What do you think?
Rate this book
The Back-Up List #1
The Back-Up List
The Back-Up List has only ever been a joke- that's it. Madison Grey has a celebrity crush list of possible replacement husbands ready with the off-chance her husband might inexplicably vanish. Clearly, Madison was not prepared for- A. her husband's untimely death and B. Calvin Hunt, rock god and top man on her Back-Up List to begin crushing on her. Talk about your cruel cosmic ironies. It has only been six months since her entire family was killed in a tragic accident and he's looking to her for a hook-up! Really? Calvin Hunt, rock icon, is living the dream of any womanizing man-whore- that is until he spots the first unavailable woman he's ever met. What the hell? Is she gay? He's busily seducing her with concert tickets and exotic getaways, all while he's touring. There are plenty of obstacles he'll have to overcome to be with her and he'll need all the help he can get from his stoic bodyguard, his nosy Oprah-channeling brother and even Madison's bizarrely quirky friends who are all fighting to cross his name off of Madison's Back-Up List.
334 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 2012
205 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 13, 2016
**ARC provided by the authors, Miriam Brady & Amber Best, in exchange for an honest review**
After losing her entire family in an accident, Madison (Maddy) Grey is broken. For six months, she is a shell of the happy, fun loving person she used to be. In an effort to pull their friend out of her depression (even if only for a short time), Maddy's friends take her to a concert of her favorite band, Murder of Crows, where Maddy catches the interest of the lead singer Calvin (Cal) Hunt. The moment Cal sees Maddy, he knows there is something different about her from the women he normally pursues so he invites her backstage after the concert in an attempt to get to know her better. Despite being told that Maddy is single but unavailable for a relationship, Cal pursues her anyway and does his best to convince her to take a chance on a relationship with him. Maddy's guilt over moving on after the tragic loss of her family and Cal's womanizing past are both HUGE obstacles they will need to overcome if they want to make a relationship work.
The ironic part of this entire situation is that Maddy and her friends created what they call a back-up list which means the following:
If the woman carrying this card has been recently made single, through the accidental death of her husband, untimely demise due to unforeseen natural causes (or deliberate murder) or has become single due to the fact that her husband was a cheating bastard who left her, then this is an emergency. A new husband must be procured for her promptly. A list of suitable candidates is provided on the other side.
The back-up list was created as a joke and none of the girls ever intended to date any of the guys on their lists. That is why is why it is so ironic that Maddy and Cal start a serious relationship because he was the #1 guy on her back-up list.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed reading about Maddy, Cal, and their relationship. I can't even imagine what I would do if I lost my entire family in the manner that Maddy did. I was a little surprised at just how emotional this book made me. There were several times that I had tears in my eyes and my heart was aching for Maddy and the others affected by the death of her family members. I thought she was a very strong person and I was really happy to see her have a second chance at happiness with her dream guy!
While Cal could be immature at times, I thought he was sweet, generous, understanding, and super supportive when it came to Maddy. Especially considering he didn't know that Maddy had recently lost both her husband and children.
I loved the friendship between Maddy & Kinley (her best friend). I loved the fact that the girls have been life long friends and that they were there for each other, through good times and bad. I loved the fact that they were completely honest with each other, even though the truth wasn't always pretty. I also LOVED the fact that the girls had an obsession with shopping and Coach handbags :)))
"You know us, we never just admire things-cash and credit, first born children and organ donations have all occurred when we go shopping."
Why Not 5 Stars?
I fully admit that a character can make or break a book for me. While I adored Maddy's character for the most part, her decisions in the last 50% of the book made me angry, frustrated, and I lost a lot of respect for her. I would like to point out that not everyone will have the same issue with the book so please don't let my mini rant discourage you from reading this novel. I just feel very strongly about situations like this in books
The epilogue was another aspect of this story that I am on the fence about. While it was definitely a twist I was not expecting and it sets up the story up for the next book, I found the situation a little far fetched and unbelievable. This is all I am going to say about the epilogue though as I don't want to spoil it for anyone else.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy emotional books about second chances, love, friendship, and rockstars =D
After losing her entire family in an accident, Madison (Maddy) Grey is broken. For six months, she is a shell of the happy, fun loving person she used to be. In an effort to pull their friend out of her depression (even if only for a short time), Maddy's friends take her to a concert of her favorite band, Murder of Crows, where Maddy catches the interest of the lead singer Calvin (Cal) Hunt. The moment Cal sees Maddy, he knows there is something different about her from the women he normally pursues so he invites her backstage after the concert in an attempt to get to know her better. Despite being told that Maddy is single but unavailable for a relationship, Cal pursues her anyway and does his best to convince her to take a chance on a relationship with him. Maddy's guilt over moving on after the tragic loss of her family and Cal's womanizing past are both HUGE obstacles they will need to overcome if they want to make a relationship work.
The ironic part of this entire situation is that Maddy and her friends created what they call a back-up list which means the following:
If the woman carrying this card has been recently made single, through the accidental death of her husband, untimely demise due to unforeseen natural causes (or deliberate murder) or has become single due to the fact that her husband was a cheating bastard who left her, then this is an emergency. A new husband must be procured for her promptly. A list of suitable candidates is provided on the other side.
The back-up list was created as a joke and none of the girls ever intended to date any of the guys on their lists. That is why is why it is so ironic that Maddy and Cal start a serious relationship because he was the #1 guy on her back-up list.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed reading about Maddy, Cal, and their relationship. I can't even imagine what I would do if I lost my entire family in the manner that Maddy did. I was a little surprised at just how emotional this book made me. There were several times that I had tears in my eyes and my heart was aching for Maddy and the others affected by the death of her family members. I thought she was a very strong person and I was really happy to see her have a second chance at happiness with her dream guy!
While Cal could be immature at times, I thought he was sweet, generous, understanding, and super supportive when it came to Maddy. Especially considering he didn't know that Maddy had recently lost both her husband and children.
I loved the friendship between Maddy & Kinley (her best friend). I loved the fact that the girls have been life long friends and that they were there for each other, through good times and bad. I loved the fact that they were completely honest with each other, even though the truth wasn't always pretty. I also LOVED the fact that the girls had an obsession with shopping and Coach handbags :)))
"You know us, we never just admire things-cash and credit, first born children and organ donations have all occurred when we go shopping."
Why Not 5 Stars?
I fully admit that a character can make or break a book for me. While I adored Maddy's character for the most part, her decisions in the last 50% of the book made me angry, frustrated, and I lost a lot of respect for her. I would like to point out that not everyone will have the same issue with the book so please don't let my mini rant discourage you from reading this novel. I just feel very strongly about situations like this in books
The epilogue was another aspect of this story that I am on the fence about. While it was definitely a twist I was not expecting and it sets up the story up for the next book, I found the situation a little far fetched and unbelievable. This is all I am going to say about the epilogue though as I don't want to spoil it for anyone else.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy emotional books about second chances, love, friendship, and rockstars =D
September 19, 2013
BR with Jo and Sammy!
Madison Grey lost her husband and 4 children in a tragic accident. She feels guilt over how things were left between her and her husband. They had an argument, they hadn't even kissed good-bye. Madison wanted some time to herself so she decided to stay at home and not go with her family. Now she carries around guilt over not being with them. Not being there when they died. Not dying when they did. She has isolated herself and is in a bit of a depression. Her friends are worried they may lose her since she isn't taking care of herself.
Madison's friends are worried about her. Her friend Kinley was close to Madison and her whole family, so she's also depressed over the loss of Madison's family. Depressed that she's slowly losing her best friend to the depression she keeps sinking deeper and deeper into. Kinley has children of her own that were best friends with Madison's children and they are feeling the loss of not only Madison's family, but also Madison as well because Madison has become so isolated. Kinley is going through issues of her own, but she is so worried about Madison's state of mind that she doesn't confide in her like they used to. Madison and Kinley are not like the carefree people they used to be when Madison's family was alive. It's eating at Kinley that there seems to be nothing she can do to get her best friend through this tragic time.
Madison has a hard time leaving the house. Everywhere she looks, there are happy families. It's a harsh reminder of what she's lost. She's isolating herself from her best friend Kinley's family because they were so close to her family that she fears what it will be like to be around them and fears it will just remind her of what she's lost. Madison also has a hard time being at home. Everywhere she looks, there is reminders of her husband and 4 children. The vehicles are reminders of them, as are all the other things that they owned. The kids' rooms and toys are reminders of her lost family as well. Her house is one big empty building, that just reminds her of what she lost without them there with her. She even gets glimpses of what used to be, of moments that stood out when her family was alive.
Finally, her friends have enough and try to take her out to a concert. It's Madison's favorite band "Murder of Crows". She catches the eye of Calvin Hunt, the lead singer of the band who is also the #1 person on her "Back Up List".
Madison and Kinley have, for years, had a "back-up list" which is a card that says:
If the woman carrying this card has been recently made single, through the accidental death of her husband, untimely demise due to unforeseen natural causes (or deliberate murder) or has become single due to the fact that her husband was a cheating bastard who left her, then this is an emergency. A new husband must be procured for her promptly. A list of suitable candidates is provided on the other side.
Never in Madison's life would she ever have predicted that she would lose her husband, then 6 months later meet the #1 person on her back-up list!
Calvin is a womanizer, and everyone knows it. Even with his past though, he can't get Madison out of his mind when they meet. He has to get to know her. He doesn't see any other women, doesn't want to be with other women after he's met Madison. Calvin is ready to settle down and he envies anyone who has a wife and children. It's hard for him to be around others who have the life like he so desperately wants for himself. Deep down, he knows Madison could be the one for him, but Madison is denying her feelings. Madison feels guilt over feeling so strongly for Calvin and doesn't know if it's appropriate that she's moved on so quickly from her deceased husband, so she denies her feelings for Calvin for as long as she can.
When Madison does spend time with Calvin, she makes Kinley come with her. She doesn't know what her deceased husband would think of her spending so much time with Calvin and she has such strong feelings that she makes Kinley go with thinking that will somehow help by not spending alone time with him. Calvin loves Madison's friends, he eventually considers Kinley to be like a family member, but he wants to spend time alone with Madison, getting to know her better. Eventually they end up spending time together and their relationship develops further.
After they are alone together, a life changing event happens. Something that Madison keeps from Calvin initially, but not for long. This has the potential to make his dreams come true and it has the potential to force Madison to accept things and move on with her life and not be stuck in the past when deep down, she knows her husband would never want that for her.
Fate has brought Madison and Calvin together, but will his womanizing past ruin what they have built for themselves, ruin what trust they have developed with each other, or will they make it though? Will Madison be able to move on with her life and accept the tragic things that happened with her husband and 4 children and accept that fate had reasons for her not being with them that day? Will she finally accept that her husband would never want her to be alone for the rest of her life? Will she realize this before it's too late and she's lost Calvin forever? How will this life changing event affect Madison's and Calvin's life? What's going on with Kinley that she's been hiding from Madison? Will Madison's mother-in-law Debbie be an issue when she finds out about Madison trying to move on with her life? Will Calvin and Madison be together at the end of the book? You'll have to read the book to find out the answers to the questions and so much more!
The other characters in the book were just as entertaining as Madison and Calvin. Kinley of course was great, but this book also had Madison's other friends Kate and Megan, as well as Calvin's family, which included his brother Rory who was very entertaining! There were times when even Kinley's daughters McKenna and Kennedy were absolutely adorable and were entertaining at times as well.
I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started this book, but it honestly exceeded every expectation I had! I loved this book and am so grateful to Amber and Miriam for allowing our blog to read this book and for giving us copies of the next 2 books in the series and I cannot wait to read them! This book is definitely going on my favorites list! I would highly recommend this book to everyone who wants a great love story that has some humor and some emotional moments as well!
Some of my favorite quotes from The Back-Up List
"You an obligation? Ha, I don't think so. You're more of a vision, something unearthly, a woman with etheral beauty, I can't even sleep without seeing you in my dreams. I want to do this, please allow me the pleasure of doing something for you?"
"Alright," she answered softly. "You really feel that way about me? I'm just your average ordinary woman," Madison replied.
"Then you are not seeing yourself clearly," he told her.
~~~~~~~~
There stood a man with a dozen sterling roses in a vase. "Are you Madison Grey?" he asked, with an odd little smirk/smile on his face. She nodded. "You are loved, that is all I have to say." He turned his head and called out behind him, "This is her!" He wiped his feet on the welcome mat, "May we come in?"
She moved aside, in a daze, "We?" He was followed by half a dozen more men and women each carrying roses, there were red, yellow, pink, white, green, blue, slightly red, redder still, white with pink tips, purple, a golden yellow, black and red, and more. Vases of roses came in like a parade and filled the dull emptiness of her townhouse.
Before he left, the main deliveryman handed her a card and asked her to sign for all the roses. There were enough to fill an entire store.
She looked around and moments later Kinley pulled up to her door.
Kinley smiled as she walked in. "When he does something, he really does it well," she muttered. "Ooh I love the sterling ones," she breathed in.
"I don't know what you told him but flowers arrived for my girls this morning, with gigantic teddy bears and chocolates." Tears welled up in her eyes, "Thank you."
"This is where normal people would hug," Madison pointed out.
Kinley laughed and hugged her. "Thanks Maddy."
"Did he send you flowers too?" Madison inquired.
"Yes."
Madison opened her card and read Cal's sweet words.
Maddy,
I hope this makes you smile, and surrounds you with beauty.
Know that you are adored, and that I am wishing you a wonderful day!
From the man who adores you!
Cal
~~~~~~~~
"Maddy," Kinley was following her, making a path through the roses, "he's in love with you, if ever anyone was in love with you," Madison didn't want to hear this.
"I know you're terrified of having your heart broken, and he's got the potential to do it. I know. But hear me out for a moment. He also has the potential to make you happy again. Don't you think he might be worth taking a chance on?"
~~~~~~~~
The girl either didn't recognize him, or she just treated him like he was part of the family. He watched her curiously, as Kinley came down the stairs, holding onto the oak railing. "Cal, it's so good to see you. What are you wearing?"
He pulled his hat off, and his wig, and his glasses and set them down on the coffee table. "It was fun. No one knew who I was." Yep, the girl had not recognized him. Her mouth was hanging open as she dropped what looked like a blob of mashed potatoes onto a plate.
"You're....you're...." He coloring was waning; she turned to her mother, and pointed, "He's....he's...."
"Yes McKenna, he is and it's not nice to point sweetie."
"Calvin Hunt is in my living room, sitting on my sofa...." McKenna gushed. "I'm going to die."
~~~~~~~~
"You must be Kennedy," he stated.
"Yes, are you Mom's friend Cal?" he nodded. Both little girls had little noses that turned up ever so slightly, and he had to admit they were beauties.
"Thank you for the bear. I asked Momma who sent it and she told me it was her friend Cal, so I named my bear Cal after you." Oh, yes, she was definitely going to break his heart. She sat down on the sofa at the other end, not too close to him, but not too far away either. "Thank you for the flowers and the chocolates." She smiled, and he melted. He could see aspects of their mother and father in both girls but they had taken different traits from each of them.
"You don't know who he is?" McKenna asked the little girl.
"He's Mom's friend Cal. Duh," Kennedy proclaimed. "She's a bit slow sometimes."
"He's the lead singer of Murder of Crows," McKenna told her with a somewhat exasperated tone.
"Really? Then do you know my Aunt Maddy? She's in love with you."
Kinley who had been silently watching everything began to cough and sputter. She choked, "Kennedy why don't you go clean your room?"
"It's clean," Kennedy grinned.
"Go jump on the trampoline." Kinley placed a plate on the table for him. "Cal, I know you must be starving, come over and eat." He walked over to the table, and though he was hungry, he was more interested in talking to little Kennedy.
"So, your aunt is in love with me? Did she tell you that?" He grinned while Kinley scowled.
"She didn't have to, she sings your songs all the time with my mom, and they are really silly together. They love you. And....I think you're on her back-up list." Kennedy smiled broadly.
"What's a back-up list?" he asked intrigued. "Is your mom in love with me too?" He looked up at Kinley, who was just staring at him with an indescribable expression.
"No, she loves the one named Rory," Kennedy answered matter-of-factly. Kinley just put her hands on her forehead in exasperation.
He gaped. "Your mom has a crush on my brother?"
"No," she stammered. "He's and you're....Kennedy, go our and play," Kinley said in a sterner voice.
~~~~~~~~
It was in that moment, that he realized he wanted to be with her for the rest of forever. He realized as her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep in his arms, that he loved her.
~~~~~~~~
Cal needed her. Living without her was something he did before, because he didn't know any better. Now, it was utterly painful to be away from her.
~~~~~~~~
She needed Cal like she needed the air to breathe. She was a fish, flopping on the ground, lost without oxygen, unable to see anything for what it really was. She needed oxygen to think clearly and oxygen was Cal. She didn't want to need him. What she wanted was to be independent and embrace it, but it was all a facade.
ARC provided to our Smexy Bookaholics blog by authors Miriam Brady & Amber Best in exchange for an honest review!
Madison Grey lost her husband and 4 children in a tragic accident. She feels guilt over how things were left between her and her husband. They had an argument, they hadn't even kissed good-bye. Madison wanted some time to herself so she decided to stay at home and not go with her family. Now she carries around guilt over not being with them. Not being there when they died. Not dying when they did. She has isolated herself and is in a bit of a depression. Her friends are worried they may lose her since she isn't taking care of herself.
Madison's friends are worried about her. Her friend Kinley was close to Madison and her whole family, so she's also depressed over the loss of Madison's family. Depressed that she's slowly losing her best friend to the depression she keeps sinking deeper and deeper into. Kinley has children of her own that were best friends with Madison's children and they are feeling the loss of not only Madison's family, but also Madison as well because Madison has become so isolated. Kinley is going through issues of her own, but she is so worried about Madison's state of mind that she doesn't confide in her like they used to. Madison and Kinley are not like the carefree people they used to be when Madison's family was alive. It's eating at Kinley that there seems to be nothing she can do to get her best friend through this tragic time.
Madison has a hard time leaving the house. Everywhere she looks, there are happy families. It's a harsh reminder of what she's lost. She's isolating herself from her best friend Kinley's family because they were so close to her family that she fears what it will be like to be around them and fears it will just remind her of what she's lost. Madison also has a hard time being at home. Everywhere she looks, there is reminders of her husband and 4 children. The vehicles are reminders of them, as are all the other things that they owned. The kids' rooms and toys are reminders of her lost family as well. Her house is one big empty building, that just reminds her of what she lost without them there with her. She even gets glimpses of what used to be, of moments that stood out when her family was alive.
Finally, her friends have enough and try to take her out to a concert. It's Madison's favorite band "Murder of Crows". She catches the eye of Calvin Hunt, the lead singer of the band who is also the #1 person on her "Back Up List".
Madison and Kinley have, for years, had a "back-up list" which is a card that says:
If the woman carrying this card has been recently made single, through the accidental death of her husband, untimely demise due to unforeseen natural causes (or deliberate murder) or has become single due to the fact that her husband was a cheating bastard who left her, then this is an emergency. A new husband must be procured for her promptly. A list of suitable candidates is provided on the other side.
Never in Madison's life would she ever have predicted that she would lose her husband, then 6 months later meet the #1 person on her back-up list!
Calvin is a womanizer, and everyone knows it. Even with his past though, he can't get Madison out of his mind when they meet. He has to get to know her. He doesn't see any other women, doesn't want to be with other women after he's met Madison. Calvin is ready to settle down and he envies anyone who has a wife and children. It's hard for him to be around others who have the life like he so desperately wants for himself. Deep down, he knows Madison could be the one for him, but Madison is denying her feelings. Madison feels guilt over feeling so strongly for Calvin and doesn't know if it's appropriate that she's moved on so quickly from her deceased husband, so she denies her feelings for Calvin for as long as she can.
When Madison does spend time with Calvin, she makes Kinley come with her. She doesn't know what her deceased husband would think of her spending so much time with Calvin and she has such strong feelings that she makes Kinley go with thinking that will somehow help by not spending alone time with him. Calvin loves Madison's friends, he eventually considers Kinley to be like a family member, but he wants to spend time alone with Madison, getting to know her better. Eventually they end up spending time together and their relationship develops further.
After they are alone together, a life changing event happens. Something that Madison keeps from Calvin initially, but not for long. This has the potential to make his dreams come true and it has the potential to force Madison to accept things and move on with her life and not be stuck in the past when deep down, she knows her husband would never want that for her.
Fate has brought Madison and Calvin together, but will his womanizing past ruin what they have built for themselves, ruin what trust they have developed with each other, or will they make it though? Will Madison be able to move on with her life and accept the tragic things that happened with her husband and 4 children and accept that fate had reasons for her not being with them that day? Will she finally accept that her husband would never want her to be alone for the rest of her life? Will she realize this before it's too late and she's lost Calvin forever? How will this life changing event affect Madison's and Calvin's life? What's going on with Kinley that she's been hiding from Madison? Will Madison's mother-in-law Debbie be an issue when she finds out about Madison trying to move on with her life? Will Calvin and Madison be together at the end of the book? You'll have to read the book to find out the answers to the questions and so much more!
The other characters in the book were just as entertaining as Madison and Calvin. Kinley of course was great, but this book also had Madison's other friends Kate and Megan, as well as Calvin's family, which included his brother Rory who was very entertaining! There were times when even Kinley's daughters McKenna and Kennedy were absolutely adorable and were entertaining at times as well.
I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started this book, but it honestly exceeded every expectation I had! I loved this book and am so grateful to Amber and Miriam for allowing our blog to read this book and for giving us copies of the next 2 books in the series and I cannot wait to read them! This book is definitely going on my favorites list! I would highly recommend this book to everyone who wants a great love story that has some humor and some emotional moments as well!
Some of my favorite quotes from The Back-Up List
"You an obligation? Ha, I don't think so. You're more of a vision, something unearthly, a woman with etheral beauty, I can't even sleep without seeing you in my dreams. I want to do this, please allow me the pleasure of doing something for you?"
"Alright," she answered softly. "You really feel that way about me? I'm just your average ordinary woman," Madison replied.
"Then you are not seeing yourself clearly," he told her.
~~~~~~~~
There stood a man with a dozen sterling roses in a vase. "Are you Madison Grey?" he asked, with an odd little smirk/smile on his face. She nodded. "You are loved, that is all I have to say." He turned his head and called out behind him, "This is her!" He wiped his feet on the welcome mat, "May we come in?"
She moved aside, in a daze, "We?" He was followed by half a dozen more men and women each carrying roses, there were red, yellow, pink, white, green, blue, slightly red, redder still, white with pink tips, purple, a golden yellow, black and red, and more. Vases of roses came in like a parade and filled the dull emptiness of her townhouse.
Before he left, the main deliveryman handed her a card and asked her to sign for all the roses. There were enough to fill an entire store.
She looked around and moments later Kinley pulled up to her door.
Kinley smiled as she walked in. "When he does something, he really does it well," she muttered. "Ooh I love the sterling ones," she breathed in.
"I don't know what you told him but flowers arrived for my girls this morning, with gigantic teddy bears and chocolates." Tears welled up in her eyes, "Thank you."
"This is where normal people would hug," Madison pointed out.
Kinley laughed and hugged her. "Thanks Maddy."
"Did he send you flowers too?" Madison inquired.
"Yes."
Madison opened her card and read Cal's sweet words.
Maddy,
I hope this makes you smile, and surrounds you with beauty.
Know that you are adored, and that I am wishing you a wonderful day!
From the man who adores you!
Cal
~~~~~~~~
"Maddy," Kinley was following her, making a path through the roses, "he's in love with you, if ever anyone was in love with you," Madison didn't want to hear this.
"I know you're terrified of having your heart broken, and he's got the potential to do it. I know. But hear me out for a moment. He also has the potential to make you happy again. Don't you think he might be worth taking a chance on?"
~~~~~~~~
The girl either didn't recognize him, or she just treated him like he was part of the family. He watched her curiously, as Kinley came down the stairs, holding onto the oak railing. "Cal, it's so good to see you. What are you wearing?"
He pulled his hat off, and his wig, and his glasses and set them down on the coffee table. "It was fun. No one knew who I was." Yep, the girl had not recognized him. Her mouth was hanging open as she dropped what looked like a blob of mashed potatoes onto a plate.
"You're....you're...." He coloring was waning; she turned to her mother, and pointed, "He's....he's...."
"Yes McKenna, he is and it's not nice to point sweetie."
"Calvin Hunt is in my living room, sitting on my sofa...." McKenna gushed. "I'm going to die."
~~~~~~~~
"You must be Kennedy," he stated.
"Yes, are you Mom's friend Cal?" he nodded. Both little girls had little noses that turned up ever so slightly, and he had to admit they were beauties.
"Thank you for the bear. I asked Momma who sent it and she told me it was her friend Cal, so I named my bear Cal after you." Oh, yes, she was definitely going to break his heart. She sat down on the sofa at the other end, not too close to him, but not too far away either. "Thank you for the flowers and the chocolates." She smiled, and he melted. He could see aspects of their mother and father in both girls but they had taken different traits from each of them.
"You don't know who he is?" McKenna asked the little girl.
"He's Mom's friend Cal. Duh," Kennedy proclaimed. "She's a bit slow sometimes."
"He's the lead singer of Murder of Crows," McKenna told her with a somewhat exasperated tone.
"Really? Then do you know my Aunt Maddy? She's in love with you."
Kinley who had been silently watching everything began to cough and sputter. She choked, "Kennedy why don't you go clean your room?"
"It's clean," Kennedy grinned.
"Go jump on the trampoline." Kinley placed a plate on the table for him. "Cal, I know you must be starving, come over and eat." He walked over to the table, and though he was hungry, he was more interested in talking to little Kennedy.
"So, your aunt is in love with me? Did she tell you that?" He grinned while Kinley scowled.
"She didn't have to, she sings your songs all the time with my mom, and they are really silly together. They love you. And....I think you're on her back-up list." Kennedy smiled broadly.
"What's a back-up list?" he asked intrigued. "Is your mom in love with me too?" He looked up at Kinley, who was just staring at him with an indescribable expression.
"No, she loves the one named Rory," Kennedy answered matter-of-factly. Kinley just put her hands on her forehead in exasperation.
He gaped. "Your mom has a crush on my brother?"
"No," she stammered. "He's and you're....Kennedy, go our and play," Kinley said in a sterner voice.
~~~~~~~~
It was in that moment, that he realized he wanted to be with her for the rest of forever. He realized as her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep in his arms, that he loved her.
~~~~~~~~
Cal needed her. Living without her was something he did before, because he didn't know any better. Now, it was utterly painful to be away from her.
~~~~~~~~
She needed Cal like she needed the air to breathe. She was a fish, flopping on the ground, lost without oxygen, unable to see anything for what it really was. She needed oxygen to think clearly and oxygen was Cal. She didn't want to need him. What she wanted was to be independent and embrace it, but it was all a facade.
ARC provided to our Smexy Bookaholics blog by authors Miriam Brady & Amber Best in exchange for an honest review!
September 19, 2013
**BR With Sara & Sammy**
I wasn't sure going into this what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I usually only connect with one or two characters in the book but I actually loved ALL the characters in this book with the exception of Madison's mother-in-law and a woman named Mandy. They all made a huge impact in the story and tied the whole book together!
Madison is a wife and mother of four. She got pregnant and married her high school sweetheart during her senior year in high school. They had a wonderful marriage and a wonderful family. One tragic day, her entire family is taken from her. Madison is devastated. Madison is feeling guilty. She had a fight with her husband before her family left. She just wanted a day to herself without children. A day to relax. Now she has more time on her hands than she wants. Madison doesn't know how to cope with the loss. She goes into a deep depression and everything around her reminds her of her family that she lost. She doesn't want to leave her house as when she goes out, she also sees all the reminders. She just doesn't want to go on without her family.
If it wasn't for her best friends Kinley, Megan and Kate, she would probably not have made it though after her family's death, but it was Kinley who was her closest friend and who is like a sister that was the main person to see her through it all and Madison would have given up hope of living anymore if Kinley wouldn't of been there to push her to do things. Her family was her whole world. The tragedy of Madison losing her family doesn't only affect her, but also affects many of the other characters. The realism of what a person really goes through in such a tragedy, was extremely well written.
In the case of the untimely death of their husbands, Madison and Kinley had a Back-Up List of celebrity men who they would want for a replacement. It was always a joke among them. Even their husbands were aware of the list. On the top of Madison's list was Calvin Hunt, a lead singer the group "Murder of Crows".
To try and snap Madison out of her depression, Kinley bought Madison tickets to go to the concert to see her favorite band "Murder of Crows". They waited in line for hours so they could get right up to the front to watch. While standing in line to go in, Calvin sees Madison and her friends. He is instantly taken with her. He gives a message to one of the security/body guard to take to Madison and her friends to join him backstage.
Calvin has always been a playboy and has been able to have any girl that he has wanted. All the rest of the members in the group, including Calvin's brother Rory are already married. When he meets Madison in person, he doesn't understand why she isn't attracted to him and acts so nonchalant. He is so used to girls falling all over him and not being able to resist him, that it is something new for him when Madison doesn't do that. He doesn't understand why she doesn't want anything to do with him. She doesn't seem to care that he is this great looking and famous man.
Luckily, after that night when Cal couldn't get Madison out of his mind, Cal's bodyguard/security was able to get information for Cal and he was able to track down Kinley as she was the one who had paid for the tickets. He was questioning her about Madison:
"Is Madison a lesbian?"
He heard her gag, and laugh and snort. "What made you ask that?" She was practically dying.
"I tried to kiss her and she turned her head." She was still laughing.
"It's just that...well it's never happened before." he reluctantly admitted. He couldn't think of a single reason why she would turn her head.
"No, she's straight. It's just a bit too soon." Something in Kinley's voice made him not want to ask any more questions. He realized she'd be deliberately playing obtuse.
"Kinley, may I ask you something else?"
"Sure, anything." He could picture her smiling.
"Can you forward me the picture you took backstage of me and Madison?"
Cal feels that Madison may be the one who would change his life forever. He is willing to pull out all the stops to win her heart over. He doesn't want anything to do with any other woman after Madison. Cal does anything an everything in his power to try to be with her and get to know her.
Even though their relationship grows into more than just friends, Madison struggles with guilt over the loss of her family and her feelings for Cal. She is still so consumed with grief over the loss of her family so many months ago and feels guilty for moving on with her life and is always questioning if it's too soon to move on.
Madison is not the only one devastated by the loss of her husband and children. Kinley's children, who were extremely close to Madison's are also affected, especially Kennedy (who was best friends with Riley), one of Madison's daughters. While Madison and Kennedy are talking one day, some of Kennedy's words hit Madison very hard and in her own way, during their talk, Kennedy gave Madison some advise that is life changing for Madison and has her questioning if she's been looking at this all wrong from the start.
....."I think it's like you said, I can have more than one best friend, and so can you. I can find new people to love, that doesn't mean that I have forgotten Riley. She is still my best friend, and she always will be. I'm just adding new people to love, not taking anyone away. It's okay to keep living and to find new people to love," Kennedy spoke softly but her words hit Madison hard.
Kinley also is deeply affected with the loss although she is keeping a secret from Madison. Madison has an ability where she sees when people die. She did actually see what was going to happen to Madison's family. It has haunted her, but she never let on to anyone, especially Madison. Kinley was the strong one to a point, where it almost tore her apart, but she never let anyone else see that part of her.
There is misunderstandings between Cal and Madison that affects their relationship. Madison doesn't open up completely about things that had happened recently to her and then she misunderstands a situation involving Cal while he is on the road and in turn keeps another secret from him that he should know.
Cal's bodyguard looks out for everyone in his band and has been with them for years. He knows about Maddy losing her entire family and encourages her to open up to Cal. He also encourages Cal, telling him that she has had some stuff happen to her in her past that could be affecting her actions and to keep trying with Madison. He won't tell Cal the story himself as he feels it is up to Madison to do so. His bodyguard plays a vital role in getting Madison and Cal together.
Madison and her group of friends are hysterical! They have had for years, wonderful traditions that they do just with the small group of girlfriends and also have traditions that they do with all of their families. Kinley and Madison's banter between them will leave you laughing hysterically at times.
There was just so much to this story, but I don't want to give anymore away than I already have. I will say that you won't be disappointed if you read it.
There is sad endings and beautiful new beginnings. You have true friendship, trust, tragedy, heartache, never ending support, misunderstandings, wittiness, humor and love. Not just love between Madison and Cal, but love between everyone. I laughed and I cried tears of happiness and tears of grief. I have not had so many emotions and been so moved by a book in a long time.
I thought this book was so beautifully written. I didn't want to put it down once I started it. It had all the makings of a great book. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. I have also found another book boyfriend to add to my list! I am looking forward to reading the next two books in the series,The List of Possibilities and The Bump List.
**ARC provided to our Smexy Bookaholics blog by the authors Miriam Brady and Amber Best in exchange for an honest review**
I wasn't sure going into this what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I usually only connect with one or two characters in the book but I actually loved ALL the characters in this book with the exception of Madison's mother-in-law and a woman named Mandy. They all made a huge impact in the story and tied the whole book together!
Madison is a wife and mother of four. She got pregnant and married her high school sweetheart during her senior year in high school. They had a wonderful marriage and a wonderful family. One tragic day, her entire family is taken from her. Madison is devastated. Madison is feeling guilty. She had a fight with her husband before her family left. She just wanted a day to herself without children. A day to relax. Now she has more time on her hands than she wants. Madison doesn't know how to cope with the loss. She goes into a deep depression and everything around her reminds her of her family that she lost. She doesn't want to leave her house as when she goes out, she also sees all the reminders. She just doesn't want to go on without her family.
If it wasn't for her best friends Kinley, Megan and Kate, she would probably not have made it though after her family's death, but it was Kinley who was her closest friend and who is like a sister that was the main person to see her through it all and Madison would have given up hope of living anymore if Kinley wouldn't of been there to push her to do things. Her family was her whole world. The tragedy of Madison losing her family doesn't only affect her, but also affects many of the other characters. The realism of what a person really goes through in such a tragedy, was extremely well written.
In the case of the untimely death of their husbands, Madison and Kinley had a Back-Up List of celebrity men who they would want for a replacement. It was always a joke among them. Even their husbands were aware of the list. On the top of Madison's list was Calvin Hunt, a lead singer the group "Murder of Crows".
To try and snap Madison out of her depression, Kinley bought Madison tickets to go to the concert to see her favorite band "Murder of Crows". They waited in line for hours so they could get right up to the front to watch. While standing in line to go in, Calvin sees Madison and her friends. He is instantly taken with her. He gives a message to one of the security/body guard to take to Madison and her friends to join him backstage.
Calvin has always been a playboy and has been able to have any girl that he has wanted. All the rest of the members in the group, including Calvin's brother Rory are already married. When he meets Madison in person, he doesn't understand why she isn't attracted to him and acts so nonchalant. He is so used to girls falling all over him and not being able to resist him, that it is something new for him when Madison doesn't do that. He doesn't understand why she doesn't want anything to do with him. She doesn't seem to care that he is this great looking and famous man.
Luckily, after that night when Cal couldn't get Madison out of his mind, Cal's bodyguard/security was able to get information for Cal and he was able to track down Kinley as she was the one who had paid for the tickets. He was questioning her about Madison:
"Is Madison a lesbian?"
He heard her gag, and laugh and snort. "What made you ask that?" She was practically dying.
"I tried to kiss her and she turned her head." She was still laughing.
"It's just that...well it's never happened before." he reluctantly admitted. He couldn't think of a single reason why she would turn her head.
"No, she's straight. It's just a bit too soon." Something in Kinley's voice made him not want to ask any more questions. He realized she'd be deliberately playing obtuse.
"Kinley, may I ask you something else?"
"Sure, anything." He could picture her smiling.
"Can you forward me the picture you took backstage of me and Madison?"
Cal feels that Madison may be the one who would change his life forever. He is willing to pull out all the stops to win her heart over. He doesn't want anything to do with any other woman after Madison. Cal does anything an everything in his power to try to be with her and get to know her.
Even though their relationship grows into more than just friends, Madison struggles with guilt over the loss of her family and her feelings for Cal. She is still so consumed with grief over the loss of her family so many months ago and feels guilty for moving on with her life and is always questioning if it's too soon to move on.
Madison is not the only one devastated by the loss of her husband and children. Kinley's children, who were extremely close to Madison's are also affected, especially Kennedy (who was best friends with Riley), one of Madison's daughters. While Madison and Kennedy are talking one day, some of Kennedy's words hit Madison very hard and in her own way, during their talk, Kennedy gave Madison some advise that is life changing for Madison and has her questioning if she's been looking at this all wrong from the start.
....."I think it's like you said, I can have more than one best friend, and so can you. I can find new people to love, that doesn't mean that I have forgotten Riley. She is still my best friend, and she always will be. I'm just adding new people to love, not taking anyone away. It's okay to keep living and to find new people to love," Kennedy spoke softly but her words hit Madison hard.
Kinley also is deeply affected with the loss although she is keeping a secret from Madison. Madison has an ability where she sees when people die. She did actually see what was going to happen to Madison's family. It has haunted her, but she never let on to anyone, especially Madison. Kinley was the strong one to a point, where it almost tore her apart, but she never let anyone else see that part of her.
There is misunderstandings between Cal and Madison that affects their relationship. Madison doesn't open up completely about things that had happened recently to her and then she misunderstands a situation involving Cal while he is on the road and in turn keeps another secret from him that he should know.
Cal's bodyguard looks out for everyone in his band and has been with them for years. He knows about Maddy losing her entire family and encourages her to open up to Cal. He also encourages Cal, telling him that she has had some stuff happen to her in her past that could be affecting her actions and to keep trying with Madison. He won't tell Cal the story himself as he feels it is up to Madison to do so. His bodyguard plays a vital role in getting Madison and Cal together.
Madison and her group of friends are hysterical! They have had for years, wonderful traditions that they do just with the small group of girlfriends and also have traditions that they do with all of their families. Kinley and Madison's banter between them will leave you laughing hysterically at times.
There was just so much to this story, but I don't want to give anymore away than I already have. I will say that you won't be disappointed if you read it.
There is sad endings and beautiful new beginnings. You have true friendship, trust, tragedy, heartache, never ending support, misunderstandings, wittiness, humor and love. Not just love between Madison and Cal, but love between everyone. I laughed and I cried tears of happiness and tears of grief. I have not had so many emotions and been so moved by a book in a long time.
I thought this book was so beautifully written. I didn't want to put it down once I started it. It had all the makings of a great book. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. I have also found another book boyfriend to add to my list! I am looking forward to reading the next two books in the series,The List of Possibilities and The Bump List.
**ARC provided to our Smexy Bookaholics blog by the authors Miriam Brady and Amber Best in exchange for an honest review**
November 5, 2013
**** 4 1/2 Heart Melting Stars ****
Book provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.
This was such an enjoyable story to read. Yeah, it may have been done many times before but not with the elements that “The Back-Up List” had. I cried, I hurt, I smiled, I laughed and I fell in love.
Sometimes, I did find myself skimming over some paragraphs because there were instances where too much “fluff” was added to the story. Other than that though, I fell in love with Cal and found myself repeatedly wanting to knock some sense into Maddy.
To understand this story, you first must have a background to the characters. Maddy is the main character who is married when the story starts to her high school sweetheart and they have 4 children. Maddy is best-friends with Kinley and has been for about 20 years. They act more like sisters, than friends.
There are 4 best friends who spend a lot of time together and confide in each other. They are Maddy, Kinley, Megan and Kate. All 4 friends create what is called a “Back-up List” in case they find themselves either widowed or divorced. This list is their “dream” guys that range from rock stars to actors - all of them out of the girls reach. The #1 on Maddy’s list is Calvin Hunt, the lead singer of her favorite rock band.
The story opens up with Maddy finding out that her husband and children were instantaneous killed in a car accident. Kinley tries her best to help Maddy pick up the pieces of her broken heart especially when the girls pull together to get Maddy VIP tickets to see her “back-up” guy perform.
Now, we switch to Cal to has had countless women and meaningless relationships, but since the rest of the band is now married with children and he hits his 30’s….Cal is starting to seriously think about the future and if the “right” woman is out there for him. The night of the concert, he peeks out into the crowd and sees Maddy. Maddy who isn’t dressed like a hooker but instead she is REAL and fascinating to Cal.
Cal pursues her by flying her and her friends out to Las Vegas, Florida and even England in order just to be in the same room with Maddy. She isn’t like the rest of his fans because she treats him just like an ordinary person. But something is off kilter with Maddy and Cal can’t figure it out. He wonders: Was she married? Did he hurt her? Why doesn’t she want a relationship? Why does her eyes look haunted and sad?
Maddy and Cal have many obstacles to overcome if they want their “Happily Ever After” - there are times that Maddy pulls away from Cal and vice versa. We get a look into how hard it is to open up again after having your world crash in around you…...plus…..how hard it is to erase the past stigmata of being a womanizer.
This book also sets us up for the next story - the sparks are flying with Kinley and Cal’s brother Rory!! I can’t wait!!
I would definitely recommend this book to others!!
Book provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.
This was such an enjoyable story to read. Yeah, it may have been done many times before but not with the elements that “The Back-Up List” had. I cried, I hurt, I smiled, I laughed and I fell in love.
Sometimes, I did find myself skimming over some paragraphs because there were instances where too much “fluff” was added to the story. Other than that though, I fell in love with Cal and found myself repeatedly wanting to knock some sense into Maddy.
To understand this story, you first must have a background to the characters. Maddy is the main character who is married when the story starts to her high school sweetheart and they have 4 children. Maddy is best-friends with Kinley and has been for about 20 years. They act more like sisters, than friends.
There are 4 best friends who spend a lot of time together and confide in each other. They are Maddy, Kinley, Megan and Kate. All 4 friends create what is called a “Back-up List” in case they find themselves either widowed or divorced. This list is their “dream” guys that range from rock stars to actors - all of them out of the girls reach. The #1 on Maddy’s list is Calvin Hunt, the lead singer of her favorite rock band.
The story opens up with Maddy finding out that her husband and children were instantaneous killed in a car accident. Kinley tries her best to help Maddy pick up the pieces of her broken heart especially when the girls pull together to get Maddy VIP tickets to see her “back-up” guy perform.
Now, we switch to Cal to has had countless women and meaningless relationships, but since the rest of the band is now married with children and he hits his 30’s….Cal is starting to seriously think about the future and if the “right” woman is out there for him. The night of the concert, he peeks out into the crowd and sees Maddy. Maddy who isn’t dressed like a hooker but instead she is REAL and fascinating to Cal.
Cal pursues her by flying her and her friends out to Las Vegas, Florida and even England in order just to be in the same room with Maddy. She isn’t like the rest of his fans because she treats him just like an ordinary person. But something is off kilter with Maddy and Cal can’t figure it out. He wonders: Was she married? Did he hurt her? Why doesn’t she want a relationship? Why does her eyes look haunted and sad?
Maddy and Cal have many obstacles to overcome if they want their “Happily Ever After” - there are times that Maddy pulls away from Cal and vice versa. We get a look into how hard it is to open up again after having your world crash in around you…...plus…..how hard it is to erase the past stigmata of being a womanizer.
This book also sets us up for the next story - the sparks are flying with Kinley and Cal’s brother Rory!! I can’t wait!!
I would definitely recommend this book to others!!
January 2, 2014
(ARC provided by author via SueBee)
(Recommended by SueBee)
(4.5 Stars)
Madison Grey seems to have the perfect life. She is married to her high school sweetheart Jack, and they have four beautiful children together. She also has three best friends she adores like sisters. Just as we are introduced to her wonderful life, it is all taken away from her by a horrible accident that claims the lives of her whole family.
Six months after her devastating loss, her friends want to try to get her out of the house, so they take her to see her favorite band, Murder of Crows in concert. The lead singer Calvin Hunt spots Madison in line, and can't stop looking at her. There is just something about her, and he has to meet her. He arranges for Madison and her friends to get back stage passes. When Cal meets her it is love at first sight, and after the concert he tracks her down and pursues her hard. He has never been big on commitment, but he just can't let her get away. He realizes something is different about her & that he wants to get to know her. Madison isn't in any frame of mind to even think of dating or being in a relationship, but Cal continues to chase after her. She feels it is too soon, & feels guilty. Cal is just so good to her, and eventually breaks down her walls and helps her to feel again.
It turns out years ago Madison and her friends all made a back up list as a joke. This is a list of men they would want to be with if anything ever happened to end their marriages. Turns out Calvin Hunt was #1 on Madison's list. She of course never thought she would ever even meet him. With great persistence Cal finally helps Madison to heal, and open her heart again. Cal is her second chance for happiness and everything precious she thought was lost to her for good. I really loved this book and thought it was fantastic!
-A woman caught his eye when she threw her head back, laughing with her friends. Her long, dark hair hung in large soft curls which framed her face. He looked closer, her chocolate colored eyes glittered, her exquisitely shaped mouth curled up into a smile.
-His hair was a mess, slightly spiked, blond. The very tips of his hair had been bleached nearly white. His tan was the tan of a surfer, spending his days on the beach. His cerulean blue eyes found her, gazing right into her. She felt her heart stop working.
-He saw her face whenever he closed his eyes, imagined her lips and wondered how they might taste.
-He touched her face, the face he'd been dreaming of since he first laid eyes on her.
-He had a beautiful soul, and wow, could he kiss. She hated to admit it; she'd never been kissed like that before.
-"You are just some delicious eye-candy, Cal. The best part is that your physical deliciousness isn't all there is to you, you are so much more."
-Not only was he gorgeous, but he was precious to the very core of his soul. He was rare, and beautiful, and for some unknown crazy reason, he loved her.
(Recommended by SueBee)
(4.5 Stars)
Madison Grey seems to have the perfect life. She is married to her high school sweetheart Jack, and they have four beautiful children together. She also has three best friends she adores like sisters. Just as we are introduced to her wonderful life, it is all taken away from her by a horrible accident that claims the lives of her whole family.
Six months after her devastating loss, her friends want to try to get her out of the house, so they take her to see her favorite band, Murder of Crows in concert. The lead singer Calvin Hunt spots Madison in line, and can't stop looking at her. There is just something about her, and he has to meet her. He arranges for Madison and her friends to get back stage passes. When Cal meets her it is love at first sight, and after the concert he tracks her down and pursues her hard. He has never been big on commitment, but he just can't let her get away. He realizes something is different about her & that he wants to get to know her. Madison isn't in any frame of mind to even think of dating or being in a relationship, but Cal continues to chase after her. She feels it is too soon, & feels guilty. Cal is just so good to her, and eventually breaks down her walls and helps her to feel again.
It turns out years ago Madison and her friends all made a back up list as a joke. This is a list of men they would want to be with if anything ever happened to end their marriages. Turns out Calvin Hunt was #1 on Madison's list. She of course never thought she would ever even meet him. With great persistence Cal finally helps Madison to heal, and open her heart again. Cal is her second chance for happiness and everything precious she thought was lost to her for good. I really loved this book and thought it was fantastic!
-A woman caught his eye when she threw her head back, laughing with her friends. Her long, dark hair hung in large soft curls which framed her face. He looked closer, her chocolate colored eyes glittered, her exquisitely shaped mouth curled up into a smile.
-His hair was a mess, slightly spiked, blond. The very tips of his hair had been bleached nearly white. His tan was the tan of a surfer, spending his days on the beach. His cerulean blue eyes found her, gazing right into her. She felt her heart stop working.
-He saw her face whenever he closed his eyes, imagined her lips and wondered how they might taste.
-He touched her face, the face he'd been dreaming of since he first laid eyes on her.
-He had a beautiful soul, and wow, could he kiss. She hated to admit it; she'd never been kissed like that before.
-"You are just some delicious eye-candy, Cal. The best part is that your physical deliciousness isn't all there is to you, you are so much more."
-Not only was he gorgeous, but he was precious to the very core of his soul. He was rare, and beautiful, and for some unknown crazy reason, he loved her.
August 18, 2013
The Back-Up List is a bittersweet tale about loss and grief, about tragedies and the power of friendship, about healing and love and about the second chances we are given in life.
This book tells the story of Madison, a wife and mother that in one short moment loses everything. She is consumed by grief and despair, feeling guilt and pain – wishing to be dead. The portrayal of her grief is heart-wrenchingly realistic. She can't and doesn't want to move on at first, feeling somehow frozen in time. Despite the effort of her friends, she basically just exists but doesn't live. She replays every thing she might have done wrong in the past, all the what ifs and has given up on herself, not knowing how to go on. That is until her wonderful circle of friends takes her to the concert of her favourite band. And that is when she meets him, Cal – a self-centred, womanising rockstar that is used to be swooned over. Their is an instant attraction and connection between those two, but Maddy – unlike any other fan – isn't getting her panties in a knot about him. She is consumed by grief.
But Cal is intrigued and wants to win her heart – no matter how long it is going to take. After Madison beating herself up about her feelings for him, she finally is ready to give her heart to him. But will she just get it broken? Is he too set in his rockstar life?
This book left me with no finger nails and throughout all of it I was really emotional...always on the verge of tears – some of them were happy, while others were devastated and sad.
Amber Best and Miriam Brady accomplished to document realistically what a grieving person goes through – all the feelings of guilt, sadness and despair. The way it affects every single moment of every single day and how laughing or enjoying something brings feelings of guilt. My heart broke for her. The more I loved her friends for being there for her with never-ending support, loyalty and understanding. The closeness of those four women, but especially the bond between Madison and Kinley was beautiful and a friendship every person should have in their life. And as we get glimpses of how things used to be before everything changed for Maddy, we learn that the friendships have always been fun and unique. I really loved the idea of the validation or friendship cards. They don't judge each other for their behaviour or their decisions but love each other unconditionally.
It is sweet and heart-breaking to see Maddy slowly open up to Cal, while we get to see him finally mature and grow-up, pulling his head out of his behind. Having been used to having every wish fulfilled within the blink of an eye, he now actually has to work hard for something – for Maddy's love and trust. But don't get me wrong, I feel for this guy. Coming into a situation like he is, on the minefield that is Maddy's life and emotional situation, he doesn't have an easy task. So for him to actually not giving up, shows the depth of his emotions.
The realism of this book really dumbfounded me. The fact that the healing process for Maddy continued throughout the book, had some detours and some bumps in the road and that her healing didn't just happen with a declaration of love made the book more honest, more raw and definitely more emotional. Just as in real life you never fully get over the kind of loss that Maddy suffered from, her character also doesn't. Even with her giving a new life a chance, the pain is not something that will ever let her go fully.
This book definitely wasn't a happy go lucky kind of read, but it was therefore more rewarding. It made me contemplate my life, my friendships, my relationships with the people I love. That is something only a good book does.
And although the book didn't end on a cliffhanger, the epilogue still makes me think that the authors are sadists.
5 painful, bittersweet, emotional, drowned-in-tears stars.
This book tells the story of Madison, a wife and mother that in one short moment loses everything. She is consumed by grief and despair, feeling guilt and pain – wishing to be dead. The portrayal of her grief is heart-wrenchingly realistic. She can't and doesn't want to move on at first, feeling somehow frozen in time. Despite the effort of her friends, she basically just exists but doesn't live. She replays every thing she might have done wrong in the past, all the what ifs and has given up on herself, not knowing how to go on. That is until her wonderful circle of friends takes her to the concert of her favourite band. And that is when she meets him, Cal – a self-centred, womanising rockstar that is used to be swooned over. Their is an instant attraction and connection between those two, but Maddy – unlike any other fan – isn't getting her panties in a knot about him. She is consumed by grief.
But Cal is intrigued and wants to win her heart – no matter how long it is going to take. After Madison beating herself up about her feelings for him, she finally is ready to give her heart to him. But will she just get it broken? Is he too set in his rockstar life?
This book left me with no finger nails and throughout all of it I was really emotional...always on the verge of tears – some of them were happy, while others were devastated and sad.
Amber Best and Miriam Brady accomplished to document realistically what a grieving person goes through – all the feelings of guilt, sadness and despair. The way it affects every single moment of every single day and how laughing or enjoying something brings feelings of guilt. My heart broke for her. The more I loved her friends for being there for her with never-ending support, loyalty and understanding. The closeness of those four women, but especially the bond between Madison and Kinley was beautiful and a friendship every person should have in their life. And as we get glimpses of how things used to be before everything changed for Maddy, we learn that the friendships have always been fun and unique. I really loved the idea of the validation or friendship cards. They don't judge each other for their behaviour or their decisions but love each other unconditionally.
It is sweet and heart-breaking to see Maddy slowly open up to Cal, while we get to see him finally mature and grow-up, pulling his head out of his behind. Having been used to having every wish fulfilled within the blink of an eye, he now actually has to work hard for something – for Maddy's love and trust. But don't get me wrong, I feel for this guy. Coming into a situation like he is, on the minefield that is Maddy's life and emotional situation, he doesn't have an easy task. So for him to actually not giving up, shows the depth of his emotions.
The realism of this book really dumbfounded me. The fact that the healing process for Maddy continued throughout the book, had some detours and some bumps in the road and that her healing didn't just happen with a declaration of love made the book more honest, more raw and definitely more emotional. Just as in real life you never fully get over the kind of loss that Maddy suffered from, her character also doesn't. Even with her giving a new life a chance, the pain is not something that will ever let her go fully.
This book definitely wasn't a happy go lucky kind of read, but it was therefore more rewarding. It made me contemplate my life, my friendships, my relationships with the people I love. That is something only a good book does.
And although the book didn't end on a cliffhanger, the epilogue still makes me think that the authors are sadists.
5 painful, bittersweet, emotional, drowned-in-tears stars.
June 28, 2013
The book was given to me in exchange for an honest review
When I begun this book, the first chapter really threw me...I recall thinking-great another mushy novel about a perfect women that ends up with a perfect non-realistic life with a rock star. I was determined not to like it after that first chapter.......
And then I was introduce to Maddy and Kinley....In all honesty my heart broke and I cried....and cried...and cried throughout this book. The ability to capture and describe grief without minimizing or making less of the experience is not often done well, in this book they did so well that as I not only could relate I truly felt the grief written. It was moving to read how the accident affected Kinley and her family and I was pleased that this was not left out of the story. Often times when someone passes, we don't get to really experience how many lives they touched and how many are truly affected by their death...Especially when taken so unexpectedly and tragically.
This story is a unique surprising story about recovering...or at least surviving a terrible tragedy. It was so well written that I grieved and hurt with the character's all throughout the story and I celebrated with them as well. I felt like I was very much apart of this unique family and all that is their sweet quirky clan.
I won't go in to many details, because I feel that I can not do justice to this story. However, I will tell you this story has it all! It has grief, happiness, scandal, an amazing story about how friendship can replace family, and of course it was what ever story needs...Rock stars!
Through the story you see a dynamic between Maddy and her friends, something every girl should have in her life, and I am feeling slighted that my and my girlfriends have never thought to create validation cards. It will now be done, actually the friendships between the ladies in this book lighten my heart and have reminded me how important it is to treasure those unique friends that support your highs and lows in life. Lifetime friends as I would call what these 4 have, is never to be taken lightly nor should one ever live without having at least one.
The ending of the story was a fun happy way to end a story and I am looking forward to book 2 and the twists that Kinley will add to the next in this series.
Rarely am I surprised by a novel quite like I was with this one...If I could give this higher then 5 stars-I would! It was a pleasure and privilege to read this story and I will be reading it again.
September 5, 2013
I truly enjoyed this book! The authors were able to capture such depth of these characters that I find myself looking on TMZ or Entertainment Tonight to see if they exist, LOL! I was laughing and crying while reading this entire book! My husband asked me, "what was wrong?" I sounded like a crazy person! I read the entire book from cover to cover, these ladies are funny! The epilogue OMG WTF! CRAZY!!!! This book is not filled with trashy love scenes, it honestly has a story in which you can follow! I recommend reading this because your not going to feel like you wasted your time! I love classics and to me this book/series is a modern day classic! Thank you Miriam and Amber!!!!
March 22, 2013
Loved the characters, the story had me hooked. I carried this book to work and everywhere else with me. Definitely a good weekend or beach read. Can't wait for book 2!
September 5, 2013
I sincerely loved this thought provoking book. I went into it thinking- light read...I was pleasantly surprised by the depth, the friendship, and all of the quirkiness! While it was terribly sad, it was also beautiful, witty, and humorous. This book was skillfully and beautifully written. I am looking forward to the next book!
September 5, 2013
Got this book two days ago, and didn't come up for air. I couldn't put it down! My house work has been seriously neglected. This book was soooo good! I loved it! Already downloaded the next book in the series! Cal (sigh) hope they give him some spotlight in number 2!
November 3, 2013
Favorite Quotes
Megan laughed. “You guys are so funny together. You’re the bossy, uptight one and Kinley is all relaxed and easy going. Nothing ruffles her feathers. Don’t you care that she’s bossy with you, Kin?”
He wanted to know more about Madison; he was thankful when she answered, “Kin and I have been friends for a little over twenty years. We met Kate a few years back.” Madison smiled as though the conversation had sparked a pleasant memory. She tilted her head in Kate’s direction, “She’s one of those people you’d rather have as a friend.” He knew this must have been an inside joke, watching the evil grins spread across their beautiful faces. “She’d be a terrible enemy; she might even throw something at your head, if you’re not careful.” They all burst out laughing.
ICE
If the woman carrying this card has been recently made single, through the accidental death of her husband, untimely demise due to unforeseen natural causes (or deliberate murder) or has become single due to the fact that her husband was a cheating bastard who left her, then this is an emergency. A new husband must be procured for her promptly. A list of suitable candidates is provided on the other side. (How could he ignore the suggestion to look on the other side?)
The Back-Up List
1. Calvin Hunt (Singer, Songwriter, Sex god)
2. Paul Walker (He’s Fast and I’m Curious)
3. Robert Redford (If a Time Machine Could Take Me Back to 1960)
4. Henry Cavill (From the Tudors, wearing a Codpiece)
5. Charlie Hunnam (SOA OMG
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I first started reading this book I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue to read it. But since I agreed to give this book a review I decided I would struggle through it. Then I got past the first chapter and I loved the story. It was a story about friendship, tragedy, love, healing, pain and even guilt. When you met Madison in the story you begin to feel her grief and how she just doesn’t want to go on with life. During her journey in this book she goes through all the stuff she has done in her life and wonders if she did it differently would her life be different. Her friends are determined to bring her back to life. They take her to see her favorite band. In doing so she meet Cal, a womanizing rockstar that is used to every women falling over themselves to be with him but it’s not happening with Maddy. But Cal feels the instant connection and is intrigued and wants to win Maddy’s heart no matter what it takes. Will Maddy let her grief consume her so she loses her chance for love? Or will Cal finally prove he loves her and she is the only one for him?
I cried and cried while reading this story. It was an amazing touching story. These authors kept you reading and wanting to know more. As you read the book you feel like you are part of the story so much so that I started yelling at Maddy. I am so glad I didn’t give up on reading it. It was so worth the tears and the emotions it brought out in you…. I cannot wait for Rory’s story……
Megan laughed. “You guys are so funny together. You’re the bossy, uptight one and Kinley is all relaxed and easy going. Nothing ruffles her feathers. Don’t you care that she’s bossy with you, Kin?”
He wanted to know more about Madison; he was thankful when she answered, “Kin and I have been friends for a little over twenty years. We met Kate a few years back.” Madison smiled as though the conversation had sparked a pleasant memory. She tilted her head in Kate’s direction, “She’s one of those people you’d rather have as a friend.” He knew this must have been an inside joke, watching the evil grins spread across their beautiful faces. “She’d be a terrible enemy; she might even throw something at your head, if you’re not careful.” They all burst out laughing.
ICE
If the woman carrying this card has been recently made single, through the accidental death of her husband, untimely demise due to unforeseen natural causes (or deliberate murder) or has become single due to the fact that her husband was a cheating bastard who left her, then this is an emergency. A new husband must be procured for her promptly. A list of suitable candidates is provided on the other side. (How could he ignore the suggestion to look on the other side?)
The Back-Up List
1. Calvin Hunt (Singer, Songwriter, Sex god)
2. Paul Walker (He’s Fast and I’m Curious)
3. Robert Redford (If a Time Machine Could Take Me Back to 1960)
4. Henry Cavill (From the Tudors, wearing a Codpiece)
5. Charlie Hunnam (SOA OMG
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I first started reading this book I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue to read it. But since I agreed to give this book a review I decided I would struggle through it. Then I got past the first chapter and I loved the story. It was a story about friendship, tragedy, love, healing, pain and even guilt. When you met Madison in the story you begin to feel her grief and how she just doesn’t want to go on with life. During her journey in this book she goes through all the stuff she has done in her life and wonders if she did it differently would her life be different. Her friends are determined to bring her back to life. They take her to see her favorite band. In doing so she meet Cal, a womanizing rockstar that is used to every women falling over themselves to be with him but it’s not happening with Maddy. But Cal feels the instant connection and is intrigued and wants to win Maddy’s heart no matter what it takes. Will Maddy let her grief consume her so she loses her chance for love? Or will Cal finally prove he loves her and she is the only one for him?
I cried and cried while reading this story. It was an amazing touching story. These authors kept you reading and wanting to know more. As you read the book you feel like you are part of the story so much so that I started yelling at Maddy. I am so glad I didn’t give up on reading it. It was so worth the tears and the emotions it brought out in you…. I cannot wait for Rory’s story……
November 18, 2013
First I want to say Thank you to Melissa for sharing this amazing book.
I will have to start off by saying that I loved Maddy and Cal such a lovely couple Cal die for her as he would say but even more important he would also live for her.
Madison had the perfect life she has the perfect husband, the prefect kids the perfect house, she had all she ever wanted in life. That was all take away in a blink of an eye one day a horrible car accident takes her entire family away from her way to soon. No parent should have to burry a child yet along all 4 kids and their spouse.
She would not have made it after the accident if not for her loving friends because she is astringed with her own family. So six months after the loss she is still trying to move on and trying to get her life back on track but can’t seem to do it. So her friends make her get out of the house and drag her to a to see her fav bad Murder of Crows. While they were in line waiting the lead singer spots Maddy out and it’s all over from this point. He sends his body guard to find them and give them back stage passes so he can have a chance to meet her and see her up close. You see Cal wants Maddy and he takes what he wants but he knows that Maddy is different from any other woman he has ever been with so he needs to take his time with her. Maddy tries with all her heart to not give in to Cal and his good looks and banging body. She feels that its not time to move on yet. But Cal is not having that he will have her if its tha last thing he does. So the wooing starts the two start to spend more and more time together and they fly back and forth from Cali to Candia for a while. Cal has never been in love before but he knows that what he feels for Maddy is like nothing he has every experienced before he can’t get her out of his head. Some things happened and they sent Maddy running but Cal won’t let her leave without a fight.
Madison eventually lets Cal help her to move on but not forget. And it’s a wonderful thing. The two are so cute together. The story was very emotional with all the loss but the moving on part was just wonderful for both Cal and Maddy. The end of their story is all so amazing they get to be a family. I loved this story it was terrific. I loved how Maddy and her friends were together especially Kin they would walk on hot coals for each other. They had the kind of friendship that most would die for they were more sisters than friends. Kin and her family were an amazing add to this book as well.
I will have to start off by saying that I loved Maddy and Cal such a lovely couple Cal die for her as he would say but even more important he would also live for her.
Madison had the perfect life she has the perfect husband, the prefect kids the perfect house, she had all she ever wanted in life. That was all take away in a blink of an eye one day a horrible car accident takes her entire family away from her way to soon. No parent should have to burry a child yet along all 4 kids and their spouse.
She would not have made it after the accident if not for her loving friends because she is astringed with her own family. So six months after the loss she is still trying to move on and trying to get her life back on track but can’t seem to do it. So her friends make her get out of the house and drag her to a to see her fav bad Murder of Crows. While they were in line waiting the lead singer spots Maddy out and it’s all over from this point. He sends his body guard to find them and give them back stage passes so he can have a chance to meet her and see her up close. You see Cal wants Maddy and he takes what he wants but he knows that Maddy is different from any other woman he has ever been with so he needs to take his time with her. Maddy tries with all her heart to not give in to Cal and his good looks and banging body. She feels that its not time to move on yet. But Cal is not having that he will have her if its tha last thing he does. So the wooing starts the two start to spend more and more time together and they fly back and forth from Cali to Candia for a while. Cal has never been in love before but he knows that what he feels for Maddy is like nothing he has every experienced before he can’t get her out of his head. Some things happened and they sent Maddy running but Cal won’t let her leave without a fight.
Madison eventually lets Cal help her to move on but not forget. And it’s a wonderful thing. The two are so cute together. The story was very emotional with all the loss but the moving on part was just wonderful for both Cal and Maddy. The end of their story is all so amazing they get to be a family. I loved this story it was terrific. I loved how Maddy and her friends were together especially Kin they would walk on hot coals for each other. They had the kind of friendship that most would die for they were more sisters than friends. Kin and her family were an amazing add to this book as well.
September 2, 2016
The Back-Up List was one of those books that I picked up with no expectations whatsoever. I went in completely unsure of what I was going to get. I was thrilled that this was such a delightful surprise. The Back-Up list was refreshing, unique and heartfelt. These authors know how to write quirky and romantic. I still don’t know how one goes about co-authoring a novel, but Miriam Brady and Amber Best did it right.
Calvin Hunt, rock star and sexy playboy falls for probably one of the most unavailable women around. Madison Grey has a lot of baggage, not of her own choosing, and it is enough to fill a U-Haul. The Back-Up List is the story of the rock star who tries to seduce and entice the only woman that can’t seem to think it is possible to go on with her life and to deserve it. Although Calvin is on Madison’s “back-up” list (or hall pass, if you will) she can’t imagine the irony of having him actually pursue her.
These are some of the best characters that I have read in a while. Madison’s friends are her support system and who are as honest and as real as it gets are just the type of crazy, loyal friends that won’t take your crap and are there for you no matter when or where. These girls are the friends that everyone needs and should have. Madison’s best friend Kinley is outstanding. She tells it like it is, holds nothing back and is absolutely the friend you want by your side in life. Madison and Kinley have been friends for so long that they have their own quirky conversations that are absolutely hilarious. This book was worth it just for “Kevin” alone (read it and see what I mean!).
Fun aside, the emotional roller coaster was fantastic, the angst and anticipation was worth every gasp and all the time spent holding my breath as I turned the pages. The character and story development was perfect. The pace was just right. There was enough sexiness to turn the pages and make it interesting but wasn’t erotica. This was a perfect mix. The epilogue blew me away and now I can’t wait to get my hands on the List of Possibilities and the Bump List, the next two volumes in this series. Put the Back-Up List at the top of your list and Give this a try!!! 4.5 stars
Calvin Hunt, rock star and sexy playboy falls for probably one of the most unavailable women around. Madison Grey has a lot of baggage, not of her own choosing, and it is enough to fill a U-Haul. The Back-Up List is the story of the rock star who tries to seduce and entice the only woman that can’t seem to think it is possible to go on with her life and to deserve it. Although Calvin is on Madison’s “back-up” list (or hall pass, if you will) she can’t imagine the irony of having him actually pursue her.
These are some of the best characters that I have read in a while. Madison’s friends are her support system and who are as honest and as real as it gets are just the type of crazy, loyal friends that won’t take your crap and are there for you no matter when or where. These girls are the friends that everyone needs and should have. Madison’s best friend Kinley is outstanding. She tells it like it is, holds nothing back and is absolutely the friend you want by your side in life. Madison and Kinley have been friends for so long that they have their own quirky conversations that are absolutely hilarious. This book was worth it just for “Kevin” alone (read it and see what I mean!).
Fun aside, the emotional roller coaster was fantastic, the angst and anticipation was worth every gasp and all the time spent holding my breath as I turned the pages. The character and story development was perfect. The pace was just right. There was enough sexiness to turn the pages and make it interesting but wasn’t erotica. This was a perfect mix. The epilogue blew me away and now I can’t wait to get my hands on the List of Possibilities and the Bump List, the next two volumes in this series. Put the Back-Up List at the top of your list and Give this a try!!! 4.5 stars
October 28, 2013
Sorry folks. 40% in and I pulled the plug and this is going to be a DNF for me.
I just can't do it. It's seriously taken me 3 days just to get to the 40% mark. And that's BAD. That means the book is not holding my interest. That means that I'd RATHER be cleaning house than reading this. And I HATE cleaning.
Honestly- it's just not a well developed story. At 40% we should have seen SOME sort of growth in characters. We really haven't. They're exactly the same as they were earlier on. And while the story progresses in time- the content doesn't seem to do the same. I felt absolutely no connection to any of the character. I felt none of the characters really connected with each other. Dialogue that was meant to be funny ha-ha feels forced. Scenes that are meant to be sad are flat. Plus it feels like this "Back Up List" that is the book's namesake was added in as an afterthought.
I'm all for supporting new authors. But this book feels like the leg work just wasn't put into it. It's in dire need of editing. I don't want to hear that you can't afford it or any other excuses. Bottom line- you have no business publishing WITHOUT a good editing. And that means DOUBLE CHECKING after you get your book back from an editor. (Sorry-that was my experience from a different new author-the point is get your book edited)
I try to leave a few redeeming qualities when I leave a negative review/rating. But I really can't. I will say that SOME of the major editing issues seem to resolve themselves as you read. But not enough to make it perfect. I liked the general idea of what's mentioned in the blurb and I really REALLY wanted to like the book as well.
I can't in good concience continue reading this. I KNOW there are much better books out there waiting to be read. I'm going to go read those instead.
I just can't do it. It's seriously taken me 3 days just to get to the 40% mark. And that's BAD. That means the book is not holding my interest. That means that I'd RATHER be cleaning house than reading this. And I HATE cleaning.
Honestly- it's just not a well developed story. At 40% we should have seen SOME sort of growth in characters. We really haven't. They're exactly the same as they were earlier on. And while the story progresses in time- the content doesn't seem to do the same. I felt absolutely no connection to any of the character. I felt none of the characters really connected with each other. Dialogue that was meant to be funny ha-ha feels forced. Scenes that are meant to be sad are flat. Plus it feels like this "Back Up List" that is the book's namesake was added in as an afterthought.
I'm all for supporting new authors. But this book feels like the leg work just wasn't put into it. It's in dire need of editing. I don't want to hear that you can't afford it or any other excuses. Bottom line- you have no business publishing WITHOUT a good editing. And that means DOUBLE CHECKING after you get your book back from an editor. (Sorry-that was my experience from a different new author-the point is get your book edited)
I try to leave a few redeeming qualities when I leave a negative review/rating. But I really can't. I will say that SOME of the major editing issues seem to resolve themselves as you read. But not enough to make it perfect. I liked the general idea of what's mentioned in the blurb and I really REALLY wanted to like the book as well.
I can't in good concience continue reading this. I KNOW there are much better books out there waiting to be read. I'm going to go read those instead.
February 28, 2014
Madison Grey looses it all in an instant. Her entire life is torn upside down with pain and the ultimate loss of her family. Her friend are desperate to help bring her back to life again. It hopes to cheer her up they take her to her favorite rock band concert. Calvin Hunt, lead singer of said band, notices Madison in the audience and is immediately captivated. Calvin pursues Madison, but can she get past her heart ache and guilt for a second chance at love. This story is an emotional roller coaster ride. I cried, laughed, smiled and cried again during this story. But it was so worth the roller coaster ride. This story touched my heart and soul. I felt sad for Madison but I was rooting for Calvin to show her that life was worth living for. I loved, loved, loved this book. You have to read it, especially if you want to find out the significance of the title. I give it 5 stars.
November 8, 2013
So emotional, but worth it! I would definitely recommend the Back-Up List. I will admit it had me in tears right off the bat in between laughter & Cal, the RockStar. This story mixes the light-hearted moments with the tear-jerkers, & adds a bit of flair & spontaneity. I love the characters, & feel like we really get to know them. Their genuine friendships (including the good & the bad) make for a great story with added depth. Who wouldn't want friends like those in their lives? I did wish a few areas had gone in a different direction, but this was a well written story I enjoyed.
September 25, 2013
I'm torn on giving this a 4 or 5. I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to the next, but I will give it a little while because I have a feeling it might end up being very similar. Parts of this book were really slow for me and I couldn't figure out why Madison was keeping what happened to her family a secret. That just didn't make sense to me. I LOVED the girls' friendships with one another. It made me want friends like that. Anyhow, I'm gonna give it a four cause I don't think I'd ever read it again (which isn't really a bad thing, it's very rare when I do).
March 25, 2013
I love this book. im not really a book reader until i got this book from my dear friend. ive read this book 4 times now. i love it i can't wait for more book's from these's talented young lady's love them both!!!
April 1, 2013
I really enjoyed this story, there was always something going on so you didn't feel like you wanted to skim through any of it. I am happy to see there will be a sequel and I am hoping it's about Rory and Kinley
January 14, 2014
Madison Grey has suffered the kind of tragedy few people could imagine or recover from. She loses her entire family in a car accident and months later her best friends attempt to bring her some joy by getting her VIP tickets to see her favorite band in concert. Cal Hunt is the lead singer and super sexy star of the band Murder of Crows. He notices Maddy in the front row and is attracted to her in a way he hasn't experienced before.
Cal Hunt has always been at the top of Maddy's back-up list, which was never intended to be anything but fun for her and her friends. The list was of celebrity crushes that could replace their husbands in the event of a tragedy. Never in a million years would Maddy expect to lose her loving husband, or to ever actually meet her top celebrity crush, let alone have him be attracted to her as well. As Maddy struggles to move on with her life after losing her family, Cal tries his best to be seduce her and show her how much he is coming to love her.
It is an interesting situation to experience Maddy's worst nightmare and biggest fantasy occurring within the same year. There are definitely a lot of ups and downs in this book and it is easy to feel many conflicting emotions along with Maddy's character. Cal is pretty spectacular, and it is hard to find much wrong with him. He is sexy, kind, and patient. The things he appreciates about Maddy are charming, and when he realizes he is wrong he takes action to try and correct his thinking or behavior. I loved the way Maddy and Kinley interact with one another and try hard to appreciate the amazing friendship that they offer one another.
Sometimes I felt like time was passing a little too quickly in this book and I would have liked to see things slow down a bit and really get to see the development of Cal and Maddy's relationship growing. Every now and again the dialogue would get a little choppy, but all in all I read this book straight through once I picked it up. I am invested in these characters and look forward to reading more books in this series.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
Cal Hunt has always been at the top of Maddy's back-up list, which was never intended to be anything but fun for her and her friends. The list was of celebrity crushes that could replace their husbands in the event of a tragedy. Never in a million years would Maddy expect to lose her loving husband, or to ever actually meet her top celebrity crush, let alone have him be attracted to her as well. As Maddy struggles to move on with her life after losing her family, Cal tries his best to be seduce her and show her how much he is coming to love her.
It is an interesting situation to experience Maddy's worst nightmare and biggest fantasy occurring within the same year. There are definitely a lot of ups and downs in this book and it is easy to feel many conflicting emotions along with Maddy's character. Cal is pretty spectacular, and it is hard to find much wrong with him. He is sexy, kind, and patient. The things he appreciates about Maddy are charming, and when he realizes he is wrong he takes action to try and correct his thinking or behavior. I loved the way Maddy and Kinley interact with one another and try hard to appreciate the amazing friendship that they offer one another.
Sometimes I felt like time was passing a little too quickly in this book and I would have liked to see things slow down a bit and really get to see the development of Cal and Maddy's relationship growing. Every now and again the dialogue would get a little choppy, but all in all I read this book straight through once I picked it up. I am invested in these characters and look forward to reading more books in this series.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
August 12, 2016
PICK UP this book! I giggled throughout the whole thing! (Even in the parts that made me sad.) Miriam and Amber write wonderfully together. This is one hell of a story! Each character you read about will make you smile. I kept wishing, myself, that I had Madison and Kinkley as best friends! ;) Their traditions are so unique, I’m thinking starting some that are mentioned. Definitely a fabulous read!
Madison Grey just lost her entire family in a tragic car accident. In the blink of an eye, her 4 kids and husband are gone. She’s more than struggling with the pain and constant reminder of them, while still living in the house they shared. Her 3 best friends try to help her get out and keep living, but it’s too difficult. The girls decide to distract Madison with tickets to see her favorite band, and her dreamy, rockstar crush: Calvin Hunt. What she didn’t expect was to actually meet him and for Calvin to find her absolutely mesmerizing!
Calvin Hunt’s never met a woman like Madison. She’s quiet, beautiful and something else. He decides he HAS to find out more about her, but Madison is scared to let him in her life. She begins to truly care for Calvin, but is it too soon? Jack was her only love, and the perfect husband. Is she ready to move on? Is she betraying her family’s memory by doing so? Can she ever have a relationship again knowing it could lead to marriage? Can she even BE someone’s wife again?! Dun dun DUNNN!!
Damn. As you can see this story is jam packed! Even though it deals with death (a not so easy subject), it still manages to make you smile. There are many comic reliefs that make the story flow. I really enjoyed Madison’s story about how she deals with such a tragedy. It’s tough, but being such a brave and strong girl, she tries to find happiness again. :)
Madison Grey just lost her entire family in a tragic car accident. In the blink of an eye, her 4 kids and husband are gone. She’s more than struggling with the pain and constant reminder of them, while still living in the house they shared. Her 3 best friends try to help her get out and keep living, but it’s too difficult. The girls decide to distract Madison with tickets to see her favorite band, and her dreamy, rockstar crush: Calvin Hunt. What she didn’t expect was to actually meet him and for Calvin to find her absolutely mesmerizing!
Calvin Hunt’s never met a woman like Madison. She’s quiet, beautiful and something else. He decides he HAS to find out more about her, but Madison is scared to let him in her life. She begins to truly care for Calvin, but is it too soon? Jack was her only love, and the perfect husband. Is she ready to move on? Is she betraying her family’s memory by doing so? Can she ever have a relationship again knowing it could lead to marriage? Can she even BE someone’s wife again?! Dun dun DUNNN!!
Damn. As you can see this story is jam packed! Even though it deals with death (a not so easy subject), it still manages to make you smile. There are many comic reliefs that make the story flow. I really enjoyed Madison’s story about how she deals with such a tragedy. It’s tough, but being such a brave and strong girl, she tries to find happiness again. :)
Want to read
January 26, 2015he Back-Up List has only ever been a joke- that's it.
Madison Grey has a celebrity crush list of possible replacement husbands ready with the off-chance her husband might inexplicably vanish.
Clearly, Madison was not prepared for A.) her husband's untimely death and B.) Calvin Hunt, rock god and top man on her Back-Up List to begin crushing on her. Talk about your cruel cosmic ironies.
It has only been six months since her entire family was killed in a tragic accident and he's looking to her for a hook-up! Really?
Calvin Hunt, rock icon, is living the dream of any womanizing man-whore - that is until he spots the first unavailable woman he's ever met. What the hell? Is she gay?
He's busily seducing her with concert tickets and exotic getaways, all while he's touring. There are plenty of obstacles he'll have to overcome to be with her and he'll need all the help he can get from his stoic bodyguard, his nosy Oprah-channeling brother and even Madison's bizarrely quirky friends who are all fighting to cross his name off of Madison's Back-Up List.
#1 The Back-Up List
#2 The List of Possibilities
#3 The Bump List
Madison Grey has a celebrity crush list of possible replacement husbands ready with the off-chance her husband might inexplicably vanish.
Clearly, Madison was not prepared for A.) her husband's untimely death and B.) Calvin Hunt, rock god and top man on her Back-Up List to begin crushing on her. Talk about your cruel cosmic ironies.
It has only been six months since her entire family was killed in a tragic accident and he's looking to her for a hook-up! Really?
Calvin Hunt, rock icon, is living the dream of any womanizing man-whore - that is until he spots the first unavailable woman he's ever met. What the hell? Is she gay?
He's busily seducing her with concert tickets and exotic getaways, all while he's touring. There are plenty of obstacles he'll have to overcome to be with her and he'll need all the help he can get from his stoic bodyguard, his nosy Oprah-channeling brother and even Madison's bizarrely quirky friends who are all fighting to cross his name off of Madison's Back-Up List.
#1 The Back-Up List
#2 The List of Possibilities
#3 The Bump List
Read
November 28, 2013DNF @ 25%. Terribly sad background for the girl. I had a hard time getting past that to enjoy a blossoming new romance that I just wasn't feeling the connection of. It was too cavalier in the beginning. Their speech was stilted and forced at times.
August 1, 2013
It is an awesome book.....
April 14, 2014
I loved this book!
this is the most insperational book i ever read.
this is the most insperational book i ever read.
September 7, 2013
I really am shocked by all of the 5 star reviews for this book. One of the bloggers I follow recommended it, and I thought it was boring! The writing was rudimentary. Yuck!
November 3, 2013
Review to come.
Read
November 29, 2013dnf @ 12%....couldnt get into the writing style sorry
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews