#LoriOttoChristmasSale 8.

Livvy (Choisie #4) 99¢ (R11.52ish)


Summary

MY REVIEW - everything you hoped for, and then some.

 

What a ride Lori Otto has taken us on! From sweet sixteen to first love, to heartache and breakups, we have seen Livvy through her journey to becoming a woman. And I am so damn proud of her! We've seen Livvy make some really bad decisions, and say some really hurtful things. We've seen how heartbreak can fuel her creativity. We've seen a teenager rebelling against her restraints, for good and bad. We've seen Livvy devastated. But all of this has, together with her loving family, and her wonderful boyfriend, helped make Livvy into the kind of woman we could all wish to be, and the kind of woman we would be proud to have as our daughter.

 

I truly think that this book is the pinnacle of Lori Otto's writing. And that's taking nothing away from Lori's previous books. They are in no way "less". But Livvy IS "more". I can't quite put my finger on it. Nothing in Livvy surpasses the emotion of Time Stands Still. There is nothing more beautiful than the words written in Dear Jon. Maybe it's just that we've been on this journey with Livvy and it means so much to get to the end with her. Lori's writing IS beautiful and the story told in Livvy IS emotional. Maybe it's just that everything that has made Lori's previous books so delicious to read is wrapped up with a pretty pink bow in Livvy. I don't know.

 

What I DO know is that if you have been on this journey with Livvy? This final installment will be everything you hoped for, and then some.

For more information, and to buy, click on the image below.

#LoriOttoChristmasSale 7.

Dear Jon (Choisie #3) 99¢ (R11.52ish)


Summary

 

MY REVIEW - #teamChex

Once again Lori L. Otto delivers a story that reaches into every corner of your heart. The best part about Dear Jon is that we get to spend time in Jon's head, which really, is a great place to be.

Dear Jon follows the fallout from the end of Olivia, but from Jon's point of view. Now, let me just say that I spent a fair amount of time at the end of Olivia and in the beginning of Dear Jon being cross with Jon. That's not to say I dislike him, or that I don't understand where he's coming from, but spending so much time with Livvy, I'm very protective of her and in this case I expected more from Jon.

But that's just the point. With Lori Otto's writing we become very invested in each and every character. Their decisions affect us. And in the end, they are just people who also make mistakes. (Well. Maybe not Jacks... ;-)) Livvy and Jon think that Jon is super well adjusted and makes ALL the right choices and is always the responsible adult. We (and Livvy and Jon) forget that Jon is still young and sometimes (not often but sometimes) his youth does show.

 I know many readers have been unsure of Jon, but this book will make your minds up once and for all. Jon is a stellar young man, who feels things deeply, and who can make mistakes.

 

And he recognizes this by the end of the book. We can only hope that his actions have not broken him and Livvy for ever.

 

 

And that's the other wonderful part of this book. Yes, Livvy is the one who did the bad thing at the end of Olivia. Yes it's her actions that caused this break. But Jon's actions, or reactions, in the end threaten their happy ever after the most, in my opinion. And even though this book is from Jon's point of view, through Livvy's letters we see her struggle with her mistakes, and grow as a person and a young woman through her efforts to rectify those mistakes. Livvy makes the effort and we see this clearly through her letters. Jon sulks, mostly, and by the end of the book I think he comes to the same conclusion the reader (or at least me) does. Livvy has taken an awful moment and used it to examine herself as a person and then grow and move on as a better person. Jon sees this; we see this; and Jon recognizes his own part in all of this as well.

 

We also get to see some moments and memories that we have not been privy to before, in Livvy's life and in Jon's. And we get to see Jon's family, and how he is with his brothers and with his mother, which is equal parts adorable and heartbreaking. It's not all pretty, but it does all reinforce what a wonderful guy Jon is. And his brother's are going to be just as wonderful because of him. #teamWill

 

You cannot miss reading this book if you've read the first two books of the Choisie series. Dear Jon is an important piece of the puzzle, and an absolute joy to read.

 

 #teamChex #teamLion #teamJon #teamOtto #teamFollowYourHeart

 

 

For more information, and to buy, click on the image below.

 

 

 

#LoriOttoChristmasSale 6.

Olivia  (Choisie #2) 99¢ (R11.52ish)

Summary

MY REVIEW - Real People

Which is my favourite book by Lori L. Otto? It's the Lori L. Otto book I'm reading at the time.

 Olivia continues the story of Livvy Holland, begun in the first book of the Choisie Series, Contessa. Ms Otto deftly shows the growth of Livvy into a mature and responsible adult, the growth in Livvy's relationship with her parents, her dad in particular, and the growth in Livvy and Jon's relationship.

 

 

Not everything is smooth sailing though. Livvy has to come to terms with a type of loss she's never had to face before and in the process she loses a part of herself. This crisis in Livvy's life, and her dealing-by-not-dealing is woven throughout the book, so that it's always there even if it's not obvious. Which is exactly how Livvy is experiencing it as well. Once again Lori Otto pulls the reader into the life of her characters so that you feel as if you are the one experiencing all the good, bad, happy, sad, silly, stupid and unforeseen things that happen in the story. And there are plenty of each and more.

Lori Otto writes people as they are. Real people. There is perhaps no huge drama or mystery or angsty romance, but it's life. The relatively small personal dramas and mysteries and romances feel as life altering as if they were happening to you. Lori writes people stories, not crime or fantasy or erotica. Just the lives of everyday people who you come to feel are people you know. You become invested in these characters and the choices they make. You feel happy and sad with them. You feel proud of and cross with them. And at the end of each book you want to know where the next stage of their lives will take them.

Olivia is no different. You will finish this book wanting to know where the next book will take Livvy. I can't wait!

For more information, and to buy, click on the image below.

 

 

#LoriOttoChristmasSale 5.

Contessa (Choisie #1) 99¢ (R11.52ish)

Livvy Holland was adopted by a generous and wealthy couple as a child. Now sixteen, she is a burgeoning artist, encouraged by her mother and inspired by a man she was never able to meet. Feeling estranged from a loving father whose mind works much differently than her own, she questions whether or not she was paired with the right guardians. In her plight for independence, she reconnects with a fellow art student who grew up alongside Livvy.

Jon Scott has led anything but a privileged life. After his father passes away, he is left to care for his two half-brothers while his mother’s alcoholism threatens to tear his family apart. All he wants for himself and his brothers is a better life. His dreams for an Ivy League education are coming to fruition, thanks to a lifetime of hard work and ambition. This is not only important to Jon himself; he also knows that the man who will win Livvy’s heart has to be someone exceptional. Her father would accept nothing less–and Jon believes that Livvy deserves the best of everything, too.

That may be the only thing Jon and Livvy’s father agree upon.

Over the course of their courtship, these two teens will experience the bliss of true love, but their immaturity and differing lifestyles will also threaten to tear them apart. They both begin to question the other’s devotion and commitment; only time will tell if their first love is meant to last a lifetime. —summary courtesy of Lori L. Otto

 

 

  

MY REVIEW - Amazing coming of age story

 I really enjoyed this book. Lori L. Otto does an amazing job at taking us through a young girl's first love as well as her first real teenage rebellions. This book brought back a lot of memories for me.

 The family dynamic described in the book is also great. Parents can also make mistakes and Lori does not shy away from showing this. Raising a teenager seems to be to one of the most daunting things a parent can face and Lori shows this wonderfully too. The family fights are so heartbreaking, but the making up is so heartwarming. No family is perfect. Even the most picture perfect family has it's problems.

Teenagers always want to grow up too fast, and perhaps the thing I loved most about this book (and related to so much) was the pushing, pushing, pushing of Livvy, and to a certain extent Jon, and the struggle of Emi and Jack to give enough freedom but not too much. Both teens realised that they were asking for, perhaps, more than they could realistically handle. And I loved this growth of character.

 

The romance is sweet and envy enducing and the family life is wonderful and realistic. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone from the age of 16 and beyond.

For more information, and to buy, click on the image below.

#LoriOttoChristmasSale 4.

Never Look Back (book three) 99¢ (R11.52ish)


To say Emi’s life over the past two years has had its share of peaks and valleys is an understatement – and her friends and family would agree. In the conclusion to Emi Lost & Found, Jack guides Emi through a year of self-discovery, and teaches her that faith in true love – and in soul mates – can yield happiness from even the darkest of places. —summary courtesy of Lori L. Otto

MY REVIEW - #teamJacks

 

HEA's do happen, even though they can happen in unexpected ways.

 

This last book in the trilogy takes us through Emi's final journey to get her HEA. There are stops and bumps and sharp turns along the way. But she gets there in the end. And Jackson Holland the second is there to help her. Jacks is a true knight in shining armour. I have an incredible crush on him. And the best thing about him? He's willing to help Emi on her way, even if her final destination does not include him.

 

 

 

(PS. Jacks is pretty close to perfect. But this book shows us he IS human. Wonderfully so.)

 

For more information, and to buy, click on the image below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#LoriOttoChristmasSale 3.

Time Stands Still (book two) 99¢ (R11.52ish)

No man could compete with Nate, Emi thought, until one night – one evening, one party, one journey, one second alters her course completely. That night, her brother’s best friend, Jack Holland, comes back into her life with a mission. In a year’s time, he slowly finds a comfortable place in Emi’s life, but only time will tell if it’s right for Emi – and enough for him. —summary courtesy of Lori L. Otto

 

MY REVIEW - A Six Star Rollercoaster Ride

This is the third book I've read in my entire life that made me cry. And it doesn't get easier on the second or third or fourth reading. Even though I know what's coming it didn't ease the heartache I feel while reading the first half of this book.

 

Lori L. Otto puts you in the mind of her character in such an effective way that you end up feeling the emotions she is describing, as if you were the character in the book. It's so real and you can relate so easily to the characters that any loss, happiness, excitement or despair the characters are going though, you go through yourself. It's a roller coaster experience but a worthwhile one. Loved this book in spite of (or maybe because of?) the sobbing.

 

 

For more information, and to buy, click on the image below.

 

 

#LoriOttoChristmasSale 2.

Lost and Found (book one) 99¢ (R11.52ish)

  

After swearing off love with Emi in a silly high school pact, Nate has been seeing other women in hopes of finding one that evokes stronger feelings than the ones he’s been harboring for Emi since he was a teen. Over the span of a year, boundaries are crossed, feelings are confessed, and their unique friendship begins to blossom into something more. With a promising future ahead of them both, fate intervenes to bring two soul mates together. —summary courtesy of Lori L. Otto

 

 

MY REVIEW - Emotive Writing

 

I love this series so much, I now have all three books on my Kindle, iBooks, and two copies of each on my bookshelf. This first book really draws you into the rest of the series. Even though you may not like, or agree with, the main characters all the time, and even though you might want to slap them often, you become invested in them because they are such real characters.

 

These people could be your friends, people you grew up with. You love them and accept their flaws as part of them. Lori L. Otto's writing style is very emotive; you feel what the characters are feeling and go through their joys and sorrows with them. The characters are far from perfect, and their insecurities and bad decisions are frequently shown.

 

This book just left me wanting more, and I bought the second and third books before I had finished reading the first. A worthwhile addition to any bibliophile's collection. I've already re-read this first book twice and I know that I will come back and visit with these friends often.

Isn't it marvellous when a book keeps you thinking long after you've put it down?

 

For more information, and to buy, click on the image below.

 

 

#LoriOttoChristmasSale 1

Not Today, But Someday (prequel) FREE

Nate Wilson knows he wants Emi Hennigan from the moment he sees her.  Emi knows that she needs Nate after one night together.  A life-ling friendship is born, and a pact is made to ensure that nothing will come between them. —summary courtesy of Lori L. Otto

 

MY REVIEW - Old Friends

I was thrilled when Lori L Otto started publishing this story to her blog. I am a great fan of the Emi Lost and Found Series, and having the opportunity to go back and see how Emi and Nate's story began was so exciting. We get an insight into Emi's vulnerability after her parents divorce and her basic distrust of men. We also get to learn why she doesn't like chocolate!

A peek inside Nate's head is always wonderful. A sensitive soul he's all tough on the outside with yummy soft mush on the inside. And he immediately feels something for Emi. This story shows that while their love story might not have been meant to be, their friendship truly was epic. They got each other. We should all be so lucky to have had one friend in our lifetime like that.

 
For more information, and to buy, click on the image below.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: Livvy by Lori L. Otto (final installment of the Choisie Series)

 5 stars!

What a ride Lori Otto has taken us on! From sweet sixteen to first love, to heartache and breakups, we have seen Livvy through her journey to becoming a woman. And I am so damn proud of her! We've seen Livvy make some really bad decisions, and say some really hurtful things.  We've seen how heartbreak can fuel her creativity.  We've seen a teenager rebelling against her restraints, for good and bad.  We've seen Livvy devastated.  But all of this has, together with her loving family, and her wonderful boyfriend, helped make Livvy into the kind of woman we could all wish to be, and the kind of woman we would be proud to have as our daughter.

I truly think that this book is the pinnacle of Lori Otto's writing.  And that's taking nothing away from Lori's previous books.  They are in no way "less".  But Livvy IS "more".  I can't quite put my finger on it.  Nothing in Livvy surpasses the emotion of Time Stands Still.  There is nothing more beautiful than the words written in Dear Jon.  Maybe it's just that we've been on this journey with Livvy and it means so much to get to the end with her.  Lori's writing IS beautiful and the story told in Livvy IS emotional.  Maybe it's just that everything that has made Lori's previous books so delicious to read is wrapped up with a pretty pink bow in Livvy.  I don't know.

What I DO know is that if you have been on this journey with Livvy? This final installment will be everything you hoped for, and then some.


Livvy will be released on December the 9th, and look out for awesome release day festivites on Lori Otto's Author Page here.

For pre-order and buying information go here.

BOOK REVIEW: Dear Jon by Lori L. Otto

Five Stars!

Once again Lori L. Otto delivers a story that reaches into every corner of your heart. The best part about Dear Jon is that we get to spend time in Jon's head, which really, is a great place to be.

Dear Jon follows the fallout from the end of Olivia, but from Jon's point of view. Now, let me just say that I spent a fair amount of time at the end of Olivia and in the beginning of Dear Jon being cross with Jon. That's not to say I dislike him, or that I don't understand where he's coming from, but spending so much time with Livvy, I'm very protective of her and in this case I expected more from Jon.

But that's just the point. With Lori Otto's writing we become very invested in each and every character. Their decisions affect us. And in the end, they are just people who also make mistakes. (Well. Maybe not Jacks... ;-)) Livvy and Jon think that Jon is super well adjusted and makes ALL the right choices and is always the responsible adult. We (and Livvy and Jon) forget that Jon is still young and sometimes (not often but sometimes) his youth does show.

I know many readers have been unsure of Jon, but this book will make your minds up once and for all. Jon is a stellar young man, who feels things deeply, and who can make mistakes. And he recognizes this by the end of the book. We can only hope that his actions have not broken him and Livvy for ever.

And that's the other wonderful part of this book. Yes, Livvy is the one who did the bad thing at the end of Olivia. Yes it's her actions that caused this break. But Jon's actions, or reactions, in the end threaten their happy ever after the most, in my opinion. And even though this book is from Jon's point of view, through Livvy's letters we see her struggle with her mistakes, and grow as a person and a young woman through her efforts to rectify those mistakes. Livvy makes the effort and we see this clearly through her letters. Jon sulks, mostly, and by the end of the book I think he comes to the same conclusion the reader (or at least me) does. Livvy has taken an awful moment and used it to examine herself as a person and then grow and move on as a better person. Jon sees this; we see this; and Jon recognizes his own part in all of this as well.

We also get to see some moments and memories that we have not been privy to before, in Livvy's life and in Jon's. And we get to see Jon's family, and how he is with his brothers and with his mother, which is equal parts adorable and heartbreaking. It's not all pretty, but it does all reinforce what a wonderful guy Jon is. And his brother's are going to be just as wonderful because of him. #teamWill

You cannot miss reading this book if you've read the first two books of the Choisie series. Dear Jon is an important piece of the puzzle, and an absolute joy to read.

#teamChex #teamLion #teamJon #teamOtto #teamFollowYourHeart


Buying info HERE.

Life Mottoes

Favourite Quotes

Words to make you think

HAPPY RELEASE DAY OLIVIA

It's here, it's here, it's finally here!!!

The wait is over!  We can all now find out what is happening with Olivia and Jon!

In my last post I spoke about the first book in the Choisie series, Contessa, which was on sale for 75% less.  That sale continues through today!  Contessa introduces us to Livvy and Jon, and Olivia continues their love story.

I was lucky enough to be given an Advanced Reader's Copy of Olivia, so I can happily share my review of this second book in the Choisie series, which I originally posted on Goodreads:

Which is my favourite book by Lori L. Otto? It's the Lori L. Otto book I'm reading at the time.

 

Olivia continues the story of Livvy Holland, begun in the first book of the Choisie Series, Contessa. Ms Otto deftly shows the growth of Livvy into a mature and responsible adult, the growth in Livvy's relationship with her parents, her dad in particular, and the growth in Livvy and Jon's relationship.

 

Not everything is smooth sailing though. Livvy has to come to terms with a type of loss she's never had to face before and in the process she loses a part of herself. This crisis in Livvy's life, and her dealing-by-not-dealing is woven throughout the book, so that it's always there even if it's not obvious. Which is exactly how Livvy is experiencing it as well. Once again Lori Otto pulls the reader into the life of her characters so that you feel as if you are the one experiencing all the good, bad, happy, sad, silly, stupid and unforeseen things that happen in the story. And there are plenty of each and more.

 

Lori Otto writes people as they are. Real people. There is perhaps no huge drama or mystery or angsty romance, but it's life. The relatively small personal dramas and mysteries and romances feel as life altering as if they were happening to you. Lori writes people stories, not crime or fantasy or erotica. Just the lives of everyday people who you come to feel are people you know. You become invested in these characters and the choices they make. You feel happy and sad with them. You feel proud of and cross with them. And at the end of each book you want to know where the next stage of their lives will take them.

 

Olivia is no different. You will finish this book wanting to know where the next book will take Livvy. I can't wait!

 

 

Believe me when I say, if you've read Contessa, you REALLY want to read Olivia.  And if you haven't read Contessa, you should really get on that.  Although the Choisie series is YA, the books grow as their characters grow.  And there is so much in these books that will remind you of that time in your life.  Your teenage years, your first love, your rebellions against your parents, pushing your boundaries and trying to discover the adult you wanted to grow into.  As with all Lori L. Otto's books, you will re-experience all of these things with the characters.

 

And there is a lot going on today to celebrate Olivia's release!  Join us over on Facebook for the Release Day Event!  Lots of fun and prizes to be had. The event begins at 12pm CDT (that's 7pm here in South Africa) and will continue until 9pm (well into 18 June in South Africa).  There will be drawings for prizes every hour, so get on over there and have fun.

 

In the meantime, here are some snippets to keep you busy and amp up your excitement.  Just click on the awesome graphics provided by Lori Otto to read some great teasers from Olivia!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And last but certainly not least, for a little sneak peak at the beginning of Olivia, click!

Hopefully, ya'll are just as excited to see what comes next as I was! Also, there are loads of extras in the ebook, so go ahead and purchase your own copy by clicking on one of the links below:

Paperback / Kindle / iBooks / Nook / Other Digital Format

The Long Road To My Online Life

Inspired by this post at the Keysmash Blog: MyFaceTwitTumJournal
 
So I was reading the latest post on Keysmash and my comment kinda ran away with me.  I had just had pain pills which make me chatty, so blame that.  But after reading through the comment I realised 1. It was really long, 2. It basically outlined my online evolution, 3. I haven't posted anything here for a while, and why not post this?  So here is my comment to the above Keysmash post in all it's chatty and roundabout glory:

"Different social media platforms definitely have different personalities.  And people use them for different things and people (I find) always prefer one over the other.  I was late to this whole connecting with people online thing.  Aside from email, I kinda felt like joining Facebook would make me vulnerable to the world. And, and... people could spy on me or track me or something. I dunno, I was young and suspicious.  I still am.  Suspicious, I mean.  How one person can see the world through rose tinted glasses and still be suspicious of EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, I don't know, but I am.  And I digress...

Um... Where was I? Okay, right.  Facebook.  MySpace was never really a thing here (here being South Africa).  Not that I know of anyway. I kind of get the feeling that by the time we joined the internet bandwagon and people could like, have it in their home, MySpace was already dying a slow death and Facebook was the thing.  Like, I never even knew Facebook was ever not available publicly. And also, I went to University to study (shocking).  And I'm not being insulting at all.  I mean, the crowds at University terrified me, strange people terrified me, classmates terrified me, being social in any way terrified me.  This was not the same me who went to High school and started off with straight A's and slid down the slippery slope of boys and parties and drinking and boys and parties.  A thing happened. My brain melted or something and let's not talk about that.  So, come time to go to university I hoped and prayed everyday that no-one would talk to me and I could just be left alone to get my degree and maybe by the time that happened I could actually handle getting a job.  I digress again.

Point is, I wasn't socialising in real life so why would I want to socialise online?  The friends I wanted to keep and who wanted to keep me, I could keep in contact with via texting, and email and sometimes...even letters!  No need to put myself ONLINE and become vulnerable to internet monsters.

And then my best friend got married.  And she had moved provinces so we didn't get to see each other often, but I was a bridesmaid and there were a shit-ton of photos and she said "Well, why don't you just get Facebook?  I'm putting them all there anyway."  She was going to send me a disc with all the thousands of photos on (she did) but that would take a while, while the photos from her and others would go to Facebook almost immediately.  I tried to resist, I really did, but in the end, I gave in.

Wedding pics. Just me, unfortunately, coz I know I gave myself permission ;)

I bit the bullet.  I got a Facebook account, uploaded the photos I had taken, friended her and friended the maid of honour.  And then started the friend requests...  From some people I was happy to catch up with and from some I had hoped to forever forget about.  When my ex-(douchebag)boyfriend's sister wanted to friend me, I about hit the roof.  I mean she was nice enough.  But I never, ever want to know what is going on with him and that was too close a connection for me.  I feel a little bad for ignoring her request, but, you know, not THAT bad.

So I was on Facebook and then everyone started on about Twitter and I thought I had never in my life heard of a more ridiculous concept than Twitter and tweeting and wtf anyway?  And Twitter was worse than Facebook coz anyone could stalk you there and find out stuff about you and I was sure Twitter was an alias for Big-Brother-Is-Watching...  In the end, I got a twitter account because a radio station was running a competition that you could only enter via twitter.  I had an account but very little was going on there, and I very seldom checked in on Facebook. 

And then Twilight happened.  And I was late to that as well.  I saw the movie first coz Sis wanted to and I was like, what. the. hell.  An obsessive co-dependant relationship between an old man and a teenager and they "fall in can't-live-without-you love" like in 5 minutes?  No.  Just no.  And THEN Sis read the book.  In like 3 days.  And loved it.  And let me tell you, Sis doesn't read. At all.  She went through a stage of Danielle Steele, but even then it would be 6 months per book.  I tried to get her to read the first Harry Potter and it took her a year and she didn't even finish.  Sis. Doesn't. Read.  But she read Twilight in under a week?  I had to know... And the rest is history, as is the case with so many people.  And then came Breaking Dawn.  By the time I had read the first 3 books, Breaking Dawn hadn't come out yet so I had to wait.  Thrilling! And then the fade-to-black, and then the search on the internet, and then fanfiction, and then a search for Quileute mythology (I'm a historian, I had to) and then Osa Bella and then Twitarded and then I was kinda screwed.

Twitarded led me to one of my best friends, author Lori Otto, who I have blogged about many times here, and who I could only stalk and chat with via email or Twitter.  (Lucky for me, she didn't mind my stalking.) And twitter was easier. The funny thing is, that Lori far prefers Facebook.  I far prefer Twitter.  All of this led to blogs and Tumblr and now Pinterest and on and on and on.  And some Twitter friends have become Facebook friends and some Facebook friends I have met because of books we're reading, and it's like this never ending circle of online friendship.  Let's all hold hands and sing Kumbaya together *sigh*.

How did that get here...

It has all become intertwined and mixed up, but at the end of the day, each type of social media has a different personality that is better suited to certain types of activities, and is better suited to certain types of people.  I mostly browse and reblog on Tumblr (pretty pictures and porn), keep in touch with old and new friends on Facebook and chat everyday, every damn day, with online turned RL life friends on Twitter.  It's as natural as texting my family at this point.  I love my twitter friends and they have become a very important part of my life.

Each to her own.  And it works.


P.S. I wonder how many online lives were started because of Stephenie Meyer...?"