Sunday, December 2, 2012

Book Review: The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski

Title: The Edge of Never
Series: The Edge Duology #1
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Self-Published: 11/15/2012
Republished: 03/12/2013 by Hachette
Genre(s): Contemporary New Adult

DESCRIPTION

Sometimes life takes you off course . . .

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett thought she knew exactly where her life was going. But after a wild night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she shocks everyone-including herself-when she decides to leave the only life she's ever known and set out on her own. Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus ready to find herself. Instead, she finds Andrew Parrish.

Sexy and exciting, Andrew lives life like there is no tomorrow. He persuades Camryn to do things she never thought she would and shows her how to give in to her deepest, most forbidden desires. Soon he becomes the center of her daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But there is more to Andrew than Camryn realizes. Will his secret push them inseparably together-or destroy them forever?

MY THOUGHTS
 
I finished The Edge of Never minutes ago and while my mind is racing with thoughts about this phenomenal story; physically I'm feeling somewhat oxygen deprived and tingly. I want to say to everyone(?) you should read this novel!!! Experience it, more like. I pretty much avoid spoilers and adding detailed story lines so I'll simply attempt to explain how this book has effected me.

There are so many novels vying for our time. I don't dwell on what I might miss though, and fortunately, The Edge of Never appeared on the 'to-read' shelves of two people I follow on Goodreads. After reading the description and seeing the very favorable ratings and reviews I downloaded the Kindle edition.

This has been my year to discover new authors, particularly self-published authors. There have been no real disappointments; many I am quite glad to have read, and a few, like The Edge of Never, that have left me astonished and silently thanking the authors for sharing their gifts with me. So, thank you Jessica Redmerski!!!

I didn't feel like I was reading about Camryn and Andrew. It felt more like I was along for their journey of discovery—as they searched for their individual and collective destiny. And all those things that could have kept them apart...well, they didn't. They had conversations, asked questions, teased and flirted, and they decided what to do and where to go without making any real plans. On top of all that there were muscle cars and music. Andrew's '69 Camaro, which was MY dream car, and his father's '69 Chevelle. Music played a big part in Andrew and Camryn's lives, as it does mine. I share both Andrew's love of Classic Rock and Camryn's fondness for more contemporary artists. Her feelings about The Civil Wars, especially their song Barton Hollow, very much mirror my own. That song ended up meaning a great deal to Andrew, as well. Commonalities like these made me feel even more connected to the story and to the characters. Camryn and Andrew were so young; many of the things they did weren't responsible, and even dangerous to a degree. However, they won my devotion for their overall decency and commitment to each other.

There were numerous passages that effected me intensely—in varying ways. Laughing so hard I hurt, anticipating, and then perceiving the deep attraction and chemistry between Camryn and Andrew. Having my next breath and all conscious thought taken away when something too horrible to imagine is revealed. Lastly, an erroneous assumption on my part was corrected, so I could finally draw a deep breath of appreciation and adoration for a story well told.

HIGHLIGHTS

 “What compels any of us to do the thing we do when deep down a part of us just wants to break free from it all?”
~ Camryn Bennett
 
~*~

“Just because one person's problem is less traumatic than another's doesn't mean they're required to hurt less.”
~ Andrew Parrish
 
~*~

“Coincidence is just the conformist term for fate.”
~ Camryn Bennett
 
~*~

[Andrew] “Are you in love with me, Camryn Bennett?”
[Camryn] “Not yet,” I say with a smile in my voice, “but I’m getting there.”
 
~*~

“You two were meant to be together. It's like some wicked fucking fairytale love story that you just can't make up, y'know?” ~ Natalie to Camryn


My Very First Authorgraph!

My Autographed Copy!

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