Review: Slammed Series (Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl) by Colleen Hoover

Since I read all 3 books within a 2 day period :-), I thought I would do a combined review instead of 3 separate posts so here are my thoughts on each book. Enjoy!

Slammed, Point of Retreat & This Girl
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Atria Books

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Slammed

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

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I really enjoyed Slammed from the very first moment I started reading it. I loved that Will and Layken found this immediate connection with one another. I was so heartbroken for both of them when they realized that there were obstacles that wouldn't allow them to be together. I did not expect the circumstances they would be under that would keep them apart. It was so hard to see them fight their connection while they were falling deeper in love. Every character in this book was fabulous and there wasn't a single one that I had ill feelings towards. I loved how sweet and caring Will was and how strong and mature he was. I loved that Layken was so headstrong and passionate. She knows what she wants and she is always willing to go for it but at the same time she is so respectful of the situation and does the best she can to not be selfish.

I loved the Avett Brothers quotes in the beginning of the chapters and the special meaning they had for Will and Layken. I absolutely adored the theme of this book and the the slam poetry that was incorporated in it. The idea that two people can fight their way to each other through every obstacle thrown there way is such a compelling love story.

Favorite Quote:
"The same glorious feeling I had on that stage...on his dryer...in the booth in the back of the room--it's gone. I can't do it again. I want to run. I need air. I need to feel the Michigan air against my face." ~Layken (Slammed by Colleen Hoover)

IPOD Pick:
"A Drop in the Ocean" by Ron Pope

Point of Retreat

Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart. 

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins

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Point of Retreat picks up a little over a year after Slammed left off and I was totally satisfied with where Layken and Will were in their relationship. So many monumental things had happened to them over that year and it was clear that they needed each other now more than ever. Of course happily ever after only lasts so long and Will and Layken are facing new obstacles this time. I was easily able to predict what was going to cause problems between them but I didn't expect it to play out the way it did. I certainly didn't expect the things that would happen throughout and towards the end of the book. Even though the primary plot of the book revolved around Layken and Will's strained relationship, there so many other things going on around them too that I really liked because it showed that life was still going on around them and other people have issues and problems.

 I was a little disappointed with the way Layken handled things between her and Will. I felt like she was kind of immature and I didn't care too much for the little tantrums that she would throw. There were a few new characters introduced in this book and I really liked them. I "butterflying" loved Kiersten. She was such a fun character and she made me laugh. There was also a lot more of Gavin and Eddie and they had their own drama going on too. 

This book was written from Will's POV and I think the author did a great job with it. I also felt that she did a great job in the introduction to bridge the time gap between the two books. This was a complex plot which I loved because there was so much depth to the story. I was really satisfied with the ending and where the author took it. Of course, the slam poetry in this book was once again amazing!

Favorite Quote:
"I love being with you so bad
When we aren't together, I miss you so bad
One of these days, I'm going to marry you so bad
And it'll be
so
so
good." 
~ Will (Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover)

IPOD Pick:
"Lucky" by Jason Mraz & Colbie Collait

This Girl

Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from hispoint of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.

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This Girl starts off right where Point of Retreat left off but it is Will telling his side of the events from Slammed to Layken. I really liked the way this was written. Instead of just being Will's version of Slammed, it is written as a flashback with him telling Layken his side of the story. It breaks from the past to the present after he retells a scene from Slammed from his POV and I liked that. It was really fun to go back through the events of Slammed with Will as the MC because there were so many great moments between them in that book and I loved getting Will's perspective during those moments. 

I loved finding out some of the secrets that Will had kept from Layken during that time. The book also extended the events from the end of Slammed so we got a little insight into what happened right after Slammed ended. I absolutely loved reading their first date from his perspective and how he felt and reacted to the poem that she slammed for him. It was beautiful!
The ending to this book and series was really amazing and I was very happy with the direction the author took it. All loose ends were tied up and it left me feeling happy and satisfied.

Favorite Quote:

"This feeling I get when I'm with her...I've missed it. I've missed that feeling of feeling. Somehow, she's the first person in the last two years of my life who gives me any sense of hope about the future." ~Will (This Girl by Colleen Hoover)

IPOD Pick:
"Forever & Always" by Parachute

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Overall, I "butterflying" enjoyed this series and am a huge fan of Colleen Hoover's writing. I fell in love with Will and Layken's story. I laughed with them, I cried with them and I enjoyed every minute I spent with them.

P.S. Read the books and you will understand the "butterflying" reference ;-)

Sources

Synopsis for each book: Goodreads

Cover Photos: Goodreads

Feature & Follow Friday Blog Hop #10

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme/feature hosted byAlison Can Read & Parajunkee.

This week's question is:

Give us a sneak! What are you reading? Tell us about a fun or fail scene in your current read.

At the time I am writing this, I am currently reading This Girl by Colleen Hoover. I say that because I am almost finished with the book. I loved Slammed and Point of Retreat so I was super excited to jump right into This Girl for the conclusion of Will and Layken's story. 

I loved so many different parts of this book but one of my favorite scenes would be reading the first slam that Will took Layken too from his point of view. If I wasn't already in love with him before, I definitely was after that. 

"This feeling I get when I'm with her... I've missed it. I've missed that feeling of feeling. Somehow, she's the first person in the last two years of my life who gives me any sense of hope about the future." ~ Will (This Girl by Colleen Hoover)

Review: The Edge of Never J.A. Redmerski

The Edge of Never

Author: J.A. Redmerski

Publisher: Createspace

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett thought she knew exactly where her life was going. But after a wild night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she shocks everyone-including herself-when she decides to leave the only life she's ever known and set out on her own. Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus ready to find herself. Instead, she finds Andrew Parrish.

Sexy and exciting, Andrew lives life like there is no tomorrow. He persuades Camryn to do things she never thought she would and shows her how to give in to her deepest, most forbidden desires. Soon he becomes the center of her daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But there is more to Andrew than Camryn realizes. Will his secret push them inseparably together-or destroy them forever?

Due to sexual content and language, this book is recommended for 17+ – Adult Contemporary Women’s – New Adult Fiction

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I absolutely LOVED this book. For me, there is nothing like a book that has me laughing out loud one minute and tears streaming down my face the next. That is the emotional mess this book turned me into. The characters were endearing, the story was mesmerizing and the end was satisfying.

Camryn is such an incredible character who has seriously been through the ringer in her short 20 years of life. Not only has she been through so much pain and heartache, but she suffered through it all in such a short amount of time. When her best friend's betrayal pushes her over the edge, she decides to just take off on her own to gain some perspective. I would hope that I would have as much guts as she did and do the same. She is smart and not afraid to say what's on her mind. She feels nothing and is numb to life until she meets Andrew on a bus in Kansas. What can I say about Andrew except for that I love him. He is sweet and protective and freaking hilarious. The banter back and forth between him and Camryn had me laughing more than a few times. They compliment each other so well and somehow know what the other needs and provide that comfort without hesitation. They have become one of my new favorite couples.

I loved the plot of this story. It was really all about two young people who are lost in life and find the only other person that can make them feel alive again. I knew there was a little mystery surrounding Andrew but when it was revealed I really wasn't expecting it. I loved the writing in this book and how well the story flowed. It was written in dual POV but didn't have a defined structure to it and I liked that. The ending to this book was done so well and I was left very satisfied. There is a second book to come out so I was glad that I was left wanting more only to see how their story continues and not sitting on the edge of my seat from a cliffhanger. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from J.A. Redmerski.

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Favorite Quote:

"When I could hold my eyes open long enough, I did stare up at the rain pelting down on me. I've never looked at it like that, straight up into the sky, and while I flinched more than I could actually see, when I could see it was absolutely beautiful. Like each drop rocketing towards me was separate from the thousands of others and for a suspended moment in time, I could glimpse it and see its delicate facets. I saw the gray clouds churning above me and felt the car shake when the wind from the traffic pushed against it. I shivered even thought it's warm enough to swim. But nothing I saw or felt or heard was as warm and fascinating as Andrew's closeness." ~Camryn (The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski)

The author referenced a lot of great music in this book which I LOVED! Especially, The Civil Wars, who are one of my favorite bands. So, in my IPOD picks, I included a couple of their songs that were referenced in the book, along with my own picks.

IPOD Picks:

"Barton Hollow" by The Civil Wars

"Poison & Wine" by The Civil Wars

"Falling Slowly" by Chris Allen

"Near to You" by A Fine Frenzy

Sources

Synopsis: Goodreads

Cover Photo: Goodreads

Come Back to Me Blitz: Excerpt & Giveaway

In honor of the release of Come Back to Me  by Coleen Patrick, I am happy participate in the book blitz and I have an excerpt and Giveaway for you all!

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Whitney Denison can’t wait to start over.

She thought she had everything under control, that her future would always include her best friend Katie… Until everything changed.

Now her life in Bloom is one big morning after hangover, filled with regret, grief, and tiny pinpricks of reminders that she was once happy. A happy she ruined. A happy she can’t fix.

So, she is counting down the days until she leaves home for Colson University, cramming her summer with busywork she didn’t finish her senior year, and taking on new hobbies that involve glue and glitter, and dodging anyone who reminds her of her old life.

When she runs into the stranger who drove her home on graduation night, after she’d passed out next to a ditch, she feels herself sinking again. The key to surviving the summer in Bloom is unraveling whatever good memories she can from that night.

But in searching for answers, she’ll have to ask for help and that means turning to Evan, the stranger, and Kyle, Katie’s ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, life flips again, and Whitney finds herself on not only the precipice of happy but love, too, causing her to question whether she can trust her feelings, or if she is falling into her old patterns of extremes.

As she uncovers the truth about her memories, Whitney sees that life isn’t all or nothing, and that happy isn’t something to wait for, that instead, happy might just be a choice.

Come Back to Me by Coleen Patrick

Publication date: March, 2013

Genre: YA Contemporary

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Excerpt From Chapter 6:

55 days.

What if Colson isn’t the answer?

I ignored the thought and continued to face the liquor cabinet, the bottles shifting into pairs as my vision glazed over.

A tiny frisson of cold moved from my heel and up my spine to prickle at my scalp.  I pictured my newly short hair standing on end, like hundreds of tiny spikes framing a carrot-orange cartoon sun.

I froze, avoiding my reflection in the mirror-backed wall of the cabinet.  The tingling returned. Was someone behind me?

I dropped my head.  My heart pounded under my chin.  My bangs curtained my face, but I took in my shoes, the floor, the craft store bag, fur . . . wait, fur?

I turned around and sighed.  “Bug.”

She stared at me, still, as if she too saw a ghost.  Her fur stood up in tufts and shocks around her head, but that was just Bug.  Imperfect breed, imperfect hair.  Not that Bug knew that.  According to her, she was a purebred.  She didn’t seem to know that the pretty auburn and dark brown coat around her head faded to an almost dirty white on her back and legs, or that her slim build didn’t match her squashed up face, or that she had a funny name, or that she was the result of a full pedigree/mutt hook up.  She’d never believe any of it.

I shook my head, pushing my fingertips into my eyebrows.

“What are you doing, Bug?” My mom wasn’t home. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen her without my mom.

Bug walked to the craft bag and sniffed.  She sat down in front of it.

“There’s nothing for you in there.”  I picked up the bag and headed for the stairs.  Bug’s tiny but imperious steps followed.

I turned around.  “Do you need to go outside?”

If a dog could roll her eyes, she would’ve.  I swore she looked insulted, as if she didn’t have a paper-lined crate in the laundry room.

“Are you hungry?”

Bug ignored me, pushing her nose into my bag.  She wouldn’t come to me for food anyway.  My mom’s culinary skills were what turned her from my shelter rescue into my mom’s sidekick.  Whatever.  Glitter was the only thing on my agenda right now.

The air conditioning turned on, and I jumped, catching my reflection in the mirror again. I frowned and moved to close the liquor cabinet doors.

A crazy but funny idea popped into my head—me covering all the bottles with glue and glitter.  I looked at Bug.  As if she could read my mind, she cocked her head.  “I’m just saying it would be hilarious to see their reaction.”

I imagined my dad pouring himself a drink out of a sparkly, fuchsia Jameson bottle—right into a matching bejeweled highball glass.  Except the enjoyment would only last for a split second, just like the first hit of alcohol.  Yes, I wanted that initial sense of relief, the momentary lapse in emptiness.

Until tomorrow, when I’d have to start all over again.

I swallowed.  Glitter.  I shifted all my focus to glitter.

AUTHOR BIO

Coleen Patrick grew up in New Jersey, Virginia, Michigan, Louisiana, and Indiana. Always being the new kid, she learned that books and friends are precious—and dessert. She never met a dessert she didn’t like (except for flan).

When she’s not writing, reading (or avoiding flan), she enjoys TV, arts and crafts, quoting movies, and trying to take cool photos.

She lives in Virginia with her husband and two kids.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Novella Review: Cloud Walking (Find You in the Dark Novella) by A. Meredith Walters

Cloud Walking (Find You in the Dark Novella)

Author: A. Meredith Walters

While Clay and Maggie were falling apart...

Daniel and Rachel were falling in love. 

Rachel Bradfield has loved Daniel Lowe for most of her life. She has had to sit quietly by while he throws his feelings away on a girl who doesn’t deserve them. Rachel knows she can be everything he needs.

Daniel has always known Rachel was special. She is one of his best friends. But what Daniel doesn’t realize is that the girl he has known forever might just be the one he really wants.

Love pulls two people together, while tearing two others apart. As Daniel and Rachel discover the beauty of first love their best friend loses her heart to the deepest darkness. Unable to hold Maggie together, Rachel and Daniel find out that love doesn’t have to hurt and that it can change your life.

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I really liked Find You in the Dark and loved Maggie & Clay's story. Rachel and Daniel were two secondary characters that I really loved so it was great to read their story and how they fell in love while everything was falling apart for Clay and Maggie.

I loved that Rachel and Daniel both had feelings for each other but didn't know how the other felt. We really only get insight into Rachel's feelings in Find You in the Dark so it was really great to hear Daniel's perspective and to know how he was feeling for her at the same time. I really liked that they were such good friends to Maggie and that they didn't flaunt their love and passion during Maggie's toughest times. I also liked getting a little bit of their perspective on Maggie and Clay's relationship.

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Favorite Quote

"Love has a way of consuming you. Making you lose all focus. But it could also lift you up and make your life that much better. Make you feel like it was the only thing in the world you needed." ~Daniel (Cloud Walking by A. Meredith Walters)

IPOD Picks:

"Bad" by The Cab

"Ships in the Night" by Matt Kearney

Sources

Synopsis: Goodreads

Cover Photo: Goodreads

What happened to April?

Where the heck did April go? I can't believe it is already May 1st. I am so excited that I have been blogging for 3 months now and I am absolutely loving every freaking minute of it. I read and reviewed 22 books in April and blew my book budget for the month. I kept up with a few meme's that I really enjoy and a few of my own monthly features and I participated in quite a few cover reveals and blitzes (I really enjoy helping authors promote their books). I also hit my 100th post this month and did my first rafflecopter giveaway. I am looking forward to even more fun in May!

Since April is over, I thought I would do a little recap of my reviews & blog posts for the past month.

Reviews

The Secret of Ella & Micha by Jessica Sorenson

Forever Changed by Tiffany King

Unexpected by Faith Sullivan

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Rule by Jay Crownover

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Apollyon by Jennifer Armentrout

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Torn by K.A. Robinson

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

The Morning Star by Tania Penn

If You Stay by Courtney Cole

Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Twisted by K.A. Robinson

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Find You in the Dark by A. Meredith Walters

Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters

No Attachments by Tiffany King

Top Ten Tuesdays

1. Characters I Would Crush on if I were Fictional

2. Favorite Books I read before I became a blogger

3. My Favorite Authors

4. Words/Topics that Attract me to Books

Waiting on Wednesdays

1.The Liberator (Dante Walker #2) by Victoria Scott

2. Salvation (Captive #4) by Erica Stevens

3. The Forever of Ella & Micha by Jessica Sorensen

4. Haven by Laury Falter

Feature & Follow Fridays

1. Books I thought I would hate but ended up liking and vice versa

2. Blog conventions I would like to attend

3. Author I would hang out with and what we would do

4. Music and books

Saturday @ Starbucks

1. Leading Ladies & a Caramel Apple Spice

2. Teasers & a Cinnamon Dolce Latte

3. Favorite Villains & Caramel Macchiato

4. Series Spotlight & a Frappucinno

Sunday's Selection

1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

2. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

3. Timepiece by Myra McEntire

4. Cinder by Carissa Meyers

Fallen for Covers

1. Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder

2. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

3. Exiled by M.R. Merrick

Other Features/Posts

1. Cover Reveal: The Kiss Off (Books 1 & 2)

2. Release Party! Unexpected by Faith Sullivan

3. Featured Blog at Rainy Day Reads

4. Book Spotlight: If You Stay by Courtney Cole

5. Book Spotlight: Afterlife by S.P. Cloward

6. Excerpt & Giveaway: Inhale, Exhale by Sarah Ross

7. New Release Spotlight & Giveaway: Evanescent by Addison Moore

8. The Morning Star Blog Tour

9. Cover Reveal: Trophy Husband by Lauren Blakely

10. Cover Reveal: Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman

11. Cover Reveal: Ten Days by Olivia Mayfield

12. Cover Reveal & Teaser: Are You Mine? by N.K. Smith

13. Blogging: Hobby or Addiction

14. New Release Spotlight: Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase

15. Cover Reveal: Sacrifice by K.A. Last

16. Awakened Book Blitz: Excerpt & Giveaway

17. Cover Reveal: Unspoken by Camille Dixon

18. No Attachments Release Day Launch

If you want to check out any of my March blog posts, select the corresponding page above and you will find the link to the specific post you are looking for. Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Cover Reveal: Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu

Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu

Publication date:  Summer 2013 
Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Synopsis:

Twenty-one year-old Jillian Nichols only has one rule when it comes to boys: catch and release. Boy-catching isn't just a game for Jillian and her friends, it's a lifestyle. After all, boys might be good for a dance or a drink and certainly a little under-cover action of the scandalous variety, but expect much else and you're bound for heart ache

So when her best friends and fellow boy catchers start dropping like flies junior year, Jillian is determined to keep boys in her bedroom and out of her heart. Until she meets Liam McAvoy, the kind of guy that sticks around to make waffles and who can't—or perhaps won't—take a hint. 

Study abroad student Liam doesn't want to be another notch on Jillian's bedpost. Actually he has much more interesting ideas for Jillian and her bedposts, but his student visa's set expiration date means he can't promise her forever. That doesn't mean he's going to walk away from the challenge of discovering why Jillian is hell-bent at keeping people at a distance. 

Before long, neither is sure who is catching who—or if they're playing for keeps. Jillian knows one thing though: falling in love will not only break the only rule of boy-catching, it could also break her heart.

AUTHOR BIO

Sophia Bleu is a secret identity where I can write about fantasies and falling in love and all the smexiness in between.  In real life, I'm likely catching a plane, chasing kids, or making out with the love of my life—all 6 ft 3 inches of hotness that he is.  Life is pretty good.

Author links:

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Xpresso Book Tours is also hosting a blog tour for Catching Liam in July. If you are interested in participating, click on the link below.

http://www.xpressobooktours.com/2013/05/tour-sign-up-catching-liam-by-sophia.html