Review: Fantastic Debut Novel
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 9, 2013
When I was approached by Jess and asked if I would like to read and review this book, I instantly agreed. It sounded like a book that would be very much 'right up my street' as it were. As it turns out, I was right and I am so glad I agreed to read it. Why? Read on to find out...Stella is stood on the roof of her building about to jump and plummet to her death. She feels lonely and isolated since her mother and brother were killed a few months ago. She feels that nothing can make her life better, so she might as well end it all.Enter Conner, a handsome, mysterious guy who just happens to be on the roof, where moments before Stella was completely alone.Conner pleads with Stella not to jump. She feels somehow encouraged not to, whereas moments before it was all she could think about doing.Stella goes home and finds that she feels better than she has in months. She no longer has the suicidal tendencies she had on the roof. She decides to clean the apartment and stop living in the mess she's allowed it to become.All this because a mysterious guy asked her not to jump? Who is he and why did he care if she jumped or not?Conner keeps turning up and has a way of making Stella feel at ease. He cooks for her, he takes her to fancy restaurants, he's a real gentleman. He's handsome and kind, a heady mixture of sensual lips and hair that you want to snake your hand in and pull... *swoons* (I am definitely Team Conner!!)Stella goes back to school and starts hanging out with her friends again. This pleases Daisy no end. Daisy and Stella were best friends, but lately Stella has subconsciously distanced herself because of her mother and brother's untimely deaths.There's been a new addition to her group of friends since she hung out with them last. Will. He's rude and obnoxious and has no qualms about asking probing questions about her mother and brother.In fairness to Will, he does try to make it up to her by taking her ice-skating; which would have been nice, had his neanderthal brother not turned up and ruined it.Life is slowly returning to normal for Stella and that's just what she needed. Her mother and brothers rooms remain untouched but that doesn't bother her so much anymore. She likes having memories of them so close by.Then just as she thinks things are happy... her world is turned upside-down and inside out.[spoiler removed]Wait until you find out what's in store. It will make you just as hopping mad as it made me!I can't tell you more for fear of my big mouth running away with me and I'll spoil it all for you. However, what I can tell you is that this book is a well-written, fast-paced, fascinating book that has you sitting on the very edge of your seat and you can't help but turn the pages and stay up too late at night just to finish it off.Jess Watkins is an awesometastic (yes I know that's not a 'real' word) author. She knows just how to pack a punch. The book was written with so much action and though two guys fighting over the protagonist would usually bother me, I found that it was actually one of the things I liked most about this book. I mean seriously, these guys are HOT!Will is a lovely guy but his brother got my back up on more than one occasion and when you pick up this book for yourself, you will find out why.Conner is handsome and sensual and all the things I love in a fictional boyfriend. He's definitely gone to the top 5 of my most favourite book boyfriends!If you are looking for your next favourite book, this really could be it! There's well-paced action, there's hot as Hell kisses... The plot is very good and the connection I felt with Stella was a strong one. There are times when I laughed, times when I felt like pulling my hair out and times when I wanted to jump in the book and punch one or two or maybe even a few more of the characters. But that's good, because it means Jess's characters are just what she intended them to be, very real and easy to relate to as well as some of them being mean as all Hell and needing a smack upside their heads!So, in conclusion: YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK and if you don't, you'll never know what you are missing.