{Review, Interview & Giveaway} Tell Me When by Stina Lindenblatt

Tell Me When
by Stina Lindenblatt
Source: Provided by Publisher
Available as of January 20, 2014
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Amber Scott should be enjoying life as a college freshman. She should be pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She should be working hard to make sense of her precalculus math class.

She shouldn’t be waking up her college roommate with screaming nightmares. She shouldn’t be flashing back, reliving the three weeks of hell she barely survived last year. And she definitely shouldn’t be spending time with sexy player Marcus Reid.

But engineering student Marcus is the only one keeping Amber from failing her math course, so she grudgingly lets him into her life. She never expects the king of hookups will share his painful past. Or that she’ll tell him her secrets in return, opening up and trusting him in a way she thought she’d never be able to again.

When their fragile future together is threatened by a stalker Amber thought was locked away for good, Marcus is determined to protect her. And Amber is determined to protect Marcus…even if that means pushing him away.

Overall Rating

Review

When I received an email asking if I would like to review this book, I jumped at it. I wanted to know why this girl woke up screaming in the middle of the night and why she had the nightmares. The idea of this story intrigued me and I had to read it. Stina Lindenblatt did a wonderful job hooking me from page one.

The two main characters, Amber and Marcus, are social opposites. Amber is a shadow of herself and isn't easily trusting of anyone. While Marcus had a rough childhood and has turned into a womanizer because of what he went though. Anyone could see how Amber's trust in Marcus would be nonexistent, yet they become close in the time they spend together.

The story itself was fantastic. I didn't expect some of the things that occurred, but I also guessed a lot of the gory details. I loved that we got to see everything from not just Amber's side, but Marcus's as well because they both have wounds that are trying to heal and to understand why one of them does something is heavily dependent on where their mind is at. This story wouldn't be nearly the same if we only got to see it from one side. I also enjoyed the supporting characters, specifically Amber's roommate. She was such an annoying little she-demon, but we find out why towards the end.

There are two things that I can think of off the top of my head that bothered me with this book. First, Marcus gives Amber a nickname... Kitten. Being the huge booknerd that I am, I recognize this nickname from The Perfect Game by J. Sterling. I don't want to say that other books can't use or incorporate the same nicknames that are used in other stories, but the first time I saw "Kitten" while reading I automatically thought of Jack and Cassie. Second, after reading, I never really understood why the story was titled "Tell Me When." Normally you get the sense of why books are titled how they are while reading, but I still haven't figured it out.

Overall, Tell Me When was a quick read that kept me interested. My two little qualms are just personal issues that have nothing much to do with the stories content; therefore, it shouldn't deter someone from picking this book up. If you want to read a NA story that will keep you coming back for more, you've found it.

Interview
With Stina Lindenblatt

Pet Peeves? Everyone has them. Could you tell us about a few of yours?

When it comes to books, it drives me nuts when authors end the story on a cliffhanger. I don’t mean the kind of cliffhanger found in Catching Fire. At least the story problem was resolved before the cliffhanger ending. It’s the ones where you wonder if the author forgot to include the final pages of the book that annoy me.

Other pet peeves include leaving kitchen cupboard doors open. I don’t know what it is about them, but I always manage to hit my head on the doors. It also frustrates me when crossing the street at a pedestrian crossing and cars don’t stop. I mean, do they really think they’ll get to work quicker by hitting a pedestrian?

If you could choose to have any superpower, what would you want and why?

My superpower would be anything that would make cleaning my house super quick and super easy. But not only that. The house would be sparkly clean once I’m finished. Like most writers, I never seem to have enough time to clean the house. Deadlines come first. And what can I say? Running helps me when I’m stuck with a plot point. Cleaning toilets doesn’t have the same effect, though I wish it did.

If we were to take a look at your nightstand, what book would we find?

At this moment, I’m reading Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I’m like a Jodi Picoult virgin. Normally you’ll find a New Adult or edgy YA novel on my nightstand.

When you aren't writing what do you enjoy doing?

I love photography, especially the close-up variety, and I love to read. My newest hobby is checking out Pinterest. I mean, where else can you go and find hot guys, steamy romance, and cuddly kittens? It’s like a tiny patch of heaven all on the computer.

Name 3 things you always have with you when you are writing.

• Diet Dr. Pepper. I don’t drink coffee so this is my caffeine fix.

• My computer. Sometimes I use my PC and sometimes my MacBook Air. It depends what I’m doing.
• Scrivener. It’s an amazing software for writers that I can’t survive without.

Do you listen to music when you write? If so, can you name a few songs that were playing or inspired you while writing Tell Me When?

I wish I could listen to music while I write. Unfortunately I’m easily distracted. If I play songs, I only end up singing (badly) along with them.

Can you describe Tell Me When in 10 words or less?

It’s a sexy story about finding hope, forgiveness, and love.

Where did you get the idea for this book?

I remembered something I once read about stalking. College students are at the highest risk of being stalked than any other population (if you exclude celebrities and the paparazzi who stalk them). While in university, I had to deal with a stalker. Fortunately the outcome wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I researched the topic and decided to write about the life of the victim after the stalker is caught.

Are any of the characters based off of people you know?

There’s a bit of me in both Amber and Marcus, but probably more so with Marcus. He uses sex to deal with his emotional pain, much like I did in university. Other than that, unless it was subconscious, I didn’t base my characters off anyone I know.

Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

If you ever suspect you’re being stalked, take it seriously. Stalking can be emotionally traumatic and might end up becoming deadly for yourself or a loved one. If you’re in an abusive relationship, the abuser might add stalking to his list of faults and that too might lead to deadly consequences. Get help! Don’t become a statistic.

Giveaway

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