ARC Review: Out of Play by Nyrae Dawn & Jolene Perry

Out of Play

Authors: Jolene Perry and Nyrae Dawn

Series: -

Pages: 320

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher/Source: Entangled Teen

Release date: 6^th August 2013

Amazon

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Rock star drummer Bishop Riley doesn't have a drug problem. Celebrities—especially ones suffering from anxiety—just need a little help taking the edge off sometimes. After downing a few too many pills, Bishop wakes up in the hospital facing an intervention. If he wants to stay in the band, he’ll have to detox while under house arrest in Seldon, Alaska.　

Hockey player Penny Jones can't imagine a life outside of Seldon. Though she has tons of scholarship offers to all the best schools, the last thing she wants is to leave. Who'll take care of her absentminded gramps? Not her mother, who can’t even be bothered to come home from work, let alone deal with their new tenants next door. 

Penny’s not interested in dealing with Bishop’s crappy attitude, and Bishop’s too busy sneaking pills to care. Until he starts hanging out with Gramps and begins to see what he’s been missing. If Bishop wants a chance with the fiery girl next door, he’ll have to admit he has a problem and kick it. Too bad addiction is hard to kick…and Bishop’s about to run out of time.

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Out of Play by Jolene Perry and Nyrae Dawn was kindly provided to me by Entangled Teen and kept me riveted right from the very first page with its exciting premise and amazing characters.

Bishop Riley is the drummer for a famous award winning band and has been sent to Seldon, Alaska after nearly overdosing to think and sort out his priorities. Bishop was a broody character who was a bit of a mystery, I wanted to know more about him, his anxiety and addiction and what had sent him on a downward spiral and as the book progressed I enjoyed getting to know more about him.

Tomboy Penny Jones plays with the school boys hockey team and can’t imagine life outside of Seldon, she loves her lifestyle and her family and is hesitant when it comes to making a decision about college, she comes to be intrigued by the moody boy who has just arrived at her families rental cabins, his arrival shrouded in secrecy.

These characters couldn’t have been more different, Bishop with his cockiness and partying ways and Penny with her kick-butt sass and attitude who really cared about those around her, they ended up melding in a way which worked really well and the attraction between them was hot! I must say though, I was so anxious as I was reading along about how one beer only Penny would feel towards Bishop once she knew the truth about not only who he was but why he was there.  

The secondary characters were fabulous! I absolutely adored Gramps, he was such a wise old man and I really felt for him with his dementia; Gary and his advice was amazing; we all need a Gary in our lives with his positive affirmations and guidance I think and I liked the protective relationship Bishop shared with his mother.

This is my favourite kind of romance, no insta-love, just a slow (probably a little too slow) build up and mutual attraction which had me hoping for a HEA but it wasn’t to come without a few misunderstandings, drama and a lot of self-discovery, especially on Bishop’s part.

The writing is brilliant and the details we are given vivid, you are drawn into the scene along with the characters and feel their emotions and their experiences which I think is a sign of amazing story-telling.

Jolene Perry and Nyrae Dawn have written an entertaining page-turner with amazing characters, a wonderful storyline and really sweet romance. Dementia, addiction and anxiety were dealt with in a way which was believable, compassionate and extremely well done.

Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read by two fabulous authors.

Thank-you to Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review Out of Play.

About the authors: (Jolene Perry) I wear juvenile T-shirts, worn-out chucks, and eat too much chocolate. I write. A lot. I make up words, drink Shirley Temples, and suffocate a little without my iPod.

You can also find me under Jolene B Perry...

Also I blog:
www.jolenesbeenwriting.blogspot.com

And I tumblr like a gymnast ;-)
http:writershoes.tumblr.com 

(Nyrae Dawn) I am a compulsive reader and writer who loves YA fiction. 

I love nothing more than writing about young adults. There is something so fresh and fun about it. You can pretty much always find me with a book in my hand or open document in front of me. 

I live in Southern California with my husband and two children.