Upside Down (Off The Map #01) - Lia Riley

Title: Upside Down (Off The Map #01)

Author: Lia Riley

Rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to NetGallery and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.

If You Never Get Lost, You'll Never Be Found

Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . of if they were meant to live a world apart.

I can definitely see why everyone on Twitter is chatting about this book. I was surprised I got accepted to read an advance copy at last. I got it right after the official release. I had totally forgotten about it since I requested it like four weeks before the acception. But I'm glad I got accepted. It's a great book.

It doesn't happen very often that I like both main characters. Either I like the hero or the heorine. With Upside Down I liked both. I liked Bran just as much as I liked Talia, their action totally understanding from my point of view. I was also positive surprised about the way they met. It was so uncommon and yet it fitted into the story. And though Bran is the typical player, he is different from them all. Gosh, I am running out of words. See what you did there Lia? Also, you make me want to travel so damn bad. I loved how you included so many places.

So, how can I describe this book like all these famous authors do. You know, those comments that get printed on the back of a book. Hmm... Saying It was an emotional read that had me struggling with tears isn't offering that many informations, is it? Gah, you reviews - you are seriously messing with my head.

The book shows real life problems and the characters don't seem fictional at all. It's like Lia Riley wrote down the story of two real human beings on this planet. Every little detail in this story made sense, and though it won't become my favourite read (I am very sorry to say that, but you see, I read too many books to choose a favourite), it's on the "that book was awesome" list. I can't wait for the next book in this series to release. I'm excited to read more about Bran and Talia's lives.

I'm sorry for keeping this review so short. I'm pretty uncreative these days.