AVOIDING RESPONSIBILITY BLOG TOUR ~ REVIEW, GUEST POST, GIVEAWAYS

Welcome to my stop on the Avoiding Responsibility Blog Tour! This tour is being hosted by Taryn at My Secret Romance. My stop includes a review, a "behind the scenes" with K.A. Linde and the tour giveaway.

Series: Avoiding #2
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Publisher: K.A. Linde
Publication Date: 12/1/12
Source: Received from author for review.

Lexi has finally given up her once destructive relationships and moved onto bigger and better things with a sexy new man in town. Just when she is starting to figure it out with him, her world is tilted once again with a phone call from none other than Ramsey Bridges. A year after his entrance into her life, Ramsey is trying to make amends and does the one thing she never expects—invites her to Jack's wedding.

The wedding she had evaded at all costs. But no matter what she does, Lexi can't seem to escape her past with Jack. But does she really want to?

Despite the explosive chemistry between Lexi and Ramsey, she is skeptical about trusting him after everything that has happened. When things are amiss with him, she starts questioning his motives. Can Ramsey be the one to remove Jack from Lexi's life permanently or should she move on with her blossoming new life?

I don't think it's possible for me to fully explain my thoughts on Avoiding Responsibility to someone who hasn't read it and Avoiding Commitment. At first glance, the story and its characters seem beyond belief. But when you look closer, and really think about the story, things become much clearer and the true meaning shows itself.

I was worried when I started Avoiding Responsibility; to the point that I almost didn't. I didn't want Lexie's character growth to backslide. I wanted to be rid of Jack and Bekah for good. I wasn't even sure if I wanted her to be with Ramsey. I just wanted Lexie to be okay.

Once I got started, though, I really didn't want to stop reading. Although not as dysfunctional as in Avoiding Commitment, the relationships in this series still felt like a disaster waiting to happen. I spent the entire time waiting for the shizz to hit the fan. And, oh boy, it sure did in the end. But in the most awesome way. Seriously, the ending of Avoiding Responsibility was so awesome that a totally bounced and giggled in my bed. At 2:00 am.

The one issue I have with the series, other than wanting to rip my hair out over Lexie's decisions, was that it was repetitious. There is a lot of internal dialogue, Lexie repeatedly reminiscing about how much she loved Jack, loves Jack, hates Jack. At this point, I get it. Seriously.

The Avoiding Series is not a love story. At least, not yet. This is the journey of a girl with some really mixed up beliefs on what love truly is. And don't forget, Lexie was nineteen when the story begins, hardly at the age to "know better". The girl showed massive, massive character development, throughout the story and by the end, she rocked it. I'm not sure what's going to happen going forward, there are a few different directions Linde could spin it. Where I was once hesitant, now I'm excited.

 

Favorite Quotes:
My favorite quotes are too spoiler-y. Boo.

  She was taking a leap of faith with Ramsey. As he melted her insides with adoring kisses, her mind filled with the joy of newfound happy memories.
  And she didn't have one thought of Jack. Okay, just one--he had never given her this.  ~eARC, 24%


  Yes, everyone made mistakes, but she was an idiot about it all. She avoided everything at any cost...commitment and the responsibility of her actions. She hadn't been able to face up to them and what they meant. ~ eARC, 71%


You can purchase Avoiding Responsibility at:

Ten Facts about the Avoiding Series

 

1)      The Avoiding Series is not a love story.  It’s a story of dysfunction and heartache.  It’s about losing yourself, finding yourself, and living with yourself.

2)      I wrote all of Avoiding Commitment and a quarter of Avoiding Responsibility before I realized that the gym I dance in is called Ramsey and my character’s name is Ramsey.  After that I went around giggling to myself saying I let Ramsey work me over three times a week for hours on end. ;)

3)      I edited and published the first book while working full time on the presidential campaign.  And full time on a campaign is a hundred hours a week not forty.

4)      Jack’s favorite band is the D-Bags from S.C. Stephens book Thoughtless, and I include references to them in both books.  Lexi likes to wear their t-shirts.

5)      I haven’t been to New York City since I was a baby, yet a large part of the books are set in New York.  Lexi attends NYU law.  Her best friend, Chyna, lives in a penthouse overlooking Central Park.  I did a lot of research on the internet to make sure it felt as realistic as possible to the reader.

6)      The college that Jack and Lexi attended is based off of the University of Georgia where I spent six years getting my bachelors and masters.  Hot Corner, the coffee shop Jack worked at, is a real place downtown that changed its name to Trapeze.  Chamber, the bar they frequented, is based off of the Loft now renamed Cloud.  The Theatre is a combination of the 40 Watt and the Georgia Theatre, both major concert venues in downtown Athens.

7)      Considering they are in my books.  I don’t like:  coffee, Jack Daniels, or the taste of peppermint.

8)      In Avoiding Responsibility, I introduce a character that Lexi calls Mystery Man throughout the whole book.  Originally he was just supposed to be a one-night stand, but after everyone was so shocked by his appearance, I decided to leave him in and see where his character took me. 

9)      Chyna was the name of my sister’s childhood friend. 

10)  The original title of the book was called The Art of Avoiding Commitment.  But after everyone kept referring to it as AC or Avoiding Commitment, I dropped the front half of the title.

 

 

**I love learning "behind-the-scenes" facts about the books I read. I think #1 is the most important this to remember while reading the series.**

 

 

 

About the author

 

K.A. Linde is an independent author and publisher who enjoys writing novels that keep you guessing to the very end. She wrote Avoiding Commitment in 2009. She studied political science and philosophy at the University of Georgia and received her Masters in 2012. She currently resides in North Carolina. She enjoys dancing in her spare time. She has written a sequel to this novel and plans to have it released as an ebook in the near future along with her future endeavors. She is currently working on a fantasy/romance titled The Affiliate and the 3rd book in the Avoiding Series.

You can email K.A. Linde at kalinde45@gmail.com

 

GIVEAWAYS

I have one ecopy of either Avoiding Commitment or Avoiding Responsibility to give away.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The grand prize is a Kindle Paperwhite. It’s in the punch Tab tool.