Now Live! A Different Blue by Amy Harmon

Amy Harmon's A DIFFERENT BLUE is now available! If you missed our earlier post, you can find my review this amazing book HERE! This one is a must read, So you need to check it out!

xo Brittany

SYNOPSIS:

Blue Echohawk doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know her real name or when she was born. Abandoned at two and raised by a drifter, she didn't attend school until she was ten years old. At nineteen, when most kids her age are attending college or moving on with life, she is just a senior in high school. With no mother, no father, no faith, and no future, Blue Echohawk is a difficult student, to say the least. Tough, hard and overtly sexy, she is the complete opposite of the young British teacher who decides he is up for the challenge, and takes the troublemaker under his wing. 

This is the story of a nobody who becomes somebody. It is the story of an unlikely friendship, where hope fosters healing and redemption becomes love. But falling in love can be hard when you don't know who you are. Falling in love with someone who knows exactly who they are and exactly why they can't love you back might be impossible.

PURCHASE A DIFFERENT BLUE!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

NEW RELEASE & GIVEAWAY! PICTURE PERFECT by Alessandra Thomas

Happy release day to Alessandra Thomas!! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of PICTURE PERFECT and you guys are definitely going to want to read this one! I loved it. Congratulations to Alessandra on her new release :) And here's all you need to know about this fantastic book and author! The Picture Perfect blog tour is also going on RIGHT NOW, so be sure to check out the links at the end of this post for some info :)

Picture Perfect

by Alessandra Thomas

★★★★

Synopsis:

Fashion design major Cat Mitchell has a closet full of gorgeous clothes - and not a single thing fits. After two years of runway modeling for easy cash, an accident shattered her lower leg bone and her self-esteem in just one swift fall. Ten months of no exercise, prescription steroids, comfort eating and yoga pants meant returning to campus as a size twelve instead of her former size two.


When her gorgeous long-time friend with benefits sees her for the first time after her accident and snubs her in front of all her friends, Cat’s self-image hits rock bottom. Her sorority sisters all insist that she looks gorgeous, but all Cat sees is the roll of her stomach when she sits down, or the dimpling at the back of her thighs that wasn't there last year. Cat’s therapist prescribes something radical to stop the downward spiral - nude modeling for a nearby college's human form drawing classes.


When Cat faces her fears and bares it all for the class, she realizes that she's posing naked in front the most gorgeous, buffest guy she's ever seen in her life. He asks her out after the class, and after one steamy night together, Cat's absolutely smitten.


Nate’s pretty close to perfect – he takes Cat rock climbing when he discovers that it makes her feel strong and becomes a great chef after he learns that the perfect pesto sauce makes her swoon. Cat starts to feel like her old self again - confident and beautiful - as long as Nate's around. Even when he discourages her from entering the Real Woman Project, a design competition for plus-sized apparel, she reasons that he's just trying to prevent old body image wounds from splitting wide open again.


But when Cat goes home with Nate for Thanksgiving, she discovers something shocking from his recent past that proves that he hasn’t always been so encouraging of women of all shapes and sizes. Cat has no idea what to think, but she does know one thing - this might destroy their relationship before it's even had a chance to get off the ground.


Before Cat can figure out whether the real Nate is the sensitive, adoring guy she fell in love with, or an undercover asshole, she'll have to finally feel comfortable in her own skin - even if it means leaving him forever.

(This book contains sex and adult language.)

____________________________________________________________________

PICTURE PERFECT by Alessandra Thomas is a story about Cat, a college junior and and model who, after recovering from a horse riding accident and horrible injury, is left 60 lbs heavier and feeling insecure and out of place in her old life. After having a difficult time adjusting to her new size and feelings of depression, her therapist suggests that she pose nude for a human form class at a nearby college. This is where she meets Nate, an aspiring architect, who soon becomes the perfect person to finally make her see how beautiful she is, no matter what size she wears. There were several moments in book when I was afraid that she was using Nate as a crutch, which her therapist does point out to her, but then there were other times when their relationship just seemed normal and supportive, so I went back and forth with that a little. But as perfect as Nate seemed, he turned out to have an interesting past and some issues with body image as well. And Cat's perception of sweet, perfect Nate came crashing down big time. This little shocker definitely threw me for a loop and I was just as surprised and devastated as Cat to find out about Nate's not so "supportive" past.

As a bigger girl myself, I found Cat's thoughts, feelings of discomfort, and insecurities about her size to be very believable, although she really isn't that big at all. At her heaviest, she is actually at a normal, healthy weight. But I suppose after being a stick thin model, 180 can probably seem huge. And when your whole life and profession is based on how good you look in teeny tiny clothes, judging your appearance above everything else and constantly comparing yourself to others, then I can definitely see how it would be difficult for her to find her place again after her accident and weight gain.

The supporting characters were pretty great. Cat's friend Joey was supportive of her during her entire journey and an extremely good friend to her, always there when she needed a shoulder to cry on or a good pep talk. Of course Nate was wonderful, even despite his drama there at the end, and I loved everything about him. I really wish this novel would have been a little bit longer, I found myself wanting to read more about these characters. Overall, I think Picture Perfect is a very realistic story about a young woman with self esteem issues learning to love her body and, most importantly, love herself despite her body. I truly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend this book! I can't wait to read more from this author! 4 STARS!

____________________________________________________________________

Alessandra Thomas on PICTURE PERFECT:

PICTURE PERFECT is about a girl who went from a size two to a size twelve in just under a year, and has some serious body image issues.

Yes. This book is about a girl who is size twelve and hates her body. She hates it so much that she tries to hide it, squeeze it into Spanx, cries over it, and emotionally eats up a storm. She hates it so much that she doesn’t believe her friends when they tell her how gorgeous she is. She hates it so much that she thinks no guy will ever want to have sex with her again.

Is Cat’s body image healthy? Lord in heaven, no.

Is Cat’s body image REAL? Yes.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever hated your body unreasonably.

Raise the other one if you’ve known someone who has hated her body unreasonably.

Yep. That’s what I thought. (Now do the Harlem Shake. You know you want to.)

Cat Mitchell, the protagonist of PICTURE PERFECT, is a freaking disaster. That’s what the book is about – her journey to becoming not-a-disaster. If Cat felt awesome about rolling out her new bangin bod all over campus, I’d be all, good for you, honey, but you make a damn boring story.

Are you a size twelve, and you love it? Good for you. Go on with your bad self. I’m a size sixteen, and while I have occasional moments of woe about a belly (or knee) roll, I’ll tell you right now, I’m freaking gorgeous. Not to mention that between the sheets, The Boy has nary a complaint. (*wink*)

Cat hates her size twelve body, but that doesn’t mean that I’m saying you should hate yours. In fact, what I want is for you to root for her to feel as good about herself as you do.

I’m so happy you like your body the way it is. I like it too. I think you’re DEAD SEXY, in fact. So you can bet that Cat Mitchell is gonna feel dead sexy by the end of the book, too. And no, it’s not the way you think.

______________________________________________________________

About the Author:

Alessandra Thomas is a New Adult writer who swears she was in her twenties yesterday. Since she's not, she spends her time looking back on her college years fondly, and writing sexy stories about guys and girls falling in love and really living life for the first time. When she's not writing, you can find her with a spoonful of ice cream in one hand and the newest New Adult release in the other.

Connect with Alessandra:

Twitter

Website/Blog

Goodreads

PICTURE PERFECT IS AVAILABLE NOW!

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

**GIVEAWAY**

Prizes:

- 2 signed copies of Picture Perfect

- 2 ebook copies of Picture Perfect

Enter below to win! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit these two awesome blogs,

they're the next stops on the Picture Perfect Blog Tour!

          

Blog Tour & Release Day Event Organized By:

Reviewed by Brittany

EXCLUSIVE TEASER & Review- A Different Blue by Amy Harmon

A Different Blue

by Amy Harmon

★★★★★

Synopsis:

Blue Echohawk doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know her real name or when she was born. Abandoned at two and raised by a drifter, she didn't attend school until she was ten years old. At nineteen, when most kids her age are attending college or moving on with life, she is just a senior in high school. With no mother, no father, no faith, and no future, Blue Echohawk is a difficult student, to say the least. Tough, hard and overtly sexy, she is the complete opposite of the young British teacher who decides he is up for the challenge, and takes the troublemaker under his wing.

This is the story of a nobody who becomes somebody. It is the story of an unlikely friendship, where hope fosters healing and redemption becomes love. But falling in love can be hard when you don't know who you are. Falling in love with someone who knows exactly who they are and exactly why they can't love you back might be impossible.

___________________________________________________________________________

Amy Harmon seriously blows me away. The first book of Amy's that I read was Running Barefoot and I loved it. I became a bit obsessed with it actually, so when Amy asked me if I wanted to review an ARC of  A DIFFERENT BLUE, of course I jumped on the chance. And I'm so, so happy that I had the opportunity to read this. It's such a beautiful story. And just like Running Barefoot, Amy's writing in A Different Blue is incredible. This book pulled my heart strings in a million different directions and here I am, a few weeks after reading it, and I'm still in love with these characters.

I won't go into too much detail about the plot, as to not spoil anything for you. The synopsis does a really good job of letting you know what this story is about, but there are a few little twists and turns, especially at the end. There is so much that I loved about the main character, Blue. She's smart, she's funny, and she really has her head on straight, despite everything that she has gone through- and continues to go through. There is one particularly difficult decision that she has to make and, although the entire thing broke my heart, it was written so beautifully and made me respect Blue that much more for how selfless she was.

The "unlikely friendship" referred to is that of Blue and her teacher, Wilson, who takes Blue under his wing and really helps her come into her own. Quite a big deal for someone who is struggling with truly not knowing who they are. This isn't your typical "girl falls for her teacher" romance, not at all. Although you could sometimes cut the sexual tension with a knife, their relationship was about so much more. Underneath it all, it was their unconditional friendship and emotional connection that really made an impact on me. I fell in love with Wilson right along with Blue. He was always there for her, taking care of her, supporting her. And as much as Wilson taught her, in and out of the classroom, he also learns a thing or two from Blue. She teaches him about love and about sacrifice, and that sometimes things aren't always as black and white as they seem.

Let me say again how much I love Amy's writing. A few of the scenes in this book were truly some of the most beautiful that I have ever read. The stories and the characters she writes somehow crawl deep inside me and wreak havoc on my poor little heart. These characters in particular were so well developed and I cried every tear, laughed every laugh, felt every heartache right along with them.

On a lighter note, let me just gush about the fact that Wilson is British (yes, please!) and also shares a name with another literary Brit that I'm oh so fond of-- Mr. Darcy! Anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with anything Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice related, and Amy is a girl after my own heart because I just ate up all of the P & P references in this book! Honestly, everything that Amy writes is pure gold in my eyes and I'm sure I will continue to read and love everything that she puts out. And I suggest you do the same!

_______________________________________________________________________

And here is an EXCLUSIVE excerpt/teaser from A Different Blue! Enjoy! :)

“Tell me what you see when you look at this sculpture,” Wilson asked after a while, his eyes roving down the sensual lines of the stained mahogany.  His hand traced the contours reverently.

        I'd whittled away the heaviness from the branches, creating hollows and sinews and shaping the suggestion of lovers wrapped around each other while still maintaining the natural innocence and simplicity of the merging branches. The branches were Mountain Mahogany, the wood a natural reddish brown.  I'd rubbed several applications of black stain into one branch, and it gleamed like a black jungle cat, the golden red tones melding with the dark stain so the black looked like it was silhouetted in sunlight.  I applied no stain to the other branch. I had simply buffed and glossed the golden red wood until it was glowing like amber.  The effect was that the two limbs in the sculpture appeared to be different kinds of wood, branches from two different trees. The result was a statement all its own.

          I looked away.  I felt hot and angry and my chest was tight with a feeling Wilson always seemed to stir in me.

        “I'd rather not.”

        “Why?” Wilson sounded genuinely confused by my refusal, since I was usually eager to discuss my carvings with him. 

        “Why do you want my explanation?  What do you see when you look at them?” I said crossly.  Wilson withdrew his hand from the sculpture and grabbed my braid where it hung over my shoulder.  He tugged it gently, wrapping it around his hand as he did.

        “What's wrong?”

        “Nothing's wrong.  I'm preoccupied,” I protested.  “And my art is not about what I see.  It's about what I feel.  And right now I don't really want to discuss what I feel.”  I tried to pull my hair free from his hand, but he wound it tighter, pulling me toward him.

         “I see limbs, and love, and lust,” Wilson stated flatly.  I stopped resisting, and my eyes rose to his.  Wilson's eyes were wide and frank but his jaw was clenched as if he knew he was crossing that invisible line he'd drawn for himself.

        “I'm not surprised you see those things,” I said softly.
        “Why?” His eyes were intense, and I was suddenly furious.  I was in love with Wilson, no doubt about it, but I would not be toyed with, and I sure as hell wasn't going to play kissy face ten minutes after Pamela left.

        “You've just spent the evening with Pamela.” I reminded him sweetly.  “She is a beautiful woman.”

        Wilson's eyes flashed, and he dropped my braid, turning back toward the sculpture.  I could tell he was mentally counting to ten.  If I made him angry, it was his own fault.  What did he think I was going to do, wrap myself around him after he'd ignored me off and on for months?  I wasn't that girl. But maybe he thought I was.  I took several deep breaths and ignored the tension that simmered between us.  It was thick enough to cut with a knife and serve with a big dollop of denial.  He took several steps, his hands fisted in his hair, putting some distance between us.

        I stood my ground, waiting for him to make the next move.  I had no idea what he was doing here.  And he didn't seem to know either.  When he looked at me again his mouth was set in a grim line, and his eyes held a note of pleading, as if he needed to convince me of something. 

        “You said your art is about what you feel, not what you see.  I told you what I see, now you tell me what you feel,” he demanded.

        “What are we talking about Wilson?” I shot back.  I walked toward him, hands shoved in my pockets.  “Are we talking about the sculpture?”  He watched me as I approached, but I didn't stop until our toes were almost touching. 

        “If we're talking about the sculpture, fine.  I see desire and belonging and love without space.”  I said the words like I was a guide at an art museum, putting emphasis on the word space.  “What do I feel?  Well, that's easy.  I've been at work all day. I'm tired, Wilson.  And I'm hungry.  And I don't like Pamela.  There.  That's what I feel.  How about you?”

        Wilson looked at me like he wanted to shake me until my teeth rattled.  Then he just shook his head and walked to the door.  “I'm sorry I asked, Blue,” he sighed.  He sounded weary and resigned, like one of those TV dads, just trying to tolerate his teen-aged daughter. “Goodnight, Blue.”

        I was too confused and befuddled to even respond.  He walked out of my apartment without another word.

PURCHASE A DIFFERENT BLUE!

AMAZON- PAPERBACK
________________________________________________________________________

About the Author:



Amy Harmon knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Amy Harmon has been a motivational speaker, a grade school teacher, a junior high teacher, a home school mom, and a member of the Grammy Award winning Saints Unified Voices Choir, directed by Gladys Knight. She released a Christian Blues CD in 2007 called "What I Know" - also available on Amazon and wherever digital music is sold. She has written four novels, Running Barefoot, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Pur...moreAmy Harmon knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Amy Harmon has been a motivational speaker, a grade school teacher, a junior high teacher, a home school mom, and a member of the Grammy Award winning Saints Unified Voices Choir, directed by Gladys Knight. She released a Christian Blues CD in 2007 called "What I Know" - also available on Amazon and wherever digital music is sold. She has written four novels, Running Barefoot, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and A DIFFERENT BLUE.

Connect with Amy:

FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS
WEBSITE

Reviewed by Brittany

Review-Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder

Falling Into You

by Jasinda Wilder

★★★★★

Synopsis

I wasn't always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way.

Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him. Colton didn't teach me how to live. He didn't heal the pain. He didn't make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go.

__________________________________________________________________

I’ve read a lot of reviews about this book. Everyone insisted that it was super emotional. When I read the synopsis, I was well aware that a certain event would take place. I thought I know it’s coming, so I can’t be so emotional over something that is expected. Boy, what I WRONG! I bawled my eyes out. I continued to cry through a lot of the book. I just could not get over it. Here I am expecting something to happen, then I fall completely in love with Kyle, then BOOM. It happens. It tore me to pieces. 

“…And now we’re learning how to fall in love together. I don’t care what anyone else says. I love you. I’ll always love you, no matter what happens with us in the future. I love you now and forever.”

In my mind, I was like, how am I and Nell (leading female character in this story) going to get passed this? What could the rest of this book be about? Then entered Colton Calloway. Holy crap. 

Colton and Nell try to resist each other. They are both lost and broken souls,  and somewhat guilty over the fact that Nell dated Colton’s younger brother, Kyle. However, they begin to see that fate has its reasons for everything happening and that they truly need each other to heal. Both are battling demons beyond the past life that they share. 

“…I’m falling into you. You’re an ocean, and I’m falling in, drowning in the depths of who you are….you are the most amazing thing I have ever experienced” 

Holy freakin’ swooooon!!!! The three words ‘I love you’ don’t live up to ‘I’m falling into you’.  It makes the word ‘love’ seem so small. 

Colton showed Nell how to forgive herself, how to let go, how to feel pain, and how to deal with it. Nell showed Colton that he is worthy of love. That he is the most beautiful person inside that she has ever met.

This was not the average love story. It’s messy and painful, but I loved it! I love that music was such a huge theme throughout the book. It allowed you to connect to the characters and understand the reasons behind their emotions. A lot of the time, the music spoke for them. You understood them at a deeper level. 

Everyone should read this book. Seriously. It reminds me of the reasons why I love to read.

__________________________________________________________________

As my first post, I knew exactly the review I wanted to do. This book was amazing, and I think everyone that loves to read,especially this genre, should read this. I am looking forward to writing more reviews for this blog as well as getting to know some of you. So excited that Brittany has given me the opportunity to be her co-blogger.

xo Bianca

Blog Tour- Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Ten Tiny Breaths

by K.A. Tucker

★★★★★ 

 

Synopsis:

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgivable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

__________________________________________________________

 

I won't go into too much detail regarding the events of this story, I don't want to spoil anything-- the synopsis already gives a very good idea what it's about :) I will say that I absolutely loved this book! This was an extremely emotional read for me and such a beautiful story! It's a story about love and friendships, about family, about pain and loss, about forgiveness, about healing. I fell in love with all of the characters, they all had something very special to bring to the story and helped to break up the very serious issues-- drunk driving, death, PTSD-- with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. I really love K.A. Tucker's writing style and I absolutely cannot wait to read more of her work. (We'll get Livie's story in April!). This is definitely a must read, I promise you will love it!

A few quotes:

“Just breathe. Ten tiny breaths … Seize them. Feel them. Love them.”

“I can feel his very existence as if it's wrapping its hand around my soul, cradling it, trying to protect it from harm and I'm terrified. Terrified because I don't ever want the feeling to end.”

“He leans in closer and closer until his breath caresses my mouth. I’m paralyzed. I swear he’s going to kiss me. I swear I’m going to let him.”

“And you must be Princess Mia? I've heard about you."
Her lips pucker and she leans out just a bit further from Storm's cover. "You have?!
He nods. "Well, I heard about a Princess Mia who likes ice cream. That must be you, right?"
She nods slowly and whispers, "Did you hear that, Mommy? People know I'm a princess!”

_______________________________________________________________

About the Author:



Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons.

She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit.

Kathleen currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Three books in her best selling YA Paranormal Fantasy series - Causal Enchantment- are available now. The fourth and final book will be published in 2013.

Her New Adult Contemporary, TEN TINY BREATHS, originally self-published, has been acquired by Atria Books (a division of Simon & Schuster), along with three more books in the series.

Connect with K.A. Tucker:

Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Website
Blog
Ten Tiny Breaths- Facebook Page
________________________________________________________________

PURCHASE TEN TINY BREATHS!

Amazon
B&N
Kobo

**Giveaway**
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Next stops on the Ten Tiny Breaths Blog Tour:

 

 

Blog Tour Organized By:

   

Sawyer Bennett EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY!

If you haven't had a chance yet to read OFF SIDES by Sawyer Bennet, you should defintely do so. I was asked by the author to review this book (you can find my review & find out more about the author HERE as well as info on where to buy this awesome novella). It was also a kindle freebie a while back so some of you might already have snatched it up and don't realize it (I know I go a little crazy with grabbing freebies and always forget what I have!)

 

Synopsis:

 

“I'm not sure what possessed me to do it. Maybe it was the impossible expectations I faced, maybe it was my own self-loathing. But I just knew I needed something different to happen. I needed someone...something...to derail me from my current path. Otherwise, I would become lost...a hollowed out shell of a man. So I did it. I approached her, then I pursued her, then I made her mine. And my life was saved...”

Ryan Burnham is the privileged son of a U.S. Congressman and captain of his university’s hockey team. While he is on the verge of fulfilling his dreams to play in the NHL, his parents want him on a different course. One he is expected to accept for the sake of his family’s public image.

Forced her to abandon her music career after the heart breaking death of her parents, Danny Cross exists on the opposite side of the tracks from Ryan. She is struggling to make her own way, working two jobs, attending college part time and volunteering in a homeless shelter. She is on a mission to build her own success.

With a chance meeting, their vastly different worlds collide, causing each to evaluate whether they are truly on the correct path to self-fulfillment and happiness. Can their relationship survive? Particularly when others are against them every step of the way. A lot can happen in just ten short days...

___________________________________________________________________

 
EXCERPT:

"You are so beautiful, Danny."

"I could say the same about you."

He gives me a hint of a smile but then his look turns molten. He leans in and kisses me gently. I follow his pace, soaking in the experience. I know I'm not losing my virginity tonight but I know I'm going to learn something new and I am tingling with anticipation.

Before long, our kisses turn more urgent. I feel like I am spinning out of control and Ryan masters my mouth. He commands it and it obeys him. My tongue and his move together and then apart. Needing to be together, then needing to roam.

Ryan's hand grabs a hold of my waist and he pulls me closer to him, his fingers digging deliciously into my tender skin. He brings my pelvis flush with his and he groans when we make contact.

Sliding his hand up the back of my shirt, he gently caresses my back while moving his lips to my neck. He's driving me crazy and every point of contact is burning where he touches and then freezing when it leaves. I'm in sensory overload and when his hand moves around to my front and gently cups my breast, I'm almost embarrassed over the guttural moan that escapes my lips.

"Sssshhhhh," he soothes me, yet his hand fondles me with more urgency and I want him to slip it beneath the barrier of my bra.

All of a sudden, Ryan pulls back and I am bereft. I reach toward him and he takes one of my hands and kisses my fingers.

"I'm not going to make love to you, Danny." I'm not sure if he says this to convince himself or me. "But, I would like to see and touch more of you. Will you let me?"
______________________________________________________________________

 

And today I have a GIVEAWAY for you-- You can enter to win 1 ebook copy of any ONE of the following titles by Sawyer Bennett:

• FOREVER YOUNG
• SECOND CHANCE
• STOLEN HEART

When the winner is chosen, you can let me know which title you chose! Winners will be chosen on MONDAY, APRIL 1st-- GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Promotion Event Organized By:

 

Review- Off Sides by Sawyer Bennett

Off Sides

by Sawyer Bennett

★★★★★

Blurb:

“I'm not sure what possessed me to do it. Maybe it was the impossible expectations I faced, maybe it was my own self-loathing. But I just knew I needed something different to happen. I needed someone...something...to derail me from my current path. Otherwise, I would become lost...a hollowed out shell of a man. So I did it. I approached her, then I pursued her, then I made her mine. And my life was saved...”

Ryan Burnham is the privileged son of a U.S. Congressman and captain of his university’s hockey team. While he is on the verge of fulfilling his dreams to play in the NHL, his parents want him on a different course. One he is expected to accept for the sake of his family’s public image.

Forced her to abandon her music career after the heart breaking death of her parents, Danny Cross exists on the opposite side of the tracks from Ryan. She is struggling to make her own way, working two jobs, attending college part time and volunteering in a homeless shelter. She is on a mission to build her own success.

With a chance meeting, their vastly different worlds collide, causing each to evaluate whether they are truly on the correct path to self-fulfillment and happiness. Can their relationship survive? Particularly when others are against them every step of the way. A lot can happen in just ten short days...

_________________________________________________________________________

As far as novellas go, I usually avoid them. Yes, there are some great ones out there, but they normally feel rushed to me. I don't get to feel a deep connection to the characters and the story just seems to move way too fast for my taste. Apparently, if it's done properly, this is not the case. At all. And OFF SIDES is a perfect example of a novella done right. I loved these characters. So much.

We have Danny who, on the surface, is pretty badass. Purple streaked hair, piercings, knows how to stand up for herself and doesn't hold her tongue.

“Excuse me. But we are in the middle of an important discussion. Do you think it’s appropriate to just interrupt us with the assumption we are ready for you?”

“I’m so sorry… It’s just… I saw all of you sitting here, and well, forgive my ignorance, but I’m pretty sure Ockham’s Razer says that among competing theories and all things being equal, the simplest theory is probably the correct one. I saw you had already looked at the menus and put them back down. Therefore, the simplest theory is that you are ready to order. Think of it this way… I think I saw you review the menus, therefore I am here to take your order. I mean Ockham is a little before Descartes’ time, but it’s still a sound principle don’t ya think?”

Then we have Ryan, who seems like a decent enough guy. Wealthy, captain of the hockey team, maybe spoiled and definitely bored with some aspects of his life. He's intrigued by Danny.

She’s stunning. No unique. No… that’s not it. Uniquely stunning… that’s what she is. I don’t know what it is about this girl, but fuck she’s hot. And clearly smart as shit.

 It turns out that these two both have more going on for them than meets the eye. Danny is a violinist who had to drop out of Julliard to care for her dying mother, has no family left, and is working her butt off just to make ends meet and try to move on with her life. Where Danny has had to struggle in life, Ryan comes from a a wealthy family and has all of his plans laid out for him. Or his parents' plans, rather. But Ryan himself turns out to be open minded, caring and, despite Danny's best efforts, not easily scared away from the rougher parts of her life.

Of course these two hit it off and fall deeply for each other.

"She looks even better up close and I hope my tongue isn't hanging out. I want to tell her I will have her, with a side of her, and for dessert... her."

"You are more important to me than anything else in this world. As long as I have you, I don't need anything else. It's you Danny. It will only ever be you." 

But some people have different plans for the two of them. More specifically Ryan's mother and ex-girlfriend who seem to cause trouble for the pair at every turn. Ryan's mother is calculating and manipulative and will stop at nothing to see Ryan end things with Danny, who she sees as a horrible match for her son, and reunited with his ex, Angeline. Angeline, in turn, tries to tear Danny down every chance gets and is really just such a nuisance.

"I've never been into girls that had facial piercings or dyed hair. The type of girls my parents expect me to date wear pearls and cashmere and have a pedigree a mile long behind their names. How does mother put it? "Your father is in the public eye so we must maintain proper appearances at all times."

As I said, I loved the two main characters (and this book is in alternating POV) and really felt invested in them and their story. They really were perfect for each other. Even the supporting characters were fantastic. Paula, Danny's roommate and best friend is pretty badass herself and so funny. And Mike, Ryan's best friend is one of the few people in his life that is truly supportive of him no matter what. Such a good friend to him and a really great guy. As much as was involved in this story, it didn't feel rushed at all. Of course when you love a story, you want it to be longer and that was definitely the case for me here, but the whole book read at a really great pace. There were laugh-out-loud parts, emotional parts, and you'll be rooting for these two to have their happily ever after. 5 stars for this "good boy" meets "bad girl" and falls madly in love, screw what everyone else things gem of a novella ;-) Really loved it!

Apparently there was a huge outcry for there to be an epilogue at the end of Off Sides, which has been remedied. The newer kindle version DOES have an epilogue now. But if you're one of the ones with the pre-epilogue version, like me, you can find it on Sawyer's website HERE. There is also a companion book, OFF LIMITS, due out in APRIL that will take us on Emily's journey-- Emily is Ryan's bratty turned understanding sister that we get a glimpse of in Off Sides. I'm excited to see how her story plays out. She has a lot of growing to do, but seems to be up for the challenge :) Looking forward to that. You can add Off Limits to your TBR list on goodreads HERE.

____________________________________________________________________

About the Author:

Sawyer Bennett is the pen name for a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn't have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Connect with Sawyer Bennett:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

PURCHASE OFF SIDES NOW!

AMAZON

And Sawyer-- this is for you ;-)