Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Until You (Fall Away #1.5) by Penelope Douglas

Welcome to our Blog Tour stop for Until You . 

You can follow the rest of the tour HERE

Until You

Fall Away, #1.5

By: Penelope Douglas

Genre: 

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 

December 5, 2013

Tour Organized by: 

As the Pages Turn

Source:

Publisher

eArc received for review

Purchase At: 

Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N |Kobo | Smashwords

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis:

***This novel contains graphic sexual content and harsh language. It is only 

appropriate for adult readers age 18+. ***

Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or so numb that you 

actually felt high? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between 

fury and indifference with no stops in between.

Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can 

hurt me, because I don't care about anything or anyone.

Except Tatum.

I love her so much that I hate her. We used to be friends, but I found out that I 

couldn't trust her or anyone else.

So I hurt her. I pushed her away.

But I still need her. The sight of her centers me, and I can pool all of my anger into 

her. Engaging her, challenging her, bullying her...they are my food, my air, and the 

last part of me that feels anything human.

But she left. She went to France for a year, and came back a different girl.

Now, when I push, she pushes back.

Excerpt:

Pulling up the window and leaning out, I spied the branch sliding against the 

panes above me. With him gone, I’d have to take care of that tomorrow.

The rain was coming down in sheets and made everything glisten under the 

bright glow of the streetlights. I let my gaze wander through the maze of branches, 

shaking off memories of which ones I’d scraped my leg on or which ones I’d sat on 

with Tate. 

I loved the damn tree, and I wanted it cut down. 

And then…I didn’t even see the tree anymore. 

My eyes caught sunshine in a midnight sky, and I fucking stilled. 

Tate?

“What the hell?” I whispered, breathless and not blinking.

She was standing in her bedroom, leaning on the doorframe of her open 

French doors. And she was staring at me. 

What the hell am I seeing right now?

She was supposed to be in Germany with her dad, at least until Christmas. 

Every muscle in my body tightened as I supported myself on the window sill, 

but I couldn’t tear my eyes from her. It was like I was in an alternate universe, 

starving, and she was a fucking buffet. 

She was home.

I closed my eyes for a moment and swallowed down my heartbeat that was 

creeping up my throat. I was sick, excited, and grateful all at the same time. 

Jesus, she’s home. 

She wore some little pajama shorts and a white tank top. Not really so 

different from what I’d noticed she wore to bed a year ago, but for some reason, the

sight of her was like a raging fire through my chest. I wanted to rip through the 

fucking tree and peel all the clothes off of her and love her like the past three years 

had never happened. 

Fall Away Series:

Bully (Fall Away, #1)

Goodreads

To read our reviews of BULLY click HERE

Purchase Links: 

Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | 

Smashwords

Book Trailer Bully:

Lindy's Thoughts:

When I read Bully, earlier this year, I was completely taken in by the story.  The intensity of Jared and Tate's "hatred" for one another piqued my curiosity.  I realized as I drew near to the end of the the story, that there really is "a thin line between love and hate."  What had me most curious throughout the story was why Jared "hated" Tate so much, how he could be so cruel to her, and then decide to pursue her in a romantic sense.  Even though these questions were answered in the book to a certain extent, I still had questions.

Therefore, I was really excited to learn that there would be a second installment in the Fall Away Series that focused on Jared's view point.  Tate's character was a very "straightforward, and to the point" type of character.  I knew how she felt at any given point in the story, and she was a very "what you see, is what you get kind of character."  Jared on the other hand was a lot more complex, and had more layers to his character.  In Until You, we get all of Jared's thoughts, and learn that he had very mixed and confused feelings and motivations when it came to Tate.  We learn about how he needed her in his life as an anchor, and to know that she still thought about him, even if it was out of anger.  We learn the details of his daily life when Tate goes to France for a year, how much he missed her, and became self-destructive, so that he could numb his emotional pain.  What an eye opener it was for me when Jared had nightmares, and memories about his time with his father.  It was difficult for me to read.  I felt disgust and anger towards his father, and the fact that children really are abused like he was in real life.  This book made me very emotional, and I wished that I could protect all the Jared, and Jax's in the world.

By reading Jared's perspective, I felt like I understood him better as a character, and had more compassion for him this time around.  Jared never stopped loving Tate, but in his own way, he used her as a scapegoat for his pain and anger, and pushed her away when he realized that she was the only person with the power to hurt him.  After he suffered such a horrific trauma, he really needed therapy.  I love the secondary characters in this series.  I enjoyed getting to know more about Maddox and Jared's Bromance.  Maddox is a pretty hilarious character, and I can't wait to read his story, Rival, which is set to come out in 2014.  I am also looking forward to Jax's story.  Especially, because Jared describes Jax as not having a problem letting people in, because he knows that they can't hurt him anyway.  I want to learn about the girl that will finally be able to make Jax feel.  It will be interesting to say the least, and his story is due to come out in the winter of 2014.  Both of these books are going at the top of my book wish list!

My Rating:

I give, Until You, by Penelope Douglas 5 Heated, Passionate, Glued to Every Single Page Stars!  If you read and enjoyed Bully, you have to read, Until You!  It was intense, painful, and eye opening being inside of Jared's head.  Yes, a large part of this story was a retelling of Bully from Jared's view point.  However, we also get a lot more included in this segment of the series.  We get to learn more about Jared's sadistic father, as well as his love, guilt, and protectiveness towards his half brother Jax.  We get to understand Jared's thought process, and constant turbulent emotional state.  We learn more about his mother, and how he felt unloved and abandoned by everyone he ever cared about.  More than anything, Until You gave me a clearer, and concise picture of Jared's complex character, and the relationships, and lack thereof with everyone in his life.  I think that this installment really set up a wish for me to read Maddox, and Jax's stories, because the more I learned about these secondary characters, the more I wanted to know.  Read Until You, if you have already read Bully.  If you haven't, then read Bully, and you will want to read Jared's point of view, trust me! 

Favorite Quotes:

"Tate.  My Tate.  My best friend, and my worst enemy.  The girl that turned my world upside down with her overalls and red baseball cap.  The only person in every one of my good memories."  (eARC, Loc. 2886)

~Jared

"I love you more than I love myself," I told her, "more than my own family, for Christ's sake.  I don't want to take another step in this world without you next to me."  (eARC, Loc. 4145)

~Jared

"Tate, you're mine, and I'm yours.  Every day you're going to realize that more and more.  When you believe it without a doubt, then I'll have earned your trust."  (eARC, Loc. 4294)

~Jared

Mikki's Review:

Once in a while you find a book that intoxicates you to a level that you can't think, eat or sleep. That happened to me with Bully. I connected so much with the story that I could not think of anything else for days!!! When I found out that Jared was getting his POV I was in Bookworm Heaven!! Bully is one of my top three reads in 2013. When I read a male POV from a book I already read, my expectations are very high. I would even say that they are higher than the expectations I have for a sequel. I want to find out everything that the male character feels. Penelope Douglas did that. Until You is not only Jared’s POV from Bully, but it’s a whole new story for me. Yes, we get to revisit scenes that we read in Bully, but we got so much more! I thought that I knew who Jared Trent was. Boy was I wrong! I knew he loved Tate, but I never imagined what kind of battle he was fighting. I am overwhelmed by the emotions that this book made me feel. I fell head over heels in love with Tate and Jared in Bully, but Until You is … Wow!

So this is how Until You plays out. We get Bully, but from a male perspective. Same story, but oh so different! We get to find out what’s going through Jared’s head. Let me be honest here. Jared’s POV is one of the BEST male POV that I have ever read. So detailed, passionate, heartbreaking, sexy, breathtaking! I put my life on hold for this book. I did not put it down for one second! I disappeared from my world and lived in the world that Penelope Douglas created. I was a resident on Fall Away Lane. I got to reconnect with all the characters I fell in love with in Bully. Jared, Tate, Madoc, Jax and most of all the person that stole an extra piece of my heart, Tate’s Dad. I absolutely love him!!! He’s such an intriguing character. He saw right through Jared and told him straight to his face what he was thinking. No sugar coating it. This man needs a HEA!! I mean it!

In Bully the scene that made me ugly cry was Tate’s monologue. I think I had an idea of how Jared was feeling while she was in front of the class. Once again, I was wrong! Every emotion that I felt when I read Bully was intensified in Jared’s POV.  My heart broke into a million pieces. Needless to say that once I finished Until You I was hugging my ereader with how happy I was with his POV. Oh! And, those intimate scenes with Tate?! If you think that your panties melted in Bully, wait until you read Jared’s POV. Scorching HOT!!!! That dirty talker sure knows how to make the girls swoon! One of my favorite part of the book is when Jared speaks in front of everybody at school during an assembly. OMG !!! I got shivers !!! *Swoon attack* The way he loves Tate …. Eeeep!!! <3 <3 <3

I’m in love with this series!!! I always look for deleted scenes and follow Penelope’s FB page to find out what my favorite characters are up to. I cannot freakin’ wait to read the rest of this series! Birds of a feather flock together... Madoc and Jax already have a piece of my heart. I don’t have any doubts that their books will join Bully and Until You in my all time Favorite Book list :)

My Rating:

I give Until You by Penelope Douglas 5 intense, torrid, sexy, heart-pulling, addictive stars! Brilliant work by Penelope Douglas! If you want to read a male POV that will have your heart racing, your blood pumping and your ovaries cheering (Yup! My inner cheerleader was on duty! Gimme a J... ) Until You is just what you are looking for!

Favorite Quotes:

“Girlfriend isn’t enough to describe you, Tate. That term is disposable. You’re not my girlfriend, my girl, or my woman. You’re. Just. Mine,” I bit out every syllable, so she would fucking understand. “And I’m yours,” I added, a little calmer.” 

“I love you more than myself,” I told her, “more than my own family, for Christ’s sake. I don’t want to take another step in this world without you next to me.” 

“You have every right not to trust me, Tate. I know that. My fucking heart is ripping open right now. I can’t stand the way you’re looking at me. I could never hurt you again. Please…let’s try to fix this together.” 

Picture Teasers:

Book Trailer:

About the Author:

Penelope Douglas is a writer and teacher in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she 

is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, 

earning a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to 

"just get the degree!" She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola 

University in New Orleans, because she hated Public Administration. One night, she 

got tipsy and told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, 

and three years later they were married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have 

spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, the show 

Sons of Anarchy, and she shops at Target almost daily.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Pinterest

Tour Wide Giveaway:

Penelope is offering up 

(1) Kindle Paperwhite

(5) $50 gift cards to either Amazon or B&N

(5) Prize packs (bookmarks, rack cards, a custom key chain and signed copies 

of Bully and Until You) or 

(10) eBook copies of Bully up for grabs. 

The giveaways are open internationally. 

Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST 12/23/2013.

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