Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Ready for You – J. L. Berg

Eight years ago, Garrett Finnegan’s world shattered the day Mia vanished from his life. He’s been struggling to pick up the pieces ever since. Haunted by memories and ghosts of the past, he chooses a solitary existence rather than risk his heart again.

Mia Emerson has made one wrong decision after another but none worse than walking away from the boy who stole her heart so long ago. When her new life is turned upside down, she finds herself returning to her roots and the hometown she left behind. Maybe now she can find a way to heal from the devastating mistakes of her past.

When a chance encounter brings these former lovers together, passion reignites in a way neither is prepared for. Can Garrett move beyond his anger and find a way to forgive? Will Mia’s insecurities and fears cause her to once again flee the life she’s destined to live?

Garrett and Mia will soon discover that they must journey into the past to find their way home.

Series: Ready #3
Release Date: May 25th 2014
Publisher: J.L. Berg LLC
Source: InkSlinger PR
Reviewer: Shannon
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

I have been waiting for Garrett’s story.  We met him in in sister, Clare’s, book and you knew there was a story behind the quiet, sullen man.  There was a reason, in the form of high school sweetheart Mia, but as everything unfolds, we discover two people who were meant to be together and were caught up in things beyond their control.

I couldn’t help but love Garrett.  When his character was first introduced, I had this need to hug him.  Despite not wanting to open up to people and generally pushing them away, you saw his underlying sadness and knew something had happened to fundamentally change this guy.  But the moment he lays eyes on Mia again, you completely understand what happened to him.  Despite what he thinks, he isn’t the only one that was ripped apart by what happened.  When Mia was forced to leave him on their graduation night, she left behind the only man she’d ever loved.  But when she lost her tie to him, she lost a huge chunk of herself.

Following the two of them as they navigate through getting reacquainted with each other and helping each other through loss is hard.  Their emotions tends to leap off the page, whether it’s hurt, anger, lust or their undying love for each other.  You could sympathize with both of the characters and just wanted them to figure out how to work around what happened to them at eighteen and be happy together.

I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series.  The author finds a way to pull readers into the story and place you smack dab in the middle of whatever emotional turmoil they find themselves in.  The characters are real and keep you in their grasp until the very last page.

With our bags loaded, we started to make our way back to the car, weaving through the crowd and enjoying the sounds of people talking and soft music playing. I smiled when I heard a child laughing.  I turned to see a child being thrown over his father’s shoulder.

“Garrett! Stop it! I’m too old to be carried!” The child laughed.

“You’re never too old to be tackled, Connor! We’ve got to get you ready for football!”

That voice—even after eight years, I would recognize it anywhere. My stomach fell to the concrete, and my feet cemented to the ground. I was frozen, completely frozen. Everything slowed. The street noise melted away, and each and every shopper disappeared until I saw him. He had the boy slung over his shoulder. They were both laughing and breathless from their horseplay. He looked older, but it was still him. He still had the same jet-black hair, emerald eyes, and dazzling smile. A beautiful blonde woman was smiling at the two of them as they joked around.

My heart finally caught up to my brain, and it felt like a jackhammer was beating hard and fast in my chest. My hands shook, and my knees suddenly felt weak and wobbly. I had no idea how much time had passed since I saw him.

Minutes? Hours? 

I didn’t know, but it couldn’t have been long since Liv was just now noticing my crazy behavior.

“Amelia, are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost,” she said.

When I didn’t respond, she must have glanced up because I heard her gasp. She’d seen him, too.

“I-I need to get out of here—now,” I gritted through my teeth.

“Are you sure?”

I just nodded and started to turn. I couldn’t face him. He probably hated me.

He had a kid. That hurt. My hand went to my chest, trying to rub out the pain settling there. He had a child. That meant the blonde standing next to him was probably his wife. Garrett was married. It had been eight years. Of course he would be married. I didn’t know why I was surprised, but he wasn’t supposed to be here. He had moved away. He was supposed to stay away. I couldn’t be here if he was still here. I couldn’t breathe if he was still here.

“Come on, sweetheart, let’s get to the car,” Liv said gently, grabbing my arm and guiding me toward the car.

I just gave a brief nod as I let her lead me.

We hadn’t made it three steps before I heard the words that made my heart come to a screeching halt.

“Mia? Mia, is that you?”

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she’s not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

Website: www.jlberg.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorjlberg 

Twitter: @authorjlberg

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/authorjlberg

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