Blog Tour & Giveaway: Subject to Change by Alessandra Thomas

Waves of Fiction is excited to be a part of the blog tour for the new release, Subject to Change by Alessandra Thomas!



Subject to Change by Alessandra Thomas

Published June 25th 2013

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the book:

Joey made her dad a deathbed promise that she would become a doctor, and dedicate herself to fighting the very cancer that took his life. There’s just one problem -three years into her pre-med classes, she's struggling to stay on top of the curve, let alone prove she's dazzling enough to earn a spot in an Ivy League medical school. In a Hail Mary move, she throws a basic Business 101 class into her semester schedule, banking on a perfect score to boost her GPA.

That is, until she’s paired for a final project with Hawk, the bartending, motorbike-riding, gorgeously bedheaded loser who falls asleep in class and communicates in one-word sentences.

Hawk does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, which sets Joey on edge – in every possible way. As they get to know each other, her urge to scream at him is curbed only by her fantasies of tearing his clothes off. Soon those fantasies become reality, and Joey realizes Hawk makes her feel more fully herself than any of the rich boys her mother and sorority sisters approve of.

But the promise to her father hangs over her head, and the harder Joey tries to succeed in her chosen career, the faster everything falls into a hopeless tailspin of bad grades, broken promises and guilt. It doesn't help to have Hawk sitting like a devil on her shoulder, insisting she should be free to live however she wants to live - like he does.

The only thing Joey knows is that her neatly organized life is crushing her - and Hawk's bad attitude might be the only thing that can save her.

My Thoughts

Subject to Change was a pleasant surprise and that was before I realized it was a second book in a series. I didn’t read Alessandra Thomas’s first novel, but I’d like to safely say that her books are complete enough to stand on their own, which I truly enjoy. The characters are fully developed, the story-line is cohesive, and there’s no annoying cliffhanger that would have you kicking the wall in frustration. Thomas does a great job of building a complete novel with all the right elements to keep you entertained.

In Subject to Change, we get to meet Joey who is in her senior year of college struggling through her pre-med courses. She decides to take a business class to alleviate the pressure on her GPA and gain her some leverage into med school. When Joey learns that the class involves a team project, all hopes of getting an easy A suddenly diminish. She’s paired with Hawk who can’t seem to make the project meetings and is constantly late or missing from class. As she begins to learn more about her project partner and his challenges, she soon realizes that her own academic goals are not that solid either. Joey and Hawk inevitably discover not only an attraction for each other, but a daunting realization that their future might need to be redefined in more ways than one.

As with most New Adult literature, I have to admit how much I like the more mature concepts and considerations that find their way into these story-lines. Most often, these novels introduce characters that are grappling with some heavy issues, while at the same time trying to define their path and future. Subject to Change is no exception, where the story includes two likable characters that have a lot to consider when it comes to defining who they will become.

I feel that despite Joey and Hawk’s constant stops and starts, they made a decent pair. Hawk was a bit more likable than Joey, but I must confess that I understood her extreme academic drive and commitment to her goals. I remember going through the exact same thing when I was in college. Grades and grad school were the most important thing to me and I remember facing obstacles with the same vengeance Joey did, so I sort of felt a connection with this character.

Overall Alessandra Thomas has a clear grasp of what concepts resonate best in New Adult. She’s able to share a realistic story with a cast of relatable characters. I’ll be sure to keep my eye out for more of her novels. I enjoyed it.

3 Suns

About the Author:
Alessandra Thomas is a New Adult writer who swears she was in her twenties yesterday. Since she's not, she spends her time looking back on her college years fondly, and writing sexy stories about guys and girls falling in love and really living life for the first time. When she's not writing, you can find her with a spoonful of ice cream in one hand and the newest New Adult release in the other.

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Release Day Launch & Review: Picture Perfect by Alessandra Thomas

Picture Perfect by Alessandra Thomas

Published: March 26th 2013

ARC provided by publisher

About the book:

Fashion design major Cat Mitchell has a closet full of gorgeous clothes - and not a single thing fits. After two years of runway modeling for easy cash, an accident shattered her lower leg bone and her self-esteem in just one swift fall. Ten months of no exercise, prescription steroids, comfort eating and yoga pants meant returning to campus as a size twelve instead of her former size two.

When her gorgeous long-time friend with benefits sees her for the first time after her accident and snubs her in front of all her friends, Cat’s self-image hits rock bottom. Her sorority sisters all insist that she looks gorgeous, but all Cat sees is the roll of her stomach when she sits down, or the dimpling at the back of her thighs that wasn't there last year. Cat’s therapist prescribes something radical to stop the downward spiral - nude modeling for a nearby college's human form drawing classes.

When Cat faces her fears and bares it all for the class, she realizes that she's posing naked in front the most gorgeous, buffest guy she's ever seen in her life. He asks her out after the class, and after one steamy night together, Cat's absolutely smitten.

Nate’s pretty close to perfect – he takes Cat rock climbing when he discovers that it makes her feel strong and becomes a great chef after he learns that the perfect pesto sauce makes her swoon. Cat starts to feel like her old self again - confident and beautiful - as long as Nate's around. Even when he discourages her from entering the Real Woman Project, a design competition for plus-sized apparel, she reasons that he's just trying to prevent old body image wounds from splitting wide open again.

But when Cat goes home with Nate for Thanksgiving, she discovers something shocking from his recent past that proves that he hasn’t always been so encouraging of women of all shapes and sizes. Cat has no idea what to think, but she does know one thing - this might destroy their relationship before it's even had a chance to get off the ground.

Before Cat can figure out whether the real Nate is the sensitive, adoring guy she fell in love with, or an undercover asshole, she'll have to finally feel comfortable in her own skin - even if it means leaving him forever.

(This book contains sex and adult language.)

My Thoughts:

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Cat is a model who, after suffering an unfortunate horse-riding accident, has to go through extensive surgeries and therapy, resulting in her gaining 60 lbs. When modeling and fashion is the only thing she knew (and that paid the bills) she returns to college uneasy and insecure about her body. Add her sort-of boyfriend humiliating her in front of everyone to the mix - Cat realizes she needs to seek help in order to deal with her depression and insecurities.

She sees a counselor on campus who suggests that she pose nude for an art class in a neighboring college. What she never expected was that Nate, an incredibly gorgeous guy, that she met once before, would be a student in the class. She manages to do the pose for most of the session before rushing out embarrassed. Then Nate follows her and asks her out.

Being a fat kid growing up and dealing with his own insecurities for years, Nate moved away from that life to start over. He sees Cat as the beautiful woman that she is and sweeps her off her feet. But something from his past will make waves in their relationship and cause Cat to second-guess his true feelings for her.

I was able to relate to Cat so much throughout this story, and that's why I devoured the book in two days. I could put myself in her shoes, having dealt with body issues and insecurities my whole life. The important lesson this story teaches is that you have to learn to love yourself and be comfortable in your own skin - not relying on someone else to make you feel beautiful. I think every woman deserves a man who makes them feel beautiful and sexy. But I also know that it's important to have self-confidence and be accepting of yourself, because you can never truly be happy without that. It's not healthy to rely on others to make you feel good. And that's the struggle Cat and Nate had to deal with throughout this book. Learning that she can be happy in her skin, but also be loved and desired by an incredible man like Nate.

Nate was a sweetheart. I loved how romantic and wonderful he was to Cat.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and feel that a lot of women will be able to relate to Cat. Her and Nate had a beautiful romance that was great to see unfold throughout the book, but it was her self-transformation that was the real beauty of the story.

3.5 Suns



Author Bio:

Alessandra Thomas is a New Adult writer who swears she was in her twenties yesterday. Since she's not, she spends her time looking back on her college years fondly, and writing sexy stories about guys and
girls falling in love and really living life for the first time. When she's not writing, you can find her with a spoonful of ice cream in one hand and the newest New Adult release in the other.

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