Adrift (Kill Devil Hills #4) by Sarah Darlington -Series Review and Book Tour
ADRIFT
Kill Devil Hills #4
by Sarah Darlington
Release Date:May 30, 2017
Genre: New Adult, romance
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 30, 2017
Ben Turner is back! After unsuccessfully faking his own death, he’s back home in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. With no plans for college or the future, and hated by the town that once loved him, Ben feels like he’s drowning. Until he meets the girl next door, a runaway like him, and she changes everything.
**NEW ADULT ROMANCE**
Recommended for 18+. ADRIFT can be read as a standalone, but is recommended to be read fourth in Sarah Darlington’s KILL DEVIL HILLS Series.
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REVIEW:
So what happens to life after “death?” For Ben upon coming back from the “dead” to his family in Kill Devil Hills, it was sheer hell. A jail sentence, probation, and just feeling lost and alone. The boy who had it all to taking a nasty fall from grace. Then we have tough as nails but still the ability to love hard, Juniper. Tough childhood and abusive engagement, you do admire Juniper’s strength and courage.
It was great finally getting to know Ben. We only hear of Ben in the previous books but we never get the chance to see him fleshed out a bit until this book. That being said, there an air of mystery about Ben. I remembered in Pulled Under, Sydney says there was an air of sadness to Ben when she was taking college courses with him. It’s hard to imagine the boy who had it all (popularity, football, smarts and having the hot girlfriend) to have an air of sadness about him. You do find out what shook up Ben that made him join the coast guard and leave Kill Devil Hills. While Kill Devil Hills is a small cozy town and everyone knows each other, it was nice to have a new character in the book. It was an extra bonus that Juniper was very likeable. Despite her terrible past, she wasn’t overly negative that it was annoying and you do take your hat off to her honesty and her ability to persevere. Even better was since she is new to the town, she did not have pre-conceived notions about Ben when she got with him, so that was a good thing for Ben.
The relationship was cute, wholesome and pretty innocent. The relationship was a tad slow to grow but given their pasts with relationships, it was understandable. It did slightly frustrate me when Ben would emotionally pull away when Juniper needed him. Their love scenes was very tame yet still enjoyable to read. I enjoyed that Ben learned to let go of ego in the bedroom and actually be a giver (yes let’s be adults, think about it).
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and series altogether. What I do appreciate is that like Georgina, Ben grew up past ego and thinking about himself to also look at the big picture of things. The ending is very heartwarming and leave you with a smile on your face and an awesome feeling of peace for the family you grow to love. I highly recommend the series. You get play on fantasies, deep lessons learned, honesty we often keep unsaid, racy love scenes, dry enjoyable humor and best of all romance. Read this series you won’t regret it.
Copy supplied for review
There was so much pain in his voice, it made me want to squeeze my arms around him tighter and hold on forever. He found his mistakes unforgivable, but they didn’t really matter to me. It wasn’t like I was going to stop being his friend because of them. He was home now, he was trying to make it right. He showed remorse for his actions. That was the thing about Quinton, he never showed remorse. Not once for hurting me. Ben cared so much. It was an amazing quality to find in a man and my heart suddenly ached in longing. Breathing became difficult and a giant lump lodged itself in my throat. I realized how much I cared for this man, how much I wished I’d met him before Quinton, how much I wished he could be the father of my baby.
It was a scary, terrifying thought.
One that left me breathless.
One I only let myself think about for a fleeting second before I shoved it from my mind. Because a wish like that was unrealistic and pointless and something that would never come true.
So why waste even a single moment thinking it?
“We all make stupid mistakes sometimes. That’s part of being human,” I said, in some attempt to comfort him. I wasn’t just talking about his mistakes either. The words I’m not Lilly Davenport were on the tip of my tongue. It suddenly felt like the right moment to tell him the truth about me. Except, he let his grip of my legs go.
My body slipped down his back and my toes hit sand.
“The buzz I had going is wearing off,” he said as he took a step away from me. In the moonlight, I could see his face well enough to see that it had hardened. He’d dropped his guard with me for a moment, but his walls were back up now and seemingly more fortified than ever. “And I’m not really supposed to leave the house after eight. So…”
I understood. He wanted to say goodbye now.
I didn’t though. I wanted more from him. Which was completely wrong of me. I realized how sweet Ben was. And attractive. Suddenly exactly my kind of attractive. And how completely off limits he was.
Wow, life sure had a way of kicking you in the gut when you were down. On top of being pregnant, broke, scared, and alone—I now had feelings for a guy I couldn’t have.
Thank you, irony.
“Goodnight, Ben,” I muttered. I moved swiftly, standing on my tip-toes, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling away. I left him, jogging up the beach in the direction of the Davenport’s house. I didn’t look back as I went inside.
Kill Devil Hills
Kill Devil Hills #1
by Sarah Darlington
Release Date: August 5, 2014
Genre: new adult, romance
FREE ebook: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk /
He’s twenty-four. She’s eighteen.
His life is exactly the way he’s always wanted it to be…stable.
She’s quite possibly the very definition of unstable.
Noah saved her.
Georgina never wanted to be saved.
Growing up, Noah Clark was passed from one relative to the next until he finally ended up living with his abusive, alcoholic uncle in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Thanks in part to the unwavering love and support of his best friend, Ellie Turner, Noah survived those years, escaped his uncle, and grew into the man he is today. Now he runs his own business and lives a pretty normal, no-nonsense life—one where he maintains a high level of control.
Georgina is Ellie’s younger sister. Four months ago, Noah saved Georgie’s life, but he thought that was where his involvement with his friend’s sister would end. Now Georgie has returned home from the recovery facility her parents sent her away to and Noah, still haunted by the night that connects them, can’t stop himself from continuously trying to protect this girl he barely knows. But is he willing to give up all of the control he’s worked so hard to build in his life and risk everything for her? Even more importantly, would she do the same for him?
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REVIEW: Enjoyable read this book was. Lovely play on fantasy, excellent character development and a few deep lessons along the way. We have Noah in his drunken state with his dumb luck saves Georgina from her suicide attempt. Granted this was a cruddy predicament, but who knew this scene would set the stage for an unexpected romance to blossom?
As the saying goes, “Age ain’t nothing but a number.” In this book we are looking at a 6 year age gap. Despite the age gap, their relationship is so cute and it works. You can’t help but smile and giggle at their obvious chemistry. One thing I really appreciated about the relationship is Noah’s patience with Georgina, taking it slow with her. Knowing he has not only 6 years on Georgina but also more experience, he never let her do things she wasn’t comfortable with. I admit I felt like the romance was a tad rushed but at the same time it wasn’t. Reading more into the book it definitely indicated that it was an attraction that grew over time.
I admit that with some of the negative elements and events of the book it would hurt the atmosphere of the book but it didn’t. Considering Georgina almost killed herself in the beginning of the book, she could’ve sunk into a negative pity party but she didn’t. Mentally, Georgina grew up and matured. She grew out of being an egotistical teenager to seeing the big picture of things in life. Despite Noah’s crappy childhood, he could’ve grown to be a bad mess of an adult but didn’t. He turned out great with having his own business with his best friend Ellie. The fun bonus is watching Noah let his walls down to let people in. It is great to see people with traumatic pasts or events grow from in it positive ways.
You learn lessons about trauma and suicide, enjoy cute yet sexy love scenes, awesome character development along with awesome supporting characters and you guessed it a happily ever after in the modern sense.
Reviewed by Xtina
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CHANGING TIDES
Kill Devil Hills #2
by Sarah Darlington
Genre: new adult, romance
Release Date: March 16, 2015
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon. uk /
ELLIE
For years Ellie Turner’s had a crush on the ruggedly handsome, beast of a man, television actor, Nate West. This isn’t your average ‘fan-girl crush’ either, it’s borderline obsessive, and totally inconvenient since, other than this one exception, Ellie’s always been strictly into girls. But it doesn’t matter…because Nate doesn’t exist in real life. In real life Ellie has her own issues to worry about, including the death of her brother, the recent suicide attempt of her sister, and then there’s always her annoying roommate Rhett to contend with.
NATE
Nate West isn’t looking to start a new relationship. He’s still heartbroken over the last girl who ripped out his insides, still learning how to manage his new-found fame, and, frankly, not even sure what time-zone he’s in. His life is so full of stress, the last thing he wants is more of it.
So when Nate and Ellie meet on an airplane, nothing life changing should have come from it. But “sometimes in life–very rarely, I might add–you meet someone and you know instantly they’re going to mean something special to you.”
**NEW ADULT ROMANCE**
Recommended for 18+. F/M scenes only. Changing Tides can be read as a standalone, but is recommended to be read second in Sarah Darlington’s KILL DEVIL HILLS Series.
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REVIEW: Everyone knows the famous saying, “Opposites attract.” In many cases it most certainly does apply. It most certainly did in this book and it worked really well. A regular small town girl meets man crush celebrity and sparks fly. And even though they come from very opposites worlds, they have much in common that brings them together.
Their blossoming relationship and heartwarming chemistry was a treat in itself. For some reason Sarah Darlington has a knack for making relationships feel rushed but not. The relationship between Nathaniel and Ellie felt rushed like it grew in a span of a few weeks but Nathaniel was a perfect gentlemen to Ellie in spite of that. Despite Ellie being a lesbian and never ever been intimate with a man before, she was able to trust Nathaniel. I admit I was skeptical if their love scenes were going to be good or even if there was going to be an awkward one where Ellie chickens out and ran but no. Their love scenes did not disappoint. Full of passion and emotion. Sex and physical love aside, Ellie and Nathaniel were beyond cute together. When they were having a conversation about Nathaniel’s show or when they were goofing off at Disneyland buying hats showed me how emotionally connected they were.
The relationship aside, I really enjoyed Ellie and Nathaniel’s individual characters. Ellie is really easy to like. She’s easygoing and laid back but she’s also a good big sister bear who is fiercely protective of her family and friends. Nathaniel was also very likeable as well. Despite being a celebrity to a popular television show, Nathaniel was very down to earth and caring of other people. I really enjoyed Nathaniel’s humble attitude that he didn’t expect special treatment being a celebrity.
Overall this book was really fun. Fun is the best word to describe the book. The atmosphere of the book was laid back with a nicely set pace. Without giving anything away, the plot takes a huge turn but it doesn’t take away from the romance blossoming between Ellie and Nathaniel. This is one of the books where if you are looking for a good time, I highly suggest this book.
Reviewed by Xtina
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PULLED UNDER
Kill Devil Hills #3
by Sarah Darlington
Genre: new adult, romance
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon. uk /
man-child. noun.
-a grown man who is very immature, therefore considered a man-child
manwhore. noun.
-a promiscuous man who has no regard for his sexual partners or the emotional value of his relationships
Rhett Morgan couldn’t have been more wrong for me. The guy drank beer in the shower, for crying out loud. He had no prospects for the future, had slept with half the women in our beach town of Kill Devil Hills, and had no desire to change his manwhore ways.
And when Ben Turner, the guy I had loved from afar for the past four years, died and I couldn’t get over his death, I desperately needed a distraction. A distraction like Rhett. So I used him for a one-night stand. Because, after all, that’s the only thing a guy like Rhett is good for…right?
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REVIEW: Again another tale of collision of opposites but no less enjoyable of a read. In this book, we get the innocent academic nerd and bartender “manwhore” getting together. I felt like this book was on the more emotionally intense side. This book was so emotion packed it was hard for the book not to affect you and tug at the heartstrings. You feel for Rhett wanting to get through to Sydney but feeling like he can’t compete with Sydney’s infatuation with Ben. Or Sydney’s internal struggle with her infatuation with Ben and her growing feelings for Rhett.
Sarah Darlington did a great job building up this romantic tension between Rhett and Sydney in the previous books. So when Sydney finally makes up her mind and chooses Rhett on the rooftop, it was such a giant swoon-some scene and also a giant relief to read.
What surprised me was there was more to Rhett than just being the rugged bartender “manwhore.” He had actual dreams to be a baseball player but sadly fell short. Being raised by a single mother with low income, he helped her out of the trailer he was raised in into an actual house. Even though he has the town reputation for sleeping around and having one night stands, he is very capable of love. Another shocker, Rhett is a man that can cook. Rhett turned out to be my favorite leading guy of the whole series.
I enjoyed Rhett and Sydney as a couple. While I enjoyed their love scenes which was both hardcore and tender at the same time, I really enjoyed when they connected on an emotional level. I really enjoyed their date where they really got to know each other more.
Closing thoughts, I love this book and it was my favorite book of the series. One word to describe this book is emotional. It was tangible feeling the emotions of Rhett and Sydney. Being opposites, Rhett and Sydney totally work and you will be finding yourself cheering for them to make it as a couple. Looking forward to the next book.
Reviewed by Xtina
Copies supplied for review
Jennifer Lyon is the pseudonym for USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer Apodaca. Jen lives in Southern California where she continually plots ways to convince her husband that they should get a dog. After all, they met at the dog pound, fell in love, married and had three wonderful sons. So far, however, she has failed in her doggy endeavor. She consoles herself by pouring her passion into writing books. To date, Jen has published more than fifteen books and novellas, including a fun and sexy mystery series and a variety of contemporary romances under the name Jennifer Apodaca. As Jennifer Lyon she created a dark, sizzling paranormal series, and The Plus One Chronicles, an emotionally sensual adult contemporary series. Jen’s won numerous awards and had her books translated into multiple languages, but she still hasn’t come up with a way to persuade her husband that they need a dog.
Cindi Madsen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting, revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a pretty new pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music and dancing and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.
