Saturday, June 1, 2013

REVIEW: EASY by Tammara Webber

Title: Easy
Author: Tammara Webber
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Publication Date: November 6, 2012
Genres: NA, Romance
Reviewed by: Books4Tomorrow
Source: Purchased
My star rating: 5/5

SUMMARY

Rescued by a stranger.
Haunted by a secret
Sometimes, love isn’t easy…

He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.

Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth—and find the unexpected power of love.

A groundbreaking novel in the New Adult genre, Easy faces one girl's struggle to regain the trust she's lost, find the inner strength to fight back against an attacker, and accept the peace she finds in the arms of a secretive boy.

REVIEW


Wow…simply wow. That’s all I need to say, because what I want to say wouldn’t even begin to describe how blown away I was by this amazingly beautiful story. Easy is not a long book, but because it’s so beautifully written, it took me longer to read than what it usually takes me to finish a three-hundred-page book. I reread sentences and paragraphs, and savored the intensely emotional moments that knocked the breath out of me and tugged at my heartstrings. I honestly don’t like overly emotional stories, but as dramatic as this one was at times, I felt too deeply for the characters not to be affected by what they had to endure.

I think what makes this book such a favorite is the originality of the characters and subject matter which is a sensitive topic. Whether you’ve been a victim of rape or know someone who has been raped, this story really gets to the heart of this horrific crime which no person should endure. Realistically, chances are that a rape victim will most likely not be saved by a good-looking, sensitive guy who excels in Tae-Kwando, but for the sake of fiction and by means of an exceptionally well-told story, the author shares with the reader a message of hope, forgiveness and moving on. Through Jacqueline and Mindi’s ordeals, Webber makes it loud and clear: it’s not your fault. No-one asks to be raped or violated in such a cruel manner. 

I must say, the few New Adult books I’ve read so far makes me think I might enjoy this genre slightly more than Young Adult. Only time will tell if this will ring true, but the characters in the couple of NA novels I’ve read up until now is just so much more real and complex than the overly emotional drama queens featured in countless YA novels. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve read lots of fantastic YA books with exceptional female leads, but when I pick up a YA book, I expect the former rather than the latter. Anyway, Jacqueline and Lucas are two phenomenal characters. I didn’t always understand Jacqueline’s reasoning and I often didn’t agree with her decisions, but she’s a strong character and I liked her nonetheless. Erin, Jacqueline’s best friend, is a really terrific character. She plays a crucial part in the development of the plot and I loved that she stuck with Jacqueline and motivated her and Mindi to take control of their lives and not become victims.

Before I launch into the awesomeness named Lucas, I want to say something about male characters. One thing that irks me and why I don’t enjoy romance in books so much, is because authors expect the reader to fall in love with the male lead purely based on his looks and how hot he is. Loads of authors make this mistake and it annoys me to no end. I completely understand that people are mostly attracted to each other by what they see, but I can’t “see” the character in your story (no matter how well described) so you, author, have to give me a little more. And thus, I want to salute Tammara Webber. Most authors will tell you how hot the male protagonist is by describing his muscular build, his hair, his eyes and that oh-so-popular (re: overused) “lopsided grin”. Webber gives you so much more. Lucas is beautiful: hair, eyes, good build, tattoos, and all that jazz, but what made him absolutely irresistible in my eyes? The way he spoke to Jacqueline. The way he treated her. His physical and emotional scars. His hesitation in taking things too far with Jacqueline – things she might not be ready for so soon after her ordeal. Lucas’s sensitivity and his true character is superbly portrayed through his drawings, his observations, and his relentless persistence in teaching Jacqueline to defend herself. Every chapter in the story gives the reader deeper insight into Lucas. And he has a cat. Now that’s hot.

Easy by Tammara Webber is everything it is hyped up to be, and well-deserving of every positive review it has received this far. This is one of those moving stories which makes you wipe away an unexpected tear from time to time, and I also liked that college life was made a part of the story and not merely used as a backdrop. I definitely want to read more books by this bestselling author!   

 



READ more REVIEWS

Easy by Tammara Webber has 6557 reviews on Goodreads. Read it here.

FANGIRLING


My choice of theme-song for Easy by Tammara Webber is All I Want by Staind.

PURCHASE LINKS


ABOUT the AUTHOR

I'm a hopeful romantic who adores novels with happy endings, because there are enough sad endings in real life. Before writing full-time, I was an undergraduate academic advisor, economics tutor, planetarium office manager, radiology call center rep, and the palest person to ever work at a tanning salon. I married my high school sweetheart, and I'm Mom to three adult kids and four very immature cats.

AUTHOR LINKS

Blog    *    Website    *    Facebook    *    Twitter    *    Goodreads    *    Amazon

No comments:

TIME-OUT!

I’ve been an avid blogger and reviewer since October 2011. It has changed my life in so many wonderful ways! I’ve met other reviewers ...