Right Now
(Moments #2)
Marie Hall
Pub September 15th, 2013
By Author Self Pub
ARC for Review
Things were supposed to get better when Ryan met Lili. I was supposed to move on, get a life... but I'm stuck and lost. Things with my father are not good. There are demons in our closet, big ones. Ones I want to kill him for, I'm seeing a shrink, I'm trying to get better... but my life feels out of control, like I'm a raft adrift on the sea. I don't know where to look, how to get anchored again, and then I meet Zoe Stone. Something about her draws me out of my rut, makes me laugh for real, smile, and for the first time in years I want to be more. But what will she think when she discovers who I really am?
...all we have...
When Alexander Donovan, aka The Golden Adonis, walks into my tattoo parlor, I know I'll do anything to make that man mine. There's an instant connection, a need to know more about him. Everything about him. But there's also a mystery surrounding the guy, when people look at him they only see the man that laughs, that cracks jokes and makes the world think that everything's okay, but I see the truth... I see the darkness that lurks so deep inside few would ever recognize it. I want to help him, I want to be with him, now I just have to make him trust me enough to let me in.
Is Right Now
Lindy's Thoughts
A Moment was such a wonderful story--one of my absolute favorites! So, when I got the opportunity to read and review, Right Now, I was ecstatic! Right Now, is the sequel in the Moments Series, and is told from Alex (Ryan's Cousin) and Zoe's dual perspectives. I was pleasantly surprised to see the continuation of Ryan, and Lili's story. I had missed them, and Lili's adorable little son Javy. Ryan, Lili, Javy, and Alex really came together to make up a strong, cohesive, loyal, and loving little family. The icing on the cake was adding the exotic, beautiful, sassy, and independent Zoe in to the mix.
Alex is falling apart after Ryan is in the process of healing, and finding happiness with Lili and Javy. For so long, Alex's purpose was to watch out for Ryan, and be there for him. Now that Ryan is doing better, Alex is left to deal with his own demons, and the way he deals with them is to do what it takes to not feel. He copes by engaging in excessive drinking, and casual sex. Alex has never been a one woman kind of man, and has never had a series relationship. Everything changes when after getting a fortune cookie that reads, "Be Opposite," he decides to enter a tattoo parlor. When he walks in, he encounters a beautiful woman with tattoos all over her body. that beautiful woman is Zoe, who recognizes him as her high school crush. After Alex meets Zoe, he can't get her out of his mind and pursues her. However, she's determined not to be another one of his flings, and he's determined to let her know that she is special to him.
I loved Right Now, because it tugged on my heartstrings. It was so difficult being inside of Alex's head and seeing all of the guilt, and burdens that he placed on his shoulders. I loved how Zoe was strong, and independent. Even though she was in love with Alex, she let him know that she was different from all of his conquests. She demanded respect from him, and stood up to her family when they tried to pigeon hold her in to who they wanted her to be. Her parents tried to control her life and bully Alex, but she stood firm and let them know their actions were unacceptable. I loved Zoe, and how she brought out the best in Alex, and helped to heal his heart. Read the Moments Series, you will devour both, A Moment, and Right Now. I don't want this series to ever end.
My Rating
I give Right Now by Marie Hall 4 emotional, passionate, courageous, and transformative stars! You will love the main characters Alex, and Zoe, as well as be glad to reconnect with Lili, Ryan, and Javy. This is a series filled with angst, personal demons, healing, discovering real love, and taking charge of your life. New Adult Contemporary fans that enjoy Colleen Hoover's stories will enjoy the Moments series, because while the subject matter can be emotional and difficult to read, it also makes for a beautiful story!
My Favorite Quotes
"I had never worked this hard in my life to get a girl to come home with me. But I was willing to do it for her because when I was around her, I felt again." (eARC, Loc. 1465)
~Alex
"Turning his head, he smiled down at me and I was locked in his gaze. Because he was seeing me, his eyes were searching mine, and I knew in my heart, Alex Donovan finally saw me." (eARC, Loc. 1606)
~Zoe
"I didn't want to forget anything I did with Zoe. I wanted to hang onto her. Maybe even forever. She made me forget, she made me smile real smiles, laugh real laughs...I could think and breathe and be me when she was around. And that was perfect. She was perfect." (eARC, Loc. 2095)
~Alex
The Way Ria Sees It
Marie Hall does it again! I LOVED Right Now! All of the characters touched my heart! This is a page turner and tear jerker. I knew I’d love Alex cause I already did from Ms. Hall’s previous book, A Moment. Now my surprise love was for Zoe! I also
R-yan is better. He is healing and working on regaining himself. Alex feels lost like he doesn’t know who he is now that Ryan no longer needs him.
I-nnocence, a young girl with a hopeless love unrequited and unknown. Zoe has had feelings for a boy who never saw her.
G-entle, like a mom Alex’s doc helps him cut through the crap to get to the truth and pave his way through these uncertain times.
H-eat, it's no mistake Alex and Zoe have a chemistry that jumps off the pages.
Turmoil, Alex has been self-sabotaging for a long time. Life is going to confront him now and he will have to fight his fears.
N-othing without Zoe. Alex can't imagine breathing. She is his air and his calm. There is no “without” her. He will fight for them he cannot lose her.
O-pen, all the confrontations are outwards and are spoken. Truths are revealed. Forgiveness is not possible, but at least all those evil secrets are out.
W-edding, seeing Ryan marry Lili gives Alex hope that he too will have that happiness one day. Now, it's time to work towards that goal and prove to everyone how deep his love runs.
This dealt with a very sad and dark subject. The main characters had to face their darkest fears. I think Ms. Hall did a marvelous job tiddying everything up. The ending was PERFECT!! I couldn’t have been happier for these characters that took a piece of my heart.
My Favs
Zoe
I loved her because of the way she loved... She loved her family and her friends with brutal strength. I love girls who kick butt and with out kicking “actual” butt Zoe kicks butt!! She’s a total bada$$ If I had HALF of the courage she does I’d be sleeved! Sadly, I’m a little chicken nugget, and don’t have what it takes... :( I love that she was able to see past Alex’s mask and see who he was and how deep his pain ran. This girl was perfect for Alex and I couldn’t be happier that he found her.
Alex
I loved him because he was a HONEST womanizer...Sure he never denied it! He never hid anything about him. He was straight with Zoe. Okay, okay so he kept a pretty big secret from her, BUT he came through and opened up! Yay! Now that was love...I knew it would take a special gal, and I was so excited to meet and fall in love with Zoe!
My Wish
My Rating
Casting
Guest Post
We want to welcome the very talented author
Marie Hall to A Bookish Escape, and wish her much success in her future endeavors. We are so excited to read her upcoming work, and are are huge fans of her Moments Series.
We wanted to know Zoe’s 3 Fav tattoo's and why?..
&
What is the most challenging aspect about writing contemporary romance and what is the most rewarding?
Zoe
The Magic 8 Ball. It's her way of letting her man know if she's in the mood tonight or not. If you see the "yes" then get ready because she's an animal.
The butterfly at her hip. Reading the book, you'll note that her mother calls her butterfly, only very rarely, but it's a sign of deep affection. Zoe feels a lot like that butterfly, sometimes delicate, but a fighter to the core. That tattoo was her first one and was symbolic of her popping out of the chrysalis a new woman and ready to take flight.
She's also covered in lotus flowers, the meaning to her is very significant. Within Buddhism it symbolizes rising and blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment. Zoe's enlightenment came when she realized she could no longer try to conform to what her parents wanted her to be.
Writing
The most challenging aspect of writing contemporary romance is that it's really got to ring true. I'm all about realism, writing characters you could literally bump into at your corner coffee shop. I don't know anything about being a billionaire tycoon, but I know what it's like to struggle from pay check to pay check, to have to deal with sick kids, the burden of sick family members. So for me the most challenging aspect is making you think this character I'm writing about is real. Not just a caricature drawn up in my head, but somebody you could literally be working out next to in the gym. The most rewarding part is when I succeed at that. When I get fan letters telling me how real it was, how deeply it moved them, how much they sympathized and could relate to my characters. That's the most fun part of my job.
How awesome! Right?
Thank you Ms. Hall!!
About the Author
Marie Hall has always had a dangerous fascination for creatures that go bump in the night. And mermaids. And of course fairies. Trolls. Unicorns. Shapeshifters. Vampires. Scottish brogues. Kilts. Beefy arms. Ummm... Bad boys! Especially the sexy ones.
On top of that she’s a confirmed foodie, she nearly went to culinary school and then figured out she could save a ton of money if she just watched food shows religiously! She’s a self-proclaimed master chef, certified deep sea dolphin trainer, finder of leprechaun’s gold at the end of the rainbow, and rumor has it she keeps the Troll King locked away in her basement. All of which is untrue, however, she does have an incredibly active imagination and loves to share her crazy thoughts with the world!
Stalky Things
What great reviews! This is a series I'm thinking I need to try out. I'm so glad you two enjoyed it!
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