Friday, March 29, 2013

Flat-Out Love & Flat-Out Matt by Jessica Park 

Ladies do I have a treat for you!!! My awesome friend and amazing author Brei Betzold is my "GUEST REVIEWER" for Flat-Out Love & Flat-Out Matt by Jessica Park. Now I haven't read either of these books despite being told by Brei that I HAVE TO READ NOW! I have both books and after reading Brei's reviews I have moved both of these books to the TOP of my TBR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm thinking if some of you haven't read this we should totally have a little "read-a-thon" and all read these two TOGETHER ~ wouldn't that be fun? What an awesome way to get to know one another and share our thoughts why we are reading? I know I would love to have a "freaking out" buddy while I read.

So let's learn a little bit about these two books that Brei claims I need to read now because I'm seriously MISSING OUT ~



Flat-Out Love is a warm and witty novel of family love and dysfunction, deep heartache and raw vulnerability, with a bit of mystery and one whopping, knock-you-to-your-knees romance.

Something is seriously off in the Watkins home. And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined to get to the bottom of it.

When Julie's off-campus housing falls through, her mother's old college roommate, Erin Watkins, invites her to move in. The parents, Erin and Roger, are welcoming, but emotionally distant and academically driven to eccentric extremes. The middle child, Matt, is an MIT tech geek with a sweet side ... and the social skills of a spool of USB cable. The youngest, Celeste, is a frighteningly bright but freakishly fastidious 13-year-old who hauls around a life-sized cardboard cutout of her oldest brother almost everywhere she goes.

And there's that oldest brother, Finn: funny, gorgeous, smart, sensitive, almost emotionally available. Geographically? Definitely unavailable. That's because Finn is traveling the world and surfacing only for random Facebook chats, e-mails, and status updates. Before long, through late-night exchanges of disembodied text, he begins to stir something tender and silly and maybe even a little bit sexy in Julie's suddenly lonesome soul.

To Julie, the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family add up to something that ... well ... doesn't quite add up. Not until she forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.

Flat-Out Love comes complete with emails, Facebook status updates, and instant messages.


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Okay I'm intrigued ~ so what it's not what some think I normally read ~ a "smexy" book that has us drooling but I've found that some of the BEST books I've read are outside of the stereo-typical books that we see day in and day out.

So what is Flat-Out Matt? Well it's the latest release from Jessica Parker that is also getting a lot of attention and after reading this synopsis I think some of you might be adding another couple books to your TBR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Matt is a junior at MIT. He’s geeky, he's witty, he's brilliant.

And he’s also very, very stupid.

When beautiful, cool, insightful Julie moves in with Matt’s family, why (oh why!) does he pretend to be his absent brother Finn for her alleged benefit?

It seems harmless enough until her short-term stay becomes permanent. And until it snowballs into heart-squeezing insanity. And until he falls in love with Julie, and Julie falls in love with Finn.

But … Matt is the right one for her. If only he can make Julie see it. Without telling her the truth, without shattering them all. Particularly his fragile sister Celeste, who may need Julie the most.

You saw Matt through Julie’s eyes in FLAT-OUT LOVE. Now go deeper into Matt’s world in this FLAT-OUT MATT novella. Live his side of the story, break when his heart breaks, and fall for the unlikely hero all over again.

Take an emotional skydive for two prequel chapters and seven Flat-Out Love chapters retold from his perspective, and then land with a brand-new steamy finale chapter from Julie.

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A book told from the male's point of view ~ well heck COUNT ME IN and a little steaminess at the end ~ I'm so hooked!  To add both these books to your TBR on Goodreads follow these links:



To follow Jessica Park on Goodreads and check out her other published books follow this link:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22159.Jessica_Park

To purchase Flat-Out Love & Flat-Out Matt on AMAZON click here:



For those of you with a Nook (I have both :) ) here's the B&N purchase links:


Flat-Out Love is not listed on B&N which is quite odd ~

Now for the BEST PART of this entire post ~ Brei Betzold's AWESOME review of BOTH Flat-Out Love  & Flat-Out Matt:

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You cannot have a review for Flat-Out Matt without also discussing for Flat-Out Love so lets start there at the beginning.

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park is one of my all-time favorite stories, she wrote a story full of hope, love, secrets, misery, joy, self-discovery in a way that made you feel it as if you were living it.  It’s a rare find to read a book that can draw you in to the point that you no longer realize what reality is and what is written words in front of you.  I do love this book, it has so many twist and turns, it makes you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will break your heart over and over again.  Each of the characters are damaged in their own way trying to live life to the best of their abilities, even if that means dragging a life sized cut out around Boston with them.  It’s the story of a girl just starting out in life on her own, Julie has left her home in Ohio for the big city life of Boston to attend college, and after a few mishaps she finally finds her place.  She finds a home and a family that is broken, full of secrets and sadness, but Julie is a fixer.  She sets out to help this family, to help the young girl who is far from normal, Celeste is a character that you can’t help but love and want to help.  From her odd speech patterns to her even odder choice of clothing Celeste is not a normal 13 year old girl, but the most disconcerting of her afflictions is her strange attachment to a life sized cardboard cutout of her older brother Finn.  Julie sets out to help but without fully understanding what is going it makes things difficult, add in the odd mathematician geeky older brother Matt, who needs help of his own and absent parents this family is unlike any other.  Matt, sigh, Matt is an odd one himself, he has shouldered the care of Celeste while attending MIT, and is close to his breaking point, he doesn’t know how to heal or parent his young sister, he’s doing the best he can.  The thrill seeking Finn his older brother is off exploring the world, or that’s what Julie has been told, in her attempt to help she falls in love with the older brother who’s never home but emails back and forth with Julie.  Though everything isn’t as it seems with any of these quirky siblings, and everything soon self-destructs, secrets are unveiled, truths are told and trust is broken.  

Flat-Out Matt by Jessica Park is a novella from Matt’s perspective, it begins before Flat-Out Love and then some chapters throughout Flat-Out Love are told from his perspective.  I fell in love with Matt during Flat-Out Love, Finn is great he is the all American boy, but Matt is a warm hearted, geeky, stressed, young man who is real.  I think that’s why I love these books so much is because they are real characters, they have flaws, they fight, they bicker, they laugh, they are fractured.  Matt’s perspective is a bit of an eye opener in some cases and makes you look back at the same chapters in Flat-Out Love and realize that your first impressions were not correct, that he didn’t do this or that to be mean, but mostly out of fear.  The first chapter had me both sobbing and smiling, it’s a catch 22 you want to laugh, but since you know the outcome you can’t help but think what if.  It was going through the roller-coaster ride of emotions all over again, and it hurt just as much if not more the second time. The second chapter is gut wrenching, the things that we did not see in the first book, things that happened before Julie arrived you wonder how he kept it together as well as he did.   Seeing the other people in the book from Matt’s point of view made you realize just how much he had taken upon and in himself, and you couldn’t help but wish to lift some of that burden.  The ending was the perfect ending for both sides, it left you with a great amount of hope that they will eventually mend and find their way.  If you have read Flat-Out Love this is a must read, if you haven’t buy them both you will not regret it.
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So what do you think? Well, I'm thinking I need to get my arse in gear and get reading some Jessica Park's. Now you know me I can't recommend a book without giving my amazing FOLLOWERS a chance to WIN the book ........

Here's the GIVEAWAY ~ 

Grand Prize Winner ~ Paperback Copy of Flat-Out Love

I'm also going to giveaway 2 copies of Flat-Out Love & Flat-Out Matt to 2 lucky winners so that means you have the COMPLETE set :) Now if you've read Flat-Out Love don't worry you can still enter to win Flat-Out Matt you will just need to tell me if you have the first one! 

Here's the Rafflecopter to enter to win! Winner's will be chosen on March 31st! Good Luck Ladies!!!! 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

39 comments:

  1. I've read Flat Out Love and LOVED IT! Can't wait to read Flat Out Matt! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  2. I have Flat Out Love on my kindle, but I haven't read it yet; it is on my to read list. I"m looking forward to reading both!

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  3. I read Flat-Out-Love, and LOVED it!!! So looking forward to reading Matt's story... I kinda got a lil crush on him too :-)

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  4. Thanks for the giveaway! I've read Flat Out Love and loved it! I can't wait to read the next one!

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  5. Love the review. Haven't read the book's. But the review wants me to read them.. Thanks for this great giveaway!!

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  6. I have Flat out Love on my kindle, but haven't read it yet. I was excited about this book..it's cool to see another characters side of things. I'm definitely putting Flat out Matt on my list. Great review Brei! Thank you for the giveaway :)

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  7. Ive read FOL was a really good real.Good luck everyone

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  8. I read FOL and really really really loved it! I was recommending it to anyone that would listen -- so if you were standing next to me in the bookstore browsing and you looked lost, I gave you my 2 cents without you even asking for it. I really can't wait to see it from Matt's POV. It's already on my TBR.

    Great review!!!! I can't wait to read FOM.

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  9. I haven't read them but I'm seeing these two books everywhere! Would love to win them and read them!

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  10. I read FOL and I loved it, probably one of my favorite books!! I have recommended this book many times! This giveaway is amazing! I can not wait to read FOM it is on my wish list! Great review!

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  11. I have to admit that I haven't read either one of them...YET

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  12. I haven't read either of them yet but they are high up on my tbr!

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  13. I haven't read either of these books yet!! Brei did an AWESOME job on the review!! What a great giveaway!!!!

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  14. I haven't read either, but I want to! I love, love, love your blog!!

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  15. I have read Flat Out Love...absolutely loved it! Super excited for Flat out Matt.

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  16. I haven't read either, but seriously want and need to!!!

    yadkny@hotmail.com

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  17. I did not read Flat out love yet, but it is waiting for me on my ereader.

    Thank you for your awesome review Brei :)

    It's an awesome idea to have guest review books.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    mikki_dicampo(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  18. Thanks for the giveaway! Still have to read Flat Out Matt! Loved Flat Out Love!

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  19. I haven't read Flat Out Love, but it's been on my TBR list FOREVER!

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  20. I loved FOL and thanks for the great guest review Brei and for the giveaway Kim!!!

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  21. I haven't yet read Flat Out Love but I really want to. Have heard nothing but great things & have received several recommendations to read it!

    Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

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  22. I haven't read either book yet, but they look good. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  23. I haven't read either one YET. it's great to have a guest who is also an author.

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  24. I haven't read either one, yet, but WOW - I think I need to read them both! They've been on my TBR list but I haven't paid them much attention until I read the review. They sound awesome. It'd be awesome to be able to read them along with you! Thank you Brei for the review! Thank you for the giveaway! :)

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  25. I Loved flat out love! Flat out Matt... yeah i can't wait to read it. Brei's review is awesome!

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  26. Loved FOL! Can't wait to read FOM.

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  27. I haven't read yet! Its definitely on my tbr list!! They sound GREAT :) Cant wait to read them!!

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  28. Honestly, I have been dying to read the first one and then when I saw the second one was his I was like.. must. read.. now. but mostly, I want to read it because every time I see Jessica park..I think it says Jurassic Park. and I love Jurassic Park..... haha. plus, your crazy review. You didn't like it, did you? ;)

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  29. I haven't read either of the books. Flat out Love is on my I want to read list though! Now your awesome review has made me much more antzy to read it! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  30. I have not read either, but after the review, it will be going on my TBR list:-)

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  31. i haven't read these books,and i would love the opportunity to do it :-)

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  32. I have read both and I <3 Matt!!! FOL is one of my favorite books :)

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  33. I have not read either of these yet! sounds great!
    jrryba@gmail.com

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  34. I keep trying to enter this giveaway but the entries number doe snot change and it keeps showing up like I did not enter :(

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  35. I haven't read them but they are on my TBR list :)

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  36. I haven't read either book yet, but I am dying too - my best friend tells me at least once a week that I need to read Flat Out Love, that I will LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Thanks for the chance to try to win copies - even if I don't win, I will definately be reading both of these books soon!

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  37. I can honestly say I wasn't totally sold on these books before, but now I'm totally intrigued! Brie's review was great! Thanks for guest reviewing and the great giveaway.

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  38. :-( i haven't had the chance to read the books yet but thank you for the awesome review and the cool giveaway! you ROCK!

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  39. I haven't read either yet but your review makes me want to! Sounds like they're awesome reads! Thank you!!

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