Sweet Distraction (Stag Brothers, #1) by Lainey Davis Review

 Sweet Distraction by Lainey Davis Review

Sweet Distraction can be read as a stand-alone novel, but is the first installment following the Stag brothers and the women they learn to love.

This review contains spoilers for Sweet Distraction, in addition to discussions of some R-rated material. Read with caution.

We start out with Tim Stag, our lawyer bad boy who apparently can't keep a woman to save his life. He's hot. He's rich. He's successful. He's just my type. Alice Peterson is a freshly graduated chef who manages to snag the corporate chef position at Tim's office within a two-minute interview and immediately impresses him with her buns... and her muffins. With a dual POV, we see an immediate attraction from both parties, and an openness to discussing so with Alice's family members practically as soon as she gets home from landing the job.

"Manual labor helps me work through my frustrations..." I simply cannot relate to this.

I need to know why exactly Alice had to have sushi at an ice hockey game. I know the arena is super fancy, especially with the tournament going on, but seriously Alice, sushi? She was just saying that she was going to need whiskey to warm up in the arena and of all the food choices she picks...

Alice and Tim waste absolutely no time jumping each other's bones and Alice seems to be obsessed with licking his nipples. I literally have never read in any romance (contemporary, dark, etc) where a woman was so absolutely perplexed by a man's nipples. But to each their own. This definitely targets fans of the Fifty Shades trilogy (and accompanying books) in the realm of high-profile, handsome man happens to come across a woman who is either working for him or his company, and just has to have her. It reads similar to Fifty Shades of Grey, but with the benefit of dual-POV in this case, we are able to get a grasp of the relationship from both sides instead of having to wait for the male POV book separately.

All of the Stag men have names that start with "T" -- this is going to be fun to try to remember who is who. Even their nicknames start with "T," so I am making the executive decision to simply give them new nicknames in my mind so I can keep track of all of them.

Of course Tim sees every single man come onto Alice in the office, but I am always a fan of a jealous not-yet-boyfriend, so these interactions are fantastic. Especially because we get to see them happen in Alice's perspective as well as Tim's perspective.

Like a reverse Fifty Shades of Grey scene, it's Alice who is taking care of Tim when he comes into her office completely drunk and out of it, crying about how people get hurt when he is distracted. But when he wakes up in his own apartment the next morning with Alice staying in the guest room? *Chef's kiss,* pun intended.

This "I missed the pill and now I'm pregnant with my boyfriend's -- who is also technically my boss -- baby" is very much not the vibe on my part. I'm not particularly a fan of the pregnancy trope, especially when it's with whirlwind romances, so this was definitely something that is not my usual forte. I do appreciate the fact that Tim actually wants to talk about this situation like adults rather than doing nothing about it, while miss Alice is literally locking her car doors so she doesn't have to talk to Tim.

I really wish this was more "steamy" - it's branded as such and with the last 20% of the book dedicated to Alice being pregnant and her and Tim figuring out what they are going to do, I feel like we missed out on seeing their relationship actually form. There were definitely a few great scenes, but after the first few, it felt more "fade to black" and generalizations rather than in-depth descriptions. I did enjoy their story, and wish it was just a tad longer, with more development of their relationship before they had a baby.

Sweet Distraction is available for FREE download on Amazon for your Kindle devices and Kindle app.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Dangerous Little Secrets (Saint View High, #2) by Elle Thorpe Review

 

Dangerous Little Secrets (Saint View High, #2) Review

This review contains major plot spoilers from Books 1 and 2 from the Saint View High series. Sections containing spoilers will be marked with a page break indication. Please be advised that this book contains: attempted sexual assault, violence, assault, and sexual encounters. Check trigger warnings before reading.

The Saint View High series is back with another installment about our main character on the hunt for who carried her out of the burning school, and who is responsible foe her uncle's death - her only clue: a school football shirt belonging to one of the wildest high schools I have ever read about.

WARNING: Spoilers and discussion of sexual assault and violence ahead

Dangerous Little Secrets picks up immediately where we left off in Devious Little Liars (Saint View High, #1), with our female lead Lacey basically left for fending for herself on the beach with one of the many boys who have yet to grasp the basic understanding of consent. Owen basically beat Lacey to the point of unconsciousness on the beach and because there are about six main guys in this book, three of which are currently on Lacey's bad side, I found myself having to write down a list of who was currently moderately redeemable in our eyes. Despite it being only about a month since I read the first installment in this series, I have managed to forget every name of the boys Lacey has come in contact with, as well as if they are redeemable or not. I can chalk that up to reading a few books in between the first and second book, but I had to go back and remind myself which boys were somewhat respectable and which boys are straight up sex offenders.

Banjo -- I still can't believe that is his name -- is experiencing some type of teenage-life crisis because of course Lacey told him that she loves him, yet he filmed a sex tape of her with Rafe and Banjo without her consent. Shocking that he is confused on why she does not want to talk to him! But of course we learn that Banjo had no knowledge of a camera hidden in his room, yet Rafe was able to find it approximately two minutes into tearing through Banjo's room. But boy was I shocked when we find out that it was Banjo's brother who put the camera in his room.

Owen is running around town because his father is the police chief and he thinks that somehow will protect him when he is literally assaulting anything with a pulse because he is bored and has zero hobbies.

A big shoutout to Lacey for actually standing her ground towards Rafe when he told her that he wasn't behind the sex tape - even though she believes he wasn't the one who planted the camera, she still needs time to process what happened. Lacey is definitely an admirable character in the sense that she holds true to her beliefs and will always be honest and hold her ground.

We suddenly are at what appears to be an underground fight ring with Colt and Lacey which lasts approximately half of a chapter and Lacey manages to be into him for this chapter - let's see how long that will last. Especially when she's spent the last four chapters complaining about Colt and how much she does not want to interact with him outside of learning how to fight. And to no surprise to anyone, Colt is just absolutely drawn to Lacey now that she's showing interest in him, despite not defending her when Gillian was was screaming at her after Lacey was beaten half to death. All of a sudden Colt is talking about how Lacey's uncle isn't who he said he was (of course this is in his mind during his chapters) and Colt is simply being the most annoying boy on the planet. But I digress.

Banjo is in Love with Lacey. Rafe is in love with Banjo and Lacey. Colt is horny for Lacey. Lacey says she was in love with Banjo but she won't even talk to him. This is surprisingly easy to keep track of despite the fact that all of these boys collectively have three brain cells.

The most un-surprising part of this book was the fact that Lacey's uncle Lawson potentially has or had a mistress. The man was murdered and someone left notes that said "Liar. Cheat. Rapist." on Lacey's locker - I think we all knew where this was going.

For some reason Colt's only personality trait is trying to have public sex with Lacey and then not letting her finish. It's all he talks about (and thinks about in his chapters) for a majority of the time, and always starts out with him and Lacey screaming at each other or confronting one another at yet another party.

I certainly did not expect Augie to basically be trying to pimp out Banjo to a random woman, but hey, this book has everything else, so I should not be surprised. As the book goes on, I definitely think the reader is supposed to feel more for Banjo, and see a softer side to him compared to what we saw in Book 1. However, his aloofness towards the fact that Augie was the one to record the sex tape of him, Rafe, and Lacey is not lost on me -- yes, he told Lacey it wasn't him (Banjo), but he hasn't made a case on why exactly everyone should be blaming Augie. It definitely would be helping win Lacey back if he, I don't know, told her what happened himself. Instead, she had to find out through such a long and convoluted process that I myself cannot trace back what exactly happened.

For someone so concerned about finding out who murdered her uncle, Lacey seems to spend a lot of time... not doing that.

I am desperately trying to understand why everyone and their mother thinks that Colt killed Lawson... do I think he did it? Maybe. Have I yet to see any proof? Not a drop. His dad though... surely he has his fingers in pots where they do not belong.

One chapter later and we had proof. Whoops, spoke too soon. I still think that he was only at the fire, not the one doing the murdering. Also I'm sorry, but Rafe walking up to his dad during the school dance and decking him across the face as he accuses him of murder is so on brand, I had to laugh.

My jaw was literally on the floor. Her mother??? Miss Thorpe has done it again with a fantastic cliff-hanger in this series. I truly was not expecting that to be how Book 2 came to an end. I am very much looking forward to finishing this series, and hopefully we will finally know who killed Lawson.

The complete Saint View High trilogy is available now to read and add on Goodreads. You can add Dangerous Little Secrets and the rest of the Saint View High series on Goodreads, and follow the author for more updates.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Trial by Fire (Worldwalker, #1) by Josephine Angelini Review

 

Trial by Fire (Worldwalker, #1) Review

This review does not contain any major spoilers for this series, but does contain minor plot details.

I have had this series on my bookshelf for some time, and finally decided to work my way through by TBR. The Worldwalker trilogy begins with our main character Lily in a now-present Earth and society, and soon sends her into a universe where she is one of many versions of herself. I do have to say that it may be a tad difficult to keep track of some of the characters, as a number of them have the same names, for obvious reasons.

It was easy to like Lily as a main character once she settled into the new universe she was thrust into, but in the beginning of the book, it became obvious to me that if she did not gain some critical thinking skills, it could soon be the end of my likeness towards her. She's a naive character who desperately wants to see the best in everyone while at the same time does not acknowledge that she is the only one giving anyone the benefit of the doubt. Her relationship with Tristen is cringe-worthy in the sense that it is painfully obvious that she has no idea that he does not have true romantic feelings towards her, which was clearly indicated by his "bad boy" conquests that are constantly mentioned.

Entering the new universe leaves Lily confused but arguably more like-able, in the sense that she is much more confident in herself when it comes to figuring things out and sticking up for herself. Since this is the first of three books, I expected that world-building would be taking place, but I have to say that Lily's self-discovery in confidence and world-building was slow until the last 50 pages or so, making reading her story a bit like a chore. However, I do have to say that we gets lots of backstories and character-building for all supporting characters that Lily encounters, which does make the world-building seem less daunting.

Lily has a self-sacrificing mentality when it comes to saving the governed people of this universe, so much so that she quickly forgets about her mother and sister in her own universe/world in attempt to save thousands of citizens, all while learning her own power and discovering that the Lilian that brought her to this world is not who she seems. I will definitely be continuing with the series, in hopes that Lily becomes more aware of what matters most to her and learns who is actually there to support her. It definitely takes some time for Lily to grow on you as a main character, but once her personality develops she does become more pleasant, and you understand the decisions that she makes.

The complete Worldwalker trilogy is now available for reading. You can add Trial by Fire and the rest of the trilogy to your Goodreads shelves and follow the author for more updates.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

After by Anna Todd Review

After by Anna Todd

Where do I begin... This book is full of twists and turns, and if you were a fan of the original publication on Wattpad, you'll love it. With only the names changed in the official publication, original fans are able to carry around Hardin and Tessa's beginning in paper - and now, After has been developed into a major motion picture in 2019, with its sequel, After We Collided, headed to the big screen soon.

I have to say that when I first began reading this book, I was skeptical on the plot line, as there was some discourse over the material going around at the time. But I have to say, this has become one of my guilty pleasures. Tessa Young, a sweet and naive rising freshman in college, meets bad-boy Hardin Scott, a boy riddled with piercings, tattoos, and emotional baggage. They quickly find themselves infatuated with one another, and things heat up pretty quickly, but there's just one problem - Tessa's boyfriend, Noah. While Tessa battles with herself whether to tell Noah of her and Hardin's budding relationship, she is faced with Hardin's friends and the secrets that they keep. Despite their relationship forming in what feels like the first five pages, I would definitely consider this book (well, the whole series) a type of slow-burn. We see Tessa and Hardin argue, cry, reunite, argue again, lie, protect one another, and reunite some more - any fan of epic highs and lows in relationship development is sure to be found at the edge of their seat while reading.

Todd is able to hook in readers through this story - there are characters that you love, characters that you hate, and characters you love to hate. You will feel as though you know exactly where the story is going, until you turn the page and something completely unexpected happens - and you know that you just have to keep reading. Every chapter brings something new to Tessa and Hardin, whether it affects them both or only one. Their rocky on-again, off-again relationship knows no bounds when it comes to their actions, reasoning, or protecting each other.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Now, for my hot take on this worldwide phenomenon. I have to say that I genuinely enjoyed this book - yes, there are cheesy parts and the second hand embarrassment is 100% real, but this was an overall entertaining book. So much so that once I finished this book, I immediately put the next two books in the series in my cart. Tessa's logic can sometimes be hard to understand - she cheats on Noah as soon as she arrives at college, and his anger is understandable when he eventually finds out - no thanks to Tessa's honesty. I really do think for as "nice" as a person Tessa is portrayed to be, she could have handled that situation a whole lot better. As for Hardin, Molly, Zed, and the rest of the gang, I have to say that when I first started the book, I was on edge with them. That is just the beginning with this group, as they continue to wreak havoc in Tessa's life, whether she is involved in their activities or not.

Molly is probably one of the worst characters (morally) I have ever encountered - she truly is trying to "ruin" Tessa's life, even though Tessa is completely oblivious to what is going on. However, everyone involved in the major plot twist can be considered just as bad, and Hardin, even worse. When Tessa arrived to the party with her roommate on one of the first nights at college, unknown to her, a bet was made. Hardin would sleep with her, and bring the evidence to show his friends. He gets close to Tessa, and their relationship first begins with hot and cold aura, eventually stemming into real feelings and not just hooking up. As the book goes on and Tessa and Hardin become closer, it is clear to Hardin's friends that something is not going as planned, as he was supposed to sleep with her and that be the end of things.

I have to say that I originally did not expect there to be any form of bet happening between Hardin, his friends, and Tessa - I went into this book completely blind, only going off on the fact that I knew it was originally a One Direction fanfiction. I knew that there was something fishy going on between Hardin and his friends, as they were constantly trying to find out information from him, as well as make Tessa uncomfortable and doubt Hardin's intentions with her. There were definitely some parts of this book that made me cringe, but more so out of embarrassment for the characters than anything else. And then came all of the sexy, rated R scenes that came from every direction in between Tessa and Hardin's bickering - as someone who read Fifty Shades of Grey, it was almost to that level of description, to give you an idea. However, I think Todd did a decent job on writing those scenes, and did not make them unbearable - they were written well and were not too over the top. *cough* The Lake scene *cough*. I do have to say that this book is lengthy, and at some points it did seem to feel repetitive when it came to Hardin and Tessa becoming angry with each other but not communicating their feelings - but that is also what made me even more devoted to their story.

Overall, I found After a fun read that is great if you need something that has college drama, heartache, passion, betrayal, and that classic put-the-book-down-because-of-second-hand-embarrassment feel. It definitely is a quick read, especially if you have a block of free time to kick back and relax. Tessa and Hardin's relationship is definitely not perfect, not by a long shot - but this is the first book in the series, and you definitely will not expect what happens next...

Title: After (After, #1)

Author: Anna Todd

Publisher: Gallery Books

Release Date: October 21, 2014

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way.

But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.

But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn't the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?

Unless…could this be love?

Now newly revised and expanded, Anna Todd’s After fanfiction racked up 1 billion reads online and captivated readers across the globe. Experience the Internet’s most talked-about book for yourself!

There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER ... Life will never be the same.

EDEN'S ECHO by Lynn Veevers Cover Reveal + GIVEAWAY

Today Lynn Veevers and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover and an exclusive content for EDEN’S ECHO, her new Own Voices YA Romantic Suspense Book which releases May 15, 2020! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

On to the reveal! 

Title: EDEN’S ECHO

Author: Lynn Veevers

Pub. Date: May 15, 2020

Publisher: Lynn Veevers

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 300

Find it: Goodreads, Kindle, Amazon

RWA (CIMRWA) ELEVATION OF LOVE 1ST PLACE WINNER 2018

True love knows no boundaries, it sees no color, even if that love is forbidden. Believing that got Eden’s mom, Echo killed at the age of sixteen, and the identity of Eden’s father was one of many secrets she took to the grave. Instead of moving on, Echo’s soul moved in. With her mother’s presence in her body, Eden can feel Echo’s emotions and hear her thoughts. When Eden tells, pseudo father, Uncle Daryl, about the voice in her head, it takes her down a road that leads to a diagnosis of multiple personalities. Now at seventeen, Eden has a secret love affair of her own with Drew. If Uncle Daryl ever found out the consequences would rip them apart, but that’s the least of Eden’s problems. As new clues surface surrounding her father’s identity, Eden finds herself on a dangerous path that could answer her paternity questions and the mysteries of her mother’s death, but at what cost? Eden can feel the weight of the secrets Echo keeps from her—secrets that have Echo’s killer returning after seventeen years with a mind to make history repeat itself.

Want a review copy? Sign up HERE!

Exclusive Excerpt!

“You’re too far away,” he said, pulling at the sleeve of my baseball tee a little harder.

Heat rose in my cheeks, and a ball of fuzzy flutter overtook my stomach. I wiggled across the windshield and ended up exactly where I wanted to be—comfortably settled in his arms. Dad was determined to make sure I kept my virginity intact until I was married, by all means necessary. The temptation that was Drew might very well make him fail. With all my physical reactions to his nearness and the presence of my overbearing morals, it made me question my affections and urges. Were they the real deal? What if they were simply Wonderlust, yet another doubt good ol’ Dad had drilled in my head when I was barely starting to look like a woman instead of a young girl. He’d said, “Any feelings you think are love before you turn twenty-one aren’t really love. They’re just lust.” I reined in the lustful, curiosity, and the feeling of shame that quickly followed.

If Dad could hear my thoughts, I’d definitely be a goner. The thought trotted through my mind, and I mentally shivered over the possibility.

But he can’t, and I won’t say anything if you decide to bend his little rule. What’s life without a little rebellion?

I inwardly rolled my eyes and directed my thoughts toward the same place.

Echo, even if you wanted him to, he wouldn’t hear you, because only I can, remember? You exist only in my head. Besides, the reason Dad is so strict is because of what happened to you. He is terrified your history will repeat itself with me. Talk about living in someone else’s shadow. You and I are nothing alike.

You know what they say, Eden, “Great minds...”

At that, I laughed mockingly within the confines of my head. Unlike you, Echo, I’m responsible and think things through. You didn’t then and still don’t.

I am too responsible, Echo whined, and I do think things through. You wouldn’t be here with this boy right now if I hadn’t.

Oh, you did, the resentment I felt toward her rolled through me, sweeping any tact I may have used with her swiftly away, then why are you dead, Echo?

My challenge was met with silence—I sensed her withdraw into the deeper recesses of my mind and instantly felt guilty, something I knew she felt too because of how our emotions were tethered and intertwined.

About Lynn:

Lynn Veevers is originally from Washington State. An award winning author she is both traditionally and self published. With her mother being from Christchurch, New Zealand and her father being a well-traveled retired Navy Chief, Lynn has always had a fascination with different cultures around the world. An avid reader, she prefers books that take her to a place she's never been and teach her something new at the same time. The Young Adult Genre is her absolute favorite to read, so it comes as no surprise that it is also her favorite to write. Lynn, on average, pens two to three novels a year.

Aside from being an author, Lynn is also an award winning graphic designer, and an editor. You can see this side of her here:
https://www.storiedgraphics.com/

Today Lynn lives with her husband and kids in Southeast Oklahoma. Her young adult and adolescent children are supportive and avid beta readers of her work and give her a straightforward and honest point of view about how authentic her characters voices and personalities are for their age group. What better reference than someone close to the same age as the main character. Her kids always have and always will be her greatest inspiration.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

Pre-Order Giveaway:

Show proof of purchase (eBook or paperback) and be entered to win a signed personalized copy of EDEN’S ECHO!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=610013259593500&set=a.606439203284239&type=3&theater

Giveaway Details:

One lucky winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card, International.

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The First Kiss Hypothesis by Christina Mandelski Review + BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY

The First Kiss Hypothesis by Christina Mandelski

Welcome to my stop on the First Kiss Hypothesis by Christina Mandelski blog tour! Thank you so much to Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours for including me in the tour, as well as providing me with a free copy for review! Nora and Eli are absolutely so cute as best friends in the beginning of the book, and you ca definitely see the tension between them the instant we get a glimpse into Eli's perspective in the second chapter. When Nora is being taught how to drive by Eli, their relationship is so sweet and precious, I absolutely could not wait to see how their relationship would unfold as the book went on, and I was not disappointed. The scene when Nora and Eli go tot he beach party is so cute - you can definitely see Eli getting a little jealous over a certain Texan who is trying to get Nora's attention. After a certain event leaves Eli broken over the rest of his lacrosse season, we can see the tensions rising amongst him and the situation that is occurring with our friendly neighborhood Tex. The entire book flowed so well, and was written in a way that makes their reader feel as if you were sitting next to Nora and Eli for their entire journey. I really loved the way that the author was able to challenge Nora and Eli's relationship through sports, injuries, colleges, and other potential boys that Nora could have chosen throughout the book. Eli's mindset throughout the novel was also very interesting to see, as we see him transform from best friend to something more, but not before he makes a mistake that could cost him everything that he has been working for in the end. If you're looking for a quick read that is easy to love and hard to put down, this is definitely the book for you! I highly recommend this book to fans of Operation Prom Date and It Had to be You, both novels published by Entangled Teen Crush.

Title: The First Kiss Hypothesis

Author: Christina Mandelski

Publication Date: November 6, 2017

Publisher: Entangled Teen Crush

Nora Reid believes scientific laws control everything, even love. With her grandparents’ epic first kiss story cemented in her brain, Nora develops a hypothesis she’s determined to prove:for each person in the world, there is exactly one other person, and at first kiss, they’ll experience an immediate and intense reaction.

But after four years of zero-reaction kisses, she comes up with a new theory: maybe that pesky crush on her stunningly hot best friend Eli Costas is skewing her results.

She needs to get rid of him, and fast.

Eli Costas is an injury-prone lacrosse star with a problem—the one chance he had at winning over the girl next door resulted in the most epically sucktastic first kiss ever. And now she’s…trying to get rid of him? Hell no. It’s time to

disprove her theory and show her exactly what she’s missing.

Game. On.

Disclaimer: This book contains a stunningly hot lacrosse player who isn’t above playing dirty to win over the stubborn girl-next-door of his dreams.

Purchase Links:

Amazon | Amazon Australia | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Christina Mandelski was born in South Florida, where her love of reading was cultivated in a house full of books. Stories like The Little House series, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Island of the Blue Dolphins and The Secret Garden, filled her imagination and fueled her dreams to be a writer. That dream came true when her first young adult novel, THE SWEETEST THING, was published in 2011, and she’s beyond thrilled about her upcoming series for Entangled Crush. Chris lives in Houston with one handsome husband, two beautiful daughters, and two freakshow cats. She has a

fondness for the beach, her family and friends, and she still loves to read (especially curled up with a good cup of coffee!) She also enjoys shopping, traveling and eating, especially cake. Always cake. When she’s not doing these things, you can find her holed in a cozy spot with her laptop, writing. Visit her at www.christinamandelski.com.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details (US):

The giveaway is for: The First Kiss Hypothesis Prize Pack, including: 

* A Mug

* A blueberry pie scented candle

* 2 lacrosse-themed hair ties

* An assortment of book related stickers (Silver Springs, Emory, chemistry pun, LAX, etc) from Redbubble

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It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover Review

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Wow, just... wow. This has to be one of the most gut-wrenching and emotional novels I have ever read in my life. I am in complete and utter shock - my emotions are all over the place, as I have come to finish the novel, I don't know whether I want to scream, cry, or both. This story of Lily and Ryle is deeply emotional, and discusses topics that are at a mature level, but must be discussed in today's day in age. It seriously will make you feel as though you are watching the entire ordeal unfold before your very eyes. Colleen Hoover did such a fantastic job writing this novel, especially about something so personal that she has experienced in her life, as well as countless other women. I have the upmost appraisal for the dedication and emotional status that she had while writing this novel, for it is truly something that everyone should take the time to read and understand the importance of learning the signs of emotional and physical abuse. The novel begins with introducing our main character, Lily Bloom, as she sits atop a rooftop in Boston after her father's funeral, where she meets a neurosurgeon named Ryle, who, at first glance, appears to be the perfect man - stunningly attractive, smart, witty. As we see Lily and Ryle's relationship take off, we find ourselves face to face with a man of Lily's past - Atlas. As her past comes rushing back to her, Lily must deal with starting a business, navigating new and old relationships, and understanding what it means to save yourself instead of waiting for someone to save you. Domestic violence is not something to take lightly, so when Lily and Ryle's relationship turned upside down as the perfect man she had grown to love transformed into one of her worst nightmares, we as readers had to take the journey with her. Just like Lily, we too fell "in love" with Ryle's character, but as time went on, it was apparent that Ryle was not the man he appeared. Colleen Hoover was able to take a story of hope, love, fear, and torment, and showcase the struggles and reality of what physical abuse can manifest to become. Lily finally grew as a person near the end of the novel, understanding that she could not do what her mother had done, and had to save herself from the life she knew she would have, just as her mother had experienced. I highly recommend this novel to fans of Colleen Hoover, as well as The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith.

Title: It Ends With Us

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: August 2, 2016

Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

This book contains graphic scenes and very sensitive subject matter.