Low Over High (The Over Duet #1)
Cover Design: DCP Designs
Release Date: November 14, 2016
Synopsis
I fancy myself a purveyor of truth, a sifter of lies, a cutter of bullshit. It’s not a gift, but rather, all skill, honed to a razor’s edge after one too many trips down the rabbit hole.Some may dismiss my talent as misplaced and misguided cynicism, but they’d be wrong. Cliches about hope and faith in mankind are concocted unicorn farts, an effort to keep the dreamers dreaming. Experiences don’t lie—people do.
While I’m not proud of the circumstances that led me to this way of thinking, I respect the journey. The road to enlightenment can be dark and foreboding, but the destination makes it all worthwhile.
But funny thing about the past—it’s a defiant child refusing to stay in time out. No matter how deeply buried, it can always pop up when least expected, and sink its fucking claws into the flesh of your heart. No, not my heart—I no longer have one. I foolishly gave it away years ago, but I still feel the ripping in my chest as I fist the crumpled note left on my porch.
I’ve avoided this day, ran from it, for the past eight years.
And still we meet again.
But to truly understand … to feel my dread and fear my future as I do, it’s important to know what happened in my past.
Or who…
My name is Marlo Rivers, and this is my story of corrupted love.
4 Stars
Review by Lisa Kane
Marlo "Low" Rivers is leaving China, Texas and moving to New Orleans. She's spending her senior year in high school at the Orleans Academy in New Orleans courtesy of her mother Evelyn. She hasn't been in Low's life since she skipped out on her and her brother Declan when she was three. Low's grandmother helped raise her along with her dad.
Low's excited to start a new life. She's lucked out with roommates. Delilah is outgoing and gorgeous and Charlotte is serious and a bit bossy. But she knows a good person when she sees one. She tries to push her way onto Low at their first meeting, by setting ground rules she better follow. She chose the wrong person...
Yeah, I'm not gonna do that.
"I'll probably be asleep by 10:30 most nights anyway, but this isn't camp or prison, so I won't commit to that. I've always been a loner when it comes to studying, so I'll probably blow out of your study session. But I won't be leaving the room," I say, then scan the room in much the same way Charlotte did only seconds ago. "Other than that, don't screw with my clothes and makeup. Got it?"
She likes to go to the market in town and she meets Everett "Ever" Montgomery and Remy Rodrigue. At first Ever, who's moody and deep anyway, wasn't a big fan of Low's but Remy-I don't trust this guy.
Sometimes I feel as if Remy is on Ever's side, and other times, I feel like he's patiently waiting for the crash and burn.
Ever and Low get close, but he has so many secrets that keep hurting Low. I liked him but wasn't sure how sincere he was as far as she's concerned. But then the floor falls out from under his feet and things quickly spiral out of control.
There's a lot of drug use in this story.
"Sorry, I'm just trying to help. Getting high always takes away some of the load when life gets too shitty. I thought you might need to get away from it all."
"I guess that's where you and I differ. I want to fly. You want to forget,"she chuckles and bumps my shoulder. "Weed is just fun for me, nothing more. I'm not in the mood for that tonight."
Remy is more than happy to provide a shoulder to cry on-what's going on with this guy? Low is trying to deal with her mother, (why does she suddenly want to get to know her daughter after all these years?) Ever's confusing, hurtful behavior and then things really go wrong.
How can Low pick herself up? Years go by, life changes for Low and then when her life is boringly predictable her past finds her. Stay tuned for the second part of this duet. Hurry up January!
"You can't help someone until they're willing to accept it."
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Purchase Links
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2fWZYdH
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2eZuZsn
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2fiTh3z
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2fInplJ
Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card
Excerpt
Kissing Ever is like breaking the surface of the ocean. Legs kicking, arms flailing, and then that precious moment when air rushes into your lungs, giving you the one thing you need the most. Yeah, kissing Ever is just like that.When his teeth lightly tug on my bottom lip, he owns me. I swear, my shirt almost flies off of its own accord.
Of course, I keep my cool despite his lovely lips … sort of. His tongue slides gently against mine, and I inch closer to him. He pulls away to taste my upper lip, and I grip his shirt with both hands. Maybe my hands slide under the shirt to touch his hot skin, but only an inch or two. When he lets out a long sigh, and his fingers brush the sides of my cheeks just so, I slide my legs between his. I want to pull his ribs loose and burrow deep inside of him, and even then, I’m not sure if it’s close enough.
He slows the kiss, still tasting me, sucking my lips, teasing me with his tongue. When I open my eyes, he’s right there with me, hazy eyes and parted lips. I run a hesitant finger over the freckles on his nose, and he runs his thumb across my swollen mouth. I finger his hair, tugging playfully, and he kisses my dimple, poking me with his tongue.
We explore each other slowly, thoroughly, and my thumb runs over his stomach to the thin line of hair trailing below his belly button. He shivers, and I swear the bulge pushing into the back of my thigh isn’t a banana in his pocket. It makes me feel powerful—that I can turn him on that way. This is the first time I can remember wanting that power. Boy’s erections were always a nuisance to me in the past.
He doesn’t expect me to do something with that, does he? Nuh-uh.
Let me be clear, those are not the thoughts running through my mind as I bend my knee and push my thigh more firmly into Ever’s hard-on. Not even close.
His hips raise to my pressure, and he drops his forehead to mine with a long sigh.
“I knew kissing you would be good, Low, but that was … I don’t know what that was,” he says with a chuckle, stealing another kiss.
“We should try it again. You know, figure it out.”
And we do.
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About the Author
J.A. DeRouen lives in South Louisiana with her husband, son (aptly named "The Professor), and her furry friend, Scout. She holds bachelor's degrees in psychology and nursing.
When she's not writing or inhaling romance novels by the stack, she works as a women's health nurse. She's been an avid reader and daydreamer since childhood, and she's never stopped turning the page to get to the next happily ever after.
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