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Book title: Finding Evan by Lisa Swallow
Series: Butterfly Days #2
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Release date: January 15, 2014
Hosted by: Forever Me Romance
“She killed a part of me – the part which trusts when someone tells you they love you, and allows you to trust that person with your heart.”
Ness and Evan return to Leeds from Europe, and begin their new life together. But the past Evan has buried for years resurfaces and threatens their future.
After fifteen years, Evan doesn’t want any contact with the woman who abandoned him, but is unwillingly pulled into his mother’s life by Lucy.
Feeling pushed aside by Ness’s focus on her studies and new friends, Evan can’t confide in Ness about what’s happening. This return to his old behavior adds more distance to their relationship. When Ness’s new friend Ollie picks up the pieces because Evan is away, Evan’s insecurities threaten their relationship further.
Ness becomes aware of Evan’s situation, and she questions whether he will ever be able to break his ties to those dragging him down. If he can’t put himself first, and live the life he wants, she is unable to see how their relationship could work. In return, Evan struggles with Ness’s inability to get close to people, and her distance pushes him further away.
The decision about the future of the relationship is taken out of their hands - by something that could end things between Ness and Evan forever…
Book 1 - Because of Lucy Excerpt
I side step the sink and turn. A guy leans against the doorframe, trying to appear nonchalant but his slackened stance indicates he’s attempting to keep himself upright. His brown hair is longer at the front and spills into his face, and unfocused brown eyes appear to be looking in my direction. He’s one of the regulars. I don’t pay a lot of attention, but he’s a good-looking guy and they never go unnoticed.
“Yes?” I snap. I’m so not in the mood.
His eyes sweep my figure. Unbelievable... I straighten my sleeves and look at him with an eyebrow raised.
“Are you Abby’s housemate?”
“Who are you?”
“Evan.” He rubs his nose. “You’re not a student?”
“Correct, I am the one not lying in a drunken haze on the floor contemplating my navel.”
Evan takes a step forward, steadying himself with one hand as my witty repartee sails over his head. “Why?”
“Why am I not on the floor drunk?”
“Why aren’t you a student?”
“Because I work instead.”
“Hmm.” He pauses and grasps onto the sink, searching for a glass. I pass him the spare one.
“Did you fail?”
“Fail what?”
Evan fills the glass. “Or are you just not smart enough for uni? What is it you do?” He gulps the water in three mouthfuls then wipes his mouth with his hand.
Arrogant wanker.
“That’s right, I’m not smart enough. I’m living with Abby until I can find a nice man to marry then I can have 2.4 kids and a house in the suburbs. Because, as I’m not a student, I have no future.”
Evan leans against the sink. “Fair enough.”
Oh my god he believes me. How pissed is he exactly? “So, you think anyone who doesn’t go to university is inferior to you?” I demand.
I’ve seen her friends looking down their noses at me. Inverted snobbery. On top of that, the locals hate students and the students hate locals. I’m neither. I can’t win.
We’re close now and he stinks of alcohol and pot, a faint hint of deodorant lingering on his clothes. Evan’s T-shirt has come untucked and rides up as he leans against the sink. He’s toned, evidently works out. I can’t help myself, I check him out. Beneath his curls he has deep brown eyes. Incoherent eyes. I hate to admit, but something about him is seriously sexy. Even if he is a dick.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me,” I say.
He sniggers.
“What’s funny?”
“You sound like the Queen.”
Not this again. I get enough crap at work. I move from Cheltenham to Yorkshire and suddenly I’m ‘stuck up home counties girl’. I don’t dignify his comment with an answer and turn away from him, and walk out of the kitchen.
“Want me to get the guy out of your bed?” he calls after me.
I stop and look round. “You know him?”
“I could replace him.”
My mouth drops open at his arrogance. An attempt at a flirtatious smile plays around his lips but the unfocused eyes kill the effect he’s trying to achieve. He’s serious. I imagine he has a ready supply of eager girls. No surprise with a body and looks like his, such a shame he needs a personality transplant.
I step towards him. “Evan. I am not pissed. Nor are you getting into my bed. Good night.” Feeling happy with my retort, I saunter towards the stairs. Behind me, Evan impersonates my sentence with an exaggerated posh accent.
It’s a good thing that I’m sober otherwise I’d go back there and punch him.
Book 2 - Finding Evan Excerpt
With the full picnic container in my messenger bag, I wait outside the gym for Evan to finish his shift. When Evan appears, he’s jacketless despite the cool day. I shiver; just looking at him in his thin T-shirt makes me cold. And warm inside. I can’t help but feel a little smug when I take in the sight of my hot-as-hell boyfriend. He has the whole damp-chested, mussed hair, post-workout thing going on, fuelling the less than clean thoughts I have about him as I watch. Watching him from a distance as if I’m a random onlooker turns me on? I must have some kind of weird stalker gene.
Evan doesn’t notice me at first; he’s on the phone and his eyebrows are pulled together in consternation. I recognise his hunched stance as frustration, and suspect he’s talking to his sister. Evan rests against the pillar outside as he continues his conversation, oblivious to those around.
A slender girl with long blonde hair passes me with her equally blonde friend. I watch them and wonder if they share the same box of hair dye to go with their identical straightened hair and designer gym gear.
“Book me in with him!” one of them says and giggles.
I jump to alert. There’s only one ‘him’ in the vicinity.
“Nope, all mine. Twice a week.” The giggling intensifies, and an unfamiliar feeling creeps across my scalp when it’s apparent they’re talking about Evan. Jealousy.
“He can get me hot and sweaty anytime!”
I gag at their immature sizing up of my boyfriend. Then I find myself doing something I didn’t intend. I stalk across the path towards him and dump my bag on the floor.
Evan’s eyes widen in surprise and he finishes the call. “Ness!”
Without a word, I slowly moisten my lips, and his eyes darken as I move in to kiss him. Evan grabs my rear and pulls me against his soaked chest, crushing his mouth against mine. He smells of workout sweat and deodorant, a mingled scent I associate with Evan. And sex. Tongue darting into my mouth, Evan holds me tighter, and through his sweats I’m aware of his arousal.
Yeah, girls. See if you can do that to him with just a kiss. I’m lost in time for a moment, until Evan peels me off him.
“Well, that was an unexpected surprise.” He regards me with shiny-eyed curiosity. “Not like you."
I smile up at him, loving his reaction. “I brought you lunch.”
“Suddenly, I’m not very hungry.” The intent in his eyes is unmistakable.
“I am. I brought a picnic.” I rummage in my bag, and from the corner of my eye, I spot the girls staring at us. An immature sense of triumph fills me. God, I might as well just stamp my name and phone number on his head.
Evan and Ness have a very complicated and challenge filled relationship. This series takes you through a myriad of emotions in just two books. Love, hate, regret, frustration and tenderness. It touches on some pretty deep topics and I feel so completely for Evan even though he frustrated me to no end.
Because of Lucy:
"The cloud called Lucy hangs over me, graying my world, and I'm waiting for the thunderstorm to sweep in and drown me. It's only a matter of time."
A coming of age story of love, forgiveness and healing. Ness and Abby are starting their adult lives together but on separate paths, Abby at university and Ness working at a call center. Ness decided to live her own life instead of fulfilling her parents dream of her attending school to become a doctor. She does her best to avoid all things student related, avoiding the constant reminder of her decision.
Evan is your typical college male, drinking his way through his first year of school and getting the girls to swoon over his charming good looks. But it's all an attempt to hide from his past and numb the pain from what he can't forget. One drunken night, he stumbles upon Ness in her kitchen and he finds a light breaking through the dark clouds.
They find something in each other they didn't know they were missing. Challenges find their way into the relationship, neither of them truly knowing how to open up and communicate their feelings. In the end, Evan stands to lose everything he cares about...because of Lucy.
I enjoyed the plot and was not expecting the twist when it came, didn't really know where Lucy fit into the story because I didn't read any spoilers but her along with his past definitely shed light onto Evan. I wanted to get a clear, fresh impression and I am so glad I did! Recommend to N/A readers
A coming of age story of love, forgiveness and healing. Ness and Abby are starting their adult lives together but on separate paths, Abby at university and Ness working at a call center. Ness decided to live her own life instead of fulfilling her parents dream of her attending school to become a doctor. She does her best to avoid all things student related, avoiding the constant reminder of her decision.
Evan is your typical college male, drinking his way through his first year of school and getting the girls to swoon over his charming good looks. But it's all an attempt to hide from his past and numb the pain from what he can't forget. One drunken night, he stumbles upon Ness in her kitchen and he finds a light breaking through the dark clouds.
They find something in each other they didn't know they were missing. Challenges find their way into the relationship, neither of them truly knowing how to open up and communicate their feelings. In the end, Evan stands to lose everything he cares about...because of Lucy.
I enjoyed the plot and was not expecting the twist when it came, didn't really know where Lucy fit into the story because I didn't read any spoilers but her along with his past definitely shed light onto Evan. I wanted to get a clear, fresh impression and I am so glad I did! Recommend to N/A readers
Finding Evan:
Lucy is fading into the background. Mostly. I'm moving on; now I have Ness, the beautiful girl whose heart loved me at my worst, and whose arms held me at my weakest.
Finding Evan takes us further into the journey after the turbulence with Lucy settles a bit. Ness is settling in with school, making friends and studying. But Evan's deep-seated insecurities are surfacing and Ness is confused by his behavior. She suspects he is hiding secrets again but doesn't want to confront the issue because she is dealing with her own inner battles.
I want to tell her everything, but the old Evan - the one who can't talk about how he feels - has been resurrected by this bullsh*t.
She confides a lot in her friend and classmate Ollie, making the problems with Evan escalate further until things are so out of control, Ness doesn't think there is any way to save them.
Evan. Nobody knows the real Evan. I think the real Evan hasn't found himself yet. I hoped I was helping him, but he needs to help himself.
There are a lot of unexpected twists and turns that will tug at your heart-strings. All-in-all, I enjoyed both books.
Book 1 - Because of Lucy
Book 2 - Finding Evan
Lisa is an author of new adult romance and writes both paranormal and contemporary, often with a side of snark. In between running a business, looking after her family and writing, Lisa sometimes finds spare time to do other things. This often involves swapping her book worlds for gaming worlds. She even leaves the house occasionally. Lisa loves all things from the Whedonverse and preferred vampires before they sparkled.
Lisa has four books published: the ‘Butterfly Days’ series, and two in her urban fantasy series Soul Ties. She is currently working on a new contemporary romance series Blue Phoenix and the first book, Summer Sky is due for release in April. Lisa is originally from the UK but moved to Australia in 2001 and now lives in Perth in Western Australia with her husband, three children and dog.
Thank you for featuring and reviewing my Butterfly Days series :)
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