Review: Losing Hope (Hopeless #2) by Colleen Hoover

Losing Hope (Hopeless #2)
by Colleen Hoover
Release Date: 7/9/13
Genre: New Adult

In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

My Rating: 5 Coffee Cups!!!

I can't even begin to explain to you how insanely excited I was when I saw I was able to get an advanced copy of this. I was at work (shhh) and someone actually said to me in a pretty surprised voice "wow you look really happy right now". Yup, I was. I have been waiting for this. I am head over heels in love with EVERYTHING Colleen Hoover touches. EVERYTHING. Hopeless was no exception. So, needless to say I was not let down by this one. If you haven't read Hopeless yet, you need to before you read this companion novel.

Hopeless was in my top three reads of 2012. No joke. It was an amazing read. This book tells the same story, but from Holder's POV. Although you know the story and know how it plays out this feels as though it is a completely different story. A new and fresh story. You're reading about Holder's life and although it obviously intertwines with Sky's it is his perspective. You see his childhood, his past. His and Les's connection. You feel his feelings, his agony, his devastation, his happiness and his intense love.

Dean Holder is a 17 year old guy, intensely protective of his twin sister Lesslie. When he walks into her bedroom on a Saturday night and sees her lifeless body and the empty bottle of pills she used to end it all, his entire life spirals out of control. He makes mistake, after mistake until he's shipped off to live with his father in his childhood home of Austin. When he returns home after a year's absence his life is once again changed after a random grocery store run in with what he believes is a ghost from his past. From there is the absolutely amazing love story that is Holder and Sky's. You get his view on everything that made your heart bleed in the previous book. The sweet and playful moments you already awwed at are multiplied because you see that Holder is completely mesmerized by her. But with all the happy moments come the absolutely excruciating ones. The heart wrenching pain he goes through when he learns the whole truth of the past pretty much guts you.

“I’m scared if I kiss her too soon, it’ll feel like every other kiss she’s ever received. She’ll feel nothing. I don’t want her to feel nothing when I kiss her. I want her to feel everything.”

“If I could trade lives with her I would do it in a heartbeat, just so she’d never have to feel what it is she’s feeling right now.”

You see his internal struggle to do what he believes is right. At least half of this is told through a journal he kept with letters he writes to his sister which gives you a better look of what their dynamic was like. 

Holder went thru things you had no idea about in Hopeless. Making this a whole new story with it's own set of problems and obstacles. 

The story is wonderful and the new developments and twists are an incredible addition to this already amazing story. Colleen Hoover didn't take the easy way out and just tell the exact same story in a male's perspective (not that I expected her to in the least). The thing that really, really hit me though is that this woman makes you feel every. Single. Damn. Feeling. I was an emotional wreck by the time I was done reading this. A very happy and rewarded wreck, but a wreck nonetheless.

I know I am being extremely vague, but if you're reading this and you haven't read Hopeless I am trying my hardest not to ruin things for you. I LIVED Hopeless and I LIVED this book, and when you put the two of these books together you get pure perfection. There's just no other way to describe it. 

     

TGIF Freebie Friday #11

Free on Amazon TODAY! Pick it up!

 

Against the Wall by Julie Prestater

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 Shelly Gelson had it all...a job teaching English at Carver High, her best friend, Mel, working by her side and engaged to her high school sweetheart, Chase Marino. That is until Chase breaks her heart and leaves her for another teacher at the school. Now Shel is left broken hearted and trying to figure out what she wants while watching Chase and the home wrecker make moon eyes at each other. Enter Matt Fuller, Shel's friend for the past 5 years and the perfect rebound. He's gorgeous, smart, funny and fits into Shel's idea of the right guy. Only problem is there may be more there then just a simple rebound. Is it a way to fill a void left by Chase, or is there more smoldering between these two friends? Find out what happens when the bell rings and the teenage drama ends and the adult drama begins. Who says being a teacher is boring? They obviously haven't met the teachers at Carver High.

Such a cute, sweet and pretty quick read! Perfect for the beach! If you read Julie Prestater's YA Double Threat series then you need to pick this one up! This revolves around the teachers in the High School the Double Threats characters attend.

Get it on Amazon Now!

 

Free on Amazon TODAY! Pick it up!

Crossroads (Crossroads Academy#1) by J.J. Bonds

Genre: YA Paranormal  

When Katia enrolled at Crossroads Academy she knew things weren’t exactly going to be easy. The sole heir to the worlds’ most powerful vampire, her presence was bound to cause a stir. But nothing could have prepared her for this. Whispers follow everywhere she goes. So does trouble.

Bodies start turning up in nearby Rutland and Katia is sucked into a twisted web of danger and deceit. Haunted by nightmares she can’t explain and a thirst for blood that is never sated, Katia will do whatever it takes to keep her past buried.

Nothing at Crossroads is what it seems and Katia’s secrets may be the darkest of them all.

I'm not going to lie, when I picked this up I was afraid it was going to be a Vampire Academy knock-off. I was very mistaken. Although it has slight similarities, it is definitely it's own story which I REALLY enjoyed. So much that I immediately went off and bought the second book in the series. It's Free, what do you have to lose?

Get it on Amazon Now!

Adios Google Reader!!

 

I don't know how many of you actually use(d) Google Reader, but as of Monday July 1st it is no longer. I usually stick with the book stuff, but since this is only 4 days away I figured I'd do a quickie post about it. I want to make sure you guys all are able to still follow along, so there's still RSS Feed, Networked Blogs, and more recently Bloglovin'. Bloglovin' is actually where I transferred all of my favorite blogs. Has a pretty similar look as Google Reader too:

Welp, however you want to do it I thank you guys for following at all to begin with!! And if you want to follow me on Bloglovin' Follow Away!

 

Review: More by Clare James

More (Before You Go)
by Clare James
Released on: 6/20/13
Genre: New Adult

One summer.
One chance to forget the past.
One opportunity to make things right.

There’s no denying the heat between Jules Taylor and Foster Sutton. They are two wild souls with a fire burning inside. Together, they create a hot and dangerous mix of emotion and lust.

But after a terrible accident leaves one friend dead, Foster is bound by a secret that keeps him from getting closer to Jules. And he’s left with only one thing to offer her – friendship.

For Jules, her relationship with Foster is getting old. He falls down and she picks him up, but they never move forward. Their occasional hook-ups are no longer enough, and Jules vows that this is her summer to forget Foster and find love. If it were only that easy.

It seems fate is pushing Jules and Foster together at every turn. And it’s only a matter of time before they give up and give in.
 

My Rating: 4 1/2 Coffee Cups!!

**ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**

More is the companion book to her earlier novel Before You Go. Now, you don't have to have read that one to get this one at all, it is definitely it's own story. But it does give the readers who have read Before You Go fun little tidbits and it's main characters Tabby and Noah play a big role in this book as well. As does the biotch from the first book Jenna. I read Before You Go and really enjoyed it. The characters were great, there were a few twists and turns and the romance is sweet and believable. But man-oh-man did I LOVE More. I don't know what exactly set it so far apart from BYG (sorry, had to make that shorter for my typing fingers) for me, but it did. I know I'm a sucker for damaged guys and Foster is definitely that. And being that I'm 5'1 on a good day I am also a sucker for tiny, feisty girls (because that's what I am in my own head) and Jules is that in spades.

 Jules and Foster had an almost-relationship freshman year of college. This almost relationship ended abruptly after a tragic accident put a wedge of guilt and self blame between them. Ever since then they've stayed in a "Friends-with-Occasional- Benefits" situation. Jules wants more. She's always wanted more when it came to Foster but he is holding himself back. She believes the guilt of his role in the accident still plagues him. But the fact is that something happened before the accident that is causing his guilt and need to keep his distance. Doesn't change the fact that he is in love with her though.

The truth is I could never forget one thing about Jules. Her smell, her touch, her tiny body. Even her heart has its own special beat. I’d recognize her anywhere—no matter how drunk I may be. I’d never mistake my Jules.  

  

That love causes him to want desperately to get close to her and let his guard down. But instead he self medicates on alcohol and women. And when he finds himself drowning he calls Jules to pull him out. His vulnerability allows Jules to think they could go back to what they were headed towards before the accident. Jules is put through a see-saw of emtions. Will Foster let go, or will he turn off? It's an ever present battle. And she can't take it anymore. She decides that this summer she is letting Foster go. She is going to focus on herself, not on the relationship she can't fix between the two of them. She wants the love that Tabby and Noah have. She is going to be the responsible adult and work in her law firm internship, pursuing her dreams alongside an Alexander Skargard look alike (yum). Well, that is until fate steps in and Jules is stuck with Foster as a de-facto roommate for 2 weeks.

 

Foster, despite the fact that Noah is holding his secret over his head, isn't really that great at fighting the love and chemistry they have. But, he sees Jules' determination to put herself together this summer and he's determined to do the same in his own internship at the restaurant. Completely separate by the way- but along with being a sucker for damaged guys, I am also a sucker for a guy who can cook, so yay for that. But I digress. He wants to prove to her (and everyone else) that he is better than the drunken, whoring mess he's been as of late.

 These two go on a roller coaster ride. The entire past two years have been one, but their two weeks of being in the same space caused everything to be that much more intense. And when the secret comes out (because nothing worth having is ever easy) their relationship spirals. But it also forces them both to face demons they hadn't been ready to face before. It forces Foster to grow up in many ways and choose what he wants his life to become. It forces Jules to have a conversation with her mom a decade in the making.

I loved their relationship. It was sweet, hot and funny as hell. I literally devoured this book in one sitting. Once I started it I was immediately pulled into their relationship and I couldn't put it down until I knew how it all turned out.

 I take pictures of it all in my mind. Foster laughing—click. His delicious mouth as he stuffs his face—click. The way his eyes focus on me and turn that brilliant shade of amber when he talks—click. I add them to the album in my mind—they join the hundreds of others I’ve taken during the years.

It’s that moment when I know. I love him. I love Foster. More than anything, and not because he saved me from my past or because he’s always been there or because he was my first crush. I love him right now, for everything he is.

Grab it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/More-Before-You-Go-ebook/dp/B00DHX0J6M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1372170367&sr=1-1&keywords=more+by+clare+james

Grab it on Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/more-clare-james/1115749349?ean=2940016768854

Cover Reveal! Shark out of Water (Grab Your Pole #3) by Jenn Cooksey!

And Without Further Ado....

Shark out of Water (Grab Your Pole #3)

by Jenn Cooksey

Release Date: Summer 2013

With the Amazon Bestseller Shark Bait, the first novel in the Grab Your Pole series, debut author Jenn Cooksey delivered a fun, snarky, and realistic beginning to a larger story that has found its way into the hearts of readers everywhere. Thus, many were unprepared for what was coming in the second installment of the GYP series, The Other Fish in the Sea, when Cooksey took us on a runaway roller coaster ride of emotion and solidly landed hit after hit, including a brutal sucker punch that left readers around the globe reeling. In Shark Out of Water, the highly anticipated third installment in this humorous yet honest and real coming of age story, we delve even further into the lives of the GYP gang and many questions are sure to be answered, however, are you really ready for what lies ahead in the continuation of their adventure? Well, grab your pole and let’s find out.

Love this series! So much fun, and after the way #2 was left definitely can't wait for the next one!

Add to your Goodreads TBR Pile:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17801290-shark-out-of-water

The series just recently had cover re-vamps so here are the new covers for Shark Bait (#1) and The Other Fish in the Sea (#2) and quick blurbs for you to catch up on the series ;)

Shark Bait (GYP #1)

Previously homeschooled Camie Ramsey is being shoved into the shark-infested waters of public high school, where even helium filled, penguin bespeckled arm floaties likely won’t help keep her inexperienced, fifteen-year old head above water in that rip current of hormones and emotions.

Camie’s worldly wisdom might be severely lacking (i.e., the closest she’s come to being kissed was sitting too close to the TV whilst Jake Ryan leaned in to give Samantha that fateful 16th birthday kiss), but she does understand her only hope for survival is if she’s thrown some kind of “social” life preserver before she sinks like a freaking rock. However, what will her fate be when she endeavors to flag down the only lifeguard on duty, the enormously popular and ridiculously beautiful Tristan Daniels? The most sought after and virtually most unattainable guy in school who not only makes Camie’s heart flatline on a recurring basis, he’s also the one guy who seemingly doesn’t know she exists.

Feeling like an inept piece of chum that could ultimately be swallowed by Jaws, can Camie get Tristan to rescue her from floundering in the treacherous deep, or is she destined to be Shark Bait?

ONLY $0.99!!

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15706512-shark-bait

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shark-Bait-Grab-Your-ebook/dp/B008BMREK8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371689360&sr=8-1&keywords=Shark+Bait+%28Grab+Your+Pole+%231%29

  

The Other Fish in the Sea (GYP #2)

In Shark Bait, readers everywhere met and fell in love with the new girl, Camie Ramsey, and swooned over her sure to be future husband, Tristan Daniels. Now, in The Other Fish in the Sea, the long awaited second installment of the Grab Your Pole series by Jenn Cooksey, Camie and Tristan are back, but so are their friends!

So, find a breathing apparatus and shimmy into your scuba gear, because it's finally time to dive deeper into the lives of the GYP gang, but be warned, it's a big world out there and an even bigger ocean where danger might be lurking around the next corner and realistically, anything could happen.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16066163-the-other-fish-in-the-sea

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Other-Fish-Grab-Your-ebook/dp/B00CHAPIGM/ref=la_B008BRRZ66_1_2_title_0_main?ie=UTF8&qid=1371689466&sr=1-2

For any of you wanting to vote the YA Crush Tournament Tristan is up today in a match so feel free to head on over and get your vote on :)

#YACrushTourney voting page: 

http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/

Tristan's Advocate Page: 

http://www.readingangel.com/2013/06/vote-team-tristan-win-shit.html

Tidbits on the Author:

Jenn Cooksey is a Southern California girl born and bred, however she’s no longer a resident of heaven on earth, but instead she currently resides in the 7th Ring of Hell with her husband, their three daughters, and a goodly number of pets. Aside from her husband, one cat, and three out of five fish, everyone living under the Cooksey’s roof is female. She’s sure her husband will not only be awarded sainthood when he kicks the bucket, but that Jesus will welcome him into heaven with a beer and a congratulatory high-five. Jenn is also of the belief that Bacon should be capitalized and that just being yourself is the best way to go. That is, unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.

Ways to Stalk Her:

-Her Blog

-Twitter 

-Facebook 

-Goodreads 

-Instagram 

Pinterest