Blog Tour & Giveaway: Willow Aster's "In The Fields."

@WillowAster   @KirstyLBooks
The Hopeless Romantics Book Blog are pleased to be a part of the Blog Tour for Willow Aster's "In the Fields."

(Ipad mini Giveaway at bottom of post)

Amazon UK:    http://amzn.to/13KqJn1
Amazon.com:   http://amzn.to/16jxJbv

Synopsis:

1971 — In the tiny, backward town of Tulma, Tennessee, optimistic, bookish Caroline Carson unwittingly finds herself in the middle of a forbidden romance. Severely neglected by her family and forced to flee Tulma to protect her secrets, Caroline’s young life comes crashing down around her. She finds refuge in a new town, but the past always has a way of stretching around time and stirring up trouble. 

When a new love comes into her life, she has to decide if she can give her heart to someone else, or if she will always be tied to someone she can’t have.

The details described in this book may not be suitable for readers below the age of 18 as descriptions of rape, alcoholism, child neglect, and abuse are depicted.

Review: 

This is going to be one of those books where it is so hard to review and say anything without giving anything away. Willow Aster's writing in In the Fields was absolutely beautiful. She manages to pull a ton of emotions out of you and before you know it you either have tears rolling down your cheeks or a big, fat smile on your face. 

I am finding this review so hard to write, I have already written and deleted it 5 times or so. I think the only way to go forward is to explain my feelings whilst reading, not try and sum up the storyline. I don't want to give any spoilers away, the blurb doesn't give you much, just enough to have you intrigued, so I want my review to try and stay the same. 

The blurb describes the romance between Caroline and Isaiah as a forbidden romance. I am no stranger to reading about forbidden romances, but this 'kind' I don't think I have ever read. Isaiah is black, Caroline is white. Growing up in their town, in 1971, this is unheard of. It doesn't happen, and if it does? Prepare for constant abuse, hateful looks and general nastiness. Caroline and Isaiah know that they are doing, forming a relationship of any kind, is wrong in the eyes of their community and they won't be accepted, but they can't help themselves. Their relationship from the off was so damn sweet. Poor Caroline has been living through an awful life. Her dad is a drunk and never around, and slowly but surely her mum is doing the disappearing act. What starts out as night home alone, soon turns in to days and weeks. 

"Do you ever wish to be invisible, but when you are, feel desperate to be noticed?" 

The only constant in Caroline's life is Isaiah, he is the only one making her happy and it all worthwhile. 

A LOT happens in this book, I couldn't possibly sum it all up even if I tried. Isaiah and Caroline spend a large chunk of the first 35% hiding their relationship. They sneak around, knowing that both his family and her family would not understand. 

"We're very careful not to get caught. She would never approve of me loving black boy." 

I'm not going to lie, for this first chunk I found myself a little bored. I even made a comment just before 35% that I was bored and I was feeling as though I needed something to happen, some drama. Well, I should be careful what I wish for. Around this mark, that is exactly where the drama starts and it just does. Not. Stop.

"It's apparent something is wrong with me-that everyone I love keeps leaving me. 

I don't know why I never imagined Isaiah doing the same."

The book feels as though it spans a lifetime, Caroline and Isaiah's story is so painfully beautiful. So much happens, so much wasted time and heartache, it is all there, but I know that just adds to the story. It may be hard to believe that this is how life was once upon time, but from the writing, and the feelings I felt, I don't doubt it for a second. The struggles that Caroline had faced in her short 22 years, most people wouldn't face in a life time. It is very rare that we read about such a strong female lead, but there is no doubt in my mind that Caroline was one of the strongest.

I don't really know how to talk about this book anymore without a) boring you so much you don't want to read it, or b) giving away so much detail that you don't need to read it. All in all, this wasn't my favourite read (don't hate me, I still enjoyed it), but I do feel like we could all learn something from reading it. It certainly isn't my 'usual' read, but it is always nice to step a little outside of your comfort zone. Aside from my feelings on the story, I can't deny that Willow Aster has an incredible talent in her writing. She pulls so many emotions out of you with her words and truly has you believing you are right there with her characters, feeling everything. It took me a while, but in the end I enjoyed In the Fields.
I rated "In the Fields" 4 Hearts.

Author Bio:

Willow Aster is the author of True Love Story and In the Fields, two standalone books published in 2013. When she’s not writing, you can find her staring out into space, dreaming about new characters. She also enjoys sliding across the hardwood floor in her socks and twirling in the sand.

Giveaway: IPAD mini and a signed copy of "In The Fields."

a Rafflecopter iPad Mini giveaway