About the Book:
One girl. Two guys. It's complicated. And hot.
First there is Isaac, the ex-boyfriend who threatens her move to a sunny new life on the west coast when he suddenly comes back into the picture. The chemistry is intoxicating and Josie starts eating, breathing, and sleeping with him again until the move. Things are hard enough saying goodbye to her childhood home and very best friends, but when Isaac makes it seem like he might actually want her to stay, Josie wonders if she’s giving up on him too quickly.
Josie takes the plunge and moves to California.
Then comes Carter. Sweet, doting - and, oh my god! - former boy band heartthrob, Carter. Josie’s new life falls into place, with new friends and a job working as the personal assistant for Carter as he plans the re-launch of his career. When it seems like there might be something between Josie and her new boss, she can’t help but hold back in fear of crossing a line and, worse yet, getting her heart crushed. Once again.
What spirals into a complicated, heart wrenching, unexpected love triangle forces Josie to face a decision that she is not sure she can make. Carter or Isaac. Or - who knows?
It’s Sex in the City meets Bridget Jones Diary under the Hollywood sign. A masterful debut novel of love, sex and rock & roll in the New Adult genre.
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo Books ~ iTunes
Review:
Josie's love life is....complicated. She has had an on again, off again relationship with Isaac for the past forever. Josie and Isaac know every little intricacy of each other and the sex is just wow. Now, on their third break-up, Isaac wants to meet up with Josie for lunch. Interestingly, this is right before Josie plans on moving all the way to L.A. Inevitably, Josie and Isaac agree to be friends with benefits until she moves. In California, Josie is devastated by her separation from Isaac- and his refusal to contact her. When she lands a job as a personal assistant to Carter Coleman, things take a turn for the better. Carter used to be in a popular boy-band, now he is going solo. He has some amazing music written, and Josie's heartache provides the perfect story for his lyrics. Eventually Josie and Carter form more than a coworker bond; but, is Isaac truly out of the picture and is Josie really ready to try this whole relationship thing again?
We've all either been there or have had a friend who has been there- just stuck in a toxic relationship. Josie is the definition of today's new adult, confident, adventurous, owning her sexuality but just not clicking in the dating department. Reading about Josie's dating escapades was like reading a friend's diary or reliving some moments from college. I absolutely loved Josie's inner monologue, it was like she was reading my mind in some situations. Serious brownie points were also won when Josie not only got to work for, but be in a relationship with a former boy-band member (extra credit was given for mentioning 'N Sync) . This was my dream, as I'm sure it was with many other women my age. The decision between Isaac and Carter obviously follows Josie throughout the book (for me it was a no brainer) and we are kept in suspense until the very end. I was really happy with her decision, even if I would have chosen differently. Sensuous, sweet and slightly naughty sex scenes were sprinkled in with just enough to keep things spicy, but not so much to take things overboard. So many things Josie said about relationships and being in love resonated with me, especially from that time in my life especially "...being in love is never the wrong choice because it's not a choice. Either it's your forever or it gets you to what will come next. It's always a step in the right direction." Overall, a fresh, raw and pertinent voice in the new adult genre, perfect for a Valentine's weekend read.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
One girl. Two guys. It's complicated. And hot.
First there is Isaac, the ex-boyfriend who threatens her move to a sunny new life on the west coast when he suddenly comes back into the picture. The chemistry is intoxicating and Josie starts eating, breathing, and sleeping with him again until the move. Things are hard enough saying goodbye to her childhood home and very best friends, but when Isaac makes it seem like he might actually want her to stay, Josie wonders if she’s giving up on him too quickly.
Josie takes the plunge and moves to California.
Then comes Carter. Sweet, doting - and, oh my god! - former boy band heartthrob, Carter. Josie’s new life falls into place, with new friends and a job working as the personal assistant for Carter as he plans the re-launch of his career. When it seems like there might be something between Josie and her new boss, she can’t help but hold back in fear of crossing a line and, worse yet, getting her heart crushed. Once again.
What spirals into a complicated, heart wrenching, unexpected love triangle forces Josie to face a decision that she is not sure she can make. Carter or Isaac. Or - who knows?
It’s Sex in the City meets Bridget Jones Diary under the Hollywood sign. A masterful debut novel of love, sex and rock & roll in the New Adult genre.
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo Books ~ iTunes
Review:
Josie's love life is....complicated. She has had an on again, off again relationship with Isaac for the past forever. Josie and Isaac know every little intricacy of each other and the sex is just wow. Now, on their third break-up, Isaac wants to meet up with Josie for lunch. Interestingly, this is right before Josie plans on moving all the way to L.A. Inevitably, Josie and Isaac agree to be friends with benefits until she moves. In California, Josie is devastated by her separation from Isaac- and his refusal to contact her. When she lands a job as a personal assistant to Carter Coleman, things take a turn for the better. Carter used to be in a popular boy-band, now he is going solo. He has some amazing music written, and Josie's heartache provides the perfect story for his lyrics. Eventually Josie and Carter form more than a coworker bond; but, is Isaac truly out of the picture and is Josie really ready to try this whole relationship thing again?
We've all either been there or have had a friend who has been there- just stuck in a toxic relationship. Josie is the definition of today's new adult, confident, adventurous, owning her sexuality but just not clicking in the dating department. Reading about Josie's dating escapades was like reading a friend's diary or reliving some moments from college. I absolutely loved Josie's inner monologue, it was like she was reading my mind in some situations. Serious brownie points were also won when Josie not only got to work for, but be in a relationship with a former boy-band member (extra credit was given for mentioning 'N Sync) . This was my dream, as I'm sure it was with many other women my age. The decision between Isaac and Carter obviously follows Josie throughout the book (for me it was a no brainer) and we are kept in suspense until the very end. I was really happy with her decision, even if I would have chosen differently. Sensuous, sweet and slightly naughty sex scenes were sprinkled in with just enough to keep things spicy, but not so much to take things overboard. So many things Josie said about relationships and being in love resonated with me, especially from that time in my life especially "...being in love is never the wrong choice because it's not a choice. Either it's your forever or it gets you to what will come next. It's always a step in the right direction." Overall, a fresh, raw and pertinent voice in the new adult genre, perfect for a Valentine's weekend read.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
About the Author:
Jordyn Woodtke is an exceedingly gifted new author who is destined to take the New Adult genre by storm with her debut novel entitled Let's Try This Again.
A graduate of NYU, she majored in screenwriting with a minor in bottomless brunching, skills she took with her when she moved to Los Angeles to follow her dream of becoming a writer. Jordyn started writing poetry and plays in high school, garnering prestigious awards and accolades from the Hartford Stage, Drexel University, the Waterbury Young Playwrights Festival and the national Scholastic Art & Writing awards, among others.
Now, on any given afternoon you are likely to find Jordyn petting random dogs on her street, noshing at any of the numerous brunch spots in LA, or bingeing Netflix on her couch. She's grateful and dedicated to the art of storytelling because it lets her say all the things she wished she'd said when she had the chance.
And if Let’s Try This Again is any indicator of future success, Jordyn will get to keep saying them for a long, long time.
Connect With the Author:
Book Insider Hangout ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram
Jordyn Woodtke is an exceedingly gifted new author who is destined to take the New Adult genre by storm with her debut novel entitled Let's Try This Again.
A graduate of NYU, she majored in screenwriting with a minor in bottomless brunching, skills she took with her when she moved to Los Angeles to follow her dream of becoming a writer. Jordyn started writing poetry and plays in high school, garnering prestigious awards and accolades from the Hartford Stage, Drexel University, the Waterbury Young Playwrights Festival and the national Scholastic Art & Writing awards, among others.
Now, on any given afternoon you are likely to find Jordyn petting random dogs on her street, noshing at any of the numerous brunch spots in LA, or bingeing Netflix on her couch. She's grateful and dedicated to the art of storytelling because it lets her say all the things she wished she'd said when she had the chance.
And if Let’s Try This Again is any indicator of future success, Jordyn will get to keep saying them for a long, long time.
Connect With the Author:
Book Insider Hangout ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram
A Guest Post by Jordyn Woodtke
Why You Have To Be Mean To Your Characters
Who was the hardest character to write? The easiest?
This is tricky because the answer to both is Josie. At times, Josie was really easy to write. We’re the same age, we live in the same place, so logistically everything she’s feeling and going through are things I have generally also faced. Josie is a composite character of pretty much every close girlfriend I have and had; the things she says and thinks and does are a lot of things that I’ve had similar conversations about or heard about or gone through myself. Of course, a lot is embellished and some totally fabricated, but was it easy for me to put myself in the mindset of how she might be feeling when faced with fictional situations? Yes, that was easy most of the time.
It’s tough to be hard on your main characters, though. You grow attached and identify with them, so putting them through the ringer can be difficult. I had a professor once who said you can’t let your characters off the hook. They have to seem genuine and redeemable, and to do that you have to be mean to them. They have to go through heartbreak and they have to fall on their face and they have to be embarrassed and fail and figure out how to get themselves out of bad situations. So at times it was difficult to write Josie for that reason. Also, part of her personality and the place she is in her life is being a little confused about what’s going on and how she feels. That could be hard to write while trying not to come off as wishy-washy or repetitive, and then making her sound strong about the decisions she ultimately settles on.
Overall I loved writing Josie the way I love all the crazy, mixed-up, wonderful women in my life, but she frustrated me as much as they have the ability to! We all have the friend who at different times you want to grab by the shoulders and shake and tell her to just dump the guy, get over the relationship, quit the job, buy the shoes, whatever it may be. But we’ve also all been that friend, and it’s so much harder to follow advice like that when it’s your turn to not be able to let something go —that was the conundrum of writing Josie.
Why You Have To Be Mean To Your Characters
Who was the hardest character to write? The easiest?
This is tricky because the answer to both is Josie. At times, Josie was really easy to write. We’re the same age, we live in the same place, so logistically everything she’s feeling and going through are things I have generally also faced. Josie is a composite character of pretty much every close girlfriend I have and had; the things she says and thinks and does are a lot of things that I’ve had similar conversations about or heard about or gone through myself. Of course, a lot is embellished and some totally fabricated, but was it easy for me to put myself in the mindset of how she might be feeling when faced with fictional situations? Yes, that was easy most of the time.
It’s tough to be hard on your main characters, though. You grow attached and identify with them, so putting them through the ringer can be difficult. I had a professor once who said you can’t let your characters off the hook. They have to seem genuine and redeemable, and to do that you have to be mean to them. They have to go through heartbreak and they have to fall on their face and they have to be embarrassed and fail and figure out how to get themselves out of bad situations. So at times it was difficult to write Josie for that reason. Also, part of her personality and the place she is in her life is being a little confused about what’s going on and how she feels. That could be hard to write while trying not to come off as wishy-washy or repetitive, and then making her sound strong about the decisions she ultimately settles on.
Overall I loved writing Josie the way I love all the crazy, mixed-up, wonderful women in my life, but she frustrated me as much as they have the ability to! We all have the friend who at different times you want to grab by the shoulders and shake and tell her to just dump the guy, get over the relationship, quit the job, buy the shoes, whatever it may be. But we’ve also all been that friend, and it’s so much harder to follow advice like that when it’s your turn to not be able to let something go —that was the conundrum of writing Josie.
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