Shatter (The Choosy Beggars Series, #1) By Charisse Moritz

First day of senior year and Tia West just ran over a hot guy in the high school parking lot. In her defense, she’s a little preoccupied as the caretaker of five younger siblings, one dog, one cat, facing a mountain of bills and determined to keep her family together. The eternal optimist, she just needs to try harder, be better, take a deep breath and definitely shouldn’t bring home another stray dog or an angry, scary and scarred boy who is obviously in desperate need of a hug.

After a stint in juvie, Taz is back for senior year, and every minute is a struggle. His only defense is silence. Keeping quiet avoids the slaps, hits, threats and is as close to safe as he can manage. Until Tia West convinces him of possibilities he never knew existed. She fills every dark, empty space with a lightness he’s never experienced before, and the only way to keep her is by speaking up for himself. But his secrets are the kind that devastate and destroy. Shatter (The Choosy Beggars Series, #1)

There’s no coming back from running someone over on your first day of senior year.

“It’s not my fault. Yes, I just ran over a guy. A hot guy. Sort of. Not that he’s sorta hot. I sorta ran him over.”

Charise Moritz gives us another emotional YA Romance with her latest, Shatter.

Our hearts simultaneously swell and break for our main girl, Tia West. Forget daily routine videos and prom dress shopping. This high school senior has bigger priorities as she is tasked with raising her four siblings with little to no help from our return big bro, Terek West. Tia suffers from a bleeding heart and on top of her whirlwind of responsibilities at home, she sets her sights on troubled Gibson Tazmerek.

Truth hurts â€" Taz is not our ideal male love interest. Book Bin Divers prefer even their literary boyfriends give off less of an unwashed homeless guy vibe. And we are not super fans of broken boys that need saving. But this is YA, and we know that damaged heroes build the angst. And Taz does have some of his own blend of book boyfriend charm. The way this guy thinks of his girl, the mental pedestal he places her on, will certainly melt your heart.

“She’s the child who leaves milk and cookies out for Santa, and I’m the guy who eats them because he’s starving.”

Tragedy can either break a couple or bring one closer together. The love story between Tia and Taz totally follows suit with Moritz’s style. We were constantly on the edge of our seats, waiting to see which character was going to move in for the first kiss, the first touch, and the eventual first-time together.

We can’t forget about Taz’s rockstar quality. Literally. Taz has a strict, even violent background with learning how to play the guitar and is now playing in a band. This creates some pretty romantic scenes in the story that are sure to make you swoon.

One of our favorite little elements in romance collections is getting cameos of previous characters we loved. Cleo and Shake, from Shakespeare Burning, make separate visits into this new story, but we wish we could have seen them together.

One of the harder pills to swallow with this book is seeing a former favorite character acting in a way we can’t get behind. Tia’s brother (Rat/Terek) is going through it. We’re introduced to a darker, less likable, side of this guy than the one we saw in Shakespeare Burning and we are really hoping that he is redeemed in a book of his own.

Shatter is chalk full of all the most heartbreaking sorts of teen drama. We wish that Taz hadn’t become such a project for Tia. We wish that Tia’s mom had made some better choices, rather than leaving her kids in charge of themselves and then coming back and criticizing their decisions. We wished that every single adult in Taz’s life hadn’t failed him.

But of course, without all the dark parts, we wouldn’t have the intensity that makes this book a gem.

Awful cooking. Brutal pranks. Five stars.

Check out our other reviews on our blog: bookbindivers.com Shatter (The Choosy Beggars Series, #1) I absolutely loved this book!!!
It was a fun and easy read for me. It captivated me from the beginning. The story of Tia and TAz is amazing. Their fun characters make you so obsessed to know more and to finish the book without putting it down.
It is a great romance story with interesting views of the life that both Tia and Taz live. It's deep in the right places and fun in others.
An amazing read that i recommend if you are looking for a mature romance. Let me first find my words to review this ðŸ¤"

Though it took me a while to finish this book, I have to say I really loved the way Moritz narrate her stories. They just sound so smooth in my mind and I never had to stop for a second to wonder what I’m reading about. I have to admit though, I wasn’t a fan of the leading man. I was more curious about Tia’s brother and his backstory or something. Taz, at times, was a bit too angsty. I also didn’t like the way he called people names. Probably because I get confused who’s who and it makes him sound bitter and whiny as if the whole world is against him. I sometimes wished he just called them by their names, really. But that’s just me. It was an okay story overall. Loved the side characters more, though. Wow, just an incredible read. Such emotional touching moments. New author to me and she blew me away!! 514 In her sophomore novel, Moritz again does not disappoint. The two main characters, Tia and Taz, endearingly find their way into your heart. Shatter is funny; like Shakespeare Burning, witicisms will be leaping off each page but this book is not a comedy--so don't get the wrong impression. Your heart will ache for Taz, who has been through the wringer and has never been given a chance. Your heart will love Tia, as she is loveable and positive, but not in the overbearing, I'm-an-annoying-ray-of-sunshine-because-my-life-is-perfect kind of way--because you will find out she has her own set of problems. I loved this book and its characters and I would recommend that everyone read it. You won't be disappointed.

Shatter is my second book that I have read by Charisse Moritz. Shakespeare Burning was her debut novel and it blew me away, so I eagerly started reading.

Tia is responsible for her six brothers and sisters, and now, seeing she ran him over, Taz. And he could sure use a friend. I feel a healthy respect and sympathy for Tia. Taz pulls at my heartstrings and I feel there is much more to learn about him. Tia loves to rescue those in need, whether human or critter.

Tia remembers good times with Taz, when they were much younger, Juvie had changed him. He was like a porcupine throwing up his quills when anyone tried to get close to him.

Tully, Tia’s little sister is so sweet. Her precious little girl voice and the things she says are priceless. Her interaction with Taz is amazing and Charisse was a master at showing it. She is full of ‘rainbows and happiness.’ What a wonderful yet simple description, as I fought for words to describe her, Charisse Moritz supplied them.

Tia and her brothers and sisters are on their own because of an automobile accident. Her father was seriously injured and her mother moved to be by his side. Her aunt is supposed to be with them, but she left right after she got there. Think about it. A high school senior girl is doing her best to play mother and father for her 5 brothers and sisters. Her heart is BIG and her compassion endless. Tia is the most positive character I have ever read. She never quit fighting for what she believed in. Despair, sure, but somehow she grasps HOPE and figures out a way.

The few who believe in Taz are amazing and I hope you meet them.

These wonderfully written characters go through so many emotions that I laughed, I worried, I fretted, I hoped, and I kept on reading. They were created in vivid, realistic detail that may make you want to wrap your arms around these youngsters and tell them everything will be all right.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Shatter by Charisse Moritz.

See more at fundinmental Charisse Moritz I recieved a review copy from the author, she is one of the sweetest soul in this world. I loved her previous novel Shakespeare Burning. So I had to pick this one up. This novel starts of with Tia West. She has five younger siblings whom she is responsible for in the absence of their parents. Tia West is an unique charecter well know for her kindness. On her first day to her senior year, she runs over Taz with her van(which was described as the world’s ugliest minivan by Taz, lol) This books is the love at first sentence kinda book. The pace was well and once I started it, I couldn't stop. Tia's family is a treat, I love every single one of them... [Their acronym game would leave you rolling on the floor🤣 and I'm not spoiling the fun]

“I’m so sorry my brother is a giant idiot. His shoe size is higher than his IQ.”

The author has a great talent for setting the dynamics of families and struggles without overdoing it. If you are looking for a book that will blow you away, here it is. I just love the dark witty humor and retorts specific charecters have and it made my experience all the more fun and enjoyable.

I shrug. Explaining would require more words than I’ve got in me.

Each charecter was well described and I felt like I know them and I have lived with them, Charisse Moritz gave me the familiarity of a person who has always been with them. Oooh! There is a band, and they look gorgeous! One book and I know every single person and their attributes and I love them for it. Taz struggles alot and his Perspective will have you mostly giggling like an idiot at his inner jokes and feel the pain he has succumbed to. Tia is the light to his dark days and his salvation but how do you save someone who has never known what it is to feel free.

Conversations with Taz are an exercise in patience, a fill in the blank ordeal

You might be wondering why I have rated it a 3 start, well the plot was good and it dragged at some part. This seemed similar to Shakespeare Burning in more than one ways. Maybe you would like the idea of reading a book like that but I'm not comfortable with it. I'm sorry to say that I enjoyed Shakespeare Burning more than I did this book. But, Shatter filled the spaces where Shakespeare Burning lacked in vastness of the world building. Tia's mother is the only charecter which I felt was incomplete and she was oblivious to most matters regarding to her family. Both the books are truly unique and this is where I must have laughed the most, throughout the journey and had the most fun.

I’m tired of hating the minutes behind me, dreading the ones ahead and having no idea where to go from here.

The ending is just so perfect and you will be thanking me for recommending you these books to you😉 which I definitely do. The next novel is this series is about Shae😍! I'm at a point where I might be obsessed with this author and be willing to read everything she had to tell.

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ðŸ'‰ðŸ»Review PolicyðŸ'ˆðŸ» 514 🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/6/2020)! 🎁 514 Tia West, 17, isn’t your ordinary high school senior. For one, she has six siblings, five of which she’s just as much a mother figure to as a big sister. Then there’s the stray pets adding to the chaos of the West abode, and it doesn’t seem like she could possibly take on another project or responsibility when Tia tackles the mother of them all in the form of a fellow classmate and juvenile delinquent.

“I am the Titanic, carrying way too many people, not nearly enough life rafts, and the iceberg is inevitable and right up ahead.”

Gibson Tazmerek, 17, wears his facial scars as a warning, and most of his classmates have gotten the stay-away message loud and clear. His reputation precedes him. But Tia doesn’t scare that easily. In fact, it seems she hasn’t met a challenge that she doesn’t want to nurture, and Taz is no exception.

“Ever since steamrolling my ass this morning, she has steadily ramped up the level of torture until I’m somewhere between homicidal and a hardon at all times.”

Though listed as YA romance, which I don’t normally dip into, the sample pulled me in and then the characters just kept tugging. Like to the point where I couldn’t put it down till I finished it. They were unique. They were engaging. And coupled with their witty narration and entertaining banter/dialogue, they kept me turning pages to find out everything from what makes them tick to what antics the West tribe would stir up next.

In fact, the characters are one of the strengths of the novel. From the main characters to the side characters, there was depth and there was distinction. One of the things that stood out was something the adult romance market is often short onâ€"a strong heroine. I was incredibly pleased to find Tia as someone who not only didn’t break down, didn’t back down, and wasn’t about to be walked over, whether from potty mouth ten year old boys or surly seventeen year old ones. Simply put, the absence of doormat female characters was refreshing.

Though Taz is broken and has plenty of frustrating moments, my heart did break for him. He was an underdog to root for, and I was rooting for him to find his voice.

Told via their dual alternating first person POV, the story was strong and engaging. While there are some heavier issues woven in, for the most part it didn’t drag it down and the tone kept it largely lighthearted. However, towards the end there was just one angst too many for me and a reveal I felt that took away from the romance.

And on the romantic end of things, the romance is largely slow burn.



As an adult romance reader, I did crave more steam, but the scenes that are there are well written and avoid the cheesy dialogue that befalls certain adult romances.

“…every swirl of my tongue, every slide of my fingers seems a little bit selfish because there’s no way she’s getting as much out of this as I am.”

This is the first book in The Choosy Beggars Series. The next story will feature Taz's bandmate.

Safety Recap: No cheating. No sex scenes w/OP. H is not a manwhore/h is a virgin. OW/OM drama: mostly minor. OW: H has a former hook-up who makes a few minimal appearances and who in the beginning the H is about to hook up with, but gets sidetracked by who he thinks is the h and doesn’t. OM: h has a former kinda boyfriend who wants her to go out with him again and pursues her. h handles him well. No rape, but sexual abuse of the H by an adult in the present/physical abuse by parent in the past. HFN/HEA.

*I volunteered to review this ARC. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions. In the interest of providing unbiased book reviews and to avoid misleading other readers, it is the blog’s policy not to withhold or delay any reviews no matter the star rating. To the best of my knowledge, this title was presented to the blog without any conditions or stipulations. 514 4 1/2 Stars!
This one was a good read. I was hooked from the first Chapter. Tia's father is in the hospital and her mother is there with with while Tia is home holding down the fort. Tia has a bunch of siblings so holding down the fort is not easy. She a tough girl. She likes to save things. She believes in second chances. Taz is a mess. He needs a break but everyone is hard on him. His past isn't very good. He not a project for Tia, she really likes him and see through his past and the rumors and see the real him. I liked how when Taz was brought into the West family he gave all the sibling nicknames in his head. These two have a lot of pressure from life and things to work through. I really liked this one and it's one you should check out.