Blog Tour: Life, Interrupted by Kristen Kehoe

Rachel Reynolds isn't running from her past, but she wouldn't mind if it stopped chasing her, either. A senior in high school getting ready to graduate, Rachel is trying to look ahead toward her future, while forgetting the one night two years ago that set events in motion which altered the course of her entire life. Part of the future she's looking for includes falling out of love with her best friend, an act she seems incapable of, especially when it appears he might just love her, too. As Rachel tries to find her footing in a relationship that has baggage before it starts, a nightmare from her past reappears, upsetting the tenuous balance of Rachel's life and threatening the one person she loves most.

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MY REVIEW: Life Interrupted is the story of a highschool girl trying to find her way through every day life after a drunken fumble left her a teen mom.

Rachel, a senior, is getting ready to graduate. She'll be the only graduate with a toddler but since Gracie was born she's managed to balance school, work, and Gracie. Although it doesn't leave her much time for herself, she's a good mom, sister and daughter. She's also the girl in love with her best friend.

Tripp has always love Rachel but at 16 he was unsure of what to do with those feelings, at 18 all he wants to do is prove to Rachel he's the guy for her.

With everything going on with her life, will she ever be able to accept that Tripp wants both her and Gracie in his life - for good?

Life Interrupted is a fantastic book about coming of age, teenage pregnancy and the balance between school and motherhood. I loved both main characters - Tripp and Rachel - although I wish there would have been a bit more interaction with Tripp and Gracie. Tripp is your average guy but with good looks and some serious skills with a basketball. He's always been there for Rachel - and Gracie - when she needs him. Rachel made a drunken mistake but Gracie is the best part of her and she stepped up to take care of her and be the mom that Gracie needs all while balancing school, work, and volleyball. Rachel's determination and motivation is to be commended. Even when Rachel doesn't know what to do (what first time parents know everything?) she knows she needs to be there for Grace and love her which is the most important thing. I thought their interactions were pretty sweet. 

The relationship between Rachel and Tripp seemed to be a long time in the making and I kept waiting for it to happen. I thought Rachel and Tripp's pairing was a good one. They seemed to be pretty much made for one another. Their friendship had been through a lot but in the end that friendship made their romantic relationship that much stronger.

All in all I was so glad I read Life Interrupted. Once I picked up the book I could not put it down. I had the book read in no time and felt like a part of the book myself. Life Interrupted is definitely an incredible read and I recommend it along with giving it the 5 stars it deserves! 

EXCERPT: I’m ten minutes late dropping Gracie off and goddammit if I’ll admit one more time that I’m nervous and therefore couldn’t pick a fucking shirt.  Halfway through my wardrobe (and I do mean halfway), I realized that everything I own is either a t-shirt or a sweatshirt or some sort of workout shirt.  And most of those have suspicious looking stains on them.  Digging further to the back, I was sure there must be something somewhat appropriate to wear on a date from my pre-pregnancy days.  When I found that this was not the case, I sat dumbfounded for ten minutes.  What the hell did I do before I had Gracie? Even more puzzling, how the eff did I getpregnant with Gracie?

Booze.  Lots and lots of booze. Right, mental note: stay sober. Gracie doesn’t need a brother.

Since no matter how long I stared, ranted, or threw clothing around my room nothing new appeared, I finally yanked on a black razor back tank and a jean jacket with a pair of black skinny jeans and my Chuck Taylors.  Katie is no doubt going to kill me.

At this point, I might beat her to it.

Jerking the Explorer to a stop in Tripp’s driveway, I can’t help but laugh as Gracie giggles at the lurching motion.  I unbuckle her, talking the whole time because like the tantrum with the clothes, I can’t seem to calm myself enough to breathe.  I’m panting when I reach the door, not just from carting Gracie and all of her things, but from babbling like an idiot.

Just as I force myself to stop, to take a deep breath and chill the hell out, the door opens and Tripp is standing on the other side.  Shirtless.  And sweaty.  He smiles and it spreads across his face, reaching his eyes last as he scans me in a very thorough once over.

Sweet baby Jesus, there goes my breath again.

While I stand there and stare at him like an idiot, he takes his time staring right back at me.  Heat spreads up and over me as his eyes roam down and pause on my legs (that’s right, the one thing I have that Lovely Lauren doesn’t) and I suck in a breath.   It might as well be his hands the way I’m tingling.  When his eyes travel just as slowly back up, I’m aware that in the background Gracie is reaching for him, garbling out her version of his name as I continue to stand still as a statue with her on my hip and my eyes on him.

“Hey, Rachel.” I nod at him, not sure my voice is working.  Pull it together, Rae, don’t let him know you’re affected.  I’m just about to say something—I have no idea what since my breath is still clogged in my lungs and the sight of that deep v that reaches the waistband of his shorts up close has dried up all of the moisture in my mouth—when he speaks again and ruins the moment.  “Nice shoes.”

Dickhead.  
I’m broken out of my worshipful gaze and brought back down to Earth with a thud as he takes Gracie and turns to walk away with a laugh.

About the Author:

Mom, Wife, Coffee Addict, and Book Lover

I am a writer of YA/NA contemporary novels.  I write about those crazy ages of 18-23 because there is nothing scarier than being told to grow up and decide what to do with your life and who to be so suddenly.  I write about love because it's my belief that love, in one form or another, saves us all at some point in our lives.  I am married to a man who understands and believes in me, and mother to a beautiful baby girl and a neurotic Great Dane Puppy.

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