A Review for Up in Flames by Nicole Williams

Posted by Donna
Release Date: August 1st, 2013
Finished Date: July 4th, 2013

Publishers: Simon & Schuster UK
Source: For Review

Format: Paperback
Pages: 288

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Elle Montgomery is a good girl. Born and raised in a small town in Washington State, she's always done exactly what she's supposed to and what everyone expects of her. She helps out at the cafe her family owns, and has been dating the pastor's son, Logan, since she was allowed to go on her first date at sixteen. Having just graduated from high school, and knowing that Logan wants to put a ring on her finger and get married as soon possible, Elle feels like her life is already mapped out. Cole Carson's life couldn't be more different. An adrenaline junkie, he has worked as a smokejumper for the past three summers, roaming from town to town following the fires. Cole lives his life day to day and dreads the thought of putting down roots or being tied to one person. 

Following an awkward, embarrassing first meeting, Elle knows she should keep away from Cole and the feelings he ignites in her. And Cole just can't help but pursue Elle, the girl who seems immune to his charms. But as summer heats up, their attraction grows, and as tensions between them run high, Elle and Cole realise that one way or another, they're going up in flames...

The Review: “We live our lives afraid of change and if we were to just embrace it instead, it wouldn’t seem like such a big deal when it hits us.” 

After reading Nicole Williams' Crash series, I was eager to read something else written by her, and while I enjoyed Up in Flames, it wasn't as good as the Crash series. 

Elle's life is ruled by her father and her brother. She has given them the control of her life and it isn't until she meets adrenaline junkie Cole, that she suddenly starts questioning her everything about her life. As Cole opens Elle up to taking her own independence, Elle realises that sometimes stepping out on your own is harder than it looks. 

I'm stuck between a 3 and 3.5 star rating - I liked the story but I didn't connect to Elle as much as I would have liked. I could see how her life became what it did but, I couldn't understand her reasonings for it. I couldn't imagine letting anyone dictated to me like that, hence why I couldn't understand it but I did feel for her situation. It wasn't until Cole came into the picture that I really started to warm up to Elle. When she was with him, she was like a whole new person. She took risks and opened up. Their scenes together were always so intense and seriously steamy - mainly because of Cole. He's a guy that doesn't hold back and says what he wants, and that fact that he's smoking hot - literally makes the story all the more better. I have to give it to Nicole for being able to write some seriously hot boys! 

Overall, Up in Flames wasn't my favourite but it was still worth a read. If you haven't read any of Nicole's work before then I highly recommend you do. 

A Review for Lost & Found (Lost & Found #1) by Nicole Williams

Posted by Jess
Release Date: May 17th, 2013
Finished Date: June 14th, 2013

Publishers: Createspace
Source: Bought

Format: e-book
Pages: 358

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

There’s complicated. And there’s Rowen Sterling.

After numbing pain for the past five years with boys, alcohol, and all-around apathy, she finds herself on a Greyhound bus to nowhere Montana the summer after she graduates high school. Her mom agreed to front the bill to Rowen’s dream art school only if Rowen proves she can work hard and stay out of trouble at Willow Springs Ranch. Cooking breakfast at the crack of dawn for a couple dozen ranch hands and mucking out horse stalls are the last things in the world Rowen wants to spend her summer doing.

Until Jesse Walker saunters into her life wearing a pair of painted-on jeans, a cowboy hat, and a grin that makes something in her chest she’d thought was frozen go boom-boom. Jesse’s like no one else, and certainly nothing like her. He’s the bright and shiny to her dark and jaded.

Rowen knows there’s no happily-ever-after for the golden boy and the rebel girl—happily-right-now is a stretch—so she tries to forget and ignore the boy who makes her feel things she’s not sure she’s ready to feel. But the more she pushes him away, the closer he seems to get. The more she convinces herself she doesn’t care, the harder she falls.

When her dark secrets refuse to stay locked behind the walls she’s kept up for years, Rowen realizes it’s not just everyone else she needs to be honest with. It’s herself.

The Review: “We all want to open up to someone, Rowen. The hard part is finding someone we trust enough to open up to. That person we’re not afraid to let into the darkest parts of our world.”- Jessie Walker

 This was my first Nicole Williams book, and I'm really glad that I started with this. 

Like I say in most of my NA reviews, there isn't a lot you can do in the story that hasn't already been done, but that's ok, because it worked. I started this and pretty much finished it in one go, it helped that I was on holiday at the time! 

I really NA books and I'll read pretty much all whether the story has been done or not. Lost and Found was a great little story, Rowen was hurt and damaged and she goes to work on a farm where she meets  Jessie Walker (swoon). I loved their relationship, it seemed it was an attraction from the moment they looked at each other but no insta-love! Although Rowen was a damaged person she was so strong and she just kept going and didn't take any crap from anyone. 

Nicole Williams is a really good writer and her characters and atmosphere really come through the pages and it really feels like you are right there, experiencing everything that they are. Lost and Found is a story of accepting yourself for you are, embracing the new, and throwing out the old, finding love in the unexpected places and generally just....finding yourself after feeling so lost.

Overall a very good story, with a great set of characters. Lost and Found will leave you wanting more (and thankfully there is a sequel!). If you're looking for something new, or just simply want to try something by Nicole Williams, then most definitely give Lost and Found a try, you won't regret it. I highly recommend it.

Note: This book contains adult themes and some sexual content. Suitable only for persons 17+

“Why don’t you want to know that I like you, Rowen? Why don’t you want me to tell you I’m so damn attracted to you, I almost don’t trust myself to be alone with you like we are right now? Why don’t you want to know that I care about you so much…?” -Jessie Walker

A Review for Clash (Crash #2) by Nicole Williams

Posted by Donna
Release Date: June 6th, 2013
Finished Date: May 29th, 2013

Publishers: Simon & Schuster UK
Source: For Review 

Format: Paperback
Pages: 288

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love might be the thing that just isn't enough. The only easy thing about Jude and Lucy's relationship is their love for one another. Everything else is hard. Especially when it comes to reining in Jude's trigger touch temper and Lucy's increasing jealousy of the female attention that Jude attracts. Feeling the stress of trying to hang on to her quintessential bad boy while becoming the foremost dancer in her class, Lucy knows something's going to break. She wants both. She needs both. But if she doesn't make a choice, she risks losing everything. Full of passion, steamy scenes and hot romance, CLASH is a must for fans of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER and PERFECT CHEMISTRY.

The Review: “I can forgive a man’s past faults, his present shortcomings, and his future failures if every minute of every day he loves me like it’s his religion.”

After finishing Crash I immediately picked up the sequel Clash because I had to know what was next in store for Lucy and Jude, and let me tell you, this loveable couple do not have an easier ride this time around.

A few months have passed since the events in Crash and Lucy and Jude are happily together, however living five hours away from each other isn't easy, but they're doing the best they can. They try and spend every minute together but Lucy is starting to feel jealous over the attention that Jude gets for being his college's star quarter back. So what's a girl to do when another girl wants her man? She fights for him, but does Lucy really need to fight for Jude? 

I really enjoyed Clash and I definitely wasn't expecting it to be as emotional as it was, so that was a big surprise. While the story wasn't exactly unique, (I've read several stories similar), it's the characters that make this series stand out so much. Simply put, I love Jude and Lucy. They're a fantastic couple, whether they're happy or sad and it's great to see them have normal relationship struggles like most couples nowadays. It makes their story very realistic. 

I really enjoyed seeing both characters in college, whereas the first book, Crush was based in High School. You could see how much they'd matured and it was enjoyable reading them experience things they'd never done before. My heart was literally breaking in part - the hospital/airport scene. Gosh, took about a moment. It was definitely one to have the tissues ready. 

And the ending was another emotional but massively exciting part of the story, it was beautiful and so very raw and real. I loved it! 

“I’ll always be here, Luce. I’m yours,” he breathed, squeezing my hands, “forever.”

In all, Nicole William Crash series is a welcomed addition to the New Adult market and I'm so very excited to read the third and final instalment, Crush. 

A Review for Crash (Crash #1) by Nicole Williams

Posted by Donna
Release Date: June 6th, 2013
Finished Date: May 28th, 2013

Publishers: Simon & Schuster UK
Source: For Review 

Format: Paperback 
Pages: 365

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Southpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with trouble. He's got a rap sheet that runs longer than a senior thesis, has had his name sighed, shouted, and cursed by more women than Lucy dares to ask, and lives at the local boys home where disturbed seems to be the status quo for the residents. Lucy had a stable at best, quirky at worst, upbringing. She lives for wearing the satin down on her ballet shoes, has her sights set on Juilliard, and has been careful to keep trouble out of her life. Up until now. 

Jude's everything she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. Staying away, she's about to find out, is the only thing she's incapable of. 

For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love's about to become the thing that tears them apart.

The Review: “The name’s Jude Ryder, since I know you’re all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and I don’t do girlfriends, relationships, flowers or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special.” 

Crash was just the type of book I needed to get me out of my reading rut. I wasn't actually planning on reading this series yet, because I wanted to wait until the third and final book was released so I could read them all together, but, curiosity got the best of me and, honestly, I'm glad I did.

Crash was exactly the type of story I was hoping for, one full of misunderstandings, swoon-worthy scenes and characters that were easy to fall in love with. I haven't enjoyed a book like this in what feels like FOREVER, and with Nicole Williams writing style really reminding me of  Simone Elkeles work, well then, that was always going to be a win in my book.

The story starts off immediately within the first few chapters and I loved that Nicole didn't drag the start out. I needed something to drag me in straight away and she did that so well. Lucy and Jude have such an entertaining 'meeting' that you can't help fall in love with them straight away - especially Jude. ;) The story also really managed to set so many emotions off for me because each scene is written so beautifully and packed with a punch. The connection between the characters literally leaves you breathless! 

Jude is the town's bad boy, always getting in trouble, being arrested and has the worst reputation around, were as, Lucy is the new girl and is immediately labelled the school slut because of her connection with Jude. What I loved was how protective Jude was over Lucy. Petty much from day one, he protected her - even though Lucy didn't need it because she's such a strong character that stands up for herself, but Jude wants to protect her because she's the most important thing in his life. I loved that. Even despite all their misunderstanding, you can see what a good thing they have. Lucy helps Jude believe in himself and gives him the love that no-one has ever done before. He literally doesn't have any faith in himself as you can see from the quote below;

“If I ever mess things up again, whether it’s a misunderstanding, or shit luck, or I just do what I was created to do and screw everything up,” he paused, exhaling, “I want you to promise me you’ll leave. Drop me like a bad habit and don’t look back because god knows, it can’t be me that walks away since I’m incapable of it.” 

What I also enjoyed about the story was that Nicole threw in a few curve balls into the story, that I honestly didn't see coming. The story is just full of excitement and spine-tingly moments that it's hard not to love. However my only teeny tiny complaint is,  I did feel this story was more YA rather than NA but still, it's a fantastic read nonetheless.

So in all, Nicole Williams has won me over with Crash and I'm so excited to read more of Lucy and Jude's story in Clash.