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Crash #1
Crash
ŷ Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2012)Southpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with trouble. He's got a rap sheet that runs longer than a senior thesis, has had his name sighed, shouted, and cursed by more women than Lucy dares to ask, and lives at the local boys home where disturbed seems to be the status quo for the residents. Lucy had a stable at best, quirky at worst, upbringing. She lives for wearing the satin down on her ballet shoes, has her sights set on Juilliard, and has been careful to keep trouble out of her life. Up until now.
Jude's everything she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. Staying away, she's about to find out, is the only thing she's incapable of.
For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love's about to become the thing that tears them apart.
Jude's everything she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. Staying away, she's about to find out, is the only thing she's incapable of.
For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love's about to become the thing that tears them apart.
296 pages, Nook
First published July 18, 2012
741 people are currently reading
47.5k people want to read
About the author
Nicole Williams
52books9,615followersNicole is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author who got her humble start dictating books to her parents at the age of three and her big break nearly three decades later when she signed her first publishing deal. She grew up an avid reader and writer who majored in Economics because a Creative Writing degree was lofty and impractical, not to mention a pipe dream. Irony, you wily fiend.
When she isn’t embroiled in a book, she spends her time playing wife and mom to her two favorite people in the world, and referee to their three rescue pets/wildlings. Nicole lives in the Evergreen State on the quieter side, ideal for an admitted recluse who enjoys the diversity of outdoor endeavors the Great Northwest offers.
Nicole loves hearing from her readers. You can connect with her on:
Facebook: Author Nicole Williams
Instagram: author_nicole_williams
Twitter: nwilliamsbooks
When she isn’t embroiled in a book, she spends her time playing wife and mom to her two favorite people in the world, and referee to their three rescue pets/wildlings. Nicole lives in the Evergreen State on the quieter side, ideal for an admitted recluse who enjoys the diversity of outdoor endeavors the Great Northwest offers.
Nicole loves hearing from her readers. You can connect with her on:
Facebook: Author Nicole Williams
Instagram: author_nicole_williams
Twitter: nwilliamsbooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,352 reviews
June 2, 2013
So the book started off OK-ish. I didn’t think the writing is particularly good but it was readable.
But what I did hate or at least thought was absolutely ridiculous was the plot.
So what’s this book about- Well as far as I can tell it is just your basic good girl meet bad boy romance, except they are both named after Beatles songs, Lucy and Jude, and the plot is so ludicrous I want to cry/laugh!
I took an instant dislike at Lucy. She came across as conceited and cocky with no real means to back herself up. Jude seemed alright, although the picture of someone constantly in a ratty grey beanie is hardly my idea of sexy.
As for the previously mentioned bad plot, it was so far fetch at one point I thought I was going to sprain something from rolling my eyes so often. First of all if 3 guys douse you in gasoline and try to set you on fire. That is attempted murder! Lucy the victim, her parent and the police hardly bat an eyelid WTF! And the only mention Lucy makes of her traumatic attack is to complain that she had to cut her hair! Talk about having your priorities wrong!
Lucy then starts a new school where she is instantly branded a slut because she knows Jude. How everyone knows this I have no idea because the only public contact they had with one another was a short chat on the beach. Then his “friends� tried to kill her and he never called or saw her again.
But Lucy instantly forgives Jude when he says hi to her. And why wouldn’t she he is the perfect guy. He’s lost count of how many times he has gone to juvie, he has lied to her, ignored her and he solves all his problems with violence.
But to be honest, I was going to forgive that. Yes these characters are played out and unoriginal but I was going to give the author a chance. Unfortunately within one chapter of all this the class whore goes from being ridiculed to being Homecoming Queen and is made a cheerleader without even auditioning. And then feared and reviled, juvenile delinquent is made starting quarterback in the middle of the game. Despite the fact that he has never played before, tried out for the team or even met the coach! And to top that all off he is so good the NFL want to recruit him!
And that’s when I realised I was not going to waste another minute of my time reading this book!
DNF!!!!!
But what I did hate or at least thought was absolutely ridiculous was the plot.
So what’s this book about- Well as far as I can tell it is just your basic good girl meet bad boy romance, except they are both named after Beatles songs, Lucy and Jude, and the plot is so ludicrous I want to cry/laugh!
I took an instant dislike at Lucy. She came across as conceited and cocky with no real means to back herself up. Jude seemed alright, although the picture of someone constantly in a ratty grey beanie is hardly my idea of sexy.
As for the previously mentioned bad plot, it was so far fetch at one point I thought I was going to sprain something from rolling my eyes so often. First of all if 3 guys douse you in gasoline and try to set you on fire. That is attempted murder! Lucy the victim, her parent and the police hardly bat an eyelid WTF! And the only mention Lucy makes of her traumatic attack is to complain that she had to cut her hair! Talk about having your priorities wrong!
Lucy then starts a new school where she is instantly branded a slut because she knows Jude. How everyone knows this I have no idea because the only public contact they had with one another was a short chat on the beach. Then his “friends� tried to kill her and he never called or saw her again.
But Lucy instantly forgives Jude when he says hi to her. And why wouldn’t she he is the perfect guy. He’s lost count of how many times he has gone to juvie, he has lied to her, ignored her and he solves all his problems with violence.
But to be honest, I was going to forgive that. Yes these characters are played out and unoriginal but I was going to give the author a chance. Unfortunately within one chapter of all this the class whore goes from being ridiculed to being Homecoming Queen and is made a cheerleader without even auditioning. And then feared and reviled, juvenile delinquent is made starting quarterback in the middle of the game. Despite the fact that he has never played before, tried out for the team or even met the coach! And to top that all off he is so good the NFL want to recruit him!
And that’s when I realised I was not going to waste another minute of my time reading this book!
DNF!!!!!
August 29, 2012
"I'll be here, each day and every day on, as long as you want me to be."
LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!
Fans of Beautiful Disaster and bad boy heroes are sure to love this book! It was not too long, had a romance that made my heart pound, twists that made my heart race, and a really seriously swoony and tortured bad boy hero! What's not to love??
The story hooked me right from the first paragraph - I took an instant liking to it and it just immediately put you right inside the narrator's head and had me flipping pages like crazy!
I absolutely adored the writing style!! It perfectly balanced lighthearted and serious. On the surface, its this classic bad boy meets good girl story but, right from the beginning, you can feel deeper, darker, painful undertones and you just know that when you learn the back stories, its going to be heart-wrenching.
You could just feel the sizzling chemistry/connection that Lucy and Jude had when they first met. I swear I felt like I was meeting him myself - my heart was pounding and just completely melted :)
Jude Ryder *squee/swoon* is a true bad boy and I literally loved him from the moment he showed up! He was like Travis Maddox's long lost brother - arrogant, cocky, with a bad reputation and a 2-page rap sheet, but so heart-racingly sexy and swoony and HOT but deeply tortured beneath the surface that you really can't help but fall in LOVE!
"The name's Jude Ryder, since I know you're all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and I don't do girlfriends, relationships, flowers, or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special."
Gah! The nerve on him!! lol. Of course Lucy turns him right down but he's not one to be deterred. He sees something special in her and is willing to turn his life around for the better in order to win her heart. The road to that isn't smooth - its drama-filled, with page -turning twists, heart-break and secrets that took me completely by surprise and I loved every minute of it!
"...it's hard not to notice something special when life's thrown a lotta shit your way."
But seriously, my heart just broke for Jude and his past :( Seeing someone who clearly has such a good heart be haunted by these demons and be made to think so little of himself was heart breaking. He's "a boy with beautiful eyes and an ugly past", a total and complete bad boy with a bit of a temper (especially triggered when people attack or insult his girl) who has led a very rough life, but has a heart of gold and is just totally into his girl! *SWOON* and I loved that he had a deeper side to him - life taught him some hard lesson, perhaps far too soon, but with Lucy's help, he tried so hard to overcome his past. LOVED HIM!! <3
"This guy was every kind of wrong on the surface, but there was something more there, something I'd seen in that flash of vulnerability that sucked me in."
And I loved that Lucy was no pushover. She stood up to her parents, she didn't let gossip get the better of her, she had a huge heart and took a chance on Jude when all the signs were pointing against it.
Jude and Lucy have a lot of roadblocks in their path, but I just loved that neither of them really denied their affections for each other. They struggled through some pretty tough times, but throughout it all, their hearts belonged to each other... really a story of two people from different worlds finding a way to be together against all the odds.
"...I'll need you to promise me something...If I ever mess things up again, whether it's a missunderstanding or shit luck, or I just do what I was created to do and screw everything up... I want you to promise me you'll leave. Drop me like a bad habit and don't look back, because god knows, it can't be me that walks away since I'm incapable of it."
What is it about swoony tortured player bad boys that just fall head over heels for their girl that is just so heart-melting? :)
"Who, in all God's Gracious green earth... Is that?"... "Honey, a girl cant keep a man like that as a friend. He's a lover or an ex-lover, but never a friend. Men like that weren't created to be a woman's friend - they were created to make a woman hit high C three times in a row."
This book was the perfect balance of swee-worthy grin-enducing scenes and tortured characters, and despite it not being a long book, it made you care so deeply for the characters. The only thing I would have wished for was an epilogue. It had a HEA but I still wanted more.
Its YA with very light steamy (mostly some seriously HOT kisses).
I am absolutely hooked on this author's style - she has some serious story-telling talent - and look forward to reading more of her books.
4.5+ stars
For more of my reviews, visit
And come join the Aestas Book Blog
**** NEWS UPDATE: *SQUEEE* There's gonna be a sequel to CRASH released in SEPTEMBER!!! Thats less than a month from now! Cannot wait for more of Jude and Lucy :D *happy dance*
LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!
Fans of Beautiful Disaster and bad boy heroes are sure to love this book! It was not too long, had a romance that made my heart pound, twists that made my heart race, and a really seriously swoony and tortured bad boy hero! What's not to love??
The story hooked me right from the first paragraph - I took an instant liking to it and it just immediately put you right inside the narrator's head and had me flipping pages like crazy!
I absolutely adored the writing style!! It perfectly balanced lighthearted and serious. On the surface, its this classic bad boy meets good girl story but, right from the beginning, you can feel deeper, darker, painful undertones and you just know that when you learn the back stories, its going to be heart-wrenching.
You could just feel the sizzling chemistry/connection that Lucy and Jude had when they first met. I swear I felt like I was meeting him myself - my heart was pounding and just completely melted :)
Jude Ryder *squee/swoon* is a true bad boy and I literally loved him from the moment he showed up! He was like Travis Maddox's long lost brother - arrogant, cocky, with a bad reputation and a 2-page rap sheet, but so heart-racingly sexy and swoony and HOT but deeply tortured beneath the surface that you really can't help but fall in LOVE!
"The name's Jude Ryder, since I know you're all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and I don't do girlfriends, relationships, flowers, or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special."
Gah! The nerve on him!! lol. Of course Lucy turns him right down but he's not one to be deterred. He sees something special in her and is willing to turn his life around for the better in order to win her heart. The road to that isn't smooth - its drama-filled, with page -turning twists, heart-break and secrets that took me completely by surprise and I loved every minute of it!
"...it's hard not to notice something special when life's thrown a lotta shit your way."
But seriously, my heart just broke for Jude and his past :( Seeing someone who clearly has such a good heart be haunted by these demons and be made to think so little of himself was heart breaking. He's "a boy with beautiful eyes and an ugly past", a total and complete bad boy with a bit of a temper (especially triggered when people attack or insult his girl) who has led a very rough life, but has a heart of gold and is just totally into his girl! *SWOON* and I loved that he had a deeper side to him - life taught him some hard lesson, perhaps far too soon, but with Lucy's help, he tried so hard to overcome his past. LOVED HIM!! <3
"This guy was every kind of wrong on the surface, but there was something more there, something I'd seen in that flash of vulnerability that sucked me in."
And I loved that Lucy was no pushover. She stood up to her parents, she didn't let gossip get the better of her, she had a huge heart and took a chance on Jude when all the signs were pointing against it.
Jude and Lucy have a lot of roadblocks in their path, but I just loved that neither of them really denied their affections for each other. They struggled through some pretty tough times, but throughout it all, their hearts belonged to each other... really a story of two people from different worlds finding a way to be together against all the odds.
"...I'll need you to promise me something...If I ever mess things up again, whether it's a missunderstanding or shit luck, or I just do what I was created to do and screw everything up... I want you to promise me you'll leave. Drop me like a bad habit and don't look back, because god knows, it can't be me that walks away since I'm incapable of it."
What is it about swoony tortured player bad boys that just fall head over heels for their girl that is just so heart-melting? :)
"Who, in all God's Gracious green earth... Is that?"... "Honey, a girl cant keep a man like that as a friend. He's a lover or an ex-lover, but never a friend. Men like that weren't created to be a woman's friend - they were created to make a woman hit high C three times in a row."
This book was the perfect balance of swee-worthy grin-enducing scenes and tortured characters, and despite it not being a long book, it made you care so deeply for the characters. The only thing I would have wished for was an epilogue. It had a HEA but I still wanted more.
Its YA with very light steamy (mostly some seriously HOT kisses).
I am absolutely hooked on this author's style - she has some serious story-telling talent - and look forward to reading more of her books.
4.5+ stars
For more of my reviews, visit
And come join the Aestas Book Blog
**** NEWS UPDATE: *SQUEEE* There's gonna be a sequel to CRASH released in SEPTEMBER!!! Thats less than a month from now! Cannot wait for more of Jude and Lucy :D *happy dance*
August 6, 2012
I'm about to blow everyone's minds by not complaining about what you all think I'm going to complain about.
Honest. Okay, maybe I'm only 95% honest. I might mention the Jude issues just a little (picture me holding up a thumb and pointer finger and making the sign for little) bit. I'd already said I wasn't going to read the book because it might set me off, but it was gifted, so I wasn't going to check my gift horse for bad teeth.
2.5 stars? I could probably go up to a 3 for readability's sake because the book was an easy read to get through and didn't bore me, but I probably won't because I didn't connect with the characters or story.
Quite frankly, I wasn't really all that bothered by Jude's temper. This book was the diet cola version of Beautiful Disaster on that front. Jude had a few moments where he fell off the crazy train (or did he board it?), but *shrug shoulders* whatever. Not making excuses or anything, but at least he channeled a good portion of his anger toward a person who we found out later that he knew (mini-spoiler but you'd guess this anyway) all along was an actual danger/threat. He did say one thing near the end of the book that really irritated me, but I'll let all of the rage centered on Jude's behavior come from someone else (and I know it will from a few of my lovely friends) because I don't have the energy to work myself up over this when I've seen way worse from other YA book characters and I have other things I want to talk about in this review. Surprisingly, I found Jude to be more likable than Lucy. He may have played the role of martyr to death but he was trying to (in his own way of thinking) protect Lucy. Whereas Lucy was paranoid and sneaky, which was just kind of poopy. Yes, poopy. And she flip-flopped from saying inside of her head that she felt like she was going against what was healthy and independent by pretty much wanting Jude to "possess" her, then she'd try to act like a tough girl by shouting at and flipping people off. Mouthy doesn't equate to strong. I simply didn't get her at all - the contradiction was confusing. At least Jude was easier to read.
So where was my mind focused instead, if it wasn't on the drama?
Like I already stated, the book was readable and easy to get into. However, it was so far-fetched in places. Am I really supposed to believe that a guy who has never played ball in his life is all of a sudden going to step into the role of quarterback and become an overnight sensation, to the point of colleges and NFL teams jockeying to recruit him? I think I've seen this before...
Pop-Culture reference number 1 : The Blind Side. It also didn't help that Lucy miraculously scored a cheer-leading spot at the same time with no tryout. What a fabulous coincidence!
Pop-Culture reference number 2 : Fifty Shades of Grey. Before your mind starts going there, I'm not referencing contracts, inner goddesses, or BDSM. This one has to do with the shade of Jude's eyes. I saw everything from : the shade of light gray that is a nickel, to pewter, to molten silver, to charcoal & black (and there were a few other shades but I wasn't thorough enough to list them all). If I met a guy who had eyes that could light up silver, I'd probably want to jump on him too because I'd assume he had super-powers if he could manipulate his eyes like that.
Pop-Culture reference number 3 : A picture is worth a thousand words. It's the iconic Baby and Johnny.
I can't divulge this without using a spoiler tag, so only read this if you've read the book or don't mind reading spoilers. Hell yeah. That scene is straight out of Dirty Dancing.
Random but was there really a character named Sawyer Diamond? Really? So not funny when your main character is named Lucy from the Beatles' song.
I honestly think that a lot of people will love the book. I am not seeing red over Crash the way I'd almost expected. I rolled my eyes a few times and thought a few moments were over-the-top but it could have been worse. My lower rating is more for ridiculous details within the story and a few awkward character contradictions, not the overall enjoyment factor of reading the book. For a story, it was entertaining enough, if nothing special. Fans of drama books or crazy love stories might enjoy Crash. Although, I personally don't think this was worth the buzz that's been going around. Not by a long shot.
Finally...it's never a complete review until I manage to find a form of the "your love is a drug" reference in a high-drama book : Jude was the sickness I didn't want to be cured of. He was the intoxicant I never wanted to be clear of.
Honest. Okay, maybe I'm only 95% honest. I might mention the Jude issues just a little (picture me holding up a thumb and pointer finger and making the sign for little) bit. I'd already said I wasn't going to read the book because it might set me off, but it was gifted, so I wasn't going to check my gift horse for bad teeth.
2.5 stars? I could probably go up to a 3 for readability's sake because the book was an easy read to get through and didn't bore me, but I probably won't because I didn't connect with the characters or story.
Quite frankly, I wasn't really all that bothered by Jude's temper. This book was the diet cola version of Beautiful Disaster on that front. Jude had a few moments where he fell off the crazy train (or did he board it?), but *shrug shoulders* whatever. Not making excuses or anything, but at least he channeled a good portion of his anger toward a person who we found out later that he knew (mini-spoiler but you'd guess this anyway) all along was an actual danger/threat. He did say one thing near the end of the book that really irritated me, but I'll let all of the rage centered on Jude's behavior come from someone else (and I know it will from a few of my lovely friends) because I don't have the energy to work myself up over this when I've seen way worse from other YA book characters and I have other things I want to talk about in this review. Surprisingly, I found Jude to be more likable than Lucy. He may have played the role of martyr to death but he was trying to (in his own way of thinking) protect Lucy. Whereas Lucy was paranoid and sneaky, which was just kind of poopy. Yes, poopy. And she flip-flopped from saying inside of her head that she felt like she was going against what was healthy and independent by pretty much wanting Jude to "possess" her, then she'd try to act like a tough girl by shouting at and flipping people off. Mouthy doesn't equate to strong. I simply didn't get her at all - the contradiction was confusing. At least Jude was easier to read.
So where was my mind focused instead, if it wasn't on the drama?
Like I already stated, the book was readable and easy to get into. However, it was so far-fetched in places. Am I really supposed to believe that a guy who has never played ball in his life is all of a sudden going to step into the role of quarterback and become an overnight sensation, to the point of colleges and NFL teams jockeying to recruit him? I think I've seen this before...
Pop-Culture reference number 1 : The Blind Side. It also didn't help that Lucy miraculously scored a cheer-leading spot at the same time with no tryout. What a fabulous coincidence!
Pop-Culture reference number 2 : Fifty Shades of Grey. Before your mind starts going there, I'm not referencing contracts, inner goddesses, or BDSM. This one has to do with the shade of Jude's eyes. I saw everything from : the shade of light gray that is a nickel, to pewter, to molten silver, to charcoal & black (and there were a few other shades but I wasn't thorough enough to list them all). If I met a guy who had eyes that could light up silver, I'd probably want to jump on him too because I'd assume he had super-powers if he could manipulate his eyes like that.
Pop-Culture reference number 3 : A picture is worth a thousand words. It's the iconic Baby and Johnny.
I can't divulge this without using a spoiler tag, so only read this if you've read the book or don't mind reading spoilers. Hell yeah. That scene is straight out of Dirty Dancing.
Random but was there really a character named Sawyer Diamond? Really? So not funny when your main character is named Lucy from the Beatles' song.
I honestly think that a lot of people will love the book. I am not seeing red over Crash the way I'd almost expected. I rolled my eyes a few times and thought a few moments were over-the-top but it could have been worse. My lower rating is more for ridiculous details within the story and a few awkward character contradictions, not the overall enjoyment factor of reading the book. For a story, it was entertaining enough, if nothing special. Fans of drama books or crazy love stories might enjoy Crash. Although, I personally don't think this was worth the buzz that's been going around. Not by a long shot.
Finally...it's never a complete review until I manage to find a form of the "your love is a drug" reference in a high-drama book : Jude was the sickness I didn't want to be cured of. He was the intoxicant I never wanted to be clear of.
May 9, 2013
Initial Reaction After Completion
I am really confused with the book and how to go forward with the review. I don't know whether to be positive or negative about it. I'm torn between the cynical and romantic side. So, I'll dish out the story in two perspective and let you decide.
The Good Part The Hopeless-Romantic Perspective
Girl meets boy. There is instant attraction. The boy is a tragic hero with a flawed character but a huge heart. The girl senses the loneliness as well as the goodness, which is sheltered beneath a tough veneer, in him and gives their relationship a chance. Because she believes in saving the world, one lost soul at a time. She doesn't let him go inspite of his umpteenth number of warnings that he's cancer and she would be better off without him.
Their relationship progresses steadily inspite of numerous hiatuses owing to their individual scarred pasts and substantial baggage they brought to their relationship.
But, true love survives all odds
Nothing can possibly drive a stake in their relationship.
Even after the fallouts, the bickering, the heartache, they find their way back to one another.
The boy meets his true love and promises to mend his ways because she makes him want to be a better person, the one a girl like her deserves.
The book encapsulates a love story. A messed-up, dysfunctional love story, but one nonetheless.
How if given the benefit of doubt, people change.
How relentless, scathing rumors and harsh gossip ruins life.
How old festering wounds can be healed with pure, unconditional love.
So, this was the good part. The hopeful part. It exudes hope and love and believes, at the end, if one holds on, things do change out to for the best.
You just have to hang in there and go through it all.
Because at the end, the whole messy pieces scattered around your life come together to form a breath-taking picture that makes complete sense and makes it worth it all.
Okay.
Argh!
So much cheese, I'm gagging
If that part made you swoon and all, go ahead and read the book. Because it is all that and more. So, for the hopeless romantics and ever-optimists, the book's for you.
Now, coming to the second part.
The Bad Part The Cynical Perspective
This is just the plain old bad-boy meets girl shit. This whole thing is disturbing. So fucking disturbing.
Girl meets boy. Sparks fly. Sexual tension abounds. The next day, hot and heavy makeout session. That very night, boy's dickhead of 'cousins' threaten girl's life because she flipped them off. They gag her, abuse her, douse her in gasoline and light her hair on fire. Then, of course, her knight-in-shining-armor arrives and beat the shit outta them, when the police arrives and locks them all up.
Now, wasn't that ATTEMPTED MURDER? It's a s plain as day and the effect it has no people: Nada. Nothing. No one gives a damn. Not the parents or the police. And the victim, you wonder? She just gives the incident a thought because she no longer has long hair that got burned in the fire.
Are you fucking kidding me?
After this incident, maybe 5 weeks later they meet again at the high school. Yep, the same beat-the-shit-out-of-felon-who's-been-arrested-more-times-than-he-can-count. And instead of running the hell away from him, she demands to know why he didn't contact her before.
You may call me selfish here. But I wouldn't lounge around a felon making my love story work. I would run like hell.
Anyway, the story progresses and the girl goes into a relationship with a guy, who, for all she knows, is a big time criminal. She half-heartedly asks questions and he evades. Again. And again. That is all that happens for 40% of the book.
The point being, how can girls be so fucking stupid and dumb? Don't you have any sense of self-preservation at all?
I mean, for heaven's sake, the guy snatches the microphone from the principal of the school during a morning assembly to threaten and warn everyone to treat Lucy(that's the girl's name) right. And if not, he'd break their legs. Is this normal? Does this really happens at high schools? And oh, to get everyone's' attention he says: Shut up, you sons of bitch. In front of the entire school school faculty and the principal.
Now, pray someone tell me is this really acceptable, because if I pulled that stint at my school, I'l be kicked out before I can blink an eye.
And the best part: Everyone listens to him. That just shows what a serious threat and bully he is. And Lucy finds him hot.
Anyway, the story progresses which merely consists of Lucy finding out about Jude's(The Boy) past crimes and all, breaking up with him and getting back together. And forgiving hisbipolar hot-and-cold syndrome and condoning his behaviour which mainly boils down to him bashing and threatening almost everyone unashamedly.
So, that was the bad, cynical part.
Lucy Larson aka The Girl
Yes, she deserves her own separate rant
She is bitchy, rude and a typical dumb high-schooler. Most of why I didn't like this book is because of this one single girl.
Her priorities are absolutely messed up. It was really ridiculous. She doesn't questions her felon boyfriend's criminal motives and trusts him wholeheartedly. But when she sees him hugging another girl and eavesdrops on their conversation, BAM! shoots the whole trust thing down to hell and dumps him the next day.
God, would you just stop? Can't you just wait a minute, talk it out and sort through your differences instead of making us sit through 10 more pages of unnecessary emotional drama and heartache?
Why don't people just communicate?
At one point, after their oh-so-heartbreaking breakup, she meets him again and he accuses her of not trusting him enough. He is hurting and sad. And she fucking knows that, and still lets him walk away. And, right at this moment, she is thinking, This is the biggest regret of her life, letting him go away.
Are you fucking retarded? If you know it's a mistake and youwill are regretting it, then why don't you stop him? Has he, like, run a 11029 miles that you can't call him back?
And then, she goes into a relationship with another guy whom she didn't initially trust or even like. Then, why oh why, do you agree to be his girlfriend? Because you are amazingly dumb Because she is full of milk of human kindness and decides to give him a chance. Six months later when they break up, she can't find one good quality about him. Not one. What? What the fuck were you doing for six-fucking-months? Were you dating him with your ears and eyes closed? Or you were just dropped on your head too many times?
This just sums up my feeling toward her:
So, that's about it. That is the story.
Now, whether you like it or hate it, it depends on the fact whether you can accept the love story for what it is or your cynicism breaks through and reduces the whole mushy affair into an infuriating, eye-rolling episode.
Since, I am a cynic by heart, I couldn't get past the stupidness to really appreciate the love story. It was too unbelievable and ridiculous.
So, try it out if a bad-boy-perfect-girl story is your thing.
I am really confused with the book and how to go forward with the review. I don't know whether to be positive or negative about it. I'm torn between the cynical and romantic side. So, I'll dish out the story in two perspective and let you decide.
Girl meets boy. There is instant attraction. The boy is a tragic hero with a flawed character but a huge heart. The girl senses the loneliness as well as the goodness, which is sheltered beneath a tough veneer, in him and gives their relationship a chance. Because she believes in saving the world, one lost soul at a time. She doesn't let him go inspite of his umpteenth number of warnings that he's cancer and she would be better off without him.
Their relationship progresses steadily inspite of numerous hiatuses owing to their individual scarred pasts and substantial baggage they brought to their relationship.
But, true love survives all odds
Nothing can possibly drive a stake in their relationship.
Even after the fallouts, the bickering, the heartache, they find their way back to one another.
The boy meets his true love and promises to mend his ways because she makes him want to be a better person, the one a girl like her deserves.
The book encapsulates a love story. A messed-up, dysfunctional love story, but one nonetheless.
How if given the benefit of doubt, people change.
How relentless, scathing rumors and harsh gossip ruins life.
How old festering wounds can be healed with pure, unconditional love.
So, this was the good part. The hopeful part. It exudes hope and love and believes, at the end, if one holds on, things do change out to for the best.
You just have to hang in there and go through it all.
Because at the end, the whole messy pieces scattered around your life come together to form a breath-taking picture that makes complete sense and makes it worth it all.
Okay.
If that part made you swoon and all, go ahead and read the book. Because it is all that and more. So, for the hopeless romantics and ever-optimists, the book's for you.
Now, coming to the second part.
This is just the plain old bad-boy meets girl shit. This whole thing is disturbing. So fucking disturbing.
Girl meets boy. Sparks fly. Sexual tension abounds. The next day, hot and heavy makeout session. That very night, boy's dickhead of 'cousins' threaten girl's life because she flipped them off. They gag her, abuse her, douse her in gasoline and light her hair on fire. Then, of course, her knight-in-shining-armor arrives and beat the shit outta them, when the police arrives and locks them all up.
Now, wasn't that ATTEMPTED MURDER? It's a s plain as day and the effect it has no people: Nada. Nothing. No one gives a damn. Not the parents or the police. And the victim, you wonder? She just gives the incident a thought because she no longer has long hair that got burned in the fire.
Are you fucking kidding me?
After this incident, maybe 5 weeks later they meet again at the high school. Yep, the same beat-the-shit-out-of-felon-who's-been-arrested-more-times-than-he-can-count. And instead of running the hell away from him, she demands to know why he didn't contact her before.
You may call me selfish here. But I wouldn't lounge around a felon making my love story work. I would run like hell.
Anyway, the story progresses and the girl goes into a relationship with a guy, who, for all she knows, is a big time criminal. She half-heartedly asks questions and he evades. Again. And again. That is all that happens for 40% of the book.
The point being, how can girls be so fucking stupid and dumb? Don't you have any sense of self-preservation at all?
I mean, for heaven's sake, the guy snatches the microphone from the principal of the school during a morning assembly to threaten and warn everyone to treat Lucy(that's the girl's name) right. And if not, he'd break their legs. Is this normal? Does this really happens at high schools? And oh, to get everyone's' attention he says: Shut up, you sons of bitch. In front of the entire school school faculty and the principal.
Now, pray someone tell me is this really acceptable, because if I pulled that stint at my school, I'l be kicked out before I can blink an eye.
And the best part: Everyone listens to him. That just shows what a serious threat and bully he is. And Lucy finds him hot.
Anyway, the story progresses which merely consists of Lucy finding out about Jude's(The Boy) past crimes and all, breaking up with him and getting back together. And forgiving his
So, that was the bad, cynical part.
Lucy Larson aka The Girl
Yes, she deserves her own separate rant
She is bitchy, rude and a typical dumb high-schooler. Most of why I didn't like this book is because of this one single girl.
Her priorities are absolutely messed up. It was really ridiculous. She doesn't questions her felon boyfriend's criminal motives and trusts him wholeheartedly. But when she sees him hugging another girl and eavesdrops on their conversation, BAM! shoots the whole trust thing down to hell and dumps him the next day.
God, would you just stop? Can't you just wait a minute, talk it out and sort through your differences instead of making us sit through 10 more pages of unnecessary emotional drama and heartache?
Why don't people just communicate?
At one point, after their oh-so-heartbreaking breakup, she meets him again and he accuses her of not trusting him enough. He is hurting and sad. And she fucking knows that, and still lets him walk away. And, right at this moment, she is thinking, This is the biggest regret of her life, letting him go away.
Are you fucking retarded? If you know it's a mistake and you
And then, she goes into a relationship with another guy whom she didn't initially trust or even like. Then, why oh why, do you agree to be his girlfriend?
This just sums up my feeling toward her:
So, that's about it. That is the story.
Now, whether you like it or hate it, it depends on the fact whether you can accept the love story for what it is or your cynicism breaks through and reduces the whole mushy affair into an infuriating, eye-rolling episode.
Since, I am a cynic by heart, I couldn't get past the stupidness to really appreciate the love story. It was too unbelievable and ridiculous.
So, try it out if a bad-boy-perfect-girl story is your thing.
April 24, 2013
Spoiler Free Review
4.5 STARS out of 5
Genre: YA Romance
"That's why I didn't call. That's why I didn't show up on your doorstep the second i was released from juvy like i wanted to. I'm cancer Luce. And not the kind you can kill off with radiation. The kind that kills you in the end." - Jude in
Listening to Jude refer to himself as death was scary. How could someone so young think so cruel of himself???
This book was HELLAH GOOD! Jude was the town badboy and he played his role to a T. If you love YA Romance READ THIS BOOK!
The Larson family recently had to downsize due to finances just weeks before the new school year. The beach house is now their only dwelling place since they sold the main house. Lucy Larson is about to enter senior year at a new school Southpointe High. She has no qualms with downsizing her only request is that she continues to dance at her dance studio. Dance is her life and Juliard is her next goal.
While out catching some sun rays she also catches the eye of Jude Ryder. He gives her "the look". You know the one that tells you i want you, you want me lets get together and.... you fill in the rest. But Jude doesn't make his move he continues to play football on the beach with his friends. However Lucy vows to be patient she knows he is interested. So she decides to wait it out, and lure him to her by using her feminine wiles. Of course she ensnares every males attention on the beach. And when she finally gets Jude's full undivided attention he says the last thing she expects.
"The names Jude Ryder, since i know you're all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and i don't do girlfriends, relationships, flowers or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we can work out something special."
Hahahahahahahahahaha!! I love it! What does a girl say to a cocky ass guy who thinks he is gods gift to women? Why she turns him down flat of course. And this leads Jude to pursue her even more. Too bad she is now playing hard to get.
Thoughts
Jude and Lucy experience alot of pain and heartache in this book. I felt for them both individually at different points in the book. Nicole Williams did an awesome job. The plot/storylines are well crafted and it leaves you turning the pages just to find out how it all ends. The chemistry between these two... HOT DAMN! It was EXPLOSIVE! My only dislike is the time the two was forced to spend apart due to Lucy jumping the gun on a certain something something that i can't reveal. So read the book it will not disappoint.
Jude-I just wanna slop him up with some biscuit and gravy YUM! He is DELISH! Everytime Luce describes his mood she starts with his eyes. And when they turn to liquid silver we know our man is pissed. His temper goes from zero to sixty in 0.2 seconds. And when it comes to Luce he does not play no games. She is his. PERIOD. Then he shows this softer side but you only get glimpses and it makes you melt. I love him. I want more.
Luce- She really put on there in the begining i did not think she would be able to hold off on accepting a date. She was strong though. I really felt for her and alot of the things she had to endure in this book. Especially when it came to Jude and his F'd up ways. And on top of that her home life was not so good. Her outlet was dance and i enjoyed how she would take it out right on the dance floor. Somehow dance allowed her to bare her soul and release her frustration.
Sawyer- I swear looks and charm can be deceiving. Sawyer was not the man i thought he was.
Taylor-Your typical female you meet and greet in high school. She was fun while she lasted. Hahahaha!!
My Ratings
Characters- Lovable and Witty
Writing Style- Excellent
Plot/Storyline- Potent, Solid, and at times Intense
Steam Factor- Medium/Moderately Steamy
Overall- I loved it!! Read it!
4.5 STARS out of 5
Genre: YA Romance
"That's why I didn't call. That's why I didn't show up on your doorstep the second i was released from juvy like i wanted to. I'm cancer Luce. And not the kind you can kill off with radiation. The kind that kills you in the end." - Jude in
Listening to Jude refer to himself as death was scary. How could someone so young think so cruel of himself???
This book was HELLAH GOOD! Jude was the town badboy and he played his role to a T. If you love YA Romance READ THIS BOOK!
The Larson family recently had to downsize due to finances just weeks before the new school year. The beach house is now their only dwelling place since they sold the main house. Lucy Larson is about to enter senior year at a new school Southpointe High. She has no qualms with downsizing her only request is that she continues to dance at her dance studio. Dance is her life and Juliard is her next goal.
While out catching some sun rays she also catches the eye of Jude Ryder. He gives her "the look". You know the one that tells you i want you, you want me lets get together and.... you fill in the rest. But Jude doesn't make his move he continues to play football on the beach with his friends. However Lucy vows to be patient she knows he is interested. So she decides to wait it out, and lure him to her by using her feminine wiles. Of course she ensnares every males attention on the beach. And when she finally gets Jude's full undivided attention he says the last thing she expects.
"The names Jude Ryder, since i know you're all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and i don't do girlfriends, relationships, flowers or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we can work out something special."
Hahahahahahahahahaha!! I love it! What does a girl say to a cocky ass guy who thinks he is gods gift to women? Why she turns him down flat of course. And this leads Jude to pursue her even more. Too bad she is now playing hard to get.
Thoughts
Jude and Lucy experience alot of pain and heartache in this book. I felt for them both individually at different points in the book. Nicole Williams did an awesome job. The plot/storylines are well crafted and it leaves you turning the pages just to find out how it all ends. The chemistry between these two... HOT DAMN! It was EXPLOSIVE! My only dislike is the time the two was forced to spend apart due to Lucy jumping the gun on a certain something something that i can't reveal. So read the book it will not disappoint.
Jude-I just wanna slop him up with some biscuit and gravy YUM! He is DELISH! Everytime Luce describes his mood she starts with his eyes. And when they turn to liquid silver we know our man is pissed. His temper goes from zero to sixty in 0.2 seconds. And when it comes to Luce he does not play no games. She is his. PERIOD. Then he shows this softer side but you only get glimpses and it makes you melt. I love him. I want more.
Luce- She really put on there in the begining i did not think she would be able to hold off on accepting a date. She was strong though. I really felt for her and alot of the things she had to endure in this book. Especially when it came to Jude and his F'd up ways. And on top of that her home life was not so good. Her outlet was dance and i enjoyed how she would take it out right on the dance floor. Somehow dance allowed her to bare her soul and release her frustration.
Sawyer- I swear looks and charm can be deceiving. Sawyer was not the man i thought he was.
Taylor-Your typical female you meet and greet in high school. She was fun while she lasted. Hahahaha!!
My Ratings
Characters- Lovable and Witty
Writing Style- Excellent
Plot/Storyline- Potent, Solid, and at times Intense
Steam Factor- Medium/Moderately Steamy
Overall- I loved it!! Read it!
August 9, 2017
This was adorable!!! I loved it!! I have to find out how their college years turn out. I hadn't read a teeny bopper book that was this cute in a hot minute. Hahaha!!
May 11, 2015
"The name's Jude Ryder, since I know you're all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and I don't do girlfriends, relationships, flowers, or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special."
April 15, 2017
This story evoked in me such a wide array of emotions. It pulled me in from its intriguing start, and pretty much held me captive throughout. There were some moments that seemed a bit farfetched, even for fiction, but then there were moments so sincere and absolute in which I completely lost myself.
Lucy meets Jude on the beach and is immediately drawn to him. Although Jude severely flaunts his arrogance and Lucy knows he's someone whom she'd be better off staying away from, she cannot seem to resist him. Jude ends up winning her over and they begin a roller coaster of a relationship that is certain to reel you in and keep you on your toes.
Jude Ryder wasn't only trouble, he was trouble with a side of danger and a dessert of heartache.
Heeey Jude...tortured, temperamental, explosive, sexy-as-heck, Jude. I'll admit to initially having mixed feelings and being a little taken back by his anger issues, but he was also very misunderstood and his underdog persona tugged at my heart. No one had ever cared enough to break through his rough exterior and see his good heart and extreme faithfulness, until Lucy. They both had secrets and were battling demons, and I was happy to see the growth and redemption in each of these characters.
Crashsets forth messages of hope and of the incomparable role love can play when overcoming life's most difficult circumstances. Lucy and Jude's story began broken from the cruelties of life, and I enjoyed their emotional journey towards wholeness.
You can't be friends with the person you were meant to spend your life with.
Book Stats:
� Genre/Category: Romance/NA
� Steam Caliber: Very steamy
� Romance: Intense, angsty, sexy.
� Characters: Bad-boy, arrogant, damaged hero. Sweet but strong heroine.
� Plot: Centers on an angsty, roller coaster-type relationship.
� Writing: Fun and sexy.
� POV: 1st Person: Heroine
� Cliffhanger: None. Story open for more.
� Next Installment: Follow up (published)
Lucy meets Jude on the beach and is immediately drawn to him. Although Jude severely flaunts his arrogance and Lucy knows he's someone whom she'd be better off staying away from, she cannot seem to resist him. Jude ends up winning her over and they begin a roller coaster of a relationship that is certain to reel you in and keep you on your toes.
Jude Ryder wasn't only trouble, he was trouble with a side of danger and a dessert of heartache.
Heeey Jude...tortured, temperamental, explosive, sexy-as-heck, Jude. I'll admit to initially having mixed feelings and being a little taken back by his anger issues, but he was also very misunderstood and his underdog persona tugged at my heart. No one had ever cared enough to break through his rough exterior and see his good heart and extreme faithfulness, until Lucy. They both had secrets and were battling demons, and I was happy to see the growth and redemption in each of these characters.
Crashsets forth messages of hope and of the incomparable role love can play when overcoming life's most difficult circumstances. Lucy and Jude's story began broken from the cruelties of life, and I enjoyed their emotional journey towards wholeness.
You can't be friends with the person you were meant to spend your life with.
Book Stats:
� Genre/Category: Romance/NA
� Steam Caliber: Very steamy
� Romance: Intense, angsty, sexy.
� Characters: Bad-boy, arrogant, damaged hero. Sweet but strong heroine.
� Plot: Centers on an angsty, roller coaster-type relationship.
� Writing: Fun and sexy.
� POV: 1st Person: Heroine
� Cliffhanger: None. Story open for more.
� Next Installment: Follow up (published)
September 7, 2012
This was really disappointing for me.
Clearly the author did absolutely NO RESEARCH prior to writing this.
She has no idea how fooball is played, no idea of the juvie system, no idea of the child welfare system, and honestly she was so far off the map with teenagers it was scary.
I thought to myself - self, why would one write a book about something they know jack shit about? Clearly NW thinks she is such an amazing writer that she can write something without doing any research and pass it off to her audience.
Whatever.
The whole premise made no sense, even though it had semi-potenial. Lucy is supposed to be so skilled at ballet that she has a chance to get into Julliard. How many time did Lucy think about dance, talk about dance or, I don't know, actually dance in the whole book? Yeah, like two paragraphs worth.
... What?
And the romance... What romance? It sucked donkey balls and was so unbelievable. Soul mates? I'll change my wicked ways? The love of a lifetime? Yep, it's all in here. Side note...I was really sidetracked at how the author made every character into a total hornball only thinking about sex, lingerie and BJs. And they're all in HIGH SCHOOL.
Really? Is this YA?
And Lucy was so amazingly hot that she could turn the town bad boy into a poet, entrance a 1,000+ high school AND attract the town god/rapist?
Wow. Didn't see that one coming.
Jude's rise to NFL-prospect fame and Lucy's walk on to the dance squad?
Yeah, ok.
The whole scene in the janitors closet when they were interrupted?
Of course that happened.
SPOILER
Jude's dad killed Lucy's brother through work place violence?
Tears. Sweet tears.
Honestly, save your money. I'm pissed that this was on my recommended list, that I spent money on it, and that there are reviews with 5 stars for this book. Is this the only book people have read this year? What makes someone give this load of garbage 5 stars?
If you're looking for an angsty teen romance check out by Tammara Webber.
NW pay attention, Easy is how a book should be written. (And RESEARCHED!!!)
I give it a craptastic 1 star.
Clearly the author did absolutely NO RESEARCH prior to writing this.
She has no idea how fooball is played, no idea of the juvie system, no idea of the child welfare system, and honestly she was so far off the map with teenagers it was scary.
I thought to myself - self, why would one write a book about something they know jack shit about? Clearly NW thinks she is such an amazing writer that she can write something without doing any research and pass it off to her audience.
Whatever.
The whole premise made no sense, even though it had semi-potenial. Lucy is supposed to be so skilled at ballet that she has a chance to get into Julliard. How many time did Lucy think about dance, talk about dance or, I don't know, actually dance in the whole book? Yeah, like two paragraphs worth.
... What?
And the romance... What romance? It sucked donkey balls and was so unbelievable. Soul mates? I'll change my wicked ways? The love of a lifetime? Yep, it's all in here. Side note...I was really sidetracked at how the author made every character into a total hornball only thinking about sex, lingerie and BJs. And they're all in HIGH SCHOOL.
Really? Is this YA?
And Lucy was so amazingly hot that she could turn the town bad boy into a poet, entrance a 1,000+ high school AND attract the town god/rapist?
Wow. Didn't see that one coming.
Jude's rise to NFL-prospect fame and Lucy's walk on to the dance squad?
Yeah, ok.
The whole scene in the janitors closet when they were interrupted?
Of course that happened.
SPOILER
Jude's dad killed Lucy's brother through work place violence?
Tears. Sweet tears.
Honestly, save your money. I'm pissed that this was on my recommended list, that I spent money on it, and that there are reviews with 5 stars for this book. Is this the only book people have read this year? What makes someone give this load of garbage 5 stars?
If you're looking for an angsty teen romance check out by Tammara Webber.
NW pay attention, Easy is how a book should be written. (And RESEARCHED!!!)
I give it a craptastic 1 star.
September 14, 2017
Meh...
This was just okay.
Listened to it on Audiobook.
Could have been part of my "meh" attitude toward this one.
This story was utterly predictable.
I had this whole thing pegged nearly from the start which made it loooong and a bit boring.
But, it passed the time in the carpool lane.
This was just okay.
Listened to it on Audiobook.
Could have been part of my "meh" attitude toward this one.
This story was utterly predictable.
I had this whole thing pegged nearly from the start which made it loooong and a bit boring.
But, it passed the time in the carpool lane.
April 25, 2013
The perfect weekend book!
It’s short, sweet, with a whole lotta� bite!
“You can’t be friends with the person you were meant to spend your life with.�
Lucy Larson
� Type-A personality.
� Snarky wit with its own attitude.
� The dancing studio is her only safe haven from her life that recently took a TITANIC of a nosedive.
� Has a save-the-world-one-thing-at-a-time philosophy.
And she’s in love with the one boy who she may not be able to save�
Jude “Ride Her� Ryder
“The name’s Jude Ryder, since I know you’re all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, I don’t do girlfriends, relationships, flowers, or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special.�
� Has the wit and snark to give Lucy a run for her money. (And that’s saying something!)
� Has a save-the-world-one-screw-at-a-time philosophy.
� The only save haven Jude has comes in the form of beautiful dancer who is the only girl who can tell him no.
And Lucy is mesmerized with the boy whose story in his eyes is worth memorizing.
But is Jude too much for Lucy?
Hell, is he too much for anyone?
I mean, this the kind of guy who only stops for a breather when there are blue and red lights flashing behind him.
The guy’s practically a walking WARNING sign.
“I’m cancer, Luce. And not the kind that you can kill off with radiation.
“The kind that kills you in the end.
It’s short, sweet, with a whole lotta� bite!
“You can’t be friends with the person you were meant to spend your life with.�
Lucy Larson
� Type-A personality.
� Snarky wit with its own attitude.
� The dancing studio is her only safe haven from her life that recently took a TITANIC of a nosedive.
� Has a save-the-world-one-thing-at-a-time philosophy.
And she’s in love with the one boy who she may not be able to save�
Jude “Ride Her� Ryder
“The name’s Jude Ryder, since I know you’re all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, I don’t do girlfriends, relationships, flowers, or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special.�
� Has the wit and snark to give Lucy a run for her money. (And that’s saying something!)
� Has a save-the-world-one-screw-at-a-time philosophy.
� The only save haven Jude has comes in the form of beautiful dancer who is the only girl who can tell him no.
And Lucy is mesmerized with the boy whose story in his eyes is worth memorizing.
But is Jude too much for Lucy?
Hell, is he too much for anyone?
I mean, this the kind of guy who only stops for a breather when there are blue and red lights flashing behind him.
The guy’s practically a walking WARNING sign.
“I’m cancer, Luce. And not the kind that you can kill off with radiation.
“The kind that kills you in the end.
Read
February 12, 2013***DNF***
Yeah, same story...
Ok, I have been refraining from rating or reviewing DNF books but I am not going to do it anymore. I have seen some friends complaining about people "attacking" them because they do not rate books the same way and this has to stop guys. We are not robot, we don't like the same books and we need to let other people rate/review books the way they want.
I didn't mark this one as read because I know most of my friends are absolute fans of this book and I deeply respect them so pls, respect me as well.
Let's be more considerate guys, GR is a great place to talk about books not to fight about them.
Read
March 6, 2014DNF at 6%. Sorry Jude lovers.
Love the Lost and Found series, love this author, and love my book bestie Christine = I'm going to try this book.
Love the Lost and Found series, love this author, and love my book bestie Christine = I'm going to try this book.
July 24, 2012
3 stars
I enjoyed reading this book. There were times the plot was confusing, a choice the hero made that did not go over well with me, and a little–or a lot–far fetchness, but I still liked much about this story. It was a pleasure spending time in the world of these engaging characters and freshing to read a young adult novel free from vulgarity and raunchiness. Over all, Crash made for a delightful afternoon read.
I enjoyed reading this book. There were times the plot was confusing, a choice the hero made that did not go over well with me, and a little–or a lot–far fetchness, but I still liked much about this story. It was a pleasure spending time in the world of these engaging characters and freshing to read a young adult novel free from vulgarity and raunchiness. Over all, Crash made for a delightful afternoon read.
![Profile Image for Michelle [Helen Geek].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1448463806i%2F5557851._CR0%2C13%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
October 13, 2012
09/19/2012 Full Review Posted on:
1.8 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb = 5 Cover / 5 Book Blurb, Total 5 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 1 Stars
Character Development = 1 Stars
Story Appreciation = 1 Stars
Worth the Chili = 1 Stars
A BIG “Did NOT Finish� [DNF] for me! I decided to read this book because several of my GR friends have read it and liked it. It has been compared with Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, so, have to say, the comparison intrigued me. It was also $4 on Amazon, so why not? I wish I would have not� I really should have saved my money and let others have this pleasure? Just not good. At. All. No real redeeming qualities.
Have you ever seen a movie preview that makes you laugh and say immediately, “I want to see that!!�? Then you fork over the $10 with the expectation, built from the preview, and were terribly disappointed. This is that experience for me. The book blurb is the best part of this whole experience. Oh, yep, almost forgot ... I like the cover too!
What did I like about this book?
1.) Hmmm�. *thinking* � *thinking* � Well, I kind of liked Jude. He was likeable, but the author rather screwed him up. He is a kid whose mother ran away and his father is in prison. He lives in a boy’s home, but goes to a local public school? He is a charmer, he is uber attractive [sex on a stick], and is great at football. He has been arrested around fourteen [14] times and has a juvie record a mile long. Has trouble in school and real anger management issues, but I liked him.
2.) This is going to sound terrible, but I really liked the cover, and the blurb�. [did I already say that??]
3.) Sorry, not much else.
What did I not like or appreciate about this book?
1.) Too many disconnects for me to enjoy this story. I’m one of those people where it has to be logical. I tried to tell myself this is fiction and I’m not the target audience, but it still gave me NUMEROUS issues. Jude, talking about this girl and saying woman? Lucy, same thing, using the term man with Jude. High school people I know [and I know quite a few --- they are literally everywhere] use the term boy. It is “boy� this, and “girl� that. Not man or woman? Also, the police process in this book. We had Jude’s friends involved in an incident at Lucy’s. Lucy was seriously harassed and her hair burnt [several inches off the back of her hair], her dog kennel burned to the ground and her dog killed [burned alive]. This was terribly downplayed in the book. This sort of incident would have been very traumatizing to a young girl, but all she worried about was about Jude not calling her the next day, the next week �?? These are a few of my issues, but it goes on and on and on� Jude becoming the “star quarterback� from the stands, the reaction of Lucy’s mother to Jude [very Mommie Dearest], Jude jumping out of his “borrowed� car and pounding the windshield of the honking truck behind them, Jude standing up and making inappropriate comments at an assembly � literally taking the microphone from the principal, who does nothing!!? Just overall, a very strange evolution and NOT believable at all. It would have been better to have created a vampire story if you were going to have this much fantasy.
2.) Where is the backstory on these characters? We learn in a paragraph or two about each, but then we go to the relationship and stay there. It doesn’t seem to be any deeper than that. Where is the story going? I read to 50% and the story was in pretty much the same place as after the first 20 pages or so. It was getting no further along than when I started. Just very poor character development, very poor story development.
3.) I hate the fact this is being marketed to a YA audience. There is too much inappropriate behavior without a story to back or give reason for actions. Bottom line � this just isn’t good. And, if a kid were to read it, they wouldn’t have a good story to put it into context for them. In places it just confused the heck out of me.
This book, in my opinion, isn’t very good. I’ve heard it compared to Beautiful Disaster, but other than the bad behavior by Jude, I couldn’t see the cause for comparison. I liked BD, but do not like this book. I really struggled to find positive stuff to say and I think that pretty much says it all?
I would absolutely not recommend this to anyone. Want to borrow it? I think I can loan my Kindle copy. Too bad I couldn’t let you keep it. Let me know if you want to borrow and I’ll save you the dime.
Happy Reading [NOT]!
1.8 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb = 5 Cover / 5 Book Blurb, Total 5 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 1 Stars
Character Development = 1 Stars
Story Appreciation = 1 Stars
Worth the Chili = 1 Stars
A BIG “Did NOT Finish� [DNF] for me! I decided to read this book because several of my GR friends have read it and liked it. It has been compared with Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, so, have to say, the comparison intrigued me. It was also $4 on Amazon, so why not? I wish I would have not� I really should have saved my money and let others have this pleasure? Just not good. At. All. No real redeeming qualities.
Have you ever seen a movie preview that makes you laugh and say immediately, “I want to see that!!�? Then you fork over the $10 with the expectation, built from the preview, and were terribly disappointed. This is that experience for me. The book blurb is the best part of this whole experience. Oh, yep, almost forgot ... I like the cover too!
What did I like about this book?
1.) Hmmm�. *thinking* � *thinking* � Well, I kind of liked Jude. He was likeable, but the author rather screwed him up. He is a kid whose mother ran away and his father is in prison. He lives in a boy’s home, but goes to a local public school? He is a charmer, he is uber attractive [sex on a stick], and is great at football. He has been arrested around fourteen [14] times and has a juvie record a mile long. Has trouble in school and real anger management issues, but I liked him.
2.) This is going to sound terrible, but I really liked the cover, and the blurb�. [did I already say that??]
3.) Sorry, not much else.
What did I not like or appreciate about this book?
1.) Too many disconnects for me to enjoy this story. I’m one of those people where it has to be logical. I tried to tell myself this is fiction and I’m not the target audience, but it still gave me NUMEROUS issues. Jude, talking about this girl and saying woman? Lucy, same thing, using the term man with Jude. High school people I know [and I know quite a few --- they are literally everywhere] use the term boy. It is “boy� this, and “girl� that. Not man or woman? Also, the police process in this book. We had Jude’s friends involved in an incident at Lucy’s. Lucy was seriously harassed and her hair burnt [several inches off the back of her hair], her dog kennel burned to the ground and her dog killed [burned alive]. This was terribly downplayed in the book. This sort of incident would have been very traumatizing to a young girl, but all she worried about was about Jude not calling her the next day, the next week �?? These are a few of my issues, but it goes on and on and on� Jude becoming the “star quarterback� from the stands, the reaction of Lucy’s mother to Jude [very Mommie Dearest], Jude jumping out of his “borrowed� car and pounding the windshield of the honking truck behind them, Jude standing up and making inappropriate comments at an assembly � literally taking the microphone from the principal, who does nothing!!? Just overall, a very strange evolution and NOT believable at all. It would have been better to have created a vampire story if you were going to have this much fantasy.
2.) Where is the backstory on these characters? We learn in a paragraph or two about each, but then we go to the relationship and stay there. It doesn’t seem to be any deeper than that. Where is the story going? I read to 50% and the story was in pretty much the same place as after the first 20 pages or so. It was getting no further along than when I started. Just very poor character development, very poor story development.
3.) I hate the fact this is being marketed to a YA audience. There is too much inappropriate behavior without a story to back or give reason for actions. Bottom line � this just isn’t good. And, if a kid were to read it, they wouldn’t have a good story to put it into context for them. In places it just confused the heck out of me.
This book, in my opinion, isn’t very good. I’ve heard it compared to Beautiful Disaster, but other than the bad behavior by Jude, I couldn’t see the cause for comparison. I liked BD, but do not like this book. I really struggled to find positive stuff to say and I think that pretty much says it all?
I would absolutely not recommend this to anyone. Want to borrow it? I think I can loan my Kindle copy. Too bad I couldn’t let you keep it. Let me know if you want to borrow and I’ll save you the dime.
Happy Reading [NOT]!
November 1, 2012
� HEY JUDE, YOU STOLE MY HEART, FROM THE MOMENT YOU CAUGHT THAT FOOTBALL�
Jude Ryder Jamieson stole this reader's heart from the get go:
“The name’s Jude Ryder, since I know you’re all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and I don’t do girlfriends, relationships, flowers or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special.�
Yep, Lucy never stood a chance! Lucy and Jude's relationship hits a lot of twists and turns. A GREAT GREAT Story. Five Diamond Stars in the Sky for Lucy & Jude.
Jude Ryder Jamieson stole this reader's heart from the get go:
“The name’s Jude Ryder, since I know you’re all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and I don’t do girlfriends, relationships, flowers or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special.�
Yep, Lucy never stood a chance! Lucy and Jude's relationship hits a lot of twists and turns. A GREAT GREAT Story. Five Diamond Stars in the Sky for Lucy & Jude.
March 11, 2015
If you ask me, this was a really good read, that's it if you're into cute relationships with lots of up and downs and you're okay with the drama. The drama worked out for me, it pulled me in right from the beginning, because I'm a sucker for drama and I won't even try to deny it.
Lucy Larson is a 17-year-old with the ambition of getting into Julliard and becoming a dancer. She's recently moved to a new town. One day at the beach, a boy catches her eye, that's it until he notices she's taken an interest in him and he comes over and strikes a conversation with her. And so it begins. He supposedly lives next to her which is a lie.
Jude Ryder is kind of fucked-up, you see. His father is in jail, his mother bailed on him. He's living in a boy's home and things are not pretty in his life, until he meets Lucy and she becomes the girl he wants to marry.
The thing about this, is that it has amazing characters. I loved the characters from the beginning and that's why it got me hooked up. Jude is not your typical bad-boy, he's actually very nice. He just has a temper and he hates all the pretentious shits at his school, which is okay because once upon a time when I went to highscool, I hated everybody and wanted to stab them in the eye. He's been through hell, his life couldn't be any worse but he just keeps on going. What misses from his life is someone to motivate him, someone to make him see how good he is. That's where Lucy comes in.
Lucy, well, she's not one to take shit from anyone, especially from Jude. She does not put up with his shit and she'll downright tell himm if he does something to fuck it up. She is the only one who gets to him and the only one who understands and sees him for what he is. A human who makes mistakes and whose life is terrible.
While our characters have problems, they are willing to work through them because they love each other. It's actually one of the few high-school romances that I found so cute. Their romance is existential and not fictional and they're not just horndogs trying to dryhump each other. Cute.
Nicole Williams is a good author. There were some editorial mistakes but that's understandable and there weren't many so I didn't really take notice. I liked her writing, there is a lot of talk about feelings and I loved that. While the book is relatively short, she manages to make it full and I had a feeling of contentment by the time I was finished and I must admit that I wanted to get into the next one right away. I couldn't get enough of the amazing characters and their cuteness.
Lucy Larson is a 17-year-old with the ambition of getting into Julliard and becoming a dancer. She's recently moved to a new town. One day at the beach, a boy catches her eye, that's it until he notices she's taken an interest in him and he comes over and strikes a conversation with her. And so it begins. He supposedly lives next to her which is a lie.
Jude Ryder is kind of fucked-up, you see. His father is in jail, his mother bailed on him. He's living in a boy's home and things are not pretty in his life, until he meets Lucy and she becomes the girl he wants to marry.
The thing about this, is that it has amazing characters. I loved the characters from the beginning and that's why it got me hooked up. Jude is not your typical bad-boy, he's actually very nice. He just has a temper and he hates all the pretentious shits at his school, which is okay because once upon a time when I went to highscool, I hated everybody and wanted to stab them in the eye. He's been through hell, his life couldn't be any worse but he just keeps on going. What misses from his life is someone to motivate him, someone to make him see how good he is. That's where Lucy comes in.
Lucy, well, she's not one to take shit from anyone, especially from Jude. She does not put up with his shit and she'll downright tell himm if he does something to fuck it up. She is the only one who gets to him and the only one who understands and sees him for what he is. A human who makes mistakes and whose life is terrible.
While our characters have problems, they are willing to work through them because they love each other. It's actually one of the few high-school romances that I found so cute. Their romance is existential and not fictional and they're not just horndogs trying to dryhump each other. Cute.
“How does a guy like you promise someone forever at eighteen?�
“Easy,� he said, pressing a soft kiss into the corner of my mouth. “He finds a girl like you.�
Nicole Williams is a good author. There were some editorial mistakes but that's understandable and there weren't many so I didn't really take notice. I liked her writing, there is a lot of talk about feelings and I loved that. While the book is relatively short, she manages to make it full and I had a feeling of contentment by the time I was finished and I must admit that I wanted to get into the next one right away. I couldn't get enough of the amazing characters and their cuteness.
March 27, 2017
NO STARS! NONE!
NOTE TO NICOLE WILLIAMS: THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR MURDERING SOMEONE IN COLD BLOOD!
This book had a lot of problems, many of which were perfectly articulated by other reviewers, but the scene that turns this book from problematic to pure, unadulterated abomination, is the following:
WHEN JUDE ACTUALLY INSINUATES THAT LUCY'S FATHER IS TO BLAME FOR HIS (Jude's) FATHER MURDERING HER BROTHER BECAUSE HER FATHER FIRED HIS FATHER OVER A FAILED DRUG TEST.
First of all, IT WASN'T JUST A FAILED DRUG TEST! Jude's father actually showed up for work HIGH on Coke and Meth and ALMOST KILLED a guy on the job site. While Jude may not be old enough or educated enough to understand why his father's actions were grounds for immediate dismissal, it should be clear to Ms. Williams that Lucy's father was more than justified in firing Mr. Jamison; and a responsible author would have found a way to clarify this issue to her readers.
In point of fact, Mr. Jamison's actions were not only irresponsible but also illegal. When an individual shows up for work high on drugs and harms a co-worker, the law deems these actions "gross negligence"; that's not only a FIREABLE offense but also ILLEGAL. What's more, if someone on the job gets killed because of a drug induced co-worker's negligent actions, that's called "involuntary manslaughter"; and that, is a FELONY! And don't even get me started on the lawsuits that would rain down upon Lucy's father's head when the co-worker harmed by Mr. Jamison decides to sue Mr. Lawson for HIS "gross negligence" because he DIDN'T fire the man who was so drugged up that he put all of his co-workers at risk.
While I can, with great effort, forgive Ms. Williams for failing to enlighten her readers on all of the afore mentioned legal facts, what I CANNOT forgive is her ultimate justification for the murder of Lucy's Brother. Because, my dear, naive, Ms. Williams, it IS NOT, nor will it EVER BE OKAY to GUN DOWN a person because you were fired! Furthermore, and I cannot stress this enough, IT IS EVEN LESS OKAY TO MINIMIZE THE COLD BLOODED MURDER OF ONE MAN BY SAYING THAT THE INTENDED VICTIM WAS REALLY ANOTHER!!!!!
Finally, telling the girl whose brother was MURDERED by YOUR drug addicted, murdering father that you wish SHE had been the one MURDERED instead, is not only reprehensible but also unforgivable!!!! For that line alone, Ms. Williams, you should be truly, truly ashamed!!!
NOTE TO NICOLE WILLIAMS: THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR MURDERING SOMEONE IN COLD BLOOD!
This book had a lot of problems, many of which were perfectly articulated by other reviewers, but the scene that turns this book from problematic to pure, unadulterated abomination, is the following:
WHEN JUDE ACTUALLY INSINUATES THAT LUCY'S FATHER IS TO BLAME FOR HIS (Jude's) FATHER MURDERING HER BROTHER BECAUSE HER FATHER FIRED HIS FATHER OVER A FAILED DRUG TEST.
First of all, IT WASN'T JUST A FAILED DRUG TEST! Jude's father actually showed up for work HIGH on Coke and Meth and ALMOST KILLED a guy on the job site. While Jude may not be old enough or educated enough to understand why his father's actions were grounds for immediate dismissal, it should be clear to Ms. Williams that Lucy's father was more than justified in firing Mr. Jamison; and a responsible author would have found a way to clarify this issue to her readers.
In point of fact, Mr. Jamison's actions were not only irresponsible but also illegal. When an individual shows up for work high on drugs and harms a co-worker, the law deems these actions "gross negligence"; that's not only a FIREABLE offense but also ILLEGAL. What's more, if someone on the job gets killed because of a drug induced co-worker's negligent actions, that's called "involuntary manslaughter"; and that, is a FELONY! And don't even get me started on the lawsuits that would rain down upon Lucy's father's head when the co-worker harmed by Mr. Jamison decides to sue Mr. Lawson for HIS "gross negligence" because he DIDN'T fire the man who was so drugged up that he put all of his co-workers at risk.
While I can, with great effort, forgive Ms. Williams for failing to enlighten her readers on all of the afore mentioned legal facts, what I CANNOT forgive is her ultimate justification for the murder of Lucy's Brother. Because, my dear, naive, Ms. Williams, it IS NOT, nor will it EVER BE OKAY to GUN DOWN a person because you were fired! Furthermore, and I cannot stress this enough, IT IS EVEN LESS OKAY TO MINIMIZE THE COLD BLOODED MURDER OF ONE MAN BY SAYING THAT THE INTENDED VICTIM WAS REALLY ANOTHER!!!!!
Jude to Lucy: " 'It was supposed to be your Dad!' He exploded, everything draining from him. His shoulders rolling forward, his head falling. `It was supposed to be your dad,' He said in a whisper." (Page 406 MOBI Version).
Finally, telling the girl whose brother was MURDERED by YOUR drug addicted, murdering father that you wish SHE had been the one MURDERED instead, is not only reprehensible but also unforgivable!!!! For that line alone, Ms. Williams, you should be truly, truly ashamed!!!
November 11, 2012
UPDATE: I just wanted to add a little something to the beginning of this review... I would like to dedicate this review to my very dear friend "Jennifer Kyle"...Babe, this review was the one touched you enough to share, and the review that forged our closeness. You're the best, love ya!
It was love at first Jude...
"The name's Jude Ryder, since I know you're all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and I don't do girlfriends, relationships, flowers, or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special."
Yup that line all but did me in. Didn't work on Lucy Larson though. Even after meeting him on the beach, flirting with him, and then playing hard to get, he walks away but before leaving to tell her,
"So Lucy," he hollered, tucking the ball under his arm, "how much further are you going to let me get before you give me your phone number?"
Cocky or confident? Call it what you will, but it definitely worked for me...Still not for Lucy though. It's okay she eventually comes to her senses.
Jude and Lucy have the ever present "I want what I can't/shouldn't/deserve" relationship. Lucy has just moved from her former life of seemingly having it all after a tragic accident tore apart her family and eventually sent her father's business in a spiral downwards. She meets Jude, the bad guy, the guy from the "wrong side of the tracks" or whatever and falls for him. And to that I say good on you Lucy! Why shouldn't the supposed bad boy have some goodness in his life? We all know it's deserved!
They have monuments of epic proportions to bound through. Lucy's first year at a new school and it's her last year before graduation. Everyone labeling her before getting to know her. Jude's myriad of issues complicating things at every turn. Lucy's insecurities and doubts. The popular guy in school Sawyer who also has his eyes set on her. Jude's anger management problems. Lucy wanting to get into Juliard. You get the picture right? Right. A perfect example:
This man was the pope, president, and god of dodging the topic. Too bad for him, he was dealing with the queen, holy mother, and empress of seeing through a man's steam of shit.
So much happened to these two separately as well as together. When you have someone telling you, after so much bad...
"It's hard not to recognize something special when life's thrown a lotta shit your way."
You can't help but fall in love. Their journey was a rocky one. I was a blubbering mess of tears for about the last 15% of the book. Some were sad tears, some were angry tears, some were shocked tears, but ultimately it ended with happy tears. I absolutely one hundred and ten percent loved this book.
No matter what bad things happened: the women, jail stints, anger issues..Jude summed it up perfectly to Lucy,
"You've got all my firsts. All the ones that matter."
It was love at first Jude...
"The name's Jude Ryder, since I know you're all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and I don't do girlfriends, relationships, flowers, or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special."
Yup that line all but did me in. Didn't work on Lucy Larson though. Even after meeting him on the beach, flirting with him, and then playing hard to get, he walks away but before leaving to tell her,
"So Lucy," he hollered, tucking the ball under his arm, "how much further are you going to let me get before you give me your phone number?"
Cocky or confident? Call it what you will, but it definitely worked for me...Still not for Lucy though. It's okay she eventually comes to her senses.
Jude and Lucy have the ever present "I want what I can't/shouldn't/deserve" relationship. Lucy has just moved from her former life of seemingly having it all after a tragic accident tore apart her family and eventually sent her father's business in a spiral downwards. She meets Jude, the bad guy, the guy from the "wrong side of the tracks" or whatever and falls for him. And to that I say good on you Lucy! Why shouldn't the supposed bad boy have some goodness in his life? We all know it's deserved!
They have monuments of epic proportions to bound through. Lucy's first year at a new school and it's her last year before graduation. Everyone labeling her before getting to know her. Jude's myriad of issues complicating things at every turn. Lucy's insecurities and doubts. The popular guy in school Sawyer who also has his eyes set on her. Jude's anger management problems. Lucy wanting to get into Juliard. You get the picture right? Right. A perfect example:
This man was the pope, president, and god of dodging the topic. Too bad for him, he was dealing with the queen, holy mother, and empress of seeing through a man's steam of shit.
So much happened to these two separately as well as together. When you have someone telling you, after so much bad...
"It's hard not to recognize something special when life's thrown a lotta shit your way."
You can't help but fall in love. Their journey was a rocky one. I was a blubbering mess of tears for about the last 15% of the book. Some were sad tears, some were angry tears, some were shocked tears, but ultimately it ended with happy tears. I absolutely one hundred and ten percent loved this book.
No matter what bad things happened: the women, jail stints, anger issues..Jude summed it up perfectly to Lucy,
"You've got all my firsts. All the ones that matter."
September 27, 2017
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1st book of 3 in a modern Juliet and Romeo story.
Reading order
Best thing about this book: Jude
Worst thing about this book: it was too short
This books turned out to be a REALLY great surprise. I went into reading this book with the thought that maybe this would be one of those cute young adults novels with a lot of fluff and/or a bit of smut. I can pleasantly and honestly say that I was all wrong. Since I am somewhat of an angst junkie this was exactly my cup of tea. It had its happy times but it sure was a lot of angst to. And I loved every page of it. I would loosly say that this is a mix of Beautiful Disaster, Easy and Slammed. At least, that's the feeling I got reading this. But I´m so happt too say I fucking LOVED this book, even though i didn´t like Easy that much (sorry guys, don´t hate me!!) Bad boy meets good girl (and we're talking BAD here, as in REAL bad news - stay away from boy), set in the last year of high school, mixed with tragic life events. Plus a shitload of drama, making this a roller coaster read. I absolutely fell for the hero from the very start, Jude Jude Jude, I love him. He was the best thing about this book, and the heroine wasn't that bad either, actually quite likable from time to time
Good news: there is a sequel, we get more of Jude!!
Bad news: it is even shorter
Reading order
Best thing about this book: Jude
Worst thing about this book: it was too short
The name's Jude Ryder, since I know you're all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, I don't do girlfriends, relationships, flowers or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we can work out something really special
This books turned out to be a REALLY great surprise. I went into reading this book with the thought that maybe this would be one of those cute young adults novels with a lot of fluff and/or a bit of smut. I can pleasantly and honestly say that I was all wrong. Since I am somewhat of an angst junkie this was exactly my cup of tea. It had its happy times but it sure was a lot of angst to. And I loved every page of it. I would loosly say that this is a mix of Beautiful Disaster, Easy and Slammed. At least, that's the feeling I got reading this. But I´m so happt too say I fucking LOVED this book, even though i didn´t like Easy that much (sorry guys, don´t hate me!!) Bad boy meets good girl (and we're talking BAD here, as in REAL bad news - stay away from boy), set in the last year of high school, mixed with tragic life events. Plus a shitload of drama, making this a roller coaster read. I absolutely fell for the hero from the very start, Jude Jude Jude, I love him. He was the best thing about this book, and the heroine wasn't that bad either, actually quite likable from time to time
You can't be friends with the person you were meant to spend the rest of your life with
Good news: there is a sequel, we get more of Jude!!
Bad news: it is even shorter
July 22, 2012
Love, love, LOVED this book!!!
I was up all night reading this book, Lucy and Jude would not let me go to sleep!!! Nicole Williams did an amazing job with this story, so well written; so REAL!!
Lucy and Jude; night and day, their worlds colliding in one dramatic way! Their story was very emotional, heartbreaking but inspiring! Their journey truly left me breathless with it's raw emotion and drama. The struggles they went through truly touched my heart.
Jude is a true bad boy, he doesn't date and he has a hell of a temper; then he meets Lucy. Lucy instantly falls for Jude, however, she tries to keep a distance after he tells her to stay away from him. This of course is hard to do when they go to the same school and rumors immediately start flying but not in a good way. Jude shows himself to be what Lucy knew he was truly capable of when he has her back at all times. However, their journey is not easy or smooth but rather one manic roller coaster ride of secrets, love, heartbreak and drama that you cannot get off.
"I want you to promise you'll leave. Drop me like a bad habit and don't look back, because God knows, it can't be me that walks away since I'm incapable of it" - Jude
"You can't be friends with the person you were meant to spend your life with" - Jude
If you loved Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire you'll want to read this one!!!
I was up all night reading this book, Lucy and Jude would not let me go to sleep!!! Nicole Williams did an amazing job with this story, so well written; so REAL!!
Lucy and Jude; night and day, their worlds colliding in one dramatic way! Their story was very emotional, heartbreaking but inspiring! Their journey truly left me breathless with it's raw emotion and drama. The struggles they went through truly touched my heart.
Jude is a true bad boy, he doesn't date and he has a hell of a temper; then he meets Lucy. Lucy instantly falls for Jude, however, she tries to keep a distance after he tells her to stay away from him. This of course is hard to do when they go to the same school and rumors immediately start flying but not in a good way. Jude shows himself to be what Lucy knew he was truly capable of when he has her back at all times. However, their journey is not easy or smooth but rather one manic roller coaster ride of secrets, love, heartbreak and drama that you cannot get off.
"I want you to promise you'll leave. Drop me like a bad habit and don't look back, because God knows, it can't be me that walks away since I'm incapable of it" - Jude
"You can't be friends with the person you were meant to spend your life with" - Jude
If you loved Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire you'll want to read this one!!!
January 23, 2014
O. M. Actual G! I have to say I would never have expected that twist and I'd have never expected it to work either. But it sooooo did!
Before I get to Jude and get all unnecessary over the hot bad boy... Lucy was a brilliant character! She wasn't an innocent, naive virgin. But she wasn't a ball busting maneater. She was an ordinary, sassy, teenage girl and I loved her attitude. I loved the first scene, on the beach, drooling over the hot guy playing football, trying to attract his attention. Lucy and Jude's first conversation was brilliant and really set the mood for the book.
“Lord help me, I was going to become a nun if my male radar didn't realign towards guys that were not walking penises.�
Okay, so back to the most important bit... the hottie. The bad boy. The hero. Ahh, love love love Jude! He's so broken that your heart bleeds for him. He is everything you absolutely shouldn't love, but everything you just can't help but want more of! He's protective, overbearing, misunderstood but his love for Lucy turns his crime ridden, tortured world on it's head.
“Luce," Jude said, stopping me, "I get what a piece of shit I am, and it's not awful or unfair or incorrect for people to call me out on what I am. But I'd like to think a person can change, and I swear to you I'm going to try to leave me piece of shitedness behind.�
I do wish that there had been a better description of the characters. I had to use a lot of improvisation when it came to imagining Lucy and Jude and I like to be able to picture my characters quickly when I'm falling love with them.
And on to the ending *sigh*. The most adorable speech that will turn your insides to goo!
“How does a guy like you promise someone forever at eighteen?�
“Easy,� he said, pressing a soft kiss into the corner of my mouth. “He finds a girl like you.�
It's most definitely YA, although there is a tonne of sexual tension, so I had to keep this in mind and appreciate that when some of the darker issues weren't delved into and when the sex scenes were reined in. But with that in mind, the writing was superb and I gobbled the book up in less than a day. (I do love weekend reading time!)
So, I'm going to end there and get a wiggle on, because I have CRUSH waiting for me!
February 27, 2015
Okay we went from this,
to this,
Oh man, I'm in love with a book.
“The name’s Jude Ryder, since I know you’re all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and I don’t do girlfriends, relationships, flowers, or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special.�
to this,
“How does a guy like you promise someone forever at eighteen?�
“Easy,� he said, pressing a soft kiss into the corner of my mouth. “He finds a girl like you.�
Oh man, I'm in love with a book.
January 10, 2013
11% in and can't read any further. I have no idea how this has such high ratings because every single sentence was like nails on a chalkboard.
Some things I noticed/loathed in the two chapters I made it through:
The first 7% of the book portrays a scene where the main character, Lucy, meets a hot guy at the beach. Hot guy is a total ass, tells her he's an ass, tells her to stay away from him, and she proceeds to then be consumed with thinking about him for the next 24 hours. She talked to him for ten minutes and suddenly he's all she can think about or want even though she keeps telling herself he's bad news. Then, he magically somehow figures out where she lives and leaves a present outside her house, then shows up and asks her on a date. Um.. WHAT?! Just no.
These two talk nothing like high-schoolers. Referring to the opposite sex as "man" or "woman?" Honey, no. You are a girl and he is a boy. They both have all sorts of witty comebacks that no high-schooler would ever think up. Lucy makes a reference to her "many failed relationships." She sounds nothing like a high-schooler and everything like a 30-something who has sworn off men after being scorned over and over again. No.
Lucy has apparently been adopting and rehabbing shelter dogs for the past three years. I call BS. First of all, it doesn't sound like her parents help her with it in any capacity and you can't adopt a dog without being at least 18. And secondly, no high-schooler would have the patience and time it takes to rehabilitate an abused animal. Especially not one who is so consumed with ballet and expects to get into Julliard.
Right before I stopped reading, Jude (beach asshole) shows up at Lucy's house and apparently lives next door, yet she's never seen him before. He starts calling her "Luce" - hello, nicknames and they barely know each other? Then her mom pulls up and starts making super bitchy comments about Jude trying to get into her pants and how Lucy is "never going to learn." I'm not sure what this woman's deal is or why she treats her teenage daughter like scum, but it's unrealistic at best and I won't be reading further to find out more.
Some things I noticed/loathed in the two chapters I made it through:
The first 7% of the book portrays a scene where the main character, Lucy, meets a hot guy at the beach. Hot guy is a total ass, tells her he's an ass, tells her to stay away from him, and she proceeds to then be consumed with thinking about him for the next 24 hours. She talked to him for ten minutes and suddenly he's all she can think about or want even though she keeps telling herself he's bad news. Then, he magically somehow figures out where she lives and leaves a present outside her house, then shows up and asks her on a date. Um.. WHAT?! Just no.
These two talk nothing like high-schoolers. Referring to the opposite sex as "man" or "woman?" Honey, no. You are a girl and he is a boy. They both have all sorts of witty comebacks that no high-schooler would ever think up. Lucy makes a reference to her "many failed relationships." She sounds nothing like a high-schooler and everything like a 30-something who has sworn off men after being scorned over and over again. No.
Lucy has apparently been adopting and rehabbing shelter dogs for the past three years. I call BS. First of all, it doesn't sound like her parents help her with it in any capacity and you can't adopt a dog without being at least 18. And secondly, no high-schooler would have the patience and time it takes to rehabilitate an abused animal. Especially not one who is so consumed with ballet and expects to get into Julliard.
Right before I stopped reading, Jude (beach asshole) shows up at Lucy's house and apparently lives next door, yet she's never seen him before. He starts calling her "Luce" - hello, nicknames and they barely know each other? Then her mom pulls up and starts making super bitchy comments about Jude trying to get into her pants and how Lucy is "never going to learn." I'm not sure what this woman's deal is or why she treats her teenage daughter like scum, but it's unrealistic at best and I won't be reading further to find out more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2012
Okay, I'm somewhere in the middle of this book and all I can say is...
"He wore [gray] for a deep-seated, philosophical reason."
I just died.
EDIT
Okay, book complete, many perfectly good brain cells now missing.
Why is the rating for this book so high??????
Mind boggling.
Come ON, seriously.
JUDE:
Major anger issues, major delinquency issues, major issues period yet he's super amazing at everything. He fixes cars, he fights like Jet Li, he's hotter than Bradley Cooper (impossible), he's been to jail an incredible amount of times yet is popular, he gets pulled from the BLEACHERS to be the new star quarterback. GOD, I haven't met a more irritating male character since that Christian guy from Fifty Shades.
LUCE:
You took the guy back after he stole a car to pick you up for homecoming and then got into a POLICE CHASE in said car leaving you stranded????????????
You've now entered the twilight zone where women (Lucy) have no self respect yet continuously quote their feminist notions as if they had some sort of position in their (Lucy's) lives (life). Wtf.
This book sucked.
"He wore [gray] for a deep-seated, philosophical reason."
I just died.
EDIT
Okay, book complete, many perfectly good brain cells now missing.
Why is the rating for this book so high??????
Mind boggling.
Come ON, seriously.
JUDE:
Major anger issues, major delinquency issues, major issues period yet he's super amazing at everything. He fixes cars, he fights like Jet Li, he's hotter than Bradley Cooper (impossible), he's been to jail an incredible amount of times yet is popular, he gets pulled from the BLEACHERS to be the new star quarterback. GOD, I haven't met a more irritating male character since that Christian guy from Fifty Shades.
LUCE:
You took the guy back after he stole a car to pick you up for homecoming and then got into a POLICE CHASE in said car leaving you stranded????????????
You've now entered the twilight zone where women (Lucy) have no self respect yet continuously quote their feminist notions as if they had some sort of position in their (Lucy's) lives (life). Wtf.
This book sucked.
February 11, 2020
Read this one a few years ago. Totally forgot what it was about, though.
Thought about giving it another re-read, but remembered enough that I wasn't head over heels for it. And that was teenager me. So I don't think I'd be impressed even if I chose to re-read this series this time around.
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May 9, 2019
"I'll be here, each day and every day on, as long as you want me to be"
Το βρήκα μόνο 50λεπτά και είπα δεν βαριέσαι ας το κατεβάσω 🤗
Μου θύμισε πολύ το Step up 1 σαν ιδέα και κοσνπετ, ευκολοδιάβαστο το τελείωσα σε μόλις 2 μέρες. Δεν δέθηκα όμως όπως θα ήθελα με τους χαρακτήρες κ ίσως να είχε ένα τσικ πάρα πάνω δράμα 😁
Το βρήκα μόνο 50λεπτά και είπα δεν βαριέσαι ας το κατεβάσω 🤗
Μου θύμισε πολύ το Step up 1 σαν ιδέα και κοσνπετ, ευκολοδιάβαστο το τελείωσα σε μόλις 2 μέρες. Δεν δέθηκα όμως όπως θα ήθελα με τους χαρακτήρες κ ίσως να είχε ένα τσικ πάρα πάνω δράμα 😁
August 1, 2012
I'm really quite on-the-fence about this book. I didn't hate it. I enjoyed some parts. But truly enjoying it took some work. Its pace is frenetic and its overall tone is a bit schizophrenic, not to mention extremely melodramatic. There are some serious plot holes, and a few relationships that just don't make sense. The high school dynamic is taken to a somewhat bizarre level at times. I suppose it makes for a decent guilty pleasure read if you're really into the whole "reformed bad boy" thing, and Lucy is likable. I did really appreciate reading about a girl who didn't take anyone's shit, but I couldn't help but feel there was an opportunity for more depth that Nicole Williams just didn't properly capitalize on.
I think overall what this book needs is an editor. Some of the grammar was sloppy and confusing.
"I didn't have a clue what time it was by the time Jude and I were finally able to pry each other away from one another..."
"Veneer girl caught on quick that I wouldn't be her personal doormat she could wipe the mud off her Valentinos on because she smiled..."
"And someday, maybe sounded appealing to me in ways a seventeen year old girl with dreams of a bright future shouldn't."
Translation:
For a 17-year-old girl with dreams of a bright future, "someday, maybe" sounded far more appealing than it probably should.
These instances are sprinkled throughout the text, not enough to make me think Ms. Williams is a bad writer, necessarily, but enough that I got the impression she's not the best at expressing herself with words, and she doesn't take near enough care in polishing her work before she sends it out into the world. And honestly, those mistakes colored the way I viewed the work as a whole. Even with the few silly moments and plot devices that made little sense , I enjoyed the overall direction of the tale, and better grammar/superior skill with the written word would have made it much more enjoyable. Having to muddle through poorly-constructed sentences and ill-formed thoughts made me a lot less sympathetic to what was going on in the story. It was distracting.
I'm probably being generous giving this book three stars, but it's one that I can't bring myself to rate lower. For all of its problems, it is still an enjoyable story with a relatively respectable heroine.
I think overall what this book needs is an editor. Some of the grammar was sloppy and confusing.
"I didn't have a clue what time it was by the time Jude and I were finally able to pry each other away from one another..."
"Veneer girl caught on quick that I wouldn't be her personal doormat she could wipe the mud off her Valentinos on because she smiled..."
"And someday, maybe sounded appealing to me in ways a seventeen year old girl with dreams of a bright future shouldn't."
Translation:
For a 17-year-old girl with dreams of a bright future, "someday, maybe" sounded far more appealing than it probably should.
These instances are sprinkled throughout the text, not enough to make me think Ms. Williams is a bad writer, necessarily, but enough that I got the impression she's not the best at expressing herself with words, and she doesn't take near enough care in polishing her work before she sends it out into the world. And honestly, those mistakes colored the way I viewed the work as a whole. Even with the few silly moments and plot devices that made little sense , I enjoyed the overall direction of the tale, and better grammar/superior skill with the written word would have made it much more enjoyable. Having to muddle through poorly-constructed sentences and ill-formed thoughts made me a lot less sympathetic to what was going on in the story. It was distracting.
I'm probably being generous giving this book three stars, but it's one that I can't bring myself to rate lower. For all of its problems, it is still an enjoyable story with a relatively respectable heroine.
July 22, 2012
FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED
4.5 to 5 Stars
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Hey Jude, don't be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
(The Beatles)
“Hey Jude� meets “Lucy In the Sky�
Venturing into the world of Young Adult contemporary fiction, I’ve had the pleasure of reading some really wonderful books lately. Nicole Williams� impressive first Young Adult contemporary is my most recent. A mixture of complicated and captivating characters, raw emotions, first love’s sexual chemistry, and an alluring and dramatic plot doesn’t come close to describing the marvels nestled in this incredible story. An especially well-written dose of some of the best witty and sarcastic dialogue between the two young lead characters adds to the comical side of an otherwise fairly serious read.
Jude Ryder and Lucy Larson are drawn to one another from their first crashing encounter on the beach. He’s a major bad boy, who resides in a Boys Home, with a seemingly unending list of legal offenses to his name. She, on the other hand, dances ballet, is a good student, and lives a rather quiet existence with her parents. As they both begin their senior year in high school, they grow closer and closer even though they both know in their hearts the probable consequences. The friendship-to- love relationship is met with innumerable obstacles - rumors, danger, lies, heart break � among others. And a tragic secret that touches both their lives in such a personal and heart-wrenching way is but a breath away lurking so close that it may tear them apart once and for all.
Saving the best for last, culminating in one of the most emotionally touching and sweetest endings that I’ve read to date, this unforgettable story will touch your heart and remain in your thoughts long after you’ve reached the ending.
I highly recommend giving this one a green light.
4.5 to 5 Stars
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Hey Jude, don't be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
(The Beatles)
“Hey Jude� meets “Lucy In the Sky�
Venturing into the world of Young Adult contemporary fiction, I’ve had the pleasure of reading some really wonderful books lately. Nicole Williams� impressive first Young Adult contemporary is my most recent. A mixture of complicated and captivating characters, raw emotions, first love’s sexual chemistry, and an alluring and dramatic plot doesn’t come close to describing the marvels nestled in this incredible story. An especially well-written dose of some of the best witty and sarcastic dialogue between the two young lead characters adds to the comical side of an otherwise fairly serious read.
Jude Ryder and Lucy Larson are drawn to one another from their first crashing encounter on the beach. He’s a major bad boy, who resides in a Boys Home, with a seemingly unending list of legal offenses to his name. She, on the other hand, dances ballet, is a good student, and lives a rather quiet existence with her parents. As they both begin their senior year in high school, they grow closer and closer even though they both know in their hearts the probable consequences. The friendship-to- love relationship is met with innumerable obstacles - rumors, danger, lies, heart break � among others. And a tragic secret that touches both their lives in such a personal and heart-wrenching way is but a breath away lurking so close that it may tear them apart once and for all.
Saving the best for last, culminating in one of the most emotionally touching and sweetest endings that I’ve read to date, this unforgettable story will touch your heart and remain in your thoughts long after you’ve reached the ending.
I highly recommend giving this one a green light.
September 27, 2012
Quick review:
Cover: Fitting
Rating: R
Thumbs Up: 4
Overall: Well worth the price of admission
Characters: Solid
Plot: Even the worst offenders have a chance at redemption
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Absolutely
Book Boyfriend: Jude
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
Beautiful Disaster like, sure. Jude however is the real deal. Jude is a real bad boy in ever since of the word. The drama that unfolded in this book had me riveted. Almost a five star but not quite. See my full review for why. Certain well worth the read.
For a full review and yummy pic, see my blog post at:
Cover: Fitting
Rating: R
Thumbs Up: 4
Overall: Well worth the price of admission
Characters: Solid
Plot: Even the worst offenders have a chance at redemption
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Absolutely
Book Boyfriend: Jude
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
Beautiful Disaster like, sure. Jude however is the real deal. Jude is a real bad boy in ever since of the word. The drama that unfolded in this book had me riveted. Almost a five star but not quite. See my full review for why. Certain well worth the read.
For a full review and yummy pic, see my blog post at:
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