Review + Excerpt Tour- Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis

   

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes her first women's fiction novel—an unforgettable story of friendship, love, family, and sisterhood—perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Susan Mallery, and Kristan Higgins. Order your copy today!

   

They say life can change in an instant…

After losing her sister in a devastating car accident, chef Quinn Weller is finally getting her life back on track. She appears to have it all: a loving family, a dream job in one of L.A.'s hottest eateries, and a gorgeous boyfriend dying to slip an engagement ring on her finger. So why does she feel so empty, like she's looking for a missing piece she can't find?

The answer comes when a lawyer tracks down Quinn and reveals a bombshell secret and a mysterious inheritance that only she can claim. This shocking revelation washes over Quinn like a tidal wave. Her whole life has been a lie.

On impulse, Quinn gives up her job, home, and boyfriend. She heads up the coast to the small hometown of Wildstone, California, which is just a few hours north, but feels worlds apart from Los Angeles. Though she doesn't quite fit in right away, she can't help but be drawn to the town’s simple pleasures…and the handsome, dark-haired stranger who offers friendship with no questions asked.

As Quinn settles into Wildstone, she discovers there's another surprise in store for her. The inheritance isn't a house or money, but rather something earth shattering, something that will make her question everything she thought she knew about herself, about her family. Now with a world of possibilities opening up to Quinn, she must decide if this new life is the one she was always meant to have—and the one that could finally give her the fulfillment she's searched so long for.

   

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Review-

I love Jill Shalvis' books. Her Lucky Harbor series is one of my all time favourite series which I have reread more times than I can count. I love how she combines romance with humour and sensuality. Lost and Found Sisters is a little something different from her. Firstly, it falls under the women's fiction category. Secondly, the length of it is definitely longer. But I didn't mind that. I'm more than happy to read more by Jill Shalvis.

So this is the story of Quinn, our heroine. Quinn works as a chef in Los Angeles. It has been two years since her sister passed away in a car accident and Quinn continues to feel numb of her surroundings. When a surprise bomb gets dropped on her she moves to the small town of Wildstone to figure things out for herself. 

I loved Quinn as a person. She was sweet and sad but she didn't hesitate to do the right thing. Quinn was quick to help anyone in need and she just wanted to take care of her loved ones. Quinn thought something was wrong with her because she couldn't feel emotions but actually she felt too much. Quinn was scared to show her vulnerability but the town of Wildstone gave her the courage to do just that.

I also really liked Tilly. She is a teenager with a chip on her shoulders. Life hasn't been fair to Tilly and she's just trying to figure out her relationship with Quinn. Mick is our hero. The chemistry between Quinn and Mick was great and their conversations were really cute and funny. Know that the romance isn't at the heart of this book but it is still an integral part of it. I also liked meeting the myriad of new characters who made up the residents of Wildstone.

I have a little bit of mixed feelings around this book. I mean, I do like it, Jill Shalvis' writing is fantastic and all the warm and mushy feelings are there. But I know I enjoy her proper contemporary romances more. But that's just my preference. I think anyone who enjoys Women's Fiction or contemporaries in general would enjoy Lost and Found Sisters.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

   

   

They say life can change in an instant ...

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes her first women's fiction novel—an unforgettable story of friendship, love, family, and sisterhood.

Pre-order your copy in any format and receive an exclusive crossover Heartbreaker Bay meets Wildstone bonus scene, featuring Archer and Elle going to Wildstone, CA, the town in which Lost and Found Sisters takes place - read about their night in a haunted B&B!

Simply enter your order number OR upload a screenshot of your proof of purchase. Entries must be received by June 25th and you will receive content via email on June 27th!

Preorder and fill out the form here!

EXCERPT-

“Hi,” she said, possibly never so happy to see someone in her life. “Remember me?”

His lips quirked.

Yep. He remembered her all right. “I’ve got a problem,” she said.

His smile faded. “You okay?”

She exhaled, feeling like an idiot. “There’s a big bug in my tub and the sink is dripping. Do you have time to help or are you off the clock?”

He studied her for a beat. “I’ll grab some tools and be right up,” he finally said.

She watched him stride off. Maybe she couldn’t find her feels, but apparently she could still appreciate a nice ass.

Good to know.

Five minutes later there was a simple, firm knock at her door. She opened it and stood back to let him in, but he remained on his side of the doorway, toolbox in hand.

“I’m Mick Hennessey,” he said.

Great, but she had no time for introduction. Bug in her tub! “Nice to formally meet you, Mick, but…” She pointed to the bathroom.

With a mock salute, he ambled in there.

Quinn remained right where she was, counting off the seconds while she heard nothing. “Did you get him?” she finally called out.

“The bug?” he asked.

“No, the president of the United States! Yes, the bug!”

The only response was the sound of the toilet flushing and she panicked. “You squished him first, right?”

Mick stuck his head out of the bathroom and flashed her a smile. “Worried he’s going to swim his way back up and bite you on the—“

“No!” Yes…

He vanished back into the bathroom. Quinn heard some other sounds that were hopefully related to him working on the stink. Unable to stop herself, she made her way over there and peered in. “Where’s your dog?”

“Coop? With my mom. She lives here in town and made stew. Apparently, I don’t rate on the same scale as beef stew.” He was on his back, head and shoulders wedged beneath the sink, legs bent at the knees because he was longer than the bathroom. He wore a T-shirt advertising some pub in San Francisco named O’Riley’s, that had risen up, revealing his low-slung jeans and some impressive abs, including those V muscles that made women so stupid.

“Can you fix it?” she asked.

His hands looked confident working the wrench before he pulled his head from beneath the sink and sent her a slow smile.

At the barely recognizable flutter low in Quinn’s belly, and also decidedly south of her belly, she froze in shock. She’d felt next to nothing for a very long time, but it hadn’t been so long that she couldn’t place this for what it was.

Lust.

     

Jill Shalvis’s LOST AND FOUND SISTERS – Review & Excerpt Schedule:

June 12^th

East Coast Book Chicks – Review & Excerpt

Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog – Excerpt

I Love Romance – Review & Excerpt

Lucky 13 book reviews and news – Excerpt

June 13^th

Adventures in Writing – Excerpt

Book Angel Booktopia – Review & Excerpt

Cocktails and Books – Review & Excerpt

Melena's Reviews – Review & Excerpt

The Book Hammock – Review & Excerpt

June 14^th

Aly's Miscellany – Excerpt

Books,Dreams,Life – Excerpt

Coffee Books Life – Excerpt

She Reads too Much Romance – Review

The Readdicts – Review & Excerpt

June 15^th

Crystal's Chaotic Confessions – Excerpt

Debbie's World of Books – Review & Excerpt

Ramblings From This Chick – Excerpt

Red Hot + Blue Reads – Review & Excerpt

Shannon's Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

June 16^th

A Literary Perusal – Review & Excerpt

Brittany's Book Blog – Excerpt

I Smell Sheep – Review & Excerpt

Reads & Reviews – Excerpt

June 17^th

Bookishly Yours – Review & Excerpt

Lover of Big Books Cannot Lie – Review & Excerpt

Romantic Reads and Such – Excerpt

Two Girls with Books – Review

June 18^th

A geordielass honest blog on reviews – Review

Nicole's Book Musings – Excerpt

Robinson Reviews – Review

Those Crazy Book Chicks – Review & Excerpt

With Love for Books – Review

June 19^th

Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt

BooksPieAndCoffee – Review

IrishdaisylovesRomance – Review & Excerpt

JOJO THE BOOKAHOLIC – Review & Excerpt

Writing My Own Fairy Tale – Review & Excerpt

June 20^th

Marieke's Books – Review & Excerpt

Reviews from the Heart – Review & Excerpt

Sascha Darlington's Microcosm Explored – Review & Excerpt

Thoughts of a Blonde – Review & Excerpt

Two Book Pushers – Review & Excerpt

June 21^st

AC Squared Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Babbling about books and more – Excerpt

Literary Gossip – Excerpt

Love's A State Of Mind – Review

June 22^nd

Books 2 Blog – Review & Excerpt

Cara's Book Boudoir – Review & Excerpt

I'm A Book Shark – Review & Excerpt

Love Affair With Fiction – Review & Excerpt

What Is That Book About – Excerpt

June 23^rd

Book and Tequila – Review & Excerpt

Once Upon A Page – Review & Excerpt

Reading To Unwind – Review & Excerpt

Sweet Red Reads – Review & Excerpt

Talking Books Blog – Excerpt

June 24^th

G & T's Indie Café – Excerpt

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

Red's Romance Review's – Review & Excerpt

Renee Entress's Blog – Review & Excerpt

TjLovesToRead – Review

About Jill Shalvis:

   

 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.      

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Review- Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads Summary:

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

REVIEW:

Colleen Hoover's Slammed (my review) left me awestruck and Point Of Retreat (my review) left me overawed, which means the same thing. Seriously, both the books in the Slammed series left me smiling and I was insanely eager to read Hopeless. While Slammed and Point Of Retreat were expectedly incredible, Hopeless was unexpectedly and indescribably amazing. 
Being a Colleen Hoover book, I knew I'd love Hopeless, but the truth is that, when I started reading it, I just could not relate to the protagonist and it left me feeling disappointed. But, being a huge Colleen Hoover fan, I did not give up. I feel awful and embarrassed to admit that there came a point where I thought I'd just DNF the book. I hate to admit that I even thought how all the readers sat through it. God, what was I thinking? I loved this book. I loved it so damn much. 
Just when I thought I'd had enough, Colleen Hoover threw something so incredibly smashing and glittering that I found myself digging deep into the story. There have been so many books that have left me speechless and yet, I go on and on admiring and praising them. 

But admiring and praising Hopeless? Where do I even start? How do I even start? 
This time, I really am speechless. I have decided not to say anything about the story because it is complicated, it really is very complicated and the beauty of it is hard to describe. I will, instead, just say that if you haven't read Hopeless yet, I really have no clue what you are waiting for. Hopeless truly is a beautiful, strong, powerful, crazy, emotional and mind-bending read. 

Colleen Hoover! I cannot even describe how much I love her writing. It is so beautiful. It's so true and raw and uncut and clean. It is so simple and sweet and sparkling.  

Hopeless is such an incredibly, almost insanely and thoroughly beautiful, amazing and wonderful story. The characters are beautiful and broken and so is the story. It is not a tender or light-hearted read.  It is heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, mood-swinging and absolutely crackling. 

REVIEW:

Review- Forever Too Far by Abbi Glines

Goodreads Summary:

Rush promised her forever... but promises can be broken.

Torn between his love for his family and his love for Blaire, Rush has to find a way to save one without losing the other. In the end one has to be more important. Letting go isn’t easy.

Blaire believed in her fairytale... but no one can live in a fantasy.

Her love for Rush and desire to have a family keep her believing that they can find a way for this to work. Until she has to make the right decision for her and the baby. Even if it breaks her heart.

Can they find the forever that they both want or has it all just gone... too far?

Too Far series:

Janhvi's review of Fallen Too far (Too Far #1)

Sarika's review of Never Too Far (Too Far #2)

REVIEW:

Nothing can help me describe this book more than the following three words- I loved it. 

God. Abbi Glines is fantabulous. And her amazing, amazing boy Rush Finlay is storming. 
Forever Too Far is the third and the final book in Abbi Glines' Too Far series. There aren't any spoilers in this book as such, but I would suggest reading the first two books of the series and Della and Woods' book, Twisted Perfection before getting to Forever Too Far. Janhvi's and my reviews of book #1 Fallen Too Far and book #2 Never Too Far can be read here and here respectively. 

Forever Too Far starts off with a pregnant Blaire and her fiance Rush having made a wonderful life in Rosemary. They are engaged and are planning to get married soon. 

Those of us who know how Abbi Glines works know that plain and simple isn't her way. Things have to be messed up and the same happens in this book as well. There is a lot, and by a lot, I really mean A LOT of family drama from Rush's side and there's also a very sweet family gathering/ reunion from Blaire's side. 

Keeping the whole family situation aside, because a lot can be said about it but there's a lot more I have to say about Blaire and Rush, so the family can stay aside.  

Blaire was her simple and sweet self and I really like her innocence, contrary to many readers. She is genuinely good and is a perfect match for Rush. 

Blaire and Rush were simply perfect. They faced a lot of problems and I loved seeing how Rush begged and pleaded. It was a sight worth swooning over. 

Now onto Rush. Boy, he was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. He is just sickeningly sweet and romantic. His lines are worth aw-ing a thousand times over. His caveman instincts and possessiveness were sexy and adorable at the same time. I loved seeing the fatherly side of Rush. Man. The man is married but my Rush Crush will never die. 

The way Forever Too Far ended, with Blaire and Rush's little baby boy in their hands and their life, was beautiful. So far, this year has been all about wrapping up beautiful New Adult stories of our day and age. They've all been amazing and Forever Too Far was no exception. Overall, Forever Too Far was a fabulous end to Blaire and Rush's story. 

RATING:

Review- This Girl by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads Summary:

There are two sides to every love story. Now hear Will’s.

Colleen Hoover’s New York Times bestselling Slammed series has brought countless readers to their knees with a whirlwind of love, passion, and heartache. 

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.

Slammed series:

My review of Slammed (Slammed #1)

My review of Point Of Retreat (Slammed #2)

REVIEW:

I got schooled this year by three books- three very heart-warming books and one author- one very amazing author. 

It taught me many things about love, life, family and friendship. 

I could tell you how much I loved Slammed and Point Of Retreat. 

But there's nothing you haven't already heard. 

I could tell you how much I loved This Girl. 

But there's nothing you don't already know. 

When we read books, we meet people. 

People we don't realise we've missed until we go back to them. 

And once we go back to them, they do nothing but bring a smile to our faces. 

 Colleen Hoover's make us believe love happens in the most unexpected yet oddly familiar ways. 

It might be cheesy, it might be cliché, it might be repetitive and it might be the same. 

But if it's done right and if it's loved, then why should she stop? 

It's breathtaking, this book. 

Although I missed the grandparents and wished for more Kel, Caulder, Kiersten, Eddie and Gavin, what it was, was lovely. 

Lake and Will, with their flaws and imperfections, make an amazing couple with their love and care.   

You'd wish for nothing but happiness for them. 

But happiness doesn't come easily because reality comes in the way. 

And when that happens, it only shows you your own path and where your heart lies. 

I can't say much. 

This book was, not surprisingly, very pleasing. 

I hope this atrociously ridiculous attempt at slam (if this can even be called that) shows how much I loved this story of this one girl and that one guy who will remain in my heart for a very long time. 

It's been three butterflyingly beautiful books and one bittersweet journey, full of tears and laughter. 

And now, after that super sweet epilogue, let Lake and Will be happy for as long as they love and live. 

RATING:

Review- Dare You To by Katie McGarry

This post has Janhvi's and Sarika's reviews of Dare you To (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katie McGarry. 
Dare You To releases May 28th, 2013.

Goodreads Summary:

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Pushing The Limits series:

Janhvi's review of Pushing The Limits (Pushing The Limits #1)

Janhvi's review of Crossing The Line (Pushing the Limits #1.5)

JANHVI'S REVIEW:

Dare You To is the second book in the Pushing The Limits series. You can find my review of Pushing The Limits here. This is Beth and Ryan's story. Dare You To was easily my most anticipated read of 2013. I loved Noah and Echo's story and so my expectations of Beth and Ryan's story were high. Dare You To was definitely an amazing read but I somehow felt that it didn't wow me like Pushing The Limits did.

We'd met Beth Risk in Pushing The Limits and she came off as a total bitch. She is still a total bitch in the beginning of Dare You To. It takes time to get used to her and she is hard to relate to. But as and how the story progresses we get to see behind all her layers. The facade she puts up is just a form of defense mechanism. Underneath Beth is a sweet girl who just wants to take care of her mother.

Ryan Stone is the golden boy. It looks like he has it all and that his life couldn't be any more perfect if he tried. But Ryan has secrets of his own. He asks out Beth on a crazy dare. Ryan Stone doesn't lose and he sets out to prove just that. But soon Ryan begins to see the real Beth. They have an intense attraction and as they share their real selves they find that they understand each other more than anyone ever could.

Beth and Ryan's relationship starts out on a dare. But as they get closer they realize they could have so much more. The romance is slow moving but honest. Beth has had a difficult past and an even worse present. She is hesitant with Ryan. Her insecurities of not being good enough get in the way. Ryan with his flawless image suddenly wants to risk it all for Beth. I loved how Ryan got Beth out of her shell. Especially by the end of the book, Beth and Ryan's romance becomes seriously swoon worthy.

We also get to see a lot of Isaiah in this book with Noah and Echo. I felt so sad for Isaiah and all the heart ache he had to face. He came of as an intense, loyal guy with a tint of mystery. I am so looking forward to his happy ending in Crash Into You. The writing style was amazing with Beth and Ryan's point of view. We get to see the story from both the sides and understand the situation. I couldn't connect to Beth and Ryan as fast as I did with Echo and Noah but still it was one of my favorite reads this year.

*Note: This book was provided by Netgalley for an honest review. We thank the publisher and the author.

SARIKA'S REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Dare You To by Katie McGarry upon request from Net Galley. We thank Net Galley for the book!

Like everyone else, I thought Katie McGarry's Pushing The Limits was an amazing story. But unlike everyone else, I wasn't swooning over Noah. The guy who caught my fancy was Isaiah and I was dying to see him end up with Beth. Then news came out about Beth's book and how she doesn't end up with her best friend, Isaiah, but with another guy, Ryan. As heartbroken as I was to hear it, I obviously had to read Dare You To because Beth meant a lot of Isaiah. I got my share of Isaiah and Beth got a wonderful story for herself, so overall, this was a win-win situation. 
Dare You To is the story of Beth Risk, who comes from a very messed up and troubled family, which I couldn't get at all. She was a bitch in the beginning but when she meets Ryan and eventually starts opening up to him, her vulnerable side comes out. After all, she is also a normal girl. She lives with her uncle Scott who was an amazing man. Beth was a little crazy but being Beth comes with craziness and I loved seeing the Elisabeth side of her. 
Ryan has it all set for him- dad who supports his baseball, mom who has taught him gentlemanly manners and a brother who has always been there for him, even when he had his own problems to look after. Ryan was a jerk in the beginning but again, when he meets Beth, he wants to figure her out and eventually the two fall in love in the most unknowingly sweet way. And Ryan isn't all that perfect after all. I loved how careful, well mannered and sweet he was and I like jerks, so yes, he was all good for me. 
Together, Beth and Ryan were subtle and loud at once. They made for a great couple, who helped each other figure out and solve their problems. I loved the romance between the two and how they took everything slowly as they had a lot to deal with on the way. 
When compared to Pushing The Limits, Dare You To might not seem as impacting as the former, but when read as just a book, it is really a very sweet romance and a tale about disturbed teenagers who find peace with each other. Although the messed up family, the indifferent and lame parenting is becoming rampant in Young Adult books, the meeting of two teenagers who work things out makes it worthwhile. I really liked reading Beth and Ryan' story. It was also good to see Echo and Noah again. I completely got how Beth believes she and Isaiah are better off as best friends and I can't wait to read his own story in Crash Into You. Noah got his happy ending, Beth got hers and now, Isaiah needs his as well. 

Author Katie McGarry's writing is so good and true it's like you find it hard to part with the characters you journey with. She writes some really amazing stories. 

RATING:

Review- Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Goodreads Summary:

Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.

Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.

Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.

REVIEW:

“beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” 

Yeah, author Kody Keplinger perfectly describes Nobody But Us in three words. From  the summary, I don't know about Bonnie and Clyde (sad, I know) but I do know about Adam and Mia (from Gayle Forman's If I Stay series) and Will and Zoe were nothing like them. 
I was super excited to read Nobody But Us and when I read that the story has a heartbreaking ending (which, contrary to almost everyone out there, I love), I was super duper excited to read it and after Janhvi finished reading the book and told me she's glad I'll be reviewing it, I was so super duper excited to get to it. 
Will and Zoe, the main characters in Nobody But Us were jumbled. They both have something they're trying to run away from. I can easily understand their need to escape, start a new life and just be together. I especially loved the whole going far away from home idea and how Will and Zoe set off on a road trip that changes their lives. Seriously, just letting go and escaping with your love sounds so perfect. 

What I didn't like was how reckless and stupid they were and how they thought they were invincible. But then again, invincible is what you feel when you're in love and you're 15/18. I totally, completely and absolutely get that. I loved Will and Zoe's love for each other. I loved their relationship. I loved to see how they were selflessly devoted to making each other happy and how Will showed how much he needed Zoe in his life. Albeit vague, their relationship was beautiful. 

Zoe is the good girl. Will is the bad boy. And one thing  I've come to understand is that when a good girl and a bad boy come together, the relationship is bound to crash at some point and it's going to be a disaster. And God, how I love these relationships! 
Save for Will and Zoe's downright thoughtlessness and desperation, which I again say that I totally understand, Nobody But Us is a very beautiful story. Author Kristin Halbrook's writing is fluid and lithesome. Will and Zoe's alternating points of view were put down meticulously. Will's POV started right where Zoe's ended and vice versa. 

It truly was beautiful although dazed and after putting the book down, the only question I asked myself was what sense did the book even make. I don't know if I loved this book or hated it. All I can say is that Nobody But Us was a beautiful story that in it's own way, impressed and touched me. 

RATING:

Review- Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin

Goodreads Summary:

I was never supposed to be a rock star. I had my life all planned out for me. Play football in college. Go to the NFL. Marry my high school sweetheart and live happily ever after. 

I broke both our hearts that day when I told her I was leaving. I was young. I made the right decision for me, but the wrong decision for us. I’ve poured my soul into my music, but I’ve never forgotten her. Her smell, her smile. 

And now I’m going back. 

After ten years. 

I hope I can explain that after all this time. 

I still want her to be my forever girl.

REVIEW:

I was super duper excited about Forever My Girl the moment I saw the cover reveal post on the blog, The Readiacs, of which author Heidi McLaughlin is one of the writers. 
The beautiful title, absolutely gorgeous cover and the lovely summary, particularly the four  words- rockstar, football, sweetheart and music- were more than enough for me to be completely intrigued by the book. Come 27^th December 2012 and I set aside all my current reads to get to this one. I was so absorbed in the story that it got over in no time. 

I love sports. I love high school sweethearts. I love music. I love bands. I love past. I love lost love. I love things unsaid. I love things undone. I love messed up. And I loved Forever My Girl because it had everything I love. 
It was the perfect read for a contemporary romance lover like me.

After an expected and life-changing meeting with his grandmother, Liam Westbury decides to leave everything behind to follow his dreams of making music in the grand city of Los Angeles. Without even giving an explanation to his family, friends and even his girlfriend, Liam just leaves Beaumont, his hometown and comes back ten years later to attend his best friend's funeral and he is now keen on making things right. And that's what he does in a soothing, sexy and stunning manner. Liam was outstanding. He was simply adorable and in spite of all the shit that he did and the mess that he made, it was hard to dislike him even the slightest bit. I loved him and I loved how he put things back on track and how his love for his high school sweetheart Josie was strong, pure and eternal.

Josie has her all-American dream life all planned out and is terribly heartbroken when her high school sweetheart Liam leaves her behind without even saying why. She is now mother to her and Liam's ten year old son, Noah and in a sturdy relationship with Nick. Things take a complete turn when Liam returns to Beaumont. Her undying love for Liam was hard to miss and easy to understand especially since she was willing to forgive Liam and start a new life. Josie was great. Her grief made me sympathise with her. She was a strong woman, a great mother and a beautiful girlfriend.

Josie and Liam's story was simply stunning. A perfect high school relationship, dreams of a perfect future home and family, sudden heartbreak and heartache, a long period of separation and sorrow, a slow come back of forgiveness and affection and pure, eternal and undying love make Forever My Girl an adorable and smashing read. 
It was so easy to fall in love with this book. Forever My Girl has a  cozy set up in Beaumont. The pages literally sizzled with Liam’s hotness and were sweetened by Josie's graceful demeanor. All the torture and depression just added immense volume to an already deep story. 
Loyal and true friendship, family, hope, dreams, love, trust and happiness make the story believable. 
Author Heidi McLaughlin has written an absolutely beautiful story with beautiful characters and a beautiful reunion of true love- it is a beautiful debut and I know that the books to come from the author will be just as good. 

The more I love a book, the more I talk about it. Save for a few editorial mistakes here and there, it a great book. I loved Forever My Girl. but it has left me stunned and impressed and words aren't enough to portray how much I loved it. All my high expectations were met and my excitement was totally worth the wait. Forever My Girl was the first book in the Beaumont series and I am extremely excited to read the stories of Liam's fellow band mates in the books to come. I’m happy I could conclude the year with such a beautiful read. 

RATING:

X 4.5

Sarika