Ruin Me - Review

Ruin Me (Nova, # 5)

By: Jessica Sorensen

Published: January 19th 2015

253 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( 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 part time student, CNA, and caretaker for her slightly deranged mother, Clara McKiney doesn’t have time for a relationship. That’s why her friends with benefits arrangement with sexy and ridiculously charming Jax Hensley works perfectly.

But Jax has other ideas.

The moment Jax met Clara he was instantly drawn to her wittiness, confidence, and gorgeous smile. Even though he agreed to the friends with benefits arrangement, he secretly hopes for more than their weekend hook ups.

When Jax's estranged mother mysteriously disappears, he sees an opportunity to spend more time with Clara. After convincing her to return home with him, a new agreement is made. One road trip and week together to find out why his mom vanished into thin air.

Things are about to get complicated.

Jax is Avery’s brother from Wreck Me. He didn’t have a huge role, but he was a fairly prominent side character. Even still, it was obvious that he was a great character and one that I wanted to know more about. Jax was always helping Avery with Mason, and Jax basically looked to Avery as his mother figure since their mom was a drug addict. Needless to say, there’s a lot to explore here.

Jax and Clara have a friends with benefits relationship that is more benefits than friends. I struggle with relationships where the physical has a better foundation than (or sets the foundation for) the emotional aspects. Clara doesn’t want more than the physical. She’s struggling to balance school, taking care of her mother who has brain damage from a car accident, and paying the bills. So Clara doesn’t think she really has time for another more. Jax, of course, wants more from day one. If I read a book where the physical relationship is well established before the emotional, I tend to prefer these to be books where the male in the relationship knows he wants more than the female. Even though this is backwards from what you normally think, I like it because I always want to root for the good guy. That’s more believable to me (even though I do love a hot, bad boy turned good).

Jax receives a disturbing phone call from his mother. She basically tells him she’s afraid that this drug dealer is going to kill her because she owes him some money. Jax can’t just ignore that. So even though his mother has never done anything for him, he sets out to find her. And he miraculously talks Clara into going on the trip with him. But Jax isn’t being completely honest. He’s hoping that this trip will bring them closer. He’s hoping that Clara will let down her guard and let him in a little. Of course, that’s essentially what happens.

Jax and Clara were both easy to read from. They both had a lot of past history that Jessica Sorensen explored. Each was likeable in their own ways. But the conflict of this story just wasn’t up to par. The confrontation with Jax’s mom was so easy, and Jax was all of a sudden able to move on with his life. Clara’s idea that her past and what she's currently dealing with would cause Jax to “run away” was so ridiculous considering everything that Jax has shared with her about his own history and past. Clara’s life doesn’t compare to what Jax has gone through. And to throw in the past boyfriend that left her and thus being her number one fear of letting Jax in just didn’t logically make sense.

Favorite quotes:

-“If you don’t like my cockiness, then you should probably lay off with the staring. Seriously Clara, you’re stroking the crap out of my ego.”

-“You keep saying things that give me hope.”

Ruin Me was good for the mood I was in. I wanted light and quick. Even though the subject matter was kind of heavy, it was nothing compared to the earlier Nova books. I did have a few issues, namely the conflict. It was just too easy which is often a complaint of mine with Jessica Sorensen books. Ruin Me gets 3 Stars. Have you read Ruin Me? What did you think? Let me know!

Wreck Me - Review

Wreck Me (Nova, # 4)

By: Jessica Sorensen

Publication: October 22nd 2014

350 pages

Genre: New Adult, 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--Once upon a time there was a girl named Avery Hensley who thought she’d found the guy—the one that she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with. They got married young and had the most beautiful son in the world.

Life seemed perfect.

But not everything is what it seems.

Turned out the guy had another side to him, one Avery didn’t see coming. He wrecked her and broke her into a thousand pieces that she had to put back together again. She swore off guys from then on, vowing never to let anyone hurt her or her son again. She built a wall around herself and planned on never letting anyone through it again.

But then she meets Tristan Morganson. He wrecks Avery in a different way, the kind of way that makes her feel free again, the kind of way that makes her think not all guys are bad. But can Avery trust him enough to let her wall come crumbling down?

First off, I don’t know that anyone would want to pick up Wreck Me without reading Tristan: Finding Hope first. At the time that I read Tristan: Finding Hope, I kind of wondered the same thing. I mean that’s where Tristan and Avery actually meet, and there’s a good bit that happens as setup that is really necessary to know when going into Wreck Me. I can’t say that I was fully paying attention to whether or not someone could read Wreck Me without having read Tristan: Finding Hope first, but I can definitely say that I wouldn’t advise it.

As often happens when I’m reading a series and there’s a side character that has a pretty prominent role, I tend to try to figure out what that character is thinking and feeling based on their actions. But often times once I’m able to read from that character’s perspective, things aren’t quite the way I imagined them. I’ve been getting mixed messages about Tristan throughout the series. During Breaking Nova and Saving Quinton, Tristan seems to be Quinton’s gateway into this life of drugs and various other horribleness. While meth is a no joke drug, Tristan’s preferred drug of choice seemed to be heroine, which Quinton doesn’t branch out into until he’s hit rock bottom. But yet, Tristan didn’t ever seem to have the emotional reasons that Quinton did to get into drugs in the first place. And Tristan went to rehab and got clean first. Yet as I said, all is not as it appears. Turns out, Tristan does have emotional reasons (even though no reason is good enough) to seek solace in drugs. And just because Tristan got clean first doesn’t mean anything. He shows how truly difficult it is to stay clean and how addiction always stays with you.

Avery’s history is no picnic. She grew up around drugs. Her mother is an addict and all she ever wanted to do was “get out”. Get out of that house, get out of that town, get out of that lifestyle. So she latches on to the first hope she sees for escape. It just happens to be via an unworthy man. Though Conner doesn’t appear to have any addictions when he and Avery first meet, he gets dragged into that world, and Avery allows herself to get pulled in as well. Avery would have to have had such a background, I think, in order to make a good match for Tristan. Tristan would have a much harder time trusting that she’s not going to view him as complete trash had she not had her own history of mistakes behind her.

Tristan and Avery’s story does have a little too much parallel for me. Jessica Sorensen not only swaps narrators between both characters, but she also chooses to insert flashbacks from both characters too. For some reason, I don’t seem to mind when a character is having a memory. Yet, I find myself annoyed when the past is written as if it’s the present. You know…like time-jumping. That just doesn’t always sit right with me. So add to that the fact that Tristan and Avery were often experiencing very similar circumstances and events “at the exact same time” throughout their pasts and present. I don’t know…I guess when two characters’ lives are too similar or they think the same word-for-word thoughts I just find that hard to believe. So this aspect of Wreck Me wasn’t my favorite.

I did enjoy that Tristan and Avery had a pretty slow building relationship. A connection was already there from when they met before, but they took time to get to know each other. Each one had to come to terms with their past and find a way to share what they’d been through with the other. It felt authentic. But once things start happening they happen perhaps a little too quickly. The physical boundaries are blown. And the conflict of Avery’s ex-husband, Conner, just seemed to be solved too easily for me.

Wreck Me was a pretty enjoyable read. I was hooked into the story quickly once I got started, and I didn’t really want to put it down. I had a few small issues with the parallels of Tristan and Avery’s pasts, the jumps in chronology, and with how quickly things wrapped up, but that didn’t really change my overall feel of the book. Wreck Me gets 4 Stars. Do be aware about language though. Jessica Sorensen’s characters have no qualms with the f-bomb. Have you read Wreck Me? What did you think? Let me know!

Finding Mr. Brightside - Review

Finding Mr. Brightside

By: Jay Clark

Expected Publication: March 24th 2015 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

288 pages

Genre: Young 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--Abram and Juliette know each other. They’ve lived down the street from each other their whole lives. But they don’t really know each other—at least, not until Juliette’s mom and Abram’s dad have a torrid affair that culminates in a deadly car crash. The funeral is uncomfortable, to say the least. They don’t speak.

Fast forward to the neighborhood pharmacy, a few months later. Abram is on Paxil. Juliette is on Adderall. Abram decides to say hello. Then he decides to invite her to Taco Bell. To both of their surprise, she agrees. And the real love story begins.

I’m not really sure why, but I didn’t have high expectations for this book when I started it (in November 2014). There really is no good reason why. Maybe just because I wasn’t familiar with the author? I’m not sure. Either way, I think having low expectations for Finding Mr. Brightside turned out to be a good thing for me because I was so pleasantly surprised with this book, the writing, the characters, the story, all of it. And since I read it months ago, I'm really excited to finally get to share my thoughts with you.

As the description says, Abram and Juliette have known each other for a really long time. I mean they go to school together, have classes together, but it’s not like they speak or hang out or anything. It’s just one of those “I know you, you know me” type of relationships. But Abram’s father and Juliette’s mother have been having an affair. One day they’re involved in a car accident which kills both Abram’s father and Juliette’s mother, and thus both families and the world is exposed to this affair which leaves Abram and Juliette in a really awkward situation.

I love how Abram has been intrigued by Juliette for a really long time. He just thinks that they should be friends. And so one day after being slightly stalker like, he runs into her in the pharmacy where they’re both getting their prescriptions filled. Abram’s on Paxil for depression, and Juliette is addicted to Adderall, which we learn was first given to her by her mother before she passed and Juliette’s been faking ADHD symptoms ever since in order to continue to receive her prescription. And truthfully I loved seeing this side of a prescription drug addiction story. I’ve read drug addiction stories before, but I’ve never read one that came at the subject from this angle. It felt very real and authentic especially as I know someone that takes Adderall for ADHD symptoms. This was an enlightening read from that perspective for me.

But I also just genuinely liked these characters. Juliette is so rough around the edges. She’s a hurt, grieving, angry, broken girl. And so she’s a bit of a negative energy. Yet she wasn’t unlikeable because of that. She just took a really long time to trust others, Abram included. Abram is kind of the opposite. He’s such a positive guy, especially considering the revelation of his father’s unfaithfulness and even while grieving his death. It was so refreshing to see him be open to Juliette and to life in general. I loved his efforts to pull Juliette out of her negative space and back into a much more happy and bright world—he’s Mr. Brightside. And I loved this aspect because I feel like Husband has been my Mr. Brightside as well. Even when our stories don’t relate to Abram and Juliette, I just love being able to see our relationship in some way or other reflected in other characters.

Along with Juliette and Abram themselves, I really adored Abram’s mom and even Juliette’s quirky father. Plus the neighbors, Terry & Linda. Easily likeable characters that really fit into the story and help Abram and Juliette grow and move forward.

Jay Clark’s writes from both Abram and Juliette’s perspectives, and I absolutely enjoyed how distinct their voices were. Just as distinct as the characters are, from positive to negative, and from open to closed off. It made connecting to the characters so much easier.

My favorite quotes:

-Okay, enough. I’m not going to be the girl who pulls him up by the straps of his flip-flops, prunes his scraggly sideburns with a pair of nose-hair trimmers, and transforms him into four-year-college-material.

-You’re never too young to feel disappointed in your parents.

-I pick up a slinky black dress. The Chanel label I was once so enamored of seems so silly and pointless now. Just a word on a thing.

-It’s easy to be an amazing, sexy version of yourself for two-hour stretches, especially around someone who doesn’t have to live with you.

-He has a knack for sucking up all the toxic energy I bring to a room.

-“If we ever do meet, I don’t want to feel sorry for her hair the whole time.”

-“I’ll go to class if you hold my hand there,” he bargains, once again forgetting to include what’s in it for me.

-I like the way he says the wrong thing sometimes.

-…she removes a huge canister of sunscreen from an elephantine purse that rivals mine is size. I want to ask where one can purchase such a tote monster, but I don’t, because now we’re unspoken purse rivals.

-Between the Janette encounter, the girl talk with Linda, the Adderall she probably took afterward to make herself feel back in control of the situation, and the creepy master-bedroom setting she’s using to unnecessarily torture herself, it’s too much about everything else, not enough about us.

Finding Mr. Brightside was an unexpected gem. I loved the characters. I loved the writing. I actually chuckled out loud once while reading. I very much enjoyed the story as a whole and the unique look into prescription drug use. Over all Finding Mr. Brightside gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Finding Mr. Brightside? What did you think? Let me know!

Nova and Quinton: No Regrets - Review

Nova and Quinton: No Regrets (Nova, # 3)

By: Jessica Sorensen

Published: April 15th 2014 by Grand Central Publishing

384 pages

Genre: 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--Today is the first day of Quinton Carter's new life. The toxic guilt of his past left him in pieces-but one girl unexpectedly put him back together. Thanks to Nova Reed, Quinton can finally see the world with clear eyes. She's the reason his heart is still kicking behind the jagged scar on his chest. And he would love to have her in his arms every minute of the day . . . but he's not ready yet.

Playing drums in a band and living with her best friends are just some of the highlights of Nova's life. But the best new development? Talking to Quinton on the phone each night. She wishes she could touch him, kiss him, though she knows he needs time to heal. Yet shocking news is on the way-a reminder of life's dark side-and Nova will need Quinton like he once needed her. Is he strong enough to take the final leap out of his broken past . . . and into Nova's heart?

You guys! Finally a lighter book in this series. I mean don’t get me wrong Nova and Quinton: No Regrets isn’t quite a happy-go-lucky book, but it’s definitely so much more hopeful than Breaking Nova or Saving Quitnon. Man those two books were draining. I was hesitant to read Nova and Quinton: No Regrets initially just because I still felt like I was recovering from Saving Quinton, but my SNL read it before I did and said it was much lighter. So I went ahead and picked it up. And I have to say that it took me no time to read it. I was plugging along and would look at my progress and notice I’d read 30% here and another 30% there. Took less than 24 hours to finish.

Like the previous two books, Nova and Quinton: No Regrets alternates narration between Nova and Quinton. Nova and Quinton: No Regrets is about what happens after leaving rehab. It’s about a boy’s struggle to stay sober. To finding meaning in his life again. To let go of the past that was drowning him. To stop punishing himself. It's about a girl who tries so hard to help people. She wants to save everyone. And she takes on a personal responsibility for what happens with everyone around her. Every life she touches, she’s acutely aware of her impact on that life.

Quinton isn’t sure how much of Nova he can handle in his life, but he knows that she was the one person who wouldn’t give up on him. He can’t just let her go. He knows they have a connection, but he doesn’t know if he can act on that connection. He knows that he has to get his life together alone before he has anything to offer Nova. On the other hand, Nova has gotten her life together, but she still struggles with life’s tough breaks. She knows that she wants a relationship with Quinton, but she can’t pressure him. While long distance relationships are often killed by the distance, the physical distance between Nova and Quinton brings healing to both of them. They have to be separate entities before they can become a unit. They both have more growth to do alone before being together will work.

The secondary characters weren’t as present as they could have been considering Nova and Quinton aren’t actually physically together for the majority of the book. Tristan does have a fairly present role though, and I enjoyed getting to know him better—so much that I preordered his short story, Tristan: Finding Hope. And while I was at it, I went ahead and got Delilah: The Making of Red which I’m afraid will be just as heavy, if not more so, than Breaking Nova and Saving Quinton.

Overall, I enjoyed Nova and Quinton: No Regrets much more than any of the other books in this series. While the others might have pulled some heavier thoughts and feelings from me, this book was filled with hope, which was much needed. Nova and Quinton: No Regrets gets 4 stars from me. Have you read Nova and Quinton: No Regrets? What did you think? Let me know!

Saving Quinton - Review

Saving Quinton (Nova, # 2)

By: Jessica Sorensen

Published: February 4th 2014 by Forever

384 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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

Goodreads description--Nova Reed can't forget him-Quinton Carter, the boy with the honey-brown eyes who made her realize she deserved more than an empty life. His pain was so similar to her own. But Nova has been coming to terms with her past and healing, while Quinton is out there somewhere, sinking deeper. She's determined to find him and help him . . . before it's too late.

Nova has haunted his dreams for nearly a year-but Quinton never thought a sweet, kind person like her would care enough about a person like him. To Quinton, a dark, dangerous life is exactly what he deserves. And Nova has no place in it. But Nova has followed him to Las Vegas, and now he must do whatever it takes to keep her away, to maintain his self-imposed punishment for the unforgivable things he's done. But there's one flaw in his plan: Nova isn't going anywhere . . .

And I thought Breaking Nova was intense… Man. My thoughts are kind of all over the place as I literally JUST finished reading this book minutes ago. I feel like books about drug addiction are in some ways similar to cancer books. It’s kind of like, even if you’ve never dealt with cancer or drug addiction personally, you probably know someone who has. I don’t typically read too many books that deal with this level of addiction, but Jessica Sorensen’s novels usually touch on all sorts of dark topics and so it’s no surprise that drug addiction is one she would take on in this depth and detail.

Typically guilt, self-loathing, self-sabotage, and all of this type of negative thinking is a turn off for me in books. I get so tired of characters blaming themselves for all the terrible things that happen in the world—things that are beyond their control. But for some reason I didn’t struggle with this with Quinton as much as I expected to. Maybe it was because, like Nova, I just kept telling myself that it was the drugs talking. Like if he could somehow get sober he would be able to move past his guilt, self-loathing, self-sabotage, etc. I expected Saving Quinton to be much more about Quinton coming out of his drug use and back into a healthy way of life, but truthfully the entire book was just about him delving further and further into the dark and dangerous place, moving from harder drug to harder drug. It was quite exhausting and overwhelming to even read about.

Nova has a great heart. She’s got baggage from her previous boyfriend, Landon, committing suicide. She couldn’t save him, and now no matter how desperately she tries, she can’t save Quinton either. But she can’t give up on him at the same time. I’ve not ever tried to help someone out of the pit of drug addiction, but I have tried to help someone who doesn’t want it, and I have had that battle in my head of not wanting to give up on someone despite how repeatedly they try to drag me down with them. I felt for Nova, and I know that so many people out there can relate to her who have family members or friends that are deep in the clutches of addiction. It breaks my heart.

My favorite quotes:

"It can be so comforting, peaceful, serene. It can make you feel so in control, but it's just a mask--what we're trying to hide--is still growing, feeding off the addiction--"

"...you could spend a hundred years with a person and still not know them if they don't want you to know them."

"I think as long as he's alive still, there will always be hope."

Saving Quinton was an intense book. It kept me reading and moving forward. I had frantic dreams about this book at least two nights in a row. I have to give Saving Quinton 4.5 Stars. Even if the subject isn’t one I want to read on a regular basis, that doesn’t affect the fact that this book brought out some pretty extreme feelings for me. I even got nauseated at a couple of points. Have you read Saving Quinton? What did you think? Let me know!