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

That's What HE Said Thursday #29

Image courtesy of Kei at The Lovely Pages Review

That's What HE Said is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful ladies at Chapter Break. It's a chance for us to spotlight and gush over a quote from our current book crush to the object of his desire. We like to pretend it's us ;)

What better way to celebrate our book boyfriends?

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

My pick this week is from Sweet by Tammara Webber. There are so many excellent quotes to choose from but this one is by far my favourite because it encompasses what Boyce and Pearl's relationship has been about from the beginning -- protecting and looking out for each other. Not that they can't take care of themselves. It's just that sometimes your friends can see things a bit more clearly and they're there for you no matter what. Here they're discussing why Boyce isn't fond of Pearl's controlling ex.

If you haven't read Sweet yet, you should! I'll have a review coming soon.  ~ Bel

"I may be jealous, but jealousy isn't why I don't trust him, " I said, and she turned her face to mine. I wanted to fall into the deep wells of her eyes. "I protect you, Pearl. It' s just what I do."

~ Boyce to Pearl

Sweet (Contours of the Heart #3) by

Tammara Webber

   

     

   

  

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.

Here Without You (Between the Lines #4) by Tammara Webber

* * * *

Everyone has secrets.

Some are buried so deep, their existence is forgotten.

But a secret never told can turn into a lie.

And in love, a lie is one thing:

Poison.

Reid's in love with Dori, though she hasn't told her parents that she's fallen hard for the guy they'd forbidden her to see. Now she's leaving for college, and Reid's promise not to push her to go public is wearing thin, especially when she can't - or won't - return those three important words he wants to hear.

Five years ago, Brooke and Reid were a Thing. That relationship is long gone, detonated amid allegations of cheating - but they still share a secret that would stun everyone they know and alter public perception of them both if it ever comes out. And it's about to do just that.

Here Without You is the fourth, final installment in the Between the Lines series, which includes: Between the Lines, Where You Are, and Good ForYou.

Review:

Spoiler Alert: The books in this series are so entwined that it’s impossible to review them without spoilers.  

This story belongs to four people – Reid, Dori, Brooke and River.  

Dori is struggling to make a new place in the world.  Her faith is lost and she doesn’t know how to live without it.  Her once strong relationship with her parents is on edge.  And now that Reid has convinced her to make their relationship public she is not sure she can handle the spotlight.  Add to all of that the fact that Reid and his ex-girlfriend, Brooke, have been photographed together recently and Dori is drowning in all her new and old insecurities.

When Brooke asked a private investigator to search and check up on the son she gave up for adoption she never expected to learn that he is now in foster care.  She sees an opportunity that someone in her position rarely, if ever, has.  She starts taking the steps to gain custody of the child she gave up for adoption four years ago.  She never expected the process to be so invasive or so difficult.  But she is determined to give her son a new life and in turn maybe give herself one too. 

When Reid told Brooke he wanted to be kept in the loop in regards to their son he never in a million years thought that would end up in Brooke trying to gain custody.  He’s not ready to be a parent.  Brooke is more than willing to let him relinquish any rights to his child but he’s not sure if that’s the right decision to make.   On top of that, this is the one thing he hasn’t shared with Dori.  Because he is afraid of what she will think of him when she finds out.  Afraid that Dori will realize how similar this thing he is keeping from her is to her situation when she was fifteen.  And because he has kept this one truth from her and he knows that his lie of omission is still a lie, he’s terrified of how Dori will react.  Reid has to take a hard look at his options and make the difficult decisions he never expected to make at the age of nineteen.  

River, Reid and Brooke’s son, also has a voice in this story.  His quiet and frightened voice gives the reader a chance to see how maybe, if they can come together, River, Reid and Brooke can help each other become better people.

If you’ve read this series, you know what a terrible person Brooke is.  But yet again, Tammara Webber has taken a character that I found despicable and has completely humanized her.  As she works through her desire and fears of becoming a mother you can’t help but love her just a little.  

Unlike Brooke, Dori is not facing her fears head on. She is so overwhelmed that her instinct is to run.  And this segues into the number one reason I love Reid.  He is so confidently tenacious.  He sees Dori drifting and even with this other huge thing hanging in the balance he fights for her without hesitation.  

This was a beautiful end to the Between the Lines series.  Even though the first installment was a little rocky for me, this has easily become one of my favorite contemporary series of all time.

Nat

Waiting on Wednesday (70)

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:  August 6, 2013

Everyone has secrets.
Some are buried so deep, their existence is forgotten.
But a secret never told can turn into a lie.
And in love, a lie is one thing:
Poison.

Reid's in love with Dori, though she hasn't told her parents that she's fallen hard for the guy they'd forbidden her to see. Now she's leaving for college, and Reid's promise not to push her to go public is wearing thin, especially when she can't - or won't - return those three important words he wants to hear.

Five years ago, Brooke and Reid were a Thing. That relationship is long gone, detonated amid allegations of cheating - but they still share a secret that would stun everyone they know and alter public perception of them both if it ever comes out. And it's about to do just that.

Here Without You is the fourth, final installment in the Between the Lines series, which includes: Between the Lines, Where You Are, and Good For You.

Good For You (Between the Lines #3) by Tammara Webber

* * * *

SPOILER ALERT!!!  Due to the nature of this trilogy, it is impossible to review this book (or even read the synopsis) without giving away the ending to the previous book.  So stop now if you haven’t read Between the Lines and/or Where You Are and don’t want to know how it ends.

Reid Alexander's life is an open book. His Hollywood celebrity means that everything he does plays out in the public eye. Every relationship, every error in judgment is analyzed by strangers. His latest mistake totaled his car, destroyed a house and landed him in the hospital. Now his PR team is working overtime to salvage his image. One thing is clear—this is one predicament he won’t escape without paying for it.

Dori Cantrell is a genuine humanitarian—the outward opposite of everything Reid is about. When his DUI plea bargain lands him under her community service supervision, she proves unimpressed with his status and indifferent to his proximity, and he soon wants nothing more than to knock her off of her pedestal and prove she's human.

Counting the days until his month of service is over, Dori struggles to ignore his wicked magnetic pull while shocking him with her ability to see past his celebrity and challenging him to see his own wasted potential. But Dori has secrets of her own, safely locked away until one night turns her entire world upside down. Suddenly their only hope for connection and redemption hinges on one choice: whether or not to have faith in each other. (GoodReads)


Review:

Remember how I wanted Reid to take a long walk off a short pier?  And then at the end of Where You Are I thought there might be a slight bit of hope for him after all?  Well, Good For You (Between the Lines #3), was Tammara Webber’s chance to make me like Reid Alexander.  Maybe even love him.

Reid is quickly falling into a life of regular binge drinking and blackouts.  When one of those blackouts results in him driving his car into a house, his life can’t possibly get any lower.  One of the terms of his plea bargain is that he must help rebuild the home that he destroyed.

Dori is unimpressed with his forced community service and expects the minimum from him.  What she learns is that for all his publicized carelessness, Reid is a hard worker and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.  A friendship slowly develops between these two but quickly ends once Dori shows no interest in continuing their friendship after Reid’s community service is done.  Then something terrible happens in Dori’s life and somehow Reid Alexander is the one person she can turn to with all her doubts and fears.  Their friendship starts off where it left off and slowly develops into more.

All I have to say is this.  Congratulations Tammara Webber.  You managed to make me accept and love a character that I have up until now despised.  I mean, I can’t tell you how much I disliked Reid Alexander in the last two books.  And even though he showed some hope at the end of the last book, it wasn’t enough to make me like him.  But in the end?  Well, I almost loved him.

Ms. Webber managed to set a perfect pace for this story.  Nothing happens quickly but at the same time I couldn’t stop turning the pages.  Dori’s character is rather uptight and pretentious but I couldn’t help liking her anyway.  Part of that might be because of how quickly she deduced Reid’s jerk-like qualities.  And then there was Reid.  He was every bit the ass that he was in the previous two books.  But the author took that fragility that only the reader caught glimpses of and made it slowly blossom through out the book so that, by the end, we had a hero that had believably redeemed himself.

This was indeed my favorite book in the series.  I would recommend the whole series for this story alone. If you like a page turning teen romance, I can’t recommend this one enough.

Nat

Where You Are (Between the Lines #2) by Tammara Webber

* * * 1/2

 SPOILER ALERT!!!  Due to the nature of this trilogy, it is impossible to review this book (or even read the synopsis) without giving away the ending to the previous book.  So stop now if you haven’t read Between the Lines and don’t want to know how it ends. 

Graham Douglas doesn’t do romantic relationships, but he was knocked for a loop when he met Emma Pierce on the set of his last film. As they grew closer, he did everything in his power to keep from falling for a girl being pursued by superstar Reid Alexander. Now home in New York, his life is once again under control, until Emma appears and shows him how not over her he is.

Emma Pierce is forsaking an up-and-coming Hollywood career to embark on a life she’s only dreamed of—the life of a regular girl. After spending months burying her feelings for the two night-and-day guys who vied for her heart while filming her last movie, a twist of fate puts her in a coffee shop in the middle of Manhattan with the one she still misses.

Brooke Cameron was a fresh-faced Texas girl when she arrived in LA. Now she’s a beach sitcom star turned conceited heiress on the big screen. Having just survived three months on location with her ex—Hollywood’s reigning golden boy—she’s older and wiser and has set her sights on her close friend Graham. The only thing standing in her way is the girl he can’t forget.

Reid Alexander can sum up his life in one word: boring. Between film projects, there’s little going on outside of interviews, photo shoots, and the premiere of the film he finished last fall. The next-to-last thing he expects is to get a second chance with Emma, the girl who rejected him. The last thing he expects is for his still-bitter-ex to be the one to offer it to him on a platter. (GoodReads)

Review:

Remember how I suggested that if you like the show Gossip Girl, you MIGHT like Between the Lines?  Well, if you like Gossip Girl, you will DEFINITELY like Where You Are.

Where You Are alternates between 4 different points of view – Emma, Graham, Reid and Brooke.  I think that might be the most POV’s I have ever read in a single book but it definitely works.  Emma and Graham are trying to make their very new relationship work while living on opposite coasts and dealing with publicists that want Emma to maintain the façade of a relationship with Reid during the publicity spree of their new movie.  Brooke, Graham’s long time friend (and Reid’s ex-girlfriend), has decided that Graham is THE guy she wants to spend forever with and will stop at nothing to make that happen.  She enlists the help of Reid to ruin the relationship between Graham and Emma and in turn send Graham running into Brooke’s arms.

I enjoyed this story much more than Between the Lines.  In Between the Lines I was unsure who I should be rooting for.  Should Emma be with Reid even though I couldn’t stand him?  Or would she end up with Graham even though he had no voice in the novel?  I had no such dilemma in Where You Are.  I knew from the start that I wanted Emma and Graham to stay together.  I also knew that I would be thrilled if both Brooke and Reid took a long walk off a short pier. 

I won’t tell you what happens.  All I can say is that are three books in this series (and possibly a fourth in the works).  What I WILL tell you is that the end left me with hope (just a little bit) that Reid Alexander just might grow into a decent human being.

Between the Lines wasn’t my favorite of stories but I am so glad I enjoyed it enough to move on the next book in the series because I definitely enjoyed Where You Are and would highly recommend it if you are looking for mature teen romance.

Nat

Between the Lines #1 by Tammara Webber

* * * 1/2 

When Hollywood It Boy, Reid Alexander, arrives on location to shoot his next movie, his goals are the same as always—film another blockbuster hit and enjoy his celebrity status to the fullest while doing so. His costar is a virtual unknown with whom he had blazing hot chemistry during her auditions. The universe is lining up nicely to grant whatever he wants, as usual, until he’s confronted with unexpected obstacles on location like a bitter ex-girlfriend and a rival for the first girl to spark his genuine interest in years.

Emma Pierce just got her big break after more than a decade of filming commercials for grape juice, department stores and tampons, and more recently, bit parts in made-for-TV movies. Nailing the lead role in a wide-release film sent her agent, father and stepmother into raptures, and should have done the same for her. The Problem? Emma is experiencing a building desire to be normal, and starring in a silly, modernized adaptation of one of her favorite novels—opposite the very hot Reid Alexander—isn’t going to advance that aspiration.

Graham Douglas doesn’t fear playing the part of a nerdy dimwit; when it comes to choosing film roles, if it pays, he’ll do it. Besides, his friend Brooke Cameron snatched up the role of the bitchy hot girl and could use his help as a buffer, because her ex is the star. Graham has no problem keeping a handle on the situation, until he finds himself attracted to Reid’s costar, Emma, the girl Reid is pursuing full-throttle with his standard arsenal of charm, good looks and arrogance. (GoodReads) 

 

After reading Easy, I was interested in reading Tammara Webber’s other books so I downloaded Between the Lines.  It took me a little bit to get into this story but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. 

Emma Pierce is hot and cold on her new project – the lead in a major motion picture.  Hot because she is playing opposite sexy movie star, Reid Alexander.  Cold because she is thinking about doing “normal” which a starring role in a major movie doesn’t really allow.  When she gets to the set she finds herself making lots of new friends as well catching the eye of one very randy teen heart throb. Very soon she becomes the focus of all the gossip sites and magazines and has decide to if dating a movie star is worth the absence of “normal”. 

I enjoyed the entire “cast” of this book.  I really loved Emma’s character.  She was one of those imperfect perfect characters.  In some ways she was very mature for her age and in other ways she was just a 17 year old trying to figure it all out.  Graham was nice but we don’t find out much about him until the end.  He seemed a bit too mysterious. It was hard figuring him out since nothing was ever told from his point of view.  And then there is Reid - a complete and utter jerk.  Since the story alternated between his and Emma’s POV, I kept hoping something would happen to make me like him.  But my hopes were dashed.  He ignores the small twinges of conscience he does have in favor of following the amazingly self centered path he has always walked.   The supporting characters were all instrumental in furthering the story or putting focus on certain attributes of Emma, Reid and Graham. 

I wish I could say more about this but I am finding it difficult to say anything more without giving it all away.  What I can say is that I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something with a bit of a Gossip Girl feel. 

 

Nat

Bel's Top 10 Of 2012 In No Particular Order

Another year has flown by and with kids, work, what feels like a zillion activities every week, I can't even believe how many books I've managed to get in. I'll admit that I did have a hard time putting this list together. A few were no-brainers but others had to fight it out. So below, in no particular order, are my favorites reads of 2012.

 

Okay I lied. This is at the top of the list. What can I say? This book is pure heart through and through. I thought I was going to be reading a simple story about a kid struggling with coming out of the closet. What I got was so much more. Amy Lane is a force of nature who took me on the most emotional ride ever. The highs were very high and lows made me sob incessantly and my heart wrench for the characters. It sounds like a torturous read but it isn't. Until Chase In Shadow I had never experienced emotions written so vibrantly and described in such beautiful, poetic prose that had me so invested in the characters.  Amy Lane, you have set the standard very, very high my dear. I love you for it.

  

You know how sometimes you have a sweet tooth? My Life Next Door is kind of like that when you have the need to read something saccharin that isn't overly dramatic with crazy stuff.  Every so often you just need a good read that leaves you happy. If you’re going to picture a spot for this on the bookshelf, it will be right next to another “feel good” book, Anna and the French Kiss.

 

This very disturbing story about an abusive relationship is laid out impressively by mixing up the chain of events. In doing so the reader is directed to focus on each situation rather than their own feelings about why she hadn't walked away from the imbecile yet.  I found myself empathizing with her and rooting for her when she finally woke up. Disturbing - yes. But also hopeful.

 

 

You have to love a formidable female character. Throne of Glass offers two along with busy plot line complete with political intrigue, the supernatural and plenty of action. Oh and did I mention that the girl kicks major ass? This was so much fun!

 

 

This is just one of those sweet surprises of the year. I admire how the author broaches the subject of sexual assault with sensitivity allowing the character to discover her own strength. And her knight in shining armor who insists that she become stronger is the forever guy you want to bring home with you. I still continue to gush over it.

 

This is my first David Levithan book and he absolutely blew me away. I’m still in awe as to how he managed to write an entire book featuring a genderless character in A. Despite that, or may be because of it, this book is the phenomenon it is. David Levithan is a genius and Every Day is a must read.

 

 

The story follows a new girl replacing a missing student at an elite boarding school where she encounters a less than warm welcome from some of her fellow students. This is excellent storytelling that pulled me so far in that I didn’t even realize it until the every end.

 

 

I think I've had my fill of dystopian for a while. Thank goodness this one didn't feel so much like it. The setting feels more soap opera-like featuring some very confounding characters. But that's the best part about this book - you don't know exactly where everyone stands. You just hope you're trusting the right person. (The full review will be posted Jan 3rd.)

I used to have an aversion to romance novels until Shel picked this one for me to try.  People, Jill Shalvis is THE queen of taking a simple every day situations and turning them into the most ridiculous moments ever. In this one, Dorie as the adorkable heroine had me laughing so hard sometimes I had to give myself time to recover before continuing on. If you ever need something to get you out of the doldrums, Jill Shalvis is your girl!

In A Discovery of Witches I found a very beguiling and suspenseful story rich in history and mythology. What I loved most about this is that even though Matthew Clairemont, the 1500 year-old vampire has many human moments, not once was I allowed to forget that he was a predator first and foremost. Knowing that only made this story more thrilling.







The ones that narrowly made the list:

Talk about dysfunctional! I have a love/hate relationship with certain elements of this story but I still ended up liking it. May be when I look at it as a whole rather than those individual parts I see and appreciate a complex dynamic involving two very stubborn people who somehow manage to get each other.

This entire series is so much fun, I had a blast with it. My favorite aspect is that while Mo may have been neck deep in chaos, she always came through because of her quick thinking and resourcefulness.






So there's my list. I wish I could name more since this is just a small representation of the many excellent books and authors I've read this year. Here's to a Happy New Year and Happy Reading in 2013!

~ Bel

 



 

Easy by Tammara Webber

* * * * *

Rescued by a stranger.

Haunted by a secret.

Sometimes, love isn’t easy…

He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.

I cannot express enough how hard I have fallen for this book, so much so that I couldn't bear to tear myself away from it at any time.  And while I have the eBook, I need to own a hard copy because there are some pages I just want to read over and over again.

Easy starts off with Jacqueline a bit lost after being dumped by her boyfriend she’s known since high school.  Realizing how much her social circle depended on him and that she gave up a part of herself to be with him when she followed him to college, she's just a bit bitter, confused and depressed. Who wouldn't be? Two weeks after the break up, as she's leaving a frat party, she is assaulted by a mutual friend. Thankfully, someone comes along and saves her before things go too far. Turns out her rescuer is Lucas who so happens to be in one of the classes she's been avoiding for the past two weeks since her breakup.

Encouraged by her friends to think of Lucas as the perfect rebound material, Jacqueline decides to pursue him. As she finds herself opening up to him, she gets curious about his past and the secrets he's keeping.

Here are the many things I loved about Easy:  I felt that the fallout from Jacqueline’s assault was natural. The fear and guilt she carried with her, her roommate's reaction when she finally told her and how Jacqueline was choosing to deal with it were all valid. Nothing felt out of step that I couldn’t believe in how things were moving along. Webber also set a lovely pace for Jacqueline’s and Lucas’ relationship to develop. They have this quiet, intense chemistry between them. Honestly, some of the passages are so steamy, I was blushing! It's impossible to not fall for Lucas. Even though there was a heavy undercurrent, somehow as these two people were falling in love, earning each other's trust and learning to deal with the traumatic events in their lives, they still managed to have hope.

Perhaps what’s most endearing about Easy is that as the hero, Lucas isn’t content with just being Jacqueline’s savior and protector. He’s determined that she learn to empower herself and face her fear head on. There’s something so sweet about how Lucas treats Jacqueline and how she responds to him. Just look at the cover that so perfectly embodies how he sees her. He never treats her as incompetent or incapable. It's a change of pace from the guy/hero treating the girl as simply inept at fully grasping the complexity of a given situation thereby giving her as little information as possible and getting annoyed with her because she doesn't get the big picture.

Kudos to Tammara Webber for creating this gorgeous piece of work that just effortlessly grabbed me and gave me warm fuzzies. When I finished it, my reaction was much like how I felt about last year's Saving June by Hannah Harrington.  Easy left a glowing smile on my face because out of something so nightmarish, something incredibly beautiful came along.

~ Bel 

A Peek in the Biblio-Bin (38)

Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the Biblio-Bin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This is what we have in our bin this week. Tell us what's in your Biblio-bin!

Easy by Tammara Webber
Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout