The LUV'NV: Blog Tour {Review & Giveaway}—Stripped by Brooklyn Skye

Friday, May 17, 2013

Blog Tour {Review & Giveaway}—Stripped by Brooklyn Skye

Stopping by The LUV'NV today is the Stripped blog tour, organized by YA Bound.
We have a review of this fabulous New Adult novel for you,
and you can enter to win an autographed paperback or e-copy of the book!

Stripped

by Brooklyn Skye

Publication: May 14th 2013 by Brooklyn Skye
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Amazon B & N Goodreads

“I like you.” His voice is low and soft, which I don’t deserve. I look away, down the rutted parking lot.
“Don’t ... waste those words on me.”
He touches my cheek. “You just need someone to show you.”
“No.” I ease back again. “I don’t. So please, Torrin, stop trying to swoop in and save me. I don’t need saving.”

College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

Stripped is the New Adult novel I've been looking for since I've heard of the new genre, capturing the life of a college student passing the threshold between youth and adulthood, between dependence and independence, while encompassing the many struggles of what that means—all with a fresh voice, humor, angst, and different kinds of love.

It isn't simply about discovering and growing into oneself but more about parting from all one knows, separating memory from reality, discerning truth from rumor and perception. It's about love—and fear—making one blind, but not in the way you think or expect and is normally written. It's about being stripped of comfort, financial and emotional security, and all you thought you knew. And it was wonderful.

The author, Brooklyn Skye, has a fabulous writing style. The narrative smacked of Quinn's attitude. The characters' actions always spoke louder than words could ever convey. With the right amount of description, the scenes felt real, like I was there and could see through Quinn's eyes, feel her and her surroundings while being in her head. With great pacing, I flew through the book, and every event and character reaction was natural; nothing felt contrived or as if they were added for mere filler or shock value.

The relationships were believable, developing slowly with heart-warming interaction, or if already developed, the dynamics and reasons behind such a relationship were clear. I loved all the characters, even when Quinn was being a bitch, because I felt for her. She was blunt, but she made me laugh and there was an vulnerable honesty—a realism—to her and her emotions that I rarely find and adore when a character is self-destructive. Although I wish I got more of the emotional depth behind Torrin, with his patience and kindness, respect for her and himself, he was lovable and swoon-worthy.

They each had their own struggles that complemented and intertwined, and I really appreciated how that was the focus. While there was sex and sensual and playful romance, neither drove the story. It was about growth and overcoming fears and faults, correcting mistakes and moving past them.

Even better, while Stripped is emotionally poignant and revolves around the baggage and repercussions of suicide, the book wasn't depressing. The two families' connection was predictable and I wasn't a big fan of how quickly the issue behind them was resolved, but how the author handled the sensitive subject matter with care, and with a realism behind love and all its painful beauty in respect to such a tragic event, was so darn good and well-exectued that I could easily overlook how one part of the plot fell just a tad bit flat.

If you're looking for a New Adult novel that's a little more Realistic/Contemporary Fiction than Contemporary Romance, with substance and more emphasis on college life, I highly recommend Stripped.

eARC provided by the author via YA Bound. Thank you!

Check out the Stripped Tour Schedule for excerpts, interviews, guest posts, and more reviews!

Brooklyn Skye

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Brooklyn Skye is just your average awkward girl who's obsessed with words. She grew up in a small California town where she quickly realized writing was an easy escape from small town life.