My life is a mess.I’m walking around with a black eye. My position on the hockey team is questionable at best, and if that’s not bad enough, I think I’m falling for my dead girlfriend’s best friend.Every day, it’s a fight to feel alive, and yet, I drink to numb the pain. Everyone is standing back, watching me fall apart.Everyone except Hannah. No matter how many times I push, she’s there to pull … push, she’s there to pull me back. She refuses to let me spiral any deeper. And after one kiss—she’s impossible to ignore.
Unfortunately, it seems she and I aren’t the only thing being kept a secret.
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What in the name of frodo did I just read! Where has this author been all my life! My heart is completely obliterated with that ending that I was not expecting! Major cliffy folks & get your tissues ready. I want to squeeze the life out of Nick & a couple of other people in this book. I want to hold Hannah & give her comforting words but since I can’t do any of this, I am just going to beg & plead for book two! Amazing & cannot wait what happens. I have so many theories but I guess we just wait patiently & promote this book like crazy in the meantime!
I’ve been a fan of Lindsey’s stories from the beginning and I’ve watched her grow as an author and I have to say to date this is my favorite book of hers. Under A Different Sky is very emotional and written so realistically you just feel like you’re there watching it all unfold.
I absolutely love Hannah and Nick they couldn’t be more perfect for one another.
It does end in a cliffhanger Lindsey likes to torture us like that
I’m very much looking forward to the second part of this amazing story.
Thank you for your review.
Wow! I’m still kinda speechless…
This book totally started with a bang, which I totally didn’t expect. I was hooked from the first page! Nick and Hannah are wonderful characters, and what they had to go through, that’s something you don’t wish for anyone!
I definitely felt this book in all departments! It made me cry with them, hurt and laugh with them.
I’m READY for book 2!
I kindly received an arc for an honest review
You’re to blame was the first story i’ve read of Lindsey, it sucked me in and couldn’t put it down. I knew Lindsey would be an author I one click after that story. Well she sure doesn’t disappoints, Under a different sky pulled me from the beginning, Nick and Hannah’s story started after they both lost someone close to them, Nick’s first love and Hannah’s best friend. Hannah pulls Nick out of the darkness, and he slowly starts to feel whole again, but the two of them soon start to realize nothing is going to be easy with their relationship, Many times I wanted to slap Nick, but at the same time your heart breaks for him. I can’t wait to see how their story ends.
This book is one of the best books I’ve read this year! The emotion folded into the pages of this book is so raw and powerful that it’s absolutely beautiful. I was utterly consumed by this book and completely crushed in so many ways when it ended. I knew books had the power of eliciting emotion, but this book pulled on every single string of my heart until all that’s left are floating pieces desperately seeking to be woven back together.
This book starts off with the death of a beloved to many. Girlfriend to Nick. Best Friend to Hannah. Mia was someone they both relied on and her death left them both completely broken. When Nick begins spiraling, Hannah reaches out to him to show him he isn’t alone. She begins showing up for him at his worst times and he can’t help but feel like she’s trying to replace Mia. But the more he begins to rely on Hannah the more he realizes he never really knew her. What he felt for Mia was soft and sweet, but what he feels for Hannah is absolutely explosive. Can they figure out how to navigate their feelings for each other or will the weight of Mia be too much for them?
The love that blossoms, in what seems to be the worst of times for these characters, is completely magical. They are both in so much pain and they find strength in each other. Hannah is such a caring person and she hides her pain and anguish all while helping Nick release the blame he has placed upon himself following Mia’s death. She is carrying so much baggage Mia has placed upon her that we don’t even realize she’s carrying until the end. It shows the immense amount of pain this character has endured along with the immense amount of strength she embodies. And I hope I’m not the only one who feels like Mia’s requests were quite selfish. The need I have to see this strong beautiful heroine finally find her HEA is so great.
And I’ll be honest that’s not going to happen in this book. It’s the first book in a duet and it does end on a cliffhanger. Under A Different Sky will wreck you, but it’s a beautifully heartbreaking beginning to what looks to be one of the best duets I’ve ever read.
Lindsey Iler has already made a series of very exciting and emotional books
Now she did it again, wrote a beautiful and emotional book
The stars still shine up there, and the Earth still spins, and that’s because of you. We’re just under a different sky, Hannah.”
Boy named Nick who lost his girlfriend due to cancer,
and he doesn’t know how to deal with that grief
He puts more emphasis on party and drinking to relieve that pain
Until he finds himself communicating with Hannah more and more
This epilogue was very emotional and unexpected!
Thank you!
Under a Different Sky by Lindsey Iler is the first book in Hand Over My Heart Duet. It’s a beautiful, emotional, and heart-wrenching love story.
Nick Kovac was struggling with the loss of Mia, she was his first love, and he doesn’t know how to live without her. He doesn’t know how to let her go and how to move on. It was heartbreaking to see him suffer from so much pain. Hannah Barnes lost her best friend Mia, and she made some promises to her that she wants to keep, but she is struggling to uphold. Nick and Hannah find solace in each other, but they both struggled internally with their feelings as they grow closer. The guilt they felt about what was happening between the two of them was awful.
“You happened out of nowhere, and I realized I can still feel the way I did. All was not lost when she died. The stars still shine up there, and the Earth still spins, and that’s because of you. We’re just under a different sky, Hannah.”
I absolutely loved Nick and Hannah’s story. The chemistry and pull these two have was undeniable. The happiness they found in each other while trying to heal from their loss was purely magical. And the way this book ended with a cliffhanger! I need to know what is going to happen between Nick and Hannah, and I can’t wait to read the next book!!!
New Adult/Young Adult | Forbidden | Emotional Romance
Under a Different Sky was a book I bought based solely on the gorgeous cover. There’s just something eye catching about it and the minute I had a second I tucked right in and started reading. While I did have a few minor problems with the story, I think my overall enjoyment outweighed them tremendously and I’m excited to see what happens between Nick and Hannah in the next one.
About the Book:
This is the first book in the Hand Over My Heart duet. As with all duets, the books must be read in order. I waited to read this one until the next book released because I wasn’t in the mood for another cliffhanger and the wait to see what happens. If you do the same, you will be happy to know the second book is live and you can find it here WAITING FOR THE SUN.
This is a new adult forbidden romance duet. The characters are actually in high school but I consider them to be more NA than YA because they are a little older (I believe 17 or 18). Also, there’s sex and sexual language, drinking, etc. Anyway, the book starts off with the hero saying goodbye to his girlfriend who died of cancer. This is sad of course, but were quickly forwarded to a point in his life a few months later. During this time, the best friend of his dead girlfriend becomes a huge part of his life. She is there for him when he’s sad (which is pretty much throughout the entire book) and she helps him when he’s in trouble (getting into fights, getting wasted, etc.). As the two get closer romantic feelings between the two start unraveling and well, you can guess what happens from there. The problem is though that they are keeping their relationship a secret because they feel guilty actually being together. So when they get CAUGHT at the end of this one things get… sticky. And some secrets that were being kept come to light and make the situation even worse. That’s where it ends and in the second book we should be getting all the answers we need along with seeing what happens with their relationship.
Sounds like a pretty good book, right? I think many readers will agree that it all makes for an intriguing storyline.
WHAT I REALLY LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK
I love forbidden romances and while I didn’t realize that was what this book actually WAS I found myself really happy with the forbidden aspects of their relationship. Dead Girlfriends best friend? JUICY!
I liked the pace of the story. Books that are emotionally heavy sometimes tend to drag in areas but that isn’t the case for this book. I appreciated the time it took for the hero to grieve and find himself (sort of anyway) before messing with Hannah (she’s the DG best friend).
SOME MINOR ISSUES FULLY EXPLAINED
I was pretty annoyed at the temper tantrums the hero was throwing. I mean, I get that your upset that you lost your girlfriend and I totally understand acting out because you don’t have any other way to release your anger. But it happened SO MUCH in this book that he came off as childish and it looked as if her were throwing tantrums. Now, some may disagree and say this is a normal part of the grieving process which is FINE, but at the moment of reading Nick sort of annoyed me with it. I wanted to think of him as a strong hero and seeing SO MUCH weakness made me cringe a little. On the other hand it was fairly realistic as everyone grieves differently. I suppose I;ll see how I feel about it in the next one.
The girlfriend who passed away was such a large part of the story because everyone was grieving her but we never got any real glimpses to WHO she was and WHY she played such a huge role in everyone’s lives. There’s small tidbits here and there about her but it FELT like the author just threw her death in for the sake of adding something to the story. She never became a real character to me and I would have really liked to have known about her. Perhaps in the next book we’ll get a little more insight into why she was so important to Nick? We shall see!
This is supposed to be an emotional read but I never felt sad when reading it. I think this may be because the girlfriend who passed was nothing more than a thought (see above) and I wasn’t able to grieve her with the characters- that would have allowed me to build connections to them.
WRAPPING IT UP
Overall, this is a good, solid story and I do look forward to reading the conclusion to Nick and Hannah’s story. There may have been a few issues that I got nit picky on here in my review but when I went back and really THOUGHT about the book I can understand why it was written the way it is. I;m excited to discover many more books by Lindsey Iler!
This book tore my heart apart and then sewed it back together.
It’s a heart wrenching story of love, loss, friendships, second chances and life altering secrets.
Nick loses the love of his life and foes everything he can to numb the pain. But Hannah, his post love’s best friend steps in and won’t let him destroy his future or his life. Neither one of them expected their friendship to turn into so much more.
This was one emotional ride right from the start. It was one that almost had me becoming teary eyed. And I am not one that is easy to crack, and Iler came close. There was so many layer to this story. And Iler played on all the heart strings when she gave the book world this story. Readers are gonna be able to feel all the raw emotions that both Nick and Hannah are feeling. And the struggles that they are going through when it comes to the feeling that they have for one another.
If your looking for a book that will take you on a ride with loops and turns, then this is your book.
Nick Kovac is 17 when his girlfriend Mia dies from cancer and his world crumbles and he struggles to find any light. He is drinking and partying while still trying to be the hockey star that everyone expects him to be.
Hannah Barnes was Mia’s best friend and slowly she is trying to be there for Nick as much as he allows her to be. Her dad is the hockey coach and she knows she is walking a fine line with Nick.
As Nick and Hannah both begin to struggle with moving on with their lives the two begin to grow closer but will people approve of their new relationship with the memory of Mia being so recent?
With promises made to Mia will they survive when they are discovered?
I understood completely how Nick was so devastated after Mia’s death as she was everything to him for so long and he really struggled to find his place without her and figure out how to actually go on without her. He was definitely falling apart which was evident with the drinking, partying, and fights he was getting into.
Hannah was such a great girl who was willing to do whatever she could to help Nick pick up the pieces yet it was evident she already cared so much about him but was scared to act on it because she had been Mia’s best friend.
There was so much chemistry between Nick and Hannah but both really struggled with it due to the obvious reasons. I loved the support they gave each other and how they both started getting their lives back together once they figured out that they cared.
The end with Grady was huge as it let everything out in the open and some people were not so happy!!
I was horrified what Nick said to Hannah at the end but I have no idea what she promised Mia and I need to know!!!
4.5 Stars By Rebecca
When I got the opportunity to read Lindsey’s book I jumped on it quickly. Her since her first books, I have always loved her work. This new book is a very emotional read that would tear at your heart but still soften it a bit you can say. Hannah & Nick could not have been the most perfect pair! The things they had to overcome, is something you don’t want anyone going through.
Of course, our lovely Lindsey loves to drive us crazy and insane by leaving it hanging! Now come on Lindsey that’s not fair lol.. Give us book 2!
I honestly wasn’t sure how I felt at first when these two started to get together so soon after Mia passed away. They both felt the same way too, like maybe people wouldn’t understand so they tried to hide how they felt. It becomes such an emotional roller coaster for them because they have this pull they feel towards one another but they both feel like they are betraying Mia and her memory. I was a big fan of Hannah. She is a force to be reckoned with and Nick was just so lost I was hoping they could help each other find a new normal. As much as I wasn’t sure how I felt at first about them getting together so soon as the story went on and secrets are revealed, I wanted them both to be able to love each other the way they wanted to see that you can’t help who you love. This book kind of ended on a cliffhanger with things up in the air and I can’t wait for the next one to see if Nick and Hannah get the chance they deserve.
I enjoyed this story. It began incredibly sad, young love cut short. The struggles for Hannah and Nick were hard to read. Love has a way of sneaking up and doing as it pleases. These two learned to deal with their lives and the fallout together. This was a wonderful tale of loss, grief, survival, and happiness.
I received a copy of this story through Enticing Journey Book Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
Under a Different Sky, is Author Lindsey Iler’s newest release and OMG!!! It was heartbreaking and page turning with lots and lots of tears with plenty of angst thrown in. I was left 100% reeling after finishing this. My heart broke for Nick after losing his High School Girlfriend Mia at the age of 17, Hannah also lost her best friend when Mia died and the emotions that the author poured into this book was overwhelming and extremely raw. Nick and Hannah go through so much together and individually in this story that you think they will never get through the heartache but low and behold there is light at the end of the tunnel for these two. OR so we think until some secrets are revealed which ends up taking a drastic turn for these two characters…………….Grab your tissue’s and get ready for an emotional rollercoaster ride
Lindsey Iler soars with UNDER A DIFFERENT SKY. I love this book. It made me cry more than once. In this story, seventeen-year-old hockey captain Nick Kovac is mourning the death of his girlfriend, Mia. The only person that seems to get what he is going through is Hannah Barnes; Mia’s best friend and his hockey coach’s daughter. The two become close, but a secrete might tear them apart. This contemporary sports romance is suitable for young adults.
My heart went out to Nick. He really struggles with Mia’s death. He has survivors’ guilt. Hannah promised Mia she would look after Nick. When everyone else is walking on eggshells around Nick, she understands him and grounds him. The two go through a lot together. Many things happen in this story and there are interesting obstacles that the characters face.
This is the first book that I have read by Lindsey Iler. I love her writing style. Her characters have a lot of depth. She really gets you into their heads. Her plot is skillfully executed. The story is believable and emotional. UNDER A DIFFERENT SKY ended in a cliff hanger. I cannot wait for book two. I recommend this book to people that enjoy heartfelt sports romances. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
I thought that taking a day or two to get my thoughts in order to write this review and here I am, still unable to come up with words. I don’t feel I could do this book justice with anything I say. Nick and Hannah’s story is one of love, loss, and heartbreak. Heartbreak so real it bleeds through the pages and makes your chest hurt and eyes water. Grab a box of tissues and bottle of wine and get ready for angsty whirlwind that is Nick and Hannah’s love story.
My poor Nick. He was broken down and completely destroyed with the loss of Mia. He had his life planned out with Mia, but God had other plans. The all star hockey player who had everything going for him was now lost and alone, drowning himself in girls, fights, and alcohol. The one constant and person who never left his side was Hannah Barnes, his coach’s daughter AND Mia’s best friend. That confused Nick because of his unwanted feelings for Hannah.
“What I can’t put a finger on is why Hannah is so hell bent on pulling me from the darkness.”
Nick and Hannah’s chemistry was as confusing to them as it was palpable to the reader. My heart broke for them over their struggle to do what they felt was right versus what they felt in their heart. They found solace in one another and that made them happy in ways they’ve never been before. They knew that others wouldn’t understand and I hope they continue to fight .
“We did something no one will ever understand. We may never recover from this.”
This books gave me ALL the feels. I sobbed my way through chapter one and was hooked the rest of the way. I FELT Hannah’s confusion, her worry and indecision, her desire to help Nick. Watching Nick come back to live after the loss of Mia was beautiful. This is, hands down, a 5 star read and i’m anxiously awaiting the next book in their story.
“You happened out of nowhere, and I realized I can still feel the way I did. All was not lost when she died. The stars still shine up there, and the Earth still spins, and that’s because of you. We’re just under a different sky, Hannah.”
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Ugh…where to start?
Under a Different Sky is heartbreaking story about life and second chances, about how being a teen trying to strive can also face real life problems and it isn’t easy. You can feel the emotions bleed out of the pages, live them through her characters.
I just loved how the author has managed to break my heart, mend it and break it all over again. If you’re a fan of high school romances: MAKE THIS YOUR NEXT READ.
Blog Sol and Us
EN/PT-BR
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It is one of the most difficult reviews I have ever written because I can’t say what I need to say in order to respect you and not give any spoiler.
I adore YA, it is one of my favorite genres. If not the favorite. Under a Different Sky is a great YA. It depicted the teenage way well. Hannah and Nick are extraordinary. They are realistic and compelling. I was able to empathize and care about them.
Lately I’ve been enjoying stories big enough for more than one book and I am glad UADS’s story will continue.
And I can’t finish my review without mentioning Coach Barnes. He is amazing. Love him or love him, tere is no other way.
Follow Sol and Us: https://linktr.ee/solandus2
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Esta é uma das resenhas mais difíceis que eu já escrevi porque eu não posso falar o que eu quero falar para respeitá-los e não dar nenhum spoiler.
Eu adoro jovem adulto, é um dos meus gêneros preferidos. Se não o preferido. Under a Different Sky é um ótimo jovem adulto. Ele retratou bem o jeito adolescente. A Hannah e o Nick são extraordinários. Eles são realistas e atraentes. Eu fui capaz de sentir empatia e me importar com eles.
Ultimamente tenho gostado de histórias grandes o suficiente para mais de um livro e estou contente que a história de UADS irá continuar.
E eu não posso terminar minha resenha sem mencionar o treinador Barnes. Ele é maravilhoso. Ame-o ou ame-o, não tem outro modo.
Sigam Sol and Us: https://linktr.ee/solandus2
Perfection !!!!
I knew from the first time i read the blurb and then the minute i saw the cover that this book was going to be something special, and boy was i not disappointed.
Nick is the all american hot sports player with the.perfect girlfriend and the future all set out for them ,until cancer happens and takes it all away leaving nick to deal with the devastation of loosing his first true love.the only person who seems to be able to get through to him is mia’s best friend Hannah who promised her she wouldn’t let nick fall, and hannah has every intention on not breaking that promise but along the way lines get crossed and promises made become harder to not break.
Nick and Hannah’s story is one of love loss and heartbreak but also of hope love and healing if you just open your eyes and see what’s right in front of you.
Im so happy i stumbled upon this author, lindsey truly has a wonderful way with words and i cannot wait to see what the future brings