Juilliard or Else

by Nichele Reese

This is a twisting story of young love torn in two.

Abigail McCall has been accepted into Juilliard for Ballet. Being nineteen, she’s ready to move out of her tight shell at her parent’s house and in with her new roommates. Abigail finds herself distracted with things she never saw herself doing.

'Hey, I’m Tucker.
That’s all it took. His own name rolling off his tongue.'

With no job and coming from a broken home with a mother who doesn’t care what happens to him, could you blame Tucker for being so secretive? The dark and mysterious Tucker has his sights set on the prim and proper ballerina. So he knows he has to change his self destructive ways in order to keep Abigail in his life. Which means, betraying his closest friends.

Obstacles are thrown at them.
They don’t approve of the ballerina and the poor boy.

The world won’t let Abigail and Tucker be together. What do they have to sacrifice to stay together...

Can the good come out in the bad? Or does someone always end up hurt and alone?

Tucker has nothing, but Abigail has everything to lose...

New Adult Novel. Contains adult situations, sexuality, some violence, and is suited for ages 18 and up.

Coming May 13th 2013

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult, College Romance, Contemporary Romance, Love

Unknown Binding

First published May 13, 2013

About the author

Nichele Reese loves nothing more than to be snuggling up with her husband and little boy. Occasionally the two furry animals running around her house get some attention too. When she's not doing that, you can find her on her laptop, phone, or reading on her kindle. On the side, she loves to study Chemistry for fun...Can you believe it? For Fun! Crazy girl. She also puts that into good use working in a Microbiology Lab, where stinky bacteria grows.

Juilliard or Else is my first Novel.
http://www.amazon.com/Juilliard-or-El...


You can check out my blog for Teasers..My characters I picture and the playlist that has inspired me.

AuthorNicheleReese.blogspot.com

Facebook::

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Thanks for all your support

N.Reese

Reviews

[Erika Ashby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book and afterwards thought, "I wish I could write like that?"...Well, that's totally me after reading Nichele's book. The way she explains the surroundings, the movements, the emotions, just the characters in general is Aca-amazing. This book has so much depth to it. She takes the rich good girl/poor bad boy idea to an unheard of direction. This isn't your typical story.

Everything that is going on, you feel like you are a part of. I felt like I was in every scene as a side character watching the events unfold. I felt what they felt.

Abigail and Tucker each have their flaws, besides coming from totally polar opposite backgrounds. You feel sympathetic towards Gabs just as much as you do for Tucker, but for completely different reasons.

This story is about winning when the odds are against you. It's about finding out what's worth fighting for, and going for it. This is an absolute must read!

[Ji · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started off this book kind of excited...read couple of reviews...and thought hey this sounds kinda fun!
It was just a bitchy rollercoaster for me! My emotions were just everywhere. It was OK to HATE to LIKE then to FUCKING HATE then to I WANNA BITCH SLAP EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!



***WARNING***MAY INCLUDE SOME SPOILERS***

First the book starts off pretty nice. Abigail a.k.a Gabs lives with her very controlling mother Carol and a pushover lawyer daddy. Carol controls EVERYTHING in Abigail's life and is pretty much the BIG BAD BITCH. She has her reasons for being such a controlling bitch; which we learn right before Abigail moves out of the house to start school at Juilliard. Knowing the truth; Abigail decides to stand up to Carol and makes all these promises to herself she won't let Carol push her. The funny thing is, Abigail is just REALLY STUPID and NAIVE. She falls into Carol's trap over and over and over and over and over and over again! It get's kinda old! And Carol is one lady who needs a damn wakeup call!!



Then we have Abigail's roommates Rachel and Jade. They bond instantly and become one big happy family! Right off the bat! They all decide to go have coffee together, and that's when they meet the boys: Tucker, Brad and Jett. They all fall in love instantly. Tucker with Abigail...Brad with Rachel and Jett with Jade... Jade has this "I don't give a shit" attitude. She has "issues" and tries to help Abigail with her "issues." I don't know how that's gonna work, but they start bonding over cigarettes. Abigail kept on smoking in this damn book with Jade, but she kept on insisting she was NOT A SMOKER... NO ABIGAIL... YOU'RE A SMOKER! YOU SMOKE WITH JADE AND YOU SMOKE WITH TUCKER...SO YES YOU'RE A SMOKER!.... Rachel on the other hand is the fashionista. She helps Abigail pick out clothes and is the one without "issues," except the fact she didn't want to admit her feelings for Brad.

Brad and Tucker are drug dealers. It's pointed out even before the first chapter that Tucker was a dealer. These guys seem to be always running away, and Tucker always hiding Abigail. Jett on the other hand owns a tattoo parlour. Tucker is an apprentice at the parlour, but he deals more than he tattoos.

This is a story I've read and seen in movies. Bad boy meets innocent, rich, naive girl. Girl has big dreams and boy is always in trouble. Parents disapprove, and boy and girl tries to prove that love conquers all. I give this one 2 1/2 stars. I just think this book had so much potential. It could have worked except the fact that the MC Abigail just didn't work for me.
REASON 1: Her friends Rachel and Jade knew that Tucker and Brad were into shady business, but Abigail just seemed to have no clue.
REASON 2: Abigail get's hurt and feels betrayed because Tucker was a dealer. REALLY??? YOU HAD NO CLUE???!!

REASON 3: She's such a strong character and a perfectionist when dancing...but when it comes to reality all her senses are gone!


Tucker...I think he's the only character I liked in this book... but he's still not perfect... Abigail had to reassure him how she wanted him so many freaking times... SHE WANTED HIM!!!! I feel like he could have helped build Abigail's character. I love it when guy's bring out the best out of their girlfriends, but I feel like all they had was this infatuation over each other... It was all about their attractions, but I needed something deeper... I don't even know if I'm making sense...


This just didn't work out for me...I thought I would like it, but it just turned sour... If you like crazy mothers, really naive female MCs and really cute bad boy...you should give this book a chance...

[Anne Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of, I want to say that the cover is amazing. So beautiful. As beautiful as the story.

Juilliard or Else is a story about two very different people. Abigial McCall is a girl who is set in life. She is going to the prestigious Juilliard Academy and she has her perfect life all set to go. Then, one day, she meets Tucker. Oh my!!! Tucker is a bad, bad boy but he just finds himself in a whole lotta trouble with Abby. And this is where their love story begins.

Juilliard or Else is a poignant story about kisses, love, and passion. Add in the mix of redemption for one of the main characters and you have a perfect blend of sweetness, angst, and a journey towards finding love. Nichele Reese's writing is phenomenal. It translates in the pages of the book and as for me, I want my own Tucker. He's a broken boy who is put back into pieces by a girl, who on the outside, seems to have the perfect life.

I loved, loved this story!! There is no 'or else' in this book. It's plain awesomeness.

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I kept pushing on and trying to get past some of the issues I had with the book. Sadly at 60% I decided I no longer cared anymore about anyone in the story.

I loved the ballet story. I felt like everything else was too cliched. We have a ballerina with an eating disorder. Check. We have a crazy strict (step)mom that treats the main character like shit because she's not really her biological daughter. Check. Abigail gets into Juilliard and becomes immediate best friends with her new roommates. Check. She starts taking up smoking on day one with them. WTF? And one of her roommates is a cutter so they have crazy coping techniques in common. Lovely. Abigail meets a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Check. Crazy stepmom tries to force main character to date a different boy (future partner at her dad's lawfirm). Check. Everything was so cliched and I really didn't believe the relationships that were formed. And most importantly I didn't understand why the main characters fell in love. It seems like Abigail knew very little about Tucker. But she was quick to make him her first boyfriend.

Things just never added up.

**Won copy through Shh Moms Reading Book Blog**

[Nacole Stayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading Juilliard or Else and let me tell you this is a must read. Author Nichele Reese captivated young love in a way I haven’t read before. Tucker is painted as this bad boy,but has such a soft loving, caring side you are immediately drawn to him. Abigail was brought up a little different but what a perfect pair they make. This debut novel is a great example for all young adults, that love truly can overcome any dilemma as long as both parties try. The love these two young characters have radiates off of them and makes even me a little jealous. This is defiantly a story of love, heartache and triumph. I suggest you mark this on your TBR. You will not be disappointed! : )

[Audrey Harte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail has been accepted to Juilliard to study ballet after years of training. Her overbearing and demanding mother has pushed her to her limits and stressed her to the point of bulimia. Enter Tucker, a bad boy with a dark past who makes his living by less than honorable means while he apprentices as an unpaid tattoo artist who only makes tips. Can Abigail and Tucker overcome all the obstacles that stand in their way as they try to join their two very different worlds? The chemistry between them is electric. This book is dark and deep and will take you on an emotional rollercoaster as you follow these two damaged young adults on their journey to find love in each other's arms. The author has done an amazing job on her debut novel!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a debut I think Nichele did an excellent job! I absolutely loved Tucker & Abigail's story and was sucked into their world as soon as I started reading. Abigail came from a privileged background growing up living in the best neighborhoods in NYC; on the outside her life seemed perfect but nothing is ever as it seems. Both Abigail and her parents have secrets. Big secrets. Our Tucker on the other hand grew up in Bushwick, with a useless mother more concerned with getting high than caring her young son

"I taught myself to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for my main meal of the day and wash my own clothes in the bathtub"

With that I was in tears listening to Tucker tell us his story!

Our couple meets once Abigail heads off to live her dream of ballet dancing at Juilliard; her two roommates
get her to go out for coffee one night and Tucker and his friends are at the coffee shop playing pool. The attraction and spark was instant but being Abigail had never been in a relationship she was scared of being hurt, especially by guy like Tucker; he was a little older than her and more experienced. Tucker knew Abigail deserved better, however he was determined to become the man she deserved...

"God, Gabs. You do something inside me that makes me want to be a better person. You're pure. That's why I gotta go do this; sever ties, pretty much. That's the only way I can explain it right now"

While Tucker dreamed of being a tattoo artist, he was raised on the streets and even though he tried to not become a product of his environment; things happen. He did things he didn't necessarily want to do but you do what you have to do to survive...or in his case help keep his best friend alive. I wasn't crazy about his choices, but I understood them.


This story was so much more than girl meets boy. This was about two young adults learning to find their way in the world, dealing with overprotective and manipulative parents hell bent on keeping them apart just because Tucker doesn't come from money, drugs, violence, death and a few others (I don't want to give everything away now)

It's about two people in love that, despite everything they face they're determined to fight for their love
even when everyone else is trying to keep them apart. They made some mistakes...together, but learned that some of the best things in life come from your mistakes.
I've read Juilliard or Else once in it's entirety but I keep finding myself going back to different sections I've highlighted or just random ones because I can't let this one go. I loved all of the characters; each one was an important part of the story but most of all I LOVED the story

[J.L. Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the honor of reading an advanced copy of Juilliard or Else. Part of me was honestly expecting the good girl/bad boy melodrama but I was quickly mistaken a short while in. Do no be deceived by the fact that Abigail or as her friends call her "Gabs" is a ballerina. Nor be too quick to judge the surface appearances of what some would consider a hopeless, delinquent Tucker.

One word that would describe Nichele Reese as a writer is FIERCE. She is fearless and is not afraid to push the reader past their comfort zone. You will easily get lost as Gabs beats her pointe shoes against the studio floor and transcend into another place. Your heart will break as you begin to see the world through Tucker's eyes, and the oppression he must face in order to just exist in her life.

Everyone has a dream and no matter how impossible it may seem, Nichele Reese does a beautiful job of putting the struggle into words and describing the underlying passion that drives through resistance. Whether it be family, friends, love, and life, a privileged status does not guarantee a tranquil passage. For Gab's it may be Juilliard or Else, but for Tucker, it's the chance at the untouchable.

Five stars all the way...

[Janessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get Juilliard as an ARC so I thought I would let you all know what I thought.
Nichele Reese is giving us a beautifully written story of following your dreams whatever they may be. Life can give you many choices and not all of them are easy but when choosing between following your dreams or following your heart making the wrong choice can change your life forever. Abigail and Tucker are forced to choose between life and love and deal with the consequences of their decisions. I do not want to give any of the story away because I feel everyone should experience this book and its wonderful twist and turns for themselves. I will say that this novel has such raw emotion and is so honest when it comes to how first love can be that I was completely captivated. In my opinion it is a must read. Make sure you mark it on your tbr. <3

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could NOT finish. The writing was horrible. Could have gotten into the storyline, but was too annoyed.

I'm not picky about grammatical errors because I understand indie writing, but I just couldn't stand this book. It was inconsistent and inappropriate swearing. I had so much hope for this book because I'm a fan of Kim Karr, but I just couldn't get into this book. I felt that this book got to where it is because of the support of Kim Karr which I find highly annoying. There are a lot of good books out there that aren't known because the authors did not piggy back off of another author. I feel so sad that Kim Karr would support such writing. I'm sorry, I was so disappointed in this book.

[Karla Mae (Reads and Thoughts) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just like Abigail, since I was a child I’m fascinated with ballet – with their graceful moves and colorful dresses. I think, my dad even sign me up on a ballet class when I was about 5 or 6 but I really don’t know what happened after that since that certain memory was 95% hazy to me now. He-he. Anyway, now guys, you see what brought me into reading this one – it’s the concept of ballet added up to a very intriguing story.


The rich girl ballerina with Bulimic problems.
The deprived tattoo artist with Drug dealing problems.


Well, those two statement sums up this story. Eye-roll inducing right? Well, it really is But, I don’t really want to judge it basing on that. The story has its pros and cons and let me dissect it for you guys:

Let’s start with the pro, well the characters Gabs and Tucker felt very real and they’re pretty engaging character. Gabs, even though belonging to a high social status she’s pretty much down to earth making her easy to like. She’s unquestionably naïve and the only bad side to that is she gets a bit needy and clingy at times.

Tucker on the other hand, was one of those characters that are tough to figure out. It’s a good thing that since the beginning for the story we know who Tucker really is – the bad side was first introduced to us but since then I know that he has a heart of gold and simply wanted the best in life.

The con that I find here is that there is too much drama and angst on the plot. When you think it through a lot really happened - with their inner self problems, parent conflicts, third parties and so on and so forth. I think toning down the angst a drama could do so much more. But I do appreciate the twists and turns that the story brought. Just when I thought I could see well what was coming I suddenly bumped into a wall leading me into another unexpected scene on the next page.

Oh and I just want to say Kudos to the author for tactfully writing about several topics that are too sensitive like eating disorder and drug dealing. Despite the too much drama, those sensitive issues are well handled.

Overall, the setting and characters were fine with me the too much drama just throws me off the hooks. Well, it was not a perfect read but it was okay.

[Tiffany Readz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stick with this story as it revs up at about the 30-40% mark. Before that I was thinking that this book was a bit too YA for my liking, and then I ended up loving it! I panicked at the 90% mark thinking there was going to be a dreaded cliffhanger ending, but it wrapped up nicely with a fantastic epilogue.

Abigail is the rich girl that has everything to prove to her mother, but no matter how hard she tries, she is a disappointment in her mothers eyes. She gets a scholarship to Juilliard and finally gets out from under her mothers thumb and lives a little.

Tucker is a guy from the streets, not happy with they way his life has been and is turning out. He is trying to make something of himself, but the streets have a pretty big hold on him. He meets Abigail and her friends at a coffee shop where sparks fly instantly between them.

You can see that this is a good girl/bad boy romance, but I really like the way that these two fight to stay together. They have his street friends against them as well as her high society family. Quite a bit starts to happen and you wonder if they are going to be able to make things work in the long run.

I think this book was well written and really brings out the big guns for the ending.

[Jennifer Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC from Nichele Reece for Juilliard or Else & want to share...but not give too much away."

Abigail & Tucker come from two different worlds & when that happens sparks can fly. They both have experienced so many different things in life, but they both know how to fight for what they believe is right. Love, at any age will have ups & downs but these two, are willing to go against the world, take it head & not let obstacles get in the way. They both have dreams & sometimes our dreams take us on a different path, making you look deep within yourself.

From the beginning, you're completely rooting for these young lovers. Nichele did an amazing job letting the reader experience the emotion of the characters. From the beginning, be prepared to be captivated & swept away.

If this book hasn't been added to your TBR, you definitely should!!!

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was not able finish this book. This has not happened to me in a long time. I love reading and the written words and I never really write reviews because I think that every reader deserves to make up their own mind about the book. I am a hypocrite in a way because I do look at star ratings though. I saw a few ratings for this book and it received a lot of 4/5 stars so I bought it. I was really disappointed and well I guess it was just not my cup of tea. The writing was very inconsistent and there were a lot of grammatical errors. I know this was an independent publish, and I usually let a lot of those things go. I think my biggest discomfort was that there were confusing segments that just left me annoyed and ended up abandoning the book after three tries.

[Melanie Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given the honor of beta reading Juilliard or Else. What a touching story of two very different characters with two very different upbringings who were brought together by a chance meeting and fell in love. Tucker is the epitome of "bad boy", but has a soft side that makes you fall in love with him almost immediately. Abigail is kind of girl you want to hate, based on her upbringing you imagine her to be the rich spoiled princess stereotype. But, the more you get to know her the more you realize how down-to-earth, kindhearted, and genuine she truly is. You are going to love this amazing story! I couldn't put it down!

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate, hate, hate giving bad reviews for books because authors put so much time, energy, and emotion into their work. But, this warrants what I have to say.

The Good: Love the cover and the story has a lot of potential to be fantastic.

The Bad: The writing was stilted and she did more telling than showing. I felt absolutely no chemistry between any of the characters, most especially, the two love interest. Very disappointed in what I thought would be a great read. This was a DNF.

[Rebecca Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreak and sadness. A good read overall. I did get a little miffed with Gabs from time to time. You'll understand when you read the book.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Choppy and short sentences. Christ did she cry a river! Every page hot tears leaked from her eyes and down her face...

[Jojo]

This sounds so familiar. I read a fan fiction with such a similar plot. I can't remember the story off hand though. I am placing this as nope-nope until I find out for certain.

[Yanilsa · Rating 2 out of 5]

gorgeous cover. Clichéd story

[PAULA · Rating 5 out of 5]

JUILLIARD OR ELSE by NICHELE REESE

This is a moving story of young love, friendship, family and fighting for something that makes you happy. Nichele did an outstanding job in writing such emotional, deep and a freakin roller coaster ride kind of story bout two young adults who are figuring out who they want to be. And given the fact that this is Nichele’s debut novel, this is definitely a must read. One of the best standalones of 2013, that I bravely say with all certainty and conviction. And the cover is gorgeous!

The story told in Abigail’s POV and a tiny bit of Tucker’s. Abigail grew up in a family that’s so sheltered and with a mother that’s beyond strict and a disciplinarian, who later she found out that is not really her mother. After 3 years of hard work along with her step mom’s vicious disciplinary skills and 3 yrs of trying to get into Juilliard, she finally got accepted. She was excited than ever. It was her dream to be part of that prestigious ballet class in Juilliard and now, she finally made it. She moved to an apartment near her school with 2 girls who later become her friends, her first friends. They got along well and one night decided to go out and have fun…. that’s when she met Tucker. The guy who also happens to be the one she smiled at the first day she got to move into her apartment.

Tucker is trouble with a capital T. He lives in a not so good neighborhood in Brooklyn with a mother who’s an addict. He deals with a lot of illegal stuff and pretty much got himself into trouble all the time. One day, he went home after doing his usual routine which includes drug dealing, he found her mother and her boyfriend in her room doing drugs. He was pissed and ended up running from the shitty place he grew up in to cool off. While walking in an alley, he then noticed this girl with her pretty innocent face and right there, he was whipped. He smiled at her not knowing if the girl saw him or not. That’s where it all started…

I love the story. I know I say it all the time in my reviews but when a book is really good, it deserves words like that. Juilliard or Else has a wonderful story and to be honest I was so into it that I can’t help but read it all the way. Every time I try to stop, I always end up mentally saying “just one more chapter” and then some. That’s how freakin good the story is.

Abigail or Gab, a nickname her new found friends gave her, the life she grew up in is kinda sad. The way her step mom treated her is just awful. I didn’t get it at first, ya know, the way her mother is treating her but we got to learn why. Reading the whole insults her step mom was saying to her makes me want to crawl inside the book and rip her step mom’s heart. Plus, she is dealing with her inner demons. She is bulimic. She makes herself throw up especially when her step mom is being such a bitch, which she is most of the time. I feel so bad for her and I didn’t like that her father just let it all happen. Ok, it was explained later in the book but still, I kinda hate him for not stepping up. I was glad that at some point, Gab had the backbone to finally stand her ground and tell her step mom to back off.

When Tucker appeared and made his way into the story, I can’t help but think of Taylor Swift’s song I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE. It was kinda fitting. Hahahaha Don’t get me wrong, he is not like what Taylor is singing about in that song. He was trouble alright but I understand why. Living without a mom and a drug addict mother, you sure will end up like em if you don’t get to straighten your shit. He is a good guy, he just have a LOT of shit to deal with.

The relationship Gab and Tucker have is something deep. Even the first time they met, reading that part, it was describe in a way that there is really a connection between em. It was so palpable that you can feel the attraction they have for each other. And I said that it was such a roller coaster ride, right? Sure it was. I think a roller coaster ride as a description is an understatement but I can’t think of a better one. There were a lot of sweet & loving moments between Gab & Tucker throughout the whole story and my fave, I think is the tattoo part. It was such a cute scene and I was glad that Nichele gave us a picture of the tat. It was so sweet and lovely. But there were also very sad moments. I am torn between (STOP! SPOILER AHEAD. OK, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK)Rachel dying or that part in the precinct where Gab learned everything bout Tucker. It was one of the saddest part I have read. Ever. The way it was written was so touching and painful. *sigh

What I also like bout the story is it includes characters that are so good. They all fit perfectly. Gab’s friends, Rachel & Jade are one helluva friends. They taught her bout the world she didn’t know exist. They let her try things, experience things that her step mom didn’t let her. And Tucker’s friends are also great, especially Jett. I think they deserve their own story. There were also some twist in the book, one I didn’t saw coming and it all make sense after reading it.

Now, don’t be sad. I was so thankful that Nichele included an epilogue. To be honest, I checked the Table of Contents if there was an epilogue or not and to see one I was mentally saying “Thank you!!!”. I always do that ya know, check the ToC to set my expectations & I so appreciate a writer who includes an epilogue in their books, given of course that’s it’s not a series. I was glad to find out that this book has an ending and not a cliffhanger that I was so used to expecting with the books I have been reading lately. So there, I said it. There is an ending. I happy one, if I may add. I couldn’t think of a better one. Nichele gave us an ending that’s beyond satisfying. I couldn’t ask for more. I finished the book with a smile on my face. And yes, there’s a story bout Brad. He is one of Tucker’s friends and also Alex. Who’s Alex? Just the read the book.

5 amazing stars for this wonderful and deeply touching book by Nichele Reese. I can’t wait to read more from her. :)


** Also posted on my TUMBLR account & AMAZON

http://xoxopimpimxoxo.tumblr.com/post...

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nobody approves of the ballerina and the poor boy.

Since this book is one mess of stereotypes and clichés, that cliché quote is perfect for kicking off this review.

I think you all recognize the story: rich white girl with dreams of becoming a ballerina and an independent person after living under her stepmother's thumb for her whole life while her father is the most amazing person on the planet (according to our heroine). On the other side of the tracks we have the young man coming from a rough upbringing with an addict for mother with abusive boyfriends. When our heroine is accepted to Juilliard and gets to live on her own with two roommates, one of them with her own abusive past. Add in a chance meeting and our heroine and hero falls deeply in love after just a few days. But of course, nothing is ever so easy.

You see where I'm going with this? Hollywood sure does. I can count off at least ten movies with the same – or at least almost exactly the same – storyline. The difference between this and all of those movies is that the movies doesn't have the most dreadful heroine. They also manage to give the drug dealing hero some personality. Juilliard or Else did not manage to do that. All it did with its characters was to make them as stereotypical as humanly possible. Ballet dancing heroine; rich, white, privileged, bulimic, virginal, naïve, smoker. And our hero... as I said, not much of a personality here. It's hard to give a character one of those when he's busy making out 90% of the time.

The main problem is really our heroine, Abigail, but I want to take a moment to talk about the plot. Because there really isn't anyone until somewhere around the 60% mark. Up to this point it is really all about Abigail blaming her stepmother for everything and Abigail swooning and making out with Tucker (our hero). After that so much happens all at once it's hard to keep up. It's not that it's much, it's that it's done poorly. One problem is barely presented when the author decided to throw in the next. All this achieved was that Abigail and Tucker had the chance to break up and get back together 7 times or so with nothing being resolved. Also, at that point Abigail's whining had caused me to not give a damn about what happened to her and it was impossible to understand what the hell ever Tucker saw in that girl.

But as we talk about that. Things done poorly. How about this:

It's not an eating disorder. It was at first, and now it's just something my body does on its own. I hate it so bad; I feel like I can't control it anymore. It's taken control of me.

Okay, maybe that doesn't seem like a big deal, but to me it is. I've struggled with eating disorders myself, and this book is just offensive. First of, the view on eating disorders (as presented in the quote) is sketchy. An eating disorder is something your body does to you. It makes you starve, throw up, etc. It's when doing one or more of these things isn't a choice anymore, it's when your body makes it a natural thing, more or less forcing you to do it without your choice. That's when it is an eating disorder. And the notion that you can cure yourself with a simple breathing exercise prescripted by your boyfriend is ridiculous. I'll leave it at that.

And with that, let's move over to Abigail, because this girl is what's making this book a trainwreck. For one thing, she's terrible at realizing she might be wrong. When she gets to know Tucker is dealing drugs, she accuses him of lying. Okay, he never exactly told her what he does, but she sure as hell never asked even when he disappears suddenly or hangs out with obviously bad people. But no, it's his fault all the way. At the same time she claims Tucker to be so open. "I loved how he just opened up to me." Her own words. The next she claims he's keeping secrets from her. So yeah, Abigail's hard to like.

Second, she puts all the blame on her stepmother. Abigail blames her for not telling she's really Abigail's stepmother, when it was her father's idea to wait to tell Abigail. Abigail blames her stepmother when a guy named Alex propses marriage to Abigail even when Alex states he asked Abigail's father for permission. Really, every little thing is always her stepmother's fault. And don't get me started on the contradictional messages regarding her father. He can fire a guy for grabbing Abigail's arm, but he won't tell his own wife off from bullying his daugther, whom he loves more than anything.

No, just no. Everything was so poorly done and handled I cursed every other page. I should've stuck to Hollywood B-movies.

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[Christine (Shh Moms Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

www.shhmomsreading.com

This was Nichele Reese’s debut novel and wow! I truly enjoyed everything about this book – Tucker and Abigail, the setting in NY, the emotions and connections I experienced throughout my reading experience and most of all the honest love I felt between these two characters.
The book opens in Tucker’s POV – he is dealing drugs to make money to support himself in Bushwick Brooklyn. For anyone who is from NY, we all know what this area is like – the crime, the drugs and the hardships that are a part of daily life. Tucker has had a tough life growing up with a dead beat mother and a dad who beat him as a child and then left; never to be heard from again. And when Tucker first sees Abigail McCall coming out of her car, it’s like the world literally stops.
Abigail has lived a very privileged life – she is an only child and has never wanted for anything as her parents are very wealthy. Her father is a prominent lawyer and is warm and loving and generous and her mother is just an honest to god bitch – with a capital B! Her mother has very high expectations for Abigail and is as cold as ice. Because of her mom’s controlling behavior and lack of love, Abigail develops a purging problem. Yes it did start off as bulimia to control her weight as she is a talented ballerina but over the years it has become just a natural reaction to the stress and anxiety of dealing with her controlling mother and stressful situations.
Abigail has been accepted into Juilliard as a ballerina which is a high honor. Rather than live in the dorm, her mother buys her and her roommates a very expensive apartment close to school. As Abigail leaves for the start of school, we learn some surprising things about her life and it all starts to click for me and make sense as to why her relationship with her mother is the way that it is.
Abigail’s roommates – Jade and Rachel are awesome. They are girlfriends that you wish to have because they are there for you to support you and to always have your back. They give Abigail a new name “Gabs” and it’s like a new start for her – a chance to be a whole new person – someone who is free! Gab’s roommates are not perfect either – everyone has their own secrets and issues to deal with but for once Gabs is not an outsider, she is someone that has a place where she belongs.
When Gabs and Tucker meet – SWOON! They are immediately drawn to each other and it melts my heart with the intensity yet innocence of it. Rather than rush into a relationship, they get to know each other slowly over time. Tucker isn’t around too much for Gabs but there is a lot of texting going on. With all of his absence it makes me question right away what he is doing behind her back. Tucker has a dream of being a tattoo artist and is doing an apprenticeship with one of his friends but with all of the times he is gone, I can’t help but think he will get himself into troubles.
Gabs knows she should take her time with this first love that she has ever experienced and concentrate on her ballet because it has always been her dream but can she put aside her feelings for Tucker? Can Tucker ever get out of what he knows with drugs and have a life with Gabby who seems so far out of his league? With all of the negativity from her parents dislike for Tucker, will he ever fit into her life and vice versa? Will there be a HEA for these two people who feel so strongly for each other yet can’t seem to ever be on the same page?
You will have to read it to find out!
This is a wonderful story of two very different people from different backgrounds trying to fight for their common goal – to love one another and have a relationship. Both make mistakes throughout this book and we see how young love is not always perfect. This book dealt with some tough issues and I felt that Nichele did an amazing job making us feel and love these characters for all of their imperfections. There are some suspenseful parts that kept me on my toes and added that extra something for me towards the end of the book. This book was well written for a debut novel and very emotional. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Reese and seeing where she goes with Alex and Brad’s stories.
I want to mention that the epilogue at the end was again in Tucker’s POV and was AMAZING – and it goes to show how with love in your life – your life couldn’t be any better.
Love the shoutout to Black Falcon!!

[Sarah Camargo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars certain parts of this book felt like 3 stars and some felt like 4 so I'm right in the middle.

****************Contains spoilers!!!!

The author did a great job making Tucker irresistible and I loved how she got me loving him from the very first chapter in his POV. I like that we experienced Abigail's home life so we were able to relate to some of the crazy decisions that she was making thru out the book. I even fell for the friends Abigail makes and their mouths. The premise is what really captivated me to want to read it from the beginning and the book was true to its description.

************spoilers****************

What I didn't love about the book was the physical back and forth of Tucker. He would leave for days or even weeks with no explanation to Abigail or even the reader and he just wanted her to trust him. In the end it never even came out what he he was doing when he was gone or why for so long. Sometimes he couldn't even call her and then to be gone on Christmas! Abigail wouldn't even get mad at him over it but I had to keep telling myself it was because it was her first time having a relationship and she was weak from the way her step mother treated her but sheesh a girl can only take that so much. Even after it came out that she was pregnant he left her to deal with everything on her own (starting on the police station floor)and he felt like it was ok that he left her with no kind of contact for weeks and again it was only hinted at why he thought he shouldn't have called her. It was just so frustrating.

Also there were some weird plots within the story that just left me scratching my head. Like for instance the first warning she got from Jeremiah was just odd. I feel like it didn't really fit and what was the warning for anyway?? I mean they barely met and we know he hooked up with plenty of girls before her. Speaking of we never got to know how Jasmine got mixed up with Ethan other than the fact that maybe her mom is a druggie by the comment made by Tucker. She's a student of Juilliard and even though she's a hateful bitch she is still really good so there's no way she could be a drug using partier herself.
Then the fact that she always ran to The Greenhouse to find Tucker and he was always there but for some reason at the end she didn't run there she ran to his house where they had never met before and he was really never at and he was there. Again strange...maybe it was because he always told her not to go there and that part needed to be tied into the story. IDK. And what about his dad just walking into the picture while they were at the police station but he hadn't seen or talk to him in years?? (Then he was just able to leave without being out in jail - that part I just chalked up to it being a book and that can happen LOL) Then we never hear about him again? Now one more thing that I couldn't believe was the dad leaving the stepmom. After all the horrible things she did to his daughter even so far as hitting her and trying to marry her off to an abusive jerk he leaves her because he found out she wrote a check to Tucker?? Hmmmm

Over all I liked the book and the authors writing and it did keep me up till 5 am only leaving me 1 1/2 hrs to sleep until I had to get up for work. I think it was a bit drawn out and maybe a better impact could have been made with less. The author also did a wonderful job bringing some serious issues woman face today into the story and I have so much respect for her for doing so. I would definitely read more of her work and I hope I still came across as respectful while giving my pros and cons of this lovely story.

[RoloPoloBookBlog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Source: Purchase
Rating: 3½/5 stars

For the vast majority of her life Abigail McCall has been less than perfect in the eyes of her mother. Though she is well-educated, has impeccable manners and breeding and, is Juilliard bound, Abigail is still not good enough for her mother. The only two times Abigail feels truly free and good enough is when she is intentionally throwing up or dancing. Juilliard is all Abigail has ever wanted and with her acceptance to the prestigious school and the chance to move out of her parent’s house, life couldn’t be better.

Rachel and Jade, friends since forever, fellow Juilliard students and, Abigail’s new roommates are more than Abigail could have ever imagined. Rachel is bubbly and bright, highly protective of Jade and, devoted to her acting studies. Jade is dark but funny, sad but brilliant and, devoted to her cello and other artistic pursuits. Though Abigail’s parents technically own the multimillion dollar apartment the girls are living in, all three are from wealthy families and instantly understand one another and the pressures they each face from their respective families. Juilliard won’t be easy for any of the girls but with each other, they just may get through it.

Tucker’s life is far, far removed from the wealth and privilege enjoyed by Abigail and her roommates but he is drawn to Abigail and her wealth and privilege have nothing to do with the attraction. Tucker’s life sucks and though he has little hope of turning things around he is fighting to do so. Abigail’s presence in his life is both a complication and a miracle and though there is only a very small chance the two will make it, he is willing to hold on to the hope that they will, in fact, make. For Abigail, Tucker is a revelation and though he often disappears for days or weeks on end and won’t tell her why, she isn’t willing to give up on him. Their connection is fast and furiously intense and though the two know they want to be together they are constantly facing one obstacle or another.

Though she is constantly on edge, constantly crying and, constantly struggling to make her way in the world, Abigail is still standing. One of her finest qualities is her resilience and her insistence on making her own way (sort of, daddy does still pay for everything) where her emotions and romantic attachments are concerned. Abigail is determined to have her way no matter who she has to stand up too and what consequences her determination may bring. Though Tucker wants nothing more than to bring Abigail happiness, he is not always as strong as she is, though, when push comes to shove, he will move heaven and earth to come through for her.

The Bottom Line: I was instantly attracted to this read because of the gorgeous and gritty cover. I love a good ballerina story and when you throw in a damaged, hot boy trying to make more of himself than he is, well, I’m all in until the end. Though I got through this read quickly, it wasn’t necessarily an easy read and would have benefitted from one more pass through by a good editor. Additionally, there is a lot of angst and crying in this read. With that being said, I didn’t give up on Abigail and Tucker and though I wanted to choke the life out of both of them a time or two, I was glad to see them stick together and overcome every single obstacle they faced. If you are a fan of angsty reads and wealthy girl meets boy from the wrong side of the tracks then Juilliard or Else may just be the read for you.

[Jodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“One choice can make you or break you. That one choice can be life changing. Choose right or choose wrong. What’s more important…..Fun or Happiness? That one choice is yours.” ~ Nicele Reese

This book was more than I thought it was going to be more than a love story, more than a story of discovering one’s self, a story about making choices, following your dreams and listening to your heart. It shows you decisions aren’t always easy, decisions can change your life forever.

“When I danced, I felt as if I was the only person who mattered. I was in control – not my mother, not school, not even my etiquette. I was free.”

Abigail is everything you think of when you think Ballerina at first, a rich girl that on the outside seems to have it all, the perfect family, the perfect life and of course they carry themselves with perfection. But on the inside we see a girl who is trying desperately to win this approval from her mother, a approval that as a reader we sense is impossible to achieve for her mother is someone who from the first page comes off as this cold, controlling Bitch. Abigail finally reaches an accomplishment she has been striving for and she gets a scholarship to Juilliard, finally allowing her to escape her mother and all the walls that she has kept around her. Finally Abigail is about to experience living and that's where we officially meet Tucker.

“I knew I was goner. I found myself wanting things I never thought I would imagine, but if it was with Tucker, I didn’t care. All my thoughts disappeared.”

Tucker was everything that was the opposite of Abigail, he had nothing, he was street smart because he had to be. Tucker wants more, he wants to be a tattoo artist, he wants to have more than the hand he has been dealt but in his world it is hard to just walk away. Then he meets Abigail in a coffee shop while he and friends are playing pool. She is there with her new roommates and OH MY why do pool tables always give you those butterfly moments, those moments that you feel down to your toes.

“God, Gabs. You do something inside me that makes me want to be a better person. You’re pure. “

Oh yes this was the perfect Good girl meets Bad boy love story but it was so much more this story touches so many sensitive topics, drug addiction, bulimia, cutting, depression, this book is full of decisions that we make daily. We watch this AMAZING love unfold, we watch Abigail get this unbelievable support system around her. Honestly, this book has so many unbelievable characters from Abigail’s roommates that seriously each have their own stories, stories that wrap completely into this story. Then we see Tucker’s world and all these men that are a part of him, some scare you, some make you love them so much you want their story alone. I think what was the hardest for me was watching how hard these two had to fight for each other, how their decisions and others decisions were always there waiting to affect them.

“Nobody approves of the ballerina and the poor boy.”

I loved this book, I loved how Nichele told this story, and I cannot wait for more from her, like, I wish I could get Brad’s story and Evan’s story NOW but I will wait because if they are anything like this one it will be so worth it!!!

[Kayleigh {K-Books} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juilliard or Else Review on K-Books

"Marry me, Gabs. Right now, no more running. You're mine and only mine."

Right from the moment I saw this book cover appear on Facebook I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. After reading the blurb I knew this was one to look out for. I already have a lot of love for NA Contemp books right now and hearing about this one I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It's a fantastic NA that it inspirational uplifting and just purely beautiful.

All Abigail has ever wanted is to go to Juilliard to pursue her dream of being a Ballerina. When she gets accepted she knows this is her chance to shine. Away from her controlling witch of a mother Abigail finds herself coming out of her shell with her new friends and having more fun than she has ever had. One of this is Tucker. Tucker is the typical bad boy from the wrong sides of the tracks. As soon as he sees Abigail he knows she deserves better than him but he just can't stay away. Can love conquer all when all the odds are against them?

I think Nichele is an incredibly author. I was just completely taken away by her story and lost in the fantastic world of Abigail and Tucker. I just couldn't put the book down. I was completely rooting for them to sort things out. They were just the cutest, perfect couple that everyone will root for and it is such an addictive story you find it difficult to put the book down until you see what has happened to them. I really loved it.

One thing I adored about this book was that it was just so inspirational. It isn't just your typical NA romance with the sexy bad boy and the typical good girl trying to find a way to be together. On top of that it approaches the topic of the serious mental disorder of bulimia. I just found reading about that was just incredible. It means so much more than just a typical romance does. It is inspirational and there is such a moving message underneath the story.

I absolutely loved this book. My only issue with it is that some scenes, particularly the kissing scenes, felt a little bit repetitive. I kind of knew what they would say as even though they were hot and sexy they were kind of the same as the last one. Apart from that minor thing I adored the entire book and the strong message, amazing characters and just addictive storyline completely took over and had me just obsessed with this book it was fantastic. A must-read for any fans of NA.

"Abigail, I promise to love you for always. To always be there for you, never to leave you, to take care of you, no matter what. I'll always be here, baby girl."

^Please Note there are 3 words missing from this quote. I took them out as they are very spoiler-y. To see full quote please see 95% Location 5488 on Kindle.

[Gloria Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good and it also annoyed me so much that I wanted to pull my hair out in frustration. I wanted to love it, but I couldn't since I was annoyed while reading most of it.

The premise of the book is extremely good, 19 year old Abigail comes from a wealthy upbringing and has just been accepted to Juilliard for Ballet. She is young, sheltered and is on the verge of spreading her wings. Abigail is also suffering from low self steam and bulimia. Her "mom" is the main reason that causes her to purge -- Abigail is treated very badly by her in an effort to push her to be the best in everything. Upon her acceptance into Juilliard, Abigail moves out into an apartment bought by her parents to room with two classmates and it is here that meets Tucker, the hot bad boy from the wrong side out town.

Like I said, the premise is pretty good and the story is good, however there are reasons why this book annoyed me and here they are:

1. The book starts with Tucker's point of view (WHICH IS GREAT) and then it switches to Abigail's. However, we never get to hear/read the story from Tucker again until the epilogue. THIS ANNOYED ME as I wanted to read into his thoughts. The book has many mysteries, about Tucker, e.g. what does he do for a living, where does he disappear, how does he feel about Abigail etc. Those questions don't get answered until 80% into the book. I think I would have loved the story better if these questions had been answered earlier.

2. Though Abigail is young, she makes some deuce-y bad decisions: falling into peer pressure (drinking, smoking), getting involved with Tucker despite his shadiness and disappearing acts, having unprotected sex and suffering from its consequences and the list goes on... I just wish she had been written with a little more common sense.

3. Her roommates annoyed me. Jayden and Rachel ugh. They were just so over the top, I know they were trying to be helpful, but gees they did have to be the patrons of bad behaviour and really who does really think that a delinquent is a good candidate for the perfect boyfriend material? I guess silly rich 19 year olds do....

4. The relationship between Abigail's parents and Abigail and Tucker was a little hard to believe. I mean I get it that the parents are rich and protective, but really who does a 360 that quickly and then accepts their daughter's relationship with a delinquent like Tucker, like instantly? I was like really? yeah, not so believable.


So aside from those annoying points, I sort of enjoyed the book. I just wished I had better understood the characters motivations. I didn't like being left in a hole till the end.

BTW the book has no cliffhanger and it has a really nice HEA.

[Jennifer Wolfel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so where to begin with this one... I think that the first line of the synopsis says it best. This is a twisting story!

I was immediately drawn to the story of the ballerina... The teaser photos were so amazingly beautiful and all the talk of Tucker well... It sort of played out like a modern day Romeo and Juliette.

Abigail is such a wonderful but broken character, forced to live with a mother that never approved of anything she did and nothing was ever good enough or done well enough. Brought up with money, Abigail was forced to conform to the demands of her environment. When she finally gets accepted to the prestigious school for ballet she is so excited and what does her evil mother say. Don't embarrass your family! WHO SAYS THAT! Well her mother does. This woman is pure evil, and isn't a nice person at all. I was torn between wanting her to be beaten over the head and hit by a NYC bus... yeah she truly was that BAD! There was lots of ballet throughout and it felt so accurate that I was certain that Nichele was a dancer, but she said no... I was shocked!

When Abigail finally leaves home she is set free like a butterfly spreading their wings for the very first time. In enters Tucker and he is truly an enigma. Of course being the reader we know what Tucker is about and where he is and what he is doing. He confuses Abigail because she's never really had a boyfriend and she is having feelings that nobody has ever sparked in her before. She is quickly smitten with Tucker and from their things get CRAZY!

There are so many twists in this one, some I thought well I could see that coming since it was bound to happen eventually. And then I'd get smacked upside the head with something I couldn't have seen coming from a mile away! That makes me thrilled because these days it seems that so many books have become predictable for me. The broken boy falling for the girl that is forbidden but what happens in this book is truly not what you'd expect. Their are some revelations that will shock you! I was personally shocked!

The happiest part was that their was a true ending to this story, NO CLIFFHANGER! THANK YOU NICHELE!!!! I have read so many cliffhangers lately my head is spinning and my TBR is out of control with sequels and series, so I was pleasantly surprised when this book wrapped up at the end.

Do Abigail and Tucker get past their pasts, their differences in lifestyle and all the forces trying to keep them apart? Well you will have to read for yourself to find out....

I give this debut novel a solid 4.5 stars.... It was a great read by a first time author!