Book Description:
Every life has a different path full of sharp turns, smooth curves, and steep drop offs.Hollis Murphy has a plan—college, career, boyfriend, love, marriage, family. A predictable, normal life. She’s on track until an outside force causes her to crash and burn. They call it an accident, because that’s the only word they know to explain what happens to her. It helps everyone move on with their lives, except for Hollis. She holds on to the belief that she’s been targeted for a reason.
Risher Stevenson is intelligent, caring, sweet, and the hottest boy Hollis has ever laid eyes on. He fits perfectly into her original plan for a normal life. Everyone loves him.
Benton Daniels is intelligent, caring, sweet, and the bravest boy Hollis has ever met. He doesn’t fit into her life but gives it purpose and makes it extraordinary. Everyone hates him.
One is bullied. One is tormented. All are judged. How will it STOP?
Our Review:
Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 stars
***ARC received for an honest review***
“...it’s your job to develop your heart and intellect. Your outside will develop on its own.”
This book deals with some tough issues, but as in true Alison Bailey style it is done with heart and class. While some scenes had me in tears, the overall love story had me page turning and I couldn’t put this book down. This is more a YA/NA read, if you want a passionate read then this is not it, but this is a slow burn love, believable, full of questions and self-doubt but with good reason and all I can say is, thank god for the epilogue!
“I loved him then and I still love him. And if I can love him through all of that, why can’t he love me through all of this.”
Hollis was a beautiful character both inside and out, but for the past year she had had a tough time of it and her life was to never be the same, one life altering event that would forever shape her as a person and the opinions of those around her. Starting college is always a big step for any person, but for a girl that was extremely self-conscious and always having that mantra hanging around your head of fitting in and being accepted, college was always going to be a tough ride. Girls can be so mean, that is no secret and having been on the end of it myself I sympathised with Hollis unequivocally. Hollis was strong though, she stood up for herself, she had barbs at the ready but in secret, behind closed doors, the weight of everything would sometimes get her down.
Risher, O.M.G, one thing that Alison Bailey excels in is creating the perfect man, Risher had me swooning BIG TIME! This was a guy that was popular, all the girls wanted him, he was stunning both inside and out, but from the moment they bumped into each other, Risher only had eyes for Hollis. This was a man that knew beauty was only skin deep, he didn’t look at the outside, he wanted what was on the inside, he wasn’t superficial, he was a gentleman, he was perfect. He knew that Hollis had issues, but he worked around them, he gained her trust, he went softly-softly and this is exactly what Hollis needed. He was genuine, he was thoughtful, he wore his heart on his sleeve, he was fiercely protective, he was literally PERFECT!
I loved Hollis’s room-mate Abigail, while in the first instance she came across as prickly it soon becomes apparent she has her own issues to contend with and a problem shared is a problem and halved and it isn’t long before these two are as thick as thieves, they had each other’s back, always. This epitomises an Alison Bailey read...friendship.
“Things are not always black and white, Abigail. There’s a lot of grey in the world.”
Every single one these characters has their flaws, their insecurities, their issues. All they want from life is to be seen for who they are, not what they are or what they represent. They just want acceptance and to be treated as a normal, human being, not much to ask...but you would be surprised. Between mean girls and awful parents these three have their work cut out but the way they work through it will have your emotions all over the place.
“Stretch your mind, open your heart, and expand your understanding.”
As Mark Twain once said “The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.”
I am not going to say anything about the plot as this is one of those books that needs to be read blind, know it will be emotional, know it covers some tough issues and expect the unexpected. But also know that this book is full of life lessons and ones that we can take away from, this book makes you think, re-evaluate, re-assess and I love a book that makes you think. You will run the gamut of emotions from like, love, anger, compassion, hate and despair. You will be laughing one minute and crying the next, from happy, to sad, to shocked, to swooning. This book has it all, yes it is a rollercoaster, but it is exactly like the ride itself, once you are on you can’t get off, you take the ups and the downs, and you take the rough with the smooth but at the end you will be smiling because you have just been on the ride of your life.
“Never Discuss Infinity with a Mathematician. You’ll never hear the end of it.”
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