Blog Tour Review and Giveaway: The Perfect Distraction by Melissa Rolka

 

Description:


When Katherine “Kate” leaves for her freshmen year at college, a grounded and stable piece of her is missing. She pushes away the ghosts of her past, determined to start her college life single, carefree and distracted. Throughout high school Kate was reserved and shy, with little experience. Now, on her own, with little holding her back, Kate is ready to branch out. She bonds with a tight knit group of friends and even starts casually dating. What starts out as innocent flirting on the tennis courts slowly turns into a friendship and eventually something more complex. Reed comes into her life giving her the distraction she craves more than anything; but is she ready to give her heart away so easily? Things get complicated when Kate’s ex-boyfriend and first love continues to pursue her. Kyle deeply regrets breaking her heart when he left for college the year before and is now on a mission to reclaim her. Kyle’s persistence and relentlessness is nothing short of obsessive. He will stop at nothing to win her back and prove his love. Kate finds herself torn between her past and the unknown of the future. Her determination to stay distracted may just be her downfall or the beginning of something new and wonderful.

Review:

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Congrats Ms. Rolka! You have just earned yourself a stalker. I will be pursuing you relentlessly until you finish the sequel. PLEASE HURRY!

Katherine “Kate” Monroe is heading to college and she’s determined to make the most of this experience. She was shy and reserved in high school, now she’s going to take more chances. She’s also not going to let all the crap going on with her mom and her ex-boyfriend, Kyle, ruin this for her, so she’s going to bury it down and not deal with it. Distractions get her through her day; running, tennis, and Reed. Reed Harper is the gorgeous campus playboy who all the girls want and every Saturday morning he is Kate’s tennis partner. A friendship blossoms, but Kate’s had more on her mind than friendship since she first saw his amazing blue eyes and panty-dropping grin. Lucky for Kate that Reed feels the same.

This is my Reed:

             


I loved Kate! She’s wholesome and sweet while dealing with a pushy ex-boyfriend and the emotional trauma of her mom leaving her family. Her group of girlfriends, who are all different and unique, bring so much to the story. And Kate is a lucky girl who has hot boys are falling at her feet! THE PERFECT DISTRACTION was a great reminder of college life, not that I remember boys falling at my feet, but the parties and friendships and studying till you’re exhausted had me reminiscing throughout the story. I can totally relate to Kate’s need to distract herself from life’s crap. I find myself doing the same thing sometimes. Distractions are better than confrontations until the problems are out of hand and she realizes she needs to find closure with her past before she can move forward.

“The greed in me to remain distracted took over. I know that my feelings for Reed are more than skin deep though. I feel emotions for him I have never felt before. I just know that I need to get to a place where the greed in me to use him to stay distracted isn’t at the forefront.” 

Kate and Reed’s relationship unfolds in such a natural way that you are convinced of their connection. Kate’s sexual past is extremely limited and disappointing, but there is no one better to show her that her needs are not be ignored. Swooning. Oh the sweet steaminess. How can she not wake up to realize how wrong Kyle was for her with Reed around to show her how right things can be? THE PERFECT DISTRACTION brings the subject of abuse in teenage relationships to life. Its not something most people assume to happen to someone so young, but abuse does not always mean physical abuse. Kate has a lot going on with her relationship with an absent mother as well and I really hope to hear about this in the second book. The story was well put together and really grabbed hold of my attention. I couldn’t put it down (much to my husband’s annoyance).

Kate and Reed still have a lot of story to tell. Well played Melissa Rolka, well played. I’m hooked. The ending will have you yelling for more. I can only hope book two is in the works and I won’t have to wait too long.

 

✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews by Tickled Pink by Book Ink

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About the Author

Melissa Rolka grew up in the Chicagoland area all of her childhood and has always had a love of writing. She started by keeping a journal at a young age and then in high school she started writing poetry. A couple poems were published anonymously. Then in college she majored in Philosophy, which required lots and lots of writing. After graduating from Marquette University she traveled west to Los Angeles. There she worked for the Writers Guild of America and found herself submerged in the writers world. She worked on small writings, but never pursued them. On the side she became involved with a small theater group. Eventually she made her way back to the Midwest, where her heart belongs, and worked in business for several years. She found love, got married and has two beautiful children. Being at home has allowed her to keep following her love of reading and writing.The Perfect Distraction is her first full length novel. A second continuation of this story is in the works with hopes for a third. When Melissa is not writing she is caring for, playing with and loving her two kids. In between taking care of her family and writing she almost always has her nose buried in her Kindle. 

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Giveaway:

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Title - The Perfect Distraction (Book #1)

Author - Melissa Rolka

Genre - New Adult Romance

Release Date - October 1, 2013

Hosted by - Love Between the Sheets Promotions