FMR Book Grind: STOP! by Alison G. Bailey ~ RELEASE WEEK EVENT & REVIEW

Synopsis

Every life has a different path full of sharp turns, smooth curves, and steep drop offs.

Hollis Murphy has a plan—college, career, boyfriend, love, marriage, family. A predictable, normal life. She’s on track until an outside force causes her to crash and burn. They call it an accident, because that’s the only word they know to explain what happens to her. It helps everyone move on with their lives, except for Hollis. She holds on to the belief that she’s been targeted for a reason.

Risher Stevenson is intelligent, caring, sweet, and the hottest boy Hollis has ever laid eyes on. He fits perfectly into her original plan for a normal life. Everyone loves him.

Benton Daniels is intelligent, caring, sweet, and the bravest boy Hollis has ever met. He doesn’t fit into her life but gives it purpose and makes it extraordinary. Everyone hates him.

One is bullied. One is tormented. All are judged. How will it STOP?

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24847312-stop?from_search=true&search_version=service_impr

Release Date: 6/25/15

Review by: HEATHER

After a horrific accident Hollis was left deformed and broken. The subject of bullying, she was home schooled her final year in high school and didn't face peers until she sucked it up and went away to college.

Risher hot as sin ladies man had some secrets of his own but only has eyes for Hollis. Can Hollis believe that someone finds her beautiful though her face riddled with scars?

Stop is a story that makes you think. It makes you feel. It makes you evaluate who you are and what can you do to be better. It touches on social issues such as bullying, transgender issues and the lack of tolerance within our society.

This book needs to be read. The messages need to be heard. As a subject of bullying from elementary through middle school until I left the school district I was in, this story hit home for me in many ways. I cried for these characters and cried for myself. I cried for the people who weren't lucky enough to over come the damage caused by intolerance and ignorance.

Ms. Bailey did an amazing job telling this story and portraying this issues in a way that is raw and real. The story starts out at a typical cute NA romance and turns into so much more. I found this book to be heart wrenching and healing.

5 Stars

Review by: TRACY

A review of this book is so difficult to do because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. To be honest this is the first time I have read anything by Alison Bailey so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from her. I typically like to read stories where the characters and story lines are easy relatable. Stop! definitely did that for me. It is a story full of so much emotion that I needed Kleenex by me the entire time. This was about tragedy, companionship, love, heartbreak. You name the emotion and this book delivered it. Hollis was this selfless character who you hoped and prayed got the life she had always planned on, funny how life throws you curve balls. Then there is Risher and Benton, 2 characters who, on the outside are completely different, but when it comes down to it, aren’t that much different. We all have battles in life. Ones that leave physical scars that we so desperately want to hide, ones that leave the worst kind of scars that no one can see but torment us from the inside. Stop! is a feel all book, well worth the time. My suggestion is to take your time reading it, absorb everything and anything you can because this story will stay with you for a long time coming.

5 Stars

Excerpt

“Name?” she said, impatiently.

I was so flustered that for a second I’d forgotten who I was. “Hollis Murphy.”

She scribbled something on a spreadsheet and handed me a packet with my name and the number two hundred ten typed out on the front sticker, which I assumed was my room number.

In a flat bored voice, she said, “Everything you need to know is in the packet. Should you have any additional questions or needs after reading the information, please ask your RA. Have a productive semester. Next!”

Clutching the envelope to my chest, my gaze shifted back down, and I walked quickly out of the office.

As I turned the corner, a loud deep woot! jerked my attention down the hall. I took one step before crashing full force into something solid and warm. Stumbling back, I dropped the envelope. Once my balance returned, my eyes focused on a gray T-shirt with cut off sleeves, stretched across broad shoulders. When I glanced down in search of my envelope, I couldn’t help but spot the narrow hips and round ass covered in black basketball shorts. As I squatted to pick up the envelope, a tanned forearm came into view. My gaze roamed up to find the arm was covered in bulging muscles.

“Oh god, I’m so . . . sor…ry,” I stammered, my cheeks heating with embarrassment.

“Here ya go,” a deep voice said.

Reaching for the envelope, my gaze inadvertently shot up to the warmest green eyes ever created. His dark brown hair was cut short on the sides, longer on top, and tousled. The perfect amount of scuff peppered his strong jawline, with deep dimples framing a sexy lopsided smile. The air was immediately sucked from my lungs. He wasn’t just hot, he was boy band hot.

A deep chuckle drifted down before I realized he had stood up and was extending his hand to me.

Oh boy! I get to touch him.

I slipped my hand into his and felt an immediate jolt of electricity. The muscles in his arm twitched. He felt it too.

“Thank you,” I said, as he helped me up.

“I’m Risher Stevenson.”

He was actually introducing himself to me.

It had become a habit not to look directly at anyone, especially a stranger. I automatically angled my head down and to the left, to hide the messed-up side of my face. But those green eyes locked me in place.

“Hollis Murphy.”

“Nice to meet you Hollis Murphy.”

“Sorry again about running into you. I need to do a better job at watching where I’m going.”

The tip of his tongue slipped between his lips before they formed into a slight smirk. Just as he was about to speak, his name came barreling down the hallway.

“Rish! Get your ass down here. We’ve got a ton of boxes to haul in.” A blond-haired guy was standing at the end of the hall.

“I gotta go finish helping my friends move in.”

I nodded.

Risher took three steps before turning back toward me. “Don’t do too good of a job.”

My eyebrows squished together in confusion.

“At watching where you’re going. I hate to think I won’t get rump bumped again.”

He winked before jogging away.

I Sasquatched those shoulders, those hips, and that ass all the way down the hall.