Watch Over Me
by Tara Sivec
Released on: 6/14/13
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Addison Snow is your typical teenager. She has a family that loves her, friends that make her laugh, and she's wrapped up in the excitement of graduating high school and going off to college to pursue her dream of becoming an author. When her mother, who also happens to be Addison's best friend, dies unexpectedly, her world comes to a crashing halt.
Death changes everyone...
To make the pain go away, Addison and her father travel down separate, dark paths. She chooses to end her grief forever, while he drowns his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle. How do you learn to live again when the most important person in your life is gone? Addison struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. Instead of getting back to being the carefree teenager she once was, she's stuck handling all of the responsibilities that should have been her father's. She has no time to grieve, no time for emotions, and no time for happiness...until Zander Reinhardt walks in.
All it takes is one little handwritten note on a napkin to kick start her back to life and help her realize that maybe there's more to that life than pain. But can it really be that simple? Can she really trust this man who makes her feel alive again for the first time in a year? Addison and Zander both have secrets they aren't ready to share. When the truth finally comes out, is it enough to tear them apart or has something bigger than themselves always been watching over them, pushing them together, making sure they both get their happily ever after?
Death changes everyone...
To make the pain go away, Addison and her father travel down separate, dark paths. She chooses to end her grief forever, while he drowns his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle. How do you learn to live again when the most important person in your life is gone? Addison struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. Instead of getting back to being the carefree teenager she once was, she's stuck handling all of the responsibilities that should have been her father's. She has no time to grieve, no time for emotions, and no time for happiness...until Zander Reinhardt walks in.
All it takes is one little handwritten note on a napkin to kick start her back to life and help her realize that maybe there's more to that life than pain. But can it really be that simple? Can she really trust this man who makes her feel alive again for the first time in a year? Addison and Zander both have secrets they aren't ready to share. When the truth finally comes out, is it enough to tear them apart or has something bigger than themselves always been watching over them, pushing them together, making sure they both get their happily ever after?
My Rating: 5 Coffee Cups!!
I have literally read and loved everything that Tara Sivec (and her pen name T.E. Sivec) has put out. I've laughed out loud, I've gotten wrapped up in her suspense, I fell for her leading guys, but this book trumps all of that. It hits an extremely personal mark for me, so that may be why it affected me so. This book, it's feelings, it's characters- this has skyrocketed to my top read of the year so far. I couldn't have asked for more out of this book.
Addison Snow is dealing with a loss so profound, that it hits her very soul. Her mother, having passed away the year before, was her best friend, her rock, her anchor and her heart. She is alone in her grief as her father has dealt with the loss of his soul mate by drinking himself into oblivion. Addison, while trying to work through her own monumental grief, has to be the strength in her family. She has to put her life and dreams of being a writer on indefinite hold in order to help her dad through 5 stints of rehab and run her mother's dream bakery. As much as she is doing everything she can to survive the loss and the unexpected responsibility thrust upon her, she hasn't been truly dealing with her feelings and the loss. She is in a never-ending pit of darkness. This is made abundantly clear when in the opening chapter of the book Addison attempts to commit suicide at her mother's grave.
After her unsuccessful attempt she becomes a robot. She goes to work (a job that was never her dream), she goes to therapy and she goes home. We get insights into her mind during each chapter opening which shows a different appointment with her therapist Dr. Thompson. Addison has stopped feeling and she stopped trusting,the only person she actually even has any type of relationship with is her co-worker and fellow psych ward alum Meg. But even their relationship isn't an open one. This is until a handsome customer in her bakery leaves her a napkin with the words:
I have literally read and loved everything that Tara Sivec (and her pen name T.E. Sivec) has put out. I've laughed out loud, I've gotten wrapped up in her suspense, I fell for her leading guys, but this book trumps all of that. It hits an extremely personal mark for me, so that may be why it affected me so. This book, it's feelings, it's characters- this has skyrocketed to my top read of the year so far. I couldn't have asked for more out of this book.
Addison Snow is dealing with a loss so profound, that it hits her very soul. Her mother, having passed away the year before, was her best friend, her rock, her anchor and her heart. She is alone in her grief as her father has dealt with the loss of his soul mate by drinking himself into oblivion. Addison, while trying to work through her own monumental grief, has to be the strength in her family. She has to put her life and dreams of being a writer on indefinite hold in order to help her dad through 5 stints of rehab and run her mother's dream bakery. As much as she is doing everything she can to survive the loss and the unexpected responsibility thrust upon her, she hasn't been truly dealing with her feelings and the loss. She is in a never-ending pit of darkness. This is made abundantly clear when in the opening chapter of the book Addison attempts to commit suicide at her mother's grave.
After her unsuccessful attempt she becomes a robot. She goes to work (a job that was never her dream), she goes to therapy and she goes home. We get insights into her mind during each chapter opening which shows a different appointment with her therapist Dr. Thompson. Addison has stopped feeling and she stopped trusting,the only person she actually even has any type of relationship with is her co-worker and fellow psych ward alum Meg. But even their relationship isn't an open one. This is until a handsome customer in her bakery leaves her a napkin with the words:
Zander Reinhardt is open, sweet, funny and seems to truly care about her. He listens to her- something that hasn't been done for her (without her having to pay for it) in quite some time. She is reluctant at first to accept his obvious attempts to talk to her and get to know her, but he is persistent. He goes into the bakery every day, sits in the same seat and leaves her a napkin each and every time. He does this so consistently that Addison begins to wake up each morning looking forward to going to work because she knows she will see him. When a pretty corny excuse to spend some alone time ("help me bake my mom a birthday cake!") gets unexpectedly serious he is there for her, comforting her no questions asked. He burrows himself into her life, he helps her feel not so broken, not so helpless he actually just helps her feel period. And she falls completely in love with him.
"You can still pick up the pieces, Sugar. They fall apart for a little while, but it doesn't mean anything is damaged. Everything can be fixed."
But as happy as she finds herself becoming life is still life and still has it's obstacles. Addison is faced with challenges in the form of her father, Meg, and a secret about Zander coming to light.
"People in your life will let you down sometimes. It’s a fact of life, Addison. What matters is how you handle it."
Everything from her therapy sessions with Dr. Thompson, her conversations with Zander and the flashback sequences showing the events of her previous life unfold captures you. You become a small piece of Addison. Such a powerful story. I would have read this even if it wasn't for the blog tour, but I am so happy I get to help spread the word about this amazing book.
Links to buy (for $2.99 people!):
Keep on scrolling for the kick butt giveaway!! Up for grabs is a SIGNED paperback of Watch Over Me (open everywhere), and also
some super cool swag!
some super cool swag!
There are other giveaways, reviews, interviews and fun character posts going on in the blog tour running until 6/21. Check out the schedule:
Tidbits on the Author:
T.E. Sivec is the pen name for Tara Sivec. Under T.E. Sivec, she delves into a more serious genre that is her absolute favorite to read romantic suspense. She loves reading a book and feeling her heart speed up with anticipation and wanted to be able to give that feeling to her fans. T.E. lives in Ohio with her husband and two children, living the dream of being a full time writer.
Ways to Stalk Her:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6422281.Tara_Sivec
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaraSivec.authorpage?ref=hl
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tarasivec
Website: http://www.tarasivec.com
And now for the Giveaway I kept teasing you about...
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