future – Z. Elizabeth

One Tiny Lie (#2) – K.A Tucker

Posted on July 16, 2013July 14, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents’ tragic death and Kacey’s self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would…and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

5 /5 stars

My review of Ten Tiny Breaths HERE

—————————————————

My Review

Because you’re not a one-night girl, Irish.” Leaning in to place a kiss on my jawline, he whispers, “You’re my forever girl.

*Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy in return for an honest review*

I bloody well loved Ten Tiny Breaths, as you can see from my review, so when I found out Livie was getting a book that was the GREATEST news ever. I literally could not wait for it because I wanted to see how Livie’s life would pan out and if she too, would find love and her obstacles in her life.

I was not disappointed in this book at all. When I picked it up, it was demolished in a matter of hours (not counting how I had to put it down to work) but I was just drawn into Livie’s life, wondering how it was going to end up, wondering about Ashton’s too. You really do feel for Livie and Ashton and that is why I love K.A Tucker’s style. You get sucked in, you have all these feels and you feel the same as the characters you are reading about. It’s hard not to.

Ten Tiny Lies is about Livie and her going off to college. Kelsey’s worried that Livie is going to crack and so she recruits Dr. Stayner to help Livie out, in his obscure ways. Although Livie doesn’t want his help, she humours him and in the end, she talks to him every Saturday, doing everything he tells her to. In turn, when she goes to college, she lets her hair down. She drinks, she makes friends and of course, she falls in love. And as I’ve said, not without complications.

Everything in her life is tipped upside down, she has no idea what to do because it’s the only thing she’s ever known. Just what is Livie going to it?

We first meet Livie in Ten Tiny Breaths. She really is the glue to her and Kelsey, especially after everything Kelsey did and went through. She is strong willed, she’s smart, she’s shy and she has her future all mapped out, she has since she was a little girl. But despite all this, she has yet to ‘crack’ under the pressure of everything and she is too grown up for her own good. Kelsey wants her to crack, to act like the teenager she is and to not just focus on looking after everyone, she needs to let loose a little, live a lot and find herself. Enter Princeton, new friends, a lot of alcohol and a whole lot of complications. What is Livie meant to do? Everything seems to be falling apart right under her.

You really do see Livie grow throughout One Tiny Lie. She is definitely a straight and narrow girl, hating to go off track and not knowing what is going to happen, but Princeton is slowly changing her and its scary. She wants to change but at the same time she doesn’t. It’s all shes wanted and known since she was a little girl. What is she to do if she can’t be a doctor?

I loved her journey though. She finds out who she really is, lets loose and lives a lot, makes new friends, gets drunk and gains a new crush in the form of Ashton. But Ashton is just a little bit broken. Livie has always felt empathy towards people, feels that she can help them in some way and she really did want to help Ashton out, no matter how many times he seemed to push her away. Her determination to ‘free’ him is what I loved about her and she really does find who she is at the end.

Her journey takes her from a straight A’d student to a woman. We watch come out of her shy shell and transform. We see her develop strong feelings for Ashton, watch her deliberate over what the hell to do and literally change her life. Her lifestyle changes, her career prospects change and admitting that out loud is so scary she doesn’t want to, but she has to. She takes babysteps with the help of the amazing Dr. Stayner (What a babe) and he helps her every step of the way with his crazy ideas. But he always makes her see that whatever she does, her dad will always be proud of her.

Dr. Stayner makes Livie understand that you don’t need to plan every single detail of your life, that you should just let things fall into place. Life carries on regardless of if you plan it or not. He really was the father figure that I think Livie needed at that crucial time in her life.

From the get go I was infatuated with Asthton. There was just something about him that I was drawn to – from the way he overpowered Livie to stealing her Jell-o shot and kissing her. HOT HOT HOT! The cocky little bastard that he was. This is the start of a very complicated and back and forth ‘relationship’ between the both of them. They had the chemistry from the first moment but despite Ashton’s cockiness and smugness and flirtiness, he’s pretty damn broken up inside. He’s not ‘free’, and everything he does is a front he puts on in front of his friends and everyone in college.

He hides his private life away, not sharing anything with anyone yet he’s strong, and loveable and you cant help but want to smother him with love and help him through everything. To be the one to free him from his shackles.

He has everything you would want. A great car, goes to a great school, money but there is just someone that he wants but he just cant have her – Livie. No matter how many times he pushes her away, he cant let her go – he’s torn between telling her that she should be with Connor and wanting her to himself. But he’s hiding a massive secret from her, a secret no one, not even his best friend Connor, knows about. See what I told you about the fact that no one really knows anything about Ashton.

But bit by bit he kind of needs Livie to be his reason to be free, to breathe again, and hes there for her as much as she is for him, despite her not fully understanding everything. When you find out the reason why they cant be together, your heart will ache for Ashton. I cried and it pained me that he went through all of this and is still continuing to.

When everything does come out, my heart bled for Livie and Ashton. It was time for Livie to put herself first and take a time out, focus on exactly what she wanted in her life, and if she wanted Ashton in it or not. Her decision was not taken lightly but you could see why she chose what she did in the end. It was courageous of her and of course, she loved Ashton and she really needed to know the truth from him now. Before she fully ‘took’ him back.

They were both exactly what the other needed.

I’m going to mention Connor, as he’s in the synopsis but I really didn’t click with him. He was definitely a safe option for Livie and although he did seem to really like Livie, he just wasn’t really there for her throughout her confusion over her career, her failing grades and I just couldn’t understand why a boyfriend wouldn’t be there for his girlfriend. Thank god she had Ashton around to comfort her and be there for her. She made the right decision.

I was so glad to see Kelsey and Trent and everyone else from TTB cameo in One Tiny Lie. I had missed them so much and although we obviously see Kelsey more – still LOVE this girl and I still love the comments she comes out with, we get to see her and Trent all lovey dovey, which is exactly how we love them!! They deserve so much happiness after everything they have been through. Livie leaves Kelsey in the dark about everything until Livie cracks and returns home after that one revelation one night and tells Kelsey everything. It was so nice to see the two of them bonding and just being the amazing sisters we know them as.

In my opinion this is really what One Tiny Lie is about. Breathing again, freedom, finding who you truly are and being okay with that, with the changes in your life and falling in love and being loved back. Livie and Ashton complete each other. They show each other how to love and how to live and how to free themselves from everything holding them back. They both stole a piece of my heart and I really do hope that they get to be a part of book three – Cain’s book – because I would love to know what happens beyond the end for the two of them.

Please, if you have yet to read Ten Tiny Breaths and One Tiny Lie, grab your copies. These books truly deserve to be read and Ten Tiny Breaths was on my top 10 favourite books of 2012 and would I ever lie to you about great books? No!

Romance

Kept – Elle Field

Posted on June 17, 2013June 16, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

“Did she really just say that? I am fifteen again, except the reality is I am experiencing full parental horror, aged twenty-five. I want to die.”

Life hasn’t quite worked out how Arielle Lockley imagined it would. Becoming the next Coco Chanel was always her childhood dream, but she’s spent the past four years living a dizzying whirl of glitzy parties, luxurious holidays and daily shopping sprees – all paid for by boyfriend Piers – and not doing anything to make her Coco dreams happen.

When the recession hits, it’s not just the economy that takes a tumble and Arielle finds herself living back with her parents, on bad terms with Piers, and having a CV that’s as welcome as a pair of knock-off Jimmy Choos. And maybe it’s the location, but she’s also finding unwelcome thoughts of her childhood sweetheart are popping into her head…

What’s a girl to do? Can Arielle figure out what it is she now wants to do with her life and move on, or will she be doomed to spend the rest of her life dwelling over her worst mistakes, stuck listening to her parents’ embarrassing dinner table talk each night?

4.5 / 5 Hearts

————————————————————-

My Review

I’d like to thank Elle Field for sending me a copy Of Kept in return for an honest review.

Kept is the debut novel for Elle Field and I have to say, I was completely entranced by her book. Albeit, it took me a while to get into it, but when I did, I couldn’t put it down. I loved how Elle set the events of the story, letting us know what was happening before going back to explain how Arielle come to be in the position is in currently in.

I haven’t really read a romance book in a while; New Adult has taken over my life, so it was refreshing to read Kept, read the romance entwined within the book, instead of feeling my panicky self with all the angst that is wrapped up within NA. It was a breath of fresh air and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of Kept.

Ms Field has a way to keep you captivated, wanting to know more about Arielle’s life, wanting to know who she picks, how her life ended up that way and what she is going to do about it. You feel like you go on a journey with Arielle too, by the way she has so much drama and so much pain that she still has harboured inside from her younger years. She’s lost, she had dreams but she never pursued them. It’s a great chick-lit to read, you will laugh, tear up, root for Arielle, ponder over which guy she should be with all the while taking each step with her along the way.

We first see Arielle on the train. She has no money, no train ticket and just a weekend bag. She’s been kicked out of her house by her boyfriend Piers. She then takes us back to the beginning, how she met Piers, how they came to be, what shes been doing the past four years right up to that very moment on the train.

Throughout the book, you see the past and present of Arielle. How to came to where she is now, how it shaped her into someone she didn’t want to be. She had dreams, which took a backburner. She changed but now it’s all about getting her dreams back, she just needs to figure out what she wants to do, and how to go about it.

Piers, her boyfriend, dotted on Arielle but after a bad day, he loses it and kicks her ‘lazy’ ass out. The only place she has to go is her parents house and she doesn’t even want to step foot back in New Forest, it holds too many memories.

But after some guidance, from Piers, her parents and a special fairy godmother, she is trying to get her life back on track, trying to show everyone and herself she can pursue her dreams and make them a reality. Baring in mind she hits some bumps along the way, bumps from her past and it makes her head all fuzzy but in her heart, she knows the right guy is waiting for her, she just needs to sort herself out first.

So what does Arielle do? You’ll have to find out yourself.

I really loved the character of Arielle. Albeit she is a pain in the ass at the start and she is spoilt when you are taken back into the past four years of her relationship with Piers. She see that although she started off strong and spunky and independent when she first met Piers, over time she became a former figure of herself, spending Piers money, buying expensive clothes and holiday and not even bothering to thank him. This is the tipping point for Piers after a stressful day and he kicks her out. You see her vulnerable side break through, with no money, nowhere to really go and with no jobs under her belt, shes lost.

BUT over time, she begins to think about her future, having to work through her past and present, with some advice from her best friend Ob. She has to fight her past, working through her demons from her old teenager boyfriend Noah, who broke her heart. She goes on a journey, transforming herself into someone that everyone can be proud of. She overcomes her past, figures out her present and how to stand on her own two feet without anyone’s help and it made me so proud of her to do this, without anyone’s contributions. In the end she turns back into the independent woman that everyone knew she was, she just lost her way.

What can I say about Piers? I realllllly liked him. He is a gentleman, makes a lot of money and truly loved and cared for Arielle. How they met will have you giggling and what he says to her will make your heart melt. She really is everything to him and he just wants to care for her. BUT, and this is a big BUT, he is one of the reasons that Arielle has never worked during those four years. Because he tells her he will provide for her.

I’m kind of conflicted over him when he kicked her out, because it was his idea for her not to work (If I was told not to work, I would FIND work and not spend his money) and then he calls her selfish and lazy for not having a job. Bit hypercritical don’t you think? But then I can see his point of view, as she became selfish and ungrateful by his generosity. I don’t blame him for needing some time apart from Arielle. She wasn’t the girl he fell in love with.

Despite all this, he still loved her and wanted her back. The time did all the difference to him and to Arielle and he was always there to support her from afar. I think this is why I was rooting for him till the very end.

The supporting characters are brilliant. I completely loved Ob and I do hope that he will have his own book. I’d love for him to find love, seeing as he is married to his job. He made me laugh, he gave some good advice and you can always find him down the pub 😉 Even though he and Arielle haven’t talked for years, it was like they were never apart and that is why I love friendships like this. Arielle and Ob definitely are the best friends despite years apart.

I think my favourite scene is when Arielle is redesigning the shop. That is all I’m going to say but she proves her worth, proves she can do it and proves that with a bit of spunk you can achieve anything you put your mind to. This is one of the reasons I was so proud of her. She took something that was empty and transformed it into something that was popular around New Forest. It was something she loved and was good at. She found her worth.

Kept is a great chick-lit novel. You will be laughing, swooning, rooting for Arielle and end up so proud of her. It was refreshing to read something other than NA and if you need a book to get over the angst, then Kept is definitely the book for you. It has everything to keep you entertained and hooked and Elle Field, I will definitely be checking out more of your books when they are written!

Music, Romance

Sound Bites: A Rock & Roll Love Story – Rachel K. Burke

Posted on May 23, 2013May 19, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Renee Evans has a knack for trouble. After walking in on her best friend and boyfriend in bed together, twenty-five year-old Renee flees sunny Los Angeles and her dream job as a music journalist and returns to her hometown of Boston – only to meet Dylan Cavallari, the mysterious, aspiring musician who lives in her apartment building. Dylan’s piercing gaze and womanizing demeanor make him exactly the type of guy that Renee should steer clear of – which is most likely the reason she falls for him. But when Renee’s troublesome ex comes back and threatens to drive her and Dylan apart, Renee is forced to face her past and save her relationship with Dylan before it’s too late.

Sound Bites dramatizes what happens when Renee finds herself caught between a painful past and an uncertain future. Happiness turns out to be within her grasp, but it all depends on whether she can trust herself enough to make the right decisions. Sound Bites is a novel about love, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, and the power of music to help you find your way

4 / 5 Stars

————————————————–

My Review

*I’d like to thank Rachel K. Burke for sending me a review copy in return for an honest opinion*

After walking in on her best friend and boyfriend betraying her, Renee Evans flees LA and her dream job as a music journalist and returns back home to Boston.

Upon her return home and moving into her new flat, she meets her neighbour Dylan Cavallari. Dylan is mysterious, he’s gorgeous and an aspiring musician who lives in the flat above Renee. To Renee he is the typical womanizer and someone who she shouldn’t get involved with but she can’t help it. Despite a misunderstanding when they first meet, Renee and Dylan become friends fast, and over due course, they fall for each other.

But when all seems great for the pair, Renee’s ex comes back; begging for her back and his appearance threatens to drive her and Dylan apart. Can they figure it out or is it too late for them? In order to move on, Renee must face her past to save her relationship with Dylan.

Rachel K. Burke emailed me asking me if I would like a review copy of Sound Bites and after reading the synopsis, I emailed back, jumping at the chance. It sounded like a great book and one that I especially love reading. Hot musicians? Oh hells yes, give me some of that.

Ms. Burke’s writing style made the book flow from scene to scene. It was hard to put it down once I started, engrossed with every scene and every word on the page. She makes you care for the characters as they develop throughout the book, watching them grow up, go through their own problems and insecurities and watching them all care for one another throughout the different scenes that occurred.

As you all should know by now, my emotions tend to range when reading great books. It’s much the same with this one, I was smiling, frustration, panicky, laughing but I didn’t kindle throw as I was reading on my phone. I might have thrown my phone down though haha and shook my head over what was happening but that’s the sign that a book gets to me!

To briefly outline the book, 24 year old Renee went to LA with her best friend for college, but after walking in on her best friend Justine and her boyfriend, David getting down and dirty, she leaves sunny LA and heads back home to Boston to escape the pain of what she just saw.

Moving into a small building complex, one day she crashes into a hottie, quite literally crashes as she reverses into his car. Hes a bit of a douche with an attitude but she gets over it as she knows she probably won’t see him again. Oh uh, she does. Apparently he lives in the building complex.

As a diehard music fan, one night she hears someone playing an acoustic version of her favourite Jeff Buckley song so she goes out to investigate who the culprit is. What she doesn’t count on is the guy behind the door being the douche from outside.

Over time, the two of them become friends over their shared interest in music. Despite Dylan being confident and cocky, he sure is shy and nervous to play his music in front of people, preferring to confine his talent to his flat. But Renee knows awesomeness when she hears it and so she tries to persuade Dylan to join her friend’s band and after weeks of rehearsals, Dylan pushes through his nervousness and performs…in front of people…for the first time. This makes Renee so proud of him and her feelings for him become even stronger.

Throughout the weeks between hanging out and Dylan gigging, a big gig in New York arrives and Dylan asks Renee to go with him. Sharing a room, Renee tries to gauge a reaction from Dylan but nothing is working. She doesn’t know his feelings until she meets a guy and spends the night talking to him, which pisses Dylan off whom in turns storms off. When returning to the hotel, Dylan spills his guts about wanting to be with Renee, whom reciprocates the feelings, and they end up together.

Spending the days and nights together, their little love nest progresses to love and they decided to rent a house and have put a deposit down when Renee’s lease on her apartment is up but one night screws up everything they had going and their relationship is broken. It’s now up to Renee to face her past and look into her future before even attempting to try and win back Dylan’s heart. Can she do this or is it too late for them?

I think at some point in our life we can all relate to Renee’s character. She’s been heartbroken, had to give up her dream job, had to move back to her home town and then end up in a job she doesn’t want to be in. Renee could be deemed as stuck-up, strong, a music whore and although she was heartbroken, she just got up and dealt with it which takes courage to not let it stew in your mind. Despite her hot-headedness, she was a great character apart from when she began to get insecurities about her relationship with Dylan. I felt so sad for her to go from this strong woman to this woman who was questioning everything.

Dylan even picked up on that, and it tore me about how she was feeling as he did nothing to make her feel this way. But I suppose there is a point in ones relationship where it all gets to you and the love you feel for that person is so consuming that you wonder if it’s just you? Even though it’s obvious they love you too.

She could be immature and childish in parts and I got frustrated but then I thought about it and to be completely honest with you, I would be acting this way too if it was me. I got frustrated because she was pushing Dylan too far but in the end, I reckon that would be me too. Pushing him to succeed in something that he obviously loves and pushing him to get over his fear and become something amazing. She does grow up, she faces so much in this book from finding love to finding forgiveness and its all thanks to the power of music.

When we are first introduced to Dylan, he is a bit of a douche – but to be fair to him, you would be giving attitude if someone reversed into your van. But there is something about Dylan that you just cant help but love. It’s the mystery about him, the way he loves music (much like Renee) but doesn’t show anyone due to his intense bout of stage fright. He is confidence and cocky and attidtudy in his ‘real life’ but throw him on stage in front of people and make him sing? No way, he would pass out before he played the first chord.

I loved his growth of confidence throughout the book. Thanks to a massive push from Renee, he grow as a character comfortable enough to stand on stage and sing; relish in the audiences reaction to his songs and voice. I was so proud of him for building up the courage to do this as I knew that it took a lot for him to broadcast his talent. He finally got over his stage fright and began to love singing to the audiences, even if he still was petrified each time the crowd got bigger, he carried on. I think Renee was his rock, that he kind of needed her there at the beginning to push him into singing and calm him down, make him know she was proud of him.

Despite the mystery, we get to see a loveable side to Dylan, a side which is cute and sweet. You really do see the connection between the two of them and you can see just how much they love each other. When Renee suggests going back to her own flat to sleep, Dylan is having none of it and after Renee hints at moving in together, Dylan asks her and its all flowers and hearts for them. The perfect couple. I loved this side of Dylan. The confident, in love guy who would do anything for Renee.

When the shit hits the fan and there is a massive misunderstanding, we never really see Dylan’s side but we know he is hurting. He’s been betrayed – or so he thinks – by the one person he loved and trusted the most and he doesn’t know what to do. Music is now his therapy while he heals.

Music is basically what brings Renee and Dylan and will it bring them back together? You will have to wait and see what happens. Renee needs to forgive before getting to her present and when a surprise happens, she now needs to see Dylan and let him know exactly what is going on.

I reallllly loved the ending; it was a great way to end Sound Bites. You see both characters grow-up and go through a journey, together and alone. You see the characters forgive, characters love, characters bond, and characters get their happily ever after.

My favourite scene has to be when they tell each other their feelings. I’m a sucker for a sappy love spillage and you could see just how much Dylan was hurting over Renee going out with that guy after his show. You could see that he felt the same way and it hurt him to think of Renee with anyone other than him. The way he acted just tore my heart open and it was so great to see him – someone who is closed up – express himself and tell her his feelings. I loved it!

All in all thank you for sending me your book Rachel, I really enjoyed every second of it and hello Dylan, you can be a new book boyfriend for me. Everyone grab your copy of Sound Bites and be like me in turning the pages at lightning speed because you cannot put it down!

New Adult, Samantha Young

Until Fountain Bridge (#1.5) – Samantha Young

Posted on April 27, 2013April 25, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Ellie Carmichael had a crush on Adam Sutherland, her brother, Braden’s, best friend, for years, and although Adam treated her with proprietary concern he made it clear he thought of her only as a little sister.

Over the years, as Ellie’s crush develops into love, her romantic idealism makes it difficult for her to move on. To make matters worse, as she’s gotten older, Adam’s attitude has changed toward her. His affection for her is now joined by attraction, but his loyalty to Braden, and his fear of losing the only family he has, stops him from claiming Ellie the way she wishes he would.

But one night his attraction is put to the test, and as much as Adam would like things to remain the same everything changes between them in a simple brush of the lips.

Soon lust, love, jealousy and heartbreak combine to force change upon their relationship… and Adam discovers the hard way that life is too damn short to spend it on regret.

5 /5 stars

————————————————————————

My Review

“I want every piece of you. Even the stuff I missed without even knowing I was missing it.”

Ellie has been writing diaries since she was a kid. Shes documented everything throughout her life up until a couple of months ago. Ellie now lives with Adam, the love of her life since she was a child, and he finds her surrounded by her diaries one day.

Intrigued by them and wanting to know her versions of events between them over the years, he starts to read them with her and so this starts the beginning of their ‘relationship’ to the point in which they are at now. The diaries conveyed a lot of jealousy, heartbreaks and hidden attraction until a few pivotal points in their friendship happen changing it up.

Join Ellie and Adam throughout their history, to their present, where they are happy and in love. Life is definitely too short for regrets.

Even since I read On Dublin Street, Ellie just took over me. She was, is, an amazing character to read. She’s caring, loyal, a romantic; tries to see the good in people but she’s also got a spark in her which Adam seems to set off a lot. It makes her feisty, but causes her heartbreak every time.

So when Samantha Young mentioned how she had written a novella about Adam and Ellie which was a freebie for all of those who had pre-ordered Down London Road, I knew I had to email her and get my copy, because I wanted to know about their story. As we know, Ellie has been in love with Adam since a young age. But when did Adam realize he had feelings for her? It fills in the blanks for all the questions we had during On Dublin Street for these two.

As mentioned, Ellie has moved in with Adam and is sorting out boxes that she should have unpacked weeks ago. There she stumbles upon what she is looking for – her old diaries. Adam comes up to see what she is doing and that is how this novella starts. Adam wants to read them and know how much he affected Ellie when they were growing up. With Adam being seven years older, we follow Ellie’s journey of growing up, harbouring these feelings for her brother’s best friend, going through Adam’s over-protectiveness, being angered by Adam’s brotherly ways, to turning into an adult, dating, having her heart broken by boyfriends, being confused over Adam. You name it, Ellie documented every little detail and feeling in her diaries over the years.

Although many of us love Adam, he was a bit of an idiot throughout the diary entries, but alas, he didn’t actually know Ellie’s feelings and when he realized his feelings for her, he wanted her but couldn’t have her because he thought it would affect his friendship with Braden. When you read the novella, you will understand the pain and heartbreak that Ellie encountered time and time again by Adam. Sometimes not on purpose as he didn’t know that he was doing it, but others – he did. And these were the parts I literally wanted to sob for Ellie. (I couldn’t as I read this in the library.)

It was a great yet heartbreaking read. It was heartbreaking to see Ellie go through all the pain of loving Adam since her childhood but great to read the history of their story. I loved the journey of Ellie growing up, trying to forget her feelings for Adam by dating other guys but none of them seemed to match up to him. She never felt that spark when she kissed them but then everything changes when they brush lips one night. That was it then. She was in love.

I also liked how we got to see Adam’s side to what he was reading after every entry. You could feel his emotions once he read them, see the guilt, the pain, the anguish of how he was making Ellie feel, even if he didn’t know it. My heart really did go out to him because of it because he spent years being in love with her too, but didn’t do anything. You do seem him man-up though, as we also see in On Dublin Street, but we see exactly what happens in the bedroom.

I have to say, I sat in a quiet area of the library, only one person hidden behind the book cases. I had my Ipod in and normally when I read, the music doesn’t go in until I really listen to it and during some pivotal points in the book, two songs came on that just described those scenes brilliantly. So brilliantly that I wanted to burst into tears there and then, but I had to hold my tears back.

The first song is: Kelly Clarkson – My Life Would Suck Without you.
Not evening joking, this came on when it was Ellie’s illness scene. I am not going to spoil what happens but it kicks someone’s butt into gear. I sat listening to the lyrics, reading the words on my kindle, wanting to sob my little heart out. It truly was a fitting song to what was happening and what had happened previously.

And the next song was The Fray – Look After You.
This came on during the last diary entry where they talk about their future and then into the present, where it ends their journey to where they are at now. I am in love with this song so much, and it fits Ellie and Adam’s love perfectly. It fitted those scenes perfectly and it made my heart ache in a good way over the lyrics and reading what the two of them were talking about. I would highly recommend listening to this song during the last entry.

I command Samantha Young for this amazing novella. I am so happy to have read about Ellie and Adam’s history, to understand their relationship more, to how it all started to where they are at now. For those who haven’t had the chance to receive this freebie by pre-ordering Down London Road, you are missing out. But you won’t be missing out for long, as you will be able to buy this novella in June.

If you loved On Dublin Street, then you really need to read this. You will love Ellie and Adam even more than you probably do. (Then when Down London Road is out – which is amazing btw – you will see even more of these two!)

New Adult

If You Stay (Beautifully Broken #1) – Courtney Cole

Posted on February 17, 2013February 17, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

24-year old Pax Tate is an asshole.
Seriously.

He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match.

But he’s got his reasons.

His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count.

As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade.
So he slipped far, far from it.

Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right?
Wrong.

And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila.
Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.

When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one…the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness.

But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it.

He knows that. And he’s working on it.

But is that enough to make her stay?

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

My Review

Pax is a 24 year old ‘fuck-up’. He’s a bad boy with a bad attitude to match but he’s got his reasons for acting like an asshole all the time.

When he was seven, his mother died, and it’s left Pax with a hole in his heart and guilt that he doesn’t know where it has come from. Due to his mother’s death, his dad uprooted them away from his childhood home and as the years have gone on, he and his dad have many issues that they just haven’t sorted out and since trying to be the perfect son and getting nothing back from his dad, Pax slipped, slipped so far that he began to use drugs, alcohol and girls to deal with his past.

But there is still an emptiness that fills his heart, no matter how hard to tries to pretend it’s not there.

Then he meets Mila and shes like this breath of fresh air. She softens his heart. He knows deep down the line he’s going to hurt her, but he’s going to try his damn hardest not to because he needs her.

But when the memories of his mother’s death resurface, Mila is there for him when the guilt becomes too much, but he’s retreated back into his asshole state, as it’s the only way he knows how to survive. Will Mila stay around or will it be too much for her to cope?

HOLY MOLY! I freaking loved If You Stay and I was so glad that I downloaded it. I had seen the hype around this book on Twitter and knew I had to get my hands on it. I love the whole bad boy/good girl love affair and I was totally indulged in the story right from the beginning. It was totally a bold move to open the book that way, but by hell it caught my attention (I read it on the train, my eyes were wide open and I was hoping no one was watching me) and from then on, I was hooked right until the very end.

If You Stay has so much packed into the plot that it’s hard not to feel for the story and all the characters involved. It’s not a story I have ever read before and I salute Courtney Cole for it. It’s got a raw feeling to it, with how both Mila and Pax go on about their lives before they meet. Pax is rough around the edges, whereas Mila sees everything in the world through her artist mind, seeing colours and beauty where there is none. I think that is why these two were so perfect for one another. They blended both of their different colours together and created a new one, just for them.

I loved Pax. He was fucked-up yes, but at the start, with how he handled life – well it was the only way he knew how. How to get through his day. His void was alcohol and drugs and when his life was in danger, it took that moment to make him see just how close he was to death and how he needed to do something because next time he really could be dead. And that’s how Mila fits in. When he was with Mila, it was like he had a new lease of life. He didn’t want to be the old him; he wanted to change for the better, for himself and to prove he’s not a fuck-up like everyone thinks of him. Mila was his ray of sunshine. The one person he could rely on and make him feels things he hadn’t for a long time.

Mila was a great character. She worked hard, she ran a successful business, she helped out at her parent’s restaurant and she really did see the best in everyone but she was closed off. She didn’t want her heart to be broken like it was when her parents died. But then there was something about Pax that she never really felt with any other guy. Mila wants to take that risk with Pax, even though she’s on guard with her heart, but Pax tries so hard for her and you can really see how easy it is for them both for fall for each other.

I really enjoyed the dual narratives. They really divulged into their fears, their feelings and their emotions; not just about themselves but about each other too. It was great to read their progress during their relationship from both Pax and Mila and of course, how deep they both fell for each other, through their struggles and the drama that surrounded them.

I loved their story, their journey to becoming the people they ended up being together. Mila helps Pax with his childhood memories that have enclosed and forgotten for years and even though their relationship struggled as Pax was hurting and didn’t know how to handle it, Mila never gave up on him, wanting to help him through the pain.

There are so many scenes that I absolutely loved reading about, but the one that had me giggling and really wanting to do is the naked painting. You could feel the emotions pouring off the characters and through the kindle over this scene and it was hot as hell.

So readers, if you like bad boys with a past, good girls who fall for said bad boy, a road to recovery, deep, dark secrets of the past and of course, scenes of a sexual nature then download your copy now and get reading If You Stay. I guarantee you will fall in love with this book too!

Automaton – Cheryl Davies

Posted on January 4, 2013August 16, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

In the not too distant future, after the huge successes of role playing games and virtual worlds such as The Sims, Second Life, and reality shows such as Big Brother, it was only a matter of time before somebody took the next step. A remote island. An android population existing only to entertain. Their lives broadcast around the clock and around the globe. Their actions dictated by their owners. It’s the world’s biggest game played by thousands. Welcome to Gameworld. Dean 3012 is a good guy living on the Island. He loves his girlfriend, Lily, and with their first baby on the way, life is perfect. But when things take a sinister turn, the couple is plunged into a world of darkness and despair. Dean must take control and fight for all their lives.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

My Review

Automation is about a virtual world called Gameworld. It takes place on a remote island, where an android population exists to entertain. Their lives are broadcast 24/7 around the world and their actions are dictated by their owners. It’s highly expensive to buy a character, yet thousands of people are playing it. It is the biggest game in the world and everyone is watching.

The book concentrates on the island and the ‘real world’ where you get to meet the owners, the characters and the maker of the game. Dean and Lily are two characters who are together. They are in love and are expecting a baby together. They truly are a great couple, but Dean’s owner, whose own life is depressing him, has other plans for Dean, which doesn’t bode well with Amelia, who is Lily’s owner. Nope, not at all.

I really did like Amelia – the human gamer- at the beginning. She had grown up with her Character Lily from a young age and she simply loved her, thinking of her more as a best friend or sister, than a character. But then she become obsessed and in my opinion, a little bit psycho over Lily and her boyfriend, Dean, and what the gamer of Dean’s character was doing to the couple and to Lily’s feelings. She hates to witness Dean’s actions on her screen and feels anger towards Dean’s owner, wondering why he would try to destroy the couple.

Dean’s owner, Luke is a lawyer, currently trying to get a murderer off his charge. The only thing that he looks forward to is Gameworld when he comes home from work. But because his life is depressing, he feels that Dean should be a bit naughty in the game. Amelia doesn’t like this one bit and tracks down Luke. You really have to read the book to find out what happens between these two, but my god, it is clear to see how out of touch the owners become and how involved they are with the game they would do anything to see their characters happy. They literally immerse their own lives into the game. Which is completely unhealthy on so many levels.

Throughout the book, I actually felt that Lily and Dean were more than characters. It was easy to forget they were entertainment and a game and easy to believe they were human and not in a show such as The Truman show with all the mics and cameras in the game. They lived a normal life, apart from when their owners intruded and made them do things, but other than that, they literally had no idea they were a game. They actually though that was how they were meant to be living; with all these rules and regulations and ‘evil demons’ making them feel and do things they knew was wrong, yet they couldn’t be stopped.

I really felt for Dean and Lily. I just wanted everyone to stop meddling in their relationship. It certainly got to a point, near the end, where the heartbreak Dean felt was awful to read. What Amelia did was so horrible and then what Dean did…Dear god, you can see how easy it would to become too involved in a game such as this one. It really is terrifying to think that this game or one like it could happen in the future and how captivated we, as a nation, could become to it.

This book really does highlight the obsessions of online gaming with virtual worlds and it did remind me of games such as The Sims and Second Life. Amelia’s obsession with the game is something that can be seen around the world with many gamers in today’s society. With people spending hours a day confined to their computers or games consoles, playing all the new games and making new ‘worlds’ where they can control the characters to do whatever they want.

Cheryl Davies’ writing style flowed with ease. I was drawn in on every single page, desperate to know what was going to happen to each character, both real and in android form. The story is well written and captivated me. I started reading today and finished it a couple of hours ago. When I read a book that completely draws me in, I have this urge to finish it so I know how it ends. It becomes too hard to put the book down and when I spent 4 hours in work today, all I could think about was reading this book and continuing the story. There really are twists in this story that will have you shocked and the one that really did shock me was near the end with Dean and Lily. I’m not going to say what happens as I don’t want to spoil it, but you really need to read this book. Much like the Awaken series by Katie Kacvinsky, this scenario could very well happen someday in the future.

I definitely recommend this book. It will really get you thinking.