{Blog Tour} Book Review + Giveaway: Without You - Brooklyn Skye

Title: Without You (Stripped #1.5)

Author: Brooklyn Skye

Release Date: October 22nd 2013

Publisher: Self-published

Age Group: New Adult

Source: eARC for blog tour

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She was broken when I met her, shattered from the death of her sister and running from love. Not to sound like an egotistical douche or anything, but I fixed her. Put her back together, filled in the cracks, and made her whole. A true fairytale in her eyes.

But now real life is getting in the way: school, jobs, and the unexpected opportunity to travel the world under a legendary photographer. This internship will open doors not even my father’s influence could. It’s something I’ve been waiting all my life for. But so is Quinn, and accepting this internship will mean leaving her.

And breaking her all over again.

Novellas usually come between books in a series, but not in this case (unless I'm being a total failure of a fan and don't know that a sequel is in the works...?). Stripped ended really well if you ask me, but we readers just always want more, don't we? Lucky for us Quinn and Torrin fans, we have such an obliging author on our side.

Without You picks up not shortly after the events of Stripped. Quinn and Torrin are in a fragile but happy relationship, but neither of them know that being together might just have to mean being stationary. I have to admit, even though I shipped Quinn and Torrin so hard in Stripped, I honestly thought they had no business staying together if it would just hinder them from their own personal goals in life. And to think it was just for five months! Now, it's obviously because I've never had the chance to feel the way they do for each other, but I just couldn't relate to Torrin's dilemma. Kudos to Quinn for being the mature one this time around!

Emotional, sweet, and sexy, Without You really was a delight to read. I was in a bit of a reading slump after having just read an amazing book, and this novella was the perfect choice to get me out of it.  

MY FAVORITE PART was the 'body shots' scene ;D

RATING:

 

About the author:

Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she’s just your average awkward girl who’s obsessed with words. You can follow her on Twitter as @brooklyn__skye or visit her web site for updates, teasers, giveaways, and more.

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Double Cover Reveals: Hothouse Flower; Without You

You read it right, guys—I have two cover reveals for you today, organized by YA Bound Book Tours! They're both somehow related to books that I really enjoyed, so without further ado!

{Blog Tour} Book Review + Giveaway: Stripped - Brooklyn Skye

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

Goodreads

“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.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

  

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