I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When the Stars Align by Jeanette Grey Published by Forever Yours on September 1st 2015
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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"I couldn't put it down! I loved every sentence! The writing is outstanding, the setting entrancing, and the characters stole my heart. Fresh, flawed and instantly lovable, you'll root for Jo and Adam at every turn." --- S. C. Stephens, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Their passion burned hotter than the stars . . .
For Josephine "Jo" Kramer, nothing has ever been easy. When she earns a summer internship in Puerto Rico, working at one of the world's preeminent scientific facilities, she'll let nothing distract her. Not her own insecurities, not the arrogant scientists, and definitely not her tall, chiseled research partner, Adam.
For Adam McCay, physics is simple-it's women who are complicated. Especially brilliant, beautiful ones like Jo. From the moment they meet, he can feel the heat smoldering deep beneath her icy exterior. And Adam knows just what it will take to make Jo melt . . .
Under the endless stars of a tropical sky, Jo and Adam indulge their every desire. But as their internship comes to an end, their perfect island paradise is threatened. Was their time together a summer fling? Or is their passion hot enough to last the long winter nights?
Review:
When The Stars Align is a beautifully written novel following the well-trodden route girl-meets-boy. Jo has landed a summer internship in Puerto Rico with a well known astrology observatory. A summer of telescopes, stars and hard work awaits. It’s during this internship Jo meets Adam, her new work partner. Jo doesn’t make the best impression – causing Adam to literally flip at their first meeting. In time, the unavoidable attraction draws them together making this the most memorable and transformative summer of their lives.
The novel grabs you from the very beginning with a story that is young adult in spirit but updated for adult audiences. It is a beautifully written story and features some of the most beautiful places on earth. Grey has an unique skill with the written word that causes her writing to be extremely emotionally charged. Her romance is realistic with extremely tender moments. I can only hope to have a relationship as caring and sweet as Jo and Adam (but with a quarter of the sex, damn).
However, I cant shake the feeling that this book was not written for me. I grew up in a very difficult home environment with very little affection from my parents. I suppose coming from this background and seeing Jo constantly make herself into a victim irked me. Instead of using her background to make her a better person, Jo wants everyone to treat her like she’s special because she wasn’t loved. I personally disliked Jo and felt she was a selfish and self-involved person. She is constantly complaining that others should be doing special tasks for her. Instead of letting the observatory know she’s a vegetarian she complains they aren’t feeding her and even harasses the organizer of the internship because she doesn’t get her way. Jo also complains that the other interns have had help from their connections to get them the internship, but never actually pays attention to how her coworkers are intelligent and skilled in their own rights. She bemoans never asking her father anything when, I assume, he foot the bill to Puerto Rico – a place many people could never afford to visit. I felt Jo needed a serious reality check and even after she begins to grow up I still hated her.
Regardless of my distaste for Jo, When The Stars Align was a magical novel about young love in a time of great change in life. Grey takes us to beautiful beaches, develops some unique characters and weaves a beautiful tale about coming of age. When The Stars Align had some really amazing moments that took my breath away.
My three star review is based on the fact that this novel is a beautiful, artistic work with real feelings. My dislike for Jo ruined some of this novel for me and with a different female lead it would have been an amazing read.
This book would appeal to readers who enjoy romance, new adult, young love, stories about heroines coming into their own and tales about learning to forgive. I wouldn’t suggest this novel to lovers of clean romance or those who like their sex scenes to a minimum: this book is dancing a fine line between romance and erotica.
Extract:
And don’t miss SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER, the first book in Jeanette Grey's new erotic romance series, on sale November 3, 2015!Jo shifted her gaze skyward, but it only made the stinging in her eyes burn hotter. She dug her nails into her palms as hard as she could, maybe hard enough to bleed, because there’s no way in hell she was crying.
“Go away,” she managed.
“No.”
“Seriously, just go—”
“No.”
She threw her hands out to the sides. “What the hell do you mean ‘no’? A girl tells you to leave her alone, you do it, okay?”
“Not my girl. Not when she’s hurting.”
“Fuck you.” His girl, her ass. “Just because we fucked a few times—”
“Don’t.” He shook his head, and he was maddeningly calm. It made her even crazier.
“You’re upset, and you’re saying things you don’t mean.”
“Don’t tell me what I’m feeling. Don’t tell me what I think.” She jabbed her fingers at her own chest. “Don’t pretend just because we…whatever…” He didn’t want her to call it fucking, fine, she wouldn’t. “It doesn’t give you any right.”
But he turned soft eyes at her. “Jo. Please.”
“You want to say no? Well, I can do it, too. No. I don’t have to.” Have to what? Pour her fucking heart out to him? Let him in on her whole pathetic story? Didn’t he already have enough of it?
He’d already dug so goddamn deep, getting her to talk about her mother, getting into her pants, getting her to kiss him in public.
“Look,” she said, “maybe this has all been a mistake, so just go back to the lab or to your house or whatever.” She swept her arm out toward the road ahead of them. “I’ll give you a head start and we can pretend none of this ever happened, and you don’t have to feel obligated to give a shit.”
“Is that what you think this is?” And how dare he look so…so…wounded? “An obligation?”
What else would it be?
What else was she supposed to say?
Oh, hell. Her eyes threatened to brim over, and she couldn’t do this. She had to get rid of him and fast.
Her throat wobbled, and she turned around and closed her eyes. She couldn’t look at him for another minute. “Go. Just go.”
For a long moment, she thought he actually might listen, and a whole new well of
emptiness opened itself up inside her heart. Him turning away from her—it was her fault. She’d done what she’d always done, pushing and pushing, and she shouldn’t be surprised it had finally worked.
She’d known she couldn’t keep this for long.
And then his voice rang out against the night. “Jo.” It came out soft. Pleading, and that made the hole inside her ripple, threatening collapse. Why did he have to sound so kind? But of course it had to get worse.
“Please, Jo. Please don’t shut me out.”
Her entire chest cavity squeezed, a river of pain she didn’t begin to know how to cope with. She’d always been so good at pushing it down, ignoring it, but this display of fucking tenderness. It broke her.
Something inside her snapped.
SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER
Kate arrives in Paris hoping to find inspiration. Instead she finds Rylan. In a swirl of stolen kisses and hot, tangled sheets, Kate is quickly swept away by the sexy stranger, longing to surrender to his expert touch. With Rylan, nothing is forbidden—except the truth.
An American ex-pat worth millions, Rylan never flaunts his fortune. Rather, he guards his identity from everyone, especially women. No strings, no commitments, no complications. But the second his lips taste Kate’s soft, sweet skin, everything changes. For the first time, Rylan has found someone to share his every want and need. Yet he knows that secrets stand between them. To keep her, he’ll need to confess the truth before it’s too late . . . even if doing so could mean losing Kate forever.
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About Jeanette Grey
Jeanette Grey started out with degrees in physics and painting, which she dutifully applied to stunted careers in teaching, technical support, and advertising. When she isn’t writing, Jeanette enjoys making pottery, playing board games, and spending time with her husband and her pet frog. She lives, loves, and writes in upstate New York.
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