Ex Factor
by Elisa Dane
Release Date:
04/22/14
Summary from
Goodreads:
Nevaeh Evan’s life is uprooted after her father’s death, when she moves
in with her aunt and cousin, Livvie. Her plan to lay low at her new high school
isn’t working. Her friend’s jerky boyfriend keeps asking her out, the guy she
likes treats her like garbage, and the thought of tumbling again makes her want
to hurl.
So when her aunt pushes her into joining the elite X-FACTOR cheer leading squad, Navaeh goes along with it.
But Nev feels she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Not after what happened the night her father died.
Bodie Scott knows about grief all too well. Critically injured in an alcohol related accident the year before, Bodie struggles with the fact that he’ll never play football again, and he’s so far behind in credits he can’t see straight. That is, until he meets Nev. Haunted by their bloody pasts and wary of a shared future, Nev and Bodie turn to one another for comfort and support, and realize they’re not so alone after all. And when the party scene at school threatens the life of a loved one, the two stop at nothing to keep the past from repeating itself.
So when her aunt pushes her into joining the elite X-FACTOR cheer leading squad, Navaeh goes along with it.
But Nev feels she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Not after what happened the night her father died.
Bodie Scott knows about grief all too well. Critically injured in an alcohol related accident the year before, Bodie struggles with the fact that he’ll never play football again, and he’s so far behind in credits he can’t see straight. That is, until he meets Nev. Haunted by their bloody pasts and wary of a shared future, Nev and Bodie turn to one another for comfort and support, and realize they’re not so alone after all. And when the party scene at school threatens the life of a loved one, the two stop at nothing to keep the past from repeating itself.
Unbreakable
by Elisa Dane
Release Date:
06/10/14
Summary from
Goodreads:
Perception is everything to sixteen-year-old
Olivia Brown. With her freakishly hot boyfriend, volunteer work at the local
animal shelter, successful beauty channel on YouTube, and well-earned spot on X
Factor Cheer's elite level five Diamond Girl team, Livvie's the girl every
other girl wants to be. At least, that's the illusion she's aiming for.
But Livvie's seemingly perfect life is anything but. Lying about the bruises her boyfriend gives her, and cowering beneath his raging temper becomes a regular way of life until she unwittingly witnesses her drunken neighbor beating his step-son, the town bad boy, Reid Tate.
For Reid, vulnerability is the enemy. Opening up, and letting people in gives them the power to disappoint. Growing up with a co-dependent mother and an abusive alcoholic father, Reid has endured all the disappointment he can stomach.
But when his pretty, do-good neighbor witnesses his step-dad beat him to within an inch of his life, and not only call the cops, but keeps quiet at school about what she saw, Reid wonders if maybe, just maybe, he's found someone he can finally trust.
But Livvie's seemingly perfect life is anything but. Lying about the bruises her boyfriend gives her, and cowering beneath his raging temper becomes a regular way of life until she unwittingly witnesses her drunken neighbor beating his step-son, the town bad boy, Reid Tate.
For Reid, vulnerability is the enemy. Opening up, and letting people in gives them the power to disappoint. Growing up with a co-dependent mother and an abusive alcoholic father, Reid has endured all the disappointment he can stomach.
But when his pretty, do-good neighbor witnesses his step-dad beat him to within an inch of his life, and not only call the cops, but keeps quiet at school about what she saw, Reid wonders if maybe, just maybe, he's found someone he can finally trust.
Review: Let me start by saying, these books were right up my alley. Before I read any of the stories, just from reading the synopsis for both books, I knew that I was going to absolutely love them. They have everything that I look for in good contemporary novels. Female characters that you can't help but love, hot guys (though sometimes there are SERIOUS problems with them), adorable romances, strong relationships, and deeper life struggles. Both of these books by Elisa Dane had all of these elements, and I could not help but to rate them both five stars.
The first book in the series is Ex-Factor; however, one of the things I love about these books is that you can read them out of order as a standalone. While some of the characters interact and are related, you do not have to read them in order to understand what is happening in the book. I really liked Nevaeh, though it is clear that she has gone through so much. I like the addition of the cheerleading as well, as it has obviously been a pretty big part of her life up until the point of the book. Enter Bodie, who is a great character as well, struggling through his own issues. I really love the interactions between the two, and how they are trying to help each other through life. It was just wonderful, and I really enjoyed it.
Unbreakable is the second book in the series, though like I said you can really read them in any order and be perfectly fine. This one centers around Olivia, or Livvie, who happens to be Nev's cousin. Livvie is the girl at school that everyone thinks is perfect and has a perfect life; the one who everyone is jealous of. However, she has been hiding a pretty big secret about her "perfect" boyfriend, and her life is not perfect or easy at all. Then she witnesses something next door, her neighbor, Reid, being beat up by his drunk father. Because she does not call the police or say anything about it, Reid actually begins to trust Livvie. I loved that their romance was not instant, as obviously they would both have trust issues because of what they have been through. I really loved the interaction as well.
I would certainly recommend these books to any contemporary fans. I would actually suggest any YA fans check them out, in fact. I do think that just about anyone could enjoy these books as Dane's writing is very well done. The books cover some topics that are very important for anyone to read and learn from. I really enjoyed this series, and I hope that Dane will continue with it.
The first book in the series is Ex-Factor; however, one of the things I love about these books is that you can read them out of order as a standalone. While some of the characters interact and are related, you do not have to read them in order to understand what is happening in the book. I really liked Nevaeh, though it is clear that she has gone through so much. I like the addition of the cheerleading as well, as it has obviously been a pretty big part of her life up until the point of the book. Enter Bodie, who is a great character as well, struggling through his own issues. I really love the interactions between the two, and how they are trying to help each other through life. It was just wonderful, and I really enjoyed it.
Unbreakable is the second book in the series, though like I said you can really read them in any order and be perfectly fine. This one centers around Olivia, or Livvie, who happens to be Nev's cousin. Livvie is the girl at school that everyone thinks is perfect and has a perfect life; the one who everyone is jealous of. However, she has been hiding a pretty big secret about her "perfect" boyfriend, and her life is not perfect or easy at all. Then she witnesses something next door, her neighbor, Reid, being beat up by his drunk father. Because she does not call the police or say anything about it, Reid actually begins to trust Livvie. I loved that their romance was not instant, as obviously they would both have trust issues because of what they have been through. I really loved the interaction as well.
I would certainly recommend these books to any contemporary fans. I would actually suggest any YA fans check them out, in fact. I do think that just about anyone could enjoy these books as Dane's writing is very well done. The books cover some topics that are very important for anyone to read and learn from. I really enjoyed this series, and I hope that Dane will continue with it.
Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
About
the Author
I'm a
lover of books (YA & Adult romance), chocolate, reality television, and am
a proud mother to three All Star cheerleaders. Woot!
I write Contemporary YA romance with cheerleaders. Yep. I write what I know, and it's my hope that my stories will not only take you on a romantic journey that will warm your heart, but that you'll find a new respect and interest in the sport of Cheerleading you may not have had before.
I write Contemporary YA romance with cheerleaders. Yep. I write what I know, and it's my hope that my stories will not only take you on a romantic journey that will warm your heart, but that you'll find a new respect and interest in the sport of Cheerleading you may not have had before.
Author
Links:
PUBLISHER LINKS
www.myswoonromance.com
@swoonromance
Facebook.com/SwoonRomance
***GIVEAWAY***
1 ebook of Ex-Factor & $10 Amazon gift card (INT)
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