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Sutton College #1
Between Everything and Us
Matisse Evans is determined to make her sophomore year of college successful after failing out of a prestigious art school and spending a horribly boring gap year at home. Despite her focus, time isn't on her side as she struggles to hold down three jobs so she can afford her first apartment while juggling course work. In the chaos of it all, Beau Grady moves in and shakes up her world. A college dropout and tattooed bad boy, the rumors about Beau mean one thing for Matisse—trouble. Paralyzed by the fear that she's missing out on life, Matisse discovers plans may unravel, but what rises in their wake can be worth the uncertainty.
After spending the summer couch surfing, Beau Grady moves into an empty room at his ex-girlfriend’s Portland bungalow, skipping his senior year of college to spend his days working at a Vietnamese food cart instead. Once a star hockey player and gifted student, he’s put his life on hold after receiving a life-altering diagnosis, complacent to live in the moment. Hiding behind false rumors and bad habits, Beau falls for Matisse, letting her believe the worst until their relationship blooms into something they both can’t ignore. Falling for her means having to face a future he’d rather forget, but loving her just might be worth it.
After spending the summer couch surfing, Beau Grady moves into an empty room at his ex-girlfriend’s Portland bungalow, skipping his senior year of college to spend his days working at a Vietnamese food cart instead. Once a star hockey player and gifted student, he’s put his life on hold after receiving a life-altering diagnosis, complacent to live in the moment. Hiding behind false rumors and bad habits, Beau falls for Matisse, letting her believe the worst until their relationship blooms into something they both can’t ignore. Falling for her means having to face a future he’d rather forget, but loving her just might be worth it.
271 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
56 people are currently reading
893 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Paula
26 books80 followers **Stay connected. Sign up for Rebecca's newsletter for the latest release news, exclusive excerpts, and giveaways.**
Rebecca writes sexy, emotional contemporary and historical romances about flawed characters brave enough to live outside the lines and embrace the messy and complicated bits of life and love. Also, there’s kissing.
She’s a champion of Byronic heroes, a wanderlust connoisseur, a hopeless romantic, and is epically losing the battle of conquering her TBR pile (okay, TBR closet). Rebecca lives in New Hampshire with her husband and baby daughter.
When not writing or reading, she loves ghost hunting shows, hiking around New England, and scouring stores for a cute dress with pockets.
Rebecca writes sexy, emotional contemporary and historical romances about flawed characters brave enough to live outside the lines and embrace the messy and complicated bits of life and love. Also, there’s kissing.
She’s a champion of Byronic heroes, a wanderlust connoisseur, a hopeless romantic, and is epically losing the battle of conquering her TBR pile (okay, TBR closet). Rebecca lives in New Hampshire with her husband and baby daughter.
When not writing or reading, she loves ghost hunting shows, hiking around New England, and scouring stores for a cute dress with pockets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
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February 1, 2015DNF 60%
Got bored with the story and waiting for the couple to get together. Needed ANYTHING to happen in the story besides around and around... writing is good.
Perhaps if the author took a few million scenes that went nowhere and added something I could have stuck around for the secret reveal and the couple to actually get together.
Got bored with the story and waiting for the couple to get together. Needed ANYTHING to happen in the story besides around and around... writing is good.
Perhaps if the author took a few million scenes that went nowhere and added something I could have stuck around for the secret reveal and the couple to actually get together.
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May 17, 2018💝FREE in iBooks store today (5/17/2018)!💝
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February 2, 2015☆ I received an ARC via LBTS PR in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ☆
November 26, 2015
Between Everything and Us follows the story of Matisse and Beau. Matisse is trying to get her life back on track after failing out of art school. As if that's not enough, she's struggling to make ends meet and to please her parents. The last thing she needed in her life, was for Beau to be apart of it. Beau is her new roommate. Everything about him spells trouble: from his tattoos, to him being a college drop out. She is totally unprepared for how he's going to turn her life upside down.
Beau has a secret that he hides behind. His reasons for dropping out of school are not what people think. He has a medical condition that has turned his world upside down. Despite all of that, he finds himself falling for Matisse. Will Beau take a chance on having a real future? What will happen when Matisse finds out what he's been hiding?
Overall, I liked the idea of this story. I thought that it had some great push and pull and I enjoyed the chemistry between Beau and Matisse. It was fun watching them try to deny what they were feeling and just waiting for them to fall. My issue with the story was that I felt like sometimes there was something missing. It's hard for me to really pinpoint exactly what was off. This book had some really amazing scenes but I don't know, the flow just wasn't working for me.
Even though I did have some issues with this story, I still found this to be an ok read. Between Everything and Us is a great coming of age story. The characters are real and flawed. It did have some great swoon worthy moments and I did enjoy the angst. Even though this book was not a home run for me, I think that this author has a ton of potential and I'm looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
*I was provided with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
You can also see my review here at: http://www.onceuponabookblog.com/blog...
Beau has a secret that he hides behind. His reasons for dropping out of school are not what people think. He has a medical condition that has turned his world upside down. Despite all of that, he finds himself falling for Matisse. Will Beau take a chance on having a real future? What will happen when Matisse finds out what he's been hiding?
Overall, I liked the idea of this story. I thought that it had some great push and pull and I enjoyed the chemistry between Beau and Matisse. It was fun watching them try to deny what they were feeling and just waiting for them to fall. My issue with the story was that I felt like sometimes there was something missing. It's hard for me to really pinpoint exactly what was off. This book had some really amazing scenes but I don't know, the flow just wasn't working for me.
Even though I did have some issues with this story, I still found this to be an ok read. Between Everything and Us is a great coming of age story. The characters are real and flawed. It did have some great swoon worthy moments and I did enjoy the angst. Even though this book was not a home run for me, I think that this author has a ton of potential and I'm looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
*I was provided with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
You can also see my review here at: http://www.onceuponabookblog.com/blog...
December 27, 2015
I should have loved this book. I really should have. It was all the things I love about NA Romance. But I just could not invest myself fully into the story of Mati and Beau. I really, really wanted to though!
Mati and Beau are unlikely roommates and both struggling with their own issues. Mati, an art major and a sophomore who is trying to undo the mistakes of her past by focusing on succeeding at all costs and Beau, a man who is struggling with the new future he’s been given when one moment cost him everything. But one thing is for certain, these two are connected – their paths are crossing and the crash is inevitable.
So okay. The writing was good – it was really good, but it just didn’t fit this story for me. I found it difficult at times to focus on the story because of the structure of the writing. It was a bit distracting. It felt like all of the chemistry between Mati and Beau was forced into these moments where their thoughts were these grand statements but there were just no actions actually happening to get you there. Almost like all of their initial interactions that allowed their coupling to work, existed in their heads. It made feeling much for them at the early stages much harder.
A lot of things were introduced in a way that felt like you were tossed into the deep end. Mid-story, without any lead up or history and rather than backtrack through – the story just pushed forward. I think that some of those questions will be answered in the subsequent books of this series – but it really just made me feel disconnected from everything going on.
My heart did feel a bit of a thud towards the end and I was really happy with the way things ended, but the whole thing just never came together for me. For being a debut author, I think it was a great job and I although I am not sure if I’ll be able to squeeze Reagan & Nash’s story in to my list of books to read, I think the author has the ability to write a phenomenal story and this book showed that talent.
In the end though, I think this just came to down to the right book at the wrong time for me. A complete, this was a me issue and not the book.
Mati and Beau are unlikely roommates and both struggling with their own issues. Mati, an art major and a sophomore who is trying to undo the mistakes of her past by focusing on succeeding at all costs and Beau, a man who is struggling with the new future he’s been given when one moment cost him everything. But one thing is for certain, these two are connected – their paths are crossing and the crash is inevitable.
So okay. The writing was good – it was really good, but it just didn’t fit this story for me. I found it difficult at times to focus on the story because of the structure of the writing. It was a bit distracting. It felt like all of the chemistry between Mati and Beau was forced into these moments where their thoughts were these grand statements but there were just no actions actually happening to get you there. Almost like all of their initial interactions that allowed their coupling to work, existed in their heads. It made feeling much for them at the early stages much harder.
A lot of things were introduced in a way that felt like you were tossed into the deep end. Mid-story, without any lead up or history and rather than backtrack through – the story just pushed forward. I think that some of those questions will be answered in the subsequent books of this series – but it really just made me feel disconnected from everything going on.
My heart did feel a bit of a thud towards the end and I was really happy with the way things ended, but the whole thing just never came together for me. For being a debut author, I think it was a great job and I although I am not sure if I’ll be able to squeeze Reagan & Nash’s story in to my list of books to read, I think the author has the ability to write a phenomenal story and this book showed that talent.
In the end though, I think this just came to down to the right book at the wrong time for me. A complete, this was a me issue and not the book.
January 27, 2015
2015 gave me Between Everything and Us. [opens heart] [puts book inside] /whispers "forever."
Review also here: https://hopelessbooklovers.wordpress....
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To be able to describe this book is such a hard task. I’m not even sure if I can use any word other than PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT. I seriously couldn’t believe how much this book did affect me on an emotional level. Rebecca Paula always writing to hurt my heart. But yet again she always puts it back together.
I am Rebecca Paula’s number one fan. YEP guys. Sorry not sorry but I am 100000.01% in love with her and her angsty fluffy books. It’s like she does it magically. You never get prepared for her books. Even if you read, reread the synopsis or seen teasers [she likes to tease. A LOT.] The book itself is something completely not what you expect. I love that about her.
Was this book ANGSTY? Since the very first page Becka put me my heart on the line. You just fall in love with Mati and Beau instantly. Insta-love. It was such a nice thing to see their relationship grow. And those scenes!!!! You always write some serious sexy scenes Becka /cough thanks from the bottom of my heart. /give me more
The book – it was my kind of book. I devoured it. I enjoyed it lots. As always RP never disappoints. She creates characters that are so frigging real. So raw. So flawed. But they feel as powerful like they can conquer the world. They are badass and sassy and pretty freaking incredible, also swoony. /cough SWOONY IS LITTLE TO HOW THEY REALLY ARE OKAY. Beau [heart eyes] As I was saying, her characters are like rough diamonds. They have a SPARK, THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL. Their story, written by Rebecca, feels so perfect. She always gives them a voice and their voices are loud, people. Every last one of her characters deserves an award. And Rebecca as well.
You complete me.
If you’re looking for a book with:
- Friends to lovers
- Sexy Skype calls [wink wink] that kind yes
- Angsty relationship
- “JUST KISS ALREADY” MOMENTS
- A pretty damn badass heroine
- A pretty flawed hero
- TEXTING WITH EACH OTHER WHEN THEY ARE APART
[Get this book because it has it all. Do it. Now.]
Review also here: https://hopelessbooklovers.wordpress....
----
To be able to describe this book is such a hard task. I’m not even sure if I can use any word other than PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT. I seriously couldn’t believe how much this book did affect me on an emotional level. Rebecca Paula always writing to hurt my heart. But yet again she always puts it back together.
I am Rebecca Paula’s number one fan. YEP guys. Sorry not sorry but I am 100000.01% in love with her and her angsty fluffy books. It’s like she does it magically. You never get prepared for her books. Even if you read, reread the synopsis or seen teasers [she likes to tease. A LOT.] The book itself is something completely not what you expect. I love that about her.
Was this book ANGSTY? Since the very first page Becka put me my heart on the line. You just fall in love with Mati and Beau instantly. Insta-love. It was such a nice thing to see their relationship grow. And those scenes!!!! You always write some serious sexy scenes Becka /cough thanks from the bottom of my heart. /give me more
The book – it was my kind of book. I devoured it. I enjoyed it lots. As always RP never disappoints. She creates characters that are so frigging real. So raw. So flawed. But they feel as powerful like they can conquer the world. They are badass and sassy and pretty freaking incredible, also swoony. /cough SWOONY IS LITTLE TO HOW THEY REALLY ARE OKAY. Beau [heart eyes] As I was saying, her characters are like rough diamonds. They have a SPARK, THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL. Their story, written by Rebecca, feels so perfect. She always gives them a voice and their voices are loud, people. Every last one of her characters deserves an award. And Rebecca as well.
You complete me.
If you’re looking for a book with:
- Friends to lovers
- Sexy Skype calls [wink wink] that kind yes
- Angsty relationship
- “JUST KISS ALREADY” MOMENTS
- A pretty damn badass heroine
- A pretty flawed hero
- TEXTING WITH EACH OTHER WHEN THEY ARE APART
[Get this book because it has it all. Do it. Now.]
January 25, 2015
I fell in love with Rebecca’s writing when I read her other book Everly After.
The minute I read the synopsis for Between Everything and Us I knew that I was going to be a goner.
Matisse is a complete go-getter. At the moment, she is determined to work (3 jobs!!), paint, finish her sophomore year, and land a fabulous internship. Love seems to be the farthest thing on her radar at the moment.
Beau is living in a bit of a free fall at the moment. He has moved into his ex’s house and is a bit lost. After dropping out of school he is working his days at a food cart and drinking and hooking up in the evening. This is on top of living with a pretty difficult diagnosis that has put a huge hitch into following his dreams. I need to admit that some of the scenes in dealing with his illness were incredibly sad they also were entirely true and very realistic.
Of course, Beau and Mati try to fight their budding feelings for each other but it is too much. I won’t lie and say this is an angst-free book-it’s not. You get the push and pull that comes with two people that are fighting so hard to succumb to what they know deep down is it. They are so perfect for each other. Beau shows Mati what is more important in life and in return Mati shows Beau that his life is really worth fighting for.
When they finally get together…dear Lord it’s HOT. Ms. Paula is not only fantastic at writing insane sexual tension she also writes beautiful love scenes as well.
What I love about Rebecca’s writing is that it makes you feel. I felt all the emotions that Beau and Matisse were feeling. I felt their hesitation, their pain, and their pent-up sexual feelings…that’s what makes Rebecca such a fantastic writer.
Lastly, I cannot wait to read the next book, I am very interested to see what happens with Reagan and Noah.
The minute I read the synopsis for Between Everything and Us I knew that I was going to be a goner.
Matisse is a complete go-getter. At the moment, she is determined to work (3 jobs!!), paint, finish her sophomore year, and land a fabulous internship. Love seems to be the farthest thing on her radar at the moment.
Beau is living in a bit of a free fall at the moment. He has moved into his ex’s house and is a bit lost. After dropping out of school he is working his days at a food cart and drinking and hooking up in the evening. This is on top of living with a pretty difficult diagnosis that has put a huge hitch into following his dreams. I need to admit that some of the scenes in dealing with his illness were incredibly sad they also were entirely true and very realistic.
Of course, Beau and Mati try to fight their budding feelings for each other but it is too much. I won’t lie and say this is an angst-free book-it’s not. You get the push and pull that comes with two people that are fighting so hard to succumb to what they know deep down is it. They are so perfect for each other. Beau shows Mati what is more important in life and in return Mati shows Beau that his life is really worth fighting for.
When they finally get together…dear Lord it’s HOT. Ms. Paula is not only fantastic at writing insane sexual tension she also writes beautiful love scenes as well.
What I love about Rebecca’s writing is that it makes you feel. I felt all the emotions that Beau and Matisse were feeling. I felt their hesitation, their pain, and their pent-up sexual feelings…that’s what makes Rebecca such a fantastic writer.
Lastly, I cannot wait to read the next book, I am very interested to see what happens with Reagan and Noah.
January 20, 2018
Oh my, what a beautiful and excruciating story!
This is the classic enemies-turned-friends story, but what a twist! I admit I was secretly rooting for Mati and Beau from the beginning because Mati is such a fascinating character—with so many shades of complexity—and Beau is… well, Beau. How can you not be seduced by his charm? Unfortunately life is not all rainbows and unicorns, and what it has in store for the two of them is bound to send you on an emotional roller coaster. I cheered, I cried, I hoped. Although my personal life can’t even compare to what these two had to endure, I kinda related because I know how it feels when things are going really well and suddenly they’re not anymore, because hey, life can’t go smooth for too long, can it?
An inspiring, heartfelt novel, Between Everything and Us will surely keep you on your toes with its emotional turmoil, and you won’t be able to help but wanting more!
This is the classic enemies-turned-friends story, but what a twist! I admit I was secretly rooting for Mati and Beau from the beginning because Mati is such a fascinating character—with so many shades of complexity—and Beau is… well, Beau. How can you not be seduced by his charm? Unfortunately life is not all rainbows and unicorns, and what it has in store for the two of them is bound to send you on an emotional roller coaster. I cheered, I cried, I hoped. Although my personal life can’t even compare to what these two had to endure, I kinda related because I know how it feels when things are going really well and suddenly they’re not anymore, because hey, life can’t go smooth for too long, can it?
An inspiring, heartfelt novel, Between Everything and Us will surely keep you on your toes with its emotional turmoil, and you won’t be able to help but wanting more!
May 6, 2015
3.5 Stars
Review by Natasha Gentile
Matisse Evans is struggling to find her footing in life. After failing out of a prestigious Art school she is now at Sutton College. She has overloaded her coursework and is working various jobs to help pay rent and keep her focus. With her eye on an amazing internship she refuses to deviate from her plan, she refuses to fail again but she is slowly crumbling under the immense pressure put on her by her parents and herself. What Mati definitely does not need is the hot, dark eyed, tattooed, dimpled, ladies’ man that is Beau Grady, her roommate. Beau is mysterious and everything she needs to stay away from but he’s gotten under her skin.
“Beau never stays within the lines. ...He moves through Portland as if it’s his city... he’s that drop of water that runs and seeps into the paper, smearing the other watercolors until they’ve run wild as well.”
Beau Grady had it all as a star Hockey Player that he planned on turning into a promising career. But then he got news that would crush his dreams and leave him feeling lost. He drops out of school and now spends his time hiding from his reality with partying and random hook ups. He lets people believe the rumors about him because he sure as hell doesn’t want anyone to know the truth. Especially Mati. When Beau met his new roommate he knew he was in trouble. She’s beautiful sassy and everything he wants but cannot have. Beau knows Mati deserves more than what he can offer her, but staying away from her is easier said than done.
“I fell for Mati the same way—wading in to learn her depths, to navigate her pull over me. I knew it was trouble. I knew once I was in, I was all in.”
Beau and Mati try to stay away from one another, each for their respective reasons. But months of flirting come to a head when they finally admit their feelings and topple over the edge together. Beau knows he wants Mati more than anything, he also knows he has to tell her the truth about his health. When secrets and fears are revealed Mati and Beau will both be tested on whether or not their love is strong enough to endure what life throws at them next.
“We’ve both learned that taking a chance can be worth the fear of the fall.”
I was kind of torn with this book. I liked it, I really did. I loved Mati and Beau and their chemistry. I like the fact that it was a slow building romance. At first I was annoyed with the fact that it seemed to take absolutely forever for them to get together, but the more you read the more you understand the reasoning. The writing was good but it was a little bit all over the place at times so it made it a tad confusing. Overall though I really did enjoy the story. I felt so bad for Beau and his warring emotions over both his illness and Mati. It was heart breaking what he had to go through! I really felt the realistic pressure Mati felt with being afraid to fail. She was had to find herself and decide what she really wanted in life. There was a lot of angst, pain and sweet moments between the both of them, but the end result was worth what they had to endure. The second book in this series will be about their roommates Noah and Reagan, and I look forward to reading their story next!
Review by Natasha Gentile
Matisse Evans is struggling to find her footing in life. After failing out of a prestigious Art school she is now at Sutton College. She has overloaded her coursework and is working various jobs to help pay rent and keep her focus. With her eye on an amazing internship she refuses to deviate from her plan, she refuses to fail again but she is slowly crumbling under the immense pressure put on her by her parents and herself. What Mati definitely does not need is the hot, dark eyed, tattooed, dimpled, ladies’ man that is Beau Grady, her roommate. Beau is mysterious and everything she needs to stay away from but he’s gotten under her skin.
“Beau never stays within the lines. ...He moves through Portland as if it’s his city... he’s that drop of water that runs and seeps into the paper, smearing the other watercolors until they’ve run wild as well.”
Beau Grady had it all as a star Hockey Player that he planned on turning into a promising career. But then he got news that would crush his dreams and leave him feeling lost. He drops out of school and now spends his time hiding from his reality with partying and random hook ups. He lets people believe the rumors about him because he sure as hell doesn’t want anyone to know the truth. Especially Mati. When Beau met his new roommate he knew he was in trouble. She’s beautiful sassy and everything he wants but cannot have. Beau knows Mati deserves more than what he can offer her, but staying away from her is easier said than done.
“I fell for Mati the same way—wading in to learn her depths, to navigate her pull over me. I knew it was trouble. I knew once I was in, I was all in.”
Beau and Mati try to stay away from one another, each for their respective reasons. But months of flirting come to a head when they finally admit their feelings and topple over the edge together. Beau knows he wants Mati more than anything, he also knows he has to tell her the truth about his health. When secrets and fears are revealed Mati and Beau will both be tested on whether or not their love is strong enough to endure what life throws at them next.
“We’ve both learned that taking a chance can be worth the fear of the fall.”
I was kind of torn with this book. I liked it, I really did. I loved Mati and Beau and their chemistry. I like the fact that it was a slow building romance. At first I was annoyed with the fact that it seemed to take absolutely forever for them to get together, but the more you read the more you understand the reasoning. The writing was good but it was a little bit all over the place at times so it made it a tad confusing. Overall though I really did enjoy the story. I felt so bad for Beau and his warring emotions over both his illness and Mati. It was heart breaking what he had to go through! I really felt the realistic pressure Mati felt with being afraid to fail. She was had to find herself and decide what she really wanted in life. There was a lot of angst, pain and sweet moments between the both of them, but the end result was worth what they had to endure. The second book in this series will be about their roommates Noah and Reagan, and I look forward to reading their story next!
February 18, 2015
A five star book for me is one I have to keep going back to and Between Everything and Us fit the bill. I did some laundry, read a little, got groceries, read a little, no matter what I was doing the weekend I read this book, I had to sneak away to see what was going to happen.
Matisse (Mati) is a girl with a plan, or a list in her case. She's already screwed up college once and isn't looking to replay that and disappoint her parents yet again. Mati is an artist, or at least her parents think she is because they both are. Renting a room is where Mati meets the handsome, yet a bit of a loser in her eyes, Beau. She sees him coming and going, usually with a chick under his arm or a beer. There's something about Beau that gets her every time, no matter how bad she knows he will be for her.
Beau had it all two years ago, then had it all stripped away from him. Taking a break from life, Beau spends his time working and partying, all the while hiding from something very serious. He likes Mati, but knows she is a woman with a plan and isn't too sure just how he would fit in. With his own plans being shot to hell, Beau is looking for a good time right now while he can still get it.
Mati and Beau start to dance around a relationship. He's not serious about life and she's way to serious about it. Mati feels constant pressure with school, work and her parents, she has no time for Beau and his antics. Beau doesn't care and starts to finally wear the poor girl down.
Rebecca Paula gives us an emotional roller coaster of a relationship with Beau and Mati, as well as them with their parents. Both kids feel like they are letting their families down, but sometimes just want to live their way. Once Madi knows what exactly is going on with Beau, things start to change and not for the better.
"We have to be over. You have to live your life, and I need to fight for mine. I can't let you throw everything away for me. You're going to take over the world. You're going to make everyone fall on their knees. You're brutally brilliant like that. And I can't be responsible for letting that die just because I might." ~ Beau
This is what they are up against and you keep turning the pages hoping they can work something out. He's in the fight of his life and she's got to fight for him. Of course there is all kinds of mis-communication between them and you just want to smack their heads together and tell them to get on with it.
"It was perfect. He's perfect. We're perfectly imperfect together." ~ Madi
The book is well written and we get dual POVs that move the story forward. High on the angst and maybe a few tears for the emotional readers out there.
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
Matisse (Mati) is a girl with a plan, or a list in her case. She's already screwed up college once and isn't looking to replay that and disappoint her parents yet again. Mati is an artist, or at least her parents think she is because they both are. Renting a room is where Mati meets the handsome, yet a bit of a loser in her eyes, Beau. She sees him coming and going, usually with a chick under his arm or a beer. There's something about Beau that gets her every time, no matter how bad she knows he will be for her.
Beau had it all two years ago, then had it all stripped away from him. Taking a break from life, Beau spends his time working and partying, all the while hiding from something very serious. He likes Mati, but knows she is a woman with a plan and isn't too sure just how he would fit in. With his own plans being shot to hell, Beau is looking for a good time right now while he can still get it.
Mati and Beau start to dance around a relationship. He's not serious about life and she's way to serious about it. Mati feels constant pressure with school, work and her parents, she has no time for Beau and his antics. Beau doesn't care and starts to finally wear the poor girl down.
Rebecca Paula gives us an emotional roller coaster of a relationship with Beau and Mati, as well as them with their parents. Both kids feel like they are letting their families down, but sometimes just want to live their way. Once Madi knows what exactly is going on with Beau, things start to change and not for the better.
"We have to be over. You have to live your life, and I need to fight for mine. I can't let you throw everything away for me. You're going to take over the world. You're going to make everyone fall on their knees. You're brutally brilliant like that. And I can't be responsible for letting that die just because I might." ~ Beau
This is what they are up against and you keep turning the pages hoping they can work something out. He's in the fight of his life and she's got to fight for him. Of course there is all kinds of mis-communication between them and you just want to smack their heads together and tell them to get on with it.
"It was perfect. He's perfect. We're perfectly imperfect together." ~ Madi
The book is well written and we get dual POVs that move the story forward. High on the angst and maybe a few tears for the emotional readers out there.
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
May 4, 2015
Wow. This book! I'm going to try my hardest to write a good review but I have a feeling that I won't do the book justice at all.
Matisse (Mati) and Beau share an apartment with two others although they live upstairs, leaving Mati and Beau on the same floor. If Mati's parents knew she was sharing with a boy they'd flip but she doesn't care. Mati barely has time for anything but school and her three jobs but somehow Beau gets under her skin. He's a pain in the arse but there's this banter between them that she can't decide if it's good or bad. The more she tries to resist, the stronger the pull towards him is but he's hiding something and holding back.
I really liked Mati. After failing out of her previous school she has a plan and she's determined to stick to it no matter what. She works numerous jobs just to pay the rent and the rest of her time is spent working for school. I loved her determination to make something of herself after failing. She knows she needs to work harder and she definitely does that. However, it was a bit sad that she had so much pressure put on her to do well from her parents.
Beau sort of broke my heart immediately. He's a drop-out and pretty much wallows in his room most of the time. I know this sounds like it would be pretty depressing but he has his reasons and they're good reasons. Beau has been through a lot and has given up everything. He doesn't believe in himself and he doesn't believe that he has a future because of certain things so he stops caring. I desperately wanted him to care. I wanted him to see things differently and I wanted him to keep trying.
There is a lot of tension between Mati and Beau. They live together and Mati really can't be doing with drama or complications. The banter between the two characters was fantastic and it kept their interactions with one another real and interesting. Men and women living together do bicker about certain things and Rebecca Paula gets this spot on. There is no falling for each other within the first couple of chapters which is something I appreciated. We really get to know both Mati and Beau and to figure out what both of them are all about before getting to get to know who they are together.
The plot was wonderfully raw and emotional. It is certainly a slow burner in the romance department but that's not a bad thing at all. The characters are given a lot of time to work through their very complicated issues and figure out their lives. Beau especially has a lot of growing to do and I loved seeing how he progressed over the course of the book.
I was not prepared for this book at all and it's the first in a very long time that has made me cry. I couldn't put this book down and I need to read more from this author now.
Matisse (Mati) and Beau share an apartment with two others although they live upstairs, leaving Mati and Beau on the same floor. If Mati's parents knew she was sharing with a boy they'd flip but she doesn't care. Mati barely has time for anything but school and her three jobs but somehow Beau gets under her skin. He's a pain in the arse but there's this banter between them that she can't decide if it's good or bad. The more she tries to resist, the stronger the pull towards him is but he's hiding something and holding back.
I really liked Mati. After failing out of her previous school she has a plan and she's determined to stick to it no matter what. She works numerous jobs just to pay the rent and the rest of her time is spent working for school. I loved her determination to make something of herself after failing. She knows she needs to work harder and she definitely does that. However, it was a bit sad that she had so much pressure put on her to do well from her parents.
Beau sort of broke my heart immediately. He's a drop-out and pretty much wallows in his room most of the time. I know this sounds like it would be pretty depressing but he has his reasons and they're good reasons. Beau has been through a lot and has given up everything. He doesn't believe in himself and he doesn't believe that he has a future because of certain things so he stops caring. I desperately wanted him to care. I wanted him to see things differently and I wanted him to keep trying.
There is a lot of tension between Mati and Beau. They live together and Mati really can't be doing with drama or complications. The banter between the two characters was fantastic and it kept their interactions with one another real and interesting. Men and women living together do bicker about certain things and Rebecca Paula gets this spot on. There is no falling for each other within the first couple of chapters which is something I appreciated. We really get to know both Mati and Beau and to figure out what both of them are all about before getting to get to know who they are together.
The plot was wonderfully raw and emotional. It is certainly a slow burner in the romance department but that's not a bad thing at all. The characters are given a lot of time to work through their very complicated issues and figure out their lives. Beau especially has a lot of growing to do and I loved seeing how he progressed over the course of the book.
I was not prepared for this book at all and it's the first in a very long time that has made me cry. I couldn't put this book down and I need to read more from this author now.
February 23, 2015
This was an interesting take on a romance story.
The failing art student, Matisse, meets tattooed, womanizing, bad boy Beau. Mati is trying to get her bearings while managing various odd jobs and continuing to please her parents. After failing out of her previous school program, Mati now has a plan and she doesn't want to deviate.
“I came out here to get an art degree, to get a god internship. To straighten things out and be focused..."
Beau is her depressed roommate that is hiding a devastating secret and is using everything around him as his form of escapism rather than deal with the situation at hand. He prefers to party, drink and be a worthless bum, so to speak, rather than fight for what matters.
As the story progresses it became difficult to understand what the author was trying to portray. The writing is good and I like her usage of particular phrases and words inserted, however, the book dragged on and on, without any real impact on me as a reader and towards her characters. I felt that the author took tooo long to get to the actual story and there was a lot of running around and hiding between the characters. Poor communication was a major issue for me along with the lack of self confidence by both Mati and Beau. You would think after a few times (very few) they would attempt to get it right. They just kept dancing around and doubting each other. Clearly! something went wrong.
“Water seems so harmless until you’re about to drown—in that moment, it’s made of fire.
When the rapids slowed and I dragged myself to shore, I wasn’t laughing anymore. I laid back on the earthy bank, the pine needles pricking my body as I stared up at the sky. I waited for answers, but nothing happened. Nothing much except feeling overtaken by the infinite blue above, the truth that I was small, the fact that some things are too good to waste.
I fell for Mati the same way—wading in to learn her depths, to navigate her pull over me. I knew it was trouble. I knew once I was in, I was all in.”
This was simply an O.K. read for me. The author has great potential, her writing style is easy and flowing, however, I believe that the book was too long and there were many things that could have been omitted to give some mystery and ummphh!! to the story.
*ARC provided by Love Between The Sheets on behalf of the author for an honest review* Thanks!
The failing art student, Matisse, meets tattooed, womanizing, bad boy Beau. Mati is trying to get her bearings while managing various odd jobs and continuing to please her parents. After failing out of her previous school program, Mati now has a plan and she doesn't want to deviate.
“I came out here to get an art degree, to get a god internship. To straighten things out and be focused..."
Beau is her depressed roommate that is hiding a devastating secret and is using everything around him as his form of escapism rather than deal with the situation at hand. He prefers to party, drink and be a worthless bum, so to speak, rather than fight for what matters.
As the story progresses it became difficult to understand what the author was trying to portray. The writing is good and I like her usage of particular phrases and words inserted, however, the book dragged on and on, without any real impact on me as a reader and towards her characters. I felt that the author took tooo long to get to the actual story and there was a lot of running around and hiding between the characters. Poor communication was a major issue for me along with the lack of self confidence by both Mati and Beau. You would think after a few times (very few) they would attempt to get it right. They just kept dancing around and doubting each other. Clearly! something went wrong.
“Water seems so harmless until you’re about to drown—in that moment, it’s made of fire.
When the rapids slowed and I dragged myself to shore, I wasn’t laughing anymore. I laid back on the earthy bank, the pine needles pricking my body as I stared up at the sky. I waited for answers, but nothing happened. Nothing much except feeling overtaken by the infinite blue above, the truth that I was small, the fact that some things are too good to waste.
I fell for Mati the same way—wading in to learn her depths, to navigate her pull over me. I knew it was trouble. I knew once I was in, I was all in.”
This was simply an O.K. read for me. The author has great potential, her writing style is easy and flowing, however, I believe that the book was too long and there were many things that could have been omitted to give some mystery and ummphh!! to the story.
*ARC provided by Love Between The Sheets on behalf of the author for an honest review* Thanks!
May 14, 2015
Absolutely stunning piece of literature that will break your heart to put it back together again! Right from the first page this book gives you an emotional roller coaster because of Beau and Matisse. The two have chemistry, the best kind of natural chemistry that simmers and finally explodes. Beau is an athlete, hockey star, that has some personal issues which make him drop out of college and give up hockey. Matisse is an artist who failed out of the best art school in the United States her freshman year and transferred to Sutton College to restart. Both are a bit lost but eventually find their way.
The novel opens with a sexy and amusing scene between the two who are roommates. This story is very emotional and really grips you. The love, the struggle, the confusion, and all that falls in between will hold you tight to the story and make you adore the characters. The best kind of stories are the kind that make you forget it is just fiction and suck you in completely. Between Everything and Us definitely does this!
The novel opens with a sexy and amusing scene between the two who are roommates. This story is very emotional and really grips you. The love, the struggle, the confusion, and all that falls in between will hold you tight to the story and make you adore the characters. The best kind of stories are the kind that make you forget it is just fiction and suck you in completely. Between Everything and Us definitely does this!
September 21, 2015
AMAZING!
The writing and story is breathe taking. At some points I had to stop and reread it just to get the full depth of it and it was more beautiful every time I read it. If you are a lover of angst and raw emotions this book is for you!
The writing and story is breathe taking. At some points I had to stop and reread it just to get the full depth of it and it was more beautiful every time I read it. If you are a lover of angst and raw emotions this book is for you!
February 9, 2015
**MEGAN'S REVIEW**
At the end of my read I can actually say I liked this story. I did not love it but the thought of stopping never was an option. I wanted to see what would happen. There were times I loved what I was reading but then other times I wasn’t as involved in what was happening on the page.
You learn very early on what Beau’s main struggle is. There is no need to dramatize it or make you guess with clues. This story isn’t one to drop hints until the light bulb shines bright. No, this is sadly very real life struggles here. Instantly I felt a very heavy heart for Beau and quickly meeting certain characters I tried to map out how this would go. … I was correct in some of my guesses, but not in all. And I am VERY happy with outcome. At least the path it went down. I didn’t care for all of the choices but hey, I was content at the end.
"I’ve pushed my chances, and I think there’s going to be trouble soon. Hospital-worthy trouble. Crutch-worth trouble. Or worse."
Now on the other hand, for the longest time I thought Matisse has something in her pocket but wasn’t so forth coming or as a big deal. As we know more about Beau. I wanted more of him over Mati. I think when we meet Mati and how she explains things in her head, Forget the fact that I’m in college and mostly on my own, my parents still want me locked away like Rapunzel. To them relationships are bad, and boys are worse. Unless I have a paintbrush in my hand, everything is considered a distraction. It lead me to believe she had bigger things going on with her. Even to her friends who knew/know her can see there IS indeed something.
“Since you moved here, I’m nothing more than background noise.”
“I came out here to get an art degree, to get a god internship. To straighten thing out and be focused. I don’t have time”
“No, you came out here to live this full life, but you’re hiding. You’ve been hiding since you moved into this house. you work and go to school and that’s it. The world is bigger than you, Matt.”
I will admit for Mati’s past and/or issues I found that I didn’t really care. I softly skimmed in some of her parts. I thought there would be a bit more to her but for me it wasn’t anything major.
I will say that I liked her choices when SHE decide. At times this was a cute, fun, learning each other type of read and his is when I enjoyed it the most. I loved the different fun nicknames- hurricane, pickle, pumpkin, buttercup,
“Why do you keep calling me these stupid names?”
“I’m trying to find one that fits.”
Beau and Mati’s relationship was a very s-l-o-w burn. For the most part you didn’t really know if this was just a now kinda moment or would it amp up to something else. Not only from what the two are like together but also, the outside involvement of other characters. All the while I read I’m steadily trying to figure out who will rein supreme here. You knew by their thoughts that they liked each other. But with their personal issues they each did things to stay away or be invisible. But we know those plans never work out well.
"Those lips of course. Those are lush and plump, begging-to-be-kissed lips. They sit on her face like a target, and I can never seem to look away." - Beau
"Those arms, his tattooed sleeves. That damn dimple when he grinned at me. Damn stupid dimple." - Mati
I didn’t reread the synopsis when I picked this up for review so I didn’t have handy which characters would be the main ones, so I didn’t exactly know what I was getting as I started. You may think as I’m explaining things that this may be a triangle type of read and it isn’t. It was more of trying to forget what you are feeling about a certain person, while making friends. They may seem a bit romantic but the relationships tried you easily felt wasn’t going to go anywhere. It was rocky because sometimes I was rooting for one person and then a bit later I’ve changed my mind. This was my favorite part of the story. I loved the growth and learning Mati and Beau went through. You could feel the struggle and the pull between the two characters. I loved when they fought, I especially loved when they hid behind text and then when they didn’t need to hide any longer.
This wasn’t exactly an easy to read story. You really had to pay attention to who was speaking, which story, and the many characters you are introduced to in the beginning. Along with dual POVs, a great thing sometimes, but the amount of switching POVs in the entire thing, much less than in every chapter, the dual story wasn’t very easy to follow. He and/or she was said and being the POVs changed rapidly, there were times I had to reread the previous paragraph or turn back a page to get a clue who might this be about. This was read for review, in which, as always these copies aren’t perfectly edited. Most of the time I can easily understand what was meant by the small error. But, (yes a small but here) it’s really hard to stay a float with the story when a major word is skipped and the sentence must be reread or more than one sentence to get the gist of what was meant. I didn’t encounter a ton of errors but enough for me to say it hampered the read for me. I think it meant more here because of the structure difficulty I had. Alone, a few errors wouldn’t be a said remark but when you factor multiple things in- it’s part of the reason of not ranking this a high star read.
Overall, I would recommend this book to my reading buddies. I think many will enjoy Mati and Beau. If you love a good slow growth type of book, where you actually see the seed plant and sprout and bloom then this is a definite one click for you.
At the end of my read I can actually say I liked this story. I did not love it but the thought of stopping never was an option. I wanted to see what would happen. There were times I loved what I was reading but then other times I wasn’t as involved in what was happening on the page.
You learn very early on what Beau’s main struggle is. There is no need to dramatize it or make you guess with clues. This story isn’t one to drop hints until the light bulb shines bright. No, this is sadly very real life struggles here. Instantly I felt a very heavy heart for Beau and quickly meeting certain characters I tried to map out how this would go. … I was correct in some of my guesses, but not in all. And I am VERY happy with outcome. At least the path it went down. I didn’t care for all of the choices but hey, I was content at the end.
"I’ve pushed my chances, and I think there’s going to be trouble soon. Hospital-worthy trouble. Crutch-worth trouble. Or worse."
Now on the other hand, for the longest time I thought Matisse has something in her pocket but wasn’t so forth coming or as a big deal. As we know more about Beau. I wanted more of him over Mati. I think when we meet Mati and how she explains things in her head, Forget the fact that I’m in college and mostly on my own, my parents still want me locked away like Rapunzel. To them relationships are bad, and boys are worse. Unless I have a paintbrush in my hand, everything is considered a distraction. It lead me to believe she had bigger things going on with her. Even to her friends who knew/know her can see there IS indeed something.
“Since you moved here, I’m nothing more than background noise.”
“I came out here to get an art degree, to get a god internship. To straighten thing out and be focused. I don’t have time”
“No, you came out here to live this full life, but you’re hiding. You’ve been hiding since you moved into this house. you work and go to school and that’s it. The world is bigger than you, Matt.”
I will admit for Mati’s past and/or issues I found that I didn’t really care. I softly skimmed in some of her parts. I thought there would be a bit more to her but for me it wasn’t anything major.
I will say that I liked her choices when SHE decide. At times this was a cute, fun, learning each other type of read and his is when I enjoyed it the most. I loved the different fun nicknames- hurricane, pickle, pumpkin, buttercup,
“Why do you keep calling me these stupid names?”
“I’m trying to find one that fits.”
Beau and Mati’s relationship was a very s-l-o-w burn. For the most part you didn’t really know if this was just a now kinda moment or would it amp up to something else. Not only from what the two are like together but also, the outside involvement of other characters. All the while I read I’m steadily trying to figure out who will rein supreme here. You knew by their thoughts that they liked each other. But with their personal issues they each did things to stay away or be invisible. But we know those plans never work out well.
"Those lips of course. Those are lush and plump, begging-to-be-kissed lips. They sit on her face like a target, and I can never seem to look away." - Beau
"Those arms, his tattooed sleeves. That damn dimple when he grinned at me. Damn stupid dimple." - Mati
I didn’t reread the synopsis when I picked this up for review so I didn’t have handy which characters would be the main ones, so I didn’t exactly know what I was getting as I started. You may think as I’m explaining things that this may be a triangle type of read and it isn’t. It was more of trying to forget what you are feeling about a certain person, while making friends. They may seem a bit romantic but the relationships tried you easily felt wasn’t going to go anywhere. It was rocky because sometimes I was rooting for one person and then a bit later I’ve changed my mind. This was my favorite part of the story. I loved the growth and learning Mati and Beau went through. You could feel the struggle and the pull between the two characters. I loved when they fought, I especially loved when they hid behind text and then when they didn’t need to hide any longer.
This wasn’t exactly an easy to read story. You really had to pay attention to who was speaking, which story, and the many characters you are introduced to in the beginning. Along with dual POVs, a great thing sometimes, but the amount of switching POVs in the entire thing, much less than in every chapter, the dual story wasn’t very easy to follow. He and/or she was said and being the POVs changed rapidly, there were times I had to reread the previous paragraph or turn back a page to get a clue who might this be about. This was read for review, in which, as always these copies aren’t perfectly edited. Most of the time I can easily understand what was meant by the small error. But, (yes a small but here) it’s really hard to stay a float with the story when a major word is skipped and the sentence must be reread or more than one sentence to get the gist of what was meant. I didn’t encounter a ton of errors but enough for me to say it hampered the read for me. I think it meant more here because of the structure difficulty I had. Alone, a few errors wouldn’t be a said remark but when you factor multiple things in- it’s part of the reason of not ranking this a high star read.
Overall, I would recommend this book to my reading buddies. I think many will enjoy Mati and Beau. If you love a good slow growth type of book, where you actually see the seed plant and sprout and bloom then this is a definite one click for you.
April 30, 2015
This book was just ok for me. I was disappointed that I ended up feeling that way because I really wanted to like it more. I really liked Beau as a character and liked how we were introduced to his illness right off the bat because I didn't have to try and guess at it as a reader throughout the whole book. It helped me understand his unwillingness to get close to anyone and his displaced anger. Matti I had a bit of a harder time with. There were certain things about her that I really liked; her messy painting getting paint all over the floor and her small efforts of trying to be rebellious against her parents. However, there was just something missing about Matti that I couldn't get my head around. Her major flaw I guess was that her parents were so controlling. I just feel like
Beau and Matti danced around each other so much over and over again that the story just fell flat.
I admit there were a lot of parts that I just skimmed because I got tired of reading the same thing over and over. Beau and Matti feel a draw to each other but go to great lengths to deny it and avoid it. The story just never peaked too much for me. The writing was really good and there were a lot of scenes that I loved like Beau building a blanket fort and Matti being covered in paint with a yellow streak on her forehead. The imagery was definitely there and I could picture the characters and scenes in my head vividly. I would definitely read another book by this author because I really liked the writing, but the story just needed something more.
Beau and Matti danced around each other so much over and over again that the story just fell flat.
I admit there were a lot of parts that I just skimmed because I got tired of reading the same thing over and over. Beau and Matti feel a draw to each other but go to great lengths to deny it and avoid it. The story just never peaked too much for me. The writing was really good and there were a lot of scenes that I loved like Beau building a blanket fort and Matti being covered in paint with a yellow streak on her forehead. The imagery was definitely there and I could picture the characters and scenes in my head vividly. I would definitely read another book by this author because I really liked the writing, but the story just needed something more.
February 20, 2016
"We lost a chance because we’re young and stupid and so fucking naïve that we’ve been convinced we’re these invincible beings who will conquer anything that comes our way. That we’re infinite, unshakable to the eventualities of life."
THIS BOOK. W H A T E V E N. I did not expect such a heart-wrenching story, HOW DARE YOU. No jk, please go into this book expecting a lot of angst so you'll be prepared (BECAUSE I WAS NOT. And I'm a mess right now.)
At the beginning of the book, we're already confronted with Beau's decision of dropping out of school, but for whatever reason, we first didn't know. He keeps living his life as if it were his last day; he seems not to care about anything in his life.
Beau is Matisse's new roommate. She struggles to get her life together and to meet the expectations people have in her life after failing art school.
Beau and Matisse have immediate chemistry and can't seem to resist one another, but neither of them want to admit that and pretend to just stay friends. Something is holding them back...
This couple really broke my heart, made me cry, smile and scream at them for being so silent and stubborn, however, I understood the reason for keeping secrets from each other.
My fave parts are the Skype conversations (because cute & hot!), their adventures and their texts whenever they are apart.
The beginning lacked for me, but the middle and the end made up for it. This story was very emotional and raw.
THIS BOOK. W H A T E V E N. I did not expect such a heart-wrenching story, HOW DARE YOU. No jk, please go into this book expecting a lot of angst so you'll be prepared (BECAUSE I WAS NOT. And I'm a mess right now.)
At the beginning of the book, we're already confronted with Beau's decision of dropping out of school, but for whatever reason, we first didn't know. He keeps living his life as if it were his last day; he seems not to care about anything in his life.
Beau is Matisse's new roommate. She struggles to get her life together and to meet the expectations people have in her life after failing art school.
Beau and Matisse have immediate chemistry and can't seem to resist one another, but neither of them want to admit that and pretend to just stay friends. Something is holding them back...
This couple really broke my heart, made me cry, smile and scream at them for being so silent and stubborn, however, I understood the reason for keeping secrets from each other.
My fave parts are the Skype conversations (because cute & hot!), their adventures and their texts whenever they are apart.
The beginning lacked for me, but the middle and the end made up for it. This story was very emotional and raw.
July 21, 2015
I'm not sure what I feel about this book. I'm in my in-between world, where my indecisive mind can't seem to come to resolution whether I like or hate it.
At first, the story had a steady pace but it was just like that from the first up to the two-thirds of the book. Steady, stagnant. Just when I think it couldn't get boring, because there's no happening or whatever, I was just waiting for that ummpf moment which probably came at the last part of the book. But then the problem arises again, no plot development.
The characters were (?) easy to hate. I just don't understand those two.
I was hoping to see a more mature characters since we're tackling mature things such as college life and MR. I was also looking for that (extra) ummpf that didn't came.
At first, the story had a steady pace but it was just like that from the first up to the two-thirds of the book. Steady, stagnant. Just when I think it couldn't get boring, because there's no happening or whatever, I was just waiting for that ummpf moment which probably came at the last part of the book. But then the problem arises again, no plot development.
The characters were (?) easy to hate. I just don't understand those two.
I was hoping to see a more mature characters since we're tackling mature things such as college life and MR. I was also looking for that (extra) ummpf that didn't came.
June 11, 2015
**I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I really enjoyed this book, it wasn't anything awesome since it was your typical college romance story. I like the characters, they were normal college kids with their dating, drinking, homework problems but Beau also had a medical secret that was bringing him down and making his life harder then normal kids. Then there is Matt/Mati/Mattisse who is not really your normal party girl college student, she works a million jobs, goes to school and paints. This is their story of how they come together as a couple. A couple of errors in editing but other then that it was a pleasant read.
I really enjoyed this book, it wasn't anything awesome since it was your typical college romance story. I like the characters, they were normal college kids with their dating, drinking, homework problems but Beau also had a medical secret that was bringing him down and making his life harder then normal kids. Then there is Matt/Mati/Mattisse who is not really your normal party girl college student, she works a million jobs, goes to school and paints. This is their story of how they come together as a couple. A couple of errors in editing but other then that it was a pleasant read.
Read
June 11, 2021Surprisingly tender and real. NA books can sometimes fall victim to too much drama or miscommunications that jerk everyone around. This story felt like the conflict was organic: a lack of options for both protagonists standing in the way of being a real couple. Until they get there, though, it’s sweet to watch them care for each other - or agonize when one won’t let the other do so.
January 24, 2015
Those aren't words you are reading on the page. They are lyrics to a song so tragic, so hopeless, so deliciously and perfectly sweet. The kind of song that knocks your feet out from under you and carries you away. Rebecca Paula knows how to sing.
January 13, 2023
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: This book was very different than I thought it would be. First, I was way off on the timeline of this story. Second, I thought this would dive into the characters more.
I have read one other book by this author, and I didn't like it at all. I was curious to see what I'd think of this one. It was a major improvement from Everly After.
I thought this story had a lot of potential, but it just fell a little flat for me. I didn't feel like the characters had a lot of chemistry and it was too instant love.
The synopsis made me think I was getting an emotional, intense read as the characters dealt with illnesses and overcoming those obstacles to fall in love. I thought those parts of the plot were covered superficially at best.
However, I thought the writing was good and I did enjoy the novel. It isn't one I'd probably recommend to most people or one I'd reread, but I don't regret reading it.
For fans of new adult who don't mind a little bit of instant love and superficiality, then give it a go.
The Characters: I felt like they could have been more developed. I felt like the author did a good job of creating interesting backstories for the characters. I just would have liked to see a little more depth as they worked through their issues and a little bit more chemistry.
Major Strengths: Great backstory and good writing.
Major Weaknesses: Lack of chemistry between characters and explorations of characters' pasts.
So why 3 stars? Enjoyable but not one that managed to suck me in.
Warnings/Side-notes: References to sex and drinking. Instances of drunkenness. 17+.
The Wrap-up: It had potential, but I just expected a little bit more. I did, however, enjoy this one much more than her other novel Everly After. It felt significantly less choppy.
Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: This book was very different than I thought it would be. First, I was way off on the timeline of this story. Second, I thought this would dive into the characters more.
I have read one other book by this author, and I didn't like it at all. I was curious to see what I'd think of this one. It was a major improvement from Everly After.
I thought this story had a lot of potential, but it just fell a little flat for me. I didn't feel like the characters had a lot of chemistry and it was too instant love.
The synopsis made me think I was getting an emotional, intense read as the characters dealt with illnesses and overcoming those obstacles to fall in love. I thought those parts of the plot were covered superficially at best.
However, I thought the writing was good and I did enjoy the novel. It isn't one I'd probably recommend to most people or one I'd reread, but I don't regret reading it.
For fans of new adult who don't mind a little bit of instant love and superficiality, then give it a go.
The Characters: I felt like they could have been more developed. I felt like the author did a good job of creating interesting backstories for the characters. I just would have liked to see a little more depth as they worked through their issues and a little bit more chemistry.
Major Strengths: Great backstory and good writing.
Major Weaknesses: Lack of chemistry between characters and explorations of characters' pasts.
So why 3 stars? Enjoyable but not one that managed to suck me in.
Warnings/Side-notes: References to sex and drinking. Instances of drunkenness. 17+.
The Wrap-up: It had potential, but I just expected a little bit more. I did, however, enjoy this one much more than her other novel Everly After. It felt significantly less choppy.
February 17, 2019
A charming, poignant love story
Bittersweet with plenty of emotional highs and lows. This is the story of two young people who struggle with love and the unfair hand of cards that life has dealt them.
This was a really touching and well written story with a wonderfully described group of characters and in particular the two main characters who have more than their fair share of obstacles to face. The honest responses of Mati and Beau to the events that play out are both genuine and compassionately dealt with.
My only criticism would be that on occasion the timeline jumped during the course of a chapter and this left me slightly confused, which in turn made the narrative seem disjointed in a few places.
That being said this was a charming, poignant love story filled with heartache, joy and the gamut of emotions in between....I received a copy of this book from the author via Quirky Blind Date with a Book.
Bittersweet with plenty of emotional highs and lows. This is the story of two young people who struggle with love and the unfair hand of cards that life has dealt them.
This was a really touching and well written story with a wonderfully described group of characters and in particular the two main characters who have more than their fair share of obstacles to face. The honest responses of Mati and Beau to the events that play out are both genuine and compassionately dealt with.
My only criticism would be that on occasion the timeline jumped during the course of a chapter and this left me slightly confused, which in turn made the narrative seem disjointed in a few places.
That being said this was a charming, poignant love story filled with heartache, joy and the gamut of emotions in between....I received a copy of this book from the author via Quirky Blind Date with a Book.
February 20, 2019
This is one of those books that I went into blind, not know anything about the story and came out the other side having experienced every emotion possible.
This is a young adult/new age story about dreams and the reality we have to deal with. There are characters who support and characters who break others down. There were times that I had a pit in my stomach surrounding the events going on and other times I was filled with light and love.
The writing is good, the plot well thought out. The story has a strong beginning, middle and end and the story flows well. It wasn't a book I felt the need to rush through so I was able to digest as I went along.
This is book one in a series and I will pause a bit before I pick up the next in the series.
I definitely recommend this book
This is a young adult/new age story about dreams and the reality we have to deal with. There are characters who support and characters who break others down. There were times that I had a pit in my stomach surrounding the events going on and other times I was filled with light and love.
The writing is good, the plot well thought out. The story has a strong beginning, middle and end and the story flows well. It wasn't a book I felt the need to rush through so I was able to digest as I went along.
This is book one in a series and I will pause a bit before I pick up the next in the series.
I definitely recommend this book
May 22, 2021
Overall, I liked the idea of this story. I thought that it had some great push and pull and I enjoyed the chemistry between Beau and Matisse. My main issue with the story was that I felt like sometimes something was missing. I can't pinpoint what, but something was lacking.
Between Everything and Us is a coming-of-age story. The characters are real and flawed and that is what I loved the most about this book. I can't deny that I had a few issues, but overall, it was an okay-ish read.
2.5 - 3 stars.
Between Everything and Us is a coming-of-age story. The characters are real and flawed and that is what I loved the most about this book. I can't deny that I had a few issues, but overall, it was an okay-ish read.
2.5 - 3 stars.
April 24, 2015
4.25 stars!
Wow. Wow. Wow.
I just finished reading Between Everything and Us, and the writing in it is just incredible.
When I got to about 80%, work got busy and I wasn’t able to read like I wanted. A couple of times I picked up the novel with the intent to finish it (finally) just to get another item checked off my to-do list. Time-wise I suppose it wouldn’t have taken very long…but Between Everything and Us demands every ounce of a reader’s attention. Because if you try to rush it, you risk missing that word or phrase or sentence that’s so beautiful, so special, that you may never read anything quite like it again. (In the last 20% alone, I swear I highlighted every other sentence.) Thus, this review is heavy on quotes because Rebecca Paula's words are WAY better than mine.
Now that I’ve raved about the writing sufficiently, I have to be honest regarding the storyline: it’s frustrating! So, if you take this one on—and I think you should—be prepared to ride out a series of ups and downs. The following quotes illustrate what I’m talking about:
I’ve never understood the “he/she deserves better than me” mentality (maybe because I’m just selfish), but it must exist in real life because written about so much, right? In any case, that line of thinking is Beau’s angle…mostly. Although he does “decide upon” Mati first, he’s also the one continually pushing her away.
The constant back and forth, push and pull, between main characters drove me crazy, But since this appears to be series with interconnected characters, perhaps we’ll see more of Beau and Mati in the future? They deserve more “happy” to balance out the apprehension, tension, and disappointment that each earned at the hands of the other.
In spite of the novel’s frustrating trajectory, there are definitely some cute moments—my favorites being the fort-building and the trying out of pet names.
Like I said before, the writing really stood out in this novel. Truly, the author is in a league of her own when it comes to crafting unique descriptions. Mati (one of the main characters) is an artist, and the writing seems to reflect that same level of creativity and talent. Take the following quotes, for example:
• “He moves like oil paint dries—slow—as if he might change me and needs time to decide the final picture.”
• “He’s that drop of water that runs and seeps into the paper, smearing the other watercolors until they’ve run wild as well.”
• “That wild drop of water that’s so oblivious to the way it ruins the plans of the colors that came before in careful strokes.”
• “The painting is monochromatic, white on white. That moment when you find yourself lost in a birch forest in the winter. The longer you stand there, searching for a way out, you realize that even white has shades of color.”
• “…they sky is still tinged with pink above the horizon. The whitecaps swell, half-hidden by a rolling fog. The large rocks hold everything together, dark markers dotting the coastline. They’re giants, and at their feet lies a gorgeous beach…”
• “The rain patters against the tent, slowly hugging the sides before each drop gathers speed and cascades to the ground.”
While there are a ton of things to brag about when it comes to Between Everything and Us, at least two elements are left unexplained or dangling: I needed to hear more (from Beau’s perspective) about Reagan and about Layla (Beau says the latter “doesn’t matter”; is there a story there?). Also, there’s some skipping ahead—usually just a week or so at a time—but I know that time gaps and fast-forwarding can be an issue for some readers. The technique didn’t necessarily bother me, although I did want the main characters’ relationship to progress faster. But that’s the nature of romance, isn’t it? Each adopts and moves forward at its own unique pace.
Verdict:
Despite infringing on a few of my “reader sensitivities,” this one is a GREAT read. I’ve already put #2 in the series, Anything More Than Now, on my to-read list, and I look forward to tracking author Rebecca Paula’s success!
*Copy generously provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Wow. Wow. Wow.
I just finished reading Between Everything and Us, and the writing in it is just incredible.
When I got to about 80%, work got busy and I wasn’t able to read like I wanted. A couple of times I picked up the novel with the intent to finish it (finally) just to get another item checked off my to-do list. Time-wise I suppose it wouldn’t have taken very long…but Between Everything and Us demands every ounce of a reader’s attention. Because if you try to rush it, you risk missing that word or phrase or sentence that’s so beautiful, so special, that you may never read anything quite like it again. (In the last 20% alone, I swear I highlighted every other sentence.) Thus, this review is heavy on quotes because Rebecca Paula's words are WAY better than mine.
Now that I’ve raved about the writing sufficiently, I have to be honest regarding the storyline: it’s frustrating! So, if you take this one on—and I think you should—be prepared to ride out a series of ups and downs. The following quotes illustrate what I’m talking about:
“We always feel so unfinished.”
“…there’s this huge void separating us. A void that we put there for whatever reason—rules, plans, pride.”
“If we could get out of our way, then maybe we’d stand a chance together.”
I’ve never understood the “he/she deserves better than me” mentality (maybe because I’m just selfish), but it must exist in real life because written about so much, right? In any case, that line of thinking is Beau’s angle…mostly. Although he does “decide upon” Mati first, he’s also the one continually pushing her away.
“Mati is a someday-girl, the one you’re supposed to meet later when you’re less of a prick and have your shit together. Someday girls are lost to idiots like me now, and if I’m being honest, they don’t exist in the future either. Because there’s a guy who is ready, who does know how to be an adult and can love a girl like Mati as much as she deserves. And those guys turn someday girls into forever girls and leave us losers to keep chasing after a string of hookups while we’re stuck remembering the one perfect girl who got away.”
The constant back and forth, push and pull, between main characters drove me crazy, But since this appears to be series with interconnected characters, perhaps we’ll see more of Beau and Mati in the future? They deserve more “happy” to balance out the apprehension, tension, and disappointment that each earned at the hands of the other.
In spite of the novel’s frustrating trajectory, there are definitely some cute moments—my favorites being the fort-building and the trying out of pet names.
Like I said before, the writing really stood out in this novel. Truly, the author is in a league of her own when it comes to crafting unique descriptions. Mati (one of the main characters) is an artist, and the writing seems to reflect that same level of creativity and talent. Take the following quotes, for example:
• “He moves like oil paint dries—slow—as if he might change me and needs time to decide the final picture.”
• “He’s that drop of water that runs and seeps into the paper, smearing the other watercolors until they’ve run wild as well.”
• “That wild drop of water that’s so oblivious to the way it ruins the plans of the colors that came before in careful strokes.”
• “The painting is monochromatic, white on white. That moment when you find yourself lost in a birch forest in the winter. The longer you stand there, searching for a way out, you realize that even white has shades of color.”
• “…they sky is still tinged with pink above the horizon. The whitecaps swell, half-hidden by a rolling fog. The large rocks hold everything together, dark markers dotting the coastline. They’re giants, and at their feet lies a gorgeous beach…”
• “The rain patters against the tent, slowly hugging the sides before each drop gathers speed and cascades to the ground.”
While there are a ton of things to brag about when it comes to Between Everything and Us, at least two elements are left unexplained or dangling: I needed to hear more (from Beau’s perspective) about Reagan and about Layla (Beau says the latter “doesn’t matter”; is there a story there?). Also, there’s some skipping ahead—usually just a week or so at a time—but I know that time gaps and fast-forwarding can be an issue for some readers. The technique didn’t necessarily bother me, although I did want the main characters’ relationship to progress faster. But that’s the nature of romance, isn’t it? Each adopts and moves forward at its own unique pace.
Verdict:
Despite infringing on a few of my “reader sensitivities,” this one is a GREAT read. I’ve already put #2 in the series, Anything More Than Now, on my to-read list, and I look forward to tracking author Rebecca Paula’s success!
*Copy generously provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
February 16, 2019
This was a cute, although frustrating story about Mati and her roommate Beau. Or at least that's all they started out being. I really enjoyed the back and forth between them even though them ignoring their feelings for each other drove me crazy! The ending of the story was happy, but I can't help but feel left wanting more of their story.
February 9, 2019
I absolutely loved this book and didn't want it to end. There was a lot of emotion in this book which only made it more enjoyable. The author did a fantastic job of portraying Beau's disability. Loooking forward to more from this author.
February 10, 2019
Oh wow.
What a rollercoaster of emotions this book brings.
Such a sad but romantic read. Beau is struggling with accepting his new life and doesn't want Mati to find out about the new or old him.
So any twists and turns, but written on such a way that you can't stop turning the pages.
What a rollercoaster of emotions this book brings.
Such a sad but romantic read. Beau is struggling with accepting his new life and doesn't want Mati to find out about the new or old him.
So any twists and turns, but written on such a way that you can't stop turning the pages.
February 26, 2019
These two drove me absolutely bananas with their back and forth. All in all a good read.
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