Sweet (Contours of the Heart #3) by Tammara Webber

* * * * *

He’s the love of her life, but he doesn’t know it. 

She’s his one moment of sacrifice in a lifetime of survival.

He was damaged and wild, but resilient.

She’s always been obedient. Now she’s restless.

Home for the summer between college and med school, Pearl Torres Frank knows two things: Boyce Wynn is the embodiment of everything she should run from, and everything she wants to run to. Rebellious and loud. Unconcerned with society’s opinion of him. 

Passionate. Strong. Dangerous.

And one more trait he hides from everyone but her: Sweet.

If you’ve read Breakable, Landon/Lucas’ story, then you’ll be familiar with Boyce, his best friend from high school. Boyce is now 22 and not quite the knucklehead he was back then. He’s straightened up and successfully running his father’s garage. It’s the one thing that he’s been good at – cars. And now that his abusive father is bygones, the garage is his to do with as he pleases.  Pearl, has graduated from college and is supposed to be going off to med school except that’s no longer what she wants. Med school has always been her mother’s dream and by extension, it became hers. But now that she’s faced with that next step, she realizes that the medical profession is not where she’ll find her happiness. When she told her ex-college boyfriend what she planned to do, he reacted badly and she kicked him to the curb. Good riddance. Now she just has to break the news to her parents that she'd rather pursue a degree in marine biology instead. This should make for a fabulous homecoming!

Boyce and Pearl have known each other for many years – since they were five and seven years old. Their individual memories of how they met and the many milestones in their lives are precious. I became more enamored with them with each recounting of a particular event. Despite Boyce’s exterior appearance of being a moron at that time, he was extremely fond of and protective of Pearl, even if they weren’t dating.  Below the surface they had a connection, an understanding of each other that no one else got, not even their best friends Landon/Lucas and Melody. Their connection was something that they kept private, as if revealing it would ruin its mystique.

Now in the present, their hold on each other hasn’t waned. Trying to figure out how they fit together while also dealing with some drastic personal changes is the challenge in front of them. For Boyce, he’s suddenly reunited with his mom who desserted him and his older brother years ago. Her return doesn’t signal good things for him or his future at the garage.  Pearl is hurt when her mother refuses to accept her decision to switch her career path and has no choice but to move out when she reneges all financial support. She moves in with Boyce as a temporary solution. Perhaps they needed to be thrown together like this in order to finally confront whatever they are. All that tension boiling over ... oh dear readers, there’s plenty of good stuff here!

I didn't want to put the book down. I'm always in awe when an author is able to develop a series further with characters who have such distinct personalities. I also admire when events are connected so seemlessy from one book to another even if they appear to be insignificant moments. In reading Sweet, I felt I was in familiar territory again. And I won't deny loving every time Landon/Lucas was mentioned or was part of the scene. (I may have a bit of a crush on a fictional character.) 

My crush aside, I was so impressed with Boyce and Pearl because they have such good hearts. Boyce has been through hell growing up the way he did and enduring the losses that he has. He has kept his hot-headedness in check to become the type of man his father never was. When faced with the loss of her parents’ support, Pearl isn’t deterred nor does she put up with negative people in her life. The way these two pine for each other is almost too much. There's no doubting the adoration Boyce has for Pearl and that he'll do anything for her. And she feels the same for him. The fact that they've been friends forever and know each other so intimately makes their connection that much more passionate.

Sweet is a wonderful continuation in this series. As with Easy and Breakable, it has some serious and unsavory elements but it's inspiring to read how Boyce and Pearl overcome those. And if you're a fan of friends-to-lovers stories, you most definitely should add this to your reading list as this will certainly melt your heart and make you swoon. I spent two happy days with my nose in this book and I'm looking forward to rereading it again soon!

~ Bel

Bel's Top 10 of 2014

Oh boy! I always have a tough time with narrowing down which ones to include. I realized in putting my Top 10 together that the books on this list are ones that my mind always travels back to. I figure if these books come to my mind as often as they do, then they must be it, right?

Winger by Andrew Smith

When I first picked up this book, I never suspected that it would affect me as much as it did. It wrenched my heart and the aftermath left me gutted for days. I’d do it all over again.

Play by Kylie Scott

One word: Mal. The second in the Stage Dive series delivered the funniest, hottest, most ridiculous scenarios. Mal's character made me laugh hard. He is the class clown who happens to be a freaking hot drummer, mischievous to the core and one of my top 5 fictional boyfriends. 

This Is Falling (Falling #2) by Ginger Scott

What a delightfully gradual fall! I fell head over heels for this one about a girl suffering from PTSD and the sensitive co-ed who befriends her. I'll repeat what I said in my review in that I wish I could experience this book for the first time over and over.

Breakable by Tammara Webber

I so loved Easy which is an all-time favourite and an obvious go-to choice for me. This sequel, Webber's solid writing shows us events told from Lucas’ POV, revisits his painful past and how he came to be the man he is today.

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

It was a difficult choice between this and Jordan's other NA title, Wild, which I loved also. I eventually went with this because its dark, gritty premise explored many thought-provoking questions about who has the potential for violence, if it can be accurately predicted and how to stave off that threat. Do potential offenders deserve humane treatment? And what if you could fight it?

The Geography of Me and You by Jennifer E. Smith

This was the ultimate in sweetness. Two strangers trapped in an elevator during a blackout in NYC. Their connection spans several states and even continents. And my favourite part about this book? The many lovely quotes to choose from.

Sway by Kat Spears

This one surprised me big time. The premise had me thinking it would be pretty funny, and it was. But it was also uncomfortable and wrong in places due to the main character's lack of a social filter. What caught me off guard was how much I ended up liking the at times loathsome, sarcastic and opportunistic protagonist.

The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski

This follow-up to The Edge of Never was so wonderful. The title alone eludes to hope. Camryn and Andrew create their own happiness and adventure, making it hard not to love them for it! 

How To Get Ainsley Bishop To Fall In Love With You by T.M. Franklin

So much awesome here! I have a special fondness for this one as I’ll always remember laughing out loud, reading it on the beach in the Bahamas. It’s smart, funny and witty. Honestly, you’ll fall in love with Oliver because he's the “forever boy”.

The Tyrant’s Daughter by J.C. Carleson

This is a very gripping story about a girl who’s transplanted to America from her war torn country that was once ruled by her dictator-father. Through her eyes, the reader gets to see life from a different cultural perspective. It’s an eye-opening and consuming read.

 


Okay, in some circles this may considered as "cheating" but I would be remiss if I didn't include some honorable mentions. Please forgive me but I just had to throw some more love out there...

Undone by Cat Clarke
A young girl dealing with her best friend's suicide seeks revenge on the popular group of high school kids she blames for his death. You'd think it would be all serious but it's sometimes charming tone and surprisingly funny moments help to offset the somber mood. The ending leaves plenty of room for interpretation.

 

The Summer I Wasn't Me by Jessica Verdi
You've read books about people coming to terms with being gay. In this, the main character has already accepted that fact but feels she must "fix" herself in order to help her mother heal emotionally from her father's death.

The Hook Up (Game On #1) by Kristen Callihan
Ms. Callihan doesn't know this but she almost owed me a brand new tablet because holy cow, this book is freaking hot!!

Beneath The Stain by Amy Lane
Two words: Amy Lane. She describes love in all its extremes so perfectly that it's hard not to be affected. Imagine if she did greeting cards! 










All right then. I've shown you mine, now let's see yours!  

~ Bel

That's What HE Said Thursday #2

That's What He Said is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies at Chapter Break, where we spotlight a quote from our book crush to the object of his desire. We like to pretend it's us.

What better way to celebrate our book boyfriends?


Bel has this week's pick and it's from Breakable by Tammara Webber. Yes, Bel has a certain fondness for tattooed guys. The lipring is a bonus.

Share your book boyfriend's quote with us! 

Breakable (Contours of the Heart #2) by Tammara Webber

* * * * *

 

He was lost and alone. Then he found her.  

And the future seemed more fragile than ever.

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

Easy was so phenomenal that if you were like me wondering how it could possibly get any better, it does! Webber imbues a special kind of magic in telling Lucas' story by creatively showing us two aspects of his life: as Landon, a young teenager on the verge of becoming a full-on juvenile delinquent and then the disciplined, hardworking Lucas we're familiar with. Each chapter starts with Landon whose particular storyline parallels what Lucas is going through. The differences are apparent.

BiblioJunkie Nat (who I begged to hurry up and read this) and I discussed the many elements of this book that make it outstanding. For one, she employs the subtle use of language to draw the contrast between the younger Landon and older Lucas. Nat pointed out for example where Landon, as a typical teenage boy would refer to his make out partner’s anatomy as “tits” while Lucas’ would refer to Jacqueline’s “breasts”. To quote Nat, “it’s a tiny change that shows a certain level of growth”. Seeing this growth is what makes Lucas all the more endearing.

What is a revelation to me is his anger which turns out to be one constant throughout his life so far. His potential for violence is only hinted at in Easy in specific instances where he rescues Jacqueline the first time and comes to her aid the second time. I thought it was just a reaction to the events or a rush of adrenaline. But young Landon is a lost, miserable mess with issues at school, involved with drugs and beats up on people. It’s heart-wrenching that he and his dad are both going through so much pain but so disconnected from each other. They're both in denial while Landon carries the weight of responsibility for what happened to his family. He's so detached and numb that his moments of violence are cathartic releases for him. When it happens one final time, he's forced to make changes and that shift comes about in a bizarre, unexpected way. Years later, he's hyper aware that he needs to keep himself in check which explains why he's so disciplined and focused as an adult.

Third, the older Lucas may come off as smooth but he's so inwardly awkward around Jacqueline that it’s freaking hilarious! Thank goodness because we need that to balance some of the heavy emotional stuff. His crush on Jacqueline has him doing things that are out of character. Remember that hot bar scene where he asked her to dance? His thoughts leading up to that are hysterical. I actually read that bar scene side by side with the one from Easy. On it's own it's hot. But reading both together will have you fanning yourself! And it’s all the little things he notices about Jacqueline from her scent to her subconscious mannerisms that will have all the girls in a tizzy. No doubt, Jacqueline wasn't even aware of this about herself which makes it all the more romantic that Lucas keyed into them. 

This brings me to the fourth thing to love about Breakable: it's not a rehashing of events but also a movement forward.  Easy implies a sense of closure and healing. Breakable show us how he gets there including reparation of his relationships. The moments that are retold like when he approaches Jacqueline in class for her phone number and she responds by asking him if he needs help with his homework, become funnier the second time around because we know what's going on now. 

At some point, I considered if Breakable could be read as a stand alone. After rereading it again (are you surprised?), I've concluded that the answer for me at least, is a no. Without knowing the events in Easy through Jacqueline's experience, Lucas' angle won't have quite the same emotional intensity. Not only are we learning about Lucas' past but we're also privy to his internal struggle. It's not just this dual identity thing he has going with Jacqueline that has him so guilt-ridden and worried. Deep down, this awesome guy is still a grieving little boy who hasn't managed to fully process all that he's been through.   

I've also concluded that there must be something embedded in the font because Breakable, just like Easy, begs for multiple readings. Oh and hold yourself together for that special surprise he has for Jacqueline at the end. Let's just say that things come full circle ;-)

~ Bel

Waiting on Wednesday (97)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.



By Tammara Webber
Publication Date: May 6, 2014

He was lost and alone. Then he found her.
And the future seemed more fragile than ever.

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.





By Amy Plum
Publication Date: May 6, 2014

She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future.

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.