*Renamed LOVE NOTES*

 

 

Living Out Loud
by Staci Hart

 

Released – February 1, 2018

 

Available now!!
Amazon | Paperback

 

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Blurb

When Annie Daschle arrives in New York City, the only thing she can control is her list.

Not her father’s death or the loss of her home. Not the hole in her heart or the defective valve that’s dictated so much of her life. But she can put pen to paper to make a list of all the ways she can live out loud, just like her dad would have wanted.

See the city from the top of the Empire State Building: Check.
Eat hot dogs on the steps of The Met: Check.
Stand in the middle of Times Square: Check.
Get a job at Wasted Words: Check.

Two things not on her list: Greg Brandon and Will Bailey. And just like that, she finds herself caught in the middle of something she can’t find her way out of, with no clear answers and no rules.

List or no list, she realizes she can’t control anything at all, not even her heart.

Not the decisions it makes, and not the moment it stops.

*Standalone contemporary romance Inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.*

Find Living Out Loud on GOODREADS 

 

 

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Review

5 stars!

With a heart condition preventing her from truly living, Annie only experiences adventures through books, pictures, and the internet, and she is missing out. After her father passes she vows that she will change, that she will live life to the fullest starting with the move to NYC.

LIVING OUT LOUD—or Things Annie Daschle Has Never Done and Is Ready to Do Already
1) Get a job. A real job with a paycheck and coworkers and maybe even benefits.
2) See falling snow.
3) Make a snowman.
4) Have a picnic in Central Park.
5) Get a tattoo.
6) Meet a boy,
7) Who will take me on a real date,
8) And kiss me.
9) *And maybe be my boyfriend.

I loved this book! It’s one of the sweetest, most heartwarming, delightful stories I have read. A gorgeous journey of self-discovery while finding love along the way, I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.

Annie is adorable. She honestly couldn’t be any cuter. She is sweet, optimistic, and has dreams she is determined to make a reality. I loved her a vibrant personality and her exuberance for trying new things. She makes the reader look at things in a fresh light and she doesn’t take anything for granted. She wants to experience everything she has missed, including finding true love.

“I think to love is to burn, and I want to set my heart on fire.”

When Greg meets Annie, there is an immediate and unexpected spark but Annie is young and, therefore, considered off limits to Greg.

She was figuring out who she was, who she would become, and I had done that ten years ago. She was experiencing life for the first time; everything was speeding up for her while I found myself slowing down.

No matter how hard he tries though, Greg is unable to walk away. He knows Annie is special and being the true gentleman that he is, he is patient, kind, and selfless when it comes to her. Charming, romantic, sweet, and swoony, I loved watching him help Annie cross off things on her list. His feelings were believable and I felt the conflict Greg was going through as he fell for Annie. I loved when he realized the impact she had on him.

Before today, I could tell myself it was attraction, pheromones, science. I could tell myself she was too young, that we were too different. But the truth was that none of those things mattered. There were roots—I could feel them working their way through me. They weren’t superficial, spreading out under the surface; they were the kind of roots you could never excavate, the kind that became a part of all they touched in the most permanent way.

I felt the magic between Greg and Annie and I was rooting for them from the moment they literally bumped into each other. Their friendship put a smile on my face and things seemed to be going in the right direction as they spend time together. Then Greg and Anne hit a major bump in the road and it tore my heart up. Annie’s actions frustrated me but I know sometimes people need to make mistakes to grow as a person. I couldn’t fault her when she made the choices she did because of the place she was in her life. Her naivety didn’t bother me because she was young and inexperienced, and she had to learn things on her own as she discovers who she is. And when Annie and Greg finally come together after the heartache they face, it is perfect.

“Not all love is loud and assuming. Sometimes it’s silent, especially when it puts someone else’s happiness above its own.”

I loved this book and cannot wait for more. I am so excited for The Sound of Silence, the next book in the Austen series featuring Annie’s sister, Elle.

*ARC generously provided by the author*

 

 

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The Austen Series

 

 

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About the Author

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

 

 

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