by Elisa Dane
Release Date: 04/22/14
Summary from Goodreads:
Nevaeh Evan’s life is uprooted after her father’s death, when she moves in with her aunt and cousin, Livvie. Her plan to lay low at her new high school isn’t working. Her friend’s jerky boyfriend keeps asking her out, the guy she likes treats her like garbage, and the thought of tumbling again makes her want to hurl.
So when her aunt pushes her into joining the elite X-FACTOR cheer leading squad, Navaeh goes along with it. But Nev feels she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Not after what happened the night her father died.
Bodie Scott knows about grief all too well. Critically injured in an alcohol related accident the year before, Bodie struggles with the fact that he’ll never play football again, and he’s so far behind in credits he can’t see straight. That is, until he meets Nev. Haunted by their bloody pasts and wary of a shared future, Nev and Bodie turn to one another for comfort and support, and realize they’re not so alone after all. And when the party scene at school threatens the life of a loved one, the two stop at nothing to keep the past from repeating itself.
Bodie Scott knows about grief all too well. Critically injured in an alcohol related accident the year before, Bodie struggles with the fact that he’ll never play football again, and he’s so far behind in credits he can’t see straight. That is, until he meets Nev. Haunted by their bloody pasts and wary of a shared future, Nev and Bodie turn to one another for comfort and support, and realize they’re not so alone after all. And when the party scene at school threatens the life of a loved one, the two stop at nothing to keep the past from repeating itself.
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Excerpt;
“Ahh...
Mr. Scott!” My gaze automatically swept to the front of the
classroom, Keltar’s loud, obnoxious voice almost impossible to
ignore. “So good of you to grace us with your presence today. I
trust you’ve learned something during your time away from school?
Violence is never the answer, young man.” Frowning, the surly Santa
wannabe begrudgingly swept a pink slip of paper from a tall, muscular
boy dressed in dark clothing.
My
heart jumped a little in my chest as I surveyed the colossal mass of
male student at the front of the class. What the hell were the people
of Indigo Falls feeding their sons? Some type of über growth
hormone? Over half the guys in the school looked as though they
belonged on the cover of a weightlifting magazine—chiseled, as if
cut from granite. And what was that about violence, and time away
from school? Had he gotten into a fight? From his size, he looked
like someone who could deliver massive amounts of pain with ease.
The
new guy stood in complete silence as Keltar continued on, delivering
the same tired speech he’d given me upon entering the room. The
same nervous feeling that had plagued me when I entered the school
just a short time ago returned with a vengeance, and I caught myself
struggling to breathe. What the hell? The new guy, whoever he was,
had a bizarre effect on me, and to be honest, it was freaking me out
a little. I mean, hell... I hadn’t even seen his face and I had
butterflies whirling in my stomach. How was that possible? What kind
of person had that type of effect on people?
Holy
Mary, Mother of Pearl...
If
boys were classified into two shades: light and dark, my Paper Thief,
Eli would hover somewhere in the realm of ivory or beige. But this
new guy was dark. We’re talking black down to the very pit of his
soul type dark.
Ebony
eyes void of emotion swept over the room before finally settling on
his seat: the empty chair next to Erin. Short, dark hair hugged his
skull, bringing attention to the chiseled line of his jaw. His
features were strong, hard, and entirely masculine—beautiful. No
joke, he looked like an avenging angel hell bent on mayhem and
destruction. Bad. The boy was bad to the bone.
Heat
scorched my neck and cheeks and my pulse ratcheted up another notch.
Electricity
arced through the air as he neared the table, and the oxygen in the
room seemed to thin even more. Incapable of speech or movement, I sat
open-mouthed, gaping at him like an imbecilic fool. The black T-shirt
he wore stretched across his broad chest like a second skin, and
revealed a set of arms, one of which sported a wicked tribal tattoo.
His gait was confident, yet lazy, and clearly shouted “I don’t
give a fuck. I’m only here because I have to be, so stay the hell
out of my way.”
Erin
cleared her throat and cast me a knowing “Well, well, well. Look
who thinks the bad boy is hot” smirk.
The
boy’s most stand out feature was a jagged scar which ran from the
center of his skull, down along the top of his left ear. It ended
just below the left half of his jaw. The skin was thick, raised and
silvery pink making it obvious that whatever trauma had placed it
there hadn’t happened that long ago.
Heat
scored the base of my skull, and I reached, as if on autopilot, for
the fat, rigid bump that crawled across my hairline. How had he
gotten his scar? A hundred different scenarios played out in my head,
none of which included the circumstance that had earned me mine.
~~~
Clueless
as to what had her so excited, I sat quietly and waited for her to
calm down. It was apparent she wore her emotions on her sleeve, and I
knew right away she was a straight shooter. This girl couldn’t lie
to save her life. The truth would always show on her face.
She
hooked a finger toward me and leaned in close again. “I cheer with
Livvie on the Diamond team. She’s been talking you up, telling
everyone what a great tumbler you are. Are you excited about your
tryout tonight?”
My
stomach fell as soon as the words “excited” and “tryout” fell
out of her mouth. I was most certainly not excited. In fact, if I
were being honest, I was dreading it. I’d lain awake most of the
night, worrying the girls at the gym wouldn’t like, or accept me,
and terrified I wouldn’t be able to meet the coach’s
expectations. X Factor Cheer was looking for a ringer for their level
five squad, an ace in the hole—someone with amazing acrobatic skill
to “wow” the competition judges and audience.
Someone
emphatically not me.
About the Author
I'm a lover of books (YA & Adult romance), chocolate, reality television, and am a proud mother to three All Star cheerleaders. Woot!
I'm a lover of books (YA & Adult romance), chocolate, reality television, and am a proud mother to three All Star cheerleaders. Woot!
I write Contemporary YA romance with cheerleaders. Yep. I write what I know, and it's my hope that my stories will not only take you on a romantic journey that will warm your heart, but that you'll find a new respect and interest in the sport of Cheerleading you may not have had before.
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I'm so glad you showed off this book and author :) I am excited to read her book! It sounds really good...
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