❤❤BC&L GROUP READ OF BLUE by HJ Bellus❤❤

This month we did a group read of BLUE by HJ Bellus. Check out our individual reviews of the book below. 

Synopsis:

Blue Williams shines no matter the circumstance.

-Prettiest in her hometown

-Most talented cheerleader on her high school squad

-Valedictorian of the senior class

-Prom queen and runner up for Miss Teen Colorado

And the list goes on…

That’s until college, when she finds out nobody recognizes her, and if they do they couldn’t care less. Blending in is something Blue has longed for her entire life. Living in a dorm with a set of new friends is just what she needed to escape her stale life back home. For the first time, she’s seen for her talent and not her name or looks.

Cheer is her number one priority, considering a full-ride scholarship landed her at a prestigious university, and she intends to take advantage of it. A true beauty inside and out, Blue’s heart has always pumped competitive blood. 

Until one night changes her forever…the beauty is gone, and all she has left are nasty, ugly memories. The man who saved her has a story of his own, with ninety percent of his body scarred. 

What happens when the Beauty falls for the Beast?

Dee's Review

So we read this as a group read and I'm sitting over here bouncing in my chair waiting for someone else to finish so I have someone to talk to. I LOVED this book. So let me preface this. I'm an adult. But the characters aren't. So I can't expect them to act or talk like adult, because they're freshmen/juniors in college. Our point of view and vocabulary aren't the same. So when the character says something completely off the wall, yeah I laughed. When she goes crazy, I smiled. I remember those days. That young love. That batshitcrazy love in college. The new environments and new surroundings, and BLUE is experiencing that all too. 

I thought Sophie was a hoot. Again, she's young and wild. So yes, I got a kick out of their friendship and how they treated one another. I got a kick out of her antics. 

Then we have the boys. We have Tuck. And yes. I realize the hot and cold and pushing her away is annoying. But again, let's remember his age. And also, let's remember his issues. It's not like he's an asshole because he can be. He is an asshole for a reason, a completely legitimate reason. Do I agree with it? No. Did I like it? No. But wasn't that the point. So we could see the turn around? See the effort it took for him to let her in, to let her really see him? I mean it made sense. And my heart kind of broke for him. 

And the ending. Oh god. I had to read it twice. Twice. And I wanted to crawl in my kindle and peen punch a few people. Seriously. I was reading the last few chapters shaking with nervousness. Scared. Wondering what the hell HJB was going to put us through. Part of me was dying to know. Part of me doesn't want my heart destroyed like that. I really liked Blue, I didn't want to know. I think it would kill me. Break my heart. Do I want to know? Kinda. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. No. We will stick with that. 

I really liked this book and don't have complaints. No complaints, but I do have some questions. Why did they treat her like that? How did they not know for so long? What happened to her? Wait, no, don't tell me. Okay, yes I need to know. why did they make her leave the house? How could they think she would do that? There is just so much more I want to know.

 But again, I remind you, our characters are in college, you've got to get in the young mindset of our characters. Let's travel back (in our heads) ... Back in time when we were younger ... I give this book 4 stars.

This was my first HJ Bellus book and sure as hell won't be my last.

From page one we are thrust into Blue's life. The only child. Star cheerleader. Princess. But the chick you root for instead of hate.
Then, of course, we meet the dark and mysterious Tuck and are thrust into their Beauty and the beast fairytale.

Think you know the story?
Think again.
Bellus weaves a story of heartbreak and survival that had me staring at my kindle screen, not sure where the story was going to go and praying for the HEA.
There may be some triggers in this story but Bellus knows grief. She can write struggles, overcoming them, and finding humor and beauty in it all.

 

Four Happily Ever After Stars

Shannon's Review

Where do I even begin with this story, it is so different from what I have read so far from HJ but it had me hooked from the very beginning.

Blue is the All American girl she is a cheerleader with the looks to match it, on her first day a campus she is thrown in college life and shows us her sweet but snarky side. This is where she first meets Tuck all while making a fool out of herself in the process, but fate is on her side when she just happens to fall into him again. Blue is so drawn to him even while he pushes her away.

Blue's roommate Sophie is the perfect secondary character she has you laughing and thinking OMG she DID NOT just go there with that comment but it is everything you hope for in a friend. Lance is also a great supporting character with his horrible singing skills to his prince charming qualities.

Then you have Tuck who is so afaird to let anyone in that he is a major JERK like I want to ball punch him a few times for the way he treats Blue. But when he is needed the most in her life he is there and finally shows us all why he is the way he is, which just makes us fall in love with him and makes your heart hurt for all the things he has been through in life.

Just when you think they will get the HEA Blue and Tuck deserve HJ throughs a curve ball at you and leaves you think WTF just happened. HJ did an amazing job with this story, the characters and making you feel what the characters are feeling, because at the end of the day we are all perfectly imperfect and even we see our own imperfections there will always be someone who will see you for the beautiful person you can't yet see.

I give this book 4.5 stars

HEATHER'S REVIEW

This was my first HJ Bellus Book, and I absolutely LOVED it! So hard to put it down. Yes the wordage and vocabulary in this book at times hilarious to read, you will actually find yourself laughing out loud. It is definitely the true vocab of young college students. I also, love that this book had some twists and mystery to it, it kept me guessing at times. HJ did an amazing job building up the characters in Blue. BLUE is an only child who moves away to college on a Cheerleading scholarship. She is the type of girl thats focused on what she really went to school for, she is strong and driven. You can't help but love her energy. Her roommate Sophie is something else lol, I loved everything that came out of her mouth. She reminded me of the stories that people tell about there Freshman year in college...parties, sex, drinking and just letting everything go. What is a romance book without young love and all that comes with it. Blue meets Tuck, who is closed off and mysterious. But the story developed and showed us why he is so closed off. It made me cry for him, under his beastly exterior is an amazing person you can't help falling in love with, plus he is a hot football player, so there is that! If you think you know whats going to happen in this book when you start reading it, your wrong. It not just another Cheerleader falling for the star football player...it is SOOOO MUCH MORE! 4.5 AMAZING STARS! 

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon US - http://amzn.to/1LWJrhX