BLOG TOUR, REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: FRIENDS & LOVERS TRILOGY by BETHANY LOPEZ

 

Welcome to my stop on the Friends & Lovers Blog Tour! The tour is being hosted by AToMR; find the complete schedule here. My stop includes reviews of the series and the tour giveaway.

 

 

 

Title: Make it Last (Friends & Lovers, #1)

Genre/Age Group: Contemporary New Adult

Publication Date: 11/12/12

Format: ebook

Source: Bought

In a small town, it's hard to recover from being dumped by your high school sweetheart. That's just what Briana has to do after Colin leaves her to follow his dreams. She focuses her energy into her friendships and the pursuit of her own goal of becoming a chef. Just when she finally feels like she's on the right path, he comes back to town.

Colin knew breaking up with Briana before leaving for college was the right thing to do. He was determined to leave small-town life behind forever, and that included his high school girlfriend. But when a sports injury puts him on the sidelines, he's forced to return home. Seeing Briana again brings back a lot of memories, and Colin wonders if he made the right decision. It doesn't take long for him to realize he wants her back, and this time, he wants to make it last.

(This review originally posted in 1/13)

 

Colin and Briana were high school sweethearts. When Colin broke Briana's heart, he left her behind, with an empty place no other guy has been able to fill. After four years, she's moved on, but when Colin comes back to town and realizes what he's missed, the two will discover whether they have what it takes to make it last. (no pun intended, seriously)

I really enjoyed Make it Last. I love stories of two people who reconnect after heartbreak and years apart. I love when the two are forced to recognize who they've each grown into and have to re-evaluate their feelings. So in that aspect, Make it Last definitely appealed to me. The story is fairly short, which I have absolutely no problem with, I just felt it could have dug a little deeper into the emotions. Show me the heartache. Make me feel the emotions stirring. Leave me breathless, just like the characters. But still, I did really enjoy the story. Other than the showing vs. telling, it was well-rounded and left me so happy with its ending.

Make it Last is absolutely brimming with secondary characters who were vying to steal the story! Pete, Kara, Roni, Rich, Kent (broke my heart!), Nicole...they were all characters that I want to know better, probably Rich and Kent the most. This feeling leaves me wanting more from the series and I will definitely be reading Kent's story, I Choose You.

Favorite Quote:

  "Holy crap, Bree, he is freakin' HOT."

  "Shut up, Kara."

  "No, seriously...tall, dark, and freakishly handsome! I mean, those dimples...I just want to lick him," Kara said dreamily.

  "Jesus, Kara," Briana snapped, "Are you kidding me right now?"

  Kara laughed wickedly. "Not about the fact that he's crazy hot, but yes, I'm kidding about wanting to lick him. You know I'd never poach."

Series Friends & Lovers, #2

Genre/Age Group: Contemporary New Adult

Publication Date: 12/27/12

Format: ebook

Source: Received from author for review

 

Up until now, Nicole's life has been mapped out for her. She'd go to college, marry Jake and become the upstanding minister's wife. When she leaves that life to begin again in a small town in Texas, she finally has the freedom to live as she chooses. There, she meets Kent, a guy whose charm and passion make it hard to stick to her morals.

Dodging his father’s fists and protecting his twin sister made Kent into the man he is today. He learned by watching his mother stay by his father’s side that it’s better to keep relationships simple. Then he meets Nicole. Her sweet smile and genuine response to him land like punches to his resolve. After a lifetime of learning to protect his heart, can he finally let down his guard?

 

What a sweet story! We first meet Kent and Nicole in Make It Last, and I was definitely left wanting to know more about these two, particularly Kent, so I was really looking forward to reading their story.

I Choose You is a very quick and easy read, but I did feel that Lopez was able to manage to give enough insight into the characters to make me feel like I knew them, their story, and their motivations, wants and needs. Kent's story made my heart pinch. His upbringing was so sad and I truly felt for him and his twin sister, Roni. It explained a lot about him, the cool exterior and his effort to have a peaceful surrounding and control of his life. It also explains why he is hesitant to become too involved with Nicole. And though her story wasn't tragic, it was still difficult for her to break away from her family's expectations, and to maintain the ideals she embraces.

I found I Choose You to be a really sweet, thoughtful story, very low on angst. Sometimes I really appreciate a story that can accomplish to make me feel without making me crazy. The characters are the focus here, and Lopez has managed to create a great bunch of friends and lovers.

Favorite Quote:

  Was he really interested in dating right now?
  An image of Nicole flashed in his mind.
  Yes, she was blonde, beautiful, and had a killer body, but she also had a wonderful innocence about her. A sweetness...And when she smiled, his heart seemed to shift in his chest.

 

 

Series Friends & Lovers, #3

Genre/Age Group: Contemporary New Adult

Publication Date: 2/28/13

Format: ebook

Source: Received from author for review

Roni’s dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer were smashed under the brutal rage of her ex-husband's fists. Getting divorced and starting over at the age of twenty-two was never her plan, but maybe in Texas, she'll find her path. When the town's local player, Rich, opens a Rec Center, she sees a way to rekindle her dancing dreams...and maybe have a little fun with her sexy new boss.

Rich never expected to fulfill his dreams in the town he planned to leave behind, but that's just what he's doing. His reputation as a noncommittal ladies' man might make it challenging to earn respect in the business world, but he's willing to prove that he's serious. In fact, when it comes to pursuing Roni, he's more than willing. But she's taking a page out of his book, not wanting to risk another relationship. Can he convince her that his playboy days are over and that she can trust him with her heart?

From the beginning of the series, I wanted Rich's story. He's always been sweet, funny, and suuuuper sexy. I'm really glad that he finally got his own book, and I'm happy that Roni is his match.

Like her brother Kent, Roni was a troubled character. Not troubled in the present sense exactly, but more because of what she'd gone through. She was a girl who'd never had a great shot at the life she wanted, but was working hard to make it happen now. She doesn't want a guy like Rich, who's known as a ladies man, but is actually so much more. Rich did not disappoint in Trust in Me. He was just as sexy and fun as in the two previous stories, but he was also kind and thoughtful. I really enjoyed this couple's journey to the love they both deserve.

I also really, really appreciate that author Bethany Lopez wrote bonus scenes for each of the trilogy's couples. These provided a sweet, fun look at their futures and gave a nice resolution to the series.

Favorite Quote:

  "Jesus, man," Kent said as he watched his friend stride into the room.
  Rich just looked at him, a cocky smile on his face. "Guess you shoulda knocked."
  "There's a freakin' work crew out there," Kent exclaimed, gesturing towards the men on the other side of the door. "I didn't think you'd be prancing around with your door open, naked as the day you were born."
  "I ain't go nothin' they haven't seen before," Rich said with a chuckle as he pulled on a pair of jeans.
  "Shit," Kent laughed. "And he's going commando." 

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About the author

Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult novel. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her contemporary Young Adult series, Stories About Melissa. Ta Ta for Now!, xoxoxo, and Ciao are available now. Bethany is currently working on a Contemporary Fantasy YA and a Contemporary New Adult Trilogy.

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