ARC Review: Upside Down by Lia Riley

Upside Down by Lia Riley
Copy via Netgalley + Publisher
Goodreads 

Synopsis 

Book #1 in the OFF THE MAP series
New Adult Contemporary Romance

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 . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.

Set in Australia, the land down under, we have two utterly broken people. OCD Natalia has a mother who blames her for Pippa, her spunky older sister’s death. Can I just say now, god I hate her mother. With a fiery passion. I mean, she blames Natalia for Pippa’s death because she has OCD. Oh. My. God.  I can’t express my fury properly. Unless you want me to go all Hulk on you. JACKIE SMASH!!! Want to know the best part?! Now her mother is going on this ‘cleanse’ with her 20-something boyfriend while she goes searching for herself. *hits mother on head with a brick. It’s not like she has any more brain cells to lose*

I felt for Natalia so much. Here she was, without her sister, in a new county, in denial about her OCD, and with that as a mother. I seriously just wanted to hug her. You know what? Screw it. *HUGS UNTIL ARMS FALL OFF*

 “Maybe I’m turned upside down, but at last I’ve landed right side up.” 

Then we have out beautifully broken boy who I wanted to hug. . .and also hit with a brick. I can’t tell you why though, because, well, spoilers. You’ll just have to go get a copy *winks*

Bran is just wonderful. He’s also part koala. And he’s a tad bit stupid. And really hot.  He’s also got a whole lotta not so very wonderful things that he has to heal from to even really consider a serious relationship with our main girl. Until he figures that out.  . .

Okay. Let’s chat about the last like 10-5 percent of the book. I would just like to ask: what the hell happened?  I was just, I don’t even know, in shock I guess. It felt unfinished and rushed and just sort of blurry.

Overall, I really liked this book. Although it didn’t make it to my favorites shelf, it holds a place in my heart.

I really liked this one! And Lia is so nice. Y'all should totally chat with her on twitter.