Altered

by Kelly Cain

At first, I saw him as everyone else did.
But then, I saw him for who he really was.
Recognized the beauty beneath the pain.
Loved the quirks disguising the insecurity.
Embraced the man who hid behind the boy.
But there was so much more…
More I didn’t know.

And once I did, I couldn’t let
go…
Of the boy.
The man.
The lover…

…even if his past is threatening
our future.
Nothing will alter what we’ve built.

Genres: New Adult, Romance

233 pages, Paperback

Published February 2, 2016

About the author

Kelly Cain is a native Northern Californian but has spent the last couple of decades in Texas, currently residing in the live music capital of the world, Austin. Consequently, most of her books are set somewhere between those two locations.

Kelly writes multicultural romance with determined women directing their own fates, and the swoon-worthy men who adore them. She loves reading most genres but please don’t ask her to pick just one. However, she can pick her favorite book boyfriend – Will Herondale.

When she isn’t reading or writing, Kelly is most likely using a genealogy site to research her extended family, both old and new. Or cooking/baking something delightful.

She has two adult daughters, and a new granddaughter.

Be sure to follow her on BookBub at bookbub.com/authors/kelly-cain or click the big BB below.





She is represented by Amy Brewer at Metamorphosis Literary Agency.

Reviews

[NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books} · Rating 4 out of 5]

***3,75 full of denial stars***



This was a really good story...
It was a story of kindness and friendship and love...
But as all of the kind of love stories out there, this story had its own ups and downs...

Sometimes it made me smile and sometimes you could see smokes to get out of my ears from the irritation...
The main characters were lovely...
I adored Nicholas and i liked and didn't liked Liv, because of many reasons that i will explain to you later...
I enjoyed their story but i think that i didn't like the unbalance of their relation...

But let me take the things from the beginning...

Olivia was in law school and she was extremely focus on her goals... But lately something is strange in her fiancee's behaviour and she has the feeling that their time together is reaching to its end.

At the same time, is getting into her attention a classmate of hers.
He is a loner, he looks like a homeless guy with all those hair and beard covering his face and all those baggy clothes and hoodies that he is wearing and he is extremely intelligent... And beyond the upon things, he had come in her rescue more than once...
Nicholas is capturing her interest and she is determined to get to know him better and to become friends with him...
And after too many efforts to catch him up, she is getting him where she wants and a strange friendship is beginning...


Nicholas is staring to open up toward Liv and her friends and he is so cute and sweet. Liv is cligging more and more upon him and as its natural, Nicholas is getting comfused with her behaviour, but Liv is putting boundaries between them and tell him that they are only friends and friends will be the only thing that they will ever be...

(You see, i didn't tell you that Nicholas was a genious kid that in the age of 18 got into the law school and Liv is 23... So... there is a big age difference between them that is bothering Liv all the time!!!)
But the lines are blurred all the time and both of them are trying to stay untouched by this...

But the things are so messy that their relationship can not stay untouched...

So what will happen with those two???
Will Liv accept that she is having feelings for Nicholas and is she willing to get over the age difference???
What are the secrets that Nicholas is keeping???
Will they manage to overcome all those obstacles that are surrounding them and to be together for real???
Or all those differences will tear them apart for good this time???


As i told you before i liked and i didn't like Liv... Why was that???
Well, first of all, i liked her because when everybody was avoiding Nicholas and they just isolated him, she worked very hard to made him her friend and she treated him as equal and with respect...
I also liked that she never complained to him about his appearance and she accepted him as the way he was!!!

I have to give her credits about that!!!!

Now the reasons that i didn't like her are plenty and that's why i didn't rate the book with more stars...
1. Liv was almost obsessed with the age difference between them, even though the people around them didn't seem to care so much about that!!!
2. She was in deep denial. Everyone could see that she had feelings for Nicholas but she was refusing it for so long that at the end, she almost believed it!!! (So lost time!!!)

(You don't know how many times i heard this phrase!!!)
3. I didn't like the fact that because of her insecurities, she was treating Nicholas like shit in several occasions!!!
4. When Nicholas backed away from her for some serious reasons, she just gave up on him!!!
5. All the time she was treating him like a child and it was really frustrating!!!
6. I didn't like that she was doing whatever she wanted in this realationship. She was taking all the decisions... If they are friends, if they are couple, when they will be together, when they will stay away from each other etc...

7. Finally, i didn't like that when Nicholas was staying away from her, she was acting like a brat and she was accusing him... Like near to the end that he was insisting to keep her away from his problems, but she was insisting to take her with him and then when something bad happened, she pulled away from him... Not, cool, sweetie!!!


As for Nicholas??? I adore this guy!!!
He was cute, sweet, kind!!! He was so clever and i admired his clarity!!!
But Nicholas was a mystery from the most part of the book.... He was keeping himself hidden under baggy clothes and tones of hair... He was having trusting issues and with a good reason...
From the first moment, you could see that he had fall hard for Liv and that he could do anything for her... And i don't know if this was a good thing!!!

She was the first woman for him in every aspect and he was so stuck into her...
I didn't like the fact that he was letting Liv to be the leader in their relationship... but i think i understand him in a way!!!
I also liked that we saw him to change as the days were passing by. He became more confident and more sure of himself... Well done!!!


Those two together were so beautiful...
They were fitting so perfectly and they were so good for each other...

Liv learnt to follow her heart and to not stuck in details and Nicholas from an awkard boy became a confident man!!!
I just wish Liv wouldn't have irritated me with her attitude so much... Then i would be much happier that i am now with her!!!
Despite my irritation, i really had a great time while i was reading this story!!!


***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***

[Carlene · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sure this book works great for some people, unfortunately I was bored. I finally quit reading when my significant other looked at me and said, "If you keep getting mad at the book you're getting your tablet taken away." So, I put it down, read another book, tried coming back to this and by 50% I gave up.

Not only is the writing style hard to enjoy, but the characters are immature and the general flow is like watching my own life happen day in and day out. Boring. I generally enjoy friends to lovers story lines, however this was slow paced and predictable. Olivia, or Liv, isn't an enjoyable character, at all. I felt for her at first, but then I realized every situation in her life has been something she's inserted herself into. Her ex did to her as he did to others, she led on a younger guy, she makes people her friends without any real knowledge, and pushes comfort bounds with every single character. As a reader I couldn't connect with Liv and her flightiness, which meant I also never connected with any of the secondary characters. Then there is Nicholas, who sometimes acts like he is 18, other times 15, and the majority of the time like an overworked middle aged man. Considering age difference was such a huge deal between Olivia and Nicholas, I thought this would be played out much differently. In the end, I thought Nicholas was more mature and he should've been wondering why he was paying attention to a twenty-something who dated like a middle school child does. I genuinely liked him as a character, in fact he could have a whole book about his personal life and angst, but since he did everything exactly like Liv asked him to he came across more like flat Stanley (you know that project you did in elementary school).

Like other reviewers shared, the book is rich in detail, especially when it comes to food, but the story of Olivia and Nicholas fell flat for me.

[C.H. Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those who know me know that I’m a prolific reader. I’ll read almost anything, but my special love has lately turned to New Adult. With this in mind, I was excited — yet more than a little bit nervous — to read Kelly’s book. I didn’t know what to expect, and I was truly nervous that it wouldn’t meet my hopes and expectations. I’m happy to report that it met all of my hopes and then some.

First let me tell you a bit about the story, because it’s unlike any NA title I’ve read to date. In fact, part of what worried me was the description–the characters are unlike any other I’ve read for this genre before.

Liv is a law student whose life is turned upside down by this “weird” student in her classes named Nicholas. He’s unlike any of the other students. He’s scraggly with a ZZ Top-like beard, hair that is long past the point of needing a haircut, and his bathing habits are questionable. Not that he emits an odor, but more like he appears homeless and anti-social. But Liv seems to have an affinity for bringing the lost into the fold, so she reaches out to Nicholas and this quite, unassuming young man becomes her best friend. The only problem is that Nicholas is clearly in love with Liv. Oh, and I forgot: He’s a boy-genius who has completed his undergrad work by the age of 18. So he must roughly four years younger than Liv and their peers.

Realizing this going into the story left me concerned. How in the world was I ever going to root for this “weird guy” and Liv. How in the world could I possibly want them to be together, as clearly the reader is expected to do? None of this did I share with my friend, Kelly. In fact, when she reads this will be the first time she hears it and I feel safe sharing my concerns now that I know that this book is amazing!

Altered is unlike any book I’ve ever read, especially for this genre.

1. The “hero” is the least hero-like of any I’ve ever read. Instead of being a buff, bad-ass MMA fighter, he’s quiet and brainy. Oh…and a virgin! Did I forget to mention that?

2. It features a multi-cultural relationship. Liv is African American and Nicholas is from Irish descent. Can it really be true that I’ve not read a book with that much diversity? Sad, but true.

3. The age discrepancy – Liv must be about four years older than Nicholas. I’m not usually into the whole cougar thing.
All of these elements left me deeply concerned about how I was ever going to relate. My concerns were unfounded.

Kelly Cain’s story-telling was spot-on. The story developed believably, and the intimacy that eventually develops between Liv and Nicholas was sweet, sexy and completely natural. The story was thoroughly believable from beginning to end. Which is probably why Liv really got on my nerves. More than once I just wanted to smack her for being such an idiot! Why couldn’t she see what we all knew from the beginning? She was clearly in love with Nicholas, but she refused to accept it because he was so “different’ from everything she’d ever believed was her type.

I won’t tell you any more because it’ll ruin the story for you. So for now, I’ll just let you know that Altered is worthy of a full and enthusiastic 5-star review. If you like NA and are sick of reading the same tropes over and over again, you’re gonna love Altered.

[Dilushani Jayalath · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Edit

So I think this is the fastest i finished a book in ages. Well I really don't know what I can say about this book. I read few of the other reviews and saw so many positive reactions for this but I can't actually say I enjoyed it as much as the others did. It was nice enough and I didn't particularly dislike it either. I found Liv a very heartwarming and fun heroine to read but this book didn't really catch my attention that much. I pretty much skimmed through the last few chapters. I just wanted to finish the book. But once again this is only my opinion and in this case it is in the minority unfortunately.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 "Just Friends" Stars

I love a good friends to lover’s story. Something about taking the relationship to the next level and growing together is super sweet. But this ones kind of fell short. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't great either.

I had a hard time connecting with Olivia, or Liv throughout the whole thing. It was her personality and immaturity I think that rubbed me the wrong way. Which is ironic because one of her biggest complaints about Nicholas is that he is so much younger than she is.

Ok so to start off we have Liv who is a first year Law student and soon to be married to Kye the man she has been dating for the past couple of years. But soon after their wedding he is moving from Texas to California to pursue a career in directing. Okay that makes a whole lot of sense....NOT.

Well needless to say their relationship did not make it much farther and they go their separate ways. Until Liv catches Kye dancing it up with some random girl at a club and he realized that he wants her back. After a strange altercation on campus, we get the feel that there will be more Kye drama, but then there isn’t much said about him from that point on. I don’t know but their whole situation was just plain weird.

So then there is Nicholas this scraggly homeless looking kid with a ZZ top beard, uncombed hair and baggy clothing. He is something of a boy genius graduating HS at 16, Undergrad at 18 and now in his first year of Law School. So to say that he doesn’t quite fit in is an understatement. Being years younger than his peers makes it hard to form friendships, but Liv see’s something in him and won’t let him stay anti-social any longer.

After a while Nicholas starts joining Liv at her study group and hanging out with her friends. Their friendship grows and it is obvious to most everyone that they care deeply for each other but Liv is adamant that they are just friends.

To make this long story short he loves her, she cares for him and refuses to even look at him romantically because of his looks, his age and the fact that she just broke off her engagement. The last excuse is valid the others however are ridiculous.

I rolled my eyes so many times at Liv it wasn’t even funny. I did really like Nicholas’s character. He wasn’t the normal male lead you see lately in NA books. He was a little on the nerdy side, gentle, caring, fairly angst free, good intentions sort of guy oh yeah he was a virgin to boot. Now that’s not an angle you see every day.

So yes she finally does admit that she loves Nicholas and they enter into a relationship of sorts, but she always seems to be treating him like a kid. Always telling him how their relationship is going to look, how far they are going, what they will or won’t do, and even so far as to tell him how he should feel at time. That to me was just ugh. She complained about him not communicating things to her and not trusting her, but she is the same way with him.

I was really looking forward to this one. From the blurb it seemed like it was going to be a sweet, minimal angst love story. And it was in a way, but I couldn’t get over my dislike for Olivia to appreciate the rest of the story I guess.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

When picking Altered up, I had hoped that it was one thing and it turns out, it just couldn't be that one thing. I thought this would be a story about love and overcoming obstacles and struggles but no. No, it wasn't. I think that there is a chance that the book was trying to go in that direction but for me ... I don't know ... it was not one of the best books I've read this year.

From the first page, I found Altered to be immature. This woman (Olivia ... the main character) is 23 years old and holy crap ... her behavior and thoughts reminded me of some of the stupid crap that our 13 year old says. The relationships that she has with her friends reminds me of my son also ... the conversations never really had any depth and it was all surface stuff ... that coupled with the simplistic way that this was written, it really came off as a Young Adult book instead of a New Adult. Granted, there's not much difference between the two genres ... except maturity!!

There is also this part about "breaking" someone. Not literally ... it's not that type of book. But maybe that would have been more interesting. Anyway, Olivia is talking about how she hopes she didn't break this dude. Really? She has the power to break someone? What in the hell makes her so damn amazing that she could just ruin someone? Geez. Conceited much? I'm telling you, if she was really that amazing, I would totally say something but nothing about this character is amazing or phenomenal. She seems like a little brat whom uses people as she wishes and then gets upset when they aren't okay with their position in her life. How dare her minions question her authority! (And you have to say authority like Cartman or it doesn't work) Then there is this part where she knows this dude for all of 4 minutes and all of the sudden he's her closest friend. Really? Not believable at all. I don't think I could dislike Olivia as a character any more than I do now. Nothing about her connected me to the story, nothing pulled me in and nothing about her made me want to keep reading. Very unfortunate.

The timeline is also a bit confusing at first ... you are never totally for sure how much time has passed unless one of the characters makes a comment. Sometimes it was a day, a week a couple of weeks or even a month between scenes. That's a bit confusing especially when you have a character that has a new best friend every 2 seconds. This timeline situation is another reason I had a hard time connecting. As a reader, I want to know everything! If it's been a week, don't be shy, just let me know! I want to love a book I'm reading as much as the author loves writing it but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.

I had some other issues with some scenes that had the perfect buildup for something amazing to happen and those situations were never explored. That was another big letdown for me. I just wanted something, other than Olivia's nonsense, to happen. Something. Anything. Needless to say at this point, but this book and I didn't get along. We had quite a few differences of opinion and I think I'll pass on this author if I have another opportunity to read her work again. It's just not for me!

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

Check out more of my reviews at Little Miss Bookmark!

[Kelly - Kelly's Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Liv is a very smart woman who realizes that her current relationship is crumbling. She has to decide what she will do next in her life and if she needs to move forward in a new direction. She is very intriguing and yet slightly off putting (at first). Although she is older than Nicholas and very smart she sometimes shows her immaturity but that’s because she is just learning about herself. She is starting to realize what she wants and needs in her life. Nicholas is a young man who is very mysterious and intelligent. He is way ahead of his peers because he has past that drives him to succeed and strive to better himself. The main characters, Liv and Nicholas, are very realistic and believable. Their individual stories really add to the main plot, making this read captivating and endearing. I really enjoyed the chemistry and interactions between Liv and Nicholas. I found it hard to put the book down because I wanted to know what Liv would say and how Nicholas would react. Liv and Nicholas are two completely different individuals with drastically different background stories and life experiences, seeing how the story plays out is thrilling!

I also really enjoyed the well-rounded secondary character Julia, Liv’s roommate. From the very beginning, I found myself agreeing with Julia on her input to Liv on Liv’s relationships. Julia is the wise friend who knows how to keep her distant yet gives some good advice/observations that Liv really needs to hear. In some stories, the best friend or roommate secondary character can take away from the story (makes you want to skip ahead to the main characters) but I would say that Julia was interesting and also captivating. She really helped to push Liv when she needed it most or at least to help her realize a few things that she couldn’t clearly see for herself.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! There were a couple moments that seemed a little slow and a couple scenes that I really wish were more written out (For example – bar scene in the beginning) but Liv and Nicholas’s story is heartwarming! This is a must read!

[Jamie McLachlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve a fondness for quirky or atypical heroes and heroines. So when I heard the hero of Cain’s debut novel was a dishevelled genius, I was immediately intrigued. At the age of eighteen, Nicholas has already acquired a mechanical engineering degree and is now in law school. To everyone else, he’s odd, unkempt, and aloof. But just as his glasses and scraggly hair and beard are a means to cover his attractiveness, his reserved nature is way to further conceal his identity.

And what is more enticing than a man of mystery?

… I sneak a glimpse of all his glorious dark good looks and wonder what I’m doing here with him.
His eyes, so emerald green.
His hair, so luscious and rich and dark.
His body, so muscular and lean and tall.
His butt, so tight.
How is this man even possible? I actually have to wrap my arms around my body to keep from reaching out to him. I’m in serious trouble here. Drowning.
“Nicholas…”

Apparently, the heroine, Olivia, agrees with me. No matter how hard she tries to deny it or keep him in the ‘friend’ zone, Liv is unquestionably drawn to Nicholas.

I loved Nicholas’s character. He was intelligent, endearing, and sweet. On the flip side, he’s traumatized by the events of his past—a secret he desperately tries to hide. I enjoyed Liv’s character as well, but to a point. About half-way through, her choices began to irritate me. Of course, her behaviour isn’t entirely out of reason, considering she gets her heart broken by her fiancé in the beginning of the book. And it doesn’t help that Nicholas also has trust issues. It’s something they both have to work out throughout the novel.

“I won’t go through another relationship where I’m left in the dark, but I can’t bring myself to give up on him completely, either.”

Overall, the writing was engaging, the plot unexpected near the end, and the romance between Nicholas and Olivia was sweet and sexy in all the right places. An excellent and refreshing tale of friends-to-lovers that will appeal to a variety of readers, especially those who love New Adult.

[Jai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warning: do not read this book on an empty stomach! I feel like I gained 10lbs from reading this novel. The MC's constant narration about what she was eating, and how much, made me feel like my own waist was expanding.



Truth be told, it was the food references that kept my attention 60% in and persuaded me to finish the book. Each chapter held a new mystery; I couldn't wait to find out what type of seafood dish she was going to consume next!



But 60% in, I'd lost all interest in the story, primarily because Olivia is perhaps the most unlikeable MC I've ever come across, and this is coming from someone who enjoys reading thrillers about psychopaths, murderers and crooks! She's supposed to be 23 and in law school, but Olivia acts more like a spoilt 14-year-old. Reading her first-person narrative was like cracking open a teenager's diary, filled with angst and rants about how unfair life is. Saying that, I did enjoy the parts that were akin to a food diary!

But back to Olivia's annoying personality… At the beginning of the story, she has a pillock of a fiancé, who decides he's going to become the next Martin Scorsese and move to Hollywood, leaving her behind. Olivia is understandably broken up about their breakup, and spends much time crying. She finally decides to move on by practically stalking Nicholas, following him after a lecture and asking him all kinds of personal questions within 2 minutes of meeting him. Surprisingly, 18-year-old Nicholas, genius law student and virgin extraordinaire, doesn’t run for the hills! (I actually liked the fact that he was shy and a virgin. It endeared me to him).



Once Nicholas had developed an appropriate level of Stockholm Syndrome and agreed to do everything on his stalker's terms, he and Olivia's friendship/quasi-relationship blossomed. Throughout, Olivia was constantly hot and cold, using Nicholas as her own personal sex toy one minute and then refusing to kiss him the next when she suddenly decides that they should take it slow. When she didn't get her way, Olivia would cry! She did this over every little thing.



Nicholas was by far the more mature partner in the friendship/relationship. When it became apparent that he was going through stuff and wasn't ready to share just yet, did Olivia wait patiently for him to open up like a good friend would? No, she badgered him and cried when he wouldn’t succumb to her demands: "He's hiding something from me… I feel a tear creep down my cheek."

Nicholas texts because he cannot meet up: "I don't even bother to text back. I throw myself on my bed and start sobbing."

Nicholas finally tells her everything, and she can't deal with it all: "I burst into uncontrollable sobs and flop into an oversized chair."



Olivia kicks up a fuss about Nicholas not asking her if she wants to meet his useless, absent father: "You have to let me in on those decisions."

So Nicholas asks her, "Do you want to meet him?"

Her answer? "No."

Well, why make such a big deal out of him not asking you, then?!

I was so glad when her friend Julia finally tells it like it is: "You tell that boy everything from how to feel to when he can say hi to you. And he lets you do it."

While I liked Nicholas, Olivia got on my nerves, as did their relationship, which involved her making all the decisions and bossing him around, and him mostly letting her, hence, my 2-star rating of "Altered".

However, should Kelly Cain write a cookbook, including dishes from Silas' barbecue bonanza, I'd be sorely tempted to pick up a copy, because his food sounded delicious!

Finally, I have one burning question for anyone who has read this book. The unnamed restaurant Olivia and Nicholas meet Darren at in San Francisco - the one opposite the NFL shop and up the wooden stairs? - it's the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., right? I visited Pier 39 in San Francisco last year, and it's killing me that I missed out on that amazing feast ;)

[Amanda Linsmeier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew I was going to read Altered from the time I heard the synopsis. It just sounded like something I’d enjoy. Though I’ve never read NA, that I can recall, I am fond of YA, and adult romance. I also am quite fond of the author, Ms. Kelly Cain! But it’s always intimidating reading a work by a friend, or even a colleague. What if you hate it? How awkward…
But, I didn’t hate it. In fact, I loved it. Although Nicholas is described as being rather scraggly, grungy, unkempt, I kept picturing this hottie in my head. The fact is, Nicholas is such a great hero, despite being rather an anti-hero (as my friend Cathie said). He’s only 18, a virgin, and a law student. Liv, the main character, is five years older than him. Sure, five years isn’t too much. But the range of experiences someone goes through between the ages of 18 and 23 can be overwhelming. Still, Nicholas was mature, even in comparison to Liv sometimes. He was also smart and funny, and oh, so sweet. The sexual chemistry between them came out of nowhere for me, but I actually didn’t mind because it was the same for Liv.
I thought Liv was a believable character, with both good and bad traits, although the good far outweighed the bad. Her biggest flaw seemed to be the inability to see (or believe) her true feelings, but how many of us can relate to that?
I wasn’t expecting to laugh out loud, but I actually did more than once. And, if a book can make me laugh, it is a huge perk. The scene (spoiler alert) where Nicholas walks out in only a towel, and Liv is all flustered made me laugh so much! I could totally see it.
If I have one critique, it’s that the beginning of the book took me a little time to get into. I think because I wasn’t quite invested in the relationship between Live and Kye, I wasn’t thrown into the drama as much as I could have been had their relationship started off going really well and then going sour. That said, it wasn’t enough to turn me off from reading, and I’m so glad I kept on going!
Altered is a wonderful multi-cultural romance between two very different people, and I loved it. And one more note about the author- she can write food! I actually salivated in a few parts ha ha. And now I’m craving Cajun food. Damn you, Kelly.



[April Symes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new author to me and I was hesitant to try this story because the description was vague but OMG, I was in love with the book by the end of chapter 1. Olivia thought she had everything—the perfect fiancée, the career path at college and a good group of friends and suddenly all of it is gone—her fiancée had left her for another woman, her well-kept life is falling apart .
Olivia meets this new guy on campus, and his name is Nicholas. He is in a few of her classes. He looks homeless but he really gets her attention.-- baggy clothes and hoodies and oh my, his hair and beard . Yet he really has come to her rescue more than once... She makes it her purpose to get to know him. She tries and ends up becoming friends with him and in this process, starts to fall for him. This is after the loss she suffered from her first go around with her ex fiancée and she is trying to take things slow. Their relationship is a bit strange but it works for them.
Nick is handsome and he finds he likes the time he spends with Olivia. The time they spend together, she becomes more attached and Nick doesn’t know what their relationship is because she flips on him and says they are “just friends” after acting like they are more than that. Which hurts Nick. He pulls back and doesn’t come around and stays away which hurts Olivia… Olivia doesn’t know what to do and feels like she lost something precious. She really truly cares for Nick and wants him back but doesn’t think he cares for her as much as she cares for him. It’s a tangled web they are in.
Will Nick get Olivia to see he is in it for the long haul? Does Olivia give in to the desire between them and open her heart? And what secrets is Nick keeping? Will he open up and spill to Olivia or are they doomed? Only way to find out is to read this fantastic book. I loved this book and fell in love with the MC. I felt they had this special way about them and the way they came together was fantastic. The flow was good and the ending was phenomenal.

My rating: 4.5 stars ****
*A gifted copy was provided by the author for my honest review*

[Lottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Altered by Kelly Cain– 4 Stars

Lead Girl: Olivia Nicolas - Liv
Lead Guy: Nicholas Sheenan
Point of view: Liv - first person
Part of a series: Yes
Happy ever after: Yes
Subgenre: Friends–to-Lovers

This was a story about true friendship.

Nicholas was perfect: He was eighteen and a loner. Throughout the book Liv made him come out of his shell. It was nice getting to learn more about him. His past is heart breaking but I’ll let him tell you about that. You really could tell how he felt about Liv (everyone could but Liv) and I felt for him. He kept getting the short straw in the relationship. Liv kept commenting about their age gap and how he’s not a mature but I think she was the one that was emotionally immature.

”Liv, I won’t hind from you anymore. I’ve bared my soul to you, and you’re still my friend. There’s no reason for me to cover up in front of you any longer.”

Now Liv, I kept going back and forth with her. She’d push Nicholas away for not telling her his secrets but she kept her own. She went on and on about them being ‘just friends’, yet introduced him to her entire family as someone she couldn’t live without. I think the only person who actually had a problem with their age difference was her.

Overall I really liked this story. It wasn’t insta love it was a slow build. We’re mainly just waiting for Liv to realise what everyone else knows. What I really liked was how it seemed to be a predictable story but it really wasn’t. I will definitely go check out more form this author.

[Bianca Schwarz · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are books that are perfect and you like; books you know are good but you had a hard time getting through; and then there are books you love with all their perfect imperfections. Altered fell in the latter category for me.
It has an engaging story with richly drawn characters and as a fellow food enthusiast, I really enjoyed all the food references. Ms Cain clearly writs about things she knows a great deal about and it adds flavor to the novel – pun intended.
The writing is solid, if a little short on description. I for instance never got a really good picture of what the characters looked like. If you tell me the MC is wearing a sun dress, I want to know the color and pattern, what material it is made of and how it fits on her body. Luckily I have a vivid imagination and filled all those details in myself, but it is a flaw in my opinion. Another weakness is the relentless focus on Viv’s trust issues and all the silly things she comes up with to keep Nicholas at arms length. But in the end the emotional logic always works and Viv never totally lost my sympathies.
The story is a smart mix of romance and a little mystery, but the best thing by far is the male lead, Nicholas. He is such a refreshing change from the usual, needlessly domineering, romance alfa male, it takes the whole book out of the ordinary. I frankly wanted to put him in my pocket and take him home and I still don’t think Viv deserves him. But that somehow is the point, love is not deserved, it just is.

[JMV · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received form author for a honest review. As much as I wanted to like this story and like the idea of this story I had a hard time staying engaged. While in law school Olivia's life is falling apart. Kye, her fiancé, is always lying and she never seems to be able to trust and things she thought come true. Olivia is intrigued by the quiet hooded boy in her law school class. He always seems prepared in class but never socializes with the others. She decides she wants to know him. This is all about how past un-trust relationships carry on to her present relationships. And the story unfolds with Olivia not trusting and Nicolas not trusting his secrets and mysterious. I like the younger inexperience man angle but felt a little over kill on Olivia's part.

[Jo Lawless · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes for a delightful afternoon read. It has a steady pace and a the author has a writing style that allows the reader to flow with the story without a lot of starts and stops. I have to assume the author either attended law school or did a really good job of researching the ins and outs of a students daily life unlike some authors I have read. The character's are developed enough to attach the readers emotions. There are a couple of timing issues I have with the story but overall it is a really good read. I have never heard of this author before but am interested in viewing more of her work and seeing how her writing progresses in the future. I received a free copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

[Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book through New Adult Book Club on Goodreads and the author for an honest review.

This book was a sort of ugly duckling romance. I loved that she is able to see past his ugly duckling issues and see into his soul. Although I will not give the end away, all I can say is that is so awesome. Not only is she able to "see him" but he helps heal her. I did expect her ex to be a little more prominent in the book because it seemed to lead me there based on what she says at some times, but I was glad the book stayed focused. Good read!

For more reviews, go to bbsbookreviews.com

[Nicole Ortiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC for an honest review. This is the first book I read from this author and I loved it. It grabbed my attention right away I enjoyed reading Liv and Nicholas go from friends to lovers. Well written with a few twists. The flow of the story was good and the ending was phenomenal. Looking forward to the follow up.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received a free eBook copy for honest review. A young girl attending law school has a trust issue with men after the break up of her engagement. In walks the scruffy law student that "could live under a bridge". The two become " friends". Everyone sees what is going on except her. A tale of trust, friendship & love. Well written with a few twists.

[Darleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

» Review can also be found on Orchids & Amethysts.

Title: Altered
Author: Kelly Cain
Rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Penner Publishing for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release.

In the beginning, Olivia escapes her relationship with Kye, who's a real pain in the ass. He's still hung up on his ex-girlfriend, who Olivia thinks he's also seeing again. In truth, his ex-girlfriend is engaged to someone else, but the story leaves it quite open if she calls off that engagement and goes back to Kye. I think that's what she'll do, to be honest. Luckily, we don't get to read that much about Kye or his ex-girlfriend. I didn't like them.

Olivia is studying law along with four of her friends, same as Nicholas. He's an eighteen year old nerd, being four and a half years younger than Olivia. The two of them aren't friends exactly, but they are both the best students in class (that's how I saw it anyway). After a couple of incidents, Olivia decides to get to know him better and matches him up with her studying group. She even invites him to visit her parents in California, because a family member of his own lives there. And while everybody tells her it's obvious she's falling for Nicholas, she always refuses to listen to anyone. Nicholas, however, makes it clear he has romantic feelings for Olivia. But she's stubborn and thinks a relationship between the two could never work.

I'm still conflicted. You see, I really loved this book in the beginning. Alright, not in the very beginning, because I seriously hated Kye (Olivia's ex-boyfriend), but after the first mention of Nicholas, I was hooked. And then, as I got closer to the middle of the book, I started hating Olivia so damn much. She's about the most annoying main character I've ever read of.

Seriously, she talks about trust but doesn't trust Nicholas. She talks about Nicholas being immature and young, though she's the one being all mean and immature. I mean, he wasn't the one who started seeing someone else, Olivia was. And why would she think things with Nicholas were too speed-up when she dry-humped that other guy right after meeting him?! Also, why does she keep her distance from Nicholas and then blames him for doing the same, because honestly, she was the one doing it, not him?! So, she'd just mix it all up, because she liked it that way. Oh my goodness. I was so mad while reading this book. And Kelly Cain, please don't think that's bad, because yeah, usually it would have been, but for this book, it somehow worked out.

So, one more thing I realized after finishing the book. Olivia didn't have any other problems. There were no other conflicts than her twisted relationships and I think that's kind of sad. Nicholas dealt with pretty heavy things, but Olivia's life was all unicorns and butterflies. I would have liked to read about more serious stuff concerning her. Maybe even a therapy, because at times I really wished she'd just come to her senses and quit being such an annoying character, haha.

I realize, the review sounds a bit harsh. But please look at my rating, I really enjoyed this book, despite all the negative aspects I list. I think the writing was really good, I never would have guessed Kelly Cain just started writing. Also, I loved Nicholas and Olivia as a couple, the idea of them was really thrilling. I hope to read more of Julia, Olivia's roommate, because she was the best character in this book (right after Nicholas, of course *swoon*). It's my kind of new adult romance and I wish more authors would dare to hook up a male character with an older female character, because reading about the struggle is really interesting.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Para leer la versión en español visita: http://blogbetweenbooks.blogspot.cl/2...

To see all my reviews please visit: http://blogbetweenbooks.blogspot.com

**ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review**

*5/5 stars*

As always happens when you read something in a foreign language, at first I had a bit of trouble following the track of this story, and the fact that it seemed a little long and the beginning wasn’t very attractive, apparently didn’t help it, but then I couldn’t stop to read, so it completely worth don’t sleep.

I'd decided to read it because I liked both the cover and the synopsis, but I must confess I didn’t know the author, and I’m still a little loss about her, and it’s mostly because of the fact that Altered is Kelly Cain’s debut novel, a multicultural/interracial story, which plunges us into Olivia’s life, a first-year law student who at her twenty-three years old, finds herself with a broken heart after all things with her fiancé end abruptly, and here Liv has to decide if her life needs to take a new approach, and is when the mysterious guy from her class, Nicholas, comes into.

Both characters are totally different, where Nicholas is pretty shy, Olivia has a very outgoing personality; at the same time both have stories and experiences quite different, and this makes going along the story to be exciting.

Nicholas is a very intelligent guy, and comes to Olivia’s life as a “hero”, he's who's there while Liv go through the post-engagement-breakup, and everything that this entails, he’s who listens, hugs, makes her laugh, and confuses completely. Here, one of the main topics of the story is the age, for be exactly, the difference between Olivia's twenty-three and Nicholas' eighteen; this is something we can see that for Olivia has relevance, because we note that most of the time Liv's feelings are withdrawn, but for me, it happened many times I forgot it, because it seemed that the ages had been changed, and Nicholas was older.

Even though isn’t until almost the end of the book where the real feelings by both characters are showed openly; and four or five years aren’t a lot, I always saw an almost, when I thought that finally she would admitted it, at the end she didn't; isn't something that makes the story boring or less interesting, it just makes you want to punch someone.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, Nicholas’ character is one that thoroughly delighted me, plus, the natural chemistry and the romance we can see that happens and is between they both, was something very attractive, and even when there was a few moments where it seemed pretty boring, and one or other scene where more than once I wanted to hit something; the story of these two is one that definitely must be read if you like the New Adult.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Altered" a captivating young adult romance which I won through Goodreads /First Reads begins when Olivia (Liv) Nicholas becomes friends with highly intelligent but geeky Nicholas Sheenan a nineteen year old who attends classes with her at law school in Houston Texas. Attracted to Nicholas who saved her from embarrassment at school twice she refuses to pursue her growing feelings because of their age difference, and her fear of rebounding into an affair after being betrayed by her fiancée. Yet as she learns more about Nicholas who's guarded, has trust issues and puts up a barrier to people with his scruffy appearance, Liv's emotions cannot be denied even when she faces danger because of his past.

Told in a first person narrative Kelly Cain takes a love story and infuses it with issues of trust, age discrepancy, abuse and acceptance, setting it in a multi-cultural atmosphere. Passion builds between the two as events unfold that have Nicholas divulging a past filled with abuse and dysfunctional parenting and Liv faces the dishonesty and deception of the man she was to marry. Seeking comfort in their friendship at first it's soon apparent that their attraction has deepened as it quickly ignites into a passionate love affair. The plot heats up near the end when a deranged bully from Nicholas's past threatens Liv's life and all they've begun to build.

The personalities of the characters are complex and fascinating, shaping the drama with high-energy and passion. Liv Nicholas is a hard-working, smart twenty-three year old from a Creole background. She tends to be laid-back and confident, but after being betrayed by Kye is afraid and uncertain about her budding relationship with Nicholas . She quickly becomes overbearing and controlling making him jump through hoops before she'll trust him. Nicholas Sheenan haunted by abuse is a genius who has excelled not only at school but financially. Five years younger than Liv he knows what he wants and goes after it. Although strange that he easily allows her to manipulate their romance it's understandable because of his age, history and his kind, and patient nature.

I liked "Altered" a light and entertaining romance as two shattered hearts find love and struggle to build a future together.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Link to review http://wp.me/p7bgOg-3H

Surprisingly I enjoyed this story. Liv, (short for Olivia) a 23 year old college student, is living in Houston attending Law School. She is living in a townhouse with her friend. We first meet Liv while she is engaged to a man named Kye. They have dated for a while, but she is having apprehensions regarding their relationship. She addresses them, and many problems come to the surface. From that point Liv dives herself more fully into her studies. She notices a young guy in the class. He is a lot younger than the rest of the students. She seeks him out and they become friends.

​Nicholas likes to stay under the radar. Being the youngest in all of his classes for most of his life has been difficult. He finished his bachelors at the age of 16 and is now in Law school. Being 18 years old can make things difficult. To keep himself as the outcast, he feels he already is, he hides behind his long shaggy beard, unkempt curly brown hair and large black bottle cap glasses. Being smart has many advantages and disadvantages. When Liv, seeks him out, he becomes warry of her intentions. Trust is hard to come by for him and it takes a while for him to come around to trusting Liv.

Liv and Nicholas both have a truck load of issues. One being Trust. A major theme in the book is about bringing down one’s personal walls of comfort to allow another person in. Liv has trust issues when it comes to men. She likes control. Nicholas is more passive when it comes to his relationship with Liv. He just wants to keep her happy and in his life.

I think this book may be hard for some readers that are used to the man being the dominate figure in books. That is not the case with this story. Liv is the dominate person in the relationship for majority of the book. She dictates what, when, where, and why to Nicholas regarding the progress and title of their relationship. Once they each bring down their barriers and truly allow the other one to see them for who they are, is when they finally can be together.

[Jessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

** I received this Ebook for free in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my review at all. **

Ohhhh boy. Honestly, I'm not too sure where to start. When I read the summary about the book, I was pretty excited about requesting it, but then kind of forgot about it by the time I downloaded it. It took me a while to complete the book because it was very hard for me to become engaged with the characters and I had to keep putting it down because I was getting angry at Liv or Nicholas. Through out the entire story, I kind of got a feel that they were both immature in their actions at times, more often than not, and especially Liv was looking for unrealistic expectations when it came to a relationship. Most of the time she seemed like a spoiled child or someone who didn't want to share her toy.

Nicholas wasn't as bad to me considering he was a younger character who had been pushed into law school at a young age. There's only so much maturing that can happen. But his responses and eagerness to do everything the way Liv declared it made it extremely hard for me to like him. I wasn't a fan of his character until the very end, and even then, it wasn't soon enough to salvage him for me.

I didn't enjoy the characters' dialogue as if felt juvenile and forced and as I was reading it, the way the characters shaped up in my head was not a way I wanted to enjoy.

I did love how descriptive the author was about everything else. Reading about the different foods they ate and places they went was enjoyable and I was so happy to see it be a big part of the story. Liv sure has some great tastes in food! The story had some great potential and there were a couple of times that I thought it was going to go down a different fork than it did and really expand on where the thoughts and feelings were going.

While I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would, there were some parts I really liked. It just wasn't for me.

I gave it three magical stars.

[N.W. Moors · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher on Netgalley for an honest review. I wanted to like this book but found that I was just struggling to get through it. It's not the fault of the male lead. Nicolas is a sweet 18-year-old genius who has graduated college and is now in law school. One of his classmates, Olivia or Liv, asks him to join their study group. While he's more of a loner because of his circumstances, he agrees because he's attracted to Liv.
Olivia is coming off a broken engagement. On a positive note, she studies hard in school. In almost every other respect she is completely unlikeable. The circumstances of her engagement (she found out after she had been dating the guy that he was engaged to someone else She makes him break it off and gets engaged to him herself to find out that he has been cheating on her all along - duh) are ridiculous. The way she treats Nicolas is demeaning because as she says every other page, he's only eighteen and five years younger than her. She seems oblivious to the fact that she acts like a fifteen-year-old high school student herself. I was hoping that I'd see some growth from her as the book moved along, but not really. She continues to be controlling and immature right to the end.
The plot is slow, a lot of cooking and traveling, but because it's all from Liv's POV it tends to be centered around her and her feelings about it (because she's the best cook - 'Nicolas, eat crawfish' and has traveled on the California coast more than Nicolas). I don't want to give away the back drama around Nicolas, but it was fairly predictable yet written in an overly-dramatic manner. Liv's petulance at not knowing it all 'right now' was also annoying and immature.
It's too bad because I like stories where the hero is a bit nerdy, but this one just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I had to force myself to put this book down at 2am last night and get some freakin' sleep, and then today I read it every chance I got, from long red lights to waiting in line at Chipotle. (Thank goodness for the Kindle app so I can read everywhere I go!) So I guess I liked it!

Not going to lie though, there were moments I got so frustrated with Liv (the MC) that I wanted to scream. She makes the stupidest decisions for the stupidest reasons. But honestly, I've come to expect that from the female characters in these sorts of books. I still enjoyed the story, mostly because of Nicholas. I was intrigued by his character and the odd allure he held for Liv. I wish some of the book would have been written from his perspective. I think the fact that I just read a book that switched between the characters spoiled me, so I was disappointed I couldn't get inside Nicholas' head from time to time. (Perhaps a novella, Kelly? Please?)

Most romance stories tend to go the route of younger girls with slightly older guys, so the fact that Nicholas was 5 years younger was a strange twist from the norm. Not one I particularly cared for at first, but I got past it the more I got to know Nicholas. He's definitely lived quite a life, so he is mature for his age. I'd say he's infinitely more mature than Liv actually.

Overall, I enjoyed it. It's not one I'm gonna wanna go back and read over again like I do many of my other favorite romances, but it was an easy read with a sweet story and a super hot guy. Can't go wrong with that combo!

[Jenna Harte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not normally a NA reader, mostly because I keep forgetting the characters are in their early 20s and do things that annoy me. But I've been working on expanding my horizons and when Kelly offered me an advanced copy of the book, I wanted to give it read.

Liv is an interesting character, but like most of the books I read, it's the romantic male lead that I'm drawn to. In most books, they're handsome, in your face alpha males. Interestingly enough, Nicolas isn't any of that, at least not initially. In fact, I don't think anyone would cast him as a romantic lead. He's bearded, scruffy, and prefers to keep to himself. He's 18 years old in law school, making some of his classmates think he's brilliant, but in a Rainman sort of way, so they brush him off as odd.

Of course, there's so much more to him. And while Liv can be annoying (she's only 23...I remind myself), she does see past his attempts to hide. At first becoming his friend, and then later, as happens in romance, after a little angst, his love.

The age difference was a little strange at first, but then I reminded myself, any kid who's in law school at 18 is mature beyond his years and as the couple gets older, the difference is less of a big deal. When she's 35, he'll be 30, and that's not so odd. The truth is, you forget the difference when it's not brought up.

Over all I enjoyed the book and think anyone who enjoys NA will get a kick out of Liv, her friends, and of course Nicolas.

[Peta Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual reading genre but very enjoyable.
Olivia first meets Nicholas in one of her Law Classes. He is long haired, scruffy bearded, unkempt and very young. Olivia puts him around 16 and realises he must be incredibly smart to be attending College at this young age but there is one thing more, she is attracted to him, only as a friend, or so she tells herself.

She strikes up a friendship with him and encourages him to join her study group, after all, being so smart she figures he can add some great information to their studies.

One thing Liv didn't bank on was how strong her attraction to Nicholas was growing, but Nicholas has skeletons and secrets in his closet and after Liv's breakup with her fiancé, she doesn't know if she can bear any more heartbreak.

Nicholas has had a rough time growing up with a fractured family and Liv being his first love, he puts his all into trying to show her exactly how he feels.

Many times I was disappointed with Liv's attitude to this gorgeous boy, she was overpowering and controlling, thinking the four years age difference between them gave her this right. But finally her eyes are opened and she sees what is truly in front of her and accepts the feelings she is so strongly denying.

Good characters and story line and I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy New Adult books. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julia and Liv are room mates and have been since they were sophomores in undergrad four years ago. So, they've been through a lot together and are very close friends. Liv comes home to find Julia soaking in her tub to the point she's all shriveled up. Since they are close, she barges into the bathroom to tell Julia of her suspicions. Liv thinks Kye is having second thoughts about their upcoming wedding. Of course, when you think something is going on with your significant other, usually it is.

During Liv's class she's called upon by her professor, however, a guy stands up at the same time. Odd?! The guy that also stood up had the first name of Nicholas, whereas, her last name is Nicolas. Nicholas is very young (18) to be in college, so he must be very smart, right?

Nicholas is very stand offish from his classmates due to his age. And Liv decides they are going to be friends. She gets him involved in her study group and they are accepting of him being so young. Can it stay just friends between her and him? She is older than him, plus he's only 18.

I just didn't connect well with this story, it was just an okay book for me. Nicholas could be charming once Liv got to know him and he did have a sense of humor. I did like how when Kye was giving Liv a hard time Nicholas just happen to be there and rescued her. But, it was just a little to dull for me.

Reviewed on behalf of Once Upon An Alpha

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this to read in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I have to say that the book was just ok for me. The subject of the book was actually quite good and could have been really interesting if I had liked the lead character a bit more.

The story centres around Liv (Olivia) and is told from her point of view. At the start she is engaged to Kye and as you suspect that ends quite quickly and not amicably. Liv is in law school and takes upon herself to befriend a loner in her class who is a bit younger than everyone else and seems to have an interesting take on the subjects they are covering.

Nicholas is 18yrs old and tends to keep to himself after always being the smartest in class and finishing school and college younger than most. Friends don't come easy and he tries to avoid attention. His attraction to Liv is something he never denies but is willing to follow her lead and do as she asks and just be friends.

They become the best of friends but Liv is overly worried about his age and what others think. She tends to get annoyed at others judging Nicholas by his age rather than how he acts but I felt that she was the one that treated him like a kid more than anyone else.

I would have loved to have enjoyed this book more but I was irritated by Liv and never really liked her. For me Liv seemed to be overly judgmental and condescending. Unfortunately because of how I felt about her I struggled to enjoy the book liked I hoped.

[Georgina]

I think the book had the potential to be more excited and moving, is not that it wasn't is just that it miss something in the plot and also that I think some things where unsolved, and that sometimes the narration would be a little weird after you finish reading the book left a comment and tell me about it, and lets see if we think the same.

I sometimes loved the principal characters like I love that Nicholas was such a nerd but I didn't like how unstable the character was, he would act like a 16 years old boy, then like a 18 boy and then like a 28 man, if it would have been more continuity in the character I personally would have love him more and that doesn't mean that I don't.
Another thing that I love about Nicholas is how much he cherish Liv, even when she was on a stupid denial about how was she feeling about him.

What I like about Liv was how really focus was on her career and that this wasn't another story when one of the principal characters will flip their education away because their partner had money and didn't have to worry about it and blah blah blah... That's what I really love about the story, that both of them are trying to do their best to achieve theirs goals.
I just want to advice the writer to use less complex words, I'm not saying I didn't understand, it's just that sometimes less is more.

Thanks for the opportunity that you gave me to read this book.