GIVEAWAY: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/963e9751/
Mobile-friendly link: http://tinyurl.com/n8vv58a
Link to 5 star review-
BLACK BOX ON GOODREADS-http://bit.ly/1hVNJoW
BLACK BOX PLAYLIST-http://spoti.fi/1in0Pim
Synopsis:
♥Three fateful encounters....
♥Two heart-breaking tragedies....
♥One last chance to get it right.
From New York Times best selling author Cassia Leo, comes an epic love story about rewriting destiny. Over the course of five years, Mikki and Crush cross paths on three separate occasions. Their first encounter changes Mikki's life forever, but their second meeting leaves them both buried beneath the emotional wreckage of a violent attack. Mikki is left with more questions and grief than she can handle, while Crush is forced to forget the girl who saved his life.Now nineteen years old, Mikki Gladstone has decided she's tired of the mind-numbing meds. She books a flight to Los Angeles to end her life far away from her loving, though often distant, family.Twenty-one-year-old Crush has always channeled his blackest thoughts into his music, but he's never had great aspirations. He decides to fly to Los Angeles to record a demo of the only song he's never performed in public; a song he wrote for a girl he doesn't even know: Black Box. He has no expectations of fame and he's never felt like his life had any purpose... until he meets Mikki in Terminal B.When Mikki and Crush cross paths for the third time in Terminal B, neither has any idea who the other person is; until they slowly piece together their history and realize that fate has more in store for them than just another love story.
Mobile-friendly link: http://tinyurl.com/n8vv58a
Link to 5 star review-
BLACK BOX ON GOODREADS-http://bit.ly/1hVNJoW
BLACK BOX PLAYLIST-http://spoti.fi/1in0Pim
Synopsis:
♥Three fateful encounters....
♥Two heart-breaking tragedies....
♥One last chance to get it right.
From New York Times best selling author Cassia Leo, comes an epic love story about rewriting destiny. Over the course of five years, Mikki and Crush cross paths on three separate occasions. Their first encounter changes Mikki's life forever, but their second meeting leaves them both buried beneath the emotional wreckage of a violent attack. Mikki is left with more questions and grief than she can handle, while Crush is forced to forget the girl who saved his life.Now nineteen years old, Mikki Gladstone has decided she's tired of the mind-numbing meds. She books a flight to Los Angeles to end her life far away from her loving, though often distant, family.Twenty-one-year-old Crush has always channeled his blackest thoughts into his music, but he's never had great aspirations. He decides to fly to Los Angeles to record a demo of the only song he's never performed in public; a song he wrote for a girl he doesn't even know: Black Box. He has no expectations of fame and he's never felt like his life had any purpose... until he meets Mikki in Terminal B.When Mikki and Crush cross paths for the third time in Terminal B, neither has any idea who the other person is; until they slowly piece together their history and realize that fate has more in store for them than just another love story.
My Review
Black Box is probably one of the most emotionally crippling, heart wrenching, beautiful, very humorous and hopeful books there could possibly be. We meet Mikki a girl suffering from mental illness and very "damaged" the poor girl has had so much happen to her in her life and she feels it's time to end her life. She decides to take a trip to LA where she feels that is place to do it. On her way she meets Crush. A handsome stranger on his way to LA to get his music heard. Fate brings these two together in more ways then one. You will find that out throughout the book. There is a storm out and they are stuck for days. Crush offers Mikki something she cannot refuse and the two start to get close and embark on a whirlwind of a story together. I cannot give much away from this book, but let me tell you it was amazing and very emotional, many tears were shed. You will need a BIG box of kleenex for this one. These characters are very dear to my heart being one of Cassia's beta readers we get to read this chapter to chapter, day by day, we talk about the story, characters, etc as a group and I very very emotional and protective of Mikki and Crush. I hope everyone loves this story as much as I do. Sometimes fate intervenes and changes everything. Cassia is a perfect example of knowing her characters and what they need. In the Shattered Hearts series she knew what was best for Claire and she knows whats best for Mikki and I commend her on her amazing writing, stories, characters. Cassia puts her all into these books and I think this is the best of her work yet. I do not even know how she does it? This was the perfect combination of an emotionally captivating story. It hooks you in from the start and it will never let you go, it will forever be in your heart and I am honored to have it in mine. Amazing story, well done Olive. Well done. Enjoy everyone!
"You might want to go and check your phone. I think you just got a text message from a really hot guy. "
"There's a little blackness inside all of us."
"Don't worry, son, not all stories have happy endings; but that doesn't mean they're not worth the read."
"What are you, some fucking superhero for freaks?"
"You make a good case. I will not be filing an appeal at this time."
"This black box is yours to keep, to stash your troubles away. Just lock it up and call my name, and I'll be there... always."
"They took way too much from you already, sis. I won't let them take this."
"Because I want you with me. I...I think you're supposed to stay with me."
"It means that I... Fuck. I think I've loved you for longer than I care to admit and i'm just starting to understand why. And I want you to stay."
"I'd never force you to do anything you don't want to do. You believe me, don't you?"
"I hope it will change everything."
"It would be my honor to keep you warm."
"Weird?Like you may start discussing your toe jam at any moment or weird you're uncomfortable with this conversation?"
"I want to kiss you, but I want to do it when you're least expecting it. is that okay?"
" I feel like I've known you all my life," "I don't want that feeling to go away. I want to know you all my life."
"I knew that fate would never stop bringing us together. No other girl could ever- will ever compare to the only girl who's meant for me. Do you understand that?"
"If I ever say something stupid like that again, feel free to punch me. Right in the face, or the ear, anywhere."
"I hate that you saved me. But, most of all, I hate that you love me because now I love you and I don't know how to make it stop."
"I love that you hate me, too. Both of those emotions require a lot of energy. Don't make me go all Harvard on you and tell you the scientific difference between loving and hating someone."
"I love you with all my circuits..."
"I'll always look out for you, "
" Kiss me or I'll make you pack my suitcase."
"Inside and out. Don't you ever forget it."
"It's just weird enough to make me fall just a little more in love with you."
"I think the thought of never having met you is worse than what happened to me that night."
"This is called 'Black Box', for the girl who holds the key to mine."
"We can do that as long as you want .But I'll need occasional breaks to go to the bathroom and reapply my lipstick. Is that cool?"
"Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift."
"I need you to teach me how to breathe when you're gone."
"The pain is just a subtle reminder of how alive I felt with you."
" Ooh, so generous. You're like Brad Pitt. You're hot and you love poor people."
"At least if we go down, we go down together."
"A billion times better than pizza."
Excerpt:
Chapter 8.
Crush-
I successfully manage to get her to slow her downward slide into Crunksville by asking Jimmy to switch us to tap beer, which he cuts with a little club soda. Then I keep her talking to keep her mouth busy. Soon, three hours have passed and we’ve only had three more beers. Unfortunately, with the lack of food, she’s looking pretty loose as she leans over the bar with the side of her head propped up on her fist.“And that’s the tragic story of why my dad gave Bradley away when I was six.” She’s just spent the past twenty minutes telling me the story of her dog Bradley Snickers, a chocolate Labrador Retriever. The only pet she ever had.“You took your dog for a walk on thin ice to see if it would hold you both?” “I’m not saying it wasn’t a stupid thing to do, but I was only six years old. I think my dad may have overreacted just a little.” She guzzles the dregs of beer in her glass and looks up at me, her eyes unfocused and a bit teary. “I loved that fucking dog. It was the only thing I ever loved. I would never have purposely hurt him.” I reach up to brush a piece of hair away from her eyes and she smacks my hand away. “Don’t touch me. I didn’t say you could touch me!” “Sorry. I – I’m sorry.” "You don’t have to be sorry, just don’t do it.” She chuckles a little after she says this. “That’s what my mom used to say to me when I got in trouble and I tried to apologize for being bad. She’d say, “Don’t apologize; just don’t do it.” Like it’s that easy to always do the right thing.” “Mikki?” “What?” she snaps at me as she slides her empty beer glass away so she can rest her head on top of her arms. “Where are you staying tonight?” She heaves a deep sigh as she closes her eyes. “Don’t know. Right here seems just fine.” Jimmy raises his eyebrows as he pretends to be busy popping the seeds out of the lemon wedges he just cut. I can’t help but watch her face with a bit of awe. Even with her black hair, her lip ring, and the tattoos on her fingers, she looks so sweet and innocent. I feel strangely protective of her, like I should tell Jimmy to buzz off. She can spend the night wherever she wants. Can’t you see she’s broken?
I can tell by the shiny bit of drool accumulating at the corner of her mouth that she’s already beginning to fall asleep. I take a risk and reach for her. Gently grasping her arm, I give it an easy shake. She doesn’t flinch this time. She groans softly and her eyelids flutter open. “Sorry. I didn’t sleep last night.” “Maybe we should get you a room so you can get some rest.” She pushes herself up from the bar and blinks a few times. “If you try anything I’ll kill you,” she mutters, reaching for her purse. “And I don’t mean that figuratively. I will actually murder you. I have nothing to lose.” “Not if I kill you first.”
Chapter 8.
Crush-
I successfully manage to get her to slow her downward slide into Crunksville by asking Jimmy to switch us to tap beer, which he cuts with a little club soda. Then I keep her talking to keep her mouth busy. Soon, three hours have passed and we’ve only had three more beers. Unfortunately, with the lack of food, she’s looking pretty loose as she leans over the bar with the side of her head propped up on her fist.“And that’s the tragic story of why my dad gave Bradley away when I was six.” She’s just spent the past twenty minutes telling me the story of her dog Bradley Snickers, a chocolate Labrador Retriever. The only pet she ever had.“You took your dog for a walk on thin ice to see if it would hold you both?” “I’m not saying it wasn’t a stupid thing to do, but I was only six years old. I think my dad may have overreacted just a little.” She guzzles the dregs of beer in her glass and looks up at me, her eyes unfocused and a bit teary. “I loved that fucking dog. It was the only thing I ever loved. I would never have purposely hurt him.” I reach up to brush a piece of hair away from her eyes and she smacks my hand away. “Don’t touch me. I didn’t say you could touch me!” “Sorry. I – I’m sorry.” "You don’t have to be sorry, just don’t do it.” She chuckles a little after she says this. “That’s what my mom used to say to me when I got in trouble and I tried to apologize for being bad. She’d say, “Don’t apologize; just don’t do it.” Like it’s that easy to always do the right thing.” “Mikki?” “What?” she snaps at me as she slides her empty beer glass away so she can rest her head on top of her arms. “Where are you staying tonight?” She heaves a deep sigh as she closes her eyes. “Don’t know. Right here seems just fine.” Jimmy raises his eyebrows as he pretends to be busy popping the seeds out of the lemon wedges he just cut. I can’t help but watch her face with a bit of awe. Even with her black hair, her lip ring, and the tattoos on her fingers, she looks so sweet and innocent. I feel strangely protective of her, like I should tell Jimmy to buzz off. She can spend the night wherever she wants. Can’t you see she’s broken?
I can tell by the shiny bit of drool accumulating at the corner of her mouth that she’s already beginning to fall asleep. I take a risk and reach for her. Gently grasping her arm, I give it an easy shake. She doesn’t flinch this time. She groans softly and her eyelids flutter open. “Sorry. I didn’t sleep last night.” “Maybe we should get you a room so you can get some rest.” She pushes herself up from the bar and blinks a few times. “If you try anything I’ll kill you,” she mutters, reaching for her purse. “And I don’t mean that figuratively. I will actually murder you. I have nothing to lose.” “Not if I kill you first.”
BLACK BOX PURCHASE LINKS:
US link-http://amzn.to/1aJN7QW
UK link-http://amzn.to/1eTe97z
iTunes US: http://bit.ly/blackboxitunes
iTunes UK: http://bit.ly/1ffAjpG
Kobo US/CA: http://bit.ly/blackboxkoboB&N:http://bit.ly/1dG70K6
US link-http://amzn.to/1aJN7QW
UK link-http://amzn.to/1eTe97z
iTunes US: http://bit.ly/blackboxitunes
iTunes UK: http://bit.ly/1ffAjpG
Kobo US/CA: http://bit.ly/blackboxkoboB&N:http://bit.ly/1dG70K6