Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up

— she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

 

 

 

 

4.5 ★

This was my first Colleen Hoover book, I always hear mixed reviews when it comes to her but this book has such a high rating that I thought I give to a try. I’m glad I did… I really enjoyed this book and thought it was well done given the subject.

The entire book was a rollercoaster of emotion for me, just as much as for the characters. I really liked how she went back and forth in form of the Journals, but man these journals had me bawling almost every single time, they were so heartbreaking and yet filled with little moments of joy …. Most of the time.

I liked Lily, it was easy to relate to her and see her point if view, though she had her moments where I wanted to smack her more than once but I think that was the point and made the book even better.

Ryle… oh man the man I hate to love and love to hate , thought it was brilliantly done  with him , that even we asa a reader have to struggle with him.

Atlas, while I liked him for the most part and his part I had some issues with it. Well mostly with the present Atlas , nut nothing to major.

Overall I really loved this book, there were some eye rolls at some overly convenient situations but overall I really enjoyed it and cried my eyes out more than once. Though I think the after word by the author is what got me the most. I really enjoyed the ending and thought it was done wonderfully. 

I rate it 4.5 ★

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Strange story, normally I love science fiction, but this wasn't my cup of tea.

The War of the Worlds is a classic alien invasion novel written by H. G. Wells.  I think it would be difficult for a present-day science fiction reader to be completely blown away by this book when we’ve inevitably read or watched many similar types of stories.  However, it was still entertaining and it held my interest well with only the occasional dry spot.

 

I think what helped the story feel more “fresh” to me was the time period.  It’s set at around the same time as it was written – in the late 1800’s.  Most of the older science fiction books I’ve read have been set in the “future” as imagined by the author.  With this book, I had the fun of visiting a time period I don’t often see in my science fiction reading.  Since the author was living in that time period, it felt pretty authentic.  That, combined with the matter-of-fact tone the story is written in, almost made it feel like I was reading about a historical event that they forgot to teach us in school. :)  The technology of the time played a definite role in how things played out, particularly in terms of the limited transportation and communication options.

 

The writing style, as I said before, was very matter-of-fact.  It was written as a first-person account of events, focusing mainly on the events the narrator experienced.  There are also a couple chapters that tell part of his brother’s story to expand the view of what happened in areas further away from the narrator.

 

Although the story held my interest, there were certain aspects of it that I wasn’t thrilled with, and that I tend to complain about when they come up in other books.  This book has those one-dimensionally evil, invading aliens that never hold too much interest for me.  There’s also a bit of that “run, find refuge, danger approaches again, run again” circular pattern that I usually find tedious.  I wasn’t as bothered by these things in this book, though.  I think that was a combination of how short the book is, combined with the interesting time period in which it was set which added a different element to the story than what I’m used to reading.

I listened to the audiobook, which helped me get through the slow beginning and some of the dry parts--the narrator did an excellent job with the performance and various voices of characters. When I think that this book was written before the 20th century began, I'm truly amazed. Martians invading earth seems trite now, but Wells was a visionary to write all this when he did. Some of the material, like his account of the Martian anatomy, his descriptions of people evacuating en masse, were riveting. But they're spaced out by periods of the narrator's story, which sometimes had more detail and introspection than I cared for. Anyway, idea is 5/5, but this book was not my thing.

PUBLICATION: March 18th 2014 by Atria Books

 

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

 

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance.

At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter's cheating on her--and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one...

 

 

REVIEW

 

First book I’ve read from Colleen Hoover and I swear I am going to read every single one of her works from now on. This book was so good! I cannot even. It was so beautiful and perfect.

 

It talked about how fate is something you cannot deny. It talked about how you can’t help who you fall in love with and that sometimes people need to know how to distinguish being desperately in love with someone and wanting to be their hero.

 

The first sentence of the first chapter was “I just punched a girl in the face.” That sold me immediately! It was very compelling and I would've been able to finish this one immediately if it weren't for the fact that I have to do things such as my school responsibilities.

 

The involvement of music in this book is something I loved. I’m a sucker for guitar players, so knowing this is what the guy lead does is definitely a bonus. I think it was so beautiful to see Sydney and Ridge write wonderful music together.

I was in an emotional state throughout reading this that I just want to rip it into shreds and use the pages as a tissue. It has everything you could want to feel while reading; one moment you were so giddy and laughing and the next you just want to punch someone in the face and stare at the wall and bawl your eyes out.

 

This is impressive, okay. I cannot even explain how much I love this book. I am currently in a book hangover; I’ve been trying to start a new book (tried 3 books) but just couldn’t stop thinking about this and how I want to marry it.

 

 

Review also posted on my goodreads account.