Infinite Repeat

The Art of Lainey #0.5

by Paula Stokes

Seventeen-year-old Micah Foster is looking forward to the return of his girlfriend, Amber, who's been away in Los Angeles recording an EP with her band. But when Amber returns home on the anniversary of Micah's dad's death, something feels different and Micah pushes her away.

Over the next week, as Micah tries to repair his relationship with Amber, he relives the events of the past few years and recognizes a pattern. His friends and family are right--he self-destructs every April, right around the time his dad died, hurting people he cares about in the process. Will Amber be this year's casualty? Or can Micah escape his past in time to fix his present?

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Novella, Short Stories, Romance, Young Adult Contemporary

128 pages, Unknown Binding

First published August 5, 2014

About the author

*** Please contact me via the contact information on my website: authorpaulastokes.com ***

Paula Stokes is half writer, half RN, and totally thrilled to be part of the world of YA literature. She started out writing historical fiction under a pen name and is now branching out into other YA genres.

When she's not working (rare), she's kayaking, hiking, reading, or seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. She's petted tigers, snuggled snakes, snorkeled with stingrays, and once enjoyed the suction-cuppy feel of a baby elephant's trunk as it ate peanuts from her palm. Her future goals include diving with Great White sharks, learning Krav Maga, and writing a whole slew of novels, not necessarily in that order.

Reviews

[Fafa's Book Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted on Fafa's Book Corner !

Beware spoilers ahead!

I heard about this book through GR. After finishing The Art of Lainey I decided to read Infinite Repeat so that I could get to know Micah more. I am happy to say that I enjoyed this!

The book begins with Micah noticing that Amber has come back. Micah feels odd because today is when his dad was killed. He greets Amber but continues to feel off. They spend some time together but after Micah realizes that he still feels weird he sends Amber off.

Deciding to go for a drive he rummages through his room for his car keys. Trinity comes in brandishes his keys and asks where he wanted to go. He says that he doesn't know but promises not to have a repeat of last year. When he got arrested and sent to juvie. Instead the two of them spend some time together.

After a few days Amber brings up that she and her band are going to be having a concert in Chicago. Amber asks Micah to come but Micah declines saying he can't afford the fare and he has to work. Eventually Amber has found a way to pay for the fare and asks Micah again. After some thinking Micah agrees. And he ends up going to the concert.

Upon reaching there Micah finds out that Amber is now a very different person. She lets her people dictate what she does and what she wears. She even puts up with her creepy manager who treats her like a thing. Micah realizes that there may not be a way to save their relationship.

This was a short novella. I was surprised by how much I liked it! Usually I rate novella's 3 stars but surprisingly this was a 4 star. This is written in first person all in Micah's point of view. With a few flashbacks here-and-there.

I liked getting to know the coworkers at the coffee shop, Amber, and his family. You get to see what happened between Amber and Micah and some of his interactions with his coworkers. Lainey makes a few appearances as well. Kendall and Jason come in as cameo's. You also get to read about what happened to the day Micah's father was murdered. I felt quiet bad for him and I definitely enjoyed read about the flashbacks.

Overall this was a really good novella! I recommend it to fans of The Art of Lainey and Micah fans.

[Paula Stokes]

This is actually a prequel novella from Micah Foster's point of view that involves events occurring in the weeks leading up to THE ART OF LAINEY. It's a bit darker in tone, but if you're clamoring for more Micah or more Trinity, with just a touch of Lainey, this will hopefully satisfy :-)

[Hristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun fact: Micah is one of my favorite love interests in YAs. I enjoyed the chance to see what he was up to before he and Lainey started being friendly. Mrs. Stokes gave Micah's character more dept with this novella, and I really enjoyed experiencing it.

[Stacee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be a beta reader for this novella. Even though I have every right to be biased because Micah is mine [I have proof] and I won a character named after me, it really is a fun read.

I've always liked boy POV better and being in Micah's head is exactly what I wanted while reading The Art of Lainey. We get a lot of Micah's backstory, which actually explains some things. Plus there's more scenes with Micah and Trinity and who wouldn't want that?

Just do yourself a favor and read it.

[Tiffany]

"Infinite Repeat" was a cute read! Not too surprising if you've read The Art of Lainey , which was just adorable. In this novella we see Micah's life before The Art of Lainey takes place and get to know all of those secrets he had in the book. Well, they weren't necessarily secrets, but he wasn't entirely open about them either.

"Infinite Repeat" doesn't have the same falling-in-love factor that The Art of Lainey did, which was a bit of bummer since it wasn't my favorite part of the novel. It does give us more insight and background into Micah's character so if you love him, this might be worth checking out! You definitely don't need to read the novella in order to follow The Art of Lainey though and it didn't add much to the original story.

[C.P. Cabaniss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good novella. I have not read the novel that this accompanies, but I really want to now. Micah was a great character. I found his struggles easy to relate to and so heartwrenching. It's easy to blame yourself for things that you didn't cause and couldn't have controlled and this was beautifully presented here.

Micah and Trinity's relationship was so sweet. I love that they care about each other so much. So often there are messed up sibling relationships in novels, but this one was beautiful. Obviously they have problems, but they are just so great together. I'm really excited to see them in the full novel. Not sure how I'll enjoy Lainey as the main character, but I'm looking forward to reading it.

[Noella · Rating 3 out of 5]

About 20% in I was skeptical that this novella would contain much content but surprisingly it had a lot going on. I especially loved the sibling relationship between Micah and Trinity. It was a bit unclear how Micah got through this April and recovered from his mourning because he just told his girlfriend Amber about his father's murder and then broke up with her and then everything felt fine afterwards(?) In Amber's words, he needed someone to tell him it was partly his fault but I didn't understand how this made him feel OK again...

[Mary Chin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you read The Art of Lainey? If you haven't, it's alright. You could still read this novella first. But if you had read The Art of Lainey, it'd be better actually because Infinite Repeat is about Micah, who was the male lead character in The Art of Lainey. Micah has well, a MOHAWK, which is by my definition, quite awesome HAHA. But before he met Lainey, Micah had a girlfriend named Amber, who went away to Los Angeles to record an EP with her band. Unfortunately though, Amber came home during the anniversary of his father's death. Feeling guilty over his father's death, Micah pushed Amber away. Every year, he self-destructs during the anniversary, and every year, he has a new casualty. Would Amber be this year's casualty? Or can he fix himself before he hurt another innocent person?

If you expected to find some Lainey/Micah romance moment in this book, thinking that it will show some cute scenes between them, you're wrong. Because this book isn't about them, it's only about Micah. It's about his past entangling with his present. What I totally adored was the moments between him and his sister, Trinity. In this book, Micah wasn't perfect. In fact, he screwed up many times. And I liked that, because it made Micah seemed real. You can literally feel every emotion that he's feeling. There wasn't an overly-sad scene, but you will still cry (I did, I cried badly.) Paula Stokes had this talent where every emotion is pouring out of each page. You can feel his grief, his sadness, and at the end, his relief.

And you know who else I actually surprisingly liked? AMBER. Yeah, I know that she was the ex-girlfriend of the main male lead, and most people would hate her. But I don't. I think, as much as she and Micah had their differences, she had a part in helping Micah with his past. Even though it wasn''y much, I'm kinda glad that she was in the book, because to be honest, if there was no Lainey, I would totally want Micah to get back with Amber someday HEH.

AND AND I really want to re-read The Art of Lainey again. I should get that copy for myself soon.

[Marianne (Boricuan Bookworms) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review can also be seen on Cristina's Book Reviews.

I love loved loved loved loved loved (you get it, right?) loved Micah in The Art of Lainey. I thought his personality was amazing and he was a totally swoon-worthy guy.

I was afraid I would dislike this story, as it’s a novella and I paid $1.99 for it. I thought that my one-click decision would've been in vain. But once I read the first few pages, I realized that I could not have made a better decision!

This novella is not short; it has 128 pages, and it’s chock-full with an amazing story.

While it’s a prequel and doesn’t have Micah-Lainey moments (my absolute favorite thing about The Art of Lainey) the fact is that I really enjoyed reading more about Micah’s past. This story definitely gave me some “closure” because I finally feel like I solved the enigma that was Micah.

I felt so much for him in this short amount of pages! I wanted to hug him constantly because I felt like everything was so unfair for him.

My girlfriend is coming to see me after three weeks of being away, and all I can think about is death.

I enjoyed reading more about his family (and his awesome sister, Trinity), as well as see more into his relationship with his girlfriend, Amber. It really showed Micah’s development into the mohawked and closed-off fellow we meet in The Art of Lainey.

You can honestly read this book before reading The Art of Lainey because I think in the long- run it’ll make you love Micah all the more. This was a short but sweet and hopeful story about a really wonderful guy.

3.5 stars!

Amazon Review.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always hard to review a novella. And I think had I read this first I would not have enjoyed it so much. But I didn't, I read it after the first book in the series. And I think this was why I liked it even more. The book is from Lainey's POV. But this little star is from Micah's POV and it was so great to be in his head. He's broody and loyal and loving. He has so much to give and this just shows it. I loved seeing the events that lead up to the first book. How his relationship with Amber becomes such an important part of his relationship with Lainey.
And I absolutely adore Micha's relationship with his sister, Trinity. They compliment each other so well. You can tell that they lean on each other and it's sweet and heart warming. She kind of mother's him a bit, but in a solidly loving way. And he needs it.
It helps that Stokes has such a fabulous writing style. It flows and it's fast paced and easy to read. And while she touched on romance, it was not the center of this novella. The point of this novella was Michah figuring out what he wanted and what he needed and how he could go about getting it. There are sad parts, and sweet parts, but mostly there are parts where you see the hope in Micah, where you see him beginning to understand what he needs to feel whole. And the flashbacks to when he was younger and the events that lead him to his delinquency are really great.
As a whole, I really enjoyed this novella. I would love to see more of Micah. He is such a fantastic character and not at all what he seems on the outside. This rough and tumble boy will steal your heart!

[Culture-Vulture · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read the backstory before I read the main novel in this series. I guess it's okay, even though I'm not sure why he broke up with Amber over something so seemingly trivial...?! Amber sounds really cool, while Lainey seems nothing like Micah. Amber is in a band and lives a life that's a lot closer to Micah's parents' lives. Lainey has only the cooking thing in common with Micah, where her dad owns a cafe and Micah wants to own his own food establishment someday.

Anyhow, I'll find out soon enough why Micah couldn't make it work with someone like Amber, who seems to fit into his life much better than a jock like Lainey.

4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright but way to short

[starryeyedjen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.

Sometimes when you pay $1.99 for a novella, you end up with buyer's remorse: either it was too short to justify $2, it was a totally unnecessary addition to the story or series, or it just fell flat for whatever reason. Infinite Repeat was none of those things. It wasn't as happy-go-lucky as Paula's full-length The Art of Lainey, but that's the point. This is Micah's story pre-Lainey...and if you've read Lainey, you know that the mohawked hottie has had a rough time over the last six years.

Coming in at 128 pages, Infinite Repeat is the perfect length and a STEAL at $2. I loved Micah in Lainey, and I knew I wanted more of his story...especially how he got to the place he was at when we first met him. And though he did eventually tell Lainey the full story of the night that irrevocably changed his life, I feel like hearing it in his own words in this novella was somehow more meaningful.

And the oh-so-sweet relationship with Trinity, his fourteen-year-old sister, was unbelievably cute. I loved them together in Lainey but I was happy to see that this was the way they'd always been. That even after the tragedy they'd suffered, they were as tight as ever and looked out for one another.

Seeing his interactions with Amber, too, helped me to understand the boy who loves to bake. I don't know if it was ever stated in Lainey how much time had elapsed since the break-up and subsequent plan to get back the exes, but I'd like to see that period covered, too. Then again, I think any story that features Micah is necessary. =) Especially if it shows him developing feelings for a certain soccer star.

Infinite Repeat was sweet and sad and hopeful. No real swoons from Micah this time around, but I think he needed this. I needed this. I also now have a mighty need to go and re-read The Art of Lainey so that I can properly swoon over Micah and his mohawk. But this was a nice look at the boy at the heart of it all, and I hope we haven't seen the last of him.

GIF it to me straight:

Can I get an "aww" up in here?

[Andrea at Reading Lark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Posted on Reading Lark 12/2/14: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2014/...

I loved getting to know Micah when I read The Art of Lainey last April. I found myself drawn to him and his connection with his family. Micah isn't what I'd call an open book and I wanted to know more about him and his past - particularly the night his father dies. Paula Stokes in her awesomeness decided Micah needed the spotlight on his life (whether he liked it or not) and this little gem was born.

Infinite Repeat focuses on Micah's constant cycle of self blame and bad decisions. Each year around the time that Micah's dad was murdered, he begins to derail and engage in self destructive behavior. After several arrests for destroying property and vandalism, Micah is trying to mellow out. He doesn't want his mom and sister to have to see him in handcuffs yet again. To make matters worse, his girlfriend's band is heading down a path of fame and he feels that she is leaving him behind. Micah feels that he can't confide in Amber which leaves him more out of sorts.

I liked getting more insight into what makes Micah tick. The novella also bounces between the past (the night Micah's dad died) and the present (right before The Art of Lainey begins). The background information painted a fuller picture of Micah and made me want to reread Lainey's story. I have missed these characters.

This novella is certainly worth buying if you're a fan of Lainey.

One Last Gripe: I was frustrated by Amber and Micah's relationship. They both were a bit whiney at times.

My Favorite Thing About This Novella: I love the relationship between Micah and his sister, Trinity.

First Sentence: My girlfriend is coming to see me after three weeks of being away, and all I can think about is death.

Favorite Character: Micah

Least Favorite Character: Amber - she annoyed me in Lainey's story too

[Pili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paula has done it again! *sniffles* I was really looking forward to reading this story from Micah's POV but I wasn't really sure what to expect from it, but I'm very happy to say that she managed to make me wish it would have been way longer, to understand and love Micah even more and to love Trinity, Micah's little sister even more! Dammit, I'm even wishing she'd get her own book now!!

Infinite Repeat takes place before the events of The Art of Lainey, leads us through Micah's struggle to deal with the changes in his relationship with Amber, his guilt over his father's death, with some flashbacks to some examples of how badly Micah had been dealing with it in each of the death's anniversaries.

We also get to see some of Micah's time at work, we get another look at his love for cooking and baking (devil's food cake with light and dark chocolate mousse, YES PLEASE!!), and we also see Lainey through his eyes as the popular girl that works at her parents' cafe, and that was quite an interesting alternate way to see her too.

I absolutely loved how Paula managed to balance the tough emotional parts of Micah's story, with amazing family moments, showing his love of music and still inserting her trademark humour!

A wonderful novella that I would have loved more only if it would have been longer! I'm gonna be rooting for more pages about this characters somehow! Well deserved 5 stars!

[Hazel (Stay Bookish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooray for Micah's story! This punk rock baker is one of my favourite book boys and I'm so happy to be able to read more about him. This prequel dates awhile back when Micah was still with her rising-to-music-fame girlfriend, Amber. Not only does Infinite Repeat explore Micah's past relationship and why it ended, it also explores Micah's past and present as he dealt with the guilt of his dad's death. Let's just say he didn't do so well before and got himself arrested multiple times.

Although I did love seeing through Micah's veneer here, my favourite thing about this novella was seeing his relationship with his little sister first hand. I adore Trinity very much but the way Micah cared for her sister and wanted to be a better brother for her (in his heart) melted me more than just a little. Other than that, I love when Micah talks about cooking/baking. It's kinda hot.

[Sarah Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

After my many years of dissing the e-reader, I finally recognized their usefulness and was gifted one. Where I promptly purchased this book and read it (sorry my non-e-reader friends, this is e-book only). AND IT WAS FANTASTIC.

After reading The Art of Lainey, I was in a bit of a withdrawal state from this book, I wanted more. So when I found out about this book I was psyched. Mostly because it’s Micah the book is about and who doesn’t want to learn about the guy love interest in his own novella? That’s right, everyone does. I loved having more background on Micah and learning more bout him as a character. With Lainey being about Lainey (duh), there wasn’t much of a reason to learn anything about Micah. So I’m really glad this book was written. Er, novella. It was fantastic and I loved it.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella takes place before the events of The Art of Lainey, and gives us insight into Micah's backstory. Micah was by far my favorite character, and I absolutely loved this glimpse into his life. I didn't like Lainey at all in this, but I didn't like her in the beginning of The Art of Lainey either, so that makes sense.

Novellas can sometimes be pointless, but this one was extremely worthwhile. This short little story made my heart ache, made me love Trinity even more, and made me sob. What more can you ask for?

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I really loved The Art of Lainey and this is its prequel, telling Micah’s backstory. I recommend reading this after the first book. There are some mentions of Lainey and though the events between them have yet to happen, it is still interesting to see the connection between them. Nothing really happens here that the we don’t already know from the first book, but it explains a few things about Micah and reveals his family history.

[Monica ४ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The description's suggestion that Micah may have self-sabotaged his relationship with Amber had me worried that the image of my favorite punk rock baker would be tarnished. I mean to think he'd have purposely ruined a relationship only to try and get it back would just make him a lame character imo. Luckily, that was TOTALLY NOT case. If anything, I love Micah more now... So excuse me while I go back and re-read "The Art of Lainey"...

[Tressa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning more about Micah and Trinity in Infinite Repeate. The events take place a bit before The Art of Lainey, but this novella can be read afterwards because it did enrich the prior reading experience.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this was a really awesome story, really enjoyed getting to know Micah, and I can't wait to read more about him, and Laniey!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Micah = <3

[Sarvenaz Tash · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect companion novel that gave more insight into one of my fave characters of the year.

[Lori (Ficwishes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always nice to get some added info on favorite characters. I liked being able to see Micah and Amber's relationship and see that things weren't as good as what Lainey had though.

[Aydrea]

Poor Micah, I just want to hug him!

[Isamlq · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Nice novella about Micah's backstory. I enjoyed the interaction between Trinity & Micah, it was really nice.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

MIIIIIIIIICAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!
TRINITY!!!!

[Ari]

Micaaahhhhh