REVIEW: The Sea Breeze Collection by Abbi Glines

All four books in the sexy Sea Breeze series from the New York Times bestselling author of The Vincent Boys are available in one boxed set!

Set in the steamy coastal Alabama town of Sea Breeze, an interconnected group of friends hook up, break up and much, much more.

This collection of four hot-and-heavy page-turners includes Breathe, Because of Low, While It Lasts, and Just for Now.

Purchase: Amazon l B&N l The Book Depository

My Thoughts:

Breathe (Sea Breeze #1)

I remember reading Breathe way back when I first started reading YA. It was back when this book had the old, old cover. I was so enamoured with the story and Abbi Glines writing that I sent off and purchased a signed copy. It was my first ever signed book, and it still to this day takes pride of place on my bookshelf.

Jax Stone just rocked my world, and I wasn't sure what to do about it.

He was my air, my soul, and the keeper of my heart.

The version included in this boxed set has been updated with a little bit of steam I think. I don't remember it being in the original version. For me, it added that little something extra to the story. If it was at all possible, I loved this version even more. Jax Stone owned me. From start to finish, I was his. He was everything that I want in a book boyfriend. He was passionate and caring and considerate. Add in the fact that he sang and played the guitar and that right there is my perfect male all wrapped up in one neat little package.

Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2)

When I read Breathe, I liked Marcus well enough. It was easy to see how caring and protective he was. But that was about as far as it went. Maybe I was just too wrapped up in Jax. But didn't Because of Low change all that! Boy oh boy, the guy is passionate. He gives everything when he loves. I love a boy who is protective of his family and Marcus was that and then some. He is an amazing son, brother, and friend. 

Damn, I was so far gone at this point I’d do anything she asked of me.

What really stood out for me while I was reading this was how much I loved Cage. Because of his relationship with Low, we actually get to see a great deal of him, and I can't wait to jump into his book. He is funny. So funny. I actually laughed big huge laughs at some of the things he said. But then on the next page he would have my heart breaking for him.

While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3)

Cage York could quite possibly be my favourite from this series, but since I have plenty of love to go around, I'm not really going to play favourites. I'm just gonna love them all. What I do know is that when I finished reading While It Lasts I was in a bit of a slump. I wanted more time with Cage. I just couldn't get him out of my head. He was with me constantly for days afterwards. I just couldn't let go and move on.

...maybe I'd lost my soul already. I doubted God let someone like me keep any gift from him. It was highly likely I'd been born without one.

Cage is carrying baggage from his childhood. He doesn't do relationships and commitments. But then he meets Eva and he wants what he's never wanted before. Watching cage fall in love was a thing of beauty. He fell so hard. I love nothing more than reading from a guys perspective as he comes completely undone by a woman.

Just For Now (Sea Breeze #4)

I must say that Preston and Amanda were two of my least favourite characters throughout this series to date. I thought Amanda seemed really young, and Preston was no more than a sleazy man whore, so I wasn't in any great rush to jump into their story. But let me tell you that Abbie Glines is a damn genius. I was completely hooked on this book after just a few pages.

I didn't need taming. I needed f**king saving.

Preston is under so much pressure, and he carries it all on his young shoulders. On the outside he's the party boy who sleeps with anything that moves, but that's only one part of his life. Outside of that his responsibilities are huge, and it was his determination, and the love for his siblings that won me over. It was impossible not to fall for Preston and his charms.

What I love about this series is that the characters from the other books all make appearances, so that we get little updates on what's going on with them. That suits me perfectly because I always find myself wondering what happened to the characters after a book is done. 

Abi Glines is a master of her craft. Good guy, bad boy, she writes them to perfection. How does she take these flawed males and make me fall head over heels in love with them. Now I'm not just talking minor flaws, Cage and Preston, have some pretty big issues when it comes to sex, but I loved them completely and without judgement. How did Abbi Glines manage that? I told you she's a genius!!

It doesn't matter which one of Abbi Glines books you read, because each and every one will have you addicted. Her books are one's that you start reading thinking you'll read a chapter or two, only to turn the last page and realise that you haven't moved for hours simply because you've been so wrapped up in her stories. I love her, and I will read anything she publishes for as long as she continues to write. Simple as that!! I'm having withdrawals from this series already. I need to get me the rest of the books pronto!!

5/5 Big, Bright, Shining, Stars!!

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me this boxed set for review.

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY #78: Now That You're Here (Duplexity #1) by Amy K. Nichols

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

In a parallel universe, the classic bad boy falls for the class science geek.

One minute Danny was running from the cops, and the next, he jolted awake in an unfamiliar body--his own, but different. Somehow, he's crossed into a parallel universe. Now his friends are his enemies, his parents are long dead, and studious Eevee is not the mysterious femme fatale he once kissed back home. Then again, this Eevee--a girl who'd rather land an internship at NASA than a date to the prom--may be his only hope of getting home.

Eevee tells herself she's only helping him in the name of quantum physics, but there's something undeniably fascinating about this boy from another dimension . . . a boy who makes her question who she is, and who she might be in another place and time.

And, coming soon, Duplexity, Part II: While You Were Gone flips this story on its head and tells the tale of the alternate Danny and the alternate Eevee, living in Danny's parallel world.

Praise for Now That You're Here:

"The perfect blend of sci-fi and swoons, Now That You're Here is like no other book I've read. Riveting, romantic and utterly original, it kept me up late!" --Amie Kaufman, author of These Broken Stars

"Dynamic, dizzying, and downright daring, Now That You're Here kept me guessing until the end, and ready for the next." --Shannon Messenger, author of Let the Sky Fall

"Nichols infuses the story with a smattering of science fiction and science fact, while making a welcome departure from the stereotype of the book-smart outcast trying to fit in. These geeks own their intelligence like a badge of honor, using science to help a friend and explore strange new worlds. Riveting in its own right, the story sets the stage for a mirror-image sequel, which will follow the other Danny and Eevee." -- Publishers Weekly, STARRED

"While the world-jumping is fantastical, the personalities and characters (fully individual, without reaching trying-too-hard levels of quirkiness) ring true.... A debut with great characters and huge nerd appeal." -- Kirkus Reviews 

Expected publication: December 9th 2014

"Bad boy falls for class science geek."  Oh yes please!! If that wasn't enough to hook me, just take a look at the praise for Now That You're Here, even before it's release.
What book are you patiently waiting for the release of?

REVIEW: After We Collided (After #2) by Anna Todd

Book Two of the After series—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!

Tessa has everything to lose. Hardin has nothing to lose…except her. AFTER WE COLLIDED…Life will never be the same. #HESSA

After a tumultuous beginning to their relationship, Tessa and Hardin were on the path to making things work. Tessa knew Hardin could be cruel, but when a bombshell revelation is dropped about the origins of their relationship—and Hardin’s mysterious past—Tessa is beside herself.

Hardin will always be…Hardin. But is he really the deep, thoughtful guy Tessa fell madly in love with despite his angry exterior—or has he been a stranger all along? She wishes she could walk away. It’s just not that easy. Not with the memory of passionate nights spent in his arms. His electric touch. His hungry kisses.

Still, Tessa’s not sure she can endure one more broken promise. She put so much on hold for Hardin—school, friends, her mom, a relationship with a guy who really loved her, and now possibly even a promising new career. She needs to move forward with her life.

Hardin knows he made a mistake, possibly the biggest one of his life. He’s not going down without a fight. But can he change? Will he change…for love? 

My Thoughts: 

"Just because he can't love you the way you want him to doesn't mean he doesn't love you with everything he has."

When I finished reading the first book in this series, After, my head was full of Hardin and how disappointed in him I was. I was convinced that Anna Todd was evil for taking Hardin in the direction that she did. I was almost certain that my dislike for Hardin could never be overcome. So going into After We Collided, my anxiety levels were through the roof. There was just no coming back from what he did.

After We Collided picks up exactly where After left us, and if I thought that I had witnessed Hardin's depth of depravity I was mistaken. We learn things about his past that had me almost to the point of putting the book down and walking away. Just giving up on the story and never returning to it. It was only the little voice in my head of an online friend singing the praises of this book that kept me going. But I was devastated, disappointed and angry. I felt like there was nothing about Hardin that I could like. But, I've said it a hundred times before... I love broken characters, and if Hardin is nothing else, he is broken. He's going through a whole world of pain in this book and boy, didn't it pull at my heart strings. He really is trying so hard to be a better person, but after years of living the way he has been it's not going to happen overnight, but at least he's putting in the effort. And eventually I began to see the changes. I saw little snatches of the amazingly caring and loving person he could be. I saw him try to reign in his temper and to think before he spoke. 

This isn't the pain I had read about in novels. This pain isn't just in my mind, this pain isn't physical. This is a soul-aching pain, something that is ripping me apart from the inside out, and I don't think I can survive it. 

One of the big pluses for me was having the story told in dual points of view. That was what allowed me to soften as far as Hardin was concerned. Anna Todd was a genius for doing it, because without that, I wouldn't have been able to feel anything for Hardin. But being inside his head allowed me to understand his regrets, and his all encompassing love for Tessa.

There's no denying that Hardin and Tessa are toxic together. They fight like no other couple I've ever read about. But as the story went on, my whole view of these characters changed and it was Tessa that was completely doing my head in. She makes the dumbest, most impulsive decisions. And almost all of them involve other males. I wanted to reach into the pages of this book and shake some damn sense into the girl. Hardin only has to look sideways at another girl and Tessa goes all crazy ass on him, but then every time she goes way beyond that, she expects Hardin to forgive her. Tessa, listen up. Sharing the love around makes you look skanky. Quit it!! 

Communication and trust. These are the two of the biggest obstacles between Tessa and Hardin. For the most part they're really lacking in both those areas. I completely get the trust thing. They have both done some crazy hurtful stuff to each other. And where most people seem to learn from their mistakes, Tessa and Hardin seem to repeat the crazy behaviour over and over again.

I said in my review of After, that love is about respect, care and concern, and I still don't think that these guys have got the balance anywhere near right. I see glimpses of it sometimes, but then just as quickly they do something to blow it all to pieces. They seem to live in their own little bubble of drama. I have no doubt that they want things to be good between them, but they're just struggling to work out how to do it. 

"You aren't some conquest of mine -- you're everything to me! You're my breath, my pain, my heart, my life!"

But in saying that, love comes in all shapes and sizes. What fits for me, may not work for you. But we love who we love, without much say in the matter. The heart wants what it wants. Hardin and Tessa want each other, despite all the drama. 

Anna Todd is the queen of 'oh my God' endings. She leaves me turning the last page always wanting more. She knows how to tweak my emotions at every turn so that I'm in a constant state of feeling. Whether it be anger, or disappointment, or sadness, or frustration, I'm always feeling something. And she balances it all out with a touch of Hardin sweetness. 

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.

4/5 Addictive Stars.

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me this review copy.

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY #77: All the Rage by Courtney Summers

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous.But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.　

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out,All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?

Expected publication: April 14th 2015 

This book sounds real and gritty and raw. Oh, how I love realistic YA!!
What book are you patiently waiting for the release of?

BOOK BLAST & GIVEAWAY: Creed by Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie

CREED
By: Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie
Release date: November 8, 2014 
Publisher: Flux 
Genre: Young Adult psychological horror 
ISBN: 0738740802
Purchase: Amazon l B&N l Indiebound

Three went in. Three came out. None even a shadow of who they once were.

When their car breaks down, Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and his brother Mike walk through a winter storm to take refuge in a nearby town called Purity Springs. When they arrive, the emergency sirens are blaring and the small farming town seems abandoned. With no other shelter, they spend the night in an empty house.

But they soon discover that not everything in Purity Springs is as it seems. When the town's inhabitants suddenly appear the next morning, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves at the mercy of the charismatic leader, Elijah Hawkins, who plans to make Dee his new wife. Elijah's son, Joseph, offers to help them escape . . . but the price of his help may be more than Dee and her friends can bear. 

Praise For CREED:

“Debut authors Leaver and Currie make an auspicious foray into YA horror...creating a believably desperate and terrifying situation for their characters, and Dee's history of physical and sexual abuse adds another layer of terror to this suspenseful and sporadically gory thriller.” ~Publishers Weekly

Welcome to a town that makes "Children of the Corn" look like child's play. There's no shortage of scary shenanigans happening in "Creed" ... We'd rather take a year-long gig teaching botany to the "Children of the Corn" than take a gas-and-bathroom break on a sunny day in Purity Springs.  ~Kat Rosenfield author of Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone/ MTV News

"This is: a straight-ahead, cover-your-ears tale of terror that grows more nihilistic and grueling by the page.... Leaver and Currie do the best thing horror authors can do, presenting protagonists who make smart choices, over and over, but to no avail. Now that's scary" ~ Daniel Kraus/ Booklist

About Trisha Leaver: Trisha Leaver graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Social Work. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband, three kids and one rather irreverent black lab. She is a member of the SCBWI, the Horror Writers Association, and the YA Scream Queens

TWITTER l FACEBOOK l WEBSITE l Instagram: @trishaleaver

About Lindsay Currie: Lindsay Currie graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, IL with an English Literature degree. She is a member of the SCBWI, the Horror Writers Association and a contributor to the YA Scream Queens. 

TWITTER l WEBSITE l FACEBOOK
Instagram: @lindsayncurrie 

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PRE RELEASE BLITZ: Winter Wolf (A New Dawn Novel, #1) by Rachel M. Raithby

  Add To Goodreads

Katalina Winter has been living for eighteen years, with a secret hidden inside of her, a secret not even she knew.

With this secret comes consequences, expectations, one's she's not willing to fulfill; she'll give her heart to whom she wishes, even if he is, a Dark Shadow wolf...

Join Katalina as she navigates her way through this world at war, where the alpha is law, and only the strong survive. You will see the power of true love, and the length's people will go to destroy it.

**Please note this is a YA Stand alone novel, no cliffhangers**

Amazon US l Amazon UK l Amazon AU l Amazon CA

Follow the link to the Chapters here

I've being reading books for as long as I can remember but I never thought about writing until I read Nalini Singh - Slave to sensation which is the first book in her psy-changling series.

At first I just wrote fan fiction until one morning I woke up with a story of my own. Lincoln and Lexia were born!  I spent 6 solid months writing and re-writing and now their story is out in the world and I am currently working on the final book Holocaust due 2015.

After the birth of my 3rd child I wrote Winter Wolf a YA Paranormal Novel which is due for Release in November.

I have lived in England, New Zealand and currently live in QLD Australia but to me England will always be home.

I've been a dish washer, Admin assistant, horse groom and now spend my days looking after my 3 children and writing as often as I can.

Goodreads Author Page: http://goo.gl/csLV9s

Amazon Author Page:    http://goo.gl/C36Xl6

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RachelMRaithby

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelm.raithbyauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rach1986UK

Instagram: http://instagram.com/p/uM1tIDlEX4/

Website: http://rachelmraithby.com/

Blog: http://rmraithby.blogspot.com.au

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COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY: Salt & Stone (Fire & Flood #2) by Victoria Scott

What would you do to save someone you love?

In Fire & Flood, Tella Holloway faced a dangerous trek through the jungle and across the desert, all to remain a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed for a chance at obtaining the Cure for her brother. She can't quit--she has to win the race, save Cody, and then fight to make sure the race stops before it can claim any more lives. In the next legs of the race, across the ocean and over mountains, Tella will face frostbite, sharks, avalanche, and twisted new rules in the race.

But what if the danger is deeper than that? How do you know who to trust when everyone's keeping secrets? What do you do when the person you'd relied on most suddenly isn't there for support? How do you weigh one life against another?

The race is coming to an end, and Tella is running out of time, resources, and strength. At the start of the race there were one hundred twenty-two Contenders. As Tella and her remaining friends start the final part of the race, just forty-one are left--and only one can win.

Time is slipping away.... 

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Victoria Scott's breathtaking novel grabs readers by the throat and doesn't let go. 

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ARC REVIEW: Raine (Elemental Series #1) by M.M. Roethig

Starting her senior year of high school, Raine Patterson is content with being invisible. That is, until the mysteriously handsome Kaden transfers in and turns her world upside down. Drawn to him in ways she can’t understand, Raine finds herself falling for him, regardless of his harsh stares and mixed signals. When she discovers a hidden ability to control the elements, she finds herself the target of a madman, and Kaden is the only one who can help her. Can she trust him? 

Kaden Williams has hated Elementals from the time he lost his father to them as a young boy. Chosen to protect Elementals, Kaden turned his back on his duty, swearing to rid the world of them instead. Meeting Raine was no accident, but his feelings for her throw him into turmoil and threaten to change the way he feels about Elementals. When Raine becomes the target of an unknown aggressor, Kaden is forced to decide which path he will follow. 

As the struggle for knowledge unfolds and the beginning of a pending war looms closer, Raine and Kaden must lean on each other to discover the truth and survive.

Purchase: Amazon l B&N

My Thoughts:

"It won't be long now. She's coming, the most gifted Elemental being this world has ever seen."

Raine Patterson Has lived her life oblivious to the fact that she's an Elemental. And an incredibly powerful one at that. She was content with blending in at school, and being a normal teenage girl. But when a new boy, Kaden Williams arrives at school, Raine's normal teenage life gets thrown right out the window. Drawn to Kaden right from the start, she is surprised when his friendliness suddenly turns into something that is the complete opposite. And if that isn't enough to think about, she suddenly has the attention of almost every boy in school. But all of that is only the beginning of the changes about to take place in her world.

Raine was such a strong character. Her life gets thrown into a tail spin with revelations, secrets and loss. At each stage she accepted what was placed in front of her and stood tall to do what needed to be done. Even when she could have given up and fallen apart she accepted challenges head on with a real maturity. Yes, she had moments of weakness, and that was what made her such a likeable character. She questions things, and thinks, and tries to do the right thing.

He was tired of feeling the hurt and regret that followed him everywhere he went, but that was who he was, who he'd become, and there was no changing it.

Raine is told from the point of view of both Raine and Kaden. I loved being able to get inside Kaden's head the most. It was perfect to be able to witness his struggle with things first hand. He's been raised to believe that Elementals are the cause of his fathers death and the world should be rid of them. Imagine his anguish when he learns that this may not be the case. This all had such a big impact on his feelings for Raine, and even when he was struggling the most, you could just sense the goodness in his heart.

She couldn't explain why she felt so drawn to him, and why she had an almost irresistible desire to trust him.

M.M. Roethig handled the romantic aspect really well. After the initial attraction, it moved along at a really steady pace. And as you learn Kaden's back story it made the relationship between him and Raine so much more believable. 

The action and conflict throughout the story was a real constant. Especially for the second half of the book where things built to the perfect, powerful and intense, edge of your seat battle. Throw in a few twists and turns and this book had me hooked from the get go. I will definitely be grabbing the next book in the series and continuing the next exciting stage of Raine and Kaden's journey.

3.75/5 Stars.

A big thank you to the author for providing me with this review copy.

REVIEW: After (After #1) by Anna Todd

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, Tessashould 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?

My Thoughts:

All that I'm certain of is that my life and my heart will never be the same, not after Hardin crashed into them. 

The cover of After proclaims that its had one billion reads online. Wow, I thought!! That's a whole lot of interest. I've personally gone a little bit cold on New Adult lately. The stories all tend to be the same and there are very few authors who I find can consistently produce something new. But when this came up for review I couldn't resist. Now, I've never really listened to One Direction before, so the fact that this was originally written as a 1D fanfiction wasn't what enticed me. I just purely liked the sound of it. And something that had so many reads had to have something going for it, right?

I have to admit to being hooked pretty quickly. Despite a few issues that I had with the grammar, I was loving the story. I was breezing through it. Smiling and swooning and happy as happy can be. I was slowly falling for Hardin, and I really liked Tessa. The whole dynamic drew me in and I couldn't put this book down. But then slowly things started to worry me. I began to have some real issues with the way that the characters, especially Hardin, treated each other.

Now I'm all for tattooed, pierced bad boys. I love them. I adore them. I could eat them for breakfast. And Hardin was tattooed and he was bad. But there's a difference between bad and cruel. And Hardin went from bad to sometimes being downright horrid. We eventually find out that he has had a really crappy childhood, and I found that my heart just about broke for him. What he went through as a child would affect anyone greatly. But it also doesn't excuse his behaviour and treatment of Tessa. He went from hot to cold, up to down, fighting and loving, happy and sad, and all in the blink of an eye and for the most insignificant of reasons. When it comes to his friends, he treats her like his dirty little secret. He doesn't want to commit, but then gets all he man and jealous when she so much as blinks in front of another male. But still I loved him. He had my head in a spin but there was just something about him. But then there is one big fat betrayal that we learn about at the end of the book. It was a doozy!! I really have no idea how the author is going to get me back onside after that one. My love for him was so big, but now I'm not sure I even like him very much.

Every second I spend with Hardin increases my feelings for him, and I know it's dangerous for me to allow these small, seemingly meaningless moments to occur, but I don't have control of myself when Hardin is involved. I become merely a passerby in this storm.

And then there is Tessa. Sweet and inexperienced, she is the complete opposite to Hardin. She's lived a fairly sheltered life, and she's also experienced her own share of childhood heartbreak. She frustrated me on so many occasions. I think that sometimes she forgave Hardin so quickly for the way that he treated her. To a point I could understand it, because she's lived a big chunk of her life trying to please her Mum and avoid confrontation. Then there were the times when Hardin asked her, at times even begged her to listen to him about different situations and she would completely disregard him and end up getting herself in some avoidable predicaments. 

"I just want to be the only person you ever love; that way you are mine."

There was just so much drama between these two and at times it felt like that was all that their time together consisted of. But when they were good, they were so good. Hardin could be so caring and loving. He was sweet and protective. Their chemistry was undeniable.

Even though I mentioned all of these issues that I had, I will definitely pick up the next book. I was addicted from start to finish. I really want to see where the author is going with things. I want to see where she takes Tessa and Hardin. I want Hardin to man up and learn that woman should be treated with respect, and I want Tessa to mature a little bit. Love is about respect and care and concern, and I'm not fully convinced that Tessa and Hardin are there yet.

For me, the first two thirds of After would be a solid four and a half, possibly five star read. But then the last third would be a three star read. And that is solely because of Hardin. But, there is no denying that I read to feel, and After made me feel so many things, and that can only be a good thing.

My feelings for Hardin are so confusing. I hate him one minute and want to kiss him the next... He makes me laugh and cry, yell and scream, but most of all he makes me feel alive.

Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster Australia for the review copy.