ARC Review: The Fine Line by Alicia Kobishop

The Fine Line

Author: Alicia Kobishop

Publication Date: December 6, 2013

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Source: eARC via Author

~Synopsis~

High school senior Liv Evans has one rule: No attachments. She’s lost enough in her life and has vowed to do whatever it takes to make sure she never again feels the emptiness of losing someone she loves. Boys are a fun distraction, but a serious relationship is something she’d rather live without. Her determination for a future free of pain and heartbreak is put to the test when she meets–and quickly forms an unexpected bond–with Logan Tanner.

Logan has always been a free spirit, but ever since a life-changing event took place, which left him doubting the integrity of those who are closest to him, he’s taken that term to a whole new dangerous level. Learning the hard way that life is too short for worries or work–and that women can’t be trusted–Logan has exchanged steady work for street racing. When Liv walks into his world, everything he thought he knew about life and women is challenged.

In The Fine Line, Liv and Logan will discover if it’s possible for true love to have a future, or if history is destined to repeat itself.

~Review~

When Alicia emailed me and asked if I would be interested in reading The Fine Line I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis. I wasn’t sure if I had the time to take on another review book but I knew I needed to give this one a shot. I’m really glad I said yes. This was such a wonderfully written book and I was thoroughly impressed, especially since it was a debut novel. I had just come off of a couple really bad books when I started this one and I was instantly immersed. I spent an entire Sunday reading this one and it was such an emotional journey.

Liv has spent her whole life being let down, especially by the men in her life and this has forced her to build walls that are practically impenetrable by the time she hits 18. She doesn’t allow many people to get close and she doesn’t do relationships. When she meets Logan, she feels this instant connection and despite her rules for getting close to people, she can’t help but let him in. They build this really beautiful friendship and they can’t help falling for each other. However, Liv is too afraid to lose Logan to really open up to him but in the end, her inability to let him fully in may  cause her to lose him in the end.

Liv definitely frustrated me a time or two, I won’t lie about that. However, I totally understood her fears. She has legit abandonment issues and she truly believes that Logan will eventually leave her like everyone else has. Each time she almost lets him in, her fears get the best of her and she pushes Logan away. My biggest frustration with Liv was her back and forth with Logan and the hot and cold. I felt like she led him on and gave him hope for a relationship and then would shut him out and push him away. However, I think this made her more real because a girl her age with her issues would most likely act this way when they’re that confused. She made a lot of poor decisions and really hurt Logan but I liked her growth because she learned to open up and take chances and in the end she took the biggest chance of them all.

I really liked Logan. I liked how understanding and sweet he was with Liv. He wanted to be with her and he wanted her to love him back. However, if friends was all he could get then he would take that too. He was always there for Liv and proved himself time and time again. However, he pulled some dick moves trying to make her jealous and I lost a little respect for him when he did that. He did exactly what Liv was afraid he would do and that didn’t win him any points. However, I loved the way he cared for Liv and the sweet things that he did for her on her birthday and when she was sick.

The push and pull and back and forth with Liv and Logan was an emotional rollercoaster. It was obvious how much they cared and loved each other and I wanted Logan to take a chance and put it out there. To TELL and SHOW Liv how much he loved her and that he would never leave her. I wanted Liv to let go of her insecurities and be honest with herself because it was so clear she loved Logan but she wouldn’t allow herself to admit it. There was a lot of tension here as Logan pushed her a bit to open up to him and Liv desperately fought her feelings. Each one of them made some poor decisions that really hurt the other and I wanted to pull my hair out and scream “What are you doing?!” Despite the emotional damage that they did to each other, Logan never gave up on Liv and I loved that he fought for her. I liked seeing Liv open up to her mom about her fears and I think that conversation was a revelation for her and it was exactly what she needed to open herself to love and Logan. It’s always long, painful, emotional journey to a happy ending.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was well written, flowed nicely and had an interesting and exciting plot. I liked the side characters and I found Logan and Liv to be well developed. I found myself frustrated one minute and giddy with excitement the next. A book that can provoke that kind of range of emotions is the kind of book I love to read.

~IPOD Picks~

“Let Me Down” by Kelly Clarkson

“Broken Angel” by Boyce Avenue

“We Found Love” by Rihanna

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON

The Fine Line is on sale for $.99 until January 22nd so pick up your copy now!

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Thanks for stopping by! Come back tomorrow for my review of Tick to the Tock by Matthew Turner.