Review: Into the Night Reviews ... How to Liv by Megan Keith
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 23, 2014
I was lucky enough to be gifted a copy of How to Liv and also to have the time to start reading it immediately.  Apart from a brief break at the 51% mark (girl's gotta eat!) I devoured How to Liv in one sitting and loved every word of it!Being Australian, I loved that this was a book written by an Australian, about Australians, set in Australia.  So many things were so familiar and relatable, which made it that much easier for me to lose myself in the story.Liv has been burnt in the game of love (badly and more than once) so is not interested in the prospect of a relationship.  Her self-confidence has been shattered and with her more glamorous, confident and outgoing sister to compete with, really what's the point??  Liv is a caring and loyal friend, not a total recluse, but her time is spent mostly at work and she doesn't believe she'll ever get her happily ever after.Liv encounters Joel at the supermarket and "ermahgerd" (to quote Liv's sister Ally) he is perfect.  P-E-R-F-E-C-T!!  Hot, considerate, funny, sexy, talented and just a little controlling in the bedroom ... perfect!!  Liv can't believe he's single, or that he would be interested in her.  Despite her doubts, she finds herself falling for him and falling hard.I loved watching the relationship between Liv and Joel unfold.  They were nervous, they were funny and as they slowly started to relax a little they were gorgeous together.  Liv's past experiences are a significant challenge for her.  She has trust issues and struggles with her fear of being hurt again, continually waiting for the "other shoe to drop" because surely what is going on is too good to be true?  Joel has baggage of his own and despite his insistence on no secrets with Liv, he keeps one, never quite able to find the right time or the right way to disclose.  This has dire consequences for the two and it was painful to read this unfold.Megan Keith has an engaging writing style.  I got lost in her characters and story very quickly.  She establishes an environment that is detailed, without being overly so, but enough that I could visualise people and places easily.  There are many fabulous characters in this story.  I'll confess I was not a fan of Liv's sister Ally - suffice to say she treated her sister badly and yet Liv continued to allow her to live in her home and came to her defence regularly.  Liv's workmates were relatable, reminding me of my own co-workers and the fun we have.  Adam and Raelene, Joel's brother and sister in law were your typical, down to earth Aussie's - and some of the conversations with Raelene were hilarious.  I would be remiss in not mentioning Chelsea, Joel's super gorgeous niece - she's such a cutey!!How to Liv sucked me in and kept me reading.  I laughed, I had moments where my heart was breaking for the characters and let me tell you, Megan Keith can write some steamy bedroom scenes *fans face* ;)  Go grab yourself a copy, a packet of Tim Tams and curl up for a thoroughly enjoyable read - oh and I dare you not to fall in love with Joel!Visit the Into the Night Reviews Blog or Facebook Page for book reviews, new release updates, giveaways and more!!