Normally its 'o I wanna jump his bones', but with Caleb its is 'o I wanna wrap him in a blanket a keep him safe'!!! Not that Caleb is a pansy. All the other female leads should take pointers from this woman.

She had it ALL, wrapped together in a cute lil package. And more importantly, she was sensible and NOT stupid! The story itself was well written. Such a fragile topic but handled so delicately.

Only Between Us

Mila Ferrera, keep this up and you have such a bright future waiting for you. Having said that, the end was abrupt. Sure it dint leave us hanging and painted a clear picture for the future and everything, but i would've loved to see that picture take form of words. At least an epilogue. I deserve some closure dammit! So much more I wan to say. I cant find the right words, wish I could "draw you a picture" too. And I so wish this book had a playlist. I had SO hoped Daniel would get his own book. View all 5 comments. Sep 03, J rated it really liked it.

This is the story of Caleb and Romy. Caleb is an artist, trying to scrape by all the while trying to take care of his traumatized sister who was molested by a step father for many years and Caleb feeling so guilty for not stopping the abuse sooner Caleb lived in the same house where the abuse took place and surmised what was going on but didn't say anything. At one point, Caleb is selling his body to a rich ar A 4.

At one point, Caleb is selling his body to a rich art patron just to try and support his sister's medical bills. Then Caleb meets Romy in a painting class he teaches. Romy has her own problems with an abusive, stalking ex-boyfriend. The story begins when Caleb and Romy develop deep feelings for one another but a conflict arises with Caleb trying to help his sister who is in constant psychiatric peril and also have a relationship with Romy who he is starting to love deeply.

I had tears in my eyes as it looked like poor Caleb might not be able to handle both. My heart bled for Caleb and Romy who was trying to do the right thing. Caleb and Romy both became much stronger people as their relationship developed and that finally allowed them to get priorities straight. Oct 22, Elodie rated it it was amazing Shelves: I wish Caleb and Romy's story would go on forever so I could keep reading about them!

I think Only Between Us is, so far, my farovite book this year!! And I found my new book boyfriend I don't think you're beautiful. Man, this was kind of depressing. My heart broke for Caleb and his family really drove me up the wall. Besides Caleb, Daniel was one of my favorite characters. Nov 07, Beeg Panda rated it really liked it Shelves: Lots of worthiness here: The author, the hero and the heroine. The writing is spot on - the serious topics are well researched - enough to make me care about checking to see if the author has experience in the field she writes about here.

I'm not surprised to learn that the author studied Psychology. I enjoyed her writing style. An edited book is always welcome in my reading pile - its supposed to be the norm but unfortunately, nowadays an fully edited book is few and far between in Lovely stuff. An edited book is always welcome in my reading pile - its supposed to be the norm but unfortunately, nowadays an fully edited book is few and far between in this genre. I can "feel" each character.

Those characters who are meant to be adorable are absolutely just that: And the characters who are meant to be abhorrent are just that: I started on book 2 first - another couple's story, which is where I first read about this couple, Caleb and Romy. Their lovey-doveyness in that book made we want to see how they got their HEA. I'm glad I did. Caleb is a good boy. Not your usual badboy man-ho we have so much of in New Adult lately. Yes, he makes shitty choices which I hated but he hated them more.

Every worthy girl needs to be loved the way he loves Romy. Romy is a good girl too. Also has her demons but eventually rises above them. She loves Caleb the way he deserves to be loved and she's strong and vulnerable and sweet and caring and hurting and deserves Caleb's love too. They have an intense bond, sexual and emotional chemistry. The sex scenes are realistic and sexy. What also drew me to this one was that this is a stand-alone, within a series. I loved their connection so much that although the book had a nice HEA, I wanted an epilogue cos I'm invested in more than their here and now.

So, for me the ending needed something extra: I prefer to hear more about them in this one book, not a sequel or installment follow up, so if there are future books in this series, about other MCs then I'm definitely looking out for them. Maybe they will feature there and it'll be good to catch up.

Only Between Us

But not another book where Caleb and Romy are the MCs though, I prefer one couple's story in one book, not installments. This is a book I will re-read. The topic is fascinating. I cried when he cried and laughed when he laughed. I felt her bewilderment and then felt her contentment in his arms. Oct 23, Lady Vigilante Feifei added it Shelves: Caleb is a pathetic character. I pitied him and the awful circumstances he was in, but gosh, what. Both of his sisters treated him like crap and he took it. Hmmmm so when you've been physically abused by your ex, it must be custom to throw your legs open to the first guy you're attracted to.

Very little student-teacher business going on anyway. Theme wasn't emphasized in the book, but advertised in the blurb. Feb 18, Georgette rated it liked it. I quite enjoyed this book but the ending was too cliche and boring. Caleb is such a sweet and caring guy who lets his entire family walk all over him. The rest of his family tries to take as little responsability as possible as far Katie goes and also blame everything on Caleb.

Sep 27, Ashley - Book Labyrinth rated it it was amazing Shelves: So much New Adult focuses on two broken people finding love and acceptance in each other, but I honestly don't think many of the books do it well. Only Between Us is a book where I believed in the pain of the main characters, and I could truly feel their emotions. Both characters had things they were dealing with, and that made up a large portion of the book, but they also felt like real individuals with full lives: I really loved both characters, and I especia So much New Adult focuses on two broken people finding love and acceptance in each other, but I honestly don't think many of the books do it well.

I really loved both characters, and I especially admired Romy for accepting Caleb's role in his sister's life, and for putting up Katie because even while feeling bad for her and knowing that she had a lot to deal with, she was also very frustrating at times. I loved how Romy and Caleb just fit with each other: I enjoyed the last book I read by Mila Ferrera, and I loved this one even more.

I can't wait to check out Daniel's story next! Apr 04, Myrza H Darmaditya rated it really liked it Shelves: This book completely sucked me in from the first page. The writing style is very gooood.. I literally cried and feel so messed up, I don't know, but I can feel the pain that the main characters feel. The characters feels so real and deep.

I'm falling in love both of them. Their past is so dark, especially for Caleb. That such heavy and nightmarish issues! I need the epilogue! There's no cliffhanger ending, but I'm curious with Romy's and Caleb's life after that ending. Sep 05, Justine Dell rated it it was amazing. Mila has some wonderfully broken and lovable characters. Enter Romy and Caleb, who both have deep-seeded issues. Romy with relationships and Caleb with his family. And these characters do. Stories that are not only about romance, but about life, and how people overcome the struggles of it.

One of my favorite series so far. Jul 19, Christina rated it it was amazing. I especially loved that the characters were honest and real and didn't play games. They just wanted to be together but heartbreaking circumstances kept getting in the way. Caleb was such a beautiful soul and sexy as HELL and I so wanted him to find his own happiness in the end. I highly recommend this sexy, sweet, honest and charming book!

Jul 23, Midwest Galley Girl rated it it was amazing. Ferrera writes Happily Ever Afters that don't depend on anyone's love fixing another person. Instead, their love enables the people who are in need of help to find it. She also writes about the people who treat them. Her obvious respect for these characters compels the reader to respect them regardless of their behavior. Sometimes the people in need are hard to take. Sometimes the caregivers make judgment errors. Some authors use behavior rooted in mental illness to encourage a reader to hate a character or paint the caregiver as an enabler.

Ferrera simply turns the story slightly with every scene, making you see that there's often no road map and that people do the best they can with what they have to work with. Give into that temptation if time allows.

Romy, a graduate student in psychology, had a rough time last year. Last year, I was broken. Dismantled bit by bit, day by day, until all that was left was a brittle shell. I thought I was in love. I thought I could change—be prettier, more attentive—and that would make it better. It took a black eye and a fat lip to wake me up. Romy's best friend, Jude, decides to enroll them in a painting class, since it's something Romy loved prior to her most recent relationship.

Caleb isn't exactly setting the art world on fire, but he's definitely heating up Romy and Jude. The stairs creak and we look up to see a guy coming down the steps. He looks to be in his mid-twenties, maybe a few years older than I am, and he moves with the careless grace of an athlete. His jeans hang from his lean hips and are stained with paint. And that gives us a perfect view of his wolf-gray eyes, which skate over us with mild interest as he descends the stairs and walks toward us. Caleb's life isn't just messy His sister has a mental illness and he's dealing with a boatload of childhood issues that would make most people crumple into a ball.

Yet he's working to make it through the day without his inner demons catching up. His art is his outlet and Romy, of course, zeroes right in on Caleb's pain. At the back of the studio is a huge primed canvas, five by five at least, with a thin layer of gray wash on it. The artist has begun to paint over it, thick smears of paint applied with a palette knife instead of a brush. I flip on the overhead lamp and lean in, admiring the thin threads of yellow and red and purple in the blackish-blue squares of paint.

And right through all that inky midnight is a deep red gash, a harsh V carved into the overwhelming darkness, revealing how artist has taken the time to build the layers, each one with a different dominant color. The story takes off from there, spilling into a messy, beautiful, painful, wonderful display of humanity. I love it when authors name-check other authors in their books. Extra awesomeness if you write the scene in a library.

Her eerie eyes meet mine. Have you tried Cora Carmack? Her stuff is hilarious. I accept the book and look down at the cover. She looks much younger when she smiles. I could use the distraction. As a fan of Cormack's, I felt even more invested in the story when this character recommended her books to Romy.

We're all excited to tell people about our favorite authors, aren't we? Ferrera continues to impress me by writing realistic fiction that's both compelling and entertaining. The love stories are exquisite and the love scenes are steamy. The plights of her characters are big, but their victories are bigger and serve to balance the story beautifully. I walk away from her novels hopeful and lighthearted despite the heavy subject matter. Jul 25, Sara rated it really liked it. Not what I expected. I really liked Caleb and Romy. At one point it looked like it was going to be similar to Price of a Kiss but it went a different direction.

Caleb is an amazing human being. Strong, giving, heroic, and caring. It's too bad nobody was any of these things to him growing up. He should've been an angry jaded asshole and you wouldn't blame him. But he was the opposite. He was left to care for his 22 year old sister Katie. She's a hot mess.

Understandably so but I felt pi Not what I expected.

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Understandably so but I felt pissed at her after a while because of the toll caring for her took on Caleb. I felt drained just reading it. He was a talented artist and that's how he met Romy. Romy is recovering from her own drama, which wasn't even close to his. They were huge supporters to her. She had an abusive ex that had her all jacked up and scared. I needed her to heal from her situation. I needed her to become stronger. And selfishly it was because I wanted her to be stronger for Caleb Romy and Caleb pulled the best out of each other.

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I loved them together. Romy and Caleb didn't have any easy time. Katie really took a toll on them and tested and manipulated their relationship. At the end I was teared up for Caleb. He's lost enough of his life and sacrificed too much. He fucking deserved Romy. I was so happy this was a HEA. You'll want nothing but happiness for the guy who has always been so selfless. View all 3 comments. Sep 09, K. Galvin rated it it was amazing. This book broke my heart. Caleb is such a beautiful person inside and out. I really felt for him and understood his struggle between Romy and the other side of his life.

My God, what a position to be in.