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A Little Too Far #2
A Little Too Much
In the follow-up to Lisa Desrochers’ explosive New Adult novel A Little too Far, Alessandro Moretti must face the life he escaped and the girl he loved and left behind.
Twenty-two year old Hilary McIntyre would like nothing more than to forget her past. As a teenager abandoned to the system, she faced some pretty dark times. But now that’s all behind her. Hilary has her life on track, and there’s no way she’ll head back down that road again.
Until Alessandro Moretti—the one person who can make her remember—shows up on her doorstep. He’s even more devastatingly gorgeous than before, and he’s much too close for comfort. Worse, he sees right through the walls she’s built over these last eight years, right into her heart and the secrets she’s guarding.
As Hilary finds herself falling back into love with the man who, as a boy both saved and destroyed her, she must decide. Past or future? Truth or lies?
Twenty-two year old Hilary McIntyre would like nothing more than to forget her past. As a teenager abandoned to the system, she faced some pretty dark times. But now that’s all behind her. Hilary has her life on track, and there’s no way she’ll head back down that road again.
Until Alessandro Moretti—the one person who can make her remember—shows up on her doorstep. He’s even more devastatingly gorgeous than before, and he’s much too close for comfort. Worse, he sees right through the walls she’s built over these last eight years, right into her heart and the secrets she’s guarding.
As Hilary finds herself falling back into love with the man who, as a boy both saved and destroyed her, she must decide. Past or future? Truth or lies?
416 pages, Unknown Binding
First published November 12, 2013
About the author
Lisa Desrochers
18 books1,557 followersLisa Desrochers is the USA Today bestselling author of the
A LITTLE TOO FAR
series, courtesy of HarperCollins. Also in stores is her YA
PERSONAL DEMONS
trilogy (Macmillan). Look for her upcoming adult contemporary featuring hot Mafiosi, begining with
OUTSIDE THE LINES
, coming from Penguin in October 2015.
She lives in central California with her husband and two very busy daughters. There is never a time that she can be found without a book in her hand, and she adores stories that take her to new places, and then take her by surprise.
For more info, find her on-line at https://www.facebook.com/LisaDesroche..., or visit www.lisadwrites.com
She lives in central California with her husband and two very busy daughters. There is never a time that she can be found without a book in her hand, and she adores stories that take her to new places, and then take her by surprise.
For more info, find her on-line at https://www.facebook.com/LisaDesroche..., or visit www.lisadwrites.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
November 12, 2013
4 Stars!!!
While reading A Little Too Far, I fell in love with Alessandro Moretti. I was glad to hear he was getting his own story. I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed this just as much (maybe even a bit more) than the first book!
Alessandro had a tough life growing up. Even though he has spent the last few years of his life serving others, he feels broken and lost, living a life full of guilt for his past. One of the main things he feels guilty for, the ghost that has followed him around all these years is Hilary. He does what he feels he needs to do. Leaves his home and family to go to NYC and find her. He needs to make amends, own up to his past mistakes and hopefully find forgiveness.
Hilary is living in the city with her ‘kind of’ boyfriend, working at a bar and trying to live her dream. She is a singer, an actress, and she wants nothing more than to end up on Broadway. Her life isn’t perfect, but she has her sister, brother-in-law and nephews, and she’s following her dream. Hilary has things in her past she’d like to forget, it’s just easier that way. Well, until someone from her past shows up on her doorstep. The one person from her past who was always there for her, the one who left her.
Hilary and Alessandro’s past is a tangled web. The more you learn about them, the more tangled it becomes. It’s complicated. Hilary and Alessandro spent time together and got to know each other in a group home as teens. She also met Alessandro’s brother, Lorenzo there. Hilary became particularly close to Alessandro, then one day, he just disappeared. Left her just like everyone else. Alessandro feels guilt for leaving her the way he did, but he doesn’t know exactly what he left behind, and Hilary wants to keep it that way. All Alessandro wants is for Hilary to let him in, talk to him, and find it in her to forgive him for his past mistakes.
Despite everything that happened in the past, Hilary and Alessandro become friends again, take on weekly NYC excursions. They get to know each other again, the feelings they share for one another start to intensify. They have a fiery chemistry that neither can deny no matter how hard they try.
Alessandro wants Hilary, he always has, but thats not why he’s here. He’s here to help her, heal her in anyway he can. He never could get past the things his brother did, how he left her. Until he can get forgiveness and closure from her, he can’t move on. Being together in that way would just complicate everything. But he’s not sure if he can stay away.
These two share more than a physical connection. They both have held on to the love they felt in the past for one another, even if they didn’t know it. Hilary needs to know that Alessandro won’t leave again before anything happens. She couldn’t deal if he left her again.
There is a slow burn between the two of them. Everything is starting to come together the way it should, then you get blown away. There was a definite shocking moment here. A secret from the past that will change everything between the two of them.
I adored everything about Alessandro Moretti. Alessandro is kind, patient, caring, sincere, honest, swoony and sweet. I love how he treats people. Not just Hilary, but everyone. I loved getting his whole story, not just the bits and pieces we got from the first book. Hilary is a great heroine. I actually enjoyed reading from her point of view, getting the back story between her and Alessandro. She is broken and struggling, but she is strong. She has a shield up to protect herself, but eventually Alessandro starts to chip away and see the real girl underneath. She is really a beautiful person.
A Little Too Much was an endearing and sexy story of heartbreak, healing, following your dreams, second chances, and love. A companion novel to A Little Too Far, this can be read as a stand alone, but I would highly recommend reading book one first. Not only does it give you some insight to Alessandro and his past, it’s just a really great book. I really enjoy this author’s writing style, the words just flow. A great addition to this series. Fans of the New Adult genre should definitely check it out!
***ARC kindly provided by William Morrow via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.***
While reading A Little Too Far, I fell in love with Alessandro Moretti. I was glad to hear he was getting his own story. I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed this just as much (maybe even a bit more) than the first book!
Alessandro had a tough life growing up. Even though he has spent the last few years of his life serving others, he feels broken and lost, living a life full of guilt for his past. One of the main things he feels guilty for, the ghost that has followed him around all these years is Hilary. He does what he feels he needs to do. Leaves his home and family to go to NYC and find her. He needs to make amends, own up to his past mistakes and hopefully find forgiveness.
Hilary is living in the city with her ‘kind of’ boyfriend, working at a bar and trying to live her dream. She is a singer, an actress, and she wants nothing more than to end up on Broadway. Her life isn’t perfect, but she has her sister, brother-in-law and nephews, and she’s following her dream. Hilary has things in her past she’d like to forget, it’s just easier that way. Well, until someone from her past shows up on her doorstep. The one person from her past who was always there for her, the one who left her.
He opened me up and saw my black, broken soul, and it didn’t scare him away. He made me believe everything was going to be okay. He helped me understand love.
Then a month later, he left. Just like everyone else.
Hilary and Alessandro’s past is a tangled web. The more you learn about them, the more tangled it becomes. It’s complicated. Hilary and Alessandro spent time together and got to know each other in a group home as teens. She also met Alessandro’s brother, Lorenzo there. Hilary became particularly close to Alessandro, then one day, he just disappeared. Left her just like everyone else. Alessandro feels guilt for leaving her the way he did, but he doesn’t know exactly what he left behind, and Hilary wants to keep it that way. All Alessandro wants is for Hilary to let him in, talk to him, and find it in her to forgive him for his past mistakes.
Despite everything that happened in the past, Hilary and Alessandro become friends again, take on weekly NYC excursions. They get to know each other again, the feelings they share for one another start to intensify. They have a fiery chemistry that neither can deny no matter how hard they try.
Alessandro wants Hilary, he always has, but thats not why he’s here. He’s here to help her, heal her in anyway he can. He never could get past the things his brother did, how he left her. Until he can get forgiveness and closure from her, he can’t move on. Being together in that way would just complicate everything. But he’s not sure if he can stay away.
These two share more than a physical connection. They both have held on to the love they felt in the past for one another, even if they didn’t know it. Hilary needs to know that Alessandro won’t leave again before anything happens. She couldn’t deal if he left her again.
“All I can offer you are painful memories and my broken soul, but I love you, and if you allow it, I promise to always love you. If that’s enough for you, then, yes, I’m back.”
There is a slow burn between the two of them. Everything is starting to come together the way it should, then you get blown away. There was a definite shocking moment here. A secret from the past that will change everything between the two of them.
Being with him again might gain me back my soul, but at what cost? Too much has happened. There are too many secrets. I have so much to gain, but more to lose. I have everything to lose.
I adored everything about Alessandro Moretti. Alessandro is kind, patient, caring, sincere, honest, swoony and sweet. I love how he treats people. Not just Hilary, but everyone. I loved getting his whole story, not just the bits and pieces we got from the first book. Hilary is a great heroine. I actually enjoyed reading from her point of view, getting the back story between her and Alessandro. She is broken and struggling, but she is strong. She has a shield up to protect herself, but eventually Alessandro starts to chip away and see the real girl underneath. She is really a beautiful person.
A Little Too Much was an endearing and sexy story of heartbreak, healing, following your dreams, second chances, and love. A companion novel to A Little Too Far, this can be read as a stand alone, but I would highly recommend reading book one first. Not only does it give you some insight to Alessandro and his past, it’s just a really great book. I really enjoy this author’s writing style, the words just flow. A great addition to this series. Fans of the New Adult genre should definitely check it out!
This is where I’ve always belonged.
“Everything that’s happened to me has happened for a reason. It’s all brought me to right here, right now. To you.”
***ARC kindly provided by William Morrow via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.***
October 24, 2013
Contains spoilers of A Little Too Far, first book in Too Far Series
After reading beautifully heartbreaking and totally out of this world steamy - A Little Too Far - I was in book nerd heaven. Lexi story was perfect new adult read that held a great promise of forbbiden love, passion and lots of lust. But no matter how much I loved Lexi’s story, my heart broke into tiny little pieces for Alessandro. He literally stole my heart – handsome, inteligent, honest, noble and gentle, he’s my perfect man. Sigh.
A Little Too Much is amazing continuation of Alessandro’s journey. Journey of broken man, that has close to nothing. Told from Hilary’s point of view, A Little Too Much is million times better than previous Desrocher’s novel. It’s not only entertaining and sexy new adult read, nope, this time Desrocher’s wrote a beautiful, enchanting and captivating novel about redemption, second chance and true, raw love. I swooned, I cried, I had thousand of butterflies in my stomach.
ALESSANDRO & HILARY
After what happened to Alessandro in Rome – falling in love with a girl who’s in love with someone else and deciding against being a priest for her, with broken heart and shattered soul, Alessandro is coming back to New York City. Place that holds his secrets and worst nightmares. Along with the only other person that made him happy and alive – Hilary.
Hilary is tortured heroine. After keeping so many secrets and trying the best she can to appear normal, this twenty two year old woman is on the verge of falling apart. Again. The only thing that makes her life bearable is singing, but after two years from participating in Idol and still no role for her in Broadway musical she feels useless. That’s when she finds Alessandro standing on her doorway. After years of being missing, when she needed him the most, he’s right next to her.
But can she forgive him? And trust herself not to fall in love with him again?
I am completely overwhelmed by how much I enjoyed reading Hilary and Alessandro’s story. It’s is an unputdownable read. Sexy, mesmerizing, and heartbreaking .
A Little Too Much is a journey of two people trying to get on their feet together, side by side. Healing every wound from their past and wiping every tear. It’s about believing you can love again.
Overall, A Little Too Much is a wonderful story that can break and fix some hearts. It’s great, passionate romance story created by someone who really knows how to do a good job. Amusing, explosive and unpredictable, full of drama, angst and wild twist and turns, A Little Too Much is one of my favorite new adult romances this year.
* ARC provided by publisher, via Edelweiss in exchange for honest review *
Read
December 11, 2013A LITTLE TOO MUCH is in the world, and I'm so excited y'all are reading and enjoying Alessandro's story. As a holiday gift to you, here's a little semi-nude Alessandro hotness!
December 12, 2013
Solid 3.5 Stars
By the time I reached the 46% mark of this book, these were my thoughts...
This story is alright, I guess. So far. But I was hoping for Alessandro's POV and for the story to be told more from his angle. Not Hilary's. Since book 1 is where I met Alessandro and is what got me interested in Alessandro's story in the 1st place. And this "gripping emotion" I've heard that's so paramount in this story, has yet to really show herself. At this point, book 1 was much more intense & emotional.
And for the most part my thoughts & feelings have not changed.
This was a good read. A decent novel. The subject matter/plot, has intense & highly emotional written all over it. But sadly the way things unfolded, and I truly believe this is due to the angle of the way things are presented, that this is why this story didn't really touch me the way I had hoped. There are some deep topics here. Deep issues & circumstances of choices, coming of age, second chances & forgiveness. But the way these things unfold, how they are handled & ultimately rectified come off as way too simple & easy, IMO. And lacking depth.
There was just nothing really emotionally intense going on for me concerning Alessandro & Hilary concerning their past or their present. The plot surrounding them brought seasoning to their circumstances, but sadly this fell short for me as well. As I mentioned above.
Book 1 (A Little too Far) had all of this going for it and more. But most importantly, it made you truly care about all the characters involved. You were invested in their plight. The chemistry was there. Off the charts. You felt the conflict & yearned for things to go another way, while knowing & understanding in your heart why they couldn't. Here? I didn't feel that chemistry or emotional conflict. Especially with the main characters. Everything about it from the emotional to the physical felt a little forced to me. And it only made me wish even more that Alessandro ended up with someone else in book 1. Which is why this one just wasn't a 4 or 5 star read for me :(
I really wish that this story was told from Alessandro's POV. That we saw things unfold in his eyes. That we were front & center with his thoughts & heart. Or at least through a dual POV. With the things that occur in this story I feel this route would have done it more justice. And the unfolding & outcome of it would have been more poignant.
But this is still a decent read/edition to this series. I didn't love it but I would recommend it. Now having read the Sneak Peak for book 3(A Little too Hot) I'm very curious to see where that one goes :)
By the time I reached the 46% mark of this book, these were my thoughts...
This story is alright, I guess. So far. But I was hoping for Alessandro's POV and for the story to be told more from his angle. Not Hilary's. Since book 1 is where I met Alessandro and is what got me interested in Alessandro's story in the 1st place. And this "gripping emotion" I've heard that's so paramount in this story, has yet to really show herself. At this point, book 1 was much more intense & emotional.
And for the most part my thoughts & feelings have not changed.
This was a good read. A decent novel. The subject matter/plot, has intense & highly emotional written all over it. But sadly the way things unfolded, and I truly believe this is due to the angle of the way things are presented, that this is why this story didn't really touch me the way I had hoped. There are some deep topics here. Deep issues & circumstances of choices, coming of age, second chances & forgiveness. But the way these things unfold, how they are handled & ultimately rectified come off as way too simple & easy, IMO. And lacking depth.
There was just nothing really emotionally intense going on for me concerning Alessandro & Hilary concerning their past or their present. The plot surrounding them brought seasoning to their circumstances, but sadly this fell short for me as well. As I mentioned above.
Book 1 (A Little too Far) had all of this going for it and more. But most importantly, it made you truly care about all the characters involved. You were invested in their plight. The chemistry was there. Off the charts. You felt the conflict & yearned for things to go another way, while knowing & understanding in your heart why they couldn't. Here? I didn't feel that chemistry or emotional conflict. Especially with the main characters. Everything about it from the emotional to the physical felt a little forced to me. And it only made me wish even more that Alessandro ended up with someone else in book 1. Which is why this one just wasn't a 4 or 5 star read for me :(
I really wish that this story was told from Alessandro's POV. That we saw things unfold in his eyes. That we were front & center with his thoughts & heart. Or at least through a dual POV. With the things that occur in this story I feel this route would have done it more justice. And the unfolding & outcome of it would have been more poignant.
But this is still a decent read/edition to this series. I didn't love it but I would recommend it. Now having read the Sneak Peak for book 3(A Little too Hot) I'm very curious to see where that one goes :)
November 23, 2017
More Reviews: NOVA Reviews
I hate it when I hate characters... But this book made me do just that to all of them asides Alessandro and Brett. A little too much was a disappointment for me, mainly because I have said it before that I think that Alessandro belongs with Lexie.
The story is quite good but I couldn't connect with all of the characters and their emotions so they all seemed bland and kind of meh...
Hilary is really annoying and made me throw the book away a lots of times, that's how indecisive and problematic this girl is. I liked her life story with her mom in jail and a perfect sister but the whole I-don't-trust-anyone-because-I-am-afraid-of-being-hurt is way to used and really repetitive. So I kind of zooned out throughout most of her talks in here... Because she's boring as well.
Just like in Shakespeare, when you fall head over heals in love with someone you don't even know, it's never going to end well. Love killed Juliet when she was thirteen. I made it all the way to fourteen before it nearly killed me.
Alessandro is the best thing this book has and we will finally learn more about him, about his past and about his brother... I was so curious after the last book to learn about Lorenzo and the guilt trips Alessandro has. His character has depth and is interesting so I don't really know what he's doing with Hilary mainly because they have no chemistry at all.
Hilary's sister is a complete and utter BITCH... She shares a secret that belong to Hilary but she's really unfair when it comes to that so I kind of wanted to rip the hairs of her head at once... Seriously, that's a lot of crocodile tears she will be shedding...
It wasn't a book that I have an intention of remembering tomorrow or be thinking about now. It was slow and sometimes even boring which surprised me because Lisa Desrochers is kind of awesome at writing books that will surprise you. I just hope that the next one is way better...
I hate it when I hate characters... But this book made me do just that to all of them asides Alessandro and Brett. A little too much was a disappointment for me, mainly because I have said it before that I think that Alessandro belongs with Lexie.
The story is quite good but I couldn't connect with all of the characters and their emotions so they all seemed bland and kind of meh...
Hilary is really annoying and made me throw the book away a lots of times, that's how indecisive and problematic this girl is. I liked her life story with her mom in jail and a perfect sister but the whole I-don't-trust-anyone-because-I-am-afraid-of-being-hurt is way to used and really repetitive. So I kind of zooned out throughout most of her talks in here... Because she's boring as well.
Just like in Shakespeare, when you fall head over heals in love with someone you don't even know, it's never going to end well. Love killed Juliet when she was thirteen. I made it all the way to fourteen before it nearly killed me.
Alessandro is the best thing this book has and we will finally learn more about him, about his past and about his brother... I was so curious after the last book to learn about Lorenzo and the guilt trips Alessandro has. His character has depth and is interesting so I don't really know what he's doing with Hilary mainly because they have no chemistry at all.
Hilary's sister is a complete and utter BITCH... She shares a secret that belong to Hilary but she's really unfair when it comes to that so I kind of wanted to rip the hairs of her head at once... Seriously, that's a lot of crocodile tears she will be shedding...
It wasn't a book that I have an intention of remembering tomorrow or be thinking about now. It was slow and sometimes even boring which surprised me because Lisa Desrochers is kind of awesome at writing books that will surprise you. I just hope that the next one is way better...
May 30, 2016
Confieso que leí este libro solo por Alessandro y me aburrí como ostra.
Cero química la pareja Hillary y Alessandro. CERO.
Lexie y Ale eran mucho, pero mucho mejor juntos. Mil veces más divertido.
Cero química la pareja Hillary y Alessandro. CERO.
Lexie y Ale eran mucho, pero mucho mejor juntos. Mil veces más divertido.
November 6, 2013
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kimberlyfaye reads
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Hilary McIntyre is twenty-two and living in New York City with her boyfriend. She's trying desperately to make it big as an actress. She's also trying to forget her past. It's working pretty well until her past shows up on her doorstep. Literally. Alessandro Moretti has traveled to New York to see firsthand how Hilary is. He never meant for her to know he was there, but fate intervenes and they're face-to-face for the first time in eight years.
To say Hilary and Alessandro have a complicated past would be a ginormous understatement. They had very strong feelings for one another once upon a time, but their time together back then didn't end well. They're both damaged and broken, but for very different reasons. Hilary never quite got over the fact that Alessandro disappeared from her life all those years ago. Alessandro feels guilt for leaving her – and about other things that happened when they were at the foster home together. He feels remorse over the death of his brother, Lorenzo, who was … well, not a very nice guy. He worked over both Hilary and Alessandro in the past. But, he's gone now and Alessandro is trying to ease his guilt.
I liked Alessandro in A Little Too Far. A lot. He was swoony, sexy and sincere. I can absolutely understand why Lexie was attracted to him. There was just something that bothered me about him. I know now what it was. It's that he just didn't fit with Lexie. She belonged with Trent. I fell head-over-heels in love with Alessandro in this book. There was so much more to him than met the eye. Sure, in ALTF, we readers learned about his troubled past and the violence and drug use that occurred, but we didn't get the whole story. There's much more to learn. He's steaming hot and sexual, he has a great sense of humor, he's on a quest for closure and absolution, he's conflicted. He is kind-hearted and a good person. We got a dose of all of this with Lexie in ALTF, but it was just so much stronger in this book. It was a little hard to believe that this Alessandro almost became a priest. Thankfully for us all, he didn't.
Hilary and Alessandro try to put the past behind them and be friends again. He decides to stick around New York a little longer than he originally intended. She's been in the city for quite awhile, but hasn't really seen much of what it has to offer. Together they begin to explore the sites – and ultimately their feelings for each other. The scenes with them just hanging out around the city are some of my favorites, because a) I love love love New York and Lisa's writing made me feel like I was there and b) their chemistry is so strong, their personalities so well-matched, that they just left me smiling.
As time goes on, Hilary wonders what having Alessandro back in her life really means. It's obvious that they both still have strong feelings for the other. Their chemistry leaps off the page. There's a slow burn of sexual tension. But more than all the physical stuff, they share genuine, intense feelings. They're both so much better when they're together. Will they be able to overcome their pasts and have a real future together? Will he leave again and break her fully this time? Will he be able to get past his guilt for what happened in their past and with his brother? You just need to read it for yourself to find out.
Maybe I'm blind, but I didn't see the twist in this book coming. I literally gasped. Then, just so I wouldn't forget, I made a note in my Kindle app with "GASP!" written again. It all made perfect sense, but I definitely didn't figure it out on my own. It, to me, is what made the story. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I would have loved Hilary and Alessandro just as much had the story not gone in the direction it did. But this added another level of emotion to their relationship and their history. Some of my favorite scenes in the book, the ones I won't talk about because I refuse to spoil anything, happen as a result of this revelation.
Lisa Desrochers has rocked my world once again. A Little Too Far landed her on my auto-buy author list. A Little Too Much moved her to the top. I got everything I wanted in this book: second chances, smoking-hot sexy scenes and true love. It took me on a full roller coaster ride that I wouldn't trade for anything. Sweet, heartfelt and beautifully-written, this is one of my favorite books of the year. (Even higher on the list than A Little Too Far, which I swooned and gushed over a few months ago.)
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and may differ from the final version.
"Just like in Shakespeare, when you fall head over heels in love with someone you don't even know, it's never going to end well. Love killed Juliet when she was thirteen. I made it all the way to fourteen before it nearly killed me."
Hilary McIntyre is twenty-two and living in New York City with her boyfriend. She's trying desperately to make it big as an actress. She's also trying to forget her past. It's working pretty well until her past shows up on her doorstep. Literally. Alessandro Moretti has traveled to New York to see firsthand how Hilary is. He never meant for her to know he was there, but fate intervenes and they're face-to-face for the first time in eight years.
"I want to see him as uncomfortable as he makes me. I want to see him squirm. And I definitely know how to make men squirm."
To say Hilary and Alessandro have a complicated past would be a ginormous understatement. They had very strong feelings for one another once upon a time, but their time together back then didn't end well. They're both damaged and broken, but for very different reasons. Hilary never quite got over the fact that Alessandro disappeared from her life all those years ago. Alessandro feels guilt for leaving her – and about other things that happened when they were at the foster home together. He feels remorse over the death of his brother, Lorenzo, who was … well, not a very nice guy. He worked over both Hilary and Alessandro in the past. But, he's gone now and Alessandro is trying to ease his guilt.
"You meant something to me, Hilary. You were important to me once. I just needed to know you were okay. I needed to see for myself." He shakes his head. "You were never supposed to know I was here."
I liked Alessandro in A Little Too Far. A lot. He was swoony, sexy and sincere. I can absolutely understand why Lexie was attracted to him. There was just something that bothered me about him. I know now what it was. It's that he just didn't fit with Lexie. She belonged with Trent. I fell head-over-heels in love with Alessandro in this book. There was so much more to him than met the eye. Sure, in ALTF, we readers learned about his troubled past and the violence and drug use that occurred, but we didn't get the whole story. There's much more to learn. He's steaming hot and sexual, he has a great sense of humor, he's on a quest for closure and absolution, he's conflicted. He is kind-hearted and a good person. We got a dose of all of this with Lexie in ALTF, but it was just so much stronger in this book. It was a little hard to believe that this Alessandro almost became a priest. Thankfully for us all, he didn't.
"But now Alessandro's here, and I feel the dead parts of me coming back to life. Being with him again might gain me back my soul, but at what cost?"
Hilary and Alessandro try to put the past behind them and be friends again. He decides to stick around New York a little longer than he originally intended. She's been in the city for quite awhile, but hasn't really seen much of what it has to offer. Together they begin to explore the sites – and ultimately their feelings for each other. The scenes with them just hanging out around the city are some of my favorites, because a) I love love love New York and Lisa's writing made me feel like I was there and b) their chemistry is so strong, their personalities so well-matched, that they just left me smiling.
"I have no right to want to touch you, and yet I want that more than anything – to convince all of my senses you're really here after all this time."
As time goes on, Hilary wonders what having Alessandro back in her life really means. It's obvious that they both still have strong feelings for the other. Their chemistry leaps off the page. There's a slow burn of sexual tension. But more than all the physical stuff, they share genuine, intense feelings. They're both so much better when they're together. Will they be able to overcome their pasts and have a real future together? Will he leave again and break her fully this time? Will he be able to get past his guilt for what happened in their past and with his brother? You just need to read it for yourself to find out.
Maybe I'm blind, but I didn't see the twist in this book coming. I literally gasped. Then, just so I wouldn't forget, I made a note in my Kindle app with "GASP!" written again. It all made perfect sense, but I definitely didn't figure it out on my own. It, to me, is what made the story. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I would have loved Hilary and Alessandro just as much had the story not gone in the direction it did. But this added another level of emotion to their relationship and their history. Some of my favorite scenes in the book, the ones I won't talk about because I refuse to spoil anything, happen as a result of this revelation.
Lisa Desrochers has rocked my world once again. A Little Too Far landed her on my auto-buy author list. A Little Too Much moved her to the top. I got everything I wanted in this book: second chances, smoking-hot sexy scenes and true love. It took me on a full roller coaster ride that I wouldn't trade for anything. Sweet, heartfelt and beautifully-written, this is one of my favorite books of the year. (Even higher on the list than A Little Too Far, which I swooned and gushed over a few months ago.)
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and may differ from the final version.
November 18, 2013
I waited for this book with bated breath. I absolutely fell head over heels with Alessandro in A Little Too Far and was heartbroken when Lexi didn’t choose him. If the story had ended there I would forever have a dark whole in my heart for this man. That is what Alessandro does to you. He gets into your soul.
I was so glad he would have his own story and it did not disappoint. When we learn of his early life and tribulations my heart ached for him. You could feel his guilt and sorrow coming through the pages. Yet for all of this sorrow, he was a strong man. He never blamed anyone for his past but himself. There were so many he could have blamed; his father for dying, his mother for falling apart after his father’s death, his brother, Lorenzo, for leading him down a path of destruction, the group home for pulling him further down the path. But being the Alessandro that we know, he is a man who takes ownership of his faults and tries everything to make amends. Even to going so far as to become a priest.
I am quite grateful however, that Alessandro does not become a priest. He is just too sexy and smoldering for that. He does however, at the coercion of Hillary, come back to the church via the youth center which he later becomes the Director of Teen Services for. The first time Alessandro goes to church on Christmas with Hillary, was so touching. He was so hesitant to make communion, but finally does, almost shamefully. As if he was afraid people knew of his failure as a priest.
Throughout this book Alessandro and Hillary go on little Thursday voyages all over the city. Living so close to NYC as I do, I was glad that they chose to explore the unknown New York. Many of these journeys were in intimate settings allowing them to rediscover each other. Eventually, after many Thursdays, they both realize that have developed feelings for each other again. The sexual tension is palpable.
This book is a roller coaster ride of emotions and I am so glad I read it. Their story is one of love, tragedy, pain, lust and happiness. These people have been through hell and back and come out in the end together. Alessandro and his spicy scent will forever be burned into my book reading brain.
I was so glad he would have his own story and it did not disappoint. When we learn of his early life and tribulations my heart ached for him. You could feel his guilt and sorrow coming through the pages. Yet for all of this sorrow, he was a strong man. He never blamed anyone for his past but himself. There were so many he could have blamed; his father for dying, his mother for falling apart after his father’s death, his brother, Lorenzo, for leading him down a path of destruction, the group home for pulling him further down the path. But being the Alessandro that we know, he is a man who takes ownership of his faults and tries everything to make amends. Even to going so far as to become a priest.
I am quite grateful however, that Alessandro does not become a priest. He is just too sexy and smoldering for that. He does however, at the coercion of Hillary, come back to the church via the youth center which he later becomes the Director of Teen Services for. The first time Alessandro goes to church on Christmas with Hillary, was so touching. He was so hesitant to make communion, but finally does, almost shamefully. As if he was afraid people knew of his failure as a priest.
Throughout this book Alessandro and Hillary go on little Thursday voyages all over the city. Living so close to NYC as I do, I was glad that they chose to explore the unknown New York. Many of these journeys were in intimate settings allowing them to rediscover each other. Eventually, after many Thursdays, they both realize that have developed feelings for each other again. The sexual tension is palpable.
This book is a roller coaster ride of emotions and I am so glad I read it. Their story is one of love, tragedy, pain, lust and happiness. These people have been through hell and back and come out in the end together. Alessandro and his spicy scent will forever be burned into my book reading brain.
November 26, 2013
"Just like in Shakespeare, when you fall head over heels in love with someone you don't even know, it's never going to end well. Love killed Juliet when she was thirteen. I made it all the way to fourteen before it nearly killed me."
In this book we meet Hilary, an inspiring actress. Who also to be someone that Alessandro (Yes, Alessandro-the-almost-priest) knew in his past.
I totally loved A Little Too Far so I was very happy when I heard that there would be a sequel. Oh boy, I was disappointed. I mean it was a good read but felt it dragged at some point.
May 31, 2015
Touching!
Hilary and Alessandro met when she was 14 and he was 16 at a halfway house for kids. There was really no supervision there and no guidance to speak of so they found solace in each other. Due to circumstances beyond their control, they were separated for 8 years. When Alessandro comes back to find Hilary will she be able to forgive him for deserting her at the most vulnerable time in her young life? I absolutely loved this story and was swept away in this second chance romance!
Hilary and Alessandro met when she was 14 and he was 16 at a halfway house for kids. There was really no supervision there and no guidance to speak of so they found solace in each other. Due to circumstances beyond their control, they were separated for 8 years. When Alessandro comes back to find Hilary will she be able to forgive him for deserting her at the most vulnerable time in her young life? I absolutely loved this story and was swept away in this second chance romance!
October 19, 2013
you got me Lisa! didn't see that one coming. I must be losing my touch. i think i liked this one better than the first one. :)
review to come.
review to come.
Want to read
September 18, 2013 Sequel to A Little Too Far where "a favorite character must face his past — and the girl he loved and abandoned." -- Coming November 12, 2013.
November 13, 2013
I wonder if Hilary had Alessandro's child. Or even his brother's kid.
Hah! I knew it!
Hah! I knew it!
November 11, 2013
My Thoughts:
A Little Too Much, by Lisa Desrochers, is the sequel to A Little Too Far. I absolutely LOVED, A Little Too Far and even thought I think that Lexie ended up with the right man, I felt so bad for Alessandro, and wanted him to get his "happily ever after." Alessandro was a beautiful character. He had a heart of gold, and a soul filled with darkness from the heavy burdens of his past. Alessandro had decided to become a priest as reparation for all the people he hurt in his teenage years. Yet, his heavy soul was never assuaged. After he met Lexie, and realized that he was not meant for the priesthood, he decided to seek out Hilary, the first girl he had ever loved, and the person from his past that haunted him the most.
Hilary was a very complex character. She had a very difficult, and dark past. Her older sister Mallory, was the only one that she could count on, and she loved her sister very much. Mallory had married Jeff, and they had two children, Henri, and Max, that Hilary was very attached to. Hilary and Mallory's mother had been put in prison for murder, and that left Hilary in a group home, as a teenager, where she met Alessandro and his older brother. Mallory had to go through the courts in order to get custody of Hilary, and the whole process took quite a while. In the meantime, Hilary and Alessandro fell in love, and helped each other to get through one of the hardest times in their lives. They were one another's only spark of sunshine in a dark and dreary time. They both never forgot the other, and had become ingrained in each others souls.
Alessandro appears in New York on Hilary's doorstep, completely shocking her, and catching her off guard. He has come to make sure that she is all right, because she is one of the ghosts that has haunted him the most throughout the years. Hilary is an aspiring actress, but hasn't gotten her big break yet. She loves acting because it helps her escape reality. Hilary currently lives with her boyfriend, also an actor, Brett. She doesn't love Brett, and there relationship lacks real intimacy. It's strictly sex, and convenience. When Alessandro arrives in town, the two of them begin to spend a lot of time together, old feelings are rekindled, the demons from their past come to the surface, and both of their lives get turned upside down.
I enjoyed, A Little Too Much. A Little Too Far is still my favorite, but I think that story was a lot lighter. A Little Too Much was darker, filled with a lot of angst, and the harsh realities that happen in life. The "vibe" was a lot different, and this story made my heart heavy. There's no doubt, that Ms. Desrochers knows how to create gorgeous, and swoon worthy male characters! The love scenes were very explicit, erotic, and down right H-O-T! I loved how she nailed the emotions that Alessandro and Hilary went through in their story. It made everything that much more intense, and explosive.
My Rating:
I give A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers 4 Dark, Gritty, Intense, Passionate, and Healing Stars! Ms. Desrochers is establishing her voice in the New Adult genre. The male characters that she creates are so delicious, you'll find yourself wishing they were real. She is very good at establishing setting. I've never been to New York, but as I was reading this story, I felt like I was exploring the city, the art, theatre, and every little nook and cranny in the city. I was crammed on the subway, walking in the crowds of people, and taking in the skyline view from Alessandro's condo. The sex scenes were so realistic, and every girls wildest fantasy's come true. Ms. Desrochers male characters sure do know how to bring a woman to her knees! If you are a fan of J. Lynn, Abbi Glines, or Elizabeth Reyes, you should definitely check out Lisa Desrochers!
My Favorite Quotes:
"Alessandro made me dizzy. I think that's the second I knew I loved him, because in anybody else's arms, I felt trapped, but in his, I felt free." (eARC, Loc. 1322)
~Hilary
" 'You want perspective? I'll give you mine. You did help me. You helped me finally feel something after years of being numb. You helped me find happiness in the middle of my own personal hell. You helped me understand what lo--' I cut off mid rant when I realize what I was about to say." (eARC, Loc. 2248)
~Hilary
"He looks down into my eyes for a long minute, the smile fading from his lips. 'I have no right to want to touch you, and yet I want that more than anything--to convince all of my senses you're really here after all this time.' " (eARC, Loc. 972)
~Alessandro
" ' You have to invite me in.' He tips his forehead into mine. 'You are so far inside me, sometimes I'm not sure where I stop and you start.' " (eARC, Loc. 4955)
~Hilary & Alessandro
"His kiss is slow and sure--a true soul kiss--and in it, I know I've finally found home." (eARC, Loc. 5701)
~Hilary
*To Read More Reviews, Visit A Bookish Escape at http://www.abookishescape.com
A Little Too Much, by Lisa Desrochers, is the sequel to A Little Too Far. I absolutely LOVED, A Little Too Far and even thought I think that Lexie ended up with the right man, I felt so bad for Alessandro, and wanted him to get his "happily ever after." Alessandro was a beautiful character. He had a heart of gold, and a soul filled with darkness from the heavy burdens of his past. Alessandro had decided to become a priest as reparation for all the people he hurt in his teenage years. Yet, his heavy soul was never assuaged. After he met Lexie, and realized that he was not meant for the priesthood, he decided to seek out Hilary, the first girl he had ever loved, and the person from his past that haunted him the most.
Hilary was a very complex character. She had a very difficult, and dark past. Her older sister Mallory, was the only one that she could count on, and she loved her sister very much. Mallory had married Jeff, and they had two children, Henri, and Max, that Hilary was very attached to. Hilary and Mallory's mother had been put in prison for murder, and that left Hilary in a group home, as a teenager, where she met Alessandro and his older brother. Mallory had to go through the courts in order to get custody of Hilary, and the whole process took quite a while. In the meantime, Hilary and Alessandro fell in love, and helped each other to get through one of the hardest times in their lives. They were one another's only spark of sunshine in a dark and dreary time. They both never forgot the other, and had become ingrained in each others souls.
Alessandro appears in New York on Hilary's doorstep, completely shocking her, and catching her off guard. He has come to make sure that she is all right, because she is one of the ghosts that has haunted him the most throughout the years. Hilary is an aspiring actress, but hasn't gotten her big break yet. She loves acting because it helps her escape reality. Hilary currently lives with her boyfriend, also an actor, Brett. She doesn't love Brett, and there relationship lacks real intimacy. It's strictly sex, and convenience. When Alessandro arrives in town, the two of them begin to spend a lot of time together, old feelings are rekindled, the demons from their past come to the surface, and both of their lives get turned upside down.
I enjoyed, A Little Too Much. A Little Too Far is still my favorite, but I think that story was a lot lighter. A Little Too Much was darker, filled with a lot of angst, and the harsh realities that happen in life. The "vibe" was a lot different, and this story made my heart heavy. There's no doubt, that Ms. Desrochers knows how to create gorgeous, and swoon worthy male characters! The love scenes were very explicit, erotic, and down right H-O-T! I loved how she nailed the emotions that Alessandro and Hilary went through in their story. It made everything that much more intense, and explosive.
My Rating:
I give A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers 4 Dark, Gritty, Intense, Passionate, and Healing Stars! Ms. Desrochers is establishing her voice in the New Adult genre. The male characters that she creates are so delicious, you'll find yourself wishing they were real. She is very good at establishing setting. I've never been to New York, but as I was reading this story, I felt like I was exploring the city, the art, theatre, and every little nook and cranny in the city. I was crammed on the subway, walking in the crowds of people, and taking in the skyline view from Alessandro's condo. The sex scenes were so realistic, and every girls wildest fantasy's come true. Ms. Desrochers male characters sure do know how to bring a woman to her knees! If you are a fan of J. Lynn, Abbi Glines, or Elizabeth Reyes, you should definitely check out Lisa Desrochers!
My Favorite Quotes:
"Alessandro made me dizzy. I think that's the second I knew I loved him, because in anybody else's arms, I felt trapped, but in his, I felt free." (eARC, Loc. 1322)
~Hilary
" 'You want perspective? I'll give you mine. You did help me. You helped me finally feel something after years of being numb. You helped me find happiness in the middle of my own personal hell. You helped me understand what lo--' I cut off mid rant when I realize what I was about to say." (eARC, Loc. 2248)
~Hilary
"He looks down into my eyes for a long minute, the smile fading from his lips. 'I have no right to want to touch you, and yet I want that more than anything--to convince all of my senses you're really here after all this time.' " (eARC, Loc. 972)
~Alessandro
" ' You have to invite me in.' He tips his forehead into mine. 'You are so far inside me, sometimes I'm not sure where I stop and you start.' " (eARC, Loc. 4955)
~Hilary & Alessandro
"His kiss is slow and sure--a true soul kiss--and in it, I know I've finally found home." (eARC, Loc. 5701)
~Hilary
*To Read More Reviews, Visit A Bookish Escape at http://www.abookishescape.com
November 14, 2013
My Rating: 4.5/5
Steamy, emotional, romantic, and full of secrets, A Little Too Much was a fantastic New Adult romance. It was a lovely sequel to the absolutely amazing A Little Too Far and I really enjoyed reading it. Loved it!
Hilary was a heroine who had been through a lot. She was toted around in the foster care system, manipulated by guys who only wanted her body and couldn't care less what she wanted, and faced the consequences of that. After being burned so many times, she was not willing to take a risk with her heart. Until a ghost from her past reappears and her plans go out the window. I really liked Hilary. She was a tough woman who had been through a lot, but was still standing. Even though she was guarding her heart, she knew when to take risks and hope for the best. If I had one complaint, it was that I wasn't sure why she was so angry at Alessandro at first, considering he was one of the only people who actually treated her well. Otherwise, she was lovely.
Alessandro...
What can I say? I already fell for him in A Little Too Far, even though I had been rooting for Trent to end up with Lexie. I totally adored him and, when I found out that he was going to get his own story and his own happy ending, I was ecstatic. He was still just as adorable and sweet and absolutely perfect in this book. But, we get to know him more. In book 1, we mostly saw the polished surface that Alessandro had worked so hard to create and maintain. We got to know him a little deeper, and got to understand some of his past, but not that much. In this book, we see every one of those layers and get to see how dark his past was until he left it all behind. It made him even more lovable because he managed to become such a good person even after everything he had gone through. I completely and totally loved him and I thought he was perfection.
The romance was wonderful. Hilary and Alessandro were sweet together. They were the kind of couple that made each other stronger and I thought that was lovely. I wasn't feeling the chemistry quite as much as I was in book 1, but it was still steamy and hot. Definitely enough to make you fan your face ;) I thought they were perfect together.
The plot was fast paced. I was hooked most of the way through. There were some moments when the plot slowed down, but it wasn't too bad, not enough to be an issue. There were definitely some shocking secrets that I never saw coming. Particularly one that totally blew me away. It explained a lot and made sense in hindsight, but I never suspected. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was lovely. I can't wait to read more from this hot and steamy series!
A Little Too Much was a brilliant New Adult romance. I totally loved this book. It was sweet, steamy, emotional, and full of secrets. Fans of book 1, you won't be disappointed with this sequel. And, if you haven't started this series yet, you definitely need to, because these books are HOT!
*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Steamy, emotional, romantic, and full of secrets, A Little Too Much was a fantastic New Adult romance. It was a lovely sequel to the absolutely amazing A Little Too Far and I really enjoyed reading it. Loved it!
Hilary was a heroine who had been through a lot. She was toted around in the foster care system, manipulated by guys who only wanted her body and couldn't care less what she wanted, and faced the consequences of that. After being burned so many times, she was not willing to take a risk with her heart. Until a ghost from her past reappears and her plans go out the window. I really liked Hilary. She was a tough woman who had been through a lot, but was still standing. Even though she was guarding her heart, she knew when to take risks and hope for the best. If I had one complaint, it was that I wasn't sure why she was so angry at Alessandro at first, considering he was one of the only people who actually treated her well. Otherwise, she was lovely.
Alessandro...
What can I say? I already fell for him in A Little Too Far, even though I had been rooting for Trent to end up with Lexie. I totally adored him and, when I found out that he was going to get his own story and his own happy ending, I was ecstatic. He was still just as adorable and sweet and absolutely perfect in this book. But, we get to know him more. In book 1, we mostly saw the polished surface that Alessandro had worked so hard to create and maintain. We got to know him a little deeper, and got to understand some of his past, but not that much. In this book, we see every one of those layers and get to see how dark his past was until he left it all behind. It made him even more lovable because he managed to become such a good person even after everything he had gone through. I completely and totally loved him and I thought he was perfection.
The romance was wonderful. Hilary and Alessandro were sweet together. They were the kind of couple that made each other stronger and I thought that was lovely. I wasn't feeling the chemistry quite as much as I was in book 1, but it was still steamy and hot. Definitely enough to make you fan your face ;) I thought they were perfect together.
The plot was fast paced. I was hooked most of the way through. There were some moments when the plot slowed down, but it wasn't too bad, not enough to be an issue. There were definitely some shocking secrets that I never saw coming. Particularly one that totally blew me away. It explained a lot and made sense in hindsight, but I never suspected. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was lovely. I can't wait to read more from this hot and steamy series!
A Little Too Much was a brilliant New Adult romance. I totally loved this book. It was sweet, steamy, emotional, and full of secrets. Fans of book 1, you won't be disappointed with this sequel. And, if you haven't started this series yet, you definitely need to, because these books are HOT!
*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
January 7, 2021
Snooze dnf at 70% hated it hate the writing hate the masked racism and stereotyping ..... this should’ve been from alessandros pov lmao
December 30, 2013
We were introduced to Alessandro in the first book in this series, A Little Too Far, and I loved his character. I hated the situation that he eventually ended up in . When I realised book 2 was his I was a little apprehensive, but I am pleased to say that this book didn't disappoint in the slightest.
From book one we know that Alessandro had an ex who he shared an interesting history with. The ex, is Hilary, and this book is told solely from her POV. I enjoyed getting to know her character and meeting the girl who had previously meant so much to Alessandro. His past has haunted him and this book and journey was his way of righting the wrongs he has made.
I missed the setting of the first book being in Europe, but it was also good to see Alessandro being back in New York, facing up to his troubles and discovering a new life. The story was really interesting for me, and although I read it at the busiest time of the year (Christmas) I still found myself thinking of the story and being in a hurry to get back to it whenever I could.
There was a big *secret* throughout the book, hints to something that had happened in the past between Alessandro and Hilary. I had guessed the secret pretty early on, but when it was finally relieved I still loved every second of finding it out. Lisa Desrochers is a brilliant story teller and I love the journey that she takes us on.
*ARC provided by Edelweiss, on behalf of William Morrow books in turn for an honest review.*
From book one we know that Alessandro had an ex who he shared an interesting history with. The ex, is Hilary, and this book is told solely from her POV. I enjoyed getting to know her character and meeting the girl who had previously meant so much to Alessandro. His past has haunted him and this book and journey was his way of righting the wrongs he has made.
"You have to me in."
"You are so far inside me, sometimes I'm not sure where I stop and you start."
"Then let me help you. You can show me your pain. I promise it won't break me."
I missed the setting of the first book being in Europe, but it was also good to see Alessandro being back in New York, facing up to his troubles and discovering a new life. The story was really interesting for me, and although I read it at the busiest time of the year (Christmas) I still found myself thinking of the story and being in a hurry to get back to it whenever I could.
There was a big *secret* throughout the book, hints to something that had happened in the past between Alessandro and Hilary. I had guessed the secret pretty early on, but when it was finally relieved I still loved every second of finding it out. Lisa Desrochers is a brilliant story teller and I love the journey that she takes us on.
"All I can offer you are painful memories and my broken soul, but I love you, and if you'll allow it, I promise to always love you."
*ARC provided by Edelweiss, on behalf of William Morrow books in turn for an honest review.*
May 22, 2021
Erster Satz: "Die falsche Blonde mit den aufgespritzten Lippen und den riesigen Silikontitten (mindestens D) funkelt mich an."
Wer meine Rezension zum ersten Teil gelesen hat weiß: Lisa Desrochers und ich hatten GAR keinen guten Start. Auch der erste Satz des zweiten Teils versprach da nicht unbedingt Besserung, nun bin ich umso überraschter, dass mich "A little too much" tatsächlich mitreißend und überzeugen konnte. Nach "A little too far" weitergelesen habe ich eigentlich nur aus zwei Gründen. Erstens war der Sammelband ein Rezensionsexemplar und ich wollte es deshalb beenden. Und zweitens, weil ich Alessandro im ersten Teil sehr liebgewonnen habe und gespannt war, wie es für ihn ausgeht. Nach "A little too much" kann ich nun kaum glauben, dass dieselbe Autorin beide Bücher geschrieben hat. Dieser zweite Teil erreicht nämlich tatsächlich so etwas wie Tiefe, kann mit unerwarteten Wendungen, Emotionen und Konflikten überzeugen - alles, was bei Band 1 nicht mal ansatzweise vorhanden war. Schon der Beginn, bei dem wir Hilary während eines Vorsprechens für eine Rolle in einem Broadway Stück kennenlernen und danach zusammen mit ihr mit einem Relikt aus ihrer Vergangenheit konfrontiert werden - Alessandro, ihre erste Liebe und Grund für eine Menge Schmerz -, wirft eine Menge offene Fragen auf und sorgt dafür, dass man unbedingt wissen will, was damals passiert ist.
"Wer keine Schwäche zeigt, ist auch nicht schwach - Überlebensregel Nummer eins. So gesehen bin ich die stärkste Sister im Viertel."
Mit der Beantwortung dieser Frage lässt sich die Autorin Zeit. Eine Menge sogar. In der Zwischenzeit lernen wir Hilary besser kennen und beobachten, wie sie und Alessandro sich nach all den Jahren wieder neu finden. Was in Alessandros und Hilarys Kindheit passiert ist und vor allem was zwischen den beiden in der Wohngruppe geschah, wird nur hier und da angedeutet, was jedoch ausreicht, um die Spannung oben und die Stimmung eher düster zu halten. Die Donnerstags-Verabredungen der beiden, bei denen sie New York erkunden und sich gegenseitig zu unbekannten Plätzen führen, bringen zwar etwas Licht und Leben in die Geschichte, dennoch herrschen hier ernstere Themen vor. Dieses "wir-erkunden-gemeinsam-eine-Großstadt-und-kommen-uns-dabei-näher"-Motiv ist ja nicht gerade neu und wurde von der Autorin ja auch schon bei Band 1 genutzt, um Lexi und Alessandro zusammenzubringen. Dennoch hat mir gut gefallen, wie die sonst recht eintönige und von Wiederholungen geprägte Geschichte durch süße und stimmige Szenen aufgepeppt wurde.
"Alessandro tritt hinter mich und schlingt seine Arme um meine Taille, und ich schließe die Augen und höre zu. Wie damals stelle ich mir vor, dass die Töne in die Luft aufflattern wie Schmetterlingsflügel, aber diesmal macht es mich nicht traurig. Ich fühle mich nicht gefangen, sondern bin endlich frei. Ich lasse meine Geheimnisse los, und alles andere. Meine Angst, meine Wust. Ich komme endlich aus dem dunklen Tunnel, in dem ich so lange gelebt habe, und je fester Alessandro mich hält, desto freier fühle ich mich."
Der Aufbau, der ja bei Band 1 einer meiner Hauptkritikpunkte war, gefällt mir hier also viel besser. Auch hier lässt Lisa Desrochers jedoch Punkte. Viele Konflikte werden zwar stark gestartet, verlaufen sich aber bald im Nichts, oder werden abrupt abgeschlossen. Besonders kritisch ist das natürlich bei Alessandros und Hilarys Annäherung, die zwar insgesamt stimmig eingebunden, aber leider auch von Sprüngen und plötzlichen Meinungsänderungen geprägt ist. Die zentrale Entwicklung verläuft leider viel zu schnell und offenbart, dass die Autorin es leider versäumt hat, die Auflösung des Konflikts stimmig zu inszenieren. Diese leichten Brüche lassen sich jedoch nicht nur bei Alessandros und Hilarys Beziehung, sondern auch bei der Sache mit Hilarys Mutter, dem Verlauf ihrer einseitigen Beziehung zu Brett, oder ihrer Einstellung zum Theater beobachten.
"Ich kann dir nichts anderes bieten als schmerzliche Erinnerung und meine zerrissene Seele, aber ich liebe dich und wenn du mich lässt, werde ich dich immer lieben."
Anstatt genau diese Entwicklungen über die mit knapp 450 Seiten recht umfangreiche Geschichte zu strecken, kommen viele Erkenntnisse viel zu schnell und "out-of-nowhere", während auf anderen Vorkommnissen ewig herumgekaut wird. Manche Szenen doppeln sich sogar so sehr, dass ich ab und zu einen kurzen Blick auf das Kapitel geworfen habe, um mich zu versichern, dass ich nicht aus Versehen zurückgesprungen bin. Etwas ungeschickt ist auch, dass die Autorin immer wieder Flashbacks aus der Zeit der Wohngruppe einstreut, diese jedoch nicht klar gekennzeichnet sind. Ab und zu verändert sich die Zeitform der Erzählung, bei einem Rückblick, manchmal hat mich diese Übereinanderlagerung der Damals- und Heute-Szenen jedoch komplett überraschend getroffen und sehr verwirrt. Kritisch würde ich außerdem anmerken, dass Lisa Desrochers hier ab und zu sehr eindeutige Andeutungen fallen lässt, die die Wendung vorwegnehmen. Dies führt jedoch nicht wie wahrscheinlich gewünscht dazu, dass in den jeweiligen Szenen die Spannung steigt, sondern hinterließ bei mir eher Fragezeichen und ein Stirnrunzeln. Und wenn wir schon bei Fragezeichen und Stirnrunzeln sind - Auch Sätze wie "Ich kann mich nicht erinnern, dass Mallory je vor mir geweint hätte", werfen Fragen auf, da mir spontan zwei Szenen eingefallen sind, in denen Hilary ihre große Schwester weinen gesehen hat.
"Es ist natürlich deine Entscheidung, aber wenn du ihn erstmal abbeizen willst, damit du siehst, was unter den ganzen Lackschichten zum Vorschein kommt, helfe ich dir gerne." Na klar, das kann er gut - Schichten abtragen und nachsehen, was drunter ist. Er macht das jedes Mal, wenn wir zusammen sind. (...) Diese ganzen Lackschichten an der Oberfläche, ist das der Kleber, der den Tisch zusammenhält? Und plötzlich fasse ich einen Entschluss. Ich werde nicht zulassen, dass Alessandro noch mehr Schichten von mir freilegt. Aber vielleicht kann ich ihm helfen, ein paar von seinen abzutragen."
Dennoch: Band 2 hat dem Auftakt der Reihe nicht nur einen substanziellen Konflikt, Konflikt, Spannung und Emotionen voraus, auch die Figuren können hier punkten. Alessandro ist mir ja schon in Band 1 sehr ans Herz gewachsen, weshalb es mir sehr gut gefallen hat, dass wir hier erfahren mehr Hintergründe zu ihm erfahren und ihn von einer anderen Seite kennenlernen. Seine eigenen Konflikte werden deutlich mehr in den Fokus gerückt, während er im ersten Teil mehr als Objekt der Begierde und Distraktion aufgetaucht ist. Auch mit unserer kämpferischen Protagonistin konnte ich wesentlich mehr anfangen als mit Lexi. Zwar verhält sich auch Hilary manchmal etwas paradox, dies wird jedoch durch ihre biografischen Überzeugungen, ihre Lerngeschichte und ihre Vergangenheit erklärt, sodass sie dennoch stimmig wirkt.
Fazit:
Solide und stellenweise starke Geschichte, die jedoch wieder leichte Schwächen im Aufbau hat. Wiederholungen, zu abrupte Entwicklungen und ungeschickte Vorausdeutungen nehmen der ansonsten atmosphärischen und mitreißenden Geschichte etwas die Spannung.
Wer meine Rezension zum ersten Teil gelesen hat weiß: Lisa Desrochers und ich hatten GAR keinen guten Start. Auch der erste Satz des zweiten Teils versprach da nicht unbedingt Besserung, nun bin ich umso überraschter, dass mich "A little too much" tatsächlich mitreißend und überzeugen konnte. Nach "A little too far" weitergelesen habe ich eigentlich nur aus zwei Gründen. Erstens war der Sammelband ein Rezensionsexemplar und ich wollte es deshalb beenden. Und zweitens, weil ich Alessandro im ersten Teil sehr liebgewonnen habe und gespannt war, wie es für ihn ausgeht. Nach "A little too much" kann ich nun kaum glauben, dass dieselbe Autorin beide Bücher geschrieben hat. Dieser zweite Teil erreicht nämlich tatsächlich so etwas wie Tiefe, kann mit unerwarteten Wendungen, Emotionen und Konflikten überzeugen - alles, was bei Band 1 nicht mal ansatzweise vorhanden war. Schon der Beginn, bei dem wir Hilary während eines Vorsprechens für eine Rolle in einem Broadway Stück kennenlernen und danach zusammen mit ihr mit einem Relikt aus ihrer Vergangenheit konfrontiert werden - Alessandro, ihre erste Liebe und Grund für eine Menge Schmerz -, wirft eine Menge offene Fragen auf und sorgt dafür, dass man unbedingt wissen will, was damals passiert ist.
"Wer keine Schwäche zeigt, ist auch nicht schwach - Überlebensregel Nummer eins. So gesehen bin ich die stärkste Sister im Viertel."
Mit der Beantwortung dieser Frage lässt sich die Autorin Zeit. Eine Menge sogar. In der Zwischenzeit lernen wir Hilary besser kennen und beobachten, wie sie und Alessandro sich nach all den Jahren wieder neu finden. Was in Alessandros und Hilarys Kindheit passiert ist und vor allem was zwischen den beiden in der Wohngruppe geschah, wird nur hier und da angedeutet, was jedoch ausreicht, um die Spannung oben und die Stimmung eher düster zu halten. Die Donnerstags-Verabredungen der beiden, bei denen sie New York erkunden und sich gegenseitig zu unbekannten Plätzen führen, bringen zwar etwas Licht und Leben in die Geschichte, dennoch herrschen hier ernstere Themen vor. Dieses "wir-erkunden-gemeinsam-eine-Großstadt-und-kommen-uns-dabei-näher"-Motiv ist ja nicht gerade neu und wurde von der Autorin ja auch schon bei Band 1 genutzt, um Lexi und Alessandro zusammenzubringen. Dennoch hat mir gut gefallen, wie die sonst recht eintönige und von Wiederholungen geprägte Geschichte durch süße und stimmige Szenen aufgepeppt wurde.
"Alessandro tritt hinter mich und schlingt seine Arme um meine Taille, und ich schließe die Augen und höre zu. Wie damals stelle ich mir vor, dass die Töne in die Luft aufflattern wie Schmetterlingsflügel, aber diesmal macht es mich nicht traurig. Ich fühle mich nicht gefangen, sondern bin endlich frei. Ich lasse meine Geheimnisse los, und alles andere. Meine Angst, meine Wust. Ich komme endlich aus dem dunklen Tunnel, in dem ich so lange gelebt habe, und je fester Alessandro mich hält, desto freier fühle ich mich."
Der Aufbau, der ja bei Band 1 einer meiner Hauptkritikpunkte war, gefällt mir hier also viel besser. Auch hier lässt Lisa Desrochers jedoch Punkte. Viele Konflikte werden zwar stark gestartet, verlaufen sich aber bald im Nichts, oder werden abrupt abgeschlossen. Besonders kritisch ist das natürlich bei Alessandros und Hilarys Annäherung, die zwar insgesamt stimmig eingebunden, aber leider auch von Sprüngen und plötzlichen Meinungsänderungen geprägt ist. Die zentrale Entwicklung verläuft leider viel zu schnell und offenbart, dass die Autorin es leider versäumt hat, die Auflösung des Konflikts stimmig zu inszenieren. Diese leichten Brüche lassen sich jedoch nicht nur bei Alessandros und Hilarys Beziehung, sondern auch bei der Sache mit Hilarys Mutter, dem Verlauf ihrer einseitigen Beziehung zu Brett, oder ihrer Einstellung zum Theater beobachten.
"Ich kann dir nichts anderes bieten als schmerzliche Erinnerung und meine zerrissene Seele, aber ich liebe dich und wenn du mich lässt, werde ich dich immer lieben."
Anstatt genau diese Entwicklungen über die mit knapp 450 Seiten recht umfangreiche Geschichte zu strecken, kommen viele Erkenntnisse viel zu schnell und "out-of-nowhere", während auf anderen Vorkommnissen ewig herumgekaut wird. Manche Szenen doppeln sich sogar so sehr, dass ich ab und zu einen kurzen Blick auf das Kapitel geworfen habe, um mich zu versichern, dass ich nicht aus Versehen zurückgesprungen bin. Etwas ungeschickt ist auch, dass die Autorin immer wieder Flashbacks aus der Zeit der Wohngruppe einstreut, diese jedoch nicht klar gekennzeichnet sind. Ab und zu verändert sich die Zeitform der Erzählung, bei einem Rückblick, manchmal hat mich diese Übereinanderlagerung der Damals- und Heute-Szenen jedoch komplett überraschend getroffen und sehr verwirrt. Kritisch würde ich außerdem anmerken, dass Lisa Desrochers hier ab und zu sehr eindeutige Andeutungen fallen lässt, die die Wendung vorwegnehmen. Dies führt jedoch nicht wie wahrscheinlich gewünscht dazu, dass in den jeweiligen Szenen die Spannung steigt, sondern hinterließ bei mir eher Fragezeichen und ein Stirnrunzeln. Und wenn wir schon bei Fragezeichen und Stirnrunzeln sind - Auch Sätze wie "Ich kann mich nicht erinnern, dass Mallory je vor mir geweint hätte", werfen Fragen auf, da mir spontan zwei Szenen eingefallen sind, in denen Hilary ihre große Schwester weinen gesehen hat.
"Es ist natürlich deine Entscheidung, aber wenn du ihn erstmal abbeizen willst, damit du siehst, was unter den ganzen Lackschichten zum Vorschein kommt, helfe ich dir gerne." Na klar, das kann er gut - Schichten abtragen und nachsehen, was drunter ist. Er macht das jedes Mal, wenn wir zusammen sind. (...) Diese ganzen Lackschichten an der Oberfläche, ist das der Kleber, der den Tisch zusammenhält? Und plötzlich fasse ich einen Entschluss. Ich werde nicht zulassen, dass Alessandro noch mehr Schichten von mir freilegt. Aber vielleicht kann ich ihm helfen, ein paar von seinen abzutragen."
Dennoch: Band 2 hat dem Auftakt der Reihe nicht nur einen substanziellen Konflikt, Konflikt, Spannung und Emotionen voraus, auch die Figuren können hier punkten. Alessandro ist mir ja schon in Band 1 sehr ans Herz gewachsen, weshalb es mir sehr gut gefallen hat, dass wir hier erfahren mehr Hintergründe zu ihm erfahren und ihn von einer anderen Seite kennenlernen. Seine eigenen Konflikte werden deutlich mehr in den Fokus gerückt, während er im ersten Teil mehr als Objekt der Begierde und Distraktion aufgetaucht ist. Auch mit unserer kämpferischen Protagonistin konnte ich wesentlich mehr anfangen als mit Lexi. Zwar verhält sich auch Hilary manchmal etwas paradox, dies wird jedoch durch ihre biografischen Überzeugungen, ihre Lerngeschichte und ihre Vergangenheit erklärt, sodass sie dennoch stimmig wirkt.
Fazit:
Solide und stellenweise starke Geschichte, die jedoch wieder leichte Schwächen im Aufbau hat. Wiederholungen, zu abrupte Entwicklungen und ungeschickte Vorausdeutungen nehmen der ansonsten atmosphärischen und mitreißenden Geschichte etwas die Spannung.
December 3, 2013
The four stars are only for Alessandro....
I am not going deep into this review, since many have said it all before me. I loved A Little too Far! I actually liked how
I loved that he got his own book and mostly due to his decision to face his "ghosts" and went back to look for the only other girl that ever mattered to him.
I liked Hillary, but I started liking her up until after 50% of the book. Why? She had issues, yes. She suffered, yes. But sometimes those things that were spitting out from her head were kind of lame, sometimes slutty, hurtful, and made no sense. But later on I enjoyed reading how she evolves and redeems herself.
The truth is I would have loved to read something more Epic! Mr. Moretti deserved epic! And I felt Hillary lacking on that department. Nevertheless the book had great moments, and I cannot thank the author enough because these characters harvested a friendship and “fell” (for real) for each other after a month (at least), even if they knew each other from their messed up teenage years. I loved their Thursdays and had me thinking it would be such a beautiful thing to do with my hubby (sadly not going to happen unless hell freezes over) LOL!
The coffee table scenes were adorable… I fell for him deeper after those. He was such a sweetheart a 100% decent, gentleman!... and catholic! I want one of those.
I am not going deep into this review, since many have said it all before me. I loved A Little too Far! I actually liked how
I loved that he got his own book and mostly due to his decision to face his "ghosts" and went back to look for the only other girl that ever mattered to him.
I liked Hillary, but I started liking her up until after 50% of the book. Why? She had issues, yes. She suffered, yes. But sometimes those things that were spitting out from her head were kind of lame, sometimes slutty, hurtful, and made no sense. But later on I enjoyed reading how she evolves and redeems herself.
The truth is I would have loved to read something more Epic! Mr. Moretti deserved epic! And I felt Hillary lacking on that department. Nevertheless the book had great moments, and I cannot thank the author enough because these characters harvested a friendship and “fell” (for real) for each other after a month (at least), even if they knew each other from their messed up teenage years. I loved their Thursdays and had me thinking it would be such a beautiful thing to do with my hubby (sadly not going to happen unless hell freezes over) LOL!
The coffee table scenes were adorable… I fell for him deeper after those. He was such a sweetheart a 100% decent, gentleman!... and catholic! I want one of those.
August 15, 2016
Better late then never. lol
The follow-up to A Little To Far gives us a heart wrenching coming of age story of love, loss, forgiveness, and redemption when a young man comes home and reconnects with the woman he once loved and had to leave behind. Emotionally deep with a realism that wasn't quite as defined in book one, Lisa Desrochers captures the tone and voices of her characters perfectly as she helps them discover and slay the ghosts of their pasts in order to have the future they so richly deserve.
The follow-up to A Little To Far gives us a heart wrenching coming of age story of love, loss, forgiveness, and redemption when a young man comes home and reconnects with the woman he once loved and had to leave behind. Emotionally deep with a realism that wasn't quite as defined in book one, Lisa Desrochers captures the tone and voices of her characters perfectly as she helps them discover and slay the ghosts of their pasts in order to have the future they so richly deserve.
November 13, 2013
DNF at 13%. After not being impressed with the first in the series (A Little Too Far), I started this one because it purported to focus on Alessandro, the most interesting and nuanced character of the initial installment. Unfortunately, the writing remained tedious and uninspired, the main character and narrator (Hilary) wasn't likable or sympathetic, and the regular New Adult cliches were out in too much abundance for me to handle.
January 28, 2014
Liked it, but did not love it.
I really REAAAAALLLYYY wished we had Alessandro's POV. I felt that there were still so many things left unsaid and so many questions that needed explaining, and we've barely scratched the surface because we only got Hilary's side of things. Sighhhh.
I did tear up with some parts though. I can never resist a second-chance romance story like this anyway. Still looking forward to the 3rd book!
I really REAAAAALLLYYY wished we had Alessandro's POV. I felt that there were still so many things left unsaid and so many questions that needed explaining, and we've barely scratched the surface because we only got Hilary's side of things. Sighhhh.
I did tear up with some parts though. I can never resist a second-chance romance story like this anyway. Still looking forward to the 3rd book!
February 14, 2014
Nooooooooo, Alessandro! :( He turned from sexy-sweet to way too self-depreciating and guilt-ridden. And a lot of the story was so dragged out that I found myself skimming (which I NEVER do). And I really didn't like Hilary. And I guessed the "twist" literally the second Hilary mentions something about five pages into the book, which throws THAT out the window.
I don't think I'll be continuing this series, even with how much I adore Lexie and Trent. Not my cup of tea. :(
I don't think I'll be continuing this series, even with how much I adore Lexie and Trent. Not my cup of tea. :(
December 24, 2013
I wanted to love to book, but I already knew that wasn't going to happen.
Don't get me wrong the story is very good and the writing makes you connect with the characters. And I think if I hadn't read the first book I'd have liked this book more. But in A Little Too Far I fell in love with Alessandro and I believe he should have ended up with Lexie.
Don't get me wrong the story is very good and the writing makes you connect with the characters. And I think if I hadn't read the first book I'd have liked this book more. But in A Little Too Far I fell in love with Alessandro and I believe he should have ended up with Lexie.
December 12, 2014
I fell in love with Alessandro in ALTF and was so excited to read his story. This book was from Hilary's perspective and we still got a lot of Alessandro through the dialog and story.
I love this series and look forward to more from Lisa Desrochers!
****4 stars ****
I love this series and look forward to more from Lisa Desrochers!
****4 stars ****
November 12, 2013
I loved the first book, I was looking forward to read this one and I dnf at 40%. I could not take anymore reading about directions and trains numbers of NYC. I could not believe what I was reading. O_o
August 28, 2016
Der 1.Teil war viel viel besser. Dieser Teil hat sich einfach nur gezogen und war lw
July 30, 2014
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers
Book Two of the A Little Too Far series
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: November 12, 2013
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
***Warning: this book contains mature subject matter, and is for the eyes of mature readers***
Summary (from Goodreads):
In the follow-up to Lisa Desrochers’ explosive New Adult novel A Little too Far, Alessandro Moretti must face the life he escaped and the girl he loved and left behind.
Twenty-two year old Hilary McIntyre would like nothing more than to forget her past. As a teenager abandoned to the system, she faced some pretty dark times. But now that’s all behind her. Hilary has her life on track, and there’s no way she’ll head back down that road again.
Until Alessandro Moretti—the one person who can make her remember—shows up on her doorstep. He’s even more devastatingly gorgeous than before, and he’s much too close for comfort. Worse, he sees right through the walls she’s built over these last eight years, right into her heart and the secrets she’s guarding.
As Hilary finds herself falling back into love with the man who, as a boy both saved and destroyed her, she must decide. Past or future? Truth or lies?
What I Liked:
There were certain things about this novel that I absolutely LOVED. You all know about my constant problems with New Adult contemporary romance novels, right? All the sex, chemistry, bad boys, stupid girls, dumb decisions, and so on? Well, this novel didn't include ALL of those. Yeah, some aspects didn't change, but still. Let me explain.
For one, there is a plot to this novel, and while the plot does involve the romance, I feel like it isn't overwhelmingly so. The plot deals with Hilary and her off-Broadway experiences, as well as Hilary and Alessandro's rekindling relationship. Hilary and Alessandro knew each other from the group home - they were in the same group home when they were very young.
This novel goes through several stages. First, Alessandro comes to New York, and visits Hilary. It takes a bit to break the ice (and Hilary's shield), but eventually, Hilary and Alessandro start to hang out. Every Thursday, they go exploring a less frequently visited part of New York. It's kind of a neat idea, actually. I so want to do that with Baltimore. I mean, I've lived in Baltimore my entire life, but there are sooo many pockets of undiscovered treasures that I don't know about.
Anyway. The novel progresses, and so does Hilary and Alessandro's relationship. As they grow more comfortable with each other, Hilary starts to get more scared. And crazy. She keeps thinking that Alessandra doesn't care about her, which is totally irrational. That girl has so many demons...
That could be one of things I really like about this book - the depth of EVERYTHING. I mean, Hilary is screwed up - TOTALLY BROKEN - but not in the typical New Adult contemporary romance way. She seems more real than 99% of the New Adult contemporary romance heroines I have read about. I don't like Hilary very much, but she seems real. The same goes for Alessandro. Yes, he is smokin' hot, but he's also a broken person, haunted by his ACTUALLY BAD past. He seriously made this book worth reading, just saying.
And there are certain things throughout the book, like motifs, or symbolism, that I really like. The butterflies, the Thursday outings, the priesthood thing, the boxing... you have to read the book to know what I mean, but basically, it makes the story seem more three-dimensional.
The romance is sweet, fiery, twisting, suffocating, blinding... it's a lot of things. I don't think Hilary deserves Alessandro AT ALL, and I think that Alessandro deserves better, but the heart knows what the heart wants. With that, I will tell you that the ending wraps up very, very nicely. Almost too nicely.
What I Did Not Like:
Ughh, there are so many little things that I didn't like. I wish I could have liked this book as much as I liked the first book. I so wanted to love this book, honestly. But some little things bothered me.
For example, Hilary's decision-making skills? Crap. I would use a stronger word than that, but when I go to post my review on Amazon, it won't let me because it's a curse word. Oops? Anyway. She's so bad at making responsible decisions. Exhibit A: she didn't go to college. Why? She didn't feel like it. That's a piss-poor excuse, in my opinion.
Exhibit B: she's with Brett, the douchebag. CLEARLY, he is using her. They only have sex, their relationship is purely physical, and yet, he lives with her. Are you kidding me?! You don't even like the guy, but you have sex with him all the time, and he lives with you. Hilary is only doing it for connections. Doesn't that make her no better than a prostitute? And the kicker - he doesn't even do a good job of getting her opportunities to act and sing. What an a**hole. But Hilary - what an idiot.
Exhibit C: the deal with Alessandro and Henri. No specifics here, I promise. But SERIOUSLY?! It was Alessandro's right to know, and Hilary took that away from him. She shouldn't have had the right to leave everything in the hands of Mallory and Jeff. YES, that was a good idea, but not for the right reasons.
Exhibit D: when crap (again, I want to use a stronger word, but can't) gets hard, Hilary just yells and screams and pulls into herself and pushes everything away. I HATE when people do that - in real life, or in books. She just hides (like a coward) behind a wall of aggression. She pushes away Alessandro, the sweetest guy in the world, when she finally spills The Big Secret.
Exhibit E: she doesn't attempt to get Alessandro back. He has to be the one to make the effort to come back, and not the other way around, EVEN THOUGH she is the one at fault. Does that make sense? She NEVER *really* apologizes to him about all of those things! I mean, she says the words, but HE is the one who really means what he says. And then they have sex. Yay. That makes everything better.
Exhibit F: she works at a bar, even though she doesn't want to do so. Has she ever heard of human potential? The humanistic approach of psychology? Striving to achieve the most in life, to become better? Probably not. I mean, I get it. Life in the group home was hard. That's no excuse for her crap decision-making skills. Or lack of, I should say.
Yeah, I didn't like Hilary very much.
Would I Recommend It:
If you read and enjoyed the first one, then you'll most likely enjoy this one. If you're new to the series, definitely read the first one. That book was AWESOME. This one, in my opinion, wasn't as good. The heroine was the big problem, for me.
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. Not as good as the first novel, but not terrible either.
A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers
Book Two of the A Little Too Far series
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: November 12, 2013
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
***Warning: this book contains mature subject matter, and is for the eyes of mature readers***
Summary (from Goodreads):
In the follow-up to Lisa Desrochers’ explosive New Adult novel A Little too Far, Alessandro Moretti must face the life he escaped and the girl he loved and left behind.
Twenty-two year old Hilary McIntyre would like nothing more than to forget her past. As a teenager abandoned to the system, she faced some pretty dark times. But now that’s all behind her. Hilary has her life on track, and there’s no way she’ll head back down that road again.
Until Alessandro Moretti—the one person who can make her remember—shows up on her doorstep. He’s even more devastatingly gorgeous than before, and he’s much too close for comfort. Worse, he sees right through the walls she’s built over these last eight years, right into her heart and the secrets she’s guarding.
As Hilary finds herself falling back into love with the man who, as a boy both saved and destroyed her, she must decide. Past or future? Truth or lies?
What I Liked:
There were certain things about this novel that I absolutely LOVED. You all know about my constant problems with New Adult contemporary romance novels, right? All the sex, chemistry, bad boys, stupid girls, dumb decisions, and so on? Well, this novel didn't include ALL of those. Yeah, some aspects didn't change, but still. Let me explain.
For one, there is a plot to this novel, and while the plot does involve the romance, I feel like it isn't overwhelmingly so. The plot deals with Hilary and her off-Broadway experiences, as well as Hilary and Alessandro's rekindling relationship. Hilary and Alessandro knew each other from the group home - they were in the same group home when they were very young.
This novel goes through several stages. First, Alessandro comes to New York, and visits Hilary. It takes a bit to break the ice (and Hilary's shield), but eventually, Hilary and Alessandro start to hang out. Every Thursday, they go exploring a less frequently visited part of New York. It's kind of a neat idea, actually. I so want to do that with Baltimore. I mean, I've lived in Baltimore my entire life, but there are sooo many pockets of undiscovered treasures that I don't know about.
Anyway. The novel progresses, and so does Hilary and Alessandro's relationship. As they grow more comfortable with each other, Hilary starts to get more scared. And crazy. She keeps thinking that Alessandra doesn't care about her, which is totally irrational. That girl has so many demons...
That could be one of things I really like about this book - the depth of EVERYTHING. I mean, Hilary is screwed up - TOTALLY BROKEN - but not in the typical New Adult contemporary romance way. She seems more real than 99% of the New Adult contemporary romance heroines I have read about. I don't like Hilary very much, but she seems real. The same goes for Alessandro. Yes, he is smokin' hot, but he's also a broken person, haunted by his ACTUALLY BAD past. He seriously made this book worth reading, just saying.
And there are certain things throughout the book, like motifs, or symbolism, that I really like. The butterflies, the Thursday outings, the priesthood thing, the boxing... you have to read the book to know what I mean, but basically, it makes the story seem more three-dimensional.
The romance is sweet, fiery, twisting, suffocating, blinding... it's a lot of things. I don't think Hilary deserves Alessandro AT ALL, and I think that Alessandro deserves better, but the heart knows what the heart wants. With that, I will tell you that the ending wraps up very, very nicely. Almost too nicely.
What I Did Not Like:
Ughh, there are so many little things that I didn't like. I wish I could have liked this book as much as I liked the first book. I so wanted to love this book, honestly. But some little things bothered me.
For example, Hilary's decision-making skills? Crap. I would use a stronger word than that, but when I go to post my review on Amazon, it won't let me because it's a curse word. Oops? Anyway. She's so bad at making responsible decisions. Exhibit A: she didn't go to college. Why? She didn't feel like it. That's a piss-poor excuse, in my opinion.
Exhibit B: she's with Brett, the douchebag. CLEARLY, he is using her. They only have sex, their relationship is purely physical, and yet, he lives with her. Are you kidding me?! You don't even like the guy, but you have sex with him all the time, and he lives with you. Hilary is only doing it for connections. Doesn't that make her no better than a prostitute? And the kicker - he doesn't even do a good job of getting her opportunities to act and sing. What an a**hole. But Hilary - what an idiot.
Exhibit C: the deal with Alessandro and Henri. No specifics here, I promise. But SERIOUSLY?! It was Alessandro's right to know, and Hilary took that away from him. She shouldn't have had the right to leave everything in the hands of Mallory and Jeff. YES, that was a good idea, but not for the right reasons.
Exhibit D: when crap (again, I want to use a stronger word, but can't) gets hard, Hilary just yells and screams and pulls into herself and pushes everything away. I HATE when people do that - in real life, or in books. She just hides (like a coward) behind a wall of aggression. She pushes away Alessandro, the sweetest guy in the world, when she finally spills The Big Secret.
Exhibit E: she doesn't attempt to get Alessandro back. He has to be the one to make the effort to come back, and not the other way around, EVEN THOUGH she is the one at fault. Does that make sense? She NEVER *really* apologizes to him about all of those things! I mean, she says the words, but HE is the one who really means what he says. And then they have sex. Yay. That makes everything better.
Exhibit F: she works at a bar, even though she doesn't want to do so. Has she ever heard of human potential? The humanistic approach of psychology? Striving to achieve the most in life, to become better? Probably not. I mean, I get it. Life in the group home was hard. That's no excuse for her crap decision-making skills. Or lack of, I should say.
Yeah, I didn't like Hilary very much.
Would I Recommend It:
If you read and enjoyed the first one, then you'll most likely enjoy this one. If you're new to the series, definitely read the first one. That book was AWESOME. This one, in my opinion, wasn't as good. The heroine was the big problem, for me.
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. Not as good as the first novel, but not terrible either.
June 14, 2015
Lisa Desrochers' A LITTLE TOO MUCH is the second book in her A Little Too Far series. If you’ve read the synopsis for both books then you know Alessandro doesn’t get the girl in A LITTLE TOO FAR (I really hope you don’t consider this as a spoiler). I’ll be truthful, I’m team Alessandro all the way and still believe Lexie chose the wrong guy. Either way, I’m glad Alessandro got his own book because we get to spend a little more time with him.
We have good characterization and I really liked getting to know Alessandro better. In A LITTLE TOO FAR, he’s reserved and there’s a good reason; he’s about to enter the priesthood and there’s a certain code of conduct. He revealed a little of his past in TOO FAR, but not enough to fully understand him and we get to know his background alongside Hilary. I loved this! As for Hilary, she’s vulnerable, but won’t admit it. She’s that girl who talks tough and walks with strut, but deep down inside is lost. It’s easy to sympathize with her especially when we learn about her past, but I wanted her to soften up a bit. I also wanted her to ask for help when she needed it. I understand she’s had a difficult life and her detachment regarding certain situations and how she conducts herself is her way of dealing with things. It just frustrated me a little. We have a few secondary characters that are important. There’s Mallory, Hilary’s older sister and her family. Then there’s Hilary’s boyfriend Brett and her friend Jessica.
Narrative is first person via Hilary and this is her story. We don’t need to go on a personal journey with Alessandro since he’s come to grips with his past, but Hilary needed this journey and it makes perfect sense that it’s told via her perspective. At times, Hilary and Alessandro sound older than what you find in typical New Adult novel. If Desrochers had changed their age to early 30’s, it would have made no difference to the plot. I realize both characters have had a difficult life and had to grow up fast, hence the reason for them sounding older. Furthermore, Alessandro was almost ordained as a priest so he’s going to sound a little more mature and understands life’s problems. What I loved about A LITTLE TOO MUCH? The plot! I’m not saying A LITTLE TOO FAR didn’t have one, but this time we get to spend time with our main protagonists and watch them fall in love. Here we aren’t told someone is perfect, but rather we get to see it and experience it. A LITTLE TOO MUCH has everything a New Adult novel should be: it has character growth while dealing with life and trying to figure things out.
While I really enjoyed A LITTLE TOO MUCH, I did have a few problems with the book. The first is regarding Brett. He was always showing up at Hilary’s auditions and she relied on him way too much. I get it; he’s managed to land several roles and the theatre world is small enough that everyone is pretty familiar with each other. I just wish Hilary had realized that he was probably stalling her career because he realized her potential and that made him feel inferior. He needed someone to need him. The second is regarding the big secret Hilary is hiding. We don’t get any indication that she’s hiding something until a little over 60% in and even then I had my suspicions. I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to spoil the big reveal, but the way it was handled and the aftermath just didn’t sit well with me.
Whereas art featured is predominately in A LITTLE TOO FAR, here, Desrochers incorporates the city of New York into the story. I adored it! I’ve never been to New York City, but I could easily picture the city and that’s further proof at what a talented writer Desrochers is. If you really enjoyed the art aspect of TOO FAR, there is some mention of it in TOO MUCH and of course we get to spend some time in museums.
I just adored Lisa Desrochers' A LITTLE TOO MUCH! Overall, I just really enjoyed the interaction between Alessandro and Hilary. My favorite scenes involve a fake cockroach and Hilary at the youth center. When Hilary learns what the kids call Alessandro and she talks about theatre with them, that sealed the deal for me. It was this particular scene that I knew they’d be okay and I could easily imagine their future.
This review & more are posted at Literary, etc.
We have good characterization and I really liked getting to know Alessandro better. In A LITTLE TOO FAR, he’s reserved and there’s a good reason; he’s about to enter the priesthood and there’s a certain code of conduct. He revealed a little of his past in TOO FAR, but not enough to fully understand him and we get to know his background alongside Hilary. I loved this! As for Hilary, she’s vulnerable, but won’t admit it. She’s that girl who talks tough and walks with strut, but deep down inside is lost. It’s easy to sympathize with her especially when we learn about her past, but I wanted her to soften up a bit. I also wanted her to ask for help when she needed it. I understand she’s had a difficult life and her detachment regarding certain situations and how she conducts herself is her way of dealing with things. It just frustrated me a little. We have a few secondary characters that are important. There’s Mallory, Hilary’s older sister and her family. Then there’s Hilary’s boyfriend Brett and her friend Jessica.
Narrative is first person via Hilary and this is her story. We don’t need to go on a personal journey with Alessandro since he’s come to grips with his past, but Hilary needed this journey and it makes perfect sense that it’s told via her perspective. At times, Hilary and Alessandro sound older than what you find in typical New Adult novel. If Desrochers had changed their age to early 30’s, it would have made no difference to the plot. I realize both characters have had a difficult life and had to grow up fast, hence the reason for them sounding older. Furthermore, Alessandro was almost ordained as a priest so he’s going to sound a little more mature and understands life’s problems. What I loved about A LITTLE TOO MUCH? The plot! I’m not saying A LITTLE TOO FAR didn’t have one, but this time we get to spend time with our main protagonists and watch them fall in love. Here we aren’t told someone is perfect, but rather we get to see it and experience it. A LITTLE TOO MUCH has everything a New Adult novel should be: it has character growth while dealing with life and trying to figure things out.
While I really enjoyed A LITTLE TOO MUCH, I did have a few problems with the book. The first is regarding Brett. He was always showing up at Hilary’s auditions and she relied on him way too much. I get it; he’s managed to land several roles and the theatre world is small enough that everyone is pretty familiar with each other. I just wish Hilary had realized that he was probably stalling her career because he realized her potential and that made him feel inferior. He needed someone to need him. The second is regarding the big secret Hilary is hiding. We don’t get any indication that she’s hiding something until a little over 60% in and even then I had my suspicions. I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to spoil the big reveal, but the way it was handled and the aftermath just didn’t sit well with me.
Whereas art featured is predominately in A LITTLE TOO FAR, here, Desrochers incorporates the city of New York into the story. I adored it! I’ve never been to New York City, but I could easily picture the city and that’s further proof at what a talented writer Desrochers is. If you really enjoyed the art aspect of TOO FAR, there is some mention of it in TOO MUCH and of course we get to spend some time in museums.
I just adored Lisa Desrochers' A LITTLE TOO MUCH! Overall, I just really enjoyed the interaction between Alessandro and Hilary. My favorite scenes involve a fake cockroach and Hilary at the youth center. When Hilary learns what the kids call Alessandro and she talks about theatre with them, that sealed the deal for me. It was this particular scene that I knew they’d be okay and I could easily imagine their future.
This review & more are posted at Literary, etc.
February 10, 2024
fell in love with two things when I read A Little Too Far...Lisa Desrochers writing and Alessandro Moretti. Well I am back in lovey dovey land because I got a two-fer on A Little Too Much and I am over the moon for this book. A Little Too Much could be read as a stand alone but you get to know Alessandro in A Little Too Far and I think it made ALTM better for me knowing how it all began.
Hillary McIntyre…oh my…this girl. What can I say about Hillary…she is strong…and she is brave…but boy is she guarded. Like…I get it, some people need walls to exist…but there are walls and then there are fortresses that are ten feet thick with reinforced steel…Hillary has the latter. But every inch of her walls is 100% justified. I got Hillary and I really liked her...walls and all. She's exotically beautiful, an interesting blend of her Irish mother and African American father...she makes me think of one of those distinct beauties that you don't see often. She has never had it easy…her career has been a struggle…her relationships have been more about convenience then love…she has very few friends…I would almost feel bad for her except this is the way she has chosen it to be, and honestly, I think she prefers it that way. She decided to shut down years ago because it was easier to live this way then to live with the reality and the pain. She never knew her father…she was neglected and abandoned by her mother…everyone she has ever loved or ever should have loved her has left her…and all of them, with the exception of her sister Mallory never came back for her. Actually…make that two exceptions…
‘Just like in Shakespeare, when you fall head over heels in love with someone you don’t even know, it’s never going to end well. Love killed Juliet when she was thirteen. I made it all the way to fourteen before it nearly killed me.’
Alessandro Moretti…well what Hillary has in walls, Alessandro has in guilt. I knew that coming from ALTF…but I guess I just wasn’t aware of the level of his guilt. He takes every negative thing that he could have possibly done in his life and puts the full weight of it on his shoulders – whether it belongs there or not. While that is admirable in it’s own right, it is by far no way to live and every moment of this book I was waiting for Alessandro’s chance to finally break free of this remorse that was plaguing him. Alessandro is in the same boat as Hillary…he’s not had an easy life…his father was killed on 9/11…his mother has basically lost touch with reality…his brother went down a dangerous path that led to his death and Alessandro is left to pick up the pieces. I really liked Alessandro in ALTF but I knew he wasn’t right for Lexie…but I love what he took from his relationship with Lexie. Seeing him ‘post-almost-priesthood’ was…fun. Not that Alessandro was strictly business in ALTF but I felt like I got to see a whole new side of him…as well as also getting a glimpse at his past. And…for the record, all the hotness that is Alessandro Moretti should never be confined to a man of the cloth (strike me down for saying it!)…tall, dark and handsome with a boxers body (long, lean and muscular arms – that both Hillary and I seem to have a fascination for) and don’t even get me started on those grey eyes. Just…yummy!
‘I remember how everything changed for me with Alessandro. He was the first person in years who seemed to really care about me. He never hurt me. He kissed me on the mouth and he touched me so gently. He was sweet and tender…and I started to trust him. Then I started to need him.
And then he left.’
Hillary and Alessandro - so much pain...so much history...so much to overcome. So much that I wondered if it was ever going to happen. This is not a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of book. Alessandro and Hillary have a lot to overcome and most of it is not easy, some of it is not pleasant but watching them go through it is what is awesome. Their relationship progresses from tentative and guarded to friends to friends who remember those feelings they used to have for each other to friends that are really trying to hold back on those feeling for each other to…well…I can’t give everything away – but trust me, it gets better. It doesn���t help that Hillary ‘technically’ has a boyfriend…if you want to call the guy that she shares an apartment and has sex with a boyfriend because….that’s about all she shares with him. I usually fall in love with a couple when I get to see all of those swoony moments…the hand holding, the kisses, the dates…Hillary and Alessandro did all that…but as friends…and I think I loved that almost more than if they had been a couple. They had a standing Thursday date (which I freaking adored) and it wasn’t like the hand holding/kisses were of a romantic nature…they were just signs of affection…a deep love for the other person, it’s hard to explain but trust me, it’s different. Plus the dates…so cute…original…unique…not like anything I’ve ever heard about before and the different spins that were put on them – like the rubber cockroaches (that became a ‘thing’) and the horribly ugly and heavy coffee table that was carted all over Manhattan (it’s hilarious…trust me on this).
‘It’s amazing how a person can convince themselves of almost anything. Even when that anything could cost them everything.’
Every now and then I experience a book that throws something at me completely from left field…it can either has a positive effect or a negative effect….ALTM did this and I mother-freaking-loved it! 69% people…with seven little words, I was left with my jaw was gaping wide open! Shocker! Big time shocker…either that or I was just so sucked into everything else the possibility just didn’t even occur to me. Either way…one word sums ups my thoughts…AWESOME! Make that two…Brilliant! There was enough still left to keep me wondering but this just added that extra little layer of OMG-ness (yes…OMG-ness is a thing, and if it isn’t, I just made it a thing) to keep me biting my nails until all the truth came out. And yes…at 69% there was still a lot of truth to come out. Another shocker…I cried. I didn’t expect to. And we’re not talking bawl my eyes out tears but there are some very emotional parts…one involving Hillary and Mallory’s mom and while I didn’t particularly care for their mother, it was a very emotional scene.
‘He hesitates before reaching for me and pulling me to his shoulder. I try to find the strength to push him away. But I can’t. I’ve wanted to be right here, in Alessandro’s arms, for so long. I dreamed of these arms after he left. I dreamed he’d come back and hold me and everything would be okay.
And now he’s here.’
Lisa's writing style is so detailed and fluid it makes my head spin. She made me fall in love with Rome when I read ALTF and she absolutely took me into the heart of NY with ALTM. I can't even begin to tell you, it's like the location becomes a character in itself. The way she describes things is so vivid and clear I feel like I am there and experiencing the sights and sounds with the characters. Another thing I appreciate about Lisa's writing...she writes a very complete story. It's never rushed, the pace is excellent...every possible plot point is covered - even the ones I never even thought about until it I read it. It got to a point where I craved her style…it wasn’t forced or over the top…it was just right and I loved how thought out, thorough and meticulous it was…something that is sometimes lacking in a lot of the books I read…I really appreciate it. It’s the little things that at the last click of my kindle I’m just wow’d by…because it doesn’t hit you fully until the very end.
‘I smile against his chest.
He must feel it, because he kisses the crown of my hair. “What has you so happy?”
“Would you ever have imagined back then that we’d end up like this?”
He cups my cheek and lifts my face so those beautiful eyes are gazing down into mine. “I imagined it every day.”’
Oh sweet Jesus can I talk about how much I loved the ending? Like…we spend the entire book waiting for that moment for Hillary to drop her walls and everything to be happy and glorious and while there are happy and glorious parts throughout the book, the ending just takes the cake. Like…I wanted to sing the hallelujah chorus or something. It was magical and uplifting and very Hillary and Alessandro. Just…exactly what I could have ever hoped and wanted for them. I feel at peace every time I read one of Lisa's books…and I have a feeling A Little Too Hot will not disappoint! So…off I go to read it. :-)
Hillary McIntyre…oh my…this girl. What can I say about Hillary…she is strong…and she is brave…but boy is she guarded. Like…I get it, some people need walls to exist…but there are walls and then there are fortresses that are ten feet thick with reinforced steel…Hillary has the latter. But every inch of her walls is 100% justified. I got Hillary and I really liked her...walls and all. She's exotically beautiful, an interesting blend of her Irish mother and African American father...she makes me think of one of those distinct beauties that you don't see often. She has never had it easy…her career has been a struggle…her relationships have been more about convenience then love…she has very few friends…I would almost feel bad for her except this is the way she has chosen it to be, and honestly, I think she prefers it that way. She decided to shut down years ago because it was easier to live this way then to live with the reality and the pain. She never knew her father…she was neglected and abandoned by her mother…everyone she has ever loved or ever should have loved her has left her…and all of them, with the exception of her sister Mallory never came back for her. Actually…make that two exceptions…
‘Just like in Shakespeare, when you fall head over heels in love with someone you don’t even know, it’s never going to end well. Love killed Juliet when she was thirteen. I made it all the way to fourteen before it nearly killed me.’
Alessandro Moretti…well what Hillary has in walls, Alessandro has in guilt. I knew that coming from ALTF…but I guess I just wasn’t aware of the level of his guilt. He takes every negative thing that he could have possibly done in his life and puts the full weight of it on his shoulders – whether it belongs there or not. While that is admirable in it’s own right, it is by far no way to live and every moment of this book I was waiting for Alessandro’s chance to finally break free of this remorse that was plaguing him. Alessandro is in the same boat as Hillary…he’s not had an easy life…his father was killed on 9/11…his mother has basically lost touch with reality…his brother went down a dangerous path that led to his death and Alessandro is left to pick up the pieces. I really liked Alessandro in ALTF but I knew he wasn’t right for Lexie…but I love what he took from his relationship with Lexie. Seeing him ‘post-almost-priesthood’ was…fun. Not that Alessandro was strictly business in ALTF but I felt like I got to see a whole new side of him…as well as also getting a glimpse at his past. And…for the record, all the hotness that is Alessandro Moretti should never be confined to a man of the cloth (strike me down for saying it!)…tall, dark and handsome with a boxers body (long, lean and muscular arms – that both Hillary and I seem to have a fascination for) and don’t even get me started on those grey eyes. Just…yummy!
‘I remember how everything changed for me with Alessandro. He was the first person in years who seemed to really care about me. He never hurt me. He kissed me on the mouth and he touched me so gently. He was sweet and tender…and I started to trust him. Then I started to need him.
And then he left.’
Hillary and Alessandro - so much pain...so much history...so much to overcome. So much that I wondered if it was ever going to happen. This is not a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of book. Alessandro and Hillary have a lot to overcome and most of it is not easy, some of it is not pleasant but watching them go through it is what is awesome. Their relationship progresses from tentative and guarded to friends to friends who remember those feelings they used to have for each other to friends that are really trying to hold back on those feeling for each other to…well…I can’t give everything away – but trust me, it gets better. It doesn���t help that Hillary ‘technically’ has a boyfriend…if you want to call the guy that she shares an apartment and has sex with a boyfriend because….that’s about all she shares with him. I usually fall in love with a couple when I get to see all of those swoony moments…the hand holding, the kisses, the dates…Hillary and Alessandro did all that…but as friends…and I think I loved that almost more than if they had been a couple. They had a standing Thursday date (which I freaking adored) and it wasn’t like the hand holding/kisses were of a romantic nature…they were just signs of affection…a deep love for the other person, it’s hard to explain but trust me, it’s different. Plus the dates…so cute…original…unique…not like anything I’ve ever heard about before and the different spins that were put on them – like the rubber cockroaches (that became a ‘thing’) and the horribly ugly and heavy coffee table that was carted all over Manhattan (it’s hilarious…trust me on this).
‘It’s amazing how a person can convince themselves of almost anything. Even when that anything could cost them everything.’
Every now and then I experience a book that throws something at me completely from left field…it can either has a positive effect or a negative effect….ALTM did this and I mother-freaking-loved it! 69% people…with seven little words, I was left with my jaw was gaping wide open! Shocker! Big time shocker…either that or I was just so sucked into everything else the possibility just didn’t even occur to me. Either way…one word sums ups my thoughts…AWESOME! Make that two…Brilliant! There was enough still left to keep me wondering but this just added that extra little layer of OMG-ness (yes…OMG-ness is a thing, and if it isn’t, I just made it a thing) to keep me biting my nails until all the truth came out. And yes…at 69% there was still a lot of truth to come out. Another shocker…I cried. I didn’t expect to. And we’re not talking bawl my eyes out tears but there are some very emotional parts…one involving Hillary and Mallory’s mom and while I didn’t particularly care for their mother, it was a very emotional scene.
‘He hesitates before reaching for me and pulling me to his shoulder. I try to find the strength to push him away. But I can’t. I’ve wanted to be right here, in Alessandro’s arms, for so long. I dreamed of these arms after he left. I dreamed he’d come back and hold me and everything would be okay.
And now he’s here.’
Lisa's writing style is so detailed and fluid it makes my head spin. She made me fall in love with Rome when I read ALTF and she absolutely took me into the heart of NY with ALTM. I can't even begin to tell you, it's like the location becomes a character in itself. The way she describes things is so vivid and clear I feel like I am there and experiencing the sights and sounds with the characters. Another thing I appreciate about Lisa's writing...she writes a very complete story. It's never rushed, the pace is excellent...every possible plot point is covered - even the ones I never even thought about until it I read it. It got to a point where I craved her style…it wasn’t forced or over the top…it was just right and I loved how thought out, thorough and meticulous it was…something that is sometimes lacking in a lot of the books I read…I really appreciate it. It’s the little things that at the last click of my kindle I’m just wow’d by…because it doesn’t hit you fully until the very end.
‘I smile against his chest.
He must feel it, because he kisses the crown of my hair. “What has you so happy?”
“Would you ever have imagined back then that we’d end up like this?”
He cups my cheek and lifts my face so those beautiful eyes are gazing down into mine. “I imagined it every day.”’
Oh sweet Jesus can I talk about how much I loved the ending? Like…we spend the entire book waiting for that moment for Hillary to drop her walls and everything to be happy and glorious and while there are happy and glorious parts throughout the book, the ending just takes the cake. Like…I wanted to sing the hallelujah chorus or something. It was magical and uplifting and very Hillary and Alessandro. Just…exactly what I could have ever hoped and wanted for them. I feel at peace every time I read one of Lisa's books…and I have a feeling A Little Too Hot will not disappoint! So…off I go to read it. :-)
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