The Avid Book Collector: Book Blitz & Giveaway ~ Always Second Best (Broken Dreams #2) by Elodie Nowodazkij

Always Second Best
(Broken Dreams, #2)

by Elodie Nowodazkij
Publication date: October 13th 2015
Genres: Romance, Young Adult

Sometimes being first isn’t what you expected.

Seventeen-year-old ballerina Emilia Moretti is tired of always being second best. And she’s going to prove the world she deserves to be first. In her upcoming School of the Performing Arts showcase. In the eyes of her birth parents. And in the heart of the guy she loves. She spends hours rehearsing, hours dreaming about becoming number one, hours imagining how her entire life is about to change. But when nothing goes the way she planned, she’ll need to realize what it really means to be first.

Eighteen-year-old Nick Grawski doesn’t want to follow Daddy Dearest’s rules any longer. He’s going to prove he’s meant to be a dancer—not a lawyer—and he is not going to stay away from Em just because his father demands it. He needs to show Em that—this time around—he’s there to stay and that he won’t break her heart again. Even when her world goes down to shit, even when he finds out his dad may have been trying to protect him all along, even if being there for one another is harder than falling in love.

ALWAYS SECOND BEST is a novel of hope and heartbreak and broken dreams. It’s a novel about falling in love and discovering that being first isn’t always what matters.

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I FORGET MYSELF in his kiss, in the way his arms tighten around me, in the way my entire body wants to get even closer.

One of his hands cups the side of my face. I jump so my legs are around his waist. He’s holding me and I deepen our kiss. I don’t ever want to stop.

“Em.” His voice is hoarse and he walks forward, my legs still around him, until my back hits the mirror.

His lips trail down my face, to my collarbone, and his hands detangle mine from his neck to bring them over my head.

I can feel him, all of him. “I’ve missed you,” he says.

And I’ve missed him too. So much. My brain’s screaming for me to stop, my heart’s hesitating. What am I doing? What are we doing? Setting ourselves up for failure again.

“I have to go.” My voice shakes. “I have to go,” I repeat and Nick slowly puts me back on my feet before stepping away.

“What are you talking about?” He’s almost out of breath.

“I have to go.” I can’t look at him, or I’ll never leave.

I rush out. My feelings and my heart trailing behind.

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Elodie Nowodazkij was raised in a tiny village in France, where she could always be found a book in hand. At nineteen, she moved to the US, where she learned she'd never lose her French accent. Now she lives in Maryland with her husband, their dog and their cat.

She's also a serial smiley user.

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You can also join her Facebook fan group (http://on.fb.me/1J2SYl1) for early excerpts of her upcoming books, giveaways or to just hang out with her :)

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What do you love most about Em & Nick?

How much they love one another. It takes them time and it’s not always easy and they make mistakes but at the end of the day, they understand one another and are there for one another.

Do you have plans to write more books in the Broken Dreams series?

I have a few more…I may or may not be currently writing a holiday novella featuring Camilo—the “bad” guy from One, Two, Three and Chloe, a new character.

I’m also outlining Jen’s story. Jen is a part of A Summer Like No Other and Always Second Best…and I’m actually thinking of her moving to France for the summer after the showcase for an intensive workshop at the Opéra de Paris. Thinking out loud here… And I also have a novel about Becca—Natalya’s best friend. Oh and maybe about Roberto—Emilia’s brother.

Wow, that’s quite a lot. Any chance we’ll see Em & Nick again though?

Hmmm. Definitely in Jen’s story, they will pop up. And I may or may not be looking into writing a few short stories…featuring Tonio & Nata, Em & Nick and maybe Giovanni & Roberto.

Emilia & Nick are ballet dancers. Natalya in One Two Three and One Dream Only was a ballet dancer. Are you also a dancer?

I danced ballet for a few years, but nothing like Natalya or Em or Nick…I’ve done research, watched videos, read articles and tried to remember what I loved about ballet when I was dancing. It’s a world I tried to learn a lot about. Part of the Broken Dreams series will move a bit away from ballet thought when it comes to Becca’s story and Camilo’s.

What is your favorite part about writing?

I have several favorite things I love about writing. The creating process. Yes, it can be super painful and sometimes I hate it, but I am still grateful that I get to call this “my job”. And then, I love the contact with the readers. Really, don’t hesitate to reach out to me on Twitter (@ENowodazkij) or per email (authorelodienowodazkij@gmail.com) And if you’ve read my books and enjoyed them, I love hanging out in my cozy book on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/954159761294820/)