Lovin' los libros

A book blog dedicated to young adult and new adult novels

Blog Tour: Miles from Kara by Melissa West {Review+Giveaway}

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Today is my stop on the Miles from Kara blog tour hosted by AToMR!
I am excited to share my review, as well as a giveaway with you all!
To see the full tour schedule click here.



Miles from Kara (Charleston Haven #2)
    by: Melissa West

Publication Date: Dec. 2, 2014
Publisher: Penguin/InterMix
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC received via the publisher and AToMR Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 211 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Kara Marcus is desperate to forget the past and move on. But she can’t escape her choices—especially when she finds herself falling in love…

Since the first day she stepped into her childhood Southern Baptist church, two truths have been engrained in Kara Marcus’s head: sex before marriage is bad and murder is a sin. And that’s why Kara can never forgive herself for what she did at the age of sixteen.

Now, as second semester of freshman year comes to a close, Kara has stood by her high school boyfriend, Ethan. But as they seem to grow further and further apart every day, Kara realizes that she has feelings for someone else: Ethan’s roommate Colt.

Suddenly, Kara’s clear-cut world shifts out of focus, and she’s torn between what her head tells her is right and what her heart is desperately pushing her to do—even if it means committing another undeniable sin.

 
 
Upon finishing Pieces of Olivia, it is obvious Kara has a story to tell and I am so glad Melissa wrote it! Having seen some of the sizzling sexual tension between Colt and Kara, I was eager to see how their relationship would progress- especially since Kara has a boyfriend! This book deals with a few touchy subjects (abortion, eating disorders) and I commend Melissa for tackling these topics, as they are ones that should not be ignored or not written about for fear of how people will respond.
 
I really enjoyed Miles from Kara. For the content being what it was, it was actually a lighter read. We do see Kara dealing with regret over what happened when she was 16 and how she handles it in a rather unhealthy manner now at 19. I felt for Kara because I understand the need to want to help someone, especially someone you can relate to on a level maybe others can't. It broke my heart to see everyone telling her that she needed to distance herself from the situation because it wasn't good for either party involved. I do think Kara should have stopped and taken counsel from her mentor at the counseling center, and her therapist, Rose, instead of not heeding their advice. These instances are part of Kara's character growth, however, and it's very realistic of new adults to think they are mature enough now to know better, when really they are still learning as they go.
 
As I said earlier, Kara begins the book with a boyfriend, but is finding herself growing more and more distant as time goes on. She is interested in Colt and can't seem to stop thinking about him, but knows it's wrong because she's still with Ethan. I've been where Kara is, so I understand how she feels. When you just don't feel the same for someone and realize that you're giving someone else your attentions, it's time to make the decision to let them go, as hard as it is. I do think Kara cared for Ethan, but it was time for her to explore her feelings for Colt.
 
"Who knew realizing you didn't love someone could break your heart in half?"
 
So. Let's talk about Colt Bryan, shall we? Hellooooo, sexy Aussie goodness! I love that West writes such amazing GOOD guys! Colt was patient with Kara, never rushing her into anything she wasn't ready for, and he became her go to when she needed someone to talk to or just comfort her. I think that was critical in forming their relationship because she needs someone she can confide in, especially since she's feeling some distance from Preston and Olivia, as they are very much in their love bubble. I liked the speed in which their relationship developed, and felt it was important for them to take things slow. I did find a few scenes to go a little too fast for me, one of them being the scene before Kara and Colt actually come together for the first time. After having her ex show up and plant little seeds of doubt in her head, she is afraid that he is right and she will end up hurting Colt. She expresses her concerns to Colt, who quickly eradicates them, and she just lets go of her reservations and is ready for them to take the next step. It was just a little rushed and I would have liked a little more reflection time between scenes. That being said, the chemistry between Colt and Kara? Oh man. I loved it. Colt is one sexy, confident guy and I love how he has such a commanding presence at times. The whole 'I want to kiss you so badly, it's consuming me, but I won't kiss you until you're 100% with me'? So. HOT.
 
Even though Kara finds herself turning to Colt when she needs comfort, I really enjoyed seeing Kara, Olivia, Sarah, and Alyssa having girl time together too. I am really hoping Melissa writes Sarah's story, because I feel she could have a very powerful story that could really speak to readers.
 
West does a great job of having Kara close a few more doors in her past in this novel and I feel she has really come full circle, with a renewed hope for her future. This was such a fast read for me and I really enjoyed reading it!
 

 
Melissa West writes young adult and new adult novels for Entangled Teen and Embrace and Penguin/InterMix. She lives outside of Atlanta, GA with her husband and two daughters and spends most of her time writing, reading, or fueling her coffee addiction.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and a M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.



 
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2 comments

  1. I love that Melissa writes such good guys too. Bad boys are yummy but not as realistic and honestly they can be such a pain! I loved Kara and Colt together. I really hope we get Sarah's story. Great review.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love the sound to this and it seems like there is good character growth which I always enjoy. Plus Colt sounds lovely :)

    ReplyDelete

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