Review of To the Sea

Synopsis

Fresh out of college and newly married, twenty-something Kira plans the perfect future with a house in the suburbs, ski getaways, and fancy dinners. When her husband Jeremy dies in a car accident, loss casts her adrift, but her heart cracks wide open when she uncovers the secrets he left behind.

Despite her dislike for the ocean with the whipping wind and itchy sand, Kira seeks solace in salt: tears, sweat, and the sea, helping her move beyond the myth of perfection, and guiding her toward the truth of who she really is.

She takes surf lessons to overcome her fear of the water and her well of grief. In the local surf scene, she meets sultry Jamie, with a hot Australian accent. He’s eager to spend time with her, but mostly between the sheets. Then there’s soulful Ian, her surf instructor, who helps her get on her feet and ride the waves.

During a transformative trip to South Africa on surfari, she learns the best way to be loved, yet when she returns to the shores of New England, grief continues to haunt her. She must let go, but how? Torn between the tides, Kira discovers strength and courage, navigates loss, lust, and love, taking readers along for the plunge.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK 

Review

This was not a light-hearted fluffy romance.  It starts out with the heroine feeling lonely and only gets worse from there as the life she thought she had disintegrates.  I am not usually up for these types of stories as I like to bask in happy feelings rather than depressing ones, but this story balanced things so well that I feel like I have been shortchanging myself by skipping some of the deeper stories that are out there.

The story is mostly about the heroine’s emotional journey.  She tried to define herself by her strict vision of perfection and slowly breaks down the mold she has boxed herself into as the story progresses.  She develops new friendships, discovers new hobbies, and makes some very difficult decisions.  The story straddles the Women’s Fiction/Romance classification as there is quite a bit of personal growth but the romance is sweet and substantive and not to be dismissed.    

My favorite aspects of the story are that the true romance doesn’t develop until the heroine is ready to undertake a real relationship and that there are emotional relapses.  The author doesn’t paint an overly rosy picture of the heroine trucking along on her journey to happiness.  The heroine struggles throughout to not only dig herself out of her funk but stay out of it.  I’ve always been a little envious of the surf culture which was part of the book’s draw for me initially but it really provided the perfect counterpoint to the life she had defined for herself.  She made a lot of decisions which conflicted with my own innate sense of vindication but were ultimately the best for her mental well-being.

If you are in the mood for a book about self-discovery with a happily ever after and are prepared to endure coping with some pretty devastating circumstances, this is a must read.  If not, you should still read this to break up the monotony of mindless fluff (not an insult, I am a big fan of mindless fluff…).

*A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an HONEST review*

Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK 

Katie

Best Books of 2013 (& Giveaway)

Over the past few days I have been celebrating the best of 2013. To finish off I am going to share my favourite reads from this year (not necessarily 2013 releases). I have read 256 this year (according to goodreads) so the are the crème de la crème :D

To find out more about each book simply click on the title below the book cover.

 

Best YA

 

The Elites

By far the best Young Adult novel I have read this year and also it is one of the best dystopian novels that I have read in a long time.

 

My Review

 

Best Contemporary NA

 

Eversea

I loved this sweet NA contemporary romance when I first read it earlier in the year and it truly deserves the title of best contemporary NA novel.

 

My Review

 

Best Non-Contemporary NA

 

Born

I love dystopian novels and I love NA novels so combine the 2 together and you have a winning combination. Tara Brown is an author who I discovered this year and though she has many fantastic books, Born with was the first I read is still my favourite. This book is currently free on Amazon!

 

Best Romance

 

Real



I don't know of many people who dislike this book. It is an amazing sexy romance with one of the best male leads from any book this year.

 

My Review

 

Best Fantasy

 

Steelheart

Brandon Sanderson is in my eyes the best fantasy author ever and his latest release did not disappoint despite my high expectations. Like most of Sanderson's books this is really unique and combines Urban Fantasy and dystopian elements to create one of my favourite reads (and releases) of this year.

 

Best Romantic Suspense

 

Killing Sarai

This 2013 release by The Edge Of Never author J.A Redmerski completely blew me away and its sequel was equally spectacular. I want more books like this!

 

Best Dark Romance

 

Tears of Tess

This fall 2013 debut came out of nowhere and did spectacularly well and I really enjoyed it. It isn't for the faint hearted due to some very dark subject matter but it is a great book if dark is your kind of thing.

 

Best Ending to a Series

 

Convicted

I read all of this trilogy this year and they just get better with each and every book. Whilst some series ending fell flat this year, Convicted was incredible and a worthy end to the trilogy.

 

Best "Late in a Series"

 

Biting Bad

 

Long series' can get boring after a few book but 8 books in and Chicagoland Vampires is still going strong. I really loved this book (probably more than the first in the series actually) and am now really eager for book 9.

Best Plot Twist

Stitch

This book completely surprised me with its un-guessable twists and turns. Such a fantastic book!

My Review

 

Most Emotional Read

 

The Fault in Our Stars

This doesn't really need explaining does it :P

 

Left Me Most Desperate For Book 2

 

Forgiving Lies

This was an amazing book by one of my favourite authors and the cliffhanger ending had me begging the world for the sequel to somehow magically appear in my hand. This was by far one of my favourite reads of 2013 and I am still anxiously awaiting book 2 :)

 

My Review

 



Special Mentions

 

There are a few books that didn't quite make the top spot in any of the above categories but I thought deserved a mention anyway.

 

The Homecoming Masquerade

 

This was an amazon freebie and was really surprisingly good! Along with the 2nd and 3rd books it is mysterious, intriguing and oh so unique.

 

Secret For a Song

 

If it wasn't for TFIOS this book would have been my most emotional read of 2013. It is incredibly moving, eye opening and such a beautiful story. This book actually isn't available at the moment because it was picked up by an agent (:D) but will hopefully be available again in the not to far away future.

 

My Review

 

Either Side of Midnight

 

This book really surprised me and was so much better than I was expecting. I loved the suspense, the plot line and the writing style.

 

My Review

 

Stealing Harper

 

This was a hard book to read as because it is an alternate pov book I already knew how it was going to end and didn't exactly want to have to read that again after Taking Chances. I'm so glad I read this book as it was so beautiful and had me sobbing my heart out at times.

 

My Review

 

Significance

 

I loved this sweet YA paranormal romance and I am still kicking myself that I left it years to read this! This is currently free on Amazon.

 

So what were YOUR favourite books of 2013?

 

GIVEAWAY

 

Enter to win any of the books featured above or in my other "Best of 2013" posts.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of Stealing Harper

Synopsis

Chase Grayson has never been interested in having a relationship that lasts longer than it takes for him and his date to get dressed again. But then he stumbles into a gray-eyed girl whose innocence pours off her, and everything changes. From the minute Harper opens her mouth to let him know just how much he disgusts her, he's hooked.

But a princess deserves a Prince Charming who can make her dreams come true. Not a guy who can turn her life into a nightmare.

All good intentions go out the window when Harper starts to fall for the guy Chase has come to view as a brother. He wanted to protect her by keeping her away, but he can’t stand to see her with anyone else, and he’ll do anything to make her his. But when it comes down to Harper choosing between the two, will Chase have the strength to step back from the girl who has become his whole world if it means she’ll be happy?

Lines will be crossed. Friendships will be put to the test. And hearts will be shattered.

Review

Most of you probably know of my love of Taking Chances, the single most beautiful and heartbreaking book I have ever read. Until now. Stealing Harper is part of the story of Taking Chances told from Chase's point of view. Chase whose love for his best friends girl had thousands of readers across the world fall in love with him.

If you haven't yet read the first book I recommend reading my review and then immediately buying the book. However, I have done something a little special with this review so it is good for those who don't want spoilers for the first book and also good for those who have read Taking Chances already and want a more detailed review. The first part is visible and is suitable for all readers. Later sections of the review contain Taking Chances spoilers but are hidden. To see the later paragraphs you must highlight the review.

This book is beautifully written and oh so sad.  Molly McAdams is an incredible writer and has managed to successfully pull off a book that I don't think many people could. The writing is so expressive that you are dragged into the story and feel each characters every emotion.

One of the amazing aspects of this book is that it shows the transformation of someone who starts as just a womaniser into someone who is loyal and loving and crazy for one girl. It seemed very realistic and it was great to see this transformation explained.

Chase is definitely up there with the most lovable male characters ever. He is possibly my number one favourite. I am not normally the type of person to proclaim a book boyfriend but he makes me want to walk around in a t-shirt that says "Mrs Chase Grayson". He is kind, sweet, romantic and even though he messes up a little at times you can see that he truly cares for Harper.

If you are going to read this book then prepare to fall madly in love with the characters and even a little with the author for writing such an incredible book. Also be prepared to be heart broken. I recommend getting a big box of tissues and a feel good movie to watch when you have finished.

*Spoilers ahead!* To view the part of the review that contains huge spoilers for Taking Chances highlight the space below.

I thought Taking Chances was sad. This is by far sadder. For the entire book you know what is going to happen, you know Chase is going to die and that is 1000 times more heartbreaking than his sudden death in Taking Chances. Every single time he did something romantic or thought about how much he loved Harper I nearly burst into tears. As it neared his death I just wanted to throw myself into the story and somehow prevent it all from happening.

This book will make you love Chase so much more than the first book did. Seeing his thoughts and feelings makes it obvious that he is such a wonderful person which makes his death so much harder. There were several moments were I wasn't sure I could read any more as it was just becoming too much for my heart to handle.

I am glad I read it all. It may have been so heart breaking that I may never recover but the story now seems complete. Chase's death scene was the single hardest thing I have ever read and i cried so much into my cats fur it looked like I had given her a bath but it was worth it. It was also worth it just to read more of Molly's amazing writing.

You must read this amazing book. You must read ALL of Molly's books. The next to be released is Forgiving Lies and I have already read the start as it was at the end of this book and I need the rest now. I will just re-read this to feed my Molly McAdams addiction until I can get a copy of her next book.

*I received an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinions or my rating in any way*

Waiting On Wednesday - Stealing Harper

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it allows readers to share the books that they are most looking forwards to reading.

This week the book i have chosen to feature is Stealing Harper by Molly McAdams.

Stealing Harper

Title: Stealing Harper

Author: Molly McAdams

Series: Taking Chances #2

Expected Publication: June 4th

Publisher: William Morrow books

Links: Amazon, Amazon UK, Goodreads 






Synopsis

Chase Grayson has never been interested in having a relationship that lasts longer than it takes for him and his date to get dressed again. But then he stumbles into a gray-eyed girl whose innocence pours off her, and everything changes. From the minute Harper opens her mouth to let him know just how much he disgusts her, he's hooked.

But a princess deserves a Prince Charming who can make her dreams come true. Not a guy who can turn her life into a nightmare.

All good intentions go out the window when Harper starts to fall for the guy Chase has come to view as a brother. He wanted to protect her by keeping her away, but he can’t stand to see her with anyone else, and he’ll do anything to make her his. But when it comes down to Harper choosing between the two, will Chase have the strength to step back from the girl who has become his whole world if it means she’ll be happy?

Lines will be crossed. Friendships will be put to the test. And hearts will be shattered.

My thoughts

Even though some people I know didn't like it I LOVED Taking Chances. It is one of my favourite books (in fact i have just ordered it in paper back as only having the ebook wasn't enough) and you can find out why in my review here. Even though I know it will be heart breaking and my heart is still damaged from the first book I am incredibly excited to read Stealing Harper. So much so that it is the first book I have ever preordered. EVER.

Review of Taking Chances

Synopsis

Eighteen year old Harper has grown up under her career Marine of a father's thumb. Ready to live life her own way and experience things she's only ever heard of from the jarheads in her father's unit; she's on her way to college at San Diego State University.

Thanks to her new roommate, Harper is introduced to a world of parties, gorgeous guys, family and emotions. Some she wasn't expecting yet, and others she never knew she was missing.

She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with her boyfriend Brandon, and her roommate's brother Chase. Covered in tattoos, known for fighting in the Underground and ridiculously muscled...they're exactly what she was always warned to stay away from, but just what she needs. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both adore and would do anything for Harper, including stepping back if it means she's happy.

Her first year away is turning out to be near perfect, but one weekend of giving in to heated passion will change everything.

Review

I once told myself I would never write a review of Taking Chances. Simply because sometimes a book comes along that is so incredible no words can do it justice. This is one of those books.

I read a lot of books, most of which are good but nothing particularly special. Eventually most books blur together so only the truly amazing ones stand out. Almost five months after reading Taking Chances I can still remember all the little details and every single emotion the book made me feel. Five months and I still can’t get this book out of my head.

Taking Chances is a book that I want to erase the memory of ever reading just so I can experience reading it for the first time all over again. I know some people who didn't like this book - i think the sheer amount of emotion just isn't for everyone - but i LOVED it.

If you like romance, drama and lots of emotion in books then this is perfect for you. A great New Adult book that focuses more on the romance and character development than just sex. Though if you like steamy sexy scenes don't worry as there is the occasional one. The book starts good then keeps getting better, even when you think it couldn't get any better it proves you wrong.

This book has a sexy tattooed bad boy. In fact it has two! Chase and Brandon are two of my favourite male characters in a New Adult book; they are both the perfect mix of bad boy and romantic, both willing to give up the girl they love if it will make her happy.

Harper doesn’t always make the best decisions and sometimes I just wanted to shake her but she comes across as realistic. We’re not all perfect, we sometimes do stupid things and occasionally we may mess up big time. Despite her slightly odd back story she comes across as a real person; the girl we could all be though i highly hope my life will never be quite that dramatic.

If you have ever heard about this book before you probably know that it has a huge unexpected twist. I was so stunned I found myself blankly staring at my kindle for so long that it turned itself off. I found myself wanting to yell at the author “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!?!” whilst simultaneously giving her a massive hug and a round of applause.

The characters will work their way into your heart and you will find yourself experiencing their every emotion and really feeling for them. This book was such a roller coaster of emotions that after I finished reading I felt drained. I have hardly ever cried so much whilst reading a book, some were tears of sadness, devastation and despair whilst others were tears of joy and me marvelling over how beautiful a chapter was.

There was the odd little thing that wasn’t perfect but this book was too incredible for me to be bothered by them. For a book to get me that emotionally involved and to care that much about the characters I couldn’t possibly give it anything less than 5 stars. It took over a week before i could read again and no book i have read since has been quite as good. I wish i had an extra star to give.

I want to do something i have never done before which is thank the author for writing this book, Molly please never ever stop writing :) And now I am off to reread this book, because I simply have to.