Promises Hurt releases August 2
Synopsis:
I wasn’t planning on falling for Ethan Jamison, hell I wasn’t planning on our paths ever crossing. He’s the most popular guy at school and a complete player. Me; I’m the perpetual good girl, trying to carry out one last request. But when you make a promise, how far do you go to see it through?
~ Blair
It’s a running joke that I’m a terrible liar, if only people knew the truth. My whole life has been spent making excuses and deflecting questions. I was pretty good at it until Blair Thomas entered my world. She saw through the mask that everyone is so willing to accept. She makes me want to tell her all my secrets, but can she promise to keep them?
~ Ethan
My Review:
Promises Hurt is the debut work from author Elle Brooks and, oh my, what a debut it was. From the synopsis alone I was intrigued and from the very first chapter I was hooked. More like addicted. I devoured this book and stayed up way too late reading but it was so worth every minute of missed slumber. I loved it.
Blair Thomas was content with her high school career. She was smart and had her best friend by her side. She wasn’t really popular but she wasn’t an outcast either. A middle of the road girl, if you will. Everything was great until tragically her best friend wasn’t by her side any more. Now, after making a promise to her lost friend, Blair finds herself attempting to cross items off of a bucket list…to honor her best friend. One of those items is to date the hottest guy in school, Ethan Jamison. Blair had no intention of doing that but fate has a way of stepping in when people least expect it and Blair finds herself tutoring Ethan. What starts out as an easy friendship over a math book turns into so much more and soon the two become inseparable. But Ethan has more than a few secrets hiding and one of those secrets is killing Blair to keep. But she will do it for Ethan. Because bucket list be damned, she was falling head over heels for him.
Ethan Jamison had his share of girls to choose from. After all, he was handsome, in a popular band, and had that bad boy mystique going for him. He had never met Blair before but he didn’t care who was going to tutor him, as long as she could help him get his grades up. The last thing he wanted to do was give his father a reason to be pissed off at him. Not that the man really ever needed a reason. Pissed off was the only emotion he seemed to be able to show. Regardless, he would get his grades up with Blair’s help and lay low in his home and pray graduation would hurry up and get here so he could leave. Ethan never expected Blair would have such an effect on him. He’s never met anyone like her and she’s just the breath of fresh air he needs. A bright spot in his life that gives him something to look forward to every day. In a short amount of time, she has become to mean the world to him…something he’s never felt before. Could he finally have found love?
What Ethan and Blair have found is beautiful and rare. They both appreciate one another and the connection they have but there are more than a few outside influences that threaten to tear them apart. Will they be able to withstand family troubles and lost best friend’s promises?
Holy hell. I loved this book. Sure, it sounds like the typical shy girl meets hot high school star and they fall in love despite their social differences but this book was so much more than that. There is just something about Blair and Ethan separately as well as together that will stay with me. They are amazing characters with vast differences and yet similarities that drew me in and refused to let go. Ethan puts on a brave face but without giving anything away, has a weight on his shoulders that broke my heart. You know that saying that you never know what goes on behind closed doors? Yeah, that saying rings true for Ethan and his family. He’s the hottest guy in school and knows it but his soft side toward Blair had me swooning. He is kind and thoughtful with her and I loved that. He almost in a way reminds me of a young Travis Maddox, minus the fighting. Blair is quirky and fun and honest. All traits I adore reading. She loves deep and doesn’t waste time with half truths. She always says it like it is and I love that. Together they are intense and it’s beautiful to read. God, I just love these two! Now, I will warn you that this IS a cliffhanger ending and I know some of you won’t read cliffhangers BUT if I can sway you to do so, this would be the book to give a chance to. Again, there is just something about these two that had me glued to my e-reader into the wee hours of the night. It was just so damn good!
I cannot wait for the conclusion to Blair and Ethan’s story and thank you, Elle, for an amazing and intense read. I adored it.
Five Loves
Book links:
About the author:
Hello…
I’m a little neurotic; I function on a tiny amount of sleep and a huge amount of caffeine. I love green skittles and have an irrational fear of stormy weather. When I’m not writing about super hot college guys, you can generally find me googling them…All in the name of research of course. I can be persuaded to do just about anything with the promise of a good book or a bottle of bubbles. Oh, and I also love to write.