Cover Reveal Tour, Giveaway & Review: I Loved You First by Reena Jacobs

I would like to thank Reena Jacobs for the opportunity to participate in the one year anniversary celebrations for I Loved You First! You can check out the rest of the tour schedule HERE!

Reena Jacobs is just a writer who loves to see her words in print. As an avid reader, she’s known to hoard books and begs her husband regularly for “just one more purchase.” Her home life is filled with days chasing her preschooler and nights harassing her husband. Between it all, she squeezes in time for writing and growling at the dog.

Connect with Reena online:

Email l Website l Blog l Goodreads l Facebook l Twitter 

Alexandria (Alex) Carmichael guards two secrets close to her heart. One―she’s in love with her best friend, Seth. Two―he’s gay.

As a freshman in college, Alex looks forward to fun times with her best friend. When Seth decides cycling through girlfriends is the way to fit in with the straight crowd, Alex must make a choice: watch Seth give his affection to another while her heart breaks or come clean with her feelings and risk losing his friendship forever.

I LOVED YOU FIRST is a new adult love story told through the eyes of Alex, an African-American/Caucasian student, who takes a journey of self-discovery while watching her best friend come to terms with his sexuality.

Available at Barnes & Noble l Smashwords l The Book Depository l Amazon l CreateSpace 

I Loved You First is on sale until August 5. Readers can pick up I Loved You First for $0.99 at Amazon & Barnes & Nobles or use the coupon code below at Smashwords.

  Promotional price: $0.99 Regular price: $4.95 Coupon Code: XY82H Expires: August 5, 2012

REVIEW: 

I Loved You First is the story of Alex and Seth. It's a story of friendship, love, personal struggles and growth. It's a story of getting lost in the shadows of someone else. It's a story of rediscovering the person that you are.

Alex is desperately in love with her best friend Seth. She will do anything for him. Even to the extent of relegating herself to the backburner. But it doesn't matter how much she loves him, or what she does to make him happy. Seth will never return her feelings. For Seth has a secret. A secret he goes to great lengths to keep hidden. Seth is gay.

Reena Jacobs has done an amazing job of conveying the struggles of a gay man trying to fit in. His struggles were so very real. As far as we have come in society in the acceptance of someone who is gay, there still remains a section of people who think that being gay is wrong, or bad, or evil, or a choice. Tell me, who would choose to be looked down upon? Who would choose to be bullied?  Who would choose to be beat up on? Who would choose to be an outcast? Who would choose to have friends turn against them? Who would choose to have to pretend to be someone they are not?

When I first started reading I Loved You First I thought the main focus of the story was going to be on Seth because his story is one that I could relate to... I have a brother who is gay... But in the end this was both Seth's and Alex's stories. I can't say that I liked both characters all of the time because there were points in the book when they both did things that annoyed me. But I think that what makes characters likeable is that they have flaws.

I Loved You First is not your typical YA read. It broaches some pretty hard hitting issues, besides the ones I have already spoken about, but is an incredibly well written and touching story!! I thank the author so much for writing it and for giving me the opportunity to read and review it!!

A definite 5/5 Stars!!!

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