Sunday, December 8, 2013

Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: Ripple by L.D. Cedergreen



  Ripple Cover
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Synopsis
Kendall Brooks has an impossible decision: Tell the truth or protect the lie?
She has buried herself in years of undergrad, medical school, and now her residency–hoping to leave behind what she is unable to face.
Her world is rocked to the core when she returns to her small hometown and runs smack dab into her first love, Adam McCoy.
Adam is the key. He stirs up old emotions that send Kendall spiraling back in time, remembering all the moments that led them to her ultimate deception.
Will revealing the truth of what transpired all those years ago provide her the self-forgiveness that she desperately craves or will her devastating secret destroy the only man she has ever truly loved, shattering her heart in its wake?

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Review

Kendi Brooks left her small town when she was 18 years old, and time and circumstances kept her from ever wanting to return to the place where she fell in love with Adam McCoy, only for them to also be separated as their lives take on different paths. It's been years since she's been back, but due to a death in the family, she finds herself back home, and runs into Adam on the very first day, and he claims to still be in love with her, wanting to be with her. When they spend time together, old feelings resurface, and a heartbreaking secret is finally revealed. Will Adam's feelings change when she breaks his heart one last time, or will time help heal the wounds that have been fresh for both of them for so long?

Ripple tore me apart. I was a mess reading this book, but in such a good way. I love when a book is so powerful and emotional that I can barely see my Kindle screen as tears falls on my cheeks, and Ripple did just that.

I'm usually not a huge fan of books that weave both past and present throughout the story, but it's absolutely necessary, and I love the way L.D. let the story unfold this way. It was essential for us to learn the whole story that led up to the secret, and it wouldn't have worked any other way. I fell in love with Adam pretty quickly, and while as a teenager he did some things that made me want to smack him, he was easy to forgive. Adam McCoy as a man? I couldn't get enough of him. My heart fell for him, broke for him, and I felt his pain radiating off the pages, and my heart broke all over again.

To be honest, I really wanted to hate Kendi at times. The things that she did, in my eyes, would be unforgivable for most people, and I had no clue how she would be able to redeem herself. At one point, I was ready to throw my Kindle at the wall and give up on her, but I couldn't. I was so emotionally invested in this story, and I had to know more. I needed the answers. Why? How? What were you thinking? So I kept going, and boy, am I glad I did. As we learn the answers to those questions, you can't help but love Kendi. Her fears were understandable, and her pain was palpable. In one very pivotal scene, I was sobbing to the point that I could barely breath.


I want to say so much more, but you need to go into this book blind so you can truly experience it for yourself. Let's just say, the ending was perfect, poignant, and beautiful-just like the rest of the book.

Ripple is an emotionally beautiful story that tugs at your heartstrings. It's so much more than your average romance novel. It's the incredibly moving story of Kendi's journey to self-forgiveness, and in finally seeking the same from Adam. The writing in Ripple is gripping, spellbinding, and it flows so effortlessly. L.D. makes you feel every emotion right along with her characters, and I felt like I was right there with them. I'm so impressed by this debut author and I can't wait to read more of her work!


Excerpt
I stood at the cold dark water’s edge, my reflection staring back at me from the glasslike surface. The reflection of a girl that I no longer knew. I breathed in the overwhelming scent of pine and recognized the tranquility that surrounded me. The soft hum of the city in the distance, the echo of an eagle’s cry overhead, the steady drum of my heart—the only sounds that could be heard in the quiet serenity that was present all around me. Inside an entirely different scene existed. Whirling thoughts, like hurricane-force winds, blew through my mind while a dark, thunderous storm was raging inside my soul, cutting the power to the central organ of my existence—my heart. I was destined to weather this storm on my own. After all, like Mother Nature, I was the controlling force behind these conditions. I threw a stone into the mirrored surface of the water before me and watched the small circular wave expand from the point where it broke through the stillness. It was hard not to think of the stone as the choice I had made, the choice that inevitably created waves in the smooth waters of my life. The first lie, like the first ripple in the water, seemed so small but quickly became more significant. Each wave growing in size and depth, impossible to stop. The effect from that one choice spread through my life like the ripple moving across the surface of the water. I longed for the stillness.

Meet the Author


L.D. Cedergreen has always enjoyed writing. It started as short stories, and later developed into poetry–some of which has been published–and now her first full-length novel. She’s a vivid day dreamer, a passionate reader, and a fan of all music. She is a small town girl at heart. Originally from Washington State, she now resides in Southern California with her husband and two little ones. As much as she would like to call herself a beach girl, she is–without a doubt– grounded by her small town roots.   



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