Left Drowning by Jessica Park

Author: Jessica Park
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (16 July 2013)
Status: Bought

<<< Pictures from Jessica Parks Left Drowning site: http://leftdrowning.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/twincovers.png

Note: one of the best NA books ever!! And also, I love both of these covers but the UK one is without doubt the best cover I have ever seen!!

Review: 5 Golden Shimmering Stars! (is anyone getting the idea I am in love with this book yet?)

Um, Wow!

I'm not even sure how to begin writing this review, Left Drowning was..it was..wow, just wow!

Jessica Park has just infiltrated my world with this book, Flat out Love and Flat out Matt were amazing but this, this is insane.

Two pages in and I was already a goner. Blyth's character is a lot different from other lead females I've read. She's vulnerable and very fragile to begin with but as the book progresses we really see her come out of her shell and the tough, loving character who emerges is the perfect lead female. Jessica says all the right things at the right time and creates truly loveable characters.

Chris and Blyth (I've mush named them 'Bliss' because it just fits, like fate ;)), are both hurting and manage to find the most beautiful saving love in a world of pain. Chris to me, is Blyths beacon of light, right from the start this character clutches at your heart strings: 'There's nothing good to be said about sanity. It's dull. Live a little. Come on.' He's vulnerable like no other lead male I've read and when he says stuff like this:

'I can't stop thinking about you, and I don't know what to do about it'. - well, damn.

All of the characters are perfect and 'make' the book and Blyth and Sabin's relationship was so different from any other books I've read, it was beautiful.

This was a book I could have easily read in one sitting, although that is no reflection on the length of the book, which is chunky (thanks Jessica!), it was simply that my eyes were working at superhuman speed to devour this gem of a book. I did, however, do my best to string it out and savour each and ever moment; although I still read it in a day so my attempt was pretty damn futile!

The storyline unfolds beautifully and Jessica navigates tough subjects expertly. The writing flows and Blyth's voice is distinct, making the book even more interesting; she did in fact remind me of a certain Celeste at times, albeit much more toned down, I loved her!

And it's sexy! Very sexy, and steamy, and hot! (No spoilers here, I'll let you discover the rest for yourself).

Left Drowning is Bananas, literally bananas. I mean right from the start Blyth says 'I look bananas', in fact no, I'm pretty sure she shouts it. And the funny thing is, Jessica's skill at writing conveys exactly how bananas she is seamlessly. I'm pretty sure from the minute I read that first line I was sunk in this bananas world. Maybe I should stop saying bananas now but I just can't get over how bananaringly good this book is!

Categorically though, this book is real. The relationships, storyline, healing process, all of it is so plausible. Jessica has written one of the only books I have read which doesn't just wow me but moves me with its rawness. She easily had me smiling, laughing, crying (a lot! damn, I needed a therapist at 70%), fall in love, feel betrayed and then grin like a moron again at the end.

This book is simply 'different', in the best way possible and I honestly believe if you don't read it, you are missing out. I will never be able to forget this book and I never want to. Jessica Park is an amazingly talented author and her ability to create a book so beautifully heartbreaking is truly a gift to us all.

This book might have literally left me drowning in parts but 'breath, just breath' because I'm telling you, this book will change you.

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Author: Jamie McGuire
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd (2 April 2013)
Status: Bought










Obviously, like BD this is an NA contemporary romance and I've actually copied and tweaked this review from where I posted it on Amazon to share it with you all :)

Here's the blurb from the book:

Can you love someone too much?   

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.   

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.   

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.   

(http://www.jamiemcguire.com/walking-disaster/)

Review

Ok, where to start....

....love, love and gallons more love for Mr Maddox? Yeah, that sounds about right.

Obviously, I'll have to start by profusely stating my love for BD. Forever ingrained in my epic books list, it's safe to assume I, along with everyone else, fell madly in love with Bad Ass Maddox. The prose and characters were beautiful and I loved every second of living in one very steamy apartment ;). I read tons of books and BD was the first book I read where I was enthralled, enraptured, shocked, amused and every other emotion under the sun, all in the very best ways possible. Each scene was essential to the plot, with no unnecessary babble to (unnecessarily) chunk it out, and not once did I find myself bored and wishing the plot would hurry itself up! It was perfectly written and now forever seared into my brain.

That said, exactly the same stands for WD! I loved every second, and reading Travis' POV was both a new insight and beautiful retelling of BD. The male POV is handled brilliantly and the relationship between Shep and Travis written to perfection. It's a gift in itself to be given the opportunity to delve into the mind of the best loved and lusted Travis Maddox and I loved every millisecond. Fast paced, action packed and with plenty of steamy bits, it definitely deserves it's five stars.

I have been known on the whole to read books from a female POV and for this reason WD is probably one of the first books I've ever read from a male POV, and some male POV it is! Never once did I feel let down or disappointed, regardless of the sky high expectations I had from BD.

Contrary to some of the negative reviews I've read, I'd like to add some of my own points. Evidently everyone is entitled to their own opinion and diverse opinions and expectations are what make reading a book so enthralling, sometimes you love it, sometimes you hate it but ALL WAYS you'll remember it. And so, some negative points I've read...
1. Abby does not come across as 'worthy' in WD.
I'd have to disagree. I must admit my own perception of Abby from BD was different from Travis' perception of her. Where I pictured a quietly guarded, witty and strong minded Abby, Travis saw a mysterious, guarded and altogether 'no crap' Abby. However, rather than be at odds with my expectations, such a different perception was warmly welcomed, the main characteristic of Abby I loved was her strong willed personality and this was only reinforced in WD.
2. There's not much new stuff.
Well, it was all new to me, even the repeated scenes were from Travis' POV and with that comes, colourful words, colourful thoughts and a whole lot of colourful insight into our favourite BB's mind. Not to mention some new and very unexpected scenes, which will blow your mind! And even regardless of this, WD is essentially BD from Travis' POV - that's the whole point, right? I expected, and desperately anticipated, re-reading BD's scenes from his perspective and finally knowing the reasons and thoughts behind his actions! To me, a companion novel from an alternate POV, is 'supposed' to be the same time frame, if not with some flawless additions!

So, overall - yes, everyone in the world should definitely read this book. The perfect companion to BD and second chance to re-read BD for the first time. I can't praise it enough and I think all that's left to say is....

Thank You Jamie! - thank you for BD and WD which have disastrously and beautifully walked all over my heart, up the stairs and onto my bookcase where they will stay on proud display to remind me to 'Love hard. Fight harder'.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Author: Jamie McGuire
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (14 Aug 2012)

Status: Bought

I thought it would be apt to start my blog off with a BD review. This is one of my most loved reads and as such deserves 'First Book Reviewed' Status.

Note: BD is an NA contemporary romance and does have some strong language and steamy scenes (all the better for us Maddox fangirls!!). 

Here's the blurb from the book:

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl.   

She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand. 

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. 

If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

(http://www.jamiemcguire.com/beautiful-disaster/)

Suffice to say the blurb itself and beautiful cover had me hooked within milliseconds, and let me tell you the 'meet your new obsession' warning on the front cover was 'not' a joke! I am happily Travis Maddox obsessed.

Review

I'll do my best not to include too many spoilers because trust me when I say you will want to 'live' and 'relive' this book word for word, surprise for surprise and heartache for heartache - it's just that good.

Abby is easily loveable and her gritty personality makes for a truly memorable read. And Travis. Well Travis is Travis and Travis we Love! I wont go into too much detail but he's all the right kinds of hot, bad ass and seriously scrummy! The intriguing and well-rounded characters don't end there though, America and Shep are the perfect secondary characters.

Jamie's writing style is expert, and each page turn is in eager anticipation for the next line. With the fast pace plot and each scene being perfectly essential, I gobbled this book up in record time (and that was with forcing myself to put it down and cook dinner for the one year old beauty that runs around my home!).

There's the perfect blend of angst, soul crushing love, betrayal and suspense to make this book beautifully disastrous and one I wont be forgetting...ever.

Link to buy

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beautiful-Disaster-Jamie-McGuire/dp/1471115038/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373636209&sr=8-1&keywords=beautiful+disaster

Ola.

Hi Lovelies,

This is all ridiculously new and mind boggling to me, but I will get better, I promise :)
As it's my first post, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the pressure to write something profound and jaw dropping, so here goes...

Hello :))))))



















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