Review: How It Rolls by Lila Felix

Series: Love and Skate

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Lila Felix

Format: eARC submitted for review by Author

Release Date: February 10th, 2013

Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Despite the odds, Reed Wolfe is making it, by the skin of her teeth. Her dreams and aspirations will have to wait until she can get on her feet. Because right now she’s homeless and churning on a downward spiral. 

Falcon Black is existing. Not living, not thriving, just jutting along a path. But when he finds Reed, he can’t resist the urge to help her, lighten her load. But Falcon tends to go overboard, over the line, crossing boundaries he never thought he would and risking her trust in the process. 

Can she accept his love or will it end up smothering her?

Lately I have been feeling like the market for young adult books is starting to be edged out by the New Adult genre. It seems like YA books are becoming obsolete as people start to ditch the sweet romance for more edgy and mature subject matter. I don't know if it is just me but it makes me sad to think nobody wants a good clean, sweet YA story. Now don't get me wrong, I loves me some edgy, mature reads just as much as the next person, it just seems like people are not satisfied with YA anymore. I have noticed a lot of comments on Amazon and Goodreads regarding YA books being too saccharine and too sugary in their delivery. Well duh! It's YA for crying out loud. You don't really want to market gritty sexual dramas towards 10 and 12 year olds do you? Where am I going with this mini rant you ask? My point is that Lila Felix delivers good clean YOUNG ADULT fiction with heart and a believable story line. As is the case with How It Rolls. It's about a young girl who lost her parents at a young age (which happens) and after getting tossed around to different foster homes decides to rough it on her own and live in her car. I am sure this subject alone happens more than we know due to the fact that the system churns out 18 year olds with a final check and a "Have A Nice Life". So Reed lives in her car trying to find work to be able to eat and save her money to get a place of her own. She gets a job at the bookstore Nellie runs. (If you don't know who Nellie is I highly recommend getting Love and Skate) Once she starts working there she meets Falcon Black. UGH! If ever there was a time I wish I was younger it was while reading this book. Falcon is probably the best book boyfriend EVER! He's not just some tattooed hunk of beef cake with a Mohawk, but he has a huge heart that he wears on his sleeve, especially for the woman he loves. He gives of himself until he ends up smothering the very person he is trying to help and because of that and his past he has issues dealing with this new relationship he ends up in with Reed. Reed is so self conscious about being homeless that she can hardly function right also, I swear it was like watching new colts learn to walk at times. Don't get me wrong, it was adorable and endearing to watch, it was just cringe worthy sometimes because they just couldn't get the signals right. Lila steps up the drama and romance in this book a little more than we are used to when a favorite couple hits a rough patch and Reed starts to stay over at Falcon's apartment and they get a little grabby. Now relax before you panic, it is YA and she doesn't cross the line but you get really sweet, kinda steamy scenes between Falcon and Reed. One of the sweetest moments is during a family dinner when Falcon brings Reed to meet his family and we get a glimpse of Nellie and Owen while everyone is bantering about a certain event going on *wink wink* So much goodness in this book trust me! Anyway Reed starts to second guess her relationship with Falcon in that she didn't have a family like his and feels like he deserves better than her because she is homeless. She tries to give Falcon up thinking he would be better off but thankfully Nellie talks some sense into her before she makes too big of a mistake. Meanwhile Falcon finds out she is homeless and does something sneaky to ensure she never has to sleep in her car again, only he has to make sure she doesn't find out because he knows her pride gets in the way of her taking any help. When he takes it upon himself to find her long lost aunt so she can find out why the woman never took her in, Reed is upset feeling like Falcon is trying to push her off on someone else like everyone has always done to her. Talk about frustrating! These two characters took me to the limits of my sanity more than once and I wanted to yell at them. I think they went through hell and back several times in 300 pages! This is my favorite book of Lila's so far which is tough because Emerge held the spot until Falcon came on the scene and swept me and Reed off our feet! He is so charming and amazing you just can't help but love him. Reed was stubborn yet fierce in her determination to survive which I admired tremendously. It was so nice to watch her slowly start to realize that asking for help isn't so bad after all, when it's the right people offering. I really loved being able to see all the supporting characters including my favorites from Love and Skate, Nellie and Owen. Everyone gets brought to the front of the story in some way during this book. Reed and Falcon are such a great couple to root for throughout the entire book you will find yourself pulling for these two to make things work out. There are so many things to love about this book especially the chapter headers from each character. They are funny and give you an inside look at the personalities of both Reed and Falcon. With every book Lila becomes a stronger writer and her characters become more engaging with every story and I can't wait to see what's next from her!

(Quotes taken from eARC and may have changed upon it's release)

“Oh my God, yes Falcon, I was checking you out. Did you see the drool running down my chin? I mean, I literally had to restrain myself from tearing all of my clothes off and taking you right there in the inventory room.” She doubled over in laughter, now holding onto my arm for balance.  eARC Page 68

                        Falcon: Glad we’re on the same page. 

                          Me: What page would that be? 

                      Falcon: The first page of our story. eARC Page 85

“Trying to lock this moment in, for when I’m old and gray.” He made his way up my neck and after reaching my ears whispered, “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll remind you of this moment. I’ll remind you of the way you always smell like apples and how when you kiss me my entire body comes alive.”  eARC Page 186

I needed her to see, to feel how much I loved her one more time before she would leave me, possibly forever. I had to feel her beneath me, hear her moan my name, inhale the scent of her hair, her skin, make her understand. eARC Page 238