Okay, so I apparently suck. I signed up for the Tasty Virtual Blog
Tour for Beyond What Is Given but I didn't realize my post hadn't been released
until two days later.
Sorry, Rebecca!!!
But I'll
make it up to you by spreading my review across the World Wide Web :)
I just want to let everyone know that this has nothing to do with the quality
of the book. It's just I'm a total and complete space case at the moment who's
been lacking sleep and coffee IVs. Now after sleeping for almost 12 hours
straight, I'm here now (better late than never, right?) and I can
finally tell you all about Rebecca Yarros' newest book, Beyond What is
Given.
*Cue original post which caution, contains lots of
fangirling.*
The day has finally come on my stop on the Tasty Blog Tour. You have no idea
how hard it was to keep from wanting to post this as soon as I finished reading
it, but I made a promise not to release until today and so (somehow) I managed
to keep it. Now I can talk your ear off and gush to my heart's content all
about this book. Might want to sit back and grab a cup of something. This may
take a while.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my
honest review and that's exactly what you're going to get. But first things
first, lets get you updated on what I'm talking about before I start talking
like I'm crazy (well crazier).
BEYOND WHAT IS GIVEN
Flight & Glory #3
Rebecca Yarros
Releasing Sept 28th, 2015
Entangled Embrace
Beyond
What is Given, which released last month, is the third book in the Flight and
Glory Series. It stars one of our Fly Boys who we don't really know about, Grayson
Masters, and gives a perspective about him that reveals his actions and attitude in the second
book, Eyes Turned Skyward. Not only that, we see another side of one of my
favorites, Sam Fitzgerald, and their interactions together which I can't even begin
to paint well enough so why don't you just read the blurb.
BLURB
Lt.
Grayson Masters is focused on graduating the Apache helicopter course, and the
last thing he needs is his gorgeous new roommate Samantha Fitzgerald
distracting him. While her smart mouth and free spirit are irresistibly
irritating, he can’t deny their off-the-charts chemistry, no matter how hard he
tries. Having just been expelled from college, Sam has no business
digging for Grayson’s secrets while she’s hiding her own, but that doesn’t stop
her from trying to tear down his walls. Each barrier she busts through drops
one of her own, though, and she’s not prepared for the truth: another woman
laid claim to Grayson’s heart long ago. Falling in love is something
neither Grayson nor Sam can afford, and when that line is crossed and secrets
are exposed, they’ll learn that sometimes it’s the answered prayers that will
put you through hell.
MY
REVIEW
Done
reading? Good. Now... *inhales deep breath and...* OMG!!!!!!!! (would've added
more exclamation points but I didn't want to break my keyboard button, lol) Can
I just say that this book is blow-your-mind, turn-you-inside-out,
make-you-want-to-slap-anyone, it's so amazing. This is one of the few books
where I've been satisfied from beginning to end. Now I'm a very picky reader
and I don't care if the majority of the book is amazing, if the ending isn't up
to par, then it ruins the entire experience for me. But Beyond What is Given
left me with a smile on my face and an aww in my heart. I even told Rebecca so
the day after I finished it. I left her a message, telling her how beautiful
and heartfelt this book was. First time I ever reached out to an author personally
to tell them how much I loved their book. That's the kind of book this is and
was for me.
Now let's
talk characters. It was nice to see the entire gang again and they're wonderful
and all but I'm on a mission to dish about a particular character.
Grayson -
Yum and.... yup I think that about covers it. He's just so absolutely amazing.
He had his issues, of course, but no one's perfect. But ultimately he made up
for those shortcomings a million times fold after breaking free of his past
which a lot of people aren't able to do. And in that, he was able to truly love
Sam the way she needed and deserved. His and Sam's interactions and blooming
love had its funny moments, its hot moments, its sweet-as-a-cavity moments, its
really hot moments, inspirational moments and did I mention its sizzling,
call-the-fire-department-because-something-must-be-on-fire moments? Because it
was all there in the most perfect of perfect ways. I absolutely loved that
Grayson personality and that he couldn't lie and that he had no
filters. My absolute two favorite lines that resonated with me even now is
when Grayson saw something was wrong with Sam and he was like "Are you
okay? Is your mom okay? Do you need me to kill someone?" He just spoke the
words without thought, even after living together for not that long. He was
already smitten. The other line was when Grayson said, "So go ahead
and fall. I've gotten really good at catching you." At that moment I was
like...
and
All I can
say is that Sam is a very lucky girl. If Grayson was real, well she'd have a
fight on her hands. But on the other hand, Sam is perfect for him so I might
just allow her to stay with him (pssh, lol).
Sam was
another amazing character in that she worked hard to get her life back on track
and because she had someone like Grayson pushing her to do better, she grew a
lot compared to when she was first introduced in the first novel, Full
Measures.
I really
loved this couple. They're my favorite of the series which is a hard choice to
make as Josh-Ember and Jagger-Paisley were absolutely amazing. But I'm glad it
is like that in that it shows that Rebecca Yarros' writing gets better and
better with each book. I applaud her on this amazing series and can't wait to
read the next book, Hallowed Ground, which centers on Josh and Ember again and
comes out in a few months. Until then, I will have to some how keep myself busy
so I won't think about how much time is left. I might even re-read the series
because these books are the kind that you can't be satisfied with one read
through.
Here's an
excerpt so you'll understand why...
Excerpt
I
shrieked as the mixer whirred a shrill pitch and batter exploded,
hitting the walls, the cabinets, my face...everything. I sputtered as some
landed in my mouth, and slammed my hand against the lever to turn it off.
This was
going to be a bitch to clean up.
“Are you
okay?” Grayson ran in, hair damp from the shower. His eyes widened as he took
in the state of his precious kitchen. “You weren’t kidding about the mess.”
“Oh
this?” I smiled. “It’s a new aeration technique. I totally meant to do this.”
My awesome excuse died as a glob of brownie mix fell off the tip of my nose.
“Is that
so?” he asked, walking over to me slowly, consuming my vision. My breath
hitched as he swiped his finger across my cheek, and then licked the brownie
mix off the digit. Holy hot. “Hmm... I think there’s something to be
said for this method. Maybe a little more air in the batter?”
My mouth
popped open. “Are you making fun of me?”
He
smirked, which must have had a direct link to my panties, because they
unanimously voted to drop. Now. There was sexy, and there was Grayson’s tongue
sweeping across his lower lip, which was a step beyond hedonistic. His eyes
took on a mischievous glint but kept the same signature intensity that held me
captive, unable to look anywhere else as he lowered his face toward mine.
What...what was he doing?
Do you
even care? Nope. Not one bit.
“Maybe
another taste to be sure?” he asked, his voice low as his lips skimmed across
my jawline.
“Mmm.
Definitely more.” Shivers coursed down my body. Holy shit. His mouth
was actually on me, and I was awake.
He
flipped the switch on the mixer and chocolate flew.
“You did
not!” I let my knees buckle so I slipped to the floor, leaving Grayson to be
splattered by the flying confection.
“I most
certainly did!” He lifted me up like I weighed nothing, and batter smacked the
back of my tank top. “Man, you’re slippery.” He mock-dropped me.
I yelped,
locking my ankles around his waist and my hands around his neck. He turned off
the mixer and chuckled low in his throat. “You can laugh?” I asked, yanking my
head back to look at him.
“I have
been known to on occasion,” he answered, that stupid, crazy-sexy smirk in play
despite the chocolate on his cheeks and forehead. How the hell could someone
look so hot while literally dripping brownie batter?
“I like
it,” I admitted.
His smirk
disappeared, and his grip tightened on my bare thighs as his gaze dropped to my
lips. They parted as if he’d freaking asked them to. We weren’t just stepping out
of the friend-zone here, we were on a damn missile into let- me-jump-you-ville.
“I do,
too,” he whispered.
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Rebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and lover of all things
chocolate, coffee, and Paleo. In addition to being a mom, military wife, and
blogger, she can never choose between Young Adult and New Adult fiction, so she
writes both. She's a graduate of Troy University, where she studied European
history and English, but still holds out hope for an acceptance letter to
Hogwarts. Her blog, The Only Girl Among Boys, has been voted the Top Military
Mom Blog the last two years, and celebrates the complex issues surrounding the
military life she adores.
When she's not writing, she's tying on hockey skates for her kids, or sneaking
in some guitar time. She is madly in love with her army-aviator husband of
eleven years, and they're currently stationed in Upstate NY with their gaggle
of rambunctious kiddos and snoring English Bulldog, but she would always rather
be home in Colorado.
