Title: Pulling Me Under
Paul was Katie’s rock for thirteen years, but then she watched him die.
By day, she is left with her daughter Ella’s questions about where Daddy went, and at night she’s consumed with nightmares of the moment he died. It isn’t long before Katie’s mother hints that her volatile lifestyle and developing drinking habits are no way to raise a little girl.
Through it all, her and Paul’s best friend, Liam is there. Grieving the death of both husband and friend, the time they spend together seems more intimate these days, and Katie soon stumbles into taboo territory: Liam might be in love with her.
Torn between Liam’s feelings and losing Ella, one night Katie runs.
Air. Space. Thinking time. That’s what she thinks she’s getting when she stumbles upon that party. In the morning, in a strange bed, she can’t remember the night before.
Pulling Me Under is raw in its brutality of love and pain, with slow-building suspense to a heart-stopping conclusion.
Cathy’s Review:
After the trauma of finding her husband’s body on her bedroom floor, Katie is so consumed with grief that she self-medicates with drugs and alcohol. She also blames herself for her husband’s death. Gradually her life spins out of control, and she has a hard time separating reality from her nightmares. She pushes everyone away, including her young child Ella.
A bad decision at a party leads to a traumatic event, and Katie’s friends try to intervene but Katie makes it very difficult for them to help her.
What I liked about the book: Rebecca Berto did a good job in writing about Katie’s inner thoughts and struggles. I did get a little confused at some points during the story, however, and found it a little difficult to feel a connection between some of the characters.
The ending did come as a surprise, and was very well done! Overall, the story was very emotional, and described issues that readers can relate to. I am looking forward to reading more from Rebecca Berto!
EXCERPT 2
Title: Pulling Me Under
Paul was Katie’s rock for thirteen years, but then she watched him die.
By day, she is left with her daughter Ella’s questions about where Daddy went, and at night she’s consumed with nightmares of the moment he died. It isn’t long before Katie’s mother hints that her volatile lifestyle and developing drinking habits are no way to raise a little girl.
Through it all, her and Paul’s best friend, Liam is there. Grieving the death of both husband and friend, the time they spend together seems more intimate these days, and Katie soon stumbles into taboo territory: Liam might be in love with her.
Torn between Liam’s feelings and losing Ella, one night Katie runs.
Air. Space. Thinking time. That’s what she thinks she’s getting when she stumbles upon that party. In the morning, in a strange bed, she can’t remember the night before.
Pulling Me Under is raw in its brutality of love and pain, with slow-building suspense to a heart-stopping conclusion.
Excerpt!
I wake up in my bathtub.
Liam is by my side. His arms are tense from holding his weight over the rim. When he exhales, I suck in warm air. His air.
He sees me wake and falls back against the tiled wall behind him, lacing his fingers as a barrier between the wall and his head. Crunch. He doesn’t react when he hits the wall, as if his hands haven’t protected his skull. Not even a flinch.
Thankfully, his eyes are closed, which makes me feel less self-conscious. I mean, I don’t remember a period of time without him—my kinder years, primary, secondary school—but it’s easier to think without scrutiny.
I’m not sure how long it takes, but soon enough I see he’s wearing the blue hoodie. Did he really leave it here or did he put it on . . . to rub something in? His jeans are the worn ones, the ones where his knee pokes through one pant leg. Smirking, I notice he’s still wearing Ella’s Mickey Mouse watch. The one she insisted he use.
I try to form a memory but all I see are lined-up red plastic cups and me smashing them along a line with the ball of my heel. That’s all that comes to me. As I hit this memory, Liam opens his eyes. He’s breathing heavily, but what worries me are those blue eyes because they seem too wide. Those eyes have seen too much.
“Wha—” I clear my throat and taste something acidic, half-digested that makes my voice sound like a gurgle. I rinse out two cupfuls of water before I gulp down another two cupfuls. It’s only after the eagerness to wash out the vomit that I realize I have my boy shorts on and one of Paul’s business shirts.
And that’s it.
“What happened?” I say to Liam anyway, because I can’t very well ask “Why am I half-naked?” I’m lucky my body is thin enough to hide in this shirt. It would have been a different story otherwise.
He sits up and searches my face for a long time. His gaze is so still that a shiver runs down my spine. “Seems you had a party, you did.”
I’m suddenly self-conscious about my gaping shirt. I pull my ankles by my side and the ends of my shirt as tight around my chest as they will go. “Was this your idea?”
Liam points to my shirt—Paul’s shirt—and suppresses a scoff. “Nah, man. I came here at, ooh,” he checks his watch and clucks, “twelve-forty.”
“And I was . . . ”
“Well and truly partied out. I missed it all. I believe you were passed out and curled up with an empty Johnny Walker bottle.” He points over there. To Ella’s bed. Just as I guessed.
I allow myself to see through the bathroom door, trying to push through the pounding in my head. Ella’s bedroom has her ponies strewn everywhere, in a way she never leaves her precious toys.
The “why” of Liam’s presence occurs after I’ve looked away. I don’t want him seeing me look back to him. I’ve had enough shame for one day.
In Ella’s bedroom there’s the suspect Johnny Walker bottle on the floor. I clench my teeth, pushing away memories, pushing, pushing, until all I think about is running.
Looking at Paul in that picture with cascading curls is worse, though, so I refuse to look at the particular section of the wall. I can’t see happy. I took away happy and I want nothing to do with it now.
I concentrate on keeping my features blank so Liam can’t read any weaknesses. He’s about to suggest I hand Ella over to someone else to for a little while—I can sense it.
I remember that things changed about a week after what happened with Paul. The first week after a sudden, terrible death is open to all sorts of reactions, but for me there’s been a disconnect. The first week, I would stare right at something as plain as a glass, and thinking back now, I can recall from my fixture on that glass I didn’t even know I was doing it. I’d get asked what I was doing that morning and I’d think it was afternoon because, surely, I couldn’t feel that tired and ready to quit the day before midday. I didn’t even know I skipped meals because hours slipped away like soap in a shower, yet my body had never felt heavier to lug around than it did then, during the first week.
The first week has never ended for me.
There are “comforting” lines, like the Do you want to chat about it, Kates? that people repeat.
Well, what do I say to that? I don’t want to talk about it. Okay?
Then I can’t remember much.
What day is it?
What am I doing in my car?
Who am I?
I shouldn’t be surprised. I transformed from a kid, dependent on my mom and dad to being “Paul and Kates”.
Never have I been just me.
Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: GIVE ME STRENGTH (GIVE ME #2) by KATE McCARTHY
Title: Give Me Strength (Give Me #2)
Author: Kate McCarthy
Genre: Romantic Suspense 18+
Publication Date: September 16, 2013
Cover Designed By: Okay Creations
Event organized by Literati Author Services
Synopsis:
Quinn Salisbury doesn’t think she’s cut out for this whole living thing. Even as a young girl she struggled. Just when she thinks she’s found a way to leave her violent past behind her, the only thing that’s kept her going is ripped away, leaving her damaged and heartbroken.
Four years later, she is slowly rebuilding her life and lands a job as an assistant band manager to Jamieson, the hot new Australian act climbing their way to the top of the charts. There she meets Travis Valentine, the charismatic older brother of her boss, Mac.
From his commanding charm to his confidence and passion, Travis is everything Quinn believes is too good for her, and despite her apprehension, she finds their attraction undeniable and intense.
When her past resurfaces, it complicates their relationship. Instead of reaching out for help, Quinn pushes Travis away, until a staggering secret is revealed that leaves her fighting for her very life.
Torn between running and opening her heart to the man determined to have her, can Quinn find the strength within herself to fight for her future?
CATHY’S REVIEW:
I knew nothing about this book, and had no idea what to expect when I began reading. Give Me Strength absolutely blew me away! The story far exceeded my expectations and had everything I love about a great book: rockers, Alpha males, guys who work in security and even a group of funny and witty friends. Our heroine Quinn was such a sad person, just surviving and not really living at all. Because of horrible treatment she suffered growing up, she was just moving through life and doing everything she could not to feel anything. But then along comes Travis, one of the amazing Valentine brothers. He sees something in Quinn, but she truly believes she deserves nothing in life, and that love and happiness will never be for her.
There is lots of emotion, action and even humor packed into this book, and lots of incredible characters that I truly connected with. I could not put this book down. In my opinion, Give Me Strength has the great qualities of a Kristen Ashley book such as the drama and the close and loyal friendships. I loved that the supporting characters are witty and funny, and that the guys are hot and protective. I also really loved the characters’ loyal friendship and the drama Kristen Ashley-style but only because it was done well. This book has everything I love: emotion, drama, love and hot sex. What more could you want? This was a great, satisfying read, don’t miss it!
Purchase Links:
Book Trailer
About the Author:
Kate McCarthy grew up in a small town outside of Port Macquarie, Australia. Raised in a house just a short walk to the beach, Kate enjoyed the peaceful, relaxed atmosphere and friendships that come from being raised in a friendly, small town area.
She now resides in Brisbane, Australia, a city in the state of Queensland where she works as an accountant, along with a sideline wedding cake business and her writing.
She is married with two children, has two dogs and house in the suburbs, and a pile of friends and family dotted all over the country that help keep her sane.
When she’s not busy running after naughty kids, filthy dogs, crunching numbers, piping buttercream and writing books, you can find her curled up in bed in the early hours of the morning reading new books and re-reading old favourites. Her favourite books are the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward in which she longs to eventually join the brotherhood and change her name to Phierce Mutha.
Connect with the Author: Facebook / Twitter/Blog/Author Goodreads
Giveaway :
$100 Amazon Gift Card
2 signed paperbacks (one international & one for residents in Australia)
10 ebooks of Give Me Strength
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