Ex Factor
(Diamond Girls #1)
by Elisa Dane
Release Date:
04/22/14
Nevaeh Evan’s life is
uprooted after her father’s death, when she moves in with her aunt and
cousin, Livvie. Her plan to lay low at her new high school isn’t
working. Her friend’s jerky boyfriend keeps asking her out, the guy she
likes treats her like garbage, and the thought of tumbling again makes
her want to hurl.
So when her aunt pushes her into joining the elite X-FACTOR cheer leading squad, Navaeh goes along with it.
But Nev feels she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Not after what happened the night her father died.
Bodie Scott knows about grief all too well. Critically injured in an alcohol related accident the year before, Bodie struggles with the fact that he’ll never play football again, and he’s so far behind in credits he can’t see straight. That is, until he meets Nev. Haunted by their bloody pasts and wary of a shared future, Nev and Bodie turn to one another for comfort and support, and realize they’re not so alone after all. And when the party scene at school threatens the life of a loved one, the two stop at nothing to keep the past from repeating itself.
So when her aunt pushes her into joining the elite X-FACTOR cheer leading squad, Navaeh goes along with it.
But Nev feels she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Not after what happened the night her father died.
Bodie Scott knows about grief all too well. Critically injured in an alcohol related accident the year before, Bodie struggles with the fact that he’ll never play football again, and he’s so far behind in credits he can’t see straight. That is, until he meets Nev. Haunted by their bloody pasts and wary of a shared future, Nev and Bodie turn to one another for comfort and support, and realize they’re not so alone after all. And when the party scene at school threatens the life of a loved one, the two stop at nothing to keep the past from repeating itself.
Unbreakable
(Diamond Girls #2)
by Elisa Dane
Release Date: 06/10/14
Perception is
everything to sixteen-year-old Olivia Brown. With her freakishly hot
boyfriend, volunteer work at the local animal shelter, successful beauty
channel on YouTube, and well-earned spot on X Factor Cheer's elite
level five Diamond Girl team, Livvie's the girl every other girl wants
to be. At least, that's the illusion she's aiming for.
But Livvie's seemingly perfect life is anything but. Lying about the bruises her boyfriend gives her, and cowering beneath his raging temper becomes a regular way of life until she unwittingly witnesses her drunken neighbor beating his step-son, the town bad boy, Reid Tate.
For Reid, vulnerability is the enemy. Opening up, and letting people in gives them the power to disappoint. Growing up with a co-dependent mother and an abusive alcoholic father, Reid has endured all the disappointment he can stomach.
But when his pretty, do-good neighbor witnesses his step-dad beat him to within an inch of his life, and not only call the cops, but keeps quiet at school about what she saw, Reid wonders if maybe, just maybe, he's found someone he can finally trust.
But Livvie's seemingly perfect life is anything but. Lying about the bruises her boyfriend gives her, and cowering beneath his raging temper becomes a regular way of life until she unwittingly witnesses her drunken neighbor beating his step-son, the town bad boy, Reid Tate.
For Reid, vulnerability is the enemy. Opening up, and letting people in gives them the power to disappoint. Growing up with a co-dependent mother and an abusive alcoholic father, Reid has endured all the disappointment he can stomach.
But when his pretty, do-good neighbor witnesses his step-dad beat him to within an inch of his life, and not only call the cops, but keeps quiet at school about what she saw, Reid wonders if maybe, just maybe, he's found someone he can finally trust.
Beautiful, gritty and intense. I have to say this
book turned out to be so much more than I even thought it would. This is
a very tough story.
Don't get me wrong it was a GREAT read! I
absolutely loved the characters every single one! We get depth in our
back stories as well as unique characters.
The MC is Nev and she has
been through alot of crap. She is at a new school and gets in the mix.
She hasn't tumbled since tragedy struck her life but she is thrust back
into it by her cousin Liv. She lives with her aunt and cousin who only
want to help her start moving forward in life. It does her good and I
really like how things unfold and evolve. Watching strength and independence develop is a beautiful thing!
There is a very valuable
lesson in this book, it addresses issues that are hard to
talk about with your teens. Teen drinking and partying and driving while
intoxicated is tackled. Death and loss are mixed in there giving a huge
dose of reality to the beautiful storyline.
The characters are well
developed and I really love Bodie he is a great counterpart to balance
out Nev completely. This is NOT your average cheer themed book.
The
Ex-Factor Diamond Girls are a legit cheer squad and it's not a huge
part this is not a book about cheering but it has cheering in it. It is a very well
integrated component to the story. Swoon worthy read indeed! #TeamBodie
I really do recommend this book and
the series to anyone who loves YA Contemporary and is looking for
something a bit different.
Definitely buying the paperbacks for my
daughter to read!!
5 stars hands down!!!!
I am super excited to have book 2 in the Diamond
Girls series!
In book two, Elisa Dane tackles another subject matter
that is a rough one to put out there. I love that is is done in such a
tactful manner.
Liv, Nev's cousin slides into the MC position and boy
does it get grit-ty!
I love that Nev is still in this one and that it
branches off in a direction that I personally wasn't expecting.
Wow just whoa! It
was most definitely a stunner in more than one spot.
I was pretty much staggeringly speechless in several points
as well, man did the author get the obsessive boyfriend down! My skin
crawled on some parts seriously!
Thjs read carried alot of emotion for me. I laughed, I cried, I swooned and I was
drawn in a hundred thousand percent! The progression of things moved at a steady pace and my excitement was maybe a tad out of control. I was giddy reading this book. Yes you heard me... I think it was all about Reid and his melt your insides to goo drool worthy swoon-tastic abilities that had me mesmerized.
Okay let me just say it... I heart me some Reid Tate! There. That's better. Great character and the makings of perfection of the male persuasion in a YA Read!
The characters,
storyline, pace and everything rocked!
Two thumbs up, two hundred stars
and yes please!
I cannot stress enough that this is an important book
for young females to read. It gives a 360 from all points of view of how
things like that happen and are accepted so often.
I was so frustrated at points and scared poopless in some spots for sure! I
recommend this book highly.
This series in fact is a really great YA
Contemporary read.
The story is extremely engaging and I had no problem getting
through it quickly and yes my cuticles suffered immensely.
Whatever
Elisa Dane is writing, I'm reading! I can't wait for the Diamond Girls
book 3!
Ex-Factor
Unbreakable
I'm a lover of books (YA & Adult romance),
chocolate, reality television, and am a proud mother to three All Star
cheerleaders. Woot!
I write Contemporary YA romance with cheerleaders. Yep. I write what I know, and it's my hope that my stories will not only take you on a romantic journey that will warm your heart, but that you'll find a new respect and interest in the sport of Cheerleading you may not have had before.
I write Contemporary YA romance with cheerleaders. Yep. I write what I know, and it's my hope that my stories will not only take you on a romantic journey that will warm your heart, but that you'll find a new respect and interest in the sport of Cheerleading you may not have had before.
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