The Summer I Fell Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Summer I Fell! Today I'll be sharing my review of the book - and don't forget to enter the giveaway! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.

The Summer I Fell (The Six #1)

Author: Sonya Loveday

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 27, 2014

Description:

“So you wanna be part of the Six, huh? You wish…”
~Jared, Ace, Mark, Josh, Aiden & Eli

Riley Clifton can’t remember a time when she wasn’t a part of the Six, a group of rowdy boys who would do just about anything for her. Growing up alongside of six guys is never easy. Especially in high school. Falling in love with one of the Six? Even harder when Ace has a hold of her heart, and he doesn’t even know it.
 
Jake (Ace) Aceton has loved Riley for a long time, but has kept the secret oath of the Six. Riley was off limits. At least until after graduation. When he overhears Riley admitting to her best friend, Paige how she feels about him, Ace doesn’t let his chance slip by. Riley, in his mind, has always been his.
 
When her college plan falls through, and her future is left to the hands of fate, Riley finds herself scrambling to keep up with all the changes. But that’s not the hardest part. The hardest part is saying good-bye, especially to Ace.

Heartache, hard lessons, and a love deeper than her Alabama roots will threaten to crumble Riley’s world as she waits for Ace’s return.

Will Riley and Ace’s love be strong enough to hold them together when life tries to tear them apart?

I'll be the first to admit that YA or even New Adult contemporary fiction isn't at the top of my favorite genre list. I tend to mostly stay away from them, unless they have a description that hooks me. Normally, I would've looked at this book, read the description - and then rolled my eyes and walked away. They all seem to sound the same to me anymore. There must have been something there that sparked my interest a little bit, so I read the book. I'm so incredibly glad that I gave it a chance! Granted, it does have all the mushy bits along with a roller coaster ride of emotions - just like all the others. So what was it about this particular book that made me love it? I'll try to break it down and explain it to you.

The first thing I noticed was obviously the writing. How can you not? I know I'm reading a well written book if the author is able to suck me into the story within a few paragraphs. I haven't honestly come across many of these cases, but this novel definitely falls in that category. I was caught up in the world the author created almost instantly - and I didn't come back out until way after I was finished reading the story. I always come back to the point of view that an author uses - mostly because I think this is a huge part of of the book. It effects everything from characters, world building, the story, and the writing - to name a few. By far, my favorite point of view is first person. If you've read any of my other reviews, you'll note that I say this in just about all of them. To me, the point of view the book is told from is essential, and can either make or break a book for me. By using the first person POV, the reader is able to get an inside look at the character - their thoughts, emotions, dreams, hopes, fears - what have you. We also get to experience everything that happens in the book through the narrator's eyes, which makes it feel like we were there with them when it all happened. In my opinion, this is the best POV writing style an author can use - and when it's well written with strong characters and a solid plot - you've got me hooked.

The book's main character and narrator is Riley - a country girl who just graduated high school along with her friends - that just happen to be six rowdy guys that she's basically grown up with. The boys are called the "Sexy Six" by just about every girl in their school, but Riley sees them as best friends that are always there to protect her and to have a good time. Somehow though - without Riley really knowing it was happening - she finds herself falling in love with one of the Six - Ace. He's gorgeous, smart, and completely out of her league (so she thinks). As the story progresses, so do Riley's feelings toward Ace - and we learn that he's been in love with her for a really long time now. *Cue the typical mushy music and a collective sigh.* There are obstacles in their way, of course, but now that they finally know how the other feels about them - there's no way that they'll let anything come in between them. Enter the requisite obstacles and more roller coaster emotions until the ending - when we get to see if they're love can withstand everything they've gone through. Normally, if I would have picked up this book and decided to read it - this pretty predictable plot and all of the feels would have made me roll my eyes and/or quit reading the book. I'm not sure if I happened to read it during one of my die-hard romantic moments - but I was seriously hooked to these characters, their relationship, and the story. My emotions were all over the place and I have to admit that it really got to me - to the point where I was feeling visceral reactions to the story - which almost never happens to me. I know I cried while reading, but I'm not sure how many times in total. Whether it was the author's amazing writing talent or the timing when I read it - probably a combination of the two - I fell in love with this book and everything about it. I couldn't stop reading and by the time I finished it, I wanted more. Luckily, this is the first book in a series - so although I might not get to revisit Riley and Ace again, I'll get the chance to follow the rest of the Six and see where they end up. Very highly recommended for fans of the genre as well as those who enjoy YA contemporary fiction and romance novels in general. I've already got my eye on the second book - which is already out (thank goodness!) and I'm definitely keeping my eye on the rest of the series and the author.

Sonya Loveday, first and foremost is a reader, an avid one. It is of that love that brought her to purchasing her first laptop in 2009, and publishing her first novel, Casted, in 2013.
 

In early 2014, Sonya expanded Casted and then went on to publish Spelled, the sequel to Casted, in March, wrapping up the series, and her stint with Paranormal Romance. For now.
 

Not long after the completion to the Casted Series, Sonya tried her hand at New Adult/Coming of Age, a sub-genre of Contemporary Romance. Thusly, the Six were born with The Summer I Fell, which released at the end of July 2014. The demand from readers was instantaniously, which brought about End Note, the second book of the series in December 2014.

To date, Sonya lives in Central Florida with her husband, and two kids, and is currently working on her fifth book set to release later this spring 2015.

Author Links:

http://www.sonyaloveday.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7060433.Sonya_Loveday

https://www.facebook.com/sonyalovedayauthor

https://twitter.com/SonyaLoveday

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble 

Be sure to check out Book #2:

 Buy Link: Amazon

 Tour Wide Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Gift Card

(6) ebook copies of The Summer I Fell

(3) Swag Packs

Open INT!

 

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