I received a free copy of this novel in return for an honest review. I hate to give this book a bad review because I know it's hard to write a novel. I also know it's hard to get a bad review but I did promise honesty, and I hope my comments are helpful, so here it goes.
I couldn't finish this one. It's not that the story was bad or that the characters weren't interesting. It's that the book is poorly written. It is in need of a complete overhaul and a good editor.
Some examples of the problems I found in the book were:
1. Different tenses in a sentence: an example is "Stephy drink too much, so she wanted to leave the party. And so did I." This mistake "drink" instead of "drank" happens all throughout the book, and not just with that word. Problems with "was" vs "were" vs "is". Plurals instead of past. "You're" vs "your" even though it was used correctly in the sentence before, it is subsequently used incorrectly.
2. There are big gaps in the story. When Elle is in rehab it seems like the author just wanted to move onto the next bit in the story and not finish that part. For 10 chapters she tells us about being in rehab and meeting Hart, but then she just skips to getting kicked out into the real world.
Other examples of gaps are: at first Hart's friend has a fiance, then in a matter of weeks or days, she is his wife and there is no mention of Hart going to their wedding. Another is that you get the impression the story takes place when it's cold enough out to wear a coat, but there are outdoor events (picnic and birthday party) that you'd never have if it was that cool outside.
Elle breaks up with her boyfriend, and as she's walking out, after they have been fooling around on the couch, she hands him a necklace, apparently returning a family heirloom he had given her. There is no mention of her taking it off to give back to him. Or did she have it in her pocket and intended to break up with him all along (not what it seemed like at the beginning of the scene). Why even mention the necklace?
And lastly, if the town is so small that everyone knows about Elle's big mistake and what she did, so much so that she can't face them, then how is it she never knew that Hart lives in the same town?
3. There are inconsistencies in how people act with no explanation. Elle's father is cold and mean to her, pushing her to do things she doesn't want to do, and instead of seeing that she is taking positive steps in her life, he tells her she isn't doing enough with her life. Why is he like that? There has to be a little bit of a back story.
Another example is her brother, who in the beginning, we're told, loves her and wants to take care of her. Bust as the story goes on, he is nothing but mean and intolerant of her.
Frankly, when Hart stumbles and falls, I don't understand why that happens. I don't get what the significance of a make-out session abruptly ended has to do with it. Besides, he had his shirt off outside in the cold. Maybe Elle was cold too and that's why she stopped kissing him? Why would that make someone fall off the wagon? I just think there needed to be a bigger reason or explanation for the fall.
Like I said above, the story could be a good one, but it needs a LOT of editing and re-writing. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this potentially good novel.