Rewind to You
Author: Laura Johnston
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Published: September 15th, 2014
ISBN13: 978160183350
336 pages
FTC FYI: Received an ebook copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Summary
One last summer before college on beautiful Tybee Island is supposed to help Sienna forget. But how can she? This is where her family spent every summer before everything changed, before the world as she knew it was ripped away.
But the past isn’t easily left behind. Especially when Sienna keeps having episodes that take her back to the night she wants to forget. Even when she meets the mysterious Austin Dobbs, the guy with the intense blue eyes, athlete’s body, and weakness for pralines who scooped her out of trouble when she blacked out on River Street.
When she’s with Austin, Sienna feels a whole new world opening up to her. Austin has secrets, and she has history. But caught between the past and the future, Sienna can still choose what happens now…
My Review
Sienna is having trouble coping with losing her father after his death in an accident where she was driving. Austin is just getting by, trying to stay away from trouble. They meet as Austin is helping Sienna out a rough situation and become fast friends. Right away there is an instant connection, but there are obstacles. Mostly, Sienna is just visiting for the summer and leaving for college soon. Austin is also leaving (but I don't want to say why, no spoilers here). They are both trying to come to terms with the cards they've been dealt in life and find that they have found peace in each other.
I really, really liked this book! The characters are so well-written. I loved the point of view switches. I felt I was really able to get to know Sienna and Austin better as I saw them through each other's eyes. Austin was adorable, I instantly liked him. I loved getting to know him better and all that he did to make others feel good (even if they didn't know it at first). He truly is a great kid. Austin also has a sad back story and I loved how it plays out. It even made me cry at the end. Sienna has a lot going on too. She keeps fainting and rewinding back to times when she was most happiest with her dad. She finds she wants to see her dad, but needs to figure out the cause.
4 out of 5 stars. I have said this a million times, but I LOVE a great story that is clean and enjoyable and something I can pass to my girls. This book is fantastic and I can't wait to read more from this author.
Excerpt
Dad shifts his gaze to the sunset just visible above the thick trees. “You know, Sienna, there aren’t too many moments quite like this.”
I nod, because whatever is happening right now is definitely not normal. It feels so real. I wish it would last forever.
“Let’s make a pact,” he says and I feel seven again, making a promise with a best friend. “Let’s remember it, okay? This moment. And when times get rough, we can rewind to this moment and remember the taste of a job well done. We can remember how great this day was.”
A lump swells in my throat as I recall who was behind the wheel that night: me. “Okay, it’s a pact.”
Author Laura Johnston
Laura Johnston lives in Utah with her husband and two children. Growing up with five siblings, a few horses, peach trees, beehives and gardens, she developed an active imagination and always loved a good story. She fell in love with the young adult genre both through her experience in high school as well as her job later as a high school teacher. Laura enjoys running, playing tennis, sewing, traveling, writing, and above all, spending time with her husband and kids. REWIND TO YOU is her debut novel.
Excerpt
I’m increasingly aware of Austin—his shower-fresh scent, every curve of muscle and the rise and fall of his chest with every breath—as he stands behind me and wraps his arms around mine.
“I’ll teach you,” he says, his hot breath against my ear seeping in. Whispering a thrill.
His hand cups the back of mine. I watch as he positions my pinkie and ring fingers over the threads and slides my thumb down. “Hold the football with your fingertips.”
I glance at his face above my shoulder, his blue eyes, strong jaw and his lips. And suddenly, football is the last thing on my mind.
Praise for the Book
“Johnston’s debut spotlights romance and familial relationships, including themes like grief and self-sacrifice. It’s an ideal story for readers looking for a deep-rooted YA love story with the emotional ups and downs and poignancy of a Nicholas Sparks contemporary. There’s also a touch of wit and a sigh-worthy hero – a definite on your TBR list.” – RT Book Reviews
“This is contemporary YA fiction at its best! –Kay Lynn Mangum, author of The Secret Journal of Brett Colton
“Rewind to You will steal your hear away.” –Kelly Nelson, author of The Keeper’s Saga
BookBlast Giveaway
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Ends 10/5/14
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Thank you for the great review and for participating in the tour! :)
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