Absolutely Unforgivable

Absolutely Unforgivable #1

by Tracy Tegan

How do you follow your heart when it feels divided? Stacy Keller had always said no to good-looking guys, until Jeromy wormed his way past her resistance. She discovered that, beneath the handsome façade that had all the other girls chasing him, he was caring and generous. She'd never want to hurt such a kind man. When his job sends him back to Texas, she leaves her native Tulsa to move with him.

If only she hadn't met Billy Snow, Jeromy's childhood friend. Her attraction to him feels like water flowing to meet water, a destiny buried deep in her cells. But is it real and lasting? Should she stifle her desire for Billy to save her relationship with Jeromy, the man she thought was perfect for her? While she's deciding, what does fate have in store for her? She hadn't known love would hurt so much.

"Absolutely Unforgivable is a love story that makes you question what you know and what you yearn to learn more about,” says one Amazon reviewer. “Absolutely Unforgivable has everything you could want in a good novel - strong, likeable characters, an engaging plot and some crisp, skillful writing,” another reviewer notes.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, New Adult, Amazon, Friends To Lovers, Ebooks, Contemporary

462 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2013

About the author

At heart Tracy Tegan is a storyteller and has been making up stories in her head or for her five wonderful nieces for as long as she can remember. With the encouragement from her family she finally decided to give life to some of the voices in her head and put paper to pen.

After spending the last seventeen years as a dot com strategy consultant, and professional blogger about relationships, dating and issues pertaining to gender equality, Tracy Tegan decided to put her knowledge of internet marketing to good use and self-publish her first novel.

The response has been better than expected with critical reviews like "A unique romance", "Absolutely thrilling and adorable", "Enjoyed it! A truly lovable love story", "Absolutely Unforgivable is an absolute must read", "Tracy Tegan's `Absolutely Unforgivable' is one of those romance stories that will sweep you off your feet within the first few pages and will not let you go until the very last page", "It's compelling, sexy, and in the end, deeply satisfying", "This book was amazing, and you truly fall in love with all of the characters in the book", "This book had everything, hot guys, rock bands, suspense, drama, everything! Love, Love, Loved it".

While she admits she never expected to reach the New York Times best sellers list with her first book, she was more than thrilled with what she had accomplished in terms of sales and positive response to her writing and with that has already begun work on several new projects including a sequel to Absolutely Unforgivable which promises to shock and surprise readers by taking the story on a very unexpected twist and turn that fans of Billy Snow and Stacy Keller will never see coming.

You can find out more about Tracy Tegan by visiting her on the web at TracyTegan.com, via email at tracytegan@gmail.com, or by visiting her Facebook fan page at Facebook.com/TracyTegan, her Google+ page at google.com/+tracytegan or you can also follow her on twitter @TracyTegan.

Reviews

[Leigh9 · Rating 1 out of 5]

The fact that this book was published was "absolutely unforgivable". The writing is terrible and the book is riddled with "unforgivable" grammatical errors. When she repeatedly uses "seen" instead of "saw" or "have seen" it was difficult for me not to send an email to Tracy Regan asking her if she has ever seen the inside of a grammar book!!!!! What the hell??

The main character, Stacy Keller, comes across as little more than a money hungry, shallow whore and let's just talk briefly about how most of Billy Snow's lyrics were a complete rip off of "Hate Me" by Blue October. Again, ABSOLUTELY UNFORGIVABLE!!! If you are going to use lyrics, at least come up with your own shit!!!!

Tracy Tegan, I beg you seek the help of an editor and if you could give your characters some substance, that'd be awesome!!! Don't waste your time reading this monstrosity. Worst book I have ever read, thankfully it was free on Amazon!! Although I'm pretty sure I should have received a paycheck just for finishing it.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm shocked by the number of five star reviews. I'm not usually overly critical of authors, especially self-published ones. I give a lot of room for editing errors, etc. This book needs to be edited. There is improper grammar, bad English, and horrible sentence structure. Using the word 'seen' for 'saw' (for example: "I turned my head and seen a big screen television slowly working its way down out of the ceiling."). This happened more than once and this is basic English.

This book was full of telling me what was happening rather than building the scenes through descriptions and details. It was a lot of 'I ate this', 'He did this', 'I danced here', etc. There wasn't any of that description or detail that make you feel the relationships or romance between the characters. I wasn't even clear how Stacey ended up with Jeromy for the long haul to even consider a decision to move cross country with him. There was no development to the relationships except what you are explicitly told. This made it really hard to connect with the characters. It just fell really flat.

I felt that Stacey had no back bone or self worth. She was constantly letting the men around her make big decisions about her and was always talking about how it made her uncomfortable but she just went with it.

It also became very annoying, very quickly how often the guys in this book were described as good looking, hot, sexy, etc when they appeared in the book. It was repetitive and not needed.

I was able to stick with it and did hang around to see what happened. This book was pretty predictable. This just wasn't a strong book. I didn't hate it, which is why I'm giving it two stars. If anything, I feel pretty 'meh' about the experience. This book needs to be looked at. I think it could be a pretty interesting and have more depth with some heavy editing, restructuring, and better character description and growth.

[Chris G · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid reader of romance and similar books I blasted through these pages at record pace. I was glued to the pages like I had to read the next page before I was able to breathe again.

The story starts out by introducing Stacy our main character who works as a bartender in a small town night club. Stacy is a very likable character and the author has taking the time to plan out her history so that there is nothing to hide.

Without leaving any spoilers, the story revolves around Stacy and how she meets the man of here dreams at the bar she works at. A lot of the story she resists him not want to let in too easy. Just as you think you know the story and what is going on the author throws in a twist to the story and where it goes from there is up to you to read the rest.

Overall the story is great and I love the way she explains and lays out the characters so you believe that you might actually know them. This book was amazing and well worth the read.

[Kim Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was absolutely unforgivable that I bought this book!!! The story was all over the place and the author did not provide enough depth with the characters. I was waiting to compare it to Thoughtless and Effortless but it did not even come close. It jumped around too much for me and there definitely was not enough angst for a love triangle. I mean really whose boyfriend would be happy that their girlfriend decided to dress like a slut, dance in strip clubs, and be videotaped shaking her ass all over the place in a bikini?

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Hmm. I'm slightly on the fence on this one. What do I do when I can't make up my mind? I make a pro/con list. Shall we?

Pro
*Hot Musicians ;)
*Slight Suspense
*Hero with issues, yet super sweet
*Page Turner
*Interesting Characters

Con
*Insta-love
*Major time lapses
*lies/deception
*Lacking character development
*Loose ends

Well I suppose it's even, depending on how you look at it. I am intrigued to continue the series, I like the fact that it will be Billy' s book ;)

[Ariel Baird · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book started like a bad rendition of SC Stephens "Thoughtless" (great book), but without the sex scenes, character likability, plot development, chemistry between characters, or correct grammar. I ended up skimming the last 5 chapters because I hate not finishing things, but I just couldn't bare actually reading it. Running commentary in my head was, "blah, blah, blah", "Oh, come on!!" "Really??!!" "Come on, you can do it, keep reading, it might get better..."

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Stacy is working her way through college as a bartender she meets and falls for Mr. Perfect. He is temporarily located in her hometown of Tulsa for his job. They are together for over a year when Jeromy's task is finished and he is ready to move on to his next project. He asks Stacy to come with him. Since Stacy has already graduated, she agrees to relocate to his hometown near Houston, TX where they will share a house with Jeromy's best friend Billy. Stacy is slightly overwhelmed in such a large city like none she has ever seen before. There is an electronically charged chemistry between Stacy and Billy almost from the beginning. Will they resist the pull they feel for each other and remain faithful to the trust that Jeromy has in them? You'll just have to read for yourself to find out.

I have to admit that I was a bit surprised with this story. One of the first few pages of the book was the About the Author page that tells that Tegan blogs professionally about relationships and issues pertaining to gender equality so I was expecting a very strong and independent female character. The male characters were very dynamic, three dimensional, and easy to fall in love with. Nonetheless this was a very enjoyable romantic story with a twist of suspense thrown in for good measure.

If you love romance stories you will certainly find this story one of your favorites yet not quite the typical formula-type plot. A quick and easy read that is perfect to relax with on the weekend.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://readingpastmybedtime.wordpress...

Wow! I was sent this book by the author and decided to read it over a rainy memorial day weekend. From the beginning of this story to the end, it was written so beautifully and you truly felt as if you were there with the characters. Stacy Keller, our female leading lady, falls for Jeromy and ends up moving to Houston, Texas with him when his job in OK (her home ) is over. They move into Jeromy’s best friends house and things become interesting. Jeromy’s best friend Billy is the lead singer of a local band who is on their way to the big time, and absolutely gorgeous as well. With Jeromy at work all the time, Billy and Stacy’s friendship begins to blossom. Billy and Stacy become celebrities in their own right, and she even gets a crazy stalker or two. With some twists and turns Stacy finds out who she really is meant to be with.

This book was amazing, and you truly fall in love with all of the characters in the book. It’s not your typical, cheat on boyfriend while he’s away story, its a story about loving two people, in two different ways, and finding out who is right for you. I literally could not stop reading this one! I do feel as though there is more to the story, and hope we get more of Stacy and her love life. Kudo’s to the author for the great story telling and absolutely freaking wonderful story of finding love, losing love, and finding it again. This book had everything, hot guys, rock bands, suspense, drama, everything! Love, Love, Loved it!!!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stacy’s a waitress at a bar. One night the best looking man she has ever seen comes into the bar. She immediately reminds herself that she doesn’t get involved with men who are that good looking. But Jeromy decides he want to get to know Stacy, and he won’t take no for an answer. He soon convinces her that he is not just another guy, but he is the man of her dreams.
Then she moves to Houston with Jeromy, where she meets his best friend Billy. Billy is the singer in a band. Stacy soon becomes an important part of the bands identity. And she realizes that Jeromy may not be the man of her dreams. And maybe her soul mate is actually Billy.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s a great romance that focuses in on the choices we all have to make in relationships. The characters are fun and easy to like. And if you’re a fan of romances you will definitely enjoy this book.

[Jay Douglass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tracy Tegan does a masterful job creating a compelling story with believable and flawed characters.

Who hasn't faced betrayal from a supposed best friend and/or your lover?
When it happens twice as is the case here, it is a double whammy to your soul and trust.

Jeromy back in the big city of Houston,his hometown and gets reconnected with his childhood friend Billy.
He brings his girlfriend Stacy too. And that's where things get messy.
Unlike alot of romantic novels, the male characters are complex,not the one dimensional buffoons found sometimes in other romantic novels.

Absolutely Unforgivable is an exquisitely written book with steady pacing and nuanced characters.

I'm now anxious to read Tegan's next novel.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Getting through this one was rough with a capital R. It needs editing, proofreading...it needs help. There were a lot of proofreading type mistakes but an editor would also take out a lot of the minutiae that is repeated ad nauseum. We want a storyline and character development, not to know every single detail about an outfit or the life histories of inconsequential characters.

[Lou · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - I’m not continuing a book that is just a straight up copy for another (Thoughtless). And a horrendously badly written one at that, with no depth or decent writing at all. Sorry to be so harsh, but it was awful.

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely unfinishable. Ripoff of thoughtless and not done nearly as well.

[Azzie Parks · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Read

This is my first book by this author, but it want be my last. I love to find new authors and see what I've been missing. HAPPY READING EVERYONE.

[Sarah's Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stacy works at a local bar in her hometown Tulsa, Oaklahoma. She is attending college, she has no time for men in her life. That is until Jeromy walks into the bar, he is sexy, rich, charming. She really tries to ignore the way she has butterflies in her stomach, or the nervous feeling she gets when he's around. They start dating and after several months Jeromy's job moves him to a position back home to Houston Texas. They move into the lead singer of the band that Jeromy is in. Billy and Jeromy have known each other most of their lives and are like Brothers.

Billy is absolutely gorgeous, he has a killer smile and a voice that will make you melt in puddle. I immediately liked him. I think he is one of the few characters that I felt a connection with. Stacy is overwhelmed with living in such a large city, she dkes make several new friends with with the band and their girlfriends. Jeromy's job has him traveling quite often and Stacy is starting to feel a bit lost. She is starting to wonder if she is becoming just like all of Jeromy's ex-girlfriends? He would travel a lot, feel guilty and give them money to make up for him being gone. Stacy ends playing with the band and she and Billy become pretty famous.

The more Jeromy travels, the closer Billy and Stacy become. The pull to one another is so strong, but they do not act upon it. Stacy's life becomes threatened when she attracts two men who become obsessed with her. Since Jeromy is away, Billy hires a body guard and is determined to keep her safe at all costs. The sexual tension between then start to become almost unbearable to resist. They have a real true love connection. Will they finally act on their feelings? Or will Stacy stay with Jeromy whom she loves, but is confused if she is in love. I liked this book, however

I thought everything moved too quickly, and I had hard time connecting with all if the characters.

~Patty

[Lesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a hard review for me to write.

First, I love the cover! Second, I love the blurb!!! But that's where the love ends for me.

For the majority of the book I just wanted to slap Stacy. At the beginning of the book, I thought for sure that she'd be a character I would love, but it never happened. She just didn't do anything. She was in an in-between stage in her life, having just graduated with her degree, so I was fine with her deciding to move to Texas with Jeromy. And as hot as he might be, he never really treated her as an equal - he showered her with gifts, which she kept hinting at not being comfortable accepting, but she never stopped accepting them, and once they were settled into his best friend's house, apart from helping out at a bar one time, she never once tried to make her own way in life.

And her attraction to Jeromy's BFF Billy made me crazy. There were parts that I love about Billy, but his devotion and obvious attraction to his best friend's girl made me cringe as did Stacy's growing feelings for Billy. I know Jeromy may not have been the most attentive boyfriend ever, always off at his job, but he still should have noticed the two of them growing closer to each other.

And then there's Stacy's justifications for the choices she made. UGH.

At least the author did give the book the perfect title. When it comes down to some of the actions and choices that Stacy did involving Jeromy and Billy, they truly were Absolutely Unforgivable.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Absolutely Unforgiveable' is a treat of a romance. All the characters in here are realistic and great, and there is an emotional rollercoaster to be felt when following them.

Stacy Keller is a conservative, rather introverted woman who does her best to steer away from trouble, particularly hot men that trouble tends to stick to. Both Jeromy and Billy bring her into a whole new light, and it's not before long that her heart is divided between them. Meanwhile, her new fame has put her life in danger.

This is a great read for anyone who loves a wonderfully written romance with solid and complex characters, and it will leave you satisfied as only a great story can at the end.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like absolutely unbelievable. I thought this was going to be a good read at the start, but it's like once Stacy got to Houston with Jeromy, she completely became a different person. Wearing slutty clothes with the "band girls", flirting seductively with Billy, etc. etc. And then the last 2 chapters, I wanted to reach through the book and slap her. At 2 different concerts she listened to Billy sings those songs, knowing they were about her, then watched him leave the bar with not 1 but 2 groupies, and as you're trying to leave him, he declares his love and everything is forgotten. And the last lines about Jeromy, I don't even know what to say there. It was just a bad ending to a mediocre book.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Still not certain exactly how I feel about this book. I was annoyed by Stacy's constant griping about gorgeous guys in the beginning of the book. The writing itself wasn't spectacular in that it was much more descriptive instead of live-action if that makes any sense. Jeromy definitely seemed like he was hiding something and I'm still not sure I buy the just busy working story. I don't understand why Stacy never got a job and couldn't for the life of me figure out the point of those other girls. Have to admit I was devastated and shocked at the plot twist near the end, but otherwise very much just read the book to finish it...never felt particularly engrossed in the story.

[Tara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of the Thoughtless series but this was just a bad rip-off of that storyline.
It didn't just remind me of Thoughtless - it was! Everything from the insecure, blushing girl working the bar, the perfectly nice boyfriend, the couple moving cities and staying with his hot rock star friend from college, the crass 'Griffin' friend and even right down to when they watch porn on the sofa!!!
Luckily for me this was an Amazon Freebie.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me wanting more. But there was a couple of things that I was surprised at, one was when Billy supposedly died. I think Stacy would have know he was alive, at least someone would told her before a couple of days. Other than that it was a well written book.

[Amie Morgado- We Stole Your Book Boyfriend · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was great...I was immediately reminded of kellan kyle series but pleasantly surprised because although similar it was so unique and heartbreaking in different ways.....I was sick during some parts and so happy during others...such an emotional book !!

[Tina La Bash · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't written a review in awhile I've been rating only...shame on me. So this one was good but was kinda all over the place. It has so many similarities to my favorite rocker series remember Kellan and Kiera?? This was a good ok read. I can't complain that it wasted my time because it didn't.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well the only reason I'm giving this book two stars is because I didn't give it a chance. I blame the bad reviews it got. Wait I'm going to take that back. I shouldn't let reviews influence me. But this book did remind me a lot of Thoughtless. Maybe I'll revisit one day.

[Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of people are rating this book unfairly. If a book can make you cry and keeps you up into the night reading...It's a great book. Granted I think the female character needed a little backbone, but loved the two male characters. It's worth the read

[Yvba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. I definitely recommend it to my friends!

[Falling In Fall Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

A review copy was provided to Falling In Fall Book Blog by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Lo's full review coming soon to http://fallinginfall.blogspot.com.

[Lindsey]

Amazon Freebie 11/1/13

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was really cute back I definitely will be reading Billys version!

[Anna Wadlow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just glad this was an Amazon freebie. I only finished it because I needed to read it for a book challenge.