Hold On to Me by Lucia Franco **Release Day, Review & Giveaway**

 

Blurb:

John Jackson. He’s a sweet talking Georgia boy, rough around the edges with an irresistible smile. John sets his sights on the new girl, determined to show her what his small town is about. But she isn’t as accepting as he thought and she rejects him at every turn.The beauty and boldness of Alyssa Winters stirs John’s blood. She quickly works her way under his skin and becomes a constant in his life – his best friend, his other half. As the attraction between the two friends grows, John wants more. She pushes, he pulls. When one reckless night of fun wreaks havoc on John, Alyssa risks it all to ease his pain, giving him the one thing he desires most...her. But John’s sadness runs too deep, the damage, irreparable.He runs, she falls.John must work to prove himself. Despite everything, Alyssa is the one person he doesn't want to live without. The stakes are high, and he’s willing to bet it all. Even if it means he’s left to suffer alone.

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00YMZ54I2
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1FZzVHb
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1HHBAOv
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1dI33bu

3 Cupcake stars



Alyssa is a girl who moves into the South, with her mother. She's used teo moving around, since her mother can't stay in the same place after every break up. That's the reason that Alyssa doesn't open herself in friendships and relationships with guys. But the uptight girl from California is going to change her mind when she will meet John. Or at least, he's going to try changing her mind about it.

After a series of devastating events, with grief and pain surrounding them , one mistake comes upon another and distance will be created between them. Are they ever going to make things better, especially after life having other plans for them, making them change their life's direction in the meanwhile?



This was one of the books that really troubled me and challenged my limits. I have to admit that at some point I was so frustrated that I wanted to stop reading and give up on the story. However, I pushed myself and finished it, because I'm not one of the people who will DNF their books.

It's not that this book is worthy of a low rating or a bad review, but I have to be honest with myself and with everyone else. This is a personal review, so it doesn't mean that this won't work for someone else, because I had these issues with this book. I'm sure many will love this story and the characters since it's quite powerful and sends messages that are not to be passed lightly.

"Hold on to me and don't let go. Let me be your anchor. Let me in, Alyssa..."

My issues are related to the actions of the hero and the heroine and how I couldn't support them together, because I wasn't a fan of either person's actions. During the biggest part of the book , the hero was an ass, if you're asking me. The way he was talking to her, reacting to several serious incidents, were a big fat no from me. I couldn't believe that he would speak to her like that, when he was supposed to have feelings for her.  I forgave him after the half part of the book, when I started getting mad at the heroine, since it was her turn to be bitchy. Yes, payback is a bitch and I don't like doormats, but I think she was also unfair. I did felt sorry for her for a big portion of the book, so my point was that I had issues with both of them in different parts to the point I was frustrated. (view spoiler)[ Also, Ben was a character that I would probably like and ship with her, since I like 'bad boys', but when the rumors appeared to be true and he seemed like an abusive prick, it drove me nuts. Since at first he didn't appear to be like that, I hoped that the author would show to us that Ben wasn't what everyone had been talking about. And after John treating Alyssa like that, gosh I wanted to see them together. But nope. He had to be the bad guy here and I was devastated by that. It was clear that this happened in favor of John, but still I was disappointed. (hide spoiler)]



Also, I never expected that this story would be dramatic. And oh boy, it was way over-dramatic, for someone expecting to read a simple romance. I felt depressed throughout the book, since one incident would come on top of the other. When you thought that it was over and finally for something good, nope, you would have to face another dramatic aspect. I couldn't breathe. It was really heartbreaking and touching. I was disappointed though by a twist I didn't see coming, because I thought: "Nah, the author will show some mercy on them. It can't be possible. There will be light in the end of the tunnel." But no, once again I was heartbroken.  But I have to admit that the last parts of the book were much better than the beggining, they were really cute and that's how it became better for me as well.

Nonetheless, just because I got conflicted by this book, it doesn't mean others won't enjoy it more than I did. Maybe I wasn't prepared for such an intense read. Maybe it just didn't work for me. So, don't let my review stop you. You may end up loving it.

Arc was kindly provided by Lucia Franco in exchange for an honest review. 

View all my reviews 

  About the Author:

Lucia Franco lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys. When she’s not hard at work on her next novel, you can find her relaxing with her toes in the sand at a nearby beach.


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Giveaway:

This giveaway is for readers who read HOLD ON TO ME and reviewed it on Amazon. There's 6 paperback books and swag. Some of the books and swag are signed.

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