Book Review: The Destiny of Luke&Violet (Coincidence, #3) by Jessica Sorensen

The Destiny of Violet&Luke
(Coincidence, #3)

Jessica Sorensen

Published: January 1, 2014

Publisher: Forever Publishing

Age Demographic: New Adult Contemporary

Pages: 336

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...

To Order The Destiny of Violet&Luke 
(Coincidence, #3) by Jessica Sorensen 
please visit: Amazon & Barnes&Noble

(Note: I received a copy of this book via the publisher, in exchange for an honest review which I have posted here on the blog and on Goodreads.)

Insert book review here!!!

I'm operating on feels here guys and this book has ALL OF THEM!

Blog Twitter Facebook

Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

She has written several YA and New Adult series, among them the Nova series, The Coincidence, Shattered Promises, Fallen Star, The Secret, etc. 

Please stop by and visit her on her Goodreads page and don't forget to fan her as well!

Launch Day Blitz with Excerpt&Giveaway: Carry Me Home (Off The Map, #3.1) by Lia Riley

I am excited to bring you the Launch Day Blitz for Carry Me Home with Lia Riley, today. This is a pretty amazing swoon-worthy, carefree romantic New Adult series that brings ALL THE FEELS! 

Today, I'm lucky enough to be able to share with you an excerpt from Carry Me Home by the super lovely and talented Lia Riley, as well as share a giveaway with you below. All you have to do is just fill out the Rafflecopter and you'll be entered to win. If you are interested in reading this epic series of swoons and feels, the first three books are listed for $3.99 a piece on Amazon and the novella Carry Me Home is just $.99 cents. 

This series is the perfect way to spend a summer weekend, just chilling out next to the pool or at the beach, reading and sipping on some ice tea or sweet lemonade. 

Got you interested now?! Let me tell you more about this beautiful novella...

Carry Me Home 

(Off The Map, #3.1)

by Lia Riley

Published: May 5, 2015

Publisher: Forever Yours

Age Demographic: New Adult

Love doesn’t have to be perfect to be true…

Years ago, Tanner Green loved Sunny Letman. She was meant to be his first kiss, first love, first everything. Then their world spun upside-down and out of control.

Free-spirited Sunny doesn’t do commitment. Sure, guys are great for a night or a week, but she always leaves first. That is, until professional skateboarder and town golden boy, Tanner Green, unexpectedly walks back into her life.

Despite their broken history, a fragile and undeniably electric connection still holds them together. Now Tanner has to convince Sunny that even though love isn’t always perfect, it’s worth sticking around for. . . 

To purchase your own copy of Carry Me Home (Off The Map, #3.1) by Lia Riley please visit Amazon or Barnes&Noble. 

Book Excerpt from
Carry Me Home
Written by Lia Riley

Tanner is in the shower when I let myself inside. There’s a wooden rocking chair in the corner. I walk over, sit and close my eyes. He’s naked, soapy, skin flushed from the hot spray. I could join him. He wants me. The space between my legs throbs to the beat of my heart. What’s set in motion between us isn’t going to stop.

I rock, straighten my backbone and focus my attentions. Imagine each breath spiraling through the open door, to the sky, leaving the atmosphere. A quiet prayer. Please. Please don’t let me fuck this up. My hands grip the rocking chair sides hard, hands that ache to touch his wet skin.

The water turns off and he’s out, rubbing a towel over his body.

I’m going for it, can’t help myself.

I tried my best to be my own island.

Turns out my best isn’t nearly good enough.

The door opens and he stands, backlit in a tight white t-shirt and pair of low slung jeans. His mop of hair is wet, slicked back from his striking face.

“Good, you’re back,” he says. “I didn’t like you out there alone.”

“I was fine, nothing scary outside.”


He frowns, catching my double meaning. “I decided to sleep in the back of my car.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“I don’t mind.”

Of course he doesn’t. He’d sleep on bare concrete if he thought it would be easier for me.

“I get it.” He backs toward the door. “Tonight’s been extreme. You want space. I’ll go--”

“Stop.” I’m in the darkest corner, in this rocking chair throne, the Queen of the Shadows. There’s a great mystery at work. How can my heart be chained to this guy and still feel free?

A bead of water drops from his thick hair and falls to his shoulder. Then another. Tiny wet patches appear on his shirt each time one makes impact. The way he watches me, his gaze writes a secret poem on my skin. “Tell me you don’t want me,” he says. “Say you’re not interested and nothing will happen.”

I want to curl in a ball. Instead, I stand up.

“Sunny,” he whispers, and it’s hard to know if he intends my name as a question or an answer. Funny, the way it sounds like both.

My lids flutter closed of their own volition as he closes the distance. He’s tall enough that when he bends, his face buries into the top of my head. He inhales as if I’m a secret flower. I wish I only ever bloomed for him. A stupid notion. This moment would be perfect if it wasn’t us. If we were other people.

I hook my fingers into his belt loops and do an uncharacteristic fumble, aim too high and brush his stomach instead. His abdominal muscles flex and there’s my cue to explore. I can’t help but inch under the cotton, trace the thick muscles that make up his defined V-line. My nails gently cut to the top of his jeans. His groan vibrates into my skull.

He’s slipping, less careful with every ragged breath. His skin heats under my fingertips. There’s no choice. There’s never been with him.

I rock into him, hard, and his mouth explodes on mine like a wet, hot grenade. He bites my lower lip and even though I’m scared, I’m not scared of him anymore.

© 2015 Lia Riley. From Carry Me Home by Lia Riley, published by Forever Yours.
All rights reserved.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS...

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About the Author

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Lia Riley writes offbeat romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling XXXX with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments.

A British literature fanatic at heart, Lia considers Mr. Darcy and Edward Rochester as her fictional boyfriends. Her very patient husband doesn't mind. Much. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. Right now, Icelandic hot springs and Scottish castles sound pretty sweet.

She and her family live in Northern California.

Book Review: The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden (Coincidence, #1) by Jessica Sorensen

The Coincidence of Callie&Kayden
(Coincidence, #1)

Jessica Sorensen

Published: August 6, 2013

Publisher: Forever Publishing

Age Demographic: New Adult Contemporary

Pages: 400

For Kayden, suffering in silence was the only way to survive. If he was lucky, he could keep his head down, do as he was told, and make it through the day. But one night it seemed like his luck -- and his life -- might finally end... until an angel named Callie appeared just in time to rescue him.

Callie has never believed in luck. Not since her twelfth birthday when everything was taken from her. After the worst was over, she locked up her feelings and vowed never to tell anyone what happened. Now, six years later, she continues to struggle with the painful secret that threatens to consume her.

When fate lands Kayden and Callie at the same college, Kayden is determined to get to know the beautiful girl who changed his destiny. Quiet and reserved, Callie still fears letting anyone else into her world. But Kayden is certain that Callie has come back into his life for a reason. And the more he tries to be a part of her life, the more he realizes that, this time, it's Callie who needs to be saved...

To Order The Coincidence of Callie&Kayden (Coincidence, #1) by Jessica Sorensen please visit: Amazon & Barnes&Noble

(Note: I received a copy of this book via the publisher, in exchange for an honest review which I have posted here on the blog and on Goodreads.)

Insert book review here!!!

I'm operating on feels here guys and this book has ALL OF THEM!

Blog Twitter Facebook

Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

She has written several YA and New Adult series, among them the Nova series, The Coincidence, Shattered Promises, Fallen Star, The Secret, etc. 

Please stop by and visit her on her Goodreads page and don't forget to fan her as well!

Book Review: Ruin Me (Nova, #5) by Jessica Sorensen

Ruin Me
(Nova, #5)

Jessica Sorensen

Published: January 19, 2015

Publisher: Forever Yours

Age Demographic: New Adult Contemporary

Pages: 253

A part time student, CNA, and caretaker for her slightly deranged mother, Clara McKiney doesn’t have time for a relationship. That’s why her friends with benefits arrangement with sexy and ridiculously charming Jax Hensley works perfectly. 

But Jax has other ideas.

The moment Jax met Clara he was instantly drawn to her wittiness, confidence, and gorgeous smile. Even though he agreed to the friends with benefits arrangement, he secretly hopes for more than their weekend hook ups.

When Jax's estranged mother mysteriously disappears, he sees an opportunity to spend more time with Clara. After convincing her to return home with him, a new agreement is made. One road trip and week together to find out why his mom vanished into thin air. 

Things are about to get complicated.

To Order Ruin Me (Nova, #5) by Jessica Sorensen please visit: Amazon 

(Note: I received a copy of this book via the publisher, in exchange for an honest review which I have posted here on the blog and on Goodreads.)

I fell in love with Jessica Sorensen's beautiful way of telling a story so emotionally charged and realistic, that it would leave you stunned and amazed back in March. From the moment that I sat down to read Breaking Nova, I absolutely fell head over toes in love with the whole series and couldn't put any of the books down until I had finished it entirely. The world she creates and the characters that she develops are gorgeously broken, incredibly strong, and emotionally intense that it is seriously breath taking. By the time that you are finished with this series, it will leave you dealing with all the feels. Fraking amazing and emotionally charged, Ruin Me will ruin you completely in all of the best ways possible. Beautifully written and incredibly intense, this gorgeous and compelling story will draw you in and captivate you.

It's not hard to fall in love with all of the characters in this series, but Ruin Me is a little different than the rest of the books. Both Jax and Clara have had a lot of emotional issues they've had to deal with and they definitely come from broken and painful backgrounds. Yet, the two of these find themselves gravitating towards one another. Jax is an amazing character, instead of letting his crappy past define the person he becomes, he takes an entirely different route in life. He becomes a protector of his sister Avery and his nephew, he's also just this really amazing charismatic guy that has a lot to offer any woman that he chooses to be with and at the moment he wants Clara. Clara, on the other hand, isn't interested in being more than a friend. She's terrified of getting close enough for him to see the truth, a truth that she's not really ready for anyone to find out.

Ruin Me, is such an emotionally driven book where you can see that both characters aren't addicts and neither are a victim of their circumstances either. It's inspiring in a lot of ways and just a really amazing novel, it can be read as a stand alone although I would recommend the entire series as a whole. If you're not one to want to read the whole series, then at least read Wreck Me, which is Jax's sisters Avery book where he plays a part in it and you get a lot more information on their background and the crappy existence they had to endure as young kids. One of the things that Jessica Sorensen did with this book is take a really huge negative and turn it into a wonderfully inspiring and positive love story that ended with happiness.

If you are looking for a series that's going to totally turn your feels upside down, then this is the series that you want to pick up.

Full review coming soon.

I'm operating on feels here guys and this book has ALL OF THEM!

Blog Twitter Facebook

Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

She has written several YA and New Adult series, among them the Nova series, The Coincidence, Shattered Promises, Fallen Star, The Secret, etc. 

Please stop by and visit her on her Goodreads page and don't forget to fan her as well!

Book Review: Wreck Me (Nova, #4) by Jessica Sorensen

Wreck Me
(Nova, #4)

Jessica Sorensen

Published: October 22, 2014

Publisher: Forever Yours

Age Demographic: New Adult Contemporary

Pages: 350

When Avery Hensley met Conner Wellings, she thought she’d found the guy she was going to spend the rest of her life with. She got married young and had the most beautiful son in the world. 

Life seemed perfect. 

But not everything is what it seems. 

Turned out Conner had another side to him, a darker side that Avery didn’t see coming. He wrecked and broke her into a thousand pieces, leaving Avery to put herself back together. From then on, Avery vows never to let a man into her life again. 

But then she meets Tristan Morganson. He’s sweet and sexy and wrecks Avery in a different way than Conner did, the kind of way that makes her feel alive again, the kind of way that makes her think maybe not all guys are bad. But can Avery trust him enough to let her walls come crumbling down?

*Can be read as a Standalone

To Order Delilah: The Making of Red (Nova, #2.5) by Jessica Sorensen please visit: Amazon 

(Note: I received a copy of this book via the publisher, in exchange for an honest review which I have posted here on the blog and on Goodreads.)

Dark, haunted, and beautifully written Wreck Me is emotionally intense and aching in all of the right ways that will leave you breathless and yearning for more. 

Jessica Sorensen pens a gorgeous and painfully tragic novel, that will move you in ways unimaginable. The gritty realism of secrets, drugs, alcohol, and physical abuse will gut you where it hurts most, but the darkness tempered against the light of hope will bring you back just as it did with Tristan and Avery. 

These two broken souls will find each other in the darkness and will emerge on the other side together stronger than ever.

Full review coming soon.

I'm operating on feels here guys and this book has ALL OF THEM!

Blog Twitter Facebook

Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

She has written several YA and New Adult series, among them the Nova series, The Coincidence, Shattered Promises, Fallen Star, The Secret, etc. 

Please stop by and visit her on her Goodreads page and don't forget to fan her as well!

Book Review: Tristan: Finding Hope (Nova, #3.5) by Jessica Sorensen

Tristan: Finding Hope
(Nova, #3.5)

Jessica Sorensen

Published: June 3, 2014

Publisher: Forever Yours

Age Demographic: New Adult Contemporary

Pages: 72

Tristan has always felt like a ghost. After a painful loss, he became all but invisible to his grieving family. So he dove headfirst into a dangerous life, sinking deeper until he felt he could disappear-and almost did. Though Tristan survived, staying on track is a 24/7 battle he’s not sure he wants to fight.

Then Tristan meets Avery, the girl with purple streaks in her hair and tattoos like secrets, waiting to be uncovered. Her smile is warm and inviting, but her sad, hazel eyes tell a different story. And the strangest part is-she can really see him. A girl like that might just keep Tristan out of the darkness . . . or pull him right back in.

To Order Tristan: Finding Hope (Nova, #3.5) by Jessica Sorensen please visit: Amazon 

(Note: I received a copy of this book via the publisher, in exchange for an honest review which I have posted here on the blog and on Goodreads.)

It's become apparent that Jessica Sorensen has the power in the sheer brilliance of storytelling, to wreck my emotions so incredibly with every book she writes in this stunning and gripping New Adult series. I love Tristan almost as much as I love Quinton, which is saying A LOT because holy hell QUINTON! That's all I have to say about that. And, I find myself really enjoying Avery's character just a little bit more than Nova, because even as damaged as she is I don't find her always putting her own mental health at risk to save someone. Yes, she carries around her own guilt that eats away at her, and she has her own set of flaws and emotional issues like the rest of the characters in this amazing series do, but there's something about her that makes me really enjoy reading her story and learning about the battle scars she carries around with her.

Tristan: Finding Hope, gives us a small glimpse at just how damaged and fucked up Tristan really is. It goes one step further in showing readers the origins of when and why Tristan started doing drugs to not only numb the pain that he felt, but to also draw attention to himself - any attention - whether it was good or bad because he felt so invisible in his own home that it was the only way that he could resort to making himself seen or heard by his parents. Constantly being compared and expected to live up to his sister Ryder's abilities, only continued to break him further. I wanted to reach into the book and hug him so hard, when his mother told him that she wished it was him that had died instead of Ryder and I was so angry with his father for not stepping up and taking more control of the situation, stopping the verbal abuse and vile hatred that spewed from his mother onto Tristan's shoulders. Her ability to take Ryder's death and use it to try and emotionally manipulate Tristan and his feelings, really enraged me.

I found myself wanting to fling this tiny book across the room on so many occasions, that it was unreal due to the horrid ways that his parents had treated him. This is a good thing, because I love it when a book can take my emotions and drag them from one extreme to the next and make me feel completely at a loss one second and then so hopeful in the next. Jessica Sorensen is amazing at doing this.

And, eventually I was so proud of Tristan for not blaming Quinton for his sister's death, for actually seeing what had happened for what it was, an accident that nearly wrecked Quinton's life in more ways than imaginable. As messed up and complicated as his life is, as much as he's dealing with battling his sobriety on a day to day basis, he is so much stronger than he gives himself credit for and he proves it in so many ways when he meets Avery for the first time. It's easy to see how she could have this profound affect on him, just by giving him the choices that she does in the following novel Wreck Me, which is the continuation of their story. She's just as damaged and broken as Tristan is, maybe even a little bit more given what she's had to endure during her young life and with the mistakes that she's made. Both strong and beautiful, she is undoubtedly guarded in so many ways that it's hard to get to know the "real" person she is behind the one she presents to the world.

Avery's past is dark, haunted, and full of so much violence that when her and Tristan meet, they have this instant connection where they each just get the other one without having to say too much about it. Tristan doesn't know what love is and Avery has completely sworn it off, because all it ever gave her was pain and deep emotional and physical scars that she'll never be able to leave behind her completely. Yet, together they are both the makings of a beautiful sorrow filled love story that can and will spark a glimmer of hope in each of their souls, once they figure out exactly what they want and what they deserve in life.

If you enjoyed the first two books in this series, then you will also enjoy this little insight into Tristan and why he is so fucked up and complicated. I would definitely recommend this to you, if you are a fan of gritty, reality based New Adult novels that are unafraid to go there with the ugly, messy, and complicated lessons of life.

Blog Twitter Facebook

Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

She has written several YA and New Adult series, among them the Nova series, The Coincidence, Shattered Promises, Fallen Star, The Secret, etc. 

Please stop by and visit her on her Goodreads page and don't forget to fan her as well!

Release Week Blitz & Interview: Falling Deep by Diana Gardin

I'm legit excited to get to be a part of the Release Week Blitz for Falling Deep, by Diana Gardin. It's the next book in the Nelson Island series, a fantastic New Adult contemporary series that is edgy, sexy, and full of many swoons and heart stopping moments. From looking at reviews for the other books in the series, it looks like it's going to be a great series to pick up during the Spring and Summer months and just fall in love with. 

I'm lucky to have Diana on the blog with me today, talking about her relationship with her husband, where she draws her inspiration for writing, what inspired her to write the Nelson series and the fact that each of the books can be read as a stand alone and you can start anywhere in the series, and so much more fun stuff! So, definitely stick around and check that out, leave a comment showing some love for her below, and check out the awesome giveaway that's going on. 

First, I want to tell you a little bit about Falling Deep...

Falling Deep

Nelson Island Series

Diana Gardin

Published: April 7, 2015

Publisher: Forever Yours

Age Demographic: New Adult

Pages: 320

Reed Hopewell is a lot of things to a lot of people . . . 

To his parents, he's the son who needs to get serious. To his friends, he's the player they all want to be. And to his fans, he's the hottest rocker in Charleston. But never has Reed been anyone's hero-until the night he finds Hope.

Hope Dawson can count the number of men she trusts on one hand. Definitely not the guys she goes out with or the stepfather who treats her like property. She'd be out of his house tomorrow if not for the need to protect her little sister. But when things at home go from bad to worse, Hope has to act fast-and Reed is the only person she can turn to . . . 

To purchase a copy of Falling Deep by Diana Gardin plese visit Amazon and Barnes&Noble.

Interview with Diana Gardin

The Nelson Island series is a gorgeously written love story that looks like it would be an amazing read. I personally can't wait to tuck into it myself. I'm curious, what was your inspiration for the story you set out to tell with this series?

First, thank you for the compliment! “Gorgeously written” is an amazing quality to have! My inspiration for the series is really Southern, coastal living. The setting is really what makes the series special, and then the characters just naturally flow out of the place itself. I was raised in Coastal Virginia, and now I’m a Carolina girl; there are so many quirks living in the South that make for a great story.

I love how each book in this series sort of builds on each of the characters from book to book, you get to see what life is like through their eyes. My question for you is can each of these books be read as a standalone or would you suggest reading them in order?

Thanks so much for asking this! I really want readers to know, especially with the release of FALLING DEEP, that this is a series that can start anywhere. It doesn’t matter which book you read first, because each story can standalone. The characters carry over from book to book, but the plot and story is brand new each time. Even with EVER ALWAYS (the novella) Sam and Ever’s story is told from different points of view so they can be read in any order.

All writers have struggles with their writing at some point, would you mind sharing some of your best highs and lows in your writing process have been and what you think of your current written body of work vs. your debut into the world of writing?

Yes, writers block is a living, fire-breathing dragon that rears its ugly head from time to time in my life. Both WANTING FOREVER and FALLING DEEP flowed smoothly for me. The writing and editing process went off without a hitch. And then I had to write EVER ALWAYS. I was a mess! I didn’t know where to begin the story, and I wasn’t really sure where the plot was going to go. It was just much more difficult to figure out than the others. My debut novel, a self-published YA called COLOR BLIND, is something I’m still really proud of. But I can definitely see that my writing has improved immensely over time, and I think I write characters and plots with more depth now versus back then.

As creative individuals, we all draw upon inspiration from various outlets, what have been some of yours while writing?

Hmm, I think I pull a lot of inspiration from my relationship with my husband. I had a very unhealthy relationship before I met him, and when he came into my life it was suddenly filled with a light I’d never had before. He inspires many of my male characters, especially the sweeter ones. Pain and loss are also an inspiration, because my books are extremely emotional and angsty. I dive into my memories from my younger years for that. It’s not always pretty, but it’s always honest.

If you were trapped on a desert island and you could only have three things with you, what would those three things be?

The first one, without a doubt, would by my kindle loaded with all my favorite books and a whole bunch of books I haven’t read yet. Second, I’d need to have a lifetime supply of French fries. I cannot survive without them. Lastly, I would make sure I had 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Diana Gardin is a wife of one and a mom of two. Writing is her second full time job to that, and she loves it! Diana writes contemporary romance in the Young Adult and New Adult categories. She's also a former Elementary school teacher. She loves steak, sugar cookies, and Coke and hates working out.

Book Review: Redeem Me (Lost Souls, #2) by Eliza Freed

Redeem Me (Lost Souls, #2)
Eliza Freed

Published: February 3, 2015

Publisher: Forever Publishing
Age Demographic: New Adult Contemporary

Pages: 384

Some things can't be forgiven...

Charlotte O'Brien should forgive God for her parents' death. She should forgive her boyfriend for his one horrific mistake that separated them, and she should forgive herself for cutting them both off, but instead she hates everyone. 

But when her childhood friend Noble Sinclair arrives, his passion reignites the spark that had vanished so completely in Charlotte's gray existence. And in Noble's arms, Charlotte finally begins to wonder if she might be ready to choose the future with Noble over her shattered past.

Redeem Me is book 2 in the Lost Souls series.

To Order Redeem Me (Lost Souls, #2) 
by Eliza Freed 
please visit: Amazon & Barnes&Noble

(Note: I received a copy of this book via the publisher, in exchange for an honest review which I have posted here on the blog and on Goodreads.)

My God, I am wrecked in the best possible way imaginable. Emotionally compelling and incredibly intense, Redeem Me is an absolutely stunningly beautiful novel. Noble Sinclair is insatiable, gorgeous, and the absolute best thing for Charlotte. The chemistry between these two remarkable characters is undeniably electrifying. Their emotional connection will leave you breathless and wanting more.

Eliza Freed has gutted me from the inside out and ruined me so perfectly with her beautiful way of telling a story about the messy, irrational, and complicated journey of love. I am just shattered in so many ways and I wouldn't change a thing. Noble has saved Charlotte in so many ways that it's incredible, how much love he has for her. It's honest, bone deep, and genuine. If there ever was a perfect love, Noble would definitely fit that bill for sure.

The only thing that bothers me, is the fact that Charlotte still can't let go of that little piece of her that Jason Leer still has a hold of. Even when she's with Noble, there's a moment or a space in her both her head and her heart, where she isn't with him and it just doesn't seem very fair to him. It is so very clear that he is all in and she's going along with him, because it's easy and it feels good. There's nothing hard or manipulative or emotionally abusive about the love that she shares with Noble. 

It was hard watching Charlotte fall apart after learning about what Jason had done to her and then watching herself slowly knit her heart and spirit back together, with Nobles gentle love and kindness. The realistic portrayal of raw heartache and torture that one goes through when they endure the fall out of such a tumultuous and emotionally gripping relationship, is one of the things that draws me to Freed's books and keeps me hanging on until the last page has been read. It's gorgeously dark, intense, and so amazingly hopeful while at the same time being sad, wistful, and surreal. You don't just read her books, you feel them all the way through from the beginning until the end.

There is so much growth and evolution and forgiveness and finding oneself in this book, that it's hard not to immerse yourself in it and wade out into the deep end along with the characters as they take that plunge. If you're looking for a book that will give you ALL OF THE FEELS then I suggest this one.

Full review coming soon.

Website Twitter Facebook

Eliza Freed graduated from Rutgers University and returned to her hometown in rural South Jersey. Her mother encouraged her to take some time and find herself. After three months of searching, she began to bounce checks and her neighbors began to talk; her mother told her to find a job. 

She settled into Corporate America, learning systems and practices and the bureaucracy that slows them. Eliza quickly discovered her creativity and gift for story telling as a corporate trainer and spent years perfecting her presentation skills and studying diversity. It’s during this time she became an avid observer of the characters we meet and the heartaches we endure. Her years of study have taught her laughter is the key to survival, even when it’s completely inappropriate.

She currently lives in New Jersey with her family and a misbehaving beagle named Odin. An avid swimmer, if Eliza is not with her family and friends, she’d rather be underwater. While she enjoys many genres, she has always been a sucker for a love story...the more screwed up the better.

Please stop by and visit her on her Goodreads page and don't forget to fan her as well!

Book Review: Forgive Me (Lost Souls, #1) by Eliza Freed

Forgive Me (Lost Souls, #1)
Eliza Freed

Published: July 4, 2014

Publisher: Forever Publishing
Age Demographic: New Adult Contemporary

Pages: 368

When two lost souls find each other, are they still lost?

Charlotte O'Brien is lost in the devastation of her parents' death. With her foundation in ruins, she buries herself in an unlikely lover, Jason Leer.

When they're together it's everything, but when they're apart it's utterly frustrating. Can love survive when distance is measured in more than just miles?

Forgive Me is the first book in The Lost Souls Series.

To Order Forgive Me (Lost Souls, #1) 
by Eliza Freed 
please visit: Amazon & Barnes&Noble

(Note: I received a copy of this book via the publisher, in exchange for an honest review which I have posted here on the blog and on Goodreads.)

Emotionally compelling and incredibly intense, Forgive Me will leave you breathless and anticipating more. Eliza Freed has cornered the New Adult market on writing completely obsessive and dysfunctional romance. Jason Leer isn't one of my favorite characters, I found him to be completely controlling, manipulative, and an all around ass in the way he treated Charlotte. There were moments in the book where I wanted her to realize just how unhealthy their relationship really was. I swear, I just wanted to shake her shoulders and tell to wake up, because there was a much better guy staring her in the face and she never looked twice at him that way once.

Noble Sinclare is one incredibly hot, swoon-worthy guy that would be absolutely perfect for Charlotte if she would just open her eyes. He knows her and it's apparently obvious how much he cares for her. He's the one who could best take care of her, without expecting her to just completely uproot her life and be someone she's not. He certainly wouldn't do to her what Jason did over some stupid fight they had about which function they were going to.

Charlotte is an angry mess right now and that is understandable, given the fact that she just lost both her parents and then hopped into this crazy intense relationship as a way of avoiding the whole grieving process. I sort of have a love hate relationship with this character, but I do like her quite a bit. I'm just not necessarily crazy about some of the choices that she makes in the way that she lets Jason make her feel guilty. This is part of the charm in her character, because her faults make her a little more human and achingly vulnerable. It's a breath of fresh air to read a complicated love story as this one written so realistically that you almost feel a personal connection to it. That's always something that I look for in a book, something that grips me, and makes me reel back in a million and one different ways.

After Noble, Charlotte's friends were probably my second favorite thing about this book, because there were many of them and they each had their own facets and quirks that made me stand out and shine brilliantly on the pages. I love the way they rallied around Charlotte, knew what she needed, and wasn't afraid to tell her what they thought even if it meant an argument because they were doing it as means of having her back and taking care of her in the process. Good friends like family are hard to come by and the honesty that this lot showed was pretty amazing. Charlotte's relationship with her brother was also endearing to read about, because the level of care and love was so apparent between the two. I'll admit I might have chuckled a time or two, when he was trying to buy her a Hummer because he needed her to be safe and he couldn't lose one more person who was that important in his life. As over-protective as he was in a sense, he was really sweet and enjoyable as a character.

As hot and steamy as I like my romance books to be, I have to say that my only little minor frustration with this novel was the amount of sex that was written into it. For a second, I almost felt as if I was reading Fifty Shades and nearly put the book down. Luckily, I came to my senses and decided to keep on reading it. It's not that I have problem with sex written in books in general, with this particular story it was more to the point of it feeling like that's all that there was between Charlotte and Jason and that just didn't sit too well with me. I get that sex is an important and healthy part of a loving relationship and I'm completely fine with that and fine with reading it, but when it starts being all consuming with more of physical nature to the relationship and less about talking and actually communicating on an emotional level that's where I sort of start to draw the line. There needs to be a little bit more of a healthy balance there, in the relationship. As I mentioned before, Charlotte jumped into this crazy intense controlling relationship with Jason, without giving herself enough time to properly grieve the loss of her parents. I wish she would have taken a step back and let herself go through that experience, before deciding that she was all in whatever she was carrying on with that Leer boy.

Forgive Me isn't an easy read in the least little bit. It's messy, complicated, addictive, highly emotional, and definitely manipulative in many ways. It will drag your emotions through the gamut and then leave them gutted. If you are looking for a New Adult romance that will leave you burning in the darkest parts, then this is the book that you'll want to sink into. Eliza Freed does a brilliant job of illustrating just how addictive and emotionally intense a dysfunctional romance can be. Her characters shine on the pages, her writing is beautifully imaginative, and the cliffhanger will leave you gasping for more.

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Eliza Freed graduated from Rutgers University and returned to her hometown in rural South Jersey. Her mother encouraged her to take some time and find herself. After three months of searching, she began to bounce checks and her neighbors began to talk; her mother told her to find a job. 

She settled into Corporate America, learning systems and practices and the bureaucracy that slows them. Eliza quickly discovered her creativity and gift for story telling as a corporate trainer and spent years perfecting her presentation skills and studying diversity. It’s during this time she became an avid observer of the characters we meet and the heartaches we endure. Her years of study have taught her laughter is the key to survival, even when it’s completely inappropriate.

She currently lives in New Jersey with her family and a misbehaving beagle named Odin. An avid swimmer, if Eliza is not with her family and friends, she’d rather be underwater. While she enjoys many genres, she has always been a sucker for a love story...the more screwed up the better.

Please stop by and visit her on her Goodreads page and don't forget to fan her as well!