Forever Red

Bama Boys #1

by Carina Adams

Not afraid to speak his mind or make a scene, Nathaniel Kelly has made a name for himself as country music’s ultimate bad boy.
Covered in tattoos, singing songs about drugs, drinking and heartache, Nate acts more like an out of control rock star than the grandson of one of the genres most influential and legendary stars. Every man wants to be him. Every woman wants just one night with the hard-rocking country rebel.
Except me. I just want to know that the boy I used to love is happy and that I didn’t break his heart in vain. That’s why I buy every magazine that even mentions his name; at least, that’s the story I tell myself.
When my friends gave me a birthday present any fan would die for, I was suddenly face-to-face with the man I never thought I’d see again. My body wasn’t supposed to react to him the way it did. And, Nate sure as hell wasn’t supposed to look at me the way he used to.
Can someone you loved as a teenager really have a hold on your heart twelve years later? Is it ever too late to say you’re sorry and make up for past wrongs? I’m about to find out.

Genres: Romance, Second Chance, Contemporary, Music, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, New Adult

390 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2015

About the author

Carina Adams, an Amazon and international best selling author, is an avid reader who loves the epic and unconventional, has an unhealthy obsession with Stanley Tucci, loves the sound of Johnny Cash, is the crazy friend your mom warned you about, has a heart and soul as black as the coffee she drinks, believes you’ll see her compete on Survivor one day, and hopes to go through the stones and find Jamie Fraser.

Carina has been writing and creating characters for as long as she can remember, allowing her to fall in love with the next man of her dreams with every new story. None of which are anything like boring Prince Charming.

Thankfully, fate stepped in and granted her the ultimate wish—a life full of men. Carina lives in a tiny Maine town with her biker-turned-businessman husband who keeps her on her toes and their two heathens who made her realize that wicked chicks do, indeed, lay deviled eggs.



Carina is currently working on two novels: Echoes of Us, the final installment of the Dreams Trilogy and 'Stones' a heartbreakingly beautiful tale of second chance love.


Carina loves to hear from her readers. carinaadamswrites@gmail.com


Carina is represented by SBR Media. For inquiries regarding foreign rights, audio, and other media outlets, please contact Katie Monson at katie@sbrmedia.com

Books:
Bama Boys Series:


Bastards Of Boston MC:


Standalones:

Reviews

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Finding Each Other Again Stars
* * * * 1/2
Growing up is hard...throw in grade school/high school clicks with cliches and you have a perfect storm for teenagers making bad choices...There is just no getting around it. Doesn't matter economically or regionally...if the circumstances happen when people feel their only way to prove themselves is to take some type of control...whether positively or not...they will. These notions are part of this excellent book, Forever Red.

I want to do a side note, first. I have been so lucky lately reading so many over 4 star reads. Seriously, The Book Gods have blessed me. It is not that I am easy....well, maybe my name has been on a few bathroom walls......NOT! No, I have just had a selection of reads which have touched all the bases for me and this book did as well.

You have the perfect set up for a book to go very wrong - wrong side of the track girl meets right side of track guy. Girl and her friends have been taking control of their being on the "wrong side" by manipulating guys for fun and games... rather than losing their hearts. Their reputations are crap...and for the most part justified. Enter new guy...and for the first time ever, Lia, our main character feels something for him.

Our new guy has a very interesting background which connects with our girl. It comes out after they start to be tentative friends, he comes from a Country Music legacy. He doesn't make a big ta-do about it... but our girl was a huge fan of his grandfather and this love and understanding binds them even closer.

Neil, the new kid, has it all going for him...football player, musician, artist and kind of an old soul...who learned how to love and care about things from his Gramps. It made him see things others didn't. It made him be more accepting of the young wonder he met... the girl who was honest didn't lie to him or suck up. She was a real person he could be himself with.

We read of their love story... of how they grow into this couple no one understands...and how past mistakes in judgment can color how people will manipulate non-negative behavior to fit their plans...like jealous teenage girls or even singularly focused parents.
These two special teenagers who see their love as real...are put to the test...and unfortunately due to assumptions, true love for one another and no communication...a massive decision is made by our girl...hurting the one person she loved.

Twelve years pass and Lia has been following Neil's career...Neil, however, was never to find Lia no matter how hard he tried. He is bitter; has written songs about his pain and lived the life of a famous sexy musician...meaning lots of nameless sex. All of his band members plus family know he has never gotten over Lia...and they wish he would just move on.

Lia is turning 30 and her friends are taking her for a surprise trip. She finds out it is to have VIP tickets and meetings with Nate Kelly who she knew as Neil. Her friends have no idea of the connection; Lia reinvented herself after leaving everyone behind. She finds herself locked in a room with crazed fans for him in a meet and greet...looking for a way to escape. Heading for the back door she walks straight into him...Neil is as shocked as Lia and cannot deal with this as the show is about to start. Their old friend from high school, Mike, now works as security for Neil takes her to the side after the show and there Neil pulls Lia aside into an empty room. Both are stunned and after the shock wears off...Neil kisses her...both know this isn't done...the embers still burn bright under all the inflicted pain...

This story is told in two parts. In the High school time, we get the whole experience and it flows through all the stages in their maturing as teenagers. We get to feel it all perfectly. We understand all the point of views because it switches from his to hers. We feel for them when they are separated by parental scorn. We see how outside forces work to instill doubt...and we see how crazy in love Neil is for Lia.

We also see how Lia understands her past mistakes and owns them fully. She learns how what she was doing was not accomplishing what she thought it was...it seemed she and her friends had control... but in the end... their actions and the results of them were what had the control and she worked to grow from it.

In the second half of the book, we see these two work at re-meeting the people they were, what the assumption of who they seemed to be and finally getting to know the real adult them. They still have cliches and knee jerk reactions to fight...Lia still needs to not hold back with Neil and sometimes that was a bit of an issue for me... But this all worked itself out and not in a long drawn out way.

An additional plus with this was all of the secondary characters. We had them all and they brought the goods to the table. The best friends... the bandmates ...Neil's sister and brother...even the bitchy parents. All of them held their own and contributed.

This book is worth the read. If you love Second Chances... this is your book. If you love a bit of forbidden, it is there too. If you just love a great love story which is over the years and meant to be... this is your tale...and having the main guy be a hunk and grow into a tattooed, pierced award-winning Rock Country star doesn't hurt either.

I am sure there are going to be more books with the secondary characters in the future...we are primed for them... and please do not make me wait too long... I want more of the 'Bama Boys!

~~~ Before Reading ~~~
Second Chance Love- Check!

Country Music Industry - Check!

Fingers crossed, it is Go Time :D

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** LOVED THIS !! ***

STORY OF LIA AND NEIL...





This is a story told in two parts...

It starts when LIA and NEIl are just teenagers.I'm normally not one for college romances ( which part one is ) but it TOTALLY worked for me,in fact it more than worked as I actually enjoyed part one the most.LIA is a lot different to the sterotypical college girl...she comes from the wrong side of the tracks,thinks people think less of her, and her and two friends play a dangerous game....they set their sites on a certain boy or man and compete to see who can seduce him first....
Enter NEIL, the new kid in school...they develop a strong friendship which turns to young love...



LIA' s past comes back to haunt her and she walks away from NEIL

PART TWO TAKES PLACE 12 YEARS LATER..

LIA has built a new life but has followed NEIL'S career as a Country Singer...her friends arrange to take her to one of his concerts not knowing their past...
They re connect but secrets threaten their relationship.This is a lovely story of second chance love spanning over many years ( something I love ).The writing flows beautifully and I could not put it down.Some great secondary characters...especially loved Mike.I adored the Epilogue but must admit I had pretty much worked it out...

First book by this Author and it definitely won't be the last!!!

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forever Red is set in two parts, the past then a time jump to the present for part two. And I really like this, it totally worked for me because I am not a fan of excessive flashbacks. So thank you author for this, you rock!

If I'm honest, for a fair bit through this book I didn't like Lia much at all, but slowly began to warm to her. Stupid teenage bullshit caused all the pain and suffering that could have been avoided If. She. Had. Only. Asked!! But, she knew she effed up, owned that and tried to move on with her life.

Nate/Neil never ever got over losing Lia, and although both of them caved in very quickly to their rekindled (uh more like never lost) I do wish Nate had made her work for his forgiveness. She really was a prize idiot and should have given an epic grovel. This is why only 4 stars. A grovel would have rounded this read up to 5 stars because I bloody loved it.

[mich · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book combined three of my favorite things in the contemporary genre! Best friends to lovers, reunion/second chances and musician-romance (that's the trifecta of awesome right there!) The setup isn't bad, despite it being premised on that oft used, nauseatingly stupid "I'm doing this hurtful thing to you because I love you and you're better off without me" bullshit.

I had thought I was so mature, that somehow I had all the answers and knew what was best for everyone, so I made their decisions for them.

So you know what I was thinking right? Oh great, this tired-ass crap again? BUT! But then, pretty much immediately, we get this:

In reality, I was just a naive, small-town girl with more fashion sense than common sense - and looking back at the pictures proves that I didn't know fashion for shit.

I knew right then that Lia was gonna be my kinda girl, and settled in for what I thought would be a really great read.

Actually, it ended up being pretty meh. The book is split up with the beginning half chronicling their high school years and the later half follows them when they reunite in their early thirties. I enjoyed the first half, although I did feel like it was really draggy at times (there's just way too many details and too many unimportant events that are mentioned. Seriously, this book is too long - a little snippy snippy throughout the whole thing would have done wonders.)

The second half kinda killed things for me. To me, this should've been the better half. As adults, I thought Neil's and Lia's story would be taken to a higher level -- the stakes would be higher, the drama more intense, the sexy times steamier. Instead, the reunion felt anticlimactic, the romance bordered on cheesy, and the drama was very tame and frankly, pretty boring. This had potential to be really good, if only the story had been....I dunno, more. More, like what, you ask? How the hell should I know, I'm not a writer! But as a reader, I just know that I wanted WAY more than what I got.

2.5 stars The writing was decent and I'd try something again from this author.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this one down.

A second chance romance featuring childhood first loves all grown up. I was hooked from the prologue where our 29 year-old Lia is all set to go on a surprise meet and greet with hawt country music megastar, Nate. Except Nate was her first love who she ran away from age 18. Love that set up.

This is narrated in alternate fp, initially ten years ago and then now. It's hard for me to get into a love story when I know it's going to go tits up, I'm kind of reading with one foot still on the ground, not quite all in. What I loved though was that less than half of the book was set in the past then we moved forward to now, there's no skipping around.

Add in the best friend, her bitchy friends, his difficult mother and lots of sexual chemistry and I was hooked. Nate made me swoon.

Complete story but there's more in the series featuring different characters. Loved this, recommended.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I was looking for a country rock star book, and I found it (thanks to a recommendation from Niki), and I loved it! 

This book had everything I love.....friends to lovers romance, a strong heroine, an amazing hero, angst, bitchy women, family drama, trauma, separation, friendship, hope, and that long awaited reunion which was well worth the wait!!  Second chance romance is exactly what this book is about!

Lia (Cecelia) is from a poor family and only wants to get out of her small town.  Neil/Nate (there is an explanation for the name) is new in town and immediately drawn to Lia.  They become great friends and I loved the banter between them.  Eventually, it becomes clear that they have strong feelings for each other.  When things spin out of control at the most inopportune moment, Lia runs.....she runs so far that no one can find her.....especially Neil.  She does remain friends with his friend, Mike, though and asks that he not tell Neil anything.  Even though there was some drama before Lia left, her real reason for leaving was so that she would not hold Neil back from his future life.....a life that appeared to look better without Lia, in Lia's opinion anyway.  Neil moves on and his life explodes into super stardom, which made it easy for Lia to keep tabs on him.  However, he had no clue where she was, what she was doing, who she was with, or even if she was even alive....I felt really bad for him!

I hate when couples separate for years......and I mean it was years!!!!  Like 15 years!!  Ugh!!  That hurts my heart so much....I always feel like they've wasted so much time when they could have been spending it together happy!

When she unexpectedly shows up at one of his concerts that her friend won tickets to with a meet and greet with the band, the sh!t hits the fan!
 
Anyway, I LOVED this book!!  I could not put it down!  First book for me by Carina Adams and I highly recommend it!  Of course, I'm a City Girl with a Country Heart so I was excited to read about a "country rock star" for a change!! I loved the band members! They were hysterical!

OH, OH, OH, AND THAT EPILOGUE!!!!!  WHOA.......WTF!!  MIKE'S POV.....THAT JUST THREW ME FOR A LOOP!!!!!!!!  THERE HAS GOT TO BE A FOLLOW-UP TO THIS BOOK OR I WILL DIE!!!!

[1-Click Addict Support Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa! This book was totally epic! I do love a great second chance romance and this one totally fit the bill. This was a nice juicy book, one you can really sink your teeth into. It had a lot of facets to the story and characters.

Lia wants nothing but to graduate from high school and leave her crappy hometown behind. She wasn't counting on falling for the new guy at her school, Neil. Boys have always just been a game to her, pawns in her and her friend's schemes. Neil is different, and they form a friendship that leads to romance. When the skeletons start falling out of Lia's closet she chooses to cut and run, leaving the boy she loves behind and starting anew.

Forever Red was an awesome read. I read the entire book in almost one sitting. I loved Lia and Neil, and their group of friends were awesome secondary characters. (Psst... some will be getting their own books, yay!)

Lia and Neil's story is told in the past and present, alternating their POVs and is a full length standalone. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of Carina's stories. If you are a fan of second chance at first love, pick this up. ~ Erin, 4.5 stars

~~~

This is the first book I've read from this author but definitely will not be the last one! Reading Lia and Neil's story, I saw that their chemistry was hot and blazing!

There will be secrets exposed, lies demolished, friendships tested, hearts broken and mended before it's all over, so you'd better be prepared to see and feel Neil and Lia's story through their eyes! I can't wait for the next book which I'm hoping is going to be about Mike?!? ~ Kara, 5 Emotionally Sexy stars

~~~

I absolutely loved this book! It was the perfect mix of romance, love, sexiness, and second chances. I adored our heroine, Cecelia, aka Lia, aka CeCe, aka Red. She had this sassiness and fierceness that was undeniable, yet she still had insecurities and loneliness too; a perfect blend.

Then there is Nate, aka Neil, a high school football player turned tattooed and pierced country rock star. And he was always the southern gentlemen, too.

“Country boys don’t need pick-up lines, Red; we’ve got pick-up trucks.”

Swoon!!

I really liked how this story was really broken into two parts – the before and the now. And neither part was rushed through. We got to see Lia and Neil fall in love as two teenagers who started as best friends.

“We are young, but we’re gonna grow old together.”

We then got to see them both as adults, before rekindling their love years later.

“I realized that I was completely in love with him all over again. I’d never gotten over him. I’d been in love with a boy that no longer existed.”

I also loved how there were so many ups and downs; it felt so real.

This book really did have it all. It was funny, steamy, full of love and friendships, and had its fill of drama. I laughed, cried, and needed to change my panties! The family dynamic was fantastic too! I couldn’t put this book down and had to know how it was going to end. And that epilogue – my poor heart. I certainly hope that Mike gets his own book.; he was one of my favorite parts of the entire book. ~ Tiffany, 4.5 stars

[Carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told in dual POV's, the story spans differing time frames. One as teenagers, where we learn all about both characters; then we have them as adults, where they hash it all out and get a second chance at their romance story. The prelude to their adulthood was portrayed in apt detail. With each scene pulling wonderful emotions from the reader. My preference leaned towards the teenage years, as opposed to their adulthood. So my feelings towards the genre were quelled at Contemporary Romance. It felt more of a Young Adult Romance.  The YA part makes up 60% of the story.  I would have preferred interchanging between past and present while the story was unveiled. The impact would have been compounded by the differing dynamics. Just my thoughts.

Carina gives us teenagers from opposite sides of the track. A young girl, that doesn't fit into the social circles or the cliched high school teenage girl. A young  trailer park girl that uses boys and men, in a game with her "like" minded girlfriends, to gain points, over each other, in order to win. Cecelia's aim is to work as hard as possible to get out of her town. Then enter, Nathaniel Kelly, the new boy at school, the new target on so many girls radar. But he only has eyes for one girl. It started off as a game, they became friends and it ended in a love that conquered all. Nathaniel was and is such a sweet and gorgeous young man. So simple and absolutely devoted to Cecelia. I loved loved Neil, he was absolutely the most supportive boyfriend ever. Also he wasn't the stereotypical teenage boy. Their love story was so refreshing to read.

When Nathaniel's plans changed to factor Cecelia into his future, his mother was furious. In his family's eyes, he was choosing a girl over them. His mother tried everything to change his mind and lure him onto a different girl. It didn't work; just infuriated him so much more. However, the attempts and the change in his future, wasn't lost upon Lia. She couldn't allow him to give up all he has ever wanted and worked towards for a trailer trash, man eating girl. Lia sacrificed her love to maintain the dreams of the love of her life and his future. A future she couldn't allow him to give up because of her. In doing so she maintained a lie that she cheated with his best friend while he was at home for the summer. This was the end of everything for Neil and Lia. 

******


More than a decade later, Neil and Lia meet unexpectedly.


Neil is now a world famous Country music tatted bad boy, and Lia finds herself teaching a classroom full of boisterous teenagers. Lia has been following his career, and has bittersweet feelings whenever she reads about him.  While, Neil looked all over for her, hallucinating at times over spotting her ever so often. Feeling angry that she didn't choose to stay and fight for them and their future, but instead running away. He didn't believe she cheated, but because of the anger and shock he was frozen. She moved faster than he thought and by the time he came searching for her. She was long gone. Seeing her at his concert for the first time in years. All the anger came flooding back. But hell if he wasn't happy to see her. She was the same, yet so different.



Happy to reunite and yet so scared that the past will continue to haunt them. Lia wants only one night with Neil. A birthday gift, one that will keep her wanting more. Knowng the body of a boy is so much different from the body of a MAN.
Things start to speed up at this point and we find Lia going on tour with Neil. I sipmly thought everything started to move to fast and Neil just too easily accepted Lia back into his life and was absolutely too forgiving. He started to become unrealistic to me. He was too everthing nice and sweet and not enough ansgt and anger. The scale was inbalanced. Forever Red was an enjoyable and ok read for me.

*ARC provided by Love Between the Sheets Promotion on behalf of the author for an honest reveiw* Thanks!

[Candi~Dirty Laundry Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG OMG OMG THIS BOOK!!

It gave me all the feels! And so much more! It’s not often that I’m offered an arc, and of an author that I have not read before, and than completely knocks me on my butt. It’s rare that gems like these land in my hand. Ones, that I just want to scream from the rooftops “READ THIS BOOK!!!” And this book was like striking gold.

It’s written in 2 parts. Which makes it long. And for $2.99, i think it’s way underpriced. IMO. But this was done perfectly. You needed that “back then” back story, to fully grasp and appreciate the “now” part. It was done brilliantly.

Part 1 goes back to high school. Where we go through Lia’s journey. She’s a young high schooler with a feisty sexual attitude. She’s not your typical teenage girl. And she knows this. But. She owns it.

Enter one Neil/Nate Kelly. New to the small town and to the school. From his first day there. He is almost instantly taken by Lia. She has motives of her own. But those are quickly washed away after getting to know Neil. As with every typical high school it’s filled with mean girls, girls that are supposed to be your best friends, drama, rumors, angst, love, romance, heartache and heartbreak. And than the graduation dinner. Everything changes. Which brings us to book 2. The “Now”. I’d like to point out that Neil Kelly as a teenage boy is downright swoon worthy. Sweet, hot, caring. A good ole country boy from Alabama. Absolute perfection. But during the 12 year time span. Neil becomes Nate Kelly. The biggest country singer. The hottest. The baddest. The sexiest. With the tattoos and piercings all included. Good lord. We go from swoon worthy to down right panty melting. Side note. He has easily made a place in my top BBF list. Like, at the top of the list.

Lia and Nate rediscover each other through all the ups and downs. They live two completely different worlds now but that don’t stop them. And through this journey is where I was completely swept away. Not just with Nate. But with all the characters from this story. The band members. Lia’s best friends. Mike. Sweet sweet mike. I loved them all. This book also had plenty of laugh out loud moments too. Which is a favorite of mine. The banter between them all. Like I said. Absolute perfection.
And then. The ending. The epilogue. Good god. It was a shocker. Not so much a Cliffy. But, just one of those moments that have you going “WTF!! I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!!”

I don’t want to give to much away. I will say that this is easily one of my favorite reads not just of 2015. But, ever. Seriously. This book just sucked me in. Again. It’s long. But not once did I stray or lose interest. Instead I kept saying I don’t want it to end!! Carina Adams. You are an amazing writer. I am in awe! And I can’t wait to see what you write next!!!

If you haven’t yet. Go 1-click the hell out of this now!!

[Carina Adams]

Forever Red is live! I can't wait for you all to read it.

Neil and Lia had a much different story than what I usually write. They're two kids who are lost, each for different reasons, and because of their time together, are able to find themselves.

The characters in this book make me smile.

Happy reading!

[Peggy Dabney · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me it's all about the story, and this story shined brighter than a firecracker on the 4th of July! Yeah, it had great sex scenes also, but this book is so good it wouldn't have even mattered. Now that's great writing in my book. Carina Adams had me so involved in her story I wouldn't have noticed a mistake if there was one. Loved it! Totally loved it! :D

[Three Chicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Star Review by Jen Skewes

Forever Red Cover
I am such a sucker for friends to lovers and second chance love stories. And what is great about Forever Red is that it gives us both. I loved Lia and Neil’s story and loved going on this journey with them. Their story is about love, heartbreak, forgiveness, second chances and so much more. Carina Adams did such an amazing job with this story. It is one of those books that you just cannot put down and when you are done you cannot stop thinking about it. You will fall in love with these characters and be rooting for them every step of the way. This is one of my favorite reads of this year.

We meet Lia in present day when she finds out that her friends have surprised her for her birthday, with a trip to see Nate Kelly in concert and to meet him backstage. What her friends do not know is that Neil Kelly, the hot, sexy tattooed country star, has had Lia’s heart since she was sixteen. Twelve years ago she left, leaving behind a boy with a shattered heart.

After reading the prologue you are left wondering what happened between the two main characters. Why are they no longer together and what will happen now when they see each other? I was completely sucked in from that very moment. I wanted to know all about their story. How they met, how they fell in love and what happened to cause them to be apart now. It’s been twelve years since Lisa has seen the only boy that she has ever truly loved, but she has followed his career since the day it started. She is not sure how Nate is going to react when he sees her. Will he be pissed, hurt, angry or all three? Hmmmm…..you will have to read this story to find because as I started writing this review I decided that I am not going to give any more of the plot away. You need to experience this book on your own. I will say that it is a beautiful and amazing second chance love story that will capture you from the very start.

There are so many things that I loved about this book and I feel if I list them all this review will never end. I loved that this book was written in two parts, the past and the present. We get to see and experience the good and the bad with Lia and Neil. From the moment they first met in high school to present day when they see each other for the first time in twelve years. The first half of this book gives us Neil and Lia as teenagers. You see just how in love these two are. And while you may say what does a sixteen year old really know about love, well let me tell you they had a love like no other. It is that once in a lifetime love, the one that you know will last forever, no matter how many miles or years apart. It’s the type of love that you get goose bumps just thinking about. Lia was Neil’s heart, his everything. And no matter how many struggles they faced he loved her and would do anything for her.

The second part of this book is the present. I thought I had this all figured out. That I knew exactly what the reactions would be when they finally saw each other after all these years. But I was so wrong. I loved exactly how this one played out and how it all happened in an unexpected way. It wasn’t predictable in any way and that’s what I loved. The best part is that we still get to see and feel that connection that these two always had, a connection that even twelve years apart could not break. No matter how hurt and how angry Neil may have been, one thing never changed. And that was his love for Lia. He may have has some battles with his brain and his heart along the way. But in the end I think his heart won.

Now we need to talk about Neil/Nate Kelly because my god did I love him. He had me from the start. Neil as a teenager was the guy that every girl in high school dreamed of. He was the hot football star but he was sweet and caring and a respectable guy. He was completely swoon worthy and I fell in love with him from the moment I met him. He is that guy that will capture your heart from the very beginning and never give it back. But twelve years later we see Neil as Nate Kelly, the hot, sexy and tattooed country with a voice that will melt your heart and quite possibly your panties. He is everything that you want and love in a guy and he quickly became one of my favorite book boyfriends. He is just perfect!!

I loved Lia’s character so much. I may not have liked the decisions that she made over the years but she always made them with the best of intentions. And I completely understood why she made them. What she did, she did out of love and I admired her for that. She was such a great heroine. She came from a world that was completely different than Neil's but she still held her head high and found a way to make something of herself. I wanted Lia and Nate to find their way back to each other. They were just meant to be. And I was rooting for them all the way.

This book was just fantastic. As the reader you felt it all right along with this couple. I always love a book where you can feel the connection with the two characters. You can feel how deeply they are in love. When they hurt, you hurt. When they are happy you are right there along with them smiling and laughing. I felt every emotion with this book and that has everything to do with the words written on each page. Ms. Adams created two characters that were so real and just so lovable. She made me feel like I was a part of their life and experiencing their journey with them. I honestly cannot express how much I loved this book. But it wasn’t just Lia and Neil that I loved. Their best friend Mike had such a big part in this story and I loved him. He was just the sweetest best friend a boy or girl could have. I fell in love with these characters and was sad when it was all over. Oh and the epilogue I did not see that one coming at all. But I loved it and loved how it sets up the next book. A truly beautiful and epic love story. Fantastic job by Ms. Adams. Once again you blew me away and gave me one more book boyfriend to add to the top of my list. And yes I may just love Neil more than Matty...maybe. :)

[Tangerine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 STARS


I picked this book up at random. I didn't read the blurb and I didn't read any reviews for it. All I knew was the title and what the cover looked like. It looks like I'm going to have to do this more often seeing as I really enjoyed this one!

This was an enjoyable second chance romance. I have found that second chance romances really aren't my thing but this one worked. I loved how it was written in two parts. You got Nate and Lia's past and then their present. I enjoyed all of the secondary characters along with Nate and Lia. This story was written well and I can't remember really seeing any grammar errors which is a huge turnoff for me when reading. There were some inconsistencies/holes within the story but I worked through them. I understand what the author was trying to do. Or at least I think I do. It seemed to me that she was trying to make sure that the young Lia and Nate were different from the adult Lia and Nate. It didn't fully work but it did work. It was also a tad bit long but I couldn't put it down. I really liked the epilogue and was shocked. I didn't expect it and I really liked it. It sets the next book up, which is about a different character, nicely.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and will check out the next in this series.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that is far from perfect plot wise but strangely addictive. First read for me by this author. I liked the writing style.

The story is in two parts. The first part is when Neil/Nate and Cecelia/Lia meet as 16 year olds. Lia is a completely different book heroine to what I'm used to reading. She is not a shy little virgin. Far from it, her and her two friends have a game they play which is not a nice one. However, when Nate meets her, he is smitten. They start off as friends but it soon turns to more. His mother is not over keen on him having Lia as a girlfriend. Although they are only 16, nearly 17, they fall in love but Lia is worried that Nate is going to give up too much for her so when something from Lia's past dalliances comes to light, Lia makes a decision to end their relationship and then she leaves with no goodbye.

The second part of the story is set 14 years later as Lia is approaching her 30th birthday and her best friends have got her tickets to see Nate Kelly, a Country Music star that Lia is obsessed with. Little do her friends know that Nate is the Neil from her past that she has told them about. Now when I got to the second part, I felt like there was quite a lot of 'telling' rather than 'showing' going on. There were two conversations I really wanted to read about but instead we were only told about them. I found it a bit strange which particular 'friend' was still in Lia's life and how close they had become. After what happened in the first part, I didn't think he would still be in the profession he was. There were too many people from the first part that appeared in the second part that I found it a bit unrealistic.

As for Nate who was now a Country Music star and covered in tattoos and piercings even though in the first part he did no singing and his songwriting was only mentioned briefly. In the first part he is a Football player, not a singer! I didn't feel the reason for his tattoos and piercings were fully explained. I felt him and Lia reconnected far too quickly without having 'the conversation'. I also felt the thing that Lia had decided age 15 to keep for her husband was also a tad far fetched as was the fact that just by changing her surname when she went to College that Nate was never able to find her. The fact he becomes so successful yet still thinks of her all the time then I'm sure he had people at his disposal that could have tracked her down for him.

I liked Nate. I liked him in the first and the second part. He's not a 'bad boy' but in the second part, he has certainly lived the life of a music star. I also liked Mike the best friend to both of them from their past but I never really felt I liked Lia that much. I wasn't sure why most men seemed so enamoured with her! I also wondered how Nate's brother Noah came to feature so heavily in the second part when his name wasn't even mentioned in the first part but I did like his character. Some of the plot just seemed thrown in (her recent ex) and never fully explored. In the second part, Lia is a High School Teacher but for a teacher, she never seemed that responsible to me and I found it strange that became her chosen profession.

I've had a good moan but like I say, it's far from perfect but I couldn't stop reading. It's a long book and I like books that span a good few years. There were some good characters and some I didn't like. The epilogue is told from Mike's POV. I must say, I didn't see that coming what we read about him and I was a bit surprised at that. His book is next and I look forward to seeing who he ends up with. I can see there is scope for quite a few of the characters to have their own stories which I would be interested in reading.

[Tiffany Readz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me from the blurb and then until the very last page. Rarely do we pass up a hot, tatted up, soulful singer, however getting to know Nate from the beginning was it for me. Carina Adams did a clever thing with this book by starting us in the present, then taking us to the past, then back to the present. Giving her readers every ugly detail of the relationship.

"I couldn't let him do it, couldn't let me be the thing that held him back, couldn't let his love for me destroy his dreams. So I did the only thing I could do; I wrecked it all." ~ Lia (Cecelia)

And boy did she. Although Lia let Neil go, she still loves him more than ever. The way she left pretty much sealed the deal, until one night her friends decide to surprise her with tickets and backstage passes to one of his concerts. The past comes rushing back for both of them, along with mountains of baggage as well.

For Neil, Lia was the one that got away from him when he was only seventeen. The close relationship with his grandpa made him an old soul and he knew Lia was his forever girl. She was everything he didn't know he wanted, a fiery red head with quick wit to keep him on his toes. Too bad his parents still had some control of his life at that age, so things didn't work out the way he planned.

Neil never forgot about his Red, ever. No matter how many girls he went through (Ugh I hated that) and how many songs he wrote, it's still been fourteen years since he's layed eyes on his girl. Seeing her at the meet and greet brought all of those feelings back to the surface, including the hatred he still carries for the way she left him.

"Watching her was like seeing your favorite movie again; you knew all the best parts, but you'd forgotten the little things that made it truly great." ~ Neil (Nate)

By knowing how they ended up, I couldn't read this book fast enough to see it all come together or fall apart. Carina Adams gives us an epic love story that spans over fourteen years, past and present relationship involvement as well as best friends, band members and family still chipping in their two cents. While Lia and Neil were our main focus, the rest of the supporting characters were written so you actually cared what was going on with them as well. Just when you think you see the cliche set up, the book takes a turn and at 93% you still aren't sure what is going to happen. Great book, great story and I will be waiting for Mike's turn.

Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED this book! It had everything I love in a romance...friends to lovers and 2nd chance romance all in one. I couldn't put this book down and stayed up way too late and then got up way too early the next day to finish it. LOL. I adored Lea. She was fantastic. She molded into a stigma because of her status in town, but she was such a sweet and loyal person. Nate aka Neil and Lia were fantastic as friends, sweet as can be when they dated in high school and smokin hot together when they were adults. She was secure in her relationship with Neil and handled difficult situations with grace and trust. Neil was sexy and perfect for Lea. Their chemistry was off the charts but you could also feel the love they had for eachother. Noah was freakin adorable and loved all the band members and Lea's adult friends. This book had me swooning, broken hearted, and rejoicing. It was a wild ride and their HEA was fabulous. Loved it!!

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The second half didn't live up to the first. Inconsistencies and missed details in key parts of the plot and in character development. There was a handful of jumps where telling was chosen over showing the story unfold.
The first part was engaging and interesting, with a good build toward some sort of climax, and the setup was there for a satisfying second half, which picks up about 13 years after part one ends. However, part two failed to deliver. The characters were too different to chalk it up to 'character development.' Neil/Nate and Red/Lia went from likable, intriguing high school kids to a generic, alpha as*hole and a wishy-washy doormat. The second half played out thus:
Haven't seen one another in over a decade? Have sex
Need closure to move on? Have sex.
Need to talk things out? Have sex.
Had an argument? Have sex.
Been too busy to spend time together? Have sex
Break up for weeks over a stupid misunderstanding and need to work things out? Have sex.
One line kind of summed it all up and that was along the lines of all the missed time and problems they faced could be fixed 'in the bedroom.'
Yeah, no.
Seriously lame and boring. I don't care how differently the words are rearranged, a long sex scene with too much detail is still a long sex scene with too much detail and is a poor substitute for good storytelling. Which this writer is absolutely capable of so why they took the cheap and lazy route is beyond me. But whatever.
I didn't expect to be underwhelmed by this book given the solid start, but it didn't deliver. It wasn't awful, just forgettable.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hits all the right spots

Firstly I love cocky cowboys with swagger



Secondly I love Rock star reads with the drama and angst



Thirdly I love a second chance romance it makes me gooey inside.



This had all that and more with the beginning being the past that very much dragged you into the lives of Lia and nathaniel and the highs and lows of their teen romance to the present and reunion of this hot couple.

With angst,drama,humour,heartwarming moments and great writing this was a great read that I would recommend.

Available on KU http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Red-Car...
posted for https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Anne OK · Rating 3 out of 5]

An average enjoyable read that fell short of what I had hoped would be something a bit different and extraspecial. Loved the cover and it gets kudos for drawing my attention.

Told in dual POVs helped to give the story much more depth and staying power than otherwise would have been found. There was a bounce in time frames with teen years and characters from opposite sides of the tracks into adulthood some ten years later for a nice balance in the second chance at love storyline. One has become a famous country singer and they reconnect by a chance encounter.

The ending seemed too rushed and lacked the oomph I was anticipating. And the Epilogue, which could have saved it all, was more of a teaser for what may be Mike's book, but no date for a release is in sight which made it appear more of a cliffhanger ending. Not good in my opinion.

[Daph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it. Loved Nate and Lia's relationship both when they were teenagers and adults. Oh poor Mike, there has got to be a sequel from Mike's point of view. That epilogue totally threw me off; it was an absolute shocker. I sure didn't see that coming. Anyway, awesooooome book, and please give me something from Mike's POV Ms Adams. Pretty please.
Awesoooooome!!!!

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

10+++++ stars.... Absolutely loved this book....I'm dying for more....please tell me Mike is going to get his own book......that epilogue left me a mess.....loved me some Neil/ Nate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Amy Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. All the feels. All of them. Smiles, tears, heart ache, laughter. So good.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nate and Lia are high school sweethearts. Through circumstances, they separate and move forward in different directions. Both are broken-hearted, but life must go on. Nate becomes a famous country music superstar. Lia follows his career, and is very proud of the man he has become.

Lia’s friends decide to surprise her for her birthday with concert tickets and backstage passes to see the one and only Nate Kelly. Her friends have no idea that Lia knows Nate Kelly personally—and she’s terrified at the thought of seeing him after all these years.

Nate has worked hard to attain his success, and he definitely enjoys the spoils of it. Women want to be with him, and guys want to hang out with him. When Nate sees Lia backstage at his concert, he’s dumbstruck. He can’t believe that Lia is there right in front of him. He hasn’t seen or heard from her in 12 years—and he’s at a loss.

You can’t help but fall in love with Nate and Lia. He is a beautiful man with an old-school soul. He’s never forgotten his roots, and with his close friends and family supporting him, they help keep him grounded. I can’t get more specific without spoilers, but trust me, he’s a heart stopper! Lia is a strong-willed young lady, not afraid to speak her mind. She is smart, and has a plan to get away from her town once she graduates high school.

It starts with Nate and Lia in high school, and follows their growth into adulthood, and showing how decisions made as a teenager affected not only them as adults, but their friends and family, as well.

The secondary characters are so much a part of this story, it’s almost like an ensemble cast of people you’d love to know—well, most of them. They have depth, and they keep you on your toes. Nate’s band members are like frat brothers, and they are hilarious. You feel you know all of them personally, and Carina makes you feel like you’re right there with them every step of the way. A testament to her talent as a writer.

I went through a range of emotions with this book. I love how Carina tells this complicated love story in such a way, that by the end, you realize it couldn’t have happened any other way. I would love to see this continue into a series, and I know I won’t be the only one once readers get a hold of this book.

[Lauren ♥ Inked in Chapters · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can read this and other reviews at Inked in Chapters


I’m going to start this review off by telling you exactly what you need to know:

You need. To read. This book.

I haven’t come away from a book feeling like this in months. The funny thing? I wasn’t even sure I wanted to read it. When it finally showed up on my kindle and I looked at the length, I literally groaned out load. Then I wrote Sarah saying that it was 6K something lines and I would never finish it. I didn’t just finish it, I devoured it.

I wanted to know the man Nathaniel Kelly had become because I missed the boy he was.

Forever Read is broken up into two parts – past and present. Usually this isn’t my thing. I like the story to flow in a certain direction and hate getting into the past only to be chucked straight into the present. Somehow Carina made it work for me. The story was anything but predictable. I had all these preconceived ideas of how Nate/Neil and Lia/CeCe’s story would unfold. Carina repeatedly knocked me down a peg or two. 20% into the story I had no idea what would happen next. It was a constant roller coaster ride of emotional excitement.

The one thing I never expected, the one thing I left out of my perfect plan, was that if someone wants to get across badly enough, they don’t even need a bridge. They’ll jump in head first and swim. And Nate Kelly? He was a goddamn strong swimmer.

This book is long – it spans what feels like a lifetime – and I don’t want to get into everything this second chance romance involves. We’d be here all day. What I do want to say is that Forever Red is similar and yet altogether different than books of this genre. It’s more. The characters are extremely well developed, the plot line is intense - with twists and turns, and the writing flows effortlessly. It’s easy to say that Forever Red has secured a spot as one of my top reads of 2015. It had even found a place on my top reads of all-time list. It’s THAT good.

*Given an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[E.J. Fechenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

From first love to forever love and all the fears, angst and passion that happens in between...this book has it all.

One of the things I've noticed is that Carina apparently enjoys putting her characters through the emotional wringer and this story isn't any different. Lia is a stubborn, fiery redhead with a questionable social status and reputation when Neil Kelly transfers to her high school. Neil's different; he doesn't know of her history and even though he lives on the wealthy side of town and quickly becomes a star on the football team, he doesn't care that she comes from a humble background. He totally gets her and they have an undeniable connection. Sounds perfect, right? It is until Lia gets scared.

This is understandable. Love can be scary - in fact it can be terrifying and complicated - just like high school. Carina puts the reader front row and center to watch their relationship unfurl then unravel. Fast forward over ten years and we find that Lia and Neil (now the famous Nate Kelly) are still worlds apart. They have a second chance, but can they move past their past (and out of their own way) to make a future together?

The character development in Forever Red is fantastic as we get to know Lia and Neil as high school students and then again as adults. Carina introduces us to a whole cast of characters, from parents and friends (don't get me started on Nate's mother), who add dimension to the riveting story. Be prepared to hunker down as you won't be able to stop reading once you start.

* I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review *

[Amazeballs Book Addicts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It's told for the dual POVs of Nathaniel and Cecelia. It's also told in tow parts. Part One is Then, in this part we get to see Nathaniel and Cecelia in high school. Part Two is Now, which in the present day. I didn't have a favorite part because they both were wonderfully written that I never lost interest or had the urge to skip parts.

Nathaniel (he also goes by Neil and Nate) is a country boy who moves up north and meets Cecelia (she also goes by Lia and Cece) in high school. I loved reading how they meet and how they relationship moved from friends to much more.

Cecelia is a great character. She has good intention most of the time but things don't always turn out good. Cecelia leaves and doesn't keep in contact with Nathaniel. He becomes a big country music star. He's still down and earth and a great guy. Their paths cross again years later. There is still chemistry between them. They have a past that they have to deal with. There are also things that have happened while they were apart. They have a lot of things to deal with before they can finally have their happy ever after.

Cecelia spends the summer on tour with Nathaniel and his band. His band mates are super funny. I loved Mike too. Mike is a friend of both Nathaniel and Cecelia. He has a few secrets. The Epilogue is in Mike POV and it definitely holds some surprises. I do hope Mike gets his own book.

Forever Red is a great story. It has happy, sad, and funny times in it. This was my first book I read by Carina Adams and it won't be my last.

A copy was received for a review.

[Dayreader Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first experience reading a book by Carina Adams and I wasn't disappointed! I love the cover of Forever Red. It drew me in and made me want to know more.
The story begins with Lia's friends taking her to a Nate Kelly concert, in a limousine, as a surprise birthday gift. They also manage to secure passes for a meet and greet, all without knowing that Nate Kelly, the king of country music, was her first love when they were in high school. In the years since, they have had no contact but they both still have feelings for each other.
This beautiful, emotional read was difficult for me to read at times because Carina made me so heartbroken for them. There is a lot of hurt between them over decisions that Lia made in the past, that ended their relationship. These decisions weren't the best choices, but she made them out of love for Nate and with the best of intentions.
I absolutely loved reading this book and I know I will be rereading it at some point because it's just that good! I can't wait for the next book in the series where we get Mike's story. I came to love all of the supporting characters so much I feel as if I know them all!
This is a second chance romance that will tear at your heartstrings, so get your tissues ready and enjoy! I'm giving this beautiful story 5 stars!

[Tammy Hamilton Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story hooks you pretty fast and keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to learn what happens next. There's plenty of sexual tension, story angst and really comical moments. I love the rocker genre, but I didn't even realize this was what I was going to be reading with this one. In fact, if there was one thing that bothered me about this book is that despite Nate/Neil's family history, he jumped from football stand out to rock star status without so much as picking up a guitar. I had no idea his intention was to follow in his family's legendary footsteps. That kind of stuck with me and with some, even to a small degree reference or story to help me with that transition, I would have given this a 5-star review.

The writer tells a tale of 2 love struck teens who would sacrifice it all for the other, even being together. There's the ex's constantly in their face, messing with their happiness and you can't forget how nasty his Mom was to her. Lia is no innocent. Her trailer trash reputation and naughty school girl games, catch up with her, despite her efforts to do it right with Neil. Sometimes a love that transcends years apart is so strong it's meant to be inked FOREVER RED.

[Carri Frechette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted an ARC of Forever Red in exchange for an honest review.

Forever Red had me hooked from beginning to end. Nate/Neil and Lia heat up the pages in this friends-to-lovers story about second chances and forgiveness. I loved how the book started in present-day, but brought me back to their first high school encounter, the romantic relationship that followed, and, the falling out that happened between the two. Flash forward to present day: Nate is now the hottest country singer in the land. After a chance meeting with Lia and her girlfriends at one of his concerts, old feelings resurface. Can they make it work this time around? Only time will tell. I absolutely loved most of the supporting characters (with the exception of a couple, whose teeth I wanted to knock out of their snotty little heads) in the book as well. I would love to see books come out with Mike and Noah’s stories, as well – hint, hint, hint ;) Also, as just a little side note: I grew up and went to school in the same area as the author, so I found the fact that she referred to a couple of places that are still here in our area very cool!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A NOT SO TYPICAL COWBOY :) T-SHIRTS, TORN JEANS, AND TATS GALORE, giddy up Cowboy!

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OH, I needed this! Such a sweet story and I loved both Nate (hell yes) & Lee.
They were young when they first met at school, best friends, turned to more.


Of course, there's always a road to travel, with many twists & turns, bumps in the road
but true love can last, through anything, can't it?






What a beautiful story that will touch your heart, Nate~ swoon.


Can they right the wrongs when their paths cross each other again?