SPECIAL CONCERT REVIEW – Maybe Someday

One day last spring, this popped up on Facebook:

BFF A and I got very excited and pondered it for a few days. Then, one evening after a few cocktails, we looked up transportation and hotel options and replied like this:

OMG! We began planning and soon made our way from Nebraska to Chicago! What a super fun weekend! You learn a lot about your BFF after two 9-hour bus rides and three days in a hotel together. Guess what, we still LOVE each other! We had a great time seeing the top touristy spots in Chicago, but the highlight was definitely the concert and book signing.

Colleen and Griffin came on stage for a great Q&A. Griffin’s band (featuring Papa P aka Griffin’s Dad on bass guitar) performed all of the songs from the Maybe Someday album and then stood for hours to sign books and ‘stuff’! It was incredible!

Swoon!

Here are each of our reactions to the incredible weekend!

BFF A’s Reaction:

Yes, I’m a music junkie/concert seat snob. Put me at any concert and I gaze at the soundboards, instruments, band, the whole works. Put me this close to Griffin Peterson and his band and I instantly become the annoying fan girl I swore I never would be (it took every ounce of energy not to rush the stage…that may have been frowned upon). The intimate setting and the opportunity to hear Griffin make Maybe Someday come to life all over again was amazing. It was like I was reading Colleen’s words all over again, experiencing Ridge and Sydney’s love story- only this was the live version. Griffin and his band (which also included is own Dad for this show) did not disappoint! Although I love all of the songs, the title song Maybe Someday was by far my favorite of the evening. Maybe it was being in Chicago for the first time with my BFF, or being in the same proximity of my favorite author and musician, perhaps it was the wine, or Griffin’s grandma’s cookies…whatever it was, it was definitely an unforgettable night.

BFF K’s Reaction:

Forgive me, this is probably going to be a tad long!

When I met Colleen Hoover and Griffin Peterson, I had my “I carried a watermelon” moment. You know what I’m talking about, from this scene in dirty dancing. It was the moment that you meet someone you adore so much and you get completely tongue-tied and can’t think straight! Since we were staying in Chicago and didn’t have a train to catch we weeded toward the end of the line which meant that of course I had had a couple glasses of wine. We were having an amazing time and we met some really fantastic people (shout outs to Rose and Mary and Griffin’s aunt!) and a big thumbs down to Jimmy John’s who apparently doesn’t deliver at 11 PM in Chicago.

So after anxiously waiting a couple of hours to meet Colleen and Griffin we got to the front of the line. In retrospect, perhaps I should have done more preparation and less chit-chatting and drinking! I’m not really sure what I had planned to say, but I am confident it was not “oh look you have a little diet Pepsi” and “your grandma makes really good cookies .” Yep. That’s all I got out!

To explain my comments, she did have a really tiny bottle of diet Pepsi sitting on the table! I am also a huge diet Pepsi fan (to the tune of about 88 ounces a day!) I’ve always thought it’s one of the many things we have in common and why she could be one of our BFFs. And while waiting in line we met Griffin’s aunt who is awesome and she offered one of his grandma’s cookies since we had been waiting a while. And it really was a delicious chocolate chip cookie! But I’m pretty sure those are not the things I wanted to tell them! See, it is my “I carried a watermelon “moment!

All told, the Maybe Someday Concert and Book Signing experience was phenomenal and so much fun! Lots of laughs, new friendships and life-long memories!

BOTTOM LINE

If you have the chance to see Griffin Peterson in concert or to meet Colleen Hoover, DO IT!

REVIEW – Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter’s cheating on her–and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

Original music created for Maybe Someday by musician Griffin Peterson can be accessed through the website listed in the ebook and paperback.

BFF A and BFF K Duo Review

BFF K’s Initial Reaction

This may be my most favorite ‘book experience’ EVER! I love music and I love reading. The thought of pulling both of those together made me very excited and this didn’t disappoint! I fell hook, line and bridge for Ridge and Sydney’s story. Being able to read about their shared experience and then listen to the songs ‘they wrote’ was an amazing, multi-sensory experience. The story is heartwarming, angst-filled and surprising. Griffin Peterson has somehow put not only the words of the songs to music, but captured the essence of the story in every song. Everything about Maybe Someday is incredible.

BFF A’s Initial Reaction

“There are only twenty-six letters in the English alphabet. You would think there would be only so much you could do with twenty-six letters. You would think there were only so many ways those letters could make you feel when mixed up and shoved together to make words.”

Those twenty-six letters, formed into words, immersed in the thoughts and feelings of Ridge and Sydney, mixed with the lyrics and music,…all of these things combined made the perfect experience when reading Maybe Someday.

More About the Author:

Colleen Hoover’s love for writing began in 1985 when she was five years old. Her first story was titled “Mystery Bob” and was a huge hit with her mother, who was really good at faking interest.
Colleen continued to write short stories for friends and family until December of 2011, when she decided to write a long story she titled, “Slammed.” She self-published SLAMMED to Amazon in January, 2012 and it hit the NYT’s bestsellers list in May, 2012. She has since signed with Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, and now has six NYT’s bestsellers. Colleen prefers to be called a writer, as the term “author” still terrifies her and makes this feel like a job with expectations. She doesn’t work well under pressure and hopes writing will always remain fun and exciting.
Colleen’s newest novel, UGLY LOVE, released August 5th, 2014. She is currently working on a new novel, CONFESS, which she is writing as fast as she can before she wakes up from this crazy dream.

You can follow Colleen on Instagram and Twitter @colleenhoover. You can also find her on her blog at www.colleenhoover.com where she holds a daily book-a-day giveaway, or on her very active Facebook page at www.facebook.com/authorcolleenhoover where she loves to give away more free stuff when her husband isn’t looking.

Colleen also wants the world to know that writing short biographies in third person is incredibly awkward.

REVIEW- Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn’t think it’s love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

BFF Duo Review BFF A & BFF K

A’s initial reaction:

Have you heard the song “I Don’t Dance” by Lee Bryce?

“I don’t dance, But here I am
Spinning you around and around in circles
It Ain’t my style, but I don’t care
I’d do anything with you anywhere
Yes, you got me in the palm of your hand
Cause, I don’t dance”

This lyrics fit perfectly with this book, because I don’t cry. Well, I do cry, just not when I read. I have never been one to have tears running down my face when a book is in my hand. BFF K is sure I have a heart of stone because books we both read, she will be sobbing. Me on the other hand, maybe misty eyed or a single tear, but that’s it…until, Ugly Love beautifully written by Colleen Hoover. She wrote this book, had me in the palm of her hand and I cried. No, I sobbed.

Hearing the title Ugly Love, I thought, how can love be ugly? Isn’t love supposed to be wonderful? Full of hearts, cupid, romance, and lust? Ugly Love is absolutely perfect because it describes the most gut wrenching kind of love. Love that is mean, it hurts, it’s scary, it will rip your heart to shreds, but in the end, put it all back together, deepest kind of love. Colleen has a way of pulling you in, completely immersing you in the story to the point I didn’t care what my family was doing, or the fact that I stayed up most of the night to finish it in one day- what a book hangover that was!

K’s initial reaction:

If you’re like me and you’re scared to read this, don’t worry…You’ve got this!

I read so many reviews and comments about how much this book tore people’s hearts out. But, what they all forgot to say is that it is so beautifully written and lovely that it glues the pieces back together tighter than ever. It’s amazing and lovely and actually full of hope and wonderful-ness.

Are you like me and you’ve been a big chicken to start (or finish) this book? Get over yourself. Stop being a baby. Do it. Start now and don’t stop until the absolutely perfect, amazing, phenomenal conclusion.

This is the kind of book that will make you want to shout from the rooftops (and EVERY social media platform) to make sure no one misses out on this story.

Colleen Hoover is a freaking genius.

More About the Author:

Colleen also wants the world to know that writing short biographies in third person is incredibly awkward.