Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Blog Tour, Guest Post and Book Review: When It's Least expected by Heather Van Fleet






Title: When It's Least Expected
Author: Heather Van Fleet
Published:
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Author (in exchange for an honest review)

Book Description:

Moving on after a tragedy can be impossible – especially when you’ve been dealing with those tragedies for over two years. But it’s her senior year, and Harley Anderson is more than ready to do just that, even though the skeletons in her closet can’t exactly be hidden.

Enter Mason Daniel, the egotistical, sexy, surfer boy from California – a boy with his own hidden demons, and even bigger secret agenda.

Mason isn’t right for Harley. He knows this better than anyone. He’s the epitome of a runner–a guy who takes what he can get, only to split a short while later. But he can’t deny the emotions that Harley brings out of him, so he’s going to break his rules for once.

He should have known what it would lead to… Two kindred souls – both lost and then found. Will they fail, once again, in their search for contentment and happiness, or will they finally find true love, when it’s least expected?






About The Author:

Heather Van Fleet currently resides in northern Illinois, with her three daughters, Kelsey, Emma, and Isabella, and her fabulous hubby (and high school sweetheart) Chris, with whom she’s been blissfully married to now for ten plus years. She’s a stay at home mom by day, and an avid and completely obsessive writer and reader by night.

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Guest Post:

My own YA love story by Heather Powell

I love YA books, there’s no question about that. I love the idea of first love – the possibility of finding your one true soul mate when you’re just sixteen or seventeen years old. It never fails to make me swoon; to make me want to relive it over and over again myself. Guess that’s why re-reading books has become a bit of a habit of mine. In fact, I think I guiltily read the Twilight Series at least ten times in a row. It got to be so bad that I made my husband hide the books from me just so I could move on with my life. J

Anyways, I remember when I first fell in love. It was that sucks you in kind of love. . . The kind that hurts your heart so badly when things go sour, that you can hardly stand it. But when it’s right – when it’s perfect – you can’t let it go either because it just feels so darn good.

I was sixteen years old when I experienced these emotions. It was the summer before my junior year of high school when it all went down.

His name was Chris. And he quickly became the love of my teenage life – and my whole world at that. He was just fifteen years old too. *Gasp*I know, I know, a younger man, LOL. But technically he was only ten months younger than I was, so it was more than acceptable. J

Chris had this dimpled cheek that I wanted to kiss over and over again. His eyes were so dark, that I constantly lost myself in them whenever he looked at me. He was charming, he made me giggle, and he brought out parts of my personality that nobody had ever seen before. Oh – and it didn’t hurt that his smile was perfect too. Dear God, who am I kidding here . . . I loved that smile of his more than anything.

Chris and I dated for four long teenage months, a record for a set of teens growing up in the late nineties I’d say. We held hands in the hall, kissed by our lockers, and I attended all his football games and wrestling matches. I even convinced my parents to let me travel out of town to go see him in all his athletic glory. I was so head over heels in love with that boy, that I never saw the dreaded break-up coming. And then when it did come . . . it was in a note . . . an after school note at that. And it all happened after he’d just held my hand under the table at lunch time only two hours prior.

I was so heart broken, that I didn’t think I could put myself back together again.

But in those few short months, I experienced every emotion known to man. And it was both the best, and maybe the worst emotional moments of my life. But you know what? Those moments also made me who I am today. They made me the woman I wanted to become. And fifteen years later, I am still a whole person. And you want to know what the best part about my experience was? Well, how about the part where I say that Chris and I are now happily married to each other? J (Almost eleven years of marriage now actually) In fact, we now have three beautiful little girls and all of our past indiscretions behind us, to prove to disbelievers out there that yes indeed, it is possible to experience your own happily after at the age of 16 and 17.

I’m not saying that it’s been an easy ride for the two of us. Heck, it’s still to this day a challenge at times. And then add three kiddos to the mix, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a story. But each time I look into my hubby’s eyes – each time I stare at his dimple and lose myself in his smile – I know that everything that’s ever happened to us has been worth it. And the best part is that I can’t wait to see where, and how, the rest of our real life love story unfolds. . .



My Thoughts and Review:

I have always loved the saying that good things happen to those who wait and when they least expect it because I think it is so very true. It also happens to be the perfect title for this story. A story about two people who come together and not only discover a great friendship in the process but a great love as well. One that is healing and soothing and everything a great love should be. 

I really loved Mason, I didn't love him all the time because, let's face it, the boy made some pretty stupid mistakes along the way with Harley (love that name!) but, he tried, he really really did and I had to give him credit for that, especially since he really had never been in love with someone before and being a clueless boy in love, yeah, never a good thing when it comes to the smarts department. He was bound to make some mistakes and hopefully learn along the way and you know what? He did learn and he did get better and of course, I had to fall in love with him for that all over again, I couldn't help it. 

Both Mason and Harley had some pretty big secrets and some deep hurts and they learned a lot from each other along the way. They kind of had the whole, the good, the bad and the ugly thing going on. They saw each other through a lot of crap and instead of crumbling and falling apart they grew stronger, alone and together and even though they had their weak disastrous moments, they were better and stronger together and I will forever be a sucker for stories like theirs.

The author did a great job portraying their love for one another. Showing how two young people grow together and sometimes even apart. How any good relationship should be built on friendship first and how life isn't always easy, regardless of your background. That things in the past, do not determine our future, we determine our future. 



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*All Opinions are my own and I was in no way compensated for my review*

16 comments:

  1. Awww loved her love story! So sweet that you married your first boyfriend. I know quite a few couples that were high school sweet hearts. Never underestimate the power of love at any age. And even when the relationships don't work out it is true that they make us who we are today.

    Urg I hate the saying things come to those who wait!!! Like I'm still waiting here!!! LOL My mom always says that and it drives me nuts. But sounds like a cute story and that they came into each others lives at the perfect time and helped each other.

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  2. Thank you so much for the fabulous review! I'm so glad you liked Harley and Mason's story. :)

    I definitely agree, Jennifer. Love can happen at any stage in life. I was just lucky enough to find it at sixteen, lol

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  3. heheh I like the name Harley myself hehe. Great review! Mason doesn't sound perfect, which is good in a book! love when people grow in them :)
    Cute review, glad you enjoyed this one

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  4. I remember my first love. I fell in love several times (so I thought) until I was 18 when I thought that was it and I thought I was blissfully happy. I was wrong, it was more a nightmare, but after a few years I escaped him and disppeared to another part of the country where I found my true soulmate not long after. If I hadn't suffered through with the first guy and then fled him, I never would have met my husband.

    Oh man, I still remember that flutter when I would crush hard as a teen. I remember that everytime I read a YA romance.

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  5. Yes! That is what is so much fun about reading this genre Candace, remembering all those "firsts" and flutters.

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  6. This seems to be somewhere between YA and NA, and NA is the new black, hah. My friends have a daughter named Harley, I always thought it was very cool.
    I'm not sure I'd appreciate the secrets and the angst, but I'm ready to give it a try. I'm so tired of all things paranormal.
    Great review, and post. Such a cute love story!

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  7. I hear you on that Maja, it has been awhile since I have read one, I sort of needed a break from them.

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  8. Oh my gosh! That guest post was adorable. It brought back all those emotions of first loves at fifteen for me as well. I am dying to know why he wrote the break up note and how they got back together!

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  9. I know me too Heidi!

    It seems like 15 was a good age for first love huh?

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  10. "Chris and I dated for four long teenage months..."

    *giggle snort* It's so true that my teenage months seemed much longer than my adult months:) LOVE that story so much (aside from the breaking up via after school note part ;-), thanks so much for sharing Heather!

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  11. Ha! So true! It is funny how a 6 month relationship back then seemed like a lifetime and 3 to 4 months was considered a long time.

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  12. Great review and I love that saying too, thanks for sharing the guest post, high school sweethearts are always sweet stories.

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  13. I just think it's funny when it's portrayed as a 16, 17, 18 -year old "FINALLY finds love." As if it's been so long. My 16-year-old goddaughter already has this mentality.. like she should have found her soul mate already and every new boy is it. I'm NOT saying it's not possible, I just wish young ladies didn't think they NEED to find The One at such a young age and that something is wrong with them when they don't. Haha, sorry, it's one of those things that gets to me. But this does sound like a good book. :)

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  14. Haha! I hear ya Christy. It does happen but yeah. teenagers don't need to think something is wrong if it hasn't happened to them yet at such a young age.

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  15. This sounds like a really good book. The guest post is great. I love that she married Chris - so romantic. I really like the name Harley to. Great review.

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