So a little synopsis of the book first:

Everything in Arabelle’s life is coming together. She has confidence, great friends, she’s even dating Naak, a wealthy Thai socialite. But there are too many models in Bangkok. Arabelle’s broke, she can’t find an agent in New York, and Naak isn’t as wonderful as he first appears. Slowly the Shadows creep back into Arabelle’s mind, bringing with them thoughts of hopelessness and despair. The vile Shadows know something Arabelle’s refusing to remember and, if she’s not careful, they’ll use it to destroy her. Based on a true story, Arabelle’s Shadows takes us on a journey through the struggles of growing up, not quite making it as an international model, and attempting to overcome a crushing depression

Review

Now I was on the fence a little with this one. I thought, it was more on the lines of a diary. I didn’t really analyse a lot of the mental images I was getting. I also could not identify with models and eating dirt and sleeping 20 to a room. OK I know that is exaggerating, but to be out there having no plan was little odd to me. I understand some people get caught up in modeling and agency talk, but that was the disconnect for me. I don’t think the relations were real either it was more like I need somewhere to stay, so I trade sex and a companion for drugs and a bed. So I was not really a fan. I really hate saying that, but I have to. Especially when I see glowing 5 star ratings. I feel guilty. Like I was disconnected from the story, so theoretically there must be a reason. I will take the blame I guess.

I think maybe the feeling reading someone’s private diary is taboo was a reason I liked it. For Arabelle, the stereotypical model sort of fits the build. The other like was the scenery and the journey as a model struggling to find her way. Some parts of the story were a little rough and edgy.

The author

Goodreads

Website 

Twitter @fleurslove

Fleur Gaskin is from New Zealand. She was an international model for six years, working in over ten countries, mainly in Asia and Europe. She has been in TV commercials, walked on runways and appeared in many magazines including Elle, Marie Claire and Vogue.

She presently lives in Shanghai, China with her fiance.

About Me

I really hate talking about myself. My goal is to have the shortest author bio imaginable. I would much rather have a conversation with my readers.

Are you able to escape within my pages?
Does my writing make you feel something?
Are there characters that you can’t get out of your head?

Let me know!

Email me at faithsullivanwrites@hotmail.com or on Twitter at @_FaithSullivan_
Random Things about Me

– I was so much smarter as a teenager.

– I am a slow reader.

– I tend to like a book more for its characters than its plot.

– I appreciate people who are genuinely kind and come through when you need them.

– It’s true, creative people are not always fun to live with, but we keep things interesting.

– I miss the days when all I had was a rotary phone without even an answering machine.

– I’m a child of the 1980s, and a teenager of the 1990s.

– I love my dog.

– I love to travel and see new places – when my limited budget allows.

– I think in another lifetime I lived in the UK somewhere by the coast.

– When I feel an emotion, I feel it deeply. It’s a curse.

– I have an overactive imagination. Writing helps alleviate that problem.

– Nine times out of ten, I believe a good book trumps reality hands down.

Books by Faith

$2.99 $6.99

99 cents $5.99

Nook (99¢) | iBookstore (99¢)

$1.99 $6.99

Nook ($1.99) | iBookstore ($1.99)

HEARTBEAT

She carries the scars of a first kiss gone terribly wrong.

He uproots his life to flee the stinging betrayal of an ex.

When trust is no longer an option, all romance is suspect.

As a young paramedic, Adam rescues people for a living but cannot save himself. Katie, just out of high school, struggles with a tortured home life she cannot escape.

Everything changes when Katie hops into the front seat of Adam’s ambulance. Overwhelmed by what they are feeling, neither possess the confidence to make the first move. They walk away from each other, full of regret.

To find her, Adam risks his future. To be with him, Katie sacrifices her security.

Little do they know, what little time they do have, is being measured by a heartbeat that is slowly dying out.

COME WHAT MAY

Book 2 in the HEARTBEAT series

Adam is through with love.

He unravels blaming himself for what happened with Katie.

His final moments with her echo through his nightmares.

She owns him body and soul.

To dull the pain, Adam invites a string of women into his bed. Fueled by alcohol and desperation, his meaningless hook-ups provide little comfort. When he closes his eyes, it’s Katie he sees.

The only one who helps to ease his guilt somewhat is Jada. But as his new ambulance partner, Adam considers her off limits. He doesn’t want to get seriously involved with anyone, much less her. Yet he can’t stop fantasizing about the feel of her caramel skin against his.

Despite his intentions, Adam’s bond with Jada deepens as they respond to a series of emotional calls. Their mutual attraction becomes undeniable. But how can he give his heart to Jada when it still belongs to Katie?

UNEXPECTED

September 11, 2001.

A day that forever changes the destiny of college overachiever, Michelle Rhodes.

Shattered, confused and alone, no one understands the trauma consuming her until she meets Connor Donnelly.

A native New Yorker, he believes he can aid in getting her life back on track. But what if he’s even more broken inside?

Offering her a chance at a fresh start, Connor convinces Michelle to move in with him. Hiring her to waitress at his bar, their mutual attraction only complicates matters.

As more details surrounding Connor’s past emerge, Michelle uncovers the full magnitude of the loss he’s trying to hide. Refusing to let her feelings for him hinder his recovery, she makes a decision that winds up hurting them both.

By sacrificing her heart, Michelle thinks she is helping Connor come to terms with his grief. Little does she know, Connor is gambling everything for the sake of having a future with her.

What happens is truly unexpected.

(Amazon Verified Purchaser, Lexy)  5 STARS

When eighteen-year-old Laurel Harris discovers she’s pregnant four weeks into the start of her freshman year at prestigious Colman College, she has all intentions of telling her father. But being away at school makes it too easy to hide. And while she can’t explain to her friends, or to herself even, the reasons why she doesn’t want the baby’s father to find out about the pregnancy, the rest of her world begins to unravel.

Freshman year is hard enough. Most girls get through by forming close friendships, finding new boys and a phone call from mom or dad on Sunday. Laurel has to navigate all of it while hiding an unplanned pregnancy from a summer fling…

An imperfect heroine plagued by bad choices and haunted by the memory of her deceased mother and grandparents, readers are sure to identify with Laurel as she navigates teen pregnancy, in secret, in a remote college setting.

My Review:

The book was a little short and although the premise was good, something was missing. I think if the communication issues were brought up more or something to justify the secret it would have been better. For someone in the situation of having only a Dad, I would have thought different. If there is no communication and certainly no relationship, then there is no respect. If you dont respect your Dad then why care what his thoughts were?

A little disconnect for me relating to the choice without having any plan and neglect during it. Making the choice to have the baby is big enough, but then to say she was keeping it was huge. What she did was ditched a lot of the plan (health wise) for no apparent reason and that was not appealing. There were parts where her physical health was neglected because she didn t tell her family. She found a Doctor to care for her without getting paid. That was really other issue I had. I know in the end that was explained, but it just didn’t click with me. That was so sad. I related to Laurel in a lot of ways especially having a daughter her age. I clearly understood why she was dishonest and hid from everyone, but she did a dis-service to herself. 

The good thing was she found a support group and some good friends. The others in the cast showed more aspects of young pregnancy. That was a definite plus. The other was that is did nothing to glamorize the situation. I think that the message was safe sex is just that safe!

The author:

Christine Duval has been writing creatively since the fourth grade when she penned her first short story entitled “London Terror,” about the murder of a cat in London. She grew up on the North Shore of Long Island and lived in Italy twice as a teenager: once when she was sixteen in Bologna and in a small town on the Adriatic Sea called Porto San Giorgio; then in Florence when she was nineteen. Her parents wondered if she’d ever come back.

College was spent in the Finger Lakes: the inspiration for Colman, Milton, and Kashong Lake in Freshman Forty. It really is cold, wet and grey there – OFTEN! But when the sun comes out, boy is it pretty.

Life eventually took her to New York’s Upper West Side, the place she’ll always consider home. Though for now she resides in New Jersey with her family and a very spoiled love bird who can’t decide if he’s a boy or she’s a girl.

Purchase:
Amazon Link 

And if you want to know more, then this is where you need to go:
Website: http://www.christineduval.com/