~Anniversary Celebration & Giveaway~ Left Drowning by Jessica Park

Title: Left Drowning
Author: Jessica Park
Print Length: 399 pages
ISBN: 1477817158
ASIN: B00BJQR23C
Publisher: Skyscape (July 16, 2013)
Retailers: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | B&N
Goodreads



Synopsis:

What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.

*This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.

Note: due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+

ADD TO GOODREADS

BUY LINKS: Amazon | B&N

~MUSIC PLAYLIST~

~TRAILER~

~About the Author~

Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.
Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicapark and Twitter @JessicaPark24

~GIVEAWAY~
5 ebooks

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~REVIEW~ Flat-Out Celeste by Jessica Park

Synopsis

Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so— this is a story about first love.

For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation.

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.

Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let him.

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love.

ADD TO GOODREADS

~MY REVIEW~ 

**ARC provided by author for review**

The Plot

In Flat-out Love we were introduced to Celeste Watkins. If you haven't read FOL you should definitely do so in order to get the full story. 

Years after dealing with her psychological condition Celeste is now battling against those who judge her because of her intellect. Since starting high school she has had to deal with the bullying from her classmates and the fact that she is seen as a "nut job". Fed up and in an attempt to reinvent herself Celeste tries to fit in with different circles. But even that doesn't help. It is not until she is contacted by a Berkley University recruiter that Celeste learns how special she really is.  

Justin Milano turns out to be just what Celeste needs. Someone to open her eyes to the reality that she is special in a wonderful way and is worth loving.

The Characters

In the previous books, I adored Celeste. I learned so much of her through Julie and Matt that I couldn't wait to read more about her. However in FOC she seems to have taken two steps backwards. Not in a bad way necessarily. Just that all the confidence that Julie helped her gain diminished because of what she has been through in the time that she has been in high school. I was a little upset by it but was happy to see her interact with Justin and to grow comfortable with herself. She was so broken and to see her find her place in the world was wonderful. 

Justin was just ADORABLE!! I LOVE Matt but Justin is up there close to him. His abundance of energy and his energy was so cute and had me smiling throughout the whole book. Justin also grew up uncomfortable with who he is because of his peers but he learned to accept himself and was intent on making sure Celeste saw the same in herself. He was patient, kind, hilarious, and just plain Awesome. He gave Matt a run for his money. :) 

And lets not forget our FOL and FOM characters. I enjoyed checking up on Julie and Matt years after their relationship kicked off. Their journey isn't in the same place and it was a little sad to actually see where they were. Nevertheless, Matt and Julie always find a way to each other and this time it isn't any different.

The Romance

OMG! Jessica is PHENOMENAL at dishing out the romance. In her previous Flat-out books we experienced Julie and Matt fall in love through emails and gestures. Moments that held so much passion, hilarity, love, friendship, and saddening secrets. In this one we get the same formula with a different twist. All the sweet emails, text, and moments between these two were just heartwarming. I laughed and smiled so much throughout this story and that is what I love about Jessica's writing. No matter how serious the story she finds those special places to add beautiful and hilarious moments to the plot. Moments like her famous Christmas scenes. **Swoon** :)

The Wrap-Up 

I can't really tell you why this one is only 4 stars. Only that it was wonderful but its hard when I compare this to the first one.  Justin was wonderful and Celeste was pretty easy to relate to but their story didn't captivate me like Julie and Matt's. Nevertheless, you need to read this and catch up with the Watkins and watch Celeste find herself and find love.

HAPPY READING!  

Favorite Quotes

“You don't want to miss out on people. If you assume everyone is out to get you, then you're going to shut them down before they have a chance to prove you wrong.” 

“And you have me. Sometimes you need someone else to believe in you, to carry you, until you can do that yourself. Let me carry you. You’re almost there. Damn it, Celeste, you’re almost there. God, please, you have me, and I want you.” He stopped walking back and forth and put both of his hands over his heart. “I want you so much.” 

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” 

“I won the battles, Justin. And I won the war. And now there is no more fighting. Now there is peace. You told me to let the joy win out, and I am choosing to do that.” 

“I am choosing a love that defies boundaries and a life that defies boundaries. That is the power of Celeste.”  

~COVER REVEAL~ Flat-Out Celeste by Jessica Park

We were introduced to Celeste in Flat-Out Love and readers wanted more! Well, more they shall have! Look at this amazing cover and take a peek inside FLAT-OUT CELESTE!
COMING SOON!

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so— this is a story about first love..

For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation.

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.
Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let him.

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love.

 ~Excerpt~

There was a knock at the door and Matt leaned in, swinging a brown paper bag in her direction. “I heard Mom made stuffed peppers tonight. Last time she made those, I nearly died from flatulence. I assume she stuffed them with her usual repulsive ground chicken, quinoa, Brussels sprouts, and pomegranate seed mix?”

Just the sound of Matt’s voice made Celeste relax. She smiled at him. “Based on the smell, I believe you’re right.”

“So you didn’t eat then? I was right!” Matt flopped onto her bed and lay down, his long body scrunching up the neat white comforter that she spent ten minutes arranging before she’d gone to school this morning. “I thought I’d take a break from studying and bring you something edible.”

“It smells like a burger from Mr. Bartley’s,” she said as she got up and took a seat next to Matt. “Hand it over, thoughtful brother.”

He tightened a hand around the top of the bag. “You have to guess which kind I brought you first.”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Close your eyes.”

She did as instructed and felt him move the bag under her nose. Sweet, spicy... a bit garlicky. “Aha! Boursin cheese and bacon! The Mark Zuckerberg burger!”

“And sweet potato fries and a bottle of iced tea, but you win. A burger named after ‘the richest geek in America,’ as the restaurant calls him.”

“You will be the richest geek in America after you finish your Ph.D. Program,” Celeste said through a mouthful of fries.

“If M.I.T. doesn’t land me in a psych unit first.”

“You only have this year left to endure. And you will hardly find yourself in need of psychiatric care, Matthew. You are doing stupendously.”

“I’m scraping by.” Matt reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of fries and opened her iced tea.

“You are not ‘scraping by.’ You are assistant teaching classes, excelling in your own, and in all ways performing to standards that exceed even the high ones our mother set for you.” She frowned as he chewed on the fries. “Did you not eat?”

“I did. A Big Papi burger and a Fiscal Cliff. But you can never have enough sweet potato fries.”

“I have a finite amount of my own from which you are stealing. But I shall not complain because this was very kind of you.”

Matt chewed and studied her. “Are you okay?”

“Why do you ask?”

“No contractions. When you’re stressed out, they disappear.”

“I know. But most days I do not care to use them. If it is an effort, then I do not push.”

“Okay. I get it.” He chewed for a minute. “I heard your presentation went well. Did your friends like it?”

“It went marvelously. My friend Dallas took me aside to share quite the flow of compliments.”

“That’s great, Celeste.” He was downing half her iced tea.

“And then I bitch slapped her.”

Matt choked on the drink and desperately tried to clear his airway. “I’m sorry. You did what?”

She cocked her head. “I bitch slapped her.”

“That... that can’t be right,” he sputtered. “I mean, I hope it’s not.”

“I slapped my hand against her hand. Up in the air.” She looked at Matt blankly. “Is that not the right term?”

“Thank God, no, it’s not. I think you mean a high-five.”

“If you say so. Well, either way, it happened. You know I have trouble with colloquialisms, so I resent your shocked reaction.”

“I do know that about you, and I apologize.”

“Since we are on the subject, there is something else I would like for you to clarify.”

“Shoot.”

“What is meant by ‘nut bag’? Is that a testicular reference or merely the identification of a satchel of cashews or pecans?”

Matt groaned. “This conversation has gotten really weird. Could we just talk about— Wait a minute. Why are you asking me this? Did someone say that to you?” He looked angry.

Celeste picked at her fry. “No. Certainly not. I heard the term and had a natural curiosity.”

“Okay then...” Her brother crumpled up the paper bag and then smoothed it out in his hands. Then crumpled it again. “It’s the same as ‘nuts.’ You know, crazy.”

“Thank you for the definition.” She took the last bite of her burger and wiped her hands on one of the paper napkins. It shouldn’t matter what her classmates thought of her. Celeste would just be strong about this. She would move on.


PURCHASE

 FLAT-OUT LOVE and FLAT-OUT MATT on AMAZON. FLAT-OUT LOVE at B&N.
 
~About the Author~
 
Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.

Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook or Twitter

~REVIEW~ Left Drowning by Jessica Park

Synopsis

What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.

*This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.

Note: due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+

ADD TO GOODREADS

~MY REVIEW~

Left Drowning is a story of love, sacrifice and fate. It is a story of finding yourself and the strength deep inside of you.

Blythe has lived the past four years in a state of "shock". Her life is empty and lonely. After losing her parents in a tragic way she spends her life blaming and punishing herself.  But one day, after an encounter with a crazy but sweet stranger, she decides that she should try and give life another chance. That chance leads her to Christopher Shepherd.

Chris has a past that haunts him and his siblings everyday of their lives. No matter how hard he tries his past catches up to him. But he will continue to live for the future. He refuses to open up that box that holds his past. He is content with staying to himself and taking care of his siblings. But when he meets Blythe all he wants to do is help her through her pain. Help her "breathe".

They quickly develop a friendship that eventually makes them all a family. Blythe learns to live and love life with the help of the Shepherd family and her new friends. Reconnecting with her brother and past friends, she is on the road to recovery. All of it thanks to Chris, who she falls in love with.

The problem is that although she conquered her pain Chris still drowns in his. And Blythe can't help him. This is where Blythe wins mad points with me. Realizing she is the only one willing to open up she steps back and lets him come to her.

When she finally realizes that fate does exist and she and Chris are connected more than they ever imagined she finds a way to make him see it.

While these two find their way to each other we are taken on a journey that will leave us breathless. Chris and Blythe are a pair that will frustrate you to the point where you want to reach in the book and shake some damn sense into them. But when they are together their dynamic will have you wishing for their HEA.

And I can't forget the Shepherd family because I freaking adored them! They are one of the best things about this book. Eric, Estelle and Sabin are AMAZING characters. Their pain and their personality will capture your heart and make you want to place them in a protective bubble.

I adored this book! I never doubted that it would be great. Do yourself a favor and pick this up!

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"If you believe in fate and some kind of meaning and sense in this fucked-up world, then believe with abandon, love. Enjoy it."

  "There is no set pattern to grief, despite what every stupid psych text has told me. There is no time frame that dictates when and how you’ll feel what you feel. You just get to deal with hell however, and whenever, it hits you."

“I am overwhelmingly in love with you,” Chris says as he matches my steps. “I’ve spent most of my life thinking that my father never gave me anything but pain. But that’s not true. He did give me something. Someone. You. He gave me you. Last summer, you asked me to believe in us. I don’t believe in much, as you know, but I do damn well believe in us. Forever.”

“How can I possibly say good-bye to the person I am so hopelessly, deeply, and permanently in love with? Because I love you, Chris. I do. I will always be in love with you, even though you’ll never love me back. You have been my sanctuary this year. You saved me. Do you know that? You saved me. And I wish that you would let me save you.” 

“You are the great love of my life that I’m never going to have.”

HAPPY READING!!

Flat Out Matt by Jessica Park

Book Description:

Matt is a junior at MIT. He’s geeky, he's witty, he's brilliant.

And he’s also very, very stupid.

When beautiful, cool, insightful Julie moves in with Matt’s family, why (oh why!) does he pretend to be his absent brother Finn for her alleged benefit?

It seems harmless enough until her short-term stay becomes permanent. And until it snowballs into heart-squeezing insanity. And until he falls in love with Julie, and Julie falls in love with Finn.

But … Matt is the right one for her. If only he can make Julie see it. Without telling her the truth, without shattering them all. Particularly his fragile sister Celeste, who may need Julie the most.

You saw Matt through Julie’s eyes in FLAT-OUT LOVE. Now go deeper into Matt’s world in this FLAT-OUT MATT novella. Live his side of the story, break when his heart breaks, and fall for the unlikely hero all over again.

Take an emotional skydive for two prequel chapters and seven Flat-Out Love chapters retold from his perspective, and then land with a brand-new steamy finale chapter from Julie.

Christina's BookReview

"For a few brief moments, Matt got to hold Julie in his arms. And that gift? That would stay with him forever."


"I did it, Finn. I did it. I was ready to jump, and now she’s jumping with me."

RECAP

In Flat Out Love we followed Julie's journey with the Watkins. In this companion piece we finally get to see our favorite FOL scenes in Matt's point of view. 

What happened before Julie arrived in Boston? What was Matt thinking throughout Julie's journey? Read and find out!

MY TAKE

Do you know that totally in love review I did for Flat Out Love last year? Yes, well expect the same here. When Flat Out Matt was announced I squealed. Yes squealed and please note that I hardly ever do that. So, as I waited for the release I reread FOL and stalked Jessica's page for updates. :D And when it was released I quickly bought my copy. Hours later I was sadly finished and I have to say I am so freaking in LOVE with Flat out Matt that I'm looking forward to reading it over and over again and owning the paperback version.

In Flat Out Love we met Julie and the Watkins and followed Julie's journey in discovering the secrets her new family held. Those of you who have read FOL know how gut wrenchingly sad, how fantastically hilarious and achingly romantic it was! Well, Jessica and her SUPER FANTASTIC self decided that her fans should get a Matt POV, and Flat Out Matt was born!

The first chapters in FOM were incredible! It was so wonderful to see Matt's life before Julie. We all heard about Finn in FOL but in this book we finally get to see just how amazing he truly was. The big brother everyone wants. Matt's relationship with Finn was so hilarious, loving and special. 

The next chapter was the aftermath of the incident and the creation of Flat Finn. I have to say that I shed many tears in this one. Matty's pain at the loss and the responsibility of having to care for his family had my heart aching for him. This is something that didn't change throughout the whole book. I think I teared every time Celeste or his mother lashed out at him and every time he struggled through hiding his feelings for Julie. 

As we see his journey with Julie through his eyes and his constant struggle you finally understand why. Why he did what he did, why he enabled Celeste to create Flat Finn and so on. And as we get our answers we fall more deeply in love with our geeky book boyfriend!  We also see more of Celeste and get two GREAT epilogue chapters!! Two pretty HOT chapters. Let's just say our geek excels in EVERYTHING. :D

I can't express how perfect this book was. It was for the fans and it was a beautiful companion piece to FOL. We saw all of our favorite FOL chapters come to life in Matt's POV and I was incredibly satisfied. I laughed, I cried, my heart ached and I smiled throughout this whole novella! I can't say it enough! If you are a fan of  Flat Out Love, READ THIS!

I'm going to miss all of these characters and will continue to recommend and read this entire story over and over again. 

BUY IT. READ IT. LOVE IT. 

HAPPY READING!!  

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Book Description:

Something is seriously off in the Watkins home. And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined to get to the bottom of it.

When Julie's off-campus housing falls through, her mother's old college roommate, Erin Watkins, invites her to move in. The parents, Erin and Roger, are welcoming, but emotionally distant and academically driven to eccentric extremes. The middle child, Matt, is an MIT tech geek with a sweet side ... and the social skills of a spool of USB cable. The youngest, Celeste, is a frighteningly bright but freakishly fastidious 13-year-old who hauls around a life-sized cardboard cutout of her oldest brother almost everywhere she goes.

And there's that oldest brother, Finn: funny, gorgeous, smart, sensitive, almost emotionally available. Geographically? Definitely unavailable. That's because Finn is traveling the world and surfacing only for random Facebook chats, e-mails, and status updates. Before long, through late-night exchanges of disembodied text, he begins to stir something tender and silly and maybe even a little bit sexy in Julie's suddenly lonesome soul.

To Julie, the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family add up to something that ... well ... doesn't quite add up. Not until she forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.

Flat-Out Love comes complete with emails, Facebook status updates, and instant messages.

Christina's BookReview

“You can look back now and see how you should have known, but you were focusing on the facts instead of the feeling.”

“I tell you that I like being this close to you and how you feel against me. But now even I'm hesitant. I'm afraid that when we hit the ground, this will be over. We'll land and this feeling between us will vanish. That you won't feel it any longer. I can't stand that thought.” 

Julie Seagle is a high school graduate, expecting to make a change from her Ohio life. When she has the opportunity to move away and start her college life in Boston everything seems perfect to her. Boston quickly turns out to be a nightmare.

With her great housing turning out to be a dud and nowhere to go Julie must turn to the only people that can help her out. The Watkins, are long time friends of Julies mother and happily open there home to her. Everything seems normal at first for Julie. What family doesn’t consist of a geeky but sweet son, a quirky thirteen year old daughter, a son traveling the world, and a mother and father that are always submerged in work? But something is amiss with the family.

Celeste, the daughter, is not your average thirteen year old. With her impeccable articulation, little girl fashion and closed off personality, Celeste is interesting. But the weirdest thing about her being the cardboard cutout of Finn, the oldest brother that she carries around. One, which surprisingly to Julie, the Watkins seem to accept.

As Julie starts to spend time with the Watkins she can’t help but fall in love with them. Especially with the brother that she spends her time online chatting with. Finn gets her and makes her happy. But will Finn ever come home? Will the Watkins ever be able to be normal again?

All of your questions are answered in this book and if you haven’t read this you need to PICK THIS UP! This by far has been one of the best books I’ve read this year. It is so GREAT that I read it twice in one weekend! It was a wonderful story of love, relinquishing what you hold most dear, and learning to live again.

I loved every character in this book and loved the role they played in making this story work. From Julie’s friends to both her families, her real one and the Watkins. Celeste truly was a great girl and seeing her opening up and becoming a normal thirteen year old girl was a great journey to see develop. Julie was the saving grace for the Watkins and you could really identify with her need to help throughout the whole book.

The messaging with Finn was so great and you instantly adore him. However, the son that I automatically loved was Matt. He was a geek, yes. He was levelheaded and boring at times, yes. But there was so much more to Matt and I instantly knew that. He was cute and adorable but he had a side to him that you detect and can’t wait to see. And OMG when you finally see it! His banter with Julie had me laughing each time, his adoration and protection of his sister was so heartwarming and his shirts just rocked! :D You’ll see what I mean when you pick this up. But let me just give you a little teaser:
 
“Julie marched over to Matt. She stood in front of him and crossed her arms. “Lift up your sweatshirt.”
Matt rolled his eyes. “God, you really know how to turn a guy on.”
Julie didn’t budge. “If I was trying to turn you on, I could do better than that. Now, lift up your sweatshirt.”
Matt looked up at her and tried to look serious. “Julie, I’m completely offended that you have so little faith in my honesty. I thought at this point in our friendship that you would at least—”
“Get up.” Julie leaned over and shut his laptop. “Get up!” she said again.
“You’re being ridiculous,” Matt said laughing, but he stood up. “I trust you implicitly, and it wouldn’t kill you to show me the same respect.”
“Show me!”
Matt sidestepped the chair and took a few steps backward. “You have quite the attitude today. Suspicious and mean.”
Julie took a step forward, causing Matt to continue backing away. “Lift up your shirt.”
“Look, I appreciate an aggressive woman, but this is really getting weird.”
Julie grabbed his sweatshirt by the waist cuff and lifted it up with one hand, as she pulled down his T-shirt with the other. Matt put his hands over hers, lightly protesting, but she refused to let go. “Aha!” She squinted at his shirt.
“OK, I don’t even know what this is, but it’s definitely geeky.” 

Halfway through the book I kind of figured out what was going on. Didn’t know the whole picture but had my suspicions. And when finally “shit hits the fan” you are, one second in disbelief and the next second your heart is hurting for the people involved in the situation. It’s so touching and such a beautiful story that it makes you sad to finish it. I wanted more of Julie and the Watkins. My only alternative was re-reading, which is exactly what I did.

Trust me! Pick up this book! It is AMAZING! I can’t say it enough!