Blog Tour Stop and Review: Now and Then by Brenda Rothert

Now and Then (Now #1)
by Brenda Rothert
Release Date: 08/04/13

Summary from Goodreads:

Now Emmaline Carson is a sharp, settled graphic designer who loves painting, cooking and girls’ night out with her older sister Layla. But then – in the years before she went to art school in Paris – she was a shy, awkward teenager with frizzy hair, a flat chest and a massive crush on the boy across the street, Cole Marlowe. Too bad her incredibly hot neighbor only had eyes for Layla.
Cole is now a confident, laid-back attorney who’s even hotter than he used to be. He’s planning to stay single while working his way up the corporate ladder – until he’s knocked off course by a chance run-in with Emma.
Everything is different between Cole and Emma now. He finally sees her in a way she only dreamed of, and their hot chemistry is fueled by a growing friendship. But Emma’s deception of her sister – who wants Cole for herself – and the secret Cole’s been keeping for more than a decade threaten to tear apart what’s only just begun. Because sometimes the only thing standing in the way of now is then.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18210731-now-and-then?ac=1

Link to blog tour schedule: http://yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/2013/08/blog-tour-sign-up-now-and-then-by.html

Buy Links:
http://www.amazon.com/Now-Then-Series-ebook/dp/B00EC197UC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375991430&sr=8-1&keywords=now+and+then+brenda+rothert

About the Author
Brenda Rothert lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three sons. She was a daily print journalist for nine years, during which time she enjoyed writing a wide range of stories. These days Brenda writes New Adult Romance in the Contemporary and Dystopian genres.

Author Links:
http://www.brendarothert.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7010859.Brenda_Rothert
https://twitter.com/BrendaRothert
https://www.facebook.com/brenda.hastyrothert/about

My Review:

This was a very sweet and emotional love story. I not only liked the romance between Emma and Cole, but the depiction of sibling rivalry. Emma and Layla have a complicated relationship and I felt for Emma as Cole put more strain on their already tumultuous relationship.

Emma was sympathetic at the start: growing up she was always in her sister’s shadow and harbored a secret crush on her neighbor Cole. You could see why she fell for Cole, he genuinely came across as a nice guy and the sexy scenes were very hot. Layla is high maintenance and has a thing for Cole, so Emma keeps their relationship a secret.

I love underdog love stories so this one really touched my heart. Emma made some downright stupid choices though and it made me want to shake her. I really enjoyed seeing the Emma of “now” and “then” and thought it was a great way to build character development.

If you love contemporary romances, I would definitely recommend Now and Then. It wasn’t merely a fluff read and really explored the complexities of relationships between sisters.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

I received this book as part of the Now and Then blog tour.

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