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Ready To Go

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THIS EDITION IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Daniel is sick of his wonderfully boring and predictable life. He dutifully gets up every morning, goes to class, goes to work, and it never changes. He does, says and even wears exactly what others expect of him. He's so predictable that he barely notices just how unhappy he truly is.

One afternoon, everything changes when Daniel meets a girl on the run from her own demons. She doesn't need Daniel's help, but he offers and she accepts--setting a course for an adventure neither will soon forget.

Together, on an impromptu road trip, two strangers become friends and a bit more, all while facing money problems, car problems, and tourist traps and the naked truth: they can't run forever.

Will they finally stop running long enough to discover true and lasting love?

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First published November 12, 2013

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Stephanie Mann

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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Profile Image for Fiction_TheNewReality.
108 reviews105 followers
November 19, 2013
Ready To Go is currently on tour! Check out my blog: fictionthenewreality.blogspot.com and enter to win iTunes giftcards and e-book copies of Ready To Go!

*Disclaimer: I was provided with an e-arc of Ready to Go by the publisher. This does not affect my review in any way.*

Synopsis: He's a typical college boy, studying to become a doctor, when the only thing he wants to do is quit and take the road less traveled. She's a runaway, desperate to escape her pretty-girl image, and conflicts she never imagined she would ever encounter. Fate throws them together, and from the start, sparks fly as Daniel and Nicole embark on a journey across the country none of them ever could have prepared for. Poignant and gripping, debut author Stephanie Mann writes a soulful new tale about love, life, and the human pursuit of happiness.

Review: Being a short little story (coming in at just under 200 pages), I breezed through Ready to Go in an hour. I have to say, there were parts when I just didn't want to put my iPad down! I loved reading Nicole and Daniel's story. They were basically traveling to California on nothing more than Daniel's limited amount of money and desperate dreams. Although not quite original, the plot did include an interesting conflict. While I'm not going to spoil anything, I did find Nicole's reason behind running away very shocking and very valid. If she did not have a good reason for leaving home, I probably would have given this book three stars.

While many road trip stories include characters that fall in love, I'm not really sure how much that cliche was weaved into Ready to Go. While Nicole and Daniel did have something, you didn't have everything, which in my definition would be falling in love. Daniel was a bit too lusty for my taste, but he was a very kind and sweet guy. I felt bad for Nicole sometimes, but overall, she annoyed me a bit. There were many scenes where she seemed like an ungrateful and spoiled brat, which really ticked me off since Daniel was basically funding her entire trip. She also came off a bit shallow to me, but this did not really ruin the story that much, since it was told from both Daniel and Nicole's point of view.

The only thing that made Ready to Go a four star book, instead of a five star, was the scenes. Many of them were prolonged and written in painfully boring details. For example, the scene where Nicole was figuring out how to hide herself in the library bathroom took up an entire page, and to be honest, I had to skip over that part because there was just no point in reading that.

The ending also felt a bit rushed. Stephanie seemed to cram a lot of what could have been at least five pages of writings and dialogues into two pages, but it didn't lack too much.

Conclusion: Although it wasn't stellar, Ready to Go is still a cute story that I would recommend to the romance and contemporary lover. Like me, you will probably get lost in Daniel and Nicole's world, and will be a little disappointed when you have to come out:)
Profile Image for Kim.
2,443 reviews
November 20, 2013
Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads .

I love a good road trip story! This book, unlike most of the others of the road trip genre, brings together two people with no history, no past. I liked that bit of originality. It might not have been the most realistic plot - who would get in a car with a stranger they met in a museum to drive across the country? Not me, that's for sure. But books don't have to be realistic for me to enjoy them… and I did enjoy this one. It was short and sweet, and as the characters became more acquainted with each other, the more realistic it all seemed.

Nicole is on the run from home. We don't learn why for quite a long time, but once we do, her decision to run makes perfect sense. She meets Daniel at the museum - and then later at the library - they just click. Not romantically, at first, but as friends. Daniel, though he doesn't really realize it at the time, is sick of the life he's been living - the one where he follows his parents rules to achieve their life plan for him. He wants to help Nicole and decides it's time for him to run, too. He offers Nicole a ride out of town and away from her past. During their time together on the road they sight-see, encounter some real-life, every day people problems, and bond with each other.

The author had a way of taking the mundane, every day experiences of these characters and make it something special. Coming in at 154 pages, this was a quick read that kept my attention. Some of the road trip scenes dragged on just a bit for me, but the mystery of why Nicole was running and what exactly had her so on-edge was enough to keep me interested through those bits. I never felt like Nicole and Daniel had a ton of chemistry as a couple, but I think that's the difference between reading a YA and an NA book. The sexual tension would have been leaping off the pages of an NA book. While there was definite interest between these characters in hooking up, there was something more innocent about it. I was a little disappointed at the speed in which it was wrapped up in comparison to the detail given throughout the rest of the book, but all in all, I enjoyed reading it and would definitely read more from this author in the future… especially if it happened to be a sequel to Nicole and Daniel's story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Queenielyn.
207 reviews6 followers
May 15, 2015
**The ebook was gifted by the publisher via giveaway tour in exchange for an honest review**
(Actual) Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

I've waited so long to read this book and this year is the year I finally did!  

Ready To Go pretty much focuses on two characters, Daniel and Nicole, both of them set out on an unexpected journey to California. Finding comfort and satisfaction away from their previous hometowns and hoping they find the change they want as an individuals.

I can't say I didn't enjoy the book when the beginning was truly intriguing and that made me wanted to read the whole book in just a few hours. The story kicks off interestingly enough for both Daniel and Nicole. It has a potential plot and the concept has sorrowful feel to it. The two didn't exactly clicked instantly but turns out they were drawing closer to each other as they share tiny pieces of their background and the issues they faced in their life.

I'm not satisfied with the character development especially for Nicole. Nicole's character is likable at the start but as the story continues, I didn't support the way she acted around Daniel so much. Initially, I was fine with her when she's being careful around Daniel since they are completely strangers. Then barriers between them does not exist anymore, I felt like Nicole was quite different. She's outspoken and pretty demanding, in my opinion. I feel that she doesn't take consideration for Daniel's feelings that much only the things she might needed for herself.

As for Daniel, he's calm and if someone intentionally pushes the button, he might not control his anger. I was pretty surprised by his reaction although it was reasonable enough that he convinced Nicole to give up the money for the maintenance of his car.

Overall, Ready To Go is mainly about the story of the two characters and the conversation that they have shared throughout their journey. I just wish it has more dynamic things going on so that the story will be more engaging. I'm afraid it was the context was vague to the point where it has only been mentioned once or twice.
Profile Image for books are love.
3,144 reviews23 followers
November 19, 2013
Stephanie Mann weaves a interesting tale that reminds me of Amy and Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Madson. This is fun story about a girl running because of anger and fear and a boy running from his life and his future.

Daniel’s life has been mapped out for him so he has never had to make a decision. So when he meets someone who needs help, he jumps on it. What makes this different is that as Daniel tries to escape his life he realizes what his life has become and at the same time falls in love. As they near their destination they have gotten closer and don’t want to walk away from each other. He needs to get back so he can get parental approval and she needs to start her life in LA. It is only because of love and finding himself in this trip that Daniel is able to stand up to his parents and get them to listen.

Daniel I can say is definitely meant to do something with children. He definitely cannot be a doctor especially since he faints at blood but he is awesome with children. He’s kind, patient and a wonderful all around guy.

It’s a story with a adventurous spirit and also one where you learn who you are and what you wish to be. One where finding someone who cares helps you become stronger and helps you define your desires. A fun yet serious coming of age book.
1 review
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November 19, 2013
Everyone should be fortunate enough to have read this book. It was truly a pleasure to read even for someone like me that does not read a lot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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