Review: Heart Waves
Jenna Kingsley has a gift. She knows things. With a simple touch she can pick up personal information from jewelry or objects. While at a neighbor’s party, a voice mesmerizes her. Jenna is momentarily frozen as a ring is placed in her hand. White electricity surges through her and a dire prediction is made. “It’s like Romeo and Juliet. You’re going to break my heart.”
From the moment they meet Jenna is enchanted and entranced with Reece Walton. She’s thrilled to learn he’s spending the summer two houses away from hers. Every moment they spend together is magical. But she can’t get the prediction out of her mind. As the summer draws to a close and secrets are revealed, can Jenna get past the fear of being left with a broken heart to live in the moment with Reece or will her fear of being hurt fulfill the prophecy?
Publication Date: June 1, 2012 Publisher: KFR Communications
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Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook
This book was received from the author in
exchange for an honest review.
I received this book for a blog tour, and
I loved it so much! It had a heroine unlike any I’ve ever read about, a
completely sexy man, and a super unique story line.
Jenna can sense private things from a
person when she touches the intimate objects of that person. When she predicts
that a very cute guy at a party will break her heart, she is immediately
intrigued by Reece Walton. They have an instant connection, and although she is
wary of her prediction, she can’t seem to stay away from him. After futile
attempts to keep him at arms length, she eventually caves and the two embark on
a full-on summer romance. They spend all their time together and as time
passes, fall in love completely and fully. But Jenna can’t shake the fact that
this relationship will end badly, and can she fully trust Reece?
Jenna is a beyond headstrong heroine. She
does not let anyone walk all over her in any capacity, and she is always
cautious about trusting anyone she doesn’t know well. She holds grudges and
really bites into people who are on her bad side. Frankly, sometimes, she can
be an unpleasant person. But when she relaxes and learns to trust, she loves
fully. At times, I felt she could be rash and not think things through, but
faults always make someone human and even more enjoyable to read about. Jenna
was definitely an interesting character, and I loved her and her inner
dialogue!
Reece…where do I even start? This boy
literally captivated my heart from the first time Jenna saw him. If I didn’t
love Jenna and him together so much, I’d want him for myself! He is confident
but not in a really annoying, overly cocky way. He is sweet without being mushy
and gushy. He is very smart but he didn’t act pretentious at all. He knows how
to say the best things at the perfect time. He wasn’t scared by Jenna’s
craziness because he genuinely wanted to be with her. He was just so cute! :)
Grace, Jenna’s best friend, was a
character I had to come around to. She was a classic girl who finally got the
attention of the super hot guy and acted as such. But she eventually got
better. Mike, Grace’s boyfriend, was funny and obnoxious, and Jenna really
hated him. But I was pleasantly surprised by how he ended up. Both Jenna and
Reece’s parents were a conundrum. Her parents took sometime warming up to
Reece, but his put on a nice façade but really didn’t care what Reece wanted in
life, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. I can’t figure out my thoughts on
Reece’s ex-best friend, Tyler. I don’t know what his motives are at all.
I felt the plot was centered around Jenna
and Reece’s romance development. It moved pretty quickly, but the love between
the two was palpable. There were some hints about what is to come in Breaking
Waves, and I think there will be some more action. The romance was so intense!
I feel that is the best way to describe it. If these two aren’t soul mates, I
don’t know who is. I want them to have their happy ever after so bad!
Danielle’s writing is familiar and very easy to relate to. Jenna’s thoughts
were all over the place, but very real.
I am so excited to already have Breaking
Waves. The name makes me sad though. I don’t want their hearts to break! I’m
going to start right now!
Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: His lips were hot against mine. Softly, deftly, they traced a path
across the length of my jaw, down my neck, waking nerve cells I never knew I
had. His hands scorched the skin on my stomach just under my top. With every
new sensation he helped me discover, a new surge of electricity coursed through
my veins making me think I would spontaneously combust. I lost all restraint
and reason.
Rating: 4/5 Tar
Heels!
Review: Breaking Waves
From the moment they met, Jenna knew Reece would break her heart, but she never dreamed it would happen like this. Jenna is left shattered and broken. When life becomes too painful to deal with and she feels completely alone, there’s only one person to help her pick up the pieces and move on. The one person she doesn’t want to turn to. The one person she promised to stay away from. Tyler.
Can Jenna put aside everything she knows about him and let Tyler help heal her broken heart?
Publication Date: January 10, 2013
Publisher: KFR Communications
Goodreads
B&N Nook
This book was received from the author in
exchange for an honest review.
Some series suffer from sophomore
syndrome, but this installment absolutely did not! It was equally as engaging,
and I loved every bit of it.
Jenna had always predicted that Reece
would break her heart, and yet, she let Reece get close to her. So when he
does, she is absolutely heartbroken and devastated. Without Reece, the person
who knew her the best, no one else understands her and her grief. She feels
herself just going through the motions of every day and not really living. When
she needs help the most, she turns to Tyler, Reece’s greatest enemy. Since
Reece broke her heart, can Tyler make it whole again?
I felt immensely bad for Jenna in this
book. She really went through a horrible time, and I felt her grieving
strongly. I was so impressed that she didn’t let herself completely shut down.
As much as she was anguished, she tried her hardest to move on. I think she
matured even more in this episode, and my love for Jenna definitely grew a lot.
Tyler, my new man! He was a total
sweetheart and really took care of Jenna when Reece broke her heart. He was
attentive, and even let Jenna take him to Zumba class! Oh, that was definitely
one of my favorite scenes. He is also very, very good-looking. I still really
have no idea why there is so much bad blood between him and Reece. As much as I
adore Tyler now, I think he is hiding things from Jenna, and I can’t help but
think he may be a bit shady.
Reece was absent for really most of the
book. When he was there, he was really sweet, but definitely vague. It’s really
hard to explain, but after he broke Jenna’s heart, he broke mine too. I will
have a tough time forgiving him in book 3. I think both him and Tyler have
hidden agendas, and I am not sure who is keeping Jenna in his best interests.
Jenna’s parents were so good to her. They
let her have her own space when she craved it but pushed her to get out when
she needed to. Mike, her previous tormentor, showed a much softer side when
trying to make Jenna feel better. Grace didn’t really understand what Jenna was
going through, but she attempted to console her. I still don’t like her as much
as I usually love best friends. I just don’t think she gets Jenna.
Just when I thought I knew what was going
to happen, I found out quickly that I was dead wrong. Danielle throws the
greatest curveball that I could never have expected. This plot made me cry like
a baby but also laugh like an idiot. There were heartbreaking scenes, but there
were also scenes like the Zumba scene. Dragging a beyond hot guy to a dance
class with many drooling girls and a jealous Jenna makes for a very good laugh.
The romance was a lot different in this book. Jenna still clearly cared for
Reece, and she always will. But she also opened her heart to Tyler. They are
really different boys, and they both care for Jenna a lot. As for which team I
am on, I couldn’t tell you. Ask me after book 3! :)
This installment had me on both of the extreme
sides of the emotional scale. I want book 3 so bad right now! Gimme,
gimme, gimme!
Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: I didn't make a move, but watched him intently as he dipped his head down for another long delicious kiss. "I've wanted to kiss you for a long time," he said breaking away. "And now, I don't want to stop." "Then don't." I stood on my toes, ready to meet him so he could know in no uncertain terms I wanted it too. His hands circled my waist, and rested on my backside, his thumbs tucked into my waist band, rubbing my skin, lighting a fire within me.
Rating: 4/5 Tar Heels!
Author Interview:
1.
Hi, Danielle! First of all, I would like to say
thanks so much for stopping on my blog!
So, first question, when did you begin writing?
Why did you decide to become a writer?
Thank you so much for having me! I’m very excited to be here! I fell in love with
writing literally as I learned to write. I remember the day I learned about
brainstorming in first grade. I went to a birthday party later that day and
lost a game of Hot Potato because my mind was preoccupied with the idea of
brainstorming. I envisioned a topic with a brain spitting out all sorts of
words related to it. It was an actual storm of ideas. How cool! Right then and
there I was hooked. My favorite school assignments were essays or creative
writings.
It wasn’t until the sixth grade that I found out I was good
at it. We were required to write one creative writing every month. When the
class would behave and we had a few extra minutes at the end of class, my
teacher would read the month’s best stories out loud to the class. Mine were
regulars and my classmates enjoyed them. I knew then whatever my future held;
writing would be a part of it.
2.
Your books are so unique, so I am curious as to
what was your inspiration for your Heart Waves series?
Thank you for that AMAZING compliment. Actually
the idea for Heart Waves came to me when I was writing For Always. Originally I
thought Heart Waves was the story I wanted to tell, but then I realized they
were two different stories, and I wanted one to be a love at first sight/ Romeo
and Juliet inspired romance, where I wanted the other to be love that developed
from a solid friendship.
3.
What books or authors have influenced you the
most in life?
I think I take a little something away from
every book I’ve read. Twilight inspired me to write daily. And
Stolen by Lucy Christopher inspired
me to try something different with my current WIP. I decided to take on a tough subject and
write it in second person.
4.
What was the hardest part in writing Breaking
Waves?
The hardest part of writing Breaking Waves was
actually writing it. I know that sounds strange, but a little less than half
way through I got this incredible inspiration for another book. I couldn’t
focus on Breaking Waves, so I started working on the other novel. Knowing
Breaking Waves was the next book in a series, and having readers ask for it, I
forced myself to pull it together, put the other book on the back burner and
forge ahead.
5.
How do you begin to organize your writing
process when you are starting a new project?
Usually I have a beginning and an end. I have
some points along the way I’d like to hit, but that’s it. I don’t sit and
outline, at least I haven’t as of yet. I let the characters lead me, and
sometimes they surprise me as Tyler has in the Heart Waves series. Originally I
planned for him to be in one scene in Heart Waves, but he kept telling me he
had more to do.
6.
Jenna is so spunky and Reece is so sweet! Are
their character traits that are similar to you or to people you know?
Thanks, I kind of like them too! There is some
of me in Jenna. As a teenager, I had a
hard time trusting guys, and sometimes if they were too touchy, I’d have to
persuade them to keep their hands to themselves in a way they understood. After
reading Heart Waves my husband was
convinced he was Reece, now after Breaking
Waves he’s pretty sure he’s Tyler lol.
7.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Read
incessantly, write daily, and revise, revise, revise. Write what you are
passionate about, not what you think the market is currently dictating. Markets
change. Be open to the ever fluid times. The publishing industry has and will
continue to transform. We have not seen the finished product, so don’t get hung
up on the traditional ideals.
Character (Jenna) Interview:
1.
Hey Jenna! Thanks
for taking the time to stop by my blog today! I hope you're doing well. So my
first question is, well I think your gift is pretty awesome, but what are your
thoughts about it? Does it scare or surprise you?
Thanks for having
me here. I’m not really sure why you want to talk to me, but I’m happy to
answer what I can. I’m not in love with my gift. I don’t even know if I’d
consider it a gift, especially after meeting Reece, I’d say maybe it’s more of
a curse. At first it was a joke. But I surprised my friends at school by
getting things right, they were amazed and started telling everyone else. Now
people are always asking for readings, and I hate it.
2. I definitely don't blame you! What exactly was
going through your mind when you first saw Reece? Other than his hotness? *fans
self* How did your impression of him change after you go to know him?
OMG, I don’t even
know if I was able to think when I saw him.
Romeo and Juliet definitely went through my mind. It was like in the
moment that our eyes met time stopped. And for that second everything else
disappeared. I thought he was perfect, his voice, his eyes, his smile. After I
got to l know him I knew he was perfect, everything I ever wanted. And that was
the most terrifying part.
3. Reece is definitely pretty perfect. :) What are the
differences between Reece and Tyler and what makes them each unique?
Reece is sweet
and kind. He’s the hero. The guy you want to marry and spend the rest of your
life with. Tyler’s the bad boy you want to save from himself, but you know deep
down you can’t. He’s like a wild untamed animal, sexy, sleek and dangerous.
4. *laughs* I totally agree with your view on Tyler. Very sexy! We all know you
are a writer. How does journaling help you in your day to day life?
Me a writer?
Hardly. I’ve just become so overwhelmed with how I feel. Grace is preoccupied
with Mike and the stuff going on in her life, and my parents are so insane
since I met Reece, it helps having someplace safe where I could express myself.
It helps me store the memories I’m terrified to forget and it helps me figure
things out sometimes.
5. Everyone needs a place to express themselves! I'm glad writing helps you. I think you are
very fiery and fierce, so if you could be an animal, what would you be and why?
Thank you so much
for the compliment. Reece softened me up too much. He made me a pile of melted
butter. I think I’d be a swan. They are beautiful to look at, but dangerous if
they feel threatened. People underestimate swans, but they know how to take
care of business when they need to.
6. I can definitely see you as a swan. Describes you perfectly! I know you like kissing a lot, but what other
hidden hobbies do you have?
That’s funny
because I never really liked kissing before Reece. Could you blame me? Guys
were always so obnoxious. They couldn’t keep their hands where they should be.
I really like Calligraphy, it’s pretty and frilly, totally a girl thing!
7. I've always wanted to try Calligraphy. Maybe you can teach me! One of my
favorite scenes in Breaking Waves was the Zumba scene. *laughs* What is your
favorite song to dance to during Zumba class?
OMG Bree is such
a great instructor I love all the songs
she picks, but anything by or with Pitbull in it makes us work extra hard! And
they’re usually a little sexier too!
Guest Post: How do you go from a story idea to a finished book? What are some of the most important steps?
When I write a book, I need a beginning
and an ending. Sometimes I know points in between that I want to hit. When I
wrote For Always, there was a scene between Stephanie and Charlie that stuck in
my head right from the start. I think I
wrote the whole book around it. I knew it was a great scene and it was one of
the first scenes I wrote.
Next I worked on character development.
In all of my books, there are chapters that always get cut. They’re usually
background that I do more for myself in learning about the characters than for
the actual story.
If I have random scenes throughout, (I
almost always do) I go back to the beginning and connect them. I ask myself how
did the characters get from here to there, and what happened next?
And then I edit. And edit. And edit some
more. I engage my beta readers and look for feedback. This is extremely
important. We all want to hear how amazing our books are and how readers were
riveted throughout. That’s great, but we’re not all perfect and it’s important
to hear what doesn’t work, or what might work better. Beta readers should be trusted and listened
to. They should also be familiar with
the genre you’re writing in.
About the Author:
Danielle Sibarium grew up as an only child of divorced parents in Brooklyn, New York. Her imagination was developed at an early age. Surrounded by stuffed animals and imaginary friends, she transported herself into a fantasy world full of magic and wonder. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwarfs, or Cinderella waiting for the prince.Danielle always loved dialogue and in elementary school began writing plays and short stories. This is when she began to understand she could not only bring her fantastical world to life for herself, but she could enchant others as well. And so she wrote. She wrote and wrote and wrote.Sadly the first piece she ever sent out for publication of any sort was a letter to the editor of The Home News Tribune. It was a piece thanking the first responders for their bravery and selflessness on Sept 11th. It was chosen as letter of the week.In 2007 Danielle collaborated with Charlotte Doreen Small to write songs for her CD More. Danielle wrote the lyrics for Take My Hand, and Goodbye, while Charlotte contributed the melody.
In October 2011 Danielle’s debut novel For Always was released. She has since released Heart Waves and the second book in the Heart Waves series, Breaking Waves.
Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.
Connect with Danielle Sibarium:
Website Twitter Goodreads Heart Waves Facebook
Giveaway: International!
Thanks SO much to Danielle for stopping by Tar Heel Bibliobabe today! It was a pleasure to have you, and I can't wait to see what you have in store for us in book 3!
