Review- Cloudwalking by A.Meredith Walters

Summary-

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.

Review-

Cloudwalking is Rachel and Daniel's story who are Maggie's best friends from Find You In The Dark. You can find my review of Find You In The Dark here. Cloudwalking takes place parallel to Find You In The Dark so if you haven't read that first, please do as this one contains major spoilers. I had been looking forward to Rachel and Daniels' story since I finished Find You In The Dark and I picked this one up right after cause I just had to know what happened of all that tension between them.

Rachel has loved Daniel for most of her life. He and Maggie were the two pillars of support in her life. When everything seemed to be going wrong she knew Danny and Maggie would always be there for her just as she would go out on a limb for them. I really liked Rachel. She was a sensible, sweet yet shy girl. You could see how badly she was pining after Daniel from so long and she so badly deserves her happy ending.

Daniel has always seen Rachel as his best friend. But lately his best friend brings out the feelings which no other girl has been able to make him feel. Daniel has seen how his mother cheated on his father and how it ended up destroying him and he doesn't want to mess it all up with Rachel. Daniel was a good guy. He lacked in showing his emotions to Rachel but you could see how much he cared for her. He was fierce and  protective about his girls and that made him a really nice guy.

All throughout the novella you could see the push and pull between Rachel and Daniel. The book goes from dual point of views which was awesome. All that angst and tension comes to a satisfying end. When Daniel says "There is no Daniel Lowe without Rachel Bradfield" it made me fall just a little bit in love with him. This book doesn't have that much substance. Its a really short yet enjoyable read which can be read after Find You In The Dark.

Review- Find You In The Dark by A.Meredith Walters

Summary-

Maggie Young had the market on normal. Normal friends, normal parents, normal grades...normal life. 

Until him.

Clayton Reed was running from his past and an army of personal demons that threatened to take him down. He never thought he had a chance at happiness.

Until her.

Maggie thought their love could overcome anything. Clay thought she was all he needed to fix his messy life. 

That together, they could face the world.

But the darkness is always waiting. 

Sometimes the greatest obstacle to true love is within yourself.

Review-

Find You In The Dark was one of the most unique books I've ever read. Before starting it I knew that it had a totally dysfunctional relationship but I totally underestimated just how fucked up the whole situation was going to be. It was like watching a train wreck where you're helpless to do anything but watch the destruction. And destruction was what Maggie and Clay's relationship was.

Maggie Young is a normal girl living a normal life. She has average grades, loving parents and two best friends who love her. But she is tired over the monotony which has taken over her life. Things are going fine for her, just not great and she's losing interest in everything. That is, until Clayton Reed comes into town.

Clay is a loner. He doesn't talk to anyone, doesn't make friends and goes out of his way to avoid bumping into Maggie after their first time. Maggie is even more intrigued by him. When they finally become friends after Maggie's persistence. Maggie, for the first time in her life feels alive with him. Even though she knows ditching her friends and lying to her parents is wrong she finds ways to hang out with Clay. But his erratic behavior and mood swings confuse her. Until she finds out his secrets.

Clay and Maggie together were good but they had a ton of flaws which needed working on. The angst, drama, jealousies and anger issues kept on coming between them. But inspite of all of this you could see how their love for each other was genuine. Maggie just wanted what was best for Clay. But Clay's imbalance and Maggie's denial kept messing things up for them. There were moments when everything seemed perfect but it was all just on the outside.

Some of the decisions which Maggie made were definitely stupid because I thought she had all the support of her family and friends if she's just asked for help. But I guess love makes you do crazy things and Maggie and Clay both did a hell lot of crazy things. The book goes from Maggie's point of view and I loved getting to know her best friends Rachel and Daniel. I am so looking forward to their story in Cloudwalking. Find You In The Dark was an intense, heart breaking and a gut wrenching read but I still have hope for the next book.

Review- Wait For You by J.Lynn

Summary-

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

Review-

Wait For You is a new adult contemporary romance by J.Lynn aka Jennifer Armentrout. I had read an excerpt of this one before so I was super excited to get to it. I like J.Lynn's writing style. It is nice and engaging. It keeps you hooked to the book and hooked I was to Wait For You.

Avery has moved halfway across the country to get away from her parents and past. In the new college all she hopes for is to make a few new friends and move on ahead in her life without grabbing attention. I liked Avery. She was a sweet and hesitant girl. What happened to her was sad and cruel but she was brave enough to want to change her future.

What Avery doesn't expect is to bump into Cameron Hamilton on her first day. She tries to stay away from him but Cam is determined to pursue her. Cam was a totally swoon worthy guy. He was witty and charming and funny. His ego was miles long but that is what made him so perfect for Avery I think because he could actually take the hits of rejection from Avery.

The romance between Avery and Cam was slow building. They are only friends for the first half of the book with Cam doing his best to change their status. I loved how things progressed gradually in the relationship. The romance was amazing. I loved the banter between Cam and Avery. Avery's friends were just as funny.

Wait For You is slightly long for a new adult read but I so wanted a happy ending for Cam and Avery that I flew through it. The book moves from Avery's first person point of view. I would have enjoyed getting into Cam's head but it is what it is. All fans of new adult romance and Jennifer Armentrout should go ahead and read Wait For You.

Review- If You Stay by Courtney Cole

Summary-

24-year old Pax Tate is an asshole. 
Seriously. 

He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match. 

But he’s got his reasons. 

His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count. 

As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade. 
So he slipped far, far from it. 

Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right? 
Wrong. 

And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila. 
Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.

When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one…the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness. 

But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it. 

He knows that. And he’s working on it. 

But is that enough to make her stay?

Review-

If You Stay is the first book I've read by Courtney Cole and I'm hitting myself on the head because she is an amazing author so I should've definitely read her books before. If You Stay is a new adult contemporary romance and if you're a fan of anything new adult like me you should go grab this book asap.

Pax Tate is an asshole. Those direct words are so true. Pax is an asshole and he knows it. He doesn't deny it nor does he make any excuses for it. I think his honesty with himself and towards the others is what made him such a fabulous character despite of him being an asshole most of the times. Pax had a really messed up past and as things begin to unravel we get to see all the reasons behind his behavior.

Then Pax meets Mila. Mila was a genuinely nice and sweet person. In some ways she was the exact opposite of Pax but I guess that is what made them so perfect for each other. It was like two puzzle pieces fitting together. Mila herself has been through a lot of things so we can understand her hesitance with Pax. I liked Mila quiet strength and her ability to stand her ground in tough situations. Her support towards Pax just made me like her all the more.

Pax and Mila together form a great couple. They have easy chemistry and the attraction cannot be missed. Leaving the physical attraction aside, the way they complete each other emotionally was just as great to watch. Pax and Mila are both flawed and to see them working through their issues to actually be with each other was beautiful. The way Pax is smitten by Mila is super cute. Their love story was amazing yet realistic.

Courtney Cole's writing style was bold and engaging. There was no shying away from any topics. The book goes from Pax and Mila's point of views so we get the whole story from both the sides. Pax's past was just heart breaking and to see him get a happy ending after all that he's been through made it that much more of an enjoyable read. I am so looking forward to reading more books by Courtney Cole. If You Stay is a great addition to the new adult genre.

Review- The Sea Of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Summary-

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay.

All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

Review-

The Sea Of Tranquility by Katja Millay is an absolutely beautiful book. I had read a ton of reviews singing its praises and it was so much of a better book than what I thought it would be. It surpassed all of my expectations. The book is just as beautiful as the name suggests. How much ever I may collect my thoughts I don't think I have the words to describe the sheer amazingness of this book. But I'm sure as hell gonna to try.

Nastya Kashnikov has just moved in with her aunt. She was a piano prodigy but a traumatic incident has left her broken and full of rage. She just wants to get through high school without drawing attention towards herself. Nastya doesn't speak. At all. So the beauty of the whole thing was that we got to see everything going around her without her having to utter a single word. And then she meets Josh.

Josh Bennett just wants to be left alone. He's already lost all of his family and he has no intention of ever letting anyone close again. Everybody gets the message to the stay the hell away from him. Except Nastya. She comes into his life full of mystery and embeds herself into every thread of his life. Josh was a fascinating character. He was calm and composed and brooding. Its like he broke all of the cliches and stereotypes which surround boys.

Unlike so many books there is no opposites attract in this one. There is a lot of attraction but mostly because they find comfort in the fact that the other person is just as broken and fucked up as them. Josh and Sunshine, as he likes to call her, make sense even if everything else in their world doesn't. The romance and tension is subtle and it takes time. 

Josh and Nastya are not impulsive. They've both been through a lot so their relationship develops at a slow pace. But it was an absolute pleasure seeing their feelings intensify. Nastya understands why Josh wants to build furniture and Josh gets Nastya's obsession with names. Each of them had their own unique personality and that is what made this book distinctly different from the others.

The writing was blissful. Each word, each sentence pulled you in and made you feel exactly what Josh and Nastya were feeling. It is a character driven book. Each one has his or her own flaws and nothing is perfect. They don't try to save each other but there is hope. I loved the quote "It's a promise and a memory of the future and a book of better stories." That was how it ended and it was perfect. All I can say is go read this one asap because it is definitely worth it.

  X 5

 Janhvi

2013 New Adult Challenge!

Janhvi and I are taking part in the 2013 New Adult Challenge hosted by Barbara and Cait @ Basia's Bookshelf, Danya @ A Tapestry Of Words, Tara @ Tater's Tall Tails and Victoria @ Confessions Of A Twenty Something Fiction Writer. 

The rules for the challenge are:

• The book must feature a protagonist who is past the average age for graduation from high school (18 in most places) and under 30. If they’re exactly 18, you can make the judgment call based on content. (If the majority of it is set in high school, it’s probably YA.)
• They don’t have to be contemporaries! Fantasy, dystopian and paranormal fans rejoice, your books count too. As long as the characters fall into the comparative age group on whatever planet or in whatever world, it works.
• You don’t have to have a blog to participate, but you must post your reviews somewhere accessible online (like Goodreads).

The levels for this challenge are:

• Just Graduated: Read a minimum of 5 New Adult books
• Moving Out: Read a minimum of 10 New Adult books
• Living On Your Own: Read a minimum of 20 New Adult books
• Fully Independent: Read a minimum of 30 New Adult books

Janhvi and I are taking up FULLY INDEPENDENT level. Yes, it is huge, but it is a challenge! We'd love to push ourselves and New Adult is a genre we both love reading, so we'll definitely manage. *fingers crossed* :)

Some of the books/series we plan on reading are:  

All The Right Moves by Ever Leigh

Beautiful by Jamie McGuire

Crash by Nicole Williams

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

Slammed by Colleen Hoover

The Coincidence by Jessica Sorensen

The Secret by Jessica Sorensen

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Watersong by Amanda Hocking

And plenty more! 

All the best to all the participants and let's hope we achieve our goals! 

Happy reading! 

Sarika