To Authors Everywhere...

... I personally want to apologize for all the unnecessary negative reviews out there!

While searching Goodreads this morning for my next book, I ran across a review that really irritated me. The more I read, the more irritated I became. And then I read some of the comments that were attached to the review. I was appalled at what I was reading! I could not believe how cruel some people could be! I understand that we all have our own opinions and I respect that... I really do. But there are just some reviews out there that should NOT be posted! I have been coming across more and more on a regular basis and it really breaks my heart!

Don't get me wrong... I get that not everyone is going to LOVE every book they read. But, in my opinion, us, as readers, need to have some class when writing reviews. There is a way to write an honest review without saying cruel and mean things. Personally attacking an author is seriously unacceptable to me. How would we like it if people started tearing our work apart for no other reason than because they wanted to?! I mean come on... authors are humans too! Yes... I know that they have to have a tough skin in this industry and they are not always going to have glowing 5 star reviews all the time. But they also don't need to be torn apart for how they write their books. This is, after all, THEIR creation! These characters speak to them... they each have their own individual writing style that makes them unique and puts their mark in the book world.

I will admit that I, too, have been guilty of doing this in the past. Granted not to the extent as some reviewers, but still, that is no excuse. My pledge to you as authors is that I will try and do better in my future reviews. I may not like the book but a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into creating that book for me and millions of other readers. The least I can do is write an honest but classy review. 

I hope I haven't offended anyone for putting my thoughts and opinions into this post. But all day I have felt like I needed to get this out there for others to read. Hopefully, as readers and reviewers, we can help to lift up and encourage our favorite writers, new writers and future writers. 

To all authors reading this post... YOU are amazing! YOU are a rockstar! YOU can do this! And THANK YOU for creating a magical place that we can disappear into and discover new worlds whenever we open a book! 

Echoes of Summer by Laura D. Bastian

Synopsis:

When her former boyfriend shows up eight years later, Madison isn’t sure if she’s more relieved or angry he doesn’t recognize her. Especially since she’s forced to work with him for a few months and he has no clue she kept such a huge secret from him.

When Stephen finally realizes Madison is the same girl he knew as Bea from his grandparents’ town, he’s excited to catch up and reminisce about those summers — but she seems cold and wants nothing to do with him.

The truth comes out and he learns he’s the father of a seven-year-old son, throwing him into completely unfamiliar territory as he tries to develop a relationship with his child and attempts to rekindle the romance he’d once shared with Bea.

Can they each overcome their sense of betrayal and learn to be united for the sake of their son, and perhaps find love again?


My Review: 4 Stars

The last thing Madison expected to see in her boss' office was her ex-boyfriend, Stephen, from 8 years ago. She is surprised to say the least. But when he does not recognize her she doesn't know whether to be angry or relieved. Angry because of the way things ended but relieved since she's keeping a HUGE secret from him. You see... he is the father of her adorable 7 year old son, Milo. When Stephen first saw Madison he thought there was something familiar about her but he just couldn't figure out what. He was definitely going to be looking forward to working with her and getting to know her better. 

Madison is not forth coming about who she really is or that Stephen is the father of Milo. In fact, she goes out of her way to hide all evidence of Milo at first. She plays it off as long as she can. But when he catches a glimpse at her license the jig is up. However, she still tries to keep Milo's existence from him as long as she can. But when a comment gets misunderstood she blurts it out in a moment of anger and then completely shuts Stephen down and runs away. 

And this is where the emotional roller coaster begins. Trust has been broken... years of past hurts have surfaced... and both Madison and Stephen have no clue where to go from here. Madison has a hard time of letting go of the past and does everything she can to shut him down. She seems to be very insecure and lets her pride get in the way. She thinks that since Stephen left her once, he'll do it again so she just won't give him the chance. Stephen on the other hand proves to be more than patient with Madison. In all honesty the man is a saint! He had every reason to be a complete jerk towards the end of the book but his love for Madison was too great and he was determined that they would get their HEA... together as a family.

While both parties are to blame for how things played out, I think there are 2 more that should have shouldered the majority of the blame... her parents. But that was never really addressed in the book. And I'm not going to lie... that irritated me beyond belief! Stephen missed out on SEVEN years of his son's life because 2 people filled their daughter's head full of lies and always hung up on Stephen whenever he called for Madison. I would have LOVED to see Madison and Stephen confront her parents and see them eat a little crow. But alas... it didn't happen. :( 

Even though there were parts of the book that had me angry and growling, Echoes of Summer was a cute, sweet read that kept me engaged through the whole thing. I read it in less than 24 hours for crying out loud! And that's saying something since I have been in that dreaded reading rut for a few weeks now! Lol. This was my first book by Laura D. Bastian and I look forward to reading more by her! 

And we can't forget the casting! I had a blast with this one! The more I read, the more I could see these two as Madison and Stephen.. what do ya think?! ;)