BLOG TOUR STOP: Can’t Go Without by Angelisa Stone: Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway

“What’s the one thing you can’t go without?”

Tristan O’Donnell has money, women, and all the luxuries that cold hard cash can buy. Tristan’s been sucking sunshine right from the monogrammed silver spoon his life was served up on since the day he was born. And quite frankly, he wouldn’t want it any other way. He’s his mother’s pride and joy, his father’s right-hand-man, and the envy of every guy around. All Tristan has to do is flash his million dollar smile, give his trademark wink, and he gets what he wants, when he wants, anytime he wants.

Leah Franchetti grinds her fingers to the bone; sculpting, painting, recreating treasures from trash—the very sentiment that defines her life. Her inventive, vindictive, lucrative, and seemingly unforgivable plan allowed her to shortcut her way into the life she always imagined, owning an art gallery, surrounding herself in the comfort of her passion and dreams.

When circumstances force Leah and Tristan to come face-to-face with the past and with Leah’s devious manipulation, truths come flooding forth, destroying those in the present and possibly jeopardizing both of their highly anticipated futures.

Can Tristan overcome Leah’s slander and deception—despite how dangerously close he comes to losing the one thing he can’t go without—money? Will Leah be forced to come clean, knowing she’ll have to live her life with the one thing she can’t go without—her dignity?

This novel is for mature readers only due to language and sexual content.

***ARC was provided by author in exchange for an honest review***

When readers met Tristan in Can’t Go Home, strong feelings of hatred were instantaneous for most. Tristan is the epitome of what’s wrong with rich men. He flaunts his money, his good looks, and he has zero respect for women…at least that’s the façade/role he’s played for the past three years. But just like there was more than meets the eye with his younger brother Adrian (Dre) in book one, there’s definitely a different person underneath Tristan’s mask of recklessness and debauchery.

“It’s no secret. I love money. I fucking adore the shit. Can’t live without it—would never consider living without it. It’s too damn wonderful.”

Tristan’s life is controlled by money; his father has made him that way. It’s how his father solves all of his own problems as well as those of his children. It makes total sense that Tristan sees it as something he can’t live without because he’s never been shown what’s really worth not going without…at one time, Leah Franchetti could have been someone he couldn’t live without, but lies and blackmail destroyed any chance of that happening or did it? What happens when hard truths are revealed and old feelings are brought back? Can two people learn that perhaps the only thing they can’t leave without is each other?

Let me start out by saying that I loved Adrian (Dre) in book one…he knew the life he once lived was not the life he needed to live, so he did something about it. He was a fabulous hero, and I’m so glad he was brought back in to book 2. That being said, there’s just something about Tristan…don’t get me wrong…at the beginning, I thought he was a total asshat. The way he treats women and the bullshit that comes out of his mouth is cringe worthy, but those types of actions usually speak to deep rooted torment and boy is he tormented. Just like Piper, I knew at the heart of Tristan was a man who just wanted to be loved and looked at with respect. He thought he had that with Leah, at least for that one night together, but then everything changed when he walked away, and she took her bitterness and made him pay.

I love that readers get to see the two-three years ago Tristan…the current deplorable Tristan as well as the Tristan that is slowly starting to change with the help of his siblings and Leah. That’s what every reader wants from a story – a main character who they can watch grow and change.

“’I can walk away and turn my back on a lot in life, but Leah, you are the one thing, the only person in this world that I can’t—absolutely cannot—go without.’”

Leah’s life has been just as bad as Tristan’s, but in different ways. Tristan has absentee parents…a philandering father and a stepford wife mother. Their lack of care and negative examples has molded Tristan into the man he is. Leah’s mother dying shaped who Leah is. She lost her rock and her passion, and for a long time, she acted out and turned into someone she couldn’t recognize nor wanted to be; she definitely rectified her mistakes, but the one she regrets the most is what she did to Tristan, but she doesn’t know how to make amends…she doesn’t know how to get back the one person she can’t/doesnt’ want to live without.

Can’t Go Without is an amazing story of forgiveness and self-discovery. It’s about second chances and making amends. Tristan and Leah’s struggles are real, and Angelisa Stone does a fantastic job of keeping the storyline realistic and interesting. There’s witty banter, sexy scenes, and heartfelt interactions that make this text a must read!

Anything worth having is not easy…if it’s something or someone you can’t go without then you better make sure you do everything you can to hold on!

5 poison apples

“Tristan! This is serious! I worked my ass off for this company and one of your whores is going to end up owning it one of these days! I can’t–”

“Fine, I’ll send her some flowers, take her to dinner, let her suck me off again, and it’ll all be good,” I promise, sliding my tie off as I grab my gym bag, ignoring the increasing anger emanating from my father.

“You don’t understand. I’m done. You’re done,” my dad says as he walks over to my laptop, closes it, and yanks it from the charging station. “I can’t keep cleaning up your messes, kid. It’s getting old—real fast.”

“Oh so what? You’re ‘letting me go,’ Dad? Should I clean out my desk and turn in my employee badge and keys?” I laugh, grabbing two water bottles from the mini bar in the corner of my office. “I told you; I’ll handle it. Gabi won’t sue. Amber won’t either,” I add.

Walking over to my dad, I hand him a water bottle and say, “None of these bitches are gonna sue. They just want some validation. They want to believe they’re not really the whores that they’re acting like. I’ll take care of it.”

“You don’t get it. I want you to take some time off. Resign your position—for now. Maybe, I’ll bring you back when you can keep it in your pants and when you realize that this isn’t all a game, Tristan.”

Who is Angelisa Stone?

Angelisa Stone is a typical Midwestern wife and mom, frazzled by parenting and housework, and overwhelmed with sports schedules, doctor appointments, and three-dimensional creative projects due “tomorrow morning.” Stone dreams of white sandy beaches, clear-blue waters, and Midori coladas in hand, but realizes that her loving husband and four not-so-perfect children are her real dreams-come-true. Writing and reading are her passions, and she hopes (and prays with her fingers tightly crossed) that readers will find enjoyment and escape through her words and characters. Stone’s first novel, Can’t Go Home, is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble now.

Email Angelisa for fun chatter and banter, giggles and chuckles: angelisaauthor@gmail.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cant-Go-Without-Oasis-Waterfall-ebook/dp/B00IQ8Z8MS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1393946288&sr=1-1&keywords=can%27t+go+without

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cant-go-without-angelisa-stone/1118837210?ean=2940149303311