I started out loving this.

Cash’s voice was one I could read in for days. It was a bit John Green esque, and I couldn’t put it down. He was your typical teenage boy, but he was witty and adorable with a “Luella Intuition” that intrigued me. God, he was awesome.

So things happened and promises were made and kisses were stolen and I was eager to find out what the heck was going on.

And then 5 years pass without Cash and Piper seeing each other.

But it doesn’t seem like it because Cash still has that inner teenager vibe and Piper (I seriously was on my way to get my Kindle to look up her name when I remembered it only because of Charmed. I don’t blame my forgetting on lack of a memorable character, but more of the fact that I had a very long day at work) just didn’t click with me.

Very quickly, the whole universe thing grated on my nerves and warranted several eye rolls from me. Yes, this is called fate.

But this is basically just coincidences. A happenstance that fate has lined up. I guess I was never the type of person to see recurring facts in certain situations and base my whole life on it.

Fate: A nail gets into my tire causing me to break down on my way to work. 
Coincidence: I run into several people with broken legs and that means I shouldn’t go jogging that day.

“That’s what it was. It was about our ancestors leaving us with something to deal with, whether we like it or not.” Really, now. You got all that out of another man’s story. I think not.

It was all very cute, but very cheesy. That sex scene. Seriously? The cowboy hat. Seriously. 

They say “yee-haw” 4 too many times for my liking. I’m from southwest Louisiana and even we don’t say that down here. Ever.

Once I figured out what was going on, the book slowed down from there. The ending was sweet and finding out who L was made me smile.

I loved Hudson. He is the sidekick that every good character needs.

Cash is tragically a hopeless romantic and Piper is just…well Piper. Not much to say about her.

It just wasn’t what I was expecting. It was extremely fluffy and cheesy and okay for a quick read, but other than that, it was wasn’t special to me.

Quick review for a quick read. I guess on a positive note to start this review - at least this book wasn't nearly as depressing as many other New Adult titles? "Southbound Surrender" definitely had this distinct chick-lit, humored vibe that was meant to be funny in places, but you know what killed this book for me?

It was just TOO much. Too much sappiness, too much awkward writing, and not compelling enough for me to really care about either Piper or Cash.

I think even from the beginning, it was hard for me to connect to Cash as a narrator. His humor and voice felt entirely forced, including the odd description of feeling a "pang" in his right nipple whenever he was around the heroine (Where...did this come from? Why was it even a focus - it was such an awkward statement.) I understood that he was an awkward teen guy who fell in love with a girl who was a compulsive liar (and for this reason, Piper and I did not hit off well from the beginning of the book. There was one point where she lied about her GPA among other things and it didn't seem like she had a reason behind doing it.) They get separated as her father pulls her out of school and away from Cash's influence after the two get in trouble for hooking up in a closet. The two don't see each other for a full five years and once they're back together, there's obvious pushes in the narrative to have them together and I still don't feel convinced of their insta-love connection and destiny to be together. The rest of the story is really threadbare where it's meant to be compelling while they're on the road, but Cash's direct address to the reader was not endearing and it irritated me more often than not.

Plus the love scenes? Cheese, pure cheese, almost to the point where it was painful. I don't mind cheese, but the overabundance in the depiction was enough to make me roll my eyes and just want this book to be done.

The ending was the final straw - I was just glad to be done. It doesn't come across as sweet or sentimental to me, it was just too obvious and unnatural. I think the biggest thing was that this narrative was trying too hard for all the emotions it purported to show, and that ruined the narrative for me.

Overall score: 1/5 stars

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.

I finished this yesterday night and it left me at odds. Because some things are really wonderful and others weren't that great. So this morning I am still at the same dilemma; How to rate this?

Well it's good. So three stars. But this is seriously well written. So it's kinda more. It's not really good though. So my most popular rating it is 3,5 Stars

The story line of Southbound Surrender was probably my least favorite part. I love anything to do with traveling. And since a lot of the book happens on the road, you'd think this was my favorite part. But well it wasn't. While Cash and Piper might be on the long road together, this wasn't actually really about their travels, more about their journey together.  On a side note, I totally would have gone with Cash on the truck ride at their age! The best way to know if you suited is to travel together. Welll, then I am the girl who met this guy on and a couple of months later went on a 4yr trip....  I might be biased a bit when it comes to some of the things. But I promise not much, we didn't travel in a truck after all. 

I did request this on Netgalley because of the traveling bit to be honest. It sounded like my kind of book. But as I said, while this is set to a big part on the road, I don't think it's a significant part of it. 

I enjoyed the story line until about 70% of the book, then it was more like a blockbuster rom-com than the book I had started. 

I mean the stuff that happens to them, right from the beginning. It's fun and cute and yeah some of it a bit cliche but then Smith took it to far with the police thing, at least in my opinion. 

I loved the truck station sarnies, the swim in the rain, the trivia game - though yeah, thinking back, it has rom-com block buster written all over it. Amazingly at the time, I didn't really notice it.

Then the was the big twist - and honestly I really really didn't expect this one. AT ALL. Which is so refreshing, I mean normally one sees the big drama coming in a mile away, and I nearly always guessed the secret before had. But this time? I was totally knocked off my feet, because I didn't see this coming nor would I have ever guessed it.

But then the twist it self, was a bit meh. I did love the Carnie scene. Carter, le sigh, is one awesome dude! Again said swoon-worthy Carnie scene, totals rom-com blockbuster...

And so was the end. Which while it naturally was what I wanted, it was sort of not that satisfying funny enough. Maybe because it was too sweet and perfect all over sudden. I don't actually know why. I do know that a hell of a lot of readers will grin and happy-sigh over it though. Just like with all of the rom-com moments that kinda bugged me. 

This is all about insta-love, Love at first sight, the one and all that. Which, yeah exactly!, I really don't fancy. But here is the shocker: I didn't mind. Well there were small parts where I was slightly annoyed about it, mostly I really didn't mind. 

Which I attribute in part to the character building. Well, Carter's charater building to be exact. This is written from his POV. Oh not only that, it's written as if Carter would be telling you the story. Charter is witty and fun, obsessive  (5years is a freakn long time) smart and in as he says, a details guy. I totally related to him and more I feel like I got to know him. He feels more like a friend than a charater - ok that sounds so creepy imaginary friend, but I can't actually describe it better. Over the course of reading this one gets to know Carter really well. 

All the other characters one gets to know as Carter sees them. Piper stayed a mystery to a big part, she is obsessive (all that pink!), fun, intelligent and a little crazy but that's all we really are given about her. Hudson is the bestie, loyal, handsome and the typical guy best friend, Big Dave is broken and lost somehow, but has a heart of gold and in all his hippy glory really loves Carter. 

After finishing this I actually thought, well most side character are a bit rom-com blockbuster as well.. well, they are. But I actually care about them, because Carter does. Carter is so well written, that none of that matters. All the other characters in fact feel like people my friends told my about a lot. You know them but you haven't actually met them yet. Which in the setting of this book. Well it's perfect!

My favorite part about this was Smith's prose. It's awesome! Seriously! And you know that's the most important part of a book for me. Smith made Carter come alive for me and more so she is seriously witty. There are so many amusing moments in this one, the banter was fun, but Carter's point of view of things made me grin over and over through the entire book. But there are also beautiful descriptions and heartfelt moments. I am definitely going to read more by Smith, because I totally fell in love with her writing. 

Remember how I said this was all about love at first sight. Well it was. But it was also about meant to be, fate, the One and perusing what you think is meant to be. Again I am avers to the insta-love thing and I don't believe in the One. So some of this was not my cup of tea. But I do believe that there are things that are meant to be, that there are signs around you and that if you believe you want something as badly enough it's worth pursuing. The sign thing was put on a tad bit too thickly for my taste. But seriously most lovers of the genre are going to adore this. And I did get why Carter did what he did, I actually know that while I don't see eye to eye with some of his convictions, I would probably done the same things as Carter and Piper at their age. Actually I saw a lot of Piper in me - well except my colour of choice was not pink... it was black 

Would you have asked me about this yesterday night, I would have told you it was too much about serendipity for my taste. But after sleeping on it, thinking on it. I realised that Smith did have me thinking on all that stuff- which moved this one out of the simply cute & fluffy bracket. It just snuck up on me and I am quite impressed by that actually.

So the bottom line, this is fun, cute and surprisingly thought provoking 

My biggest issue is that the storyline felt too much like a blockbuster movie. On a side not it did remind me a bit of Serendipity (the Cusack Movie) which is a really good thing. But Raen Smith has written herself into my heart and I am looking forward to reading more of her works.

Oh and if this would be made into a movie, I probably would go and watch it.. though I am not sure I would broadcast it, I got a hardass reputation to protect after all. 

This is quite amusing

We've maybe got a pinky toe in the badass arena, if we're lucky, on one of those good days when I look fifteen.

 

The motorcycle has been in our garage since I've stopped wearing Spiderman pajamas. And no, it wasn't last week.

 

My face flushes every shade of red in a Crayola box while I look to find the right words to respond with.

 

Ten out of ten girls would choose Hudson over me. Hell, I don't blame them.

 

There is no sharing when it comes to Piper, not that we shared anyone before.