REWIND TO YOU BY LAURA JOHNSTON - REVIEW

pic and description taken from Goodreads

Description:

One last summer before college on beautiful Tybee Island is supposed to help Sienna forget. But how can she? This is where her family spent every summer before everything changed, before the world as she knew it was ripped away. 

But the past isn’t easily left behind. Especially when Sienna keeps having episodes that take her back to the night she wants to forget. Even when she meets the mysterious Austin Dobbs, the guy with the intense blue eyes, athlete’s body, and weakness for pralines who scooped her out of trouble when she blacked out on River Street. 

When she’s with Austin, Sienna feels a whole new world opening up to her. Austin has secrets, and she has history. But caught between the past and the future, Sienna can still choose what happens now…

My Review / Thoughts:

FAN FREAKING TASTIC!  Let's just get that out of the way.  This story was such a sad, and beautiful story all at the same time.  

I love that this book is told in alternating POV.  I love it when a book does that.  I love to know what is going on in the head of all my characters.  Some books offer that, and some touch on it.  This book on the other hand captured it all, and it was awesome.

Sienna - She is a fantastic, and complex character.  She is damaged and doesn't really know how to "make things better".  She has had tragedy in her life and doesn't seem to be able to forgive herself for things that have happened.  She is struggling, and trying hard to be happy, even though her mother seems to have mapped out her life for her.

Austin - Well "swoon"...ahhhh.  The minute he comes into the book I fell in love with him.  No, I am completely serious.  He is just the type of guy I would want my daughter to find and marry some day.  I cannot think of one thing I didn't like about him.  He has his flaws as well as some secrets.  He is trying very hard to make the best out of the life he has.  His so kind, caring, compassionate, and down right sexy.  (Well at least in my head he is.  Johnston does a great job of making a drool worthy character).

There are some other characters in this book that I ended up liking as well.  I really liked Sienna's younger brother.  Problems and all.  He was actually quite funny.  

Sienna's mom is my least favorite character.  There always has to be at least on character that you don't like right?  Sienna's boyfriend Kyle is also a character I felt like hitting upside the head the entire time.  He is the type of guy you PRAY your daughter doesn't fall in love with!  I just cannot stand him.

When Austin and Sienna met I couldn't wait to read on and find out what was going to happen.  I devoured this book.  I couldn't put it down.  It seems like every time I had to it was a critical part of the book.  UGH, that "mother" thing can be so bothersome when you are reading such a great book that you just cannot put down.  Hehehe.  KIDDING.  I love my kids ;).

Just when I thought all was well something else would happen.  Johnston has some beautiful writing.  Now, for my FAVORITE thing about this book...it's CLEAN.  It's a beautiful books about loss, betrayal and best of all unconditional love.  

Seriously, there is nothing I can say about this book that I didn't love.  Other than those characters that are thrown in there that are great "love to hate" characters.  That just means the author did there job in keeping the book balanced.   I honestly could feel the hurt and pain they were going through, as well as the joy.  One minute I am crying the next I am grinning ear to ear.  This is such a fan freaking tastic book.  

Source:  I was given this ARC ebook by the publisher in return for an honest review.  I was not compensated for this review.  These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.

My Rating:

5 out of 5...although to me it deserves another star!!

Where to Buy: (Or Pre-Order)

The book will be available September 15, 2014

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

About the Fabulous Author:

pic and bio taken from Goodreads

Laura Johnston is the author of REWIND TO YOU, a YA contemporary romance releasing on September 15, 2014. She fell in love with the young adult genre both through her experience in high school as well as her job later as a high school teacher. Laura enjoys running, playing tennis, sewing, traveling, writing, writing and more writing, and above all, spending time with her husband and kids.

BEAT THE HEAT READATHON HOSTED BY PHANTASMIC READS

This was an awesome readathon even if I forgot to do it.  I was out of town and then trying to get my daughter ready to go to school.  My blog kind of slipped my mind for most of the month of August.  I feel bad...BUT, I do have a few to post.

Week 3 - I did something :)  Okay one was a "review", one was by "Random Read, and one was just for fun:).  BUT I am putting them here also!  

Book #1 The Winter People by Rebekah L. Purdy

my review is here

Book #2 - Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley

my review is here

and

Book #3 - Complicit by Stephanie Keuhn

my review is here

A HUGE shout out to Reanna @ Phantasmic Reads for putting this together.  Thanks for letting me participate even if it was just a little!

COMPLICIT BY STEPHANIE KUEHN - REVIEW

pic and description taken from Goodreads

Description:

Two years ago, sixteen-year-old Jamie Henry breathed a sigh of relief when a judge sentenced his older sister to juvenile detention for burning down their neighbor’s fancy horse barn. The whole town did. Because Crazy Cate Henry used to be a nice girl. Until she did a lot of bad things. Like drinking. And stealing. And lying. Like playing weird mind games in the woods with other children. Like making sure she always got her way. Or else.

But today Cate got out. And now she’s coming back for Jamie.

Because more than anything, Cate Henry needs her little brother to know the truth about their past. A truth she’s kept hidden for years. A truth she’s not supposed to tell. 

Trust nothing and no one as you race toward the explosive conclusion of this gripping psychological thriller from the William C. Morris Award-winning author of Charm & Strange.

My Review / Thoughts:

I bought this book a while back after reading some pretty great reviews on it.  I had heard it was a "scary" book, and that made it even more intriguing to me.  I just want to reiterate before I go on, not all books are for all people.

I really had a hard time getting into this book.  I don't usually trudge through books...I mean I really don't, BUT I had heard so many great things about this book, I kept reading to see what all the hype was about.

I am sad to say it took till almost the middle of the book when I was finally like, "Oh, here it goes".  

Jamie and Cate's story was messed up.  I don't know how else to put it other than "messed up".  Damaged maybe?  Cate seems to be a vengeful girl taking advantage of other and having a fiery temper.  Jamie, seems kind of normal at the beginning other than his hands going dead all the time.  Something to do with trauma.  

When the story unravels I understand why Jamie is the way he is, but I DID NOT see the ending coming.  That was a great surprise.  

I wish I would have LOVED this one but I didn't.  The ending was FANTASTIC...but I still never connected with any of the characters.  The writing was beautiful, and interesting to read.  I can see where the author was going with this, but unfortunately I didn't connect until the end....and then it was over. 

It's an interesting psychological mind trip, I can tell you that.

I liked it well enough to finish, so that is a good thing.  I loved the end of the book.  I loved the writing.  I just didn't love that I personally couldn't connect with the book.

Source:  I bought this book for myself.  I was not compensated in any way for this review.  These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.

My Rating:

About the Author:

pic and bio taken from Goodreads:

I'm a YA writer who grew up in Berkeley, California, which is a quirky sort of a place with a ton of wonderful bookstores. My very first job was working in one of those bookstores.

Passions of mine include mental health advocacy, social justice, and sports of all kinds. I currently live in Northern California with my family and our wild menagerie of pets. CHARM & STRANGE and COMPLICIT are out now. DELICATE MONSTERS will be out in 2015. 

If you have any questions, please contact me via my website (stephaniekuehn.com). Thank you! 

RANDOM READ - DON'T CALL ME BABY - REVIEW

I found this awesome meme because of Feed Your Fiction Addiction which led me to I'm Loving Books, who actually hosts this meme :).  I love this meme.  It helps me read at least one book a month in my TBR pile that I have been dying to read and just haven't been able to.

This month's random read is from last month.  I picked three and got one done.  This month I kept the two I didn't finish and finished one.  It's been a busy month!    So these are the Random Reads I had carried into August:

#2 is #510 - Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley

and

#3 is #179 - If Only We by Jessica Sankiewicz

As you can see I only finished Don't Call me Baby.  So for September I will keep 

If Only We and hope to add more to the pick.  September is going to be just as crazy though.  I am taking my oldest daughter up to college in a couple of weeks :(.  Trying to get a kid ready for college is not as fun as it seem :).  

Anywho...here is my Random Read for August.

pic and description taken from Goodreads

Description:

All her life, Imogene has been known as the girl on THAT blog.

Imogene's mother has been writing an incredibly embarrassing, and incredibly popular, blog about her since before she was born. Hundreds of thousands of perfect strangers knew when Imogene had her first period. Imogene's crush saw her "before and after" orthodontia photos. But Imogene is fifteen now, and her mother is still blogging about her, in gruesome detail, against her will.

When a mandatory school project compels Imogene to start her own blog, Imogene is reluctant to expose even more of her life online...until she realizes that the project is the opportunity she's been waiting for to tell the truth about her life under the virtual microscope and to define herself for the first time.

Don't Call Me Baby is a sharply observed and irrepressibly charming story about mothers and daughters, best friends and first crushes, and the surface-level identities we show the world online and the truth you can see only in real life.

My Review / Thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading this book.  When I read the description I kind of laughed because I AM that mom.  Only, my blog  (my personal family blog) is private.  I haven't blogged on it for quite some time, but usually when I take a picture my kids say "is that going on the blog"... DUH hehe

This took blogging to a whole new level.  Imogene has grown up on her moms blog.  If I was Imogene, I think I would feel quite the same way she did.  Violated.  Probably the wrong description, but that is how I felt while I was reading the book.  I felt Imogene was being extremely violated.  What teenager girl or boy would want the whole world to be able to read about every embarrassing moment you have had and so on?  None that I know of.  

Imogene and Sage decide to take their school project to heart.  They decided that they would create blogs just like their moms had, and expose them while doing it.  Hoping that it would help their mothers see how inappropriate their blogs are.  Well, things unfold a very different way.

I love the growth that Imogene and Sage go through in the book.  Every teenager has to find their voice at some point, and this is how they felt they could find theirs.  It didn't play out the way they planned, but ended up being a great project.  It helped them find what things are really "important" in life.

I love Imogene's grandma.  She is probably my favorite character of all.  She has such a sense of humor, and can see that Imogene is struggling, and fights for her and is always on her side.  She is Imogene's best advocate.  

This was a cute story.  It's a story about, growth, some revenge, teenage life, and so on.  It's just a fun read.  I told my daughter it was a little teeny bopper, but I still liked it.  It has a great message to it.

Source:  I was bought this book for myself.  I was not compensated in any way for this review.  These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.

My Rating:

Where to Buy:

  

About the Author:

pic and bio taken from Goodreads

Gwendolyn Heasley is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned her master’s degree in journalism. When she was a little girl, she desperately wanted to be the next Ann M. Martin- the author of the beloved The Baby-Sitter’s Club series. She’s incredibly grateful that the recession rendered her unemployed and made her chase her nearly forgotten dream. Her third novel Don't Call Me Baby comes out in April and her digital e-novella The Art of Goodbye (the sequel to Where I Belong) comes out in March.

She loves hearing from readers. Please email her at gwendolyn.heasley@gmail.com 

She now lives in Florida with her husband and baby girl.

ROOM BY EMMA DONOGHUE - REVIEW

pic and description taken from Goodreads

Description:

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

My Review / Thoughts:

I was given this book by a friend for our book club read for the month.  Every one was raving about it, so I was excited to read it.   Unfortunately I didn't find it as "awesome" as every one else does, but every book affects every person differently.

The story itself is fantastic.  Ma was an amazing character, and so was Jack.  I love how Ma protected her son from this horrible life.  Jack thought everything they did was great, and he loved the room where they lived.  Which he happens to call "Room".  Everything is alive to Jack, and I can see how it would be being it's the only thing he has ever encountered in his life.  

Ma, is awesome at teaching Jack his letter, numbers, everything.  He is very intelligent for a 5yr old child. 

I love the commitment Ma has to her son.  She loves him with everything she has.  She protects him with everything she has.  She did the best she could while being held captive for 7 years.  Can you even imagine?  I cannot.

Like I said the story is touching, horrible, and wonderful, I just really wish it wasn't told from the 5 yr old view.  I know that is what everyone loves about the book, and it would have been fine for part of it.  I just really wish the story was told from the mothers point of view.  Jack's is interesting, but having to read a five yr old speak for 300+ pages was a little too annoying for me.  I love children don't get me wrong, but I don't like reading books that don't have proper grammar.  I know sounds silly, but it is the only complaint I have about the book.  The mothers voice probably would have touched me even more.  I just think her explaining what was going on would have been harder, yet more realistic to read. 

My Rating:

About the Author:

pic and bio taken from Goodreads

Emma is the youngest of eight children of Frances and Denis Donoghue. She attended Catholic convent schools in Dublin, apart from one year in New York at the age of ten. In 1990 she earned a first-class honours BA in English and French from University College Dublin, and in 1997 a PhD (on the concept of friendship between men and women in eighteenth-century English fiction) from the University of Cambridge. Since the age of 23, Donoghue has earned her living as a full-time writer. After years of commuting between England, Ireland, and Canada, in 1998 she settled in London, Ontario, where she lives with her partner and their son and daughter.

THE WINTER PEOPLE BY REBEKAH L. PURDY - REVIEW

pic and description taken from Goodreads

Description:

Salome Montgomery fears winter—the cold, the snow, the ice, but most of all, the frozen pond she fell through as a child. Haunted by the voices and images of the strange beings that pulled her to safety, she hasn't forgotten their warning to "stay away." For eleven years, she has avoided the winter woods, the pond, and the darkness that lurks nearby. But when failing health takes her grandparents to Arizona, she is left in charge of maintaining their estate. This includes the "special gifts" that must be left at the back of the property.
 


Salome discovers she’s a key player in a world she’s tried for years to avoid. At the center of this world is the strange and beautiful Nevin, who she finds trespassing on her family’s property. Cursed with dark secrets and knowledge of the creatures in the woods, his interactions with Salome take her life in a new direction. A direction where she'll have to decide between her longtime crush Colton, who could cure her fear of winter. Or Nevin who, along with an appointed bodyguard, Gareth, protects her from the darkness that swirls in the snowy backdrop. An evil that, given the chance, will kill her.

My Review / Thoughts:

First off I want to say I am glad I wasn't reading this while on my vacation :).  I was surrounded by the woods and probably would have "heard" things while reading this book :).

Salome has been traumatized by a childhood accident that almost took her life.  She fell into a frozen pond and was on the verge of dying when a mysterious being saved her.  From that point on Salome has been terrified of winter.  It causes her hallucinations that make her parents think she might be going crazy.  She hears voices that no one else can hear, and begins to think that maybe she IS going crazy.

Salome's best friend Kadie keeps her grounded, most of the time.  She is always there for Salome and helps her when she is struggling with her fear of winter.

When Salome's grandparents leave for Arizona and she is in charge of their home.  Salome's Grandmother shows her how to do the chores while they are gone, and one seems a little odd to Salome.  She must put something "nice", i.e. a watch, a necklaces and other trinkets into a tree once a day.

While performing her chores at her grandparents house she meets Nevin.  Purdy makes some pretty sweet swoon worthy men in this novel and Nevin is one of them.  He is mysterious, kind, and seems to be interested in Salome.  Nevin meets Salome every day when she comes to do her chores, and they develop a relationship.  Salome feells all tingly when he is around, and cannot seem to stay away from him.  She thinks it's love, but who knows.

Colton is Salome's life long crush and finally one day he asks her out.  Colton, is another swoon worthy man.  Until you get to know him.  He may be handsome and drool worthy but there is more to him than meets the eye.  He begins treating Salome differently and he becomes one of my least favorite characters after that.

Gareth, oh Gareth.  What can I say about Gareth?  I loved him the moment he came into play in a little cafe on a whim with her friend Kadie.  Then all of the sudden Gareth is everywhere.  Saving her life, going to her school, spending time with her, and being Salome's friend.

This story was so fantastic.  I really enjoyed it.  Magic, curses, fairies, mystical creatures, and romance to boot.  Yes, please.   Salome was such a great character.  She was damaged, scared, yet had a calling she needed to fulfill.  Yet, she couldn't figure out how to do so.  Gareth, Nevin, and Colton all seem to be part of the same curse she is suppose to break.  

Purdy did a great job of putting me right in the book.  Sometimes I think it's funny that I can "feel" a book, but when I am engrossed I really can.  It's so wonderful.  When Purdy describes the fear Salome is feeling, my heart beat would race.  When Purdy described the emotions Salome was going through I could "feel" them myself.  When Purdy put the romance on, all I could do was "ahhhhh".  Seems silly right?  Not to me.  To me it just means the author is doing their job at bringing the book to life for me.

There is just enough description and world building to put you "in" the book, but not too much that it gets boring.  Salome's life is a fascinating life to follow.

If you like fantasy, romance, magic, deceit, loyalty, friendship, and basically every other emotion when reading a book this book has it all :).

Source:  I was given this ARC ebook by the publisher in return for an honest review, which did not influence my review in any way.  I was not compensated in anyway for this review.  These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.

Content:  There is language and use of the "f" word through out the book.  There are a few innuendos of sex during conversation, but nothing graphic.  

My Rating:

Where to Pre-Order 

available for purchase on September 2, 2014

AMAZON * BARNES & NOBLE

About the Author:

pic and bio taken from Goodreads

I was born and raised in Michigan (just look for the giant mitten on the map—it’ll likely throw a snowball at you). I spent most of my time in Michigan, but while in the army got to call KS, SC, MO, and CA home for awhile as well. 

As a kid my family moved around a lot. Try spending both your freshman and senior years at new schools (yeah, loads of fun). I could’ve changed my name to “new girl”. 

I love writing for teens because those are the years I remember falling in love with most of my favorite books. Some of the authors I couldn’t put down were L.J. Smith, Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, Richie Tankersley Cusick, Joan Lowery Nixon, Lois Duncan, amongst several others. 

My husband and I have a large family. There are six kids total! So we have LOTS of fun on vacations (although hours on the road, cooped up in the Expedition is kind of stressful—although we pass the time with MAD LIBS and hoping no one gets carsick). 

Some fun facts about me: 

My first real crush was on Luke Skywalker (LOL—hey, I was like 8 years old and it came out before I was born).

I’m obsessed with several TV shows/Movies: The Vampire Diaries, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Sean of the Dead, The Sing Off, Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, True Blood, Being Human, Fact or Fake, and all the cake designing ones! Oh and all the spoof movies! 

I still own all the books I bought as a kid/teen. 

I have a hankering for chocolate (like all the time, seriously. If my arm was made of it I’d chew it off). 

Celebrity crushes: Johnny Depp (woohoo), Taylor Lautner (okay, I know he’s kind of young for me), Ian Somerhalder (ooh, he’s just right. We’re the same age). Wow, this was like a Goldie Locks and the Three Bears moment. Johnny Depp too old, Taylor Lautner too young, Ian Somerhalder—JUST RIGHT. 

In my spare time I like to write (obviously), read, sing, hang out with my kids, play with my animals, camp, play soccer, check my email (hehehe), watch football (go LIONS). I also love hanging out with my sister and hubby! 

Look forward to chatting with everyone! And if you’re lucky, I’ll break out the opera voice and chase you around singing! 

Thanks to Entangled Teen for this opportunity:

TACKLE YOUR TBR READ-A-THON HOSTED BY WISHFUL ENDINGS

I am so excited to participate in this again.  I got through quite a few books last year, I hope that I will be able to get to as many this year :).

So in the words of Tressa @ Wishful Endings

(ALL INFO COURTESY OF TRESSA @ WISHFUL ENDINGS)

READ-A-THON INFORMATION

The Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon begins Monday, September 8th and ends Saturday, September 20th. You do not have to be a blogger to sign up. Just use your Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Tumblr instead (the place you're going to post updates on). You just need to be able to leave a link. For signing up, you should create a sign-up post and use that as your link (the URL feild) you'll use in the linky below.

Please sign up by using the linky at the end of the this post. You MUST be signed up in the linky to enter any related giveaways and participate in the challenges.

You can sign up through September 17th.

You're welcome to participate as much or as little as you'd like. The read-a-thon is to encourage us all to read so that we can tackle those tbr piles, not to cause extra stress. ;) You will see requests for updates, but there are no requirements that you leave an update every day. Daily updates are great, though, to help us all stay motivated and cheer each other on. If you do want to post a daily update, here is a simple template (omit or add things as you like):

(Day of the week)
How much I read today:
Today's finished books:
Total number of finished books:
Titles of finished books:

We will be using hashtag #TackleTBR on Twitter for updates and tweets. This is also a great way to find others participating and give some encouragement.

There will be a giveaway that I will host for all read-a-thon participants. I haven't completely decided on what all will be on there, but I'll know by the time this begins. A little mystery is always good, right? :) You should know that it will at least include a $15 Amazon gift card.


CHALLENGES

If you’re participating in the read-a-thon and would love to host a challenge, this is what you need to know:

There aren't a lot of requirements to host a challenge, but here they are:

1. You must have a blog to post on so that everyone has access to your post and can participate.
2. Posts need to be up by 8 am wherever you live on the day of your post.
3. Your challenge can be as easy (asking a question and the participant leaving a comment or linking a post on their blog, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc.) or as difficult as you like. Just be sure it’s something participants can do if they don’t have a blog.
4. Challenges should include a giveaway. It can be something as small as a bookmark, a $5 gift card, or a book you have that can be shipped to the winner, or a larger prize, such as a new book or $20 gift card (you'll need to include details, such as for US entrants or open internationally, etc.).
5. Your blog needs to be family friendly.

Ready to sign up to host a challenge? Please fill out THIS FORM!

===========================

I don't think I will be posting any "hard" commitments because it's been a  crazy beginning of the school year.  I am hoping to at least read a book a day, but the likely hood of that happening is probably to unattainable :).  But, go big or go home right?  I hope I can post the two Wednesdays before the read-a-thon ends.  So excited.

Thanks Tressa for hosting again.  I am excited to be part of this!

STORMS OF LAZARUS BY KAREN KINCY - TOUR

Welcome to my tour stop for Storms of Lazarus by Karen Kincy. This is the second book in the Shadows of Asphodel series. This is a new adult dieselpunk romance and is now available!  The tour runs August 11-22 with reviews, interviews & a few guest posts. Check out the tour page for the schedule and more information.

Storms of Lazarus (Shadows of Asphodel #2)

Sometimes escape is impossible. Sometimes love isn't enough.

1913. Christmas Eve. Ardis hardly expects a quiet holiday with Wendel, between fleeing Constantinople and hiding from an ancient society of assassins. And they owe a debt to a certain archmage.

In Königsberg, Prussia, they work with Konstantin on the next evolution of Project Lazarus. Wendel once called Königsberg home, the city now besieged by the Russians and their clockwork engines of war. This may be Wendel’s last chance to save his family and find redemption, but he's tormented by nightmares and tempted by laudanum. Ardis fears her love isn’t enough to save Wendel. Her hands are full piloting the automatons, and she's terrified to tell him a secret of her own. Will they—and their love—survive the storms of war?

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author:

Karen Kincy (Kirkland, Washington) can be found lurking in her writing cave, though sunshine will lure her outside. When not writing, she stays busy gardening, tinkering with aquariums, or running just one more mile. Karen has a BA in Linguistics and Literature from The Evergreen State College.

Find the author: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by:

LIFE INTERRUPTED BY KRISTEN KEHOE - TOUR/REVIEW

Tour Schedule

Life Interrupted 

by 

Kristen Kehoe

Rachel Reynolds isn't running from her past, but she wouldn't mind if it stopped chasing her, either. A senior in high school getting ready to graduate, Rachel is trying to look ahead toward her future, while forgetting the one night two years ago that set events in motion which altered the course of her entire life. Part of the future she's looking for includes falling out of love with her best friend, an act she seems incapable of, especially when it appears he might just love her, too. As Rachel tries to find her footing in a relationship that has baggage before it starts, a nightmare from her past reappears, upsetting the tenuous balance of Rachel's life and threatening the one person she loves most.

Amazon | Goodreads 

My Review / Thoughts:

Rachel (a.k.a. Rae & Flow) and her best friend Katy are starting their Senior year in high school, but Rachel's life is anything but easy.  A choice she made one night two years ago changes her course forever.

I do not want to give away too much, and since the synopsis doesn't explain Rachel's problem, I will try my hardest not to ruin anything for you :).

This book is so full of emotion.  It is written from Rachel's point of view, and it's amazing.  This book also shows you the ups and downs of decisions you make as a teenager/young adult that can alter the course of your life in a heartbeat.  Good or bad.  There are a few moments in this book I had to take a deep breath and gain my composure ;).

Tripp is Rachel's "other" best friend, that she has known and loved since she was a child.  I don't think I liked him very much at the beginning.  He seemed to be the type of guy that kept you hanging on just enough, so that he always has a "back-up" relationship to fall on.  I didn't like him at all.  In the beginning....

Rachel's parents are divorced but still civil with each other.  Rachel's Mother, sister Stacy, and grandmother are such a great support system.  Her dad on the other is not my favorite person.  He isn't mentioned much in this book, but when he is my heart aches.  He's a man child.  There is really nothing more irritating to me than a man who cannot grow up.

When Rachel's past comes to find her again, she thinks she is strong enough to handle everything on her own.  It is during this time, when she finds out what true love really is.  Who her real friends are, and how deeply her whole family cares for her.

This book was so full of emotion.  It made such an impact on me.  I haven't been in high school for a VERY long time ;), but I sure felt like I was there while reading this book.  Which, is something I never want to feel again.  I hated high school when I was in it...hehehe!  I guess that means the author did an awesome job of connecting me with the characters, but UGH, high school is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.  hehe.  Kidding (sort of).  Too many emotions, too much drama.

I want to go on and on and on, but I don't want to ruin anything.  The only complaint I had about this book was that the "f" word was used a little too much for my liking, but that is my own PERSONAL issue.  This book was fabulous.  The author really drew me in and made me love/hate her characters.  I cried, I laughed and just wanted to scream.  Great writing.  Just great writing :)!.

I even had some funny quotes I wanted to share, but alas I cannot for it will ruin the book for you.  hehehe!

Content:  There is swearing and the "f" word is used quite a bit.  There is some sexual content, that was sometimes a little descriptive, but not uncomfortable.  (these are all my opinion).

Source:  I was given this book as part of a tour in return for an honest review.  I was not compensated in anyway for this review.  These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.

My Rating:
4.5 out of 5 :)

About the Author:

Mom, Wife, Coffee Addict, and Book Lover

I am a writer of YA/NA contemporary novels.  I write about those crazy ages of 18-23 because there is nothing scarier than being told to grow up and decide what to do with your life and who to be so suddenly.  I write about love because it's my belief that love, in one form or another, saves us all at some point in our lives.  I am married to a man who understands and believes in me, and mother to a beautiful baby girl and a neurotic Great Dane Puppy.

Website | Facebook | Twitter 

 

Giveaway:

2 winners get a $25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour organized by: