Thursday, November 1, 2018

Blog Tour: The Edge Rules - Melanie Hooyenga


The Edge Rules
Melanie Hooyenga
Series: The Rules. #3
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Left-Handed Mitten Publications
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Sixteen-year old Brianna had everything she wanted: money to ski all over the world, underlings to do her bidding, and parents who gave her every freedom—as long as she played by their rules. But when she’s busted shoplifting and assigned to the Chain Gang, she ditches her shallow ways and realizes being herself is easier than manipulating people.

Forced to partner with kids she’d never dream of befriending, including Xavier, a boy who makes her pulse go into hyperdrive, Brianna vows to be a better person. Breaking Old Brianna’s habits isn’t easy, but her infatuation with Xavier—someone her parents would never approve of—motivates her to keep trying.

Even when he convinces her to trade her swanky skis for a beat-up snowboard.

Brianna lets go of her need to control everything and finally starts to feel free—until her past threatens to jeopardize her first real chance at love. She discovers balancing on the edge is as challenging in life as it is in snowboarding, and when a new friend is in trouble, Brianna must decide between the superficial things that used to be her world and putting her friend’s safety before herself.
REVIEW

Brianna was raised believing, that appearance was everything, and she put a lot of time and energy into becoming the local queen bee. But after falling from grace and hitting rock bottom, Brianna held that mirror up to herself, and was NOT happy with who she saw.

This book was billed as a romance, and it had romance, don't worry, but really it was a redemption story. I LOVE redemption stories, because I like to believe that we can all stumble, make mistakes, and atone for our transgressions.

Brianna had turned into a terrible person. She was making poor choices and alienating others, because she was unable to properly manage her emotions. It could not have been easy for her to acknowledge that fact to herself, and that was one of the things that earned her some empathy from me.

I loved seeing her take those steps towards being a better person, and I liked that Hooyenga made it clear, that this was a difficult journey for Brianna. She tripped a little, but she often caught herself, and self-corrected. She experienced tremendous growth over the course of the book, and I was very proud of her.

I was also glad to see her parents doing a little growing too, because they played a role in how she became the mean girl. I guess you could say, that Brianna's arrest was a wake up call for the whole family.

Now for the warm and fuzzy parts! The romance! Xavier was interesting from the start, but the more I learned about him, and the more I saw him interacting with friends and family, the more I adored him. He was just a good person, and the perfect person to accompany Brianna on her journey to becoming a better version of herself. It was great spending time with these two, because I could sense the attraction and the tension, but there were also those little stirrings of something more.

The friendships that developed while Brianna completed her community service were wonderful too. Something different brought each character to the clean up crew, and they were all from very different backgrounds, but at the same time, they shared so much common ground, and I love that Hooyenga highlighted those similarities.

It was also a lot of fun being out on the slopes with Brianna and Xavier. The closest I have ever gotten to any sort of snow sports is watching them from the lodge as I drank my hot cocoa, but Hooyenga did an amazing job pulling me out onto the mountain. I shared Brianna's highs and lows out there, and I really enjoyed getting to be a part of it.

There was one other super delightful little thing you should keep your eye out for. I won't give too many details, because it's a spoiler if you ask me, but keep an eye out for Piper, because she was too adorable to be contained on the page.

Overall: A great story of redemption, and how one can really start living once they abandon the quest to keep up appearances and start looking beyond the surface.

* ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

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BOOK LINKS


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Multi-award winning young adult author Melanie Hooyenga first started writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group. She has lived in Washington DC, Chicago, and Mexico, but has finally settled down in her home state of Michigan. When not at her day job as a Communications Director at a nonprofit, you can find Melanie attempting to wrangle her Miniature Schnauzer Owen and playing every sport imaginable with her husband Jeremy.





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14 comments:

  1. I also love redemption stories! As you say it's comforting to think that we can stumble, make mistakes but in the end right our wrongs and be forgiven. Excellent review Sam! Sophie @bewareofthereader

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    1. Thanks! Sometimes it's good to see other people recovering from bad choices, but I also liked that it wasn't all neat and tidy. There were consequences.

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  2. I love seeing real character growth and it sure sounds like Brianna experiences that (and maybe the parents, too). And Xavier sounds downright dreamy! :) Wonderful review, Sam!

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    1. Lots of growth, and I liked that the author let her slip up a little and that everything wasn't all fixed at the end

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  3. It sounds like the main character grows a lot from someone unlikeable. Love the sound of the hero too. I'm glad you enjoyed this!

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    1. She did, and it's my understanding that she was the villain in the previous two books, which I am circling back to read

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  4. Piper...hmmm...now I am curious and I do like redemption stories too.
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. She definitely had a rude awakening, but she was better for it in the end

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  5. I am never a fan of the mean girl theme, but I do love that this one is all about a mean girl falling and redeeming herself. Sounds like a great story.

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    1. I like that she was given her own book, and not left the villain of the series

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  6. Oh wow, this one sounds really good. I also enjoy a good redemption story (as long it's genuine redemption and not a story where the MC learns nothing). I like the sound of the romance, but more importantly I like the sound of Brianna and the lesson she learns as she gains a bit of personal growth.

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    1. This is real redemption, and the author left it sort of messy at the end, but moving in the right direction. I bought the first book, and plan to read the 2nd one as well, because this was the book where she picked herself up, and I am interested in seeing her fall.

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  7. I'm like you in the fact that I love a good redemption story and can't get enough of them. It sounds like this main character gets a real wake up call in this one. And I am glad you loved it!

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    1. I am not all sad, if a villain stays a villain in a book/series, but I like that Hooyenga ended this series by letting Brianna redeem herself.

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