Saturday 13 July 2013

Choices by Sydney Lane Blog Tour - Review and Giveaway





© Janeane ✰  ARC received for honest review

 

Blurb:

Fate brought her here, but will her choices destroy her dreams?

Quincy Priest made all the right choices in her small town, black-and-white life. But being perfect is tiring. So. Very. Tiring. 

Wanting desperately to step out of her sister's shadow, Quincy jumps at the opportunity to attend college with her best friend. The quiet bookworm with family secrets comes out of her shell. But when Quincy meets not one, but two perfect guys, she has to make a choice. In doing so, she might forfeit the relationship she secretly longed to find. 

Declan. Sweet, handsome, and perfect. He makes her feel cherished for the first time in her life.

Brody. Sexy, hot, and irresistible. He could tear down her carefully built walls.

Before she can become the woman she wants to be, Quincy will make mistakes. And suffer one unimaginable loss.

  Excerpt:

“I could stay here forever if you always looked at me just like that.” I don’t understand what he means, but I can’t take my eyes off him. “Everything.” His voice deepens while he looks into my eyes. “I like everything about you, Quince. I like the way those little wisps of hair frame your face. I love your eyes, so deep I get lost i...n them. Those lips I can’t resist. But I like you, Quince. The first time I saw you, I was drawn to you. I knew right then that you would turn my world upside down. It scared the hell out of me, but I knew I’d follow you anywhere.” He just made me feel beautiful, really beautiful, for the first time in my life.
There are no words for that. Instead, I wrap my arms around his neck and roughly kiss him. I twist my fingers in his hair and wonder why I haven’t done that before. Besides his eyes, his hair is the sexiest thing about him. But it’s what he hides on the inside that I so desperately want to see.
 
What I thought:

This is Sydney Lane's first book, and what a great little book it is.  

Quincy leaves home to head to college with her best friends.  Things at home have not been the greatest, an ill sister and parents trying to cope.  Getting away is just what she  needs. 

She has never been one to date much in high school, and hopes that she might meet  someone at college.  She never thought she would meet two!  Now she must choose between two friends, brothers.

Declan - the gorgeous, sweet guy who is everything she ever though she wanted
Brody - the sexy, charming womaniser who is everything she needs.

Choices had a bit of a feel of the Kellan/Kiera/Denny (Thoughtless series) or Beau/Ashton/Sawyer (The Vincent Boys/Brothers) about it.  There is nothing wrong with this, as I loved both those series, it just felt a little familiar. 

I thought that Sydney covered the issues of mental health very well.  I myself have suffered from depression, and it seems that so many writers miss the mark when they are writing about depression/anxiety/bipolar disorders, but did not feel that way with Choices.

I have read quite a few books from first time writers, and I felt that Choices was just a step above a lot of them.  It was well written, the emotions came across well, and was an all round enjoyable read.

I look forward to reading more of Sydney's works!

4.5 stars

Author Bio:


Sydney Lane lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and children. Growing up in Smalltown, USA, Sydney dreamed of being a writer. After spending an obscene amount of money to go to college, Sydney finally decided to follow her heart. With her babies in bed and husband neglected, she worked by the light of her laptop and wrote Choices. Sydney is very active in charity work for anti-bullying and depression awareness groups.



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**If you are feeling depressed/anxious beyond what you normally do, please please please seek help.  It is amazing how much difference even an anonymous voice on the end of a phone line can make.  And remember, you are not alone**