Breaking the Rules - Review

Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits, # 1.5)

By: Katie McGarry

Published: December 8th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

304 pages

Genre: YA/NA, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library (from Husband)

( 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--A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.

I love Katie McGarry’s writing. She hooks me. She sucks me in. She gets me to care about the characters on the page. And I usually love every word of it. But Echo and Noah had their happy ending. I’m always nervous when characters I love get their happy ending in one book, I think that’s the end of the story, and then bam more conflict, more fights, and more drama. So I was scared about what Echo and Noah would face in round two. Yet, (this is only a spoiler if you haven’t read Crash Into You) we know that Echo and Noah are together and happy later on in the series. Breaking the Rules takes place after Pushing the Limits but before Dare You To and consequently before Crash Into You. So I at least went into Breaking the Rules knowing that no matter what conflict Echo and Noah come up against they make it out on the other side together and happy. I can’t tell you how comforting it was to know that.

Echo and Noah are still the same Echo and Noah I came to love in Pushing the Limits, but both characters come with a lot of baggage. Both have scarred pasts (literally), and both have endured even more since finding each other. And as anyone who’s been through any kind of pain in their lives (which is everyone, right?) knows…painful experiences are…well…painful. And Echo and Noah can’t just skip over that part. Noah has to face the demons of guilt he feels over his parents death and knowing that his mother has a family that she kept from him. And Echo has to face her grief over Aires death and try to find some way to move forward toward forgiving her mother. All of that is on top of Echo and Noah figuring out how to pursue their separate dreams (art and college) while somehow, someway staying together through it all yet not holding the other back at the same time. Essentially, it’s a complicated equation.

There were times when both Echo and Noah frustrated me in this book. Not to the point of wanting to put the book down or loving them less, but enough for me to want to rough them up. We all make dumb decisions, right? And sadly it’s those decisions that we usually end up learning the most from, and that was true for Echo and Noah. Those times when I wanted to smack them, they kind of wanted to smack themselves. So that helps.

Katie McGarry did a great job of pulling in catch phrases from Pushing the Limits that really made me feel like I was back in Noah and Echo’s heads…like how Noah calls Echo his siren. And how Echo thinks Ms. Collins reminds her of a Labrador retriever. It’s the little things. Speaking of…here are my favorite quotes:

-”I’ll never let you get so far in front of me that I can’t catch you.”

-“The sole reason a constellation exists is because it’s a sum of its parts. To lose one of those parts…it’s painful and irreversible.”

-”I don’t want to lose the way you look at me—like I’m something…someone.”

-I bite my tongue, wishing I could utter the words, I love you more now, and it scares me. Please, please, please never leave.

-“I get it.” “You don’t.” He slams his palm over his chest, over his heart. “They left me too!”

-“God sifts us all like wheat. He refines us like flour. He works through the good in our lives and through the bad.”…

-“Tell me where she went, and I’ll take you.” “Naw,” says Isaiah. “You give us the keys, I’ll drive, he’ll save the girl and I’ll let you live.”

I loved the section with Noah’s uncle that I started to quote (next to last) above. I wanted to quote that whole paragraph, but decided to save it for you to just read in the book itself. So often characters in these books don’t believe in God (Noah battles with that himself), and often times I feel like that is a direct result of the author themselves not believing in God…or maybe it’s just the popular thing these days…or maybe it’s just easier for the author not to have to include God in a story that isn’t really ABOUT God. Whatever the reason for most YA books leaving Him out altogether, I absolutely loved that Katie McGarry included this section. I didn’t feel like she was pushing God on the reader. Noah still isn’t convinced what he thinks or believes, but I just loved that it was included.

Also, since Breaking the Rules has more adult themes than Pushing the Limits and Echo and Noah take things farther physically, I felt like Echo’s response to that aspect of their relationship was one of the most genuine that I’ve ever read. I think these are the things that every girl thinks and feels. And I find it utterly unrealistic that anyone can go from insecure and scared to confident and fearless in one jump. So I loved how honest this part was.

All in all, I really enjoyed Breaking the Rules. While I was emotionally involved, Breaking the Rules didn’t quite pull the emotion out of me that Pushing the Limits did. The writing was solid. I still love the characters. I can’t wait to read more of Katie McGarry. Breaking the Rules gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Breaking the Rules? What did you think? Let me know!

*Also, I loved the small snippet of Nowhere But Here included at the end. I’m stoked to read more about Oz and the new series.

Waiting on Sweet

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Sweet (Contours of the Heart, # 3)

By: Tammara Webber

Expected Publication: April 27th 2015

Genre: Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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

Goodreads description--He’s the love of her life, but he doesn’t know it.
She’s his one moment of sacrifice in a lifetime of survival.

He was damaged and wild, but resilient.
She’s always been obedient. Now she’s restless.

Home for the summer between college and med school, Pearl Torres Frank knows two things: Boyce Wynn is the embodiment of everything she should run from, and everything she wants to run to. Rebellious and loud. Unconcerned with society’s opinion of him. Passionate. Strong. Dangerous.

And one more trait he hides from everyone but her:
Sweet.

I had no, no, no clue Tammara Webber was writing another Contours of the Heart book, but I am so stoked about this. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

The Boys of Summer - Review

The Boys of Summer (Summer, # 1)

By: CJ Duggan

Published: December 17th 2012

321 pages

Genre: New Adult/Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library (free deal--and still free)

( 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--It seemed only natural to nickname them the ‘Onslow Boys’. Every time they swaggered in the front door of the Onslow Hotel after a hard week’s work, their laughter was loud and genuine as they settled onto their bar stools. I peeked through the restaurant partition, a flimsy divider between my world and theirs. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I saw them, saw him... Toby Morrison.

Quiet seventeen-year-old Tess doesn’t relish the thought of a summertime job. She wants nothing more than to forget the past haunts of high school and have fun with her best friends before the dreaded Year Twelve begins.

To Tess, summer is when everything happens: riding bikes down to the lake, watching the fireworks at the Onslow Show and water bomb fights at the sweltering Sunday markets.

How did she let her friends talk her into working?

After first-shift disasters, rude, wealthy tourists and a taunting ex-boyfriend, Tess is convinced nothing good can come of working her summer away. However, Tess finds unlikely allies in a group of locals dubbed ‘The Onslow Boys’, who are old enough to drive cars, drink beer and not worry about curfews. Tess’s summer of working expands her world with a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love and heartbreaking chaos.

All with the one boy she has never been able to forget.

It will be a summer she will always remember.

Warning: sexual references, and occasional coarse language.

The Boys of Summer wasn’t really what I was expecting it to be. There are some sexual experiences and occasional coarse language like the warning in the description suggests, but the situations weren’t really descriptive, and the language while present, wasn’t as bad as some books out there with similar warnings. I definitely expected The Boys of Summer to be more of a new adult book, but even though I’m not sure what age group I would suggest this book too, it felt younger than most new adult books. But all of that honestly was refreshing rather than a disappointment.

The Boys of Summer is about Tessa and her friend, Ellie who happen to get summer jobs working at a local hotel. They both work as waitresses and occasionally dishwashing. And through these summer jobs, Tessa and Ellie befriend a popular group of older boys that they’ve nicknamed the Onslow Boys. Tessa has had a crush on Toby Morrison since 7th grade and has almost obsessively watched him throughout the years. And Ellie, well Ellie is mostly just boy crazy. She seems to flit from one boy to the next without caring much about her reputation. Tessa and Ellie are also best friends with Adam, but Adam spends most of his summer in a different location and isn’t as present. He was a likeable character even if it seemed a bit odd for him to be a part of their threesome. I wondered if he had feelings that went deeper than friendship at points, and I’m still interested to see what might happen with Adam.

The Onslow Boys are about 5 years older than Tessa and Ellie. Five years isn’t entirely too much, but there can be a big gap between 17 years old and 22 years old. For one, these guys were drinking ALL THE TIME. It didn’t matter what time of day. They all had a beer in hand at all times. It was a bit much. Tessa started off the book feeling very young to me. She does grow and come into her own throughout the book, but it emphasized the differences in their ages for a while.

One of my favorite parts of The Boys of Summer was how confused Tessa was when it came to Toby (and just boys in general). She has a hard time reading Toby. Is he interested? Is he not? Does he like her? Does he not? Is he flirting with her? Is he mad at her? I mean aside from the fact that Toby actually has a girlfriend. Does he like Tessa? Or is he happy in his current relationship? She just has no clue. And as the reader, I wasn’t sure either. His actions as Tessa perceives them were definitely confusing. And I appreciated CJ Duggan’s choices there. She chose not to reveal to the reader more information than Tessa herself had and that kept me authentically just as unsure as Tessa felt. I really connected with this because that’s how I felt in high school. I felt all over the place. How do you know if a guy is genuinely interested in you or if he just likes to flirt? It’s not always easy to differentiate.

I wasn’t sure how CJ Duggan was going to wrap everything up in a way that felt authentic and that I would be satisfied with, but she pulled it off.

I loved all of the characters (main and secondary) and can’t wait to delve into the others deeper when I continue the series which I can’t wait to do. Sean and Adam were particularly enjoyable aside from Tessa. Tessa, Adam, and Sean were all characters that made me laugh at different points. I’d quote them, but the sections I highlighted were kind of lengthy.

I will say that it was obvious to me that this was not an American author or setting. I enjoyed the difference in the way the characters talk, but sometimes I was like “what in the world is she talking about?” And it made me realize how much I take for granted being from the United States. And that made me think about this post Lola @ Lola Reviews did about some frustrations she has and struggles with reading American literature. It’s something I’ve never really thought about before, and I haven’t read enough non-US authors in order to think about this more. On top of that, Nomi @ Nomi's Paranormal Palace told me that this was an authentic depiction of Australian life. She specifically said that this series was very similar to her own experience growing up in Australia.

I really enjoyed The Boys of Summer. It was different from what I expected, but in the end, I think that turned out to be a good thing. The Boys of Summer gets 4 Stars from me, and I can’t wait to continue this series. Have you read The Boys of Summer? What did you think? Let me know!

Waiting on Breaking the Rules

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits, # 1.5)

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: December 8th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

304 pages

Genre: YA/NA, Contemporary

( 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--A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.

Love, love, love, love, love...this series. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

The DUFF - Review

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

By: Kody Keplinger

Published: September 7th 2010 by Little Brown/Poppy (first published January 1st 2010)

280 pages

Genre: YA/NA, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from my sister

( 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--Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

My sister recommended The DUFF to me because she had the audiobook, and she thought I would enjoy it. My sister and I don’t always agree on books, but she was pretty sure that I would like this one. And so when I had some downtime at work I decided to take her up on it to help pass the time. And well overall I did enjoy The DUFF.

The DUFF is one of those books where the characters have a LONG way to go from being likeable in the beginning. Considering that this book is at least inspired in part by Wuthering Heights, it’s understandable that none of the main characters are particularly likeable. I struggled through the beginning, but in the end the character growth and development won me over.

Bianca is our main female character. She’s flawed as all get out. She’s judgmental. She has an awful potty mouth. She jumps to conclusions. She makes assumptions. She’s even hypocritical. She talks and thinks negatively about herself and about others. While I find Bianca, and The DUFF in general, fairly realistic, this isn’t a reality that I really want to be a part of.

Here’s an IM conversation my sister and I had about this book. I’m tried to exclude all of the spoilery parts. I feel like this just gives you the best idea of how I felt about this book (this conversation took place over the two days that it took for me to finish this book):

Sandy [10:37 AM]: I relate to this girl, yet I can't say I really like her that much.
Sandy [10:45 AM]: she's very judgmental
Melissa [10:45 AM]: yeah. I can see you not liking her very much.
Sandy [10:47 AM]: i hope she grows as a character. [removed]
Sandy [1:19 PM]: oh boy...there she goes making out with wesley again
Melissa [1:19 PM]: yep. I was like "what in the world are you doing?!?!"
Sandy [1:19 PM]: yep. next thing you know she's going to be sleeping with him just to not think about [removed]. oh wow...there goes the shirt. maybe i'm not that far off
Melissa [1:20 PM]: smh.
Sandy [1:20 PM]: and the bra. sheesh
sheesh
!!!!!!!!!!!
Melissa [1:22 PM]: :)
Sandy [1:22 PM]: seriously!!!!!!!!!! :-O
Melissa [1:23 PM]: hahahahaha.
Sandy [1:23 PM]: this girl SMH i can't believe her
Melissa [1:25 PM]: yep. she's insane.
Sandy [1:25 PM]: GREAT ^o) i almost feel bad for Wesley.
Melissa [1:26 PM]: oh dear.
Sandy [1:27 PM]: bahahahaha!!!!!!!!! or not
Melissa [1:27 PM]: why?
Sandy [1:27 PM]: she's not nice to him at all
Melissa [1:27 PM]: no, she's not, but he called her the DUFF.
Sandy [1:27 PM]: yeah i know. sometimes he seems like he cares though. perhaps i'm naïve.
Melissa [1:28 PM]: I liked him too. after a little while.
Sandy [1:29 PM]: he keeps asking her if she's alright seems like he actually cares. otherwise why even ask?
Sandy [1:32 PM]: and him having his own bookshelf and stuff. indicates there's more than meets the eye.
Melissa [1:32 PM]: :)
Sandy [1:33 PM]: or...he could just be rich :) she's going to go back for more too i bet
Melissa [1:33 PM]: I bet.
Sandy [1:33 PM]: hey...you already know. ;)
Melissa [1:39 PM]: I didn't say what happens. I was betting the same thing.
Sandy [1:39 PM]: :|
Sandy [1:45 PM]: oh sheesh. that is why i never told my friends if i had a crush on someone
Melissa [1:47 PM]: what happened?
Sandy [1:48 PM]: well first of all kacey told jessica about b kissing wesley to begin with. but then i think it was kacey again said something angie and vicki at lunch about her making out with him. AFTER vicki had already said that she and wesley fooled around in his car at homecoming.
Melissa [1:49 PM]: oh yes. I remember thinking I would have been annoyed if i were Bianca.
Sandy [1:49 PM]: for sure. i would have been furious
Sandy [3:12 PM]: ok just when i was starting to like this book... toby tucker's helping her pass out VD flowers etc
Melissa [3:13 PM]: YEAH...
Sandy [3:13 PM]: 8-)
Melissa [3:13 PM]: what's wrong with that?
Sandy [3:14 PM]: i just doubt it will end happy. i'm assuming she's built him up too much in her head.
Melissa [3:14 PM]: :D
Sandy [3:14 PM]: i bet you love hearing my predictions
Melissa [3:15 PM]: i do.
Sandy [3:15 PM]: i don't mind being wrong
Melissa [3:15 PM]: :)
Sandy [3:16 PM]: and i like to have proof if i guessed correctly and how much do you want to bet that [removed]
Melissa [3:20 PM]: :)
Sandy [3:20 PM]: :D (H)
Sandy [8:36 AM]: did you see where i said yesterday that i keep thinking the narrator says lesley instead of wesley?
Melissa [8:38 AM]: oh yeah. I remember thinking that too.
Sandy [8:38 AM]: i always have to remind myself his name and that he's a boy since i keep thinking she says lesley
Melissa [8:39 AM]: hahahahaha.
Sandy [9:06 AM]: bahahahhaah....[removed]
Melissa [9:07 AM]: :)
Sandy [9:07 AM]: and he was like "while that's disappointing that's not what i was going to ask" BAHAHAHAHA!!!!! oh boy!!!!!!!!
Melissa [9:19 AM]: Hee Hee.
Sandy [10:42 AM]: haha...yep
ugh...i don't want her with toby.
Melissa [10:43 AM]: I didn't either. But, who do you want her with? Wesley???? :)
Sandy [10:43 AM]: well yeah
Melissa [10:44 AM]: :)
Sandy [10:50 AM]: i can't believe she said [removed]. SO NOT TRUE
Sandy [10:54 AM]: and toby just admitted to watching gossip girl seriously?
Sandy [11:02 AM]: BAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! busted
Melissa [11:07 AM]: what?
Sandy [11:07 AM]: [removed]
Melissa [11:08 AM]: [removed]
Sandy [11:08 AM]: yeah go wesley!!!!
Melissa [11:09 AM]: what did he do?
Sandy [11:10 AM]: he said [removed]
now she's [removed]
Melissa [11:10 AM]: :)
Sandy [12:06 PM]: CHEESE! WESLEY RUSH DOESN'T CHASE GIRLS...BUT [removed]. :D
Melissa [12:06 PM]: HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sandy [12:06 PM]: (H)
Melissa [12:07 PM]: I knew you'd like this book. :)
Sandy [12:08 PM]: WELL...I'm torn on some things, but overall I've enjoyed it and looked forward to it when I had to stop listening.
Sandy [12:48 PM]: man....this book is running out of time for [removed].
Melissa [12:50 PM]: hahahaha.
Sandy [12:50 PM]: :|
Sandy [1:10 PM]: i finished
Melissa [1:10 PM]: yeah? And?
Sandy [1:10 PM]: i liked it. need to write my review now. :)
Melissa [1:11 PM]: were you happy with the ending?
Sandy [1:11 PM]: yeah

I battled with The DUFF because I didn't like Bianca very much in the beginning. I feel like there's more to address and I could over analyze a lot of this book, but I was happy to see the character growth in Bianca as well as the other characters. The DUFF gets 4 stars from me. I debated giving it 3.5, but pushed it up to the 4 stars because of how much I wanted to come back to it whenever I would have to press "pause." Have you read The DUFF? What did you think? Let me know!

Sempre - Review

Sempre (Forever, # 1)

By: JM Darhower

Published: January 29th 2012 by CreateSpace

530 pages

Genre: YA/NA, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

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

Goodreads description--Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco had vastly different childhoods. Haven, a second-generation slave, grew up isolated in the middle of the desert, her days full of hard work and terrifying abuse. Carmine, born into a wealthy Mafia family, lived a life of privilege, never having to answer for anything he did.

Both now seventeen, a twist of fate causes their worlds to collide, making them question everything they ever believed. Entangled in a web of secrets and lies, they learn that while different on the surface, they have more in common than anyone would think.

I can’t say that I’ve ever read a mafia book before. Nor have I read a book about human trafficking or slave trade. So when I read the description of Sempre, I thought this sounded like a different read that might be just the change of pace that I was looking for. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Sempre was indeed going to be a book that I would like very much. JM Darhower has a great voice and his easy writing style pulled me in early on. Though there's nothing inaccurate about the description, I did have a slightly different picture in my head of how Sempre was going to go down than what actually happened.

Haven is, as the description states, a second generations slave. Her mother was a slave also who happened to have been raped by Haven’s father. As the description also says, Haven has experienced abuse to the point that she is jittery, jumpy, and flinching just about constantly. Haven’s mother presses her to escape and because of this stunt, Haven is sold to another "Master".

Vincent DeMarco is the mafia member who buys Haven after her escape attempt. Vincent has very specific reasons for purchasing Haven, though none of that is clear to Haven or really any of the other characters. He brings Haven into his family. She’s separate but a part at the same time. He treats her well with the exception of an occasional slip into “monster” mode. Vincent is a broken man. He’s lost his wife to the mafia, and he’s doing everything he can not to lose his sons to them also. Dominic and Carmine are very different. The mafia, it seems, has easily accepted that Dominic will probably not be a member of their family. But that’s not really the case for Carmine. Though Carmine still has the freewill to say “no,” the head of the Italian mafia pretty much assumes that Carmine will be following in his father’s footsteps.

Speaking of Carmine, he’s a hot tempered boy who frequently jumps into violent mode quickly. Of course he’s your typical leading male—meaning he’s fast and loose with his women. Carmine has a potty mouth to rival all other characters. But he’s scarred as well. Having essentially watched his mother die when he was eight and being shot in the process, Carmine has some baggage to say the least. After seeing that he and Haven aren’t quite as different as initial appearances would seem, he softens as he falls in love with her. I personally swooned every time he spoke Italian to her. Granted I had no clue what it was that he was saying. Sometimes JM Darhower would translate for Haven and thus for the reader, but sometimes not. I wanted to be annoyed that I had no clue what he was saying, but Haven didn’t know either. And it was endearing. Oh okay…it was straight out hot.

While things didn’t exactly progress how I pictured from reading the description, the essentials are there. Mafia slave and mafia prince are going to have a tough road to be together. And all isn’t cotton candy and unicorns. The pacing was good. I never felt like putting Sempre down exactly, and I never really felt like things were moving too slowly, but this is a hefty book coming in at 530 pages. Toward the end, I still didn’t feel like things were slow necessarily, but I was kind of getting to the point where I was ready for them to wrap up. While I don’t know that I could have predicted everything from the very beginning, while the story was unfolding pieces that felt like they were supposed to be game changers didn’t really feel like game changers. Maybe the information was leaked slowly enough to where I felt like I already knew what they were saying before they official made the important statements or plot twists. I say all of that to say that this one was a little predictable.

I’m not quite sure why, but I wasn’t expecting much from Sempre when I first picked it up. Maybe it was because I’m new to the mafia and modern day slave trafficking tales or maybe it was because I was unfamiliar with the author. It doesn’t really matter why I wasn’t expecting much at this point. What does matter is that Sempre exceeded my expectations in every way. I was sucked in. I enjoyed the ride. And I can’t wait to see what happens next. Sempre gets 4 Stars from me, and I hope it gets the love and attention that I think it deserves. Have you read Sempre? What did you think? Let me know!

Reason to Breathe - Review

Reason to Breathe (Breathing, # 1)

By: Rebecca Donovan

Published: May 10th 2011

377 pages

Genre: YA/NA, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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

Goodreads description--"No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?" In the affluent town of Weslyn, Connecticut, where most people worry about what to be seen in and who to be seen with, Emma Thomas would rather not be seen at all. She’s more concerned with feigning perfection while pulling down her sleeves to conceal the bruises - not wanting anyone to know how far from perfect her life truly is. Without expecting it, she finds love. It challenges her to recognize her own worth - but at the risk of revealing the terrible secret she’s desperate to hide. Reason to Breathe is an electrifying page turner from start to finish, a unique tale of life-changing love, unspeakable cruelty, and one girl’s fragile grasp of hope.

I initially put Reason to Breathe on my TBR list because I saw a Facebook post where Colleen Hoover said that she loved this series—or this book, I can’t remember exactly. And then I saw via BookBub that Reason to Breathe was on sale for $0.99 and I snatched it up. Lately I’ve been in a contemporary mood so I decided to start this one on a whim, and boy am I glad that I did.

I LOVED this book!

It truly didn’t take long for Rebecca Donovan to hook me into her story. Emma’s father passed away a while back and her mother pretty much couldn’t deal. She turned to alcohol and such and eventually became unfit to take care of Emma. So Emma was shipped off to live with her aunt and uncle and two cousins. Her aunt, however, despises the “burden” that Emma being in her house has placed upon her. The reader is somewhat slowly introduced to how truly horrific Carol is and the depth of abuse Emma has to endure at her hand. I hated Carol…she is everything you expect her to be and more.

At this point in her life, Emma’s one bright spot is her best friend Sara. Sara has put two and two together despite Emma’s constant denial, avoidance, and defending. Sara was a great best friend. I loved her in this book. She was the perfect blend of protective and supportive. She wants so badly to do what’s right and protect Emma while at the same time being torn with the possibility of making things worse for Emma. I don’t think Emma could have had a better best friend. And I can’t rave about Sara enough.

Along with loving Sara, I loved Evan too. He comes into Emma’s world so unexpectedly. As the description says, Emma does everything she can to be invisible. Sara is very popular so Emma can’t completely blend in being always beside her, but she tries her hardest. It's quickly evident that Emma isn't as invisible as she hopes to me. Evan in particular can’t stop watching her. He can’t leave her alone. He’s fascinated and drawn to her. And I loved it. His persistence was admiring, and I think I fell harder for him with each page that I turned as Emma did too. Of course, Emma fights her feelings for him and a relationship with him because she can’t risk him finding out about her secret.

Not surprisingly, Emma’s secret isn’t one that can stay hidden. Little things clue Evan in on what might be happening with Emma. From day one he knows how strict the rules are at her houses, and he works constantly to find ways to spend time with her and see her around the rules and without her aunt and uncle knowing. Sara plays a supportive role in this of course.

Emma herself is an extremely likeable character. Despite the horrible circumstances of her life, she doesn’t really seem to have a victim mentality. She’s scared, sure. But she doesn’t want to let her aunt’s behavior towards herself change her. She doesn’t want to be a person filled with hate and anger despite having every reason in the world to do just that. Emma is exactly the type of character that I like to read about. Of course, she does have her moments of decision making that makes me roll my eyes a bit but nothing too drastic or too frustrating.

I truly have so much more to say about this book, but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. The ending was….well….unclear, and I was frantic to know one specific thing that I was unclear about. So I read the description of the next book in the series and was able to breathe easy. Rebecca Donovan blew me away. I will most definitely be finishing this series. And I will most definitely be reading her other work once it’s out there. Officially added to the “auto buy” list.

Reason to Breathe gets 5 stars from me. I can’t recommend this book enough. It does address some difficult and heavy situations, but not in a way that make you feel as if the character has no hope. Emma is a great leading lady, and I’m thankful for Rebecca Donovan for writing a character who’s spirit isn’t easily broken. Evan brings hope into Emma’s life and hope into this book. He makes the story worth reading. And Sara supports Emma in such a way that I wish she were my best friend. Read this book. Please.

Have you read Reason to Breathe already? What did you think? Let me know!