Monday, December 8, 2014

**Blog Tour Review & Giveaway ~ Presently Perfect ~ Alison G. Bailey**


Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Alison G. Bailey's Presently Perfect. I have lots of goodies for y'all including an excerpt from the book, Noah's Playlist, my review, and a giveaway.


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Presently Perfect
Present #3
Release Date: December 4, 2014
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy, as part of the tour, in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms

SYNOPSIS:
Perfection is an illusion fueled by the perception of others.

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Tweet was my heart, my soul, and my purpose.
She was my everything.
Neither of us were perfect. We both made mistakes. Looking back, that was okay, because every choice brought us to where we needed to be at the time we needed to be there. The one constant, our love and friendship.

There are two sides to every story and I wouldn’t trade our sides for anything in the world.





I first met Tweet and Noah in Present Perfect a little over a year ago (you can read my review here) and their story has stuck with me. It's a story that cut deep...angsty, emotional, intense, it really brought the feels. Presently Perfect is Tweet and Noah's story from Noah's POV. And in many ways, I loved it even more that Tweet's version.

Noah and Tweet have been in each others' lives since birth. But they've been stuck together in a profound way since Halloween when they were 6 years old, when Noah shared his candy with Tweet after she'd dropped her lollipop. Presently Perfect chronicles Noah and Tweet's relationship once Noah begins to look at Tweet as a girl rather than just his childhood friend.

I think the reason I found this story equally compelling, and in ways more enjoyable, was being in Noah's head. Noah's version of things - from a male's POV - cuts down on the angst for certain. And getting an understanding of the depth of feeling he has for Tweet helped me understand why he never gave up hope - never gave up on her. I also liked getting to see that Tweet's perception of certain events weren't always accurate. There was one scene in particular that I'd always puzzled over and getting it from Noah's POV made everything clear. Having their story told from Noah's vantage also increased my esteem for him. Not only did he never give up on Tweet, followed all her rules and abided by her wishes, but he stood by her thought very challenging times, when most guys his age would have bailed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the extra bits Ms. Bailey added to the end of the story as well. I've not read many stories told from alternate POVs but this one was different enough to have me riveted. I liked learning all Noah's secrets and seeing events from his perspective. Ms. Bailey has created yet another fine read. Her voice is strong and her writing smooth. She's an author I know I'll read again and again.




I was standing one step below Tweet when she broke free from Brad, twisting her body in my direction. I let go of her other wrist and caught her as she fell toward me. Her arms wrapped around my neck as I grabbed hold of her hips, trying to keep her steady.

Tweet’s head tilted back as she clung to me. “Look, Brad! It’s Noah! My Noah!” Her voice was ear-splittingly high. “He’s so sweet and sexy. He’s swexy. He licked my thigh under my parents’ dinner table.” She straightened her head, bringing her forehead to rest on mine. The look in her eyes had turned smoldering, her voice husky when she asked, “You remember licking me, Noah?” 

We had a huge fight just a little over an hour ago and now she was completely wasted; her clothes were rumpled, she had pieces of sand stuck to her face, her hair was a tangled windblown mess, and she reeked of tequila and the ocean. But she was still the most beautiful thing I had ever laid my eyes on. My expression teetered from snarling at the Smurffucker to wanting to smile at Tweet.

God, even drunk she’s adorable.

I was either the biggest idiot known to mankind or so beyond in love with this girl that all my common sense and self-preservation got obliterated when I was around her. My heart was pounding against my chest while the temperature in the room soared. The tension in my muscles was beginning to disappear and I was getting lost in teal eyes. I needed some distance. 

My hands moved to Tweet’s shoulders and I helped her stand upright. “I’m taking you home.”

“But Brad was going to do some things to me on purpose. I don’t know what, but I’m having fun. Hey! You want to come with us?” she asked, hooking her arm around mine.

My gaze zeroed in on Brad glaring down at me, his jaw clenched tight. My priority was to get Tweet home safe. I’d deal with this asshole later. I snaked my arm around Tweet’s waist and led her down the steps. She was abruptly yanked away from me. I whipped around and saw Brad clutching Tweet’s arm. 

“Haven’t you done enough to her tonight? She’s having a great time with me, so get your fucking hands off of her,” he growled. 

Tweet smiled up at him, then turned to me, and said, “I really am having fun. He’s not a Smurffucker at all.”

Glaring at Brad, I grabbed Tweet’s hand, and led her toward the front door. We had taken two steps when I felt her being tugged away from me again. I let go of her hand, walked over to Brad, and punched him in the stomach. His hand fell from Tweet as he doubled over and dropped to the floor. I picked up Tweet, tossed her over my shoulder, and finally headed out uninterrupted.

Just before reaching the front door Tweet grabbed the waistband of my pants, lifting herself up slightly, and yelled, “Bye-bye, Brad! Thanks! Maybe you can lick my thigh next time! Bye-bye!” 

Once we were at my truck, I lowered Tweet off my shoulder until her feet touched the ground. Her eyes struggled to stay opened, losing the battle, right before she passed out. I wrapped my arm around her waist, holding her body against mine while I unlocked my truck. I placed her in the seat and leaned over to fasten her in. The click of the seatbelt caused her to stir. Reaching my hand up to her face, my thumb brushed away the dusting of sand that clung to her cheek. 

Her eyes stayed closed as a lazy grin slowly appeared across her pink lips. “Mmmm…,” she moaned. “Noah.” She sounded breathy.

“Yeah, Tweet?”

“You’re my knight in plastic armor.”

A slight chuckle escaped me as I remembered our Halloween costumes from when we were six years old. 

“You always take care of me and make sure I have candy,” she said, her voice trailing off. 

I stared at her for several seconds, simply enjoying the view. As I inched away from her, she shifted in the seat. Another slight moan flowed over her lips, and she whispered, “I love you Noah.”

I knew she wouldn’t remember saying those words to me tomorrow, but that didn’t matter. The only thing that counted was that for the first time she let go of her heart, her head, and allowed herself to love me. There was nothing better than when the girl of your dreams made all of yours come true.



Alison was born and raised in Charleston, SC.  She attended Winthrop University and 
graduated with a major in Theater.  While at school she began writing one-act plays, 
which she later produced. Her debut novel, Present Perfect, landed on Amazon's Best 
Seller List and appeared on many "Best Reads of 2013" Book Blogs. The novel won Best Book at the 2014 Indie Romance Convention Awards. The second book from The Perfect series, Past Imperfect, was published in February of 2014 and hit many Top 100 category lists on Amazon.



Playlist:

Noah's Music- Presently Perfect by Alison G. Bailey







PURCHASE LINKS:

Present Perfect (Perfect, #1)
Present Perfect (Book #1)






Past Imperfect (Perfect, #2)
Past Imperfect (Book #2)






Presently Perfect (Perfect, #3)
Presently Perfect (Book #3)








a Rafflecopter giveaway



12 comments:

  1. I'm not keen on the name Tweet, but otherwise I love it when an author alternates POVs throughout a story, and the fact that the third installment in this series received a near perfect score from you is promising. I enjoyed reading the excerpt, and I'm always down for a chance at winning free books, especially if they are signed. Happy Monday!

    Carmel @ Rabid Reads

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  2. Tweet is such a weird name. I love, love, love that synopsis though. It sounds like such a sweet read. I have always enjoyed the male's POV even if I've already read the same story through the girl's eyes. They really do see situations differently, and I like getting to see that glimpse into the male psyche. I loved the excerpt! Thanks so much for sharing :D

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  3. I should have explained her name...it's actually Amanda. But the Halloween incident?? She was dressed as a yellow Tweety bird, so Noah nicknamed her Tweet. He's the only one who calls her that. :) I just can't gush enough about this story and Ms. Bailey's writing. :) Good luck in the giveaway, Carmel.

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  4. Okay, let me explain Tweet's name. It's actually Amanda. :) The Halloween that changed things for them as 6 year olds? Amanda was dressed in a horrible yellow Tweety bird costume her mom made. Noah nicknamed her Tweet but he's the only one who calls her that. :) The thing that made this story so awesome was how different the story was coming from Noah's POV. It wasn't just a regurgitation of the story I'd already read. And it was just as fantastic as Tweet's (Amanda's) version.


    Thanks for stopping by, Jaclyn. Hope you've had a great Monday!

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  5. This sounds like something I'd enjoy, too, Brandee! I agree with Carmel, though, Tweet is a strange name for sure! Happy reading, my dear! *BIG HUGS*

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  6. Like the sound of Noah and being in his head

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  7. It is great to see that another POV cleared that scene up for you. This series sounds really good!
    And that line from the excerpt ... “You’re my knight in plastic armor.” ... so sweet!!

    Naomi @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace

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  8. I love love love dual povs for these angsty, romantic type of novels. The,excerpt is great. Of course I need to start at the beginning

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  9. Yes, yes you absolutely need to read Present Perfect, Kimba! It's an amazing story! You don't have to read Past Imperfect before Presently Perfect but Brad's story is pretty fab too. :)

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  10. Naomi, this is a story you'll love! Present Perfect is still so vivid in my head and it's been quite awhile since I read it. Presently Perfect was amazing...I loved how she helped me see things differently since I was seeing them through Noah's eyes. So emotional....

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  11. Noah is incredible, Brandi. I highly recommend this series!

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  12. You would absolutely love this story, Lexxie. And Tweet is actually Noah's nickname for Amanda - he gave it to her the night of Halloween when they were 6. She was dressed up in a hideous yellow tweety bird costume that her mom made. So the nickname makes sense...but he's the only one that calls her that.

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Now you know what I think...what are your thoughts??