Title: Breakdown by Ellie Grace

Age group: NA/Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer: Okay Creations, Sarah Hansen

Publication Date: Fall 2014

Hosted by: Wordsmith Publicity

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Amy Porter has had a thing for her twin brother’s best friend since she was a teenager. After being considered “one of the boys” throughout her childhood, he’s the first guy to look at her and see past the tomboy she used to be. Unfortunately, he’s also completely off-limits. She does her best to move on as the years go by, but it’s not until her life takes a drastic turn that she finally accepts the fact that they aren’t meant to be. However, as her world crumbles around her, Nate always seems to be close by to help her pick up the pieces.

Nate Miller knows that Amy is the one girl he can never have. No matter how badly he wants her, he won’t risk destroying his friendship; especially when her brother goes overseas with the Marines and makes Nate promise to look out for her. As life continues to get in the way and keep them apart, the only logical choice is to give up… but giving up is the last thing he wants to do.

With so many obstacles stacked up against them, can they make it or are they headed for a breakdown?

 

FINALLY! I have been waiting for this book ever since I read Break Away earlier this year! Just seeing Nate and Amy together trying to fight their attraction to one another... Whew! I knew it was inevitable! I really enjoyed getting Amy's backstory and seeing her history with Nate, as heartbreaking as it all is.

 

This is just a sweet romance. It's perfect for when you just need something to make you smile. Grace's characters are fun, sweet, and loveable and she has a very engaging writing style.

 

Amy and Nate have quite the history together and I really like that Grace broke the book into three parts, detailing the two's relationship over time. It isn't an easy journey, especially with Nate constantly holding himself back for fear of ruining his friendship with her twin brother, Dex.

 

We first meet Amy and Nate while they are still in high school. Dex has put the fear of God in every boy that even looks his sister's way, thus causing some problems for Amy. As a senior in high school, she has missed out on a lot of the dating experiences that everyone else has had because of her overprotective brother. So when a cute guy asks her out, she says yes because finally someone has the cajones to defy her brother! Even though this boy is no Nate, who she has been crushing on forever, she decides to give him a shot... only to be heartbroken later. Nate is the one to pick up the pieces and console her, thus resulting in bringing them closer together than ever before. However, Nate is adamant about not ruining his friendship with Dex and that things could never progress with them.

 

This seems to be Nate's mantra for a good part of the book and that killed me! Stop taking the high road Nate and GO AFTER HER! He wants to, but holds himself back. I really felt bad for Amy though. There's only so much rejection a girl can take! She starts dating a guy in college, who turns out to be a huge douche canoe. However, Amy's life has already been altered in a big way and now has some pretty big changes coming down the pike for her. Nate wants to be there for her and be the one to once again pick up the pieces, but she refuses to let him do so, thus causing him to separate himself from her once again. Normally, I hate back and forth in a relationship, but there's something about Grace's writing style that makes the angst work really well. You really feel for Nate and respect him for being such a good friend, but if you have that strong of feelings for your friend's sister, surely your friend would eventually understand and get over it?!

 

I love when Nate and Amy finally get it together. They are so precious together and they have such great chemistry! Nate is quite the sexy talker too! He is so supportive of Amy and I'm really glad that she had him, Dex, and her family in her life. Sadie is also a really great character and I love how accepting she was of Nate also. Their scenes together really warmed my heart!

 

We also get to see Dex and Liv from Amy and Nate's point of views, so it was fun reliving their romance too, as the previous books' timeline coincides with part of this one's.

 

Overall, this series just really works for me. I love the characters Grace has created and I feel so connected to them. Watching them fall for one another and find their own happiness really makes my heart happy.

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This Time Around and Break Away, companions to Breakdown

   

  (covers lead to GoodReads page)

Purchase Links  

This Time Around

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Break Away

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks

 

  

Ellie Grace is an avid reader, chocolate lover and caffeine addict. When a story popped into her head that she couldn’t seem to shake, she decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a writer. When she’s not writing, she’s usually curled up with a book by one of her many, many favorite authors.

Blog/Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads

Today we are thrilled to share the cover re-reveal for This Time Around, by Ellie Grace.

Title: This Time Around by Ellie Grace
Age group: NA/Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer: Okay Creations, Sarah Hansen
Publication Date: July 15, 2013
Hosted by: Wordsmith Publicity


Nora Montgomery left home and heartbreak behind in South Carolina when she moved to New York City after her high school graduation. Now, four years later, she returns home and is forced to confront the past she left behind and the reckless boy who broke her heart. It’s not long before the pieces of her past begin to blur with the present and she realizes that the feelings she had for her first love never really went away. As old dreams resurface and new truths come to light, she begins to question the future she's always planned on.

Jake Harris has spent four years regretting the night he let her get away. When she finally reappears in his life, he is determined to win her back and prove how much he’s changed. She might never forgive him for that night, but if he tells her the truth about what really happened it will shatter the world she thought she knew. If he doesn’t, he might not get a second chance. He’s already lost her once and he won’t lose her again.

They come from two different worlds that are threatening to tear them apart…can they make it this time around?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase Links (only $0.99) 

 Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks

 

 

Break Away, a companion to This Time Around

 

  (cover leads to GoodReads page)

 

Purchase Links(only $1.99)

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks

 

 

 

About the author 

Ellie Grace is an avid reader, chocolate lover and caffeine addict. When a story popped into her head that she couldn’t seem to shake, she decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a writer. When she’s not writing, she’s usually curled up with a book by one of her many, many favorite authors.

Blog/Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

 

 

Welcome to my stop on the Break Away blog tour hosted by Wordsmith Publicity!

Today I am excited to share my review as well as a giveaway with you all!

To see the full tour schedule click here.

Break Away
   by: Ellie Grace

Publication Date: Feb. 10, 2014
Publisher:
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by Wordsmith Publicity in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count:
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

When Olivia Mason catches her fiancé cheating, her life gets turned upside down. With no family and no real place to call home, she heads south for a fresh start in Charleston, South Carolina. Determined to gain her own independence and protect her heart, the last thing she needs is a sexy, tattoo-covered guy to cross her path and test her resolve. Just as she’s beginning to put her life back together, she uncovers a piece of her past that shakes up everything.

Dex Porter has his own demons. A former Marine, he’s haunted by the past and uses whiskey, women and fighting to drown the pain and guilt that consume him. When Olivia arrives in town, he finds himself drawn to her immediately and is surprised by his desire to get to know her. She’s unlike anyone he’s ever met but he knows he can’t get close to her without exposing the part of himself that he keeps hidden.

As Dex and Olivia strike up a friendship and fight their attraction to one another, they begin to chip away each other’s walls and help each other heal. However, the past is never far behind and they soon learn that no matter how fast they run, it will always catch up with them.

 

 

"Life is full of pain and heartbreak, conflict and doubt... but there's also love and passion, joy and laughter... and it's the ups and downs along the way that make life worth living. It's not about cruising along a straight path, but about not letting the dips and twists take away from the thrill of the ride."

 

Break Away was one of those books that reminded me why I love new adult so much. It is a beautiful story of two people falling in love who both swore they wouldn't or couldn't. Both Dex and Olivia have their hesitations and fears and watching them overcome them together was such an amazing ride. I really enjoyed Grace's writing style and I felt the pacing went really well. I was quite emotional reading about Dex and his struggles as a former Marine who is coping the only way he knows how to numb and block out the pain of his tour in Iraq. Grace did an excellent job of portraying this deeply wounded man and show readers how his PTSD really dominated a large part of his life.

 

I really liked Dex's character, despite the fact that I hated how he used women as a coping mechanism to numb the pain. However, Grace did such a good job of showing us Dex's many layers and we realize early on that he is actually a good guy who has a lot of demons that he doesn't know how to overcome. Besides women, Dex uses fighting as an outlet to expel his pent up rage. He fights in an underground circuit and feels it takes the edge off when his nightmares consume his nights. He doesn't do relationships and has no interest in them.... until he meets Olivia.

 

Olivia is different from most other girls. She has some pain of her own and she also knows loss. Dex can sense there is a fierceness to her from the moment he tries to hit on her and gets shot down. As fate brings Dex and Olivia into each other's lives, the two agree to start a friendship together. Dex is happy to get to know her on a friends only basis, but the more the two spend time together, the more they feel their attraction to one another grow.

 

Olivia has just suffered a betrayal that would break most women in two. After walking in on her fiancée cheating on her with another woman, she makes the decision to uproot her life and head for a new beginning. I really liked Olivia too. She was sweet, caring, fun, and strong. She didn't let her dirtbag ex fiancée consume her life. She knew that she was closed off in their relationship. Her and her mother were abandoned by her father at a young age and she never wants to endure that kind of pain. She chose Steven, as she thought him to be a safe, uncomplicated choice. Instead, he was a jerk who just gave off the illusion of predictability. He controlled Olivia for four years and now she is finally breaking out on her own and she doesn't want to depend on anyone but herself. Olivia was afraid that she would be utterly alone in Charleston, but befriending Amy, her landlord and Dex's twin sister, and her daughter Sadie has really uplifted Olivia's spirits.

 

After seeing Dex with his niece, Olivia realizes there is more to the tatted up, arrogant ass she met on the beach. She is intrigued by him and wants to unravel his layers and get to know the real him. This proves to be a task, as Dex is very closed off when it comes to opening up. He is afraid of truly opening up to someone and letting them see the darkness and pain he has inside. Being with women who know the one night score is easy- none of them ever hold him accountable or try to get him to talk afterwards. Yet, Olivia is the one who crashes through his defenses and makes him want more for the first time in a long time. Watching the two of them heal and soothe each other's hurts is one of my favorite parts of the story, but getting to that point wasn't easy. Dex and Olivia were fighting what they knew was there between them- both of them afraid to truly give themselves to another person for fear they wouldn't be able to withstand what they discovered there. My, my, my! When they did finally get to that point- WOW, was it steamy! Grace knows how to write some delicious love scenes and I felt I was going to melt into my couch!

 

I really liked Amy and Sadie's characters. Amy was also abandoned by the man who impregnated her and is a single mom to Sadie. She really took Olivia under her wing and their friendship is one that Olivia desperately needed upon arriving. Sadie is cuteness with Dex, calling him Uncle Dee. You can really see just how much Dex is wrapped around her finger and I loved seeing that tender side to him. I also really enjoyed Nate, Dex's best friend. He ends up playing a key role concerning Amy, and I really liked his genuine, caring nature towards Amy and Sadie both. Fans of This Time Around will also get to see Nora and Jake and see how they are faring also!

 

Overall, I found this to be such an enjoyable read and I really liked the direction Grace took her characters. I wouldn't say this book is one that puts a new spin on New Adult, but I really loved reading it and watching even the most broken of people realize they can have happiness and hope in their lives.

 

 

 

 

 

Ellie Grace is an avid reader, chocolate lover and caffeine addict. When a story popped into her head that she couldn’t seem to shake, she decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a writer. When she’s not writing, she’s usually curled up with a book by one of her many, many favorite authors.

Twitter | Facebook | Blog/Website

 

 

 

 
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Title: Break Away by Ellie Grace

Age group: NA/Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover designer: Okay Creations, Sarah Hansen

Scheduled to release: February 2014

Hosted by: Wordsmith Publicity

 

When Olivia Mason catches her fiancé cheating her life gets turned upside down. With no family and no real place to call home, she heads south for a fresh start in Charleston, South Carolina. Determined to gain her own independence and protect her heart, the last thing she needs is a sexy, tattoo-covered guy to cross her path and test her resolve. Just as she’s beginning to put her life back together, she uncovers a piece of her past that shakes up everything.

Dex Porter has his own demons. A former Marine, he’s haunted by the past and uses whiskey, women and fighting to drown the pain and guilt that consume him. When Olivia arrives in town, he finds himself drawn to her immediately and is surprised by his desire to get to know her. She’s unlike anyone he’s ever met but he knows he can’t get close to her without exposing the part of himself that he keeps hidden.

As Dex and Olivia strike up a friendship and fight their attraction to one another, they begin to chip away each other’s walls and help each other heal. However, the past is never far behind and they soon learn that no matter how fast they run, it will always catch up with them.

 

 

  

A small group of people came up and stood next to us, and I put my free hand on Olivia’s hip, gently shifting her in front of me to make room for them. I let my hand rest there, unable to move it even though I knew I should. She was close enough that my chest was scarcely brushing against her back, her magnetic pull drawing me in and charging the blood that pumped through my veins. My thumb found a slice of bare skin at the hem of her shirt and gently skimmed across it, sending a faint shiver through her. I held my breath, waiting for her to pull away from me or push my hand off, but she didn’t move. Our bodies hovered as close to each other as possible without touching, connected only at the point where my thumb lingered on her skin. The air between us was thick and crackling with electricity as we stared at the tank in silence, mesmerized by the fluid motion and vibrant colors that passed by.

“Can we go see the turtles now?” Sadie’s voice broke the trance, and I dropped my hand, taking a step back.

 

 

 

 

 Break Away is a companion to This Time Around, and can be read as a stand alone.

Purchase This Time Around, currently $0.99

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

 

 

Ellie Grace is an avid reader, chocolate lover and caffeine addict. When a story popped into her head that she couldn’t seem to shake, she decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a writer. When she’s not writing, she’s usually curled up with a book by one of her many, many favorite authors.

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