| Title | : | Tear (Seaside, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780615732367 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 214 |
| Publication | : | First published November 21, 2012 |
It starts with a pen. A single brush of fingers, and she is captivated.
But Alec and Demetri have a dark secret, one that could shatter their reputations and Natalee's heart. What do you do when one guy paints your life with color while the other infuses your soul with passion? How do you choose when your heart is divided?
*This is a New Adult/Mature YA. Minor swearing and drug usage.
Tear (Seaside, #1) Reviews
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Before starting this review, I will disclaimer that I actually did want to read Tear before picking it up. I thought it looked like a fun possibility. It was not my intention to read this book and go on a ranting spree. Should I have quit sooner? Probably. But it was like being on a runaway train once I got started and I wanted to know where I was headed!
If I had a running list of every single thing that I would not want to read in a romance book, I would have been able to check every single item off my list. Mild book spoilers ahead. You've been warned.
The ABC's of What I Don't Want to Read in Romance
A is for Abstract. We were sort of dropped into this story without any real detail about the characters or setting. Natalee, the main character, was a shell of a person. Both of the two hot guys who were new in town fell for her. But WHY? We never got to know her as a character. And I don't think she got to know either of these brothers well enough to be thinking things like this :
The problem was I loved Demetri too. In a totally different but very real way.
I could also use A for the ever (not) popular 'Absent Parent Syndrome'. In the case of Natalle, she harped on how lackluster her life was by engaging in self-pity and using it to showcase an annoying presence of low self-esteem.
Sometimes I think they wished I hadn't been born.
"Why me, Demetri? You date movie stars. You date girls who look like supermodels. I guess I'm kind of confused.
B is for Boy Band. Alec and Dimitri (the two new brothers in town) are in a group called AD2. Aside from the fact that Alec and Dimitri's names start with A and D and that there are 2 of them and this is a ridiculous group name...the fun doesn't stop there.
"High School musical, Nat, really?"
"It's good running music."
"So is the entire Hannah Montana soundtrack. Doesn't mean you put it on your playlist, Nat."
"The one who seduces girls on the dance floor and puts Justin Bieber to shame."
Yes, I got that they were joking around, but Nat also noted this : Alec grabbed a hat from some random guy and did this crazy Justin Bieber/Michael Jackson move that had people screaming until they were hoarse.
And check out these song lyrics : Brown eyes, blond hair, I can't help but stare. She's got me hypnotized. I need her, like oxygen.
Who exactly is the audience for this book? Tweens?
C is for Clumsy - As in Bella Swan Style. Did I miss the note that this book was Twilight Fan Fiction? Natalee tripped, fell, ran into things, engaged in lots of pining, and made Twilight references. This isn't even about bagging on Twilight, but I can't figure out why this book had a weird Twi imitation going on.
I dropped all my books to the floor.
"Nat, you should really invest in lessons on how not to trip."
And the Twilight references...
It was like, oh, gosh, I'm totally going to kill Stephenie Meyer and Twilight. It really was like breathing. Sorry Jacob and Bella, but it's true.
"But I'm curious. Would I be more of a Jacob or an Edward?"
C could also stand for Crack. Here's why.
It was like crack to me.
Having a guy say that was like crack for a girl.
Closing thoughts :
Two OMG HOT (according to the book at least...6'4" and muscle-packed happens at this high school) guys fall for a clumsy, nondescript girl who pities herself and can't stop rolling her eyes when someone compliments her. When one of the brothers cheats on her (after she'd been pining for the other brother), she gets to "mourn" him after their five minute (her words) relationship ends, to the point where she breaks down and hot brother number 2 scoops her up into his arms and carries her into the house like she was a helpless child.
Does this sound ridiculous to anyone else, or is it just me?
This chick struck me as being completely clueless and unable to put 2 and 2 together. When someone cheats blatantly, you forgive them almost instantly?
I had a moment of thinking "good going, Sherlock" when I read this thought of Nat's : Apparently, just because a guy glares and has dark features, doesn't make him the bad guy. Just like dimples and an easy smile don't automatically make him an angel.
Or what about this musing? I couldn't imagine the depth of despair it would be for a parent to lose a child, especially a teen parent. Excuse me? I'm pretty sure that ANY parent who loses a child would be devastated, regardless if they were a teen or an adult.
If you're anything like me and would prefer not to read an ample helping of brooding, winking, smirking, smoldering, and all of the other emoting options which were present, then you'll get where I'm coming from.
Who would I recommend this book to? If you want to live out the fantasy of having two hot musicians fighting over you, then this might be something you'd want to check out. -
Find all of my reviews at:
http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
When I finished this book, the first thought that came to my head was . . .
Sadly, Tear was about the most vapid waste of time I’ve spent in recent memory. HOWEVER, with that being said let me tell you this cost zero dollars and is so far the only Rachel Van Dyken I haven’t enjoyed. Okay, “enjoyed” might be a bit of an understatement. I had dabbled unsuccessfully in NA a bit before stumbling across
The Consequence of Loving Colton. That book made me ask . . .
I’ve since read a couple other Van Dyken stories with nearly the same reaction, but this one? This was nothing but a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad Twilight knock-off. Tear is the story of Natalee – 18 years old and never been kissed. All that changes when brothers (and members of the bandOne DirectionAD2) Alec and Dimitri transfer “far away from their homeland” (*cough Canada cough*) to her school (in Oregon) and she experiences an “intense exchange” when one of them retrieves her fallen pen . . . .
Yeah.
It doesn’t take long for the other brother to single her out as well and then???? Well, what’s a girl to do? I mean really who could blame her? These fellas fell straight out of a Men At Work song – all 6’4” and full of muscle. They also apparently doused themselves in some form of pheromone-containing cologne “probably Abercrombie” (which must mean they smelled like baby prostitutes) and Natalee got all . . .
The story then evolved into a very not healthy AT ALL tale about their bizarro love triangle and it was at that point I told my husband . . . .
Now, I’m not opposed to stories with love triangles and I’m not even opposed to a bit of unhealthy obsession in my romance (I freely admit I enjoyed Twilight just fine). I do, however, have a BIG problem with the female lead going from not being allowed to wear make-up (by 100% absentee parents, no less) – to being allowed to sleep over at the rockstars’ house, to being unsure if she would be able to say NO when necessary because “every time I was in his arms I felt wanted.” Just no. Not to mention Brother 1 was a rapey über creep. In MY OPINION Natalee should have had a couple of dates with him until his true personality was exposed and then jumped ship into the arms of Brother 2 without all of the back-and-forth drama llama bullshit. Instead, the entire story had me saying . . .
Sorry Ms. Van Dyken that I had to 1 Star your book. Good news is I’m still anxiously awaiting the release of The Consequence of Seduction. Hopefully this didn’t put me on the naughty list. And just in case the big guy is reading this . . . .
-
Love triangle with rock star brothers!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Romance: 🖤💜🤎❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📙📕📗📔
World building: 🌎🌏🌍🌎🌎
Character development: 👱🏻♀️🧔🏻👩🏼🦰🧑🏼
The heroine: Natalee (a.k.a. Nat) - an 18 year old senior in high school, she has lived a pretty sheltered life in a small beach town in Oregon. Her parents are workaholics that are too busy with their own lives to pay much attention to her. Her life changes drastically when two rockstar brothers move in next door.
The Hero(es): Alec & Demetri - they have come to Seaside to take a break from the rigors of the road. They are mysterious about their past and their real reasons for being there. They see Nat’s mother who is a psychologist.
The Story: Nat meets Alec & Demetri on their first day at Seaside’s high school. They are both drawn to her. Nat is used to being delegated to the background both in school and at home so when two handsome and famous celebrities pays attention to her, she likes being the one that other girls are envying.
Demetri likes Nat from the start and makes a play for her. Nat is attracted to the happy and fun guy but she also has feelings for the broody Alec. She becomes friends with Alec, jogging with him every morning and spending time hanging out while dating Demetri.
One thing I always find difficult is when we know the feelings of the protagonist long before he or she does. Especially when it is so obvious. From very early on it seemed that Nat should be friends with Demetri and dating Alec. Nat does love them both.
Either way it is a difficult situation especially with the way the guys not only are keeping something from her, but keep alluding to the fact that there are things going on that she doesn’t understand but they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) tell her.
Overall, there were some plot holes but the story did keep my interest till the very end and the narration was great as well. I recently decided to only listen to romance audiobooks with a male and a female narrator, but then I grabbed this one which happened to be told completely in the heroine’s POV with only a female narrator. But it didn’t bother me at all. Luci Christian Bell has an excellent voice for an 18 year old girl and she does the deeper male voices as well.
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4 Stars
Tear is not a typical book I pick up. It has a love triangle between two brothers, oh and there is slight cheating, that pretty much screams a no for me. HOWEVER, I’ve been in this Rachel Van Dyken high, I just couldn’t help myself.
Demetri and Alex are not only brothers, but famous rock stars. Its Nat’s senior year of high school and her world is turned upside when Demetri and Alex walk into her school. Demetri is a major man-whore, who loves attention and Alex is the broody brother who continues to ignore Nat.
Girls like Nat are a huge fickle for me. I really try hard to understand the mind of a girl who can love two men. It’s a struggle, but I go into it with as much as an open mind as I can. For the most part, Nat was not really annoying, she did stress me at times, but I truly understood why she was torn.
Of course the book is written to like one brother more than the other, so that helped me a bit, but you still love both. You love both brothers because when you find out about their past, you are like blown away. My negative comment is that I didn’t like reading about the past so late into the book, I think I was probably around the 90% mark when I found out.
Yes the past is huge and yes you kind of knew what happened, but really you didn’t and when you found out, it really did make you think of the brothers differently. Maybe that is what Dyken wanted.
Reading the inner struggles Nat was dealing with and trying to figure out which brother you wanted her to be with was somewhat entertaining (as much as it could be for me). Even though you liked one brother more than the other, the other brother would do something completely sweet and kind of threw you off.
So let’s get to my hard limit. I do not like cheating, any form, was I surprised, something like that happened? No, it is a book with a love triangle. Did I think it was justifiable? I am not sure, but it did add some nice spark into a very mild book.
When you read a Dyken book, you never know what you are going to get. I like that. I can get a series with light and fluffy and then go into something that is intense and moody. I am not sure if I want to move on with this series. I know the reviews are better for book 2, but I’m not sure I’m ready for something so sad.
If you like love triangles and love triangles with brothers, then this one is for you. -
**DNF**
Okay, I've never tried nor wanted to write a review but this book just irritated me so much I feel like I must scorn it with all my might.
Normally, I'd finish a book no matter how dumb or unrealistic. What can I say, I'm a sucker for YA anything. However with this book, I dropped it before I could finish Chapter 3. I'll get to why in a bit, but let's start from the beginning. Almost immediately in Chapter 1, plain ol' Natalee catches the attention of not one, but TWO, super famous super hot rockstar transfer students. I must say that the first descriptions of her as a plain girl who hadn't had any romantic experience made me a tad interested in the progression of her character, but that lasted for maybe two pages before she simply runs into (literally, books flying and everything) hotties Alec and Demetri which somehow magically makes them attracted to her..
I even reread a few of the paragraphs both times they collided (yes, she actually manages to crash and fall into them twice) on my pdf file to see if I missed some hidden quality in Natalee... but, no.
I was immediately disheartened at this pathetic cliche encounter, but I pushed on. I thought, 'okay, maybe there's a reason they seem interested in her. Maybe they already knew her'. Now, I don't know the answer to this because by my Chapter 3 stopping point nothing had changed besides Natalee's 'idgaf that you're rockstars' attitude which DOES NOT JUST MAKE PEOPLE LOVE YOU. If that's how it worked, I'd have guys lined out the door waiting to date me. which sadly, is not the case.(one day though.. one day)
To cut this short, the reason I stopped reading this book not in Chapter 1 nor Chapter 2, but Chapter 3 is because of Natalee and Demetri's first ever text message conversation. It goes as follows:
Demetri: I FND IT OFFNSV THT U PSWD PRTCTD UR FB.
Natalee: I FND IT OFFNSV THT UR TRYNG 2 HAK MY FB. DO U HV NO 1 ELS 2 TORTURE?
Demetri: NO. NO. I DNT. BESIDES. I CHOOSE U. U R MY VICTIM. & I WILL HAK UR FB & TWTR IF ITS THE LST THNG I DO. SIGH. IM BORD. THS IS WHT MY LFE HS COME 2.
Natalee: I RFSE 2 FEEL SRY 4 U. UR A RKSTR. GT OVR IT. Y DNT U WRT A SONG? HA HA.
....
..WHT KND OF 18YRLD TXTS LIK THS? The only thing that could have made it worse if S0mE1 RpL1eD LkE D1s. But these texts were unforgivably cringeworthy enough, and I had to stop myself from reading anymore of such madness. Already struggling to deal with my friend in real life who constantly sends "Where r u" / "What r u doing" messages is more than enough to annoy the heck out of me. Anyway, the whole texting thing is my own personal peeve that really was the deciding factor to put the book down after the disappointing start that is overall, just too unbelievable.
But if you don't mind that Natalee can reel in two rockstars upon first glance along with their horrendous attempt at texting, then you should give it a try. At the very least, you'll make it passed chapter 3. -
Ok...I've just started my Seaside series marathon (after reading
Capture ) so basically I have a week or so to finish al the books in this series.
I know but I just had to put it out there...
Anyway...I just remembered why I don't often read YA!!!
The characters are so immature I just what to straggle them and to top it off I broke one of my cardinal rules and went for a novel with a love triangle...and with brothers non the less!!!
Overall I enjoyed the book so I'm moving on to the next one...hopefully much better...
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I picked this book up for two reasons. First, the cover is amazing. Second, how can you go wrong with a story about rockstars? Apparently it’s very easy.
I really wanted to love this book. Nate and Alec are both well written characters with some serious issues. Once the story started getting serious it got better. The problems with the story line are what threw me off.
These boys are described as being really famous. In my mind the descriptions of their fame put them on a level that equates with the Robbert Pattinson Twilight phenomenon. If you are that famous what makes you think you can just go to high school without issue? A public high school mind you. No security. You live in a normal house on a normal street. No gates, no security systems…. What?????
It took over half way through the book for the author to even address the boy’s safety issues and then it was only because they were concerned with Nat’s safety. I have a very hard time viewing this as an authentic to life story. If I’m going to read about rockstars I want to be a part of their world, not try to fit them into everyday life. That makes them no longer objects of interest and turns them into just normal high school students who lean toward the popular side.
Now let’s talk about falling in love. Nat has a thing for both boys. (can’t say that I blame her) Here’s the problem. Nat has the mentality and experience of a 13 year old girl. Not for one second was I able to believe her to be an 18 year old high school senior. She’s popular, has never drank, has never been kissed, and has never been to a party despite the fact that her best friend throws them all the time. Okay I can wrap my head around her. I don’t find her very believable, but I’m sure there are people out there that are exactly the same. If she wasn’t constantly smacking people across the chest (how childish can you be????) and bursting into tears the second someone looks at her wrong she might be an okay character. As written I couldn’t stand her. Despite all these ridiculous things she does both boys fall in love with her after about a week of knowing her. The author develops somewhat of a relationship between Nat and Alec that makes you understand their attraction to each other, but Demitri has nothing going on. He’s a prick. He’s arrogant, he’s a cheater, and he is above all else not what Nat wants. She tells us again and again how bad he is, but for some reason convinces herself that he’s a really good person and she loves him. HE HAS DONE NOTHING TO WARRANT YOU FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM!!!! The only thing that Demetri has going for him, other than his looks, is he’s a song writer and able to come up with the exact right thing to say in the most romantic ways.
Moving on to sex, Nat has never had any, the boys have had a lot. They both want her. Despite a lot of buildup it never happens. She spends the night with Alec so many times I’ve lost count and nothing ever happens except for a kiss that he apologizes for over and over again. There were some great lines delivered by Demetri, but again it never goes anywhere.
… if you keep looking at me like you want to eat me, I’m most likely going to strip you naked and have my way with you.
Let me put this in a way you’ll understand. I want you more than I should after only knowing you a day. And I’m used to getting what I want. If you stay, I’ll get it. And you don’t deserve that.
I want to revolve around you
All in if you are looking for something mindless about a bunch of really immature teenagers than this book is for you. If it had stayed more toward the serious side the entire book it had the potential to be an amazing story. Take Nat out of the equation and it’s a great story already. Better yet re-write the whole novel and tell us the story of what screwed up Alec and Demetri so badly. That was the best part of by far. -
I really really liked it! I mean, once it got serious, at first I thought it was just the same as all mindless YA without much substance out there. But things got sort of heavy somewhere in the middle, and I have to say I was surprised.
I can't even lie, I liked both brothers. Ok, I'm lying. I actually liked Demetri more even if I hated his name. He had so much potential and I liked him with Nat.
I liked Alec, too, but not as much on his own as I liked him with Nat.
I was heartbroken at their story and the issues the brothers were struggling through. I figured it had to be something like that, but I didn't guess exactly what it was. Stupid kids, so much heartbreak.
I'm sad we didn't get to see more of Evan and Alesha, and I hope they're still present in the second book.
What surprised me the most is the writing! It was really really good, straight-to-the-point, simple but engaging. I wasn't familiar with this author and now I kind of want to read all her contemporaries even though I have no idea if she wrote any! Because I like her writing style. It's hard enough creating chemistry between two characters, but she did even better than that. The chemistry between Nat and Demetri was equally good as that between Nat and Alec.
So yeah, looking forward to the second book. I also hope it's all written from Demetri's POV, like in the teaser thingie. I may just have to start reading historical romance because of this author. -
I live in Oregon, so it was exciting to see a book based in Seaside, a place I have visited every single summer every single year almost my whole life.
Even though I loved hearing some of the quirks of Seaside, Oregon mentioned...I had a tough time staying focused on the story. It was like watching a ping pong match watching her struggle between Alec and Demetri.
and I found both boys to be very cute but I found Nat to be annoying. She never seemed happy with her lot in life - Seaside wasn't good enough for her (believe it or not there really are things to do in Oregon!) and neither was having these two rock gods pining after her. She constantly batted them away and insulted them. I kept trying to understand why either boy liked the total train-wreck klutz that she was. -
2.5 Stars
I loved the spin off series of Seaside and in it I adored Demetri and Alec, so I was excited to go back and read their stories. But sadly this one didn't really do it for me and I found myself annoyed at the drama that surrounded them. Especially adding in some immaturity at times. I'll still love them when I do re-reads of the spin-off books but I don't think I'll continue on with the rest of the Seaside books. -
I liked this one. Nat is a great character, funny, sarcastic, self deprecating. Dimitri and Alec are hot and tortured, with secrets and issues galore. They both love the same girl (Nat) so all sorts of angst ensues. My only beef is that the whole thing felt more than a little rushed. I cannot believe that Im actually ASKING for a love triangle to be more drawn out, but really, it felt like insta-love all around, which I really hate. When Nat broke out the "L" word at like week 1.5 I just wanted to smack her. I'm glad that brother two is going to get his own book next. I have a feeling I'll like that one even more.
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REVIEW TO FOLLOW. -
Tear definitely almost had me shedding some in the beginning of this book. I thought I had made a horrible mistake by getting this book. It started off annoyingly with Nat complaining about how boring everything was from her looks, to her hometown, to her parents and just her life in general. Soon enough it started picking up and I didn’t feel annoyed as much. Then later I wasn’t annoyed but only tiny bit. Nat grew on me a bit and she didn’t end up being as annoying as she had first started out.
Nat lives in Seaside, Oregon where nothing exciting ever happens. Her father is a surgeon and her mother is a well-known psychiatrist. With her parents being so busy, Nat is left alone a lot of the time. She is semi-popular and has two close friends who she really doesn’t hang out with. Well, besides Evan, and that’s because they work at a Taffy store together. She spends a lot of her time alone since her parents are so busy and when they’re not, they are usually out together leaving Nat home alone. She craves for something, anything remotely different to happen in the sleepy town to bring some change to her dull life and she soon gets that wish in the form of AD2. AD2 makes up Alec and Demetri, two brothers who are famous rock stars and who are joining the small town of Seaside, Oregon. They are gorgeous and loved by many screaming girls. Nat runs into them, literally, and is, like most of the other females, instantly attracted to them. You have Alec, who is brooding, angry, closed off, and a bit of a loner. Then you have the opposite in Demetri. He is loud, flirtatious, charming, funny, and a bit of a man-whore. Nat catches both of the brothers’ eyes which lead to one of those dreadful love triangles. It didn’t annoy me as much as it usually does in books. I guess it helped that I liked the brother’s and could see why someone could easily have feelings for both of them if given that kind of attention by both. As the story goes on the brother’s behavior gets a bit secretive and shady and when the big secret is let out of the bag I thought it would be bigger than what it was. It was still a really messed up situation. But I just thought it would be bigger. Still good though.
In the end I liked the book, but I didn’t love the book. I had some issues with how some points in the beginning of the story changed throughout reading it. Like the color of Alec’s eyes starting out as green and then ending up blue or the name of the little boy going from Benjamin to Gabe. I also didn’t care for all the Twilight references. It just made me want pick out the similarities and no author wants that.
But I did enjoy the book. I know it doesn’t seem like I did, but I really did. I liked the humor and Demetri’s way of sexy talking his way out of being in trouble. I liked how protective and caring Alec was. I liked that Nat didn’t take any bullshit from the boys and called them out when their ego was getting too big. It was a really fun and fast read. I just bought the other two books in the series and look forward to seeing how the story plays out. -
OK, I just finished reading this book. It was a very quick read, finished in under 4 hrs. I got really sucked in form the beginning. The story is quite fun, and the characters are unique. I definitely liked the contrast between the brothers Alec and Demetri. As I read the book I was pulled into the confusion that Nat carried with her about the boys. They definitely had the secrets and odd hints to some sordid past seeping through them. However, while reading, I did feel that some of the story line was a little, I guess you would say, uncomfortable. In the very beginning of the book it was so obvious that Nat was into Alec more so than she was into Demetri. Even though both brothers were attractive, Nat always felt more drawn to Alec so the relationship that she ended up becoming involved in with Demetri was a little odd. Another bit of confusion was the several parts about the tattoos that each boy had. I understand the connection in the end but while reading I guess i was looking for something a little more out of that part of the story. I don't see it as being realistic that they would get the same tattoo based off of one brother cheating with the other's girlfriend, getting her pregnant, turning into a drug addict and then both the girl and son dying in a tragic car crash. I see that as being something that would mean something completely different to each brother. Another thing that really confused me, and I actually went back to verify my memory, on page 64 of the book Nat was in Alec's room after the dance and they were talking about his tattoo and Alec was telling her how he had a one night stand and the girl got pregnant and then she and the boy died in a car accident. Nat asks the boy's name and Alec tells her it was Benjamin. THEN on page 156, Nat and Alec are discussing the true facts of the child and the brother's past and he is telling her about the crash that killed the child and his mother. There he states that the girl went to pick up Gabe, not Benjamin, and that is the time they got into a head on collision and died. Also, it the beginning of the book it stated how strict Natalee's parents were and they would not even let her wear makeup, but then later in the story she is sleeping over at her friend's house, wearing makeup, etc. Which threw me off a bit. I hold on to small details well while reading a story and I picked up on this pretty quickly. Besides those things, the story read really well, held my attention, and I truly felt Nat's angst, confusion, desire, and pain throughout the story. I am sure that if ANYTHING like this happened to a teenager in real life these feelings would be quite similar! Thank you for the fun read!!
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2016 Re-Read Update: Wow, can't believe it's been so long since I've read this! When I opened it on my kindle it was like sitting down with friends you haven't seen for awhile, catching up on everything that's going on.
I fell in love with the twisted and broken Demetri the first time I read this book in March 2013, and can now see that he was never good for Nat. Alec has his faults, and he owned up to them the best he could, but he belonged to Nat from the get go. While Nat and Demetri did have an electric attraction to each other, and I seriously was beginning to think that she should just choose both and have the best of both worlds, it was Alec's quiet strength and always being there to pick up the pieces of Nat's heart that had me wishing she'd tell Dem to get some help and end up with his brother.
I can't wait to finish catching up with everyone as I continue reading this awesome series.
Original Review:
I received a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
The chemistry between Natalee and both boys is so electric that you're nearly afraid to turn the page for fear of being shocked. I spent a good portion of the time wondering how on earth anyone could be expected to choose between the dark and brooding Alec or the outgoing and sexy Demetri.
However, in the end, I do believe that she made the right choice.
I nearly tore my hair out and bit off a nail trying to figure out the boys' big secret. I was mostly right in theory, but man, what a doozy! I especially liked the way Nat's parents and her restored their relationship thanks to the boys.
Overall Tear is an amazing, fast paced, slightly sensual read that will have you wondering if it's possible to maintain a relationship with two men. Two FAMOUS men, that is. Who just happen to be brothers. That are in love with Natalee and seeing her mom the psychiatrist.
By the way, there's mention of drugs and language in the blurb. The language is pretty tame, there's no sex scenes {just some well written make out sessions that had me wanting to grab my husband and act like teenagers}, and as far as drug use goes, I really don't remember anything that seemed out of the ordinary for teens. I would recommend it for anyone sixteen or older. I can not WAIT for the next book in the series to come out in February. For now I'll dive into Rachel's other books and surface just in time to read Pull. -
I hate love triangle! Especially "real" love triangle. When the girl is kissing one boy but thinks about the other and vice versa. She can't decide even if her heart is beating faster for one of them.
And they used her! He toyed with her for petty revenge. And he cheated on her but she took him back "I'm sorry baby, I was drunk, she had blond hair and I thought it was you"... lamest excuse ever! So if you're drunk, you can do everything you want and not be hold accountable for what you did??? Open the prisons doors, they're not guilty they were just drunk.
OK, they were hot and rock stars and had suffered and... but I was infuriated and impatient most of the time.
If you are a fan of love triangle with undecided girl and rock stars, go for it. But it was not my cup of tea. -
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Ugh. Why did this have to happen?!
I kept seeing this cover all over the place and finally decided to purchase it. I also haven't read previous Rachel Van Dyken books and I heard great things about her work so I was excited and very eager to see how this 2 boy band brothers and 1 girl would turn out..
I don't know where to start. I do know I will be keeping this review short because firstly I never expected to be posting a low rated book review. Usually I just steer clear of anything other than a book that I liked at least a little.. Does that make sense? I just mean I'd prefer not to post reviews with very low rated books.. it makes sense in my mind so just go with it lol
ANYWAY.
I haven't read a YA novel in what feels like years but it was probably a little over a year. Maybe its the getting older part or simply the disinterest in anything to do with teen love and mindset. Don't get me wrong, I still have shelves upon shelves of adored YA from way back in high school but I just have a VERY DIFFERENT preference in the current genres that I love.
With TEAR, I wanted to give it a shot. I needed something light and fast to get me through the hectic ARC reading schedule. Something that wasn't meant to be exchanged for a review at a certain date. I can't remember the last time I read just to read something without a time constraint so I thought it would be a nice breath of fresh air even if it lasted a couple of hours. And those hours? They were long..
I liked how the story started. A typical 18 year old girl dealing with her life in changing from high school to college. Those last few months are the hardest, been there done that.
That's as far as I got to liking how the story went. The writing is great, definitely easy to read but the way the story flowed and how the characters "developed"? In my personal POV, it wasn't what I expected..
Simple put, I COULDN'T connect with Nat, Alec or Demetri in any shape or form. Nope. I tried. I really did. Those that know me or just know what I read, know that the brooding, mysterious and sexy guys preferable with tattoos are my bread and butter to book boyfriends. And Alec and Demetri should have that going for them. BUT it just wasn't executed well enough to have that image.
I never understood why both brothers fell for Nat so fast? Why is she so special aside from being natural pretty without makeup (because she isn't allowed to wear any..)?
From the very beginning, I felt Nat was barely one dimensional. I could not for the life of me find something to like enough about her in order to begin to understand her character. That in it self just increased my confusion as the story progressed..
This was the type of story that as the plot moved along so did the characters but as if they were being pushed by the tide, floating in which ever direction with no clear idea of where the hell they were going!
Ugh. I wanted to like this book so bloody much!! I was super excited to read my first Rachel Van Dyken book and I liked the synopsis so it made sense for me to pick it up...
Even as the story progressed and as we learn a little more about the brothers, I STILL didn't understand them. Their backgrounds and overall emotional connection on a DEEPER LEVEL was missing.
When you start a book, you need some sort of connection or intrigue to make you click, to have a switch turned out so you can feel what the characters are feeling and if need be cry, laugh, smile, blush and be angry right along with them. That SWITCH, it was sadly missing from this one :(
I also didn't feel that for an 18 year old, many of her actions or the way she made decisions were justified. How can you say you're worried about a guy cheating on you when you met him 2 days ago and he just kissed you? A relationship is formed, trust is built and that spark is realized from the very beginning..
Overall, I didn't expect to not like this book but sadly that's what happened. No connections with the characters, confusion throughout the story in terms of how Nat acted with each of the guys and the way she thought OR what she thought about her relationship with each of them.
I liked the writing style. It was simple and easy to follow, that's why it was quick to finish.
Even though this isn't my type of book, I still want to read more of Rachel Van Dyken's work. I think TEAR was just not to my liking.
If you have recommendation of the next book by Rachel Van Dyken I should read please let me know? :)
SO much for a short review.. *nervous smirk*
p.s. Please don't take this review too much to heart. I am always honest in what I liked and what I didn't like. After all, this is just my point of view xx -
I liked seeing Alec and Demetri’s arrival to Seaside. This was good enough, but not nearly as good as the books in the Seaside Pictures series. There needed a little more elaboration on Demetri’s issues (maybe that will happen in the next book) and their backstory. Hard to explain without getting into too much detail. Will definitely read the next one though.
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i absolutely loved this book, it had such a good storyline and wasn't boring and predictable.
Nat was a great character, not annoying at all and really funny and forgiving, i enjoyed her little smartarse comments and the way she didnt take any shit from the boys!
Alec was a little bipolar but i understood why he was like that, he had so many sides to him (all of which i loved) he could be cheeky one minute and then so serious and moody the next, but that didnt make me hate him at all, i loved how deep he was.
As for Demetri he was a PIG, but i get why. i loved how he was an asshole but he was so sweet at the same time (i like that type of guy), in the end i felt for him the most :(
this book made me jump from team Demetri then over to team Alex then back to Demetri. i loved it!! i couldn't pick between both brothers so i see how nat was finding it hard!
okay so the only thing i wished there was more of would be more detail in the sex part of it, like i knew nat was a virgin but it didnt say whether she lost it to any of the brothers. this is the first book i've read by this author so im not sure if thats her thing, but i normally like to read young adult books with that sort of sexual content, i like it better because i feel the connection between the characters are stronger when they take that step of losing themselves to each other.
i would have liked it if the characters were a little older say 21 and up, i kept forgetting they were in there teens because they did seem a little older especially all the shit that the brothers had to go through.
the other thing that was hard to read were the way the text messages were written, im not sure that teens abbrevaite words so much, i found myself reading the message 2 or 3 times because i couldnt understand but i did get it eventually!
this book ive added to my favourites, a little too clean for my liking however this book was AMAZEBALLS! i loved it and cannot wait for Demetris side!! thank you rachel i thoroughly enjoyed it! -
This book (and its follow up Pull) came highly recommended by a close friend of mine. So when I got the chance to read and review them both in exchange for my honest opinion, I jumped on the chance.
However, I found it very hard to get into this book - at least in the beginning. Right off the bat, the brothers reminded me of Damon and Stefan Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries, something I could easily overlook. The problem for me was the way the text messages were formatted. I understand that its just the way the characters talk, but honestly? Reading things such as "I SUK AT MTH. I ND HLP. I MAY GT A TUTOR... U UP 4 THE JB?" gets old and annoying - Fast.
I found the lack of security and personal protection for the boys throughout most of the book to be very unbelieving. If you are a world famous rock group, you would not be going to high school without body guards (which they do later get, but only for Nat's protection), nor would you be living in a house on the beach with no security. I wish this story was more about Rockstars being Rockstars, and all the partying and whatnot that goes with it, and less like popular high school boys trying to keep their secrets buried.
On the plus side, the characters were well written for the most part (even if Natalee did have a tendency to annoy me by her thoughts and actions), and once the story started focusing on the troubled past of the boys and why they were in fact in Seaside, the story became much more interesting. In fact, I wish there had been more of a back story on Demetri and Alec. It felt as though the author had barely scratched the surface of their characters, the potential was there for them to be amazing - it just never felt like it got to that point.
I have already read the second novel in the series (Pull), look for my review of that to be posted shortly! -
Um... wow. No. Just no.
I'm usually one who enjoys love triangles, but this one was just too bizarre for me. Long story short, two *hot* musician brothers of the "Greek god" variety, in their modelesque, masculine perfection, pine for this one clumsy, plain-jane, who radiates "beauty" even without make-up on... wow. *cue eye-roll*
Apparently, this is like the ultimate guilty pleasure fantasy "we" women love to indulge in. Sorry, but no. Not for me. The multiple Twilight references kind of made me want to pull my hair out, and the authors' attempt at a "love triangle" between these two brothers and this one really annoying girl, just made me cringe. Outwardly. A lot. I'm surprised I finished the book. Hence, the ONE star rating.
But, for all you potential readers, pass on this one, unless you want to get sucked into a whirlwind of weird, unexplained connections, insta-love, and brotherly sharing, or should I say cheating? I don't know. I really liked Alec, and kind of wanted to know more about him, but what would've been the point? I felt like I barely knew Nat, Alec & Demetri by the end of it all. It was just a very strange reading experience for me. Not a pleasant feeling at all.
Take away point: if you're into love triangles, I'd recommend
Double Clutch, or
The Summer I Turned Pretty instead. The writing was just odd to me. Overall, the story felt like an amateur compilation of a pile of cliches stitched together in a very boring, very awkward fashion. This one just didn't do it for me. -
I hated it when he smiled at me like that. As if I was his sun, moon, and stars.
Alec - “I'm pretty sure my only job from here on out is to show you how much I love you.”
Nat made me smile.
I liked his brooding attitude even though I knew it was just a sign of his immaturity and lack of personality.
and
Maybe he found me interesting, like some sort of pet he could watch and spend time with. Oh, my gosh! Was that what I was? A fish?
She gets excited over taco and ditzy over cute boys. But she knows how to deliver a setdown and I had to resist the urge to throw up my hands and shout, “Burn!”
”Let me guess, you've never faced rejection before.”
“No, um, not really.”
“There's a first for everything, Demetri. Enjoy your salad.”
Nat's parents are the laidback variety who are more interested in each other than their only child. As a result, Nat has some serious relational issues and she hates being alone. She'll do anything to feel desired and needed. Her relationship with her parents is one of the themes in the book and it's addressed tactfully. Nat's a spunky girl who refuses to bow down to the boys' fame and charisma. She studies hard, doesn't wear makeup and has horrible taste in music.
Demetri's the puppy-like playboy. He's also corny and obnoxious. Alec is the dark and mysterious rockstar who's loyalties slowly shift from Demetri to Nat. Nat prefers Alec but to her he seems unattainable so she settles for second best. I really loved Alec. He's quirky and sardonic and such a well-written character. Bonus - he likes to cuddle!
Alec - I think I may like this better than sex...Damn, did I say that out loud?”
Such a good book! Thanks again to my GR bestie, Arijana!
4.5 Stars -
I love that cover...i think that is what drew me it..and i got to know that the author is same of Savage winter..which i read few months back and i loved it.
But i have to say i loved how she handled a nice new adult contemporary..it was such a contrast..!
Nat is the normal school girl in a very boring Seaside town..until two rock star brother's start their school with her and become her close friends,confidants and may be whom she love.
But the brother's may be hiding from just more than the paparazzi in this small town and why their interest in Nat.
Nat is confused of her feelings between Demetri and Alec...she knows she loves them both ..but question is who she is "IN" love with?When she accepts one brother as her boyfriend things become just more than complicated and the secrets,lies and betrayals may just fall out in open..is Nat ready to face them?
I have to say i loved Nat-though she is a insecure girl who hides her feelings..she is one strong,stubborn and loving girl who actually cares!!
Demetri is a fun loving character..but we know that behind his facade is his true self..which everyone will love..if he just lets them in.
I love Alec...he may be the brooding,mysterious guy but his love,care and sacrifices for his brother and Nat makes him more mature and a balance between Demetri and Nat!
I was happy to see Alec with Nat..though i am sad for Demetri..i know with a sequel from his POV as shown in teaser ..we will get to know his story soon and i am sooo looking forward to it :)
The flow was quite straight forward and with ease..Fully recommended to each and everyone!
Sri. -
I was up until 1:00am reading this book. I couldn't put it down - if I could have kept my eyes open I would have stayed up to finish it. This is definitely a change from all the Regency novels Rachel has written, but she's just as good at contemporary. I really enjoyed how she slowly drew out details about Demetri and Alec's lives and personalities throughout the book. That suspense, not knowing why the boys were truly in Seaside & what was in their past, kept me, as a reader, compelled to keep reading. I really enjoyed the depth of the brothers' characters, they weren't just shallow, "bad boy" rockstars. The "love triangle" was definitely reminiscent of other YA series, but she does it with class and even jokes about it within the novel. I did think that the resolution of Natalee's "parent issues" was too quick and easy. It would have been nice for that sub-plot to have been slowly woven throughout the novel instead of having it all dealt with quickly and easily towards the end of the book. Also, I felt that given Natalee hadn't even kissed a boy before she met Alec & Demitri - the way their physical relationships quickly progressed seemed perhaps a bit unrealistic, but maybe it was the whole "rockstar" thing. Anyhow, who am I to criticize? I loved reading the book - it was a fun escape for me and I am definitely looking forward to the release of the sequel "Pull".
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Truly enjoyed this book and the cast of characters. They were funny, sad, desperate and unique individuals. I kept wanting to turn the pages to see what happens next between the brothers, Demitri and Alex, and their love triangle with Natalie. Looking forward to the next book in the Seaside series.
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Couldn't put it down. So f'in good :) If you love NA...and rockstars..READ IT!
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Really liked it!4.5 stars
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Reviewed by Crystal
Book provided by the author
I enjoyed reading Nat, Alec, and Demetri's story. I just want to say that it would be hard to chose between two handsome guys. They are also famous. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the brothers and you just can't wait to find out what is going on. It goes one way of you thinking that you know what the secret is, but when you get to the end you are very surprised about what it is. I was very happy about the choice that Nat made.
You also have the love triangle thing going on. I can say that I was pulling for Alec the whole time. If I had to pick it would be him. So for the future I'm Team Alec! I really don't know how many books will be in this series. I don't believe that anyone knows that question.
All I want to say is that Rachel did a great job writing this story. I know that it had to be hard going out and trying something new. I'm glad that she did and now I am hooked. I can't wait for the next one. I know that it will be even more exciting. I am wondering how Demetri's story will be and what kind of woman he will end up with. He needs someone to be there that will help him with his demons. -
https://celebrityreaders.com/2022/10/...
DNF @ end of Chapter 1 — Wow. I mean, I had a feeling this might not work for me because I have very mixed reactions to books by this author (who I think I’m officially marking as not for me). But I still expected to get farther than the end of chapter 1.
It started off not great, with our heroine being a bit vague, and what a shocker: a hot chick who doesn’t think she’s hot. Oh, and we got the start of absent parents. Sometimes I enjoy these…this was not giving me the best connection vibes though, so I was wary.
Our 2 heroes (another strike against for this reader) are hot rock stars at her high school for some reason. And I got to a thought by the heroine that went something along the lines of “grown women wanted to rape them”, and I’m out. *shrugs* I have too many other books to read.
