***Blog Tour,Review,Excerpt & Giveaway*** Little Things By Madison Street

   

Title: Little Things
Author: Madison Street
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: June 2,2014 (first published January 1st 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Purchase Links:  Amazon

Synopsis 

Everything in Duke Grayson’s life was all he could ever ask for: A loving family, loyal friends, a beautiful girlfriend, and a scholarship to his top choice college. It’s his senior year of high school, and all he needs is to focus on his grades, lacrosse, and keeping his girlfriend happy. That is until Raya walks into his life. 

From the moment they meet, Duke is drawn to her, not only for her natural beauty and her stunning crystal blue eyes, but because he’s aware there’s more to this girl than just his alluring pull to her. He senses secrecy and fear. 

Throughout the year, their bond grows stronger, and his feelings for her become undeniable. Just when he is about to express his love, tragedy strikes and Raya disappears. 

For six years, Duke is tortured by his struggles, as he’s unable to find her and blames himself for failing to protect her. Until the day, she’s found, and he’s given a second chance. Will Duke become her beacon of hope and make her see that it’s the little things that make life worthwhile? Can Raya overcome her fears and fight against the terrors that haunt her? Or will her dark and torturous past be too much for her to battle against? 

*Warning: This book contains some disturbing situations, strong language and sexual content. Suited for 18 years and over

My Review

Wowsers!!! Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. Little Things is a ride and a half, I found myself laughing and then bawling my eyes out and wanting to curl up in the fetal position. You can’t help but fall in love with the characters in this story. I will say this though it does deal with some pretty heavy topics and it may upset some people who are sensitive to those. Madison Street did a beautiful job though with telling this story and not going overboard with too much gory detail. She did however bring you in to the point that I was screaming at my kindle and begging for someone to do something. So anyway here we go, bare with me on explaining the story and characters without giving too much away.

Let’s start with Raya; she is a beautiful 17 year old girl with a heart of gold. Her father passed away when she was younger and then her mother remarried a man that would start her nightmare. She however doesn’t run from it because she will never leave her mother behind to face it alone. Her story totally destroyed me, I could feel her heartache and the guilt she carries so much guilt for things that have happened that were really out of her control. I loved how Madison was able to write her character with total openness and honesty, she went the right way with it by not making her overly a victim and letting her come into herself and learn to stand on her feet. Raya kept her strength and was a fighter from the start to the end.

"I look him square in the eyes and say "I will never scream for you. You're a monster." 

What can I say about Duke….OMG that man knows how to make you swoon!! He is a good man even in the beginning in school and knows how to treat the ladies. He also loves with all he is and never gave up on Raya even when they were separated for years. He keeps looking for her everywhere he goes and even uses his career to try and find her. When he does find her and she is a broken shell of a woman he never gives up on her and uses his love to try and bring her back.

"Once it's sung, the crowd cheers and I say into the mic, "I'm coming to find you Raya." 

I loved this story and look forward to reading the next one in the series. My only complaint with this book was that I felt from the last chapter to the epilogue it was missing something but as a whole this is a non-cliff hanger even though there is another book coming to the series. My hat is off to Miss.Street and I thank her for bringing a love story that transcends the years and show how the heart can heal and keep loving through it all.

"I look up at her as she pulls me off the floor, "She means the world to me. Please save her." 

Review By Angela Deforge



EXCERPT

I hear a whisper come up from behind me, “So, how’s your first party?” I know that voice anywhere. I turn around to find Duke smiling at me.

“It’s great! I’m having so much fun!”

“I’m glad. You’ve danced with Taylor all night. Usually he doesn’t dance at parties, so that was surprising.”

I glance towards Taylor who’s across the room, talking to Adam. “Oh well. He’s a good dance partner.”

“Wanna bet?” Duke grabs my hand and leads me onto the dance floor just in time for a new song to start. The speakers start to play “Timber” by Pitbull and the crowd goes wild as people begin to flood the dance area. My heart literally stops beating and I swear I can’t even breathe, I’m so freaking nervous. I notice that my hand fits so perfectly in Duke’s hand.

The crowd is so packed together that Duke and I are forced to dance closely; maybe a little too close. As the song starts, he sings the lyrics and we begin to groove to the music. 

I laugh out loud and raise my hands above my head and sing along with him. The crowd is compact and everyone’s bodies continuously bump into one another. Duke looks at me and places his hand on my lower back. A shocking jolt of electricity flows through his touch and my eyes widen. He immediately removes his hand from my back and instead keeps his hand by his side. I can still feel the heat flow, where his hand was placed, and I miss it being there. We continue dancing as I give him a reassuring smile. He winks and continues to sing and twirls me around.

I bob my head to the beat and shake my body with every fiber I have. As we dance together, I no longer pay attention to what’s around me. It’s as if Duke and I are the only ones dancing and as I stare at him, I get lost in the wonder of what could be. Someone from behind me pushes me forward and I fall against Duke’s strong and broad chest as he catches me. We stare into each other’s eyes for a brief moment before he breaks the contact and helps me stand on my own.

“You alright?”

I laugh nervously, “Yea sorry. Just crowded, that’s all.”

The song ends and the crowd begins to clear leaving only a few stragglers. Duke looks at his watch. “It’s getting late. We should get going.”

“Ok. I have to use the restroom first.”

After I use the restroom, Duke finds Melanie among the crowd and we say our goodbyes. Taylor tells me he will call soon and he hugs me and kisses me on the cheek. As we pull up to my driveway, Melanie asks, “So, was it a night to remember?” I smile and catch Duke looking at me through the rearview mirror, “Yes, yes it was.”

★★☆4.5 Soul Wrenching Stars ☆★★

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About the Author

Madison Street was born in New York City and was raised in the Bronx, where she resided until she was 17 years old. After 9/11, Madison joined the United States Navy to serve her country. 

During the deployments, Madison constantly wrote short stories and she discovered her passion for writing. You will find Madison always on the computer, whether she's on Facebook, designing websites, messing with Photoshop, or writing for her blog.

Besides writing, her second passion is music and dance. Even though she's a terrible. 

Follow the author at these links

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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