Untellable by Suzanne Lilly - Review tour and giveaway

This review is done in conjunction with the author's tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. Suzanne will be awarding a backlist eBook (winner's choice of Shades of the Future, Bad Hair Day, or Rapunzel's Daughters) to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so leave a comment and you're entered! If you want more chances to win, visit the rest of her tour stops here.

Untellable by Suzanne Lilly
Contemporary New Adult Romance
129 pages
5 stars

Aspen Dwyer, recently emancipated from foster care, is searching for a place to hide from a past with secrets too dark to share. Honey Creek, Ohio, presents itself as the best place to start a new life and stay undercover. There she meets Colton Moraine, a man with strong family ties and an even stronger sense of loyalty. His boisterous, loving family welcomes Aspen with warmth she hasn’t felt in years. She’s surprised at how quickly and deeply she falls for Colton. When a dangerous criminal comes to Honey Creek, intent on his revenge against her, Aspen must choose between two options. Should she stay and risk her life and the rejection of the people she’s grown to love? Or should she run again, and leave behind any chance of a happy future?

My Review: I've never read anything by Suzanne Lilly before this story, but after enjoying Untellable, I'm planning on rectifying that mistake. She's written a truly amazing story, populated by real characters I truly cared about.

Untellable is part of a series set in Honey Creek.  The series appears to be written by many different authors, but I'm so intrigued by, and in love with all the characters, I'm sorely tempted to pick them all up.  If they're half as good as this book, I'll enjoy every word.

Aspen is our heroine, a former foster child on her own and hiding out from her father (who is not a nice man).  While he's in jail at the start of this story, it's clear it won't be that way forever.  She's determined to make a new start in a tiny, nowhere town and equally determined to keep from letting anyone close to her again.  But, in Honey Creek, that's not an easy thing to do.  Like any small town, everyone is in everyone else's business!

Colton is a hunky fireman who likes Aspen from the moment he meets her.  He's fun, caring and doesn't take no for an answer.  While he's certainly not perfect, he is a perfect hero for Aspen.

The plot is mainly about Aspen coming out her shell and finding herself (and the courage to stand up to the man she fears).  She grows as a person, and she learns that it might be scary to fall in love, but it's not always dangerous to do so.

The story had me smiling all the way through.  It's sweet, touching, a bit scary and nerve-wracking and ultimately satisfying.  The romance is sweet, and this is a book that could be read and enjoyed by readers from the mid-teens on up.

Now enjoy an excerpt:

I hoofed it to Java City, arriving before Margot. I ordered coffee for both of us and set it on the table. My leg bounced up and down uncontrollably while I played with my locket and waited for Margot to show up.

“Nice hairdo,” Margot commented, dry as toast. I’d forgotten about the French Twist.

“Grandma Millie and I were sort of playing dress up. She did my hair and said I look like someone named Grace Kelly.”

“Hmm. I can see that.” Margot eyed me. “Do some research on Grace Kelly. I think you’ll see what she’s talking about.”

“Grandma comes up with something new every time I talk to her. She’s never dull.” I was bursting to tell Margot about the coin.

“You know, being there for her every week means more than you realize,” Margot assured me. “You listen to her. Your presence helps her, even if she sometimes seems confused.”

“I hope you’re right. Some days she totally has it together, and other days, I’m not so sure. Today was a good day.” I took a sip of coffee, smiling at Margot over the lip of the cup.

She waited. She had saintly patience. Finally, her patience ran out. “All right, Aspen, out with it. You look like the cat that caught the goldfish. What’s up?”

“Grandma gave me something today.” I leaned in and whispered, a mirror of what Grandma Millie had done with me. “A family heirloom.”

“Oh? Why are we whispering?” Margot leaned toward me. “What is it?”

“A coin.” I paused. “A very rare coin. I think this is what Rick and Mom were fighting about the night he murdered her.”

Suzanne Lilly writes lighthearted young adult stories with a splash of suspense, a flash of the unexplained, a dash of romance, and always a happy ending. Her short stories have appeared in numerous places online and in print, and she has placed and received honorable mentions in writing contests. Her debut novel was Shades of the Future in 2011 followed by Untellable in 2012. She lives in Northern California where she reads, writes, cooks, swims, and teaches elementary students.

You may find Suzanne Lilly online at these sites:

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Suzanne-Lilly/e/B006HY79IY
Website: http://www.suzannelilly.com
Blog: http://www.teacherwriter.net
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/SuzanneLillyAuthor
Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5258804.Suzanne_Lilly
Twitter: @suzannelilly http://twitter.com/suzannelilly

Buy links:
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/289280

Turquoise Morning Press: http://www.turquoisemorningpressbookstore.com/products/untellable-by-suzanne-lilly

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Untellable-Honey-Creek-Books-ebook/dp/B00BKTAXHK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361796979&sr=8-1&keywords=untellable+by+suzanne+lilly

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/untellable-suzanne-lilly/1114700545?ean=2940016203263