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Love Notes #2
Heartstrings
Everyone thinks of me as this happy and upbeat person. What they don't know is that I carry a deep, dark secret. Something horrible happened to me a year ago, and I have kept it quiet all this time. I was fine for a while, but somehow it’s chosen this time to come back, and it's eating at me--like a cancer.
I need to tell someone about it, I just don't know how. I'm pushing everyone I love away, including my mom and my best friend Charlie.
Then there is Will. Handsome, sweet Will. We went out on a date a while back, but then the incident happened leaving me crushed and him confused.
How do you tell someone you care about all of your secrets, and will they still want you when the truth comes out?
I need to tell someone about it, I just don't know how. I'm pushing everyone I love away, including my mom and my best friend Charlie.
Then there is Will. Handsome, sweet Will. We went out on a date a while back, but then the incident happened leaving me crushed and him confused.
How do you tell someone you care about all of your secrets, and will they still want you when the truth comes out?
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2013
31 people are currently reading
1160 people want to read
About the author
Heather Gunter
9 books389 followersHeather is a devoted mother of three gorgeous boys. She balances spending as much time with them as possible with writing, updating her Into the Night Reviews book blog and her day job. Her love of animals sees her home in Canton, GA bursting with numerous dogs and ferrets.
Heather campaigns passionately for anti-bullying initiatives and has a strong conviction to reduce peoples suffering at the hands of bullies.
A talented singer, who once dreamed of pursuing a career in that field, she has put that goal aside in exchange for her writing. A self proclaimed geek, whatever spare time she has is spent curled on the couch reading and listening to music.
Heather campaigns passionately for anti-bullying initiatives and has a strong conviction to reduce peoples suffering at the hands of bullies.
A talented singer, who once dreamed of pursuing a career in that field, she has put that goal aside in exchange for her writing. A self proclaimed geek, whatever spare time she has is spent curled on the couch reading and listening to music.
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August 30, 2013
Heartstrings (Love Notes #2) by Heather Gunter
The title of this book says it all, this story pulls at your heartstrings and may even bring tears to your eyes. This is the first book I’ve read written by Heather Gunter, her writing is fantastic, the plot and character are well developed, the entire story flows rather nicely and I found I didn’t want to stop reading it till I reached the end.
Tori is a senior in high school, who has kept a secret for over a year, never disclosing to anyone what has happened to her one night. Nightmares are causing her lack of sleep and she knows she has to say something. Finally she confides in her mom and best friend.
Will who has been Tori’s friend for a very long time, knew Tori had changed over the last year. A year ago they were just about at the point where they were finally comfortable enough to move past friendship and acknowledge that they did have feelings for each other. But tragedy strikes Tori and her plans changed. Tori being a bit insecure is scared to tell Will what happened to her a year ago and thinks it will change the way he sees her.
She finally does tell Will her secret and he treats her with respect and reiterates that this was not her fault. Of course Will lets Tori knows his feeling for her have not changed at all.
This story is about healing, trusting and having the strength to take back your life.
I have rated Heartstrings a 4 star rating and would recommend it to anyone who loves to read the YA Genre.
Heather Gunter has written an exceptional story and portrayed a horrible situation in a very positive manner for young women to read.
The title of this book says it all, this story pulls at your heartstrings and may even bring tears to your eyes. This is the first book I’ve read written by Heather Gunter, her writing is fantastic, the plot and character are well developed, the entire story flows rather nicely and I found I didn’t want to stop reading it till I reached the end.
Tori is a senior in high school, who has kept a secret for over a year, never disclosing to anyone what has happened to her one night. Nightmares are causing her lack of sleep and she knows she has to say something. Finally she confides in her mom and best friend.
Will who has been Tori’s friend for a very long time, knew Tori had changed over the last year. A year ago they were just about at the point where they were finally comfortable enough to move past friendship and acknowledge that they did have feelings for each other. But tragedy strikes Tori and her plans changed. Tori being a bit insecure is scared to tell Will what happened to her a year ago and thinks it will change the way he sees her.
She finally does tell Will her secret and he treats her with respect and reiterates that this was not her fault. Of course Will lets Tori knows his feeling for her have not changed at all.
This story is about healing, trusting and having the strength to take back your life.
I have rated Heartstrings a 4 star rating and would recommend it to anyone who loves to read the YA Genre.
Heather Gunter has written an exceptional story and portrayed a horrible situation in a very positive manner for young women to read.
September 9, 2014
Once I wipe away the blurriness from my tired eyes, I shall write up a full review. Between the tears and the lack of sleep from finishing this book, I am pooped. I want to gush and rant and rave and vent but I can not put my thoughts to words right now...
*******************************************************************
I realize, in this exact moment, I can’t do this anymore; I’m sick of crying and feeling scared. I’m tired of feeling broken, and accept there are things that have to happen if I’m going to get any better and put this behind me. I have to move on. Not for anyone else; for me.
***Heads up guys: this will be a bit spoilery. I don’t mean to make it that way but I really, REALLY want to talk about how wonderful this book is and the only way I can do it is by going full force with my gushing which will most likely give away some parts of the story. You know I don’t do play-by-play of books only gut reactions. With all that said, let’s proceed***
Physically and emotionally in pain, I realize how ostracizing this experience was: you can only understand if it’s happened to you. And it’s a feeling I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Things were done to me that night that had never been done before and I will never, ever forget, and I’ve never told a soul.
There are strong women and then there are STRONG women, women that have dealt with some of the worst circumstances in life. You see them walk down street, attend school, go into work, shop at the nearest mall or just pick up their mail from their mailbox. But what you don’t see is that some of these women have some of the deepest and darkest of secrets, secrets that take up their minds, their hearts and sometimes even their souls. Some of these women have been able to deal with these secrets but then there are those that have no idea where to even start with dealing with their inner demons. And Tori, our lead female character, is one of these women. (I say woman for two reasons: one is because technically at eighteen, you are considered an adult and two because with what we are about to talk about, and the circumstances, there was no choice in the growing up process)
“Mom, I don’t want to be a victim, and I certainly don’t want to be his. I am nobody’s victim!”
“You, my girl, are a survivor, and you will get through this because you are mine and you are strong as hell. You have a fire in you that nobody can ever put out, unless you let them, and don’t ever let anyone put out that fire.”
As you can tell from some of my quotes, Tori was a victim of sexual abuse, rape to be exact. It’s a hard word to say but its truth and sometimes truth is hard to say. It was hard for Tori to say even though she knew what had happened to her but just couldn’t come to terms with saying it out loud. You get a glimpse of her in Charlie and Maverick’s book (LOVE NOTES) and get that there is something not right. That as feisty and as ‘mouthy’ as Tori is, something horrific must have happened to her to distant herself. She especially distances herself from her other best friend, Will, who wonders what she is hiding behind those green eyes of hers.
“Please tell her I’ll always be here for her, in any capacity, and, and, I’ve never stopped caring for her, even from a distance.”
Let me take a moment to praise the glories that is Will Montgomery. After reading this book, I could not stop thinking about Will. Yes what happened to Tori was horrific and unthinkable and no woman should go through that, but there is sometimes little said about the male support system behind the victim. “I think sometimes we can’t always heal by ourselves, and sometimes the person who we are most scared to tell is the one person who can actually help us heal.” You see, Will has been one of Tori’s best friends and has loved her unconditionally from a distance. He sees HER and only her and no one else measures up to her feistiness or her fire or her beauty. Even when she tells him what had happened to her a year ago, nothing changes for him. On the contrary, he loves her more. He sees what a fighter she is. “You are the bravest girl I know.” He loves her and nothing else will change that. He is there for Tori when she most needs him and feels safe and comforted knowing that not only does she have her mother and best friend/sister support but she also has the support of Will.
Will is the kind of man that should I ever have a daughter or when my goddaughter grows up and finds herself a boyfriend/husband, that he be like Will. Will by no means is perfect but he is what every mother looks for her daughter, what a sister looks for her sister, what a grandmother is looking for her granddaughter and so on. He makes mistakes like every person on this earth but owns up to it and learns from those mistakes. But what makes him so wonderful is the deep LOVE that he gives to that one significant person. When he loves, he loves unconditionally and with full force. He is your support system, the shoulder to cry on, the arms that you fall asleep in and know that you feel safe in them. He is all in with his heart and soul, and that is sometimes rare to find.
Sidenote: thank you Ms. Gunter for not making Will Montgomery a man whoring, alcohol guzzling, reformed delinquent. He could have easily have slept himself around the school and screwed anything that two legs and a skirt while waiting for Tori, but he didn’t. He stayed true to his character. Even the simplicity of a kiss was a big deal and I am so glad that he was man enough to give her space and time for when that big moment came. (I was listening to Lady Antebellum’s “Just a Kiss” when I was writing this review and it me made think about Tori and Will. You will see why a simple kiss is such a huge step for both of them) “I’ve never stopped caring about you, not even from a distance.” (I loved the quote so much I wanted to put it in twice in my review) For once I am okay with the male lead not being a tattooed bad boy. Sometimes you really just need a sweet, kind hearted boy to make you swoon and daydream. And thank you for those funny moments of “guy talk” between Will and Maverick:
“Dude, you really should listen to me more, I’m usually right.”
“Yeah, whatever. Actually, isn’t it usually me instilling the words of wisdom? Somehow the roles have been reversed. I don’t know how that happened!”
“It’s the girls. They screw with our brain so we can’t think straight, and when you find the right one, all rational thoughts gets flushed down the toilet.”
“Isn’t that the truth.”
I had mentioned before that there are strong women and that there are STRONG women. One of these women is the author herself. You will know by the end of the book JUST how strong she is and how very brave she is to come forth with this story. It is said that the authors put themselves into their characters and THIS is the epitome of that. You see, this is Ms. Gunter’s story told in Tori’s (and Will’s) POV. It’s not a 100% true but the premise of her story told in HEARTSTRINGS. I may have given a lot away in this review, hell in this paragraph alone, but I could not NOT mention just how wonderful the author is to tell this story, her story. I applaud her for writing this and letting the world know. Her story impacted me: I laughed, I cried, I got mad, I had to stop reading. I don’t cry. I mean, I almost NEVER cry, heart of stone over here, but reading this book made me just cry huge alligator tears and made me love each and every character. I would recommend this book to everyone, female or male, young or old. It’s a wonderful read. Just have wine, tissues, ice cream or whatever makes me feel better after a few tears.
I leave you with my all-time favorite quote moment in the book:
Tears pour down, and I can’t stop them. My legs turn to jelly, unable to hold my body up any longer, and I crumble as the warm water cascades over me. As several thoughts run through my mind, I lean my head back and just let the water fall, washing all my tears down the drain. Symbolically, the tears wash away all the ugly, damaged feelings I allowed him to hold over me. Negative words tumble through my head and I send them down the drain with my tears. Nothingness. Victim. Powerless. Scared. Used. And many, many more. I let it all go and watch them flow down the drain. I thought I was doing so much better, and in a way I was, but I hadn’t let go. I need to let it all go, and refuse to give someone the power to make me feel like I’m nothing ever again. I am so much more. I say it in my head, again and again, until I finally begin to believe it then I say once more, out loud: “My name is Tori. I am no one’s victim. And by God, I am a survivor! I’ve been to hell and back and I. Will. Heal. I may never forget; but I will never again think about you like I have. I will never give you the power I’ve been giving you for the last year, and I will never let you hurt anyone else again.”
My name is Tori, and I’m a survivor.
*******************************************************************
I realize, in this exact moment, I can’t do this anymore; I’m sick of crying and feeling scared. I’m tired of feeling broken, and accept there are things that have to happen if I’m going to get any better and put this behind me. I have to move on. Not for anyone else; for me.
***Heads up guys: this will be a bit spoilery. I don’t mean to make it that way but I really, REALLY want to talk about how wonderful this book is and the only way I can do it is by going full force with my gushing which will most likely give away some parts of the story. You know I don’t do play-by-play of books only gut reactions. With all that said, let’s proceed***
Physically and emotionally in pain, I realize how ostracizing this experience was: you can only understand if it’s happened to you. And it’s a feeling I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Things were done to me that night that had never been done before and I will never, ever forget, and I’ve never told a soul.
There are strong women and then there are STRONG women, women that have dealt with some of the worst circumstances in life. You see them walk down street, attend school, go into work, shop at the nearest mall or just pick up their mail from their mailbox. But what you don’t see is that some of these women have some of the deepest and darkest of secrets, secrets that take up their minds, their hearts and sometimes even their souls. Some of these women have been able to deal with these secrets but then there are those that have no idea where to even start with dealing with their inner demons. And Tori, our lead female character, is one of these women. (I say woman for two reasons: one is because technically at eighteen, you are considered an adult and two because with what we are about to talk about, and the circumstances, there was no choice in the growing up process)
“Mom, I don’t want to be a victim, and I certainly don’t want to be his. I am nobody’s victim!”
“You, my girl, are a survivor, and you will get through this because you are mine and you are strong as hell. You have a fire in you that nobody can ever put out, unless you let them, and don’t ever let anyone put out that fire.”
As you can tell from some of my quotes, Tori was a victim of sexual abuse, rape to be exact. It’s a hard word to say but its truth and sometimes truth is hard to say. It was hard for Tori to say even though she knew what had happened to her but just couldn’t come to terms with saying it out loud. You get a glimpse of her in Charlie and Maverick’s book (LOVE NOTES) and get that there is something not right. That as feisty and as ‘mouthy’ as Tori is, something horrific must have happened to her to distant herself. She especially distances herself from her other best friend, Will, who wonders what she is hiding behind those green eyes of hers.
“Please tell her I’ll always be here for her, in any capacity, and, and, I’ve never stopped caring for her, even from a distance.”
Let me take a moment to praise the glories that is Will Montgomery. After reading this book, I could not stop thinking about Will. Yes what happened to Tori was horrific and unthinkable and no woman should go through that, but there is sometimes little said about the male support system behind the victim. “I think sometimes we can’t always heal by ourselves, and sometimes the person who we are most scared to tell is the one person who can actually help us heal.” You see, Will has been one of Tori’s best friends and has loved her unconditionally from a distance. He sees HER and only her and no one else measures up to her feistiness or her fire or her beauty. Even when she tells him what had happened to her a year ago, nothing changes for him. On the contrary, he loves her more. He sees what a fighter she is. “You are the bravest girl I know.” He loves her and nothing else will change that. He is there for Tori when she most needs him and feels safe and comforted knowing that not only does she have her mother and best friend/sister support but she also has the support of Will.
Will is the kind of man that should I ever have a daughter or when my goddaughter grows up and finds herself a boyfriend/husband, that he be like Will. Will by no means is perfect but he is what every mother looks for her daughter, what a sister looks for her sister, what a grandmother is looking for her granddaughter and so on. He makes mistakes like every person on this earth but owns up to it and learns from those mistakes. But what makes him so wonderful is the deep LOVE that he gives to that one significant person. When he loves, he loves unconditionally and with full force. He is your support system, the shoulder to cry on, the arms that you fall asleep in and know that you feel safe in them. He is all in with his heart and soul, and that is sometimes rare to find.
Sidenote: thank you Ms. Gunter for not making Will Montgomery a man whoring, alcohol guzzling, reformed delinquent. He could have easily have slept himself around the school and screwed anything that two legs and a skirt while waiting for Tori, but he didn’t. He stayed true to his character. Even the simplicity of a kiss was a big deal and I am so glad that he was man enough to give her space and time for when that big moment came. (I was listening to Lady Antebellum’s “Just a Kiss” when I was writing this review and it me made think about Tori and Will. You will see why a simple kiss is such a huge step for both of them) “I’ve never stopped caring about you, not even from a distance.” (I loved the quote so much I wanted to put it in twice in my review) For once I am okay with the male lead not being a tattooed bad boy. Sometimes you really just need a sweet, kind hearted boy to make you swoon and daydream. And thank you for those funny moments of “guy talk” between Will and Maverick:
“Dude, you really should listen to me more, I’m usually right.”
“Yeah, whatever. Actually, isn’t it usually me instilling the words of wisdom? Somehow the roles have been reversed. I don’t know how that happened!”
“It’s the girls. They screw with our brain so we can’t think straight, and when you find the right one, all rational thoughts gets flushed down the toilet.”
“Isn’t that the truth.”
I had mentioned before that there are strong women and that there are STRONG women. One of these women is the author herself. You will know by the end of the book JUST how strong she is and how very brave she is to come forth with this story. It is said that the authors put themselves into their characters and THIS is the epitome of that. You see, this is Ms. Gunter’s story told in Tori’s (and Will’s) POV. It’s not a 100% true but the premise of her story told in HEARTSTRINGS. I may have given a lot away in this review, hell in this paragraph alone, but I could not NOT mention just how wonderful the author is to tell this story, her story. I applaud her for writing this and letting the world know. Her story impacted me: I laughed, I cried, I got mad, I had to stop reading. I don’t cry. I mean, I almost NEVER cry, heart of stone over here, but reading this book made me just cry huge alligator tears and made me love each and every character. I would recommend this book to everyone, female or male, young or old. It’s a wonderful read. Just have wine, tissues, ice cream or whatever makes me feel better after a few tears.
I leave you with my all-time favorite quote moment in the book:
Tears pour down, and I can’t stop them. My legs turn to jelly, unable to hold my body up any longer, and I crumble as the warm water cascades over me. As several thoughts run through my mind, I lean my head back and just let the water fall, washing all my tears down the drain. Symbolically, the tears wash away all the ugly, damaged feelings I allowed him to hold over me. Negative words tumble through my head and I send them down the drain with my tears. Nothingness. Victim. Powerless. Scared. Used. And many, many more. I let it all go and watch them flow down the drain. I thought I was doing so much better, and in a way I was, but I hadn’t let go. I need to let it all go, and refuse to give someone the power to make me feel like I’m nothing ever again. I am so much more. I say it in my head, again and again, until I finally begin to believe it then I say once more, out loud: “My name is Tori. I am no one’s victim. And by God, I am a survivor! I’ve been to hell and back and I. Will. Heal. I may never forget; but I will never again think about you like I have. I will never give you the power I’ve been giving you for the last year, and I will never let you hurt anyone else again.”
My name is Tori, and I’m a survivor.
January 6, 2014
I salute Ms. Heather Gunter for writing this story, I know it has been hard for her.
I'd been waiting for Will and Tori's story since I read Love Notes, I must say that the writing had improved and the moral lesson of story is good and I love Will.
I'd been waiting for Will and Tori's story since I read Love Notes, I must say that the writing had improved and the moral lesson of story is good and I love Will.
August 31, 2013
GENRE: New Adult
THEME: Contemporary, Romance
RECEIVED: Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
I love stories that I can jump into, even if I haven’t read the first one and not be lost. A great stand alone, even with mentions of the previous characters I was more focused on Tori and Will and the emotionally wonderful written story. Be prepared this is one book that you will not be putting down for a second.
Hearstrings follows Tori, whose life change drastically after one night at a party. She tries hiding away what happened, determined to say that everything is okay. Everyone around her knows something wrong, the always-sweet Will and her best friend Charlie are being pushed away. In the end Tori must fight her demon and go beyond the pain, then maybe she can say what really happened and find that silver lining.
Tori is a wonder woman, she is young but seriously goes through something that I wish could never happen to anyone. She also has a feisty side and is determined when she sets her mind to something. It was an emotional roller coaster for her, I wouldn’t know how to be able to open up to people either and I felt her story is one that really will make the readers think. I also love the strength not only in Tori but how her mom was right there for her, telling her she’s a survivor and not to let anyone try to change her. It reminded me of my mom and I how close we are when something happens and I just need the push. Gunter does an amazing job with such a tough topic but really connects the readers to Tori and has them rooting for her to the very end.
Will is a guy that I want to give a huge hug too; he goes through a lot of confusion with Tori and no matter what, never left her side. They have been friends for a long time and he finally opens up to her and goes on a date. But after he deals with the change in Tori and wants to help even though he doesn’t know what’s happened. He is seriously the best supporter she could have and doesn’t change for any reason, he is there and he loves her no questions. Finally a guy that is just a good guy, no twist, no changes in personality just someone who every girl will fall for.
Overall, this story is just wow… It’s hard to really define a story that really hits me as a reader emotionally as hard as this one did. I was all over the place while reading this and sometimes had to put it down because I got a bit sad and frustrated, but don’t get me wrong I was feeling this along with the characters. I’ve been on a streak of reading some really great books lately and I have to applaud another author, Gunter, for really connecting me to a topic I feel is so hard to talk about. In the end I really enjoyed the side characters of Charlie and Maverick, that I’m going to read their sorry as soon as I can. This is something for any parent, sister, brother, daughter, son, its seriously a great story that will have you talking about it for days.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with a tough topic, but I feel should be recommend to any and all readers. Fans of Beautiful Disaster by Jaime McGuire and Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry will connect to Hearstrings by Heather Gunter.
THEME: Contemporary, Romance
RECEIVED: Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
I love stories that I can jump into, even if I haven’t read the first one and not be lost. A great stand alone, even with mentions of the previous characters I was more focused on Tori and Will and the emotionally wonderful written story. Be prepared this is one book that you will not be putting down for a second.
Hearstrings follows Tori, whose life change drastically after one night at a party. She tries hiding away what happened, determined to say that everything is okay. Everyone around her knows something wrong, the always-sweet Will and her best friend Charlie are being pushed away. In the end Tori must fight her demon and go beyond the pain, then maybe she can say what really happened and find that silver lining.
Tori is a wonder woman, she is young but seriously goes through something that I wish could never happen to anyone. She also has a feisty side and is determined when she sets her mind to something. It was an emotional roller coaster for her, I wouldn’t know how to be able to open up to people either and I felt her story is one that really will make the readers think. I also love the strength not only in Tori but how her mom was right there for her, telling her she’s a survivor and not to let anyone try to change her. It reminded me of my mom and I how close we are when something happens and I just need the push. Gunter does an amazing job with such a tough topic but really connects the readers to Tori and has them rooting for her to the very end.
Will is a guy that I want to give a huge hug too; he goes through a lot of confusion with Tori and no matter what, never left her side. They have been friends for a long time and he finally opens up to her and goes on a date. But after he deals with the change in Tori and wants to help even though he doesn’t know what’s happened. He is seriously the best supporter she could have and doesn’t change for any reason, he is there and he loves her no questions. Finally a guy that is just a good guy, no twist, no changes in personality just someone who every girl will fall for.
Overall, this story is just wow… It’s hard to really define a story that really hits me as a reader emotionally as hard as this one did. I was all over the place while reading this and sometimes had to put it down because I got a bit sad and frustrated, but don’t get me wrong I was feeling this along with the characters. I’ve been on a streak of reading some really great books lately and I have to applaud another author, Gunter, for really connecting me to a topic I feel is so hard to talk about. In the end I really enjoyed the side characters of Charlie and Maverick, that I’m going to read their sorry as soon as I can. This is something for any parent, sister, brother, daughter, son, its seriously a great story that will have you talking about it for days.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with a tough topic, but I feel should be recommend to any and all readers. Fans of Beautiful Disaster by Jaime McGuire and Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry will connect to Hearstrings by Heather Gunter.
September 2, 2013
Review Originally Posted at: Book Freak
The prologue- even the text prior to it was a little emotional and I wonder if I could survive the novel with my heart intact.
Tori was Will's smart-mouth redhead. They thought everything will go on smoothly. They have liked each other since forever and was about to go in their first date. BUT THEY WERE SO WRONG. Because during their supposedly-perfect date - something bad happened and it had been haunting Tori.
She had been through a lot. I think most of us wouldn't really know the extent of her suffering unless we experience what she had (I hope none of us will). Tori had been strong, but the incident weakened her. She lost herself, opted to be alone and suffer rather than sought for help. She ran away from it. She thought it was her fault.
Will - awwww. He was not just a great boyfriend, but he was a greater friend. He didn't leave her side when he finally knew what was going on. He didn't pressure her to do anything she wasn't ready for. He supported her decisions and was always there for her. He may have done something that night that has been eating him up - but it was a reflex on his part to save his ego. Nevertheless, this guy stole my heart!
The secondary characters, namely Charlie from Love Notes (Book 1) & her mother were pretty great too. They were the best support system anyone could have. Charlie had needed her on the first book, and now Tori needs her, but she doesn't ask question even though the nightmares that her friend is having concerns her. She knew that when Tori is finally ready, she will tell her.
Tori's journey in overcoming her guilt, seeking for help, finally accepting that it happened to her and learning to open her heart is indeed emotional. Heather Gunter made an incredible novel about a journey of a girl who's world fell apart after one night, found her strength and was brave enough to fight for what is right. I like the strength of her character, and the person she had become by the end of the novel. This story gives HOPE to girls who have underwent the same nightmares as Tori did. It is an inspiration, that somehow there is always a rainbow after the storm, and not all men are beasts because time WILL come that a prince charming will still find he's way to sweep you off your feet.
Although part of the series, you can read Heartstrings as a stand-alone. I think I'm hooked with this series and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next one - Ashley's story: Changing Tunes. Who can resist a reformed bad-girl falling in love with a good boy?
*ARC Copy was given in exchange for an honest review.
The prologue- even the text prior to it was a little emotional and I wonder if I could survive the novel with my heart intact.
Tori was Will's smart-mouth redhead. They thought everything will go on smoothly. They have liked each other since forever and was about to go in their first date. BUT THEY WERE SO WRONG. Because during their supposedly-perfect date - something bad happened and it had been haunting Tori.
She had been through a lot. I think most of us wouldn't really know the extent of her suffering unless we experience what she had (I hope none of us will). Tori had been strong, but the incident weakened her. She lost herself, opted to be alone and suffer rather than sought for help. She ran away from it. She thought it was her fault.
Will - awwww. He was not just a great boyfriend, but he was a greater friend. He didn't leave her side when he finally knew what was going on. He didn't pressure her to do anything she wasn't ready for. He supported her decisions and was always there for her. He may have done something that night that has been eating him up - but it was a reflex on his part to save his ego. Nevertheless, this guy stole my heart!
The secondary characters, namely Charlie from Love Notes (Book 1) & her mother were pretty great too. They were the best support system anyone could have. Charlie had needed her on the first book, and now Tori needs her, but she doesn't ask question even though the nightmares that her friend is having concerns her. She knew that when Tori is finally ready, she will tell her.
Tori's journey in overcoming her guilt, seeking for help, finally accepting that it happened to her and learning to open her heart is indeed emotional. Heather Gunter made an incredible novel about a journey of a girl who's world fell apart after one night, found her strength and was brave enough to fight for what is right. I like the strength of her character, and the person she had become by the end of the novel. This story gives HOPE to girls who have underwent the same nightmares as Tori did. It is an inspiration, that somehow there is always a rainbow after the storm, and not all men are beasts because time WILL come that a prince charming will still find he's way to sweep you off your feet.
Although part of the series, you can read Heartstrings as a stand-alone. I think I'm hooked with this series and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next one - Ashley's story: Changing Tunes. Who can resist a reformed bad-girl falling in love with a good boy?
*ARC Copy was given in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2013
My heart absolutely ached reading this book, I cried along with Tori and felt her pain.
This book is a journey of a young woman who is raped and wants to fight for her life back.
It's about taking her life back and healing.
It's an emotional read and one of which I hope no one looks over because this book needs to be read.
The author has put her heart and soul into this book and when you read certain parts you'll understand why.
Tori is strong, she isn't one of these weak heroine's she's tough and she fights with all she has.
"I realize, in this exact moment, I can't do this anymore; I'm sick of crying and feeling scared. I'm tired of feeling broken, and accept there are things that have to happen if I'm going to get any better and put this behind me. I have to move on. Not for anyone else; for me."
Will is a beautiful character and I think everyone would agree we would all love someone like him in our life. He is portrayed beautifully and not many guys in books are these days.
"Please tell her I'll always be here for her, in any capacity, and, and, I've never stopped caring for her, even from a distance."
This quote made me smile, it made me sob
My name is Tori. I am no one's victim. And by God, I am a survivor! I've been to hell and back and I. Will. Heal. I may never forget; but I will never again think about you like I have. I will never give you the power I've been giving you for the last year, and I will never let you hurt anyone else again."
Thank you Heather for writing this story, for doing something others fear to do.
I take my hat off to you. You are an amazing writer and I know you'll go far.
This book is a journey of a young woman who is raped and wants to fight for her life back.
It's about taking her life back and healing.
It's an emotional read and one of which I hope no one looks over because this book needs to be read.
The author has put her heart and soul into this book and when you read certain parts you'll understand why.
Tori is strong, she isn't one of these weak heroine's she's tough and she fights with all she has.
"I realize, in this exact moment, I can't do this anymore; I'm sick of crying and feeling scared. I'm tired of feeling broken, and accept there are things that have to happen if I'm going to get any better and put this behind me. I have to move on. Not for anyone else; for me."
Will is a beautiful character and I think everyone would agree we would all love someone like him in our life. He is portrayed beautifully and not many guys in books are these days.
"Please tell her I'll always be here for her, in any capacity, and, and, I've never stopped caring for her, even from a distance."
This quote made me smile, it made me sob
My name is Tori. I am no one's victim. And by God, I am a survivor! I've been to hell and back and I. Will. Heal. I may never forget; but I will never again think about you like I have. I will never give you the power I've been giving you for the last year, and I will never let you hurt anyone else again."
Thank you Heather for writing this story, for doing something others fear to do.
I take my hat off to you. You are an amazing writer and I know you'll go far.
August 3, 2013
What a great book!! Heather, you have done it again!!
I thought Charlie had a great story, but Tori's is amazing!!
Tori is a senior in high school and was raped a year ago. She never told anyone and has suffered alone. One night, she tries to push herself to get close to Will, the boy she has crushed on forever. All the awful feelings come rushing back and even worse.
She decides to get help and tell her mom, Charlie, and then Will. Everyone is so supportive but Will is so angry and feels so guilty. He and Maverick, Charlie's boyfriend, try to find the guy and you will be so surprised what happens!!!
This is such a sweet story of losing your innocence and trying to get your life back. I love Tori's story and the tender way Heather writes it, is nothing less than GREAT!! Will is WONDERFUL! The love Tori and Will share is none like any other for them to only be teenagers.
Please get this and don't miss out on this story!! You will not be disappointed!!
I thought Charlie had a great story, but Tori's is amazing!!
Tori is a senior in high school and was raped a year ago. She never told anyone and has suffered alone. One night, she tries to push herself to get close to Will, the boy she has crushed on forever. All the awful feelings come rushing back and even worse.
She decides to get help and tell her mom, Charlie, and then Will. Everyone is so supportive but Will is so angry and feels so guilty. He and Maverick, Charlie's boyfriend, try to find the guy and you will be so surprised what happens!!!
This is such a sweet story of losing your innocence and trying to get your life back. I love Tori's story and the tender way Heather writes it, is nothing less than GREAT!! Will is WONDERFUL! The love Tori and Will share is none like any other for them to only be teenagers.
Please get this and don't miss out on this story!! You will not be disappointed!!
August 4, 2013
Holly crap Heather you did it again! This book was great I thought Charlie's story touched my heart but no Tori's story was the best I cried and I laughed it was very emotional but in the end it was all worth it. I love Will he was so good to Tori and of course having Charlie and maverick there was good too I loved how Charlie was still a very important part in this book I highly recommended this book! Thank you Heather for an other great book
August 13, 2013
Tori and Will were Charlie and Maverick friends in Love Notes. In Love Notes, Tori was a very loyal friend to Charlie. She seemed funny , happy, vivacious , and carefree. She spoke her mind and didn’t take anyone crap. It was apparent that Tori was hiding something. Tori used to be carefree and happy. Will was Maverick’s best friend who would talk sense into him. Will carried a torch for Tori.
It was mentioned in Love Notes that Tori and Will went on a date a year ago and neither one of them would discuss the date. I figured that the date went well and then something happened. I suspected that Tori had been raped. I was hoping that it wasn’t the case. It turns out, Will took Tori to a party at a classmates house. It was their first. Tori had a drink before she went out with Will to calm her nerves. They were having a good time at the party. Will went to get them some drinks and she went outside for fresh air. Some depraved guy had been watching Tori since she arrived at the party. Tori said she wasn’t interested but he refused to take no for an answer. The sadistic f*** dragged her to his truck and brutally raped her. The account was horrific to read. Will looked for her but couldn’t find her.
A year passes without her telling anyone about the rape. Tori just tries to forget it ever happened. She knows what happened was rape but for a long time she just couldn’t say the word out loud. A person can only suppress something for so long.She tries to act like the same old Tori. However, it starts eating away at her. Every time Tori went to sleep she had nightmares. Basically, Tori was stuck in her own personal hell reliving the rape every time she closed her eyes. Sadly, Tori blamed herself because she had a drink before the party. Tori felt so guilty about it and thought maybe she could have fought him off if she never had the drink. It doesn’t matter if she had one drink, no drinks, or a ton of drinks because what happened to her was wrong no matter what. She said no repeatedly and tried her hardest to fight him off and he just thrived on having power over her. No means no.
Tori’s mom, “ Tori there is absolutely nothing you could have done to prevent the horrific things that happened to you. You just happened to be the girl that monster picked out that night, if it wasn’t you, it would have been another victim”(Heather Gunter, Heartstrings).
Will was confused because they were having such a good time at the beginning of the date and she seemed so excited to go out with him. Will was a great guy. Tori told him to go out with other girl but he didn’t because he wanted to be with Tori. There were plenty of girls who wanted to go out with him but he said no. He waited for Tori for a year. I like that the author didn’t have Will hooking up with other girls when Tori kept telling him to find someone else.
At one point Will did make me really mad though
Will isn’t perfect he made some foolish mistakes but he owns up to them. Secretly, Tori still wanted to go out with Will. However, she was afraid that if she told him the truth he would look at her differently and not want her anymore. Sadly after the rape, Tori viewed herself as damaged goods. Eventually,she kissed Will and that’s when it started to trigger the memories of that horrific night even more.
Tori said, “I know it’ll be fine, I just need to get over being alone with a guy. But Will isn’t just any guy. He is so much more than a guy. He is my haven, my place of safety; when I’m with him I feel protected and loved"(Heather Gunter, Heartstrings).
Eventually, she tells mom and Charlie. It was nice to see more of Charlie and Maverick in this book. They are really great friends. She starts to get the help she needs through therapy and group meetings. When Will found out the truth,he stood by Tori's side and was willing to take things at her pace. Eventually,Tori realizes it wasn’t her fault and that guy targeted her that night. She has a wonderful support system and goes from being a victim to survivor
“My name is Tori. I am no one’s victim. And by God, I am a survivor! I’ve been to hell and back and I. will. Heal. I may never forget; but I will never again think about you like I have. I will never give you the power I’ve been giving you for the last year, and I will never let you hurt anyone else again” (Heather Gunter, Heartstrings).
The story was based the authors true experience. Some things changed but it was based on something very personal that happened to her and altered her life. She really poured everything into this book. The story deals with the healing process and shows strong women.
The next book Changing Tunes is Ashley’s story. I didn’t like Ashley at all in the other two books. She was mean and caddy. Towards the end, I did feel bad for her. People do change so it should be interesting to read Ashley’s story. It does seem like she wants to be a better person from reading the synopsis. It sounds good. Zeke the geeky good looking guy sounds intriguing.
It was mentioned in Love Notes that Tori and Will went on a date a year ago and neither one of them would discuss the date. I figured that the date went well and then something happened. I suspected that Tori had been raped. I was hoping that it wasn’t the case. It turns out, Will took Tori to a party at a classmates house. It was their first. Tori had a drink before she went out with Will to calm her nerves. They were having a good time at the party. Will went to get them some drinks and she went outside for fresh air. Some depraved guy had been watching Tori since she arrived at the party. Tori said she wasn’t interested but he refused to take no for an answer. The sadistic f*** dragged her to his truck and brutally raped her. The account was horrific to read. Will looked for her but couldn’t find her.
A year passes without her telling anyone about the rape. Tori just tries to forget it ever happened. She knows what happened was rape but for a long time she just couldn’t say the word out loud. A person can only suppress something for so long.She tries to act like the same old Tori. However, it starts eating away at her. Every time Tori went to sleep she had nightmares. Basically, Tori was stuck in her own personal hell reliving the rape every time she closed her eyes. Sadly, Tori blamed herself because she had a drink before the party. Tori felt so guilty about it and thought maybe she could have fought him off if she never had the drink. It doesn’t matter if she had one drink, no drinks, or a ton of drinks because what happened to her was wrong no matter what. She said no repeatedly and tried her hardest to fight him off and he just thrived on having power over her. No means no.
Tori’s mom, “ Tori there is absolutely nothing you could have done to prevent the horrific things that happened to you. You just happened to be the girl that monster picked out that night, if it wasn’t you, it would have been another victim”(Heather Gunter, Heartstrings).
Will was confused because they were having such a good time at the beginning of the date and she seemed so excited to go out with him. Will was a great guy. Tori told him to go out with other girl but he didn’t because he wanted to be with Tori. There were plenty of girls who wanted to go out with him but he said no. He waited for Tori for a year. I like that the author didn’t have Will hooking up with other girls when Tori kept telling him to find someone else.
At one point Will did make me really mad though
Will isn’t perfect he made some foolish mistakes but he owns up to them. Secretly, Tori still wanted to go out with Will. However, she was afraid that if she told him the truth he would look at her differently and not want her anymore. Sadly after the rape, Tori viewed herself as damaged goods. Eventually,she kissed Will and that’s when it started to trigger the memories of that horrific night even more.
Tori said, “I know it’ll be fine, I just need to get over being alone with a guy. But Will isn’t just any guy. He is so much more than a guy. He is my haven, my place of safety; when I’m with him I feel protected and loved"(Heather Gunter, Heartstrings).
Eventually, she tells mom and Charlie. It was nice to see more of Charlie and Maverick in this book. They are really great friends. She starts to get the help she needs through therapy and group meetings. When Will found out the truth,he stood by Tori's side and was willing to take things at her pace. Eventually,Tori realizes it wasn’t her fault and that guy targeted her that night. She has a wonderful support system and goes from being a victim to survivor
“My name is Tori. I am no one’s victim. And by God, I am a survivor! I’ve been to hell and back and I. will. Heal. I may never forget; but I will never again think about you like I have. I will never give you the power I’ve been giving you for the last year, and I will never let you hurt anyone else again” (Heather Gunter, Heartstrings).
The story was based the authors true experience. Some things changed but it was based on something very personal that happened to her and altered her life. She really poured everything into this book. The story deals with the healing process and shows strong women.
The next book Changing Tunes is Ashley’s story. I didn’t like Ashley at all in the other two books. She was mean and caddy. Towards the end, I did feel bad for her. People do change so it should be interesting to read Ashley’s story. It does seem like she wants to be a better person from reading the synopsis. It sounds good. Zeke the geeky good looking guy sounds intriguing.
September 2, 2013
Heartstrings is the second book in Heather Gunter's Love Notes series. It follows secondary characters from the first book, Love Notes. This books can be read as a stand alone, but I would suggest reading Love Notes first as there are a few things referenced from that book. For those of us who have read Love Notes we do get to see more Charlie and Maverick, which is awesome!!
Heartstrings starts a few months after Love Notes, and follows Tori and Will, Charlie and Maverick's best friends, respectively. In Love Notes we knew that Tori had a pretty big secret we just weren't sure what it was. We also knew that this secret somehow involved her relationship (or lack thereof) with Will. We learn right away that their friendship is on the road to recovery but it is also pretty clear that Tori doesn't think it can ever be more than that because of her secret, which is a doozy and is revealed pretty early on. Just when it looks like Tori is going to take a chance and let Will be more than her friend everything comes crashing down on her.
"You should know, if we do this, it will change everything."
Heartstrings, while very much the story of Will and Tori, is really about Tori's road to recovery from the thing that has been buried and weighing her down for so long. Will was very supportive of her throughout the entire process even as he is harboring a secret of his own that may crush their fragile relationship. It was heartbreaking to see the way that things played out over the course of the last quarter, or so, of the book. But the ending was wonderful.
'I need her to know that I'd always be there for her. But the words wouldn't come out, and truth be told, I knew there wasn't anything I could say to make her feel better.'
I already really like Tori and Will before I had ever even started this book. Something about the sadness that seemed to surround them in Love Notes just pulled at my, for lack of a better word, Heartstrings. I wanted for them to have their happily ever after and I'm glad that Heather gave us their story. They were definitely characters I needed to know more about. Though I already had a pretty good idea of why Tori didn't want to talk to anybody about why she didn't want to date Will, it was still awful to hear all the details of what exactly happened. Then when we read Will's side it was that much more heartbreaking.
'My crying begins to ease off and I realize, in this exact moment, I can't so this anymore; I'm sick of crying and feeling scared. I'm tired of feeling broken, and accept there are things that have to happen if I'm going to get better and put this behind me. I have to move on. Not for anyone else; for me.'
I commended Tori for being able to have the strength to take the necessary steps to deal with everything that was haunting her. I know that it is not easy. Watching her become more and more confident was wonderful and made my heart happy for her. There were more than a few times when all of her forward progress could have been ripped apart and she would have had to start over at square one. But, she did not let that happen. She was strong, she was a fighter.
"...this may scare you and I'm sorry if it does, but I'm taking my chances. I fell in love with you over a year ago and I never stopped. My feeling never faltered, and I told you, 'I never stopped caring, not even from a distance. This doesn't change how I feel about you. I love you Tori, and this isn't going to make me stop or change my mind."
This was a really great story. There were a few spots where the speech seemed a little stilted, but it definitely did not take away from the story, or it's message. I really enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to the release of the next novel in the series, Changing Tunes, due out in 2014.
'I thought I was going to die when she reached over wanting to kiss me and I certainly wasn't joking when I said, it would change everything. Because it did, and in more ways than one. Kissing Tori was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Her lips are so warm and soft and fit perfectly with mine. When she deepened the kiss I thought I was in heaven.'
Heartstrings starts a few months after Love Notes, and follows Tori and Will, Charlie and Maverick's best friends, respectively. In Love Notes we knew that Tori had a pretty big secret we just weren't sure what it was. We also knew that this secret somehow involved her relationship (or lack thereof) with Will. We learn right away that their friendship is on the road to recovery but it is also pretty clear that Tori doesn't think it can ever be more than that because of her secret, which is a doozy and is revealed pretty early on. Just when it looks like Tori is going to take a chance and let Will be more than her friend everything comes crashing down on her.
"You should know, if we do this, it will change everything."
Heartstrings, while very much the story of Will and Tori, is really about Tori's road to recovery from the thing that has been buried and weighing her down for so long. Will was very supportive of her throughout the entire process even as he is harboring a secret of his own that may crush their fragile relationship. It was heartbreaking to see the way that things played out over the course of the last quarter, or so, of the book. But the ending was wonderful.
'I need her to know that I'd always be there for her. But the words wouldn't come out, and truth be told, I knew there wasn't anything I could say to make her feel better.'
I already really like Tori and Will before I had ever even started this book. Something about the sadness that seemed to surround them in Love Notes just pulled at my, for lack of a better word, Heartstrings. I wanted for them to have their happily ever after and I'm glad that Heather gave us their story. They were definitely characters I needed to know more about. Though I already had a pretty good idea of why Tori didn't want to talk to anybody about why she didn't want to date Will, it was still awful to hear all the details of what exactly happened. Then when we read Will's side it was that much more heartbreaking.
'My crying begins to ease off and I realize, in this exact moment, I can't so this anymore; I'm sick of crying and feeling scared. I'm tired of feeling broken, and accept there are things that have to happen if I'm going to get better and put this behind me. I have to move on. Not for anyone else; for me.'
I commended Tori for being able to have the strength to take the necessary steps to deal with everything that was haunting her. I know that it is not easy. Watching her become more and more confident was wonderful and made my heart happy for her. There were more than a few times when all of her forward progress could have been ripped apart and she would have had to start over at square one. But, she did not let that happen. She was strong, she was a fighter.
"...this may scare you and I'm sorry if it does, but I'm taking my chances. I fell in love with you over a year ago and I never stopped. My feeling never faltered, and I told you, 'I never stopped caring, not even from a distance. This doesn't change how I feel about you. I love you Tori, and this isn't going to make me stop or change my mind."
This was a really great story. There were a few spots where the speech seemed a little stilted, but it definitely did not take away from the story, or it's message. I really enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to the release of the next novel in the series, Changing Tunes, due out in 2014.
'I thought I was going to die when she reached over wanting to kiss me and I certainly wasn't joking when I said, it would change everything. Because it did, and in more ways than one. Kissing Tori was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Her lips are so warm and soft and fit perfectly with mine. When she deepened the kiss I thought I was in heaven.'
August 12, 2014
Heartstrings (Love Notes, #2)
by Heather Gunter
***Check out my other reviews, cover reveals & giveaways at:
http://mommyslatenightbookup.blogspot...
Let me start off with when I said 5 stars, I meant 5 THOUSAND stars times 100!!! That should tell you how much I LOVED this book and everything in it. When I was asked to participate in this blog tour I had not read anything by Heather Gunter. I was told I could read this as a standalone book. Which was great because I didn't read the 1st book yet. I started Heartstrings not knowing what to expect. I felt the emotions right from page 1 until the very last word!!
The story revolves around Tori a high school senior. She's tall with green eyes and freckles and fire red hair. Tori is beautiful. Unfortunately, Tori is also broken and damaged. She has been keeping a HUGE secret bottled up inside of her for a year. It's finally starting to eat her up inside. She can not fall asleep without hearing his voice. It always ends with her waking up in a cold sweat & her screaming.
She decided to go to the lake with her best friend Charlie and her boyfriend Maverick. And, Will... Oh Will... Tori has been madly in love with Will for what seems like forever. The more I read the more I fell for Will.
Will spots Tori the minute she gets out of the car. He has been in love with her forever. He's never loved any other girl but her. But, he knows that something has happened to her & he doesn't know what it is. All he knows is that she's not her normal mouthy, firecracker self. But, he'll wait as long as it takes.
Will walks up behind Tori and accidentally scares her. He ends up getting slapped!! She apologizes and they go swimming. Just as they both think they're finally going to kiss. Tori snaps and looses it. She's an absolute mess!! Will takes her straight home no questions asked!!
When Tori finally calms down. She realizes she can not keep her secret to herself any longer. Tori decides to tell her family. She sits her mom and Charlie down and begins to tell them she was sexually assaulted a year ago. They're furious. Not at Tori. But, at the person who did this to her. Her mom and Charlie stick behind her and give her all the support she needs. She starts going to a therapist and to a support group. Tori realizes very soon it was nothing she did or nothing she could of done to change what had happened.
Then, she realizes she MUST tell Will. That confuses her even more. What if can't look at her the same way again. What if he decides it's too much too handle and leaves. She finally gets over the fear and tells him.
This was where I first started falling for Will. He took it the same way Tori's mom and Charlie did. He felt hatred for the person who did this, and sadness for Tori. He wanted to take away all of her pain. He was by her side every single moment he could. I LOVED how he treated her. He would not put his arm around her without asking her if it was alright first. He would kiss her on her forehead. Too cute!!!
Will and Maverick are now on a mission. To find the S.O.B who did this to Tori. Will is also fighting his own secrets & inner demons as well as Tori.
You will find out everyone's secrets, demons and their intense feelings. What will happen when Tori learns about Will's secret. Will they find the person responsible before he strikes again!! And, will Tori eventually find herself...
This is a MUST read!!! I literally had to keep a box of tissues near me at all times. It's based on the author's past experiences. This book was written excellent. I have nothing but respect for Heather Gunter. I hope she found closure in writing this book.
"You want it and like it rough, don't ya? You're a little fighter you are. I knew having a red head would bring some spice."
"It's getting harder and harder for me not to kiss you... But I am a very patient guy and you are so worth waiting for."
"You're strong T, stronger than you give yourself credit for. I know we keep telling you, but you are. And I'll keep telling you until you finally believe it"
by Heather Gunter
***Check out my other reviews, cover reveals & giveaways at:
http://mommyslatenightbookup.blogspot...
Let me start off with when I said 5 stars, I meant 5 THOUSAND stars times 100!!! That should tell you how much I LOVED this book and everything in it. When I was asked to participate in this blog tour I had not read anything by Heather Gunter. I was told I could read this as a standalone book. Which was great because I didn't read the 1st book yet. I started Heartstrings not knowing what to expect. I felt the emotions right from page 1 until the very last word!!
The story revolves around Tori a high school senior. She's tall with green eyes and freckles and fire red hair. Tori is beautiful. Unfortunately, Tori is also broken and damaged. She has been keeping a HUGE secret bottled up inside of her for a year. It's finally starting to eat her up inside. She can not fall asleep without hearing his voice. It always ends with her waking up in a cold sweat & her screaming.
She decided to go to the lake with her best friend Charlie and her boyfriend Maverick. And, Will... Oh Will... Tori has been madly in love with Will for what seems like forever. The more I read the more I fell for Will.
Will spots Tori the minute she gets out of the car. He has been in love with her forever. He's never loved any other girl but her. But, he knows that something has happened to her & he doesn't know what it is. All he knows is that she's not her normal mouthy, firecracker self. But, he'll wait as long as it takes.
Will walks up behind Tori and accidentally scares her. He ends up getting slapped!! She apologizes and they go swimming. Just as they both think they're finally going to kiss. Tori snaps and looses it. She's an absolute mess!! Will takes her straight home no questions asked!!
When Tori finally calms down. She realizes she can not keep her secret to herself any longer. Tori decides to tell her family. She sits her mom and Charlie down and begins to tell them she was sexually assaulted a year ago. They're furious. Not at Tori. But, at the person who did this to her. Her mom and Charlie stick behind her and give her all the support she needs. She starts going to a therapist and to a support group. Tori realizes very soon it was nothing she did or nothing she could of done to change what had happened.
Then, she realizes she MUST tell Will. That confuses her even more. What if can't look at her the same way again. What if he decides it's too much too handle and leaves. She finally gets over the fear and tells him.
This was where I first started falling for Will. He took it the same way Tori's mom and Charlie did. He felt hatred for the person who did this, and sadness for Tori. He wanted to take away all of her pain. He was by her side every single moment he could. I LOVED how he treated her. He would not put his arm around her without asking her if it was alright first. He would kiss her on her forehead. Too cute!!!
Will and Maverick are now on a mission. To find the S.O.B who did this to Tori. Will is also fighting his own secrets & inner demons as well as Tori.
You will find out everyone's secrets, demons and their intense feelings. What will happen when Tori learns about Will's secret. Will they find the person responsible before he strikes again!! And, will Tori eventually find herself...
This is a MUST read!!! I literally had to keep a box of tissues near me at all times. It's based on the author's past experiences. This book was written excellent. I have nothing but respect for Heather Gunter. I hope she found closure in writing this book.
"You want it and like it rough, don't ya? You're a little fighter you are. I knew having a red head would bring some spice."
"It's getting harder and harder for me not to kiss you... But I am a very patient guy and you are so worth waiting for."
"You're strong T, stronger than you give yourself credit for. I know we keep telling you, but you are. And I'll keep telling you until you finally believe it"
August 26, 2013
Quite frankly I was a little hesitant at first about Heartstrings; I was asked to beta read it and was a bit nervous about the subject matter and even more so because it is such a personal telling for Heather. I didn’t know how I’d react to the content, I worried I may not like it, understand it, or be able to handle it, and how do you tell someone putting their heart out there, that it’s not working? But only a few pages in I knew that I could handle it, albeit very difficult at times. I love these characters…like LOVE them. I laughed with them, I cried with them…let me clarify, I ugly cried; I felt anger, pain, joy and happiness with and for them.
In Love Notes (Love Notes #1) Tori is a spunky redhead who clearly has strong feelings for Will but refuses to give into them, doing everything to keep her distance; which gets difficult when her new best friend, Charlie, falls for Will’s best friend, Maverick. You get the strong sense something happened between Tori and Will, but it’s not their story in Love Notes, so we don’t learn exactly what is going on until Heartstrings.
A past event has left Tori guarded and unbeknownst to her closest friend and Mother, she finds herself emotionally and mentally broken. Something Tori learns as she struggles to hide and push back the memories of a night she’d rather forget ever happened. But as her feelings for Will intensify and she’s forced to spend time with him due to Charlie and Maverick’s relationship, all the bad, all the nightmares she’s worked so hard to tamp down in secrecy, violently push their way forward and she is forced to face what happened to her. All the nightmares and haunted feelings that bubble up lead Tori to share her secret with Charlie and her Mom. I loved Tori’s Mom and Charlie…there is no judgment, no blame, no finger pointing and hysterics towards Tori, just love, caring, guidance and support. Tori’s story was gut wrenching, there were whole chapters I couldn’t see the words through my tears. I admired Tori for becoming the heroine of her own story; her journey is remarkable and her strength inspiring.
Meanwhile, Will’s perspective of the same night that Tori had tried so hard to hide is wholly different and equally as heartbreaking especially when he finds out what really happened. I was completely crushed for him as everything is revealed to Will. His guilt is fueled by his misperception of the events of that night and over his decision to walk away from the girl he was falling for; and it shredded me. All Will ever wants to do is love, care and protect Tori. His heart is pure and intentions good, and he eventually finds himself in a position to be one of the heroes of this story.
I rooted for Will and Tori in Love Notes and continued rooting for them in Heartstrings. Heather once again did an exceptional job writing such a tender, beautiful and at times bittersweet story. She should consider handing out boxes of Puffs Kleenex! They were much needed for those moments that tore my heart to pieces. I’m still not fully recovered.
Although Heartstrings can be read as a standalone, I urge you to read Love Notes (Love Notes #1) first, which is Charlie and Maverick’s story. They are very pivotal characters in Heartstrings. They had their own difficult journey and their best friends, Tori and Will, were there for them as they are there for Tori and Will in Heartstrings. You should read Love Notes not just to have better insight into these four friends relationship dynamic but because it is another beautifully written story. It’s worth every moment of your time.
In Love Notes (Love Notes #1) Tori is a spunky redhead who clearly has strong feelings for Will but refuses to give into them, doing everything to keep her distance; which gets difficult when her new best friend, Charlie, falls for Will’s best friend, Maverick. You get the strong sense something happened between Tori and Will, but it’s not their story in Love Notes, so we don’t learn exactly what is going on until Heartstrings.
A past event has left Tori guarded and unbeknownst to her closest friend and Mother, she finds herself emotionally and mentally broken. Something Tori learns as she struggles to hide and push back the memories of a night she’d rather forget ever happened. But as her feelings for Will intensify and she’s forced to spend time with him due to Charlie and Maverick’s relationship, all the bad, all the nightmares she’s worked so hard to tamp down in secrecy, violently push their way forward and she is forced to face what happened to her. All the nightmares and haunted feelings that bubble up lead Tori to share her secret with Charlie and her Mom. I loved Tori’s Mom and Charlie…there is no judgment, no blame, no finger pointing and hysterics towards Tori, just love, caring, guidance and support. Tori’s story was gut wrenching, there were whole chapters I couldn’t see the words through my tears. I admired Tori for becoming the heroine of her own story; her journey is remarkable and her strength inspiring.
Meanwhile, Will’s perspective of the same night that Tori had tried so hard to hide is wholly different and equally as heartbreaking especially when he finds out what really happened. I was completely crushed for him as everything is revealed to Will. His guilt is fueled by his misperception of the events of that night and over his decision to walk away from the girl he was falling for; and it shredded me. All Will ever wants to do is love, care and protect Tori. His heart is pure and intentions good, and he eventually finds himself in a position to be one of the heroes of this story.
I rooted for Will and Tori in Love Notes and continued rooting for them in Heartstrings. Heather once again did an exceptional job writing such a tender, beautiful and at times bittersweet story. She should consider handing out boxes of Puffs Kleenex! They were much needed for those moments that tore my heart to pieces. I’m still not fully recovered.
Although Heartstrings can be read as a standalone, I urge you to read Love Notes (Love Notes #1) first, which is Charlie and Maverick’s story. They are very pivotal characters in Heartstrings. They had their own difficult journey and their best friends, Tori and Will, were there for them as they are there for Tori and Will in Heartstrings. You should read Love Notes not just to have better insight into these four friends relationship dynamic but because it is another beautifully written story. It’s worth every moment of your time.
August 23, 2013
What a great story - this book is the second to the series, but I hvaen' read the first one ... yet -
Charlie and Maverick are in this story a lot, and their "situation" was mentioned a few times. This book is still awesome as a stand a lone, but it makes you want to grab ahold of the first book and take a peek about how Charlie and Maverick were for their story.. Which I'll be doing soon :D
This story is about Tori and Will - Now because I haven't read the first book, or maybe it doesn't even say, but Tori and Will have been friends for a long time. Tori is BFF with Charlie, and Will is BFF with Maverick. So even though Tori and Will weren't together, they hung out with each other.. and they noticed each other....
About a year ago, Will finally caved and asked Tori out - Being totally head over heels for the guy, she jumped at the chance and said yes :)
At a party, Will left Tori alone for a few mins... and in those few mins, Tori's life changed dramatically....
For over a year, Tori has been fighting to forget what happened that night. But for some reason, she started having nightmares, and every little thing started pulling up little memories here and there.
Tori was going out of her mind, but felt guilty and refused to talk to Charlie about anything.
Being the strong, stubborn redhead that she is, she was determined to make everyone think everything was A-OK
But she's not an actress. Tori, Charlie, Maverick and Will went to the beach. Tori had a dream that morning and hasn't quit shaken it off yet. Will noticed right away something was off. But he knew that she'd talk when she was ready , and he was patient enough to wait for her. After all, he's been waiting over a year for her to be ready....
It's not until Tori excepts a mental challenge and kisses Will, when she realizes she's broken and damaged beyond repair. Will struggles with trying to help Tori without knowing what's going on. All he can do is be there for her when she needs him.
When Tori cries herself to sleep that afternoon, the dreams come back, stronger and more vivid them usual, and this time she wakes up with her mother laying in the bed with her trying to sooth her, and Charlie sitting close by.
both know something is wrong, and are determined to help Tori though whatever it is.
Tori finally tells her story, and her mom and Charlie are right there to help Tori get through her ordeal.
After a few days of therapy and group therapy, Tori learns a few things about herself that she didn't know. She confines in Will and lets him know what happened that night.
Will is racked with guilt, but not for the reasons you'd think .....
Their relationship is great. Will is patient and he loves Tori so much. Tori goes through hell and back and shows just how strong she is to fight for her life back. She's determined to be the happy go-lucky girl she once was :)
This book is sad, but the way Heather Gunter tells Tori's story, you can't help but feel the pride for Tori - she is a survivor :)
Charlie and Maverick are in this story a lot, and their "situation" was mentioned a few times. This book is still awesome as a stand a lone, but it makes you want to grab ahold of the first book and take a peek about how Charlie and Maverick were for their story.. Which I'll be doing soon :D
This story is about Tori and Will - Now because I haven't read the first book, or maybe it doesn't even say, but Tori and Will have been friends for a long time. Tori is BFF with Charlie, and Will is BFF with Maverick. So even though Tori and Will weren't together, they hung out with each other.. and they noticed each other....
About a year ago, Will finally caved and asked Tori out - Being totally head over heels for the guy, she jumped at the chance and said yes :)
At a party, Will left Tori alone for a few mins... and in those few mins, Tori's life changed dramatically....
For over a year, Tori has been fighting to forget what happened that night. But for some reason, she started having nightmares, and every little thing started pulling up little memories here and there.
Tori was going out of her mind, but felt guilty and refused to talk to Charlie about anything.
Being the strong, stubborn redhead that she is, she was determined to make everyone think everything was A-OK
But she's not an actress. Tori, Charlie, Maverick and Will went to the beach. Tori had a dream that morning and hasn't quit shaken it off yet. Will noticed right away something was off. But he knew that she'd talk when she was ready , and he was patient enough to wait for her. After all, he's been waiting over a year for her to be ready....
It's not until Tori excepts a mental challenge and kisses Will, when she realizes she's broken and damaged beyond repair. Will struggles with trying to help Tori without knowing what's going on. All he can do is be there for her when she needs him.
When Tori cries herself to sleep that afternoon, the dreams come back, stronger and more vivid them usual, and this time she wakes up with her mother laying in the bed with her trying to sooth her, and Charlie sitting close by.
both know something is wrong, and are determined to help Tori though whatever it is.
Tori finally tells her story, and her mom and Charlie are right there to help Tori get through her ordeal.
After a few days of therapy and group therapy, Tori learns a few things about herself that she didn't know. She confines in Will and lets him know what happened that night.
Will is racked with guilt, but not for the reasons you'd think .....
Their relationship is great. Will is patient and he loves Tori so much. Tori goes through hell and back and shows just how strong she is to fight for her life back. She's determined to be the happy go-lucky girl she once was :)
This book is sad, but the way Heather Gunter tells Tori's story, you can't help but feel the pride for Tori - she is a survivor :)
September 14, 2013
Into the Night Reviews
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I consider myself very lucky to have been involved in the journey that has seen this book published. As Heather's blog partner we chatted (albeit on-line) regularly as she wrote this story. It was an intense five weeks of actual writing for Heather and I think the product is just exceptional.
Heartstrings tells Tori's story. We first met Tori as the 'mouthy redhead' in Love Notes who befriended Charlie and was always there for her. However, Tori had a secret and it is in Heartstrings that we learn what that is, understand it's consequences and travel with Tori on her journey to recovery.
I just love Tori! She is a gorgeous character with sass and confidence and yet we also get to see her vulnerability in Heartstrings. Learning of her experience and watching her process it and deal with it was heartbreaking. As a beta reader I got to read chunks of chapters at a time and I would lose myself in the few pages and then be shattered when I'd finished - knowing I had to wait a little longer for the next installment to be sent out for reading. Heather has managed to capture incredibly intense emotions in the pages of Heartstrings. I could feel what Tori was feeling and just wanted to reach into the pages and make things OK for her.
Will is to die for. He would be one of my all time favorite YA book boyfriends. He has that perfect balance of confidence, sincerity and caring - and the way he persists with Tori when other guys may have just given up is a testament to how strong his feelings are for her.
The story is told in dual point of view so we get to see things from both Will and Tori's perspectives. I always feel a greater connection with the characters with this approach because you get to understand things more clearly. We also get to see some more of Charlie and Maverick and it was so great to know that they're still going strong. It was also wonderful to see Charlie giving back to Tori as she supported her through her experience.
I know that this was a challenging book for Heather to write. It was very personal and I think this is evident in the emotion that rolls off the page with every word. Heather has done an amazing job and I hope that there was an element of closure for her in this too. Heartstrings is well written and easy to read, to the point that having beta read I couldn't wait for the final product so I could sit and read the story again from start to finish in one sitting.
Tori's journey is one that I hope will give courage to others who have the same experience, confidence that they don't have to deal with things on their own and a belief that it is absolutely possible to move forward.
Web: http://intothenightbookreviews.blogsp...
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IntoTheNightR...
for great book reviews, new release updates, giveaways and more!!
I consider myself very lucky to have been involved in the journey that has seen this book published. As Heather's blog partner we chatted (albeit on-line) regularly as she wrote this story. It was an intense five weeks of actual writing for Heather and I think the product is just exceptional.
Heartstrings tells Tori's story. We first met Tori as the 'mouthy redhead' in Love Notes who befriended Charlie and was always there for her. However, Tori had a secret and it is in Heartstrings that we learn what that is, understand it's consequences and travel with Tori on her journey to recovery.
I just love Tori! She is a gorgeous character with sass and confidence and yet we also get to see her vulnerability in Heartstrings. Learning of her experience and watching her process it and deal with it was heartbreaking. As a beta reader I got to read chunks of chapters at a time and I would lose myself in the few pages and then be shattered when I'd finished - knowing I had to wait a little longer for the next installment to be sent out for reading. Heather has managed to capture incredibly intense emotions in the pages of Heartstrings. I could feel what Tori was feeling and just wanted to reach into the pages and make things OK for her.
Will is to die for. He would be one of my all time favorite YA book boyfriends. He has that perfect balance of confidence, sincerity and caring - and the way he persists with Tori when other guys may have just given up is a testament to how strong his feelings are for her.
The story is told in dual point of view so we get to see things from both Will and Tori's perspectives. I always feel a greater connection with the characters with this approach because you get to understand things more clearly. We also get to see some more of Charlie and Maverick and it was so great to know that they're still going strong. It was also wonderful to see Charlie giving back to Tori as she supported her through her experience.
I know that this was a challenging book for Heather to write. It was very personal and I think this is evident in the emotion that rolls off the page with every word. Heather has done an amazing job and I hope that there was an element of closure for her in this too. Heartstrings is well written and easy to read, to the point that having beta read I couldn't wait for the final product so I could sit and read the story again from start to finish in one sitting.
Tori's journey is one that I hope will give courage to others who have the same experience, confidence that they don't have to deal with things on their own and a belief that it is absolutely possible to move forward.
August 29, 2013
Heartstrings is the second book in the Love Notes series. Heather Gunter weaves us through a heart wrenching story of both strength and growth. This is an emotional 4 star read!
Tori is a strong and beautiful senior in high school. She was living life to the fullest until one fateful night when her innocence was ripped from her. Now she struggles to keep her head above the weight of her dark secret and with each passing day she is losing that fight.
"Tears continue to track their way down my face and I feel a soft hand gently rub them away. If only it were that simple, to just rub your demons away and be whole."
Will has loved Tori almost since the moment he met her. They had their one and only date a year ago. Said date left a permanent mark on each of their hearts but for very different reasons. Just as Tori is letting Will back into her heart, she opens up to her mom and Charlie. Can their relationship overcome Tori's dark secret? Can Tori salvage a piece of her heart for Will?
"I fell in love with you over a year ago and I never stopped. My feelings never faltered, and I told you, I never stopped caring, not even from a distance. This doesn't change how I feel about you. I love you, Tori, and this isn't going to make me stop or change my mind."
The Supporting characters play a huge role in Heartstrings. Charlie and Maverick are a strong foundation for Tori. Their support and love help both Tori and Will through some very difficult times. I think we could all use friends like them.
One of the things I enjoyed most was the growth Tori experienced. She was a strong young woman in the beginning but she was still a "victim" and drowning in all her emotions. By the end of the book she is a "survivor".
"My name is Tori. I am no one's victim. And by God, I am a survivor! I've been to hell and back and I. Will. Heal. I may never forget; but I will never again think about you like I have. I will never give you the power I've been giving you for the last year, and I will never let you hurt anyone else again."
Without a doubt, Ms Gunter pulled on my heart strings and made me ache for all the characters involved. I would recommend this YA novel to anyone, especially to those with teenage daughters.
Tori is a strong and beautiful senior in high school. She was living life to the fullest until one fateful night when her innocence was ripped from her. Now she struggles to keep her head above the weight of her dark secret and with each passing day she is losing that fight.
"Tears continue to track their way down my face and I feel a soft hand gently rub them away. If only it were that simple, to just rub your demons away and be whole."
Will has loved Tori almost since the moment he met her. They had their one and only date a year ago. Said date left a permanent mark on each of their hearts but for very different reasons. Just as Tori is letting Will back into her heart, she opens up to her mom and Charlie. Can their relationship overcome Tori's dark secret? Can Tori salvage a piece of her heart for Will?
"I fell in love with you over a year ago and I never stopped. My feelings never faltered, and I told you, I never stopped caring, not even from a distance. This doesn't change how I feel about you. I love you, Tori, and this isn't going to make me stop or change my mind."
The Supporting characters play a huge role in Heartstrings. Charlie and Maverick are a strong foundation for Tori. Their support and love help both Tori and Will through some very difficult times. I think we could all use friends like them.
One of the things I enjoyed most was the growth Tori experienced. She was a strong young woman in the beginning but she was still a "victim" and drowning in all her emotions. By the end of the book she is a "survivor".
"My name is Tori. I am no one's victim. And by God, I am a survivor! I've been to hell and back and I. Will. Heal. I may never forget; but I will never again think about you like I have. I will never give you the power I've been giving you for the last year, and I will never let you hurt anyone else again."
Without a doubt, Ms Gunter pulled on my heart strings and made me ache for all the characters involved. I would recommend this YA novel to anyone, especially to those with teenage daughters.
December 8, 2018
I'm going to start off my review by giving the author my deepest regards. I do not pity you, nor do I feel sorry for you. But I'm sorry for what happened to you. And I admire you for being a survivor. It takes a great deal of strength to be able to keep going after something like that happens. And I finding it very admiring that you put yourself out there in some ways in this book. I appreciate your bravery, and thank you for this beautiful but heartbreaking story.
Now on to the review. Heartstrings starts out with Tori keeping a horrible secret. It happened the night she went on her first date with Will. Now she's having flashbacks of what happened. After it being buried for over a year, it's all coming out now for Tori. She finally admits what happened to her to Charlie, and her mother. Tori just wants to get back to who she use to be, and she doesn't want to be afraid any longer. Things also seem to take a turn when Will becomes more determined to get close to her. He loves her, but Tori doesn't know if he will feel the same after she reveals her secret to him.
This book is beautiful. It was nice to see Charlie, and Mav again as well. But not only that we get to see Tori's breaking point, and follow her through her heartbreaking story. The author did a wonderful job of describing Tori's pain, and thought process. I also found it very interesting that we get to see her deal with her pain in a healthy way. She finally seeks help, I think that was the most beautiful part of all. She didn't go down a self destructive path, she used her family and friends to help her along with professional help.
This book was truly beautiful. It is totally RIGHTEOUS! I loved it. It is a perfect sequel to Love Notes. I do however hope to see more of the gang, and may some new people as well. I hope the story continues. If not well then I am happy with getting to read these two stories. :)
Now on to the review. Heartstrings starts out with Tori keeping a horrible secret. It happened the night she went on her first date with Will. Now she's having flashbacks of what happened. After it being buried for over a year, it's all coming out now for Tori. She finally admits what happened to her to Charlie, and her mother. Tori just wants to get back to who she use to be, and she doesn't want to be afraid any longer. Things also seem to take a turn when Will becomes more determined to get close to her. He loves her, but Tori doesn't know if he will feel the same after she reveals her secret to him.
This book is beautiful. It was nice to see Charlie, and Mav again as well. But not only that we get to see Tori's breaking point, and follow her through her heartbreaking story. The author did a wonderful job of describing Tori's pain, and thought process. I also found it very interesting that we get to see her deal with her pain in a healthy way. She finally seeks help, I think that was the most beautiful part of all. She didn't go down a self destructive path, she used her family and friends to help her along with professional help.
This book was truly beautiful. It is totally RIGHTEOUS! I loved it. It is a perfect sequel to Love Notes. I do however hope to see more of the gang, and may some new people as well. I hope the story continues. If not well then I am happy with getting to read these two stories. :)
August 25, 2013
Review:
Unbelievably heart wrenching book. I had tears running down my face the entire time. And then at the end to find out that it was somewhat based on the Author's own story, I cried even more.
Tori is an amazingly strong high school senior who was raped about a year ago. She never told anyone and just kept pushing down her feelings, her fear, her terrors. But recently her nightmares are getting worse and she just can't hold it in any longer. She finally breaks down and tells her mom and best friend, who are unbelievably supportive and she finally starts to be able to heal herself.
Will is the boy she has had a crush on for forever, and who also has been in love with her this whole time. Tori is scared once she tells Will what happened, he won't want to be with her anymore. The emotions Tori went through telling Will what happened and his emotions when he listened to her story was so raw and real.
However, Will turns out to be more than just a nice guy who runs when the going gets tough. He is so caring, supportive and protective of her. He would do anything to help her get back to her old self and was so patient with supporting her along her path to not being a victim, but being a survivor. It was wonderful to see how she was able to come out the other side of this horrific event in her life and have him waiting for her, encouraging her and loving her.
Without a doubt, Ms Gunter pulled on my heart strings and made me ache for all the characters involved. An amazing YA novel that I would recommend, especially to those with teenage daughters. Not only was this a great YA love story, but also a great way to open up a candid discussion with your daughters. -Tynna
Unbelievably heart wrenching book. I had tears running down my face the entire time. And then at the end to find out that it was somewhat based on the Author's own story, I cried even more.
Tori is an amazingly strong high school senior who was raped about a year ago. She never told anyone and just kept pushing down her feelings, her fear, her terrors. But recently her nightmares are getting worse and she just can't hold it in any longer. She finally breaks down and tells her mom and best friend, who are unbelievably supportive and she finally starts to be able to heal herself.
Will is the boy she has had a crush on for forever, and who also has been in love with her this whole time. Tori is scared once she tells Will what happened, he won't want to be with her anymore. The emotions Tori went through telling Will what happened and his emotions when he listened to her story was so raw and real.
However, Will turns out to be more than just a nice guy who runs when the going gets tough. He is so caring, supportive and protective of her. He would do anything to help her get back to her old self and was so patient with supporting her along her path to not being a victim, but being a survivor. It was wonderful to see how she was able to come out the other side of this horrific event in her life and have him waiting for her, encouraging her and loving her.
Without a doubt, Ms Gunter pulled on my heart strings and made me ache for all the characters involved. An amazing YA novel that I would recommend, especially to those with teenage daughters. Not only was this a great YA love story, but also a great way to open up a candid discussion with your daughters. -Tynna
October 30, 2013
***I was given an ARC of this book by the author in exchange for a honest review***
This book is a story of a survivor. Not a victim; never a victim. Tori was raped, and it turned her whole world upside down (not a spoiler you find this out very early in the book.) She held in all the pain, anguish, and guilt she felt until it slowly started to eat away at her, and she finally broke. Heartstrings tells the story of Tori’s process of healing and overcoming something that could have destroyed the strongest of people. Tori was able to find her way and I believe this story will give someone hope to come forward and tell their own stories.
This book is so much more than just a story of survival. It’s a beautifully crafted love story, which would have anyone swooning over Will and simultaneously thanking his parents for teaching that boy how to treat a lady!! Its funny when it needs to be and I found myself reading with a smile on my face more often than not. But truthfully the most amazing thing about this book is the beauty behind the story line.
Heather ends this book with a note stating that Tori’s story was originated from her own story of courage and strength. I am honored to have been able to read such an inspiring tale of love, hope, courage, strength, and determination. This story really gives you a true insight of what its like to be in the situation both Tori and Heather found their selves in and its wonderful to see the healing process from the eyes of a survivor. I would gladly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!!
~Mags
http://whopickedthis.wordpress.com
This book is a story of a survivor. Not a victim; never a victim. Tori was raped, and it turned her whole world upside down (not a spoiler you find this out very early in the book.) She held in all the pain, anguish, and guilt she felt until it slowly started to eat away at her, and she finally broke. Heartstrings tells the story of Tori’s process of healing and overcoming something that could have destroyed the strongest of people. Tori was able to find her way and I believe this story will give someone hope to come forward and tell their own stories.
This book is so much more than just a story of survival. It’s a beautifully crafted love story, which would have anyone swooning over Will and simultaneously thanking his parents for teaching that boy how to treat a lady!! Its funny when it needs to be and I found myself reading with a smile on my face more often than not. But truthfully the most amazing thing about this book is the beauty behind the story line.
Heather ends this book with a note stating that Tori’s story was originated from her own story of courage and strength. I am honored to have been able to read such an inspiring tale of love, hope, courage, strength, and determination. This story really gives you a true insight of what its like to be in the situation both Tori and Heather found their selves in and its wonderful to see the healing process from the eyes of a survivor. I would gladly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!!
~Mags
http://whopickedthis.wordpress.com
September 2, 2013
Heather Gunter is an incredible author. I loved Heartstrings so much. It was full of emotions and took me on such a roller coaster ride that one minute I was laughing and one minute I was crying because something would hit me. This is the second book in the series and I have to say that I loved loved it.
In Heartstrings we meet Tori and Will. As we all know they have been friends because of Charlie and Maverick. Everyone thinks Tori is this happy go lucky girl just living her life and having fun. What her friends don't know is that a year ago when the gang went to a party and Will left Tori alone for a few minutes something happened to her. After the incident Tori is changed and she bottles everything up so no one will find out what happened. As time goes on Tori starts to have nightmares and everything comes back to hit her all at once. Tori knows she should talk to someone but she can't talk to Charlie and she can't tell her mother. Who can she trust? When will she be able to heal?
Then there is Will. Poor Will has no idea what happened to Tori but he does know that she is acting different and closed off. He wants her and he is determined to wait her out to see if he can help her in anyway. But when Will finds out the truth he is so wracked with guilt and pain he is determined to show Tori he loves her and he is willing to do what ever it takes to be with her. Can Tori let it go and learn to love Will? Or will her pain be to much?
In Heartstrings we meet Tori and Will. As we all know they have been friends because of Charlie and Maverick. Everyone thinks Tori is this happy go lucky girl just living her life and having fun. What her friends don't know is that a year ago when the gang went to a party and Will left Tori alone for a few minutes something happened to her. After the incident Tori is changed and she bottles everything up so no one will find out what happened. As time goes on Tori starts to have nightmares and everything comes back to hit her all at once. Tori knows she should talk to someone but she can't talk to Charlie and she can't tell her mother. Who can she trust? When will she be able to heal?
Then there is Will. Poor Will has no idea what happened to Tori but he does know that she is acting different and closed off. He wants her and he is determined to wait her out to see if he can help her in anyway. But when Will finds out the truth he is so wracked with guilt and pain he is determined to show Tori he loves her and he is willing to do what ever it takes to be with her. Can Tori let it go and learn to love Will? Or will her pain be to much?
September 1, 2013
Heartstrings was a gut-wrenching emotional story. I had a constant flow of tears streaming down my face throughout reading this book. Then after finding out that the book was based off of events that happen to the author, I was done for.
Tori a senior in High school has been keeping horrible secret for the last year. It happen while she was on her first date with Will. After their date Tori and Will never spoke or dated throughout the year. After a year of keeping this secret she has begun to have flashback and nightmares of the event. Unable to hide what happen to her she tells her mom and Charlie her secret. Tori wants to get back to who she use to be, the spunky, funny Tori.
Through out her journey of trying to find herself Tori and Will try to date again. For the last year Will didn't understand what happen on their first date. He has been watching her from a distance for the last year and is in love with Tori. Will was so patient and caring with Tori, he was her rock trough this ordeal.
I love that we get more of Charlie and Mav in Heartstrings and how the roles have changed. Charlie was a support system for Tori, she was confidant and a great friend throughout this journey.
Heartstrings was an amazing YA novel that I would recommend, especially to those with teenage daughters.
5 Stars ~ I loved It
I received an ARC of this book, in return I gave an honest spoiler free review
Tori a senior in High school has been keeping horrible secret for the last year. It happen while she was on her first date with Will. After their date Tori and Will never spoke or dated throughout the year. After a year of keeping this secret she has begun to have flashback and nightmares of the event. Unable to hide what happen to her she tells her mom and Charlie her secret. Tori wants to get back to who she use to be, the spunky, funny Tori.
Through out her journey of trying to find herself Tori and Will try to date again. For the last year Will didn't understand what happen on their first date. He has been watching her from a distance for the last year and is in love with Tori. Will was so patient and caring with Tori, he was her rock trough this ordeal.
I love that we get more of Charlie and Mav in Heartstrings and how the roles have changed. Charlie was a support system for Tori, she was confidant and a great friend throughout this journey.
Heartstrings was an amazing YA novel that I would recommend, especially to those with teenage daughters.
5 Stars ~ I loved It
I received an ARC of this book, in return I gave an honest spoiler free review
June 14, 2014
After reading the first book Love Notes, this went on my TBR immediately and I am so glad I did that.
Before even starting the book, the poem Heather wrote at the age of 19, had me tearing up and cheering for her at once.
My heart immediately went out to Tori and by page 33 I was in tears. Then Will Montgomery, Tori's knight, made me cry more. The tears kept coming.
I wish every woman that has ever been through this unspeakable, violent act could have a Will Montgomery to help them through. He is a special man and Tori deserves him.
I loved the solidarity between the four firm friends, Will ,Mav, Charlie and Tori. Loved catching up with Mav and Charlie.
As I continued with this story, the note at the end of the book I realised that this was based on Heathers personal experience makes it more 'real', heartfelt, if that makes sense.
The tears continued through reading the authors acknowledgements.
I read this book overnight. A definite page turner. Thank you Heather Gunter for giving a piece of yourself to your fans.
Before even starting the book, the poem Heather wrote at the age of 19, had me tearing up and cheering for her at once.
My heart immediately went out to Tori and by page 33 I was in tears. Then Will Montgomery, Tori's knight, made me cry more. The tears kept coming.
I wish every woman that has ever been through this unspeakable, violent act could have a Will Montgomery to help them through. He is a special man and Tori deserves him.
I loved the solidarity between the four firm friends, Will ,Mav, Charlie and Tori. Loved catching up with Mav and Charlie.
As I continued with this story, the note at the end of the book I realised that this was based on Heathers personal experience makes it more 'real', heartfelt, if that makes sense.
The tears continued through reading the authors acknowledgements.
I read this book overnight. A definite page turner. Thank you Heather Gunter for giving a piece of yourself to your fans.
December 5, 2015
Heartstrings is the next book in the Love Notes series. It is sort of a continuation of Love Notes, but is Will and Tori's story.
Heartstrings picks up right where Love Notes left off, but it's no longer just about Charlie and Maverick. This book was great because it gave you the answers you needed after Love Notes.
I loved getting to read Tori and Will's story. Tori is not as perfect as she seems and you find out that she went through a terrible experience. Will, is the patient and understanding guy that she needs in her life. They both have secrets and their relationship will be tested.....
I really appreciate how Heather Gunter handled such a hard issue to write about and how she dealt with the road to recovery. I was so happy that Tori got a happy ending after all she endured and we got some great closure for our favorite characters!
Heartstrings picks up right where Love Notes left off, but it's no longer just about Charlie and Maverick. This book was great because it gave you the answers you needed after Love Notes.
I loved getting to read Tori and Will's story. Tori is not as perfect as she seems and you find out that she went through a terrible experience. Will, is the patient and understanding guy that she needs in her life. They both have secrets and their relationship will be tested.....
I really appreciate how Heather Gunter handled such a hard issue to write about and how she dealt with the road to recovery. I was so happy that Tori got a happy ending after all she endured and we got some great closure for our favorite characters!
September 2, 2013
After book one ended I couldn't wait for book 2 , Tory's story. Heather Gunter didn't disappoint...my emotions were all over the place, the ups and downs, mostly downs had me teary eyed and pissed off.......loved Will's character, what guy would care so much about a girl that pushes him away but he doesn't know why...he's a caring, sweet guy that you want to just hug and make him smile. Tori's nightmares keep her screaming in the night and she pushes away everyone she loves, I just wanted to tell her everything will be alright, I wanted to listen to her and be there for her. My heart broke for her...but she is one strong women. The writer captured her feelings, her sadness especially perfectly.....the author wrote with her heart and soul..I felt it.....great story
November 30, 2013
Beautiful and heartfelt story about a girl who has to revive the worst nightmare of her life, all because she kissed the boy she loves.
I was a fan of Heather Gunter when I read her first book "Love Notes" but reading this one, only amplifies this.
The way the story gets told and is written gets you really into the story as you were one of the characters.
Looking forward to the next book !
- review shared on GR & Am. -
I was a fan of Heather Gunter when I read her first book "Love Notes" but reading this one, only amplifies this.
The way the story gets told and is written gets you really into the story as you were one of the characters.
Looking forward to the next book !
- review shared on GR & Am. -
August 31, 2013
After reading Love Notes, I could not wait for Heather's next book. I thought I had tears for Love Notes, then I found myself crying for this one. I was not prepared for all of the emotions that I would feel in this one. I felt the pain that was written from start to finish. The fact that that Heather had put herself out there again and to experience the anguish and pain she herself went through made me cry even harder. Heather Gunter, if you read this review, please know that I am in awe of you and all that you have overcome!! Also, please know that no matter what others may say, your work is Amazing!!
August 6, 2013
I was so glad that Tori got her story and her HEA. I was also glad that she got the help she needed. It might have been late but it was the right timing for her. Its so sad when you read books like these but sadly not all of them finish with happy endings where they find the bastards who did it. I loved how supported everyone in this book is and how Tori referred to herself as a survivor because thats what she was. Thank you for sharing this story with us Heather it was a great book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2013
This book is such a great story. I loved maverick and Charlie's story just as much as this one. But this one, will and tori, man this book is so heartfelt. Both stories are real life situations that happen everyday, and to read about two people pushing through and persevering I'm sure will help many people get through and persevere and get through and get on with their own life, the best they can. Great book!
September 27, 2013
I don't have the words to accurately describe how great this book was. My heart went out to Tori as she struggled with this devastating situation. I rooted for her and Will because you can tell how much Tori means to him. In a world of lovey dovey romances, this book is raw and real and deals with a very sensitive subject that many people think of as taboo. I'm glad there's a book like this, it's going to change lives!
August 4, 2013
Heather Gunter rocks it again! I loved Tori and Will in Love Notes but in this book we learn their story and boy is it a heartfelt one! I loved how Heather developed Tori's character through the events she endured. And Will, OMG - such a sweet, boy next door! Loved it! Great job once again Heather Gunter!
August 18, 2013
I think this was written really well and I loved it even more knowing that Heather Gunter was more involved with this story than we all thought. We all have our darkness but it's what we do with the remaining light that counts. I can speak from experience, that closure is always nice to have but we don't always get it.
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