Thanks for visiting my stop for the Stripped blog tour! You can follow the tour here.
Title: Stripped
Author: Brooklyn Skye
Release Date: May 14th 2013
Publisher: Self-published
Source: ecopy for blog tour
“I like you.” His voice is low and soft, which I don’t deserve. I look away, down the rutted parking lot.
“Don’t... waste those words on me.”
He touches my cheek. “You just need someone to show you.”
“No.” I ease back again. “I don’t. So please, Torrin, stop trying to swoop in and save me. I don’t need saving.”
College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.Stripped turned out to be a very nice surprise for me; I went into it expecting a heavy read, so I'm glad to find out that it's actually just very emotional. It was a bit slow at first, but that worked out entirely fine in getting to know each of the colorful characters.
The star of the show, Quinn Montgomery, was introduced into the story in an off-putting manner, with her vulgar words and repulsion to anything related to love, the way she acted like a spoiled, bratty princess to her parents, and how she was dating a boy just as unappealing as her to avoid falling in love for real. But I soon learned that her sister's suicide wasn't the sole reason for all of that. This reminded me that every person has more than one story to tell, and even after we hear the last one that they have, we still don't have the right to judge them. Anyway, despite her all-around rudeness, Quinn was strong and determined, always going after what she wanted, and she knew when to apologize.
And what Quinn wanted the most was Torrin. Honest and kind, he tried with all his might to break down Quinn's defenses so she would let him in, but what I liked about him was how he stood up to her and how he didn't chase after her like a lovesick puppy for the entirety of the book. He let her know how he felt, and when she still chose to clam up in her shell, he respected her decision and let her live with it. Now that's not something I see often in the books I read. Soon enough, though, Quinn finally gave in, and their romance was both sweet and steamy.
Three big reveals were made in the last quarter or so of the book, and while I'd correctly guessed one of them, the other two were quite shocking. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of the choppy writing, but it did give life to Quinn. I felt each of her emotions in this roller coaster ride of a story, and I certainly wouldn't want to be in her shoes—except in the ending, maybe, which was satisfyingly happy. Stripped is a short read, perfect for a plane ride or a day-off, and the length actually made it easier for me to connect with the characters. Kudos to Skye for knowing how to keep her readers reading.
MY FAVORITE PART was when Quinn took the first step towards being with Torrin.
RATING:
About the author:
Brooklyn Skye is just your average awkward girl who's obsessed with words. She grew up in a small California town where she quickly realized writing was an easy escape from small town life.
Giveaway!
I haven't heard of this book before, and it doesn't sound like my kind of read. Quinn sounds like a really interesting and complex character though.
ReplyDelete- Ellie at The Selkie Reads Stories