Review: Phenomenal. My poor heart!! Loved every single word.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 31, 2013
First Thoughts: 4.5-5 stars Phenomenal. I'm not sure if it's ok that I loved it, but I did. I really, really did.Plot, Pacing and Style: Oh, I love me some damaged goods, and this book was chock full of them. After a tragic loss Tally is trying to get through one day at a time. She meets Linc at a party and they immediately connect...however their lives don't allow them to be together even thought it seems like they should be, as if it would make everything right in their world. This book is about Tally and Linc's love story.The pacing, oh man oh man oh man. I know that it was perfect, but I was so impatient. If anything had gone faster it wouldn't have been realistic. It was a very, very, very, very long book, but I loved every second of it even though sometimes I was screaming nooooooooooooo at the characters for being stubborn and walking away. If it was done any differently I don't think I would have had my heart ripped out.So this is a New Adult novel, but it wasn't a steamy sex scene after sex scene NA book. Yes, there was sex, but not a lot of it, and there was not a lot of inuendo either, you know, all that dirty suggestive talk (which I love, lol, I can admit it). It also didn't have that bad boy with all the tatts and piercings (I still love them though so don't worry). What made it NA and not YA was some of the subject matter.  But, keeping with the popular NA style it alternated between Tally and Linc's POV and I loved it. Loved being in their heads.The MCs and Supporting cast: Tally and Linc were both so driven. Tally by ballet and Linc by baseball. They are so driven that they essentially give up everything else for their livelihoods. They were both some of the best in their fields, but maybe some of that drive came from all the tragedy in their lives. They were strong in some respects, but so weak in others. I wished they would have given in and allowed themselves to love. But then again, we wouldn't have a story would we??Marla was a fantastic best friend. I actually loved her and a story about her and Charlie would be fantastic. Please Ms. Owen?? She didn't always keep Tally's secrets, but always did everything to help her best friend and Linc. I loved her for it. I loved how she took care of Tally and just was always a breath of fresh air with her head on straight.Rob Thorn. Where to start? I still don't like him. I'm not sure if I was supposed to by the end. I think I was, but I just don't. A book on him might even be worth reading because I don't know what really went on in his head. I still am not clear on who he really loved more: Holly or Tally...or even Nika?Romance /Chemistry: Crazy intense and amazing. If these two aren't meant to be together something has gone terribly wrong in this world. I love when an author is able to convey pure chemistry, and what I mean by this is that the words transcend the page. As I read this, I actually got butterflies myself, or my own stomach would be in knots. I swear, I felt everything they felt. It was actually kind of crazy because these two don't actually know each other very well, but just needed to be together with every fiber of their being. It wasn't even logical to me, but at the same time I knew they had to be together. Had. To.Title/Cover: The title was perfect. It came up several times in the story and I got excited every time. The cover is really pretty. But for some great additional visuals, check out this fan made Pinterest page and Katherine Owen's Pinterest page.Twists and Turns: Wow, too many to count. It was like Tally and Linc kept getting kicked while they were down.Ending: *sobs* SOMEONE HOLD ME. I LOVE IT. And yes, it was 2 am when I finished reading. Fantastic stand alone book that could have been split into 2, but I loved that it was that lengthy.*That* taboo issue: Well, I can't write this review without touching on it. I won't spoil, but there was a subject in here that is wrong. However, in the context of this book it didn't feel that way and I was definitely conflicted. How would I write a flailing glowing review when it's wrong? Do I stand behind this? I'm not sure. Maybe it was the initial issue that kept Tally and Linc apart, and by the end they could be together, but still....I know it was never right for them to be together in the beginning, but that isn't what my heart tells me. So yes, definitely conflicted.Gripes/suggestions: I think there were some sections that didn't totally flow for me, but with one more round of solid edits I bet that could be fixed and the story would be beyond perfect. I also think someone's death was foreshadowed a little too much, I totally predicted it. Maybe I would have left that foreshadowing out and let it play out another way. I still loved that the ends justified the means, but it would have been great not to see that coming.Final Thoughts/Rec It? YES. If you like having your heart broken again and again, but believe in love to finally win at the end, this book is for you.