Gone

Love and Loss #1

by Anna Bloom

'An alternate title/cover for this ASIN can be found here An alternate title/cover for this ASIN can be found here.

If anyone knows what it’s like to live with the burden of crippling guilt and self-imposed punishment - Rebecca Walters does. She’s running out of chances to redeem herself for her ever-growing list of reckless mistakes.
When she meets Joshua Adams under the cover of darkness on a secluded, moonlit beach, life will never be the same again. With Rebecca plagued by regret and remorse for a night she can’t even remember, and Joshua consumed by grief, could fate just be playing yet another cruel game?
Both so equally haunted by the tragedies of their past, can they ever really find their way to freedom? Or is Rebecca destined to keep running from the memories that never seem to stay in the past?
One thing’s for certain though…
Life never goes quite the way they expect it to.

GONE is a mature Young Adult Novel and is only suitable for readers over the age of 16

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

334 pages, ebook

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

Romance without limits!
A book hoarder and coffee addict at heart Anna's main existence in life is to create beautiful words about exquisitely flawed characters. She's a slow burn Princess and all about working for that happy ever after, but she guarantees when you get it, you'll fall so hard you might never want to surface again.
Be prepared to oooh and aaah and squeal with delight as Anna takes you on a journey you are unlikely to forget.
Anna lives at in Surrey, the UK, with her husband and three children. She happiest writing (thinking of ways to make you swoon), drinking coffee and snuggling up on the sofa in the evenings for a binge of her favourite shows or reading in bed. She loves to chat with her readers on social media so if you love the words come and find her, she sure loves to talk.

Sign up for Anna's newsletter here and receive a FREE NOVEL The Truth About Love: https://www.subscribepage.com/AnnaBloom

Reviews

[Gitte TotallyBookedBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 beautiful stars

“When I am with you I forget who I am, and I guess I like it a little bit too much.”

Gitte: You know that feeling when you finish a book and just sit there in complete silence for a while and think to yourself wow that was a beautiful story.

“I don’t want you to be anyone other than who you are.”

That’s how I felt finishing Gone. It truly was beautiful. The writing was flawless, effortless and almost poetic a times. The characters were quite simply stunningly written in their own tragedy.

“You. You taste like the sun.”

‘The boy who looks like he’s made of the moon and sea thinks I taste like the sun. What does that even mean?’

My heart hurt so many times whilst reading yet I would break out in spontaneous smiles and chuckle at the British-ness and the humour. Yes, it did have some unexplainable circumstances and behaviour, however, overall I just loved loved loved this story! Full of guilt, self-judgement and so much hurt; Joshua and Bex, two brilliantly written characters learn to breathe and live again. Not without struggle nor refusal. For these two beautiful souls to forgive themselves was quite an emotional and healing journey. I fell in complete love with Joshua; such an amazing and beautiful character! Don’t you agree, Jenny?

Jenny: I know exactly what you mean G. I too sat for a moment after finishing this book reflecting on what I’d just read. And you’re right. When that happens, you know a story has had an impact on you and Gone certainly made an impact on me.

‘Joshua Adams, the poor soul has found someone nearly as fucked up as he is.’

A heartfelt story of tragedy and pain, yet brimming with love and hope. Gone was beautifully told, impeccably written, with pure emotion that touched my heart.

“Thank you.”
“What for?”
“For waking me up.”

The British-ness of it cracked me up too. I loved the humour and wit peppered throughout Joshua and Bex’s story which is one that will stay with me for quite a while. These two wonderful people had certainly suffered a lot of deep emotional pain and turmoil yet their biggest obstacles would be themselves. Forgiving themselves and learning to move on was going to be their toughest test and my heart bled for these characters.

‘I think he is keeping secrets too. I wonder if they are as sad and as dark as mine.’

Oh you bet I fell in love with Josh-u-a. How could I not? This guy had heart, determination and a truly beautiful soul. A definite winner for me.

♥ ♥ ♥



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[Kim Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Bloom writes stories that pure gold. I have fallen in love with every story that she has written and Gone is no exception.

In this world people get broken and the pieces of their life become scattered, never close enough to be made whole again. I thought about the characters in this book who were hurting, feeling unworthy, and who seemed to be broken beyond repair. All it takes is one simple act to break someone down, but it takes the strength of a thousand men for someone to pick those scattered pieces up and try to put them back together. That is exactly what this story is about.

Rebecca Walters and Joshua Adams are two characters that touched my heart deeply. They had pasts that they couldn’t leave behind, pasts that haunted them to their inner cores and changed their lives forever. A chance meeting threw their lives into a whirlwind and gives them the chance to work through their pasts together or break them apart.

This book made me laugh, cry, and have hope for a better life for two souls that desperately needed it. Ms. Bloom’s writing is so emotional that you are able to feel every emotion that goes through these characters and that makes reading this amazing story even more enjoyable. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next.

[Risbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gah. This summer has been a bit different for me in that I've been on a bit of a rereading kick and have sort of put my to-read list on "vacation mode" to let my batteries recharge and maybe figure out a few things. I definitely cut back on the number of book tours on my schedule.

But this book - it has called to me from the very first time I saw it mentioned in a book blast sign up. I love good angst and there was something about it that called to me and even though I really did intend to stay away from scheduled reviews, I knew I had to read it.

Y'all, when the book heart knows, the book heart knows.

Gone absolutely owns me right now. I want to gush about it and quote pretty words and talk about how the angst was just the perfect amount without being over the top and how much I enjoyed the characters and how I wanted to make everything better and how Joshua is now my new book boyfriend.

Joshua.

Dreadlocked surfer painter boy with a heart and a car named Daisy. For real. My inner 20 year old is in love (and maybe my 39 year old self is a little bit as well).

He makes me grinny.

There was so much emotion in this story...I felt a little bit of everything, but not too much of anything if that makes sense. The darkness felt by Rebecca and by Joshua was balanced with hope and swoons, the anger and sadness with happiness. The angst...it was so so so good.

I'm sitting here writing my thoughts and wishing that I could just gush endlessly about Gone. I want to reread it already. I want to read it for the first time all over again. I want to gather all my bookish friends and watch them read it and then talk about all our favorite parts. As an emotional reader, I connected with this book in a way that doesn't always happen and I can't recommend this book enough.

This review can also be found on my blog, Flutters and Flails

[buzy_reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is written from a high school perspective and will be an appropriate read for a high school girl.
Rebecca is going to play the misunderstood girl who is artistic and colorful. Rebecca wants to wear clothes that people wont judge. Rebecca has been labeled a bad girl all from one bad decision she made one night after leaving a party.
Two POV's in the story. Josh too claims to be a troubled teen with issues. The story is written in London jargon. Josh is a surfer and an artist. Rebecca is the over protective sister to her thirteen year old sister.
The story finally has a good development and lesson to be learned towards the end. It was an arduous journey getting their but all in all teenagers deal with gossip in horrible ways. Anna still has some improvements to make at story telling. The story could have been better had more emotion been brought into it. I still never felt a connection with the characters. I felt like most of their issues were trivial until the big reveal.

[Carrie Elks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. I bought it in the morning and couldn't put it down, despite the fact I was supposed to be working. From the start, I was pulled into Bex's and Josh's world, entranced by their interactions and the obvious pull between them. Both broken souls, they were beautiful characterized, with nuances and details that made them feel very real. And as the relationship between them grew--naturally and beautifully--I found myself holding my breath, hoping they would find redemption in each other.

I loved every word of this book, and can't wait for more books by the author.

[Raj · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars!

I do like the story, though it was quite flat... it's not exciting, although I looked forward to know what's gonna happen on the last day..

I like the characters, but I don't love them. The story flow is okay but I was kind of hoping to read a more exciting scenes, something more fun.

I did cry.. like twice...

[Sammi Sweetsz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. While Blaming herself for the death of her best friend Bex looses who she is and gives into the labels. Josh Blames himself for his girlfriends death and becomes depressed and standoffish. When the two come together they both find peace in each other and once truths are revealed it changes everything.

[Coco.V]

💝FREE on Amazon today (8/14/2018)!💝

Blurb:
Rebecca Walters harbours a dark secret, and as the fifty-three bangles she wears on her wrists as a self-imposed sentence of guilt remind her, she can’t even begin to consider moving on. Not after what happened on that night six months ago… a night which she can’t remember and yet managed to change her life forever.

When Rebecca comes across Joshua Adams, man equally haunted by past tragedies, on a moonlit beach, both of their lives are destined to change forever, and when the girl made out of the sun meets the boy made out of the moon and sea, anything can happen… but will the knowledge of their murky pasts bring them together or drive them apart?

Will Rebecca finally be able to claim her freedom? Will she stay and fight to be the girl she found on the sandy beaches of Cornwall or is she destined to keep running and hiding from a past that won’t stay Gone? One thing’s for certain: either way, nothing will ever be the same again.

[Karenj · Rating 5 out of 5]

So im very late to the party here... but at least I came :)

Wow that was one hell of an emotional rollercoaster.. afteemr devouring 'lost' under its new title in one day and needing more Josh and Bex pronto, I picked this up and couldn't put it down. I absolutely loved these characters and my need to see them heal each other kept me turning the pages into the early hours !!

Right.. what Anna Bloom book do I read next?

[Dannah Leizl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gone by Anna Bloom

This is a heartbreaking story which will make you believe in second chances and will teach you that you are not what others label you.

This isn’t my usual genre, and I think this will be more suitable to teens, but I liked this book just the same. I won’t be able to put a description to the characters since I can’t relate with them, but the plot is amazing, the pace is realistic, and the ending is sweet.

Overall, this is a very good book and I would recommend it especially to those who are being bullied and to those which are trying to run from a dark past.

5 stars.

[J.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things that make my heart hurt and my heart swoon for this story and these characters:

The bangles that Bex wears just kill my heart, every time. This girl is so broken and guilt ridden when the story begins. I was swept away into her world from paragraph one.

Then there’s the double meaning of the title (I won’t spoil this one for you).

The way Bex heals through Josh-u-a and visa versa.

How she blames herself for things she doesn’t even fully remember.

The way he very easily, yet unknowingly falls in love with her.

Those little tiny moments of happiness that Bex has without realizing it until it’s too late and the letters she writes in the wake of them. *sigh*

Anna has, simply put, written a beautiful story, about two very beautiful souls who both need each other more than either could ever imagine. This is a story about how kids perceive themselves based on the judgement of others (and themselves), and how it is possible to change that perception, even if you can’t change everyone else’s. It’s unique and interesting, and engaging and touches on things we all deal with inside the confines of our own minds from time to time.

It’s going to live in my heart for a very long time, Anna. Thank you for not giving up on this story. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it.

5 bangles for this one.

[Katie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, Gone was hard for me to fully get into until about halfway through. It just didn't grab my attention right away, but once it did it kept it there. I'm glad for the outcome of everything with Bex and Josh-u-a.

[Bin Blogs Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two young people, struggling to grieve and find forgiveness, living day to day feeling half dead, find each other. As they grow closer, their mutual grief and attraction sets them on a path to heal and find a home in each other.

I enjoyed the book mainly as a whole, looking back over the whole story rather than any one part. I think a lot of young people will identify with the choices they made. Not a book I'd normally want to read but pretty good however.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Bex and Joshua, who are both broken souls. These two lead totally different lives, which is defined by their painful pasts. Will these two heal each other? You really need to read this for yourself to find out.
This is a beautifully touching and emotional storyline, which hooked me from the very beginning, and I was enthralled throughout. I recommend Anna’s work for all, and look forward to reading more of her work.

[Ann (Literary Lust) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been blown away by this beautiful story of loss and love. This book was an absolute page turner from the very start. I have felt every emotion whilst devouring this book and I never knew where the story was leading. A fantastic read!!

[Amanda (Good Choice Reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, that's correct, I DID just rate a book 5 stars for the first time since 2012.

Full review to come during blog tour.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Nice story. Didn't quite hold my attention the way I wanted it to. I just wanted a little more of something.

[Maco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book.
The characters were nicely written and the 'big secrets' were played out nicely!
The ending had me wanting more!

[Jennifer Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to finish this book! It seemed to drag on forever! On top of the long drawn out story, Bex was so whiny!

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

53 Sins & No Goodbyes
This is a newer author for me. I read the prequel to this, Lost, which I highly suggest reading first. It is a novella, so you can get through it quickly and then jump into this book right away! It may not make a lot of sense, but it will as soon as you start this book. I mean that in the best way, as you will find out right in the beginning. This book is told in dual POV's by Rebecca Walters and Joshua Adams. Rebecca's family have just moved from London to a small coastal town in England. After over two years of being bullied, of things happening to people she cares about, and she wears bangle bracelets (53 of them), to represent what she thinks are 53 sins she has done. When her parents found out everything, they cut her off of social media and shut down her accounts. This was another reason why they move, her thirteen year old sister, Emily, and her, among other horrible reasons. Joshua lives with his Aunt, in this town, where he was raised since the age of five, when he was brought there as an orphan, after his parents died. His girlfriend died six months ago and he has been living his life as just a routine, doing nothing more since that dreadful day, including giving up painting. These two lost or black souls, depending on whose POV, find each other. Can they share their secrets, past, and pain with each other or are they destined to stay alone? Will their families and his friends try to keep them apart? Will rumors and gossip, even the old fashioned way, be too much? There's only a limited amount of time that one has given the other, then the one said they are leaving for good. Can the moon convince the sun to stay or will an eclipse come with and break the no goodbyes rule?

[Chanah Dickson (The Book Whisperer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

New to me author Anna Bloom bring us a fabulously written ya book with characters that aren’t always widely written about. The dark girl that locks herself away because she feels the weight of this world on her shoulders and the popular but artistic boy that although he fits in with everyone really just wants to be left alone!

I loved the wit and backbone that Rebecca showed throughout the story the fact that although her family didn’t always have her back but she still lives them fiercely, her little sister whom she would do everything to protect and the armour she wore to keep her self protected from the outside!

Josh is one of the boys but has so many other sides to him, the artist side is one he has troubles with at most times throughout the story but his passion never goes away! He’s cocky at times and seems to perfectly balance Rebecca in ways none of them realise.

I’m so excited to tread more of this series and de what other amazing journeys Anna Bloom takes us on! I enjoyed her style of writing and the page in which she let the story develop! It’s a far cry from rip your clothes of Romance book but that’s why I loved it, sometimes I long for so much more to those stories and that exactly what The author provides me with in abundance! Passion can be brought to a story in so many ways and Gone delivered that completely.

[Kelly 'Perusing Princesses blog' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gone is an honest and beautifully weaved story of young love found in the aftermath of tragedy.

A feast of guilt, loss and self-loathing, that manifests into a destructive tone for our heroine.

Redemption is just around the corner in the broken young man who knows what it feels like to live in a shroud of guilt and darkness. Two broken kids find one another on the sunlit shores of Cornwall in this heartfelt tale of second changes and self-discovery.

Josh-u-a and Rebecca’s story is one that kept me up until the early hours. Their unrelenting pull to one another was a joy to witness, even though dark secrets held the possibility of pulling them apart. A relationship focused on friendship and a quiet understanding that not is all as it seems on these blissful shores. Muted colours of life’s canvas, brightening at every stroke as the girl like the sun, and the beautiful boy like the moon, align like the stars.

This is one YA that you must read if you enjoy the angsty stab of young love and first real romances.

Get my car quick, I feel a trip to St Agnes is just around the corner…

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, which I received as an ARC. A Y.A. romance that deals with some quite mature themes, but ends with a satisfying HEA. My only small complaint is that despite a lovely story, a lot more editing is required to achieve a more sophisticated level of writing. I'm a firm believer that Y.A. fiction should be written with as much attention to language protocol as any other genre, and this fell a little short of the mark for me. But again, a great plot and nice character development, so I enjoyed the experience.

[Shermaine Dowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique and charged with emotion

I thoroughly enjoyed this 2-book series. The web of lies buried deep within youth, rampant and confusing memories and emotions. Such love and shocks to the heart for a young coupe, flush in the newness of true and life-changing love. Msg Bloom expresses the depths of these emotions that are wrenched for fully-developed complex individuals. I enjoyed British colloquial-isms mixed amongst the story of a true and enveloping love.

[Rochelle Sumner Kroesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a real beautiful story of 2 young adults dealing with loss. Bex and Joshua are both struggling to live a normal life after they both suffered major losses. Together they were able to find happiness and forgiveness. But would it be enough for Joshua to fully open up and for Bex to finally stop running? Gone is one of those books that stay with you after you finish and I plan on reading more from this author.

[Jean Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bex and her family ran away from the bullying in London to Cornwall. While on the beach Bex sees some cute surfer dudes and is entranced by on. Josh has no time to waste with "holidaymakers" so doesn't give Bex the time of day. Then they both get to know each other and realize they have deep secrets. Will Bex go running back to London for school or will Josh find a way to make her want to stay??? I voluntarily received an advanced copy of this book for a honest review

[Shannon Davison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bex and Joshua have been through so much and they are having a hard time letting go of the pain and guilt they carry around. I was drawn into this story from page one and stayed up all night to finish it. A very moving story that grabs your heart. I truly can't wait to read more from Anna. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book via Quirky Blind Date with a Book.

[Heather Merriman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about two young people who have both been through something very traumatic. What starts out as just a holiday fling develops into so much more. By finding love in each other they slowly begin the process of healing each other. A beautiful read!! This is definitely in my list of books to reread!
I received a free copy and voluntarily left my honest review.

[Wendy Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

this books tells how a 18 year old girl feels about labels that has been put on her and she carries around some secrets that she is scared of getting out in a new town that her family has moved to
They is also a guy that is 20 years old and he blames his self about what happen to his girlfriend 6 months before he Bec

[FeeMac · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Lost i was left with many questions but Gone has answered them all and then some. Gone is a beautifully written story of Joshua and Rebecca and their journey of discovering each other and unwrapping their closely held past