~BLOG TOUR: REVIEW & GIVEAWAY~ Remember When (Book #1) by T. Torrest

Title: Remember When (Remember When Trilogy)
Author: T. Torrest
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Chick-Lit
Purchase Links: Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ B &N
Tour hosted by: HaveBookWillRead

Synopsis:

Ever wonder how often Brad Pitt’s high school girlfriend must ponder jumping off a bridge? Ever think about the girl that had her hooks in George Clooney before he took off for TV stardom? How about Leonardo DiCaprio’s ex, or Johnny Depp’s first groupie, or any number of young women who got left behind when their boyfriends set off for greener pastures and eventually achieved unfathomable Hollywood fame?

My name is Layla Warren and I don’t need to wonder about any of those things. I already know. Because years before Trip Wiley could be seen on movie screens all over the world, he could be seen sitting in the desk behind me in my high school English class.

This was back in 1990, and I cite the year only to avoid dumbfounding you when references to big hair or stretch pants are mentioned. Although, come to think of it, I am from New Jersey, which may serve as explanation enough. We were teenagers then, way back in a time before anyone could even dream he’d turn into the Hollywood commodity that he is today.

In case you live under a rock and don't know who Trip Wiley is, just know that these days, he’s the actor found at the top of every casting director’s wish list. He’s incredibly talented and insanely gorgeous, the combination of which has made him very rich, very famous and very desirable.

And not just to casting directors, either.

I can’t confirm any of the gossip from his early years out in Tinseltown, but based on what I knew of his life before he was famous, I can tell you that the idea of Girls-Throwing-Themselves-At-Trip is not a new concept.

I should know. I was one of them.

And my life hasn’t been the same since.

~MY REVIEW~

“I carved out little spaces within my heart; little, lovely mausoleums where I could lock each and every one of them inside, keep the memories safe and close to me forever.”

(Thank you to the author and HaveBookWillRead for providing me with an ARC of the book!)

Remember When is set in the 80's and takes all the older readers back to a time that to most was the epitome of what life should be like. Though Layla takes us back to tell us all about Trip Wiley and his life before he became a huge star we are also taken back to a fun decade. A decade where you hung out with your friends listening to Bon Jovi or Springsteen, where big hair was the trend, and movies like Pretty Women and The Breakfast Club were the movies to watch. T. Torrest takes you back in time and makes you remember your time in the 80"s and gives the younger readers a look into the past! 

I must say it was a pretty fantastic part of the story. Now lets talk about the romance!

When Trip Wellington moves to New Jersey the whole school is intrigued with the new guy. The guys make friends with him and the girls are all swooning over him. And Layla isn't excluded from that list of girls. Although she doesn't flaunt herself around him, from the very first time they meet, her heart belong to Trip. When they are assigned a project to work on she looks forward to that time with him and gets to know him better than anyone else in school. 

But Trip is the type of guy that should be with a beautiful popular girl and Layla, although she knows she's considered popular, doesn't consider her his type. That doesn't stop them from being the best of friends and always being together. Until the project is over and Layla is forced to acknowledge that her feelings for him are much more.


That is when their relationship gets rocky and stupid mistakes are made. It is also why I became frustrated with the story. Both spend their time avoiding each other and not acknowledging that something exist between them. Something like LOVE. They are both stubborn fools and they both lose alot of time because of it. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the story but was a bit vexed with the characters at the end.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book and I look forward to reading more of this series. The characters are much older in the second book so I'm looking forward to them all grown up. 

Pick this up. Read it. Enjoy it!

HAPPY READING!!

~Sneak peek into book #2~

There was a tangible shift in the air of the room; a gripping, electrical aura that stimulated the space surrounding his presence like a gravitational pull. I’d noticed this phenomenon when watching his movies, seeing the man that had emerged from the boy I once knew, but actually being in the same room with him was an entirely different animal. Trip Wilmington had been a gorgeous teenaged boy, no question. But Trip Wiley was a gorgeous young man exuding raw, unabashed sex at every turn.
   It was only slightly impossible to remember how to breathe.

BUY Remember When 2:  Amazon UK – Amazon US – B & N

~About the Author~


T. Torrest is a New Adult fiction writer from the U.S. She has written many books, but prays that only a handful of them will ever see the light of day. Her stories are geared toward readers of any age that know how to enjoy a good laugh and a dreamy romance.
She likes pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. She's not much into health food, but she does enjoy talking about herself in the third person.
A lifelong Jersey girl, she currently resides there with her husband and two boys.


Connect with T.Torrest: Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

~GIVEAWAY~
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other stops on the tour!!
REMEMBER WHEN TOUR SCHEDULE

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

Book Description:

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah

Christina's BookReview

 

"I love you. I know the real you too. You think I don't but how easily you forget I was the one who bailed you out of trouble over and over again as kids. I didn't ask the perfect Ashton to be my girlfriend when I was fourteen years old. I asked the only Ash I'd ever known. You changed all on your own. I'm not going to lie. I was proud of the girl you had become. My world was complete. I had the perfect family, perfect girl, perfect future. I let myself forget the other girl you once were."

Ashton Gray, Beau Vincent and Sawyer Vincent are best friends. As they grow and Sawyer decides to take his chances and ask Ashton out, the other Vincent boy stands by with regret. When Sawyer is gone for the summer, the two people he love most are about to commit the worse crime...

I wish I could say I loved this book. I did like it. I think what made me not like this is the fact that Ashton and Beau didn't seem to "love" Sawyer as much as they mentioned. They basically did what they wanted and decided to deal with it whenever Sawyer was back. Although they loved each other they went about it the wrong way. The excuse that Sawyer didn't know the "real" Ash is nothing but a foolish excuse. He did know her, he was the one always bailing her and Beau out of trouble. If she changed it was because she wanted to, he didn't make her. He wasn't at fault for anything and was stabbed in the back by the two people he loved most in the world.

Not to mention that the "rekindling" of Ash and Beau's friendship/relationship was rushed and at times seemed to be all about satisfying Ashton "easy" side. She quickly throws all her morals out the window when she's with Beau instead of finding the line between good vs "bad". To me Ashton seemed selfish throughout the whole book. I didn't find myself feeling sorry for what happened after the revelation.

I liked that Beau was there for her when her world was turned upside down, I appreciated that he helped her find the "real" her. What I didn't like was that he seemed to not care about what his repercussions would be for doing things with his "cousins" girl.

Like I said The Vincent Boys was okay. I'm looking forward to reading about Sawyers story next and think I will enjoy it more then this one. He was wronged here and he deserves his happy ever after.

Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Book Description: 

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.
Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.
Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart. 

Christina's BookReview

 “I got schooled this year
by
a
Boy.

 
a boy that I'm seriously,
deeply, madly, incredibly,
and undeniably in love with.  

And he taught me the most 

important thing of all ... 

To put the emphasis

                                                                         On life. ”

Layken Cohen doesn’t like the cold. Layken doesn’t like change. Layken has been numb since the death of her father. Layken is about to find out what it is to feel something different.

Will Cooper has his hands full with his little brother. Will loves to do Slam Poetry. Will is Layken’s neighbor. Will Copper is about to be thrown a curveball.

When Layken, her mother Julia and brother Kel, move to Ypsilanti she isn’t at all excited. Layken is still trying to come to terms with being moved from her hometown and leaving everything her father was behind. She cannot wait to graduate and be able to go back to Texas. When Kel catches the attention of Caulder, the boy next door, Lake is about to find out that there might be something worth staying for in Ypsilanti.

Will Cooper is trying to get his life in order and take care of his little brother Caulder. Will loves Slam Poetry and his brother more than anything in life. When his brother makes friends with the new neighbor he doesn’t expect to be drawn to the little boys’ sister.

After Will and Lake automatically hit it off and are falling for each other quickly. But when Will and Lake discover that they are more than just neighbors, things go downhill. As they both come to terms with what life has thrown at them they realize that sometimes you have to push against life and its obstacles.

If you haven’t read this, do so now! This is truly a great book about love, life, loss and the therapy that writing invokes. I enjoyed this book from the first page. Every character was amazing in their own ways.

A few things I enjoyed:
1. The Slam Poetry. It was AWESOME!-I love poetry and reading about Slam Poetry was really cool. As well at the ones the characters performed!
2.Eddie- She was incredible! That was one girl that had many obstacles thrown her way and overcame them all. And her boyfriend and foster dad were AMAZING.
3.Eddie’s Birthday Scene- I cried so much it was crazy. It was that beautiful. That heartwarming. The PERFECT!
4.Will’s Slam Poetry-His poetry was very heartwarming and very real which made me love him even more.
5.Caulder and Kel- There relationship was so innocent and so bonded. I loved that they instantly became best friends and that Caulder was there for Kel through the good and bad.

This book is so BUTTERFLYING(have to read to find out)fantastic! Pick it up now! I dare you! :)

Review for Book #2-Point of Retreat-Coming soon....

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Book Description:

When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm.
Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet. Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives.
Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, The Lucky One is Nicholas Sparks at his best—an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love.

Christina's BookReview

This is my third Nicolas Sparks book and I have to say that unlike the others The Lucky One took me awhile to get into.

After Logan Thibault finds a picture or a beautiful girl, while on tour in Iraq, he is called Lucky by his friends. As Logan suffers the lost of fellow friends he sticks to his belief that the picture is not lucky. But something prevents him from parting from it. After five years, because of a friend, he decides to find the girl in the picture. When he finally finds her Logan will learn what his destiny is.

Elizabeth is struggling to take care of her nana, her nana’s farm, being a teacher, being single parent and trying to put up with her ex-husband crap. She wishes for the love and comfort of someone else but isn’t hopeful. She doesn’t know that her life is about to change.

When Logan starts to work on nana’s farm he isn’t looking to fall in love with the girl in the picture. As Logan spends time with Ben, Elizabeth’s son, and her nana, she starts to warm up to him. After finding that spending time with Logan is peaceful and comforting Elizabeth starts to fall in love with him. Logan realizes that he’s always been in love with the girl in the photo. But Logan is keeping secrets from Elizabeth and she can’t understand why. Until Clayton, her ex intervenes…

Clayton doesn’t care about anyone but himself. And he wants Elizabeth as a friend with benefits. He doesn’t want another man around his ex-wife or son and will do anything to make sure it stays that way. To top it off, Clayton hates Thibault with a passion. When he discovers Logan’s secret Clayton quickly shares it with Elizabeth hoping that he would be her shoulder to cry on and in the process hook up with her. Things don’t work out that way.

As we take a trip down Logan’s life you learn of all the good and bad that happen in a Marine’s life. Although life in the Marines was filled with very sad times, I enjoyed reading them and many times caught myself in tears. I found myself enjoying the flashbacks more than the present. The only thing in the present I enjoyed was Zeus, Logan’s dog companion, and Ben. Ben was enjoyable to read about especially the times he spent with Logan and Zeus.

The love story is wonderful but the love between the characters themselves was very flat. I wished that they had more interactions and there were more dialogue instead of so many 3rd person monologues. Because of that I had to give The Lucky One 4 stars instead of 5.

Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens

Book Description: 

Obsessed with keeping his society-princess daughter safe--and his--Charles hires his daughter's childhood enemy to be her bodyguard. He never imagines that Ashlyn would fall in love with Colin.

Christina's BookReview

 

When I read the synopsis to this book I was quickly intrigued. About halfway I was rushing to finish it, but only because I got bored.

Ashlyn is sick of the life she has as a prisoner in her own home. Everywhere she goes there is a bodyguard next to her. She only has one friend, Felicity, that her father okayed. She has never had a boyfriend because it is not allowed. The only men are her companions, or bodyguards. After 17 years, almost 18, or living under the scrutiny of her father she is fed up. After getting her recent bodyguard, Stuart, fired because of his obsession with her, Ashyln is finally happy to be rid of the security. Little does she know that he wasn't her last "companion".

When her dad hires the one person in the world that has tortured her and he despises Ashlyn in infuriated. Colin, is tall, gorgeous and all about work. Little does Ashlyn know that Colin isn't the little boy that used to tease her and terrify her. He's grown, mature and very serious about keeping her safe. As Ashyln gets closer to Colin and starts to see the new side of him she can't help but be attracted to him. And all although he starts to fight it, Colin feels the same.

Although the plot was great I just couldn't get into Ashyln and her childish ways. I felt like she was a spoil brat, as was everyone around her. All she did was obsess over Colin and be rude to her parents. Don't get me wrong, her parents were very suffocating and very pompous. I understood that she wanted to live a little but when she got the chance to try and do so she would run away and force Colin to rein her in as much as her other guards. It just kept going between her playing her piano, trying to get away, and her obsession with Colin. I wished we got to read and learn more about Colin. I didn't feel any which way about him, except that he was nice and very protective of Ashlyn.

If you looking for a light read then I recommend this book.

In Dreams by J. Sterling

Book Description:

When Katherine Johns starts dreaming about a boy she doesn't know, her college roommate Taylor is determined to find him. Convinced he must exist, Taylor is relentless... until she finds out exactly WHO the mysterious stranger really is.

The realization rocks the girls to their core and sends them down a path of unimaginable heartbreak as they learn to navigate their new reality.

Follow Katherine & Taylor's journey through love, friendship and tragedy in the first book of this emotionally captivating series.

Christina's BookReview

 

In Dreams we meet Katherine Jones. She is a college student that is about to discovery that dreams are a little more real then she bargained for. The book starts off with her first dream of a mysterious guy that she is instantly attracted to. When she tells her friend Taylor about the mysterious guy she decides to keep a look out for him. Little do they know that he is closer then they think. Then they meet Danny and Cooper and suddenly things heat up between Katherine and Cooper. But Katherine won't give up the guy in her dreams. Even after she finds out who he is she won't give him up, not even for Cooper. Until her friends and fate steps in.

I really wanted to love this book. I was excited about the plot and dove right in. Unfortunately I had to force myself to finish the book. Good plot. Bad execution. Things were repetitive, the protagonist was petty and kind of a brat, and there was no character development. As soon as I finished this book I forgot the names of the characters. I found myself liking Taylor and Danny's relationship more then the love triangle.

If you are looking for a quick and easy read this is the book for you. If you like character development and depth this is not the book for you.

One True Love by Barbara Freethy

Book Description: 

She Walked Back into His Life...

The last place Lisa Alvarez expected to find herself was babysitting for her ex-sister-in-law's three rambunctious kids. But when Maggie called her up and begged for time alone, something in Lisa made her say yes--for one weekend she'd leave behind the career she'd built and her regimented new fiance. But Lisa never expected her handsome ex-husband Nick to show up on the doorstep, walking back into her life, and taking over more than the weekend... And His Heart

Nick can't believe how Lisa has changed over the years-- and how she's stayed the same. His heart still races when her eyes catch his, his pulse pounds when she's near. After tragedy pushed them apart, Nick spent eight years rebuilding his life and his soul. Can he risk losing his heart again, for a second chance at true love?

Christina's BookReview

 

“You can take all the precautions in the world and worry yourself like crazy, but each individual comes to this world with a life to live, no matter how long or how good or how scary it might be.”  

I LOVED this book! Best Contemporary Romance I've read this year! I'm upset that it took me this long to read it!

Lisa Alvarez is living in LA drowning herself in work and planning her wedding to her boss. The reason why? Because she is trying to escape all of the memories from 8 years ago. That is all hopeless after Maggie, Lisa's best friend and ex-sister in law, calls her frantically needing her help. Lisa immediately drops what she is doing and heads off to help her.After sending Maggie off on a mini vacation Lisa is forced to babysit her friends three children with the one person she has tried desperately to forget. Nick Maddux, her ex-husband.When Lisa's family and Nick force her to confront her past Lisa can't help but relive the most awful moments of her life 8 years ago but also the good in that life as well. It is so easy to fall back in love with Nick Maddux, but Lisa is engaged and has a new life, a life she thought she wanted after walking away from those she loved. What Lisa soon realizes is that maybe her life wasn't as bad as she thought, maybe it was time to stop running away.

Maggie Scott has been in over her head during the past year. With three children to care for, no job and dealing with the death of her husband Maggie has reason to be stressed and at the point of a breakdown. But on top of that Maggie receives a letter addressed to her husband from a mysterious woman. Determined to discover who she is and why she was writing her husband Maggie embarks on a journey that will forever change her life. Along that journey she meets Jeremy, a incredibly sexy LA writer and neighbor to the woman Maggie is looking for. What she doesn't count on is finding love during that time.

This book is filled with lots of angst but so many happy moments. Throughout the whole book I found my self crying, laughing and sighing in content! The relationship between Nick and Lisa is so special and so heartbreaking that you can't help but root for them to overcome their "trials" and finally live happily ever after. Maggie and Jeremy's relationship was so sweet and exciting that it was hard not to fall in love with them as well.

If you love romance this is the book for you to read! I don't want to spoil anything for people but I do think that I should warn you that this book does deal with the loss of a child.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Book Description:  

When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's
something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He
certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what those love songs are all about?

Christina's Book Review

“Love is needing someone. Love is putting up with someone's bad qualities because they somehow complete you.”

Remy has had a bad example when it comes to finding love. With a mother that is going on her 5 husband and a father that isn't alive there's nothing but bad memories of love in her life. Because of this Remy has the dating game down to a T, from the beginning of dating to when it is time to cut all ties with the guy. She can time it exactly and doesn't bother with getting attached to the 16 something guys she's dated throughout her life. Everything works out perfectly for her until Dexter walks "bumps" into her. From the beginning Remy is repulsed by Dexter and his "terrible" ways. He is everything that she detest. Remy has the Perfect vision of a guy and Musician "sloppy" Dexter is not even in her ballpark of guys that interest her. What Remy doesn't know is that Dexter is very persistent and when he sets his mind to a challenge there isn't any backing down. But has Dexter finally met his defeat in Remy?

Throughout the book I found myself wanting to strangle Remy. She infuriated me like no other character has ever. I found her to be obnoxious and very snobbish throughout the whole book. Because she based her only example of finding and being in love on her mother she is terrible to the guys in her life and thinks badly of the people around her that are in love. During the whole book Dexter tries to set the "relationship" at her pace and hopes to win her over but at the end I didn't feel like she did fall in love with him in any way. I didn't even feel the sincerity in her being open to "trying" to fall in love. I felt like she got so used to Dexter and him being so different that she went along with it. She jumped into another relationship without hesitation (as is her normal) and then because she thought of Dexter once in a while decided that she should have given him the benefit of actually trying. Because of this the book was only given 4 stars.

Dexter on the other hand was adorable! I loved his playful and fun side and you couldn't help but feeling bad that he was investing more into the relationship than Remy. He was so patient with her and although he pushed a little and was always around her he understood that she wasn't to be pushed too much. He was willing to wait but when he didn't see any hope in succeeding he turned away from the person he loved that didn't love him back. I enjoyed reading the parts with him and wished the book had more of him in it. Less Remy more Dexter would have made this book 5 Stars!

I also enjoyed the secondary characters. I loved the guys in the band and like Remy's friends more then her. Lissa was such a sweetheart and she did not deserve what happened with Adam. I would have liked her and John to be together because they would make a cute couple. I knew from the start that Don was a jerk and I felt bad for Remy's mother because she did seem to have bad luck in her marriages and I felt like she was really affected by what Remy's father did. I do however loved that at the end she realized her mistakes and didn't become bitter. Christopher was not a big character in the book but I found it funny how Remy despised Jennifer Ann because she "changed" Chris but didn't see how she was being the same way with Dex.

I loved the plot of the story, the secondary characters and Dexter. I just did not enjoy Remy and because she was the main character and the whole book was about her I can only give it 4 Stars.

Chocolate Magic by Kayla Russo

Book Description:

Kat Roth and Mark Denham have plenty in common they’re CEOs of rival Seattle-area candy companies, they’re both in feverish pursuit of number one status in the nation and they were both once married...to each other. Their brief venture into matrimony, an explosive mix of hot passion and all-out war, has made Kat and Mark wary of love and leery of the sparks between them.

Enter Fritz, Mark’s accident-prone young cousin who’s on a secret matchmaking mission. With the collusion of Kat’s father, Fritz concocts a joint Roth-Denham charity campaign that brings the two confectionery arch-enemies together at glitzy fundraising events.

As the campaign proceeds, Kat and Mark eventually end up in the one place their marriage always worked—in bed. All seems well until the ultimate betrayal tears them apart, and Fritz’s plans seem destined for failure. It will take true love and a generous helping of chocolate to finally reunite Mark and Kat forever.

CHRISTINA'S BOOK REVIEW

 

Chocolate Magic was a cute story of love and dedication of family.

We start off 2 years after the divorce of Katarina Roth, CEO to Roth's Confectionery, and Mark Denham, CEO of Denham Candy. Although you think there are good reasons for these two to end their marriage, after a few pages all you can do it ask why did they end their marriage? Easy answer but i won't spoil it. Enter Fritz Denham, Mark's clumsy but sweet cousin. Fritz, with the help of Kat's assistant Norma, and the Denham/Roth family, concoct a plan to bring these two together. With a co-sponsorship on a Kandy for Kids campaign Kat and Mark have no other choice but to work together for the first time since their divorce in which all their HOT feelings for each other come to surface. Through the intervening, manipulating and push of their loved ones, Mark and Kat learn to accept what they both can't deny. Their love is as delicious and enticing as CHOCOLATE.

Throughout the way we also see another couple fall in love and it makes the story that much more interesting. It is always good to see two contrast to falling in love in a story and i think the other couple (won't mention who) added just the hint of sweetness we were craving the whole time.

If you love romance then I recommend you read this story.