Title: STOP!
Author: Alison G. Bailey
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Release Date: 6/25/15
Synopsis
Every life has a different path full of sharp turns, smooth curves, and steep drop offs.
Hollis Murphy has a plan—college, career, boyfriend, love, marriage, family. A predictable, normal life. She’s on track until an outside force causes her to crash and burn. They call it an accident, because that’s the only word they know to explain what happens to her. It helps everyone move on with their lives, except for Hollis. She holds on to the belief that she’s been targeted for a reason.
Risher Stevenson is intelligent, caring, sweet, and the hottest boy Hollis has ever laid eyes on. He fits perfectly into her original plan for a normal life. Everyone loves him.
Benton Daniels is intelligent, caring, sweet, and the bravest boy Hollis has ever met. He doesn’t fit into her life but gives it purpose and makes it extraordinary. Everyone hates him.
One is bullied. One is tormented. All are judged. How will it STOP?
Excerpt
“Name?”
she said, impatiently.
I
was so flustered that for a second I’d forgotten who I was. “Hollis Murphy.”
She
scribbled something on a spreadsheet and handed me a packet with my name and
the number two hundred ten typed out on the front sticker, which I assumed was
my room number.
In
a flat bored voice, she said, “Everything you need to know is in the packet.
Should you have any additional questions or needs after reading the
information, please ask your RA. Have a productive semester. Next!”
Clutching
the envelope to my chest, my gaze shifted back down, and I walked quickly out
of the office.
As
I turned the corner, a loud deep woot! jerked my attention down the hall. I
took one step before crashing full force into something solid and warm.
Stumbling back, I dropped the envelope. Once my balance returned, my eyes
focused on a gray T-shirt with cut off sleeves, stretched across broad
shoulders. When I glanced down in search of my envelope, I couldn’t help but
spot the narrow hips and round ass covered in black basketball shorts. As I
squatted to pick up the envelope, a tanned forearm came into view. My gaze
roamed up to find the arm was covered in bulging muscles.
“Oh
god, I’m so . . . sor…ry,” I stammered, my cheeks heating with embarrassment.
“Here
ya go,” a deep voice said.
Reaching
for the envelope, my gaze inadvertently shot up to the warmest green eyes ever
created. His dark brown hair was cut short on the sides, longer on top, and
tousled. The perfect amount of scuff peppered his strong jawline, with deep
dimples framing a sexy lopsided smile. The air was immediately sucked from my
lungs. He wasn’t just hot, he was boy band hot.
A
deep chuckle drifted down before I realized he had stood up and was extending
his hand to me.
Oh boy! I get to touch him.
I
slipped my hand into his and felt an immediate jolt of electricity. The muscles
in his arm twitched. He felt it too.
“Thank
you,” I said, as he helped me up.
“I’m Risher Stevenson.”
He was actually
introducing himself to me.
It had become a habit not to look directly at anyone,
especially a stranger. I automatically angled my head down and to the left, to
hide the messed-up side of my face. But those green eyes locked me in
place.
“Hollis Murphy.”
“Nice to meet you Hollis Murphy.”
“Sorry again about running into you. I need to do a
better job at watching where I’m going.”
The tip of his tongue slipped between his lips before
they formed into a slight smirk. Just as he was about to speak, his name came
barreling down the hallway.
“Rish! Get your ass down here. We’ve got a ton of boxes
to haul in.” A blond-haired guy was standing at the end of the hall.
“I gotta go finish helping my friends move in.”
I nodded.
Risher took three steps before turning back toward me.
“Don’t do too good of a job.”
My eyebrows squished together in confusion.
“At watching where you’re going. I hate to think I won’t
get rump bumped again.”
He winked before jogging
away.
I Sasquatched those shoulders, those hips, and that ass
all the way down the hall.
Review
Before I get into my review I first would like to say the this was my first book my Alison. I have heard nothing but great things about her Perfect series, so I was super excited to start STOP!.
STOP! is about a girl named Hollis. She had an accident that caused her to had surgery which in turn resulted in a scar on her face. She was often called names in high school so she is insecure while entering her first year in college. There she meets two boys.
Risher is adorable. He's smart and he is very kind.
Benten is going through something not all of us understand, but Hollis sees him as brave.
After finishing this book I was kind of disappointed. The writing was great, but it was Hollis that just didn't do it for me. Torwards the end I didn't really understand some of Hollis' decisions in terms of telling the authorities know about what was going on with Benten.
One thing that I would liked to know more about was Fishers past with his father. This book was a bit rushed at the end and I didn't really like that.
This book is labeled as New Adult and I don't know if the author intended for is to be NA or not, but aside from some bad words it felt like I was reading a Young Adult book.
All in all it was a good read, but I expected more from the other characters.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
My rating:
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About the Author
Alison was born and raised in Charleston, SC. She attended Winthrop University and graduated with a major in Theater. While at school Alison began writing one-act plays, which she later produced. Her debut novel, Present Perfect, landed on Amazon's Best Seller List and appeared on many "Best Reads of 2013" Book Blogs. The novel won Best Book at the 2014 Indie Romance Convention Awards. Her second novel, Past Imperfect, was published in February of 2014 and appeared on several best books of 2014 lists as well. Presently Perfect, the third and final book in The “Perfect” series was released in Dec 2014 to rave reviews. In March 2015 all the love, swoon, heat, and angst were combined into the Perfect Series Box Set.