Debut Book Review: WITHOUT BORDERS by Amanda Heger

A Beautiful Story

Today I have the pleasure of reviewing Amanda Hager's debut novel WITHOUT BORDERS. There are books that are meant to rile you up; books that take you on an emotional rollercoaster; and then there are books that as you read through the pages you hope no one will bother you. You hope they'll just leave you alone. You want to find your favorite sofa, have hot coffee supplied to you on a perpetual basis, and if possible, a bit of rain outside would bring the whole experience together. You just want alone time with the book. That is how I felt when I read WITHOUT BORDERS by Amanda Hager.

The book is a beautiful love story that avoids clichés and typical bad boy (or good boy) meets bad girl (or good girl) trope. It defies what the "market" wants and it does something radical -- this book tells a great story.

But it has more than just that: you'll laugh (trust me, Annie's "Anal Problem" will make you choke on your coffee) and you'll be at the edge of your seat (Day Ten -- pregnancy -- nuff' said!).

I highly recommend this story if you love good stories. If not, then you probably found my site by accident :)

Excerpt (from "Day Ten"...)

The girl strained and cried out, and it took everything Annie had to keep her upright. Felipe and the midwife swapped positions with every contraction, taking turns at easing the infant into the world. But with every push, Felipe’s face darkened and the midwife’s voice grew shriller as she half cried, half encouraged her daughter. 
Annie had no idea how long it had been since they’d arrived in this dim hut, but every second that passed with those arms and legs dangling outside the womb made her heart ache.
In a rare moment between contractions, Felipe and the midwife began arguing. They pointed and stomped and shook their hands as the words flew between them.
Angela sagged in Annie’s arms, pale and sweaty.
“What’s going on?” Annie asked.
For a moment, the arguing stopped and they both stared silently at Annie.
The girl’s mother pointed and nodded at her, shrieking in Spanish, but Annie didn’t understand a word of it.
Felipe held up a hand. “We are having some trouble delivering the baby’s head.”
The midwife yelled and pointed again, and before Annie could ask what she was saying, the woman stood and nudged her out of the way with her rotund mid-section. She looped her arms through Angela’s and took the girl’s weight. 
Annie stumbled, her muscles too tired to change position. She squeaked to something that resembled standing, but her back refused to straighten. Felipe looked at her, eyes flashing with fear.
“We need you to deliver the baby,” he said.

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I'm telling you, this scene will stay with you for a long time! Don't eat Nutella when you're on this chapter! Just a fair warning :)

The Blurb:

For Annie London, a month in a Central American rainforest means handing out mosquito nets, giving medical aid, and teaching children about the birds and the bees. With any luck, it will also land her application in the “accepted” pile at a top tier medical school. But as soon as she steps off the plane, Annie realizes her bug spray, feeble Spanish, and medical supplies won’t help her deal with her new feelings for Felipe—her best friend's older brother, who's much hotter than she remembers, and who also happens to be the doctor in charge of the trip.

Gawking “volun-tourists” may keep his family’s medical clinic afloat, but Dr. Felipe Gutierrez doesn’t have to like them. Or the way they make snap judgments about his practice and the people he cares for. But when his old crush, Annie, shows up to volunteer, her killer curves and kind smile fan the embers of a flame Felipe didn’t realize he’d been carrying. A flame that makes him question all his preconceived notions.

As ideas and cultures clash, Annie and Felipe must decide how far outside their comfort zones they are willing to go—both for their work and for one another.

Buy Links:    

Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

Author Info

Amanda Heger is a writer, attorney, and bookworm. She lives in the Midwest with three unruly rescue dogs and a husband who encourages her delusions of grandeur.

Her debut romance, Without Borders, is forthcoming from Diversion Books. The story was inspired by the summer Amanda spent in rural Nicaragua, eating gallo pinto, speaking mangled Spanish, and showing high school students how to slide condoms onto over-sized plantains.

Her stories are represented by Jessica Watterson of the Dijkstra Literary Agency.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads 

My Review

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REVIEW: DELAYED PENALTY by Sophia Henry

Body Check!

There are no penalties in this debut novel by Sophia Henry. This fun, fantastic book came out on September 1st, 2015. I've been patiently waiting my turn to review and promote a great book in a new series!

The Blurb

She closed her heart long ago. He just wants to open her mind. For fans of Toni Aleo and Sawyer Bennett, the debut of Sophia Henry’s red-hot Detroit Pilots series introduces a hockey team full of complicated men who fight for love.

Auden Berezin is used to losing people: her father, her mother, her first love. Now, just when she believes those childhood wounds are finally healing, she loses something else: the soccer scholarship that was her ticket to college. Scrambling to earn tuition money, she’s relieved to find a gig translating for a Russian minor-league hockey player—until she realizes that he’s the same dangerously sexy jerk who propositioned her at the bar the night before.

Equal parts muscle and scar tissue, Aleksandr Varenkov knows about trauma. Maybe that’s what draws him to Auden. He also lost his family too young, and he channeled the pain into his passions: first hockey, then vodka and women. But all that seems to just melt away the instant he kisses Auden and feels a jolt of desire as sudden and surprising as a hard check on the ice.

After everything she’s been through, Auden can’t bring herself to trust any man, let alone a hot-headed puck jockey with a bad reputation. Aleksandr just hopes she’ll give him a chance—long enough to prove he’s finally met the one who makes him want to change.

My Review

I have a soft spot for sports fiction. But I’m often hesitant because sometimes the sport aspect takes center stage — that becomes the plot of the story and not the relationship. No need to worry about that with Delayed Penalty. In fact, don’t worry if you don’t know much about hockey, because the focus of this story is on two flawed, but very redeemable people who you want to see make it. 

Auden is a college student whose just trying to make it in life. Enter Aleksandr, the Russian hockey player that is the stereotypical alpha male… only that he is not. He comes across that way initially, which is why Auden could care less for him. She is his translator…and that’s it. Until he becomes more than that. As she gets to know him, the dynamic chemistry between them unveils a relationship that i both sweet and searing.

Sophia Henry renders her characters with a sculptor’s touch. She gives just enough detail, allowing the reader to fill in the rest—making the characters that much more relatable. Their budding romance is refreshing. The story isn’t about the intimacy — it’s not about a play by play — it’s about learning something about human nature and how people who are damaged—flawed--can find completion from the most improbable partner.

As a side note, I loved the little details of the Russian culture. I learned things and in some cases recognized them as traditions that were assimilated into my culture. The authenticity of these details added color to the world Henry created.

Highly recommended. Looking forward to more from this author.

Buy Links:   Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Author Info

Sophia Henry, a proud Detroit native, fell in love with reading, writing, and hockey all before she became a teenager. She did not, however, fall in love with snow. So after graduating with an English degree from Central Michigan University, she moved to North Carolina, where she spends her time writing books featuring hockey-playing heroes, chasing her two high-energy sons, watching her beloved Detroit Red Wings, and rocking out at concerts with her husband.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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