Wednesday 5 April 2017

Blog Tour, Review & Excerpt ~ Forever (Friends #3) by Monica Murphy

SBPR-FOREVER-BT

Forever by Monica Murphy
Release Date: April 4th, 2017
Series: Friends
Genre: Young Adult

Forever, an all new Friends story from Monica Murphy, is available now!!

Forever AMAZON

Book Description:

She’s all I could ever want…

I have a reputation around school. Cold. Untouchable. Unfeeling. Only one girl could ever make me want to change and that’s Amanda Winters. Too bad I broke her heart and drove her away.

So to get through the rest of my days in high school, I tell myself I need to focus on more important things. Like taking our football team to championships. Get accepted to the college of my choice. And finish my senior year without wanting to run away from my problems.

But your problems chase after you no matter where you go. And it’s a lot harder when you fight them alone. The longer I go without Amanda, the more I miss her. Her smile. Her laughter. The things she said. How she looked at me like I was the only person who mattered. The way she made me feel…
Why can’t I have everything, including the girl? I’m determined to make things right. And make Amanda mine…

Forever.

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Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 3.5 stars
***ARC received for an honest review***


“I’ve given up on Jordan Tuttle, because he’s given up on me.”


Monica Murphy has delivered some of the most teenaged drama filled books I have ever read with this trilogy. From the first page of the first book, page after page it has been teen angst and I have loved it. As ever when this forty-three-year-old woman reads college ages books, I live vicariously through them.

As this was the final book in the trilogy I will admit that I was hoping for a more well-rounded book focusing on all the characters that we were first introduced to in book one. However, like book two, this book centres around Tuttle and Amanda and their constantly on/off relationship. Livvy, Ryan and Dustin do appear in bit parts but not enough to quench my thirst. There are two other characters in this book that I must admit I don’t remember being mentioned before now, Cannon and Em, these two stole the show in every scene they were in and I am hoping that Monica Murphy graces us with their own book, I would definitely want to read it. Also, while on the topic of other characters, Ryan’s brother Eli is another one I would like to read more of, this cheeky chappie and his comedic timing had me laughing out loud many a time and I bet his own book would be thoroughly entertaining!!

Tuttle has always been an intriguing character and I have often wondered what in the world held him back. Tuttle seemingly had everything, but outside appearances are more often than not deceptive. Tuttle was one of those men that you just wanted to batter at times, his push and pull of emotions was torturing me, yet alone poor Amanda, who never knew where she stood from one day to the next. But this push and pull was incredibly addictive and the more these two played their tug of war, the more I turned the pages.


“It’s like I see you and I lose all my brain cells. I can’t think. Well, I can think, but it’s only about you.”


While this tug of love was infuriating at times it was an honest account of what young love is all about, the questions, low self-esteem, rumours, bitchy girls, parties, fights and of course romance. Love is the be all and end all when you are young, you feel compelled to fit in with the others and live up to the reputation that you have been given, but sometimes reputations are not all they are cracked up to be.


“Sometimes life is a little messy.”


Tuttle had many pressures in his life, not only from school and football, but his parents too. Tuttle was a man drowning and yet on the outside he was most people’s life raft. Underneath the star quarterback persona Monica Murphy treats us to the real Jordan Tuttle and he was simply adorable. There was one twist that I never saw coming and while it was incredibly unbelievable I couldn’t help the smile that graced my face from ear to ear.


“I’m thankful for that. For you. You’re the only good thing in my life right now.”


Amanda was extremely forgiving and patient in this book which totally fit in with her overall character and Tuttle definitely uses up these traits in spades. When you love someone though, you see past the speed bumps and I was glad that Amanda had the foresight to grant him second, third, fourth, fifth etc. chances. Amanda could see the real person underneath and just wanted to give him the chance to let him in.


“Sometimes the raw truth can be the best thing ever. And sometimes the illusion can end up being a total trap.”


Overall, this was a more romantic book than the other two, I loved the direction in which Monica Murphy took Tuttle and Amanda. While to others their relationship was superficial, it was anything but and sometimes, you know when you have met “the one.” It just takes some people a lot longer than others to realise that. Loved this series.


“I don’t want to live my life without you in it.”

Excerpt:

I’m walking through the senior parking lot when I spot Jordan standing near his black Range Rover, leaning against its side. He’s wearing a white Henley shirt, his arms crossed and his biceps bulging beneath the long sleeves. The breeze ruffles his dark hair across his forehead and he stares off into the distance, every inch the troubled, broody boy that he is.
He looks so freaking good, I’m momentarily distracted by him. I stop and stare, my lips parted, my breath becoming shallow. It’s still hard for me to believe that this guy, this gorgeous, sweet, annoying, smart, strong, wonderful, awful boy likes me. That he might even care about me.
“Hey.” His deep baritone knocks me from my daze, and I head over, stopping just in front of him. “Where’s Livvy?”
“She made last minute plans. With someone else.” I don’t say anything else. Livvy’s secret isn’t mine to tell, and I’m afraid if I start talking about it, I’ll get really pissed. So I leave it alone. “Guess I don’t need to drive your car after all, but thank you for offering. I sense it was huge deal.”
“It is,” he agrees, tipping his head toward me. “But you’re worth it.”
Oh. He says things like that and I’m left speechless.
“You don’t have any plans?”
“No.” I shake my head, feeling tongue-tied.
Jordan grabs my hand, lacing our fingers and giving them a squeeze. “Then let’s go to lunch together.”
“Don’t you want to stay here?” He usually does. He’s always out at the quad, holding court over his loyal subjects. I used to sit out there with him, with all of them, just basking in his presence. But once we had the so-called breakup of our so-called relationship, I stopped going. One, because I couldn’t stand to be near him knowing he wasn’t mine anymore. Besides, most everyone who would hang out with Tuttle is annoying. Frustrating. Awful.
All of the above.
“No, not if I can sneak off campus somewhere with you.” He tugs me closer, his expression serious, his voice low. “Let me treat you to lunch, Amanda.”
When he talks to me like that, looks at me like that, I tend to give in easily.
“Okay,” I say softly, a jolt pulsing through me when he runs his thumb over the top of my hand. Sometimes the simplest touch has the most devastating effect.


9 bad in me


About the Author:

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance. She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she's not writing, she's reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She's a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA. 
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