Review: The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolfe

Title: The Darkest Part

Author: Trisha Wolfe 

Age:  NA

Genre: Contemporary Romance

SYNOPSIS:

Pressing the boundaries of both the psyche and the heart, Sam and Holden embark on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of love.

Sam Wintry’s life used to be almost perfect. She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?

When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.

On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her.

MY THOUGHTS:

4.5 out of 5 stars

I was a little nervous about this one, I have to admit.  Don't get me wrong, I wanted to read it, but I was scared that I'd have issues with it.

And at first, I thought my worries were justified.  There was no way I was going to be able to get through this story.  I was totally crazy about Tyler and my heart was broken for Sam and Holden was just a selfish ass who didn't care about anybody but himself.

Yeah...not so much.

This story rocked my emotional world.

I have been craving a book that made me feel all the feels.  And there have been a few that were close, so very close - but this one was exactly what I had been needing to read.  My heart was shattered in parts, bursting in others.  What I thought I wanted at the beginning was the opposite of what I ended up needing at the end.  There were layers to these characters that you don't see in the synopsis and these layers make this story so much more than what you think you are getting.

Before The Darkest Part, I had never read anything by Trisha Wolfe.  That will change.  I've already added the other upcoming books in this series to my to-read list and I'm excited to get my hands on her previous works.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.

For more information on Trisha Wolfe and her works, please visit: www.trishawolfe.co.

To be the first to hear about new releases and sale events, sign up for Trisha Wolfe's Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1rXTKI7.

Website | Goodrea ds | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | YouTube |Pinterest

Review: Break the Sky by Nina Lane

SYNOPSIS:

A sizzling hot, new SPIRAL OF BLISS spin-off novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane

“Do you ever let go, storm girl?” he asked. “Ever lose control? Ever surrender?”
“Never,” I whispered. “I never surrender.”
A smile of both promise and warning curved his beautiful mouth.
“You will.”

Atmospheric scientist Kelsey March is under siege. Her tornado research project is on the skids and she’s fighting conflict in her university department. So when irresistible bad boy Archer West suggests a hot, wild fling while he’s in town, Kelsey is unable to resist his sexy offer.

Kelsey and Archer embark on a intense, exhilarating affair. But soon their differences and private battles encroach on their desire, and Kelsey discovers that Archer is a storm she can’t control.

MY THOUGHTS:

5 out of 5 stars

I've been on a bit of a Contemporary Romance kick here lately, so when I got an email about reading this one, I jumped at the chance to try a new-to-me author. 

The Spiral of Bliss series by Nina Lane has been on my to-read list for a while and I figured this was the perfect excuse to spend some of the last few days of my summer vacation binge reading.  I consumed all 3 books in that series in 2 days.  I couldn't put them down. 

Which then made me a little bit wary about reading a spin-off.

Like I've mentioned before, when I get attached to characters in a story, I don't like to say goodbye.  While I clamor to get my hands on a completed series, sometimes I will leave the final book(s) unread because I don't like to let go.  The same goes with a spin-off...if I am perfectly happy with the original characters, maybe I don't WANT to learn more about what happened to "other people".  I was perfectly happy with Hot Professor Dean and Liv.

But since I'm not one to back away from a commitment, I started reading Break the Sky...and I absolutely loved it.

Kelsey March is one tough cookie, so when paired up with Archer...um, yum.  The chemistry between the two of them was intense from the very first moment.  You just knew that there wasn't going to be a slow burn, there was going to be an explosion.  GAH!

That being said, there was a solid well-told story line written within the "fan-yourself moments".  I love a strong female character and it was great to see Archer find his place in the world when he has felt alone for so long.  Yes, Dean (and Liv) played an integral part in the story, but I didn't feel like they were toooooo present or that their moments overshadowed Kelsey and Archer -- yes, this is a spin-off, but it didn't feel like a spin-off.  So yay!

Now...here is the hard part for me.  I've read it and I want more.  Not because I feel like there story was lacking, but because I have developed an attachment to these characters in this world Nina Lane created.  My emotional reader cup runneth over. 

What a problem to have, right?   

   

Gone by Anna Bloom - Review and Giveaway

SYNOPSIS:

Title: Gone
Author: Anna Bloom
Genre: Mature YA (intended for readers ages 16-19)
Publication: July 28th, 2014

Rebecca Walters harbours a dark secret, and as the fifty-three bangles she wears on her wrists as a self-imposed sentence of guilt remind her, she can’t even begin to consider moving on. Not after what happened on that night six months ago… a night which she can’t remember and yet managed to change her life forever.

When Rebecca comes across Joshua Adams, man equally haunted by past tragedies, on a moonlit beach, both of their lives are destined to change forever, and when the girl made out of the sun meets the boy made out of the moon and sea, anything can happen… but will the knowledge of their murky pasts bring them together or drive them apart?

Will Rebecca finally be able to claim her freedom? Will she stay and fight to be the girl she found on the sandy beaches of Cornwall or is she destined to keep running and hiding from a past that won’t stay Gone? One thing’s for certain: either way, nothing will ever be the same again.

Amazon                  Barnes and Noble

○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○

MY THOUGHTS:

5 out of 5 stars

Gah.  This summer has been a bit different for me in that I've been on a bit of a rereading kick and have sort of put the blog on "vacation mode" to let my batteries recharge and maybe figure out a few things.  I definitely cut back on the number of book tours on my schedule.  

But this book - it has called to me from the very first time I saw it mentioned in a book blast sign up.  I love good angst and there was something about it that called to me and even though I really did intend to stay away from scheduled reviews, I knew I had to read it.

Y'all, when the book heart knows, the book heart knows.

Gone absolutely owns me right now.  I want to gush about it and quote pretty words and talk about how the angst was just the perfect amount without being over the top and how much I enjoyed the characters and how I wanted to make everything better and how Joshua is now my new book boyfriend.

Joshua.

Dreadlocked surfer painter boy with a heart and a car named Daisy.  For real.  My inner 20 year old is in love (and maybe my 39 year old self is a little bit as well).

He makes me grinny.

There was so much emotion in this story...I felt a little bit of everything, but not too much of anything if that makes sense.  The darkness felt by Rebecca and by Joshua was balanced with hope and swoons, the anger and sadness with happiness.  The angst...it was so so so good.

I'm sitting here writing my thoughts and wishing that I could just gush endlessly about Gone.  I want to reread it already.  I want to read it for the first time all over again.  I want to gather all my bookish friends and watch them read it and then talk about all our favorite parts.  As an emotional reader, I connected with this book in a way that doesn't always happen and I can't recommend this book enough.

○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anna Bloom is a contemporary romance writer who writes about life as it happens. Combining a busy schedule of looking after two small children whilst working in a local school and completing The Uni Files series she also spends a lot of time imagining kissing hot guys – all in the name of her art.

                  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads  

○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make it Count by Megan Erickson - Review and Giveaway

SYNOPSIS:

Kat Caruso wishes her brain had a return policy, or at least a complaint hot-line. The defective organ is constantly distracted, terrible at statistics, and absolutely flooded with inappropriate thoughts about her boyfriend’s gorgeous best friend, Alec…who just so happens to be her brand new math tutor. Who knew nerd was so hot?

Kat usually goes through tutors like she does boyfriends—both always seem to bail when they realize how hopeless she is. It’s safer for her heart to keep everyone at arm’s reach. But Alec is always stepping just a little too close.

Alec Stone should not be fantasizing about Kat. She’s adorable, unbelievably witty, and completely off limits. He’d never stab his best friend in the back…

But when secrets are revealed, the lines of loyalty are blurred. To make it count, Alec must learn messy human emotions can’t be solved like a trigonometry function. And Kat has to trust Alec may be the first guy to want her for who she is, and not in spite of it.

MY THOUGHTS:

5 out of 5 stars

This book is ridiculously cute.  I'm talking "couldn't wipe the smile off my face when I finished it" level cute.  It made me happy and who doesn't love it when a book does that?

Kat is everything.  Funny, sassy, witty, and though she has her insecurities, she is determined to graduate from college and make something of her life.  She refuses to settle for working in the front office of her family's business.  Nope.

And Cam.  Holy nerdy hotness, Batman.  I fully admit I'm a sucker for a ridiculously smart boy in glasses.  But beyond the flutters, Cam believes in Kat and knows that she isn't as "stupid" as she is convinced she is.  That she is more than just a pretty face and flirty girl that she projects when she gets defensive.

Which brings me to what I loved so much about this book.  So many books in the New Adult genre focus on traumatic relationships, previous abuse, even current abuse -- and don't get me wrong, those topics are SO very important -- but Make it Count focuses on an issue that I don't see get nearly the attention it deserves.  While my issues are not the same as Kat, I remember struggling a bit with my classes in college and thinking that maybe I wasn't cut out for it -- ok, and maybe part of that was the fact that 8:00 classes were so early and it was super easy to hit the snooze button.  But when I met the man that would eventually become my husband, for whatever reason, he took it upon himself to make me realize that I wasn't as academically hopeless as I was starting to think I was.  And to this day, that still means so much to me.

Cam truly cares about Kat.  Sure there is physical attraction, and swoons, and more than a few moments where I needed to stop and fan myself, but there was also genuine care between characters.  All the characters -- primary, secondary, even Kat's ex-boyfriend managed to redeem himself after a bit.  There wasn't one single character that I felt was superfluous or a bit ridiculous.  They all seemed real and I can't wait to see where Megan Erickson takes them in this series.

So...basically what I'm saying is that I loved every single thing about Make it Count.  Thank you so much to Edelweiss and the lovely ladies at Bookslapped for allowing me a chance to read and review this fun book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Megan worked as a journalist covering real-life dramas before she decided she liked writing her own endings better and switched to fiction. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids and two cats. When she's not tapping away on her laptop, she's probably listening to the characters in her head who won't stop talking.

Website: meganerickson.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganErickson_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormeganerickson

Amazon buy link: http://amzn.to/1jxeZI8

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/make-it-count-megan-erickson/1118915758?ean=9780062353399&itm=1&usri=make+it+count

GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2) by Aly Martinez - Review and Giveaway

Title: Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2)
Author: Aly Martinez
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 19, 2014

SYNOPSIS:

I fell in love with Manda Baker eight years ago, and I loved her to the core of her soul. We were supposed to have that elusive happily ever after and spend a lifetime together. But that was all before she was STOLEN from me.

Her best friend, Sarah Erickson, killed her. It wasn’t intentional. It was far worse. Everyone claims it was just an accident, but I can see through the lies. Even if it’s with my dying breath, I will make her pay for what she did.

Fate hates me. It robbed me of my first love and left me to navigate through this world emotionless and numb. Then, one day, spiteful fate gave me a woman to fill my shattered soul and make me feel again. It gave me Emma Jane Erickson. Now I spend my days searching for the answers that will ruin Sarah and my nights falling in love with her sister—the one person who is bound and determined to save her.

But what happens when everything you know to be true explodes around you? Who will be left to pick up the pieces, and who will need to be saved from the wreckage?

**Each book in this series can be read as a stand alone.**

PURCHASE LINKS:

Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2)

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined #1)

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N
 

MY THOUGHTS:

5 out of 5 stars

Can I just tell you how much I loved this book?  The whole Wrecked and Ruined series?  I mean, I am in forever debt to Celeste over at The Book Hookup for telling me about the signups for this tour because I consumed every last word.

(Due to a scheduling conflict, I am posting this review before I post my review of  the first book in the series, Changing Course, and it may SLIGHTLY be messing with my bookish-OCD tendencies.  I keep telling myself that this is a good opportunity for me to grow as a blogger.)

Stolen Course picks up shortly after Changing Course ends.  Leaving Brett and Jesse's story behind, it is now time to learn more about Caleb and Emma.**

Right from the start, from the very first interaction, their relationship seemed doomed.  Emma's sister is responsible for Caleb's fiancee's death...I mean, not exactly a simple issue to overcome.  In fact, the more I think about it, their situation is probably one of the toughest scenarios I have read in all my romantical perusings.

But as we all know, emotions and attraction aren't always in sync and from the moment Caleb sees Emma in the hospital, he can't get her out of his mind and it frustrates him.  They can not happen.  Can. Not.  Nope.

Until he decides that maybe he just needs to act on it, make her one of his passing encounters, since those are the only type of relationships he has managed to have since the accident.  Since Manda.  Surely that will be enough.

Yeah, right.

There are so many unanswered questions that come into play and need to be addressed, not to mention the issues of forgiveness, letting go, guilt, family responsibility, healing...all the things that make Stolen Course so much more than a simple romance book. 

Y'all...Caleb and Emma's story blew me away.  Up and down and over and under and around and up and down again.  Knowing what I know from the first book, I had no idea where Aly Martinez was going to take this book.  I mean, the visceral thoughts I had about Emma's sister...I haven't loathed a character like that in a ridiculously long time...and while admittedly unfair, I had some serious preconceived notions about Emma.

And some serious flutters about Caleb.  

The good thing about books though, is that they tell a story.  And that maybe just when we think we know everything there is to know about a situation, we realize that we don't.  Because, yeah...because.  #nospoilers 

I absolutely loved Caleb and Emma together.  And while they definitely had their ups and downs, and while Caleb, in true form, had moments where he was a bit of an ass, their chemistry was undeniable.  They made total sense and their personalities absolutely worked together.  When the book ended, I was sad to let them go.  Yay for strong characters!

So, here is what needs to happen.  You need to go and read this book, this series and then we can talk about Brett and Caleb all the bookish things.  Yeah.  That.  I need something to do while I wait for the next book in the Wrecked and Ruined series -- is it September yet?!?!?


**One thing I do feel like I need to mention is while this book can technically be read as a stand alone, I HIGHLY recommend reading Changing Course first.  Not because the plot depends on the first book, but simply because it will allow you to have a deeper understanding of the dynamic and connection between characters.   

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in Chicago, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side. After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.
Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Whisper to Me (Between Breaths #3) by Christina Lee

SYNOPSIS:

A hot and consuming New Adult romance about a wayward musician and the one girl who keeps him grounded…

At college, Rachel has a reputation for being a sarcastic flirt with a thing for star athletes. No one at school knows that she’d had her heart ripped to shreds by her high school sweetheart, who’d driven them both off the side of the road on a borrowed motorcycle, and then abandoned her. No one knows the real Rachel Mattson—except one person…

Ever since he helped nurse his sister’s feisty best friend back to health, pierced bass player Kai Nakos has been head over heels in love. But the supposed bad boy can’t risk letting Rachel know the truth—especially now that the two of them are back in their hometown for the summer, together for the first time since the months following that fateful night. Never mind that Rachel’s ex is back, groveling for her forgiveness.

Shaken by her ex’s return, Rachel finds herself turning to the one guy she knows she can trust. Kai is willing to hide his feelings for her, just to have Rachel touch him again. After all, this is only a temporary fling. Until it becomes something more. But maybe it had been more all along.

MY THOUGHTS:

4 out of 5 stars

After reading and enjoying the previous books in the Between Breaths series by Christina Lee, Whisper to Me was everything I had hoped it would be and maybe even a little bit more.

This book tells the story of Rachel and Kai.  And while I have to admit that it took me a little while to remember how Rachel fit in with the series, once I placed her, I was excited to learn more.  As the more...ahem, social...of the trio of friends (Avery and Emma being the other two), I didn't feel a strong connection with her as a character, so it almost felt like I was starting completely over from the beginning.

Not unlike Rachel.

What I really liked about this story was the fact that Rachel and Kai had a history even before the story begins.  Friends since childhood, there were no real secrets between the two, aside from their developing attraction towards the other.  In fact, there were more secrets between Rachel and Dakota (her BFF and Kai's sister) than there were between Rachel and Kai.  They just "got" each other.  They were friends before and they were so determined to remain friends that their chemistry was really the only speed bump on the path towards the next step in their relationship.

I mean, what a tough problem to have, right?  </sarcasm>  No lies, no deceit, no cheating...seems like an easy obstacle to overcome, right?

You'd think.

But is a summer romance with somebody that knows your heart and soul worth the risk of losing them forever?  

As the story progresses, I started to realize that Rachel was so much more than she seemed in the other two books.  While in the previous installments, she never seemed to have a care in the world and seemed so certain of her path in life, the truth is actually the opposite.  The only real constant in her life has been Kai and it is only when they are together that she starts to realize that she isn't being true to herself or to her friends.  He allows her to feel safe and face the reality that she has been trying so hard to change.  

As for Kai, he has always been a bit of a lost soul.  The "bad boy" that really wasn't.  The brother who lived in the shadow of an over-achieving sister.  The musically talented son that always felt that he was disappointing his parents by not wanting to run the family business.  I found myself rooting for him from the very beginning.  

Simply put, I loved these two characters together.  I loved watching them travel down the friends to more path, all the while growing as individuals.  Their solid history as true friends allows them to support the other completely without having the issues of a brand new relationship getting in the way.  To me, they are about as real as two fictional characters can get and I truly enjoyed their story. 

 

Review: Behind the Scandal by M.A. Stacie

SYNOPSIS:

Sent to the family ranch to overcome his addiction, Taylor Reese is angry and hurt. Feeling rejected by his father and brother, Taylor throws himself into ranch life to help him forget. But it isn’t long before it hits him hard how much his life has spiraled out of control, leaving him floundering and looking for a lifeline.

Libby Karlin is cautious, wary of Taylor’s presence. Her dark past makes her reluctant to let anyone near her family. But after Taylor strikes up a friendship with her son, Libby finds herself drawn to the sadness within him. His experiences are no secret to her, though she keeps her own buried until a knock on her door has her gasping for breath.

Could dealing with their pasts really give them a future?

MY THOUGHTS:

4 out of 5 stars

After I finished the first book in this series, Beneath the Surface, I couldn't stand Taylor Reese.  I thought he was spoiled and smarmy and slimy and a train wreck waiting to happen.  So....when I found out that this book was HIS story...well, I was a little worried.

Now keep in mind that I have read a fair share by M.S. Stacie and I know her way with words and she has yet to lead me wrong...but Taylor??? Really???

Behind the Scandal picks up after Taylor has moved to his uncle's farm to get his life straightened out.  Forced by his father to endure an eternity a few months of manual labor, clean air, and detox, Taylor is determined to be miserable.  So much so that his middle name might as well have been hateful.

Enter Libby.

She is everything that Taylor seems to hate -- though to be fair, he is determined to hate everything and everybody.  A feisty strong-willed red head, she doesn't put up with his attitude towards the life she has come to love on the farm.  She handles everything he dishes out and gives it back without backing down. 

LOVE.  HER.

Once Taylor realizes that he can't walk all over her and get whatever he wants, things begin to change.  She is a challenge for him and maybe that's what Taylor needs - instead of using drugs as a way to escape, he now has something to work for.

One thing I really appreciated about this book is that there wasn't the insta-love that seems to be everywhere these days.  Sure there was insta-attraction (as much as they both wanted to ignore it), but this wasn't an "I hated you an hour ago but now I can't live my life without you" story.  Libby has scars and a son that she protects with everything she has - especially from a recovering addict.  Because of his childhood, Taylor hardly knows what a normal relationship of any kind is like.  Before they can be in ANY kind of relationship, they have to figure out how to even live on the same farm.

Now, that being said, once the spark catches...

And this is the time where I admit that I was wrong about Taylor and that over the course of the story I begin to understand him and realize that he maybe isn't the horrible man that I was convinced he was in the beginning.  Growth, people.  Growth.



So yeah, make sure you add this one to your to-read list.  It will be published at the end of July -- so you have plenty of time to read the Beneath the Surface while you wait.  You won't regret it.    

Review: All of You by Christina Lee

From Goodreads:

Avery has just met her hot upstairs neighbor. He's irresistible. Tattooed. And a virgin.

Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she's perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother's bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.

When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won't accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.

Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.

So she needs to make a choice—let Bennett go or finally let him in.

You know what, I really enjoyed reading this book.  

In a world filled with stories of good girls and bad boys, it was nice to see this dynamic.  Not that Avery is a "bad" girl, but she is definitely not like so many of the heroines we meet these days.  Having recognized the shortcomings and failings of her mother, she has taken control of her life and refuses to let a relationship define her.  Men and love are trouble with a capital T and she's better off without the distraction.  

Until she meets Bennett.

 
Bennett.  Gah, I need a minute to compose myself because just thinking about him makes me get all kinds of starry-eyed.  Like Avery, he also had a childhood that was far from textbook, but instead of emotional walls, he chooses abstinence.  Knowing what it was like living with a single mother, he refuses to be that man. 

Once Avery realizes that Bennett won't fit into her lifestyle, she tries her hardest to forget about him.  Easier said than done once he moves into an apartment in the same building.  

I love it when fate decides to intervene.

The dynamic between Avery and Bennett is one of my favorites in the New Adult genre.  With the proverbial lines drawn in the sand, they try to just be friends...and we all know how that ends up.  The chemistry between them is palpable, but beyond that, they genuinely care about each other.  Because they GET each other.

But with that connection comes a bit of vulnerability, and I'd be wrong if I didn't say that the two of them are ridiculously stubborn at times.  Thankfully there are strong secondary characters that do their best to knock some sense into Bennett and Avery and allow them to see what they could be missing.  Not gonna lie, I absolutely adored Mrs. Jackson and the role she played in this story.  What a gem.       

It is hardly a secret that I love swoony boys with ink and that I've been known to fist-pump when I find a story that has a heroine that refuses to be a Bella Swan doormat.  This book has both.  Add to the mix a storyline that didn't seem contrived or ridiculous and All of You is a book that did not disappoint.

  





 

Blog Tour: Finding Bliss by Dina Silver - Review and Giveaway

I am so excited to be a part of the Finding Bliss Blog Tour, hosted by AToMR Tours!  While today marks the final day of the tour, you can go back and read other reviews and promos by visiting other Tour Hosts using the schedule found here.  No really...go check them out (but only after you read my review first - HA!)

Genre:  Women's Fiction

Published:  July 16, 2013

Source: Blog Tour

Book Description:

Chloe Carlyle has always longed for the perfect family.  Growing up with an alcoholic single mother, she has seen her share of heartbreak and disappointment, and is striving to build a new legacy for herself. After graduating from college, she takes a job working as a summer girl for the Reeds––a wealthy, accomplished family that personifies her American dream. Her summer takes an unexpected turn when the Reeds’ eldest son Tyler, the star quarterback for Notre Dame, shows up and turns her life upside down.

An ambitious young woman with a wry sense of humor, Chloe never imagined herself as the type to succumb to the looks and charms of the hometown hero, but she falls hard for Tyler, and is devastated when they part ways at the end of the summer. As she heads off to law school, Chloe tries to convince herself this was just a fling, but she can’t quite get over him. It’s not until Tyler contacts her out of the blue late one winter night that everything changes.

After doing everything in her power to build the perfect life, Chloe soon learns that there are things beyond her control. She must draw on inner reserves of strength as her life takes unpredictable—and sometimes heartbreaking—twists and turns, and she finds herself faced with decisions she never thought she’d have to make. Poignant, heartfelt, and emotional, Finding Bliss is a reminder that you don’t have to live a fairytale life in order to have a happy ending.

This story was a gut-punch from pretty much start to finish.  But sometimes, that's the kind of story that I want to read - the ugly, the fetal rocking in the corner, the that-which-doesn't-kill-us-makes-us-stronger-kind-of-story.  There have even been times when I've begged for books "that will make me bawl".  True story.  So needless to say, I was not disappointed with this book.   But have no fear, along with some well justified fist-shaking, Finding Bliss also had it's fair share of fist-pumping.  (That was for some of my readers whom I know require a HEA).

That being said, the journey to that HEA is quite the trek.  I mean, there were times when I was thinking to myself, HOW MUCH MORE CAN THIS GIRL HANDLE?!?

The good times though -- they made her completely happy and really, what's more important than that?  The cast of characters is well-written and the romantic element is realistic and what I really appreciated was that while Chloe may not be characterized as a traditional badass, she is determined and knows what she wants and even more important, she knows what she deserves.  

APPLAUDS.

So yeah, this book scratched an itch and I look forward to reading more by Dina Silver. 

A graduate of Purdue University, Dina Silver has spent the past fifteen years feeding her red wine habit by working as a copywriter in the advertising industry. In addition to writing ad copy, she formed Dinas Ideas (dinasideas.com), a greeting card company, in 2003. Dina serves as the sole writer and designer for the business and has penned over 300 greeting cards since its inception.

Dina Silver |Facebook |Twitter |Pinterest

a Rafflecopter giveaway