*~*Used by Lynetta Halat Blog Tour – Excerpt, Review & Giveaway*~*

Title:   Used (Unloveable, Book #1 of 3)

Author:   Lynetta Halat
Release Date:   January 26, 2014

 

 

 

Shut Up, and Kiss Me

After a few minutes, Greer stretches out beside me and searches for my hand. Only his hand touches mine, but my whole being tingles. He threads his fingers through mine and runs his thumb over my palm. Something in me twists and splinters, shooting chills all through my body. My breath hitches in my throat because I can’t breathe around the knot that has formed there.

“You feel it too,” he says simply.

I close my eyes tighter, suddenly embarrassed by the fact that I’m not slick. “Yes,” I admit in a whisper.

“Look at me, Denver.”

Turning my head to the side, I open my eyes to find his blue-eyed gaze roaming over me. His eyes find mine, and we just take each other in. I want to say something, but I can’t think of one darn thing that sounds intelligent or even … sexy. Do I even want to be sexy for him? Yes. Yes, I do. I see stupid girls flirt with him all the time. I don’t want to be that girl, but I do want him to see me as a girl and not just his friend. Ironic, since I’ve spent my whole life telling him not to treat me like a girl.

“I want to kiss you so bad … but if I kiss you, it will change everything,” he says in that gravelly voice.

“Change is good,” I whisper.

Rolling to his side, his mouth is centimeters from mine. I can’t make myself move although I’m aching with want. But I haven’t been kissed—ever. And I haven’t kissed anyone since that time on the monkey bars in seventh grade when I stuck my tongue in Brian Thomas’s mouth on a bet. I shocked the shit out of him, and he didn’t even kiss me back. When the bell rang, he jerked back and hit his head hard, sending him to the nurse for the rest of the afternoon. Not my finest moment.

“I don’t want to lose my best friend,” he tells me.

I bring up my other hand and run it over his jaw. “You’re not going to lose me. No matter what. We’ll still be friends.”

“Relationships ruin friendships. We’ve seen enough of that.”

I shiver with that truth. “True. But we’re different. We’ve been together since before we were born. I can’t live without you, so I won’t hurt our friendship.”

Bringing our entwined hands up, he kisses my knuckles. “Me either. We’ll take it slow, all right?”

“All right, my golden boy,” I whisper.

The effect of my words is instantaneous; the blue in his eyes intensifies to boiling. He leans in, his lips brushing mine softly. “Denver,” he whispers against me. “I’ve always wanted to make you mine. Ever since I understood what that meant. I’ve never seen anyone but you.” And even though his eyes burn with passion, I hear a little tremor in his voice. Now, him always putting off those girls makes a whole lot more sense.

“I thought we were taking it slow,” I chastise, but I delight in knowing that he feels something more for me.

“I just want you to know that I don’t take this lightly. You’re the most important person in my universe. And I’ll do anything to protect us.”

His declaration unleashes a torrent of need in me, and I no longer want him to kiss me—I need him to kiss me. “Greer, will you shut up and kiss me, please?”

Used by Lynetta Halat

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

4 “chicken” “little fighter” “golden boy” Kisses

Wow…I’m so torn right now. I am like a bundle of emotions and I’m shaking and at a total loss of what I want to think or do or say. I really almost don’t even know where to begin! Because I think a lot of things, so many things – and some of them are conflicting things and I don’t know how to process that. I live for books that suck me in…I am an emotional reader and books that can completely take me to another place and make me forget that I am reading are like my crack. Lynetta Halat has a complete knack for doing that to me…she did it with Everything I’ve Never Had and I knew to expect greatness from Used. But…be prepared…this is going to be a babble-filled review…and I cannot guarantee how much of it will make sense…because I am all over the place right now. #YouveBeenWarned 🙂

Denver Magnolia Dempsey… “little fighter” …it’s funny that that’s the name that Ransom gives her because it could not be more accurate. I don’t think Denver has gone a day in her life without fighting. Fighting something…her mom…her feelings…Greer…the inevitable…it’s just ingrained in her nature to fight. And I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad sense but there are and were moments that I was just ready to knock the ever living stuffing out of that girl. There were times when I loved Denver so much…I empathized with her…I felt for her…but then she would say/do/think something and I just want to smack some sense into her. Her thoughts are not completely logical…to me…which is fine, but I kept waiting for that moment for her to talk to someone or figure out the truth…and it just never came. It was a very frustrating experience because I did and do like her. There are other facets to Denver’s personality…part of being a fighter, she’s also very competitive…I loved that about her because when it comes to her specialty (barrel racing) it’s inspiring to see her passion and dedication to it. But the one part of her I loved the most was her relationship with Greer. Her feelings about him while misjudged and sometimes aggravating were always very clear to me…I just had to keep holding onto the hope that she would figure them out.

‘He stiffened and sat up even taller. “I’m not a little girl, Denver.”
“You’re sure acting like one,” I joked.
“You should try it sometime.”
“Ouch! That hurt, golden boy.”
“Whatever, chicken butt.”

Greer Tanner…oh my golden boy…what can I say. I had an inexplicable pull towards Greer from the beginning. Most of it was his history with Denver…a lot of it was his feelings for Denver…part of it is because he’s just too beautiful for words…but there is no denying all that is wonderful and good about Greer Tanner. It’s bittersweet talking about him because my feelings over the course of Used changed…and now that I’m done, I don’t know what I think. I know his friendship with Denver was probably her saving grace…I know that he is probably the only person in her life who has really, truly loved her…I know through their entire sordid history, through all of the times he should have said fuck it or given up, he didn’t and that makes him amazing…I love his perseverance and his heart but I feel so bad for him. Because he never had it easy from the beginning of their relationship…but he also knew that from the start. There is definitely one thing I cannot deny and that is that Greer loves Denver more than anything in this world…and that’s one thing I was fighting for the entire time I was reading.

‘“I don’t want to lose my best friend,” he tells me.
I bring up my other hand and run it over his jaw. “You’re not going to lose me. No matter what. We’ll still be friends.”
“Relationships ruin friendships. We’ve seen enough of that.”
I shiver with that truth. “True. But we’re different. We’ve been together since before we were born. I can’t live without you, so I won’t hurt our friendship.”
Bringing our entwined hands up, he kisses my knuckles. “Me either. We’ll take it slow, all right?”
“All right, my golden boy,” I whisper.
The effect of my words is instantaneous; the blue in his eyes intensifies to boiling. He leans in, his lips brushing mine softly. “Denver,” he whispers against me. “I’ve always wanted to make you mine. Ever since I understood what that meant. I’ve never seen anyone but you.” And even though his eyes burn with passion, I hear a little tremor in his voice.’

Ransom…God is that not the sexiest name ever? Yeah…I think it might be…even though it’s his last name…John Ransom…sexiest TDH Cowboy ever to walk the earth. What makes Ransom so sexy…besides the fact he’s a cowboy…cause that right there is worth about a million sexy points. He’s one of the best bull riders…he’s damn good at it…and for some reason, all the scars he has to show for it just make him about 1000000% more sexy. The sinking ship for me…Ransom’s a man whore – ding ding ding! We have a winner folks…cause I love my manwhore’s! He’s confident, bordering cocky….but he’s not arrogant. He’s the strong and silent type…but it’s the intriguing level that makes you want to beg to know more…cause oh boy do I ever. I feel like Ransom is this big jumble of secrets that we’ve only begun to really get to know. Because a majority of Used is about Denver and Greer…which is crucial info because we need their backstory…so we only scratch the surface of what Ransom has to offer…but even just the taste that I got was enough to get me hooked. I fed off of his reactions to Denver…and vice versa – even when I may not have agreed with them or liked them…I still couldn’t get enough of their interactions. I knew how she was with Greer so I wanted to see what she was like with Ransom, so I could really make up my mind as to which ‘team’ I was on.

‘I want him. So bad.
“I know you do.” His breath tickles my throat. I groan as I realize I said that aloud. “You have no idea what you do to me,” he continues, as the vibration switches to coming from his voice, to coming from his tongue. I want to weep with relief when it sweeps back up my neck lightly. When he gets to my ear, he places a playful little bite. “Or, maybe you do know. I can’t decide how culpable you are in bringing about my downfall.”
His words confuse me, but I don’t have to wonder long.
“I promised myself I’d never ben with anyone like you. Someone who uses others. Someone who finds pleasure in other’s pain. Someone not strong enough to be herself.” My hands fly up between us, and I push him with all my might. He chuckles as he finds himself a foot or so away from me. We both ignore the fact that he let me push him away. Raising an eyebrow, he tilts his head and boasts, “I could do a lot with that spunkiness, though.”
“Why are you such an asshole?” I demand, as I use my shirtsleeve to wipe away the now-cooled trailed he left on my neck.
“Why are you such a slut?” he counters.’

I love Love Triangles. I do…I love picking sides…I love possibly questioning my sides…but I have never ever been more conflicted then I was while reading Used. I loved both guys…which is really interesting for me because I almost always go with the guy with the most history…and you cannot even come close to faking the history that Greer and Denver have. It’s epic. Legendary. Warmed me heart and soul…even the tough-and-icky stuff that isn’t too pretty but for them it is, because it’s part of what makes them who they are. It was hard because I both hated and loved their relationship…mainly of what it could have been…I hate that Denver shut everything off before they were able to truly have a chance. Even though what Greer and Denver had was messy…they still had a connection and a bond…and it might not have been perfect, but for some reason I held on to it and the hope that they could figure their shit out. But at the same time…I loved what Ransom brought out in Denver…which is where a lot of my conflict came it. She was like a different person with him…stronger, more confident – and trust me, she didn’t need any more of either characteristic…and I don’t know if they just feed off of each other because Ransom is different with her too. They are so similar which is why I think they connect so well…but seeing her with a different guy was refreshing and scary because I didn’t want to like them together as much as I did.

“You’re so beautiful,” he echoes my thoughts. “I’ve waited forever to have you again.”
My mouth widens into a soft smile. I’ve wanted him too. I feel terrible for making him wait for my commitment. He’s always been so good to me. And he waded through all my bullshit, making him the only person I could ever truly count on. The fact that I almost threw him away is sobering. “You’re gorgeous, Greer, inside and out,” I breathe. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”
He runs his teeth over his bottom lip and gives me a lopsided grin. “Yours?” he questions.
“Mine,” I confirm.
“Yours.”

So as I said…emotionally this book is spot on for me – couldn’t get any better. The writing was phenomenal, I enjoyed every word of it and for the record…the character names, IN LOVE. I was a little surprised when we switched from being solely in Denver’s POV to adding in Ransom every now at then…but there was a good purpose for it, so it was logical and not ‘just because.’ Plus…I loved being in his head…so there was that too. This plot is so different from any other book I’ve ever read before and I loved that…but there were some things that didn’t add up for me. Trust me…I hate having to say that more than anything in the world, but as much as I need emotion in my books…I also need logic. Granted, some of the things that I was questioning were accounted for later on…but not everything. First of all…Denver’s whole rationality of how/why she was a slut never really added up for me. I got why she thought that…but the simple fact was…she isn’t and wasn’t and never could be a slut. Ever. Period. Thoughts and desires don’t make you a slut – they make you a human. Actions make you a slut and Denver never backed up any of her claims with actions – everything was in her head for me. Considering that’s what most of the book is based on…that was my biggest struggle because a lot of it is Denver fighting with herself internally and I was waiting for that to change…for her to see her true potential…for her to move on and be the woman she was meant to be…free from the shadow of her mother’s mistakes…and allowing herself to just be.

‘She smiles. She freaking smiles at me. This girl. This girl who’s been through so much. She’s so tough, my little fighter. I don’t even understand how she’s walking and functioning, let alone fucking thriving, with all the shit’s she’s been through. And I have a feeling I only know the tip of the iceberg.’

The hugely-epic thing at 60-something percent that happens with Greer…that I didn’t see coming…that had me in tears…that I absolutely hated with every ounce of my being…yeah…that part – not a fan. It was completely out of character for Greer and there are so many aspects to what happens so it’s not cut and dry…it’s convoluted and a mess…and it sucks. But I was so in love with Greer so it really gutted me…I don’t know if I can get over what happened…and that breaks my heart. Plus the things that happened afterward…the fact that we really don’t get to hear that much from Greer afterwards…that almost made it worse for me. I needed to hear his side and the longer it went without getting it, the worse it got for me. Add in the fact that no one picked up on the obvious…blew me away. People aren’t stupid and the characters that are involved are really not stupid…so the fact that they didn’t put two and two together – I’m not buying it. That was almost a bigger deal for me then the whole Denver/slut thing. There’s also a little bit of a twist at the end with Ransom that I kinda-sorta saw coming…there were hints and signs early on…and don’t get me wrong, I liked it but…it was a little but of an ‘oh…okay…so that’s what’s happening’ kind of moment. I dunno how to else to describe it. Now even with the issues that I had with Used, I still completely enjoyed the book…because everything else…the characters, the writing, the emotions…all of my positive feelings outweigh the issues I had. It just bugs me because I know if those problems had been fixed, explained or addressed, this would have easily been one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

‘Reaching out slowly, he runs his hand up my arm and squeezes my shoulder before I curl into him. It feels good here, wrapped in his arms. It shouldn’t but it does. Apparently that’s my MO. I’m the girl who enjoys things she shouldn’t.’

I have barely scratched the surface when it comes to my feelings and thoughts about this book – I don’t know if I’ll be able to shut up about it for a while…but I will say when I got to around 90% and we were like eons away from a final solid, non-rushed conclusion to this mess…I knew it was going to be a cliff. Now…I am so okay with cliff’s…I love a good cliff…I really do…and damn…this is a pretty good cliff. But it did add to the layers of my already jumbled feelings because it’s like wait…NO!!!!! Don’t end it like that!!! Cause I don’t know if I’m going to be able to sleep well until April when I can get my hands on Freed. In fact, if anyone wants to join me in my mission to kidnap Lynetta and her laptop…please let me know. 🙂

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Since the dawn of time, Lynetta Halat has lived to read and has written innumerable stories and plays. A lover of good books, bad boys, and kickass tunes, she’d always dreamt of penning books that people could connect with and remember. She also has a secret penchant for wringing the emotions out of unsuspecting readers, and she collects reader’s tears in much the same way that wine connoisseurs collect their favorite vintage.

Her first novel, Every Rose, was the perfect catalyst to launch her into the world of publishing, effectively burrowing her way into the hearts and minds of readers throughout the world. Everything I’ve Never Had was her follow-up adult romance novel. Now, she has penned Used, a New Adult Romance that she hopes sinks its teeth into you and doesn’t let go.

Her love of the English language prompted her to pursue a Master’s degree in English from Old Dominion University in Virginia, where she also minored in snark and interpretive dance. She lives somewhere along the Mississippi Gulf Coast with her adorable husband, two amazing sons, and two loveable dogs. When she’s not writing riveting stories, she likes to focus on her macramé art and her scouring of eBay, where she buys locks of hair from her favorite rock stars, most especially Bret Michaels and Dave Grohl.