Blog Tour Stop : No Reverse by Marion Croslydon
The No Reverse Blog Tour was organized by AToMR Blog Tours.
Hi guys!
I'm excited to be hosting on the No Reverse Blog Tour today. As part of my tour stop, I'll be sharing with you my review of the book. You can also scroll down for an amazing giveaway. Also, you can check out the other tour stops here.
Title : No Reverse
Author : Marion Croslydon
Publication Date : August 12th 2013
Publisher : Carlux Publishing
Goodreads - Amazon
A girl who needs to undo the past.
A boy who wants to forget it.
In love, there’s no way back.
At high school in Steep Hill, Kansas, Cassie O’Malley and Josh MacBride were the poster couple for quarterback/cheerleader romance until they starred in their own tale of teen pregnancy. No need to say: their shotgun wedding was low-key. But when there was no baby anymore, they went their separate ways.
Five years later, Josh has breezed through Georgetown and is about to finish his post-grad degree at Oxford University. He is set to join a lobbying group on Capitol Hill, owned by his new fiancée’s father. For Josh, the sky is now the limit… only he must first take care of a tiny legal matter: technically, he’s still married to the girl who broke his heart.
Meanwhile, Cassie has been waiting tables in Steep Hill to pay for her sick grandmother’s care. On the day of the old lady’s funeral, Cassie is served with two sets of papers. Josh is asking for a divorce. Her heart squeezes, but, well, he moved on a long time ago. But the second envelope shakes Cassie to the core. So, for the first time, she leaves Kansas and heads to good ol’ England.
There, Cassie finds that Josh has not just “moved on,” he’s freakin’ engaged to some blue-blooded heiress. The feelings Cassie had buried deep rush back to her. But no matter if he keeps thrusting the divorce papers under her nose, she needs him to save the only person she loves more than Josh, more than life itself…
Personal Thoughts
When I went into No Reverse, it was because I wanted an emotional story, but not so emotional that it would suffocate me and make me want to cry. The premise of No Reverse was one that hasn't been attempted before in the New Adult genre, so that was the main reason I wanted to read the book. I didn't imagine that I would love the book, but I truly did. No Reverse was one of those silently beautiful books that packed a ton of emotions.
Cassie had had to go through a lot in her life. From being abandoned by her parents to getting pregnant. But, she was also the sort of protagonist, who went through life with her head held up high despite all the obstacles that she has had to face. There was something about Cassie that I can't really pinpoint that made her endearing. As the book progressed, I began to feel an emotional connection to her because I got to know her better on a personal level. I really liked how Cassie was a gutsy girl, undeterred by all the pain and sorrow she had had to endure. It was clear to me, when reading her POV, that having to lose her baby was painful for her, but she did it so that her boyfriend, Josh could have the future he deserved. It might not have been the most sensible decision, but I admired her for sacrificing her own happiness for Josh's.
Josh was also an interesting character. It was fascinating seeing the two different sides that he possessed, the old playful Josh and the new, more mature Josh. I really appreciated how Josh shouldered his responsibility and decided to care for Cassie and her baby when he found out about her pregnancy. The fact that he didn't flee his duties and role made him an instant favorite of mine. What Cassie did to him had ripped him apart and he was completely devastated. Although I didn't approve of him getting engaged to another girl in the UK while still being married to Cassie, I understood his reaction. There was also a great set of secondary characters in No Reverse. I thought I would dislike Eleanor, but I really enjoyed her and couldn't help but feel bad for her either. All the characters were well-crafted and the author gave them depth and personality.
The plot in No Reverse developed at a slow and steady pace, letting the reader feel the full impact of the emotions of the characters. While I wanted nothing more for Cassie and Josh to have their HEA, there were times when I was uncertain on the outcome of the book. Just when I thought that they would finally get together, the author would shove a twist in my face that would throw me off balance and make me fear the ending. Even though the plot in No Reverse was predictable, it didn't fail to make me want to cry my eyes out when the secret behind why Cassie went in search of Josh was revealed. No Reverse was a short read, but it was an emotional read. You know those books that make you get this lump in your throat throughout the book, that was what reading Josh and Cassie's story for me.
I also loved the writing style. The reader is treated to dual POVs, that was utilized a little differently than usual. Josh's POV told their story before and during the pregnancy and then later on , while Cassie's POV depicted their story when she reaches the UK. I thought it worked really well and the voices of Josh and Cassie came out strongly. Marion Croslydon also really knew how to make the emotions and feelings of the characters come across as genuine and palpable. The romance too was beautifully portrayed. From the beginning, the reader is aware that Cassie's and Josh's relationship is not going to be rosy all the time, but some of the sweet moments they shared really had me smiling. I did think the book ended a little too fast and I wanted to know more about how they would continue their relationship, but I was happy to find out that there would be a sequel.
No Reverse is one of my favorite New Adult reads this year. I loved its subtle beauty, its wonderfully crafted characters and the painful and at the same time sweet romance. I'm looking forward to reading more from Marion Croslydon.
Rating
Cover : 3/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 5/5
Writing : 5/5
**Overall Rating : 4.5/5**
Author Biography
Marion’s parents are terribly disappointed with her… They wanted her to have a serious job, providing financial stability and social standing. For years, she really tried to make them happy; she studied hard, got into top schools, graduated with honors and found a high-achieving job. But deep down, Marion was miserable. She never wanted to be a top executive, brokering deals in New York, London or Tokyo. Marion wanted to be… a ROMANCE WRITER. She wanted to spend her days in that good ol’ tracksuit of hers, in front of her laptop, popping down Oreos like there was no tomorrow. She wanted to fall in love with a different man each time she wrote the first line of a new book (while being happily married to the most handsome man in Great Britain). That’s exactly what Marion does these days, and it makes her incredibly happy. She loves to share these happy vibes, talk book crush, fictional boyfriends and sexual chemistry with like-minded people. And because she spends most of her days on her own deep inside her writing cave, you are welcome to come and say “hello” from time to time. Just to make sure she doesn’t sink into insanity. Her friends, family and arch-enemies (there are quite a few) will be forever grateful for your help.Author’s social media:
www.marioncroslydon.com
www.twitter.com/mcroslydon
www.facebook.com/marioncroslydon
www.youtube.com/user/marioncroslydon
Giveaway
Prize Pack #1: Signed copy of No Reverse, £10 Amazon gift card (British Pounds), 1 No Reverse
notebook, 1 No Reverse mug, 1 No Reverse mouse pad, 1 No Reverse pen
Prize Pack # 2: Signed copy of No Reverse, £10 Amazon gift card (British Pounds), 1 No Reverse
notebook, 1 No Reverse mug
Prize Pack # 3: Signed copy of No Reverse, 1 No Reverse notebook, 1 No Reverse pen
NA fans, does this sound like a book that you would be interested in reading?
Be sure to let me know in the comments!
A big thank you to AToMR blog tours for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. Be sure to check out their website for more great tours.
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