Author: Chelsea (Page 46 of 111)

BOOK REVIEW: To Professor, with Love (Forbidden Men #2) by Linda Kage

November 10, 2015 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

To Professor, with Love (Forbidden Men #2)
by Linda Kage
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Junior in college. Star athlete. Constant attention from the opposite sex.

On this campus, I’m worshiped. While seven hundred miles away, back in my hometown, I’m still trailer park trash, child of the town tramp, and older sibling to three kids who are counting on me to keep my shit together so I can take them away from the same crappy life I grew up in.

These two opposing sides of myself never mix until one person gets a glimpse of the true me. I never expected to connect with anyone like this or want more beyond one night. This may be the real deal.

Problem is, Dr. Kavanagh’s my literature professor.

If I start anything with a teacher and we’re caught together, I might as well kiss my entire future goodbye, as well as my family’s, and especially Dr. Kavanagh’s. Except sometimes love is worth risking everything. Or at least, it damn well better be because I can only resist so much.

”There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.”
-Mark Twain

I think it goes without saying that I haven’t been able to post many reviews lately. And while I always plan on rectifying that fact, it never seems to pan out as I had planned. I loved this book-though my rating doesn’t show it-and I really and truly wanted to write something about it. It’s not often I pick up a book that I had earlier cast aside due to its content and my knowledge that more than a few pet peeves would be prevalent. But, for whatever reason, I needed a ‘feel good’ book, and I didn’t want to buy a new one. So I searched and searched and searched my iPad for all the books I had bought and not read and this one…this one just called to me. Go figure.

I sighed deeply…for two reasons. One: Well, fuck, she was petting me. It felt too good to concentrate on anything else. But two: I hated to confess my stupidity and that damn tattoo was one of the stupidest things I’d ever done.

No, I didn’t like the cheesiness. And no, the writing didn’t impress me. It’s almost as if the most well-written scenes were centered around Noel (obviously) and the smexy moments and thoughts. Call me crazy, but I tend to like a more circumvent manner of writing. You know, where I can love the girl, too? Maybe the whole story? I know everyone loved everything about this, I’m sure, but I’m not such an easy sell. And, finally, no-I didn’t like how predictable this was. And yet….

We were split between two worlds. She was the frumpy, genius professor hiding romantic hopes and dreams. I was the stud playboy football star working my ass off to save my poor, broke family. What a pair we made.

I loved Noel. I loved the cheesiness. I loved the tortured and broken writing geared towards Noel. And, inexplicably, I loved the fact that I knew what was going to happen. Call me fickle, but when I’m in a horrible mood, it pays to find a book that makes you laugh, smile, giggle like a loser, and gives you butterflies. I love the idea of everything to do with this story-I even love the role reversal of the boy being the student-I just wish it was executed a little better.

Growling through clenched teeth, I scowled at her. “I’m your boyfriend because I’m your boyfriend. We don’t need any more explanation that that. It just is. I’m the one who’s there when you’re sad, and when you come apart in my arms. This…” I slammed her body against mine so she could feel what she did to me, “makes me your boyfriend.”

Noel is your typical clichéd, man-whore, football playing college student-Girls hanging off his arms, gets laid every night (implied), and is the star quarterback. And yeah, so overdone, right? Well, once we got beneath the exterior and saw his broken side (again-clicheeeee), I was putty in his large, man-whorish hands. Sigh. I don’t know what it is about tortured heroes, but they seem to touch me in ways no other book boy can (lies, but let’s roll with it). There’s so much more to him than meets the eye-why he strives to do so well on the field. Why he wants to get drafted to play in the NFL. I’ll even go so far as to say why he drowns himself in meaningless sex, but that might be stretching it a bit. No one knows his real motivations…until a certain professor doesn’t tolerate his shit and gives him a run for his grade.

”Fuck, yes, I love her,” I hissed. And then it struck me what I’d just admitted, but what shocked me most of all was that I hadn’t lied. All feeling drained from my limbs, and my face probably went sheet white as I stumbled back to sit on the closed seat of the toilet. “Oh, shit. I love her.”
I loved Aspen.

Aspen is a young professor. She graduated early and is not that much older than Noel. And, again, I won’t dwell on it because I could care less about her (sue me), no one knows what is really going on in her life. She has had a horrible childhood just like Noel, and when Noel steps into her classroom and demands she give him a chance to raise his grade, she sees no reason to give him preferential treatment-all she sees is the school’s star quarterback wanting to piggyback a good grade so he can keep playing football. But what happens when she gets to know him a little better after a heart-felt essay about his life and family? I think we all know. Sigh.

So, you know, this obviously had a million faults and it made my teeth ache with the ludicrous nature of the dialogue but…there was something there for me. It made my heart happy and gave me feels when I didn’t think I would get any, and that should count for something. Hell, I even was wanting to give this a four, in the end, but that’s bullshit because I did have a lot of problems with this story. Whatever. Maybe it was Noel, maybe it was his desperation, loyalty, undying attraction to Aspen and his ability to sob (aw hell, we all know it’s all about Noel), but, in the end, this story was exactly what I needed. Smut, humor, and a lot of sexy tortured-ness, this book stole my heart…who’d have thunk it.

****************************

Ya know….this wasn’t that well-written and it had many many problems…

Though, as it turns out, I just couldn’t help but to
fall in love with Noel and his tortured self
.

SO SUE ME.

I LIKE HOT, TORTURED, MANWHORE FOOTBALL PLAYERS. I’m only human lol.

Review to come.

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens

November 6, 2015 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Sadie Kingston, is a girl living in the aftermath. A year after surviving a car accident that killed her friend Trent and left her body and face scarred, she can’t move forward. The only person who seems to understand her is Trent’s brother, Max.

As Sadie begins to fall for Max, she's unsure if she is truly healed enough to be with him — even if Max is able to look at her scars and not shy away. But when the truth about the accident and subsequent events comes to light, Sadie has to decide if she can embrace the future or if she'll always be trapped in the past.

Peace hid from me this year, and I’d searched for it at Metal Pete’s, in therapy sessions, in long runs on the beach, and hours of Star Time. I hadn’t found it hiding among that dark, black sea of sparkles or anywhere else. But tonight, in the gentleness of my friend stretched out next to me, breathing in and out so rhythmically that he sounded like breaking waves, it felt within reach again.

Okay so….I’ve been undeniably excited about another Courtney Stevens book coming out. After Faking Normal she became an instant favorite and I knew I would never pass up a book if she was the one who released it. I can’t say this blurb intrigued me like it did all of my friends…but this was more of a ‘I’m reading this because I am in love with this author always and forever’ type of thing. And while I want to say I loved this new addition despite my earlier trepidation about the lack of connection with the blurb, I just…didn’t. And it makes me sad because there was so much that I did like about it.

For one, I haven’t really had the time or patience to be reading new books lately, and I was hoping this would pull me out of my stupor and new book reading hiatus. Alas, this was not the case. As always, her writing was beautiful and her male lead was over the top perfect-two things with which I find to be without flaw in each of of her novels-making this a page turner…even if the story wasn’t as gripping as I’d hoped.

That’s not to say I didn’t love the idea of the story (once I delved into it), but there was a matter of living in the past for most of the novel and while in some books I tend to love this if done correctly, most books I find it to be rather tedious. It just so happens this book fell in the latter category, and that makes me incredibly sad. And it’s not so much the content of the story as much as how it’s delivered. Flashbacks and old emails encompassed the story to lead the readers into her life and why she is the way she is and what makes her tick, helping us to grasp onto a circumvent view of the girl that is Sadie (Love that name, by the way).

And I guess it’s not even the flashbacks. I hate them, but I could have made it work. No, my biggest problem is the lack of…hmm….presence? The lack of presence when we were in her current state. I felt like most of the story relied on those flashbacks and old emails to pack emotional punch in the story and make us fall in love with the people they all used to be…and while I did find some enjoyment out of these moments, I was bored more often than not when we were in the ‘now’. I think I noticed this about 40-50% in.

But, like I said, I love this author and her writing so it pretty much evened out for enjoyment level. That being said….there was a certain boy named Max, who stole my heart. I don’t think it’s possible for Stevens to create a boy that doesn’t break my soul and immediately cause me to pledge myself to him within a measly amount of numbered pages.

“Cassiopeia was a queen,” I said.
He took his eyes off the sky. “Like you.”
“Um, not exactly, Romeo, since she went around boasting about her unrivaled beauty.”
He laughed. “That does sound like you, but…” He turned back to the sky. “You should boast about your beauty.”
“Max.” I didn’t mean to sound so condescending, but it came out that way before I could correct my tone.
“I’m not joking.”

Loyal, sweet, kind, confident, and supportive, Max is everything Sadie needs in her life. She is in a shell and doesn’t show any signs of leaving said shell, but Max is determined to bring her back to life again. He, too, was in the wreck that killed their friend and his brother, leaving him with a permanent loss of regular voice, causing excessive whispering and raspy speech tendencies…ummmmmm….Am I sick? Because….yum. Oops. My favorite thing in a guy paired with a Courtney Stevens character? Shoot me dead, because I have fallen.

He huffed.”God, I’d like to kick Gray Garrison in the nads.” He sat up and forced me to do the same. His hands cupped my face and he locked eyes with me. “Look at me.”
We were inches apart. There was nowhere else to look.
“Your face is beautiful, but I’m not some shallow asshole who falls in love with a face. You hear me?”
That rasp in his voice was perfect.
I braved an answer. “Yes.”
“Sadie, you could go through a million windows and nothing would change.”

So, this book isn’t without it’s positives *cough* writing *cough* boy. But it definitely lacked the passion of Faking Normal. I fell so hard for FN and even want the hardback (DESPERATELY) for my bookshelf. But all I could think while reading this was how I couldn’t wait to start a new book. And it’s not fair because I am obsessed with Max and I loved everything to do with him. I got uncontrollable butterflies and could hardly breathe as they were falling in love….but that’s not enough to make me love a story. I need to fall for the substance, not just for the boy. And in this case, that’s really all the book had going for it, for me. And OKAY FINE I’LL ADMIT IT: I. FELT. BAD. FOR GRAY. There. I SAID IT. I adore Max. He’s the best….but still. I’m forever a bleeding heart.

BOOK REVIEW: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins

October 30, 2015 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3)
by Suzanne Collins
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans--except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost.

“It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”

You know that moment when you’ve been staring at your iPad and bawling without even realizing how long you’ve been doing so?? You just zone out, disappear, fall from the face of the earth and cease to exist in that moment? Yeah. That is me for this book. The end. You know…And me. Crying fat, hot crocodile tears.
All those months of taking it for granted that Peeta thought I was wonderful are over. Finally, he can see me for who I really am. Violent. Distrustful. Manipulative. Deadly. And I hate him for it.

Amazing how quickly time passes without you even realizing it. Tick, tock.
“Stay with me?”
“Always.”

Maybe it’s my deep emotional connection to the characters now that I’ve read the book so many times and have watched the movies on repeat. Maybe I’m just fucking biased because this is my favorite series IN LIFE. But I refuse to believe that.
“Ally.” Peeta says the words slowly, tasting it. “Friend. Lover. Victor. Enemy. Fiancee. Target. Mutt. Neighbor. Hunter. Tribute. Ally. I’ll add it to the list of words I use to try to figure you out. The problem is, I can’t tell what’s real anymore, and what’s made up.”

“You’re a painter. You’re a baker. You like to sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. And you always double-knot your shoelaces.”

“I think….you still have no idea. The effect you can have.”

It’s the writing. It’s the characters. It’s the movies. It’s the
connection. I will never feel this way again…now I’m sure of it. I’ve read and loved many books since 2012. And probably prior to it, as well. I’m a reader. And I’ve even had my bouts of, ‘Is this really still my favorite series? Am I just holding it on a pedestal?’ Because I’ll tell you-I’ve found a lot of new favorites. But passing this one isn’t so. I can rest assured. No one will ever beat the boy with the bread and the girl on fire. NO. ONE.

I’ll miss it so much. Until next time, books. Hopefully it will be just as all-consuming as this time. Yeah-I’m as shocked as you are.
“You love me. Real or not real?”
I tell him, “Real.”

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Hunger Games #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Catching Fire #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Mockingjay #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea

BOOK REVIEW: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

October 28, 2015 / Chelsea / 1 Comment

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)
by Suzanne Collins
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel in the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before...and surprising readers at every turn.

Re-Reeeeeaddd with my group of lovable Hunger Games cannibals…..cuz as if we wouldn’t eat this shit up.

Again I will push my wonderful love of this series onto you…but I think I will do it with a few GIFs I have found (because….movie) and some of my favorite quotes. But like with my first review, I am letting the book itself do the talking-the simplistic and alluring nature of these stories shouldn’t be tarnished….but my ~~obsession~~ love for the series won’t let me do nothing. So, again, simple quotes so as to not ruin the story, but a little ‘telling’ of what you will find in this one. (And I added to the theme my lovely Anna setup…)

“I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now and live in it forever.”

“You know, you could live a thousand lifetimes and not deserve him.”

“My nightmares are usually about losing you. I’m okay once I realize you’re here.”

“I don’t want you forgetting how different our circumstaces are. If you die, and I live, there’s no life for me at all back in District Twelve. You’re my whole life.” Peeta says. “I would never be happy again. It’s different for you. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be hard. But there are other people who’d make your life worth living.”

“No one really needs me,” he says, and there’s no selfpity in his voice. It’s true his family doesn’t need him. They will mourn him, as will a handful of friends. But they will get on…. I realize only one person will be damaged beyond repair if Peeta dies. Me.

“I do,” I say. “I need you.”

“So what should we do with our last few days?”

“I just want to spend every possible minute of the rest of my life with you,” Peeta replies.”

“Not like this. He wanted it to be real.”

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

If you’ve seen the movie-GREAT. You’ll get it. If you’ve read the book….EVEN BETTER. You actually get it. So. You know. Make of this what you will. I’m going to finish my all time favorite series again…for the fourth time lol.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Hunger Games #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Catching Fire #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Mockingjay #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea

BOOK REVIEW: The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

October 26, 2015 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)
by Suzanne Collins
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Winning will make you famous.
Losing means certain death.

The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The 'tributes' are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory.

When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

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★ As The useless chick who wouldn’t survive a round: Anna (2nd!)
★ AsThe determined movie-whore: Harriet (1st!)
★ As The deadly shot new recruit : Jen (1st!)
★ As The enthusiastic newbie: Jenny (1st!)
★ As The foxface unknown: Kat (2nd!)
★ As The die-hard fan: Laura (3rd!)

Annnnnnddd ME!- ★ As The absolute fanatic: Chelsea (4th!)

ALL TIME FAVORITE SERIES ALERT. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

“You have a…remarkable memory.”
“I remember everything about you. You’re the one who wasn’t paying attention.”

Soooo…I said I wasn’t going to write a long-winded review that tarnished the simplistic, yet epic, nature of my all time favorite series. And I don’t plan to-REALLY. But right before I started to get deep into GR, I found this wonderful piece of literature that stole my heart and I never really got to express how it changed my life. And I think it deserves at least a few words for that.
I don’t want to lose the boy with the bread.

I have always been a reader-even as a little girl I could hole up in my room with the best of them if I needed to finish an (even then I knew) epic book. But I was always active in sports, encouraged to balance my time, to not be a total recluse-And I will always thank my parents for that. But now that I am older and can read before bed as I please with my own bank account to manage, I find that I read more than I even watch tv or even shop-which I also love doing

Then he smiles as if he’d be happy to lie there and gaze at me forever.

But for a while, life was more important-Sports, schoolwork, getting into college, finding my now husband…..and while I read, it was more like the common population was. I got to read, but didn’t get to flourish. And then my best friend (ex Best Friend now) in college MADE me read THG. My argument was, ‘Why in the hell would I want to read about a bunch of kids killing each other?’ The barbarics of it astounded me and the inhumanity it must have taken to write it (or so I thought) appalled me. But then I picked it up-begrudgingly-and my world was flipped on it’s axis. Nothing has ever been the same. I read this series in a week-two or three days, to be exact-and I couldn’t be bothered with life, my husband, or ANYONE. And then, because it literally consumed my soul, I read it two weeks later-in full-again. I. Could. Not. Think. About. Anything else. Because how could a book about the MURDER of children be this good??

“Stay Alive.”

But that’s where I was one hundred percent wrong. This book is so much deeper than death-it’s about life, it’s about doing everything you can to survive, to save your family and those you care about. It’s about love and compassion and the question of humanity and what you are willing to do to survive and keep those you care about out of harm’s way. It’s about a spark. A revolution. A girl on fire that no one saw coming….Katniss fucking Everdeen.

“No. Now, shut up and eat your pears.”

This book, even after having read it three times, was just as good as in 2012. I still laughed. I still cried. I still couldn’t breathe. The feels haven’t went anywhere and there are still scenes that the movie couldn’t capture or touch with a ten foot pole (Even though I do love the movies). The cave scene. The creek scene. The ‘hunting as a pair’ scene. Even the end couldn’t hold as much weight as the book. And for those of you who have only seen the movies, yeah, it’s amazing. Best book to movie adaption ever, in my opinion (all of them thus far, especially 2). But…I can’t help feeling sorry for you. You will never know the deep attachments that were formed and just how much depth there is to such a simple story. And…sorry. I feel sorry for you. So, no, I couldn’t not write something, because this series is everything to me and why I read like a lunatic now, always looking for my next fix that will make me feel like this again. I don’t know if it’s possible…but I’m up for the challenge.

*********************************

MAY THE ODDS

BE EVER

IN OUR FAVOR

Oh my feels. They hurt.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Hunger Games #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Catching Fire #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Mockingjay #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea