Alexis: I didn’t always use to be so disastrous. I used to be an artist who rarely got into trouble, but everything changed after my parents died.After that, I became a girl with secrets.I have so many secrets anymore that I feel like that’s all I am. And no one knows who I really am.At least that’s what I think until I make a bad choice that leads to me seeking help from West, my sworn enemy … that leads to me seeking help from West, my sworn enemy since grade school.
West is a huge flirt and gorgeous. He’s also offered to help me try to put my life back together. And I think we might be starting to become friends. Well, friends who sometimes kiss.
But that doesn’t really matter. I can’t fall for West. Because if I do, I’ll ruin him. And I can’t do that to him. Or anyone.
West:
I’m not who everyone thinks I am. I pretend that my life is together, but in reality, it’s crumbling. But I can’t let anyone find that out, especially Alexis.
I’ve been in love with her for a while. This beautiful, wild, broken girl; I’ve wanted her for so long.
After her parents died, she shut down and put up a wall. I want to help her, but she hasn’t given me the time of day.
Until now.
I’m going to help her get her life back together no matter what. I just hope I can keep my own life together in the process.
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It’s never easy losing a parent, but it is harder to navigate the perils of teenage drama without the guidance of either of the ones you hold dear. Everything in Alexis’ life is upside down after the loss of her parents. With a brother who is now her guardian, Alexis finds herself on the outside looking in where her family is concerned. The only constant in her life are the individuals that Alexis calls her friends.
Blaine and Masie are the constant that Alexis depends upon. The trio has been friends forever, but Alexis had kept secrets that neither knows about. With a crush on Blaine always swirling under the surface, Alexis will quickly discover that this friendship is about to blow up in her face. With no one else to turn towards, Alexis finds herself seeking refuge in the most unlikely place. Will the secrets that Alexis has kept hidden be the catalyst that results in her life unraveling?
Signed With A Kiss is the latest rerelease from author Jessica Sorensen. It follows Alexis through the struggles of teenage life. Not only does Alexis find herself struggling with the fact that she is in the midst of a betrayal, she also is harboring the after effects of a trauma that no one knows about. The secrets that Alexis manages to keep only deepen the despair that her family finds themselves within, especially after Alexis’ deeds are revealed.
What I found in Signed With a Kiss was the beginnings of a story that has a lot of plot laid out. There is a bit of a mystery lurking beneath the pages as well. While I am a huge fan of Sorensen’s, the story fell quite a bit flat for me. The rewrite was designed to enhance the series, but I found myself scratching my head when arriving at the end of the book. There is a DRASTIC and abrupt ending to the story.
Literally – the story randomly stops at a point in the story where you are dumbfounded. It’s not a cliff hanger or end of a scene. There is no wrapping up of the contents of that chapter, it literally just STOPS. I know that Sorensen pushes out a LOT of writing in a calendar year, but this is definitely not the type of thing I expect to encounter in any reading material. There is no conclusion, finality or continuation…..just an abrupt stop to a story that doesn’t have the pull one would expect after that many chapters. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement….
REVIEW:
I received an Arc copy for a honest review.
The characters Alexis and Wes, and the supporting characters, have a huge love triangle going on. Just like what goes down in High School. Ah, the memories, this book brings back. You have Wes who in love with Alexis, Alexis who is love with Wes’s BFF, Blaine, and Blaine who is dating Alexis”s BFF, Masie. When Alexis, finds out her two best friends are dating, she turns to West, with this new information and her past tragedies, that she can’t move on from. Lex is emotionally shut off, and the only way she can control her emotions is by expressing herself, through her graffiti. Wes is trying to help support Lex, but he is dealing with issues at home, of the worst kind. Wes also keeps his secrets near and dear, Lex knows some, but not how bad they actually are. Will these two start helping each other or will everything start blowing up in their faces?
This was a quick and easy read. The first installment in the Signed with a Kiss Series was a nice introduction to Alexis and Wes. I find this first book, was to put all the pieces together to, basically wait until things hit the fan. I’m really excited to see where this story goes. This is a YA book. I would definitely, let younger adults read this without concern for to much adult themes.