I remember the summer of 2012. I was writing, Heidi was writing, and it was a summer of awesomeness. During that time, I saw Heidi come out of her shell, expressing herself through the written word. She came up with such a great story that I remember crying I’d get so mad at one of the guys of Double Blind Study. And once I finished beta-ing Learn to Fly, I remember thinking that while the story was about Lenny and Luke, it really was allegorical to Heidi’s life, and how she had finally learned to fly. Life is never easy, but Heidi has continued to show bravery & passion more and more each year I am privileged to know her. She is a dear friend, and though we have different styles in many ways, we’re family. You never forget those who’ve helped spread your wings, who’ve watched you learn to fly. <3
Review of Learn to Fly:
When I first learned about the premise of the story, I was immediately enthralled. Then, I began reading it as a beta reader, and again once it came out as an eBook. It’s such a fun read! Five guys + Lenny + mischief - Ashton/Cody/Shane = a hilarious and heartfelt ride as readers get to partake in the backstage life of Double Blind Study and the Olympic snowboarding queen, Lenny. One gets sucked in to Heidi’s writing, and all the antics of the guys of DBS immediately make one wish they had brothers or guy friends to just goof around with. The antics plus the deep sides to Lenny and Luke woven together created a wonderful debut for this author! It’s no wonder she’s doing well as an indie!
LTF feels almost like there are three parts to the book. The first is the band and being on tour, the second is Lenny rediscovering her passion and following her story, the third containing the solidification of the love story. All throughout, Heidi masters the skill of multiple people dialoguing - which is a rare gift indeed.
My fav characters in this book: Luke and Lenny (of course!), Mike, and Duke and Natalie
P.S. - I still drink my coffee like Lenny, too… slamming it down then getting to work! :) And Mike - oh I love Mike!
Review of In Your Honor:
Being that I loved LTF, I wasn’t sure how Hutchinson could top it. But, she did and then some!! The story started out with both Lucy and Blake, broken in so many ways. A reader can’t help but cheer for them as Lucy joins his tour, and then steals the spotlight. But, I think the greatest journey was how both Lucy and Blake had to take their own paths to healing in order to reach the conclusion they did (trying not to have too many spoilers). Also, keep kleenex handy - many times this book will make you cry as you go through Blake’s and Lucy’s up’s and down’s. Man - when Blake visits his father’s grave - let’s just say I sobbed so hard in my bed that I woke my husband up!!!
My absolute favorite character so far of Heidi's is definitely Lucy. I love how she smashes tractors and shoots people ;) She's raw, and I love it - and you will too!!!
Though the story is longer than her first, it keeps you engrossed until the very end. Plus, the antics of the guys of DBS are back, and it’s fun to keep up with their dynamic. Luke and Lenny appear a few times, but are definitely secondary characters in this book. And Shane comes forward in this book… again. Though Hutchinson develops his character wonderfully, and tries to make him a nicer guy now - which I’m sure he is - I just can’t forgive him his past. In fact, I feel very much like Crazy Eyes in this clip from Mr. Deeds when I think of Shane....
I'm just relieved that it ended as it did!!! I definitely cannot wait for Book III - Tectonic!
My Rating:
Because I am good friends with the author, I cannot approach this in an unbiased way, so at this time, I'm not giving these books a rating on my blog.
The Author's Links:
Hutchinson can be found on Smashwords and Amazon. Check Heidi Hutchinson out at the following links as well:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/heidirhutchinson
Twitter: @chosenbyfaith
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7275775.Heidi_Hutchinson
No comments:
Post a Comment