Review: The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski (Blog Tour & Giveaway)

Posted January 8th, 2013 in Blog Tour, Giveaway / 43 comments


The Edge of Never

by J.A. Redmerski

Publisher: Self-Published (Nov 2012)
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, New Adult
Format: eBook (426 pages)
Source: AToMT Tours
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository
Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5 stars)

Summary
Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?

Due to sexual content and language, this book is recommended for 17+ – Adult Contemporary Women’s – New Adult Fiction

At A Glance
Except for the slow beginning, The Edge of Never rocked my book socks off. I want more already.

The Good
Here’s The Story…
Camryn has had one of the worst few years of her life. Her parents got divorced, his brother is in jail, and her boyfriend, someone who might have been the love of her life, died in a car accident. Trying to move on with her life, she planned to move in with her best friend and start a new job. But after one fateful night at a club that went horribly wrong, Camryn just has to get away. She knew she always wanted something more in her life, and she is determined to find that on the road. With just a few belongings, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus to anywhere and nowhere. But she never expected to find Andrew on her journey. Camryn has closed her heart to love, but Andrew is slowly wedging his way in. Now on a road-trip together, Camryn is finding it harder to ignore her growing feelings for Andrew as he makes her feel alive for the first time in a long time. But Andrew has secrets that can ruin everything. Will Camryn be able to live through another heartbreak?

Laughing and Crying…
Just. Wow. This book kicks you in the stomach, rips your heart out of your chest, and runs away laughing. Seriously. I had to sit alone for a little while after finishing The Edge of Never and just process the whole thing. There is such raw emotion emanating from each page. I wanted to laugh half the time and cry the rest. I am a little sad that it’s over. I want to spend more time with Camryn and Andrew. I miss them.

Camryn…
Camryn’s past broke my heart. She has had bad thing after bad thing bring her further down into a spiral of sadness. She really does try to continue on with her life, but the sense that something is missing, that sense of adventure that has been stirring in her won’t go away. And after what happened with her best friend, I think Camryn felt like it was the last straw. When Andrew came into the picture, Camryn was so grumpy and standoffish it was cute. Andrew thought so too. I totally understood why she kept Andrew at arms length. Letting people in after so many have let you down or left you is hard. But it was also frustrating. I just wanted to yell at her, “Love him already, you both deserve it!”

Andrew…
When I first found out we also got to experience this book through Andrew’s POV, I squealed like a little girl. Andrew opened my eyes to so much more of the world than Camryn did. Without his POV, this story would not have been as compelling. Andrew had so much passion, but he also had a past that had affected him greatly. I felt for him every step of the way. Especially when he was waiting for Camryn to finally admit that she loved him. When his secret was revealed, I wanted to punch him and hold him at the same time. I was genuinely surprised, I never guessed this twist.

Bone Deep…
The writing was well done and the story was beautiful. The characters all made me feel something bone deep. The relationship between Camryn and Andrew built slowly from friendship to lovers to something so much more. These two are so intense it was hard to handle sometimes. Andrew pushes so many boundaries I was often left giggling or red with embarrassment.

In The Moment…
The message behind this book is inspirational. To live in the moment. To never let love pass you by no matter the heartbreak that can come from it. To live everyday like it is your last. I want to be more like Camryn and Andrew. I admire them and respect the paths they chose. The Edge of Never is like a breath of fresh air.

The Bad
The only part that really sucked was the beginning. It was soooooo slow. It finally picked up around 40% the way through. So yeah, be ready to grit your teeth and bare through the beginning before you get to the good stuff.

The Snuggly
Though the feel of this book is New Adult, the sex is Adult. Well, I think so anyways. Andrew does not hold back anything and he loves to talk dirty, and it was SO FREAKIN’ HOT! I loved how Andrew drew Camryn out of her sexual shell. I ended up blushing as much as she did. Hehehhe.

Final Thoughts
I would love for there to be a book 2. I want to know even more about Camryn and Andrew. They fascinate me. Their love is so raw and consuming it made this story that much more amazing. This is a very highly recommended read.

Quotes
“Heart always wins out over the mind. The heart, although reckless and suicidal and a masochist all on its own, always gets its way.” 

*****

“I don’t think you ever really fall out of love with someone. I think when you fall in love, like true love, it’s love for life. All the rest is just experience and delusions.”

*****

“I think if past lives are real then we have been lovers in every single one of them. I’ve known you for a short time, but I feel like I’ve known you forever.” 

*****

“She looks slightly relieved, until she realizes I was making fun of her and she sticks her tongue out at me and crosses her eyes. Not sure why that made me want to do her in the backseat, but to each his own, I guess.”

Author Bio

Author of THE DARKWOODS TRILOGY and DIRTY EDEN, mother, werewolf & zombie fanatic, book addict and a happy hermit obsessed with the Universe. Oh, and AMC’s “The Walking Dead”.

Addictions: Starbucks every morning, trolling Barnes & Noble’s shelves once a week, detesting winter, shopping flea markets and preparing for the collapse of society as we know it. Do I own a tin foil hat? Maybe. 🙂

I was born in Arkansas and have lived here most of my life, except the couple of times when I lived in Pennsylvania. I started my first novel at the age of thirteen and have been writing something ever since. Generally, I love characters in life and on paper. I pay attention to people, especially those whose personalities make them different from the rest of us: the drug addict roaming the Laundromat that talks to himself, the young, inattentive mother in the park with the meanest kid on the playground – (the entire cast of ‘Swamp People’) – characters fascinate me and I hope that it shows in my literary work.

 
 

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43 Responses to “Review: The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski (Blog Tour & Giveaway)”

  1. Sarah Elizabeth

    I’m so glad you liked this! I’ve had it on my wishlist since i first saw the cover! (which I think was here actually)
    I have to read this book! I’m in love with andrew just from reading your review! Yay! I can hardly wait! So excited!!

    Reply

  2. Jaclyn Canada

    Such a great review! I have this one on my TBR, but I have been waiting anxiously to hear more about it. I really like what you said the message of The Edge of Never is the most. I think walking away with that message would be worth gritting your teeth through a slow beginning. Old Follower 😀 Jaclyn @ JC’s Book Haven

    Reply

  3. Christina K.

    LOVE the quotes!! It certainly seems so emotional:)

    I don’t mind slow beginning at all;))

    Thank you:)

    Reply

  4. J.A. Redmerski

    What an awesome review, Jennifer! Thanks so much for participating in my tour and for your support. So glad you enjoyed Camryn and Andrew’s journey. 🙂

    Reply

  7. Proserpine

    Hi! Thanks for sharing your review, I love to discover book that are so passionate (about love of course!) the cover is stunning! Thanks for this chance!

    Reply

  8. Ashley

    I freaking love your epic awesomesauce review!!!!! I LOVED this book too!! It was so amazing and touching and I almost bawled like a baby at the end *sniff*. I read it on a plane and kept trying to hide my giggles, tears, and blushes (OMG those sex scenes were freaking hot!!).

    Reply

  9. kimbacaffeinate

    Ooo i want this now, my spending the last two weeks on books while I had the flu was out of control..even for me, so this is going on my wishlist and I entered to win it..LOL I am so in love with this new genre it’s like crack!

    Reply

  11. Majuchan

    When I saw that you are giving away a copy for free, my eyes pop out… Hahaha… I love to read this. and your review esp. on the characters made me smile and more curious about them… I think I would be in an emotional ride when I read this. Thanks for this giveaway. xoxo

    Reply

  14. Ana Death Duarte

    This quote is already my favorite> “Heart always wins out over the mind. The heart, although reckless and suicidal and a masochist all on its own, always gets its way.”

    I am already in love with this book xD

    Reply

  15. Jillyn

    I’m dying to read this. It’s been sitting on my TBR list for awhile. Thanks so much for hosting this giveaway 🙂

    Reply

  16. Miss. Lucinda Fountain

    Thank you so much for a brilliant guest post and giveaway. I would love to have the chance of reading ‘the edge of never’ as it sounds like a fantastic read, and i have herd so much postivity about the author JA Redmerski, whose work i am dying to discover! x

    Reply

  20. Heather Fowler

    I’ve been seeing this book everywhere, and while YA/NA are not usually my cup of coffee w/splash of liquor, this one has just been niggling at the edge of my imagination for some reason. It’s high on my TBR this year. Can’t wait to get my hands on it, one way or the other!

    Heather

    Reply

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