Title: Plastic Confidence
Series: Good Bye Trilogy #1
Author: Alisa Mullen
Release Date: August 18, 2014
What happens when the past rears its ugly head and messes with who you thought you were? Will it break down all your walls and set your whole world on fire?
Meet Julia Delaney, a.k.a Jules, the lead singer of Love Sick Ponies, sex superstar, and a heart full of rocks. She loves them and leaves them, a bad girl through and through.
That is until she meets Brennan Curtis, a fan boy, a wannabe friend, and the only one who can possibly tear Jules’ walls down.
When the plastic snaps wide open, Jules finds herself in a vulnerable and awkward situation with Brennan and her band.
Jules’ journey of self-discovery started at a young age and her self- image, which is engrained in her brain, might just be there for life. Desperate to alter how people view her, she realizes that she might never be able to escape the past.
Follow the past ghosts into the now for the emotional roller coaster ride you all expect from Alisa Mullen.
Reading is a leisure pursuit, of that there is no doubt. But it should also challenge you, push your boundaries and make you question yourself – and others – and how you chose to live your life. Not every time you pick up a book, because that would lead to mental exhaustion, but on occasion. If you are ready for your next book challenge, I can recommend Plastic Confidence. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I struggle with the concept, the topics addressed, the characters and their actions? Absolutely. It was an intellectual read. One I feel better for having opened....and closed.
Julia Delaney was shaped early on by life. One summer was all it took to set her on the path to becoming the woman she now is – rock-star, slut, heartbreaker and heartbroken. Jules has carefully constructed walls around her heart to ensure she doesn’t get hurt and so people don’t see beyond what she’s willing to show. Those walls help her survive...until she meets Brennan Curtis. The tattooed, bespectacled man breaks down all her walls easily, leaving her vulnerable and questioning the path she has chosen. Jules knows she needs to make a change, but how can she when she was destined to become exactly who she is?
I’d be dishonest if I said I loved everything about this book. There are elements to it that I didn’t like - let alone love - because they run counter to what I believe and what I would personally be willing to accept in my life and my relationships. Having said that, this story was an exceptionally well written, well thought-out and well executed one. I really appreciated the unique nature of Plastic Confidence and the way it made me battle with myself over whether or not to turn the page - I wanted to know what was coming, whether these characters would push past their issues and grasp their futures, but at the same time I found myself exasperated by the circular nature of their story. The conflicting decisions they made and their subsequent actions. Their general shittiness and suspect motivations.
Jules was, like Alisa Mullen's other heroine, Lizzie O'Malley, a striking and well-rounded character who drew all the attention. She shone even as her light seemingly dimmed. Brennan, sadly, paled next to her and I struggled to grasp her attraction to him until late in the book. (Aside from the physical attraction, I should say. The description of him was so vivid that I swooned for him before I even truly knew who he was.) But when I did eventually get it, I so got it. Their chemistry became clear and complete. I wanted to see them get it right.
The ending of this book had me sighing, heavily. I was thrilled by the conclusion, by the turn the story took and my romantic heart was pleased with the outcome. Does a part of me wish that the thrills and happiness of the ever after infected the whole book? Yes, absolutely. But then it wouldn't be Plastic Confidence. And it wouldn't be a book that made me think.
Plastic Confidence is the first book in the Goodbye Series. No cliffhanger.
~ Review by Beth
Mullen is the author of Amazon's best-selling books (in multiple categories) - The Chosen Series.
Mullen grew up in Maine and has lived in many cities across the US. She likes to travel but craves to travel to places in her mind. She combines life experience and imagination on paper. She has been a writer since she was eight years old and throughout schooling, she wrote poems and stories.
Mullen has a BA in English and an MS in Non Profit Management. Despite her need to help other less fortunate than her, nothing has ever felt more satisfying than writing. She published her first book “Unsettled” in February 2014. “Unchosen” and “Unrequited” were both released in May 2014. "Unmarked" - Book #4 will be written in 2015 and it will center around Sean, a secondary character in the series so far.
Mullen released a suspense novella, "One Missing Link" in May and her next novel is The Good Bye Trilogy's “Plastic Confidence” (Book #1)due out in August 2014. "Artificial Love" and "Elastic Hope" are the 2nd and 3rd books in that trilogy.
In her rare off time, she enjoys laughing and goofing off with her husband and their two children.She loves the beach, Estate Sales, Blue Bonnet season, and macrame.
Mullen currently lives in South Texas and likes it there for now. Mullen owns a macramé necklace business, Devika Knots, which she started with her daughter in 2009 and it has become a great part of her life. Many times her whole family will go out to the markets to be around other artisans and farmers. She and her husband look forward to one day owning an RV and following their noses around the country year round.
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