Monday, October 7, 2013

[Book Discussion and Double Review]: "Only For You"



Today I have a double review for you-- one from me, one from Pat. But first, a brief discussion on the book. We both really liked this book, and we are both fans of this author, so I hope you enjoy the post!


Only For You by Marquita Valentine
Publication Date: September 16th, 2013
Series: Boys of the South, 2
Genre: New Adult Contemporary 


Loose ends left loose for too long tend to strangle. Cole and Violet knew it wouldn’t be easy. They knew their relationship would take work. But when the press finds out about Violet Lynn’s newest boyfriend, they start digging. And when his past come to light, exposing all of his family’s secrets, their relationship begins to fray. 

Country Music’s Golden Boy, Jaxon Hunter, has it all, except the girl that got away. What she saw, she really didn’t. What she thought happened, he allowed her to believe for reasons so insane that no one would ever have believed him if he had confessed. But now that everything’s out in the open, he’s going to do his damndest to convince her that he’s the only one for her. 

Now Violet must choose between Jaxon— her first love and the guy she thought had cheated on her—and Cole—the guy who helped her heal and love again. 

Or will one of them make the decision for her?




Where to Buy*:
More Info:


Book Discussion:



The_Book_Queen: Hi Pat, thanks for agreeing to do this discussion and double review today. I know you are a fan of Ms. Valentine's work like I am, so this ought to be fun! :) Can I get you anything to drink before we get started?


Pat: I would love a pumpkin spice latte, I love the Fall!


TBQ: *smiles* That sounds yummy! Here you go, Pat. As winter's rearing it's ugly head here, I'll go with hot cocoa myself. 

First, out of all her books, which one is your favorite? How does Only For You compare to her others?


P: I love them all, but I have a special favorite in Twice Tempted. I love Christian and Zoe. 
I think that Live for You and Only for You are grittier, a lot more emotions and anger. Some characters are just evil.  The scenes are steamier too!  


TBQ: *nods* I completely agree, both about the difference between her adult and NA series, as well as Christian and Zoe. I have a fondness for their story, too. 

I'll be honest – when I finished book 1 (Live for Youreview), I never thought there would be a sequel to tie up loose ends. I must have been too happy at the time to have a new MV book in my hand to notice such things. ;)  I was a bit surprised by OFY, but I was very happy to see these two stumble to get to their real HEA. And gah, Valentine made me sniffle a time or two as it seemed like Violet and Cole would never get there! Were you surprised by the way their story continues in Only For You?


P: Yes, I was happy at the end of Live For You.  I was left with the feeling that Cole and Violet had found love together, not necessarily a happily ever after, but they were in a good place. This look back at them was heart wrenching. I heard myself say NO  a few times and of course tears.  A lot of tears. 


TBQ: YES! Do you have a favorite part from OFY? I'm not sure if I can pick one... This was such a roller-coaster read, and I mean that in a good way; I was frustrated with various characters at one point, crying for them the next, laughing a few times.... Well, you get the idea. Did you react much the same way?


P: Roller-coaster read is exactly the right description.  Cole and Violet were so concerned with each other's happiness, what each felt the other needed. They needed to sit down and just talk. Cole didn't want to let her go, Violet didn't want to leave........not to mention all the outside influences building up against them. I have to say I LOVED the epilogue.  It was perfect. 


TBQ: It was perfect, wasn't it? Do you have a favorite character from this series? And which book are you looking forward to next? I'm very anxious to read Jaxon's, of course, as we saw in this book that he's much more complex then I originally thought and he needs his HEA. And Bliss is definitely what he needs; she's not weak, but she's nothing like his usual bed mates. The sneak peak we got into their budding relationship in this book was pure torture!


P: My favorite character will always be Violet. She has survived such sadness and pain for someone so vey young.  She is strong, very sure about her feelings and loyal.

I found myself changing my mind about Jax's character. When the truth started leaking out, it showed he was a victim as much as anyone.  I love Bliss! Sweet, innocent, and able to find the good parts of Jax, and hang on.  The sneak peek definitely pulled me in!!!


TBQ: I agree, Violet went through so much, yet continued on, such a strong young woman! 

How would you describe Marquita's books? Who would you recommend her books to?


P: I have read each and every one of Ms. Valentine's books, and each gets better than the last. Her characters are quirky, the story lines unusual,  and they all have to work hard for their HEA.  I would highly recommend Ms. Valentine's novel to any and all who like contemporary romances that grab your heart, and sometimes give it a little twist.


The_Book_Queen: What more can I add to that--other than "Go buy now"? LOL

And last, let's give the readers a brief review of this book, shall we? I'll go first:

When Live For You ended, I never would have imagined Violet and Cole's journey to their HEA to be so rocky. I'm glad that Valentine wrote this sequel to their story, it was beautifully done. Their journey was rough, the drama, secrets, and problems were numerous...and yet I loved Only For You!

I loved seeing these two work out their problems. I love seeing Jaxon ans how the “brothers” fit together. I very much look forward to Jaxon's book. He's more complex than I originally thought, and I'm curious as to what his story is.


Sexy, emotional, and very addicting, I find I can't stop reading Ms. Valentine's books. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and will be waiting, impatiently, for the next book. I dare you to not fall in love with the Boys of the South—it's impossible!




Pat: If you haven't read Live For You, the first in the Boys of the South series, go read it, it's excellent.  Only for You is a continuation of the lives of Cole Morgan and Violet Lynn, better known to Cole as Rae.  They both have histories they're trying to escape, and love each other with all they have, but there is so much working against them.  Jaxon her former fiancĂ© who abandoned her when she needed him the most, wants her back.  Callie, Rae's best friend who has betrayed her in the worst way, is now engaged to Jaxon. The constant annoyance of the paparazzi dogging there every move is very frustrating. Can Cole and Morgan make it if she goes back to her singing career, especially with Jaxon?  

This second novel in the series is a great read.  Rae and Cole stumble a little on their path to happiness,  and secrets and lies are around every corner. A great follow up to Live for You, and a sneak peek at what happens next.  It all adds up to 5 Stars from me.  


Final Verdict:

4 1/2 - 5 STARS! 



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Pat and I both received an e-ARC of this book from the author in exchange for our honest opinion.

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Pat and I have both read Marquita's books before, and I think it's safe to say we are both big fans, so perhaps we're a bit biased? Regardless, if you are looking for a new contemporary author to try, look no further than Marquita Valentine! :) 





Enjoy!



Until Next Time,

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*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

5 comments :

Pat Egan Fordyce said...

Thanks TBQ for letting me join you I in this discussion and review. It was lots of fun!

Kame said...

Great job Ladies - I will catch up to you on this series when I get my TBR pile down!

The_Book_Queen said...

No no, thank you! :D

The_Book_Queen said...

Hehe--good luck with that! :) I've been attempting to do the same for years. It's an uphill battle, and I'm losing. Ah well.
Enjoy!
TBQ

Kame said...

My goal no requests on NG unless tried and true author until I hit around 80%