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Painting Sky
Rita Branches
Publication date: April 25th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Nobody ever said life was easy…
People pleaser, Jane Skylar wants nothing more than to earn her art degree, start her life, and bask in the bliss of living with her boyfriend.
But things don’t always go as planned…
Struggling with her creative side, Jane finds herself in turmoil, often confiding in her roommate – another, more talented art student, Keith Hale. Keith just so happens to be her boyfriend’s older, brooding brother. After a devastating breakup, Jane turns to Keith for comfort. But when the lines blur between roommate and lover, Jane’s life becomes more complicated than ever before.
When Keith’s past comes back to haunt him, their lives all get turned upside down, forcing the truth to surface. Now Jane must fight for what she wants–even if it hurts everyone she loves.

EXCERPT:
When I pulled the door open, the last person I wanted to see was sitting on a stool, sipping his morning coffee. He didn’t acknowledge me.
I poured some coffee in a random mug, since Keith was using my favorite one, and tried to reach the last package of cookies on the top shelf. I really didn’t want to use the stool in front of Keith.
What was the least humiliating decision? Trying to reach it by jumping on the counter or getting the stupid stool? I almost decided on just eating something at school when a throat being cleared sounded just behind me. I knew that, if I turned around, he would be invading my personal space. I had no intention of letting him ruin my birthday, so I stayed put with my arms crossed over my chest.
“Were you deciding between the cookies, the canned peas, or the rice? Because I can help with either one of them, just not sure which one you get in the morning.” Keith

snickered. I could smell him, and the fact that such a pleasant smell could come from such an unpleasant person puzzled me.

I had the strong urge to turn and flip him the finger. I had never done that in my life, but could now understand why people did it. Instead, I turned slowly, thinking about how to have the upper hand this time.
I was right about the personal space: I leaned back and rested my hands behind me on the counter. He was standing so close to me that I had to look up to see his eyes. For a second, I saw the indecision there, as if he knew he should step back.
I had to think of a witty response fast, but then I noticed he had shaved— that was where the amazing smell was coming from. He had a small cut on his throat.
Keith wasn’t smirking now; he was genuinely waiting for me to do something. I wished I could read his thoughts so I could do the exact opposite of what he was hoping for.
I quickly took the wish back. It was my birthday, after all, and we never did know when a wish would be granted. This was one I really didn’t want to come true. Hearing his words hurt enough without having to hear his thoughts, as well.
“Next time you shave, try standing an inch or two closer to the blade,” I whispered, leaning closer to his shoulder.
I was so pleased with my joke that I pondered going upstairs and writing it down. I smiled triumphantly at my quick response and did a little happy dance inside.
“Did you have to think on that one this whole time, or were you just checking me out?”
My smile faltered and then completely disappeared. That had been a good one. Okay, I must have thought about it a little longer than I realized. Maybe I had been kind of checking him out—not in a “you’re so hot” way, but more of a “if you could just be a statue and never speak or move, I would thank the powers that be” way.
I stuck my chin out to try to appear taller. “That was a good one and you know it.” I crossed my arms again and brushed against his chest in the process.

Author Bio:

Rita Branches is an independent YA (young adult) author who enjoys spending every free moment (when she´s not reading) writing emotional stories. Visit: http://ritabranches.wordpress.com/












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 I am still under the spell of “Painting Sky” by Rita Branches.

Not sure how else to call the fact that I was supposed to review two other books before this one according to my schedule – and it has been more than 48 hours since I read it – but still I find myself always going back to that book.

I mean I started writing on one of the other reviews but after one sentence I was suddenly forming my thoughts on this book and thinking – wow – wait a minute that was not the book I was supposed to write about. So I gave in and started with this review here now.

As I am the first one to review this book here I think it is my responsibility to not only give it the absolute best I can (which I usually do with all books I liked) but also to advise all other readers stumbling across this book to READ it …

YES – I got the book as an ARC but that does not corrupt my opinion – I have never heard about this author before receiving this book nor have I any personal contact with her or benefit from this in any way… It is just this book is amazing

The first thing that comes to my mind is a question …. And I think it is a fair one…

Is this really a debut novel ?

Please someone has to enlighten me – if this is a pen name for another author or really a debut novel. Why ? you ask ? … well let me tell you that the intensity of this novel reaches that of a Colleen Hoover … and the depth that of a L.A. Fiore’s one.

If this is really a debut novel – I am just speechless – and I volunteer as first member of her fan club.

There might not be that typical Colleen twist that all her readers love – but still the intensity level is similar. And the depth ? wow… don’t even let me start on that.

I admit I loved the blurb the minute I read it – but there was this “boyfriend” issue I had a problem with. I extremely dislike love triangles where one of the leading characters gets cheated upon with the other. So now I am left with the problem of spoilers … Should I or should I not say anything about this. I know there are the pro and the con readers – so I am not sure.

Therefore I guess the best way is for me to say – Even having this extreme dislike I could totally work with this authors solution to this problem … Or if I rephrase it – I liked the way it worked out actually.

Jane/Sky is an interesting character and Keith is just great. Am I allowed to say “Every girl will want her own Keith after reading this ?”

– I admit – some things along the storyline were quite easy for me to figure out – but I was so involved in the emotional rollercoaster that is jane that I had no time to dwell on the fact that there were some obvious clichés involved. I was only when they came to light that I was like “yep – that’s what I thought”

It has been some time since I read a book that really had me envision all of the surroundings in so vivid details … – not sure what it was – maybe the fact that I have a “thing” for Attic’s (hence my blog name) but I saw that Attic right in front of my eye.

As for the supporting characters … interesting enough there weren’t that many. Sure there was the family but for such a “college” novel – there was a surprising little amount of friends – like practically zero. And somehow they were not missing at all.

Keith’s family was acting predictably (not meaning I agreed with any of what they were doing but still I figured them out quite easily) … It was Jane’s family that proved to be the really challenging one being full of contradictions (also not meaning I liked any of that shit going on there)… OK lets face it … I hated them both … for similar reasons but with the same intensity …

There is so much I would love to tell you – but my reviews rarely contain a recap of the story content in my review because if I like a book – I want it to enfold to the next reader like it did to me and if I recap everything – why bother reading it ?

So do you trust me ?

If you like an intense emotional journey that develops at a real and believable pace?. A book that has some cliché as well as rollercoaster moments and where you can feel the development of the feelings amongst the leading characters ? Are you willing to work with a plotline around a Girl and two brothers – where a triangle will be solved to a satisfactory solution?

Take a chance on this book… it will be worth it…

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