Waiting on Wednesday: special edition

“Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to read.


In this Waiting on Wednesday, I thought that I would share with you the three books that I am most anxious to read this year.

Title: Just One Year

Author: Gayle Forman

Publish Date:  15 October 2013

Genre:  YA, contemporary, romance

Series:  Just One Day

Other books in series:  Just One Day

Companion to JUST ONE DAY. It will be in Willem's POV.

"Can you fall in love in just one day? Can you become a new person? How about in just one year? In JUST ONE DAY and its companion novel JUST ONE YEAR, sheltered American good girl Allyson “LuLu” Healey and easygoing actor Willem De Ruiter are about to find out against a guidebook-worthy array of foreign backdrops. Equal parts romance, coming-of-age-tale, mystery and travel romp (with settings that span from England’s Stratford upon Avon to Paris to Amsterdam to India’s Bollywood) JUST ONE DAY and JUST ONE YEAR show how in looking for someone else, you just might wind up finding yourself."

I reviewed Just One Day here.  I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  I had never read any of Forman's books before, but I knew that they had good reviews.  It was one of those books, that I got a free preview of and thought "I'll just read a little" and I was sure by the end of the free preview, I would be tired of the book.  Well, I was wrong.  So, so wrong.  I don't remember much else during the time that I was reading except for the fact that my co-workers kept asking me if I was okay because I was crying while reading.

Just One Year is told from Willem's POV and I am so excited about that.  I said in my review that you get glimpes into Willem, but you don't really get to know him.  If you haven't read Just One Day, I strongly urge to you to do so. It was one of the few books that I have ever given the rating "LOVED" to.

Part of me knows one more day won't do anything except postpone the heartbreak. But another part of me believes differently. We are born in one day. We die in one day. We can change in one day. And we can fall in love in one day. Anything can happen in just one day.

― Gayle Forman, Just One Day

Title: The Edge of Always

Author: J. A. Redmerski

Publish Date:  05 November 2013

Genre:  YA, contemporary, romance

Series:  The Edge of Never

Other books in series:  The Edge of Never

He was taking the long road. She was taking the road to nowhere. It just so happened that they led to the same place…

Five months ago, Camryn and Andrew, both dealing with personal hardships, met on a Greyhound bus. They fell in love and proved that when two people are meant to be together, fate will find a way to make it happen.

Now, in the highly anticipated sequel to THE EDGE OF NEVER, Camryn and Andrew are pursuing their love for music and living life to the fullest as they always swore to do. But when tragedy befalls them, their relationship is put to the ultimate test. As Camryn tries to numb her pain, Andrew makes a bold decision: To get their life back on track, they’ll set out on another cross-country road trip. Together they find excitement, passion, adventure—and challenges they never could have anticipated.

Sexy. Daring. Dangerous. THE EDGE OF ALWAYS takes you on a ride you won’t forget .

I reviewed The Edge of Never here as part of a blog tour.  I had previously read books by Redmerski and loved her writing and thought I would like this one.  This was another book that earned the rating of "LOVED."   I fell in love with the synopsis as soon as I read it.  I took a bus ride from Michigan to Idaho when I was 17, so that part of the tale sparked an interest in me.  When The Edge of Never ended, I couldn't believe that it was the end of Camryn and Andrew.  I'm excited for this next chapter of their story.

I have never lived the way I lived during my short time with you.  For the first time in my life, I've felt whole, alive, free.  You were the missing piece of my soul, the breath in my lungs, the blood in my veins.  I think that if past lives are real then we have been lovers in every single one of them.  I've known you for a short time, but I feel like I've known you forever.

― J. A. Redmerski, The Edge of Never

Title: This is What Happy Looks Like

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Publish Date:  02 April 2013

Genre:  YA, contemporary, romance

Series:  none

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

I have been reading a lot of contemporary books lately and this one peaked my interest right away.  I downloaded the first three chapters of the book and was into the story right away.  I was actually disappointed when it ended and I. Had. To. Wait.  I don't like waiting.  Thankfully, the wait is almost over.  I've read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and really liked it.  I'm hoping to have the same results from this book.

Blog Tour: The Edge of Never

Title:  The Edge ofNever

Author: J.A. Redmerski

Publisher: Createspace

Publish Date:  15November 2012

Pages: 426

ISBN:  9781480095533

Source:  Blog tourcopy

Genre:  ContemporaryRomance

Series:  None

Rating: Loved

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to thinkout-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following thesame repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story.And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everythingfell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward,Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. Butafter an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, NorthCarolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s everknown, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a fewnecessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhoundbus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named AndrewParrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own darksecrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowednever to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of thingsshe never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to liveout-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On theirsporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life,pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imaginedpossible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tearthem completely apart?

What do you do when you feel like everything in your life isgoing wrong?  That is what happens toCamryn Bennett aka Cam.  All kinds of badstuff have happened to her in the last year and the weight of it all is finallygetting to her.  Her boyfriend dies in acar crash, her parents get divorced, her new boyfriend cheats on her… Throughit all, she has had her best friend, Natalie aka Nat.  Something happens, which is finally thebreaking point for her and Cam decides that she needs to get out of NorthCarolina.

So she does just that. She hops on a bus to a destination unbeknownst to her when she purchasesthe ticket.  Her cover story is that sheis going to Idaho to meet her sister who just had a baby.  It is on that bus where she meets AndrewParrish.  At first Cam is wary of Andrewbecause her experiences haven’t been that great and she doesn’t want to needanyone.  Eventually, she agrees to travelwith him and to be friends.  How willthe story of Cam and Andrew play out? Will Cam finally learn to trust someone?

I loved this book!  Iwas captivated from the beginning.   Istarted this book at work and had a hard time putting it down to actuallywork.  A warning:  do not start this book unless you have thetime to finish it!  This book made me cry.  At.  Work.  My coworkers were looking at me like I was crazy for crying over a book.  

It flowedsmoothly.   The characters werebelievable.  I think I liked thestoryline more because I could relate to it on a small level.  I traveled from Michigan to Idaho on aGreyhound bus when I was 17 and it brought back memories.  There really aren’t any bad guys in thebook.  Although there are some peoplethat you just want to smack.

The book alternates between the point of view of Cam and Andrew.  I really like it when books do this becausethen you aren’t just getting one person’s side of the story.  There was more swearing in the book than whatI like.  The rating is 17+ because thereare some sex scenes, but they don’t last very long and is not the main focus ofthe book.  I wish that there were goingto be a sequel to The Edge of Neverbecause it would be interesting to see what happens to Cam and Andrew.

Depression is pain in its purest form and I would do anything to be able to feel an emotion again.  Any emotion at all.  Pain hurts, but pain that's so powerful that you can't feel anything anymore, that's when you start to feel like you're going crazy.

 I learned this next format for reviewing books from LylaaYeaah Oritee ♥ on Goodreads.

1^stImpressions:

Cam: She has had an awful year and is dealing well.  She seems really mature in the way she ishandling things, but it really just bottling it all up.

Natalie: She is Cam’s best friend and has always been therefor her.  She is also a little sex crazyand wants Cam to find someone else.

Damon: He is a good/loyal friend to Cam and boyfriend toNatalie.  He is a drug dealer to supporthis own habit.

2^ndImpressions:

Cam: She ran away. She didn’t tell anyone.  Howimmature.  She’s alone and deserves whathappens to her on the bus for being so foolish. She’s keeping secrets.

Natalie: Best friend! What in the world?!

Damon: He needs to be punched kicked slapped.

Andrew: He’s kind of hot snotty.  Turn down your music boy!  He carries antibacterial wipes on thebus.  He’s got secrets of his own.

Final Impressions:

Cam:  You have grown alot during this trip.  I hope it makesyou a better person.

Andrew: Can I have one of you?  You’re adorable, even when you are mad.  You play the guitar and sing.  

Natalie:  You are onprobation.  

Most hated charactersgo to:

Damon:  Youportray that you are a good person and is there for your girlfriend Natalie andher best-friend Camryn, but you are a dog. I am sorry that I gave you such high regards at the beginning of thebook.

Natalie:  Thatis not how a best-friend is supposed to act. Enough said.

I have never lived the way I lived during my short time with you.  For the first time in my life, I've felt whole, alive, free.  You were the missing piece of my soul, the breath in my lungs, the blood in my veins.  I think that if past lives are real then we have been lovers in every single one of them.  I've known you for a short time, but I feel like I've known you forever.

There is a really cool contest for this AToMR blog tour.  This is one of those that I wish I could enter my own contest.  They are giving away: 1) Signed paperback copy of THE EDGE OF NEVER, (1) Kindle or Nook copy, (1) sterling silver custom book pendant necklace $200 value. Open to United States and Canada only.






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Author of THE DARKWOODS TRILOGY and DIRTY EDEN, mother, werewolf &zombie fanatic, book addict and a happy hermit obsessed with the Universe. Oh,and AMC’s “The Walking Dead”.

Addictions: Starbucks every morning, trolling Barnes & Noble’s shelvesonce a week, detesting winter, shopping flea markets and preparing for thecollapse of society as we know it. Do I own a tin foil hat? Maybe. :-)

I was born in Arkansas and have lived here most of my life, except thecouple of times when I lived in Pennsylvania. I started my first novel at theage of thirteen and have been writing something ever since. Generally, Ilove characters in life and on paper. I pay attention to people, especially thosewhose personalities make them different from the rest of us: the drug addictroaming the Laundromat that talks to himself, the young, inattentive mother inthe park with the meanest kid on the playground – (the entire cast of ‘SwampPeople’) – characters fascinate me and I hope that it shows in my literarywork.