Long Live the Beautiful Hearts - Review

Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts Duet, # 2)

By: Emma Scott

Publication: October 14th 2018 by Amazon Digital Services

286 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Retellings

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Never again would I allow my heart to become the plaything of someone else.
Never again would I let a man (or men) come between me and my goals.
Never again would I love without feeling the fullness of that love in return.
Not until I knew it was real. And if that took me a lifetime to find, so be it.

Those were my vows, and after all that had happened with Connor and Weston, I was determined to keep them. To protect my heart.
And then he came home, and my vows became his promises.

He held my heart in his hands with reverence and care.
He helped me find my soul’s greatest purpose in life.
He loved me with a love so pure and vibrant, I knew I’d never feel anything like it in a hundred lifetimes.
It was real.

Until it wasn’t.
Until it all came crashing down when I discovered the deep love I thought I’d found was nestled in a web of lies—so soft and silken I hadn’t noticed it was there.
Until it was too late.

**********
Long Live the Beautiful Hearts is the emotional, heart-wrenching conclusion to the Beautiful Hearts Duet by bestselling author, Emma Scott, and is inspired by the classic tale, Cyrano de Bergerac. (Roxanne) THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL LOVE TRIANGLE #confusedhearts #notamenage THIS BOOK IS NOT A STANDALONE. It should not be read without first reading Bring Down the Stars

Man you guys, I BLEW through this book and the previous one (Bring Down the Stars) in two days. This is unheard of for me at this point in my life. I just don't usually have the time available to dedicate to reading so much in a row. But I read about 6 hours in one day as we took a day trip to a wedding three hours away. But I couldn't stop reading this book. From the cliffhanger from book 1 to the beginning of this one.

It's almost impossible to discuss this book without getting into the land of spoilers. I'll do my best. I mean the description is so vague that you don't know who even came back from war. So...how do I even discuss this book?

Where I struggled with knowing inevitable conflict was coming in Bring Down the Stars, I felt like I was passed the hardest part because the damage had already been done. Now it was just about unraveling the lies in time and seeing how Autumn would handle them. Yet in so many ways, the struggles were only just beginning by the time we start Long Live the Beautiful Hearts. If there's one thing I wish I could change about this book it would be that Autumn had discovered (or been told) the truth sooner and that she would have had time throughout the book to recover from the lies in a slower manner. While I wasn't entirely unsatisfied with how everything was handled, the resolution and forgiveness did feel a bit like a switch was flipped and she changed from sad and hurt to happy and forgiving a bit too jarringly to feel realistic.

I was so impressed with the poetry actually featured in Bring Down the Stars. Specifically, the last/main poem of the book. And so for that to be the case, I found myself a little disappointed with the poems included in Long Live the Beautiful Hearts. They weren't bad, but I just didn't find them as striking.

What was striking though was the difference in the Before versus the After--especially when considering the real-life events that Emma Scott was dealing with. She lost her daughter, Isabel, in between books to a massive heart attack due to a rare complication she'd had since birth. These two books being one complete, thought-out story with every piece being perfectly executed and planned from the beginning makes the Before and After of the books mirroring Emma Scott's own Before and After poetic and heartbreaking. Real life imitates art imitating real life. As a mother, my heart breaks for Emma Scott and what she's gone through even more than these beautiful characters that she's written about in this story.

I honestly had mixed thoughts about the disability pieces of the story-line. On the one hand, it was so refreshing. I can say I've probably read only other book with a main character that had a similar disability. I imagine Emma Scott researched tons about these types of disabilities before making any decisions for her character, but I don't have that luxury or knowledge base. So there were some things that I just have no knowledge base for. Other aspects were so heartbreaking to think that I've never thought about these things before. And it opened my eyes to the need for more compassion and consideration from me.

Favorite quotes (that aren't too long or spoilers):

-Was there any greater gift from one human being to another than understanding?

-"In my mind, [...], that has always been the fault of your armor; you have built it so strong that it doesn't protect you so much as it hurts you to carry its impossible weight."

Long Live the Beautiful Hearts was a beautiful end to a wonderful story. I started this series fearing how the retelling would be handled, but Emma Scott worked it so well. And the reasons that our characters felt unworthy of love are so much better and deeper than some big old ugly nose. I want to say so much more about this book and this series, but I just can't spoil it for any potential readers. This book and the series weren't completely perfect so I'm not giving this book 5 Stars, but it heartily deserves 4.5 Stars. Have you read Long Live the Beautiful Hearts? What did you think? Let me know!

Bring Down the Stars - Review

Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts Duet, # 1)

By: Emma Scott

Publication: August 19th 2018 by Amazon Digital Services

292 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Retellings

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon $3.99 | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--I fell for Connor Drake. I didn’t want to; I fought against it, but I fell in love with him anyway. With his words. With his poetry. With him. The gentleness and beauty of his soul that speaks directly to mine. He writes as if he can feel my heart, hear its cadence and compose the exact right lyrics to accompany every beat and flow.

I’m in love with Connor…so why do I feel an inexplicable pull to his best friend, Weston? Grouchy, sullen, brooding Weston Turner, who could cut you down with a look. Fiercely intelligent with a razor sharp wit and acid tongue, he’s the exact opposite of Connor in every way, and yet there’s electricity in the air between us. The thorny barbs Weston wraps around himself can’t keep me away.

But the more time I spend with these men, the more tangled and confused my emotions become. When they both sign up for the Army Reserves during a time of increasing strife in the Middle East, I fear I’ll never unravel my own heart that sometimes feels as if it will tear straight down the middle…for both of them.

**********

Bring Down the Stars is an emotional, angst-filled novel of unrequited love by bestselling author, Emma Scott, and is inspired by the classic tale, Cyrano de Bergerac. (Roxanne) It is Book I in the Beautiful Hearts Duet, coming this summer. Book II, Long Live the Beautiful Hearts, to be released a few weeks later. THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL LOVE TRIANGLE #confusedhearts #notamenage

When I read the description of Bring Down the Stars, I was sold that it was a book that I needed to read, but I wasn't sold that it would start or end in a place I'd be happy with. I mean the story of Cyrano de Bergerac is well known. A man speaks for another man in love with a woman. I mean obviously there's more to it than that, but I could tell immediately from the description that it was likely Weston was the one giving his words to Connor in order to woo Autumn. But that would mean that Weston wouldn't be with Autumn, yet Weston would be the one I should be rooting for. Starting a book off knowing that inevitable conflict (well all books have conflict, but this particular conflict is what I mean) is ahead had me hesitating.

Despite my hesitation, Bring Down the Stars hooked me quickly. I easily felt the connection between Autumn and Weston. And even the gravitational pull toward Connor and his easygoing charisma. Each character has depth. Connor's struggles to live up to his family's wishes for him. His family is so gracious to Weston and his family, and even Autumn's. They weren't black and white characters. Weston's history with his father and even how his mother's words shaped his view of himself, his worth, and his options for his future. Autumn's romantic history and her family dynamics. All of these characters were more than surface level. Even the side characters like Connor's parents, Weston's mom, Paul, Ruby, Edmond (who I imagine was fashioned in some ways after Javier from Felicity), and Weston's poetry professor.

I was a little frustrated with Autumn. I mean such a large point of this book is the retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac so this couldn't really be avoided, but how much Autumn struggled with the back and forth of Connor. How he felt so different in person versus the poetry, letters, or words he gave her when they weren't together...It seems to me that you've got to go with how you feel when you're together in person versus words shared when apart. So I struggled a little with her indecision. But all of that was necessary for the story.

It's actually hard for me to separate Bring Down the Stars from Long Live the Beautiful Hearts considering I started book 2 immediately after finishing this one. I read in the car on a day trip 3 hours away from home (and then 3 hours back). I basically finished both books in two days total--unheard of for me this past year.

I also want to say that the last poem of Bring Down the Stars did not disappoint. Often times when I'm reading a book that builds up a character's talent in songwriting, poetry, writing, riddles, etc, I end up being disappointed with the lyrics or samples of their art included in the book. That was not the case with the main poem of this book. It was beautiful in every way and I could read it over and over again. I won't share it with you guys, but I will share a few of my other favorite quotes:

-"I can't help myself. I don't want casual. I want electricity. I want someone I can talk to for ages, someone who sets my blood on fire. And not just physically, you know?" Ruby pursed her lips. "Gee, don't expect much, do you?" "Only everything," I said. "And why not? That's exactly what I have to give."

-I wouldn't touch you so quickly, I thought. I'd wait. Draw it out. Build up the moment so that when it happened--when each of us feels the other's skin for the first time--it'll be something sublime. Something earned.

-"I'm starting to memorize you," he said. "Not just your words but how you talk. The silences between words. The sound you make when you're thinking. The quiet where you try to hold back, and the little floods where you don't."

Bring Down the Stars was more than I expected it to be. I hoped I would like it. I hoped I could make it past the inevitable conflict that was expected from the book description and the very beginning of the story. And Bring Down the Stars exceeded my expectations. Knowing what was going on in Emma Scott's life during the time of writing these two books made these books even more emotional. My heart goes out to her. Bring Down the Stars gets 4 Stars. Have you read Bring Down the Stars? What did you think? Let me know!

The Butterfly Project - Review

The Butterfly Project

By: Emma Scott

Published: February 21, 2017 by Trillian

256 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon Depository is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--"Where you are is home..."

At age fourteen, Zelda Rossi witnessed the unthinkable, and has spent the last ten years hardening her heart against the guilt and grief. She channels her pain into her art: a dystopian graphic novel where vigilantes travel back in time to stop heinous crimes—like child abduction—before they happen. Zelda pitches her graphic novel to several big-time comic book publishers in New York City, only to have her hopes crash and burn. Circumstances leave her stranded in an unfamiliar city, and in an embarrassing moment of weakness, she meets a guarded young man with a past he’d do anything to change...

Beckett Copeland spent two years in prison for armed robbery, and is now struggling to keep his head above water. A bike messenger by day, he speeds around New York City, riding fast and hard but going nowhere, his criminal record holding him back almost as much as the guilt of his crime.

Zelda and Beckett form a grudging alliance of survival, and in between their stubborn clash of wills, they slowly begin to provide each other with the warmth of forgiveness, healing, and maybe even love. But when Zelda and Beckett come face to face with their pasts, they must choose to hold on to the guilt and regret that bind them, or let go and open their hearts for a shot at happiness.

The Butterfly Project is a novel that reveals the power of forgiveness, and how even the smallest decisions of the heart can—like the flutter of a butterfly’s wings—create currents that strengthen into gale winds, altering the course of a life forever.

#standalone

First off, I really dislike this cover. I feel like it gives off the impression of being a self-published book which might hinder some readers from looking into it deeper. The cover also felt a bit disconnected from the actual story for me.

Another quick aside before I get into the meat of the story is that The Butterfly Project has a small crossover from the Full Tilt series. Zelda was a side character in that series and now she's the leading lady. Theo is mentioned and has an extremely short phone call with Zelda, and that's about it. But I personally appreciated the fan service of tying these two together.

So Zelda left Las Vegas with the dream is getting her graphic novel published. While I've read books in the past that feature authors or aspiring authors, I've never read one who focused on graphic novels so I liked this aspect. It was interesting to see more about her art and process of creating. And of course, it makes sense because Zelda was a tattoo artist in Vegas. While I can see her wanting to pursue a different avenue career-wise, when you're strapped for cash, I find it hard to believe that Zelda could make near the amount of money from waiting tables as she could from tattooing. When things are desperate you tend to go for practical. Or at least, I do. But Zelda's struggling with a traumatic event from her past. She witnessed a terrible crime and it has shaped her in many ways.

As the description says, Beckett served two years in prison for armed robbery. And he's currently on parole. He's spent every day since feeling regret and guilt over the entire situation because a man died. And despite Beckett's attempts to atone by doing good where he can, he doesn't feel that he deserves anything good in his life. He doesn't deserve to be happy. So when Zelda walks into his life he's reluctant to allow the light she brings to lift him up.

Zelda and Beckett have a slow building relationship. They become roommates out of desperate necessity. Then they become friends. Beckett ends up helping Zelda on her graphic novel to the point where they become partners. And eventually it turns into more. And really this slow building relationship is what drew me into this story.

Beyond Zelda and Beckett's relationship, these two both have pasts that they have to work through. They both harbor guilt over things that they couldn't control and didn't directly cause to happen. Zelda's situation was more innocent than Beckett's in that nothing she did caused the pain she feels. Beckett's the opposite. His decisions indirectly contributed to a man's death. Both have to grieve, forgive themselves, and let go in order to move forward. And stories about true forgiveness are usually among some of my favorites because we've all made mistakes. We all need forgiveness, but so often people and characters truly struggle with forgiving ourselves and others for the hurts we've caused and experienced.

The new adult genre almost always brings with it extensive language as well as graphic scenes. This was true for The Butterfly Project. The physical scenes weren't present really until about 70%, but after that they were fairly frequent. There's also child violence touched on. Prison and death penalty also if these things bother or concern you.

I enjoyed The Butterfly Project. I appreciated the crossovers from the Full Tilt series. Zelda and Beckett were easy to like and root for. And more than anything I enjoyed the message of forgiveness woven throughout. The language and physical scenes are always something I find myself mentioning with this genre. but also there were some cheesy lines. In the end, I feel like The Butterfly Project deserves 4 Stars. Have you read The Butterfly Project? What did you think? Let me know!

All In - Review

All In (Full Tilt, # 2)

By: Emma Scott

Published: October 11th 2016

296 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--SPOILERS FOR FULL TILT....

Reeling from her loss, Kacey Dawson is grieving and heartbroken, her addictive demons hauling her back into the alcohol-soaked abyss she worked so hard to crawl out of. Kacey teeters on the edge of oblivion, and must fight her way through the pain, to build a new life for herself with her music, and somehow fulfill the promise she made to Jonah…one she feels is impossible to keep.

Theo Fletcher has a secret burning in his heart, one that he holds close, while he struggles to keep strong for his family that is falling apart. His mother’s health is fragile and his father’s disapproval is breaking him down. Theo is afraid if he follows his heart, he’ll fail, and not just himself, but his brother who believed in him when no one else did.

Drawn together by their pain, Theo and Kacey slowly build a friendship, re-forge old ties, help each other to heal, and give one another the courage to reach for their dreams. Together, from the depths of grief and guilt, they learn to laugh again, to trust again, and quite possibly find something beautiful and lasting amid the shattered pieces of their broken hearts.

Part II of the two-part Full Tilt duet, coming Oct 2016

PLEASE NOTE, this novel is NOT a standalone. It is highly recommended one read Full Tilt first to get the entire arc of the story and to avoid spoilers.

I predicted that Kacey and Theo would be the subject of All In while reading Full Tilt. I noticed small things like Kacey thinking Theo fit what she normally would find attractive compared to Jonah and a few things like that, but around the 70% mark when she stopped to ask Theo how he was doing when no one else had I knew that I was right.

Of course considering that I struggled with Kacey and her instincts to drink herself into oblivion when things get tough at the beginning of Full Tilt, it's no surprise that I found myself rolling my eyes at where we find her in All In. And so it felt like a bit of a repeat to see her have to work through this same issue but to an even worse extent than before.

Theo was the true hero of Full Tilt despite how much I loved Jonah. Theo was solid. He was always, always there for everyone. He was constantly looking out for those in his circle. I loved the loyalty and steadfastness of his character. And that was true in All In as well. Theo's journey was about finding a way to continue to take care of those he loves as well as satisfy his own needs and desires. His dreams of owning his own tattoo shop and the girl that he's fallen in love with.

Kacey and Theo have a SLOW building relationship. Theo's feelings have been developing for a lot longer than Kacey's, but Kacey does have a little bit more to work through than Theo does in order to get on the same page. I enjoyed how the slow pace made things feel more authentic. Any faster and Kacey's feelings for Jonah couldn't have been as strong as they were. Yet the gradual development lowered the intensity level for me. Sometimes slow burn makes the pay off even better. Don't get me wrong, I loved the outcome and how things ended up, but I didn't feel the fever to keep reading until I'd read every last page like I did with Full Tilt.

One of my frustrations with Full Tilt revolved around the frequency of sexual scenes, I was happy to see that wasn't the case for All In. Yet the language was just as much.

Favorite quote:

-"Accept that which has ended and let go so you can move on. So you may grow. So you may thrive."

I very much enjoyed All In. I enjoyed the slow build from the end of Full Tilt to the end of this book. Yet the slow burn didn't hold the intensity for me that book 1 had. I loved Theo the most, yet the emotion just wasn't on the same level for me. All In turns out exactly how I wanted and that means it gets 4 Stars. Have you read All In? What did you think? Let me know!

Full Tilt - Review

Full Tilt (Full Tilt, # 1)

By: Emma Scott

Published: June 28th 2016 by Trillian

292 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from Holly

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--"I would love you forever, if I only had the chance..."

Kacey Dawson has always lived life on the edge--impulsively, sometimes recklessly. And now, as lead guitarist for a hot up-and-coming band, she is poised at the brink of fame and fortune. But she is torn between wanting to be a serious musician, and the demons that lure her down the glittering, but alcohol-soaked path of rock stardom. A wrecked concert in Las Vegas threatens to ruin her career entirely. She wakes up with the hangover from hell and no memory of the night before, or how she ended up on her limo driver’s couch...

Jonah Fletcher is running out of time. He knows his situation is hopeless, and he's vowed to make the most of the handful of months he has left to him. His plans include seeing the opening of his glass installation at a prestigious art gallery…they do not include falling in love with a wild, tempestuous rock musician who wound up passed out on his couch.

Jonah sees that Kacey is on a path to self-destruction. He lets her crash with him for a few days to dry out and get her head on straight. But neither of them expected the deep connection they felt, or how that connection could grow so fast from friendship into something more. Something deep and pure and life-changing…something as fragile as glass, that they both know will shatter in the end no matter how hard they try to hold on to it.

Full Tilt is a story about what it means to love with your whole heart, to sacrifice, to experience terrible grief and soaring joy. To live life with all its beauty, and all its pain, and in the end to be able to smile through tears and know you wouldn’t have changed a thing.

***FIRST BOOK IN A TWO PART DUET***

All In (Full Tilt #2) forthcoming...

Kacey isn't one that I would typically connect to. Even when I can intellectually understand how she might have ended up where she has, I don't connect to the character that tries to drown their sorrows in alcohol. Drinking never makes one's problems go away. It only compounds them. And Kacey is no exception. Yet, I can always relate to a character that works to make themselves better. And eventually Kacey does take steps to put herself on a better path. I can respect that.

Jonah was easily relatable. (Why does that seem to happen more often than not?) He steps in like a knight in shining armor to rescue Kacey from herself. He offers her what she's so rarely found...a friend who doesn't want anything from her. Sure Jonah finds her attractive, but Jonah has no intentions of beginning a relationship. I could understand and even respect Jonah's desire to keep Kacey at arm's length. Normally, I find characters that self-sacrifice what they want out of some (usually) misguided attempt to protect the other character super annoying because it isn't typically true self-sacrifice. Yet, I wasn't upset with Jonah for trying to keep his distance, and I wasn't upset when that distance was closed.

Full Tilt is truly like watching a train wreck in the best kind of way. You know the ending is coming from the beginning. You watch it getting closer and closer, and you can't stop it. But you can't look away either. You brace yourself. And when the impact comes you break apart at the destruction and pain before you. That's exactly how I felt. I couldn't put this book down. I knew how it was going to end. I even made a prediction a good bit before the ending about book 2. Yet I found myself literally holding my breath while reading this book. And when that inevitable ending came, my heart broke. The tears fell. And I don't mean just a few. Wow. The feels.

However, one of my pet peeves of the new adult genre was present. I expect physical scenes from this genre, but from about the 50% mark on the scenes were just too frequent for my preferences. And as tends to accompany these scenes and genre, the language was pretty strong and frequent too. Especially the f-bombs. This is something that I've come to expect from the genre, but I don't enjoy it.

Favorite quote:

-"Don't let me vanish, Theo. Please. Help me..."

Full Tilt offered up complex characters with histories meaningful to where they currently are in their lives as well as where they will go in the future. I loved seeing the setup for book 2, All In. And the emotion had me hooked and turning the pages while holding my breath to reach the inevitable heart wrenching conclusion which left me in tears. My few pet peeves of language and sexual content keep me from rating this a full 5 stars. Full Tilt gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Full Tilt? What did you think? Let me know!