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Flat-Out Love #1.5
Flat-Out Matt
*Please note: This is not a full retelling of Flat-Out Love, but rather a companion piece with select FOL chapters, and it is meant for readers who know the story very well.*
You saw geeky, damaged, loveable Matt Watkins through Julie's eyes in FLAT-OUT LOVE. Now go deeper into Matt's world in this FLAT-OUT MATT novella. Live his side of the story, break when his heart breaks, and fall for the unlikely hero all over again.
Take an emotional skydive for two prequel chapters and seven FLAT-OUT LOVE chapters retold from his perspective, and then land with a brand-new steamy finale chapter from Julie.
Author's Note: Two chapters, The Sleepover and Keep Going, contain more mature content than Flat-Out Love (Keep Going, in particular), and were written based on reader demand. They wouldn't have fit in well with the original Flat-Out Love, but given that this is a fan-driven companion piece, I think they work. While the content here is upped a bit, the scenes are tastefully done. (So, you know sorry to those who wanted lewd and graphic.)
You saw geeky, damaged, loveable Matt Watkins through Julie's eyes in FLAT-OUT LOVE. Now go deeper into Matt's world in this FLAT-OUT MATT novella. Live his side of the story, break when his heart breaks, and fall for the unlikely hero all over again.
Take an emotional skydive for two prequel chapters and seven FLAT-OUT LOVE chapters retold from his perspective, and then land with a brand-new steamy finale chapter from Julie.
Author's Note: Two chapters, The Sleepover and Keep Going, contain more mature content than Flat-Out Love (Keep Going, in particular), and were written based on reader demand. They wouldn't have fit in well with the original Flat-Out Love, but given that this is a fan-driven companion piece, I think they work. While the content here is upped a bit, the scenes are tastefully done. (So, you know sorry to those who wanted lewd and graphic.)
158 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2013
182 people are currently reading
5539 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Park
20 books4,209 followersJessica is the author of 180 SECONDS, CLEAR, The Left Drowning Series (LEFT DROWNING and RESTLESS WATERS), the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (& the companion novella FLAT-OUT MATT), FLAT-OUT CELESTE, and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.
Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessic... and Twitter @JessicaPark24
Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessic... and Twitter @JessicaPark24
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,231 reviews
April 1, 2013
SQUEEEE!!! THERE'S MORE!!!!!!!
“I want the guy. The everything guy. Not the dumb Prince Charming, nauseatingly-perfect-everything guy. That’s pathetic. I want the flaws-and-all, everything guy.”
Please note that this novella MUST be read after Flat-Out Love. M’kay?? After!! No exceptions! ‘Cuz it gives away the whole twist to that book and it’s really worth going through that journey first. I view Flat-Out Matt more as an extension of FOL. You can’t read it first and it is not written as a stand-alone, but if you loved Flat-Out Love, you are guaranteed to love Flat-Out Matt.
Also, my review is spoiler-free :)
So first off, oh-my-God what a gem of a novella!!
I was grinning from the first line and had no problem slipping right back into my connection with all the characters that I had fallen in love with in FOL.
Like FOL, this book is smart. It has intelligent humor and snappy dialogue mixed with deep emotions, some heart break and an absolutely adorable romance.
“How you find love means nothing. It’s what you do with it when you see it that does.“
This is the story of a family dealing with a shattering tragedy and the healing they all go through after a girl moves into their homes and work her way into their hearts.
In this novella, we are treated to 2 prequel chapters to FOL (featuring Matt and Finn), 7 chapters from FOL told from Matt’s POV (we get the elevator scene, the hang gliding scene, the plunge scene, the Christmas scene and a few more that we never even saw in FOL), and finally we get one extra chapter told from Julie’s POV that takes place after the ending of FOL.
Here’s a little look at some of the precious Matt/Finn dialogue:
“I want you to have fun.”
“I am having fun.”
“In a controlled, regimented fashion, yes. But I think you could have more fun. It wouldn’t hurt you to hook up with someone a little less like your mother.”
“What an atrocious, puke-enduring thing to say.”
Now, while FOL was strictly YA in terms of steam, Flat-Out Matt definitely upped the steam factor by a little. Let’s just say that last scene made my heart race! It’s subtle and tastefully written, but the gentle, beautiful hotness is undeniably there.
This book is not a continuous story because it is really a compilation of chapters, but despite that, readers who are already familiar with the sequence of events in FOL should find that it flows very smoothly.
I can’t rate this separately from Flat-Out Love, because this story is really a direct extension of it. So, since I gave Flat-Out Love 5 stars, I will extend that rating to this novella as well.
If you haven’t read Flat-Out Love yet, I’d highly recommend adding it to your list.
Check out my spoiler-free review of Flat-Out Love:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
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March 28, 2013
If you loved Flat-Out Love, you will love this one!!! Two prequel chapters (with live Finn in them) Several chapters from Flat-Out Love written from Matty’s pov, and two bonus chapters! Loved it!!!
In Flat-Out Love, we meet Matt. He is a geek, but he is also cute, sweet, and all kinds of awesome.
“You’ve got a spirit like nobody else. Please try to remember that. You’re more than just the smart one.”
Matt is getting ready to start his junior year at MIT. He is not the typical college student. He lives at home and helps take care of his younger sister Celeste, and basically runs the household. His family has not been the same since tragedy struck. One person can change all that. When he meets Julie, everything changes. Julie moves in with Matt’s family and she starts to fall for Matt’s brother Finn through emails... The thing is, Matt is pretending to be Finn and the one emailing Julie...yeah.
“I want the guy. The everything guy. Not the dumb Prince Charming, nauseatingly-perfect-everything guy. Thats pathetic. I want the flaws-and-all, everything guy.”
I’m not going to go into the story too much, don’t want to spoil... but if you haven’t read Flat-Out Love, you need to! A perfect ya book, unique and fun with a twist. I loved Matty even more in this book (being in Matt’s head was great!) It was also fun to catch up with Celeste, one of my most favorite characters... she is such a funny and fantastic girl!
That last bonus chapter... yeah- it was kind of hot! Loved it!!! If you’ve already read Flat-Out Love, pick this one up and enjoy! If you haven’t you will most definitely want to read FOL first! Enjoy Matty and all his geeky hotness!
The end... Love
March 15, 2015
i am so totally upset right now.....im just going to use a gif to describe it after all....
there were soooooo maney parts i just wished made it to the final cut....other than the bonus end scene,in julies pov...i found matts persepective to be nothing but just a few lines re-edited and put back into THE BOOK....
so totally sad right now....im definatley rambling....right ? :p
there were soooooo maney parts i just wished made it to the final cut....other than the bonus end scene,in julies pov...i found matts persepective to be nothing but just a few lines re-edited and put back into THE BOOK....
so totally sad right now....im definatley rambling....right ? :p
August 13, 2013
9/10
First things first - I was a beta reader - I don't ever let that affect my reviews, but full disclosure and all...
Oh dear...what can I say about Flat-Out Matt??
It's perfect.
Flat-Out Love was one of my favorite finds of 2012...and it's on my top 5 ALL TIME favorites list! When I saw on Jessica Park's Facebook wall that she was writing this - I got a little quivery inside! :-) Julie, Finn, Matt, and Celeste hold a special place in my heart, and I was DYING at the though of more from them!! And to be inside Matt's head... *sigh*
Jessica did NOT disappoint me! FOM blends seamlessly with FOL's story-line, the emotional development is pitch perfect, the writing is just as special, the humor just as quirky and genuine, the characters every bit as lovable and broken, and the emotional punch packed into this tiny little book is HUGE! Even though you go in knowing the story, she somehow manages to whack you with new emotions, and make you feel the old ones on a deeper level.
I loved the glimpse at what was going on in his head when this all started...and as it progressed...seeing how/why he let it get so out of hand...and how he was feeling along the way - it all made me love him even more than I did after FOL. And the steamy chapter at the end...whoa!!
Jessica Park is a special talent. I am thrilled to be getting to know her, and I am anxiously waiting for her next project!! (which you can find here and add to your TBR list: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17...
Go read Flat-Out Love. I've been saying it forever now, just DO it!! I won't have to tell you to pick this up next!
First things first - I was a beta reader - I don't ever let that affect my reviews, but full disclosure and all...
Oh dear...what can I say about Flat-Out Matt??
It's perfect.
Flat-Out Love was one of my favorite finds of 2012...and it's on my top 5 ALL TIME favorites list! When I saw on Jessica Park's Facebook wall that she was writing this - I got a little quivery inside! :-) Julie, Finn, Matt, and Celeste hold a special place in my heart, and I was DYING at the though of more from them!! And to be inside Matt's head... *sigh*
Jessica did NOT disappoint me! FOM blends seamlessly with FOL's story-line, the emotional development is pitch perfect, the writing is just as special, the humor just as quirky and genuine, the characters every bit as lovable and broken, and the emotional punch packed into this tiny little book is HUGE! Even though you go in knowing the story, she somehow manages to whack you with new emotions, and make you feel the old ones on a deeper level.
I loved the glimpse at what was going on in his head when this all started...and as it progressed...seeing how/why he let it get so out of hand...and how he was feeling along the way - it all made me love him even more than I did after FOL. And the steamy chapter at the end...whoa!!
Jessica Park is a special talent. I am thrilled to be getting to know her, and I am anxiously waiting for her next project!! (which you can find here and add to your TBR list: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17...
Go read Flat-Out Love. I've been saying it forever now, just DO it!! I won't have to tell you to pick this up next!
April 1, 2013
MATTY!!!!!!!!! <3
Loved the last chapter!!! Sex!!! WOOO!! LOL!!!
But really it was perfect between them! Sweet and sexy!
Loved getting Matt's thoughts and feelings. When I read Flat-Out Love sometimes I wasn't even sure if he really liked her and I wanted them together so bad. But in this we see all his thoughts and reasoning.
The first chapter with Matt and Finn made me cry! So sad!
Loved the last chapter!!! Sex!!! WOOO!! LOL!!!
But really it was perfect between them! Sweet and sexy!
Loved getting Matt's thoughts and feelings. When I read Flat-Out Love sometimes I wasn't even sure if he really liked her and I wanted them together so bad. But in this we see all his thoughts and reasoning.
The first chapter with Matt and Finn made me cry! So sad!
March 26, 2013
It was a cold day in Toronto. I reached my 3 coffee limit for the day at 10am and I had to clean the house. No matter the cheery spin I tried to put on it, it was looking to be an unpleasant weekend. Then I had the absolute privilege to read the ARC for Flat-Out Matt.
I fell in love with Matt when I saw him through Julie’s eyes in Flat-Out Love and have adored him ever since. Flat-Out Love had me in stitches one moment, and sobbing uncontrollably the next. I hold this book in very high regard, and I'm suspicious of anything trying to replicate that authenticity. With follow-ups, I always worry that the author will somehow lose the identity of the story while trying to gain a wider audience. I was 3 words in and realized I had nothing to worry about. As a reader, I felt comfort in knowing that the author had my back. Flat-Out Matt takes one of the most gut-wrenching scenes and kicks it's ass to the next century. I felt nausea reading it, and yet I couldn't stop. Jessica Park has this innate ability to make even the most difficult scenes seem poetic.
Flat-Out Matt is written with such exquisite detail that finishing it caused this feeling of emptiness in my heart. So I read it again. And again.
Through Matt, you really understand the finer intricacies of the family dynamic. At times maybe even more than one is comfortable with. It felt okay to judge them while looking in from the outside in FOL, but there are moments in FOM that you want to leave the room and let this family grieve and heal. There are moments with Celeste that I wanted to put the pages of FOM in the digital garbage-can because the intrusion into her fragile life seemed very inappropriate. It's unfortunate you can't hug a book character.
Though I was initially torn between 'Finn' and Matt in the first book, it seems there is no longer a choice. Matt went from being an incredibly sexy geek, to a heart-stopping-babies-will-be-named-after-him character who can hold his own with all the tattooed bad-boys, lovable rockers, and delicious bikers.
I fell in love with Matt when I saw him through Julie’s eyes in Flat-Out Love and have adored him ever since. Flat-Out Love had me in stitches one moment, and sobbing uncontrollably the next. I hold this book in very high regard, and I'm suspicious of anything trying to replicate that authenticity. With follow-ups, I always worry that the author will somehow lose the identity of the story while trying to gain a wider audience. I was 3 words in and realized I had nothing to worry about. As a reader, I felt comfort in knowing that the author had my back. Flat-Out Matt takes one of the most gut-wrenching scenes and kicks it's ass to the next century. I felt nausea reading it, and yet I couldn't stop. Jessica Park has this innate ability to make even the most difficult scenes seem poetic.
Flat-Out Matt is written with such exquisite detail that finishing it caused this feeling of emptiness in my heart. So I read it again. And again.
Through Matt, you really understand the finer intricacies of the family dynamic. At times maybe even more than one is comfortable with. It felt okay to judge them while looking in from the outside in FOL, but there are moments in FOM that you want to leave the room and let this family grieve and heal. There are moments with Celeste that I wanted to put the pages of FOM in the digital garbage-can because the intrusion into her fragile life seemed very inappropriate. It's unfortunate you can't hug a book character.
Though I was initially torn between 'Finn' and Matt in the first book, it seems there is no longer a choice. Matt went from being an incredibly sexy geek, to a heart-stopping-babies-will-be-named-after-him character who can hold his own with all the tattooed bad-boys, lovable rockers, and delicious bikers.
March 27, 2013
"I want the guy. The everything guy. not the dumb Prince Charming, nauseatingly-perfect-everything guy. That's pathetic. I want the flaws-and-all, everything guy."
Matthew Watkins had me tripping over myself falling for him in Flat-Out Love. He was the flaws-and-all guy. Seeing him through Julie's eyes made me feel like I was falling for this overly nerdy but somehow cool guy who cares a hell of a lot for his little sister. You learn what he did and personally, I forgave him the second Julie found out. It was like she said in FOL: his pain was worse than her pain, deeper than her pain, so she didn't get to be mad. I didn't get to be mad.
And then Flat-Out Matt happened.
Matthew Watkins became this extraordinarily compassionate, wonderful man (because, seriously, he was the backbone of the Watkins clan) and I fell all over again. Somehow being in his head, understanding his thought process not only helped me understand why he did what he did, but it showed me that maybe I would've done the same thing. The online relationship was an outlet for him, an escape, until it became his real life. That relationship saved him.
I have to say, the two prequel chapters reduced me to tears. It was amazing to see not only how much Matt adored and admired Finn, but how much Finn loved Matt, and Celeste too. In FOL, the family talks about how wonderful Finn was but I feel like sometimes after people are gone, the positive things maybe overshadow any negative things, but Finn really and truly was a wonderful person and an amazing brother. Which makes the second prequel chapter quite possibly one of the hardest things I've read in a while.
I LOVED the extra bit of Celeste in this book. She is spunky and awesomely strange.
The absence of the parents, the scene with Dana, the sleepover, the first kiss...everything was perfect.
And then the steamy last chapter. Holy bananas. I read it sitting in a lecture hall waiting for class to start and I could not stop grinning. It was slightly embarrassing but OMG. Matt Watkins is sexy. "Matt, Julie noticed, might be socially inept in a myriad of ways, but he was anything but inept now."
If I could please have my own Matthew Watkins, I would be eternally grateful. <3 And please get yourself a copy of this book.
Matthew Watkins had me tripping over myself falling for him in Flat-Out Love. He was the flaws-and-all guy. Seeing him through Julie's eyes made me feel like I was falling for this overly nerdy but somehow cool guy who cares a hell of a lot for his little sister. You learn what he did and personally, I forgave him the second Julie found out. It was like she said in FOL: his pain was worse than her pain, deeper than her pain, so she didn't get to be mad. I didn't get to be mad.
And then Flat-Out Matt happened.
Matthew Watkins became this extraordinarily compassionate, wonderful man (because, seriously, he was the backbone of the Watkins clan) and I fell all over again. Somehow being in his head, understanding his thought process not only helped me understand why he did what he did, but it showed me that maybe I would've done the same thing. The online relationship was an outlet for him, an escape, until it became his real life. That relationship saved him.
I have to say, the two prequel chapters reduced me to tears. It was amazing to see not only how much Matt adored and admired Finn, but how much Finn loved Matt, and Celeste too. In FOL, the family talks about how wonderful Finn was but I feel like sometimes after people are gone, the positive things maybe overshadow any negative things, but Finn really and truly was a wonderful person and an amazing brother. Which makes the second prequel chapter quite possibly one of the hardest things I've read in a while.
I LOVED the extra bit of Celeste in this book. She is spunky and awesomely strange.
The absence of the parents, the scene with Dana, the sleepover, the first kiss...everything was perfect.
And then the steamy last chapter. Holy bananas. I read it sitting in a lecture hall waiting for class to start and I could not stop grinning. It was slightly embarrassing but OMG. Matt Watkins is sexy. "Matt, Julie noticed, might be socially inept in a myriad of ways, but he was anything but inept now."
If I could please have my own Matthew Watkins, I would be eternally grateful. <3 And please get yourself a copy of this book.
April 12, 2013
***Spoilers if you haven’t read Flat-Out Love***
This was a PERFECT ending to Flat-Out Love! Flat-Out Love is one of my all-time favorite stories full of wit, humor, and of course, my favorite: ROMANCE!! I was beyond thrilled to hear we we’re getting some of the chapters in Matt’s POV as well as some extra chapters and a continuation of the story. I have my heaps of highlighted sections in this story because every page was that good!!
It was lovely to get inside Matt's head, and see what he was thinking and feeling throughout this swoony romance. While you could see Julie slowly falling in Flat-Out Love, even if she didn’t consciously know it, you had no idea what was going on in Matt’s head, and if he was as affected as her. You felt his attachment slowly grow into longing, and also his conflicted feelings over how Julie was changing his family.
Matt couldn’t help himself. He continued to look at her. He wanted so much to reach over and put his hand on her cheek, to turn her face to his, to run his finger over her lips. He could move in closer, ever so slowly, and touch his mouth to hers. Kissing Julie would be perfection, he knew. If her feelings for him—for Finn—were real, the kiss would stop the world.
The ending was dreamy, and made me weak in the knees, but also had me fanning myself!! It was a satisfying conclusion to a romance that built slowly, and powerfully:
Julie briefly wondered if anyone could literally go insane with lust. Not just because of what he was doing to her now, but because it made her wonder what he might do to her later. He was both careful and aggressive. He was in control. It was the same way that Matt managed so many parts of his life, with the same undeniable capability.
It was nice to get some chapters in the beginning that pre-dated Flat-Out Love because you got a glimpse at a more carefree and less serious Matt, and it enabled you to see how profoundly the tragic events affected him.
I went back and re-read some of the ending chapters of Flat-Out Love before I started this, only because it had been so long since I read it, and I forgot just how much I completely fell for this story. Jessica Park’s writing is exceptional and captivating!! I would recommend doing the same. You’ll enjoy this much more. I’m sad to let these characters go, but this was an absolutely perfect ending!!
This was a PERFECT ending to Flat-Out Love! Flat-Out Love is one of my all-time favorite stories full of wit, humor, and of course, my favorite: ROMANCE!! I was beyond thrilled to hear we we’re getting some of the chapters in Matt’s POV as well as some extra chapters and a continuation of the story. I have my heaps of highlighted sections in this story because every page was that good!!
It was lovely to get inside Matt's head, and see what he was thinking and feeling throughout this swoony romance. While you could see Julie slowly falling in Flat-Out Love, even if she didn’t consciously know it, you had no idea what was going on in Matt’s head, and if he was as affected as her. You felt his attachment slowly grow into longing, and also his conflicted feelings over how Julie was changing his family.
Matt couldn’t help himself. He continued to look at her. He wanted so much to reach over and put his hand on her cheek, to turn her face to his, to run his finger over her lips. He could move in closer, ever so slowly, and touch his mouth to hers. Kissing Julie would be perfection, he knew. If her feelings for him—for Finn—were real, the kiss would stop the world.
The ending was dreamy, and made me weak in the knees, but also had me fanning myself!! It was a satisfying conclusion to a romance that built slowly, and powerfully:
Julie briefly wondered if anyone could literally go insane with lust. Not just because of what he was doing to her now, but because it made her wonder what he might do to her later. He was both careful and aggressive. He was in control. It was the same way that Matt managed so many parts of his life, with the same undeniable capability.
It was nice to get some chapters in the beginning that pre-dated Flat-Out Love because you got a glimpse at a more carefree and less serious Matt, and it enabled you to see how profoundly the tragic events affected him.
I went back and re-read some of the ending chapters of Flat-Out Love before I started this, only because it had been so long since I read it, and I forgot just how much I completely fell for this story. Jessica Park’s writing is exceptional and captivating!! I would recommend doing the same. You’ll enjoy this much more. I’m sad to let these characters go, but this was an absolutely perfect ending!!
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March 31, 2013Declining to write a real review or rate this book. I'm not going to rehash my personal opinions about other off-site issues because we went there already on my review for Flat-Out Love. My opinions haven't changed and I won't be reading anything new by this author, but I wanted the closure for Matt and Julie's story that I didn't get in FoL, so I decided to read this short follow-up companion for that reason.
Moving on. If you haven't read Flat-Out Love, do not pick this up or you will be confused. There is a prequel to FoL, a few of the FoL chapters re-written in Matt's PoV, and an epilogue to FoL from Julie's PoV. Everything jumps all over the place and you won't really get the gist of the story if you try to read this first.
For what it's worth, I didn't realize that Matt would be so into , so that was a nice little surprise.
Moving on. If you haven't read Flat-Out Love, do not pick this up or you will be confused. There is a prequel to FoL, a few of the FoL chapters re-written in Matt's PoV, and an epilogue to FoL from Julie's PoV. Everything jumps all over the place and you won't really get the gist of the story if you try to read this first.
For what it's worth, I didn't realize that Matt would be so into , so that was a nice little surprise.
April 3, 2013
This was me after reading FLAT OUT MATT
Perfect ending to FLAT OUT LOVE!!!
It was so perfect that I am going to read it again...
If you adored Matt before, you're going to FLAT OUT FALL in LOVE with Matt.
He is so awesome, funny, & caring that you just wish you can just stick him in your purse & take him every where with you.
Matt's POV was so fantastic & it was so nice to take a peak into this genius's head.
If you haven't read Flat out Love, then get on that!
If you HAVE read Flat out Love, but haven't read Flat out Matt... Then get the FUCK ON THAT!!!!
You will love it because... Let's face it...
Jessica Park ROCKS!!!
So yeah, read Flat out Matt... It will rock your fuzzy socks off !!!
NOW DANCE - Because this book is awesome-tastic!!!
Perfect ending to FLAT OUT LOVE!!!
It was so perfect that I am going to read it again...
If you adored Matt before, you're going to FLAT OUT FALL in LOVE with Matt.
He is so awesome, funny, & caring that you just wish you can just stick him in your purse & take him every where with you.
Matt's POV was so fantastic & it was so nice to take a peak into this genius's head.
If you haven't read Flat out Love, then get on that!
If you HAVE read Flat out Love, but haven't read Flat out Matt... Then get the FUCK ON THAT!!!!
You will love it because... Let's face it...
Jessica Park ROCKS!!!
So yeah, read Flat out Matt... It will rock your fuzzy socks off !!!
NOW DANCE - Because this book is awesome-tastic!!!
October 9, 2019
Isn't Jessica Park such a giver? Us dirty readers didn't get want we were hoping for in Flat-Out Love, so she writes us a novella. SO. FLIPPING. AWESOME.
This is basically a retelling of certain chapters of Flat-Out Love in Matt's point-of-view. And my response to that -
(Am I right?)
I recommend reading this immediately after the first book. It gives us so much more insight to the Watkins side of things and ends the story fully.
4 stars!
This is basically a retelling of certain chapters of Flat-Out Love in Matt's point-of-view. And my response to that -
(Am I right?)
I recommend reading this immediately after the first book. It gives us so much more insight to the Watkins side of things and ends the story fully.
4 stars!
April 24, 2013
This is a companion piece to JP's full length book, Flat-Out Love, and I would really recommend reading them together. You will get so much more out of the book that way.
Read the two prequel chapters from this book and then read Flat-Out Love, stopping to read the corresponding chapters in this book. That will leave the last chapter of this book to read when you finish Flat-Out Love. A little confusing I know but once you start reading, you will get it.
Here's my review for Flat-Out Love:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Everything is basically the same except we get Matt's POV which I really enjoyed. I like getting to know Finn a little better and seeing Matt's struggle with things. And I love how Julie calls him 'Matty'.
The last chapter was quite sweet...and interesting. Who knew that Matt has such mad skills? ;)
Favorite quotes:
♥ “You are my everything,” Julie said. “You are challenging, and difficult, and guarded. I love those things about you. You are fascinating, and complex, and brilliant, and funny. I love those things about you, too. I am in love with your selflessness and your ability to sacrifice too much. I am in love with the parts of you that fear and that hurt and that push people away. I am love in with your vulnerability and your strength. I am in love with your capacity to love harder and with more loyalty than I ever imagined anyone could. I am in love with the choices you’ve made, even the mistakes, because they brought us to where we are right now. More than those things, I am very simply in love with you and everything that you are. Your past, your present, and your future.” She touched her fingers to him, tracing his lips and then moving across his jaw and over his cheek. “I think about you all the time, and I can’t get you out of my head. I am listening to my heart, finally, without doubting anything. And I will never stop.”
♥ “I want you, Matt. I want everything. You kept me safe today, you’ll keep me safe now.”
“Always. I promise, always.”
Read the two prequel chapters from this book and then read Flat-Out Love, stopping to read the corresponding chapters in this book. That will leave the last chapter of this book to read when you finish Flat-Out Love. A little confusing I know but once you start reading, you will get it.
Here's my review for Flat-Out Love:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Everything is basically the same except we get Matt's POV which I really enjoyed. I like getting to know Finn a little better and seeing Matt's struggle with things. And I love how Julie calls him 'Matty'.
The last chapter was quite sweet...and interesting. Who knew that Matt has such mad skills? ;)
Favorite quotes:
♥ “You are my everything,” Julie said. “You are challenging, and difficult, and guarded. I love those things about you. You are fascinating, and complex, and brilliant, and funny. I love those things about you, too. I am in love with your selflessness and your ability to sacrifice too much. I am in love with the parts of you that fear and that hurt and that push people away. I am love in with your vulnerability and your strength. I am in love with your capacity to love harder and with more loyalty than I ever imagined anyone could. I am in love with the choices you’ve made, even the mistakes, because they brought us to where we are right now. More than those things, I am very simply in love with you and everything that you are. Your past, your present, and your future.” She touched her fingers to him, tracing his lips and then moving across his jaw and over his cheek. “I think about you all the time, and I can’t get you out of my head. I am listening to my heart, finally, without doubting anything. And I will never stop.”
♥ “I want you, Matt. I want everything. You kept me safe today, you’ll keep me safe now.”
“Always. I promise, always.”
November 28, 2013
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Flat-Out Love was one of my favorite books of 2012. I found it sad, emotional, loveable, and humorous all at the same time. Matt and Julie were adorable and I was so happy when they finally “hooked up”. I couldn’t wait to read Flat-Out Matt and get into that hot geek’s head! He had the weight of the world on his shoulders playing the parent, big brother, and only sane one in his house since the death of the oldest brother Finn. Celeste was also a great character, with major psychological issues trying to deal with the death of Finn. I loved how much Julie helped Celeste deal with her issues as well as the entire family after moving into their home to go to college in Boston.
Flat-Out Matt is very short; I read the entire book in about 70 minutes. It’s all in Matt’s POV (except the last chapter which is in Julie’s). Though the scenes were the same as in FOL it felt totally different through the eyes of Matt. The beginning of the book starts off nice with a scene with Matt and Finn before Finn’s death, it was sad but sweet reading the interaction between the two brothers. I am also so glad the scene of Matt going on a date with Julie’s friend Dana was in the book. I hated that he made out with her in FOL but after reading his POV of the date I totally understand now and thought it was sweet... in a weird way! :)
One thing that I didn’t really like about FOM was the chapters Jessica Park wrote in Matt’s POV were so random and spread out. I wish they were closer together because I had a hard time following along and remembering what happened to lead up to that scene. I recommend rereading Flat-Out Love prior to reading Flat-Out Matt, I wish did especially since I read it almost a year ago. Also I was dying to read the scene of when Matt first meets Julie but it wasn’t in the book :( I really wanted to read what he thought when he drove up to rescue her in the parking lot.
I am thankful to read the few scenes in Matt’s POV but I wouldn’t call it as amazing as Flat-Out Love. It’s a recommended read for fans of Flat-Out Love.
I give Flat-Out Matt 3.5 Stars
Flat-Out Love was one of my favorite books of 2012. I found it sad, emotional, loveable, and humorous all at the same time. Matt and Julie were adorable and I was so happy when they finally “hooked up”. I couldn’t wait to read Flat-Out Matt and get into that hot geek’s head! He had the weight of the world on his shoulders playing the parent, big brother, and only sane one in his house since the death of the oldest brother Finn. Celeste was also a great character, with major psychological issues trying to deal with the death of Finn. I loved how much Julie helped Celeste deal with her issues as well as the entire family after moving into their home to go to college in Boston.
Flat-Out Matt is very short; I read the entire book in about 70 minutes. It’s all in Matt’s POV (except the last chapter which is in Julie’s). Though the scenes were the same as in FOL it felt totally different through the eyes of Matt. The beginning of the book starts off nice with a scene with Matt and Finn before Finn’s death, it was sad but sweet reading the interaction between the two brothers. I am also so glad the scene of Matt going on a date with Julie’s friend Dana was in the book. I hated that he made out with her in FOL but after reading his POV of the date I totally understand now and thought it was sweet... in a weird way! :)
One thing that I didn’t really like about FOM was the chapters Jessica Park wrote in Matt’s POV were so random and spread out. I wish they were closer together because I had a hard time following along and remembering what happened to lead up to that scene. I recommend rereading Flat-Out Love prior to reading Flat-Out Matt, I wish did especially since I read it almost a year ago. Also I was dying to read the scene of when Matt first meets Julie but it wasn’t in the book :( I really wanted to read what he thought when he drove up to rescue her in the parking lot.
I am thankful to read the few scenes in Matt’s POV but I wouldn’t call it as amazing as Flat-Out Love. It’s a recommended read for fans of Flat-Out Love.
I give Flat-Out Matt 3.5 Stars
March 27, 2013
I LOVE YOU MATT
4.75-5 Stars
**DISCLAIMER: First off, if you have not read Flat-Out Love, there’s something seriously wrong with you. GO And read it NOW! Secondly, this is not a stand-alone story. It will NOT make any sense, you will get spoiled and you will not appreciate the awesomeness of this novella.**
How you find love means nothing. It’s what you do with it when you see it that does.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jessica, for writing this kick ass novella. I read Flat-Out-Love back in October 2011 and that story is still one of my all time favorites. I will never forget that story. Ever. And now to get this novella in Matt’s POV? OMG! I was in heaven. Pure freaking heaven. God, how I missed my Matty. It was such a treat to get our favorite chapters from FOL in his POV. Though two prequel chapters created more depth and emotion to the story, my heart ached for Matt in those two chapters. To read about him and Finn, how close they were, planning their future adventures -- sigh…just bittersweet. And to read about how hard Matt fought to keep some sanity when taking care of Celeste, plus the introduction of Flat Finn…Fuck! It made me love Matt even more.
Reading this novella brought back so many wonderful memories of how I felt while reading FOL. Oh, and that last extra/bonus chapter with Matt and Julie was…OMG…I don’t even know what to say. I melted, I swooned, and I smiled with knowing smirk. I’m just giddy after that last chapter. Pure. Fucking. Bliss. I wish there was more, but I'll take what I can get. Again, thank you, Jessica for writing this novella. I am forever grateful!
4.75-5 Stars
**DISCLAIMER: First off, if you have not read Flat-Out Love, there’s something seriously wrong with you. GO And read it NOW! Secondly, this is not a stand-alone story. It will NOT make any sense, you will get spoiled and you will not appreciate the awesomeness of this novella.**
How you find love means nothing. It’s what you do with it when you see it that does.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jessica, for writing this kick ass novella. I read Flat-Out-Love back in October 2011 and that story is still one of my all time favorites. I will never forget that story. Ever. And now to get this novella in Matt’s POV? OMG! I was in heaven. Pure freaking heaven. God, how I missed my Matty. It was such a treat to get our favorite chapters from FOL in his POV. Though two prequel chapters created more depth and emotion to the story, my heart ached for Matt in those two chapters. To read about him and Finn, how close they were, planning their future adventures -- sigh…just bittersweet. And to read about how hard Matt fought to keep some sanity when taking care of Celeste, plus the introduction of Flat Finn…Fuck! It made me love Matt even more.
Reading this novella brought back so many wonderful memories of how I felt while reading FOL. Oh, and that last extra/bonus chapter with Matt and Julie was…OMG…I don’t even know what to say. I melted, I swooned, and I smiled with knowing smirk. I’m just giddy after that last chapter. Pure. Fucking. Bliss. I wish there was more, but I'll take what I can get. Again, thank you, Jessica for writing this novella. I am forever grateful!
March 28, 2013
***brace yourselves...NON M/M REVIEW! *gasp*
2.5 stars
"Flat out Love" was a decent enough book, but lets face it...Matt, the nerdy MIT student carrying the weight of his dysfunctional family on his shoulders, was the STAR of the story. So, I was super excited to get this follow-up short from Matt's point of view.
The problem? It was BORING! And truly, it was stuff that was already inferred to and obvious from reading Julie's original POV. I didn't mind the extra sumthin' sumthin' at the end since we didn't get any of that in book 1. But even that...hmmm...felt inauthentic. It didn't feel like MATT.
Unimpressed.
Still heart Matt though. Nerds rule.
May 11, 2020
“Julie Seagle just ‘checked in’ to your heart”.
In fact that was Matt.. and I’m talking pretty much about my heart here :)
I didn’t quite acknowledge my deep feelings for “Flat-Out Love”, not until I picked up this tiny book and realized how much I loved the characters, how much I missed them all.
It was always the dialogue that won me over. The genuine honesty with which the characters talked, the humor in their lines, the teasing behind their little chats, all the feelings that were hidden underneath their (apparent) composed attitude.
When a book is deep but still remains sweet and funny, when a book touches your heart, breaks it a bit but still manages to make you skip a beat.. That book is well worth it.
And this Flat Out tiny series is simply wonderful because it does not only that, but a lot more.
I was assuming that this book might be a bit ‘lighter’, Matt being a guy and all that, but now I don’t even know why I got that feeling, because I knew what he has been through and how hard it must all have been for him. He made mistakes. Big ones. It’s hard to forgive someone for manipulating your feelings the way he did, but how can you not love him? How can you not care for him, root for him, how can you not understand his need to pretend to be whom he would like to be, his need to rip out all the pain, his need to run from all that hard work at home, all the parenting job he has done.. And then be just young again, be wild again, be in love and be loved even though it is just an illusion.
I know I am making excuses for him, but this is because I get him. I really do, with the good and the bad.
He was broken and he took a chance and risked it all for a dream. I don’t hold it against Julie for having a problem with it, I still applause her decision not to forgive him right-away, but I am glad that the mess was cleaned up nicely and they got to be the people they wanted to be.. Together.
The author mentioned that the ending from the novella wouldn’t have matched the tone from the first book, I am not sure if it did here either, as this book felt quite a bit heavier than the first one so I still found it to be misplaced somehow, but she did write it for the fans so hopefully you will enjoy it.
Other than this, the novella was absolutely great, the pacing and the jumps between scenes quite great for a short story. I would never-ever recommend to anyone to read it before the first book, as it starts with the spoiler of the actual story. I am just mentioning it, it’s pretty clear that it is meant for fans and you can’t be a fan unless you read the book first, LOL. But this is a great story so go pick up the actual book and read it!
Back to Flat-Out Matt, I really hope that you will enjoy it as well, it is really one of the best short stories I’ve read and I am really happy to have Matt’s side of story – I loved this guy and I am his biggest fan even though he did some pretty big mistakes.
Happy midnight reading!
* This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
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First thoughts:
4.5 stars - might even round it up, not sure :)
Review to come but still.. I loved it! Pretty sad at times (which I expected), still great!
In fact that was Matt.. and I’m talking pretty much about my heart here :)
I didn’t quite acknowledge my deep feelings for “Flat-Out Love”, not until I picked up this tiny book and realized how much I loved the characters, how much I missed them all.
It was always the dialogue that won me over. The genuine honesty with which the characters talked, the humor in their lines, the teasing behind their little chats, all the feelings that were hidden underneath their (apparent) composed attitude.
When a book is deep but still remains sweet and funny, when a book touches your heart, breaks it a bit but still manages to make you skip a beat.. That book is well worth it.
And this Flat Out tiny series is simply wonderful because it does not only that, but a lot more.
I was assuming that this book might be a bit ‘lighter’, Matt being a guy and all that, but now I don’t even know why I got that feeling, because I knew what he has been through and how hard it must all have been for him. He made mistakes. Big ones. It’s hard to forgive someone for manipulating your feelings the way he did, but how can you not love him? How can you not care for him, root for him, how can you not understand his need to pretend to be whom he would like to be, his need to rip out all the pain, his need to run from all that hard work at home, all the parenting job he has done.. And then be just young again, be wild again, be in love and be loved even though it is just an illusion.
I know I am making excuses for him, but this is because I get him. I really do, with the good and the bad.
He was broken and he took a chance and risked it all for a dream. I don’t hold it against Julie for having a problem with it, I still applause her decision not to forgive him right-away, but I am glad that the mess was cleaned up nicely and they got to be the people they wanted to be.. Together.
The author mentioned that the ending from the novella wouldn’t have matched the tone from the first book, I am not sure if it did here either, as this book felt quite a bit heavier than the first one so I still found it to be misplaced somehow, but she did write it for the fans so hopefully you will enjoy it.
Other than this, the novella was absolutely great, the pacing and the jumps between scenes quite great for a short story. I would never-ever recommend to anyone to read it before the first book, as it starts with the spoiler of the actual story. I am just mentioning it, it’s pretty clear that it is meant for fans and you can’t be a fan unless you read the book first, LOL. But this is a great story so go pick up the actual book and read it!
Back to Flat-Out Matt, I really hope that you will enjoy it as well, it is really one of the best short stories I’ve read and I am really happy to have Matt’s side of story – I loved this guy and I am his biggest fan even though he did some pretty big mistakes.
Happy midnight reading!
* This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
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Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)
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First thoughts:
4.5 stars - might even round it up, not sure :)
Review to come but still.. I loved it! Pretty sad at times (which I expected), still great!
September 3, 2024
What can I say? I love my nerdy guys!
"I want the guy. The everything guy. Not the dumb Prince Charming, nauseatingly perfect-everything guy. That's pathetic. I want the flaws-and-all, everything guy."
These characters are so real and that's probably why I love them so much!
I loved getting to meet Finn! I was so caught up in how much Celeste missed Finn in Flat-Out Love that I never gave a lot of thought as to how much Matty missed him and how hard it was on him too.
I love Matty so much... I really have a thing for intellectual nerdy guys! They really do it for me :)
I highlighted half the book and could gush for days! I loved Flat-Out Love and I loved Flat-Out Matt as well. The only downside to this book was there wasn't more of it!
"I want the guy. The everything guy. Not the dumb Prince Charming, nauseatingly perfect-everything guy. That's pathetic. I want the flaws-and-all, everything guy."
These characters are so real and that's probably why I love them so much!
I loved getting to meet Finn! I was so caught up in how much Celeste missed Finn in Flat-Out Love that I never gave a lot of thought as to how much Matty missed him and how hard it was on him too.
I love Matty so much... I really have a thing for intellectual nerdy guys! They really do it for me :)
I highlighted half the book and could gush for days! I loved Flat-Out Love and I loved Flat-Out Matt as well. The only downside to this book was there wasn't more of it!
October 7, 2014
**2.5 stars**
I don't think I'm going to read any more of these "re-telling from the other main character's perspective" books. I always end up thinking the same thing- "I already read this when I read the ORIGINAL story!" This book is basically no different. The prequel stuff way okay (though too "foretelling" for my tastes) but the whole middle of this book was stuff easily gotten from reading the original book.
I have to say though, I love this author's voice. Her style is super funny and she always makes me laugh. Her character's facebook status updates are classic:
Finn is God This is the season I always mix up "mistletoe" and "cameltoe." Either way, I'm getting slapped.
Julie Seagle The only thing that stands between you and your dreams is the fact that they are all illegal, immoral, and disgusting. Dream on, you little pervert!
See? But these types of lines you can get from just reading the original book.
I rounded up to 3 stars because of that last chapter. So happy to get a little HEAT.
I don't think I'm going to read any more of these "re-telling from the other main character's perspective" books. I always end up thinking the same thing- "I already read this when I read the ORIGINAL story!" This book is basically no different. The prequel stuff way okay (though too "foretelling" for my tastes) but the whole middle of this book was stuff easily gotten from reading the original book.
I have to say though, I love this author's voice. Her style is super funny and she always makes me laugh. Her character's facebook status updates are classic:
Finn is God This is the season I always mix up "mistletoe" and "cameltoe." Either way, I'm getting slapped.
Julie Seagle The only thing that stands between you and your dreams is the fact that they are all illegal, immoral, and disgusting. Dream on, you little pervert!
See? But these types of lines you can get from just reading the original book.
I rounded up to 3 stars because of that last chapter. So happy to get a little HEAT.
June 17, 2022
I’m so glad to get these extra chapters. I can never get enough of Matt. These books are just phenomenal!! I feel blessed discovering JP!!
March 27, 2013
I absolutely and wholeheartedly loved this book!! Matty was my favorite character in FoL so it was so great to have this book told from his pov. I loved that Finn was in this book! It showed the extent of how much each member of his family relied on him and how he was the glue that held them together. I was able to connect with the family and their grief in this book unlike in FoL. You really feel just how much of an impact Finn had when he was present and absent. You also feel the loss and connect with the family through their grief. It was more difficult to connect to their despair through Julie's pov since she did not experience the loss. However, with Matty you feel it all. I connected to the loss, pain and utter despair so much so that it felt like I was the one with the hole in my heart.
This book is beautifully written and gives the readers a much more understanding. Also, a much better ending! That had been my only complaint about FoL was that the ending felt rushed and that it was missing the much needed closure. Flat-Out Matt does not disappoint!
I WANT MORE!!!
This book is beautifully written and gives the readers a much more understanding. Also, a much better ending! That had been my only complaint about FoL was that the ending felt rushed and that it was missing the much needed closure. Flat-Out Matt does not disappoint!
I WANT MORE!!!
April 5, 2013
4.5 Flat-Out Awesome Stars!
*sigh* I loved Matt in FOL. And I loved Matt even more after reading FOM. I read FOL so long ago that it was so nice to re-visit these characters.
This is a short book and should definitely be read after FOL. I loved that we got a few chapters at the beginning of when Finn was alive and before Julie moved in to the house. It gave us an idea of the family dynamics prior to the death of Finn.
The 4 or 5 chapters we got from Matt's POV were just perfect. They were the key moments of the story showing the journey of Matt falling in love with Julie. We got an idea of how he felt during those special moments. It was perfect.
And then the last chapter and the epilogue--the best part of the story. It was brilliant...the final skydiving scene...so heartwarming. It was the perfect ending (or beginning) for Matt and Julie. Loved!
*sigh* I loved Matt in FOL. And I loved Matt even more after reading FOM. I read FOL so long ago that it was so nice to re-visit these characters.
This is a short book and should definitely be read after FOL. I loved that we got a few chapters at the beginning of when Finn was alive and before Julie moved in to the house. It gave us an idea of the family dynamics prior to the death of Finn.
The 4 or 5 chapters we got from Matt's POV were just perfect. They were the key moments of the story showing the journey of Matt falling in love with Julie. We got an idea of how he felt during those special moments. It was perfect.
And then the last chapter and the epilogue--the best part of the story. It was brilliant...the final skydiving scene...so heartwarming. It was the perfect ending (or beginning) for Matt and Julie. Loved!
April 26, 2013
Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. This was an amazing companion to Flat-Out Love and that epilogue…
“You won’t fall madly out-of-your-brains in love? Let your world as you know it be blown to bits because you fall heart-crushingly head-over-heels for someone?”
What a read! I fell in love with the characters all over again. With a front row seat to Matt’s thoughts, great humor, and a steamy ending, what more could you ask for?
Live his side of the story, break when his heart breaks, and fall for the unlikely hero all over again.
And did I ever!
We also got some Finn and Matt moments where I was even starting to miss Finn. You saw how close they were and felt his pain all over again once he was gone.
It was short and sweet and totally worth reading.
“You’re my everything."
“You won’t fall madly out-of-your-brains in love? Let your world as you know it be blown to bits because you fall heart-crushingly head-over-heels for someone?”
What a read! I fell in love with the characters all over again. With a front row seat to Matt’s thoughts, great humor, and a steamy ending, what more could you ask for?
Live his side of the story, break when his heart breaks, and fall for the unlikely hero all over again.
And did I ever!
We also got some Finn and Matt moments where I was even starting to miss Finn. You saw how close they were and felt his pain all over again once he was gone.
It was short and sweet and totally worth reading.
“You’re my everything."
February 16, 2017
I usually don't read, buy or like stories that are a re-telling of a previously published book. A little closed minded, sure, but I find it a bit lazy on an author's part to sell a story that has already been told. With that said, I loved Flat Out Matt. While reading the first installment, there were chapters that I wanted, no needed Matt's POV, my heart broke for him and he didn't deserve Julie's wrath and ire. All in all a great companion piece to Flat Out Love.
March 27, 2013
And i'm in love with Matt all over again.
October 18, 2013
“How you find love means nothing. It’s what you do with it when you see it that does.”
I absolutely loved Flat out Love . So I was so excited to read Flat out Matt. This book was simply a joy to read. I absolutely adore and love geeky Matt and Celeste's voracious vocabulary skills.
The skydiving chapter was just beautiful. Lastly, Jessica Park named the last chapter/epilogue Keep Going and I simply wanted this chapter to keep going.. I wanted more of Julie and Matt.
“You are my everything,” Julie said. “You are challenging, and difficult, and guarded. I love those things about you. You are fascinating, and complex, and brilliant, and funny. I love those things about you, too. I am in love with your selflessness and your ability to sacrifice too much. I am in love with the parts of you that fear and that hurt and that push people away. I am love in with your vulnerability and your strength. I am in love with your capacity to love harder and with more loyalty than I ever imagined anyone could. I am in love with the choices you’ve made, even the mistakes, because they brought us to where we are right now. More than those things, I am very simply in love with you and everything that you are. Your past, your present, and your future.” She touched her fingers to him, tracing his lips and then moving across his jaw and over his cheek. “I think about you all the time, and I can’t get you out of my head. I am listening to my heart, finally, without doubting anything. And I will never stop.” And then she kissed him. Long and hard and endlessly, only eventually slowing. “Now open your eyes and look at me. I feel everything that you feel, Matt. I always have, and I know that now. And it is time to stop hurting.”
I absolutely loved Flat out Love . So I was so excited to read Flat out Matt. This book was simply a joy to read. I absolutely adore and love geeky Matt and Celeste's voracious vocabulary skills.
The skydiving chapter was just beautiful. Lastly, Jessica Park named the last chapter/epilogue Keep Going and I simply wanted this chapter to keep going.. I wanted more of Julie and Matt.
“You are my everything,” Julie said. “You are challenging, and difficult, and guarded. I love those things about you. You are fascinating, and complex, and brilliant, and funny. I love those things about you, too. I am in love with your selflessness and your ability to sacrifice too much. I am in love with the parts of you that fear and that hurt and that push people away. I am love in with your vulnerability and your strength. I am in love with your capacity to love harder and with more loyalty than I ever imagined anyone could. I am in love with the choices you’ve made, even the mistakes, because they brought us to where we are right now. More than those things, I am very simply in love with you and everything that you are. Your past, your present, and your future.” She touched her fingers to him, tracing his lips and then moving across his jaw and over his cheek. “I think about you all the time, and I can’t get you out of my head. I am listening to my heart, finally, without doubting anything. And I will never stop.” And then she kissed him. Long and hard and endlessly, only eventually slowing. “Now open your eyes and look at me. I feel everything that you feel, Matt. I always have, and I know that now. And it is time to stop hurting.”
July 3, 2013
***3.75 stars***
Standalone & Novella:
Each book is one character's POV of the same story.
105th book for 2013
"I do need you, Matt. You're my best friend, and we're in this together."
Standalone & Novella:
Each book is one character's POV of the same story.
105th book for 2013
April 1, 2013
I love Matt!! Every fan of Flat Out Love needs to read this. That last chapter alone makes it worth it! I want more!!!
March 30, 2013
2.5 - 3 stars
Flat Out Love is one of my all-time favorite books ever. That being said, FoM was totally unnecessary – it didn’t really add anything to the story, or the characters. I was kind of bored. Also, I actually felt the sexual content in the book ruined Matty and Julie’s relationship for me. Personally, I preferred the ending in FoL.
FoM was basically a retelling of very specific chapters in Matt’s POV, which may give readers a context of who Matty was prior to the Finn incident, and a glimpse of his future with Julie. However, I personally felt FoM ruined the initial magic/spark/chemistry between Julie and Matt’s relationship. The chapters were very specific, short, and extremely choppy. And I’ve read FoL multiple times.
The author did note that this would be a companion piece to FoL and NOT a retelling of FoL in Matt’s POV. So be warned reader, if you have not read FoL, you will NOT understand what the hell is going on as FoM is very specific and hard to follow.
Sadly, I can’t say I loved this one.
Flat Out Love is one of my all-time favorite books ever. That being said, FoM was totally unnecessary – it didn’t really add anything to the story, or the characters. I was kind of bored. Also, I actually felt the sexual content in the book ruined Matty and Julie’s relationship for me. Personally, I preferred the ending in FoL.
FoM was basically a retelling of very specific chapters in Matt’s POV, which may give readers a context of who Matty was prior to the Finn incident, and a glimpse of his future with Julie. However, I personally felt FoM ruined the initial magic/spark/chemistry between Julie and Matt’s relationship. The chapters were very specific, short, and extremely choppy. And I’ve read FoL multiple times.
The author did note that this would be a companion piece to FoL and NOT a retelling of FoL in Matt’s POV. So be warned reader, if you have not read FoL, you will NOT understand what the hell is going on as FoM is very specific and hard to follow.
Sadly, I can’t say I loved this one.
April 7, 2013
4 Stars!! I didn’t think I could I love these characters any more than when I read about them in Flat Out Love, but I do, I do!!! I’m over the moon in love with them!!!
Review to follow...
March 28, 2013
Every once in a while a book comes along that touches you on a deeper level and that you carry with you long after you have read the last words, it is no secret how much I adored Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park. It was that book for me. It had it all, heartbreak, deceit, love, loyalty, devotion, jealousy, despair… every emotion. I like for a book to take me on a journey and FOL did that… so needless to say I was very excited when Jessica announced she was writing a novella from Matt’s POV… I knew how the story unfolded for Julie and I wanted to see how it unfolded for Matt.
****SPOILER ALERT**** IF YOU HAVE NOT READ FLAT-OUT LOVE DO NOT READ**********
The book starts out with a bonus chapter where we get to meet Finn, Matt and Celeste’s older brother. I loved this because I realized something that I missed in FOL, just how much Matt loved and adored Finn. I assumed he loved his brother but I didn’t really focus on Matt’s pain and loss because I was so consumed by Celeste’s pain and reaction. Matt was hurt, he lost the person who he looked up too, who he counted on to manage his mom and Celeste, the person who made it possible for him to have a life outside his family and his friend. Matt didn’t get to grieve. He had to step in and take care of everything while his parents shut down and Celeste checked out. He knew it was wrong to let Celeste have Flat Finn, but he was at a loss for how to help her, he would do anything to bring her out of the depression she had slipped into and he was desperate. He wasn’t Finn, he didn’t have the connection with Celeste that Finn did and he had no idea how to reach her, so he gave in, and so began the odd, alternate reality for his family…
Julie was a complication Matt didn’t need. He had a delicate balance at home managing his mom and Celeste and the last thing he needed was a stranger to come in and call them out on their crazy. He was panicked and ashamed. He didn’t want to lie to her, he wanted to tell her the truth from the beginning… I didn’t realize that before. I knew his mother asked him play along, but I didn’t realize the extent to which she really manipulated him. Poor Matt, he wanted time and again to come clean with Julie especially when he started to fall in love with her and knew how badly all the lies were going to hurt her but after it had gone on so long how could he tell her? He didn’t want to lose her and he didn’t want Celeste to lose her. She had done more to help Celeste in a few months than he had been able to do in over a year. He loved her and he/they needed her. It just broke my heart.
Matt became angry at himself for the lies, angry and a little jealous at Julie for falling for Finn even though it was not her fault, and scared to death as he started to see Celeste come out of herself. He knew his mother loved Finn more, he knew his sister loved Finn more and now Julie loved Finn more. It was all a little too much for him and he let it out in one of the most telling and heartbreaking scenes:
“Matt took her hand in both of his for a moment as he struggled to find the right words to tell her that he loved her, and that he would do anything to trade places with Finn so that she could have the brother she really loved back with her.”
OMG I was a puddle… A puddle… my poor Matty!
In FOL I kind of thought that Matt’s emails to Julie as Finn were him playing a part… being who he thought Finn was… acting… but he wasn’t. He was himself and he was letting Julie get to know him, the real him. Behind his geeky persona, his massive responsibility, his edgy demeanor… he was a witty, adventurous and passionate man. The two parts of him were reconciled for me in this book. Then there is Celeste, oh our quirky, smart, matter-of-fact and surprisingly observant Celeste. I LOVED her in this book. She made me cry but oh how she made me laugh! She is just an all around amazing and fascinating character.
The bonus chapters at the end from Julies POV rocked. I love how we got to see a little of the sexy. Matt oh Matt you are quite a hottie! So in case you missed it I highly recommend this book… you freaking have to read this book… JUST READ IT!
****SPOILER ALERT**** IF YOU HAVE NOT READ FLAT-OUT LOVE DO NOT READ**********
The book starts out with a bonus chapter where we get to meet Finn, Matt and Celeste’s older brother. I loved this because I realized something that I missed in FOL, just how much Matt loved and adored Finn. I assumed he loved his brother but I didn’t really focus on Matt’s pain and loss because I was so consumed by Celeste’s pain and reaction. Matt was hurt, he lost the person who he looked up too, who he counted on to manage his mom and Celeste, the person who made it possible for him to have a life outside his family and his friend. Matt didn’t get to grieve. He had to step in and take care of everything while his parents shut down and Celeste checked out. He knew it was wrong to let Celeste have Flat Finn, but he was at a loss for how to help her, he would do anything to bring her out of the depression she had slipped into and he was desperate. He wasn’t Finn, he didn’t have the connection with Celeste that Finn did and he had no idea how to reach her, so he gave in, and so began the odd, alternate reality for his family…
Julie was a complication Matt didn’t need. He had a delicate balance at home managing his mom and Celeste and the last thing he needed was a stranger to come in and call them out on their crazy. He was panicked and ashamed. He didn’t want to lie to her, he wanted to tell her the truth from the beginning… I didn’t realize that before. I knew his mother asked him play along, but I didn’t realize the extent to which she really manipulated him. Poor Matt, he wanted time and again to come clean with Julie especially when he started to fall in love with her and knew how badly all the lies were going to hurt her but after it had gone on so long how could he tell her? He didn’t want to lose her and he didn’t want Celeste to lose her. She had done more to help Celeste in a few months than he had been able to do in over a year. He loved her and he/they needed her. It just broke my heart.
Matt became angry at himself for the lies, angry and a little jealous at Julie for falling for Finn even though it was not her fault, and scared to death as he started to see Celeste come out of herself. He knew his mother loved Finn more, he knew his sister loved Finn more and now Julie loved Finn more. It was all a little too much for him and he let it out in one of the most telling and heartbreaking scenes:
“Matt took her hand in both of his for a moment as he struggled to find the right words to tell her that he loved her, and that he would do anything to trade places with Finn so that she could have the brother she really loved back with her.”
OMG I was a puddle… A puddle… my poor Matty!
In FOL I kind of thought that Matt’s emails to Julie as Finn were him playing a part… being who he thought Finn was… acting… but he wasn’t. He was himself and he was letting Julie get to know him, the real him. Behind his geeky persona, his massive responsibility, his edgy demeanor… he was a witty, adventurous and passionate man. The two parts of him were reconciled for me in this book. Then there is Celeste, oh our quirky, smart, matter-of-fact and surprisingly observant Celeste. I LOVED her in this book. She made me cry but oh how she made me laugh! She is just an all around amazing and fascinating character.
The bonus chapters at the end from Julies POV rocked. I love how we got to see a little of the sexy. Matt oh Matt you are quite a hottie! So in case you missed it I highly recommend this book… you freaking have to read this book… JUST READ IT!
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