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magencorrie's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars out of 5
My Review:
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
Upside Down was a whirlwind of emotion and a very fun read. I was instantly pulled into the world that Riley created. The setting and the characters held quite a lot of depth, and I fully enjoyed that.
This was a great start to a series that presents characters that felt real and held true depth. I was really able to connect with them emotionally. And I enjoyed that strong emotional display. I was able to feel Talia’s fear and Bran’s sadness. Riley did an amazing job at allowing me to connect with her characters on many levels.
What I enjoyed the most about Talia is because she isn’t perfect. Her tendencies, her compulsions, and the way she thought made her feel very much real. And I think that is why I connected quite a bit with her. Talia definitely hasn’t had an easy year and escaping to Austria became a way to find herself. And, in the end, I feel like she did. Talia showed amazing growth and though she still has growing left to do, I was happy to see where she was at the end of the book. I enjoyed her because of her strength, even when she didn’t realize she possessed any. It really did come through.
Bran, like Talia, has a tortured prospect on life. He, too, has suffered and is dealing with it in his own way. And though he is quite the sullen asshat, when he first meets Talia, I did enjoy his character. He has quite a few dark secrets and they each broke my heart. I could really feel how Talia ended up healing him in many ways. Though it was hard to fully love him at first, when he was being a jerk, by the end of the book I saw that he was a genuinely amazing guy. He just has a lot of hurt buried in him. That, of course, made me enjoy his character.
Another thing I loved most about this book was the crazy and intense attraction and chemistry that was between Bran and Talia. Their banter was sexily fueled and I ate that up! I felt that they really complemented each other. They fit. Bran really saw Talia and Talia really saw him. And though they didn’t have an easy start and their road is still quite bumpy, I really enjoyed these two characters and their chemistry.
Their attraction was fast, but their relationship built nice and steady. The pacing throughout the book kept me engaged and it was just to my liking. The only personal problem I had was that I felt the ending was a bit too rush for me. And I felt Talia forgave Bran a bit too quickly. The transitions between some scenes felt rough to me as well and I found myself, sometimes, lost as to what was going on. I was also able to figure out a few of the twists. But despite that, I enjoyed this book!
I felt Upside Down was a delightful read. The story was sweet and really pulled at my heartstrings.
My Review:
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
Upside Down was a whirlwind of emotion and a very fun read. I was instantly pulled into the world that Riley created. The setting and the characters held quite a lot of depth, and I fully enjoyed that.
This was a great start to a series that presents characters that felt real and held true depth. I was really able to connect with them emotionally. And I enjoyed that strong emotional display. I was able to feel Talia’s fear and Bran’s sadness. Riley did an amazing job at allowing me to connect with her characters on many levels.
What I enjoyed the most about Talia is because she isn’t perfect. Her tendencies, her compulsions, and the way she thought made her feel very much real. And I think that is why I connected quite a bit with her. Talia definitely hasn’t had an easy year and escaping to Austria became a way to find herself. And, in the end, I feel like she did. Talia showed amazing growth and though she still has growing left to do, I was happy to see where she was at the end of the book. I enjoyed her because of her strength, even when she didn’t realize she possessed any. It really did come through.
Bran, like Talia, has a tortured prospect on life. He, too, has suffered and is dealing with it in his own way. And though he is quite the sullen asshat, when he first meets Talia, I did enjoy his character. He has quite a few dark secrets and they each broke my heart. I could really feel how Talia ended up healing him in many ways. Though it was hard to fully love him at first, when he was being a jerk, by the end of the book I saw that he was a genuinely amazing guy. He just has a lot of hurt buried in him. That, of course, made me enjoy his character.
Another thing I loved most about this book was the crazy and intense attraction and chemistry that was between Bran and Talia. Their banter was sexily fueled and I ate that up! I felt that they really complemented each other. They fit. Bran really saw Talia and Talia really saw him. And though they didn’t have an easy start and their road is still quite bumpy, I really enjoyed these two characters and their chemistry.
Their attraction was fast, but their relationship built nice and steady. The pacing throughout the book kept me engaged and it was just to my liking. The only personal problem I had was that I felt the ending was a bit too rush for me. And I felt Talia forgave Bran a bit too quickly. The transitions between some scenes felt rough to me as well and I found myself, sometimes, lost as to what was going on. I was also able to figure out a few of the twists. But despite that, I enjoyed this book!
I felt Upside Down was a delightful read. The story was sweet and really pulled at my heartstrings.
caseroo7's review against another edition
4.0
I was really excited about reading Upside Down when I first saw the beautiful cover and read the blurb. It was a really great story, and I could not put it down! I thought that it was well written and interesting, and I liked that it was different. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I can't wait to read more in this series.
Natalia Stolfi needs to get away from what has become her life, and decides to head to Australia for six months. She needs time to herself and time to move past the painful events and memories that surround her at home. When she first meets Bran Lockhart, things don't get off to a smooth start. But soon they are spending more time together and finding it hard to stay away from one another even knowing that they both plan on leaving. Bran is also trying to put his life back together and escape from his painful past. The last thing he expected or wanted was to get involved with someone after his last relationship broke his heart. But Bran finds himself feeling a strong connection toTalia anyways. But what will happen when their time together comes to an end and Talia is set to return home?
I liked Bran and Talia. Talia was brave and strong, and she had been through a lot. I was so glad that she was able to embrace life and set out on her own. Talia had made mistakes and made some bad choices, but I could see how she was struggling and I don't fault her at all for trying to find a way to cope. I found her character so interesting because it isn't often that you see an author tackle a character that is OCD, let alone the heroine or hero. So it was really different to see Talia struggle with that and see how she was able to move forward with her life with dealing with it. Bran was great also, he had been hurt and was scared to have it happen again. He was also trying to find a way to cope and had been with a lot of girls trying to ease his pain. But I liked that he saw that Talia was different and that she was more than that. He wanted to do things differently with her, and I was glad to see him not have a hard time changing his ways for her. I thought that they had a lot of chemistry, and I really enjoyed them together. I think that they were good for one another, and that they made each other better.
Overall, this was a really good story. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to the next book in this series. I will say that I didn't care for what happened towards the end with Bran and his ex, and how it was dealt with. I felt like it was handled poorly and that Bran should have been more sensitive to Talia and her feelings. He seemed to blame Talia's reaction on her and didn't really seem to care what she felt. He took what happened with Talia and blew it out of proportion, not even listening to what actually happened and that saddened me after everything that they had already been through. I hope that in the next book that they are able to find and stay on solid ground, because I feel like there was a lot of push and pull between these two in this story. I did love the witty banter in this story and how quick and smart the dialogue was. It was so easy to lose myself in this story, and I loved Talia's personality and thought it came through in such a real way. I look forward to more from Lia Riley and can't wait for Sideswiped.I was really excited about reading Upside Down when I first saw the beautiful cover and read the blurb. It was a really great story, and I could not put it down! I thought that it was well written and interesting, and I liked that it was different. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I can't wait to read more in this series.
Natalia Stolfi needs to get away from what has become her life, and decides to head to Australia for six months. She needs time to herself and time to move past the painful events and memories that surround her at home. When she first meets Bran Lockhart, things don't get off to a smooth start. But soon they are spending more time together and finding it hard to stay away from one another even knowing that they both plan on leaving. Bran is also trying to put his life back together and escape from his painful past. The last thing he expected or wanted was to get involved with someone after his last relationship broke his heart. But Bran finds himself feeling a strong connection to Talia anyways. But what will happen when their time together comes to an end and Talia is set to return home?
I liked Bran and Talia. Talia was brave and strong, and she had been through a lot. I was so glad that she was able to embrace life and set out on her own. Talia had made mistakes and made some bad choices, but I could see how she was struggling and I don't fault her at all for trying to find a way to cope. I found her character so interesting because it isn't often that you see an author tackle a character that is OCD, let alone the heroine or hero. So it was really different to see Talia struggle with that and see how she was able to move forward with her life with dealing with it. Bran was great also, he had been hurt and was scared to have it happen again. He was also trying to find a way to cope and had been with a lot of girls trying to ease his pain. But I liked that he saw that Talia was different and that she was more than that. He wanted to do things differently with her, and I was glad to see him not have a hard time changing his ways for her. I thought that they had a lot of chemistry, and I really enjoyed them together. I think that they were good for one another, and that they made each other better.
Overall, this was a really good story. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to the next book in this series. I will say that I didn't care for what happened towards the end with Bran and his ex, and how it was dealt with. I felt like it was handled poorly and that Bran should have been more sensitive to Talia and her feelings. He seemed to blame Talia's reaction on her and didn't really seem to care what she felt. He took what happened with Talia and blew it out of proportion, not even listening to what actually happened and that saddened me after everything that they had already been through. I hope that in the next book that they are able to find and stay on solid ground, because I feel like there was a lot of push and pull between these two in this story. I did love the witty banter in this story and how quick and smart the dialogue was. It was so easy to lose myself in this story, and I loved Talia's personality and thought it came through in such a real way. I look forward to more from Lia Riley and can't wait for Sideswiped.
**ARC Provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing)**
Natalia Stolfi needs to get away from what has become her life, and decides to head to Australia for six months. She needs time to herself and time to move past the painful events and memories that surround her at home. When she first meets Bran Lockhart, things don't get off to a smooth start. But soon they are spending more time together and finding it hard to stay away from one another even knowing that they both plan on leaving. Bran is also trying to put his life back together and escape from his painful past. The last thing he expected or wanted was to get involved with someone after his last relationship broke his heart. But Bran finds himself feeling a strong connection toTalia anyways. But what will happen when their time together comes to an end and Talia is set to return home?
I liked Bran and Talia. Talia was brave and strong, and she had been through a lot. I was so glad that she was able to embrace life and set out on her own. Talia had made mistakes and made some bad choices, but I could see how she was struggling and I don't fault her at all for trying to find a way to cope. I found her character so interesting because it isn't often that you see an author tackle a character that is OCD, let alone the heroine or hero. So it was really different to see Talia struggle with that and see how she was able to move forward with her life with dealing with it. Bran was great also, he had been hurt and was scared to have it happen again. He was also trying to find a way to cope and had been with a lot of girls trying to ease his pain. But I liked that he saw that Talia was different and that she was more than that. He wanted to do things differently with her, and I was glad to see him not have a hard time changing his ways for her. I thought that they had a lot of chemistry, and I really enjoyed them together. I think that they were good for one another, and that they made each other better.
Overall, this was a really good story. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to the next book in this series. I will say that I didn't care for what happened towards the end with Bran and his ex, and how it was dealt with. I felt like it was handled poorly and that Bran should have been more sensitive to Talia and her feelings. He seemed to blame Talia's reaction on her and didn't really seem to care what she felt. He took what happened with Talia and blew it out of proportion, not even listening to what actually happened and that saddened me after everything that they had already been through. I hope that in the next book that they are able to find and stay on solid ground, because I feel like there was a lot of push and pull between these two in this story. I did love the witty banter in this story and how quick and smart the dialogue was. It was so easy to lose myself in this story, and I loved Talia's personality and thought it came through in such a real way. I look forward to more from Lia Riley and can't wait for Sideswiped.I was really excited about reading Upside Down when I first saw the beautiful cover and read the blurb. It was a really great story, and I could not put it down! I thought that it was well written and interesting, and I liked that it was different. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I can't wait to read more in this series.
Natalia Stolfi needs to get away from what has become her life, and decides to head to Australia for six months. She needs time to herself and time to move past the painful events and memories that surround her at home. When she first meets Bran Lockhart, things don't get off to a smooth start. But soon they are spending more time together and finding it hard to stay away from one another even knowing that they both plan on leaving. Bran is also trying to put his life back together and escape from his painful past. The last thing he expected or wanted was to get involved with someone after his last relationship broke his heart. But Bran finds himself feeling a strong connection to Talia anyways. But what will happen when their time together comes to an end and Talia is set to return home?
I liked Bran and Talia. Talia was brave and strong, and she had been through a lot. I was so glad that she was able to embrace life and set out on her own. Talia had made mistakes and made some bad choices, but I could see how she was struggling and I don't fault her at all for trying to find a way to cope. I found her character so interesting because it isn't often that you see an author tackle a character that is OCD, let alone the heroine or hero. So it was really different to see Talia struggle with that and see how she was able to move forward with her life with dealing with it. Bran was great also, he had been hurt and was scared to have it happen again. He was also trying to find a way to cope and had been with a lot of girls trying to ease his pain. But I liked that he saw that Talia was different and that she was more than that. He wanted to do things differently with her, and I was glad to see him not have a hard time changing his ways for her. I thought that they had a lot of chemistry, and I really enjoyed them together. I think that they were good for one another, and that they made each other better.
Overall, this was a really good story. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to the next book in this series. I will say that I didn't care for what happened towards the end with Bran and his ex, and how it was dealt with. I felt like it was handled poorly and that Bran should have been more sensitive to Talia and her feelings. He seemed to blame Talia's reaction on her and didn't really seem to care what she felt. He took what happened with Talia and blew it out of proportion, not even listening to what actually happened and that saddened me after everything that they had already been through. I hope that in the next book that they are able to find and stay on solid ground, because I feel like there was a lot of push and pull between these two in this story. I did love the witty banter in this story and how quick and smart the dialogue was. It was so easy to lose myself in this story, and I loved Talia's personality and thought it came through in such a real way. I look forward to more from Lia Riley and can't wait for Sideswiped.
**ARC Provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing)**
hollyollyoxenfree's review against another edition
2.0
2-2.5 stars.
I am really just striking out with books these days. I really thought I would love this one but I didn't. And it's set in Australia! *sigh* I'm not sure what exactly I didn't quite connect with, but mostly it didn't work for me. I don't know yet if I'll read the rest of the series. I wasn't particularly invested in the characters, but I didn't hate them either. So there's that! And I'm almost curious what happens to them next. So who knows. But I wish I had known before I started that this is a series, not a standalone. So heads up for those of you planning to read this: there is more to the story than just this book!
I am really just striking out with books these days. I really thought I would love this one but I didn't. And it's set in Australia! *sigh* I'm not sure what exactly I didn't quite connect with, but mostly it didn't work for me. I don't know yet if I'll read the rest of the series. I wasn't particularly invested in the characters, but I didn't hate them either. So there's that! And I'm almost curious what happens to them next. So who knows. But I wish I had known before I started that this is a series, not a standalone. So heads up for those of you planning to read this: there is more to the story than just this book!
rachelslacey's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book! Talia and Bran were such real, flawed, and engaging characters, and I was totally captivated by their story. This is an amazing debut from Lia Riley. I loved every moment of Upside Down and can't wait to read the rest of the series!
appifanie's review against another edition
5.0
It took me way too long to read this book, but I'm so glad I finally did!
It's amazing. This book sucked me in right away with real, flawed characters. It didn't hurt that it was mostly set in Melbourne, somewhere I can't wait to go.
Psyched to read the rest of the series!
It's amazing. This book sucked me in right away with real, flawed characters. It didn't hurt that it was mostly set in Melbourne, somewhere I can't wait to go.
Psyched to read the rest of the series!
bandherbooks's review against another edition
2.0
A New Adult romance set in Australia that tries to set itself apart from the masses with a main character who has OCD, but this was more of a plot point than a story-driver.
Fans of the genre will enjoy the hot surfers and Aussie lingo.
Fans of the genre will enjoy the hot surfers and Aussie lingo.
emerz's review against another edition
3.0
This is the 100th book I’ve read this year and it was a let down to be honest.
I started off really enjoying this novel and the characters. I really liked the OCD and anxiety rep in this book, especially because it’s not something that’s often discussed in new adult romance novels. I also liked the smut ngl.
but that’s all I liked about this book because after the 60% mark I started to get really irritated with the characters and towards the very end I wanted to punch both talia and bran because they are so stupid and probably shouldn’t even end up together. I also hated brans POV. I don’t mind dual povs....when they actually add depth to characters and are meaningful. Brans chapters were as bland as raisin brand. The information we learned from brans povs we could have gotten from talia. Stupid. The pages from brans POV could have instead been dedicated to explaining what the fuck is happening with talia. I got 30% through the book before I realized why she was going to Australia and SHE MOVED TO AUSTRALIA IN CHAPTER ONE SO I WOUKD FIGURE THAT THAT WOUKD BE IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS AT THE VERY BEGINNING. anyways there were so many plot holes and lack of details towards the setting (seriously Australia seemed so boring here).
So yeah this was kinda a disappointing 100th read.
I started off really enjoying this novel and the characters. I really liked the OCD and anxiety rep in this book, especially because it’s not something that’s often discussed in new adult romance novels. I also liked the smut ngl.
but that’s all I liked about this book because after the 60% mark I started to get really irritated with the characters and towards the very end I wanted to punch both talia and bran because they are so stupid and probably shouldn’t even end up together. I also hated brans POV. I don’t mind dual povs....when they actually add depth to characters and are meaningful. Brans chapters were as bland as raisin brand. The information we learned from brans povs we could have gotten from talia. Stupid. The pages from brans POV could have instead been dedicated to explaining what the fuck is happening with talia. I got 30% through the book before I realized why she was going to Australia and SHE MOVED TO AUSTRALIA IN CHAPTER ONE SO I WOUKD FIGURE THAT THAT WOUKD BE IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS AT THE VERY BEGINNING. anyways there were so many plot holes and lack of details towards the setting (seriously Australia seemed so boring here).
So yeah this was kinda a disappointing 100th read.
lolasreviews's review against another edition
2.0
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
As soon as I participated in a book blitz for this book I knew I wanted to read it. It had a great cover, nice setting (Australia), characters who sounded real and romance. And I still don't know where it went wrong between this book and me.
I really enjoyed the first chapter and from then onwards it became a struggle. I liked the main character at first and how she was struggling with her OCD, it made her feel real and as I studied psychology I always find it interesting to see how things like that are portrayed in a book. Then in the second chapter, she suddenly was in Australia already, meeting a guy and the romance part was introduced. And I don't know why, but the story just failed to hook me. There where no epic adventures in Australia, learning to culture or the traditions. It was just your average New Adult book, with a romance, heaps of drama and lots of secrets.
Talia goes to Australia to escape and trying to turn her life upside down, well she actually manages to do that, fall in love and lands in some drama. I liked Talia at first, she felt real and she was struggling through life. Then eventually I just kinda lost interest, her OCD seemed to solve itself a bit too easily, while I would've liked to see more from it and there just wasn't anything to keep me interested in her. She didn't feel like a real person and I had a hard time figuring out who she was and what she liked doing. It was only till halfway through the book that I finally figured what she studied.
Then there was Bran, the love interest, since the moment we met him I just couldn't connect with him. I didn't care about him, he came across as someone I wouldn't like in real life and I didn't like him in a book either. He was sleeping with lost of girl to get over something, hiding all his secrets, being nice one moment and then not-so-nice the next moment. He did nice things, but then refused to let Talia in. Actually I thought it was a wonder Talia stuck with him for so long. There where some chapters from his point of view and they actually made me like him even less.
The romance didn't work for me, I just didn't feel it.
The the side characters, well let's say they stayed to the side mostly. Talia had tow friends back home, which she wouldn't contact for her trip in Australia because one of her friend decided that would ruin the trip, uhm yeah, nice way to get those two out of the picture. Then there was a room mate/friend person that played a part in the first few chapters and then we didn't saw almost anything from her the rest of the book. Beside those there where the parents from Talia and Bran's uncle, an Australian friend and that's about it.
To conclude: while this book has some nice elements, it just fell flat for me. I struggled to get through it and at the end concluded it wasn't worth it. The story didn't keep me interest, the character where flat, the side characters stayed to the side, the romance didn't work for me, I didn't care about the main characters and I didn't get a feel for the country they stayed in. I am not sure if it's me or the book, but it just didn't work for me. I think I need a break from this genre for a bit.
As soon as I participated in a book blitz for this book I knew I wanted to read it. It had a great cover, nice setting (Australia), characters who sounded real and romance. And I still don't know where it went wrong between this book and me.
I really enjoyed the first chapter and from then onwards it became a struggle. I liked the main character at first and how she was struggling with her OCD, it made her feel real and as I studied psychology I always find it interesting to see how things like that are portrayed in a book. Then in the second chapter, she suddenly was in Australia already, meeting a guy and the romance part was introduced. And I don't know why, but the story just failed to hook me. There where no epic adventures in Australia, learning to culture or the traditions. It was just your average New Adult book, with a romance, heaps of drama and lots of secrets.
Talia goes to Australia to escape and trying to turn her life upside down, well she actually manages to do that, fall in love and lands in some drama. I liked Talia at first, she felt real and she was struggling through life. Then eventually I just kinda lost interest, her OCD seemed to solve itself a bit too easily, while I would've liked to see more from it and there just wasn't anything to keep me interested in her. She didn't feel like a real person and I had a hard time figuring out who she was and what she liked doing. It was only till halfway through the book that I finally figured what she studied.
Then there was Bran, the love interest, since the moment we met him I just couldn't connect with him. I didn't care about him, he came across as someone I wouldn't like in real life and I didn't like him in a book either. He was sleeping with lost of girl to get over something, hiding all his secrets, being nice one moment and then not-so-nice the next moment. He did nice things, but then refused to let Talia in. Actually I thought it was a wonder Talia stuck with him for so long. There where some chapters from his point of view and they actually made me like him even less.
The romance didn't work for me, I just didn't feel it.
The the side characters, well let's say they stayed to the side mostly. Talia had tow friends back home, which she wouldn't contact for her trip in Australia because one of her friend decided that would ruin the trip, uhm yeah, nice way to get those two out of the picture. Then there was a room mate/friend person that played a part in the first few chapters and then we didn't saw almost anything from her the rest of the book. Beside those there where the parents from Talia and Bran's uncle, an Australian friend and that's about it.
To conclude: while this book has some nice elements, it just fell flat for me. I struggled to get through it and at the end concluded it wasn't worth it. The story didn't keep me interest, the character where flat, the side characters stayed to the side, the romance didn't work for me, I didn't care about the main characters and I didn't get a feel for the country they stayed in. I am not sure if it's me or the book, but it just didn't work for me. I think I need a break from this genre for a bit.
cupcakegirly's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this. It's well-written with a good blend of love, romance and "issues" for a new adult, and the Australian setting made it unique. I had a hard time putting it down and was happy with how it ended which is why I was a little surprised to discover there are two more books slated. I would have thought a companion featuring a supporting character like Jazza would have been up next.
Definitely worth the read though.
Definitely worth the read though.
greylandreviews's review against another edition
DNF. I just couldn't get into it. Didn't connect with the characters. Talia acted like an old lady. Not the funny Betty White old lady. More like Mrs. Smith who gives out apples at Halloween.