2016 Most Anticipated - Suffer Love

The next pick for my 2016 Most Anticipated Event is one that I've already heard so much gushing about. The writing, the feelings that the story brings forth, and the journey the characters take have all been mentioned as standing out in this story, and I cannot wait to read all of this for myself.

This has been compared (a little) to Romeo and Juliet set in modern times and the Goodreads synopsis certainly has a similar feel to it, but hopefully these characters don't meet as tragic an ending.

Hadley St. Clair's life changed the day she came home to a front door covered in slips of paper, each of them revealing the ugly truth about her father. Now as her family falls apart in the wake of his year-long affair, Hadley wants everyone-her dad most of all-to leave her alone.

Then she meets Sam Bennett, a cute new boy who inexplicably "feels like home" to Hadley. Hadley and Sam's connection is undeniable, but Sam has a secret about his family that could ruin everything.

Funny and passionate, Suffer Love is a story about first love, family dysfunction, and the fickle hand of fate. 

This is one that should be on all YA contemporary fans radar going into 2016! I've heard you definitely won't be sorry!

Ashley was kind enough to answer a few questions for this event, and (if possible) it's made me even more excited to read her debut!

1 Describe Suffer Love using only three words.

Family, betrayal, forgiveness.

2 If someone were to make a signature drink in honour of your book, what might be included?

Haha, I actually have a good answer for this one. So, my brother is the co-creator of this awesome cocktail social app called BarNotes. A while back, I found a drink on there called “Secrets & Lies,” which is pretty apt for Suffer Love. It’s also pretty tasty. Er…wait till you’re 21, kids. (I’ve screenshot a pic of the drink and the recipe and attached it to this email, so you can add or not add that in the feature as you see fit. :D)

3 Let us in on one secret about one of your characters, or the world they inhabit.

Right and wrong isn’t always black and white and who to blame isn’t always who you think it is.

4 Suffer Love has been called a modern Romeo and Juliet. How much did Shakespeare influence your début novel?

The play didn’t inspire the actual storyline all that much, to be honest, at least in the beginning. I simply wanted to write a story about two teens dealing with pieces of their life beyond their control and how parents’ actions affect teens in unforeseen ways. The R&J connection came later, after the book sold, even. I didn’t even see it until my editor called it a modern R&J! But, there’s also another play in the book, Much Ado About Nothing, which I used at the beginning to give Hadley something to rant about with Sam, something that hinted subtly to their connection. In the end, R&J ended up playing a bigger role, even for my character Sam, but all of that arose organically. 

5 If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel?

I’d go to Bronte’s England. I’ve always been sort of an Anglophile and I’d love to go back to their time and watch those three sisters challenge the status quo for women in the arts. 

6 What 2016 release are you most anticipating?

I’m dying for Kerry Kletter’s The First Time She Drowned and Emily Henry’s The Love That Split the World. The ARCs should be headed my way eventually and I’m so excited, having heard such amazing things. I’ve already read so many I’ve loved, including Maris Reichardt’s Underwater, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn’s Firsts, Brooks Benjamins’ My Seventh Grade Life in Tights, Parker Peevyhouse’s Where Future’s End, and Rebecca Podos’ The Mystery of Hollow Places. 2016 is going to be an amazing debut year!

7. If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of Suffer Love.

“His hand is warm on my bare back."

Ashley has also graciously included the recipe for her drink selection mentioned above (make sure you're of legal drinking age before trying, everyone).

Suffer Love releases May 3, 2016 and can be pre-ordered right now from any retailer.

Chapters // Amazon // Barnes and Noble

You can also follow Ashley on Twitter, visit her website, and find out more about her books on the publisher website.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow to find out the next book that made this year's list!

This sounds like the sort of novel that will both crush your heart and heal it a little bit at the same time. What is your favourite part of novels that impact you like this? Let me know in the comments.