Blog Tour: The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolfe {Review+Giveaway}
Welcome to my stop on The Darkest Part blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours!
Click HERE to see the full schedule!
The Darkest Part (Living Heartwood #1)
by: Trisha WolfePublication Date: Aug. 6, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 374 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Pressing the boundaries of both the psyche and the heart, Sam and Holden embark on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of love.
Sam Wintry’s life used to be almost perfect. She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?
When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.
On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her.
Sam Wintry’s life used to be almost perfect. She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?
When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.
On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her.
My Review:
I honestly don't even know how to start this review. This book is easily one of the best books I've read this year. Heck, it's one of the best books I've ever read, PERIOD. It's THAT good, guys. I already knew Trisha could write. I fell head over heels with her NA Dark Fantasy Of Silver and Beasts earlier on in the year and cannot wait for the second book in the series to come out. As a member of her street team the Tuff Girl Legion, I saw she was writing a NA Contemporary to be released this year and I was ecstatic. I remember Trish being nervous being this was her first dabble into contemporary- but GIRL. You blew it out of the water! I will tell you- this is a very emotional book dealing with some pretty heavy topics- death, being the biggest. Yet, Trish has created such a brilliantly moving story that even though it makes your heart and soul cry out for these characters, it still fills you with such hope at the same time.
Because Trish writes so many different genres- this is far from your clichéd typical, NA romance. There is no insta-love, there are no virginal girls or man-whores, and the plot is far from predictable. Trish has taken this and made it all her own and I loved every. single. second!
Sam and Holden are both such broken characters that are dealing with the loss of a loved one and grieving in their own ways. I love that Trish gives us dual POV, because it is absolutely critical for us to be in both Sam and Holden's minds. The two embark on a journey that will forever change them and together they struggle to find acceptance, forgiveness, and love in order to move forward with their lives.
My heart ached for Sam. She has just lost the boy she loves and is not handling it well. In fact, she is seeing Tyler everywhere she goes- and she can communicate with him. Her parents are beyond worried about her and her mom is insistent she seek help. However, Sam is not interested in taking her medication. She is afraid that by taking it, she will no longer see Tyler. She is clinging to the remnant of him, because she simply isn't ready to let him go. Her life is falling apart around her and she begins to fear that Tyler's presence is waning. Perhaps, Tyler has a purpose for staying around, which leads Sam to believe he may have unfinished business before he can move on. Sam decides to embark on the road trip her and Tyler were supposed to take for their honeymoon in hopes that by the end she will help him move on.
Holden. What can I say? I fell instantly for him. He and Sam have a rather difficult past, but there's no way he's going to let her go on this trip alone. Holden made some big mistakes in the past where Sam is concerned, but I think a part of him hopes that by going on this trip with her he can right some of the wrongs of the past as well as help her move forward with her life. My heart also ached for Holden. Sam despises him for what he did to her and has harbored feelings of anger and hatred towards him for so long. Yet, there are things Sam doesn't know- things Holden doesn't want her to find out, yet after retrieving Tyler's journal, she begins to discover things she was never meant to- and starts to see things about both Tyler and Holden in a very different light. There is so much more to Holden than meets the eye. After finding out what he did to Sam in the past, you really wanted to hate him for being such an asshole, but the more time you are in his head and see how much he loves her and his brother- you just can't. There are so many additional forces at work that Sam doesn't understand, but by spending time with him and seeing how he plans to see this through with her, she really starts to question whether he's really that asshole she thought she knew or if he really was the kind boy who would sit and draw with her under the oak tree and express their feelings for one another through their art.
Suddenly Sam's old feelings for Holden come rushing back and she has to decide if she can let go of Tyler in order to forge a new relationship with Holden. These two have so much stacked against them, so many issues to work through and overcome, and that is what makes their relationship all the more sweet and beautiful. It is a slow-building one, which made it so much hotter! Their chemistry is absolutely explosive and there's this underlying all consuming need between them that seriously made my heart stutter.
"Winding an arm around her waist, I bring her body against mine. I grasp her chin between my thumb and finger and lift her face, meeting her eyes. And with a hard drop in my stomach, I say, "You're dancing with me." The tiny knot in her throat bobs as she swallows, her eyes clear and knowing. I want her to know who she's dancing with. I don't want her to pretend, or to substitute me tonight. I want her to want to be in my arms. And God forgive me, I'm sorry, Tyler.... but... I want her. There's no more almost. I'm not falling. Hell, I fell a long time ago. I just hope the delayed impact doesn't kill me." (e-ARC 139)
This book completely blew me away. I was left feeling emotionally gutted, but in a good way. Watching Holden and Sam take this journey together and watching their relationship slowly unfold was absolutely mind-blowing. Seeing Sam struggle with what was real (and whether she was really seeing Tyler) brought this book to a whole other level. Holden isn't afraid to use a little tough love on her when it comes to taking her meds. He wants to her to find peace with Tyler's death and finally allow herself to start moving forward with her life. Holden becomes so much more to her - he becomes her anchor, her lifeline, the person who can bring her back from the depths of despair. And Sam essentially becomes the same for him- he carries around a lot of guilt from the past and has kept secrets from her, which begs the question- does the truth really set you free?
I cannot stress enough how much you all need to pick this book up. It will send you on a beautiful emotional rollercoaster and when it's over it will leave you breathless and wanting more!
About Trisha Wolfe:
I’m
the author of the YA Steampunk DESTINY'S FIRE (Omnific
Publishing), ASTARTE'S WRATH NA
Historical/Supernatural, and the upcoming YA Utopian FIREBLOOD from Spencer Hill Press,
October 2013. My NA Dark Fantasy OF SILVER AND BEASTS available May 2013.
I’m
the creator of YA Bound,
a promotional site for the Young Adult genre. Also a member of SCWW and The
Apocalypsies.
A
proud business owner, I'm partnered with my partner, my husband. When I’m not
busy doing all of the above, I’m a wife and the mother of a gorgeous teen boy
who's the sounding board for my male characters.
Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
16 comments
Holy crap Jessica! I seriously want to drop everything I am doing and pick up this book immediately. I actually have it and it is on my TBR, but it just got bumped up. Deff going to be one of the first books I read once I get through all my review books. Damn just damn. I am so excited for this one now. Amazing review!
ReplyDeleteYAY! I can't wait for you to read this Teresa! Seriously! You're going to LOVE it! I just know it!!!!
DeleteWow! I want to ride that emotional rollercoaster that will leave me breathless!! Great review Jess, I will def check this one out. And I love that it's self published, it just proves yet again to me how much talent there is out there.
ReplyDeleteThanks Trish! Trisha is SUCH a talented author- I love supporting her and promoting her awesomeness! I hope you enjoy this when you get to read it!
DeleteOne of the best books you have ever read?! Sign me up! Just added to my TBR. I cannot wait to get my hands on this bad boy. Excellent review.
ReplyDeleteEeeep! YAY CeCe! I hope you end up liking it and I don't let you down!
DeleteGreat review!! I bought this one a while ago and now I want to drop everything to read it. Darn you and your amazing reviews that make my reading life harder ;-) J/K. but seriously amazing review. Can't wait to check it out.
ReplyDeleteThanks girl! I want you to drop everything now too so I can have someone to squeee with over it! LOL!
DeleteOh man, I know Trish is a great author. And it seems that this is her best work yet, which is saying something. Gorgeous review, Jessica!
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrea! Yes! I think this is my favorite so far! And I love her books!
DeleteYes! I agree with everything you said. Loved this book so much!
ReplyDeleteThanks girl! This was absolutely AMAZING.
DeleteWowzers! Awesome review. I will definitely have to read this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks :)
Lori
Yay! I hope you pick it up Lori! Trisha is such a wonderful writer!
DeleteI remember you squeeing about this on twitter and immediately put it on my TBR. Fabulous review hon, it sounds really good I'm just torn about stories where the girl is with brothers, the reason I haven't read the Jasinda Wilder books either but it does sound *really* good at the same time!
ReplyDeleteThanks girl! Don't be torn about her being with brothers. It's not a love triangle at all! :D
DeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.