Blog Tour: Anna Todd's "After (After #1)."

The Hopeless Romantics Book Blog are pleased to be a part of the Blog Tour for Anna Todd's "After (After #1)." 

Release Date: 21st October 2014

Pre Order:

Amazon UK:    http://amzn.to/1pnIYoH

Amazon.com:   http://amzn.to/1C0vYhF

Synopsis:

Now newly revised and expanded, Anna Todd’s After fanfiction racked up 1 billion reads online and captivated readers across the globe. Experience the Internet’s most talked-about book for yourself!

There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there's everything AFTER... Life will never be the same. #Hessa

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She's got direction, ambition, and a mother who's intent on keeping her that way. 

But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to. 

But he's also rude - to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessashould hate Hardin.nd she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before. 

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper. 

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her? 

Unless…could this be love?

Review: Surj Harvey

Anna Todd's "After" is my first experience of fan fiction (that I know of) and despite names being changed in this latest edition, my inquisitive side got the better of me and off I went to WattPad to see who these characters were actually based on. "Oh crap" was my initial thought because honestly, I really wasn't a fan and all I could envisage was hoards of screaming school girls!!! Gutted!!! However, with all the five star reviews, I decided to push my negative thoughts aside and go into this book with an open mind. And I'm so glad I did because it turned out to be a really good read. Hooray!!! 

"After" told the story of Tessa and Hardin, two people who couldn't have been more opposite but were somehow drawn to one another. My initial thoughts were that this was very much a coming of age, college romance between the good, preppy girl and the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks and to a degree I was right (except for the wrong side of the tracks bit) but there were so many other elements to this story that made it stand out and that's what made it so different to the other books with similar story lines.  

My feelings for Hardin are so confusing. I hate him one minute and want to kiss him the next.

He makes me feel things I never knew I could, and not just sexually. 

He makes me laugh and cry, yell and scream, but most of all, he makes me feel alive. 

Both Tessa and Hardin frustrated the hell out of me and the more I got to know them, the harder it became to like them. However, this (for me) is not indicative of a bad book. Quite the contrary. Characters that are flawed, that make poor judgement calls, take the wrong path, become a pain in my ass only make them more  realistic and I kept having to remind myself that both Hardin and Tessa were both very young and Tessa (in particular) was at a point in her life when she was impressionable, having left the security of her very protective mother and boyfriend. 

His words unravel me. This indecent, drunken, terrible man just said he needs me, and somehow

it sounds like poetry to my ears. Hardin is like a drug; each time I take the tiniest bit of him,

I crave more and more. He consumes my thoughts and invades my dreams. 

Hardin was a walking, talking contradiction and I just couldn't work him out. His mood swings gave me whip lash and the way he blew hot and cold only served to infuriate me. What the hell was his deal and what was he hiding? I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt but he really wasn't helping his cause.

And Tessa.. God did I want her to wake up and smell the coffee. Her behaviour baffled me because on the one hand she was happy to stand up to Hardin but in the next breath, she would throw away all her hard work and fall back into his arms!!! (gah!!) I tried to understand, especially because of her age but sometimes... sometimes she made it very difficult. 

This feels like a dream. I somehow know it's the calm before the storm, 

but right now Hardin is my anchor, I just pray he doesn't pull me under." 

But there was something else going on... I couldn't quite put my finger on it but odd looks, hushed conversations that the reader was not privy to made me feel like I was missing the main part of the puzzle and that made me read frantically. I'm curious my nature and I needed in on whatever this thing was!!! Gggrrrrr.... the author was not very forth coming and instead continued to drop hints... unfortunately being the dumb ass that I am... I still didn't pick up on what it was. 

As for the ending... OMFG!!! Never in a million years .... it was like watching a car crash and I found myself going back and making sure what I was reading was right!!!! I would never have guessed and I can't imagine you will either. 

It was difficult not to be drawn into Hardin and Tessa's story, the emotions it pulled from me making it so that I was addicted. This wasn't an easy read because of how it made me feel and by the time I turned the last page, I was exhausted. I cannot wait for the next book in the series but I will be waiting for the edited version of "After 2"  with the name changes. 

If you haven't read this book, please don't be put off by the fact that it's fan fiction (or was). I'm so glad I gave it a shot. I rated Anna Todd's "After" 4 Hearts

Author bio:

Anna Todd is a first-time writer spending her days in the Austin area with her husband, with whom she beat half the statistics by getting married one month after graduating high school. Between her husband's three deployments to Iraq, she worked odd jobs from a makeup counter to the IRS processing counter. Anna was always an avid reader and boy band and romance lover, so now that she's found a way to combine the three she's enjoying living a real-life dream come true.