Blog Tour: Friend is a Four Letter Word by Steph Campbell

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Friend is a Four Letter Word
By:  Steph Campbell
Published:  Jan. 13, 2014
Publisher:  Amazon Digital Services
Source:  Author
Host:  Have Book Will Read

GR's Summary:

They both have secrets...But whose past will catch up to them first? 

Shayna Gillan is on a mission: start fresh in a new state without the small town gossip that has haunted her since her bad girl days of high school. 

Carter MacPherson has long been the most together member of his crazy family—until now. With a secret threatening to crumble everything he's worked for, he wishes he could forget the recent past, too. 

The last thing Shayna and Carter are looking for is a relationship. It's best to be alone while they sort out their issues. 

Friends. That's all they can ever be. 

But even the best laid plans always have a flaw, and once Shayna and Carter cross the line between friendship and more, there's no turning back... 

The only question left is—whose past will catch up to them first

My Thoughts:

Friend is a Four Letter Word by Steph Campbell was a very angst filled story.  It is the story of Shayna and Carter, told in dual perspectives.  Shayna was raised in a very strict, structured, and conservative family.  Her father is a minister, and her mother agrees and supports her husband, and is the perfect minister's wife.  Unfortunately, Shayna has never felt like she fit in with her family.  She has a wild spirit, and feels like she can't possibly live up to her parents expectations, and be a good enough daughter.  She sleeps around, and sneaks alcohol, which she drinks in excess. Shayna doesn't really have any close friends.  However, she is friends with a girl named Quinn.  They have an interesting friendship.  They both have similar personalities, but Shayna is envious of Quinn's ability to show people who she really is.  

One night, Shayna meets Quinn's older brother Carter.  She is very attracted to him, and ends up making an emotional connection with Carter.  For the first time in her life, Shayna feels comfortable to share bits and pieces of herself, when they have a deep conversation.  However, Shayna ends up uncovering a family secret that ends up leading her life in a whole new direction.  

Carter comes from a very dysfunctional family.  His parents are well off, respected, and wrapped up in their own lives.  Carter is very close to his younger sister, Quinn, and would do anything for her.  Quinn loves her older brother, and looks up to him.  Sadly, Carter is a very unhappy person.  He is stuck in a boring job, and has a secret (that he is ashamed of,) that nobody knows.  When Carter meets Shayna, he finds a kindred soul.  She is someone that understands him, and they relate to one another.  After Carter meets Shayna, the two of them start texting, and talking on the phone, back and forth.  They are separated by great distance (they both live in different states), and the fact that Carter's secret leads him to tell Shayna that he is not ready for a relationship, and they can only be friends.  

Shayna tries to be the perfect daughter, and enters a relationship for 7 months with a man that she has no feelings for, so that she can please her parents.  Eventually, Shayna realizes that she can't keep up the facade of being someone that she is not.  She packs a bag on a whim.  She doesn't have any well thought out plans, but decides she must go to California to sort her life out, and see Carter, so that she can figure out what they have together.  She shows up at Quinn's door to stay with her friend, and is shocked to see that it is Carter's place.  Pretty soon, a complicated dynamic ensues, where is is obvious that Shayna and Carter have deep feelings for one another, but label it as "friends."  Shayna wants more than friendship with Carter, and doesn't understand why he keeps pushing her away, when it's obvious that he wants her as badly as she wants him.  Carter doesn't think he's good enough for Shayna, but he can't seem to stay away... 

Shayna and Carter both went through a great amount of character growth in this story.  They both made mistakes, but learned from them.  I can see why Shayna rebelled against her parents considering the extremely restrictive and conservative way that she was brought up.  Her parents really loved her, and she was lucky to have them, but needed to spread her wings, make her own decisions, and choose her own destiny.  Along the way, she acted immature, rash, and selfish at times.  I had a bit of trouble connecting with Shayna as a character.  I felt like I didn't know enough about her, and what I did know, I wasn't very fond of.  As for Carter, I loved his character.  He was trying to make mature decisions and get his life on track.  He was a great older brother to Quinn, and a good friend to Shayna.  I could feel his pain, but again, didn't feel like I knew him well enough as a character.  I thought that the story had a good premise, but I had trouble connecting to the characters, and buying in to their connection as a couple.  I felt like their relationship needed more depth.  The story started off really good, and I was instantly hooked.  However, in the middle it became stagnant, and started to drag a bit.  The ending was a bit rushed and abrupt.  I thought that the plot was entertaining, but was missing that "spark."

My Rating:

Friend is a Four Letter by Steph Campbell, was a story about two people trying to find a place where they belong.  It's about growing up, and the transformation that we all go through on our way in to adulthood. Along the way, we are lucky if we can connect with someone on a deep level, and they can help us though the dark times, with their unconditional support, friendship, and Love.  I give, Friend is a Four Letter Word 3 Growing, Loving, and Living Stars!

My Favorite Quotes:

"I met a girl who understood me without even realizing it.  I met a girl whose presence shook me to my core.  Who did all of those clichéd things like make me want to be a better man, just to have a shot with her."  (Kindle, Loc. 2203)

~Carter

"Friends.  Lovers.  Nothing is ever written in stone.  Lines can blur.  You may screw up.  Everyone does.  When it's real though, your heart allows for rewrites."  (Kindle, Loc. 2631)

~Quinn

"Our home is built on imperfections, craziness, laughter, romance, and love.  And it's exactly what we've both been searching for so long."  (Kindle, Loc. 27310)

~Shayna

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About Steph Campbell:

^{Steph Campbell grew up in Southern California, but now calls the Northeast home. She has one husband, four children and a serious nail polish obsession. She's repped by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.}

Steph's works include Delicate, Grounding Quinn and Beautiful Things Never Last; My Heart for Yours and My Fate for Yours (with Jolene Perry); A Toast to the Good Times (with Liz Reinhardt) and the bestselling new adult LENGTHS series with Liz Reinhardt.

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Giveaway:

^{Prize is for a dandelion wish necklace and a $20 Amazon Gift Card. (U.S./INTL.)}

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