Undone by Cat Clarke

* * * * 1/2

Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it.

Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself.

Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down.

A searing story of love, revenge and betrayal from a bestselling author.

When I start to read a book like this, it’s usually with trepidation. There’s no way to know without reading through it how it’ll go, if by the end you’ll be shred to bits or filled with a glimmer of hope. I found out that Undone did both.

Undone begins in such a dark and grief-filled place with Jem so distraught and unable to bring herself to face life without her best friend, Kai. She relives their many moments as she’s holed up in her bedroom shutting off the world. She sees her best option is to off herself as there’s no point in going on without him. The day she decides to do it, she’s interrupted by Kai’s younger sister Louise, who was instructed by Kai himself to deliver a package to Jem. Within it are 12 letters, one for each month that Jem is directed to open on the 23^rd of every month.

As unlikely as it seems, this whole exchange between Jem and Louise is rather funny. It basically wakes her up from her long grief stricken stupor. Jem’s internal monologue drips with sarcasm and dry humor. First, she’s deciding between the pros and cons of a sandwich or ordering Chinese takeout as her last meal, then her disappointment with her suicide attempt being thwarted and Louise cutting into her valuable suicide time. It all caught me off guard and I loved it.

So Jem reenters the world and unexpectedly becomes part of the in crowd or as she calls it, Team Popular at school. It’s at this point that she hatches a plan to seek revenge for Kai’s death. Of course, it’s not quite that easy but in Jem fashion which would be snarkiness and social awkwardness, she makes some serious headway with plenty of goofy moments too. There are also the somber moments when she reads Kai’s letters, filled with unconditional love, affection and jokes that come with a lifetime of knowing someone so well, that may have you reaching for a tissue. But even his letters can’t deter her from The Plan, as screwy and misguided as it may be.

The story proceeds through the next few months and Jem makes progress in her own personal life but revenge is never far from her mind even as her relationships with certain members of Team Popular get complicated. It's ironic that during this entire time she's finally participating in life as opposed to watching on the sidelines like she used to do with Kai and it doesn't even register with her. No, she's still planning her impending death. By the end, things come to a serious head and Jem is faced with choosing between what she has wanted for the past year and the potential for a future that she has never allowed herself to contemplate.

Undone is written so well and there were a few moments where I was reminded of another of my favourite books, Saving June, also about the aftermath of a suicide.  Whereas the latter’s story is much more heavy, Clarke manages to relate Jem’s story with compassion and humor. Things do get serious toward the finish and I was absolutely stunned silent by the end. Whether or not Clarke intended to, my personal belief is that the end is open to interpretation which I appreciate because I am still going back and forth between what I think happened, what I feel the author wants me to think happened and what I hope happened.  

Read Undone. It's outstanding and well worth it!

~ Bel

Launch Day: Undone by Shannon Richard

We are super excited to be part of the Undone Launch Day Blitz! We first reviewed this delightful romance when it was published digitally.  We are super excited that it will now be available in PRINT!  Read on for an EXCERPT and then enter the GIVEAWAY to win a copy of Undone and a $25 gift certificate to Zappos.

About UNDONE:

Things Paige Morrison will never understand about Mirabelle, Florida:

• Why wearing red shoes makes a girl a harlot
• Why a shop would ever sell something called "buck urine"
• Why everywhere she goes, she runs into sexy-and infuriating-Brendan King

After losing her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend, Paige has no choice but to leave Philadelphia and move in with her retired parents. For an artsy outsider like Paige, finding her place in the tightly knit town isn't easy-until she meets Brendan, the hot mechanic who's interested in much more than Paige's car. In no time at all, Brendan helps Paige find a new job, new friends, and a happiness she wasn't sure she'd ever feel again. With Brendan by her side, Paige finally feels like she can call Mirabelle home. But when a new bombshell drops, will the couple survive, or will their love come undone?

Buy Links:
Amazon  Barnes and Noble  iTunes





About Shannon Richard:

Shannon Richard grew up in the Florida Panhandle as the baby sister of two overly protective but loving brothers. She was raised by a more than somewhat eccentric mother, a self-proclaimed vocabularist who showed her how to get lost in a book and a father who passed on his love for coffee and really loud music. She graduated from Florida State University with a BA in English Literature and still lives in Tallahassee where she battles everyday life with writing, reading, and a rant every once in a while. Okay, so the rants might happen on a regular basis. She's still waiting for her Southern, scruffy, Mr. Darcy, and in the meantime writes love stories to indulge her overactive imagination. Oh, and she's a pretty big fan of the whimsy.

Social Media:
Website   Twitter  Facebook



Undone Excerpt:

Paige was wrapped in just a towel as she searched for something to wear. She had exactly twenty minutes before Brendan was supposed to pick her up. There was a knock on her door as her hands closed over a pair of jeans. 

“Come in,” she called over her shoulder. 

The door opened and Paige turned, throwing her jeans onto her bed. 

“What time is he picking you up?” Denise asked as she stuck her head inside the doorway. 

Paige had a sudden flashback to high school when her mother would help her get ready before a date. She immediately thought of Brendan and Grace and how their mother had died when they were both so young. They’d missed out on so much, especially Grace. Paige couldn’t imagine not having all of those years with her mother and she felt intensely grateful for every single one of them. 

“At seven. You busy?” 

“No,” Denise said, shaking her head. 

“Will you sit and talk with me while I get ready?” Paige asked. 

“Yeah,” Denise said, her mouth breaking into a smile. She opened the door farther and walked into the room, a glass of wine in hand. She shut the door behind her and sat down on the edge of Paige’s bed, just like old times. “What are you going to wear?” she asked, grabbing a pillow and playing with the frilly lace edging. 

“Jeans,” Paige said, pointing to the pair on her bed. “I haven’t decided on a shirt though,” she said and turned back to her closet. 

“Shoes?” 

“My black wedges.” She knew they drove Brendan crazy, and that’s exactly what she planned to do tonight. She didn’t feel guilty about it at all either; he obviously had no problem doing it to her. Turnabout was just fair. 

“What about your red peasant top. The one that hangs off your shoulders and hugs your waist.” 

Paige grabbed the shirt and turned around, holding it up to show her mom. 

“Red on a first date?” 

“You look good in red,” Denise said. 

“You don’t think it’s too much?” 

Her mother gave the blouse a critical eye. “Just wear ugly underwear. If you wear stuff that you don’t want him to see, you’ll be less likely to sleep with him.” 

“Mom!” Paige said shocked. “I’m not going to sleep with him on the first date.” 

“I know. Just wear something to keep you grounded, and then you won’t slip.” 

“I have some self-control.” 

“Yes, well, I’ve seen that boy. Slipping would be completely justifiable considering the circumstances.” 

“What circumstances would those be?” Paige asked as she walked over to her dresser and opened her underwear drawer. 

“That gleam in his eyes,” Denise said. 

“What gleam?” Paige asked, turning to her mom. 

“The one he gets when he’s looking at you. It’s something that goes way beyond sex.” 

“Well, he is a nice young man,” Paige said mockingly. 

“Yes, he is.” Denise nodded, taking a sip of her wine.

She grabbed a fairly tame pair with yellow and white stripes. Stripes didn’t scream “I’m going to have sex tonight,” at least not like black or red lace would have. She could’ve sworn she’d read that stripes were unflattering on everyone. Or was that faux fur? 

She dug around in the drawer and found her strapless bra. She grabbed her clothes from the bed and went into the bathroom.

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Forever Young Blog Tour

Happy Tuesday everyone! It's an especially happy day because not only are we featuring four fantastic authors, you also have the chance to participate in another great giveaway thanks to our friends at Forever Romance! 

So grab a warm beverage and get cozy.  Enjoy and good luck!

~ Shel, Bel & Nat

MASQUERADE by Nyrae Dawn (January 7, 2014; Forever E-Book; 9781455576333; $3.99)

A biker. A tattoo artist. A love to last a lifetime.  

Maddox Cross has always had to be tough. When his father went to jail for murder, the teenager took care of his sister and mother. Now on his own and working security at a night club, Maddox wants to become a tattoo artist-a dream that comes closer to reality when he falls for the hottest, most tatted woman he's ever seen. She's wild and beautiful, and Maddox will do anything to be with her.

Bee Malone came to town to open up her new tattoo parlor, Masquerade. Since being kidnapped as a young girl, Bee has had trouble getting close to anyone. But when she meets Maddox, she sees that under his hard biker's body is the sensitive soul of an artist. What starts out as a sizzling one-night stand soon becomes so much more.

Bee wants Maddox to join her tattoo business, but letting him into her life means revealing all her most intimate secrets. And as the past begins to intertwine with her present, Bee fears their love may not be as permanent as their ink . . .

Bio:

Writing has always been Nyrae Dawn's passion. Nyrae gravitates toward character-driven stories. She loves going on emotional journeys with characters whether it be reading or writing. And yes, she's a total romantic at heart and proud.

Nyrae resides in sunny Southern California with her husband (who still makes her swoon) and her two awesome kids.

When she's not with her family, you can be pretty sure you'll find her with a book in her hand or her laptop and an open document in front of her. Nyrae also writes adult romance under the name Kelley Vitollo.

Visit Nyrae:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Where you can buy her book:

Amazon

B&N

Bookish

iTunes

THE DESTINY OF VIOLET & LUKE by Jessica Sorensen (January 7, 2014; Forever E-Book; 9781455576524; $2.99)

Luke Price's life has always been about order, control, and acting tough on the outside. For Luke, meaningless relationships are a distraction-a way to tune out the twisted memories of his childhood. He desperately wishes he could forget his past, but it haunts him no matter what he does.

Violet Hayes has had a rough life. When she was young, she was left with no family and the memory of her parents' unsolved murders. She grew up in foster homes, living with irresponsible parents, drugs, and neglect, and trying to fight the painful memories of the night her parents were taken from her. But it's hard to forget when she never got closure-and she can't stop dreaming about what happened that tragic night. To make it through life, she keeps her distance from everyone and never allows herself to feel anything.

Then Violet meets Luke. The two clash instantly, yet they can't seem to stay away from each other. Although they fight it, they both start to open up and feel things they've never felt before. They discover just how similar they are. But they also discover something else: The past always catches up with you . . .

Bio: The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessica Sorensen, lives with her husband and three kids. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

Visit Jessica:

Website

Facebook

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Where you can buy her book:

Amazon

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iTunes

SONG OF THE FIREFLIES by J.A. Redmerski (February 4, 2014; Forever E-Book; 9781455555048; $3.99)

THE TRUTH WILL SET THEM FREE  

Brayelle Bates has always been a force of nature. Even as a child, Bray's wild and carefree spirit intimidated everyone around her. The only person who's ever truly understood her is her best friend, Elias Kline. Though every fiber of her being wants to stay with Elias forever, Bray can't bear the thought of him discovering her agonizing history. She's done everything she can to keep him at arm's length, including moving away. But their undying bond was too strong a pull to deny, and Bray couldn't survive without him. Now she's back home with Elias, and things have never felt more right-until one night changes everything.

Elias vowed never to be separated from Bray again. So when she decides to flee in a desperate attempt to escape her fate, Elias knows he must go with her. As the two try to make the most of their circumstance, taking up with a reckless group of new friends, Elias soon realizes there's a darkness driving Bray he can't ignore. Now in order to save her, he'll have to convince Bray to accept the consequences of their reality-even if it means losing her.

Bio:

J.A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children, two cats and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC's The Walking Dead.

Visit J.A. Redmerski:

Website

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Where you can buy her book:

Amazon

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UNDONE by Shannon Richard (February 25, 2014; Forever Mass Market; 9781455544691; $6.00)

Things Paige Morrison will never understand about Mirabelle, Florida:  

Why wearing red shoes makes a girl a harlot

Why a shop would ever sell something called "buck urine"

Why everywhere she goes, she runs into sexy-and infuriating-Brendan King

After losing her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend, Paige has no choice but to leave Philadelphia and move in with her retired parents. For an artsy outsider like Paige, finding her place in the tightly knit town isn't easy-until she meets Brendan, the hot mechanic who's interested in much more than Paige's car. In no time at all, Brendan helps Paige find a new job, new friends, and a happiness she wasn't sure she'd ever feel again. With Brendan by her side, Paige finally feels like she can call Mirabelle home. But when a new bombshell drops, will the couple survive, or will their love come undone?

Bio:

Shannon Richard grew up in the Florida Panhandle as the baby sister of two overly protective but loving brothers. She was raised by a more than somewhat eccentric mother, a self-proclaimed vocabularist who showed her how to get lost in a book and a father who passed on his love for coffee and really loud music. She graduated from Florida State University with a BA in English Literature and still lives in Tallahassee where she battles everyday life with writing, reading, and a rant every once in a while. Okay, so the rants might happen on a regular basis. She's still waiting for her Southern, scruffy, Mr. Darcy, and in the meantime writes love stories to indulge her overactive imagination. Oh, and she's a pretty big fan of the whimsy.

Visit Shannon:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Where you can buy her book:

Amazon

B&N

Bookish

IndieBound

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Undone by Shannon Richard

* * *

Things Paige Morrison will never understand about Mirabelle, Florida:

Why wearing red shoes makes a girl a harlot
Why a shop would ever sell something called "buck urine"
Why everywhere she goes, she runs into sexy-and infuriating-Brendan King

After losing her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend, Paige has no choice but to leave Philadelphia and move in with her retired parents. For an artsy outsider like Paige, finding her place in the tightly knit town isn't easy-until she meets Brendan, the hot mechanic who's interested in much more than Paige's car. In no time at all, Brendan helps Paige find a new job, new friends, and a happiness she wasn't sure she'd ever feel again. With Brendan by her side, Paige finally feels like she can call Mirabelle home. But when a new bombshell drops, will the couple survive, or will their love come undone?




Review:

Paige Morrison moves back in with her parents after losing her job, apartment and boyfriend in the short span of two months.  And as if moving back in with your parents after being successfully independent isn’t bad enough, she is now stuck in a small Florida town that has quickly decided she is trouble and should just move away.  After yet another horrendous interview where the local business owner has no real intent on hiring her, Paige’s car breaks down on the side of the road.  There she is rescued by auto shop owner Brendan King.

Brendan King has been fascinated by the very tall and attractive Paige Morrison ever since she moved to town.  When he finally meets her he is even more amused by her carefree colorful style and her smart mouth.  Attraction and amusement quickly give way to more and now Brendan has to find a way to make sure she stays in a small town where half the population is nosy and mean.

There are only three words to describe this romance - cute, sweet and sexy.  Paige is wonderfully fun and sassy.  I was drawn to her right away.  Her sarcastic responses to some of the horrendously rude people of Mirabelle were so fantastic that I almost I have an opportunity to steal and use them one day.  And Brendan…yum.  His laid back attitude was quite attractive.  And the fact that he jumped in head first once he realized how much he loved Paige?  Wow.  He didn’t even look back.  He knew what he wanted and he went after it with such confidence and carefulness that I may have swooned a little bit.

This is a fun and sometimes moving story about two people navigating the many different stages of a relationship.  If you love romance and are looking for a sweet and fun read, Undone is for you.

Nat

Undone: The Cast - A Guest Post by Shannon Richard

Today we welcome author Shannon Richard to the blog.  Being the movie lovers that we are, we are excited that Shannon is sharing her ideal cast if her brand new novel, Undone*, were made into a movie.  Keep reading for some truly fun and sexy casting that we support 110%.

*Undone is a Forever Yours Digital Original and releases today, July 2, 2013.  

Who I would cast in the Undone movie and why

Brendan King – Chris Evans
Why? Do I really need a why? That man is without a doubt one of the most beautiful men I have ever seen. His muscles might’ve influenced me…a lot. He has some very impressive muscles. And he can do that cocky little grin thing that Brendan does so well. I’m also a fan of facial hair and Chris Evans with five o’clock shadow is perfection.

Paige Morrison – Camilla Luddington 
I’m a huge Grey’s Anatomy fan and this past season there was a new character in the line-up. It took a little time for intern Dr. Jo Wilson to grow on me, but her relationship with Alex Karev has been very interesting to watch this season. I think she’d be a good Paige, though she is a little short for the role.

Grace King – Aimee Teegarden or Carey Mulligan
So I might’ve had a small obsession with Friday Night Lights this past fall. Thank you Netflix for providing the entire series. Julie Taylor (Aimee Teegarden) was one of me favorite characters on the show and she has some Grace like tendencies. I also think Carey Mulligan would be a pretty good fit. Though I’m exceptionally jealous of the fact that she’s married to Marcus Mumford from Mumford and Sons.

Jaxson (Jax) Anderson – Ryan Reynolds
Whenever people ask me what Jax looks like I always tell them he’s a redheaded Ryan Reynolds. For some reason this is very hard for them to picture, but he’s there clear as day in my mind. Jax is tall and very physically fit with all of those lovely muscles. He’s just on the leaner side and doesn’t have as much of the bulky muscle like Brendan or Shep.

Nathaniel (Shep) Shepherd – Chris Hemsworth
I know, I know Chris Hemsworth is blonde, and Shep is very much a brunette. So again, I’m going to have to ask people to take the actor and change the hair color. Though, Mr. Hemsworth does have dark hair in Snow White and the Huntsman so it isn’t like he hasn’t darkened his hair before. Shep is definitely the bad boy of the group, with ridiculously blue eyes that make you want to sigh, and tattoos galore. Oh and he has facial scruff that goes above and beyond five o’clock shadow. Have I mentioned that I like facial hair yet? Because I love it.

Bennett Hart – Stephen Amell
Okay, so I’ve cast Captain America, the Green Lantern, Thor, and now the lead from Arrow. Yeah, I might have a bit of a thing for superheroes. I see absolutely no problem with this. Bennett has this strong and silent thing going on, which I think that Mr. Amell pulls off in spades. Plus he’s got a killer smile.

Oliver King –Edward Herrmann
I loved him in Gilmore Girls and he just reminds me of a big teddy bear.

Lula Mae – Julie Walters
Come on, she plays Mrs. Weasley in Harry Potter. I really don’t think this one needs more of an explanation. She’s just awesome.


Thank you, Shannon!  You had us at Chris Evans, sent us into a frenzy with Ryan Reynolds and made Bel swoon with Chris Hemsworth!

A Peek In The BiblioBin #68

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

As always we are grateful to NetGalley, Goodreads, our local libraries, recommendations and the various publishers who continually encourage our habit!  (Please click on the titles to learn more.)

What's in your BiblioBin?


For Review:

Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun
Indelible (The Twixt #1) by Dawn Metcalf
Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott
Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts
Undone (Country Roads #1) by Shannon Richard
Charming (Pax Arcana #1) by Elliott James


Purchased:

Kiss & Spell (Enchanted, Inc. #7) by Shanna Swendson
Dare You To (Pushing The Limits #2) by Katie McGarry


Borrowed:

Confessions Of A Jane Austin Addict (Jane Austen Addict #1) by Laurie Viera Rigler