Review – Julia by Ashley Pullo

Title: New Amsterdam: Julia (New Amsterdam #1)
Author: Ashley Pullo
Release Date: March 11, 2016
Find on Goodreads
Inspired by the captivating stories from Humans of New York, and the narrative structure of a television mini-series, Ashley Pullo lends her unique voice to a new series releasing this fall. Combining her unmistakable wit and distinct writing style, New Amsterdam will feature a trio of petite novels chronicling the lives of three women as they define love in NYC.
Julia Pierce is a popular wedding columnist for a highly-respected NYC newspaper. She creates modern fairy tales by penning editorials about wealthy couples with spectacular wedding venues. Julia is cautious and cynical, and appears to have horrible luck with romance, but finding true love is closer than she realizes.

BFF K’s Review

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Ashley Pullo has done it again. She’s delivered another petite novel packed full of quirky, endearing characters, witty dialogue and human emotion. The New Amsterdam series is based on the concept of Human’s in New York. This is a deeper look into the lives of everyday people. But, like the Humans of New York vignettes, what you find when you delve into the novel are countless, meaningful, emotional stories playing out in unexpected and unassuming ways.

Julia is a wedding columnist hoping to spend more time writing about people and less time focusing on places. She has a blossoming relationship with Theo, her next-door neighbor. He’s handsome, sweet and adorably endearing! Their relationship is the focal point of the story. But, they’re surrounded by a rich cast of friends, family and acquaintances who add depth and breadth to the story.

The New Amsterdam series reminds us that all stories are important and that every single person in the world has a meaningful story to tell. When you look deeply into life’s ordinary moments, that’s when you find what is truly extraordinary. What a wonderful reminder Pullo has delivered. I look forward to more wonderful stories just like Julia and Theo’s!

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An advance copy was received in exchange for an honest review.

Excerpt

When Theo returns with his beer, he sits down at the table and pushes his plate to the side, watching as Juliabites off the heads of the helpless cubs. “You know,” he says, lining up the five colors of bears in a single file, “there’s a lot of debate about the flavors of gummi bears.”

“They all taste the same.”

“You’re wrong, little grasshopper. The red, your bear of choice, is actually marinara sauce.” He pops the red raspberry gummi in his mouth and chews with his eyes closed. “Orange is a favorite among Cheetos lovers – which goes great with banana cream pie.” Theo eats the orange and lemon bear, keeping his smile at bay while he continues. “Now the colorless wonder of this guy,” he pinches the pineapple bear between his fingers, “is the biggest secret in the candy world. I’ve heard rumors ranging from LSD to old man jizz, but I know a guy, who knows a guy, who works at Haribo … and I can tell you, off the record, the clear bear is silicone.”

“You’re so full of shit, Theo Barnes.”

He holds up a hand. “Let me finish.” Taking the last remaining bear from the lineup, he mutters, “Poor, poor, unlovable green. What did the flavor green ever do to you?” Theo holds the bear between his thumb and index finger, and speaks directly to its disfigured face. “I know, fella. It sucks to be tossed back in the bowl. But I will eat you, green gummi!”

“So what’s the flavor of green, according to Theo?”

Lobbing it at his sexy mouth, he reveals, “Oh, it’s definitely strawberry.”

Also from Ashley Pullo

New Amsterdam: Tess (#1) | Released Oct 2015

Thessaly Sinclair owns an artisanal shop in the historic Seaport district of Lower Manhattan. She’s savvy and charming, and appears to have it all, but a romantic hang-up is holding her back from experiencing true love. 

**From the Author**

New Amsterdam is dedicated to the Humans of New York

In the summer of 2010, photographer Brandon Stanton began an ambitious project – to single-handedly create a photographic census of New York City. The photos he took and the accompanying interviews became the blog Humans of New York (St. Martin’s, 2015).

New Amsterdam: Darby (#3) | Release date TBA
Inspired by the captivating stories from Humans of New York, and the narrative structure of a television mini-series, Ashley Pullo lends her unique voice to a new series releasing this fall. Combining her unmistakable wit and distinct writing style, New Amsterdam will feature a trio of petite novels chronicling the lives of three women as they define love in NYC.
Darby Wallace is an anthropologist reporting human interest stories for a trendy online magazine. She watches people, studies their habits, and then gives them an interesting narrative – but her own life is a spiraling disaster of bad decisions. Selfish and careless, Darby must seek the help of a mysterious stranger in order to understand the power of human connection.

About the Author

**Residing in New York with her husband and two children, Ashley Pullo is an author, an entertainment blogger, and an advocate for cultural literacy.**
Hey y’all! NYC is an amazing place to find inspiration – the random and the ordinary that make up reality. My writing showcases inspired ideas, as well as my love for dichotomy, authenticity, pop-culture, and humor.
Dreams need chasers.

New Release – Tess by Ashley Pullo

Title: New Amsterdam: Tess (#1)
Author: Ashley Pullo
Release Date: Oct 15, 2015
Find on Goodreads

 

Inspired by the captivating stories from Humans of New York, and the narrative structure of a television mini-series, New Amsterdam chronicles the lives of three women defining love in New York City.
Tess – Thessaly Sinclair owns an artisanal honey shop in the historic Seaport district of Lower Manhattan. She’s savvy and charming, and appears to have it all, but a romantic hang-up is holding her back from experiencing true love.

 

On sale for $1.99 on Oct 15 & 16th

 

BFF K’s Review

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Ashley Pullo is the master of sweet, endearing, emotion packed vignettes. I’m a BIG fan of her other books, The Album and The Ballad. Her newest, Tess, did not disappoint.

Inspired by Humans of New York, this “short novel” is centered around sorta-random, every day people. But, they’re wonderful! They have interesting lives and careers and emotions. Like Pullo’s previous books, you can see how lives intertwine and the decisions/interactions of one character may impact another without even knowing it.

I think Tess is an exceptional heroine. She’s independent, smart, caring and hard-working. And, it is all of those qualities that attracts Levi who has the same wonderful characteristics. Their romance is quirky, real, honest and sweet. The cast of supporting characters adds to the overall charm of the story. (Meg and Seth are adorable!) The romance is absolutely swoony and a little steamy!

Tess is the first of the New Amsterdam series. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself craving peaches and honey. I’ll be waiting anxiously to read Julia and Darby!

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An ARC was received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Excerpt

“How did a tomboy from Asheville end up in New York – Downtown even?” asks Levi.

Cracking her knuckles, Thessaly laughs nervously. This is that moment – the one where the truth becomes a part of the story arc. Turning into him, she admits, “I followed a boy.”

Levi’s mouth hovers near Thessaly’s lips as he whispers, “You don’t like to follow.”

Caught up in the sexual tension, Thessaly’s mouth twitches in anticipation. “And you?” she hushes.

“I nudge.”

New Amsterdam: Julia (#2) | Coming Nov 30, 2015
Inspired by the captivating stories from Humans of New York, and the narrative structure of a television mini-series, Ashley Pullo lends her unique voice to a new series releasing this fall. Combining her unmistakable wit and distinct writing style, New Amsterdam will feature a trio of petite novels chronicling the lives of three women as they define love in NYC.
Julia – Julia Pierce is a popular wedding columnist for a large NYC newspaper. She creates modern fairy tales by penning editorials about average couples. Cynical and cautious, Julia must define love by writing her own story.

 

 

New Amsterdam: Darby (#3) | Release date TBA
Inspired by the captivating stories from Humans of New York, and the narrative structure of a television mini-series, Ashley Pullo lends her unique voice to a new series releasing this fall. Combining her unmistakable wit and distinct writing style, New Amsterdam will feature a trio of petite novels chronicling the lives of three women as they define love in NYC.
Darby – Darby Wallace is an anthropologist reporting human interest stories for a trendy online magazine. She watches people, studies their habits, and then gives them an interesting narrative – but her own life is a spiraling disaster of bad decisions. Selfish and careless, Darby must seek the help of a mysterious stranger in order to understand the power of human connection.

 

About the Author

**Residing in New York with her husband and two children, Ashley Pullo is an author, an entertainment blogger, and an advocate for cultural literacy.**
Hey y’all!
NYC is an amazing place to find inspiration – the random and the ordinary that make up reality. My writing showcases inspired ideas, as well as my love for dichotomy, authenticity, pop-culture, and humor.
Dreams need chasers.

 

 

Cover Reveal – New Amsterdam Series by Ashley Pullo

BFF Book Blog is thrilled to bring you the cover reveal for New Amsterdam a new series by the AMAZING Ashley Pullo! The covers are so beautiful and unique and we expect the stories to be the same! Can’t. Wait.

Series: New Amsterdam
Titles Included: Tess, Julia, and Darby
Author: Ashley Pullo
Release Date: Fall 2015
Find on Goodreads
Inspired by the captivating stories from Humans of New York, and the narrative structure of a television mini-series, Ashley Pullo lends her unique voice to a new series releasing this fall. Combining her unmistakable wit and distinct writing style, New Amsterdam will feature a trio of petite novels chronicling the lives of three women as they define love in NYC.
Tess – Thessaly Sinclair is an artisanal shop owner in the historic Seaport district of Lower Manhattan. She’s savvy and charming, and appears to have it all, but a romantic hang-up is holding her back from experiencing true love.
Inspired by the captivating stories from Humans of New York, and the narrative structure of a television mini-series, Ashley Pullo lends her unique voice to a new series releasing this fall. Combining her unmistakable wit and distinct writing style, New Amsterdam will feature a trio of petite novels chronicling the lives of three women as they define love in NYC.
Julia – Julia Pierce is a popular wedding columnist for a large NYC newspaper. She creates modern fairy tales by penning editorials about average couples. Cynical and cautious, Julia must define love by writing her own story.
Inspired by the captivating stories from Humans of New York, and the narrative structure of a television mini-series, Ashley Pullo lends her unique voice to a new series releasing this fall. Combining her unmistakable wit and distinct writing style, New Amsterdam will feature a trio of petite novels chronicling the lives of three women as they define love in NYC.
Darby – Darby Wallace is an anthropologist reporting human interest stories for a trendy online magazine. She watches people, studies their habits, and then gives them an interesting narrative – but her own life is a spiraling disaster of bad decisions. Selfish and careless, Darby must seek the help of a mysterious stranger in order to understand the power of human connection.

Excerpt

Thessaly and Levi walk along the crowded sidewalk as a couple completely in sync. It’s a comfortable gait for both, moving to the sounds of the City while dissolving into the blanket of humidity. At the next block, Levi pulls Thessaly in the direction of a shaved ice truck and laughs.

“What would happen if we ask for every flavor of syrup?

“Other than it probably being brown in color? We would experience the tastiest shaved ice on the planet!” she chirps.

Joining the long line, Thessaly shifts her weight every few minutes, smiling through the pain of blisters forming from her unforgiving pumps. “We’re next,” she says in relief.

“Do you like shuffleboard?” Levi asks randomly.

Moving to the counter to order, Thessaly glances at Levi’s profile – watching as he tightens his lips and rubs his chin. “Sure,” she replies.

Ringing a bell, the young man in the shaved ice truck asks, “What’ll you have?”

Levi places his arm on the counter of the truck and replies, “You have quite the creative menu. Although, the oatmeal chai surprise sounds a little scary.” Tapping the stainless steel counter, Levi demands, “Here’s what we want – orange, strawberry, lemon, peach, pineapple, and cherry.”

“So you want all the flavors? That’s our clusterfuck.”

“Right, but what if we don’t want the blue raspberry?” Levi leans into Thessaly and whispers, “If the shaved ice ends up being the color of your dress, then you have to kiss me.”

Laughing, Thessaly agrees. “Can we add cream? And gummi worms?”

“Now you’re livin’, Tess.” Slapping the counter to the beat of the churning ice machine, Levi beckons, “Dude, add some cream. And gummi worms. And two umbrella straws.”

The young man in the food truck shakes his head and rolls his eyes, clearly at his daily limit with the random demands of the Seaport yuccies (young urban creatives.) Before buying a used food truck, Kirk Diamond was a bartender. Not a very good one – often dropping bottles of top shelf tequila while performing the iconic scene from Cocktail. When he stumbled upon a funky truck at a decent price, he cashed in his savings and set up seasonal rotations in the Seaport. Summer is Kirk’s biggest season, followed by the hard cider frozen treats during the fall.

As Kirk packs the massive mound of delicate ice into a Chinese food container, people in line start to clap – prompting him to do a few tricks. He drizzles every hue of red, orange, and yellow syrup over the ice while busting a few dance moves from the nineties. The addition of the cream comes last – the grand finale. Kirk cups his hand to his ear, begging for more applause. Once he’s satisfied with the gratitude, he flips the plastic bottle of cream syrup in the air, spins around in a full rotation, and then catches the bottle behind his back.

The line forming at the truck goes wild and demands more. Kirk simply smiles and places a huge tip jar on the counter. Returning to the icy clusterfuck, Kirk adds the final garnishes – a wedge of pineapple, two gummi worms, two umbrellas, one straw, and one spoon. “Ten bucks,” Kirk announces.

With a cocky smile and the expression of a victor, Levi takes the carton and passes it to Thessaly. He gives Kirk a ten, and then drops a five in the jar of singles. “Thanks, man.”

As Levi and Thessaly walk off in the other direction, Levi grabs her waist and spins her in front of him. “Lemme see,” he demands.

“See what?” she asks.

Using the plastic spoon, Thessaly scoops the delicate yellow-orange ice into a small bite. She slowly brings the spoon toward Levi, watching as he licks his lips and opens his mouth. Levi leans forward and eats from the spoon, allowing the ice to melt on his tongue while the drops of orange sugar dissolve inside his mouth. “I’d say the color is your perfect match,” Levi whispers.

“Oh really?” Thessaly teases, parting her lips for a kiss.

Raising his eyebrows, Levi leans in and kisses Thessaly’s cheek. He takes the carton of ice and moves ahead of Thessaly, dangling a gummi worm above his mouth before ripping it from his fingers.

Trailing behind him with an annoyed grin, Thessaly shouts, “Hey, Jones, I don’t normally like to follow!”

Slowing his pace with his elbows out and his chest puffed, Levi smirks. “Oh?” He stops abruptly and pulls Thessaly close to him, one hand on her waist and the other hand holding the carton of shaved ice above her head.

She smiles and asks, “Can I have some?”

Nodding his head, Levi lowers the carton to feed Thessaly the wedge of fresh pineapple. He places the yellow tip between her parted lips, quietly groaning as her red mouth pinches the fruity flesh. Staring into each other’s eyes while crowds of people move around them, they smile – a secret smile dedicated to the sensual foreplay of sweet, juicy fruit.

As they continue their stroll along Front Street, the conversation spans from a television series on Netflix, to the recipe of Ikea Swedish meatballs. There’s no stammering or awkward silence – the dialogue seems to flow as if it were written just for them. Thunder rumbles over the river, and the humidity spikes uncomfortably, but the two are so engaged in each other that they fail to realize the scene is changing. Because Thessaly and Levi are simply characters within the bigger story – passing figures on crowded streets, assimilated residents of a vibrant city, and specks of color on a gray canvas. 

Join Ashley along with some of your favorite authors to celebrate the upcoming release of New Amsterdam! Find more info and join the fun here!
Read BFF K’s Reviews of The Album and The Ballad by Ashley Pullo and a great interview in our exclusive, “That’s What She Said” series!

About the Author

**Residing in New York with her husband and two children, Ashley Pullo is an author, an entertainment blogger, and an advocate for cultural literacy.**

Hey y’all!

NYC is an amazing place to find inspiration – the random and the ordinary that make up reality. My writing showcases inspired ideas, as well as my love for dichotomy, authenticity, pop-culture, and humor.

Dreams need chasers.