Saturday, September 13, 2014

Blog Tour: Rival (Fall Away #3) by Penelope Douglas




Title: Rival (Fall Away, #2)
Author: Penelope Douglas
Genre: NA | Contemporary Roman ce
Release Date: August 26, 2014
Tour Hosted by: As the Pages Turn
 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18129852-rival

Synopsis

From the New Adult sensation and New York Times bestselling author of Until You

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war...

She’s back.

For the three years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no wo rd from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game...

I’m back.

Three years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he ’s better than me.

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff an d fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how mu ch he affects me....




Rival - Excerpt~

Reaching around, he twisted my chin towards the mirror, and I sucked in a breath. “What do you see?!” he shouted.

“You and me!” I blurted out. “Madoc and Fallon!”

My heart was racing.

I looked at him through the mirror. I sat on one side of his lap, so he could see from the other side, and we stared at each other, my chest rising and falling more urgently.

“That’s not what I see,” he said in a low voice. “Those names mean nothing t o me. They’re simple and empty. When I’m with you, I don’t see the daughter of a gold digging bitch and an Irish drug lord or the son of a crooked lawyer and a vegan Barbie.”

I almost wanted to laugh. Madoc had an ironic way of looking at the world.

But he wasn’t smiling. He was scowling. He was dead serious, and I knew from experience that his genuine moments were few and far between.

He reached up, threading one hand into my hair while the other hand rested on the chair.

“I see everything I want for as long as I can have it,” he continued. “I see a woman that wears the cutest little scowl like she’s two years old and was just told she couldn’t have candy. I see a guy that went and got an apadravya piercing, because he wanted to live in her world for even a little while.”

I closed my eyes. Don’t do this to me, Madoc. Please.


4.5 Stars

ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review
  
When I first read Bully, I became enamored with Penelope Douglas’ writing style. She eloquently pens romantic stories about troubled teenagers who struggle with sorrow, betrayals, forgiveness and love. What impressed me the most was the way Douglas masterfully presents her characters’ development and dialogue on a mature level.  Although the stories are about teens, I sense nothing immature about them or their life experiences. This holds true for Madoc and Fallon’s love/hate illicit drama in Rival.


Madoc and his stepsister, Fallon, have a unique connection. Forced to live together, they despise and taunt one another. Yet, powerful feelings and sexual urges draw them into an unthinkable relationship. Even though their affair is considered ‘taboo’, I was not put off by their intimacy. They were just two lost souls living with unpleasant circumstances, seeking comfort from one another. It all comes to a painful end when they are discovered. Horrible parents conjure lies and Fallon is quickly shipped off to boarding school, causing both sorrow and distress. For two years, Fallon’s heartache festered leading her to design a plan of revenge against the center of her anguish  – Madoc.



Madoc also has his demons to contend with, believing a cold-hearted Fallon abandoned him. I was saddened by how these characters suffered emotionally and felt both were justified in their agony.

When Fallon returns, dark secrets see the light of day and misunderstandings are revealed, leaving Fallon and Madoc to help heal one another. Their journey, filled with both pain and pleasure, was captivating. I savored each heart clenching moment. Lust and desire, fueled by anger, lies and treacheries, made for some sizzling intense love scenes. Their chemistry was off the charts HOT.


Fallon was difficult at times for me to connect with. I felt as if I was dealing with a split personality. On one hand, she is this tough, tattooed and pierced brazen girl with tomboyish traits. I could not grasp the rebellious Fallon. On the flip side, she was vulnerable, sincere and tender - a total contradiction. It is her sensitive side I liked. Fallon’s character suffered deep pain and I felt great sympathy for all of her misfortunes.  All in all, she made an interesting female lead.

Madoc was maddening – but in a good way. When I first met him in Bully, I disliked him, but gradually come to find I adored his endearing side. In Rival, I found myself despising him once again. It frustrated me rediscovering his cold-hearted cruel personality. Then…he revealed his heartaches and I fell back in love with him. It was clever how Douglas scripted his character – evolving from a tough, mean spirited douche to a sweet, affectionate lover. His changed persona added even more angst within the plot. Add to that, his sex appeal, Madoc totally fascinated me.


On a whole, Rival was a great read for me. It had an interesting storyline, passionate love scenes and written in dual points of view – giving a clear insight into the characters mindset. There was, however, some troublesome issues involving Fallon’s bitch of a mother. I found her too treacherous for my liking and her actions were despicable. Aside from that, Rival was an exceptionally written, emotionally driven romance. Looking forward to the next installment in the series – Falling Away – Jaxon’s story.




TRIPLES with EMMA




~ Buy books 1 & 2 of the Fall Away series 

Bully (Fall Away, #1) - Buy Links:
Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
Until You (Fall Away, #1.5) - Buy Links:
Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
~ About Penelope ~ 
Penelope Douglas is a writer 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 a t 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 Originals, and she shops at Target almost daily.

Follow the tour for more reviews, excerpts, character QA, author QA, guest post...etc! You can find the schedule HERE.

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