Title: Soulspark
Author: Eliza Tilton
Genre: YA Romance
Blurb:
Dealing with the loss of her mother, seventeen-year-old Jessica Stone tries to find an escape from pain by secretly medicating herself with Xanax, but the anxiety increases, crushing her and her grades.
Then she meets Caleb Jonas, the pastor’s son at her mother’s church. Between his cute dimples and love of fast cars, Jessica is completely smitten, and the feeling is mutual. But dating a Christian boy isn’t easy. He doesn’t party, and he never goes past first base. Jessica struggles with his faith, since it makes her question her own, but for the first time since her mother’s death, she can breathe. Life is finally shifting into a state of happiness.
But the differences between them grow until one act of betrayal forces to rip them apart forever. Hurt and love collide into a storm neither can break free from, and Jessica must decide if she’s ready to trust her heart, one last time.
Wow,I did not expect that twisted ending.The first few chapters were kinda slow but when it picked up you were on an emotional roller coaster as these teen learn to deal with past hurts that have left them scarred and present life that continuously challenges them to either trust or give up. Their reactions and situations are real life issues that many teens go through(except for the twisted ending). It reminded me of some of the struggles my daughter dealt with in high school and also reminded it me a bit of the movie To Save a Life. With the hurt of losing her parent,Jess's life is slowly swirling out of control yet she finds herself rooted and gains some stability in the arms of Caleb.Jess slowly finds her way back to God after hating him after she lost her mom.However,trusting God when your world seams to be crashing around you over and over is hard,But Caleb has a past that keeps him a little guarded and one night when things get heated faith in each other gets tested. Can they finally learn to fully trust each other or will they let their insecurity tear them apart? Will meeting Caleb be what brings Jess back to trusting God or push her to away from God forever?
Eliza graduated from Dowling College with a BA in Visual Communications. When she's not arguing with excel at her day job, or playing Dragon Age 2, again, she's writing. Her stories hold a bit of the fantastical and there's always a romance. Crimson Tides: Book Three in Daath Chronicles releases May 2016 from Curiosity Quills Press.
Buy Links:
Caleb's eyes sparkled in the bright light of day. I studied his relaxed posture, resting back on both elbows, his hair ruffling in the breeze.
“I'm glad we came,” he said.
I scooted closer and rolled onto my stomach, knees bent, feet swaying back and forth. “Me too.”
He leaned onto his side and our gazes locked.
“Want to play a game?” I asked.
His lip curled into a grin. “Sure, what do you have in mind?”
“What's your favorite.”
“Huh?”
“That's the game.” I could tell he hadn't played this before. “I'll start. Favorite color.”
“Blue.”
“Favorite movie.”
“Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back.”
“Wow. Usually that one takes some thought.” I picked at a loose thread on the blanket. “Okay, next question. Favorite food.”
“Chicken parmigiana.”
I sighed. “I should’ve known that one. Okay.”
“Wait,” he interrupted. “What about you? Don't I get to ask you any questions?”
I tilted my head to get a better view of his glowing face. “Green. Labyrinth. Cheesecake.”
“Isn't cheesecake considered a dessert?”
“Yes, but it’s still a food.”
He played with the curls hanging around my shoulders. “I love when you wear your hair like this.”
“Really?” My hair was a frizzy mess, half-up, half-down and all over the place. He twirled a finger into my hair, playing with the curls. The brush of his finger against my neck made my little game seem unimportant. A streak of boldness hit me and I asked something a little bit more daring. “What's your favorite part of a girl?” My heart pounded when he gave me a sexy smile.
He untangled his hand from my hair and trailed it down my back. “This.”
“My back?”
He shook his head. “No, this curve right here, that leads right there.” He touched the patch of skin that connected my back to my butt, his fingers trailing the top of my jeans.
His eyes narrowed into a sexy glance, one that made my toes curl.
I leaned over, my heart pounding, and kissed him, then inched across the blanket until I was directly beside him and kissed him again, drawing him closer with my hand.
Caleb's lips were soft and full. I loved the way he cradled me in his arms, never too hard. I'd made out with a few boys, but none of them could stand a chance against Caleb's hot kiss.
From this position, I couldn’t move my arms or hands, and I wanted to be closer. With my lips still locked on his, I shifted into a sitting position. The minute I moved, Caleb moved with me. One hand holding my face, the other grasped my waist, drawing me into his chest. Everything in me raced with bliss. My pulse sped, my heart jumped, and my mind only thought of one thing: more.
