Review ~ Past Imperfect ~ Alison G. Bailey #ShelfLove #TakeControl #TravelingtotheTerminus

Past Imperfect by Alison G. Bailey
Perfect #2
Release Date: February 15, 2014
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #ShelfLove, #TakeControl, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
In Present Perfect, Brad Johnson was sexy, cocky, rich and a complete Smurff**ker. He could afford anything he wanted and could charm any girl he set his eyes on. Everything was laid out in front of him. all for the taking except the one thing he craved and needed. A tragic event forces him to reevaluate his life. When he tries to change, will the people in his life let him move on from his past or will they constantly hold him to the life altering mistakes he's made?

Mabry Darnell is intelligent, ambitious, beautiful, and sassy. Secrets from her past haunt the present causing her to question her actions in order to shield her heart and protect her life.

From the moment Brad and Mabry met, their connection was strong, intense, and electrifying. Both knew they had found the one person who could satisfy what the other ached for. When their pasts collide with their present, will it prevent them from having a future together or will love be strong enough to conquer their demons?

I met Brad in Present Perfect and while he did appear smarmy and I understood Noah's dislike of him, I always felt there was more than met the eye with him. Past Imperfect illustrated all that "more" and I ended up believing my feelings about him were validated. And Mabry - she was just the woman to bring out the best in Brad.

Can a person truly change and leave the past behind them? Can a person prevent the past having undesired effects on their present? I think  these are the two main questions addressed in Brad and Mabry's story. Brad, for all his terrible treatment of girls in his past, truly has changed. It took a tragedy to get him to pull his head out but his childhood didn't lend itself to having empathy. Fortunately for him, the tragic event pulled his inner goodness to the surface. But he had a hard time getting people to forgive him his past.

Mabry experienced a different sort of tragedy and didn't have the support network she needed to cope with it. Luckily she did have a really good friend but it wasn't enough. This tragedy not only brought about an unhealthy coping mechanism in Mabry, it also served to breed a fear in her - one that's prevented any sort of close relationship or real intimacy with anyone but especially men. And although she felt a connection with Brad from the get-go, she fought it tooth and nail.

The relationship between these two could be something so special. They're both willing to accept the other's past and look beyond it. They bring out the best in each other - they want to be better for the other. But Mabry isn't being totally honest. And when the truth is revealed, it'll take a lot of work on both their parts to shore up the foundation of what's developed between them.

ABailey did so well in conveying the ramifications of Brad's past as well as Mabry's. I loved how the common denominator between them came about and how ABailey used it. And I appreciated how respectfully she dealt with the topics of self-harm, depression, and suicide. These are all tough topics and ABailey gave us characters to root for as well as crafting a heartwarming story around the topics and characters.

ABailey delivered a poignant story and now that I've finished the Perfect series, I'm going to go see what else she's written.  =)

**Young Adult Review ~ Spin ~ Darcie J. Gudger**

Spin by Darcie J. Gudger
Guarding #1
Release Date: September 20, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Source: I received a complimentary copy from Mountainview Books in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis
Sophomore Kisrie Kelley longs to fit in. Instead, she's always been a misfit, a fact her nemesis Wendy won't let her forget. At least she's got color guard and photography, right? She almost feels normal when she's out on the field performing or behind a lens. Truth be told, they're the only reasons she even shows up at school, though her professor mom thinks they're both a waste of Kisrie's time. Add a serious affinity to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that has her battling the bulge and a pestering "prodigy" little sister who thinks she's a bush baby, and Kisrie's contemplating moving to a different planet.

The stakes are raised even higher when she overhears Wendy plotting against Kisrie's English-teacher uncle all over a stupid grade! Should Kisrie snitch and risk Wendy's wrath? Ever since elementary school the young beauty queen has bullied Kisrie as if it were an Olympic sport. Who's going to believe Wendy's story anyway?

Everything spins out of control as vicious rumors fly and lives are on the line. Only the truth can set them all free, but will it be too late?

Spin is an impressive debut in the YA genre. Ms. Gudger has a strong voice and I liked that she touched on so many different teen topics.

Kisrie Kelley is a talented young woman who doesn't fit into the typical teen girl mold - at least the mold her mom would like her to fit into. If only her mom could see where her talents lie. Thank goodness she has some good friends and a dad who're very involved with her well-being. This is so important because Kisrie deals with quite a bit of bullying - especially from one girl who Kisrie refers to as "the Queen of Mean." Aside from worrying over grades and body image, Kisrie also struggles with whether to do the right thing when it means certain physical harm.

Wendy Wetz is the perfect antagonist. She seems to have it all, just the kind of girl we love to hate. She's pretty, smart, popular, cunning, and seemingly wealthy. But things aren't always as they appear. However, Wendy does purport some heinous actions on Kisrie and others. And it's when she sets a certain plan into motion that Spin really begins to spin.

Spin touches on many relevant teen topics such as bullying, body image issues, making smart choices, as well as timely topics like cyber-bullying and suicide. And it did so in such an honest way and by wrapping a compelling story around these issues. I liked that all these topics are discussed. It made the story complex and, at times, dark. But what I liked even more was seeing how these topics affected the characters and the character growth brought on by dealing with them. Kisrie does begin to make some mature decisions towards the end of the book, as does Wendy and even Jacque, Tammie, and Gwyn, Kisrie's mom. The potential in all the characters is something I love and will draw me back for the next installments.

Overall, I found Ms. Gudger's debut fantastic! The story was engaging, well written and suspenseful. And she gave an honest picture of the teen landscape - the things they face every day. I'm eager for the next in the series. I can't wait to see where our heroine and villainess go from here.