Release Date:
04/22/14
Summary from
Goodreads:
Nevaeh Evan’s life is uprooted after her father’s death, when she moves
in with her aunt and cousin, Livvie. Her plan to lay low at her new high school
isn’t working. Her friend’s jerky boyfriend keeps asking her out, the guy she
likes treats her like garbage, and the thought of tumbling again makes her want
to hurl.
So when her aunt pushes her into joining the elite X-FACTOR cheer leading
squad, Navaeh goes along with it.
But Nev feels she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Not after what happened the
night her father died.
Bodie Scott knows about grief all too well. Critically injured in an alcohol
related accident the year before, Bodie struggles with the fact that he’ll
never play football again, and he’s so far behind in credits he can’t see
straight. That is, until he meets Nev. Haunted by their bloody pasts and wary
of a shared future, Nev and Bodie turn to one another for comfort and support,
and realize they’re not so alone after all. And when the party scene at school
threatens the life of a loved one, the two stop at nothing to keep the past
from repeating itself.
Buy Links:
Barnes and Noble
Jennifer's Review:
Nev is a former gymnast whose life has been completely uprooted. Her father is killed and her mother has an illness that requires her to be in a medical facility indefinately. She moves to go live with her Aunt Trish and cousin (Livvie) in northern California. She comes to a new town, and a new high school and if that's not enough she is overwhelmed with guilt. What's behind the guilt?? -- a big part of the story revolves around this issue.
The relationship between Nev and her cousin Livvie was well done - caring, loving. Livvie is on a competitive cheer team, X Factor. Livvie and her mom convince Nev to try for the team out thinking it will help her adjust to her new life with them. Also given that Nev was a excellent gymnast makes her a shoo-in to for the premier squad - The Diamond girls. Nev at first doesn't want to try out as it sparks painful memories of all the good times she had with her mom over the years in competitive gymnastics but Livvi's enthusiasm and confidence in her is contagious. So Nev goes for it -- In the end joining the Diamond Girls Ex Factor squad proves to be a wonderful thing, just as Livvie and her mom thought. It was neat to catch a small glimpse into the world of competitive cheer -- a world the author clearly knows well.
The boys in this story: Nev's first experience at her new high school is with a charming but "slimy" Eli. Nev finds out pretty quickly that he is dating her new found friend, Erin. Eli never really stops hitting on Nev. And while Nev is clear that is she absolutely not interested, he continues relentlessly. Being new to the school and her friendship with Erin she keeps quiet about the whole situation. In hindsight not the right thing to do :-) But you have to read the book to see how that plays out.
Enter boy # 2 -- Bodie, well he is the opposite of Eli -- distant, brooding and rude to Nev. But not only does the author have the reader swooning over Bodie but Nev as well (which of course drives Nev crazy). Bodie has a past that he feels guilt over as well. The way their relationship builds up and the truths they share with each-other about their pasts was great and made the relationship which builds quickly believable. The help each other get to a better place in life.
Overall, it was a well written, fun book with a solid message about the dangers of drunk driving. It had all the high school drama and problems. How the school used the powerful event at the end of the book as a teaching moment was unique and effective way to go about proving the point.
Release Date:
06/10/14
Summary from
Goodreads:
Perception is everything to sixteen-year-old
Olivia Brown. With her freakishly hot boyfriend, volunteer work at the local
animal shelter, successful beauty channel on YouTube, and well-earned spot on X
Factor Cheer's elite level five Diamond Girl team, Livvie's the girl every
other girl wants to be. At least, that's the illusion she's aiming for.
But Livvie's seemingly perfect life is anything but. Lying about the bruises
her boyfriend gives her, and cowering beneath his raging temper becomes a
regular way of life until she unwittingly witnesses her drunken neighbor
beating his step-son, the town bad boy, Reid Tate.
For Reid, vulnerability is the enemy. Opening up, and letting people in gives
them the power to disappoint. Growing up with a co-dependent mother and an
abusive alcoholic father, Reid has endured all the disappointment he can
stomach.
But when his pretty, do-good neighbor witnesses his step-dad beat him to within
an inch of his life, and not only call the cops, but keeps quiet at school
about what she saw, Reid wonders if maybe, just maybe, he's found someone he
can finally trust.
Buy Links:
Barnes and Noble
Jennifer's Review:
This is the second book in the Diamond Girl series. In book #1 we met Nev. This book focus's on Livvie (Olivia), Nev's cousin.
Livvie: Sweet, innocent and naïve. She is dealing with the craziness of being in high school, the demands of being on the Diamond girls cheer squad, volunteering to help round out her transcript and of course holds down a job. If that's not enough she's got a JERK for a boyfriend.
But then enters..Reid Tate: Drool worthy bad boy. He's got a really messed up home life and tons of girls that are interested in being with the resident "bad boy".
So Livvie and Reid -- yes absolute opposites! They do find their way to each other -- in a way that was not rushed or forced.
What I found different about this book is usually you would see the innocent girl reform the bad boy...but in this book that doesn't happen. I liked that, it threw me for a loop sure but in a good way! In this book the more believable scenario happens -- Once a bad boy always a bad boy. What changes is that Reid Tate has finally found someone he can trust and that is how Livvie gets under Reid's skin.
I love how Elisa builds Livvie and Reid's relationship. Reid helps Livvie see that her current relationship is NOT a good one for her. and Livvie helps Reid see that there are some people in life that you can trust.
About
the Author
I'm a
lover of books (YA & Adult romance), chocolate, reality television, and am
a proud mother to three All Star cheerleaders. Woot!
I write Contemporary YA romance with cheerleaders. Yep. I write what I know,
and it's my hope that my stories will not only take you on a romantic journey
that will warm your heart, but that you'll find a new respect and interest in
the sport of Cheerleading you may not have had before.
Author
Links:
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Elisa Dane Facebook
PUBLISHER LINKS
www.myswoonromance.com
@swoonromance
Facebook.com/SwoonRomance
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