Blog Tour- Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
"Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?"- summary from Amazon

Oh how I've missed Walker's writing!! I absolutely adored this story. Walker does a great job switching between the past and present so that we find out a little bit of each at a time. The whole being-on-a-boat aspect was really interesting too and I liked seeing into that world.

Clem is a fantastic narrator and I really understood her pain and her story. What I also liked was that it wasn't a simple hooked-up-with-BFF's-boyfriend, but rather something a little more innocent but much more real than lust. It was nice too as the book went on, being able to watch her come out of her shell and begin to enjoy life again. Of course, it does help that there is a cute uninvolved guy taking the same boat trail as her and her family. I really enjoyed reading their interactions and seeing them get to know each other better.

Overall, a perfect summer read and another hit for Walker! Definitely check this one out when it's released May 22!

and here's an interview with Melissa Walker:

1) How did you get the idea for Unbreak My Heart? Also, were you listening to a lot of that same name song by Toni Braxton when you wrote it?

I lost a best friend once (SO PAINFUL), and I always wanted to tackle that topic in some way. I also have spent a lot of time with my parents on a sailboat, so that was a fun setting to work with. And, ha!, no we didn't decide on the title until way after the manuscript was done.


2) Was it difficult to write in the dual narrative, going back and forth between past and present? Or did you just write each story separately and then split it up accordingly?

I wrote back and forth, and it was definitely a challenge. Actually, in the revision process, my editor Caroline Abbey and I worked together to rearrange some scenes like a puzzle (we printed out a summary of each scene and then rearranged squares of paper till we had an order that we thought worked best).


3) What are you currently working on, and can you tell us anything about it? I love hearing about new Melissa Walker books!!

Aw, thanks. I'm in the middle of a project that is kind of kicking my butt, so I'm keeping mum about it for now. But rest assured there are more books coming!


4) You co-founded I Heart Daily with fellow ex-ELLEgirl Anne Ichikawa in 2009. How did that idea spring up, and is it crazy that it's still happening three years later?

Anne and I both missed writing for ELLEgirl and we had "stuff we heart" that we wanted to share. We still do! It's a total labor of love.


5) I feel like I probably already asked you about your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor, so do you have a favorite snack to have while writing or as a reward for writing?

Chips. Tons and tons of chips. Doritos, Cheetos, Salt & Vinegar... with Coke. This is my snack vice.


6) What are you currently reading, or about to start? Also, what 2012 books are you most looking forward to?

I'm about to start Robin Wasserman's THE BOOK OF BLOOD AND SHADOW, which I'm so excited about. I'm really looking forward to Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian's co-authored book, BURN FOR BURN, in the fall!

Thanks for having me!


FTC: Received e-galley from NetGalley. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.