Release Week Blitz & Review: Nova And Quinton: No Regrets by Jessica Sorensen

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Nova And Quinton:  No Regrets

Nova #3
Pub: April 15, 2014
By: Forever Romance
Source:  Publisher
Mature Content:  18 & Up

GR's Summary:

Today is the first day of Quinton Carter's new life. The toxic guilt of his past left him in pieces-but one girl unexpectedly put him back together. Thanks to Nova Reed, Quinton can finally see the world with clear eyes. She's the reason his heart is still kicking behind the jagged scar on his chest. And he would love to have her in his arms every minute of the day . . . but he's not ready yet.

Playing drums in a band and living with her best friends are just some of the highlights of Nova's life. But the best new development? Talking to Quinton on the phone each night. She wishes she could touch him, kiss him, though she knows he needs time to heal. Yet shocking news is on the way-a reminder of life's dark side-and Nova will need Quinton like he once needed her. Is he strong enough to take the final leap out of his broken past . . . and into Nova's heart?

Lindy's Thoughts:

The firstt two books in this series, have been some of the darkest, and most heartbreaking stories that I have ever read.  Yet, Nova and Quinton's story has really stuck in my mind, and these two characters have found a place in my heart.  This segment begins right where book 2 left off.  Quinton has just been released from rehab, and now the real work of being drug free has just begun.  He sees a therapist who pushes him to get better, and is referred to Wilson, who runs a support group.  In Wilson, Quinton has found a friend and someone who has gone through what Quinton currently is dealing with.  Wilson ran a red light and accidentally killed two people.  He teaches Quinton that his guilt will always be there, but instead of withering away, he needs to make a positive change in the world.  Quinton talks to Nova nightly, and they have a very special emotional connection.  They help each other immensely, and yet Quinton doesn't think he deserves the happiness that Nova gives him.

Nova is currently living with her good friend Lea, and Tristan, Quinton's cousin, who is recovering from a heroin addiction.  Nova is getting her life back on track.  She has continued her video diaries, which are very therapeutic for her.  She plays the drums in a band, and has been given the opportunity by her film professor to travel and make films.  However, Tristan and Quinton need Nova, and she can't see leaving the people that need her help most right now.  As Nova and Tristan get closer, she becomes uncomfortable when it becomes obvious that he has feelings for her.  She doesn't know what to do, because he is really fragile right now.  To top things off, Tristan's behavior has been strange and erratic, and she doesn't know what's going on.  

As Quinton and Nova deal with their separate lives, they find themselves falling more deeply in love with one another.  Yet, they haven't told each other how they feel.  They constantly call, and text about their day, and when things are going bad, they give each other strength.   At the end of their phone calls every night, Nova picks a song, and they listen to it together before they hang up.  I thought this was very sweet and romantic.  Nova wants to see Quinton, but he doesn't think he deserves her.  Every time they start to get closer, he tries to slow things down.  This really frustrated me, but I understood that Quinton had a low self esteem and was scared of his feelings for Nova.  Nevertheless, I had hope for these two and knew that eventually they would find their way back to one another.

Ms. Sorensen is such a talented writer.  She knows how to make me emotional, when I read her stories.  She has a way of making me care about the characters to the point where I empathize with everything they are going through.  Her stories are always about real people, and real life situations.  I appreciate the authenticity, complexity, and depth of her characters.  I always know when I pick up a story by her, it will be heartbreaking, full of angst and tragedy, and realistic about the healing process.

My Rating:

I give Nova And Quinton:  No Regrets, By Jessica Sorensen, 4 Emotional, Reflective, Healing, New Beginning Filled Stars!  This story is about two very lost people who have to learn how to heal themselves, before they can be together.   It is a very emotional journey, but a hopeful one.  It is very true to life, and deals with learning how to overcome drug addiction, letting go of the past, and channeling your guilt to help others.  It deals with finding meaning in your life after loss, and having hope, and strength for a brighter future.  

My Favorite Quotes:

"Death.  It's around more than people realize.  Because no one ever wants to talk about it or hear about it.  It's too sad.  Too painful.  Too hard.  The list of reasons is endless."  (eARC, Loc. 229)

~Nova

" 'You want to know what I think of you?'  'Yes, please.'  I take a deep breath.  'That you're the most amazing person that I've ever met.'  My voice cracks and I cough to cover it up.  'That you're nice, caring, way too perfect to be with me.'  I put my hands up on the wall and lower my head, letting the water run over my body.  'That you're sexy as hell, from your freckles to your long legs...I can still remember how fu**ing amazing it was to have those legs wrapped around me."  (eARC, Loc. 2473)

~Quinton

The Way Ria Sees It

Okay so I was pretty afraid of this book, like terrified of reading it. Why? Well you know those really annoying people that get lost and all giddy looking at pictures of kittens doing adorable things? Yea thats me…I’m not even a cat person but they are just too cute…Well thats how I look at life so reading dark and tragic books scare my sensitive little heart. The previous two books were depressing and full of agony. I was committed and I really wanted things to be different for Nova and Quinton, so I knew I had to keep on truckin. It wasn't sunshine and daisies but there was a lot of hope. After everything these two have gone through it was nice to see them doing things that made them happy. This series was definitely not an easy read but so very worth it. Everyone deserves happiness, second chances and faith. 

N-ormalcy, Nova adapts to a routine and finds solace amongst her friends.
O-pportunity, returning home was not something Quinton ever saw for himself. His father has made many mistakes he is trying to make up for the things from the past.
V-ulnerable, Tristan has committed to this new life. The more time he spends with Nova the more his heart opens up to certain possibilities.
A-voidance, Lea has always been there for Nova but recently she has become very secrative.

A-ccountable, Quinton faces his emotions daily but lives in fear of his demons from the past.
N-umb, the drugs have always muted everything around them Quinton doesn’t know if he is strong enough to deal with the pain.
D-istraction, everyone tells Quinton everything will be fine in an effort to keep his hunger at bay he learns to occupy his time wisely.

Q-uirks, Tristan has changed from the person who lived in Vegas and his bond is growing with Nova.
U-nited, Nova, Lea, and Tristan, do things together and keep each other out of dark places.
I-ndependent, Nova wants to help people she has always had a large capacity of compassion. By helping people heal Nova heals herself.
N-ights, doing what she loves Nova wants to make music and a part of her dream come true.
T-rust, Tristan starts to cross certain lines Nova is not ready for but he is so fragile Nova worries about breaking him.
O-bligation, Lea has been there for Nova and the time has come for her to return the favor.
N-arcotics, Tristan has been acting erratically he pushes Nova too far and the only thing she knows to do is run.

N-oose, life has been pushing Quinton down and the only thing that quells the noise is Nova.
O-ptions, Quinton is being forced to move knowing thats not the right choice for him he will open up to the last person imaginable.

R-ealization, the only person who can ever make Nova happy is Quinton. She is tired of missed opportunities and wont make the same mistake again.
E-scape, once in each others arms nothing else matters, the world stops moving.
G-uilt, the monster that looms over Quinton with help little by little he will fight to chip away the pain.
R-emorse, Nova tries so hard but it seems to never be enough. Death surrounds her and threatens to break everything she has built.
E-xpectations, Nova realizes something along with Quinton these two decide to pursue their happiness.
T-rust, things are not easy but together these two will make it through finding happiness can come from the most amazing places.
S-pecial, nothing has been the same from the moment these two met each other. The world is still unknown and scary but with help from their bond they are no longer afraid.

This was a really good book even though there were some obtw’s that weren’t tied up…I’m curious to see if they ever will or if its something that will be left up in the air. I think the resounding message is where there is hope there is light and anyone who is willing to fight can step away from the darkness. 

My Fav’s

Nova

Her heart is amazing and yet she is insecure, through it all she remains normaI. I love that she wants to help people and I enjoy the way that she does it. Nova has a quirky personality that people can’t help but fall in love with. She kept everything together even when she could hardly stand. I love her personality and I’m happy she was able to pursue her dreams. 

My Rating

3.5 Rehab, Idaho, Anchorman, Restaurant, Twister, Vintage Glasses, Airport, Seattle, Caress, Phone Call, Hepatitis C, Death, Documentary, Habitat for Humanity, Heart felt promise of love filled stars! For a brokenly beautiful NA pick this one up.

Excerpt:

Prologue

Nova

December 28, the day of the funeral

It’s a strange feeling, getting ready to watch someone get put under the ground into their final resting place. I’ve been to enough funerals to know that my senses always become hyper-aware of everything going on around me: the touch of the wind seems stronger, the sun a little more blinding, the smell of the leaves, grass, and fresh dirt overpowering. It’s like my mind is reaching out and trying to grasp each aspect of the moment, when part of me wants nothing more than to forget.

I’m actually at the church earlier than I’m supposed to be and I don’t even know why, other than that sitting home for a second longer just didn’t seem possible. So I left the house without telling anyone and got in my cherry-red Chevy Nova, the car my dad left to me when he died, and drove it to the church where my dad’s and Landon’s funeral took place. And in just a bit, I’ll say good-bye to another person I once knew and will never see again.

Now that I’m here, staring at the brick building with a white tower pointing to the sky, I’m not sure what I should do. I’m three hours early to a funeral, which might say a lot about me. A lot of people would likely show up late, wanting to avoid death for as long as possible, but I’ve become so familiar with it it’s unsettling.

After sitting in the car for about ten minutes, watching snowflakes fall from the sky and frost the grass and the windshield, I decide to take video instead. I didn’t bring the fancy camera my mom gave me, but the one on my phone works and honestly I use that one a lot more because it’s handy for sporadic recording, which seems to be my specialty.

I blow out a deep breath as I sit back in the seat, aim the camera at myself, and hit record. I have the screen flipped to me and my image immediately pops up. I look tired. The bags under my eyes are pretty obvious, even though I’ve tried to cover them up with makeup, and my brown hair wasn’t being cooperative so I ended up pulling it up into a ponytail. I’m wearing a black dress and earrings and the contrast with my fair skin makes me look pallid.

“It’s amazing how everything can seem so perfect one moment and then suddenly it’s not. How quickly perfection can evaporate… how rare it is.” I pause, gathering my thoughts. “I’ve seen a lot of death. More than the normal person, probably. I watched my father’s life vanish in front of me within minutes. Found my boyfriend’s body right after he took his own life. Too early. Too suddenly. Both of them. I never had time to prepare myself and I thought it was the worst feeling in the world. I always wondered how different it would be, if it ever happened again. If maybe the third or fourth time around, I wouldn’t hurt so badly. If it’d be easier letting someone go now that I’ve had so much practice.” I tuck a fallen strand of my bangs behind my ear and swallow the lump in my throat. “And maybe it has gotten easier… but it still hurts. I still shed tears… it’s still agonizing… painful…” I trail off as a few tears slip from my eyes and roll down my cheeks. “Even now, just thinking about some of the stuff I saw… I should have stopped it… should have done things differently…” I trail off, staring at the window. “But I didn’t… and now they’re gone forever.”

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About Jessica Sorensen:

Jessica Sorensen is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives with her husband and three kids in Idaho. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

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