Everything I Shouldn’t

Nashville Nights, Book #2

By Stacey Mosteller 

ISBN# 9781493686025)

Author’s Website: http://staceymosteller.net

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Synopsis:

It’s been eight days, sixteen hours and forty-seven minutes since life as I know it ended. I know, it sounds so melodramatic and teen-soap worthy, but it’s the truth. Eight days, sixteen hours and forty-seven minutes since David found out. Since he kicked Jeremy out, ended their friendship and told me I could never see him again.

I didn’t plan on David getting suspicious, and I definitely didn’t plan on getting caught. My selfishness has cost Jeremy everything, my brother won’t even look at me, Lyric must hate me for practically blackmailing her to keep silent and my best friend is barely speaking to me.

Now my life is full of secrets and lies. The people around me have been affected by the choices I’ve made and the lies I’ve told. But what will they do when they discover the biggest secret of them all?

Jeremy is everything I shouldn’t want, and the person I can’t live without.  

Review:

I did not think it possible….but the excellence in the series just continued on from the first book.  So much so that I would have given it a 4.5, if we could do half stars!!!  I was captivated from the beginning and just kept on going.  The storytelling is engaging, entertaining and just downright good! 

I love how the story adds depth to the series by re-visiting storylines brought up in book one but from the perspective of the main protagonists in this second book of the series.  This book is all about SarahBeth (SB) and Jeremy and their on-going ‘to love’ or ‘not to love’ story.  This book rounds out the characters.  I was not overly fond of SB in the first book, but once I learn her entire story, I see how the attitude she displays in book 1 has come about.

From book one of Nashville Nights, the reader learned that SB and Jeremy have known each other most of SB’s life.  Jeremy is the best friend of SB’s brother, David.  Jeremy really became part of the family when at a young age SB and David lose their parents to an accident.  David returns home to raise his little sister, with his best friend Jeremy in tow.  Now all I have to say is kudo’s to David for the choice he made, not wanting his 16 year old sister the turmoil of having to move from the only home she has ever known on top of losing her parents.

I was glad when Jeremy did not act upon his feelings for SB until after she turned 18.  I really felt his angst….loving who he should not want – his best friend’s baby sister.  He tried to push her away regardless of his feelings, for her own good (or so he thought).

Even though David came back to raise SarahBeth, she was essentially left alone or with Jeremy as David was trying to get his new business up and running.  So it seemed natural for SB to develop a ”young love” crush.  However, as she matured, these feelings did not dissipate.

How SB and Jeremy could think keeping something as their attraction and subsequent relationship a secret was beyond me.  Any 30 something year old should know better.  However, Jeremy was in love….so obviously not thinking clearly.    It became clear that SB was lacking in a strong mother figure role model when she blackmailed David’s girlfriend, Lyric into keeping the secret of SB and Jeremy’s relationship.  SB seemed to really like Lyric in the first book, but then is quite nasty to her in this second book, until the end that is, when SB needs a strong, older woman’s presence when “something” happens (I can’t and won’t say what…..you will just have to read the book).

I loved and hated the steamy scenes. Let me explain….they were HOT with all capitals….that I loved.  However, I was reading the book on the bus….so the HOT….I did not love so much 🙂 .  Catch 22 I guess.  I was surprised by the “dirty” mouth of Jeremy, especially given that he knows the extent of SB’s innocence. Yet SB did not seemed bothered by this.

I am enthralled with Stacey Mosteller’s writing.  I can’t wait to read the next installment of this series, especially since we were left with such a cliffhanger!  What will happen?  I know I hope to find out soon.

*OBS would like to thank the author for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*