The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros – Review

The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros – Review

 

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Description:
Twenty-eight-year-old Georgia Stanton has to start over after she gave up almost everything in a brutal divorce—the New York house, the friends, and her pride. Now back home at her late great-grandmother’s estate in Colorado, she finds herself face-to-face with Noah Harrison, the bestselling author of a million books where the cover is always people nearly kissing. He’s just as arrogant in person as in interviews, and she’ll be damned if the good-looking writer of love stories thinks he’s the one to finish her grandmother’s final novel…even if the publisher swears he’s the perfect fit.

Noah is at the pinnacle of his career. With book and movie deals galore, there isn’t much the “golden boy” of modern fiction hasn’t accomplished. But he can’t walk away from what might be the best book of the century—the one his idol, Scarlett Stanton, left unfinished. Coming up with a fitting ending for the legendary author is one thing, but dealing with her beautiful, stubborn, cynical great-granddaughter, Georgia, is quite another.

But as they read Scarlett’s words in both the manuscript and her box of letters, they start to realize why Scarlett never finished the book—it’s based on her real-life romance with a World War II pilot, and the ending isn’t a happy one. Georgia knows all too well that love never works out, and while the chemistry and connection between her and Noah is undeniable, she’s as determined as ever to learn from her great-grandmother’s mistakes—even if it means destroying Noah’s career.

Told in alternating timelines, THE THINGS WE LEAVE UNFINISHED examines the risks we take for love, the scars too deep to heal, and the endings we can’t bring ourselves to see coming.

 

 

Review:

The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros is a wonderful standalone novel.  We meet our heroine, Georgia Stanton, who returns home to her deceased grandmother’s estate in Colorado, which she inherited. Georgia is coming off of a divorce from her movie mogul husband, who was cheating on her, and all she cares about is her privacy.   Stopping at the local book store, she runs into an arrogant man, and they both get into a discussion on romance books.  Scarlett Stanton was a famous beloved romance author, and Georgia grandmother, who always thought Noah Harrison ended his books without happy endings.

Georgia quickly goes home, only to find her mother, whom she rarely sees (unless she needs money), looking over papers belonging to her grandmother.  She learns her mother is trying to sell the unfinished book of Scarlett Stanton, much to Georgia’s dismay. The editor is there discussing arrangements, and to make matters worse, they want Noah Harrison to finish Scarlett’s book; and when someone else arrives at the house, it is that young man she met in the book store; who happens to be Noah Harrison.  Georgia will put a stop to this, but her mother begs her that she needs this money, and Georgia will give in but with restrictions that she controls.

What follows is an amazing story between two time periods; the present time with Georgia and Noah and the past with Scarlett and Jameson.  The basis of the story is the beautiful romance between Scarlett falling in love with World War II pilot, Jameson, which gave the feel of all those old times historical romances, and fully left open to an ending to that story.  The author does do multiple chapters revolving around Scarlett and Jameson in a row, and then it starts switching back and forth to Noah and Georgia.

Noah is determined to work on that novel, and come up with a fitting ending to this novel, especially a happy ending.  Georgia, who currently isn’t in the romantic frame of mind, does not want a happy ending, just the sad truth of what happened. The both of them get off on the wrong foot, and it does take time for that to change, as later they begin to fall for each other.

Scarlett and Jameson’s love story were heartwarming and wonderful.  You can’t help fall in love with them over and over.  As I said, at first, we could not see anything happening between Noah and Georgia, but it was fun to see this change into another sweet romance; which turned into a great modern-day romance. However, we did spend a lot of time worrying if Noah and Georgia would open their hearts to each other.

In each of the time periods, we had some wonderful secondary characters and some evil ones.  In the past (Scarlett and Jameson), her sister Constance was wonderful, as was Jameson’s pilot friend. Scarlett’s mother and father were terrible.  In the present, Georgia’s friends were very good, as was Adam, Noah’s friend.  I did not like Georgia’s ex Damian, nor her mother, Ava. 

Rebecca Yarros wrote an amazing enchanting story filled with love, heartbreak, tragedy, sadness and happiness. I will note that I was totally blindsided by a twist at the end, which made this even more intriguing.  Very well done.  The Things We Leave Unfinished is a captivating must read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Nova / Rebel (The Renegades 2 & 3) by Rebecca Yarros-reviews

NOVA / REBEL (The Renegades 2 & 3) by Rebecca Yarros-reviews

The Renegades 2 and 3

RebelREBEL
The Renegades #3
by Rebecca Yarros
Release Date: August 28, 2017
Genre: new adult, contemporary, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 28, 2017

She’ll defy his every expectation.

She’s Penna Carstairs.
The Renegade they call Rebel.
FMX-treme Magazine’s sexiest female athlete of the year.
There’s no rule in extreme sports she hasn’t broken,
No gender barrier she hasn’t demolished.

She’s the woman I met in a bar in Vegas.
The woman I illegally BASE jumped for.
The woman I spent one insane, incredible night with.
But now I’m screwed.
Or rather…not screwed.

Because the woman I can’t get out of my head is the one woman I can never touch again. I’m Dr. Cruz Delgado—the youngest professor on this campus,
And Penelope Carstairs just walked into my class.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: REBEL is the third (and final) installment in Rebecca Yarros’ contemporary, new adult THE RENEGADES romance series focusing on a tight knit group of X-Games athletes, known as The Renegades, who are currently filming a year long, reality television program aboard an ocean cruise liner, getting an education from UCLA, and touring the world (ala Ryan Gosling and ‘Breaker High’). This is twenty two year old X-Games motorcycle athlete Penelope ‘Penna (Rebel) Carstairs, and twenty seven year old, former US army paratrooper Dr. Cruz Delgado’s story line. REBEL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and cohesion as much of the series premise is revealed in book one.

NOTE: If you have not read the first two installments there may be some spoilers in my review.

SOME BACKGROUND: Months earlier, Penna’s sister Brooke Carstairs, in a rage of jealousy and anger, attempted to destroy the X-games group known as The Renegades. Penna’s leg was crushed, and fellow Renegade member Nick, one of the Renegade ‘Originals’, was paralyzed in the ensuing fall out. Most of the members of the Renegades come from well to do families, and have earned their own reputations and financial success on the X-Games circuit.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Cruz and Penna) REBEL focuses on the forbidden relationship between X-treme athlete Penna Carstairs, and professor Dr. Cruz Delgado. While on hiatus following months of down time recovering from a near fatal attempt on her life, Penna convinced a total stranger to go BASE jumping off the High Roller, the world’s tallest Ferris wheel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Enter former US army Airborne paratrooper Cruz Delgado, Penna’s partner in crime, and the man with whom Penna would fall in love. What ensues is the ‘almost’ one-night stand between our leading couple, and the building but forbidden romance between Penna and her new Latin American History professor Dr. Cruz Delgado.

Penna doesn’t do relationships but meeting Cruz Delgado sent all semblance of propriety out the window. It didn’t help that her sexy BASE jumping partner was several years older but to discover that her almost one-night stand is now the new Latin American history professor on board the luxury cruise liner placed a line in the sand (or water) not meant to be crossed. Cruz Delgado knows that to get involved with a student, even a twenty two year old student, would be the death of his career but Cruz needs this job for reasons beyond anyone’s knowledge, and it is these reasons that Cruz is more reticent about getting involved.

The relationship between Cruz and Penna is one of immediate attraction ; a forbidden romance between student and professor that continues to grow with each look, each encounter, and each secret rendezvous behind closed doors and vacation hideaways. The $ex scenes are intimate, romantic and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including all of the original members of The Renegades (Leah, Pax, Rachel, Landon and Nick, Little John and Bobby), as well as an assortment of teachers, television crews, support workers and employees. Like the previous two installments REBEL follows several paths that intersect throughout the story.

Unlike the previous installment –NOVA- REBEL reveals some of the background information and history between the members of Renegade including a few details behind the not so accidental attempt on their lives. Because I did not have the opportunity to read the first installment –WILDER-I am still a little confused as to the how and why of the onboard cruise and UCLA connections to the team’s continuing education but thankfully the author chose to reveal some important background information, about the accident, throughout the story. As a voracious reader it is always appreciated when the author ‘recaps’ the important events leading up to the current timeline and ongoing premise allowing new readers to the series a little more understanding and comprehension.

REBEL is a fast paced, entertaining story about family, friendship, the forbidden and love. The premise is energetic and dramatic; the characters are engaging, impulsive and animated; the romance is intense and passionate. The epilogue fast forwards the series approximately five years where the reader gets a glimpse into the lives and ongoing friendships of the original members of The Renegades.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

______________

NovaNOVA
(The Renegades #2)
by Rebecca Yarros
Release Date: February 20, 2017
Genre: new adult, contemporary, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 20, 2017

The only heart he wants is the one he already broke…

He’s Landon Rhodes.
The Renegade they call Nova.
Sinfully gorgeous, broody, tatted-up, professional snowboarder.
Four-time X Games medalist—
Full-time heartbreaker.

They say a girl broke him once—
That’s why he’s so reckless, so driven, so careless with his conquests.
But I’m that girl.
They can call me his curse all they want.
He and I both know the truth—
He’s the one who destroyed me,
And I’m not the sucker who will let that happen again.

••••••••••

REVIEW: NOVA is the second installment in Rebecca Yarros’ contemporary, new adult THE RENEGADES romance series focusing on a tight knit group of X-Games athletes, known as The Renegades, who are currently on a year long, reality television program aboard an ocean cruise liner, getting an education and touring the world (ala Ryan Gosling and ‘Breaker High’). This is twenty two year old X-Games super star and ‘Casinova’ Landon Rhodes, and Rachel Dawson’s story line. Although the author claims that NOVA can be read as a stand alone, I recommend reading the series in order. I have not had the chance to read book one-WILDER-and I felt like I was missing too much background information and history between the characters-like sitting down in the theatre part way through the movie.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Landon and Rachel) NOVA focuses on the second chance romance between twenty two year old X-Game super star Landon Rhodes, and former X-Games athlete Rachel Dawson. Two years earlier Landon walked away from the woman he loved. On the surface it appears Landon chose money and fame over the girl that called to his heart but the truth goes much deeper that once revealed will, once again, destroy any semblance of a rekindling relationship between our story line couple. What ensues is the rebuilding romance between Landon and Rachel as they prepare for their upcoming X-Games Asian adventures; Rachel’s ongoing struggles with Landon’s previous hurt and rejection, and Landon’s reputation as the on-board Casinova in light of his proclamation of love for the woman he pushed out of his life.

NOVA is an infinitely detailed story line that follows several intersecting paths as Rachel struggles not only with her love for the young man that destroyed her heart, but also with the search for her Korean birth mother whose own history is largely unknown. The story line has a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters-athletes, teachers, television production crews, parents and friends- with a fair amount of history between them including a love triangle involving our leading couple, as well as sabotage, threats, injury and death. At times, the story line read more like YA than New Adult due to the lack of emotional maturity for several of the story line characters, and their less than adult behavior under the circumstance. There was plenty of back and forth, push and pull, yes and no between our leading couple due mostly in part to our heroine’s inability to trust the man that she still loved.

The relationship between Rachel and Landon is acrimonious at best. Landon is desperate to prove his love to the woman he all but destroyed; Rachel wants nothing to do with the man who broke her heart, leaving her behind for the bright lights and fame of sponsorship and money. The $ex scenes are intimate but limited without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

NOVA is an interesting story line but a story I struggled with because of the missing background and history between the characters. I had hoped the author would reveal some of the more important background information as the story line progressed but the details were limited and vague. I know something big happened but I don’t know the who, how and why. The premise is entertaining; the characters are colorful; the romance struggles with betrayal, secrets and lies.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

About the Author

Follow: Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter

Rebecca YarrosRebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and a lover of all things coffee, chocolate, and Paleo. She is the author of the Flight & Glory series, including Full Measures, the award-winning Eyes Turned Skyward, Beyond What is Given, and Hallowed Ground. Her new Renegade Series features Wilder and the upcoming Nova, and is sure to keep your heart pounding. She loves military heroes, and has been blissfully married to hers for fourteen years.

When she’s not writing, she’s tying hockey skates for her four sons, sneaking in some guitar time, or watching brat-pack movies with her two daughters. She lives in Colorado with the hottest Apache pilot ever, their rambunctious gaggle of kids, an English bulldog who is more stubborn than sweet, and a bunny named General Fluffy Pants who torments the aforementioned bulldog. They recently adopted their youngest daughter from the foster system, and Rebecca is passionate about helping others do the same.

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Eyes Turned Skyward by Rebecca Yarros – a Review

Eyes Turned Skyward by Rebecca Yarros – a Review

 

Eyes turned SkywardAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Since her sister’s death, twenty-year-old Paisley Donovan, who shares her sister’s heart condition, is treated like delicate glass by her parents. But nothing will stop her from completing her Bucket List—even if it kills her. And it almost does, until Jagger Bateman pulls her from the ocean and breathes more than air into her lungs—he sets her soul on fire.

Jagger is enrolled in the country’s toughest flight school. He’s wickedly hot, reckless, and perfect for a girl looking to live life to the fullest. Except that Paisley is the commanding general’s daughter, and her boyfriend is Jagger’s biggest rival. Now Paisley must decide just how much to risk for a guy who makes her heart pound a little too hard.

They’re flying through dangerous territory—and one wrong move could make them crash and burn…

 

Review:

To say that Paisley Donovan has been sheltered is an understatement. She’s finally convinced her parents to let her move into an apartment in town with her best friend, Morgan. They both decided that they’d make a quick trip to the Florida coast (they live in Alabama) for a little R & R before classes began for the fall semester. Paisley knew that her parents, and her boyfriend, Will, would never have allowed it, but she has things to do, as she believes that she will meet the same fate as her sister. So, she decides to live life to the fullest. Unfortunately, when Morgan innocently told one of the guys on the beach to get Paisley in the water, the guy had no idea that she couldn’t swim. And what does he do? He threw her off a pier and into the water……………

Jagger Bateman is on a mission. He’s wanted to do nothing but fly an Apache helicopter since he was a child and he’s bound and determined to meet that goal….no matter what and no distractions. As he’s on the beach playing Frisbee with some others, he hears a girl screaming that she can’t swim and sees some dimwit throw her into the water. Jagger jumps in, and after a few terrifying moments, finds Paisley and drags her to shore, only to discover she’s not breathing. He immediately starts CPR and she quickly responded…..in more ways than one.   When Jagger insists that she see a doctor to make sure she’s okay, she reluctantly allows him to drive her to a local clinic where he waits for her. Thankfully, everything checked out and Morgan arrived just as they were leaving the clinic. Paisley and Jagger are immediately attracted to each other, but they both make their excuses. Paisley has Will and Jagger has flight school and neither has any idea how fickle fate truly is……

I can’t really say too much about this one without spoiling it, but what I can tell you is that Eyes Turned Skyward is a truly wonderful story about two tortured souls who fight tooth and nail to be together. And sometimes, they fight each other. Paisley keeps her condition from Jagger and you can truly understand why. He doesn’t treat her like she’s broken. But, she’s not the only one with secrets, and even though Jagger’s isn’t a life threatening secret, it is HUGE! You think you know what the secret is once a particular part of the story unfolds, and then BAM! Oh yeah……… I knew something was coming, I just didn’t expect it to be THAT!! LOL!!

Eyes Turned Skyward is ultimately a story about learning to trust one’s self in order to trust another. This is such a sweet, sweet love story that you will find yourself rooting for Paisley and Jagger and jeering a few of the secondary characters who think they know better. You will root for them, you will swoon, you will most definitely shed a tear (or several) and you will smile. This is the first story by Rebecca Yarros that I’ve read, but it will not be the last. Well done Rebecca Yarros, very very well done.

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Publisher

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