Jessica Sorensen has definitely mastered the art of writing angst filled love stories and Nova and Quinton: No Regrets is no exception. Picking up after Saving Quinton (which is book #2 in the series after Breaking Nova) we get a whole lot more of Nova and Quinton's story, and it is definitely worth picking up.
Playing drums in a band and living with her best friends are just some of the highlights of Nova's life. But the best new development? Talking to Quinton on the phone each night. She wishes she could touch him, kiss him, though she knows he needs time to heal. Yet shocking news is on the way-a reminder of life's dark side-and Nova will need Quinton like he once needed her. Is he strong enough to take the final leap out of his broken past . . . and into Nova's heart?
“I have to tell
you something else, but it’s not good—it’s bad.” Before I can chicken out, I
hurry and sputter, “Someone gave me a bag of meth today and I have it
underneath my mattress.” As soon as I say it, I wonder why the hell I thought
this was a good idea, throwing this on her. I need to stop relying on her so
much—need to stand on my own two feet.
I’m about to
hang up, because really it’s the only choice, but then she says, “Did you do
any of it?”
“No.” My voice
shakes as I grip the side of the mattress and battle to breathe evenly.
“Do you want
to?” she asks calmly.
“Yes.” My voice
is full of desperation.
“Are you… are
you going to?” There’s a hint of worry in her tone.
“I’m not sure,”
I admit. “I want to, but I also want to throw it away.”
“Then throw it
away,” she says, as if it’s the easiest thing in the world to do.
“I don’t think I
can.” My hands quiver just at the thought of it and I rest my forehead on the
mattress, still on my knees “It feels fucking impossible.”
“Yes, you can.”
She sounds so certain and I have no idea how she’s doing it—managing to sound
so calm when I know she can’t be. “Just take it and dump it down the toilet.
You can do this. I know you can.”
“You have too
much faith in me,” I say, slipping my fingers between the bed and the mattress,
fighting the urge to hang up on her and turn to what’s only inches away from my
fingertips.
“No, I have the
right amount,” she replies. “Now let me know when you have it and you’re headed
to the bathroom. And don’t hang up on me.” It’s like she can read my mind.
I sit there
forever, going back and forth with what I want and need to do. At one point I
grab the bag of crystal and put it back. Then pull it out again and open it,
staring at the white crystals so close I can almost taste them. But I can also
hear Nova breathing on the other end. Soft and full of concern. Acting calm,
when I’m sure she’s freaking out. I want to throw them away just for her, but I
have to wonder if it’s possible to care for someone so much that I’d give this
up. Do I care for her that much?
After a lot of
deliberating, I come to one simple answer.
Yes. I care
about her that much.
I get to my feet
and make my way to the bathroom, not speaking. Then I lift up the toilet seat
and, shutting my eyes, I tip the bag over, pour the contents into the water,
and flush them down.
“Did you do it?”
Nova asks at the sound of the flushing.
I press my lips
together, resting back against the bathroom wall, realizing how sweaty I am and
how much I’m gasping for air. “I did.”
“See, I knew you
could do it,” she says with relief in her voice. “I knew you’d do the right
thing.”
The right thing?
Is that what I just did? Sometimes it feels like it is, but there are other
times when it feels like what I’m doing is so wrong and disrespectful to Lexi.
But through the right and wrong, there’s always one thing that gives me hope
and that’s Nova. She’s what keeps me going.
I am
yet to read a book by Jessica Sorensen that I haven’t really enjoyed. She manages to successfully weave love,
despair, hope and angst into her stories so artfully that they are a true
reflection of life. The final ‘chapter’
to Nova and Quinton’s story is no exception.
The two
have been through so much together and separately and their connection has
remained strong. In this book Quinton
heads home from rehab and starts to rebuild his life. Nova is key to his recovery and yet the two
are miles apart as he lives with his father in Seattle.
While
Nova is keen to re-connect with Quinton she doesn’t want to add any pressure to
his recovery. Initially, she relies on Tristan,
her roommate and Quinton’s cousin, for detail on Quinton. The two eventually connect over the phone and
soon become a regular and critical part of each others lives.
Quinton
struggles with his grief, his guilt and his addiction daily. Through it all there is one constant that he
looks to when things get tough: Nova.
And despite her own challenges and insecurities she manages to be
exactly what he needs her to be.
While
this was absolutely a story about both Nova and Quinton, for me it was very
much about Quinton’s recovery, his realisation that moving forward didn’t mean forgetting
those he once loved and his acceptance that he was worthy of happiness, love and
a future. There are some absolutely
beautiful moments where one character sets aside their own fear and gives selflessly
to the other. Underlying all of it is
the message that life is not easy, and ultimately you have the power to choose
- no matter how tough the decision may be.
While
this book concludes Nova and Quinton’s tale there is more to come in the series
in the form of Tristan’s story and I’m invested enough in him to be watching
closely for that to be released.
4 out
of 5 stars
Jessica Sorensen is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives with her husband and three kids in Idaho. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.
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Because music plays such an important part in the Nova series, and all of Jessica's books, the tour wide giveaway is offering a $25 iTunes gift card plus a collection of Jessica's print titles with signed bookplates: THE SECRET OF ELLA AND MICHA, THE TEMPTATION OF LILA AND ETHAN, THE COINCIDENCE OF CALLIE AND KAYDEN, THE REDEMPTION OF CALLIE AND KAYDEN, and NOVA AND QUINTON: NO REGRETS. The mini grand prize winner will receive a $25 iTunes gift card and a special print copy of NOVA AND QUINTON: NO REGRETS, and an additional 10 winners will receive a special print copy of NOVA AND QUINTON: NO REGRETS.
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