Monday, April 7, 2014

RELEASE DAY REVIEW + GIVEAWAY ~Lost In Me by Lexi Ryan~

Title: Lost In Me
Author: Lexi Ryan
Series: Here and Now #1
Release Date: April 7, 2014

My Rating: 5+ Stars!
LOST IN ME is the first book in the Here and Now series, a spin-off of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Hope series. This sexy amnesia love triangle is intended for mature readers.

The last thing I remember is having drinks at Brady’s and trying to avoid eye-contact with my life-long crush—the gorgeous, unattainable Maximilian Hallowell. They tell me that was a year ago, but I have no memories of anything since then. What I do have is this ring on my finger that Max says he gave me, and this much-thinner body I’ve dreamed of most of my life. Aside from a case of retrograde amnesia, everything seems almost…perfect.

But the deeper I immerse myself into this new world of mine—planning a wedding to a man I don’t remember dating, attempting to run a business I don’t remember starting—the clearer it becomes that nothing is as it seems. Do I have the life I’ve always wanted or is it a facade propped up by secrets I don’t even know I have?

I need answers before I marry Max, and the only person who seems to have them is the angry, tatted, sexy-as-sin rocker Nate Crane. And Nate wants me for himself.

LOST IN ME is not a standalone novel, as the story continues in Here and Now book two, FALL TO YOU, releasing in June.

Only Ms. Ryan can give you the biggest love/hate complex I'm suffering from right now. I sat down and devoured this book in 4.5 hours. In return, it left me with a whopper of a book hangover. I mean, of course, what more could I expect when Hanna has been my favorite since she was introduced, heaven forbid my favorite character go the easy way in life. 

Lost In Me follows Hanna and her recovery from a bout of amnesia that stems from a nasty fall down the stairs. The amnesia has only affected the last 11 months of her memory. So good news, she still remembers who she is, and who her family and friends are... well most of them at least. What she isn't prepared for is to have a ring on her finger, a thriving business, and a few dirty secrets she never even told her twin, Liz, about. Hanna is slowly but surely stringing together the last year of her life. And realizing that everying was not as rosey as she though when she woke up. Through a few loosely linked flashbacks, Hanna will find herself at a crossroads once again between the two men in her life. One that has a darker past than we know, and the other that has so many secrets, it's hard to trust him as far as I can throw him. 

I genuinely ached for Hanna. Learning her struggles and heartbreaks and then having to witness her reliving it, it was so incredibly painful. I know this isn't the end of the revelations though. I think that scares me even more. Right now I am dead set on who I am for, and who I am against. I just hope Hanna's resolve is absolute. However, Ms. Ryan surprised me to the nth degree in this book, and I know that she has more tricks up her sleeve. I just need to fast forward to August and have the third book in my possession already. I dread it but, I am chomping at the bit to have too. Again, with the mixed feelings.

I was actually wondering how this story was going to become 3 books. Yes, I read the premise but, I've read vaguely similar books that have wrapped up in one book. Nope, do not expect to even skim the top of the iceberg in this book.  And there is SO much more to this book than what the synopsis covers. The cards look laid out all neat and pretty a first, but before I knew it the whole story is a big cluster eff. I'm quite positive at one point or another a loved and hated each of the main characters. I didn't know who to trust, who to like, who to love, and who to hate. I began doubting a favorite character or two of mine and then I'd do another 180 and love them again. To put it lightly, I was an emotional wreck by the end of Lost In Me, and I don't expect to recover for at least a few more days. This is the book you'll hear me blabbering about for days, weeks, maybe even months to come. It's just stuck with me. I keep trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Kind of like a Rubik's cube... and then just like with a Rubik's cube I get to unbelievably frustrated. But in such a good way. Yes, I'm an angst addict. No, I don't think it's a serious problem :) Just trust me, this is one of those books that will leave you flabbergasted and dying for more.

Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

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Meet Lexi:
Once a college English professor, I now write full time. I live in rural Indiana, where, when I’m not writing, I get to hang out with my husband and two kids–a six-year-old boy and a two-year-old hellion, er, girl. Not surprisingly, reading and writing remain my favorite activities, though both come in bits and pieces these days, not the big hunks of time I enjoyed before I had children. When I’m feeling virtuous, I like to go running (I use that word liberally. I’m really, really slow) or do yoga. Don’t worry, I’m always careful to balance out such activities with a hearty serving of ice cream or a chocolate martini.



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