BLOG TOUR STOP: Friend is a Four Letter Word by Steph Campbell: Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway

 

Blurb:

They both have secrets…But whose past will catch up to them first?

Shayna Gillan is on a mission: start fresh in a new state without the small town gossip that has haunted her since her bad girl days of high school.

Carter MacPherson has long been the most together member of his crazy family—until now. With a secret threatening to crumble everything he’s worked for, he wishes he could forget the recent past, too.

The last thing Shayna and Carter are looking for is a relationship. It’s best to be alone while they sort out their issues.

Friends. That’s all they can ever be.

But even the best laid plans always have a flaw, and once Shayna and Carter cross the line between friendship and more, there’s no turning back…

The only question left is—whose past will catch up to them first?

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17792632-friend-is-a-four-letter-word

BUY LINKS

Amazon UK – http://ow.ly/sJESz

Amazon US – http://ow.ly/sJEYB

B&N – http://ow.ly/sJEz8

Kobo – http://ow.ly/sJEGv

REVIEW

***Arc was provided in exchange for an honest review***

Shayna was not an easy character to like in Grounding Quinn, so when I saw that Stephanie Campbell was writing Shayna’s story with Quinn’s brother, Carter, as the hero, I was worried that their connection wouldn’t work. But as I thought back to Carter’s struggles and the demons he kept hidden below the surface, so he could support Quinn, it made more sense to me.  Their issues are similar. Both Shayna and Carter are struggling to find where they fit in…where they won’t feel restless or want to run away.

Shayna and Carter’s relationship begins on Christmas Eve when they are helping Quinn reunite with Ben. While they aren’t completely honest with each other, Shayna is more open and real that night than she has ever been with anyone else. Their attraction is there, but Carter is not ready for anything because he is trying to work on himself first, so he leaves Shayna behind feeling rejected. That night only gets worse for her and a huge secret is exposed about her life that changes everything. From that night on, she becomes a persona – someone who her parents can be proud of, even though it is not really who she is. Through their months apart, Shayna and Carter stay in contact via text and a few phone conversations, but they never discuss their feelings and they both are hiding significant secrets.

Shayna feels stifled playing the role of the “good” daughter, so she decides she needs a break and travels across country to California as a way to discover her true self, but it’s also an attempt to see if what she and Carter have is beyond friendship. As Shayna and Carter move past friends, they both still have a lot of work to do to heal themselves, so it causes a bit of stress in their new relationship. As they struggle to find their way both separately and together, readers get to experience their journeys with them and cheer them on, hoping it all works out for them.

Overall, I really enjoyed Friend is a Four Letter Word. Personal growth and self discovery stories always resonant with me because everyone has experienced those growing pains and can relate to them. I did have a change of heart about Shayna as well because she definitely grew as a person once she fully accepted herself and found her place to belong. Where I struggle with this story is with the lack of depth. I wanted to see more about how Carter and Shayna healed themselves and their past. I wanted to know more about Shayna and all of the feelings she was going through and the reasons she acted out for so long. I felt like Shayna and Carter’s relationship only scratched the surface. I wanted to see how they grew as a couple by hearing their conversations and witnessing them opening up more to each other. I guess I just wanted more, which is never a bad thing, but in this case, it left me a bit deflated at the end because so much still felt unresolved. I would love to read more about these two – maybe in a novella??

3.5/4 poison apples

EXCERPT

I cringe at the mention of another guy with her even if it’s not my right to. She’s mentioned over the last few months going out and I never pry—it’s not my business, I have nothing to offer her, but damn it gets under my skin. I can’t count the number of nights I’ve laid awake at night wondering what she’s doing—if she’s with another man.

I guess I know a thing or two about keeping secrets.

“How many dates are we talking about?” I ask. I try to make it come off as a joke, but I don’t know if even the thick layer of sarcasm can hide the jealousy.

Shayna perks up a little and grins. “So many. Dull. Boring. Dates.”

She leans in closer again. I can feel her sweet breath on my face. All I can do is focus on that mouth.

“What are you doing?” I whisper, my words tangled in my throat.

“Does the just friend’s thing still apply?” she asks.

It’s still not the right time. I forced her to open up. Made her get emotional. I shouldn’t give in but dammit she’s so close. I can feel the heat radiating off of her warm skin.

“Shayna, are you sure you want to start something?”

She answers by running her tongue along my bottom lip. Teasing me. Torturing me. She parts her lips and I grip her sides and pull her onto my lap, crushing my mouth onto hers. Finally. I kiss her hard until I swear I’m tasting blood. She slides her tongue lightly on the roof of my mouth and I lose it.

Author Bio:

Steph Campbell grew up in Southern California, but now calls the Northeast home. She has one husband, four children and a serious nail polish obsession. She’s repped by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Steph’s works include Delicate, Grounding Quinn and Beautiful Things Never Last; My Heart for Yours and My Fate for Yours (with Jolene Perry); A Toast to the Good Times (with Liz Reinhardt) and the bestselling new adult LENGTHS series with Liz Reinhardt.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

https://www.facebook.com/stephcampbellauthor?ref=ts&fref=ts

http://stephcampbell.blogspot.co.uk/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2156112.Steph_Campbell

 

GIVEAWAY

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