Blog Tour & Giveaway - Summer Rush by Ashley Wilcox

Welcome to the final stop on Ashley Wilcox's Blog Tour for Summer Rush.  I don't know about you but the cover alone made me want to read this book this winter!  Please leave a comment or question below to let Ashley know you stopped by.  Ashley will be awarding one ebook of Summer Rush to a random commenter at each stop.  You can fill out the Punch Tab below to enter her Grand Prize giveaway.  

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Summer Rush

by Ashley Wilcox 

Because of Hope, Book 1

Publisher:  Ashley Wilcox

Release Date: January 29, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 182 Pages

Book Description:

Hope Taylor is a smart Southern girl with a good head on her shoulders and a positive outlook on life. Even though things are simple and predictable, Hope is happy and content.

Her boyfriend is tall, handsome and hardworking. Trent is everything a girl could want in a man and life is going according to plan, until she meets Joey Puccino.

Although Joey is arrogant and gets under her skin, Hope is still drawn to him and her body craves him like a bad drug. Even though she knows it is wrong, the attraction Hope feels is undeniable.

Will Hope choose her simple, yet comfortable life with Trent? Or will she give in to the desire and pull she feels for Joey? 





Excerpt: 


Joey and I take turns catching waves, taking time in between them to talk and goof around. My stomach actually hurts from laughing so much.

“Your turn,” I smile, nodding in the direction of the next wave growing in front of us.

“Ride it with me,” he says with a grin.

“What?” I ask, being caught off guard.

“Let your board float in and ride mine with me,” he repeats with a soft grin.

Giving him a skeptical look he continues, “Trust me- it’ll be fun.” He reaches for my hand.

Noticing the wave getting close, I realize I need to make a quick decision. Stepping out of my box of predictability, I undo the strap around my ankle and let my board free.

“Sit on the front. I’ll paddle, then jump up when I do,” he explains as I climb up on his board.

My stomach is in knots and my heart rate is through the roof, feeling his face so close to my back as he lies on the board behind me, paddling away from the wave.

Why did I agree to this?

My inhibitions are nowhere to be found when I’m around him. He brings out a side of me that I didn’t even know existed…careless and free.

Feeling the wave start to push up on the back of the board, I know it’s time. Glancing over my shoulder, I find him smiling at me.

“Ready?” Joey asks. Nodding my head yes, he continues, “Up on three…one…two…”

On three we both jump up, planting our feet on the board with my back against his chest. We both run our right hand along the inside of the wave for what feels like forever. It’s like everything has gone into slow motion, and we are in this exhilarating bubble together.

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About the Author

Some may consider me a jack of all trades, but I consider myself well rounded.

I’ve waitressed, styled hair, answered phones and, most recently, worked full time as mom to my two beautiful little boys.

Then there was this book…

Everyone and their brother started talking about this book series titled Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James. I didn’t really pay attention to the craze at first, since I wasn’t a big reader- okay, I didn’t read at all. But curiosity got the best of me, so I downloaded it to my kindle.

I was immediately hooked. I read the whole series in three days. Yes, three books in three days.

I kept finding all these great books that I HAD to read (just ask my credit card!).

Then I started hearing voices. Voices that turned into stories; stories that were begging to get out of my head.

I started writing them down on scraps of paper. Then I transferred them to my computer. Before I knew it, PLANNING ON FOREVER was born.

The voices in my head are still talking, so I’m still writing.

For more information about me, and what I’m working on please follow me on:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Ashley-Wilcox-Author/534100859949004

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6564533.Ashley_Wilcox

https://twitter.com/ashleywilcox55

http://www.ashleywilcoxauthor.com/

ashleywilcoxauthor@hotmail.com


After high school I decided to give college a whirl, but found myself living back home after my first year. I waitressed for a while then decided I wanted to try my hand at hairdressing. After graduating from cosmetology school, I worked in a salon for a couple of years.

I found myself hating the crazy salon hours so I quit hairdressing and started working in the medical field, answering phones. Although working the nine to five thing gave me more of a social life, sitting at a desk answering phones was not my cup of tea.

Then came my husband, and the idea of going back to school. That didn’t last long because I didn’t even finish a full semester. Luckily, my husband works for a great company that I was able to get a job at, answering phones again. Not my career of choice, but it was a fun working environment. This time instead of being bored with my career, I got pregnant, and leaving my precious bundle of joy home while I went to work was not going to happen, which leads me to today where I am a stay at home mom with two beautiful little boys

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My Review 

Knowing what you want out of life is difficult at any age but it's especially hard when your heart wants something different than what you have planned.  With likable characters, emotional angst and two men vying for a young woman's heart, Summer Rush, the first book in the Because of Hope series, grabbed my attention and didn't let go. 

Hope Taylor has a loving family, a boyfriend she loves and a  waitress's job that helps pay the bills.  Even though her life is predictable, she considers herself lucky to know what she wants.  All of that changes when a chance meeting at work brings Joey Puccino into her life.  Now she can't get the summer "bad boy" out of her mind.

Torn between Trent, the "perfect" boyfriend, and her attraction to Joey, the arrogant "bad boy", Hope spends the next several months confused about what she wants.  Ms. Wilcox does an okay job developing Hope's character; she's torn between what her heart wants and all she's had planned.  Stuck between two men, Hope knows life with Trent will be safe, and possibly boring, while taking a chance on Joey could risk more than just her heart.  One thing I would have liked to have seen more of was Hope's emotional development with both young men; both relationships were a touch superficial. 

Will Hope stick with the safe choice or will she give Joey a chance to prove that he's more than just a bad boy?  You'll have to read Summer Rush to find out, I enjoyed it and I think you will too.  I look forward to reading what happens next.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.