{MINI-REVIEW} MAKE IT LAST (FRIENDS & LOVERS #1) by BETHANY LOPEZ

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.

 A sweet story that will make you believe in "first love".

 

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."



Purchase Make It Last at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

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.

Bethany Lopez | Facebook| Twitter | Pinterest | IAN

BEHIND THE SCENES ~ MAKE IT LAST (FRIENDS & LOVERS #1) by BETHANY LOPEZ

I would like to welcome author Bethany Lopez to the blog today! Bethany is here to share a few behind-the-scene her latest release, Make It Last.

Title: Make it Last (Friends & Lovers, #1)
Genre/Age Group: Contemporary New Adult
Publication Date: 11/12/12

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.

The Story Behind Make It Last

- Make it Last is set in a small town in Texas. I chose not to give it a name, because I wanted people to be able to imagine it their own way. I lived in a small Texas town for three years growing up, so it's based off of that place.
 

- I did a poll on Twitter for sexy male names when I was writing my YA Contemporary Fantasy, and ended up using Levi for the male lead in that. Colin was their second favorite, so I used that name for this one.

 

- I was listening to a lot of Country music this summer, which is what made me decide that I wanted to write a romance set in a small country town. I wrote the first couple of chapters, then sent it to my friend, Raine Thomas, to see if she thought I had a good concept or not. She told me to keep writing.

 

- Make it Last was going to be a stand alone book. Then I started writing Kent and Rich and knew I wanted to find out more about them.

 

- I have always been a huge Nora Roberts fan and love her trilogies. I love how all three books feature all of the characters, but each one focuses on one of the love stories. That is what I am doing with the Friends & Lovers Trilogy.
 

- The first sex scene I have ever written is in Make it Last. I blushed like crazy while writing it. :)

 

- During the initial draft, Make it Last was called, Something New. Once I got further into the story, it didn't fit any more.

- The other title choices were This Time Around, Second Chance Love, and Possibilities. You can see why I decided on Make it Last, lol.
 

- Once I decided on the title, I knew what the last line would be. I also knew that I would want to do the same with the other two books as well.

Thanks, Bethany, for sharing these cool facts about your book. I'm looking forward to reading Make It Last in the very near future!

Purchase Make It Last at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Smashwords

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.

Bethany Lopez | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | IAN

{SPECIAL FEATURE} MAKE IT LAST EXCERPT AND GIVEAWAY

I am very excited to be taking part in the promotion of Make It Last, by the super sweet and super talented Bethany Lopez. Today I get to share Make It Last with all of you, along with an excerpt and giveaway.

First, take a look at Make It Last...

Title: Make it Last (Friends & Lovers, #1)
Genre/Age Group: Contemporary New Adult
Publication Date: 11/12/12

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.

 

Purchase Make It Last at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Smashwords

And now, an excerpt... 

“What did you come here for, Bree? Go back to your boyfriend and leave me be.”

            “I don’t have a boyfriend.” Briana retorted. “I haven’t had the stomach for one since you left.”

            Colin took a step closer. “That Kent guy isn’t your boyfriend?”

            “No,” Briana responded. “Look, I came here because I was pissed that you got mad at us. You have no reason to be mad. I don’t get why you’re. You’re the one who left. You didn’t want me then, so why do you care now?”

            With that she whirled towards the door, intent on leaving.

            She only made it a couple steps before Colin grabbed her arm and whirled her back. He walked her quickly backwards until she was stopped by the door.

            Before she could register what was happening, she was flat against the door and his mouth was on hers.

            She didn’t think, she just reacted.

            Her hands came up around his neck and his fastened under her bottom and lifter her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, to get stabilized, then met his hot, hungry mouth with her own.

            They kissed frantically, as if they had been starved for the contact. When his mouth left hers to trail kisses down her throat, her head fell back to allow him better access. As he licked his way back up to her mouth, she groaned loudly, and he paused to look at her.

            “Wanting you was never the problem,” He stated, eyes black with need, then dove back in and began to drive her slowly crazy.

 

The Giveaway

I have one ecopy of Make It Last to give away, courtesy of Bethany Lopez.

 

The Rules:

• Must be 17+ years of age to enter.
• Giveaway is open to Intl entrants.

Ends 11/19/12 at 11:59 pm.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

Bethany Lopez  | Facebook  | Twitter  |  Pinterest  |  IAN

 

 

 

COVER REVEAL ~ MAKE IT LAST by BETHANY LOPEZ

I am so excited to be taking part in the cover reveal for Bethany Lopez's latest release, Make it Last.







































Title: Make it Last (Friends & Lovers, #1)
Author: Bethany Lopez
Expected release date: Nov 12, 2012
Genre/Age Group: Contemporary New Adult
Cover Designer: Stephanie Mooney

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

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.

 

 

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.

Bethany Lopez | Facebook | Twitter