Lovin' los libros

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Blog Tour: Forever Innocent by Deanna Roy {Review+Giveaway}

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Welcome to my stop on the Forever Innocent blog tour hosted by Xpresso Tours!
To see the full tour schedule click here.

Forever Innocent
   by: Deanna Roy

Publication Date: Oct. 1, 2013
Publisher: Casey Shay Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC received from Xpresso Tours and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 300 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars


"Our baby died on prom night, and nothing was ever the same again."

Corabelle doesn’t feel like any of the other college girls. On what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life, she and her boyfriend Gavin watched a nurse disconnect the ventilator from their seven-day-old baby. During the funeral two days later, Gavin walked out and never returned.

Since then, her life has been a spiral of disasters. The only thing that has helped is her ability to black out whenever the pain gets too hard to bear, a habit that has become an addiction.

When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class four years later, he is hell-bent on getting her back, insisting she forgive him. Corabelle knows she can’t resist the touch that fills the empty ache that has haunted her since he left. But if he learns what she has done, if he follows the trail back through her past, her secrets will destroy their love completely. And once again, she’ll lose the only person who always believed she was innocent.
 

My Review:

I will be very honest with you all- this book broke my heart several times and as I read I felt I had a vise gripped around my heart. Don't get me wrong- I enjoyed this one, but wow. My emotions were all over the place!

This book is narrated in both Corabelle and Gavin's POVs, which made it all the more heart wrenching. Both Corabelle and Gavin are two very broken people, who after sharing a painful past, are thrown back into one another's lives with no warning. Neither one is ready for the other, yet they can't stop thinking about each other either. After growing up with someone and sharing the things they did, it's so easy to remember how things used to be between them, when they were happy and in love. Feelings are re-ignited and while Corabelle says she wants to move forward, Gavin becomes determined to win her back. He knows he made a mistake leaving her years ago and wants to make up for it. Corabelle tries to push him away and not let herself fall back into what was once beautiful and effortless. If only it were that easy...

I felt both Gavin and Corabelle jumped back in with each other way too soon and way too fast, considering all they've been through. Both of them carry secrets that could destroy the other and until they come clean, they won't be able to truly be happy, despite the fact that Gavin wants them to move forward and think about a future. Both have to be able forgive each other for their pasts, but most importantly they need to be able to forgive themselves. I honestly believe they are not anywhere close to that point as of yet, which is why Corabelle's actions at the end weren't that shocking to me.

Corabelle was such a broken, lost character. She refuses to date after her ordeal and is focused entirely on work and school. She is just not a very happy character, something her best friend Jenny says on multiple occasions- in fact, she said she's never even heard her laugh before. When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class, she is absolutely floored. It's been four years since she's seen him and she has so many feelings come rushing back to her: love, anger, pain, hurt, sorrow... She is very back and forth with Gavin the entire book- never entirely sure he's what she wants, which was a bit frustrating to me.

Gavin has spent his last four years trying to forget the life he once had with Corabelle and their baby. He feels an overwhelming sense of guilt and despair at being the one to sign Finn's papers to take him off the respirator, and not being able to cope afterwards, he makes a decision and leaves. Now, upon being reunited with Corabelle, Gavin now has the shame of his less than honorable actions to add to on top of his guilt.  He is determined to get her back- he never stopped loving her and he wants them to have a future together. As I said earlier- these two have too many secrets amongst them and have not received the help they need to be able to deal and move forward, as we see from the conclusion of this book.

While not a cliffhanger, I am definitely ready to see what lies ahead for Gavin and Corabelle. Now that their secrets are out- will they be able to forgive themselves and each other? Or is there too much pain and hurt between them that a future simply isn't attainable? I can't wait to find out!



About the Author:


Deanna Roy is a sucker for romance and drama and dumps hefty amounts of both in her novels. She is also a powerful advocate for baby loss moms and has founded multiple support groups for women, from teens on up, who endure this impossible heartache. Her other novels include Baby Dust and Stella & Dane: A Honky Tonk Romance.

 
 
 

 
 
Giveaway:
 
 
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22 comments

  1. Thank you for such a well-written review! <3
    Deanna

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    1. :D No problem Deanna! I can't wait for Forever Loved!

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  2. Great review hon. I agree, I think they jumped into things too quickly as well. But at the same time, I felt like since things were never resolved and you could tell how much they adored eachother, it didn't feel... off? I don't know what I am trying to say LOL I just wish they would have TALKED.

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    1. I agree- it did feel a bit off now that you say that. I didn't see that passionate, all consuming love that I expected to see.

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  3. Great book!!! I didn't want to put it down!

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  4. Great review! This sounds very character oriented and I secretly enjoy cliffhangers, too! >.<

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    1. Thanks Giselle! I like small cliffhangers. Big ones make me have ulcers. LOL.

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  5. I just finished this book and totally agree -- so many emotions evoked! I loved it too and can't wait to find out what happens to Corabelle and Gavin next. I hope they can keep it together for the long run. :)

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    1. I agree Marianne. I definitely hope these two can overcome everything and have a true HEA.

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  6. Great review! I'm reading this right now for my tour stop on Friday and I know I am going to be bawling my eyes out. Why do we do this to ourselves? :-)

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    1. Thanks Chelsea! I wish I had the answer to that question. But I don't. LOL. The synopsis was too good to pass up though!

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  7. I got this one, and I do love me some emotional reads even though they break my heart. This one sounds like it will do just that! You have me both excited and nervous about this book..... Hopefully I can get to it soon.

    Great review, girl!! :)

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    1. Thanks Magen! I can't wait to hear what you think!

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  8. Totally emotional just reading your review! This sounds like such a difficult, heartwrenching one! Don't know if I'd be able for it but it sounds amazing. Lovely review!

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    1. Thanks Dani! It was hard to get through at points and I found myself reading faster to get past those heartbreaking scenes!

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  9. Wow, this does sound like a heartbreaking and intense story. I really think I might enjoy it, too. Thanks for your helpful review!

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    1. Thanks Andrea! If you do pick it up- brace yourself for all the feelings! LOL.

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  10. Wow! I have not read this yet, but as soon as I am able I will start it! I cannot wait. Being a babyloss mom, I know this book is going to mean so much to me!

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    1. Oh yes, Kayla. This will be such an emotional one, but it's really worth the ride!

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  11. I have been back and forth over reading this one. It sounds like it will break my heart, and I do love that, but then I just dont know. So I shall let you decide for me... Great review!

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    1. Haha, thanks girl. It definitely broke my heart, that's for sure!

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