Jennifer L. Armentrout (also known as J. Lynn), New York Times bestselling author of the Wait for You series, presents her latest book, Scorched. Sometimes life leaves a mark… Most days, Andrea doesn’t know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he’s a major player, and they can’t get along … his, but he’s a major player, and they can’t get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now.
Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She’s teetering on the edge, and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers.
Andrea’s life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn’t matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she’s speeding toward rock-bottom, only she can save herself.
Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after…
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“You know, usually the people who smile the most and laugh the louder are the ones who…suffer the most.”
Andrea and Tanner have a bit of a love/hate relationship. Andrea has had thing for Tanner since their freshman year of college, and even though they had classes together, Tanner doesn’t remember her from then. However, Tanner has wanted Andrea ever since he was introduced to her by Kyler and Sydney. When they all go on an end of summer trip to a cabin in West Virginia, Tanner and Andrea end up spending a lot of alone time together, and the chemistry between them completely ignites. It also turns out that they can actually get along and have great conversations as well. The only problem is that Andrea has some issues that she tries to push down and not deal with. Things finally come to a head and the result is life altering.
This book is a bit different from Jen’s other books and it touches on a topic that most other books, especially contemporary romance, don’t address. Andrea has anxiety and depression, and she self medicates with alcohol. Seeing Andrea struggling with her anxiety and her self doubts, and what ultimately ends up being depression can be difficult at times. Making it even worse is that when she starts drinking she can’t stop until she’s completely drunk, and this causes a lot of tension not just with her best friend Sydney but also with Tanner. I do fully commend Andrea for finally agreeing that she needed to get help, and while her accident and her parents intervention probably had a large part to do that with that, at least she didn’t fight it. It’s not easy to admit that you have a problem and need help, and a lot of people are unable to do that.
Now, I liked Tanner, but he’s not even close to being my favorite JLA guy. While a part of him liked Andrea there was also a part that judged her without really knowing her. I will say that when he learned more about her, and learned just what some of her issues were, he did step up. And he was there for her and waited for her. He waited on her to work on herself and get better without putting any pressure on her. So for that, I give him major props, because a lot people would just walk away.
This book deals with some heavy issues so it’s not going to be for everyone, but I do think that everyone should read it. Depression is a silent disease that is easily overlooked and not everyone survives. Jen does a great job of describing the aspects of depression and anxiety and it makes the book all the more real. This is definitely not a light and fluffy romance, but it’s still a great book.
“I love you Andrea. I’m in love with you. And I’m going to be right here with you, though all of it. That’s what love makes you do.”
This was an entertaining read, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as Frigid. The main characters lacked… emotional connection to me. It just fell a little flat.
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: Scorched
: Frigid #2
: Jennifer L. Armentrout
: 4/5
Sometimes I felt like I read two different books, I felt the first 2/3 of the book were a bit superficial, focusing on the steamy side and just barely touching the surface of everything that was going on. I liked the first 2/3 of the books a lot. The relationship between Tanner and Andrea was growing and that was amazing. The last 1/3 though, it had all the emotions and layers I would like a book to have. Dave was a character that was introduced at that last 1/3 of the book and he was such an amazing side character and just such a great add. Even though, he was only in the book for a little while.. I felt his role in this book and the plot was tremendous. This book deals with some serious problems like alcoholism, so proceed with caution. Really an amazing story and I might love Andrea and Tanner more than Sydney and Kyler. Especially because of that last part in the book, the emotional ride just blew my mind. Overall, it was an steamy and romantic book, but also such an emotional read!
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To put it briefly, the story revolves around Andrea and Tanner, who were the common friends of the previous couple in Frigid’s story. But between them there is an unconventional friendship, there is a strange hate-love relationship, as they get annoyed and insult each other to death, even making bad jokes that in the end make them feel bad.
Talking about our characters, Tanner is a good boy, he’s handsome and focused on what he wants, he doesn’t lack the girls around him but it’s not what he focuses on, he just wants to finish his specialty while doing volunteer shifts in the fire department, and then go and go to the police academy. His personality is happy, he is funny, when he has to apologize she does it, when he has to help people she looks for them. And despite the complicated relationship when it comes to Andrea, he cares about her. He always tries to keep an eye on her when she passes on beers and defends her from idiots who try to take advantage of her.
Andrea has a very different personality, she is not the typical exemplary student, she is not innocent, she is not the model daughter. She is the daughter of medical parents, but she is thinking of changing her medical speciality for something else, and that is adding to the list of disappointments of her parents. She thinks about things a lot, but at the same time, in order not to think about them, she becomes impulsive. She just wants her mind to go off and it seems that drinking has become a good amnesiac for that. As the plot goes on we realize that Andrea suffers from a mental health condition and many of her actions are conditioned by this.
Speaking of the book I have to take my hat off to Jennifer, because in Andrea she was able to capture the essence of many intrusive thoughts suffered by people with mental health illness. I love to talk about that, because with Andrea we can see how a person suffers, how a person puts stories in their head that are not true, how they think things through a lot, how they try to shut up what they feel out of fear, and how that fear and those thoughts can lead to wrong decisions being made. How wanting to turn off all ideas and wanting to calm the anxiety they produce can lead to a desperate need for an escape that is often not right.
I love the message that she leaves with the romance that develops between Andrea and Tanner, and that is that when you have a mental health diagnosis, your life is suddenly altered in a myriad of ways and these are often stormy, and Tanner’s reaction to that is so beautiful, because he doesn’t judge her, not when he realizes that she is suffering from something, not when she makes mistakes. He gives her space and makes it clear to her that he will be there for her, that he knows that this moment does not need a relationship, he knows that she is the one who must save herself and seek her happiness first, dealing with her illness so that she can then share that happiness with him. He urges her to recover for her, letting her know that he will always be there for her, and that he will wait for her. Believe me when I tell you that for people struggling with mental health issues, having this support network is better than anything else.
This book leaves you with many good things, we learn perhaps 30% of what a person with a mental health problem feels. We learn how we can act towards someone who is suffering from a mental health problem, to not judge them, because they already judge themselves enough, to give them their space and at the same time offer them support which is the most important thing. And to people who suffer from a mental health problem it teaches us that it is never too late and that there is always hope for us whatever our diagnosis, there will be easier days than others, but let’s not let a bad day hinder our recovery process and as incredible as it may seem, ¨no no matter what you face or the mistakes you made, there is always a happily ever after waiting for you ¨
This is a great story for anyone who has dealt with addiction!
I started this series with this book and now I need to go back and read the first one. Andrea and Tanner appealed to me so much that I had to start with their story. I love a good enemies to lovers book but this was so much more than that. This was a woman’s journey to find herself and find acceptance in her own heart. This was a journey of a man to love someone through her issues and through his own. Andrea had demons that were not visible to the people around her. She suffered alone and found ways to escape her head and quiet her demons. There were some heavy issues dealt with in this book and I felt like they were not glossed over at all. I love when a deep book with deep issues gives the character time to get it together. Love doesn’t always fix everything in your head. You have to deal with yourself and learn to live with yourself before you can be your best for others. This book had that and I appreciated the realness of it. Tanner was such a steadfast hero. I loved his love.
Title: Scorched (Frigid #2)
Author: J.Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Number of Pages: 238
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Date read: June 2015
Favorite Quote:“You know, usually the people who smile the most and laugh the loudest are the ones who…suffer the most.”
Review:
I have yet to read a book from Jennifer that I didn’t like. I have said it many times and I will say it again this woman is a book writing genius
What is this book about:
This book is about Andrea (Andy) and Tanner. In this book you’ll also find the characters from Frigid, Kyler and Sydney. Andrea is a trust fund baby, but that doesn’t mean she acts like a spoiled brat. She volunteers at a suicide hotline and at the mental ward in a hospital. Both her parents are successful plastic surgeons and her brother is also studying to become a surgeon. Andrea was studying to become a surgeon but changed her major to teaching. Andrea likes to party and drink, and boy can she drink allot.
Tanner is working at the fire station and he’s going to the police academy soon. He always wanted to help people and be a better man and cop than his father. Ever since he met Andrea he was interested. Who couldn’t be interested in a curvy read head with the pretty hazel eyes.
Andrea and Tanner are good at one thing, bickering and fighting. Their banter can go on for a long time, sometimes crossing the line of insulting each other.
It still bugs Andrea that Tanner doesn’t remember her from the two classes they shared in there freshmen year, and that he slept with her roommate. She had a serious crush on the guy. She loved his cropped on the sides- short on the top, hair, his stormy blue eyes and his rock hard abs. I mean what is not to like, and on top of that he is a funny, charming and good guy.
What did I like about this book:
This book covers mental illness very well ( I won’t spoil who has a problem and what it is) I could really relate to that since I have been struggling with some personal problems as well. This book showed me that It’s okey to be “messed up in the head” and that that doesn’t mean that nobody will love you. People will help you, want to help you if you let them. That it doesn’t mean you’re unworthy or that nobody will fall for you. Again you just have to let them. This book also showed me that you don’t have to have a size 2 to be attractive.
I really loved Tanner. He is a very sweet, charming, sexy, caring and funny guy. He really cares for Andrea and he really is what she needs.
Rating:
4 I really Like it Stars