family – Z. Elizabeth

All The Pretty Lies – M. Leighton

Posted on January 14, 2014January 4, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

“Live, no regrets”

Her…
Sloane Locke has led a sheltered life. However, with a history like hers, she can understand why her brothers and her father want so much to protect her. She has gone along with it for twenty long years, but those days are over. For the girl who never makes promises, Sloane has made a pact with herself that things will change on her twenty-first birthday. So when the clock strikes midnight, Sloane strikes out to spread her wings and break a few rules.

Him…
In addition to inking skin, Hemi Spencer possesses many talents. Controlling himself has never been one of them. It’s never had to be. He’s lived a life of indulgence for as long as he can remember. Right up until tragedy struck. Now, he’s nothing but controlled. He’s a man on a mission, one who will let nothing and no one stand in his way.

Them…
Nothing in their lives could’ve prepared Sloane and Hemi for what they’d find in each other—distraction and obsession, love and possession. But the one thing they can’t find is a future. Neither one has been totally honest. And they’ll soon learn that the devil is in the details. In the details and in the lies.
How far will two people go to live in the now when the now is all they’ve got?

5 out of 5 stars

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My Review

Give me an M.Leighton book and you know I will gobble that shit up. Anything she writes, I know I will automatically become obsessed with and love and All The Pretty Lies was no exception. M.Leighton can hook you within the first page and from then on you are reading until you have reached the end, absorbed with the story, the characters, just everything keeps me involved and I feel every emotion that the characters do, which is definitely what you need when reading a book. It makes you feel connected to them and I definitely did with Hemi and Sloane (and Sarah – she’s wicked naughty).

All The Pretty Lies is about living life with no regrets. Living it to the fullest and being free, letting go. And both Sloane and Hemi definitely begin to live with this motto.

Sloane has been protected and mollycoddled by her father and three brothers ever since her mother died when she was a young women. They have protected her and bubble wrapped her and shes had enough. At 21, its time for her to break free, to do what she wants to do, to live but its hard enough trying to make the four men in your life understand that need when they want you safe and sound and still treat you like a little girl. Sloane hasn’t had the life experience of going to parties, going on dates, having a boyfriend, like the rest of us have but now is the time to experience all she has missed and that is just beginning with getting a tattoo…which ultimately changes her life.

I adored Sloane. Despite being innocent and naive, not at all her fault, she really wants to live life to the fullest now shes of legal age. Although it doesnt help that the men in her family are all police officers. She wants to show them that she doesnt need protecting anymore, that shes old enough to be herself, to do what ever she wants. You feel everything she is going though – albeit, we probably went through this a lot younger, but from fancying a guy, to falling in love to being playful and feeling hurt, those feelings don’t go away and are always foremost in your mind.

I liked seeing Sloane gain confidence in herself, in her feelings and in what she wanted. To see her from a protected young women and going through the motions of liking a guy, trying to get his attention then feeling a step back when she feels he doesnt like her only to gain that confidence when he actually does makes you feel like a proud friend to see her putting herself out there. I loved her tattoo and I think it represented her perfectly. She really did live by that tattoo and you can see that it means a hell of a lot to her. We watch her grow up, go through a lot and come out in the end happy and in love and completely at bliss with Hemi….but that doesnt mean its all smooth sailing with these two and at certain points I prayed they could get through it, get through their situation and thank god they did. I don’t know what I would do it Sloane and Hemi didn’t end up together!!

I definitely have a little crush on Hemi…..okay okay a hella big crush. You can see the turmoil he is going through, how he wants Sloane but he doesnt too. How he needs to stay away but he cant. You actually can understand in a way, why he cant go there, but when he breaks, its pure joy! Its beautiful to see him ‘lose control’ as such, to want Sloane, an innocent young women, someone he wouldn’t go for because he goes for the ones who expect nothing and leave when he’s in the shower in the morning, but there is just something about Sloane that he craves, that he wants and it was lovely to see him break this barrier down.

My heart broke when the news came out about what he was searching for, but you know that his feelings are pure, that he cares a hell of a lot for Sloane, and he has never felt these feelings for anyone before. You want to forgive him and you actually beg for Sloane to forgive him, to give him another chance, to listen to him. The pain, the hurt, the guilt overtook him but you could see that above all that, his heart was taken, his heart belonged to her and he didn’t want that heart to belong to anyone but her. My heart tore when shit went down, when he wouldn’t leave her side and you could feel the terror that was radiating off him, the fear of losing the one person he loves the most and you were right there along with him.

Despite everything, Hemi is a beautiful being. He’s an owner of a tattoo shop, he’s been through pain of losing a family member, wanting to find the person who killed his brother but in the end, the grief and guilt was too much to take and he had to let it go, he had to learn to life again – “Live, no regrets” and that is what he did with Sloane and it was such a delight to see both of these characters join together, learn to live life together and that ending just had me in tears over who perfect these two are together.

M. Leighton sure knows how to captivate you into her writing, into her stories and the characters. You feel their emotions, you turn every page, wondering just where the time has gone because all you’re been focused on is Sloane and Hemi’s story, needing to find out their secrets, what will happen when they are revealed and how their ending is going – will they stay together or not?

But the ending is the perfect conclusion to their journey. It sums up everything perfectly and I was crying with happiness over the event that took place at the ending. OH how I was so happy and smiling with glee over Hemi. I cant wait to see if they make an appearance in book two, which will be about Reese, Hemi’s brother. PLEASE say they will, I’d love to keep up with their developments 😉

New Adult

What’s Left of Me – Amanda Maxlyn

Posted on January 4, 2014December 26, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Life works in mysterious ways.

Four years ago I became known as the girl with cancer.

I refuse to cry.

And I refuse to give in.

A relationship with a man is the last thing I’m looking for right now, but one night with Parker changes everything. He is persistent, and he knows what he wants. Me.

He doesn’t treat me like I’m fragile.

But he doesn’t know, and I’m not ready to tell him.

What if it changes everything?

Tragedy found me when I was seventeen.

Love found me when I was twenty-one.

My name is Aundrea McCall, and this is my journey.

5 out of 5 stars

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My Review

There will always be that one book where you read the synopsis and think ‘damn this book is going to break me in two’ and I knew I had to read it. Downloaded and read on Christmas Day, it took me roughly three hours to read it all and I was a shaking wreck by the end of it. Sobs were actually erupting from me and I was loud – got to say I was surprised I didn’t wake up the parents with my crying, sniffing and gasping.

What’s Left Of Me tugged at my heart from the very first page. I was invested in all the characters, especially Aundrea – or Dre as they call her. Her survival made me question my own life, made me question what I would do if I had to go through cancer three damn times. Would I just break down and say ‘I cant do this anymore’ or power my way through and be determined to fight once more? It’s hard to put yourself in that situation but you can damn near try to!

Reading books about cancer always tears a new one in me. I’ve lost two important people to cancer and the pain never goes away. You really connect with each character who is close to Dre. From her parents, her big sister Genna and her husband Jason, to her best friend Jean and her ‘friend’ Parker. Although Parker has no idea that Dre has cancer, they all have their own ways of dealing with the prognosis and their own way of acting around Dre.

You should already know the gist of what this amazing book is from the synopsis. What’s Left Of Me is about Aundrea. She’s been fighting cancer since the age of 17 and now at 21 its back for a third time. With her Doctor wanting to try a new trial or error drug, Aundrea moves in with her sister and husband where the trial drug is. This is where she meets Parker. He’s Jason’s new partner at the Veterinary surgery and he is drawn to Dre from first meet.

Dre likes him too but she is scared to get too close. She hasn’t told him about the cancer, wanting him to see her for her, not as the girl with cancer. She’s scared of everything – from getting married, to having children to even seeing her future. What if she gets better only to leave everyone she loves behind? She tries to tell herself she and Parker are just friends but its only a matter of time before they fall in love….but what happens when Parker finds out about the cancer? Will he leave her like she knew he would or stick with her throughout everything?

You can see that they all love her to death, they want her comfortable, want her to get better but at certain points you know they are mollycoddling Dre, whether its fear or worry, everyone acts different around her…apart from her best friend Jean. Jean, to me, acted the way I would want people to – normally, just like she used to before the dreaded diagnosis. Jean treats her like there is no cancer, she forces Dre to take control of her life, to explore it, be free and not let the cancer hold her back. You really need someone like Jean in your life when all you can think of is the cancer. You need someone to just set you free for a while, make you feel ‘normal’ and Jean certainly was that person.

Genna and Jason are always there for Dre. Rescheduling their work commits to be there for her when shes so sick from the chemo that she cant move, she’s in so much pain, being sick….you can see just how much Dre means to them and seeing her so ill cuts them apart. You know, if you have sibling, how much you hate it when they are really ill, so for Genna to act strong, despite worrying so much over Dre, you can sympathise with her over that. You can understand why Genna at times, was pissing Dre off over her fussing and questions but you can see that is just sisterly love, you hate to see your sibling in pain and will do whatever you can to make them feel better – to take the pain away yourself. Dre and Genna’s relationship is strong and you can totally see how close they are, how much they love one another and one scene in particular felt like I was being stabbed. It was definitely emotionally charged between them, but I think Genna needed to hear everything Dre had to say.

For someone who has battled cancer for 4 years, 3 times over, Dre is an inspiration. She is strong, in every way despite how afraid she is of her future. You know that dealing with being the ‘girl with cancer’ changes the way people look and act around you, just look at her parents and sister, so I understood why Dre didn’t want to tell Parker about the cancer even if I didn’t really agree. But to leave him in the dark meant he saw her for her. This carefree, strong, funny young woman who wasn’t battling for her life.

He didn’t treat her as someone with cancer, he treated her like ‘normal’ and that is all she wanted. I understood she needed someone to see her as Dre, not the girl with cancer. Although she wasn’t looking for a relationship, wasn’t looking to fall in love, you can see the deliberation she was going through…They both had feeling for each other yet Dre kept him an arms length away. She did this out of fear that he would leave her when he found out. I truly did understand why she wanted to be herself, at least for a while before letting Parker know she had cancer. It changes everything.

The hospital scenes with Dre had me in knots. From seeing her happy and laughing to then seeing her hooked up on the machine to seeing her madly sick the way that followed had me gasping to swallow and my stomach was in a constant state of dread. I was willing Dre to feel better, to be the one to comfort her, to watch over her at night, to ease the pain away. You really do connect with Aundrea, wanting to help her through the pain, take it away. You cry along with her, feel happy with her and you do go through all her emotions with her.

I adored Parker. He’s a cheeky flirty chap and you can see just how important Dre is to him. He may not understand her reasoning to just be friends, alas he is in the dark, but he doesnt give up on her either. If friends is what Dre wants, then fine, but he will try to make her change her mind every day. He takes her out on dates, makes her happy, the two of them together banter so much its so funny to witness but you feel that connection between them, both emotionally and physically. Parker makes Dre feel free, feel normal. He shows her how sexy and amazing she is and you know he’s fallen for her fast. Friendship is out the question now, he wants her to be his. When he does find out, I was crying along with Dre, my heart constricting over his reaction, but dear god Parker, you have some strength in you, you were there for her, holding her, letting her tell you everything in her own time.

“You own me, Aundrea. I couldn’t walk away from you if I tried. The second I laid eyes on you that night, in the mirror, I knew it.” He takes my hands in his, squeezing gently. “I would be a damn fool to let you slip away from me. I am so unbelievably in love with you.”

He is there every step of the way through her last chemo’s. You can see just how much he loves her. He is afraid himself of now losing the one person who owns him, but he will do whatever he can to prove that she is still Dre. To help her overcome her fear of going out without her wig. He still sees her as the woman he loves, as Dre, not Dre, the girl with cancer and I commend him so much on this. She didn’t want him to know because of that very thing, and they both fight the fear together. He does something to extraordinary that I stopped and had to reread what he had done. The smile and giggle on my face, with tears streaming down makes him such a breath of fresh air in my eyes. To do that just for Dre, to prove that she can be herself, not let the cancer take her over and show everyone outside she isn’t bothered about their looks, he does it in a heartbeat.

Their love for each other is stronger than ever. So Dre has cancer, that doesnt change Parker’s feelings for her at all and Dre loves him for that. He treats her like he always did and it helps the fact he is charming, sweet and oh so sexy in and out the bedroom!

That epilogue. THAT EPILOGUE DAMN NEAR RIPPED MY HEART OUT AND SHREDDED IT INTO TINY PIECES! No word of a lie, I sobbed hard, so hard I thought I was going to lose my breath at some point. Then after the book finished, I sat crying my eyes out until the pain slowly eased away. At points I was shaking, my hands were shaking and tears blurred my vision but I had to get to the end, I had to see what the fricking hell was happening.

For a debut, I applaud Amanda with everything! This book, despite being emotional and all the feels is truly about surviving, about falling in love and wanting to be free. Free to love, to have a future and to be free of cancer. You watch Dre’s journey throughout the book, watch her fall in love, watch her go through procedures and watch how love makes her stronger. At times you will fall with her but you know that she will have Parker or Genna and her parents to pick her back up again. Amanda doesnt hold back, she makes you believe you are in the book, holding Dre’s hand, being her friend and going through everything Dre is. It’s real.

Seriously, give this book a read. I have one massive book hangover

BOOK TOUR: Second Chance Summer (#1) – Emma Hart (+ EXCLUSIVE Reese POV)

Posted on November 19, 2013November 19, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Today is The Book Lovers stop on Emma Hart’s Second Chance Summer tour. I will be giving you my 5 STAR review and an EXCLUSIVE Reese POV!!!
Then keep scrollling for an amazing GIVEAWAY!

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Synopsis

“You don’t get a love like ours and get to leave it behind.”

Kia James was never meant to return to her hometown of Harlan Grove, Alabama… But she has.
And Reese Pembleton was definitely not supposed to still be in love with her the way she is him… But he is.

Last summer was the summer to end all summers. It was the summer they both fell in too deep to get out, and try as she might, Kia can’t deny that whatever was there between them a year ago is still there. If she’s honest with herself, there’s so much more there than there ever was, but the way her dad walked out six years ago has shattered her belief of that fairytale love every girl craves.

Reese isn’t giving up so easily. His biggest mistake was not chasing after Kia the way he wanted to when she upped and left him without a word. Despite what she says, he knows her better than anyone, and he knows she still wants him the way he wants her. And this time, nothing will stop him from getting – and keeping – his girl.

But nothing is that easy. When Kia’s dad arrives back in town, family secrets come tumbling out she never realized existed. Everything her mom has ever told her about the reason he left is a lie – but how can she trust the man who, by his own admission, didn’t fight for her as hard as he could have?

With her past and present wants and needs colliding, Kia is thrown into the turmoil of the biggest decisions of her life. And she realizes, sometimes a second chance is all you need.

5 /5 stars

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My Review

“I’m the mechanic around here, Kia. If anyone is giving a service, it’s me, and I’m pretty sure you’re next on my to-do list.”

As I always do, I’d like to thank Emma for the dedications in Second Chance Summer. Firstly for the Beta reader and then for the Bloggers. I must admit, I was a crap Beta’er this time around, simply due to not internet connection as I had just moved into my flat, but I did help on the first two chapters, so you better all love them 😛

When I read this book, I fell in love. You all know how much I love Emma and her books are like heroin to me. I will always need more of them because dear god, she knows how to write. How to draw emotions from you, captivate you with her storylines and make you fall in love with her characters. And Second Chance Summer is no exception. All her characters have their own voice, their own personality and it really shines through in this book. You will most definitely be rooting for Reese and Kia (and wanting Adam and Luce – the best friends – to get together too!)

Second Chance Summer is just that. Its about a second chance, about giving in to your true feelings, to stop hiding behind them, afraid of loving. It about forgiving and discovering the truth, its about finding your voice, even through the dark parts and coming out alive at the other side. Kia and Reese had the best summer of their life last year, thye found love in and with each other but that was all ripped away after one night of passion and Kia left – left for New York early and hasnt returned to her home town of Harlan Grove until now. She never, ever thought she would return but something inside her told her too.

Reese has the best summer ever, he finally got the girl, he fell in love so deep that even after she left without a word, then came back a year later, his feelings for her have never gone away. Despite being pissed and mad at her for leaving and not even returning for Christmas, he cant be angry at her, he cant shout at her because that will only make her run again. He still loves her and any girl he has been with was just a distraction from Kia. But now shes back and trying to deny her feelings her him, he is determined to make her see his feelings haven’t gone away, and nor have hers. Nothing will stop him getting Kia back, no matter how much she is fighting it.

I need to start with Reese (Sorry Kia). Get in my bed you sweet, gorgeous, sexy mechanic, you. He feel so deeply in love last summer that when Kia left without a word, he was stumped. He slumped around like a lost puppy looking for his owner, so angry and pissed and sad that Kia just fucked off without a single goodbye – especially as she went a week early. He waited until she came home for Christmas, but she never arrived. And he regrets not going after her, but now shes back, he is pissed but he knows shouting at her will do nothing.

Now shes back and he is determined to make her see she is the one, that nothing has changed, his feelings havent changed and that he still wants her just as badly as he did a year ago – he has been pinning over her and will do anything to make her see he loves her, to make her see that although they are young, she is it for him and he will follow her to the ends of the earth just to have her.

His beautiful soul and his words are what hooked me – and they way he is oh so sexy and dirty (with oil and his mouth) and dear god, how he will cradle Kia when she is crying, how he learned guitar, how to dance and sing, just to show her he can do it, to show her that he will do anything to see her smile and laugh and will do anything to make her blissfully happy.

Behind that cocky and sexy ass, really is a guy whose heart is completely taken by a girl who took it last summer and has never given it back. I cannot wait to read the prequel and the second book of their story!

Kia was a character. From the first page you instantly know how much she hates coming back, how Harlan Grove holds so many good and bad memories for her – especially with an alcoholic mother who couldnt give two rats arses, a memory of her father leaving and never returning and a summer of fun and a summer where she fell in love that leaving him behind killed her but she had to leave. And now she is back and the first person she sees is Reese and she cant cope with her feelings for him – they are just the same as they were a year ago. She knows how hard this summer is going to be having to spend time with him.

Since being away for college, Kia has become sassy and has developed an attitude, which I bloody loved as it meant she could bite back at Reese when he turned on the charm and she should see through him, but he still affected her just as much as he did last summer. But although NY changed her, her vulnerability and the pain and heartache of not just Reese, but seeing her mother, or rather not seeing, and then finding out exactly what happened and why her father left all comes tumbling down this summer and along with not wanting to show her true feelings to Reese, it all gets too much for her.

Reese breaks down her walls and she falls, slowly, but she falls again. But she is afraid of loving him so hard that he will leave her, but Reese, as you will see, will never leave her. You see her find herself again, have fun, fall harder in love and build back the bridges, with her father and kind of with her mother. Second chances are big in this book, but here is to hoping that everything will be sorted out in Third Chance Together, because I need my Kia and Reese together forever!

I loved the secondary characters, Adam and Luce. They are absolutely brilliant best friends, these two banter and fight with each other, Luce is amazing at being there for Kia throughout everything and Adam, oh Adam, he is freaking hilarious, yet at the same time I did want to smack him around the head when he does something so stupid to Luce. I hope there is more of these two, because id love to see a book or even a novella about them – after what happens in SCS.

Emma puts in blood, sweat and tears into her books to make them the perfection they are. She knows chemistry, knows how to make a sassy heroine and a bad-boy-with-a-sweet-side hero along with the amazing best friends and a great storyline. Kia and Reese are a favourite couple of mine and Reese is firmly on my BBF list. I cannot wait to read their summer, see how they fell in love and then see what happens after Kia leaves for college again and how Reese is going to cope without her and try to get to her.

Grab Second Chance Summer and every single one of Emma’s books and become engrossed along with me! PLEAAAASE 😀

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Exclusive Reese POV

Kia walks into the room, her tank top and tiny bed shorts clinging to her body, and my eyes crawl over her in the darkness. The low neck of her tank exposes the curve of her breasts and the shorts show almost all of her legs. Her hair is mussed from her sleep in the truck, and I can see she’s taken all of her make-up off.

And she’s never looked more damn beautiful than she does right now.

She pushes the covers aside and slips into the bed next to me. Her blonde hair fans across the pillow and she gazes up at me with wide blue eyes that are probably the color of the sea crawling up the beach outside.

I look down at her and smile. Her pink lips curve up, and I drop my head down, touching my lips to hers, and creep my hand across her stomach to her waist. Her fingers grip my arm and dig into my skin as I hold her tightly against my body. I run my tongue along the seam of her mouth, teasing her lips, and hers mingles with mine as they part. She takes like toothpaste, minty and fresh, and I get hard as she pushes against me and slides her knee between my legs.

My hand moves to the small of her back and my fingers hook under her shirt, brushing across her silky skin. She wiggles and her body rubs against mine, sending blood rushing straight down to my dick.

“Kia,” I mutter. My lips press to her jaw, kissing a gentle path along the curve of it, and she breathes faster. Her chest rises and falls frantically against mine, and I arch her back and drag my lips down her neck to her collarbones. I dip my tongue into the indent in her skin and suck lightly on her skin, smiling against her when she gasps.

And I wonder what I’m doing.

I want her. I want her so fucking badly it hurts. I want to remember what it’s like to have her lying under me, writhing and gasping all hot and bothered. But she’s had an absolute bastard of a night and that’s the last thing she needs.

What she needs is to be held. She needs to be held so tightly in my arms she’ll finally believe I won’t let go, that I won’t leave her. She needs comfort. Stability. Reassurance.

She needs every ounce of love I can give her.

And her needs outweigh my wants any day.

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About Emma Hart

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies – usually wine – and writes books.

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.

She likes to be busy – unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

Find Emma online at:
Blog: http://www.emmahartbooks.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmmaHartBooks
Twitter: @EmmaHartAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451162.Emma_Hart

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Links

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo

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GIVEAWAYYYYY!!!

KINDLE FIRE HD + £25/$25 GIFT CARD:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ONE OF TWO SIGNED COPIES OF SECOND CHANCE SUMMER:

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SIGNED COPY OF SECOND CHANCE SUMMER, THE LOVE GAME, AND PLAYING FOR KEEPS, PLUS EMMA HART SWAG:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tours

BOOK TOUR: The Time Until -Casey Ford (+ EXCLUSIVE Sam POV)

Posted on November 15, 2013November 15, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

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Synopsis

Alan Green and Samantha Cohn have known each other for as long as both can remember. They have a special relationship that has grown far beyond mere friendship.

Inseparable, Al and Sam have spent their lives with one another—from childhood secrets, through awkward teenage years, to finding themselves as adults—it’s always been the two of them together.

When unexpected tragedy hits, and Sam is left fighting for her life, Alan can only watch and wait. Left alone without his best friend, Alan spends his time reliving his past, ensnared in the memories of the chaotic relationship with the girl that stole his heart.

How would you spend the time until?

5 out of 5 STARS

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My Review

I had the privilege to Beta read The Time Until and the first time around, oh my god, I sat reading it, sobbing my heart out from start to finish. Both happy and sad tears. My emotions were all over the place and that in itself, to me anyway, is a book that I love. You make me cry, I will love you forever.

I have read this book three times and each time is just as emotional as the last despite knowing what is going to happen. Each time a little has changed and I think the final version is just pure amazing. Casey will have you hooked from the very start, wanting to know the beginning of Sam and Alan, wanting to journey through their time line, know about their friendship and how they go to the point they are at now…with Sam fighting for her life and Alan, his life also altered but he is petrified of life without Sam. Casey has a way with this story that you just cant and don’t want to put it down. You NEED to know what is going to happen, need to know their background but need to know if Sam lives or dies…and if she dies, how Alan is going to handle her death.

They have pretty much been inseparable since they were 5, and at 20, that’s a hell of a lot of time and years spent together. To lose her would kill him. My heart was hurting, my chest was hurting, I cried so hard that my make-up was running down my face and this book was all I could think about…and this was only when I was Beta’ing it, so I damn well know just how brilliant this story is if I was feeling all these emotions right from the beginning.

I don’t want to spoil the book, as I want YOU to read it and because so much happens during the time Sam is fighting for her life, from the past and the present of these two, how their families are coping and how their friends are there for both of them throughout the event. You find out so much from Alan, about his and Sam’s past, about how they became friends, everything they have been through together and separate and despite Sam being in a coma, you learn so much about her, her personality, her love, all from Alan and the flashbacks to the past and of course, how he talks about her in the present. You can really see how much he loves her, how he cant imagine life without her in it and how scared he is to loose her. It cant be an option to him, she has to live and be with him.

Casey makes you go through the motions with your emotions. I literally felt everything whilst reading this book, and bloody hell, what a debut it is. It is firmly on my ‘favourites’ shelf, not just of 2013, but of every book I’ve read. You can tell just how hard Casey worked on this book, to how he wanted it to be portrayed and read and he was spot on with everything – from the emotions, the storyline and especially how he keeps you hanging right until the end to see if Sam lives or dies. I was consumed within this book, needing to get to the end to know how it ended and it really is a great ending to the story of Sam and Alan.

If there is one book you buy today, then make it The Time Until. You will not be disappointed, you will sob your little heart out so hard but it’s worth every single word to get to the finish, to see how it ended….

So to you Casey, from Sugar Boobs, thank you so much for letting me Beta read this and everyone is going to love it, I just know it 😀 I look forward to reading more books from you in the future!

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Sam’s POV of the ‘First Kiss’

“Samantha can you go see what’s keeping Alan for me? I think he went to get cleaned up by the concession stand.” I nod my head and finish putting the folding chair into the back of the SUV. I walk up to the stand, but don’t see any sign of Alan anywhere.

“Where did he go?” I ask myself. Heading to the back of the stand, I hear the rustling of clothes. I roll my eyes a bit and make my way toward the sound.

“Hey, Al, everyone is wa—”

HOLY SHIT!

Alan is standing there with his shirt halfway off his body and my heart has just died. This is no pansy boy here. No sir, this is a man. A ripped, chiseled man. Sweat beading down his chest causing his body to glisten in the fading sunlight. I bite my bottom lip in an unconscious attempt to bite his stomach. I shouldn’t be staring at him like this, but I have to. My eyes are drawn to his stomach muscles as he flexes them slightly. Despite knowing it’s for my benefit, the gesture makes me want to touch him. His goal-keeper shorts hang low on his hips, showing a tantalizing view of his underwear – which hang just as low as his shorts. My breathing freezes in my lungs and the slow burn is a welcome reminder that I’m alive and not in heaven.

I want this to be real.

He finishes taking off his shirt and his biceps work under his tight skin causing my temperature to sky rocket. My feet move on their own and I suddenly find myself standing in front of him, eyes locked on his Spartan like abs. He looks so delicious I can’t stop from feeling his muscles. Slowly running my fingers along the hard edges of his brawn. He shivers slightly at my touch and I fight to control the sudden surge of excitement from my knowledge that my touch causes that reaction in him.

Touching his body causes my body to heat more. My core is so hot I’m surprised my pants haven’t started on fire. The hot moisture causes my clothes to cling in a strangely enjoyable way.

If he was to touch me like I’m touching him I’d most likely explode into a nuclear explosion – or a supernova.

“Where did these come from?” I ask at barely a whisper. It’s the loudest I can muster since my body has decided to stop lubricating my throat. My eyes never leave Alan’s stomach, I’m not confident in my ability to control myself if I look into his eyes.

My control is fragile as it is right now.

“Where do you think?” he ask me back. “I run every day. I have to stay in shape for soccer.”

Of course, I knew that. I’m not an idiot, despite evidence to the contrary at the moment.

My other hand joins the first one in its exploration of Alan’s amazing new body. I start to calm down a bit, but I can still feel my cheeks burn. I risk a glance up at his face and immediately realize my mistake.

He’s majestic in his look of adoration. The lingering drops of sweat make his face glow in the sunlight at his back. He’s beautiful and all mine. That thought brings a smile to my lips. Looking at his lips I barely have time to ask myself what they would taste like before I got first-hand knowledge. Alan’s body moves so fast I don’t even know what to do. His heavenly body slams me against the wall and the pleasure of the force nearly causes me to moan.

Alan’s never been this forceful and dominating. It feels amazing. His powerful arms – which I’ve never taken the time to fully enjoy – hold me firmly but gently against his body as our lips explore each other. The incredible taste of his warm lips cause me to forget to breath and I have to break away briefly to catch my breath and my bearings.

Alan has different ideas and my mouth in suddenly invaded by his tongue. My eyes roll into the back of my head at the new sensation. It’s intense and powerful, but also gentle and considerate. He’s taken control but not enough to make me feel pressured. I feel like I could say “stop” at any time and there would be no hesitation.

I decide to give in to him completely at this moment. I want to see how far he’s willing to take this new and very much approved attitude.

I start to slip from his grasp and before I can readjust he grasps my ass to hold me up. The gesture causes a surge of lust to shoot through my wet body. The sudden emotion and response makes me gasp slightly and moan loudly into his mouth. My mind starts to fall into bliss, but I can make out a wicked smile on his lips before I disappear. Wild anticipation intrudes on my bliss as I wonder what he has in store for me now.

His tongue slides slowly down my neck and the resulting goose-bumps send chills down my back and more lust to my already willing and waiting core. He pushes against me harder as he sucks on my collarbone and feeling his obvious excitement makes me lose even more control. I can’t control my strength when I crush his face into my chest.

His need hits a certain spot on my wetness and I nearly pass out from the sensation.

“Oh my god,” I scream in-between breathes. Oh my god is right… this feels godly. Why does it ever have to stop? I might just shatter into a million pieces if he does.

Alan takes my mouth again and I enjoy the swollen feeling that comes from it.

“I love you,” Alan whispers into my mouth.

The entire world grinds to a swift and decisive stop. I remember what we’re doing.

He’s my best friend.

What the hell am I thinking?

“Wow,” a small voice comes from next to us. Still in a confused trance of pleasure and shock, I turn my head with Alan to see his sister standing there. Alan jumps away and I immediately regret not savoring his delectable smell and feel before, I miss it now. But knowing what we were just doing causes me to forget my regret.

We shouldn’t be doing that, ever. We’re friends not lovers. What would happen if things didn’t work out? It would disastrous. I need Alan. He’s been my rock and comfort for so long. I can’t lose him simply because of something like lust I mistake for love.

But he says he loves me. Is it real love? How long has that been?

Alan is talking to his sister. I can’t focus on them at the moment, I’m trying to keep from going crazy from worry.

I can’t lose him.

The thought alone is enough to send fear blasting through my very soul. My heart seizes in my chest at the potential abandonment.

No, I can never let that happen!

“That never should have happened,” I tell him and a pinch of pain attacks my heart at his dropped face. This has to be done.

“What do you mean?” he asks me and the hurt evident in his voice cause me to second guess my decision before fear takes over again. I get up and push his hand out of the way. Maybe I should explain a little. He might understand if I tell him my reasoning behind all this.

“Sam?” The pain in his voice convinces me that nothing will help the situation. I take a step back when he steps up to me. I’m not scared of him, but his touch will be my undoing right now. Words start spilling from my mouth with no thought behind them.

“This is all wrong… We can’t… I don’t want…” I don’t want to change our relationship. We can’t do this. This doesn’t feel wrong, but I think it is.

I have to get out of here before his sorrowful, majestic face cause me to break in two. I bolt for the car and spend the rest of the ride home in silent contemplation. We can still go back to how we used to be…

Right?

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GIVEAWAY!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About Casey

I like to write and love just about anything romance [Except triangles, I hate triangles…. Oh! And Squares! They’re the worst].

Anyway, I live with my wife and two kids in good ole U.S.of A. and I actually work full time as a Graphic Designer. I write to relieve stress and because I like to create stories.

The Time Until is my first book and it’s both a joy and a chore to write.

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Links to The Time Until

New Adult

Falling Into Us (#2) – Jasinda Wilder

Posted on August 31, 2013August 30, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

THE STORY YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW…

When Kyle Calloway died, he took a part of Nell with him. She wasn’t the only one left to pick up the pieces, however; Kyle’s death left a gaping hole in the hearts and lives of his parents and his older brother Colton, and ultimately broke the will of the girl he loved.

THE STORY YOU NEVER IMAGINED…

Becca de Rosa is Nell’s best friend. When Kyle died, Nell was so devastated that no one could reach her, not even her best friend Becca. As she tries to help Nell through her grief, Becca’s own life is thrust into turmoil, and everything she knows is changed.

Jason Dorsey asked Nell out the week after her sixteenth birthday, but that date never happened. Instead, he ended up going out with Nell’s best friend, Becca. He had no way of knowing, then, how that one date would send him on a life-long journey with Becca. He had no way of knowing the tragedies and triumphs he would experience, or that in Becca, he might find the love of a lifetime.

THE HEARTACHE YOU’LL NEVER FORGET…

5 / 5 stars

My review of Falling into You is HERE

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My Review

By now you should know my favourites. The ones that completely stole my heart, ripped it out, made me a sobbing mess, had me falling in love with their story, having my heart pieced back together and left an outstanding impression to me. That was what Falling into You did to me. It showed raw pain, dealing or more like trying to deal with grief and falling in love. To say it’s a great book would be an understatement….

BUT then came along Falling Into Us and I can’t tell you how much this book stole another piece of my heart. I sat wondering why it had taken so long to finally get round to reading this book and I actually couldn’t think of any. But it’s okay because I did get around to it and I did completely, head over heels demolish every single page and every single line that was in the book.

I read it on the way to work, back home from work and then into the evening. It PAINED me to put it down during work and even when I jumped into the shower, Jason and Becca were constantly on my mind. I needed to know more about them, finish up their story, and see how their lives pan out. I really cannot tell you how much this book just made me forget the outside world.

There will always be one book you will read and you are like “why hasn’t this been in my life sooner?” And I’ve got to say, this is the book. I may, just a tiny bit love this book more than Falling Into You, but only a little bit because I adore Colt and Nell’s story. To say both couple lead different lives, it’s hard to really compare the stories because they all go through heart break and pain but Jason and Becca’s just stole my heart a bit more.

Becca is an amazing character. She is smart, like super smart, she is Nell’s best friend, she’s overcoming a stutter which still appears when she is nervous or excited and she is gorgeous, but that is overshadowed because of Nell. Her parents are strict on her, especially her father, she’s in all these classes, constantly doing homework and hardly ever has any freedom. Her freedom is poetry which she keeps locked away from anyone.

She’s always had a crush on Jason from afar but hes always liked Nell. But when Nell stands him up and she tells him to call Becca, well then we get to know what they did on their ‘date’ as we know they went out in Falling Into You.

I did adore Becca. You could feel her frustration at her parents – she just wanted freedom. Not to be shackled. She also fees frustrated and angry at being second best to Nell when Jason asks her out but you can pretty much see from the get-go that these two have so much more than he and Nell would ever have. And that is where the story begins. Throughout the years, you see her progress from a shy and soft spoken girl into a confident and outspoken women. Being with Jason truly helped her throughout the many trials and heartbreak she faced over the years, the love she had for him, the way she knew he was the one for her. She helped him as much as he helped her and I loved watching her progression throughout the book and the years. She was so comfortable in her own skin and around Jason. That is exactly how it should be.

I loved Jason. He’s not the person he showed other people. He didn’t have the greatest home life, but he was strong, and the way he handled his childhood shaped him into the person he grew up to be and the person we all fall in love with. He’s special and I think that’s why Becca has a soft spot for him, despite the fact he was gorgeous too. He chose the path in life to not be his father and I applaud him for that. Along with the help and love of Becca, he could do anything he put his mind to. She was there with him through everything, much the same as he was with her. They both go through horrible things but they bring each other back to life, because of the strength of their love.

Jason is such a sweetheart when Becca goes through the most painful thing to happen in her life. He’s patient, he never leaves her and he breaks through to her, gets her to speak to him. He holds her, loves her and lets her know he’s not going anywhere. He truly is a special guy and you can utterly see why they were the ones for one another. They just balanced each other out, they loved each other so much and although their journeys weren’t easy, they had each other to power through and be right by each other’s sides.

You watch they grow from insecure teenagers to confident adults, who know exactly what to do, what to say, how to love and how to help each other. You watch them talk things through, complement one another and talk about their future, always including the other. Their relationship and their bond is so strong, nothing can part them.

If you are looking for some Nell and Colton, then they do appear in this book. You get to see more of their relationship, their cuteness and see their relationship develop even more. They are still so awesome together. You do relieve the moment Kyle dies, and the tears did appear again. Even though you know it’s going to happen, it’s still as painful as when you read it the first time.

Falling into Us will tear you apart. It will make you cry, make you smile, throw your kindle away because you don’t want to relive that moment, make you giggle and smile and sigh at the cutest of Jason and Becca. I wasn’t worried at all when Jasinda said she was writing a second book that included these two, because I knew it was be great. And it bloody well was.

I would recommend reading Falling into You first, then Falling into Us. Read about Nell and Colton, then Jason and Becca and come back and tell me all your FEELS. Because you will FEEL a hell of a bloody lot!!

Family, Music, Terri Anne Browning

The Rocker That Needs Me (#3) – Terri-Anne Browning

Posted on July 14, 2013July 13, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

The Demon…

I’ve been fighting my own demons for most of my life. The alcohol seems to numb the pain, but it never makes the nightmares go away. All I want in life is a little peace. When I met my angel it felt like I found it, but there is so much standing between us. Why does she have to be so young…?

The Demon’s Angel…

Meeting Drake was the best thing to ever happen to me. I found my friend, my soul mate. But he lets my age stand between us. There is something that haunts him, and I selfishly want to be the one that helps him conquer his ghosts. If he would just let me in, let me closer, I think I could help him…

4.5 / 5 stars

My review of The Rocker That Holds Me HERE
My review of The Rocker That Savors Me HERE

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My Review

Since I had found the first book in The Rocker series by Terri Anne Browning, you could say I have fallen in love. In love with her and with the band. Since The Rocker That Holds Me, I have become obsessed with the stories. Of wanting to know the past of each character, to wanting ALL the books out now so I can gobble up each of the guys and the girls and watch their happy endings after all the shit they have been through.

If you have read my review of book two – The Rocker That Savors Me, you will see that I have such a massive soft spot for Drake. Okay, not a soft spot, I am basically in love with this guy. There is just something about him that drew me in. His dark past, his vulnerability, and the fact I want to mollycoddle him and be the one to help him through his past, through his drinking and just be the one for him. I know, I know, hes fictional, but I don’t care. In my head, he can be as real as I want him to be! Hahah.

You could say that my excitement for this book is an understatement. I was PISSING myself over getting my hands on this book so when Terri-Anne emailed me about an ARC, well who the hell was I to pass up reading The Rocker That Needs Me and my book boyfriend? OF COURSE I wanted an arc. I needed to learn all about Drake and his past and his relationship with Lana.

Myself and Holly (@Hollyshotreads) are completely besotted by this series and by Drake that we waited until each other had finished our respected books and read it together. We have been sooo anxious for the past few weeks and were completely excited to finally read Drake’s story. The texts she was sending me were making me chuckle!!

My darling Drake. My darling, darling drake. His prologue killed me. It killed me. And I cried. Yes, I cried at the start of this book. I knew it was going to be a bumpy and emotional ride, I knew it would be a hard and long journey and I knew we would find out about his awful past and the reason why he drink excessively until he blacks out. I was hoping that this wasn’t going to be his past, but I just cried so much when it turned out just what his past was.

It was heartbreaking and it really made you understand part of the reason he drank. I completely understood though, it just broke my heart that he needed the alcohol to numb him, to make the pain and the past go away. To stop him feeling guilty too.

But then he spots his angel when moving Layla and her sisters back to their guest house. But his angel is 17 years old and hes 31. He feels like hes found his soul mate but shes too young. He wants to stay away but he can’t. It’s like he needs Lana to breathe. To fill his life with some kind of hope, hope that he can get over his demons in time and hope that he can turn his life around and stop the drinking once and for all.

You really do see Drake change over the course of the book. Because of the dual POV, we got inside Drake’s head, which I absolutely loved. You got to see his fears, his insecurities, how he thought of himself and his band brothers and Emmie, and especially how he thought of Lana – his angel.

Of course there are parts where you just want to smack Drake but I loved how he needed and wanted to get help. Help for his drinking and for his past, no matter how hard it was for him to dredge it all back up. I felt like a proud momma for Drake sorting his shit out. He did it for Lana, for Shane, for himself.

Drake really does come a long way. He is a strong character, despite the addiction to alcohol. He is vulnerable too and completely besotted with Lana, which I found so heart clenchingly adorable. You could really see the fear of losing her when something big happens, and that is what kicks him ass into gear to try and win her back, to be a better man for her. He never wants to be without her, ever.

Angel, or Lana, as her real name goes is so mature and grown up for her 17 years. So doesn’t get involved in petty situations in school, she works hard, and focuses on her future and getting through school. She and Drake instantly click. Despite the age gap, there is something there between them that although they try to ignore, it’s blatantly there. They spend all their time together and it’s obvious that feelings are changing between them both for each other even though they are petrified and would rather hide them.

I loved the fear Drake had in losing her (which you will read in The Rocker That Savors Me). It was pure and you see just how much he and Lana balance each other out. But when one situation changes everything, Lana needs to do what is best for her. She is such a strong, caring girl and you really do feel for her. She loves Drake so much, but this something, she just needs to get away. To try and forget what happened. To focus on herself now even though she cares so much for Drake, it’s down to him to make the change.

Being miles away from Drake, I think it made Lana grow up and grow into herself. She just needed that time away to be herself – to focus on school but also focus on what she wants. I was so proud of her for standing up for herself, for not taking crap off Emmie, whom, despite my love for her, seemed to have some sort of vendetta against her. (I’m hoping this works itself out) but as I’ve said, Lana is amazing, shes brilliant and she didn’t deserve the hate towards her because it wasn’t her fault at all. (You’ll see what I mean). But I am glad she got her happy ending and both her and Drake, well I love them together and I’m glad they got over the issues standing in the way.

Drake does get his happily ever after. My heart was clenching in sweetness and an overpowering feeling to cwtched the shit out of him and Lana. My darling Drake finally got there in the end. Got to a point in his life where he was completely and utterly happy, in love so deeply with the one girl who stole his heart from the first sight. His journey wasn’t an easy one in any means. Lots of hurdles and bumps along the way, but they made him stronger. He broke his own barrier down, he stopped drinking, he put his guilt behind him, knowing and learning it wasn’t his fault and he got the girl who he knew he wanted to change for and be a better man for. You really cannot get any better than Drake. No way.

If you have yet to read about my book boyfriends in The Rocker series by the fabulous Terri Anne, then you are completely missing out. Seriously, you are because from the first book I knew this would become a favourite series of mine and it has. You have a band of ‘brothers’ all who have different secrets from their childhood and have grown up together and they have Emmie, the glue to their family. The girl who they all protected when they were younger and still are in a way. You watch the separate band members find their own way in life now; finding the one girl they want to spend their life with, and watching them grow.

The Rocker series isn’t one I’ve read before. The Rocker aren’t party animals, they aren’t the drink and drugs types. They are tame and it’s now time for them all to find the love of their life.

So join me in loving this series so hard and find new book boyfriends in each one of them.

L.M Augustine, Promotional Events, YA

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: West from Click To Subscribe (+GIVEAWAY)

Posted on July 11, 2013July 7, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

So this is the third post of the Click To Subscribe and its an interview with the dorky guy we all love – West.

If you have yet to read my interview with L.M Augustine or my review you can find the interview HERE and the review HERE.

Now, have fun getting to know more about West in this interview with him. I love him even more!!!

Synopsis

1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.

As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I ❤ Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she’d have on.

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him

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West’s Interview

For someone who likes ice-cream, West is sure as hell late to this meeting. Sitting facing the door, I look around and see mothers and their young children happily munching away on the cold stuff, sprinkles all down their tops and ice cream around their face.

Checking the time on my watch again, West is now 10 minutes late and I really want an ice cream. Debating whether or not to wait, I decide that ice cream is just too tempting and lean down to take my purse out of my bag when the bell on the door rings and in walks West, looking around until he spots me and begins to head over.

Standing up from the chair, I hold my hand out to greet West and give him a smile back.

Hi West, thanks for coming.

Of course! I was promised ice cream.

Okay before we get started, fancy an ice cream?

Yes, yes I do. 🙂 I honestly feel bad for anyone who would turn this down.

With our ice creams in our hands, we take a seat back at the table, and after a lick, I get down to business.

Right, first things first, are you still vlogging? I know you said you were too busy, but I’m sure everyone is missing your videos.

I am, I am. I’m not as into it, though. I have a life now, a real life, and I want to enjoy it as much as possible–if there is one thing I’ve learned from my mom dying, it’s that the happy times are short sometimes–but vlogging means too much to me to totally ignore.

You said you videoed to feel closer to your mother, that you pretended it was her you were speaking to. How much did that help you?

I never got to say goodbye to her. She was always proud of my vlog, of my taking initiative of my life, and it only felt right to tape vlogs to her. I was talking to her, really talking, because that’s the thing about her I miss most: our conversations. This felt like the perfect solution.

No one knew about your hobby, but didn’t you think somewhere along the lines you would be found out?

I worried, of course, but I’m not exactly the most well-known kid in my tiny town, so I knew the chances were minimal.

You and Harper were pretty close, despite only talking over the internet; just what exactly was it about her that you were drawn to?

She just kind of got me. Between her cow riding a bicycle while simultaneously eating pizza avatar and her complete overall dorkiness, I knew we were meant to be with each other.

Cat is your best friend and you two are pretty awesome together. Did you never think of her in a girlfriend sort of way or did it just never cross your mind at all?

I mean, of course I did. I’m not blind. But I always assumed that what Cat and I had was a pure friendship, and even though I knew I connected with her, I was too happy where we were together, as support systems, as best friends, to even consider anything more.

When Harper turns out to be Cat, your reaction is completely understandable, yet didn’t you even draw up a conclusion that Harper acted a bit like Cat?

Maybe I should’ve noticed, but Harper isn’t anyone I ever really questioned. She made me happy, she was the one bright spot in a tough time, and that’s all that mattered to me.

Cat quite literally put her heart on the line when she told you she loved you. Didn’t you ever feel guilty about the way you reacted towards that revelation?

I did. I really did. I was an idiot, but I was just too taken by surprise. I was already pissed at my father that day and desperate because what felt like the one good thing in my life at the time–Harper–turned out to be a fake. I lashed out. I was weak. I didn’t know what to do. I’m just so grateful that Cat believed in me enough to stay friends with me until… we became more.

Cat is such a strong person. I loved how she just never gave up on you and her feelings for you. How did that make you feel? I know you didn’t like that she kept doing little things to try and make you feel something for her, but you had to know that in the end, you would inevitably fall for her?

I didn’t really think I would fall for her, actually. I knew I loved her–in the friend sense–but it took me a while to realize that my self-categorized “friend” love for her was real love all along. I always loved her, it turns out, and I just never realized it. And she showed me that I did. I’m so grateful for that, because I’m happier than ever with her now.

What is it about ice cream that you and Cat are just so obsessed with?

Ha. Haha. HAHAHA.

Taste it. Eat it with vanilla and rainbow sprinkles. You will find the light.

We know the point in which your feelings changed for Cat, but how did you get to that point?

I guess I just found myself looking at her differently after she admitted her feelings to me. I noticed things about her, about her appearance, about her laugh–things I never noticed before. And we already meshed so well, so I couldn’t help but think… that we belong together. Forever.

You and your father didn’t exactly get on after the death of your mother, but we see him change towards the end. How is your relationship with him now?

I like to keep that to myself. We’re working on it; that’s all I feel comfortable saying.

Cat told you that she wanted to spend a week away with a guy she loves at a beach house, and she did exactly that. What did you get up to during that time?

Let’s put it this way: there were numerous times when her lips were covered with ice cream, and whenever her lips are covered with ice cream, I, being the awesome gentleman I am, kiss it off for her.

Also, there was A LOT of strolling around the beaches, sunglasses on, heads bobbing, trying to look as cool as possible. We are badasses, did I mention that?

And how are you and Cat now? How is it having her as your best friend and girlfriend?

It is awesome! I swear she’s the only girlfriend who shares my idea of a date: eating ice cream while simultaneously making fools of ourselves to everyone around us. Multitasking, am I right?

Thanks so much for the interview West. Now before I go, fancy racing to see who can finish another ice cream first? You can buy the next lot when I win!

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About L.M Augustine

L.M. Augustine is a YA romance author who is obsessed with writing about dorky teenagers, love, and happy endings. He currently lives in New England, where he spends far too much time reading books and screaming at his computer, and he believes that the solution to the world’s problems can be found in chocolate cake. Click To Subscribe is his first novel, but it won’t be his last.

Find L.M. on:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Email: authoraugustine@gmail.com

Links to buy Click To Subscribe (Which ya’ll should!)

Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

(And all other Amazon stores)

B&N

Kobo

iBooks
Smashwords

GIVEAWAAAAAAAAAAAY

And now for your chance to win TWO Ecopies of Click To Subscribe. It’s open internationally, so good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

L.M Augustine, Promotional Events, YA

Click To Subscribe – L.M Augustine (+ GIVEAWAY)

Posted on July 10, 2013July 7, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him.

4/5 stars

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My Review

So it’s L.M Augustine week on The Book Lovers and today is review daaaaaaay!

I had heard of Click To Subscribe through the twitter grapevine and when L.M followed me, I checked out his blog and HELLO CHAPTER ONE. From then on, I was so excited to get this book on my kindle that when it was released and L.M Dm’d me about it, it was an instant download.

I actually read Click a few weeks ago but I have been so rubbish at my reviews that it’s taken me this long to write it, but alas, I write everything down so it’s been easy to type and remember everything that I loved from the book!!

From the synopsis, I knew it would be a great read. I love anything to do with technology in books, so when I saw ‘Vlog’ I knew this was a book that needed to be read by me. Nowadays I hardly read YA, but L.M’s synopsis drew me in and how glad am I that I actually read Click to Subscribe?! It’s such a great read, it’s a refreshing storyline and one that I bloody well-loved reading about.

Best friends to lovers? YES PLEASE!! They are one of my favourite storylines yet there is so much included within the storyline that you wonder if they ever will get together. If they really should be together (they should, I was definitely rooting for them) and if they would eventually get together, and that West would realize they are perfect for each other.

L.M Augustine has included everything in Click. There is hilarious banter between Cat/Harper and West, loveable moments, awkward moments, moments where your heart is aching, where you will cry, where you will laugh and moments where you will be smiling so big that you will feel giddy about what you are reading.

The past 6 months havent been the greatest for West. He’s lost his mother, his father is a douchebag and the only friend he has that he can count on is Cat. He vlogs as a way to feel closer to his mother and one day, someone named Harper comments on his video and from then on they form this close bond.

West is such a freaking great character. He’s witty, can give awesome banter back. He’s adorable and he’s dealing with the pain of losing his mother. He’s also in love with a girl he’s never met. How is that for confusion for him?! He’s hurting, and he;s trying to deal with it the best way he can…by vlogging for his mother. Thinking it’s her he’s speaking to. He would actually be completely lost without Cat, his best friend.

We see bantersaurous-rexing between him and Cat and he and Harper and you will fall in love that extra bit with West because of it. But there will be times when you just want to hit him around the head, especially after Cat declares her feelings. He just stares at her, leaving the atmosphere awkward and in turn, you feel awkward because its such a predicament to be in.

Despite his reservations in wanting to know Cat’s feelings for him, we see him think things through. Although it takes a while, we see him confused and scared and angry and upset that he doesn’t have anyone to talk to about Cats feelings and his feelings that are slowly moving to the surface. You wish you were the one to help him through it all. But he gets there in the end. You see him figure out that he loves Cat and he starts to see her differently. although he’s scared, we know that he and Cat are awesome together and nothing will stop the love they have for one another.

I really, really loved Cat. Seriously. I think it was due to the fact that I saw myself in her. How she plucked up the courage to tell West she was in love with him, to never give up on him no matter how hard it became. This was me a few years ago with my best friend. She was the ultimate bad ass but caring best friend and I LOVED her character. I love the fact that although she was knocked back by West, she never, ever gave up on her feelings for him. I completely admired this about her. Normally YA girls aren’t the strongest (unless I’m reading the wrong books), but Cat blew me away. I wanted to be her friend, tell her to keep expressing her feelings for West because deep down, he had to have feelings for her!!! She acted like Harper and if he loved Harper, then he loved Cat too.

She is a brilliant character and even at 16, she knew exactly what her feelings were, that she wanted to be with West and despite the hurt she was put through, her feelings never wavered and she never gave up proving that she is the right girl for West. I applaud her confidence!

You can see the chemistry between Cat and West. Being best friends since they were younger, you kind of have to have chemistry and as they have grown up, you can see it more clearly. At least i could. Despite the fact they are BBF’s, they really do love one another. They are there for each other, especially Cat during the months after West’s mother had died, which was only a few months back. She supports him, she comforts him and you can really see how much she cares for him. There is no wonder that she is in love with him.

West is just too blind to see what is in front of him and at times to just want to smack him around the head and be like “YOU LOVE HARPER WHO IS CAT SO YOU LOVE CAT!” but i could see why he was reserved about it. It obviously had to take time for him to see Cat as more than a friend. In his own time too. To get his head around the fact that Harper doesn’t exist and it is in fact Cat after all the months.

The scene I loved was the ice cream scene. These two are utterly obsessed with ice cream and just reading their banter and their race to who finishes the ice cream first had me in fits of giggles. I am so going to do this with my friends (They probably wouldn’t be up for it but i;ll force them.) You can see how much fun these two have together and it was refreshing to watch West just have a time out from grieving and be the 16 year old boy that he is.

If you have yet to pick up your copy of Click To Subscribe, please do. You wont be disappointed and for a debut novel, L.M Augustine has written a fantastic book. Like technology in books? Like best friends to lovers? like banter and awkward teenage moments? THEN this is the book for you 😀

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About L.M Augustine

Find L.M. on:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Email: authoraugustine@gmail.com

Links to buy Click To Subscribe (Which ya’ll should!)

Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

(And all other Amazon stores)

B&N

Kobo

iBooks
Smashwords

GIVEAWAAAAAAAAAAAY

And now for your chance to win TWO Ecopies of Click To Subscribe. It’s open internationally, so good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interviews, L.M Augustine, Promotional Events, YA

AUTHOR INTERVIEW with L.M Augustine (+GIVEAWAY)

Posted on July 9, 2013July 9, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

So L.M Augustine week kicks off with an interview from the awesome guy himself!

Kicking off the week, we’ll get to know L.M and Click To Subscribe before we do anything else hey 😉

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Synopsis

1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him

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L.M’s interview

1. What was the first book you can remember reading?

This definitely isn’t the first book I ever read, but I remember reading Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke pretty young when it first came out.

2. How did you come up with the idea of Click to Subscribe?

Click was inspired after I watched one of John Green’s vlogs where he mentioned that two of his fans met online and hit it off so much that they were organizing a real life meetup. At the time, I thought that was so interesting. I mean, falling in love through social media? I didn’t even realize that happened.

Over time, the idea started to develop, and I kept thinking how plausible that could be. I wondered what those two people would have to be like to fall in love over the internet, wondered what happened to them and how all of it came to be. I’m not sure how the rest came about, but the next thing I knew it was midnight and I was scribbling away the first chapter of what would eventually become Click To Subscribe.

3. How long did it take you to write the book?

Only a month, actually. The book really flowed out of me.

4. The banter between Cat and West is amazing. How did you come up with it?

I really have no idea. Cat and West took over my brain from the start. It was more like they were actually speaking, rather than me “coming up with dialogue,” as weird as it sounds. Their characters just meshed so well that they did the rest of the work! I only sat back and watched. 🙂

5. Cat and West loveeee ice cream. Did you have a massive tub next to you when you were writing?

I didn’t! But that would’ve been a brilliant idea… because it’s for, um, research. Yeah. Research. (How did I not think of it at the time?!)

6. And what is your favourite flavour?

Black raspberry chip. I know, I know, I’m weird.

7. West used his videoing as a way to keep his mother in his life, as she was the only one who knew about it. Why did he not want to tell Cat about it? Was it just because it wanted it to be his and his mother’s thing?

I think for West, he just wanted his own thing. I mean, he has always has Cat and he has always loved her in a friend kind of way, but with his mom, he needed something that was just for the two of them–and that was vlogging. He liked having this own part of his life that he could escape to whenever he wanted, because real life kind of sucks sometimes. I don’t think he shared because he liked having his own thing with his mom, and he didn’t want anyone, best friend or not, intruding on that space.

8. Cat was an amazing character, never giving up on her feelings for West and trying to make him see what was in front of him. What made you write Cat this way? Most YA girls aren’t so strong and confident as she was with her feelings and telling West.

Honestly, I wrote her strong because I was tired of the weak YA heroine trope. Anyone who reads the book can see that Cat is the stronger character–she knows what she wants while West is so conflicted–and I think that’s more realistic. Females are just as often strong characters in real life as males, and plus, it only felt right for Cat and West’s relationship that Cat is the strong one. West is dealing with his mom’s death and she is his support system through and through.

9. Your next book is called Two Roads and is N.A. How big a jump was it from YA to NA, if there was any jump?

For me, the issue wasn’t so much a jump between genres as it is a jump between characters. NA and YA are much different and I definitely had to change some of my storytelling and book themes for NA, but that part wasn’t very difficult for me. The part that gave me trouble is distinguishing Logan and Cali from Cat and West. They’re very different couples with very different problems, and I sometimes found myself turning Logan and Cali’s banter into something Cat and West would say, which I couldn’t have. Separating them on a relationship level was the definite challenge.

10. Have you thought about who would play Cat and West if it was made into a movie?

I have, actually! I picture West as a young Austin Butler and Cat as Ariana Grande. Ariana’s red hair is EXACTLY like Cat’s, with the red velvet color and all.

This is how L.M sees West: (Austin Butler)

And this is how he sees Cat: (Ariana Grande)

11. And lastly, is there a deep dark secret you would like to tell me? 😉

*leans in* *whispers* My deep dark secret, the fate of the world as we know it, is actually– *connection gets cut and secret forever lost*

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About L.M Augustine

Find L.M. on:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Email: authoraugustine@gmail.com

Links to buy Click To Subscribe (Which ya’ll should!)

Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

(And all other Amazon stores)

B&N

Kobo

iBooks
Smashwords

GIVEAWAAAAAAAAAAAY

And now for your chance to win TWO Ecopies of Click To Subscribe. It’s open internationally, so good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Reviews

GUEST REVIEW: Secrets of the Tides – Hannah Richell

Posted on July 6, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Every family has its secrets. Some are small, like telling a white lie or snooping through a private drawer. Others are more serious like infidelity and betrayal. And some secrets are so terrible they must be hidden away in a deep, dark place, for if they ever came to light, they would surely tear a family apart.

The Tides are a family full of secrets. Returning to Clifftops, the rambling family house high up on the Dorset coastline, youngest daughter Dora hopes for a fresh start, for herself and the new life she carries. But can long-held secrets ever really be forgiven? And even if you can forgive, can you ever really learn to love again?

Secrets of the Tides is a compelling family drama with a dark thread of suspense at its heart

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Laura’s review

Every family has secrets, some are small like telling a white lie or snooping where your not supposed to. Others are more serious like an affair or betrayal. Then there are secrets that are so terrible that no one must ever ever find out for fear that it will tear a family apart.

The Tide is such a family full of secrets. When Dora finds out that she is pregnant, it forces her to confront her past. Returning to Clifftops in Dorset she goes to unlock the secrets of her troubled sister Cassie that she swore she would take to the grave. But can a secret so terrible really be forgiven and will the Tides ever learn to love one another again?

What a beautiful cover this book has! I found it extremely enticing and I just had to pick it up! And little do you know what gut wrenching story is hidden beneath this beautiful cover.

I read The Secrets of the Tides as the end of last year and thoroughly enjoyed it! This was truly one of the best debut novels I have ever read! It gripped me right from the start with a prologue set to keep you guessing.

This is a vivid, compelling family saga detailing the complex relationships they all have with one another and themselves.

I liked the way it kept moving between the past and the present as it keeps you guessing as to what happened and why things have turned out to be like they are. The past is in the view of Dora’s Mother Helen and the present day focuses on Dora. It is through this brilliant third person narrative that we are able to decipher the Tide family structure and read as their characters come alive through story.

The tension in this story is immense! Hannah Richell writes this incredibly well and I was physically tensing and praying that the events that were happening were not going to unfold badly. I thought she captured the grief and heartbreak of the characters extremely well. Richell explores the fragility of human feelings and how one mistake can tear a family apart.

I desperately wanted to know what this terrible secret was that had torn them apart and left them so racked with guilt. Each character blaming themselves for their part in the tragedy and I wanted to know who was to blame and which character was it that threw themselves off the bridge in the prologue.

This truly was an excellent debut that will draw you in and not let you go from the start. This story has stayed with me for a long time and if there weren’t thousands of other books that I want to read, I would definitely read it again. I am also thrilled that Hannah Richell has released her second novel ‘The Shadow Year’ which I will definitely be reading!

About me:

My name is Laura and as you may have guessed, I am an avid reader. As is the case with all book lovers, I have had my nose in books since I was very little. My nan has picture of me when I was two pretending that I could actually read the words of a book. I live in the south of England and I work in London as a Marketing Executive, so when I’m not working I’m either reading, on twitter, or writing my blog.

You can find me at my Blog, on Twitter and on Goodreads

http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot.co.uk

https://twitter.com/Midnightstar3

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12541010-laura

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