Blog Tour Review + Excerpt + Giveaway: Ignite by Tessa Teevan

 

Today, I have the tour for Ignite by Tessa Teevan, hosted by Love Between the Sheets, on the blog. I am super excited to share my review and an excerpt with you.

Ignite

(Explosive #1)

Author: Tessa Teevan

Publisher: Self-published

Publication Date: October 28, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC via Love Between the Sheets

~Synopsis~

After nearly a year and a half of grieving the loss of her husband, twenty-seven year old Alexa Sullivan Tate is headed back to her hometown after a decade of being away. She has no idea her high school crush, Jace McAllister, the guy who stole her heart the same night that he broke it, is more than ready to pick up the pieces. 

Jace has spent the last ten years in the Army defusing bomb after bomb, trying to forget the girl who ignited all his passions. Little does he know that the spark still exists. 

Ten years ago they had smoldering chemistry, but the spark between them now might light a fuse that leads to an explosion even Jace can't stop. Not that he wants to. If only Alexa can get past her guilt and trust her heart again. 

But how do you put it all on the line when you've already lost everything once before?

~Review~

From the moment I started reading this book, it really touched me. The prologue was unbelievably emotional and I was definitely left with a little lump in my throat. This is so much more than just the romance between Lexi and Jace. This is a story about dealing with loss and learning to love again. I found it gut-wrenching one minute and sweet and steamy the next. 

I really adored Lexi and my favorite thing about her was how realistic she was portrayed. She has lost her husband in a tragic accident and she is devastated. Who wouldn't be? She never imagined being widowed at 27 and she loved him deeply. While their marriage wasn't perfect, she knew he loved her just as much too and she is reeling from the things left unsaid before he died. When her first love, whom she hasn't seen in 10 years steps back into her life, she is finally starting to heal and believe that she can still live a happy life.

Jace has spent the last 10 years jumping from casual relationship to the next, never getting serious because he can't get over the one girl he let slip away. I was definitely swooning over Jace from the beginning. I loved that he still had feelings for Lexi and he was determined not to give up so easy this time. He was definitely straight up with his intentions but he also knew how delicate she was and he respected the pace that Lexi needed to move at. I also really liked how open he was about Ty being in her life. Internally, it may have squeezed his heart a bit to know she had been with another man but he never made her feel guilty for still holding him in her heart a bit. 

This book had some fantastic side characters and I found Sierra, Lexi's sister, and her husband Jeremy to be hilarious. You could tell they were perfect for each other and they were both really supportive with Lexi. Sierra could be a bit pushy and overbearing at times but she had her sister's well being in mind so her antics were easy to forgive. Their daughter, Ava, is adorable and I really liked the way she instantly took to Jace. I also really liked Brady and he was an amazing friend to Lexi. She met him after Ty passed away and it was great for her to have a friend that didn't know her before the accident so he could give her a fresh perspective on life. He really helped her move forward and gave her a lot of great advice when it came to Jace. Knox, Jace's best friend, is a bit of an enigma but it is obvious he is really jaded when it comes to women and I can't wait for his story coming next.

What I loved most about this storyline was the pace of the romance. Even though Jace and Lexi reconnected very quickly and physically moved their relationship, they had a very realistic pace for the emotional journey. Any woman who has been through what Lexi has would be very cautious about loving again, especially a guy like Jace, who has a very dangerous job for a living. Despite knowing that Ty would want her to live a full and happy life, she still feels guilty at times and I could tell that played with her emotions regarding Jace. She hadn't been this happy in 2 years but the fear kept her from admitting her true feelings to Jace and even more importantly to herself. What she really learns is that sometimes the fear of losing someone holds you back and sometimes it propels you forward.

Jace has been given a second chance and he definitely takes full advantage of it with Lexi. He lost her once and he's not about to let her slip away from him again. I loved that he wasn't afraid to tell her how he felt and show his emotions. He is truly a gentleman and he whittles away at Lexi's walls. He never pushes her but he makes damn sure that she knows his how he feels and he was definitely a patient guy. He loved Lexi and he waited until the perfect moment to tell her. It was so sweet and beautiful and I felt butterflies in my stomach at that moment. Can someone please tell me where I can find my very own Jace?

This book was really well written and had an expertly developed plot. I felt like the transitions between the flashbacks and the present were done really well and the timeline of the plot flowed consistently. Tessa was able to take us on a journey through time as we watched these two characters reconnect and fall in love all over again. It was equal parts steam and sexiness as well as sweet and romantic. Jace not only rocks your world but he melts your heart.

~IPOD Picks~

“By Your Side” by Tenth Avenue North

“Never Stop” by Safetysuit

“The One That Got Away” by Boyce Avenue

~Excerpt~

Sitting on the runway at the airport and getting ready to take off, I begin to feel a sense of nervousness that I haven’t felt in a long time. Am I really doing this? In less than twelve hours I’ll be in the presence of Jace McAllister. When we got to the airport, Sierra let me know that I’d be involved in tonight’s festivities. Although I’m coming along as the pseudo nanny, Jeremy’s parents are mysteriously in the same area and will be keeping Ava for the night.  A little suspicious, but that’s Sierra. Always meddling. She has the best of intentions, but sometimes she can drive me nuts.

            I gaze out the window as we wait for takeoff. I used to be terrified to fly, but ever since the car accident, I’ve given up most of my silly fears. Ty used to always laugh at me when we’d be on a plane and I’d white-knuckle clutch the armrests during takeoff and landing. I remember him leaning down, giving me a kiss on the forehead, and telling me, “Lexi, you know what they say? More people die in car accidents than plane crashes. You’re safe, babe.”

            Cue Alanis Morissette. And isn’t it ironic? Quickly wiping away a lone tear that escapes, I push those thoughts from my memory and immediately the guilt rushes into my heart. I feel guilty for thinking about Jace so much these past few months when I should have been mourning my husband, but at the same time, Brady’s voice telling me that it’s okay to move on replays in my head. Shaking the thought of out my mind, I instantly make a vow to keep my distance from Jace. I don’t need anything else to add to the pain I’ve been trying to work through over the past year. But deep down I know this is one vow I’m probably going to break. 

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | AMAZON UK | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | PAPERBACK

About Tessa:

I'm a twenty six year old book junkie who is also obsessed with sports. Bengals, Buckeyes, Reds are my teams! I work for the government during the day, hang out with Air National Guard on the weekends, and am married to a guy 15 inches taller than me. We're quite the pair! We currently live right outside of Dayton, OH with our two cats.

I've been reading since I was a kid. My mom was a librarian, so it was a given. Heck, she even made sure we watched Wishbone instead of the Smurfs. In 2011 when I graduated from college, my mom bought me a Nook, and then in the summer of 2012 I found this amazing site called Goodreads. I was introduced to so many amazing indie/self-published authors. After reading almost 400 books that year, my husband gave me the push to finally sit down and write my own. It was a rocky start, but over time the words started flowing and I couldn't get Jace and Lexi out of my head.

If I’m not writing or looking through tons of photos of hot men, all in the name of research, then you can probably find me curled up with my Kindle, ignoring the rest of the world. I love my sports almost as much as I love my books. My other obsessions include red wine, hot men, country music, and all things Grace Potter.  

I LOVE to hear from readers, so please feel free to contact via any social media site listed below.

 Connect with Tessa:

 Website: http://tessateevanauthor.blogspot.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tessateevanauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tessa_GGBR

Email: tessateevanauthor@gmail.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7170636.Tessa_Teevan

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