Saturday, June 8, 2013

Live For You (Boys Of The South #1) by Marquita Valentine {Review}


Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: May 17th 2013
Author: Marquita Valentine
Format: PDF given by author for review



On the surface, twenty-two year old Cole Morgan is exactly what any girl would be proud to take home to meet her parents: He’s charming, intensely handsome and goal-oriented...Only he has some secrets of his own, which include provoking bar fights and a former drug-addict of a mother slowly wasting away in a medical facility. At barely twenty, Violet Lynn is Country Music's hottest star, until one night of partying gets out of control. Violet ends up in jail and on TMZ. Suddenly, she’s the girl least likely to be invited anywhere. Sick of the drama and keeping secrets, she runs away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi to her grandmother’s home in Forrestville, North Carolina. A chance meeting knocks Cole off his feet, but he doesn’t recognize Violet for who she is. In fact no one does and Violet plans to keep it that way. Circumstances, however annoying, keep throwing Violet and Cole together. Unable to stop themselves they give into the inevitable. But when Nashville is ready to forgive and forget, Violet is forced to choose between Cole and claiming her spot as the new and improved Princess of Country Music. Will Violet and Cole have the courage to live for their dreams...Or their hearts?



My Take:
Live For You was a really good book about overcoming life's obstacles, finding love and learning to forgive yourself when you make mistakes. Following two different people dealing with completely different issues but ultimately finding comfort in each other, both Violet and Cole's romance was a beautiful mess. Lately I have been reading books about musicians that are guys but this one was about a girl musician, and I loved that about this book!

Violet being a once sought after Nashville starlet who has fallen from grace and is currently hiding out with her grandmother, was a complex character. When we first meet her she is obviously dealing with something painful that has caused her to run away from the spotlight while she deals with it. As the story unfolds you get several glimpses, be it a dream or a memory, that sheds light on the car accident that left her with scars in abundance. I loved how vulnerable Violet was in this book. She was broken and hurting in a way that every woman can relate to. She was also strong and resilient, she didn't just lay down and give up and she still maintained her spunk despite the circumstances. Being in the public eye can't be easy especially when you are being judged constantly and watching what she had been through broke my heart for her. I really enjoyed watching her heal and come to grips with her mistakes as the story progressed, especially when she met Cole. Their first meeting may have been attraction at first sight but she puts her foot in her mouth which causes Cole to become an ass of sorts. I hated what her stupid ex did to her and wanted so badly for something good to happen for her.

Speaking of Cole's ass, Oh wait... I haven't gotten to that part yet! Anyway, Cole was a great character, he was cocky, arrogant and a little intense but under all that he had a serious heart of gold. Having to take care of his younger sister Kelly, Cole has never really had the chance to live his own life. His mother is a deadbeat junkie and his younger brother Parker tries to help out but is starting to spread his own wings. All he can do is run the bar, that is his only means of support for his family and try to find some comfort from the loneliness with an old friend. From the first sentence uttered in this book I knew Cole would be an interesting character to read about.

"Lately, my life has become one endless loop of sameness."  

His character was also wounded in a way that tugged at my heart. Watching him suffer being mistreated by his mother was heartbreaking for me. When his father, who is pretty big in Nashville also, leaves his mother to be with someone else, Cole's mother blames him and therefore shuns him for most of his life, leaving deep scars within him. Falling in love with Cole was not difficult at all. Watching him take care of his sister was so sweet and even though his mother was a total bitch he still cared for her. Any time a tough, cocky, 'Nothing Can Touch Me' kind of guy cries in a book, I lose my shit. 

When Cole and Violet meet the attraction between them is mutual but because of Violet's goof up with his sister, Cole tries to  push her away by being a jerk but not before dropping his towel and showing his ass. Literally! That lasts about as long as a stick of Juicy Fruit and when they give in to their attraction, it's pretty damn hot. For me it was really nice to see them together after all they have been through. The heat between them only intensified as they progressed in their relationship. Cole has never really been the relationship kind of guy and Violet has been hurt by a previous lover so she is trying not to fall for Cole. He was so good to her when she would pull away, he tried to be understanding and give her the space she needed. I loved how amazing he was when she finally confided in him why she has fled her previous life. He was patient and understanding and made sure she knew he didn't want her because of her fame or who she was, he wanted in spite of all that. I always enjoy reading a steamy sex scene from a guy's POV because being a woman it's interesting to see what they think and feel. I think that is what made the steamy scenes more intense and hot was seeing them from Cole's eyes also. I hated how bad he felt about himself, feeling like he wasn't good enough for Violet but watching her fight for him was really heartwarming. 

The only thing that wasn't clear to me were the circumstances surrounding her accident. At times there seemed to be cryptic moments that led me to believe maybe she was set up. It may just be the closet suspense freak in me that made me feel that way about it. I'm not sure but maybe in the next book there might be more info regarding it. Being the first in a series Live For You came out of the gate packing sweet romance, intense emotional moments and some hot and steamy sex that will tug at your heartstrings and moisten your panties, bloomers, pantaloons or if you're just a damn freak Commando! I enjoyed this book and loved the way the author chose to wrap it up. Cole and Violet were one of those couples you couldn't help but love and want more from and thankfully the author isn't done with them. If book two is just as hot, romantic and intense as this one then I think we are all in for a treat!


Quotes:

 Need builds up inside of me like a soda filled with Mentos, she’s the agitator and I’m ready to pop. PDF pg 28

Hard abs, lean body and damn tattoos. His shorts ride low on his hips, exposing those indentions in the sides that make smart girls stupid—or so I read on Pinterest. PDF Page 51

She’d tasted so fucking good. Her breasts fit in my palms so perfectly. Nipples just the right size for sucking and biting. That scar on her stomach I had to kiss, to let her know that I didn’t find it repulsive, that it was the mark of a survivor. And her thighs, the scent of her arousal and her soaking wet shorts. I’d done that to her. I grow hard again as those precious few minutes re-play in my mind. Tonight will be yet another cold shower.  PDF pg 88



I silently pray. But of course no one’s listening. Especially Him. God, if he exists, left my family a long time ago. PDF pg 90



“This isn’t a one night stand for me. I’m not sure how you’re used to being treated, but I can imagine some guys probably dated you because of who you are. I don’t care who you are.” 
She frowns and I quickly add, “I mean, I care who you are, but who you are to everyone else? Not important to me. You’re just Rae, this really hot girl that I met at the Piggly Wiggly at the ass crack of dawn.”  PDF pg 114



About The Author:

New York Times Bestselling Author, MARQUITA VALENTINE, writes small town romances that are anything but small. She met her husband aka Hot Builder at Sonic when they were in high school. She suggests this location to all of her single friends in search of a good man -- and if that doesn't work, they can console themselves with cheesy tatertots. She lives in North Carolina in a very, very small town with Hot Builder and their two children.

Links:
GOODREADS



Live For You is only .99 cents at these retailers!!





2 comments:

  1. Ha! I love that you included the Pinterest quote! This review was just fabulous. I'm happy you liked Live For You, too. Can't wait for more!

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