Julie Johnson – Cross the Line – ARC REVIEW + RELEASE BLITZ+EXCERPT+GIVEAWAY!

Book Title: Cross The Line
Author: Julie Johnson
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy
Release Date: November 10, 2015
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

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Synopsis

Phoebe West has been head-over-heels in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember.

Not that he’s bothered to notice.

Despite several mortifying attempts at seduction and a decade’s worth of unrequited pining, nothing Phoebe does seems to make any impact on the man she’s obsessed over since her bra-stuffing days. She knows it’s time to let him go, though just the thought is nearly enough to shatter her

Nathaniel “Nate” Knox has only ever seen Phoebe as one thing: forbidden.

There’s a darkness in Nate, the kind you can’t avoid after years working in special forces and private security. He’s no good for anyone — especially not someone as sweet as his best friend’s little sister. He knows he can’t have her. Not ever. Even if she makes him feel things he barely recognizes…

Some lines aren’t meant to be crossed.

When an unforeseeable series of events sends Phoebe stumbling headfirst into danger, there’s only one man who can protect her. Though, in his quest to save her life, he may just break her heart…

**CROSS THE LINE is a full-length contemporary romance about a woman who can’t seem to walk away… and the man who’ll go to any length to keep her safe. Due to sparks flying, suspenseful moments, steamy scenes, and one sassy heroine, it is recommended to readers ages 17 and up.

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*ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Véleményem a könyvről

Úgy tűnik, Julie Johnson egyszerűen nem tud olyan könyvet írni, amitől ne lennék odáig meg vissza. 😀 Imádtam úgy, ahogy van! Vicces volt, szórakoztató volt, fordulatos volt, nagyon-nagyon jó karakterekkel és erőteljes érzelmekkel. Minden megvolt ebben a könyvben, ami kell: humor, fordulatos cselekmény, romantika, egy domináns adonisz és egy nagyon vicces, makacs lány.

A történet úgy kezdődik, hogy egy öt éves kislány ül egy fa alatt és sirat egy halott madarat és az egyedül maradt párját. Ekkor tűnik fel az új szomszéd kisfiú, Nate, aki megvigasztalja a kislányt és innentől kezdve szoros kötelék alakul ki közöttük. Nate és a Phoebe bátyja, Parker, egyből legjobb barátok lesznek, így viszont Phoebe hiába van belezúgva a néhány évvel idősebb fiúba, a rajongása plátói marad.

A jelenben Phoebe már 24 éves, és bár már évekkel ezelőtt megszakadt a kapcsolata Nate-el, – amikor a fiú úgy döntött csatlakozik a különleges alakulathoz-, ő még mindig nem tudta túltenni magát rajta. Azonban Nate egy éjszakán újra feltűnik Phoebe életében, és bár úgy tűnik ő teljesen közömbös Phoebe iránt, a lány régi érzelmei, – bármennyire is tagadja őket-, újult erővel kapnak lángra. Kérdés, hogy lesz-e lehetősége és bátorsága „átlépni azt a bizonyos határt”.

Nagyon-nagyon jó volt! Phoebe és Nate élcelődései felejthetetlenek voltak, és imádtam őket. Pheobe egy hihetetlen női főszereplő, és szerettem az összes lüke gondolatát,  Nate pedig egy nagyon titokzatos és erőteljes karakter, aki szintén nagyon belopta magát a szívembe. Ő is jó párszor megvillogtatta a humorát és még az irányítgató természete is nagyon szórakoztató volt. Parker és Phoebe kutyusa, Boo is emlékezetesek voltak és az összes jelenetüket et nagyon szerettem. Hogy hogy lehet egy kutyának ilyen vicces „személyiséget” adni, ahhoz szerintem külön tehetség kell. 😀 A cselekmény pedig nagyon-nagyon izgalmas és fordulatos volt, ahogy azt az írónőtől megszokhattuk. 🙂 Örültem volna, ha Phoebe hegedűművészete egy picit nagyobb szerepet kap, de így is tökéletes volt ez a könyv.

Nagyon tetszettek a „mű-bölcsességek” minden fejezet előtt. Egyiknek sem volt igazán köze a cselekményhez, de nagyon viccesek voltak, és jókat szórakoztam rajtuk. 😀 De maga az egész könyv is talán a legjobban a „szórakoztató” szóval írható le. Voltak benne nagyon szép és érzelmes pillanatok, de gyakorlatilag az egész könyvet egy dinka mosollyal arcomon olvastam végig. Rengeteget nevettem, izgultam a szereplőkért és egyszerűen imádtam minden sorát. Köszönöm szépen Julie Johnson, hogy ismét egy olyan könyvvel ajándékoztál meg, amely a kedvencek polcán landolt! 🙂

P.S: Vicces, hogy Conor a Say the Word és az Erasing Faith után ismét feltűnt ebben a kötetben is. Jót mosolyogtam rajta. :))

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My Review in English

It seems that Julie Johnson simply can’t write a book which doesn’t glue me to my Kindle. 😀 From the moment I started reading, I was hooked and I loved every single line of this book. It was really entertaining and funny with great cast of characters and with powerful emotions. This book contained everything what a perfect book needs: good sense of humor, big plot twists, heart-melting romance, sexy hotness, an alpha-male and a really funny, stubborn heroine.

The story starts with the scene as a little girl sits under a tree crying over a dead bird and the lonely “wife bird”. This is when the new boy next door shows up and comforts her. After that a thigh bond forms between them. Nate and Phoebe’s brother, Parker instantly become best friends but this is one of the reasons why Phoebe’s crush on Nate stays platonic.

In the present Phoebe is 24 years old and she lost the connection with Nate several years ago, when he decided that he joins the Special Forces. But after these years Phoebe still can’t let him go. One night Nate shows up again in Phoebe’s life and despite it seems that he is completely indifferent for her, Phoebe’s feelings – no matter how much she denies – reignites with renewed vigor.  The question is if she will have the opportunity and the courage to “cross that line” with him?

This book was really-really good! The banter between Phoebe and Nate was unforgettable and I loved them so much! Phoebe is an outstanding heroine and I loved every silly thought of her. Nate was a really mysterious and powerful character who is also found his way into my heart. He has a really great sense of humor, too, and his bossy character was also very entertaining. Parker and Phoebe’s dog, Boo was so-so memorable, I loved every scene of them. I think  it is a special talent of Julie Johnson that she could create a so funny character for a DOG! 😀 I laughed so much of him. The plotline was really twisting (like usually… I freaking love every single book of the author! :D) I would have really liked if Phoebe’s gift with the violin would got more attention, but the book was perfect this way, too.

One of my favorite parts of the book were the “fake-wisdoms” before each chapter. These were not exactly related to the plot, but they were really funny! 😀 Julie Johnson has a brilliant sense of humor but she also can conjure beautiful emotional moments on the pages. I read this entire book with a goofy smile on my face. 🙂 I laughed a lot, I was on the edge because of the twists and turns and I just couldn’t put it down. Thank you very much Julie Johnson that you gave me again a book which also landed on my ‘favorite shelf’. 🙂

P.S.: It was really funny, that Conor from Say the Word and Erasing Faith showed up again in this book. 😀 I see what you’ve done there. 😀

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My Favorite Quotes From the Book

“But loving someone isn’t about wanting them to evolve into someone better. My mom taught me that.
Real love is saying: here, take my still-beating heart and hold it in your hands and please, please, please, promise not to squeeze too tight or drop it on the pavement. Love is being naked and afraid, but refusing to flinch.
It’s not asking that person to change; it’s trusting them enough not to. And it’s not even about needing them to love you back equally; it’s just about loving them for who they are.”

“He’s a candle throwing faint light… and Nate’s the sun — eclipsing everything else, pulling me into his orbit.”

“Can you die of a broken heart?
A tear-stained little girl asked that question to a boy on the grass beside her almost twenty years ago.
He didn’t know the answer. Neither of us did.
Not then.
But I know now.
(…)
Our world is a hypochondriac’s nightmare and a survivalist’s dreamland.
Anything can kill you. Anything.
Even a broken heart.”

“I USED TO THINK IT WOULD BE COOL TO READ OTHER PEOPLE’S MINDS.
THEN I JOINED FACEBOOK.
Phoebe West, defending her techno-phobic life choices”

“With every kiss, every stroke, every gasp, he embeds himself deeper in my soul. Until I can’t think of anything but him, of the inevitability of this moment between us. It’s been written in my stars since I was five years old with a crush on the older, off-limits boy next door.”

“TRUE FRIENDS DON’T JUDGE ONE ANOTHER.
THEY JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE.
TOGETHER.
Phoebe West, ruminating on friendship.”

“I may not know everything.” I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I taste blood. “But I do know what love is.”
“You know a definition in a dictionary. You know a fucking proverb — love is patient love is kind. That’s bullshit. Because love, real love, the kind that lasts forever… it’s not patient or kind. Not pretty or perfect. It’s rough and hard as all hell. It’s ugly.” He steps closer, eyes never shifting from mine.
“Love is holding someone’s filthy, tarnished heart in your hands and claiming it as yours anyway.”

“ENOUGH WITH THE SEX POSITIONS. WHY CAN’T MAGAZINES PUBLISH AN ARTICLE ABOUT READING POSITIONS THAT DON’T GET UNCOMFORTABLE AFTER FIVE MINUTES?
Phoebe West, while perusing an issue of COSMO.”

“You won’t get over him until you’ve taken him for a spin.”
“What do you mean?”
She glances up at the ceiling, as if seeking guidance. “God, it’s like talking to Rory Gilmore, season one. Except she had more sense when it came to boys.“

“I’VE HAD HUNDREDS OF BOYFRIENDS.
SO WHAT IF THEY’RE FICTIONAL?
DON’T YOU DARE JUDGE OUR LOVE.
Phoebe West, on the many merits of book boyfriends”

***These quotes may contain SPOILERS!***

“Frankly, it’s none of your fracking business who I date!”
“Fracking?”
“And furthermore,” I barrel on, ignoring his amused question. “These are not fu… fu…” I swallow hard. “They are not those kind of heels.”
His mouth tugs up at one side and the sight of it makes my heart skip a beat.
“Can’t say the word fuck, West?” He sounds vastly entertained by the idea.
My cheeks heat.
Oh, I can, all right. I just worry that if I say fuck me while you’re standing so close, my body willdisobey orders and wrap around you like a tree frog.

“Do you remember what we vowed? After we buried the bird?”
His hands slide up the bare skin of my back. “I said you’d never catch me falling in love,” he whispers, voice rough around the edges. “Because I wasn’t going to risk dying of a broken heart.”
I nod slowly. “And I agreed it wasn’t worth the risk.” A small grin tugs at my mouth. “Then again, I would’ve agreed with almost anything you said — you were much older and wiser, with vast life experience and extensive song-lyric knowledge.”
“What do you mean were?” he jokes. “I’m still older and wiser and my music collection has only expanded, through the years.”
(…)
“Thing is…” I swallow. “I broke the vow we made that day.”
His heart pounds faster — I feel it vibrating through his ribcage. “Did you, little bird?”
“Yeah.” I nod miserably, doing my best to fight back the tears building behind my eyes. “I said I wasn’t ever going to fall in love, but…” I swallow hard. “I did.”
He’s silent for the longest five seconds of my lie.
“You want to hear something crazy?” he says finally.
I nod.
“I broke that vow the day we made it.”

5 – Turtle doves mate for life – Stars

5 stars

cross the line

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Playlist For the Book

• I Found by Amber Run
• Not In That Way by Sam Smith
• Clean Getaway by Maria Taylor
• Beautiful Birds by Passenger
• Landfill by Daughter
• Shadow Preachers by Zella Day
• Like I Can by Sam Smith
• Shame On You by Mariah McManus
• Ace of Hearts by Zella Day
• Take Me to Church by Hozier
• The Last Time by Taylor Swift
• Latch (Acoustic) by Sam Smith
• Compass by Zella Day
• Let the Light Back In by Maggie Eckford
• This Love by Taylor Swift

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About the Author

JULIE JOHNSON is a twenty-something Boston native suffering from an extreme case of Peter Pan Syndrome and an obsession with fictional characters. When she’s not writing, Julie can most often be found daydreaming, drinking too much coffee, striving to conquer her Netflix queue, or stalking Goodreads for new books to add to her ever-growing TBR list.

She published her debut novel LIKE GRAVITY in August 2013, just before her senior year of college, and she’s never looked back. Since, she has published three more novels: SAY THE WORD, ERASING FAITH, and NOT YOU IT’S ME. Her books have appeared on Kindle and iTunes Bestseller lists around the world.

You can find Julie on Facebook or contact her on her websitehttp://www.juliejohnsonbooks.com. Sometimes, when she can figure out how Twitter works, she tweets from @AuthorJulie. For major book news and updates, subscribe to Julie’s newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bnWtHH

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Excerpt

My champagne glass is poised at my lips when my eyes cut through the crowd and find the one thing I’ve told myself over and over I haven’t been searching for all night.

There’s a man standing by the wall, practically blended into the shadows, his every muscle on high alert and his stare locked on me. His muscular body fills out a pair of dark slacks dangerously well. His biceps strain against the confines of his black button down; his tanned throat is on display with the top buttons of his shirt left undone.

My mouth feels suddenly dry.

Dark eyes meet mine, trapping me in an instant. I’m a deer in headlights, frozen, staring at him across a crowded sea of people. There must be fifty of them, standing in the space between us, but as seconds slip away with our gazes locked, every one of them simply falls away until we’re the only two in the room.

Nate, Nate, Nate.

Every atom in my body starts to sing, totally entranced by his presence. There’s something terrifying about a man who holds that much sway over you. A man who can just look at you — not even with kindness or love, but with a hard-set mouth and cold-burning eyes — and unravel you like a spool of useless thread.

One glance and I’m a goner.

I hear Cormack saying something at my ear but for the life of me, I can’t make out his words. He’s a candle throwing faint light… and Nate’s the sun — eclipsing everything else, pulling me into his orbit.

I’m not breathing, as I look at him. I can’t. Every ounce of control I have over my body is being used up with the effort of keeping my eyes steady on his face. His goddamned beautiful, haunted face. I wonder, if I ever got the chance to trace its harsh lines with my fingertips, to stroke that ever-clenched jaw with gentle hands… would it soften at all beneath my touch? Or would loving Nate be like touching stone?

You hate him. He’s terrible. Stop looking at him.

Those dark eyes burn into mine and I think they’ll never let go, never release me. That I’ll age and wither and die right here, in this spot, because I can’t look away.

But then Cormack moves, his hand skimming my arm in a useless call for attention, and those consuming dark eyes shift, releasing me. Breath whooshes back into my lungs as Nate stares at the man by my side. His eyes flash with something indecipherable, his jaw clenches, and then he’s gone.

Slipping into the crowd like a ghost, until I’ve lost sight of him.

 

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