Jolted and Impacted - A DOUBLE Review

 

I'm apart of a group on Goodreads that allows it's users to read and review New Adult Novels, some of them ARCs, so that's where most of these come from. A week or so ago, Alyne Roberts offered Impacted for review, as well as the first book, Jolted, for those who didn't read it. When I read the description I immediately thought of The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski, which is an amazing book if you've never read it. Impacted is about a young rich girl named Kallie, Georgetown graduate, who lost her boyfriend in a car accident. She can't grieve in the space she's in so she runs away and ends up in a small town. In a bar drinking like she never does she meets Ryder, who doesn't expect to see her after that night. Unfortunately her car breaks down and she stuck, so Ryder and his twin sister, Scarlett, take her in.

So many books try too hard to do the "good girl breaking out of her shell" bit, but this was perfect. Roberts doesn't walk you through it or baby you, she lets the characters speak for themselves and Kallie's emotions are so clear. She's grieving, she's depressed, she's confused and she's lusting after this troubled guy who doesn't want to be bothered with her. Kallie was always "Kallie with Carter," but Carter is dead and she doesn't know who she is. I love that the story is two books, because Kallie isn't finished growing up at the end of Jolted. She know has to figure out who she is without Ryder. Ryder is all man. He's tenderhearted, sexy and moody. Alyne gives us a hint that his friend is dealing with a problem, but it's not until the end of Jolted when Ryder's behavior starts to make sense. 

Impacted opens with Kallie realizing she's been away from Small Town Ohio for too long and she got sucked back into the life she never wanted. It's fun watching that internal switch kick in when she realizes, "This isn't me, I'm not this person, I don't want this life." It's a moment everyone faces at some point. Jolted was Kallie's story, but Impacted is more about Ryder. Kallie went back home and was gone for six months. When she returns he doesn't know what to do. He loves her, but he's afraid he'll hurt her, and he doesn't want to feel pain anymore. Throughout the book you're telling him to get over it and suck it up. This is a couple you can root for, two characters in which you can see yourself. Kallie had to learn to be herself without being tied to anyone else, and Ryder need to learn to forgive himself and free himself to love. This is a story about letting go of what's dead and embracing the opportunity to start over.

I think Alyne Roberts is very talented. The books are well written, the story beautifully told. She has a way of expressing herself without saying too much, letting actions speak for themselves.

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Crashing Down - A Review

Kathryn is a straight-and-narrow business student getting ready to start an internship she's not sure she even wants, and Noah is a dropout looking for a good time to help him forget his pain. A bet forces the two to meet, but things don't go according to plan, and certain demons refuse to stay in the dark. My honest opinion of Crashing Down by Cathryn Fox is a bit conflicted. I enjoyed it, and I'd recommend it, but I have some issues. I don't expect New Adult novels to be literary rock stars, but I do expect them to hold some kind of weight.

The novel is told from dual perspectives, which I felt was pointless. It's all about Noah, and Kathryn is almost secondary. She doesn't go as deep as she could with this character. We know what Kathryn struggles are, but she never hits a brick wall. It's almost too easy for her. It was as if the author felt Kathryn had to have issues, so she gave her a few. On the other hand, Noah is great. He's a layered, three-dimensional character, but he's almost unbelievable. The story is centered around his pain and him being forced to deal with things he's been using sex and violence to ignore. He's one of those people who can't help himself, so he helps everyone else. His friend needs money and Kathryn needs to be who she is, and he finds a way.

The beginning and the end are the "to each his own" kind of deals. I felt they were cheesy. I don't like the author telling me everything I need to know about a character in the first two pages. After his mini psychological biography, she jumps into a sex scene and a fight with Noah which told me everything I need to know, so everything she wrote about him before that was just words. The ending was rushed. Things explode, but there's no clean up. Everything goes wrong and everything is fixed in a day. The "I want to root for this couple" that's classic in New Adult isn't there, and that was such a letdown.

Overall I thought it was too short, but it's a juicy little novel and a really fun read. Would I read other works by Cathryn Fox? More than likely.

Blue Crush - A Review

 

Gen Tierney, an educated fatherless-daughter of a woman who might be a professional Sugar Baby, has problems. She's getting over a bad break-up, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life, and working at a casino with a boss who can't get keep his hands to himself. All she wants to not be the weakling men seem to think she is and be confident, and Lewis Sallee just might be the man for the job. Lewis Sallee may or may not be in a relationship, but he has a thing for Gen and it's causing him problems.

 

It's new adult, so the formula is the same: hot girl who doesn't know she's hot meets hot guy who is absolutely perfect, except for that one flaw and everybody has problems. This book deals with sexual assault in an interesting way, especially women who are sexually assaulted in the workplace. Gen works in a place where she has to use her sexuality so she wonders if she deserves it, if anyone would believe her, would anyone take her claim seriously, would she lose her job. Usually sexual assault in new adult is used as a back story, so I commend Jules Barnard for balancing the consensual with the non-consensual without being cheesy or insensitive.

 

For me, it's important to see characters change throughout the book. Gen starts out thinking she's weak, but she discovers her own strengths and faces her own reflection. She learns to be honest and shameless, and to love regardless of the consequences. Lewis learns to let go and just live. This book is about relationships, and not just romantic. Gen learns to be a better friend, she learns how to be a daughter (in more ways than one), she learns how to quiet her past and deal with her future.

 

Blue Crush is the second book in a series, but it can be read as a stand alone. I haven't read anything else by this author, but I'm curious to read the rest of her collection. I think she's very talented, she's genuine and she's not afraid to go below the surface and hit a nerve.

 

Check out Jules Barnard:

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Bittersweet - A Review

The best books, in my opinion, are the books that are better than you expected them to be. New Adult Fiction is hit or miss with me. I've read plenty, but I can count on one hand how many made me go "OMG THAT WAS SO GOOD!" Bittersweet doesn't quite fall into that category, but it's up there. Cathy is a small town girl who thinks she has to take care of everyone and Greg is an actor escaping his past. It's the typical NA format, but what I love about this genre is everyone has problems. For people who have a domino effect of issues, NA is the perfect genre because it's imperfect pretty people with issues and happy endings.

Sunday James did a great job. There's actual character development, it's well-written and it doesn't move too fast. It's not fluffy or cheesy, like so much of this genre. Greg isn't an impossible guy who is absolutely perfect except for that one thing he did. He has some growing to do. Cathy is smart and compassionate, but she struggles to live her own life and telling the difference between her problems and other people's problems. She knows how to love, but has trouble receiving it. It starts to fall into cliche with the secondary characters, but you can overlook that. It's a great story, and those looking for something new to read or are interested in the genre would enjoy it. The back of the book says there will be a sequel, and I sure do hope so. Greg and Cathy are two characters you can fall in love with, and I'm anxious to see what else Sunday James has up her sleeve.

Sunday James on:
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