Demanding Ransom by Megan Squires
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Published June 2013

Goodreads / Amazon USA

Sometimes life takes things away from you.

In nineteen-year-old Maggie Carson’s case, it’s taken more than its fair share.

Determined to move forward, Maggie embarks on her first year of college, hoping to finally put her past behind her, exactly where it belongs.
But that’s hard to do when the present is just as difficult. And even harder when someone like Ran, the gorgeous paramedic that keeps crossing Maggie’s path, challenges her to face things head on, rather than bury them like she always does.

Ran hasn’t had a perfect life either. But there’s something different about him, and something different about the way he makes Maggie feel. Maybe meeting Ran is life’s little gift for Maggie—a sort of consolation prize for enduring everything she's had to go through.

But things don’t come easy for Maggie. Why should love be the exception? And just when everything starts to settle, it’s all turned on its head once again.

If there is one thing Ran has taught Maggie, it’s that you can’t sit on the sidelines of your own existence. When life takes something that’s yours, you have every right to demand it back.

Only for Maggie, that is easier said than done.

Megan Squires lives with her husband and two children just outside of Sacramento, California. A graduate from the University of California, Davis, Megan is now a full-time mother, wife, and dreamer – though her characters don’t often give her much opportunity to sleep.

The Disappearing Girl
by Heather Topham Wood
Genre: New Adult realistic fiction
Publisher: Heather Topham Wood
Published: May 7th 2013
Source: review copy for tour
Author's website | GoodReads

Kayla Marlowe is slowly vanishing…

Last year, Kayla’s world imploded. Her beloved father died, leaving her alone with a narcissistic mother who is quick to criticize her daughter’s appearance. During her winter break from college, Kayla’s dangerous obsession with losing weight begins.

Kayla feels like her world changes for the better overnight. Being skinny seems to be the key to the happiness she has desperately been seeking. Her mother and friends shower her with compliments, telling her how fantastic she looks. Kayla is starving, but no one knows it.

Cameron Bennett explodes into Kayla’s life. He’s sexy and kind—he has every quality she has been looking for in a guy. As Cameron grows closer to Kayla and learns of how far she’s willing to go to stay thin, he becomes desperate to save her.

Kayla’s struggles with anorexia and bulimia reach a breaking point and she is forced to confront her body image issues in order to survive. She wonders if Cameron could be the one to help heal her from the pain of her past.

The Disappearing Girl was a quick read, but it sure wasn't an easy one. The Disappearing Girl chronicled Kayla's descent into bulimia, anorexia, and depression- and it didn't sugarcoat any part of it.  The book was told in Kayla's point of view and that made it even more painful, but in a good way.

When Kayla lost her dad, her mother began to target Kayla and her sister, constantly criticizing their weight and decisions in life. Kayla used to ignore all of it but then she binges- and then regrets everything. Her solution? To puke it all out. Kayla promised herself that it wouldn't happen again, that it would just be a one-time thing, but she does it again, and again, and again.

Her mom starts to acknowledge her weight loss and her gorgeous best friend complimented her on the change, and then suddenly that number on the weighing scale becomes the only thing that matters. She starts to neglect her studies and decline nights out with her best friends in order to fit into a size 0. The best thing is that no one knows that she's starving herself, because Kayla makes the best excuses. Kayla was an anti-heroine at first and some of her comments on the people who tried to help her made me want to hit her. Her stubbornness annoyed me to the core, but Kayla was also endearing because she was real. Heather Topham Wood created a realistic anti-heroine that people could relate to, and eventually admire.

Cameron is gorgeous, charming, and he knows how to make Kayla happy. I loved him so much not just because of his charm and wit, but because he wasn't quick to judge Kayla and he understood where her problems originated from and helped her find the strength to overcome them. Cameron wasn't the only light in Kayla's life though; she had the most amazing support system. Her younger sister and her best friends were there for her every step of the way.

I loved The Disappearing Girl so much because even if the summary hinted that the book would revolve around Kayla and Cameron's relationship, it did not. There were incredibly sweet moments and I loved the banter between the two, but Cameron was only a part of the reason behind Kayla's resolution. Kayla didn't fight her eating disorder in order to be better for Cameron and for everyone else, she did it for herself- and that, I think, takes a lot of strength and courage.

Reading The Disappearing Girl was like reading Kayla's diary, and it gave me the kind of experience I had while reading Go Ask Alice, another book that deals with a tough subject. Since it was told in Kayla's point of view, it was like having a first hand experience of what anorexics and bulimics go through. It was scary because I saw my old self in Kayla- I remember going through some of the things she went through, and I am so glad that I didn't bury myself deeper. It's difficult to write a book that deals with heavy subjects because it's so hard to understand them and the character, but Heather Topham Wood succeeded in bringing Kayla's story to life.

THE NUB AND GIST: 4 STARS

Heather Huffman writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense with strong female leads who refuse to lose hope. She sees her books as a way to not only entertain, but to also raise awareness of the realities of modern day slavery. She shares the passion of her resilient heroines to make a difference, and so dedicates both her time and a portion of her book royalties to organizations that fight against human trafficking.

Heather was born and spent her early childhood in Florida, but now calls the beautiful state of Missouri home. Her greatest joy, aside from writing, is to hit the road with her three boys for adventures unknown.

She is the author of Throwaway, Ties that Bind, Jailbird, Suddenly a Spy, Ring of Fire, Tumbleweed and Devil in Disguise. You can find out more about her writing and charitable work on www.heatherhuffman.net