Book Freak: In This Moment by Autumn Doughton

17 August 2013

In This Moment by Autumn Doughton - Book Review

In This Moment

Autumn Doughton

Every moment possesses its own kind of magic...

Aimee Spencer learned the hard way that for some moments, there are no take-backs, no rewinds, no do-overs. A year ago her world imploded and Aimee has been running ever since. She doesn't want to feel. She doesn't want to remember. To bury the ghosts that haunt her, she is living a life that has become unrecognizable.

Cole Everly is a golden boy with a cocky smile and an attitude to match. He's grown accustomed to girls throwing themselves at his feet, but when Aimee trips and literally lands in his lap one afternoon, she's not at all what he expects. Difficult, damaged, closed-off. If Cole needed to make a list of qualities to avoid in a girl, Aimee would probably match up with every single one of them. He knows that he should stay away but he's drawn to her in a way that he can't exactly explain.

In this honest and absorbing story, Aimee and Cole struggle to sort out the thin spaces between loss and love. Ultimately, they will need to learn how to navigate through the pieces of the past if they want to hold on to the future and each other.

I love a goodnight sleep and it would take a very good novel to keep me up reading at night when all I wanted to do is go to dreamland. In This Moment had me up until the wee hours, and I couldn't get enough of Cole!

Among all of my Autumn Doughton reads, I must say, In This Moment will stand as my favorite. I enjoyed reading it in one sitting, trying not to laugh out loud to wake up my neighbors, and trying harder not to cry my heart out.

Aimee Spencer knew firsthand how what loss is, how hard it is, and how life can change in one wrong turn. She lost someone very close to her, and life had never been the same again. She used to swim, belonged to the popular crowd, date – do whatever a normal teenager would do. But now, all she does is run. Numbness was a welcome reprieve. To forget her past, and every painful memory that has been haunting her, she changed to someone unrecognizable. Lifeless, focused, emotionless. Until she literally fell into the lap of Cole Everly.

Handsome isn’t the right word. It sounds too bland and average and this guy is anything but average.

15% of the book and I fell in love with the dashing and cocky Cole Everly. Yes, I have been a fallen victim to a brain fog induced by Cole’s quasi-magical green eyes. (Aimee’s words) I like my men with wit and humor – and Cole is the perfect epitome of HIM. (He’s totally my new book boyfriend!) He’s quite arrogant, but it’s cute (not the annoying type), determined, persuasive and cool. When he met Aimee, he knew she was different. She wasn’t the type of girl he would normally go for: broken, difficult, closed-off. She was someone he should stay away from, but the building attraction, the pull of gravity is hard to resist – something he could hardly explain himself. Because if he follow his own logic – he’d run away FAST.

Aimee’s words are careful, decided. “I don’t date.”
I brush a few loose hairs away from her face and bend to her ear. She really does smell amazing. Absolutely amazing. “I don’t date either, so I won’t tell if you don’t.” I whisper.

It’s not only Aimee who has a past to deal with. Cole has his own shares of misfortunes. That’s why he didn’t allow himself to fall in love. Love makes you lose your mind, focus, and life. It breaks not just your heart, but everything in between. So, he shags them, and leaves them. No cuddling, no staying over, no strings – no complication. Until Aimee came along, he found himself doing what he's been avoiding.

“Okay. Scrabble, donuts, flowers, corndogs, pre-pubescent British wizards and indie music. Am I missing anything important?”

She’s still blushing and it’s like the heat in her face is trapping all the words inside of her. “What is it?” I ask, an involuntary grin tugging on my mouth. I love it when she blushes like this.

Amy sighs, looks up toward the chandelier, “You, Cole. I like you.”

For the first time, it didn’t felt wrong. He wanted to see her smile, to make her happy – he does things he doesn’t normally do for girls. Oh, he can be sweet when he wanted to. But when his past came into the picture, he was lost once again. He closed himself to Aimee, ran away and is about to make the stupidest thing he’s done. It cost him one important thing he has in his life right now – Aimee.

Their parents weren’t perfect (which is pretty much an understatement), but they have the support of their siblings and friends. I totally loved Jodi, she was the exact opposite of Aimee, and exactly what she needed. Just like Cole, she was determined to be Aimee’s friend – whether she likes it or not. Aimee didn’t really have a choice.

You don’t get my permission to break my fucking heart.

From the cover, the blurb, the characters – everything about In This Moment is fantastic. It was hard to see Aimee moving on because every day is a task for her. Putting a mask on is harder than putting make up, but when the most eligible bachelor in the campus starts giving her attention, her world changed. Oh, she tried to lock herself – but Cole is determined to find the key, and get to her.

I totally love the story, the progression and most especially the character development. The transition that Aimee and Cole had were gradual, you can see and feel the growth of their characters. I swooned at times, laugh for most, and cried a little. When I reached the end of the page, it was pretty hard to say goodbye to Cole.

In This Moment is a story about loss, love, second chances and forgiveness. It's something you would not put down until you reach the very end page. I assure you, you will fall in love with the characters, especially with Cole. Now I know what a book hang-over feels like.

If your work gets beautiful every time you release a book - I totally can't wait what you have installed for us on your next work!!

And because you totally rocked my night (and well, morning), and I had Cole in my dreams I'm giving In This Moment...

Rating:

Count the cups :)

Purchase Link

Autumn Doughton

My first love is reading. My second love is pizza.

Currently, I live in Gainesville, Florida and I write books. Fun books for you, and your sister, and your best friend, and your hair dresser, etc. I think of writing as a sort of therapy, and the results tend to be feel-good odes to my lost youth, which is exactly how I like it.

When I'm not working or chasing after my two daughters, two dogs, two cats, three ducks and one lovely husband, I can be found skulking around the movie theater or local bookseller. Generally with chocolate somewhere on my person because I never leave home without a treat.