Series: Choisie
Titles included: Contessa, Olivia, Dear Jon, and Livvy
Author: Lori L. Otto
Released: Feb 2014
Titles included: Contessa, Olivia, Dear Jon, and Livvy
Author: Lori L. Otto
Released: Feb 2014
Goodreads
Livvy Holland was adopted by a generous and wealthy couple as a child. Now sixteen, she is a burgeoning artist, encouraged by her mother and inspired by a man she was never able to meet. Feeling estranged from a loving father whose mind works much differently than her own, she questions whether or not she was paired with the right guardians. In her plight for independence, she reconnects with a fellow art student who grew up alongside Livvy.
Jon Scott has led anything but a privileged life. After his father passes away, he is left to care for his two half-brothers while his mother’s alcoholism threatens to tear his family apart. All he wants for himself and his brothers is a better life. His dreams for an Ivy League education are coming to fruition, thanks to a lifetime of hard work and ambition. This is not only important to Jon himself; he also knows that the man who will win Livvy’s heart has to be someone exceptional. Her father would accept nothing less–and Jon believes that Livvy deserves the best of everything, too.
That may be the only thing Jon and Livvy’s father agree upon.
Over the course of their courtship, these two teens will experience the bliss of true love, but their immaturity and differing lifestyles will also threaten to tear them apart. They both begin to question the other’s devotion and commitment; only time will tell if their first love is meant to last a lifetime.
This series, comprised in totality of four books, allows the reader to experience first love for a second time. The first three books–Contessa, Olivia, and Dear Jon–are available now, with the fourth book–Livvy–slated to be released December 9!
Contessa – Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes
Olivia – Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes
Dear Jon – Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes
Livvy – Coming Dec 9, 2014 – Amazon | iTunes
Olivia – Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes
Dear Jon – Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes
Livvy – Coming Dec 9, 2014 – Amazon | iTunes
“I want you to make love to me.” My voice cracks when I say it.
“Why?” he challenges me. Why? What kind of a question is that?
“Because I love you.”
“You wear my ring because you love me. You devote every Saturday night to me because you love me. You answer my calls every day because you love me. Why do you want me?”
“I don’t… I don’t think I understand.”
“Here’s what I want. I want to trail my fingers down the length of your naked body and feel the excitement they leave in their wake.”
I look around quickly, grateful that he’s not speaking too loudly.
“I want to smell the perfume you wear as I nip at your earlobe and whisper things to you I’m too afraid to say when I’m not inebriated by your very presence.”
I can’t believe he’s saying these things to me right here, in the light of day, as if he’s telling me about his classes or what color shoes he decided to wear today.
“I want to hear you pronounce my name with such desperation, supplicating me for more – deeper, slower – like you can’t get enough of me even though you’re holding me so tightly you leave marks on my skin that take days to disappear and underscore the words forever inscribed on my shoulder blade–”
“I’m sorry–” He interrupts my interruption with a surprising kiss, his hand supporting my neck as his mouth moves hard and fast against mine. I gasp when he pulls away, and my eyes are enraptured by the fervency of his gaze.
“I’m not,” he whispers, then shakes his head. “I want the taste of you…” He pauses and nods just so, making sure I fully understand what he’s implying. “…on my lips.”
“Jon!” I nearly shriek, taken aback by his brazenness and indelicate suggestion. Oddly enough, though, I’ve never been more attracted to him than I am in this moment. He laughs at my response.
“And I want to make you blush, just like that.” He touches his thumb to the warm skin of my face. “To see the glow of tamarisk in your cheeks when you’re coming down. There’s not a prettier color in nature.”
I can say nothing, do nothing, except stare at him with my mouth agape.
“And do you want to know why I want these things?”
It takes me a moment to realize he’s asked me a question, that he’s waiting for my answer. “Because you want me to be happy?”
“No.” Now both of his thumbs rub my temples as he stares lustfully at me, through me. My pulse is raging, and I can hear it in my ears and feel it coursing beneath my skin. “Because I’m a selfish man, and every one of those things rouses me and makes me want to take you in ways I never have — ways your virtuous mind has probably never even imagined. You engage me and provoke me and you drive me to the brink of insanity, and just when I think I’m gone, you save me, Olivia. A brush of your hand. A kiss. A whisper.”
Contessa Review - 4.5 Stars!!
Holy freaking crap! Seriously. OMG. <--- that's pretty close to all I have to say about this book. I'm off to snatch up the rest of the series ASAP (although I may wait until the last one comes out so I can read them all in one go).
Despite the complete and utter state of awe I am in, I had best put some effort in, no? Firstly, I want to say, covers for this series are absolutely the best covers I have seen in such a long time. The artistic quality to them and colors absolute capture this series. It was a perfect match. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about those covers. Amazing. Great concept and great artistry.
Secondly, the concept of this series, a YA romance that actually has some deep, important coming of age problems that teenagers might face in these situations, wow. I mean, it was a depth I hadn't seen in YA in a long while. As always, those concepts and the cover prompted me to do this tour and review.
Now, the characters. What to say about the characters. Livvy was amazingly believable - which is actually pretty rare in YA as well. I mean, I'm a woman. I was once a teenage girl. And I did some seriously immature crap back then. I had horribly immature thoughts. I was angry, sassy and in my own world half the time. So yeah, Livvy had her immature moments that did nothing to detract from the story because honestly, she IS a teenager. Those moments should happen when one has issues at 16. Livvy has issues. Enough said.
Jon was amazingly mature for his age and I LOVE that type in my novels. I can't help it. Stereotypical but it's true, for me. In any case, because of his situation, he did mature fast, and very well. Heck, I'm too old for him and still wanted him for myself. He was also great guidance for Olivia during a time in which she needed it. He was perhaps my favorite character.
The supporting characters are also as well done, each with their own separate personalities and such. The depth of the 'cast' in this novel was excellent. Very happy with the characterization.
Plotwise, everything fit nicely together. I mean, I can't say more than that. The problems Olivia and Jon faced in this novel was realistic and involved, and properly placed when needed. Well done indeed.
As for the writing, the dialog was pretty freaking fantastic. It did not make me wince so I'm happy. It was obviously geared for younger audiences, so I wasn't expecting to read something with a more complex writing style. It fit the proper genre well, although yes, a little immature for me. But it didn't detract from the story, and made it so it was easily devoured in nearly one sitting.
Again, overall, excellent start of an amazing looking series. I am going on to the next book happily! 4.5 stars!
After graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Lori Otto worked in the billboard industry for ten years. Frustrated with trying to communicate entire messages in “seven seconds or less,” she decided to leave outdoor advertising and return to her love of creative writing.
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