Hit by Lorie Ann Grover

After receiving a full-ride scholarship to Mills College for Girls, it appears Sarah's future is all laid out before her that is until she walks into a poetry class led by Mr. Haddings, a student teacher from the nearby University of Washington. Suddenly, life on the UW campus seems very appealing, and Sarah finds herself using her poetry journal to subtly declare her feelings for Haddings. Convinced Mr. Haddings is flirting back, she sets off for school in the rain with a poem in her back pocket one that will declare her feelings once and for all.

Mr. Haddings has noticed Sarah's attention; the fallout from any perceived relationship with a student is too great a risk, and he has decided to end all speculation that morning.

But everything changes when Mr. Haddings feels a thud on his front bumper when he glances away from the road, and finds Sarah in the street with blood pooling beneath her."

 

Amazon- http://amzn.to/1fuIGPi

 

MY THOUGHTS:
3/5 Stars

 

The cover pulled me towards this read and surprisingly, the story was pretty good. It takes place over 3 days so not much happens, but what does is emotional, thought provoking, and a tad romantic in a poetic way. The writing was good and I loved the switching of POVs.

 

It's about a girl who gets hits by a car. She comes to realize that the person who did it is the guy she's been crushing on. While she struggles with her romantic feelings, new looks, and physical injuries... she also has to decide if she wants to forgive or not. It's a journey of self discovery and finding light in a dark situation.

 

It kind of reminded me of If I Stay by Gayle Forman in the sense that she's in a hospital drifting in and out of consciousness. She is left broken and confused after the accident. It takes a lot of truth and love to piece her back together again. 

 

I thought the Author did a great job painting vivid pictures in our mind. It was intense and even heartbreaking at times. I'm not going to say it was a great read, but it's definitely an enjoyable, quick story that I recommend to all.

The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare.

Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start.

It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed up teenager.

And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away.

And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all...a love story.

AMAZON LINK- http://amzn.to/1SbtFjX

MY THOUGHTS:
3/5 Stars

 

My expectations were high with this one... The reviews are all wonderful and the talk is nothing but positive things. For me though, It didn't live up to all the hype. I thought it was a good read, but  it didn't blow me away. The ingredients for a 5+ star were there, but I felt like some parts were lacking and under developed. The beginning pulled me in with the angsty romance and the middle sucked me in with intensity, but the ending was a bit scattered. Maybe it was the writing style... I'm not sure. Just something about it left me feeling semi detached from the characters. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that the beginning is so vivid with intricate details and mysterious twists, but than the ending is all rushed. I mean we skip 7 years & and get a cliffnotes version of what happened in that time period. It almost felt like two completely different books... The Before part was 5 stars, but sadly the After was a 2.

 

Moses was a GREAT character and I even liked Georgia, but Eli was a hard one for me... On one hand I thought the twist was genius, but on another I didn't like what led him to Moses's visions. Then the ending.... Is it bad that I wanted Moses to do the opposite of what he did? With all that build up I thought something HUGE would happen, but in the end, it was predictable and lacked the gut wrenching conclusion I craved.

 

I think with some minor changes this one could have been epic, but for me, it was just an enjoyable read with unique characters.

Play of Light by Debra Doxer Review

I lived in paradise, and I loved Spencer Pierce.

At fourteen, my life was perfect. The beach was my playground, and the boy who stole my heart lived just around the corner. But perfect never lasts. In one horrifying moment, I lost it all. My family was destroyed, and the boy I believed in turned his back on me. Paradise became a nightmare.

That was five years ago. Everything changed when we moved from our home by the sea. I’ve changed, and I don’t like who I’ve become. I miss the smiling, carefree beach girl who disappeared that terrible night. I want to find her again. I want to face the people we ran from so long ago. Most of all, I have to face Spencer. So I can prove that when he broke my heart, he didn’t break me.

But when I see him again, Spencer Pierce is no longer the boy from my memories. He’s now a man who could devastate me if I let him. He watches me when he thinks I’m not looking. There’s regret written on his face when he’s near. Each time I see him, my heart aches for what might have been, and I think his does too. How can I convince myself I’m over him when I suspect he never got over me?

 

AMAZON LINK- http://amzn.to/1FK0NLn

 

MY THOUGHTS:
3/5 Stars
This friends to lovers read was sweet with a hint of spice. It was a New Adult story about getting a second chance at romance. Both characters are emotionally damaged from a past tragedy and are in search of closure. While I loved the bits of mystery... There was something about the book that didn't quite pull me in. I read the pages, but never felt consumed by the words. The Author did a good job coming up with a unique storyline, but the execution seemed to fall flat. Maybe it was the fact that I was craving a more intense, darker story? It just seemed too predictable for me.

Overall, I think if you love romances with a hint of mystery... This one is for you. If you like a story with depth and intensity, I'd pass.

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid Review

This heartrending debut novel weaves a beautiful love story with an homage to the redemptive power of female friendship.

 

Elsie and Ben are average twenty-somethings, but this is not your average love story. It begins bright and promising: the newlywed couple is head over heels in love, having eloped six months after they met. But it all shatters in an instant; Ben out riding his bike, is hit by a truck—and dies on impact.

Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, his body has already been taken to the hospital. When she arrives, Elsie is greeted by an unexpected visitor—her mother-in-law, Susan, whom she has never met and who doesn’t even know she exists.

Both are seared with grief; Susan is still mourning the death of her own husband several years earlier, and the loss of her only son is almost too much to bear. The two women immediately sour on one another, fighting over what to do with Ben’s belongings and how to fulfill his wishes. But as time goes by, Susan and Elsie both realize that despite the terrible accident that brought them together, they are now the only family they have left.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted will make you laugh, make you cry, and remind you that there’s more than one way to live happily ever after.  

 

AMAZON LINK - http://amzn.to/1Hdo3Os

MY THOUGHTS:5/5 STARS

 

I don't think I'll ever look at fruity pebbles the same way again... Talk about an emotional, gripping story that is life changing, inspiring, and an absolute MUST READ. This one exceeded all of my expectations. My heart was shattered into tiny colorful pieces at the beginning and with each word after, was slowly pieced together again.

 

Forever, Interrupted is about a woman finding her one true love only to lose him six months later to a tragic accident. Don't worry though... This isn't one of those books that makes you love the main guy, kills him off, and then sends in a new Casanova to sweep the woman off her feet. No, this one was about the mourning process and how sometimes in order to move on you have to face the past head on. You will get a love story, but through flashbacks. The root of the story is that time doesn't signify feeling. In the briefest moment you can experience something that others never feel.

 

I loved it... I absolutely loved it! The writing was superb. The story was intense and the characters were one of a kind. It made me thankful for my life and it made me hug my husband a little tighter. It is a story that every reader should experience!

A Shattered Moment by Tiffany King

In the new series by Tiffany King, the USA Today bestselling author of the Woodfalls Girls novels, six friends—fresh from high school graduation—discover that the future can come at you from out of nowhere.

This is Mackenzie’s story…

Mackenzie Wilson once had hope for what life had to offer, but everything changed on the night of her graduation. A year later, the only way she can find comfort is by keeping her head down and hoping she remains unnoticed at college.

When Bentley James discovered Mac in that twisted SUV, he was just a newbie EMT on his first call. It was a gut-wrenching moment that made him realize not everyone can be saved—and sometimes they don’t want to be.

A chance encounter on campus brings Bentley back into Mac’s life. Despite her initial resistance, he sets out to discover the girl hiding beneath a shield of seclusion. He evokes painful memories in Mac—but also feelings. As the spark between them grows, Mac must decide if she can let go of the past and believe in something as fragile as love…

 

AMAZON LINK- http://amzn.to/1PKQWGd  

MY THOUGHTS:
5/5 STARS

This was one of the most emotionally charged books I've ever read. It was gut wrenching, raw, and intense. While at times the story was truly ugly... somehow, someway it turned out to be a beautiful story about healing, hope, and love.

 

It was told in dual POVs and at times gave us flashbacks to the day that changed everything for Mackenzie. The day of the accident... The day that took lives and friendships. It was so hard to read these parts, but they were crucial to the story. In these parts you see Mac and Bentley meet for the first time... and get to see how their lives intertwined them both.

 

I think what made this book so special is that fact that it was unique. It didn't follow the cliché NA mold, but rather created a category of it's own. The characters were one of a kind and their emotions easily captured my attention. I quickly became addicted and finished the book in just two sittings. I definitely recommend it to all readers over 18. While it isn't packed with intimate scenes... It does have few.