Friday, January 10, 2014

Blog Tour - Come to Be Quietly (The Closer to You Series, Book 1)







From the acclaimed bestselling author of Lost to You and When We Collide comes a new adult novel of one woman’s obsession: a man who’s as passionate as he is elusive—and as tempting as he is trouble…

SYNOPSIS:

Aleena Moore is haunted by Jared Holt. It’s been six years since she’s seen her brother’s best friend, the self-destructive bad boy she secretly loved in high school. As the years pass, she knows it’s time to move on. Time to decide between a practical nursing degree and her true dream as an artist. Time to get over Jared and give another guy a chance…

Just when she opens her heart to her friend Gabe, Aly returns home to find Jared sleeping on her couch. The teenage boy she loved has grown into a man she can’t resist. Covered in tattoos and lost in rage, he’s begging to be saved from his demons—the memories of the day he destroyed his family. As the two reconnect, their passion is hot enough to torch Aly’s judgment. But can she risk her future for a man who lives on the edge of destruction?


REVIEW:

What do you do when you hate yourself?  When you blame yourself for ruining everything? Destroying the people that you loved? You push everyone away that cares about you. That is exactly what Jared did when he was sixteen years old, and continued to do so everyday. Jared is broken, shattered and lost. He can't be fixed.  He doesn't want to be fixed.  He doesn't even want to exist. Jared is harboring guilt from an accident and blames himself for destroying his family. Jared goes away for six years and when he returns to his home town, he wasn't sure what to expect.  He wasn't even sure why he returned home.  All of his memories were in that town, all of the good, as well as all of the bad.  Every time Jared closes his eyes he is haunted by his past, by the images that are seared into his mind.  Almost every inch of Jared's skin is now covered in tattoos.  The designs blend together to create an allusion of death. It's as if his tattoos tell the story of Jared's life.  All of his pain is displayed as art on his body.  He forces himself to see it everyday, thereby never forgetting what he has done.

Jared hops on his bike and ends up in his hometown where he grew up.  Jared was minding his own business at the local bar when he was recognized by Christopher. Christopher hasn't seen or spoken to Jared since they were sixteen.  Christopher and Jared had been best friends since they were toddlers. Christopher invited Jared to stay with him and his sister until he finds a place of his own.  Jared accepts Christopher's offer and that night, everything changed for Jared.

Aly was thirteen the last time she saw Jared.  When Aly arrives home and sees Jared for the first time in years, all of her emotions and feelings for Jared surge inside of her.  Not a day has gone by that Aly hasn't thought about Jared.  Aly never told Jared how she felt about him when she was younger.  Jared was her best friend and he has always looked at Aly like a little sister. But after years of being apart, Aly is no longer the little girl that Jared once remembered.  She is now the most beautiful woman Jared has ever seen.

What do you do when the one you love, doesn't know you love him?  Aly has always loved Jared.  She closed herself off from relationships, because she knew she could never love anyone the way she loved him.  When Jared left, Aly has always felt like something was missing; Jared took her heart with him.  Maybe somewhere inside of her, she always knew she was saving herself for Jared. Maybe there was a part of her that always knew Jared would return.  It's always been Jared for Aly. He has had her heart since she was a child. Loving someone can be the best thing that one does in their life.  But it can also cause you the most pain.  Aly only wishes that her love was returned.

Aly senses that Jared is broken.  The light in his eyes, is no longer there.  She was always been drawn to his striking blue eyes, but they are no longer the same eyes that she once stared at. They weren't the eyes that she has been drawing for years in her sketch book.  

"I draw and you wish you could erase." ~ Aly
"You create and I destroy." ~ Jared 

"I bet whatever you keep hidden in the pages of those books is absolutely beautiful, Aly."

"How could it not be?  Look at you... you have to be the most beautiful creature I've ever seen."

"Everything I love is in the pages of those books, Jared."

Aly and Jared begin to spend a lot of time together rebuilding their friendship.  Aly doesn't want to push Jared away by asking too many questions, she just wants to enjoy the time that she has with him.  Aly prays everyday that Jared won't leave again. She knows she won't be able to handle him leaving her again.  Aly knew that Jared couldn't see the good in himself. Would she ever be able to convince him that he was wrong? Would Jared ever forgive himself? Aly has always loved Jared, but would Jared allow her to love him?  

Jared and Aly have always had a bond with each other.  Jared's mother seen it all those years ago.  Jared doesn't think he is good enough for Ali, so he is fighting his feelings for her. He is trying to convince himself that they can just be friends.  Our hearts have a mind of their own. We can not control who we love. It's as if their souls are intertwined. As if they can feel what the other is feeling, without even speaking.  Jared tries to keep Aly at arms length, but he is tired of fighting his feelings for her.  He needs to be close to her.  He needs to be near her.  He needs to breathe the same air that she breathes.  Is Jared selfish for needing Aly? Could Jared love Aly the way she deserved?  Would Jared wreck Aly? Would he destroy her too?  Would he be Aly's ruin?  Can Jared let go of the pain from his past?  Will Jared open up to Aly?  Can Aly help Jared heal? Can Aly's love change Jared?  Will Jared ever feel that he is worthy of being loved?

"I've wanted to kiss you every single second of every single day since the moment I opened my eyes to find you standing over me, Aly.  But you know we can't do this."  My voice cracked.  "I don't get to have this.  I already told you... you deserve someone who can love you, someone who will be good for you, and you know that's not me." ~ Jared

I am a HUGE fan of A.L. Jackson, so I knew Come to Me Quietly would be AMAZING.  While reading it, I felt the raw emotions that Jared and Aly were going through.  A.L. Jackson wrote a book that will touch you on so many levels and this story will stay with you.

Come to Me Quietly is a solid 5 stars!!  Jared will capture your heart. Seeing the pain and torment that Jared went through on a daily basis, broke my heart.  Jared doesn't feel as though he deserves to be loved. He feels as though he ruins everything he touches.  That is why he tries to keep Aly away.  He knows Aly is the only person that truly sees him for who he is.  Aly sees his demons and still loves him.  But the million dollar question is, will Jared let go of the guilt from his past so he can move on with his future?

I can not wait to read Come to Me Softly, and see what the future holds for Jared and Aly.

This review was prepared by Heather.  I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.



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Come To Me Quietly Book Trailer



Excerpt:
A few minutes later she returned. She’d changed out of her work clothes and into the same sleep shorts she chose to constantly taunt me with night after night.
God, the girl had the best legs I’d ever seen.
She was twisting her long hair up into a high ponytail as she walked barefoot into the kitchen. The mixture of her skin and the food she’d brought smelled like heaven.
She cracked open the fridge. “Either of you want another beer?” she asked as she bent down to dig through the fridge.
In my head I was screaming at myself to close my eyes or to look up or to look down or to just look the fuck away.
I didn’t.
Instead I watched.
A curl of lust twisted my stomach into the tightest knot, so tight I had to struggle to get a breath of air into my lungs. 
Christopher’s voice broke my trance. “Yeah, I’ll take one.”
I cut my attention in his direction, and eyes so much like Aly’s stared back at me.
I dropped my gaze and mumbled, “Sure, I could use another.” 
Aly stood and knocked the door closed with her hip. She had three beers woven between her fingers, their caps pressed together. Maybe there was something inherently wrong with me, but I thought it had to be one of the sexiest moves I’d ever seen.
She set them down on the table. “One for you.” She passed one to Christopher, grinned as she slid one across the table to me. “And one for you.”
“Thanks,” I said. 
She twisted the cap off the third and plopped heavily into the chair as she tipped it to her mouth.
“Long day?” Christopher asked as he arched a brow at her.
“Oh, yeah.” She released a long breath. “It was super busy.” A little shrug lifted her shoulders. “Made good tips, but I couldn’t wait for my shift to end.” She began opening the take-out box lids. My mouth watered when I was hit with the heavy aroma of thick red meat sauce and pasta.
I stood. “Here, let me grab some plates and forks.”
She threw a soft smile up at me as I passed. “Thanks, Jared.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
Even though it was only three feet away, I stumbled into the kitchen as if it were some kind of oasis in the desert. For a second, I dropped my head as I pressed my hands into the counter and filled my lungs with the deepest breath of air I could find.
Get a grip, Jared.

Be sure to enter the
COME TO ME QUIETLY Blog Tour Giveaway!!


Grand Prize:  A.L. Jackson Complete Signed Paperback Collection (all six titles) + Come To Me Quietly Poster and swag. 

Second Prize:  Come To Me Quietly Collection, which includes a signed copy of Come To Me Quietly, a Come To Me Quietly poster, keychain, and custom bookmark.  

Third Prize:  A.L. Jackson Fun Pack stuffed full of A.L. Jackson book swag

Fourth Prize:  Audiobook Gift Set from Audible.com of The Regret Series (Lost To You, Take This Regret & If Forever Comes)





And don’t miss the DAILY blog tour giveaways on A.L. Jackson’s Facebook accounts! All kinds of fun stuff will be given away ~ ebooks, gift cards, and much more! EVERY DAY from January 7th – February 7th!!


A.L. Jackson Bio:

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including Pulled, When We Collide, and If Forever Comes.

She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student.  She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children.

Look for Come to Me Softly, book two in the Closer To You Series, coming July 1, 2014.


SYNOPSIS:

A second chance at life…
A second chance at love…

Jared Holt never thought he deserved either—until he found both in the arms of Aly Moore. Aly has loved Jared for as long as she can remember, and she’s more than ready for the future they’re making together. But Jared can’t help remembering his own family. And he’ll never forgive himself for what happened to them. How can he allow himself the very happiness he once destroyed? 

To live a life worthy of Aly, Jared knows he has to stop running and finally put his past to rest. But when he decides to face his demons head on, he encounters more than he bargained for: a dangerous mix of jealousy, lies, and dishonest intentions. When those intentions threaten Aly, Jared loses all control, giving into the rage that earned him his bad boy reputation years before. And he’ll fight to protect her no matter what it costs…even if he destroys himself in the process.








Get in touch with AL Jackson:

http://bit.ly/ctmsebook






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