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Crash Into Me #1
Breakdown
Charlotte Ferro is about to jump. Yet nothing ruins a perfectly good suicide attempt worse than a handsome do-gooder. After William O’Reilly convinces her to take one last ride with him, Charlotte finds herself forgetting about her own problems and enjoying a world of which she never dreamed. Now addicted to the rush of fast cars and cool criminals, Charlotte finds herself leaning less towards the ledge and more toward the arms of her savior. But with reasons of his own for keeping Charlotte safe from herself, William is reluctant to involve her in his criminal undertakings. Will his career choice keep them apart? Will Charlotte’s painful past?
270 pages, Paperback
First published August 3, 2014
7 people are currently reading
993 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
July 25, 2014
First off, I absolutely loved this book! I finished it the same day I started it but needed a couple of days to digest the experience.
Amanda Lance, job well done. Not only was the plot addictive from the first line ("On the day I went to die...") but book boyfriend William O'Reilly was just as yummy as can be. I loved how sensitive he was about Charlotte/Jumper's depression, while still being a bad ass car thief.
The combination of romance, angst, and dark humor was really enjoyable. I was laughing with tears in my eyes, biting my nails, and swooning all within minutes. Definitely, not a book you want to read in public. ha ha.
Note: I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) in exchange for an honest review.
Note 2: Lots of dark/suicide related humor.
August 13, 2014
A beautiful story filled with funny moments, sad moments, and best of all, romantic moments. Definitely looking forward to the next book in this series. :)
August 4, 2014
A love story that starts out in a dark place and evolves into an addicting page-turner. Definitely a must-read for all the new adult lovers out there. :)
August 9, 2014
I LOVED this book! It was nice to read a sports romance that I could really get into and had some genuine depth to it. Not only were main characters Lottie and William well written, but the secondary characters were enjoyable as well. Honestly though, it was William who had me melting into my kindle. I hope we see him again in the next book!
November 15, 2014
To be engulfed by a big dark cloud, suffocating your feelings til you just have none left, strangled by the darkness so you cannot breathe, unimaginable pain that leaves you feeling nothing, your eyes black and totally devoid of emotion….can you imagine not caring if you lived or died? You feel nothing….nothing sad, or bad, or glad, just a big fat nothingness. That’s how Jumper first appeared in this book.
This story was about a girl who was brought back from the brink by a guy called William. He had his own little secrets but he wasn’t a traumatised young man, he wasn’t your typical damaged alpha hero.
Slowly, bit by bit, Jumper started to feel again.
I cannot praise this author highly enough for capturing the exact feelings of nothingness you get when you are at your lowest ebb. Either she’s experienced it herself, or else she has spoken to a cloud survivor, because trust me, she has it spot on in this book.
The banter between Jumper and William was quite amusing at times, both capable of the witty one-liners that always crack you up.
Don’t think for a minute this book is all about depression and sadness…it has a bloody good story running through it and I particularly liked, what I would call, the little twist in the tale.
A beautifully told story, of a young girl surviving the worst metaphorical storm ever.
This story was about a girl who was brought back from the brink by a guy called William. He had his own little secrets but he wasn’t a traumatised young man, he wasn’t your typical damaged alpha hero.
Slowly, bit by bit, Jumper started to feel again.
I cannot praise this author highly enough for capturing the exact feelings of nothingness you get when you are at your lowest ebb. Either she’s experienced it herself, or else she has spoken to a cloud survivor, because trust me, she has it spot on in this book.
The banter between Jumper and William was quite amusing at times, both capable of the witty one-liners that always crack you up.
Don’t think for a minute this book is all about depression and sadness…it has a bloody good story running through it and I particularly liked, what I would call, the little twist in the tale.
A beautifully told story, of a young girl surviving the worst metaphorical storm ever.
August 1, 2014
Wow....what a great read!
Wanting to end it all Charlotte aka "Jumper" can't even commit suicide right! William aka "Do-Gooder" stumbles upon Charlotte's attempt to end her life and opens her world to the extreme sport of street racing.
The racing heart that she experiences during her first street race leaves "Jumper" craving more and the relationship that ensues between herself and William will spin your tires.
Is she really ready for the life that William lives and is he ready to bring her into his world of crime and racing.
This budding relationship will have you speeding through the pages to see if they have what it takes to make a relationship last through her depressing past and his criminal future!
Wanting to end it all Charlotte aka "Jumper" can't even commit suicide right! William aka "Do-Gooder" stumbles upon Charlotte's attempt to end her life and opens her world to the extreme sport of street racing.
The racing heart that she experiences during her first street race leaves "Jumper" craving more and the relationship that ensues between herself and William will spin your tires.
Is she really ready for the life that William lives and is he ready to bring her into his world of crime and racing.
This budding relationship will have you speeding through the pages to see if they have what it takes to make a relationship last through her depressing past and his criminal future!
July 29, 2015
I liked this book, I dont think there is a specifical reason to do what she tried to do, its a lot of things that made her do it and i am glad he stopped her. She was depressed but after she meets him she starts to try, i noticed a loto f changes happening to her and the fact that she decided to do what she wanted even after a loto f things said a lot about how much she changed.
I loved that Billy/william really cared for her, he kept is promises and was always checking upo n her. Somethings about him surprised me but that didn’t stop me for liking him and thinking that he was perfect for her.
Their other friends were cool too, they looked badass and crazy but they were pretty nice and funny. This book has a lot of dark humor in it, sometimes is funny and other is like a mood killer.
I loved that Billy/william really cared for her, he kept is promises and was always checking upo n her. Somethings about him surprised me but that didn’t stop me for liking him and thinking that he was perfect for her.
Their other friends were cool too, they looked badass and crazy but they were pretty nice and funny. This book has a lot of dark humor in it, sometimes is funny and other is like a mood killer.
August 6, 2014
I just gobbled this one up while getting over some bad sunburn. Now, I wish I had made myself slow down because I know its going to be a wait for the next book! The combination of romance, angst, and action was perfectly balanced and the characters were easy to love. William O'Reilly is my new book boyfriend for sure! *swoon*
August 6, 2014
An exciting love story that had me gripped from the first sentence. I loved the banter between William and Lottie. It was refreshing how they became friends first instead of just having a "lust at first sight" relationship. Overall a great read.
August 19, 2014
OMG, I absolutely loved this book!! From page one I was hooked and could not put it down.
This book is about a girl named Charlotte (aka Jumper as William calls her) who suffers from depression and decides she is finally ready to end it all. She had it all worked out and planned but what she didn't expect was for a handsome blonde stranger to try and stop her.
When William "Billy" lays eyes on Charlotte he can't help but be pulled to her. Just by looking into her eyes he knows what she is about to do and he knows he has to stop her. Trying his best to get her back over that guardrail he makes a deal with her. She will go anywhere with him and when they are done he will take her anywhere she wants to go. Where he takes her however will forever change her and it will slowly begin to bring her back to life. Will William be able to help pull Charlotte out of her depression and give her a reason to live again before its to late?
Bad boy Billy lives his life on the edge and has no problem breaking the law. In fact, he is pretty darn good at it, but eventually all good things must come to an end. Will the law finally catch up to Billy? And if so, will Charlotte get tangled up with him as well?
I loved the relationship between William and Jumper. He was so sweet and caring when it came to her. I loved Jumper's no nonsense attitude and that she felt a connection with Billy and couldn't help but be pulled to him.....
"Hey Jumper"
"Yeah"
"Remember how you said I shouldn't hold my breath waiting for you to call me."
"Yeah"
"Well, I just wanted you to know that I'd do a lot more than that for you. If you needed me to, I'd die holding my breath for you."
Do yourself a favor and go one click this book and let William and Jumper take you on a ride you'll never forget!!
This book is about a girl named Charlotte (aka Jumper as William calls her) who suffers from depression and decides she is finally ready to end it all. She had it all worked out and planned but what she didn't expect was for a handsome blonde stranger to try and stop her.
When William "Billy" lays eyes on Charlotte he can't help but be pulled to her. Just by looking into her eyes he knows what she is about to do and he knows he has to stop her. Trying his best to get her back over that guardrail he makes a deal with her. She will go anywhere with him and when they are done he will take her anywhere she wants to go. Where he takes her however will forever change her and it will slowly begin to bring her back to life. Will William be able to help pull Charlotte out of her depression and give her a reason to live again before its to late?
Bad boy Billy lives his life on the edge and has no problem breaking the law. In fact, he is pretty darn good at it, but eventually all good things must come to an end. Will the law finally catch up to Billy? And if so, will Charlotte get tangled up with him as well?
I loved the relationship between William and Jumper. He was so sweet and caring when it came to her. I loved Jumper's no nonsense attitude and that she felt a connection with Billy and couldn't help but be pulled to him.....
"Hey Jumper"
"Yeah"
"Remember how you said I shouldn't hold my breath waiting for you to call me."
"Yeah"
"Well, I just wanted you to know that I'd do a lot more than that for you. If you needed me to, I'd die holding my breath for you."
Do yourself a favor and go one click this book and let William and Jumper take you on a ride you'll never forget!!
October 1, 2016
4.5 stars. This would have been five stars except that it was a little slow at the beginning and there are some typos that, while normally not bothersome to me, did make me have to reread a few things to make sure I got the real meaning.
That being said, this is another really well written story by Amanda Lance. A few things you need to realize about Ms. Lance's books, almost all "steam" takes place off camera and her books are cerebral rather than shocking or suspenseful. You have to think about the characters you are reading about, putting yourself in their minds and thoughts.
This particular story is about a guy, William, cruising around at night and seeing a girl walking precariously on an abandoned bridge. William senses something wrong and stops to talk to the girl. It becomes fairly apparent that she is thinking about jumping and William takes it upon himself to save her, both that night and to try to help her long term.
Charlotte, the girl who William nicknames "Jumper", is introduced to street racing by William and finds that she is an adrenaline junkie. During those "rush" moments she forgets about her depression and loneliness and, along with the adrenaline, she is also becoming addicted to William.
However, William (a wonderful, multifaceted character) really has a heart of gold but some dark secrets that Jumper slowly figures out on her own. She is torn between needing to know all about William's activities, needing to keep her depression at bay and most of all needing to come to terms with the fact that she loves William and has never really felt love before.
A great story, a standalone but with plenty of other characters who could probably have their own stories.
That being said, this is another really well written story by Amanda Lance. A few things you need to realize about Ms. Lance's books, almost all "steam" takes place off camera and her books are cerebral rather than shocking or suspenseful. You have to think about the characters you are reading about, putting yourself in their minds and thoughts.
This particular story is about a guy, William, cruising around at night and seeing a girl walking precariously on an abandoned bridge. William senses something wrong and stops to talk to the girl. It becomes fairly apparent that she is thinking about jumping and William takes it upon himself to save her, both that night and to try to help her long term.
Charlotte, the girl who William nicknames "Jumper", is introduced to street racing by William and finds that she is an adrenaline junkie. During those "rush" moments she forgets about her depression and loneliness and, along with the adrenaline, she is also becoming addicted to William.
However, William (a wonderful, multifaceted character) really has a heart of gold but some dark secrets that Jumper slowly figures out on her own. She is torn between needing to know all about William's activities, needing to keep her depression at bay and most of all needing to come to terms with the fact that she loves William and has never really felt love before.
A great story, a standalone but with plenty of other characters who could probably have their own stories.
April 7, 2015
This was okay. It definitely could have been better. I liked the Lottie from the beginning. Yes, she was suicidal, but I could relate to her loneliness and insecurities. A lot of the things she thought were validating. Then she met Do Gooder. God. There was nothing wrong with him, but the conversations between the two were just so lame. The jokes were lame. Anf they laughed at nothing and everything. It annoyed the shit out of me. There was no valid reason for a laugh, but they laughed. It just made it akward. I kept thinking, PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP. And then she throws a tantrum like a thirteen year old because he didn't let her ride with him again in a race because she was already freaking out about the first one. Like, she almost ODed on it. So, she breaks off from him thinking she's going to get someone else to let her ride and then randomly,without warning , runs over to a fire to burn her hand. It juat didn't make any sense and there wasnt a good enough reason for it. It was just crazy random. Then she runs after he tells her that he loves her, right after they have sex and he says she has the power to break his heart. She thinks it's all some play to scare her off...what?! How does that make sense? I just didn't like the girl too much. She was too immature and i couldn't get on board her thinking train.
This book was just not for me...because of her.
William was great, but i didn't see why he was attracted to Lottie. So, i guess their whole relationship didn't make much sense to me.
This book was just not for me...because of her.
William was great, but i didn't see why he was attracted to Lottie. So, i guess their whole relationship didn't make much sense to me.
August 11, 2014
This was fan-fucking-tastic. Hands down, the best book I've read in ages. Lottie was a strong female character, William was both swoon-worthy AND an actual, honest-to-God, GOOD GUY. I had pretty much given up hope of ever reading a story where I liked both the main characters ever again.
I liked how the author described Lottie's feelings of depression. As a post-depression gal, and a bit of an adrenaline junkie myself, I could totally relate to Lottie, and I fucking LOVE that. Nowadays female characters are so boring, with their "woe is me, I don't think I'm pretty, yet every guy falls in love with me, my life is so hard, waaaaaaa." For the past couple of months I've strictly been reading fanfiction, and 90% of fanfiction is better than any novel I've read recently, minus this one.
I also loved the slow burn between William and Lottie. The vast majority of books these days rely on the trite concept of love at first sight, which is a total cop-out for authors who can't be bothered to build up a relationship.
There was also NO BREAKUP in this book, thank you god. There was a bit of a lapse in communication, but nothing so bad as to make me skim through pages. I was actually disappointed when this book ended, which is hella rare, lemme tell you. Most books drag in the last couple of chapters, but this one didn't.
I'm so excited this is the first in a series. I WOULD LIKE MORE, PLEASE.
I liked how the author described Lottie's feelings of depression. As a post-depression gal, and a bit of an adrenaline junkie myself, I could totally relate to Lottie, and I fucking LOVE that. Nowadays female characters are so boring, with their "woe is me, I don't think I'm pretty, yet every guy falls in love with me, my life is so hard, waaaaaaa." For the past couple of months I've strictly been reading fanfiction, and 90% of fanfiction is better than any novel I've read recently, minus this one.
I also loved the slow burn between William and Lottie. The vast majority of books these days rely on the trite concept of love at first sight, which is a total cop-out for authors who can't be bothered to build up a relationship.
There was also NO BREAKUP in this book, thank you god. There was a bit of a lapse in communication, but nothing so bad as to make me skim through pages. I was actually disappointed when this book ended, which is hella rare, lemme tell you. Most books drag in the last couple of chapters, but this one didn't.
I'm so excited this is the first in a series. I WOULD LIKE MORE, PLEASE.
August 5, 2014
I received this book for an honest review... This was a very good story. This book takes you on an emotional roller coaster that you are not sure you want to get off.
In this we meet Charlotte who is planning on jumping off the bridge because she feels as though she has no other choice. While trying to complete her task she meets William who stops her and forces her to have a little fun instead.
I enjoyed this story because it was different than others out there. The reason I am rating at 4 is because there are parts of the story where it rambles a bit.
This is an enjoyable book and can not wait to see what comes out next in this series..
In this we meet Charlotte who is planning on jumping off the bridge because she feels as though she has no other choice. While trying to complete her task she meets William who stops her and forces her to have a little fun instead.
I enjoyed this story because it was different than others out there. The reason I am rating at 4 is because there are parts of the story where it rambles a bit.
This is an enjoyable book and can not wait to see what comes out next in this series..
August 5, 2014
I stayed up all night reading this one! Normally not a fan of sports romance, I found the combination of new adult and street racing REALLY refreshing! The characters were well fleshed out and easy to love. Easily the best book I've read all summer.
August 14, 2014
I honestly can't comprehend the number of 5 star ratings on this one. I truly hated it. I am delighted it's finally over. That is the only cheer I have in its ending.
More thoughts to come with full review.
More thoughts to come with full review.
August 7, 2014
A great read with lots of romance, drama, angst, and action. Had me hooked from the first page to the last.
August 7, 2014
FREAKING AWESOME!
November 27, 2014
Heartbreaking and romantic.
dnf
October 29, 2014DNF at 15%
I just wasn't feeling it. Wasn't particularly enjoying it. Could be just me though.
February 19, 2018
I liked this book. Brother wrote about a touchy subject when it came to suicide, but she did it pretty respectably. The characters were great for eachother and had awesome banter. I was hooked after the half way pot even though it took me a while to get into it. I wanted a little more from the romance aspect, but the deeper aspects of this book really made up for it. I’m not 100% sure if I will read more in the series but I will definitely be looking into them.
I’m giving it 3 stars because while I really did like it, I wanted the focus of suicide to not have been so deep after a certain percent of the book. It seemed like I was waiting the whole book for her to commit suicide, as opposed to seeing her live her life and become happy. I needed to see that journey, the different things that helped impact, even some of the therapy session she went to. It seemed like suicide thing was at the forefront of the book, but the healing while there in some ways, didn’t make the impact. It’s hard to explain but that’s the best way for me to describe it. I’m sure that a lot of other readers will think it was perfect and it wasn’t bad, it just somethings didn’t work for me. #2OCCJD
I’m giving it 3 stars because while I really did like it, I wanted the focus of suicide to not have been so deep after a certain percent of the book. It seemed like I was waiting the whole book for her to commit suicide, as opposed to seeing her live her life and become happy. I needed to see that journey, the different things that helped impact, even some of the therapy session she went to. It seemed like suicide thing was at the forefront of the book, but the healing while there in some ways, didn’t make the impact. It’s hard to explain but that’s the best way for me to describe it. I’m sure that a lot of other readers will think it was perfect and it wasn’t bad, it just somethings didn’t work for me. #2OCCJD
September 6, 2022
William is such a caring endearing character you have to love him, even though he is not always a good guy.
Lottie, or Jumper, is lost. The story alludes to a very traumatic and bullied past in recent years for her. At her most defeated she decides to jump off a bridge. Taking her ID with her, and jumping onto the highway hoping to have a fool proof method for death that will cause the least amount of inconvenience for everyone else she's irritated when her 'Do-gooder" wont leave her alone.
William seems like such a great guy. He knows what Charlotte is up to and tries his best to trick her out of it, eventually working his way into her world. One of the best new Authors I have found this year.
Lottie, or Jumper, is lost. The story alludes to a very traumatic and bullied past in recent years for her. At her most defeated she decides to jump off a bridge. Taking her ID with her, and jumping onto the highway hoping to have a fool proof method for death that will cause the least amount of inconvenience for everyone else she's irritated when her 'Do-gooder" wont leave her alone.
William seems like such a great guy. He knows what Charlotte is up to and tries his best to trick her out of it, eventually working his way into her world. One of the best new Authors I have found this year.
September 23, 2017
I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did but it was absolutely amazing. The romance was perfect and I loved the focus on the two main characters I was entirely captivated.
October 6, 2014
4.5 stars
"On the day I went to die, I didn’t leave a note."
Wow- this was my first Amanda Lance book and it was great! A few days later and I still have a warm and fuzzy feeling about this one. I was pulled in from that very first line above and only put it down when I fell asleep with my Kindle open.
Charlotte is depressed and suicidal, and after some detailed research she has made a decision on the best way to end it all- jumping from an overpass into moving traffic on the highway below.
"Overall, I had come up sixty-seven different ways to die, with only sixteen of them being very realistic for me."
Her descent into depression started a few years ago, and sadly her parents are too busy avoiding each other to realize their only child needs help. Although her motivation is not fully revealed until toward the end of the book, the insight into her thought process and observations along the way are meticulous and just a little scary if I am honest.
Just as she is getting ready to make her move, a beautiful guy pulls up in a muscle car and ultimately talks her into going for a ride with him instead of jumping. He agrees that at the end of the night if she decides she wants to go back there, he will drive her back to the overpass- he is just hoping to change her mind once he has her in the car and away from there.
Since she won't tell him her name, he nicknames her Jumper and it sticks. William introduces her to the world of fast cars and street racing- and for the first time in way too long, Lottie feels ALIVE. At the end of the night he drops her off at her car and she decides to go home, sure she will never see him again and unsure how she feels about it.
The next morning, he is still on her mind so she decides to do the one thing that still brings her a small measure of solace- baking. She is stunned when William shows up on her doorstep interrupting her cooking binge but she lets him into the house- step 1 toward letting him into her life a little bit as well. When he invites her to another race, she internally seizes on the one thing that has brought her some excitement but only outwardly agrees to think about it.
Charlotte has some serious self-esteem and trust issues after the past few years, and as much as she wants to take the friendship he is offering, it's not easy after being abandoned by her old friends and never hearing a word of praise or encouragement from her parents for years. That attitude just screams out from some of her thoughts and actions. Case in point:
"This guy was only feeding on my loneliness. Using my obvious underbelly to get in my head and take advantage of me in some way, right? That’s what people do, after all. That was all anyone ever did."
“Okay,” I snapped. “Well, you did it, now you can leave.” I didn’t mean a word of it, not a single one. And I was almost certain my eyes were screaming for him to stay. If he saw it or not remained uncertain.
She is socially awkward and second-guesses her own instincts constantly. Fortunately William is determined- the fact he is a gorgeous charismatic Irishman originally from the Boston area with an accompanying Irish accent doesn't hurt either ;-)
Slowly Lottie realizes although the underlying sadness is still there, her determination to die isn't as strong, and she takes the step to seek out a counselor to talk to. William and his friends become her friends, encouraging her to find new things to pursue and be passionate about.
William just absolutely melted me! He is easygoing and happy with a smile always on his face but he is protective and caring too. He is careful to push Lottie a little at a time to start trying new things and to get her to open up to the idea of getting help, but he never pushes her beyond what she can take and he is there to catch her when she needs it.
“Why does this matter to you so much?” “You mean why do you matter to me?” “Yeah.” I gulped. “I guess.” “I—” Smiling, he shook his head. “It’s complicated. But let’s just say I get a rush out of you, Jumper, and I don’t want you to go away anytime soon.”
Of course he has his own secrets that come into play in their story but I have to say I couldn't really disagree with Lottie's thoughts on them when revealed. That piece was resolved a little too easily though and I can't help but wonder if we see more about it in the 2nd book in the series. This first installment is a stand-alone though and I really enjoyed it. I will leave you with two more swoonworthy William statements- then go get your 1-click on while it is on sale for $0.99!
“What I mean is—I’d grow old, get all shriveled up and die. I’d stop racing, driving and even start taking the bus before I ever gave up on you, Jumper.”
“You’re way off, Jumper. I wanted to kiss you from the moment I saw you. I wanted to grab you and kiss all the sad right out of you.”
"On the day I went to die, I didn’t leave a note."
Wow- this was my first Amanda Lance book and it was great! A few days later and I still have a warm and fuzzy feeling about this one. I was pulled in from that very first line above and only put it down when I fell asleep with my Kindle open.
Charlotte is depressed and suicidal, and after some detailed research she has made a decision on the best way to end it all- jumping from an overpass into moving traffic on the highway below.
"Overall, I had come up sixty-seven different ways to die, with only sixteen of them being very realistic for me."
Her descent into depression started a few years ago, and sadly her parents are too busy avoiding each other to realize their only child needs help. Although her motivation is not fully revealed until toward the end of the book, the insight into her thought process and observations along the way are meticulous and just a little scary if I am honest.
Just as she is getting ready to make her move, a beautiful guy pulls up in a muscle car and ultimately talks her into going for a ride with him instead of jumping. He agrees that at the end of the night if she decides she wants to go back there, he will drive her back to the overpass- he is just hoping to change her mind once he has her in the car and away from there.
Since she won't tell him her name, he nicknames her Jumper and it sticks. William introduces her to the world of fast cars and street racing- and for the first time in way too long, Lottie feels ALIVE. At the end of the night he drops her off at her car and she decides to go home, sure she will never see him again and unsure how she feels about it.
The next morning, he is still on her mind so she decides to do the one thing that still brings her a small measure of solace- baking. She is stunned when William shows up on her doorstep interrupting her cooking binge but she lets him into the house- step 1 toward letting him into her life a little bit as well. When he invites her to another race, she internally seizes on the one thing that has brought her some excitement but only outwardly agrees to think about it.
Charlotte has some serious self-esteem and trust issues after the past few years, and as much as she wants to take the friendship he is offering, it's not easy after being abandoned by her old friends and never hearing a word of praise or encouragement from her parents for years. That attitude just screams out from some of her thoughts and actions. Case in point:
"This guy was only feeding on my loneliness. Using my obvious underbelly to get in my head and take advantage of me in some way, right? That’s what people do, after all. That was all anyone ever did."
“Okay,” I snapped. “Well, you did it, now you can leave.” I didn’t mean a word of it, not a single one. And I was almost certain my eyes were screaming for him to stay. If he saw it or not remained uncertain.
She is socially awkward and second-guesses her own instincts constantly. Fortunately William is determined- the fact he is a gorgeous charismatic Irishman originally from the Boston area with an accompanying Irish accent doesn't hurt either ;-)
Slowly Lottie realizes although the underlying sadness is still there, her determination to die isn't as strong, and she takes the step to seek out a counselor to talk to. William and his friends become her friends, encouraging her to find new things to pursue and be passionate about.
William just absolutely melted me! He is easygoing and happy with a smile always on his face but he is protective and caring too. He is careful to push Lottie a little at a time to start trying new things and to get her to open up to the idea of getting help, but he never pushes her beyond what she can take and he is there to catch her when she needs it.
“Why does this matter to you so much?” “You mean why do you matter to me?” “Yeah.” I gulped. “I guess.” “I—” Smiling, he shook his head. “It’s complicated. But let’s just say I get a rush out of you, Jumper, and I don’t want you to go away anytime soon.”
Of course he has his own secrets that come into play in their story but I have to say I couldn't really disagree with Lottie's thoughts on them when revealed. That piece was resolved a little too easily though and I can't help but wonder if we see more about it in the 2nd book in the series. This first installment is a stand-alone though and I really enjoyed it. I will leave you with two more swoonworthy William statements- then go get your 1-click on while it is on sale for $0.99!
“What I mean is—I’d grow old, get all shriveled up and die. I’d stop racing, driving and even start taking the bus before I ever gave up on you, Jumper.”
“You’re way off, Jumper. I wanted to kiss you from the moment I saw you. I wanted to grab you and kiss all the sad right out of you.”
August 5, 2014
I read this book without reading the synopsis. I wanted to go into the story without any preconceived ideas or expectations, needless to say I wasn’t disappointed but I was overwhelmed either. The blurb tells you exactly what the story is about and leaves out very few details.
A 20ish year old girl that has been dealing with depression for some time, makes the decision to commit suicide. Her attempt is interrupted by a handsome young man that introduces her to a world that allows her to forget her own problems and opens her eyes to world she never thought she could be a part of.
We know this young lady is hurting and depressed but we don’t know why. She never tells us what happened just that something did and it changed her. She doesn’t have any friends and her parents are just two people avoiding their relationship with each other much less have a relationship with her. She was so thorough and considerate in her planning that it was scary. She took into account so many scenarios- I shiver thinking about it.
While reading the first few chapters I began to identify with this young girl even asking the question of whether this story was about me. I could relate too well to what the character was going through. As I learned more about when the sadness started to overtake the more I could relate and the more real the story felt.
So while carrying out with her suicide plan a driver stops to ask for directions. After driving off he realizes that something is wrong and turns around to talk the young woman he finds wandering along the side of dark road. She meets Williams or “Billy” (every William is nicknamed Billy so no spoiler there) and he distracts her from carrying out her plans.
“Plan B. I’m supposed to be somewhere in like—” He glanced from me back to the car. “—five minutes ago. How about you come along with me and hang out with the lot of us? At the end of the night, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
That first night as friends is the best she’s had in a while but at the same time as she is she still considers her “other” option.
I’m sure you’ve realized that I haven’t called her by name but that’s because I don’t know it. Our names are so tied to who we are that it seems almost intentional for the author to do this. We meet her like Billy does, an unknown girl in pain, acting on a decision to end it the only way she knows how, without actually confronting the problem. Or I could just be over- analyzing it. But either way it seems important to point out. If I had read the blurb I would have known her name was Charlotte but I didn’t so this technique seemed more psychological.
Their friendship grows and Billy becomes Charlotte’s lifeline. He checks in on her, invites her into his world and introduces her to his friends. With each interaction Charlotte begins to look at life, HER LIFE differently.
And this is where the story lost me.
Charlotte’s struggle with how she felt for Billy annoyed me. I understood why she did it but, I wanted her to get over it already. I know that’s mean and unfeeling but that’s how I felt. She was in her 20’s but acted more like a 16 year old girl than a college age woman. I’m sure my own college experience played a part in this reaction to her but I wanted her to grow up. Get a backbone and get out from under her mother’s thumb. I actually wanted her to tell her mother a few CHOICE words, but actions always speak louder. (cough, cough)
Overall the story was well written and well told. I connected with Charlotte in the beginning but we became disconnected as the story went on. Charlotte eventually started her transformation and became stronger but I wanted to see more of that. I wanted her to make new friends and have other experiences with people. I needed a little more evidence of her change. I loved Billy from the beginning to the end. He never bullshitted. There were times when the lie was better than the truth but he always chose TRUTH and I appreciated him for that. He also respected Charlotte’s boundaries, allowing her to set the pace of the relationship.
For the reasons listed above I gave Breakdown 3.5 Red Roses. I didn’t realize when I accepted the offer to review this book that it was the first in the “Crash Into Me” series. I know it was right there all I had to do was read a little more. But I’m excited to know more about the other characters and their relationships , especially Eggs and Frenchie. So I will be eagerly waiting to learn what direction Amanda takes with this series.
*I received an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.*
A 20ish year old girl that has been dealing with depression for some time, makes the decision to commit suicide. Her attempt is interrupted by a handsome young man that introduces her to a world that allows her to forget her own problems and opens her eyes to world she never thought she could be a part of.
We know this young lady is hurting and depressed but we don’t know why. She never tells us what happened just that something did and it changed her. She doesn’t have any friends and her parents are just two people avoiding their relationship with each other much less have a relationship with her. She was so thorough and considerate in her planning that it was scary. She took into account so many scenarios- I shiver thinking about it.
While reading the first few chapters I began to identify with this young girl even asking the question of whether this story was about me. I could relate too well to what the character was going through. As I learned more about when the sadness started to overtake the more I could relate and the more real the story felt.
So while carrying out with her suicide plan a driver stops to ask for directions. After driving off he realizes that something is wrong and turns around to talk the young woman he finds wandering along the side of dark road. She meets Williams or “Billy” (every William is nicknamed Billy so no spoiler there) and he distracts her from carrying out her plans.
“Plan B. I’m supposed to be somewhere in like—” He glanced from me back to the car. “—five minutes ago. How about you come along with me and hang out with the lot of us? At the end of the night, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
That first night as friends is the best she’s had in a while but at the same time as she is she still considers her “other” option.
I’m sure you’ve realized that I haven’t called her by name but that’s because I don’t know it. Our names are so tied to who we are that it seems almost intentional for the author to do this. We meet her like Billy does, an unknown girl in pain, acting on a decision to end it the only way she knows how, without actually confronting the problem. Or I could just be over- analyzing it. But either way it seems important to point out. If I had read the blurb I would have known her name was Charlotte but I didn’t so this technique seemed more psychological.
Their friendship grows and Billy becomes Charlotte’s lifeline. He checks in on her, invites her into his world and introduces her to his friends. With each interaction Charlotte begins to look at life, HER LIFE differently.
And this is where the story lost me.
Charlotte’s struggle with how she felt for Billy annoyed me. I understood why she did it but, I wanted her to get over it already. I know that’s mean and unfeeling but that’s how I felt. She was in her 20’s but acted more like a 16 year old girl than a college age woman. I’m sure my own college experience played a part in this reaction to her but I wanted her to grow up. Get a backbone and get out from under her mother’s thumb. I actually wanted her to tell her mother a few CHOICE words, but actions always speak louder. (cough, cough)
Overall the story was well written and well told. I connected with Charlotte in the beginning but we became disconnected as the story went on. Charlotte eventually started her transformation and became stronger but I wanted to see more of that. I wanted her to make new friends and have other experiences with people. I needed a little more evidence of her change. I loved Billy from the beginning to the end. He never bullshitted. There were times when the lie was better than the truth but he always chose TRUTH and I appreciated him for that. He also respected Charlotte’s boundaries, allowing her to set the pace of the relationship.
For the reasons listed above I gave Breakdown 3.5 Red Roses. I didn’t realize when I accepted the offer to review this book that it was the first in the “Crash Into Me” series. I know it was right there all I had to do was read a little more. But I’m excited to know more about the other characters and their relationships , especially Eggs and Frenchie. So I will be eagerly waiting to learn what direction Amanda takes with this series.
*I received an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.*
August 7, 2014
Afterwards, William held me just as close as when we had been sleeping, the only difference being the lack of layers between us. And though I hadn't been awake long, making love-really making love-had taken more out of me than I had anticipated. William was still stroking my hair as I began drifting off, his harsh whisper jolting me away at the last second.
"Are you still with me Jumper?"
"Yes," I said, snuggling closer against him. "There's nowhere else to be."
"Good," he whispered back, and though there was a hesitation in him, I wasn't sure of it until I felt his Adam's apple as he swallowed hard on top of my head. "Because I am so in love with you." ~ William O'Reilly
When I read these words in the novel Breakdown, by Amanda Lance, I nearly melted into a puddle on the couch. It was so sweet and so touching that I read it over and over again.
William O'Reilly and Charlotte Ferro's first meeting is definitely not as sweet. William, comes across Charlotte as she's getting ready to jump off of an overpass. Yes you heard right, Charlotte is trying to end her life. She's come to a point in her life where she just wants to end it for the pain to go away. William isn't absolutely sure she's going to jump, but he doesn't want to take any chances. Somehow that night he convinces Charlotte to come with him. Promising he'll take her anywhere she wants to go at the end of the night.
Charlotte has carefully planned her jump off the overpass. Strategically parking her car where it won't be discovered for a while. Making sure her parents weren't home. There are several reasons for Charlotte's decision and they come out as she grows closer to William.
William and Charlotte come from completely different worlds. William, a mechanic who dropped out of college and Charlotte a college girl with a wealthy family don't seem like they would mix. But William understands Charlotte better than her parents ever did.
The pair wind up at an illegal drag race. In the area of California where they live these drag races are a pretty big business. William races his car Bloody Mary and he's good at it. He includes Charlotte this particular night and introduces her to some of his friends. For the first time in ages, Charlotte doesn't feel like a freak. When she meets Williams friends, they're genuinely nice to her. It seems people Charlotte thought were her friends, really weren't which is part of the reason she considered jumping and these brand new people are totally accepting of her. Weird right?
As they spend more and more time together, William learns the reasons why Charlotte was thinking of taking her life. What I liked was William wasn't Charlotte's automatic fix. Charlotte still struggled with her depression and she still considered suicide. I was impressed because William helped her. He was always there for her. He texted her everyday, stopped by to see her and most importantly made Charlotte promise she would seek counseling. He didn't do it just because he felt sorry. William catches some genuine feelings for Charlotte.
Yes, William O'Reilly is a totally swoon worthy book boyfriend. He's very nice to look at with a fit body and tattoos (oh what a few tattoos do to me). But the way he looks is only one part. Charlotte spends a lot of the book calling William a do-gooder and sometimes she gets annoyed at him for that. As time goes on, she feels attracted to him and it's kind of a shock to her.
William has his own secret that he's hiding and Charlotte finds out what he's got going on. William wants to keep Charlotte away from this part of his life, but Charlotte is going all in with this boy.
I think Charlotte's story is an important one to be told. She came so close to the ultimate ending and one small act of kindness from a stranger literally saved her life. What I also like is Amanda Lance didn't make life perfect at the end of Breakdown. There's always going to hurdles to get over in life. Hopefully, everyone in Charlotte's situation finds a William to come to their rescue.
A bonus to Breakdown is the relationship between William and Charlotte. It's sweet and sometimes sassy (well Charlotte's definitely a sassy one) and definitely sexy. When I go back to read the sexy parts over again, it's always a good sign. Anyway, I'm giving Breakdown a four lip smack review. It's a story I'm not going to soon forget.
***ARC read in exchange for honest review***
"Are you still with me Jumper?"
"Yes," I said, snuggling closer against him. "There's nowhere else to be."
"Good," he whispered back, and though there was a hesitation in him, I wasn't sure of it until I felt his Adam's apple as he swallowed hard on top of my head. "Because I am so in love with you." ~ William O'Reilly
When I read these words in the novel Breakdown, by Amanda Lance, I nearly melted into a puddle on the couch. It was so sweet and so touching that I read it over and over again.
William O'Reilly and Charlotte Ferro's first meeting is definitely not as sweet. William, comes across Charlotte as she's getting ready to jump off of an overpass. Yes you heard right, Charlotte is trying to end her life. She's come to a point in her life where she just wants to end it for the pain to go away. William isn't absolutely sure she's going to jump, but he doesn't want to take any chances. Somehow that night he convinces Charlotte to come with him. Promising he'll take her anywhere she wants to go at the end of the night.
Charlotte has carefully planned her jump off the overpass. Strategically parking her car where it won't be discovered for a while. Making sure her parents weren't home. There are several reasons for Charlotte's decision and they come out as she grows closer to William.
William and Charlotte come from completely different worlds. William, a mechanic who dropped out of college and Charlotte a college girl with a wealthy family don't seem like they would mix. But William understands Charlotte better than her parents ever did.
The pair wind up at an illegal drag race. In the area of California where they live these drag races are a pretty big business. William races his car Bloody Mary and he's good at it. He includes Charlotte this particular night and introduces her to some of his friends. For the first time in ages, Charlotte doesn't feel like a freak. When she meets Williams friends, they're genuinely nice to her. It seems people Charlotte thought were her friends, really weren't which is part of the reason she considered jumping and these brand new people are totally accepting of her. Weird right?
As they spend more and more time together, William learns the reasons why Charlotte was thinking of taking her life. What I liked was William wasn't Charlotte's automatic fix. Charlotte still struggled with her depression and she still considered suicide. I was impressed because William helped her. He was always there for her. He texted her everyday, stopped by to see her and most importantly made Charlotte promise she would seek counseling. He didn't do it just because he felt sorry. William catches some genuine feelings for Charlotte.
Yes, William O'Reilly is a totally swoon worthy book boyfriend. He's very nice to look at with a fit body and tattoos (oh what a few tattoos do to me). But the way he looks is only one part. Charlotte spends a lot of the book calling William a do-gooder and sometimes she gets annoyed at him for that. As time goes on, she feels attracted to him and it's kind of a shock to her.
William has his own secret that he's hiding and Charlotte finds out what he's got going on. William wants to keep Charlotte away from this part of his life, but Charlotte is going all in with this boy.
I think Charlotte's story is an important one to be told. She came so close to the ultimate ending and one small act of kindness from a stranger literally saved her life. What I also like is Amanda Lance didn't make life perfect at the end of Breakdown. There's always going to hurdles to get over in life. Hopefully, everyone in Charlotte's situation finds a William to come to their rescue.
A bonus to Breakdown is the relationship between William and Charlotte. It's sweet and sometimes sassy (well Charlotte's definitely a sassy one) and definitely sexy. When I go back to read the sexy parts over again, it's always a good sign. Anyway, I'm giving Breakdown a four lip smack review. It's a story I'm not going to soon forget.
***ARC read in exchange for honest review***
August 6, 2014
I was provided an ARC by the author for an honest review.
Wow. This book took me by surprise. I had never heard of Amanda Lance before and now I am looking into her other stories to see if they were as great as Breakdown. This book blew away my expectations and created a tale that I lost myself in. I read this story so fast and didn't stop from page one till the end. Amanda's writing was fabulous and this story was beautifully simplistic. I say that not in the sense that the writing or story line was small and simple. I say that in such a way that it was so focused without being overwhelming. The subject matter and characters were truly relatable in such a way that I was able to see myself in Charlotte and feel the emotions without being overwhelmed with too much information or drama. It was just a sweet and deep story about a girl , needing to be loved and accepted for who she was. A girl who needed to find something that would bring life back into her life, showing her the beauty of what it could be.
As this story opens, Charlotte is planning out her last moments with great care and heading to her fate: death by jumping. The story opens on a young woman who is determined to end her life, and she has taken such painstaking steps to making it as easy for everyone in the after math by planning it on the best day, with the best method, and trying to be considerate of people's schedules and lives. It is borderline disturbingly humorous how she make sure everything is ready. She feels nothing but aching sadness and depression. It was so hard to see her mentality that the end of her life was a forgone conclusion: she would die and everyone else would move on. But alas it was not meant to be. Her plans were foiled by the handsome do-gooder, William O'Reilly. He is driving by and sees her, then learning what she plans to do, stops to talk her down and attempts to change her mind. They strike a deal that she will go with him somewhere and then he will do whatever she asks. Lo and behold, this small act of kindness sets them on a path that will change them both. Charlotte, now affectionately known as Jumper, is thrust into a underground world of illegal drag racing that makes her feel more alive than she ever imagined. William begins to help breathe life back into her world and as they grow closer as friends, Charlotte learns to see the color in life again and seek out the things she enjoys. She begins to see what her life could be like with the help of William, which sets her to questioning her plans of suicide. He encourages her to do what she loves, to seek out adventure and live in the moment, even though it sometimes backfires. As they fall deeper into each other, there is nothing that can prepare them for the depth of emotion and connection they develop. Despite the obstacles and personal issues, they are able to come together and bring the dead parts to life, to bring hope in places where it does not seem to want to grow.
There was something about Charlotte that really struck a cord. As someone who has dealt with depression, it was powerful to see that written in such a real way- the hopelessness, the despair, the deep sadness and numbness to the world around you. Watching her from page one, in such a deep and dark place, seeing how she processes and begins to live again, is powerful. It was heartbreaking to watch her struggle with the lies of society that there is something wrong with her or that she deserved what happened to her, the shame that she allowed the world to put on her shoulder. The avenue in which William was her knight in shining armor was perfect. He didn't have the answers to fix her but was instead able to bring her to a new understanding of who she was, introducing her to life outside her world that brought adrenaline, excitement and ultimately healing in ways that allowed her to grow into a strong woman. She was able to take a step back and in a way, fix herself, by seeing the world through William's eyes and leaning into his strength.
Overall this book was so wonderful. It is well written and well presented. I cannot wait to see what is next in the series and where Amanda is planning to go with the story line. Make sure to check this book out!
Wow. This book took me by surprise. I had never heard of Amanda Lance before and now I am looking into her other stories to see if they were as great as Breakdown. This book blew away my expectations and created a tale that I lost myself in. I read this story so fast and didn't stop from page one till the end. Amanda's writing was fabulous and this story was beautifully simplistic. I say that not in the sense that the writing or story line was small and simple. I say that in such a way that it was so focused without being overwhelming. The subject matter and characters were truly relatable in such a way that I was able to see myself in Charlotte and feel the emotions without being overwhelmed with too much information or drama. It was just a sweet and deep story about a girl , needing to be loved and accepted for who she was. A girl who needed to find something that would bring life back into her life, showing her the beauty of what it could be.
As this story opens, Charlotte is planning out her last moments with great care and heading to her fate: death by jumping. The story opens on a young woman who is determined to end her life, and she has taken such painstaking steps to making it as easy for everyone in the after math by planning it on the best day, with the best method, and trying to be considerate of people's schedules and lives. It is borderline disturbingly humorous how she make sure everything is ready. She feels nothing but aching sadness and depression. It was so hard to see her mentality that the end of her life was a forgone conclusion: she would die and everyone else would move on. But alas it was not meant to be. Her plans were foiled by the handsome do-gooder, William O'Reilly. He is driving by and sees her, then learning what she plans to do, stops to talk her down and attempts to change her mind. They strike a deal that she will go with him somewhere and then he will do whatever she asks. Lo and behold, this small act of kindness sets them on a path that will change them both. Charlotte, now affectionately known as Jumper, is thrust into a underground world of illegal drag racing that makes her feel more alive than she ever imagined. William begins to help breathe life back into her world and as they grow closer as friends, Charlotte learns to see the color in life again and seek out the things she enjoys. She begins to see what her life could be like with the help of William, which sets her to questioning her plans of suicide. He encourages her to do what she loves, to seek out adventure and live in the moment, even though it sometimes backfires. As they fall deeper into each other, there is nothing that can prepare them for the depth of emotion and connection they develop. Despite the obstacles and personal issues, they are able to come together and bring the dead parts to life, to bring hope in places where it does not seem to want to grow.
There was something about Charlotte that really struck a cord. As someone who has dealt with depression, it was powerful to see that written in such a real way- the hopelessness, the despair, the deep sadness and numbness to the world around you. Watching her from page one, in such a deep and dark place, seeing how she processes and begins to live again, is powerful. It was heartbreaking to watch her struggle with the lies of society that there is something wrong with her or that she deserved what happened to her, the shame that she allowed the world to put on her shoulder. The avenue in which William was her knight in shining armor was perfect. He didn't have the answers to fix her but was instead able to bring her to a new understanding of who she was, introducing her to life outside her world that brought adrenaline, excitement and ultimately healing in ways that allowed her to grow into a strong woman. She was able to take a step back and in a way, fix herself, by seeing the world through William's eyes and leaning into his strength.
Overall this book was so wonderful. It is well written and well presented. I cannot wait to see what is next in the series and where Amanda is planning to go with the story line. Make sure to check this book out!
August 5, 2014
FOUR STARS
Reviewed by Claire Rose for Kindle Friends Forever
Wow! What can I say about this novel because it certainly had my emotions on a roller coaster? One minute I was crying! The next, laughing out loud and getting some strange looks from my family while reading on my kindle! Then came the anger which made me want to shake someone and shout why. At times I got so frustrated with the main character and had to stop reading. What I will say to you is if you are looking for a romance novel that involves a young woman who needs saving, a bad boy who is the hero, or you want a quick holiday read, this recommended read is for you.
Breakdown is a romance novel that describes a young woman suffering from a deep depression who struggles with day to day tasks and life itself. Until one late evening she meets her future. Let me explain! Charlotte is a beautiful young Italian woman studying business as her major. She lives with her parents who don’t take an interest in each other, and go out of their way to avoid each other as much as possible, too. Although her mother’s only interest is in her education, she still manages to dampen any dreams and hopes Charlotte has. For the past three years she has been struggling with a deep depression and believes the only way out is death.
The story starts with Charlotte leaving her parents’ home to travel to Elizabeth Port Street Bridge where she intends to do the unthinkable. Say no more but this is where she’ll meet our bad Irish boy, William O' Riley. Twentyish, gorgeous eyes with messy blonde hair and of course, tattoos, spots Charlotte on the bridge and it reminds him of an event that happened in his past. So he decides to talk to her, but when he looks into her cold and lifeless eyes, he realises something is dreadfully wrong and wants to help. So what does this bad-ass do? He invites her to hang out with him and his friends in his world.
Unbeknown to Charlotte, William doesn't live by the law. In fact, he’s very good at breaking it! Well knowing that the life he leads is no good for her doesn't stop him from having strong feeling for her either. The more they hang out together, the more she refuses to talk about her life and continues to talk about the unspeakable. Will he be able to bring life back into Charlotte’s eyes? He’ll most certainly try. And what big issue is behind them too? Throughout this novel, you’ll learn to understand why William lives the life he does and if you want to find out more, One-Click!
I would like to say is that even though there are many forms of this illness which at one point or another, some of us have suffered; with good support and most importantly, love from your family and friends, one can accomplish anything. I have to applaud Amanda on how well she has described Charlotte’s depression and her extraordinarily detailed portrayal of the depressed mind. Will this beautiful woman be able to fight her dark unwanted feelings head on and not shatter her hopes and dreams?
The story line is fantastic! The two main characters even more so; however, I have rated this book FOUR STARS because I wanted to know more about secondary characters who Charlotte formed friendships with. I also found that in some parts of the story, I was adding, taking away or rearranging sentences to make sense. But l got past that and read a wonderful heart breaking all emotional story. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
Reviewed by Claire Rose for Kindle Friends Forever
Wow! What can I say about this novel because it certainly had my emotions on a roller coaster? One minute I was crying! The next, laughing out loud and getting some strange looks from my family while reading on my kindle! Then came the anger which made me want to shake someone and shout why. At times I got so frustrated with the main character and had to stop reading. What I will say to you is if you are looking for a romance novel that involves a young woman who needs saving, a bad boy who is the hero, or you want a quick holiday read, this recommended read is for you.
Breakdown is a romance novel that describes a young woman suffering from a deep depression who struggles with day to day tasks and life itself. Until one late evening she meets her future. Let me explain! Charlotte is a beautiful young Italian woman studying business as her major. She lives with her parents who don’t take an interest in each other, and go out of their way to avoid each other as much as possible, too. Although her mother’s only interest is in her education, she still manages to dampen any dreams and hopes Charlotte has. For the past three years she has been struggling with a deep depression and believes the only way out is death.
The story starts with Charlotte leaving her parents’ home to travel to Elizabeth Port Street Bridge where she intends to do the unthinkable. Say no more but this is where she’ll meet our bad Irish boy, William O' Riley. Twentyish, gorgeous eyes with messy blonde hair and of course, tattoos, spots Charlotte on the bridge and it reminds him of an event that happened in his past. So he decides to talk to her, but when he looks into her cold and lifeless eyes, he realises something is dreadfully wrong and wants to help. So what does this bad-ass do? He invites her to hang out with him and his friends in his world.
Unbeknown to Charlotte, William doesn't live by the law. In fact, he’s very good at breaking it! Well knowing that the life he leads is no good for her doesn't stop him from having strong feeling for her either. The more they hang out together, the more she refuses to talk about her life and continues to talk about the unspeakable. Will he be able to bring life back into Charlotte’s eyes? He’ll most certainly try. And what big issue is behind them too? Throughout this novel, you’ll learn to understand why William lives the life he does and if you want to find out more, One-Click!
I would like to say is that even though there are many forms of this illness which at one point or another, some of us have suffered; with good support and most importantly, love from your family and friends, one can accomplish anything. I have to applaud Amanda on how well she has described Charlotte’s depression and her extraordinarily detailed portrayal of the depressed mind. Will this beautiful woman be able to fight her dark unwanted feelings head on and not shatter her hopes and dreams?
The story line is fantastic! The two main characters even more so; however, I have rated this book FOUR STARS because I wanted to know more about secondary characters who Charlotte formed friendships with. I also found that in some parts of the story, I was adding, taking away or rearranging sentences to make sense. But l got past that and read a wonderful heart breaking all emotional story. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
August 8, 2014
Charlotte, AKA Lottie, is sad. And not just your normal sad, but depressed. Her parents are never around, she has no friends, and ever since her boyfriend broke up with her a year and a half ago, she’s fallen deeper and deeper, until she decides to end it all.
Standing on top of a busy overpass, she looks down, ready to relieve her pain and feel nothing at all, for the rest of time. But her plans are destroyed when a passing “do-gooder” comes by, asking if she’s all right. He convinces her he’ll take her anywhere, but first she has to meet his friends.
William “Billy the Kid” O’Reilly then dubs Lottie as Jumper. From that point on, no matter how much she tries to deny it, she forms a connection with “Do-gooder.” He saved her life, introducing her to street-racing and many new activities that allow her to get that adrenaline rush she so desperately craves.
Together these two form a bond, with Lottie relying on William to be her saving grace, the one that makes her happy, puts the smile on her face, talks her down from the ledge. Together they form a relationship, but it’s soon torn apart when things get out of hand…
“Remember how you said I shouldn’t hold my breath waiting for you to call me?”
I smiled faintly. “Yeah.”
“Well, I just want you to know that I’d do a lot more than that for you. If you needed me, I’d die holding my breath for you.”
Take that quote as an example. I think the best part about this book is William. There is something about him, I don’t know what it is. I can’t put my finger on it, but I really, really like him. He’s sweet, caring, compassionate, loving, gentle. And he will push when he needs to, when he knows that she needs it. He just has this way about him, and I’ve never felt this way about a book boyfriend boyfriend.
Normally I have that lusty feeling, where you think it’s all about the sex and what he can do for you, but now I know that there is a different type out there, one that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, one that makes you feel the love he has for you. And I want to say lots more about him, but I won’t talk your ear off.
The story line! I loved it! I didn’t read the synopsis; I usually don’t. It doesn’t have any steamy hot sexy-times, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t find it here. But the love that you can feel when these two finally make love… it’s a wonderful feeling. As I said, the plot is definitely different. I haven’t read one like this before. It was refreshing and fun. It was also very funny. There were many parts where I’m laughing out loud, trying my hardest not to spit cereal at my kindle.
The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that it needs a serious run through with an editor. A lot of the times there were misspellings, missing or extra words, and it took away from the story as I had to rearrange what she was trying to say in my mind.
Other than that, I completely loved this book. It is definitely a great read, but because of the editing, I have to give it four stars. If you can look past that, which I can’t as I analyze EVERYTHING, then you will probably find this is a five star read for you. Great job, Amanda Lance! I can’t wait for more!
Standing on top of a busy overpass, she looks down, ready to relieve her pain and feel nothing at all, for the rest of time. But her plans are destroyed when a passing “do-gooder” comes by, asking if she’s all right. He convinces her he’ll take her anywhere, but first she has to meet his friends.
William “Billy the Kid” O’Reilly then dubs Lottie as Jumper. From that point on, no matter how much she tries to deny it, she forms a connection with “Do-gooder.” He saved her life, introducing her to street-racing and many new activities that allow her to get that adrenaline rush she so desperately craves.
Together these two form a bond, with Lottie relying on William to be her saving grace, the one that makes her happy, puts the smile on her face, talks her down from the ledge. Together they form a relationship, but it’s soon torn apart when things get out of hand…
“Remember how you said I shouldn’t hold my breath waiting for you to call me?”
I smiled faintly. “Yeah.”
“Well, I just want you to know that I’d do a lot more than that for you. If you needed me, I’d die holding my breath for you.”
Take that quote as an example. I think the best part about this book is William. There is something about him, I don’t know what it is. I can’t put my finger on it, but I really, really like him. He’s sweet, caring, compassionate, loving, gentle. And he will push when he needs to, when he knows that she needs it. He just has this way about him, and I’ve never felt this way about a book boyfriend boyfriend.
Normally I have that lusty feeling, where you think it’s all about the sex and what he can do for you, but now I know that there is a different type out there, one that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, one that makes you feel the love he has for you. And I want to say lots more about him, but I won’t talk your ear off.
The story line! I loved it! I didn’t read the synopsis; I usually don’t. It doesn’t have any steamy hot sexy-times, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t find it here. But the love that you can feel when these two finally make love… it’s a wonderful feeling. As I said, the plot is definitely different. I haven’t read one like this before. It was refreshing and fun. It was also very funny. There were many parts where I’m laughing out loud, trying my hardest not to spit cereal at my kindle.
The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that it needs a serious run through with an editor. A lot of the times there were misspellings, missing or extra words, and it took away from the story as I had to rearrange what she was trying to say in my mind.
Other than that, I completely loved this book. It is definitely a great read, but because of the editing, I have to give it four stars. If you can look past that, which I can’t as I analyze EVERYTHING, then you will probably find this is a five star read for you. Great job, Amanda Lance! I can’t wait for more!
November 10, 2014
Review and others can be found here
I loved this book! I mean I loved everything about it. The characters. The world. The Romance. Everything. It was such a great read. I have read Amanda Lance’s Endangered Hearts series and new she could tell an amazing story but I think I liked this book even more.
Charlotte or Jumper is depressed, so depressed that she plans her suicide and finds herself at the overpass in her town. She has everything planned and now she just has to jump. A car drives by twice and on the second pass it stops and convinces Charlotte to take a ride with him before she says goodbye to the world forever. I really felt for Charlotte in this book. Amanda Lance was able to write her emotional pain in a way that made it real for the reader. I love that Charlotte had this dark sense of humor about life. It was a journey watching her becoming a person again after shutting everything down so she could jump. William and Tabby really show her how to live again.
William has a secret of his own. He not only does illegal street races but he is into things that are far worse. He tries his hardest to help Jumper come back to life but also keep her away from all of the illegal things he is into. William was a great character and he was perfect for Charlotte. He was there for her everyday even though he wanted so much more than he thought that she could give. Just being her friend and helping her through the depression was enough for him. He was hilarious and sexy. Caring and passionate.
The romance in this book was slow. And that is what makes it amazing. Charlotte is in a bad place and she has never been shown love or even shown how to love someone in return so if the book was insta-love or even faster than the way Amanda Lance wrote it wouldn’t have made sense. We got to watch Charlotte learn all of those emotions the way she should have learned them. Charlotte and William were so great together. They had chemistry, believable chemistry, and their interactions were down right hilarious at times.
Overall this was a great story. The writing was emotional and intense. The flow was perfect. The book kept you turning page after page without being bored. I will definitely be reading more from this author!
I loved this book! I mean I loved everything about it. The characters. The world. The Romance. Everything. It was such a great read. I have read Amanda Lance’s Endangered Hearts series and new she could tell an amazing story but I think I liked this book even more.
Charlotte or Jumper is depressed, so depressed that she plans her suicide and finds herself at the overpass in her town. She has everything planned and now she just has to jump. A car drives by twice and on the second pass it stops and convinces Charlotte to take a ride with him before she says goodbye to the world forever. I really felt for Charlotte in this book. Amanda Lance was able to write her emotional pain in a way that made it real for the reader. I love that Charlotte had this dark sense of humor about life. It was a journey watching her becoming a person again after shutting everything down so she could jump. William and Tabby really show her how to live again.
William has a secret of his own. He not only does illegal street races but he is into things that are far worse. He tries his hardest to help Jumper come back to life but also keep her away from all of the illegal things he is into. William was a great character and he was perfect for Charlotte. He was there for her everyday even though he wanted so much more than he thought that she could give. Just being her friend and helping her through the depression was enough for him. He was hilarious and sexy. Caring and passionate.
The romance in this book was slow. And that is what makes it amazing. Charlotte is in a bad place and she has never been shown love or even shown how to love someone in return so if the book was insta-love or even faster than the way Amanda Lance wrote it wouldn’t have made sense. We got to watch Charlotte learn all of those emotions the way she should have learned them. Charlotte and William were so great together. They had chemistry, believable chemistry, and their interactions were down right hilarious at times.
Overall this was a great story. The writing was emotional and intense. The flow was perfect. The book kept you turning page after page without being bored. I will definitely be reading more from this author!
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