Lovin' los libros

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Blog Tour: Inhale, Exhale by Sarah M. Ross {Review+Character Interview}

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Inhale, Exhale
    by: Sarah M. Ross

Release Date: May 4, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by InkSlinger PR and author for a fair and honest review
Page Count: 187 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars


Jillian had a plan: celebrate the end of her first year of college with an amazing summer full of beaches, barbeques, and bonfires. When her mom insists she needs a summer job, and her boyfriend spends more time with his band than with her, Jillian’s plans go down the drain.

Grant had a plan: finish his Masters, get a great job at Google, and get the hell out of Georgia. He might be giving up some of the fun of his youth, but he knows his all work and no play method would be worth it when his dreams come true.

But things never go according to plan. When temptation brings them together and tragedy tears them apart, Jillian and Grant will be forced to choose: fight for their dreams, or fight for each other.
 My Review:

Whenever I get a book hangover, you know it's been a good book. And I definitely had one with Inhale, Exhale. Probably because I fell head over heels in love with Grant. (Who also came to visit and chat with me today! See below.)

Besides my love affair with Grant, which I will go into more detail about in a moment- this book was just a light, fun read. It wasn't overly angsty and full of drama like so many other NA books I've read. It was refreshing to plain and simply read about a love story between two characters who don't have dark, haunting pasts or emotional baggage between them.

I'm sure you guys get tired of seeing me say this but- DUAL POV! Can't get enough of them, personally. Loved seeing the relationship blooming from both Jillian and Grant's eyes.

We meet Jillian first, who has been in a steady relationship for four years with her boyfriend. However, it's pretty clear from the beginning the spark that once was- is no longer. However, Jillian does care about Christian- but I think she's grown accustomed to being with him and is comfortable. Her first chapter opens up with her telling her girlfriends about a dream she had that did not involve her boyfriend. I won't even lie. Jillian and Christian's relationship hit entirely too close to home for me. I was Jillian a few years ago- having been with the same guy for 4 years, convincing myself that I still loved him, when in reality that spark just wasn't there anymore. We were comfortable together and I was too afraid to step out of my comfort zone to explore new options. So, while alot of people were cursing Jillian to quit being stupid and drop him like it's hot- I understood her hesitation and fear. Then again, I didn't have a Grant to come sweep me off my feet either...!

Ah. Grant. Grant has a plan and he intends to stick to it. He doesn't have time for relationships and pursuing women. He is very career-oriented and unlike his good friend JT, the bar scene doesn't really interest him. He meets Jillian, and all bets are off. She's beautiful, smart, and he desperately wants to get to know her. Watching those two flirt and play cat and mouse with each other is by far my favorite part of the book. (BOWLING, anyone?! WHEW!)

It took me a minute to like Grant, because there's one scene early on that made me not like him a little bit. But then I have to remember he's a guy. And guys do that crap on occasion. However, Jillian also made some mistakes too so I can't just hate on Grant for that one scene. Especially since he redeemed himself over and over throughout the book. He was a constant for Jillian and wanted to be the one to make her happy, even if it meant waiting for her. He said all the right things and was just a sweet, good guy. (Where can I find one?!)

"No you will always be Cupcake because it describes you perfectly: You're the thing I crave, the thing I push myself to earn, and the thing that no matter how satisfied I am, I will always want more of you."

Overall, if you're looking for a fun, light, but oh so steamy read- this one is calling your name! (And you SO need to meet Grant.) Speaking of Grant....

~Character Interview~
Today I've actually got Grant here with me on the blog!!
 
Hey Grant! Glad you could stop by for a quick chat! I know things have been pretty crazy around there- it’s good to see things are finally settling down, yes?
As settled as they can be with Trish, Ava, and JT here for a visit too this week. Don’t worry, Jillian saved up bail money just in case. I’ll join them later, but for now I’m all yours.
(Jillian coughs not-too-subtly and elbows Grant)  Eh, not “all yours,” but I’m here to answer your questions.
(Tries to cover up my disappointment with an amused look ) Well, let’s get started then! Can you tell us something about yourself that we may not know?
One thing you may not know about me is that I have kept every ticket stub from every Zac Brown Band concert I’ve ever been to. I keep them in a shoebox below my bed.
 
I'm a big ZBB fan. That's good music right there. So, we learn early on you have a very set plan for your life. What was the one defining moment where you said the hell with it and go after what you really wanted?
I don’t think it was one moment. I think it was a slow build, and I got to the point where I couldn’t deny what I wanted, or put it on hold any longer. It was worth it. She is worth it.
 
It was fun to read about your first impressions of Jillian- even before you met her you were irritated with the idea of her. Was it really the fact that you thought she had charmed everyone into helping her? Or was it something else?
 
When I was an undergrad, there were constantly these sorority chicks who would act dumb to get me to work on their computer and do the simplest install or reboot. (I mean, they got into CMU, obviously they aren’t dumb. Why pretend like you are?) It irritated me. 
Couple that with the fact that one of several other guys not working on a big project could have done the set up. It was like asking an Attending or Medical Fellow to take out a splinter.
(which, speaking as Sarah for a second—I did that once. Whoops!)
Then you actually met her. Despite the fact that she was beautiful, what drew you in that day?
Meeting Jillian was a total surprise. A very pleasant surprise (though, I probably would have argued that at the time).  What drew me to her was that she was smart.  For me, that is the most attractive feature in a person. I want someone I can hold a conversation with, not just someone who stands there and looks pretty.
 
How would you describe her in 5 words?
 
Jillian in 5 words: THE LOVE OF MY LIFE.
 
How do you think she would describe you?
 
I would hope she’d describe me the same way.
 
I know you probably don’t want to talk about ‘he who shall not be named’, but he plays a pretty big part in your story.  We didn’t really get your perspective from the scene in the hospital when you and Jillian walked in to find him there. What was running through your mind?
 
“Are you fuckin’ kidding me? The Fuckin’ douchebag shows up now? I want to kill him—rip his fuckin head off. No, I’ll start with his hands, so he can’t touch her.”  Seriously, I’m pretty sure those words were on repeat in my mind the entire time.
 
I really don't blame you at all for that. I was pretty pissed off myself reading it. I do have to say, one of the things that I love about you is that you’re persistent. You go after what you want, even when you know the outcome may not be pretty. You don’t screw around and you lay it all out on the line. A lot of guys aren’t willing to do that. What makes it different for you?
 
I think it was something my mom instilled in me. I remember when I was eight, I begged to be on the soccer team as well as baseball (and I was swimming). My mom said it was too much, that I’d be exhausted and fall behind in school. But I kept begging. So she finally said yet just before the season started.
Well, she was right. Two weeks later I wanted to quit. I had practice for one team or another almost every night, plus homework and chores. It was no longer fun. But my mom wouldn’t let me quit. She said I made a commitment and I had to stick with it. By the end of the season, I was the lead scorer and I loved it (but I didn’t go back for a second season).
 
As an adult, that carried into other areas. I learned to prioritize better and really give my all to the things that mattered most to me.
 
You and Jillian both have some pretty spectacular friends. What can you say about JT? Do you think him settling down anytime soon is a possibility?
 
Haha! Oh Lord, that boy. I think it would take an act of God—or a VERY strong woman—to get that boy to settle down. He’s having wayyy too much fun sewing his wild oats, if ya know what I mean.
 
LOL. He seemed like he was enjoying himself! Ok, Grant, a bit of a tough question for you. If you could talk to your mom for a few minutes right now, what would you talk to her/tell her about? What would she say to you?
 
I would tell her how much I love her. And how much, even now, she’s still with me. I hope that she would tell me that she’s proud of me, because that’s something I work for every day.
 
Rapid Fire Round: 
Mountains or ocean (*wink*):  Easy choice—ocean
Favorite Thing in the World:  Jillian.
Favorite dessert:  homemade peach cobbler
Song that reminds you of Jillian: Sunday Morning by Maroon 5
Thanks for talking to me today- Hands down you’ve become one of my new favorite book boyfriends! (That’s not weird, is it?) :)
 
::Looks stealthily around for Jillian::
 
Nope, not at all weird. Thanks so much for having me today!
Author Bio:

Sarah Ross started her obsession with reading at an early age, getting in trouble for sneaking BabySitter Club and Nancy Drew books into math class in elementary school. She would read any fiction book she could get her hands on. Sarah knew it was an addiction when instead of grounding her from TV or music, her mom would take away her books as punishment (The Horror!). Her love of all things paranormal was inspired by her good friend Laurie, who convinced Sarah that books with vampires, witches, and all things shifter were amazing. After a little reluctance, she gave it a shot with the Sookie Stackhouse books, realized she was right, and the rest was history.

Sarah grew up in Pittsburgh, graduated from The University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English, and taught 8th graders to love reading as much as she does for several years. She will always be a proud member of the Steelers Nation, but couldn’t take the cold and moved her frozen tush to Florida where she now lives with her family and two cats. You will find Sarah now with her trusty Kindle in hand and toes in the sand!


Links:





 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour:

Here is the schedule for the INHALE EXHALE Blog Tour.

May 6th


May 7th

RELEASE DAY LAUNCH (See section below)

May 8th


May 9th


May 10th


May 11th


May 12th


May 13th


May 14th


May 15th


May 16th


May 17th


May 18th


May 19th


Release Day Launch:
Blogs Taking Part in the Release Day Launch:

 
 

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4 comments

  1. UnknownMay 17, 2013 at 5:11 PM

    The character interview was great. This sounds so sweet, and I think I would really enjoy this. Wonderful review.

    Jenea @ Books Live Forever

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 18, 2013 at 11:47 AM

      Thanks Jenea! Such a great book! I really really liked it and can't stop thinking about it a week or two later!

      Delete
  2. UnknownMay 18, 2013 at 12:04 AM

    Fun post!:D *Sigh* 3 more books to get through then I can read this.

    Why do I want to read it? Peer pressure duh ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 18, 2013 at 11:48 AM

      Thanks Sheri! :D Haha! Yes succumb to the pressure known as peer! Can't wait for you to meet Grant!

      Delete

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