With Every Heartbeat (Forbidden Men #4)by Linda Kage
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Synopsis:
I used to think everything was black and white, truth or lie, easy or hard, that if I could just escape my strict, overbearing, abusive father, my life would be perfect. But since I’ve found a reason to risk his wrath and leave, to help a friend in need, I’ve come to realize everything I thought I knew is wrong.
Friends have their own agenda, honesty comes with a dosage of lie, easy doesn’t even exist, keeping secrets sucks, and love...love is the most painful thing of all.
Maybe if Quinn Hamilton hadn’t asked me to skip classes for the day and help him pick out an engagement ring for my best friend, I wouldn’t have fallen for him so completely on that sunny Tuesday afternoon and I wouldn’t feel so conflicted. But I did, and I can’t take it back, no matter how hard I try. So I have to deal with the fact that even I’m not as good, or honest, or caring as I’d always thought I was, and no matter what I do next, someone’s going to get hurt. Probably me.
-Zoey Blakeland
Sooo..I’m just going to say it: FAIL. Just…major fail. And, seriously, how can such a pretty cover contain such utter bullshit on the inside??? I was so sure that this was going to be another win in the series and that someday I could cherish it on my bookshelf but…how could anyone display this piece of shit-there, I said it-and not feel like a total betrayer to all of your morals and everything you believe in? You can’t. I’m sorry-you just fucking can’t.
With a sigh, he slumped his shoulders. “Okay, fine. You’re quiet. You’re introverted. You’re too nice to be rude to anyone. You open yourself up and are willing to trust more than just about anyone I know. Being as sensitive as you are means you have a bigger heart. And if I ever see you try to change and harden that heart of yours, I’m going to throat punch you. Don’t be ashamed of being a big, soft teddy bear, Ham. The world needs more people like you, otherwise it’d just go to shit.”
–Aww Ten is so sweet this whole book
And besides the major letdown after cherishing every other book in this series and having such a pretty cover, which was, in fact, the worst part about this story (the letdown after such build-up), there was the total shit for brains story that left our beautiful, amazing, selfless hero in a story that was better left in Linda Kage’s wet dreams.
Sigh…sorry. Just very disappointed. I mean….how in the fuck did Kage think that, after Mason and Noel and their lovely counterparts’ stories, this was a good way to go????? A virgin heroine
who, again, sorry, is a total putz who didn’t get a backbone until about 60% into the story, has never even been kissed (okay, that could have been hot, but wasn’t so) and was a total innocent little lamb, moves in with her stupid whore of a cousin who is a total bitch that uses her every other day?? I didn’t know how long I could stand to be in this timid girl’s head.
Not to mention throwing in an amazing male lead who would do anything for said whore even after being treated like a piece of meat and being lied to 24/7?? I just, I can’t even…UGH
Oh, and Quinn?? He is Zoey’s soulmate (oh, and totally had to look up her name-I DIDN’T EVEN REMEMBER IT) in the form of Satan’s lover. Yeah, he’s the one dating the tool she lives with. But when they see each other, sparks fly.
They are kindred spirits, broken souls who were innocent and naive and were beaten within an inch of their lives as children… they see each other in themselves and they know they are meant to be together, but they try to fight the attraction.
Hamilton grabbed her arm to steady her. “I know,” he slurred and glanced my way. “This shit is potent. I feel…” He nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
I lifted my eyebrows, wondering if he was drunk or high.
Blondie giggled again and pointed at him. “I’ve never heard you cuss before.”
“I don’t,” Hamilton said blankly before Blondie charged, “But you just said shit.”
He laughed and pointed back at her. “So did you.”
As they giggled together, I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. Oh, dear God. Someone shoot me now.
-Ten talking about Quinn and Zoey
They are the watchers, the quiet ones, the sensitive and kind ones-there’s no doubt they belong together. But that stupid Cora bitch just won’t go away. BACK THE FUCK UP BITCH-YOU ARE A MANIPULATIVE WHORE
(and a total plot device-her character merely existed to cause problems in this and other books, I mean really Kage-you can do better than that).
She murmured, “Thank you,” and stared at him with a pair of longing green eyes that made me want to reach across the table and thump Hamilton on the back of the head. Hard.
Prime opportunity to kiss her, I wanted to tell him.
Kiss her already.
Why wasn’t he kissing her?
God, what a pansy.
Instead of kissing, they just kept staring until Ham blinked and then grinned. “Staring contest?” he offered.
Dear fuck. Really?
-Ten, again lol
So ends the perfect Forbidden Men series run-and I hate it-I hate that Quinn got such a pathetic, fucked up story. Every little issue I had with the other two books was magnified ten fold, like all the shit that bothered me existed only to create this book, and that pisses me off. The cheesiness, the horrid villain in the form of a best friend/psychotic girlfriend, the lack of a reason for this fucking story, I just HATE it, because even Zoey, in the end, became more likable.
“You won’t die,” I growled. “Roaches always find a way to survive.”
But it was just So. Damn. Unrealistic. The only saving grace, the only damn thing I was giggling and swooning and laughing and smiling about (Well Quinn but that’s beside the point)????
“Hey.” Ten wormed his way between us, scowling. “Where’s my golden invitation to eat pizza with you?”
Noel sniffed and sent him a short frown, throwing Ten’s arm off his shoulder.
“I didn’t see you bringing anyone around to befriend my sister.”
“Well…I could befriend her,” Ten started, putting on an offended front as he pressed his hand to his chest.
Noel threw back his head and laughed.
“What?” Ten muttered, folding his arms over his chest and glaring. “I make a fucking awesome friend.”
Noel’s chuckle settled before he seemed to realize Ten was serious. His smile dropped flat. Pointing at Ten’s nose, he growled. “Stay the fuck away from my sister.”
Mason, Noel, Ten, Reese, Aspen, Caroline-their stories were alive and expanding in this one. My heart swelled when one of my beautiful men entered the story and we got to see them with their respective sweethearts, fiances, friends. It was just…UGH. It made all the bullshit worth it. Really. I would have smacked myself if I knew I missed proposals and banter and friendships and just the utter adoration these men have for their girls had I skipped/DNF this one. It made this piece of shit one star worth the extra star just to know I got to see them every other page.
“Motherfucker,” he groaned. “No Gamble, and I’m stuck in a class with not one, or even two, but three untouchables. This is going to suck…ass.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Reese lifted a curious eyebrow. “Do I even want to ask what an untouchable is?”
“You know…” He twirled his finger to encompass Reese, Caroline and me. “You’re Lowe’s woman. Can’t flirt with you. You’re Noel’s little sister.” He scowled at Caroline. “Can’t fucking go there. And you…” He flicked his attention to me, “…belong to Hamilton.” Then he made a sweeping gesture over all three of us. “Ergo I can’t touch any of you. Untouchables. And to make it worse, you all will probably be watching me with your judgey little eyes so I’ll have to behave and can’t hit on any other woman in this class either.”
My final parting words: No. This story was not for me and it sucked. This story has been done before by authors who handled it wonderfully and made me choke on my angst while swallowing butterflies. I expected the same, I’ll admit it, but did not get it one bit. Quinn and Zoey’s story is worth reading, it really is, but all the bullshit surrounding it (ie Cora, Cora, Cora and their relationship) was unnecessary and, frankly, totally unbelievable-notice I didn’t say unrealistic, because I know these GD stories are cheesy as shit, so that point is null and void. I said unbelievable because even I have a limit. I may have known how stupid the other two books were, but I fell hard and believed in them-or I made myself do so. So, yeah. This lacked passion. It lacked drive. And, most importantly, it lacked the heart I’m used to seeing from this author. So, disappointed and a little scared of what comes next, I tuck my tail between my legs and remain optimistic that Quinn and Zoey’s story will flourish as all the other people’s did in the next books. They deserve their love story untarnished by that cunt. Oh, and Cora, just because I feel like it:
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