Penelope Douglas – True Story Book Blog

~Falling Away by Penelope Douglas Blog Tour – EXCLUSIVE Deleted Scene, Review & Giveaway~

Lisa True Story Book Blog — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 15:00:58 +0000

Title: Falling Away

Series: A Fall Away Novel, Book #3

Author: Penelope Douglas

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 6, 2015

Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid.

K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away….

K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.

Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As they grow closer, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.…

I LOVE this series – so much! It’s one of my favorite series ever! Every book and character are so completely unique and oh-em-gee…the feels! Absolute must reads!

Want to see my obsession for the Fall Away Series? Check out my review for Bully, my birthday interview with Jared & Tate, my review of Until You plus a deleted scene and Jared’s Love Note to Tate for Valentine’s Day.

Title: Bully

Series: A Fall Away Novel, Book #1

Author: Penelope Douglas

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

My name is Tate.

He doesn’t call me that, though. He’ll barely refer to me at all, and he’ll hardly ever speak to me.

But he still won’t leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I’ve been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got worse as time wore on. I even went to Europe for a year, just to avoid him.

But I’m done hiding from him now, and there’s no way I’ll allow him to ruin another year. He might not have changed, but I have.

It’s time to fight back.

When one brave young woman stands up to her best friend Jared, now tormenter, the consequences go beyond anything either of them ever would have imagined….

Title: Until You

Series: A Fall Away Novel, Book #1.5

Author: Penelope Douglas

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or numb to all emotions? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between fury and indifference with no stops in between. Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can hurt me, because I don’t care about anything or anyone.

Except Tatum.

I love her so much that I hate her. I hate that I can’t let her go. We used to be friends, but I found out that I couldn’t trust her—or anyone else. So I hurt her. I pushed her away. But I still need her. She centers me. Engaging her, challenging her, pushing her—it’s the one last part of me that feels anything anymore.

But then she went and screwed everything up. She left for a year and came back a different girl. Now, when I push, she pushes back…and I’m not sure either one of us will ever be the same.

Madoc and Fallon rocked my world just like Jared and Tate did – check out an excerpt from Rival and my review!

Title: Rival

Series: A Fall Away Novel, Book #2

Author: Penelope Douglas

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

From the New Adult sensation and New York Times bestselling author of Until You

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

She’s back.

For the three years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…

I’m back.

Three years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….

Want more details about what happened in Arizona?

This scene was deleted, because overall, it wasn’t entirely important to the progression of the story. The major points were filtered into the final manuscript, keeping the pace moving more quickly.

K.C.

“This is getting more pathetic by the second,” my college roommate and best friend, Nik, taunted from my side. “What are going to do, K.C.? Kill him with the power of your stare all night?”

I raised my eyes, glowering at her, knowing damn well what she was trying to do.

“What would you like me to do?” I asked, evening out my voice to hide the tears lodged in my throat. “Kick him in the balls? Get in a cat fight with the girl? I’m better than that, Nik.”

She pursed her lips and arched an eyebrow, gazing across the black dance floor like she wanted to give up on me.

I followed her gaze and shook my head. Yeah, right. I wasn’t better. I was just stupid. I should’ve listened to my mother. She said I should listen to her, and when I don’t, I always regret it.

And here I was, regretting it again as I zoned in on my boyfriend—scratch that, ex-boyfriend—who had his hand up the skirt of a girl who wasn’t me.

Again.

I thought all of Liam’s hearts and flowers meant something in high school. I thought that all of the times he’d said he loved me earned him chances. Turns out, I thought a lot of bullshit.

The truth was…the first time he cheated on me senior year of high school, I forgave him, because I couldn’t let my mother be right. I couldn’t let her see my relationship fail and admit that I’d been wrong.

I’d swallowed some self-respect, but I wasn’t swallowing it again. Nik, however, wanted me to go above and beyond. She wanted his dick in a meat grinder.

She sighed, lifting the cranberry and vodka to her lips. “Yeah, I guess that’s why he’s two-timing you,” she spat out in a sharp tone, gesturing with the bright red drink in her hand. “Because you’re better, right? That’s why he’s thinking about you right now as he touches her?” She put her hand on her chest, acting dramatic. “Why he’s showing how much he cares about you by telling you that he had a late final tonight when he really just wanted to take someone else out. I’m starting to wonder how many other things have escaped your notice, K.C.”

The plastic cup in my hand cracked under the pressure, and the tequila shot Nik had ordered me dribbled over my fingers. The burning in my nose heated up even more with my quick breathes.

I needed that shot. Dammit.

Actually, I didn’t need it. I just wanted it. I’d already had another one and half a beer. While I was still only twenty, Nik was twenty-one and had been buying my drinks. That was her answer when times were tough. Load up a row of shot glasses and drink until you’re numb. Not me, though. I’d paced myself. A buzz without being bombed.

She passed me her shot, and I let it sit on the table.

Good friend. The best one I’d had in a while.

Her real name was Nikita—as in La Femme Nikita. Her mom had apparently been obsessed with the movie, the American re-make, and the television show. Nik was everything that I wasn’t, and ever since we’d met nearly two years ago, I was in a constant state of envy.

Her long blonde hair hung in small spiral curls, she wore no make-up, and the tattoos around her wrists were ornate and dark. I wanted the blue streaks in her hair, her chipped green nail polish, and her unfashionable black T-shirt that said “My Imaginary Friend Thinks You’re Weird”.

I wanted to be Nik.

And she kind of wanted to get in my pants.

She’d been flirting with me since I first walked into our dorm room at the beginning of freshman year, and while I knew my mother wouldn’t approve of me living with a lesbian, I soon found out I couldn’t live without Nik. She was a breath of fresh air and a reminder that life is all around me when I often tried to block it out.

Of course, she’d love the opportunity to get me naked, but she was really good at just being the kind of friend that gave me a kick in the ass when I needed it.

I’d fallen out of touch with my friends from back home, and other than Nik, I didn’t have a whole hell of a lot here in Arizona that made me happy. My grades were great, but I hated the Political Science major my mother encouraged, and Liam and I had been on the downward spiral for months.

Okay, years.

I held my hand and skimmed the scar on the inside of my wrist with my thumb, trying to remember what the hell made me angrier. Liam cheating on me or me staying long enough for him to do it twice.

She leaned down, resting her elbows on the table and rubbing her eyes.

“For Christ’s sake, do something,” she pleaded. “For the love of all of the pink shit in your closet, make a fucking move!”

I inhaled and exhaled hard out of my nose, shaking my head.

She was right. I knew she was right. She knew she was right. But what I couldn’t figure out as I stood there was how I could be angry and not sad. Pissed but not hurt. What the hell was wrong with me?

I didn’t feel territorial about Liam or ready to go ball in a stall in the ladies’ room. I wasn’t going to check my phone a zillion times tomorrow to look for apology voicemails or texts. I wasn’t sad.

But I looked over at him and the red head—it was a redhead last time, too—and I was damn-well angry. I squeezed my fists so hard I felt my nails dig into my palm. I’d been underestimated, forgotten, and disrespected. That pissed me off.

I needed to be like Tate. My best friend back home. We used to be the same. Shy, timid, invisible…But one day she’d had enough, and she started to react instead of letting doubt weigh her down.

I needed to be brave, Strong.

Just do it, I urged myself. Move your fucking feet, K.C.

But when I hesitated, Nik let out a bitter laugh. “You know?” Her soft, velvety voice could only mean trouble. “Her skirt is super sexy. I’d have my hand up it, too.”

My eyes bugged out, and I slammed my palm down on the table, shooting daggers at my friend. That is it! “You want the girl?” I asked, taunting. “Well, wait here then. I’ll get rid of her boyfriend for you.”

Ignoring the victorious, smug smile spreading across her cherub cheeks, I threw back her untouched shot on the table and swallowed down the burn at the back of my throat from the cheap Tequila.

As I cut my way across the dance floor—lit up with the reflection of the blue, green, and red strobe lights over head— my sparkly, black flats barely touched the floor. I was high on adrenaline.

Screw Liam, I kept chanting in my head. Screw Liam. I could do this.

I quickly smoothed my hands over my black, layered miniskirt that was tight at the waist but flared out after my hips and tehn ran my index finger under my bottom lip, clearing up any smeared lip gloss.

Poser pink lip gloss. That’s what Jaxon Trent called my make-up once. Poser.

Another guy who thought I was gutless.

I pushed his words out of my head, sucked in a deep breath, and tapped my fingers against my bare thighs as I charged up to Liam’s table.

Not fifteen minutes later the whole world came to an end.

***

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Nik whispered, wide-eyed, next to me as we sat in my parked Nissan Altima.

“I’m going to throw up,” I choked, gripping the steering wheel and chewing on my bottom lip. “What the hell was I thinking? That was a mistake.”

“No, it wasn’t!” she burst out. “It was epic! It was awesome! You shined, K.C.”

“And now the cops just pulled us over. That’s not awesome, Nik.”

We were sitting next to the curb of a quiet residential street. Some homes were still lit up even though it was nearly eleven. No one, however, came outside to inspect the colorful flashing lights of the cop car behind us.

Officer Baylor—I’d spotted his name tag—had taken my keys, my license, registration and proof of insurance, and was now back in his vehicle doing Lord-knows-what, and I all I could think about was how the drop of sweat trailing down my neck was going to ruin my whole outfit. I had to look responsible. If I looked responsible in my cute, but classy attire and high, stylish ponytail, then I could get out of this. Appearance is everything, my mother would say.

I knew it was a load of crap, but it was all the hope I had to hold onto right now.

I blew out a long, slow breath and straightened my back. My fingers instinctively went to my mouth, but then I jerked them back down to the steering wheel again, remembering not to bite my nails.

Nik cleared her throat, and I knew she’d been watching me. “Well, perhaps your lucky star is shining tonight,” she suggested.

Lucky star. I rolled my eyes.

I reached over to turn on the AC but stopped when I realized that the cop still had my keys. Damn Arizona summers.

“There’s no such thing. And if there is, my luck has run out,” I grumbled, darting my head around to see if the cop had emerged from his car yet.

“Don’t count your chickens until the fat lady sings,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Before they’re hatched,” I corrected. “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”

“Whatever. Show me your tits.”

“Nik!” I laughed, clamping my hand over my mouth. Would not be a good idea for the cop to see me giggling.

Nik pointed at me and smiled. “Got you to lighten up, didn’t I?” She winked at me. “Don’t worry. You will get through this, because the gods are always on your side, K.C.”

I pursed my lips, trying to hide my smile from the tit comment. Yeah, right. Nik had it in her head that I had the best luck in the world and that she only stayed my roommate so she could benefit from the residual effects.

She was high. On what drug, I didn’t know, but she was out of her mind.

Yeah, it was a little weird freshman year when the answers to a Macro-economics test I was unprepared for showed up in my email inbox.

And it was kind of awesome two weeks later when the sprinklers went off in Finite Math on the same day I happened to be running late for a quiz.

And then last spring when I had to write a report on Oliver Cromwell’s England? The university librarian emailed to let me know that the research texts I’d requested were waiting in reserve for pick-up. That wasn’t weird or awesome. It was unnerving. I’d never requested any texts for research. I’d had no idea where to begin with that research, actually.

Lots of lucky little things happened like that over the last two years, and I couldn’t explain it.

My mother cut off my credit card when I decided to minor in Creative Writing, and a job at the university bookstore landed in my lap.

I’d failed to study for a Music Appreciation final, because I couldn’t stand the class. My teacher’s test playlist of Baroque composers was replaced with 2 Live Crew’s Me So Horny.

A speeding ticket I couldn’t pay mysteriously disappeared from the DMV database, and one of my professors that had creeped me out with a suggestive email “resigned” after his other emails to other students were leaked. The one to me wasn’t, thank God.

Most of it was great. I never took the test answers…wherever they came from, but I certainly wasn’t going to complain about the rest of it.

I just simply wasn’t going to rely on it, either.

Between that and Nik, I’d had more than a few reasons to smile these past two years, and now I could be thankful that I was no longer the girlfriend of a cheater.

I was grateful for that.

But I was also nervous. The summer was starting, and I was supposed to be moving into an apartment with Liam next week. I was supposed to be planning my study abroad trip to New Zealand for next spring. And I was supposed to be home in bed right now.

Instead, I was in a shitload of trouble on all fronts. I now had no place to live this summer, my college classes were as dry as dirt, and—I twisted my head around again to see that the cop was still working in his car—I was possibly in deep shit with the law now.

I winced, swallowing the lump in my throat. My mother. What the hell was she going to say?

Checking the rearview mirror, I noticed the cop climbing out of his car

“Shit. He’s got a Breathalyzer in his hand.” Nik’s quiet voice crashed into my stomach. “This is all my fault, K.C. I’m so sorry.”

My face felt like it was splintering into a dozen different cracks, and I clenched my teeth to dull the ache in my jaw.

“I’m not worried about the Breathalyzer,” I whispered, looking down into my lap. “He might know what happened at the club.”

***

Yeah, he found out what happened at the club.

A week later, I was back in my hometown for the summer with a revoked driver’s license and a hundred hours of community service.

Falling Away by Penelope Douglas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

4.5 “gutless and helpless” “Only Ever You” “” Kisses

I kind of don’t know what to think right now because Penelope Douglas just blew my mind. My heart feels like it’s going to burst…my eyes are red and puffy from crying…emotionally I’m a hot mess – and I love it. I have so many thoughts…too many emotions…and not enough words to get everything out of my head. Okay…so if you haven’t read the other books in Fall Away Series (Bully, Until You, & Rival) yet …then you must! While the books focus on different couples, I wouldn’t recommend reading them out of order…each book builds off the other and things just make more sense. Plus they’re amazing and this is one of my favorite series ever!

Juliet Adrian Carter…gah…there is so much I want to say about KC and so much I can’t say about KC (mainly because I don’t want to spoil) but suffice it to say, she surprised me in all the best ways possible. It’s funny because I know after Bully, a lot of people disliked KC…and I never did. Of course, I didn’t love what she did to Tate, but I always thought there was more to it…and there really was. There is so much about Juliet that can be misunderstood and truly getting to understand her past…her relationship with her mother…why she acts the way she does…it’s like a puzzle that just finally clicks into place. The more I understood her, the more I loved her. Finally seeing the real KC…hearing her thoughts and emotions…truly connecting to her, well, it gave me a new appreciation for her. I cannot tell you how much I loved seeing her come into her own, seeing who she was when she stopped being KC and finally started being Juliet was…absolutely amazing. And it was all thanks to the guy who always saw her.

‘“Come on.” He took my hand.
The car grime on his hand rubbed into mine, and I held him firmly, a smile tickling the corners of my mouth that I wouldn’t set free.
I liked how it felt. Sandy, gritty, alive.
Everything had always been clean for me. Every moment of my life had been clean for me. Every moment of my life had been manicured, pedicured, and scrubbed. My clothes always clean, and my biggest decisions were whether I should buy the silver ballet flats or the black ones.
Now Jaxon Trent’s dirty hands fused with my sweaty palms, and I wondered how good his dirt would feel everywhere else on my skin.’

Jaxon Hawkins Trent…*sigh*…oh Jax, where do I even begin? It’s impossible to grow up the way Jax did and not have a chip on your shoulder. But he has mastered the art of hiding his insecurities and fears behind bravado and attitude. Jax is…complex, he’s deep, and I knew that going in…but actually experiencing it was something I don’t think I fully prepared myself for. Jax did a number on my heart…I was completely and totally invested in what was happening to him and finally tapping into all his feelings about his past…his family…KC…it was a lot to process. For so many reasons I was just completely tied to anything and everything that was happening and it all hit me so hard. When Jax was sad…upset…remembering his past…going into self destruct mode (I think that’s a Trent thing…)…it nearly killed me. Being in his POV, hearing his thoughts, truly experiencing what had happened to him…it was hard. But…the upside to that is when Jaxon Trent is happy…there is nothing in the world more beautiful – that boy deserves nothing but good things and it made me heart leap out of my chest when he was happy. And nothing makes Jax happier than KC.

‘She smirked happily. “Touch me all the time,” she repeated. “But we don’t get along.”
“We get along great.” I grinned. “As long as you don’t talk.” And I leaned down, snatching up her lips again.
She laughed and tried to push away from me, her back bending and her head falling back, but I held tight.
“Stop!” She giggled and squirmed as I kissed a trail up her neck. I loved seeing her giddy.
“Stop talking,” I scolded, still kissing her. “We get into trouble when you speak.” And I took her earlobe in my teeth, sucking hard, and she went limp.
“I feel like I’m falling,” she admitted through her breathlessness, standing up straight, and taking my hands away. “But it feels good.”

Jax and KC have been a long time coming. I knew in Until You that they were meant to be…just by their first interactions, it was obvious how perfect they were for each other. The prim and proper good girl and the rough-and-tough bad boy…how could they not be amazing? But the reality of them together seriously defied any and all expectations I may have had in my brain. They were beyond brilliant…and they didn’t even try that hard. All they did was pay attention to each other. There is one scene at almost 30% that I think was one of the first times this book made me cry (yes…there were multiple times!)…a lot of stuff had been going on and emotions were already pretty high…but the things that both of them revealed just broke me. I was already in knots over them but this scene pushed every button, showed me exactly what I needed to see about their feelings for each other…and from that moment on, it was like they held me in their hand.

‘Her body trembled in my arms as she tried to catch her breath, but she quieted and slowly relaxed her hold around my neck. All I felt was the heat of her lips against my skin, and I knew one thing.
I wanted her more than I wanted my secrets.’

Penelope’s writing never ceases to amaze me. Falling Away proved even more why she is one my favorite writers ever. Her ability to blend angst, passion, humor and sensuality into a incredibly captivating story that leaves me begging for each word never ceases to amaze me. The strength of this series for me are two key things…her characters and the emotions she brings out in her writing. I have loved with an unending passion every single character that she has created. It started with Jared and Tate, grew with Madoc and Fallon and is at an all-time high with Jax and KC. These are the kinds of MC’s (main characters) that I will never let go of…that are deep in my heart…they’re unforgettable. And the emotions…oh good gracious…the amazing emotional rollercoaster her books take me on is one I consistently look forward to. I span the entire range of good to bad, beautiful to ugly, high to low…but I love love love it! I enjoy it when I’m laughing at some dialogue that the boys said as much as when Jax and KC are getting hot-n-sexy and yes, even when I’m bawling my eyes out…I’m still in my book nerd happy place. Penelope’s writing gives me a book high that I can live on for days…and that’s why I love her writing.

“Tell me what I want to hear,” he demanded, thrusting his hips and making me groan.
“You’re driving me crazy,” I cried, the rod between his legs relentless where it pressed against me.
“That’s not what I want to hear.” His teasing voice laughed at me.
“You’re an asshole?” I ventured, dragging my nails over the soft skin of his ass.
“No,” he grunted, grabbing my hands and pinning them over my head. “Say it.”
I smiled, loving how worked up he got. Loving how much he wanted to hear it. And as I looked over his face, falling into him with my heart swilling in my chest, I felt more at home, more safe and more cared for, than ever before in my life.
I swallowed down the tears in my throat, trying to whisper, but it came out barely audible. “Only. Ever. You. Jaxon Trent.”

There is a reason why I love series so much…and the Fall Away Series is a key example of that. I keep raving about the characters so much but reading Falling Away there were moments when I just had to sit back with a big goofy grin on my face. The chemistry between all of these characters is undeniably magical…it’s something you can’t force or fake, they’ve either got it or they don’t and OMG do they have it. Jared, Madoc and Jax have one of the most epic bro-mances I have ever read…I kinda would like to start a petition to require Penelope to just write the three of them for the rest of my life. They just make me smile, they’re hilarious and cute in the we’re-sexy-tough-guys-but-we-are-actually-really-sweet kind of way. And I had the same pull towards the girls…obviously KC and Tate were best friends and still have that connection, adding Fallon to the mix was super natural and cohesive. The energy of the entire group is electric and magnetic…it’s impossible not to love all of them together.

‘I darted out and circled my arms around her from behind, holding her close and burying my face in her neck. “Don’t,” I begged. “Please don’t.”
My muscles strained, holding her so tight, and I heard her suck in quick breaths. I spun her around, wrapped my arms around her waist, and lifted her up kissing her deep and hard.
“I can’t let you go,” I panted. “I want you all the time. I’ll be unbearable, Juliet. They won’t know what to do with me.”
Her hands clasped my neck, as she looked into my eyes.
“I like you, Jax.” She ran her fingers through my hair above my ear. “I like you a lot. You’re important.”
I closed my eyes, meeting her forehead. “Say it,” I whispered.
Her sweet breath fanned over my lips. “Only ever you.”
And I groaned, hating and loving how those words affected me.’

So…the ending was…a nail biter for me. When I was crying (again…yes…I told you it happened multiple times! Sorry!) around 85%, I really didn’t know if an HEA was possible. But…it worked, it was a little quick, but after everything that Jax and KC went through…it worked and I’m happy. So, Falling Away is over and I click to the next page on my kindle because I heard there was a tease to Aflame…which is like the best news ever, I’m a Jared-and-Tate-aholic over here! Yup…cry #8925 happens. I know Aflame is not going to be rainbows and unicorns and happy puppies…but seriously. I feel like my heart just got ripped out. But that teaser has me more excited than I was before, if that is even possible. Yes…it hurts, but I trust Penelope enough to know that she will deliver another amazing story and that’s what I want. So, if you’re looking for me, I’ll be counting the days until April. #JaredandTateforLife

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Penelope Douglas is a writer and teacher in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to “just get the degree!” She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she hated Public Administration. One night, she got tipsy and told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later they were married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, the show Sons of Anarchy, and she shops at Target almost daily.

~Rival by Penelope Douglas Blog Tour – Excerpt, Review & Giveaway~

Lisa True Story Book Blog — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 15:30:07 +0000

Title: Rival

Series: A Fall Away Novel, Book #2

Author: Penelope Douglas

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 26, 2014

From the New Adult sensation and New York Times bestselling author of Until You

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

She’s back.

For the three years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…

I’m back.

Three years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….

I LOVE this series – so much! It’s one of my favorite series ever!

Check out my review for Bully, my birthday interview with Jared & Tate, my review of Until You plus a deleted scene and Jared’s Love Note to Tate for Valentine’s Day.

Title: Bully

Series: A Fall Away Novel, Book #1

Author: Penelope Douglas

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

My name is Tate.

He doesn’t call me that, though. He’ll barely refer to me at all, and he’ll hardly ever speak to me.

But he still won’t leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I’ve been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got worse as time wore on. I even went to Europe for a year, just to avoid him.

But I’m done hiding from him now, and there’s no way I’ll allow him to ruin another year. He might not have changed, but I have.

It’s time to fight back.

When one brave young woman stands up to her best friend Jared, now tormenter, the consequences go beyond anything either of them ever would have imagined….

Title: Until You

Series: A Fall Away Novel, Book #1.5

Author: Penelope Douglas

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or numb to all emotions? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between fury and indifference with no stops in between. Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can hurt me, because I don’t care about anything or anyone.

Except Tatum.

I love her so much that I hate her. I hate that I can’t let her go. We used to be friends, but I found out that I couldn’t trust her—or anyone else. So I hurt her. I pushed her away. But I still need her. She centers me. Engaging her, challenging her, pushing her—it’s the one last part of me that feels anything anymore.

But then she went and screwed everything up. She left for a year and came back a different girl. Now, when I push, she pushes back…and I’m not sure either one of us will ever be the same.

And get ready for the last book in the series…it’s all about Jax!

Title: Falling Away

Series: A Fall Away Novel, Book #3

Author: Penelope Douglas

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 6, 2015

Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid.

K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away….

K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.

Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As they grow closer, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.…

Reaching around, he twisted my chin towards the mirror, and I sucked in a breath. “What do you see?!” he shouted.

“You and me!” I blurted out. “Madoc and Fallon!”

My heart was racing.

I looked at him through the mirror. I sat on one side of his lap, so he could see from the other side, and we stared at each other, my chest rising and falling more urgently.

“That’s not what I see,” he said in a low voice. “Those names mean nothing to me. They’re simple and empty. When I’m with you, I don’t see the daughter of a gold digging bitch and an Irish drug lord or the son of a crooked lawyer and a vegan Barbie.”

I almost wanted to laugh. Madoc had an ironic way of looking at the world.

But he wasn’t smiling. He was scowling. He was dead serious, and I knew from experience that his genuine moments were few and far between.

He reached up, threading one hand into my hair while the other hand rested on the chair.

“I see everything I want for as long as I can have it,” he continued. “I see a woman that wears the cutest little scowl like she’s two years old and was just told she couldn’t have candy. I see a guy that went and got an apadravya piercing, because he wanted to live in her world for even a little while.”

I closed my eyes. Don’t do this to me, Madoc. Please.

Rival by Penelope Douglas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

5 “I’m free” “Valknut” “I don’t try to kill your demons. I run with them.” Kisses

OMG…loved…loved…LOVED this book. This…the way I feel right now…is one of the many reasons I love this series! So…seriously, I really didn’t know if I was going to love Madoc and Fallon as much as I loved Jared and Tate, because I love Jared and Tate A LOT…but I tell you what, Penelope Douglas did an AMAZING job of making that happen. I was completely sucked in…felt every emotion…I really enjoyed where she took the story line and of course, the characters absolutely rocked my face off. So Rival is part of a Series, Fall Away, the first two books Bully and Until You really should be read first in my opinion, but each book is about a different couple, so it’s not like it won’t make sense…you just don’t know some of the other characters as well. It makes things better…but it’s not a deal breaker.

Fallon Pierce…OMG I loved this chick…so much. For one reason, because she’s a lot like Tate and absolutely adore that girl, but she’s Tate with an edge. She’s a skater girl to Tate’s rocker chick, but the fact that they have so much in common made them fast friends which was another thing I absolutely loved. She’s dry and sarcastic, a little rough around the edges…and honestly, a little jaded, but in a likeable way. I really connected with Fallon, possibly on a deeper level that I did with Tate…Fallon has a different kind of pain and not like I want to compare whose pain is worse, but Fallon’s really hit me hard. She’s not just this girl with a grudge and an agenda to make the people that wronged her pay…there is more to her story than that. God, she’s a feisty, fierce little thing…all of this pent up emotion that has been buried for two years that’s just bursting to come out and I couldn’t wait for it to happen because once it did, I was in awe of her…Fallon was like amazing times a zillion. I loved her before…but after everything happened…I couldn’t get enough of her.

‘What he said didn’t matter. I liked who I was. No one told me how to dress, how to behave, what clubs to join…I made my own decisions. Madoc was a puppet. A drone.
I’m free. ‘

Madoc Caruthers…this boy…*sigh* He is Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky…the life of the party…the jokester…charming, charismatic…everyone loves him and it’s really easy to fall in love with him. He’s just one of those guys. He’s got it all…looks, personality, money…he doesn’t have to work too hard to get what he wants but at the same time, a lot of what he wants is just handed to him. With that kind of lifestyle, it’s easy to grow up being cocky and arrogant…and annoying – but Madoc manages to balance it brilliantly with his fabulous personality. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still got the cocky and arrogant thing down, but he’s also got the balls to back it up and sadly enough, for me, it just made him hotter. And good lord is that boy drool-worthy. From the top of his head to the tip of his toes…he’s just too beautiful for words…and that mouth! Oh-em-gee…I love 99% of the things that come out of Madoc’s mouth period…but then when he gets a little dominant and demanding. Sweet baby Jesus…it did things to me. But it gets better…then he turned on the swoon. Madoc is the complete and total package…and I loved every ounce of him!

“This is my father’s house.” I spoke low and straightened my back. “And someday all this shit will be mine, Fallon. That bed you sleep in, along with everything under this roof.”
“Not me, Madoc. You don’t own me.”
“Yeah.” I brushed her off. “Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt. Thanks.”

Oh Fallon and Madoc…I really didn’t stand a chance against them because, technically, they have my kryptonite. History. Granted…they weren’t besties or anything like Jared and Tate, but there is some deep history between them and it struck a chord for me. (on a side note, I feel like I am comparing Fallon and Madoc to Jared and Tate a lot…and I don’t mean to but it’s hard not to – the books complement each other very well but they’re distinctive in their own rights. I loved the similarities that I found between the books as much as I loved the differences.) Their story might not be perfect…but it was unique and special to them and I think that’s one of the many reasons why I enjoyed it so much. They had such a combative relationship…they didn’t want to like each other but they couldn’t help it. They were polar opposites in every respect but still couldn’t deny their feelings. I am an angst whore…I want to feel that tension and build, give me as much angst as possible, I will love it every time and Rival is a perfect example of why. Fallon and Madoc have so much between them…so much it almost killed me, but I still loved it, because in the end, it made everything they went through so worth it.

‘“Madoc.”
“I love it when you say my name.” His head fell back, and his chest rose more quickly. He looked like he was enjoying this although I wasn’t touching him. He just liked touching me that much?
My hips rocked into his hand, and for the first time in two years, I wanted things. I wanted this. I wanted him. I wanted it all again.
But I knew I couldn’t have it. I knew this was it for us.
This was the last time he’d make love to me. The last time I’d kiss him.
The last time he’d want me.’

Good gravy I just want to take all the feelings I experienced in this book, bottle them up and experience them over and over again – I feel like an addict, I will never get enough of those emotions. Speaking of emotions, there is a scene…towards the end, where I felt like I got total insight into Fallon’s character. The entire book we’re fed little facts here and there about what happened to her and about her past but this scene was completely eye opening for me. Fallon is a very strong character IMO…but she’s very emotionally contained and I feel like while I might be seen glimpses at her true feelings in her head, this was actually witnessing her raw emotions and it broke me. It was so incredibly painful…she was hurting, I was hurting for her and the next thing I knew, I was actually crying. I’m not a huge cry baby by any means but if I feel it, I can’t help and I totally felt it. It’s a pretty crucial scene for me because it was the beginning of the change in Fallon and what she needed to do to guard and protect herself in order to get through an incredibly painful time in her life.

‘When he stared down at me, everything was still except for our feet that moved to the music. It was like he was searching my eyes for something.
Everything about him, the shade of his eyes, the muscles I felt under his shirt, the way I already knew how his body moved when it loved, everything about him drew me in.
I sucked in a breath, wishing he’d stop touching me and wishing I could pull away. In another minute I would. In another minute I’d be satisfied with the warmth I hadn’t felt in months or the heartbeat I could feel again.
In one more minute I would let him go.
I closed my eyes. Just. One. More. Minute.’

Penelope does an absolutely fantastic job of writing these characters and stories that completely own my heart. I truly felt everything that Fallon and Madoc were going through and it made the experience reading them effortless. I didn’t even have to try, they captured my soul and sucked me in, how can I not love something like that? I’ve loved Penelope’s writing from the very beginning, she has a very easy style to fall into…not too fluffy on the details, it’s crisp and clean, incredible emotion and feeling, enough sarcasm and wit to keep me laughing at all the right times and good-freaking-lord-have-mercy does she know how to write some hot sex. Really hot…like, I was expecting that to a certain degree, especially with Bully and Until You…but Madoc definitely had some delicious surprises up his sleeve. Above all what I love the most about this series…are the characters…I will always have a soft spot for the original couple that started it off and seeing Jared and Tate from another perspective was AH-MAZE-ING…obviously it made me miss them, but they’re still just perfection on paper and even though it’s just a taste of them, it was enough to satisfy me while I continued to fall in love with Fallon and Madoc.

‘I crumbled.
The tears spilled over my lids, and I gasped as my body shook. I couldn’t open my eyes. The pain was too great. I doubled over, clutching the sea otter, and put my head down, sobbing.
Up came the sadness and despair, and I wanted to take back everything I’d said to him. Every time I doubted him. Everything I didn’t tell him.
Madoc, who saw me.
Madoc, who remembered me.’

Oh and speaking of other characters…we get to know a little bit more about the illusive Jax and there are some very interesting little hints and teases that were dropped, which now means I am dying for Falling Away. Like I was already giddy to read them, now I’m about at the point where I need to start stalking Penelope because holy banana’s…am I excited! This series has yet to disappoint me and if Falling Away is packed with half the fabulocity that was in the other books, I’m pretty sure it’s going to blow me away. Bring it on Jax!

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Penelope Douglas – True Story Book Blog

*~*Falling Away by Penelope Douglas Blog Tour – EXCLUSIVE Deleted Scene, Review & Giveaway*~*

I LOVE this series – so much! It’s one of my favorite series ever! Every book and character are so completely unique and oh-em-gee…the feels! Absolute must reads!

Want to see my obsession for the Fall Away Series? Check out my review for Bully, my birthday interview with Jared & Tate, my review of Until You plus a deleted scene and Jared’s Love Note to Tate for Valentine’s Day.

Madoc and Fallon rocked my world just like Jared and Tate did – check out an excerpt from Rival and my review!

Want more details about what happened in Arizona?

This scene was deleted, because overall, it wasn’t entirely important to the progression of the story. The major points were filtered into the final manuscript, keeping the pace moving more quickly.

K.C.

*~*Rival by Penelope Douglas Blog Tour – Excerpt, Review & Giveaway*~*

I LOVE this series – so much! It’s one of my favorite series ever!

Check out my review for Bully, my birthday interview with Jared & Tate, my review of Until You plus a deleted scene and Jared’s Love Note to Tate for Valentine’s Day.

And get ready for the last book in the series…it’s all about Jax!

~Falling Away by Penelope Douglas Blog Tour – EXCLUSIVE Deleted Scene, Review & Giveaway~

~Rival by Penelope Douglas Blog Tour – Excerpt, Review & Giveaway~