Friday, December 5, 2014

**Revisit & Reminisce ~ Thoughtless ~ SC Stephens**



Welcome to my first Revisit & Reminisce. This was totally inspired by Braine @Talk Supe's Flashbook Friday. But since these reviews will be sporadic and probably won't always post on Fridays, I came up with a different name. Essentially, I want to review books that I read prior to blogging - or books I read since blogging but didn't review for whatever reason. I'm revisiting them and reminiscing. :)

I first read Thoughtless back in the summer of 2012. I wanted to go to The First Ever Indie Conference in Chicago but since I couldn't, I challenged myself to read a book from every author that was attending. I chose to re-read Thoughtless because I'm participating in 25 Days of Book Boyfriends, hosted by Readers Live a 1000 Lives, Lovin' Los Libros, and Starbucks and Books Obsession, and I chose Kellen Kyle as my boyfriend. (my post goes up on the 10th)

One thing I wanted to note was that the version I read is from 2011. It could have used more editing to take out things like overuse of a particular word or too much detail, but it was an indie. It's since been picked up by Gallery Books and I'm certain it's been edited. At any rate, the story outweighed the need for editing. :) 

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Thoughtless (Thoughtless, #1)
Thoughtless
Thoughtless #1
Release Date: June 11, 2010
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased ecopy from B&N
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis
For almost two years now, Kiera's boyfriend, Denny, has been everything she's ever wanted: loving, tender and endlessly devoted to her. When they head off to a new city to start their lives together, Denny at his dream job and Kiera at a top-notch university, everything seems perfect. Then an unforeseen obligation forces the happy couple apart.

Feeling lonely, confused, and in need of comfort, Kiera turns to an unexpected source - a local rock star named Kellen Kyle. At first, he's purely a friend that she can lean on, but as her loneliness grows, so does their relationship. And then one night everything changes...and none of them will ever be the same.


Thoughtless is a tender, angsty, touching story of growing up - growing apart, and growing together. It delivered the element of New Adult that I adore - maturing as you find your place in the world. If you hate love triangles and all that they might imply, this book is not for you. But if you enjoy a story where the characters make mistakes but learn from them - eventually - and find that deep love we humans seek, this one fits the bill.

Kiera Allen has come halfway across the country to be with her boyfriend. It's a big step for a small-town girl. Kiera is insecure in many ways and meeting new people is challenging, so moving to Seattle is a commitment. One of the first new people she meets is her new roommate, and good friend of Denny's, Kellen Kyle. Kellen is a local rock star. He's gorgeous and flirty and sets Kiera's nerves on edge.

Denny Harris, Kiera's Aussie boyfriend, is beautiful, both inside and out. He's constant, safe, and would do anything to prevent Kiera from pain of any sort. He's such a good guy.

Kellen Kyle is just what you'd expect of a rock star. He's H.O.T., talented, moody, soulful, and a bit of a man-whore. He's got a past that haunts him - and just might explain his actions and insecurities. Oh how I love this man.

The cast of characters is rounded out with Kellen's bandmates, Evan, Griffin, and Matt, as well as Anna, Kiera's sister, and Jenny, a fellow waitress and friend. They all add depth to the story with their distinct personalities.

As I said, Thoughtless delivers in the maturing of characters. Kiera is immature and selfish for much of the book. I allow her this because she is only 21, insecure, and inexperienced. Her relationship with Denny is largely built on the support and security he offers her. So when things heat up between she and Kellen, it's out of her realm of experience. Kellen is like a moth drawn to flame where Kiera is concerned. They certainly have chemistry. But even though they had that spark, their relationship is built around their friendship. However, things go awry, as these kinds of situations sometimes do, and trust is something they'll have to work on.

The journey Kiera, Kellen, and Denny take in Thoughtless is one fraught with intense emotion, passion, and ultimately powerful love. You can't help who you fall in love with - the heart wants what it wants - and it's usually when you least expect it that it happens. Kiera and Kellen's love story is a messy one - but one worth giving thought to.


16 comments:

  1. This is a fun idea, girlie! I've often thought about doing something similar, however I'm still working on my someday pile, nevermind my pre-blogging one.It's good to see that your reading habits haven't changed much over the years though! The fact that you mentioned both angst and a love triangle in your review definitely has left me a bit leery about this novel, but it's been my experience that a great author can make anything work to her advantage. Have an excellent weekend!

    Carmel @ Rabid Reads

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  2. Love the idea behind this.
    The emotions in this one sounds like something I would enjoy

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  3. This is a great idea, I have several books that sadly have never been reviewed by me. And wow, I just love how tense and intense Thoughtless sounds, Brandee!
    I hope you're having a fantastic Friday, and that your weekend will be amazing, too. *BIG HUGS*

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  4. Thanks, Lexxie. There are just so many books that I didn't write reviews for when I first started out blogging. And since Kellan is my book boyfriend (one of many) I thought it was a great time to re-read it, so I could refresh my memory on his awesome-ness. *ha* I think you'd love Thoughtless, Lex. As I said, the version I read was indie published and I know it's been re-edited since Gallery published it. But even though I thought it could have used some editing (no grammar errors - just wordy and word usage) the story just blew me away. Even the second time.


    I hope you're having a fab Friday! I'm looking for you on FB. Enjoy your weekend!! **BIG HUGS**

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  5. Thanks, Brandi. And Thoughtless is definitely an intensely emotional read.

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  6. Thank you, Carmel. (I can't take all the credit for it) Yeah, I have a huge to read NOW as well as a someday pile. But I felt I should refresh my memory of Kellen since I chose him for my Book Boyfriend. :) And he has a book coming out in February...Thoughtful which is Thoughtless from Kellen's POV. Btw, Thoughtless was one of the first NA romances I ever read. Before the summer of 2012, I read PNR and UF romances. ;) I hope your weekend is fabulous!!

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  7. This sounds good and I love when you connect with the characters and see growth in them. Delightful and I like the feature

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  8. Bah you know, I bought this entire series but I had a hard time getting through the first book because of him smirking a lot.. a lot >.> but I should give it another shot huh

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  9. I do love a rock star book! I think I vaguely remember this from awhile back, not sure why I didn't buy it back then,but maybe reviews were complaining about the editing. Heading to Amazon to look at it. Thanks Brandee!

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  10. Thanks, Kimba. It really is a great read - even the second time around. ;)

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  11. I don't know when you purchased it, Lily, but the smirking is one thing that I figured would be taken care of with editing. :) I still really loved the story, obviously. I hope if you give it another go, you'll love it too!

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  12. Yeah, it originally released in 2011, so it's been around. But Stephens was picked up by Gallery in 2012 or 2013?? Anyway, there were some things that would have been improved with more editing, IMO. But still, I was able to overlook those things because of the story. :)

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  13. I love this idea! I'm getting ready to reread a book I haven't touched since Freshman year in HIGH SCHOOL! We won't even talk about how long ago that was! Anyway, I'm glad you still enjoyed it! That's the most nerve wracking part!

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  14. Hey Brandee, sorry it's been so long between visits. This author thing is a whole new learning curve and one I am learning but it is uber busy. I love this idea you have here for reviews for books you read before blogging. Thoughtless is a book that has stayed with me , Kiera kinda did my head in, to be honest. But it is called Thoughtless and she is very much so. Kellan is such a beautiful character even though he is flawed. I still have not written my review for this one. I even went and reread it and you know how thick these books are. So for a blogger to find the time to reread a book... Awesome review. Kiera really did do my head in, but Kellan and Denny balanced out her behavior for me. They were all flawed in their own way and I did start book 2, but I need to finish it and move on to # 3. Have fun with this meme.

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  15. Oh Naomi, I can't wait to see what you think. I was surprised that I still loved it so much the second time around. And you know my organization is Naomi-inspired. ;)

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  16. Jane Eyre. I recently read a creative biography about Charlotte Bronte and (to a lesser extent) her sisters and it made me want to read Jane Eyre again, and maybe even Wuthering Heights. I'm listening to it - a dramatic collaboration from Librivox and I've just started but it's as good so far.

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