REVIEW and GIVEAWAY
Sleeping Tom
by E. V. Fairfall
Sleeping Tom is currently on tour with Xpresso Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my review, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
For another book by this author, please check out my blog post on Transformed, which is also a prize in the giveaway below.
Description
Hitchhiking is a bad idea but Caden is desperate.
When she accepts a ride from the first car to come by she meets Gabriel. He’s her age, hot, and the closest thing she has to a savior. Problem is, he is a total jerk. With nowhere to go, Caden convinces Gabriel to let her stay with him for one night. He reluctantly lends a couch.
That night Caden wakes up to strange noises. Concerned, she rushes into Gabriel’s room, already anticipating his bad temper. Instead, he’s kind, sweet, and suspiciously harmless - nothing like the man who gave her a ride. He seems like a different person altogether, and claims he is. By night he is Tom, and by day he is Gabriel. Caden finds herself drawn to the mysteries hidden in his eyes.
For Gabriel, Caden is an annoying mistake. One night turns into many, and despite all his anger towards her, she stays. She even seems to accept him and his flaws, but he still doesn’t trust her - is she staying for him, or has she already discovered more than he’s willing to share?
Excerpt
Gabriel tossed back the sheets on his bed and got up. Halfway down the stairs he froze. Black ribbons of hair draped off the side of his dirty party couch. It was Caden. He walked down the rest of the stairs and into the kitchen, eyeing her. The curves of her face were soft and pleasant, or something he couldn’t find a word for. He quickly turned away from her sleeping form and took out the coffee maker.
It was nearly two in the afternoon.
She hadn’t left.
Gabriel’s chest tightened at the thought of her staying, at the thought of wanting company.
He despised the feeling. Nothing good had ever come from other people. She would use him. She already was by overstaying her welcome.
Dark liquid streamed into the glass coffee pot. The smell drifted through the air with the warmth that normally accompanied a home. A home he’d never had and didn’t want.
He took down a mug, unintentionally gripping it tightly. His hand was shaking. He needed her gone. The last person he’d let into his life had made everything worse with her lies; he couldn’t handle that again.
He poured himself a cup, and with a swift movement he brought the steaming mug to his lips and took a gulp of bitter liquid. The heat surprised him, and he pulled back from it as if it had bitten him. Caden wasn’t even awake yet, and just being near her made him feel crazy, restless.
“I thought I told you to be gone in the morning. It’s nearly two in the afternoon.” He spoke loudly, not quite facing her.
Caden rotated slightly on the couch, her eyes opening only part of the way. She looked as tired as he felt.
“What?” she croaked.
“You heard me,” he snarled through clenched teeth, leaning over her body. “Why are you still here?” As he’d grown up, his parents had given free rent in one of their condos to anyone who would provide childcare for him. He supposed he’d always supplied a roof to strangers in one way or another.
“You asked me to stay.” Her voice echoed her helplessness and uncertainty.
“When?”
“Last night,” Caden said, rubbing her eyes.
Heat was rising in Gabriel. Pain and disappointment overwhelmed his senses. She was lying. Just like everyone he’d ever know. The force of his anger was like a wrecking ball in full swing.
Ceramic exploded against the wall, fragments flying across the room. He’d done that. The brown drips of coffee streaked down the white wall by the door. Gabriel looked at his empty shaking hand and clenched his fist tightly together.
“You’re lying,” he said as he looked down at her. This was her fault; if only she had just left like he told her to. But he didn’t want her to leave; that was the worst part. The tension came back, the numbness creeping in and propelling him forward. He couldn’t be near her, not now. The only thing he could do was leave. He walked briskly to the door before he changed his mind.
***
Caden watched the door tremble as it was slammed closed. Gabriel was gone.
“You asked me to stay,” she stammered the whisper, her heart pounding in her ears, but no one was there to hear it.
Praise for the Book
"This book really has lovely imagery, and I feel like a lot of teenagers will be able to relate to Caden. Caden is really put in a unique situation, and I was constantly thinking to myself, "what would I do?". Overall this was a fantastic read, and I'm looking forward to the release of the sequel immensely. Thank you E.V. for giving me the opportunity to read this book. Great work." ~ Amazon Customer
"I loved how dark some of the elements of this book are, especially since it's not something that I typically read. Each page had me wanting to continue reading to find out what was going to happen next. The relationships and situations do remain completely realistic, however. And while the ending will leave you satisfied, at least for now, there is a pretty major cliffhanger that will keep you anxiously waiting for the next book in the series to arrive." ~ Tiffany York
"This book was a fascinating read and keeps the reader intrigued and wanting to discover more about the two personalities and trust me will have the reader falling and like Caden for both of the guys. Not to give the ending away, I shall leave with the final tidbit - that readers, the last couple of chapters will have a twist and turn of events that will leave you going OMG." ~ Paula L. Phillips
"This book took me very much off guard, and I am so glad for having been swept away by a story of such genuine struggle and heartfelt innocence. This book provided me with more than I was expecting, and I'm glad I went out of my normal comfort zone to read this book." ~ Michelle
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
Rebecca leaves her abusive boyfriend Sean and decides to change her name to Caden, which is a combination of her first name (Rebecca) and her last name (Worden). Her aim is to change her personality as well - to leave the submissive Rebecca behind and embrace the new, more assertive Caden. While hitchhiking, she is picked up by the abrasive Gabriel who relents and lets her stay on his couch overnight. She is woken up in the middle of the night to find a boy who looks like Gabriel, but isn't Gabriel. Turns out Gabriel becomes sweet and playful Tom at night and, in the morning, he switches back to being mean and violent. Does he suffer from a multiple personality disorder? How did he come to be like this? Does he know what happens to him at night? And what is the significance of the iridescent butterfly both Gabriel and Tom seem so attached to? As Caden gets to know Gabriel better, her feelings for him grow, but while she thinks of Tom as a brother, her feelings for Gabriel are anything but. Will Caden be able to make him whole again? And what will happen to Tom if she succeeds?
This is a compulsively readable book. I found myself constantly wanting to get back to it. I love these characters; Caden/Rebecca, Tom/Gabriel, and even the secondary characters are extremely well-drawn. I wonder if Caden herself suffers from a dissociative personality disorder, as she increasingly refers to Rebecca in the third person. The story is rich and multi-layered. And the food descriptions are mouth-watering!
Be warned, this book ends on a massive cliffhanger but, on this occasion, I didn't mind. I can't wait for the next book, Waking Gabriel!
About the Author
I love to write just as much as I love to read. I try to read a book per week, which doesn't always work out, but it's the thought that counts. Aside from all that I am a huge animal person.
Transformed is my first novel, but it isn't my first publication; I've had several short stories published over the last two years. My main goal as a writer is to explore humanity and to give people something fun to read.
Giveaway
Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a tote bag or an ebook copy of Transformed by E. V. Fairfall (US only).
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