Blog Tour Stop ~ Found In Us by Layla Hagen (Review, Author Guest Post and Giveaway) ~ The Diary Of Book Enthusiasts

Welcome to my stop in the Found In Us blog tour, organized by Xpresso Book Tours. I loved this book so much. Read on for my review, a giveaway (that's international, too!), and an author guest post. Also, don't forget to visit all the stops for exclusive contents from the author!

Synopsis:

**This can be read as a STANDALONE. The second book in the Lost series tells Jessica and Parker's story. **

All Jessica wants—as a college graduate — is to be a good girl. She landed the job of her dreams at a museum and is trying to eliminate temptations. No more short skirts (when she can help it). No wild parties. And no men.

She particularly excels at that last thing. . .

Until her path crosses Parker’s. Again. Jessica remembers the last time their paths crossed very well. She was left with a seriously bruised ego. She knows it would be best to avoid him altogether. But the charming Brit makes it hard for her to elude his electrifying pull. He is as irresistible as he is captivating.

And enigmatic.

Because underneath the sleek Armani suit and the sweet British accent that makes her crave his touch, Parker isn’t the perfect gentleman everyone thinks he is.

He’s exactly what Jessica doesn’t want, but desperately needs.

A bad, bad boy.

Review:

“I loved it” might be a bit of understatement to how I feel about this book. I can say that Layla Hagen has done a good job in executing this one. I’m very happy that in the start of the story the characters have stayed true to form as they are introduced in Lost In Us, unlike many books I’ve read which ended up with the same character developments and even the dialogues and the “tone” of the whole book.

Found In Us is way more wilder and hotter than the first book. If you are sensitive to that kind of thing, then maybe this is not for you. If you’re into hot reads, this book is perfect for you. I can’t say it is even better than Lost In Us, because they are both good, but this one certainly has its own charm.

Jessica, as she was introduced in the first book as Serena’s best friend, is a party girl who supposedly doesn’t have a care in the world. She’s full of life. The trait she posses that I like the most is that she can find something positive in a negative thing, which is very admirable because it makes one feel better instead of obsessing over something that cannot be undone. After landing her dream job in a museum, she is bent on proving that she is not just a pretty face who goes party after party. Her character development goes along with the plot just right and I’m very satisfied with it.

Parker Blakesley, as he was introduced in Lost In Us as James’ cousin, is a gentleman. He is a gentleman, but under the calm and composed exterior lies a the burden of some bad choices he has made and is trying to make up for now. He is very good at hiding his emotions from other people. He believes Jessica can always see right through him, but from what I have read I can say the reason is he just lets his guard down when he is with her. Parker is used to having control, and what he wants is what he gets, no matter how hard he has to work for it. A bonus brownie point for him because he is all man. He doesn’t talk like a girl, being cheesy and all that. He is sweet, but his romantic lines are manly, and I can easily imagine him as a real man saying those things and I don’t cringe at the thought. Some readers are looking for the obvious traits, so let me break it down in a few words: Hotness level: dangerously high. Sexy British accent: check. Alpha male without being overbearing check. Mesmerizing blue eyes: check. Swoon-worthy? Heck, yes.

So what do you get if you put the party girl and the gentleman who got it bad for her together in one place? Yep, you get not the sparks-flying kind of chemistry but the electricity-flowing kind. Everytime they are together you can feel the tension in the air so thick it’s like a blanket surrounding you. Found In Us just gets a hold of you and makes you read until there is no pages left to turn. I was hooked; it sucked me right into the story and didn’t spit me back out until I have finished every word.

I like it that this book has their past somewhere in the plot in the right places and it explains what made them into who they have become. The chemistry and romance is not overdone to the point of being cheesy. Really, this book is hotter than cheesier, if you know what I mean. Jessica and Parker don’t play around each other; they are not pushing each other away one second and having sex the next. No, they gravitate towards each other like there’s this irresistible pull between them and they don’t fight it. They accept it and they sort through each of their mess together. They are not afraid to admit what they felt for each other.

What got to me the most is their sweet moments. It’s effortless. While reading I got the impression that they aren’t even trying to be sweet, just being honest with each other. It has a “natural” feeling to it, which adds to the romantic feels.

Jessica and Parker really made the wait worth it. Layla Hagen is a natural. Found In Us just sticks to your heart and gets in replay after you turn the last page.

~ Zee

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Author Guest Post:

So what is the Top Ten Things That Inspires Layla?

1. Pen and Paper

I think pen and paper are magical. No, seriously, I do. Whenever I grab a pen, ideas start springing in my head, and I can’t write it down fast enough. Strangely, if I open my laptop (I type faster than I write), the flow of of ideas just stops. Hence—pen and paper are magic

2. Hot chocolate with whip cream and caramel topping

This combination is a godsend for creativity. I don’t know if it’s the extra sugar intake, but my brain starts working at top speed.

3. Boring Moments

This might seem weird, but whenever I find myself in a boring situation, my brain immediately starts thinking of how, given other circumstances, that certain situation might be more interesting. This is how a *certain* opera scene in Found in Us was created (yep, I got bored at the opera—shame on me, I know :-D)

4. Cold days

There is nothing like staying under a warm cover with my laptop, typing away while surrounded by brisk air.

5. Sun

So how do cold days and sun go together? Well. . .I like those cold days when the sky is completely clear. I’m not demanding, am I ? :)

6. Coffee

This is more a necessity than anything else. The creative part of my brain (or any part, really) is sounds asleep until after having my second coffee.

7. Cinnamon smell

The smell of cinnamon always brings a smile on my face, and if I am surrounded by it long enough, that smile translates into happy scenes.

8. Pretty covers and bookstores

Walking in a bookstore and looking at covers makes me blissfully happy. There is The colors, the pictures, just seeing walls upon walls of books. Ideas flash in my mind with lightning speed whenever I’m in a bookstore. Interestingly enough, this doesn’t happen when I browse for books online, so I think part of the charm is just being in a bookstore.

9. Pretty colors

That goes hand in hand with the above point, I guess. I can’t paint at all (actually, I have a pretty horrid sense of combining colors and other design stuff), but I think colors are magic. :) They stimulate my creativity almost as much as a cup of hot chocolate. :)

10. Silence

I thrive on silence. I most definitely can’t write in coffee shops, or while listening to music. I am generally a quite person, and I think noise inhibits me. But when there is perfect silence, ideas, and thus writing, flows.