The Upside of Letting Go by Nacole Stayton Blog Tour - Review and Giveaway

Haley Martin decides the only way to let go of her lingering nightmares is to literally move on. Taking a leap of faith she finds herself enrolling at a campus hundreds of miles away from home.

She leaves any thoughts of dating again in Jersey, that is until fate crosses her path with a blue-eyed stud named Kyler King. He is notoriously known for being emotionally unattainable, but his façade is only to hide the burdens he bares every day.

As Kyler and Haley’s physical attraction becomes deeper, the secrets of the past threaten to surface. When Haley’s past collides with the present, will her secrets prove too big of an obstacle hindering their happily ever after, or will letting go be the key that locks their bond forever?

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Man oh man.  Talk about an emotional roller coaster.  This book stopped my heart a few times.  

The story starts off with Haley getting off a bus in Alabama from New Jersey.  She is obviously running away from something.  But why would a girl from Jersey pick Alabama?  Well, the sexy, Southern guys definitely are not a disadvantage.

"Excuse me miss," the gorgeous sandy blonde haired, blue-eyed gift from God says as he brushes by me without a second glance."

Haley is running from her past and is hoping to leave the ghosts behind her and start a new life.  She was self-destructing at home and knew that she would continue on a downward spiral if she stayed in Jersey.   So she leaves everything she's ever known and tries to mend the pieces of her broken heart in a new place.

"The beating of my pounding heart wants to lead me down the dangerous road I know we're embarking on, but my brain is nagging at me in the background, yelling at my emotions to put on the brakes."

Haley meets Kyler King and is drawn to him.  Even though her roommate Lucy tells her to stay away from him.  He loves em and leaves em.  He cheats on girls and doesn't do the relationship thing.  He doesn't let anyone in.  Of course, when someone tells you not to do something, you find yourself wanting it even more.  And really, who can resist the campus bad boy? 

"My head is telling me this is a bad idea, but my heart is telling me to meet him.  It's not that I can't have a relationship.  It's that I choose not to let anyone get that close ever again."

Haley decides to give Kyler a chance and they agree on being friends with benefits.  As she gets to know Kyler, she realizes that he has a wall put up as well, and his secrets may be just as dark as hers are.

Haley and Kyler have both been through hell and found that keeping people out was the best coping mechanism for them.  It's easier when you don't get attached to someone, you don't give them the power to hurt you.  

Unfortunately, the past never stays in the past.  And as a reader, you know that someone's past eventually catches up with them.  Either you learn to accept that your past is part of who you are or you give it the power to destroy you.

"The aching in my stomach isn't an imaginary feeling that people normally have when the hurt is too much to handle.  The pain is real.  I can feel it every time my chest rises to take a breath."

For Haley and Kyler, pain and heartache doesn't stay in the past.  It crashes into them and they will never be the same.   

I couldn't handle all the ups and downs in the book.  Well I could handle the ups.  But the downs, phew!  There were times when I needed a break.  And because it is a relatively short read, a lot happens in a short amount of time.  

And on a side note, can I just say that I loved the fact that Haley was a nursing student?  And was even an LPN?!  Love love love.  You don't read many books about nurses, and if you do, they are always RNs.  I was so so so happy to see some LPNs get some love!  

This is a good book to read of you're looking for something that isn't too long but still filled with emotion.  It's a big story wrapped up in a sweet little package.  Definitely check it out and I've happily added Ms. Stayton to my list of authors to follow.

Source:  ARC provided by author for honest review.

Release date:  April 20, 2013

Goodreads

About the author:

Nacole Stayton was born and raised Christian “Nacole” Stayton. She is twenty-three years young and currently resides in the Bluegrass state, Kentucky. She spends her days working at the local hospital and nights writing vigorously on her current novel. She has a passion for helping others and wears her University of Kentucky gear proudly. While her husband loves all things outdoors Nacole enjoys the finer things in life like getting pedicures while reading on her Kindle Fire. Her hair color changes with the seasons and she has a weakness for tattoos and iced coffee.

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Giveaway!

One (1) digital copy of The Upside of Letting Go by Nacole Stayton.  Open internationally.  2 ways to enter!

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Check out the rest of the blog tour hosted by the Literati Literature Lovers!!!