THE GIRL I WAS BEFORE by Ginger Scott is finally here! Check out the review and giveaway below!
THE GIRL I WAS BEFORE (Falling #3)
NA Contemporary Romance
Scheduled to release: June 23, 2015
BLURB:
I’m the selfish one. I suppose that’s the nicest thing people say about me. I’ve heard the other things, too. “Paige Owens is a pretty girl with nothing else to offer. She’s just a good time at a party. She’s stupid, heartless, cold and useless. All she cares about is getting a guy to look at her. Why would anyone want to be her friend?”Some of those things are true. Others were true. They’re all hurtful.
None of it matters.
I’m ready to make the hard choices. I’m ready to face the consequences. I’m ready to be the girl I was before, and I’m done being the one who lost her way.
I’m ready to become the girl Houston Orr sees when he looks at me.
Houston isn’t a star athlete. He doesn’t play in a band. He’s never going to be president, and his life is so far away from simple and easy it isn’t even funny. He wasn’t part of my plan. But I’m starting to think plans are overrated, and maybe our stories are what we make them. And mine depends entirely on me, and the choices I make…starting now.
Houston is my fairytale. He’s perfectly imperfect. He’s poetry and life. He’s truth and heartbreak, all rolled up in a tall body with dark hair, broad shoulders and green eyes that lull me into submission. He’s nothing I ever thought I wanted, but the very thing I need. He’s the only guy I’ve ever really loved, and he thinks I’m a princess. I fell into him, and now I’m holding on.
But sometimes life takes away our ability to choose. Sometimes…things aren’t in your control. Sometimes, it hurts to be selfless. My only hope is that when it comes time to choose, I get it right.
Welcome to my once upon a time and wish for happily ever after.
Shel: FULL DISCLOSURE: I had the privilege of reading The Girl I Was Before as Ginger was writing it. I loved the idea of Paige's book because she'd been such a bitch in the previous books and I was so curious about her--what made this girl so ughhhhh?
Shel: As I started reading, one of the very first things I begged of Ginger was that she keep Paige edgy--it felt like something new in one of Ginger's main characters/protagonist and she was someone I was curious about. Court: I think she pulled that off. Because, whew...I had thought of her as this mean girl in the previous two books, but then when we are in her head...
Shel:
1)Could Ginger make me like Paige?
2)And if so, how?
Shel: Let's tackle the first question:
Shel: Could she make me like Paige? Yes. Court: I hoped. But I hoped I didn't hurt too much, ya know?
Shel: Second question:
Shel: How?: Wellll, I have a thing about characters like Paige; I'm always so curious about what makes them tick. Ginger didn't make us wait long to see things from Paige's perspective--and there are definitely some things about Paige that you won't like. But you know what? Those things that make her frustrating were the things that made her feel real. The issues she had with her sister- the ones that no one wants to admit because they are feelings of jealousy or frustration--we all have them, right, well Ginger never shies away from those; she puts the good and the bad about Paige out there. Paige wasn't perfect but she was real. Harsh. At times a smidge narcissistic (maybe more than a smidge?). But she also had a streak of kindness that ran as deep and wide as the Grand Canyon. It was that kindness, that willingness to sacrifice that won me over (and also that even in her kindness she could still be sharp and snarky and honest--she didn't turn into a whimpering lovesick fool. THANK YOU GINGER!) Court: Nope. She was her own superhero right up to the last page. Which was AWESOME! I loved all of the parts of the story that surprised me, and for once...I can't and won't tell you what that is. I sincerely hope that it surprises you too! Paige's story is almost one of a girl who has fallen from grace, again not how I pictured things going down, but she has to figure out how to be different...as the title suggests, from "The Girl I Was Before." And I think the writing being beautiful, solid, and on pace sealed that up.
Shel: So where was this kindness in the last two books of this series? Hidden. It seems as though our Paige associates her kindness with weakness and once you know that, you know that she will not tolerate anyone thinking of her as weak (hence the very few "nice" moments in the previous books). I think she also needed Houston. He prodded her emotional growth along with his absolute refusal to take anything she said as offensive. He continually offered her patience and humor and his unconditional friendship until she couldn't refuse. Court: I like how you asked that about the kindness....I relate to Paige probably more than any other character in this series, and have a tendency to be gruff, rough, fast to anger, fast to go on the defense...a lot like her...but also like her, I also love fiercely and long...so I liked how as much as this story is about Houston, it stayed true to the fact that Paige had some growing to do.
Shel: Let me just pause here to say that Houston is so wonderful; I actually kinda think of this as more of his book in ways, than Paige's. He's so so so so so good. Kind. Understanding. Patient. Funny. Awkward. Smart. JUST OMGAH I LOVE HIM. (Thank you for Houston, Ginger). Court: Funny how the most is said about him in such few words, but it is true. He is a great hero and not the white knight saving everyone kind...you just have to read because of him!
Shel: *ahem*
Shel: Where was I? Oh yeah. I was telling you that you should read this book. Paige is a character you will love to hate, learn to like, and many of you will come to love her. Houston--well, I feel like you'd have to absent a pulse to not love him. Put all of this together and you have a good summer read--perfect for one of those lazy weekends; it'll pull you in quickly and before you know it, you'll be finished and feeling fully satisfied. Court: Right you are. Read in a day, and didn't even feel like I even stopped (damn real life activities!) at all. I had to have more. I think Ginger gave us a perfect blend of a third book in a series, but also a book that stands on it's own; is one of my favorites, and definitely, definitely has so much heart. This is not to be missed.
Shel: Happy reading~
GIVEAWAY:
Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a501259518/?
About the Author:
Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling author of eight young and new adult
romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How
We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, Wild
Reckless and The Girl I Was Before.
A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she
often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot
quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has
been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than
15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors,
scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work,
visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.
When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a
baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce
Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona
Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college
sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).
Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling author of eight young and new adult
romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How
We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, Wild
Reckless and The Girl I Was Before.
A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she
often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot
quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has
been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than
15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors,
scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work,
visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.
When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a
baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce
Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona
Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college
sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).
Social Media Links:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GingerScottAuthor
Twitter: @TheGingerScott
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/thegingerscott/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GingerScottAuthor
Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GingerScottAuthor/posts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GingerScott
Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com
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