Book Tour Review; Let Me Be The One by Bella Andre

Author: Bella Andre
Publisher: Oak Press
Published: August 28th 2012
Pages: 227
Format:E-Book
Source:: Complimentary Copy from Author
Add It: Goodreads, Amazon UK, Amazon US

Summary:

There’s a Need

At the end of last year, I decided to host my own reading challenge here at this blog called “Genre Variety Challenge”, with the idea to read a higher variety of genres then I would normally. Reading Let Me Be The One fell into this challenge for me as I would normally avoid contemporary romance/chick lits – usually with a rather condescending look on my face – because I just never thought that I would enjoy them. Personally, I like there to be other things going on than just two people falling in love, and even then I am incredibly picky about the kind of love I like to see in books. So, it is with great relief, and a large kick to my own behind, that I admit to you all that I loved Let Me Be The One. This book has, quite simply, opened up the entire genre for me and I cannot wait to read more contemporary romances – but I’ll start by finishing The Sullivans’ series!

To Live

Let Me Be The One follows Vicky, a sculptor to San Francisco after her divorce from her husband, and Ryan, a pro-baseball player who has always hated that Vicky slipped through his fingers when they were in highschool. When Vicky needs help getting out of a sticky situation, it is Ryan she texts because she knows that he will help her no matter what. I loved the way this played out throughout the novel. I loved learning more about Vicky and Ryan, their relationship between each other and their lives apart from each other. I could feel their emotions, could understand their feelings, and wanted to shout at them both to see what was right in front of them. The plot wasn’t just about the pair falling in love, but about learning to balance life and get the best that we can from it, and from really listening to our hearts when we’re facing the biggest challenges of our lives.

Our Lives

It would be impossible to continue this review without mentioning that I absolutely adored Vicky. I loved her story, and her background, her journey, and her personality. She was a strong woman who had, had a bad time of it in her life. She’d been used by men, her power decreasing year after year and while this could make many women become shells, it gave her a reason to fight and she definitely came out stronger from it. She’s also so genuine, caring, and sweet, and I just found her to be a charm to read about. I did, at times, have a few issues with her – but that is a lot to do with the little feminist in me. Ryan was another character that I found myself falling in love with. He was protective, caring, genuine, and so conflicted with his emotions and how to deal with everything going on about him. He was such a family man, a loving guy, and just so brilliant with strangers. He had a bit of a temper but in a lot of the situations, I totally understand, it was simply his protective nature coming out to play.

All of the sideline characters were all really great to read about as well, and it was easy to see that Bella has truly managed to get inside their heads. She has created characters which seem so realistic; you could imagine meeting them on the street. Even the horrid characters were extremely well written and you could, kind of, understand why they acted the way they did. But aside from that, it was her depiction of The Sullivan’s that was the final draw for me. Coming from a big family myself, I’ve always loved stories that centre around a large family that is full of dynamic and interesting characteristics. Just from this one book, I am certain that I will truly enjoy the rest of the books in this series. (Mostly I just want some more Sullivan’s!)

With a Sense

The very first thing I noticed about this book was how easy it was to read. I was instantly swayed by the writing style that told you everything you needed to know, let you feel the emotions of the characters, and really let you get inside of their heads. Bella has really got a natural talent for writing that I am pretty envious of, to be fair. I also really enjoyed the dual POV of this book. Being able to see how Vicky felt and thought about things was brilliant, but then having it switch and being able to understand and see how Ryan thought and felt was truly spectacular. It gave you a full 360 view of things without feeling repetitive or boring like it could have done. Bella has really managed to write in a way that makes the reader simply devour the words on the page while leaving the real world behind. In a matter of moments, it is truly possible to forget that you’re sitting on your sofa as it feels like you’re standing in a sculpting studio.

Of Purpose

If someone had told me years ago that I would pick up a book like this and adore every moment of it, I would have scoffed and told them I’d leave that book for my mum to read, but now I am so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried this book. It was a lot better than I was expecting, has opened up my eyes to a whole new genre, and is a story that had my heart beating faster – I wanted them to get together so much. This was an enjoyable and highly entertaining novel that I would easily recommend to others – even those who have long been opposed to these types of novels! I am incredibly glad to have given this book a chance and now cannot wait to read the other novels in this series. It is clear that Bella Andre deserves her New York Times Bestseller status.

** I received this copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. **

Faye

The Sullivans are on tour with Novel Publicity. Follow along for your chance to win amazing prizes. We’ve got special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards. WOW!

You’ll also get introduced to this amazing contemporary romance series via excerpts as well as interviews with and guest posts from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Bella Andre. You’ll definitely want to learn more about the family that has captured the world’s heart.

All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!

To Win the Prizes:

1. Purchase any of the Sullivan ebooks by Bella Andre for just $4.99 (optional)
2. Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity (go here)
3. Visit today’s featured social media event (that’s where the HUGE prizes are)

About The Sullivans: In this sexy, emotional and funny contemporary romance series, each member of the Sullivan family will eventually find true love…usually where he or she least expects it.

Get the eBooks via Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, the iBookStore, or the Kobo Store.

Audiobooks are also available for the first five in the series (with more coming soon). Plus, keep an eye out for paperback editions coming from Harlequin Romance starting Summer 2013.

About the Author: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started writing her first romance novel, she knew she’d found her perfect career. Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they’ll love forever, nearly all of her novels have appeared on Top 10 lists at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo.

Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into nine languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her “One of the top digital writers in America” and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She has given the keynote speech at Book Expo America on her self-publishing success and has sold more than one million books.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

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