Title: Just Us
Author: Riley J. Ford
Genre: New Adult Romance
Publication Date: July 6, 2014
Cover by Sarah Hansen Okay Creations
Organized by Literati Author Services
~ Synopis ~
Before I ever fell in love with Bryce, there was Hayden. Hayden was my first love, the kind of love that takes your breath away and you remember forever. My love story with Bryce came later. Much later, after everything had happened.
Avery Hill and Hayden Stuart are high school sweethearts and each other's first true love. When Hayden is accepted to college in Los Angeles, Avery intends to follow him so they can build a life together. After a tragic chain of events ruins their plans forever, Avery is left to pick up the pieces. Will she survive all that was lost? And will she forgive the man who destroyed her and Hayden's dreams forever?
My Review:
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Avery and Hayden are each other's first loves. They shared a strong friendship that turned into much more. We know from the beginning of this book that we are hearing a story from the past, and in this first in the series we get to see the development of Avery and Haden's relationship and then the event that changed their lives forever.
One of the things I really liked about this book was seeing how Avery handled all of the new feelings and desires she had as she was experiencing romantic love and attraction for the first time. I enjoyed that she and Hayden were close friends first and then dealt with the challenging emotions that came with discovering they wanted more than friendship from one another. Hayden's parents are a challenging negative force to contend with, but other than that, it is difficult to find fault with any aspect of Hayden. He is patient, kind, and loving. The dialogue between Avery and Hayden gets a bit hyperbolic at times, but considering the intensity of the emotional experiences they are sharing, and their youth, it didn't distract too much from the story. The high level of satisfaction and joy the characters were experiencing, along with some foreshadowing statements at the beginning of the book had me waiting for something to go wrong. And boy does it. The lives of the main characters are altered in a serious way, and it is tough to see how they will move forward. This book doesn't end on a cliff hanger, but it does provide the reader with a reason to want to continue reading to see where the lives of these characters will go. I will be moving on immediately to the next in the series.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
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Title: Just You
Author: Riley J. Ford
Genre: New Adult Romance
Publish Date: July 6, 2014
Cover by Sarah Hansen Okay Creations
~ Synopsis ~
Before I ever fell in love with Bryce, there was Hayden. Hayden was my first love, the kind of love that takes your breath away and you remember forever. My love story with Bryce came later. Much later, after everything had happened. Bryce Humphrey has never forgiven himself for his actions five years ago. Nor can he forget the two lives he ruined, or the girl he secretly loved. When he runs into Avery, the person who has haunted his dreams since that fateful night, his life is sent into a tailspin. As he gets to know her again after all these years, he realizes she has never gotten over the past. Will their shared pain bring them closer? And will they forge a new beginning built on healing, forgiveness, and love?
My Review:
Romance: Just You by Riley J. FordMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book takes place five years after the end of Romance: Just Us. Bryce and Avery have dealt with the events of five years ago in different ways, but both have struggled. Bryce owns a tattoo shop and has gotten his life on track, but he remains very lonely and full of guilt. Avery as gone through college, but has not really put her grief to rest and has been participating in some self-destructive behaviors.
Bryce and Avery run into each other in LA, where they are both living. We really get to know Bryce a lot better in this book and get to experience had of the book from his perspective. He is still riddled with guilt and when he sees Avery lots of old feelings come back up for him, including his love for her and desire not to cause her any additional pain. Avery is kind of a mess, and when she runs into Bryce, she realizes she still has a lot to work through.
Bryce is an easy character to care about once you get to know him. It doesn't hurt that he is also really sexy. Once he and Avery connect, their chemistry is pretty great. It is nice seeing them try to help the other heal while finding a way to manage their own pain. Even though grief is a non-linear and often messy process, I did struggle at times by how quickly both Bryce and Avery would change their tunes when it came to giving perfect advise to the other person while their own emotions were completely chaotic. Overall, I loved seeing the way these two came together and were able to give the love and support to each other that they both deserved.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
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About the Author
Riley J. Ford is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She graduated UCLA graduate with a degree in English and taught at both the high school and college levels for a number of years before turning to writing full-time. Her non-fiction books are used in college classrooms around the country, and her essays have been featured on such websites as MSNBC.com. She is the author of seven fiction books, INTO YOU, a new adult mystery, CARPE DiEMILY, a romantic comedy caper, FIFTY SHADES OF FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, a satire, CIRCUS OF LOST SOULS, a thriller, SIMONE: ADVENTURES IN DATING, a romantic comedy series, JUST US, a contemporary romance, and JUST YOU, a new adult romance. When on vacation, she enjoys running with the bulls in Pamplona and downhill skiing.Connect with the Author
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