Saturday, January 12, 2013

The Edge of Never by J. A. Redmerski ~ Tour stop & Giveaway


Source:  I received an eBook of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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Book description
Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?


Due to sexual content and language, this book is recommended for 17+ – Adult Contemporary Women’s – New Adult Fiction




My Thoughts:




4 1/2 stars - Emotional and sexy, this book will hold you in it's pages long after you close the book.

How do I even explain how good this book is?

First let me say that some of the content hit very close to home for me and I cried like a baby.  It's very hard to read when your eyes are spilling tears so fast that the world is blurry, but I HAD to read on.  I can't tell you what the connection is because it is a HUGE spoiler for the book.  Just know that something that happens in the book, happened to me.  Something painful.  Something hard.  Something that still effects my life every day.  And that something did sneak up on me in the book.  I didn't see it coming at all. But I would still read this book again, knowing I would face it.  It's that good.

This book is all Andrew Parrish.  He makes the book what it is.  We meet him a little way into the book and once he enters the story we get some scenes from his POV.  I LOVE reading from the male POV but reading from Andrew's POV was incredible.  He is Cam perfect other half.  Charming and sexy, he draws out of her exactly what she needs to start living again.  It's ironic that he can accomplish this considering he's facing his own issues.  I just love him.

Cam is depressed.  She hasn't been able to deal with the death of her boyfriend and another lose sends her looking for something more in her life.  She jumps on a bus to find herself.  What she finds is Andrew.  Together they try to figure things out.   I like Cam.  She's unwilling to say what she wants or feels but after spending time with Andrew that changes.  She grows up.  Good thing too because they face some pretty tough challenges together.

I loved how alone time was high on both characters "need list" when they were dealing with things.  I loved how music was such a huge part of this story.  I loved how there wasn't an immediate love interest but a quick friendship grew first.  I loved the snarky banter that went back and forth between the two.  I loved the need to apologize and the willingness to forgive.  I loved how when I picked up this book, my world fell away and I was in theirs.

The only issues I had with the book were some pacing/timing things.  Really minor stuff that didn't distract from the story, only gave me a brief pause.

This book is incredible.  I needed virtual hand holding and still I would read it again.  I spend days afterwards just thinking about it, letting the images of scenes run through my mind.  I love it when a book stays with you.

If you love new adult, then this book MUST be moved to the top of your TBR list.




About the author:

 Author of THE DARKWOODS TRILOGY and DIRTY EDEN, mother, werewolf & zombie fanatic, book addict and a happy hermit obsessed with the Universe. Oh, and AMC’s “The Walking Dead”.
Addictions: Starbucks every morning, trolling Barnes & Noble’s shelves once a week, detesting winter, shopping flea markets and preparing for the collapse of society as we know it. Do I own a tin foil hat? Maybe. :-)
I was born in Arkansas and have lived here most of my life, except the couple of times when I lived in Pennsylvania. I started my first novel at the age of thirteen and have been writing something ever since. Generally, I love characters in life and on paper. I pay attention to people, especially those whose personalities make them different from the rest of us: the drug addict roaming the Laundromat that talks to himself, the young, inattentive mother in the park with the meanest kid on the playground – (the entire cast of ‘Swamp People’) – characters fascinate me and I hope that it shows in my literary work.



****Giveaway****
 

(1) Signed paperback copy of THE EDGE OF NEVER, (1) Kindle or Nook copy, (1) sterling silver custom book pendant necklace $200 value. Open to United States and Canada only.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway





Check out the rest of the tour below.


 

14 comments:

  1. Love your review, Valerie! And thank you so much for participating in my tour! :-)

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  2. I loved this book too. Andrew and Cam were amazing characters and I loved reading about them. Fabulous review hon!!

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  3. Oh Val. I know how tough this was for you. I'm happy you loved Andrew & Cam's story. I thought it was beyond beautiful. Your review is lovely.

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  4. This Andrew is sounding better and better...great review, and thanks for the giveaway!

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  5. Ah! Doing this tour and reading all the reviews is making me slap happy! I've been smacking my hand to keep my grubby paws from reading it. I'm saving it for vacation next week. This may be a plane read... except everyone says they cried so that may not be the best choice. lol

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  6. I absolutely love this book! I cried a whole lot and laughed. It really draws you in and I highlighted so many quotes. I love what she has to say about what depression is and that aspect of Cam really hit home for me. I loved how real the issues in this book were and how they were realistically handled and approached! Loved it. Towards the end of the book I had turned on Pandora and ended up with the perfect song for this book... Alive by Adelita's Way. I also listen to the Civil Wars... I loved the soundtrack for the book... really helped the story.

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  7. Wonderful review! This book is SO on my TBR! I'm really hoping to read it soon (bought an e-copy awhile back), but I'm still crossing my fingers for a signed physical copy! :-) :-)

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  8. Sound's like a great read, it's on my to-read list.

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  9. I completely agree, I love Andrew so much and he def MADE the story. Esp that ending?!?! I laughed and cheezed so much! He's adorable! I agree w/the pacing, it really didn't hit me until halfway thru, that's when I really started to get into it! Great review Val!

    Vivian
    Confessions of a Vi3tBabe
    Deity Island

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  10. I loved this book and I loved Andrew. He's one of my favorite guys. Glad you enjoyed it!

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  11. I have been wanting to read this book since it came out. I hope I win it!!!

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  12. I loved this book and Andrew! Great review!! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  13. This sounds like a very powerful book. One that needs to be read and remembered. Thanks so much for the giveaway!

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