Review of EVER by Jessa Russo

 

In September, I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Jessa Russo's début novel, paranormal romance EVER.  

Today, I'd like to talk about EVER, and why I enjoyed it so much.

Seventeen-year-old Ever’s love life has been on hold for the past two years. She’s secretly in love with her best friend Frankie, and he’s completely oblivious.

Of course, it doesn't help that he’s dead, and waking up to his ghost every day has made moving on nearly impossible.

Frustrated and desperate for something real, Ever finds herself falling for her hot new neighbor Toby. His relaxed confidence is irresistible, and not just Ever knows it. But falling for Toby comes with a price that throws Ever’s life into a whirlwind of chaos and drama. More than hearts are on the line, and more than Ever will suffer.

Some girls lose their hearts to love.

Some girls lose their minds.

Ever Van Ruysdael could lose her soul.

                                                                  EVER on Facebook

Buy EVER:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

*spoilers ahead* 

EVER, at its core, is a love story about a bond so strong it transcends even death. But it’s so much more than that too. 

EVER is a story about romance, friendship, mystery and death.

One of my favourite aspects about EVER is the bond the lead character, Ever, and her best friend Jessie share. Their friendship is very real and genuine, and creates some great moments. 

The only other friendship that supersedes it is that of Ever, and her ghostly best friend, Frankie. Frankie is a breath of fresh air in the paranormal world. Despite being dead, he manages to remain chipper most of the time, and is always there as a source of comfort for Ever, especially when she has reoccurring nightmares about this death. 

Frankie’s upbeat attitude is only dampened when it seems he has a rival for Ever’s affections.

The apparent love-triangle in the book was also a high point for me, because I usually loathe love-triangles in stories. This one is different, as Ever isn’t pining over two guys, one of them is a ghost. I think it’s a very powerful idea to explore, looking at how you get over someone you still love, and is in your life, but you can never have. How do you move on from that?

With a hot new neighbour, that’s how! 

The characterization of love interest Toby is where this story really stands out. He’s the perfect balance; not too perfect, but not a completely unlikeable arse, either. He brings out a new side of Ever, and makes her question the person she’s been up until this point. Always underlying Toby is the question of who he really is, and what he gets up to while he’s away. It’s Ever’s curiosity about him that hooked me onto the story. As Ever grew more attached to Toby, and wanted to find out more about him, so did I. He was a mystery waiting to be unravelled.

Another mystery that grasped me by its claws was the circumstances surrounding Frankie’s death, how and why he’d returned as a ghost, and what Ever’s reoccurring nightmares mean. The mythos Jessa Russo created was compelling, and the threads of it are weaved throughout the book, moving it forwards. 

For a début novel, EVER has a lot going for it, and though I did bang my head in frustration sometimes when Ever didn’t question Toby as deeply as she could have about his actions, there were still enough positives to make me want read the second book in this series, and see where Jessa takes Ever, Frankie and Toby next.

 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jessa Russo

AUTHOR BIO:
An unashamed super fan of all things paranormal romance, Jessa Russo reads, writes and breathes paranormal YA, rarely straying from her comfort zone. When not writing or reading, Jessa enjoys making memories with her awesome family and amazingly supportive friends, while secretly planning her next trip to New Orleans. She’s won a few flash fiction contests and had a short story published, but feels her greatest accomplishment is raising the coolest kid ever – a little girl with a Tim Burton obsession and a desire to save every animal she sees.

Jessa will always call Southern California home, where she lives with her husband Jon, their daughter Faith, Bronco the Great Dane and Lola the Chihuahua.

Find Jessa Russo at the following places:
Twitter | Facebook | Blog | GoodReads

                                                         

  

One Lovely Blog Award

Last week I was awarded the One Lovely Blog Award by Carrie-Anne. Thank you, Carrie-Anne!

To accept the award, I have to write seven facts about myself, so here goes:

1. As a child I had imaginary friends called Emma and Eric. When my mum found out the baby she was expecting was a girl, she and my dad wanted to name her Emma. I protested saying there couldn't be two Emmas in the family. My younger sister is called Lisa.

2. I've been abroad four times in my life, once to Yugoslavia, which is now known as Serbia and Montenegro. I don't remember much about the holiday, as I was three years-old, but my mum has a picture of me wearing a massive wooden mask. 

3. As a teen I was obsessed with the Brit-pop band Blur, and even wrote to lead singer Damon Albarn asking him to sign the picture I'd sent. He did so, and the signed picture took pride of place on my wall for many years. I unfortuately lost it when I moved house though.

 4. I've - thankfully - never broken a bone in my body. Though I did have to have surgery as a child for a Hiatus hernia.

5. My oldest son was due on my twentieth birthday. The considerate boy was born a week early, so I could still go out with my friends for a few hours and celebrate.

6. I'm not allergic to any food, though I do have an aversion to sea food, especially prawns (shrimp). Their little eyes creep me the heck out!

7. I have my lip pierced. During my late teens, I went through a Goth phase and getting my lip pierced was one of the things I did, along with dying my hair black, and wearing white face make up. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt at all, though the anaesthetic almost made me sick, and caused me to drool everywhere on the bus home! Though I dress a little more 'normally' now, I still have my lip piercing, as it's part of me. 

I pass this award onto the following fabulous people:

Kyra Lennon

JayBird

Candilynn Fite

Christine Rains

Victoria Smith

Jaycee DeLorenzo

Carrie Butler

In other news, Hubby started reading through Cupid for me; we had a massive discussion on Friday, and worked out all the kinks for the ending. I'm so excited about what we came up with, it's gonna be awesome. Getting back to my read through today. So far, I've changed tense and made minor corrections to 37,993 our of 67, 733 words, and one of my CPs has read through seven chapters, so everything is progressing nicely.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my new personal blog, The Life and Loves of Clare Dugmore - I'll probably have another update later this week. :D

Also, before I go, can I please remind everyone about Jessa Russo's Ghosts and the Girls Who Love Them bloghop. It ends on October 15th, and my entry can be seen here.  Please check it out, and vote for me if you haven't already. 

Finally, what do you all think of my new header. I made it using vector stock from Vector Open Stock and love it. Isn't it pretty?

Hope everyone has a great week, I'll try to get around to as many blogs as possible during the week.

EVER by Jessa Russo Now Avaliable!

Hey guys and dolls, how's it going? 

Don't look so startled - I don't bite. 

My name's Frankie. And I'm just a regular guy. 

Well, except for the whole ghost thing, I guess. 

You’re probably wondering what I'm doing here. Well, it’s pretty simple actually. Something is coming for my best friend Ever - something I alone cannot protect her from. Regardless of how much I love her how hard I try. 

So I have to spread the word.

And I need your help to do it.

I've been a bystander for far too long, trapped in this ghostly shell for the past two years. I've decided it’s time to make myself known and set some things into motion. See, I've hijacked Amazon, Curiosity Quills Press, and blogs all over the internet to make my move. 

You're probably wondering why, right? 

Well allow me to be a bit more specific. Something isn't just coming for Ever; her actual soul is in danger. So I've decided to stay silent no longer. Word needs to spread. People need to know. 

Evil lurks in the shadows.  

To give Ever more time to figure things out and try to protect herself from the trouble that awaits her, I'm upping the publication date of our story. 

 I'm sure you can understand. I mean, souls are on the line here. 

So, with that said, EVER IS NOW AVAILABLE. Yes, you read that right. NOW. I couldn't wait any longer, so I did what I had to do to protect that stubborn girl I love my best friend, Ever. 

I had to do it. Some things are too important to wait for, and Ever is one of those things for me.

Now as you’re spreading the word about this new development, take heed this one warning:

Evil lurks in the shadows. And not just any evil. 

It’s disguised as that slick talking, good-looking bastard, Toby James ... the new kid next door. 

Goodreads

Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GHOSTS (and the girls who love them!) BLOG-HOP.

Today I'm here with Jessa Russo's GHOSTS (and the girls who love them!) BLOG-HOP, which Jessa is hosting in honour of her forthcoming paranormal romance, EVER, released on 1st October 2012 - make sure you check it out, I'm reading it now and it's awesome. 

Also, make sure you check back here on9th November, for my review of EVER. 

Here's what Jessa had to say about the bloghop:

Write a flash fiction piece, no less than 300 words, and no more than 1000 words, inspired by EVER's main theme: GHOSTLY PARANORMAL ROMANCE. It can be sweet, scary, sexy, young adult, middle grade, adult, etc. My only requirement aside from sticking with the theme of ghosts is NO PORN. A little erotica is fine, but nothing crazy, please. Keep it classy. ;-)

Thanks to Jessa for hosting this excellent hop and offering prizes, and also thank you to all those judging or who also offered prizes. Additional thanks to my Hubby and new critique group, UnbornWriters, who offered their advice and in put.

Blessed with a Second Chance

    Today should be the happiest day of my life. It was one of the happiest days of my life, though also tinged with sadness

     When Daniel and I started dating, it was a huge step forwards for me, but I never thought I'd get married again.

Until today.

When Daniel dropped down on one knee in front of our friends and family, I wanted to say yes, my heart screamed the words, but something different left my mouth.

     Panic rose in my chest like a band around my lungs. "I need more time." I gasped for air, as I saw the hurt in Daniel's eyes.

      I ran from the restaurant without another word, and didn't stop running until I got to him.

     I looked down at the lovingly tended marble headstone.

Joseph Roberts

Loving Husband, Brother and Son

June 23^rd 1980-December 12^th 2007

     When we got married at twenty-two, they'd said we were too young. I wish we'd done it sooner. Five years wasn't enough time.

     "Joey, I miss you."

     The wind whispered through the trees as if to answer.

     "What do I do?" I knelt and I ran my fingers across the inscription.

     "Trust your heart," the sound of his voice in my head was so clear, so real, I could have sworn he was standing behind me.

     Rising, I took a step backwards, seeking his embrace, and stepped into the warmth of his arms. I closed my eyes, imagining he was holding me. Five years without his touch, but still I craved it in my time of need.

     When I opened my eyes again, he was there.

     "How?" My voice was barely a whisper. I reached out a fingertip to caresses Joseph's cheek, as tears blurred my vision. I blinked away the droplets desperately. I wasn't going crazy. He was really there.

     "I don't know how, but we've been given this time together."

     "Joey, don't let me go." I clung to the flesh and bones I thought I'd never feel again.

     For a few moments, we stood in silence as I lost myself in the feel and scent of him. Every sensation I'd missed so much since he'd left me.

     "Tell me about him." Joseph didn't need to use the name for me to know he meant Daniel.

     "You'd like him. I think if you met under different circumstances, you'd be friends. He's kind, and funny, and loves the outdoors too. He looks after me."

     Smiling, Joseph cupped my face. "I'm so glad you're happy."

     Having his hand on my skin was like he'd never left me. I grasped his fingers and brought them to my mouth, brushing my lips lightly across his knuckles. Joseph's wedding band glinted. I instantly felt guilty as I remembered the enormous solitaire diamond Daniel had presented me with.

     "What's wrong?" He slipped his fingers under my chin, and tilted my head up so our eyes met. I stared into the pools of blue, never wanting to leave this moment. The tears I'd kept at bay threatened to return. "Abby, what is it?"

     "Daniel asked me to marry him."

     "That's fantastic news." My head dropped and Joseph pulled his lip between his bottom teeth. "Isn't it?"

     "I don't know. I'm not ready."

     The earlier tightness in my chest returned.

     "Not ready for what? To marry again or let me go?"

     "Both."

     "Abby, you've got to move on. I'm the ghost here, not you."

     "How do I do that without you?"

     "Like you have been for the last five years. Go out there and live. Laugh, cry, love, hurt. Experience all that life has to give you." I heard the determination in his voice, that tone he used when he knew I was being stubborn. One of the many things I loved about him was that he could always make me see the right path, even when I was being too bull-headed to follow it.

     "With Daniel?"

     "If that's what you want. You said he was a good man, that he made you happy."

     He did make me happy in ways I thought only Joseph could. That only increased my guilt though. Should I deny myself this joy?

     "You don't mind?"

     "Not if it makes you happy."

     "What about you? What makes you happy now that you're … " I couldn't bring myself to say the words.

     "I'm not really allowed to say, but I'm at peace. I'm happy."

     "That's good."

     We lapsed into silence again, as I battled the fears that had been gnawing at me since Daniel and I had gotten serious. Always knowing how to sooth me, Joseph ran one strong hand down my back.

     "What happens if I marry Daniel and it doesn't work out? Or worse, what if I lose him too?"

     His eyes shone with tears for a moment. "Would you have still married me if you'd have known we'd only have five years together?"

     "Of course, in a heartbeat," I said without hesitation. The only thing about our relationship that left me with regrets was how little time we'd had together.

     "Then there's your answer. Enjoy today, Abby. Don't dwell on tomorrow." There was that tone again, the one that told me I was being mulish.

     He took a step away from me, his image flickered and weakened. I knew we didn't have long.

     "I love you," I said, reaching for him desperately, but it was too late.

     "I love you, too."

     I sensed his presence leaving, and I could no longer see his face.

     "Will I see you again?"

     "On the other side, yes. But it's not your time for that … " Joseph's words turned to whispers on the trees, and I was alone. Though I knew I'd never truly be by myself. Joseph would remain in my heart, and if I chose - Daniel by my side.

     I realised how lucky I was, blessed with a second chance.