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hmelliott's review
1.0
An ARC was provided by NetGalley for a fair and honest review
Ugh. No. Just no.
I got 22% in, so this is a DNF. And even making it that far was a miracle.
I honestly don’t even know how this storyline could be saved or “improved”.
I could not follow along or even comprehend the words I was trying to read. The pace was completely off, entirely new scenes don’t happen in the next sentence!! A bunch of characters were introduced without context or any reason to them. The character dialogue was hard to follow and was exactly how I wrote essays in my 7th grade English class.
The main guy, Alex(fairly certain that’s his name??) is inexperienced and everyone picks on him but he was with an “older woman” that nobody knows about, so? That’s the best we can do? Honestly sounds like child grooming, but I didn’t stick around to find out.
Eva on the other hand. Lord. Eclectic would be the word I think the author would love to describe her as. I would not. Let’s try really hard to make her eclectic. Give her nine fingers. Make her dislike her parents/siblings fame that she wears disguises - who cares?? I don’t think small town Texas does. I could not understand her personality- or why she tried so hard with her brother who was 20 years older? Her storyline/household was supposed to be a family of fame and her hating it, supermodel mom, dad/uncle in a band (I think, again hard to follow), brother in a band, but now injured with burns and spinal cord injury. Instead I pictured dysfunctional circus.
Ugh. No. Just no.
I got 22% in, so this is a DNF. And even making it that far was a miracle.
I honestly don’t even know how this storyline could be saved or “improved”.
I could not follow along or even comprehend the words I was trying to read. The pace was completely off, entirely new scenes don’t happen in the next sentence!! A bunch of characters were introduced without context or any reason to them. The character dialogue was hard to follow and was exactly how I wrote essays in my 7th grade English class.
The main guy, Alex(fairly certain that’s his name??) is inexperienced and everyone picks on him but he was with an “older woman” that nobody knows about, so? That’s the best we can do? Honestly sounds like child grooming, but I didn’t stick around to find out.
Eva on the other hand. Lord. Eclectic would be the word I think the author would love to describe her as. I would not. Let’s try really hard to make her eclectic. Give her nine fingers. Make her dislike her parents/siblings fame that she wears disguises - who cares?? I don’t think small town Texas does. I could not understand her personality- or why she tried so hard with her brother who was 20 years older? Her storyline/household was supposed to be a family of fame and her hating it, supermodel mom, dad/uncle in a band (I think, again hard to follow), brother in a band, but now injured with burns and spinal cord injury. Instead I pictured dysfunctional circus.
hugbandit7's review
4.0
Discovering love when most of your life has been a lie can be challenging.
Eva has led a sheltered life as a child of very famous parents. They have shielded her from the worst of it, as good parents should, but are they really doing her a favor? As she starts to gain her independence, she realizes that maybe not everything was for her benefit or that perhaps there was an ulterior motive on her mother's part. But that is what makes this a fantastic coming-of-age story, learning and growing beyond the teenage years and ideals. We all think we are invincible as a youth, but learn quickly that is not always the truth. The same could be said for Alex, our leading young man.
I really enjoyed the story between Eva and Alex because it wasn't simple. They had their own set of challenges to work through before they could find their own HEA. They have to learn to trust, speak the truth, and share their lives, the good and the bad.
There are many nuances that helped round out the story. There is Lena, Alex's sister. She has Down syndrome but wants to be like every other girl out there. I loved the scene where she is trying to apply makeup in preparation for Prom and can't seem to get it right. Enter Eva to the rescue because who better to teach about makeup than a supermodel's daughter?
While there are many bright spots in the book, there are also many nefarious characters. There is Alex's brother Devin, a gossip columnist that is referred to as Cabbage Patch Candy, and a few other characters sprinkled throughout. However, the addition of these characters adds the conflict that is needed to push Eva and Alex to be better for themselves and each other.
This story checked off many boxes for me and was an enjoyable read. We give it 4 paws up.
Eva has led a sheltered life as a child of very famous parents. They have shielded her from the worst of it, as good parents should, but are they really doing her a favor? As she starts to gain her independence, she realizes that maybe not everything was for her benefit or that perhaps there was an ulterior motive on her mother's part. But that is what makes this a fantastic coming-of-age story, learning and growing beyond the teenage years and ideals. We all think we are invincible as a youth, but learn quickly that is not always the truth. The same could be said for Alex, our leading young man.
I really enjoyed the story between Eva and Alex because it wasn't simple. They had their own set of challenges to work through before they could find their own HEA. They have to learn to trust, speak the truth, and share their lives, the good and the bad.
There are many nuances that helped round out the story. There is Lena, Alex's sister. She has Down syndrome but wants to be like every other girl out there. I loved the scene where she is trying to apply makeup in preparation for Prom and can't seem to get it right. Enter Eva to the rescue because who better to teach about makeup than a supermodel's daughter?
While there are many bright spots in the book, there are also many nefarious characters. There is Alex's brother Devin, a gossip columnist that is referred to as Cabbage Patch Candy, and a few other characters sprinkled throughout. However, the addition of these characters adds the conflict that is needed to push Eva and Alex to be better for themselves and each other.
This story checked off many boxes for me and was an enjoyable read. We give it 4 paws up.
sarahsbookstack's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
I really enjoyed this story as Eva and Alex's relationship progression was really sweet.
Eva is the daughter of a famous supermodel and rock stars who has been protected from the media by her family... Or was it for their own benefit? Eva is soon to find out. Alex comes into her life through her brother who is a recovering alcoholic who had a stage accident. Alex is running from a scandalous past that not many who know him know about.
I really appreciated that Alex never pushed Eva into furthering their relationship to a very physical one until she gave consent. I liked how miscommunications never got too far and lasted too long. I liked how Eva grew into her own person from getting out of her family's shadows.
Eva is the daughter of a famous supermodel and rock stars who has been protected from the media by her family... Or was it for their own benefit? Eva is soon to find out. Alex comes into her life through her brother who is a recovering alcoholic who had a stage accident. Alex is running from a scandalous past that not many who know him know about.
I really appreciated that Alex never pushed Eva into furthering their relationship to a very physical one until she gave consent. I liked how miscommunications never got too far and lasted too long. I liked how Eva grew into her own person from getting out of her family's shadows.
lisaluvsliterature's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
I ended up enjoying this quick, easy read. The characters had good background stories and issues. And some of that was really unique I thought. Alex’s ex was interesting, I liked how it played out. Eva’s family was also very interesting and really added a lot of different aspects to the story. I liked all the characters and really how they handled situations made a lot of sense. I did have a few issues with some of the writing maybe being a little simple or maybe awkward at times, but it wasn’t in any way that messed with the story. That mostly came for me from the fact that I’m trying to work on my own writing and so I notice the things I have to work on myself in other books because I’m so used to looking for them. I think I would read more by this author in the future!
jlee76's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Whiskey On Our Shoes is a contemporary romance novel by Tonya Preece. Alex has escaped a toxic relationship and is trying to regain his life. Eva is from a famous family and is learning to balance her privacy and public life. Alex has a chance encounter with Eva. There is an instant spark between Alex and Eva, yet they must learn to steer their relationship through the trials of fame and secrets.
I enjoyed how Alex and Eva are in their early twenties and have made mistakes yet are levelheaded. I loved watching this young love unfold. The couple’s relationship developed naturally. Alex and Eva were lovely characters, and I wanted to see them happy. It was so much fun seeing the passion build between Alex and Eva.
The plot was fast-paced, and the story was entertaining. The secondary characters were colorful and exciting. This was a delightful, easy read. There was plenty of romance and conflict. Tonya Preece has written a fun, exciting romance with plenty of heart!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Xpresso Tours. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
slovene1's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
1.75
1.75/5 stars
Whiskey on Our Shoes by Tonya Preece follows anonymously famous Eva Covington as she ventures through life trying to hide from her famous family while exploring her interest and dating. Alex, the male main character, is the other POV for this story. He has had a previous relationship with an older, married woman, and he is worried his connection with the potentially famous Eva could damage her reputation.
Honestly, this book really wasn't for me. The author had too many moving pieces to really dig into solid character development: age gap trope, married romance, complicated family, famous family, missing fingers, tiny homes, reclaimed furniture, hidden family history, and the list goes on. Many of these things felt like a distraction from really getting to know our characters and seeing how the story unfolds. I truly thing the plot line had great potential, but I think execution inhibited it.
While this is a debut novel, I am interested to see how this author grows in future releases.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Whiskey on Our Shoes by Tonya Preece follows anonymously famous Eva Covington as she ventures through life trying to hide from her famous family while exploring her interest and dating. Alex, the male main character, is the other POV for this story. He has had a previous relationship with an older, married woman, and he is worried his connection with the potentially famous Eva could damage her reputation.
Honestly, this book really wasn't for me. The author had too many moving pieces to really dig into solid character development: age gap trope, married romance, complicated family, famous family, missing fingers, tiny homes, reclaimed furniture, hidden family history, and the list goes on. Many of these things felt like a distraction from really getting to know our characters and seeing how the story unfolds. I truly thing the plot line had great potential, but I think execution inhibited it.
While this is a debut novel, I am interested to see how this author grows in future releases.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
courtlove18's review
4.0
What a great story! I would categorize this as a YA romance. There's secrets and heartache and crazy ex's ..OH MY! I loved the development between Eva and Alex. It's very refreshing to read a romance about a truly genuine MMC. Misunderstanding occur, but NO cheating! And of course a HEA. Only reason I didn't give 5 stars is the story felt like it abruptly ended, I wasn't necessarily left wanting but I felt it could have wrapped a little differently to feel more finished.
alisonj1410's review
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The pacing was perfect and helped to build the characters. Every character, even the background characters, were very dynamic. They each had their own stories, pasts, passions, fears. Eva and Alex were both well rounded characters who had quite a bit of character growth throughout the book.
I do think the title could use a bit of work. The Whiskey being spilled on shoes was such a small part of the story. I would get it more if it was brought up again later. But it happened, then was not mentioned again.
I do think the title could use a bit of work. The Whiskey being spilled on shoes was such a small part of the story. I would get it more if it was brought up again later. But it happened, then was not mentioned again.
allyssabrinker's review
4.0
In short, this story is about a young woman with a famous family who prefers to stay out of the spotlight, who begins dating a cowboy in a small town, who harbors a secret that his ex-girlfriend is 14 years older than he is.
What I loved:
-I felt like the author mastered exposition really well. She used it to her advantage to get through more mundane aspects of the story, so important scenes could stand in the lime light.
-The chapters were short and to the point, making it easily digestible and perfect for when you only have a few minutes at a time.
-I really liked most of the characters and appreciated their strengths and weaknesses. For example: Lor allows Eva to live with him, he appears to care about his sister, but is struggling with alcohol dependence and has been caught lying at times. But as the story goes on, we see him improve with a positive character arc.
-It's a quick, easy read that held my attention.
In my opinion, the only weakness is that the *major* conflict doesn't appear to until around 80 percent of the book. All other conflict and tension felt too light for me, and resolved pretty quickly.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My review is voluntary and completely my own.
What I loved:
-I felt like the author mastered exposition really well. She used it to her advantage to get through more mundane aspects of the story, so important scenes could stand in the lime light.
-The chapters were short and to the point, making it easily digestible and perfect for when you only have a few minutes at a time.
-I really liked most of the characters and appreciated their strengths and weaknesses. For example: Lor allows Eva to live with him, he appears to care about his sister, but is struggling with alcohol dependence and has been caught lying at times. But as the story goes on, we see him improve with a positive character arc.
-It's a quick, easy read that held my attention.
In my opinion, the only weakness is that the *major* conflict doesn't appear to until around 80 percent of the book. All other conflict and tension felt too light for me, and resolved pretty quickly.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My review is voluntary and completely my own.