It’s been a while since I’ve lost myself completely in a book, but that’s exactly what Promises Hurt did for me. By that, I mean time just slipped away. I was in their lives. I was living, breathing, falling in love, and hurting right along with them. I looked up and realized I had been reading for 3 hours, and I had no idea. I figure if a book can make the world disappear and suck me in from the first chapter, it’s a keeper. This one did all of that and more. It’s emotional, intense, and completely captivating.
This is the story of the nerdy girl, Blaire, who gets swept off of her feet by the school’s “it” guy, Ethan. There’s so much more under the surface than just simply that though. Blaire has a bucket list of adventures to check off; Ethan has a father that despises him. It’s definitely not all light and sweet, but yet...is, at the exact same time, if that makes sense. It’s such a great mixture of romance with a serious subject matter. For me, it was a perfect balance.
At first glance, you’d think this was a very stereotypical story. You’d think it would be predictable. You would be wrong. I know I was. It’s so much more than you’ll expect, and I LOVE when stories hit me like that. There are so many more elements to their story than just simply a nerdy girl and hot guy, and it’s those extras that made this book for me. It also felt like the perfect high school dream. The hot guy you always swooned over wants you. Raise your hand if you dreamt of that in high school? I’m going to pretend that everyone is holding up their hands. It’s all of our teenage fantasies come to life, and there’s something very magical about that. I may be 29, have 3 kids, and a hubby but it doesn’t take away from the fun of going back and reliving that time in my life.
These characters fit each other so well, even though they’re sort of opposite. Blaire says many times that Ethan is so different from what she thought. He comes off as this egotistical player, when in reality, he’s charming, funny, and romantic to boot. Seeing the true Ethan come out and how he doesn’t care that his friends and classmates know how crazy he is about Blaire was so heartwarming and made me all giddy. I love love how witty Blaire is. Although she knows of Ethan and her best friend adored him, she’s still not intimidated by him. They have the cutest relationship and you’ll find yourself cheering them on from the get go. The flip side is that it’s not all sugary sweet. Ethan’s home life is horrible. His father is abusive, his mother doesn’t help, and he specifically asks Blaire not to say anything. It’s all very heartbreaking and Brooks does a fantastic job of making you really, truly feel for him.
BUT! That cliffhanger! Usually, I run away from books that I know end on a cliffhanger. Yea, I’m that girl. I will not touch them normally and HATE being surprised by them. This one doesn’t have a small cliffhanger where you can mosey on to your next book and come back when Book 2 releases. This one is more like the ”toss you off the side of the Grand Canyon and watch you fall” style cliffhanger. Ouch. Please don’t let that deter you from picking this one up. I loved this story, even with the ending. I don’t regret the last few hours while reading it. Cliffhanger or not, it was worth it. This book was fantastic.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Promises Hurt. Brooks has written a phenomenal story and the characters really seemed to come to life. I can’t wait for Book 2, as well as any future books by Elle Brooks.
<3 Erin
Coming Aug 2, 2015!
This is the story of the nerdy girl, Blaire, who gets swept off of her feet by the school’s “it” guy, Ethan. There’s so much more under the surface than just simply that though. Blaire has a bucket list of adventures to check off; Ethan has a father that despises him. It’s definitely not all light and sweet, but yet...is, at the exact same time, if that makes sense. It’s such a great mixture of romance with a serious subject matter. For me, it was a perfect balance.
At first glance, you’d think this was a very stereotypical story. You’d think it would be predictable. You would be wrong. I know I was. It’s so much more than you’ll expect, and I LOVE when stories hit me like that. There are so many more elements to their story than just simply a nerdy girl and hot guy, and it’s those extras that made this book for me. It also felt like the perfect high school dream. The hot guy you always swooned over wants you. Raise your hand if you dreamt of that in high school? I’m going to pretend that everyone is holding up their hands. It’s all of our teenage fantasies come to life, and there’s something very magical about that. I may be 29, have 3 kids, and a hubby but it doesn’t take away from the fun of going back and reliving that time in my life.
These characters fit each other so well, even though they’re sort of opposite. Blaire says many times that Ethan is so different from what she thought. He comes off as this egotistical player, when in reality, he’s charming, funny, and romantic to boot. Seeing the true Ethan come out and how he doesn’t care that his friends and classmates know how crazy he is about Blaire was so heartwarming and made me all giddy. I love love how witty Blaire is. Although she knows of Ethan and her best friend adored him, she’s still not intimidated by him. They have the cutest relationship and you’ll find yourself cheering them on from the get go. The flip side is that it’s not all sugary sweet. Ethan’s home life is horrible. His father is abusive, his mother doesn’t help, and he specifically asks Blaire not to say anything. It’s all very heartbreaking and Brooks does a fantastic job of making you really, truly feel for him.
BUT! That cliffhanger! Usually, I run away from books that I know end on a cliffhanger. Yea, I’m that girl. I will not touch them normally and HATE being surprised by them. This one doesn’t have a small cliffhanger where you can mosey on to your next book and come back when Book 2 releases. This one is more like the ”toss you off the side of the Grand Canyon and watch you fall” style cliffhanger. Ouch. Please don’t let that deter you from picking this one up. I loved this story, even with the ending. I don’t regret the last few hours while reading it. Cliffhanger or not, it was worth it. This book was fantastic.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Promises Hurt. Brooks has written a phenomenal story and the characters really seemed to come to life. I can’t wait for Book 2, as well as any future books by Elle Brooks.
<3 Erin
Coming Aug 2, 2015!