Category: Review (Page 171 of 297)

BOOK REVIEW – The Vanishing Spark of Dusk by Sara Baysinger

January 5, 2018 / Jen / 4 Comments

The Vanishing Spark of Dusk by Sara Baysinger
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Stand up.

When Lark is stolen from Earth to be a slave on the planet Tavdora, she’s determined to find her way back home to her family, no matter the cost. Placed in the household of a notorious slave trader, Lark quickly learns her best assets are her eyes and ears. And if she’s brave enough, her voice.

Be heard.

Kalen is the Tavdorian son of a slave trader and in line to inherit his father’s business. But his growing feelings for Lark, the new house slave who dares to speak of freedom, compel him to reveal his new plan for the slave ships returning to Earth—escape. Together, they just might spark a change that flares across the universe.

Fight back.

Review:

The beginning of The Vanishing Spark of Dust was magnificent. It contained a heroine who I knew would come out of her shell, an alien who was forbidden but oh so addicting and a world that was beyond fascinating yet terrifying at the same time. I was completely glued to the pages and thought that I had found my next favorite book. But at 10% into the book, everything changed for me. There were two triggers that adversely affected me. And they made me take a huge step back emotionally, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to connect to the characters again. I tried again and again to feel what I did for Lark, our heroine, and Kalen, our alien, yet it never happened.

My eyes start to burn. My chest heaves. And I break. Shatter. Fall to my knees. And I don’t know if these are teardrops or water dripping down my face, but I don’t care because I’m broken. So broken.

So two of my triggers are cruelty or death to animals and children. And this sadly had both of those. In the first instance, we don’t get to know what happens to the dog that follows Lark around. Something happened during Lark’s kidnapping, and I was left reeling. There’s no closure or answers to what happened to her little dog. I thought that possibly down the road we would find out, but by that last page we are still just as clueless. And while that really bothered me, the next thing that happened upset me even more. In the second instance, a child gets killed point-blank. And it’s not just some random child, but one that I became attached to. It was extremely hard to read, and it was difficult each time Lark rehashed or thought about what happened. I truly wish those scenes didn’t affect me so strongly, or that I didn’t have these triggers, but unfortunately it is what it is.

Kalen said never to mention freedom again, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight for it. And I will. I’ll fight for it—I’ll risk my life for it. Because a life as a slave isn’t life at all.

So after those two events, which were pretty close to one another, I struggled big time. I couldn’t find my way back to connecting to Lark or Kalen who has serious book boyfriend potential. Sigh. I read till the very end because I thought that something would grab me and pull me back in. But all I could feel was indifference. So while this book didn’t work out for me, some of my book friends may truly enjoy this story. And just know that while the book ended at a great stopping place, the door was definitely left open for a future book. So here’s hoping that if you give this book a shot, you’ll end up enjoying this story much more than I did.

*ARC kindly provided by Entangled Teen via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Monthly Wrap-Up – December

December 31, 2017 / Jen / 15 Comments

During our Monthly Wrap-Up, we’ll take a look at what has happened around here in the last month. That’ll include what’s happened in my life, what Chelsea and I have read, any other posts we may have had, giveaways still going on and books that I’ve added to my ever-growing TBR. And from this month on, I’ll also be including Reading Challenges that I’ve joined.

♥ Enjoy!

Jen’s Life:

Some of my highlights from December were –

✮ The first weekend of December we went on the Polar Express. My kids are obsessed with the book and the movie, so I’m beyond grateful that we live near one of the few places in the US that has a true Polar Express. My 4&6 year old dressed up in their pjs and we got to board a train that took us to the “North Pole”. Along the way they act out the book, read it to us, sing the songs and we get to sip hot chocolate and eat delicious cookies. When we get to the North Pole, Santa joins us on the train and visits with every little boy and girl. It’s so much fun and I love that my kids believe it’s truly magical! I can’t wait to do it all over again next year!
✮I hosted both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at our house. It was a very different Christmas, since it was 60 degrees here. I live by Lake Tahoe, so it should be snowing or at least cold. But instead we were outside playing baseball and Nerf Lazer Tag (such a fun toy!!). This year was definitely a first with us not being bundled up or sledding before our Christmas Dinner, but we ended up having such a fabulous time!
✮I have to share that Chelsea, my co-blogger, got me the most fabulous non-bookish Christmas present ever. It’s a t-shirt with my life motto on it. I couldn’t stop laughing when I opened the box and I’m contemplating wearing it 24/7 because it’s just oh so perfect! If you want to see a picture of me in my new shirt it’s here. And in case you aren’t familiar with that quote it’s from Legally Blonde lol!
✮I made these Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies. They were so easy to make and soooooo yummy!

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What Chelsea & Jen Read:

5 Stars:
✮ Unknown (Unknown #1) by Wendy Higgins
✮ Unrest (Unknown #2) by Wendy Higgins
✮ An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
✮ Amour Amour (Aerial Ethereal #1) by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie
✮ Resisting the Rebel by Lisa Brown Roberts

4.5 Stars:
✮ #Nerd (Hashtag #1) by Cambria Hebert
✮ Undone (Unknown #3) by Wendy Higgins

4 Stars:
✮ Concealed (Beholder #2) by Christina Bauer
✮ Cherished (Beholder #3) by Christina Bauer
✮ Crowned (Beholder #4) by Christina Bauer

3 Stars:
✮ Rival (Fall Away #2) by Penelope Douglas

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Our Favorite Books of the Month:

Unknown (Unknown #1) by Wendy Higgins (Jen’s Choice)
Intense, gritty, emotional and a book I can’t recommend enough. It’s unlike any other dystopian that I’ve read because we actually got to witness the demise of the world. And I had no clue the depths my heart would ache watching this tale unfold.

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An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson (Chelsea’s Choice)
This book, to me, was absolute perfection. A breath slowly releasing with each page that passed, calming me in a way not many books do anymore. It calmed my soul because, with every new moment, I felt like I was coming home. I don’t get to read fantasy often, so when I finally get to read one and it touches me in the way this novel did, it makes my heart sing.

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Books Added To Jen’s TBR:

This month was better, but I still added more books than I read this month. Whoops.

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Reading Challenges:

This is the first year I’ve EVER joined a Reading Challenge. I went through Nicole’s huge list of reading challenges – check it out here – and found three that sounded absolutely perfect for me. I’d love to have friends join in a challenge with me, so if you sign up please let me know. 🙂

Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge – I love reading contemporary romance books, so I’m aiming for 3rd base, which means I plan on reading 11-15 contemporary books next year. Although I have a feeling I can hit Home Run which is 16-20 contemporary books.

[scroll-box]Reading Challenge Details:

Runs January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018 (books read prior to 1/1/2018 do not count towards the challenge). You can join anytime you want, though the sign up linky will close Nov. 15, 2018.
The goal is to read as many Contemporary Romance books as you’d like. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. You can move up a level as often as you’d like but no moving down. Remember, the idea is to challenge yourself.
Books that qualify for this challenge can be young adult, new adult, or adult. Books can be M/F, M/M, or F/F. Books must be a work of fiction (sorry, nonfiction does not qualify for this challenge).
Romances with the following elements do not qualify for this reading challenge: paranormal, historical, time-travel, fantasy, science fiction, or mystery/suspense/thriller.
Books can be any format (print, ebook, audio).
Novellas that are 100 pages in length (give or take), as well as full-length novels, will count for this reading challenge.
Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
Use the hashtag #ContRom2018 when posting your reviews/updates/re-caps/monthly topics on social media.
To join this challenge, grab the 2018 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge button below and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. This will be your “update post” when doing the monthly link up.
You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, LibraryThing, BookLikes, etc., so as long as you have a dedicated shelf for the 2018 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge (your designated “update post” for the monthly link up) and your profile is not private. The point of linking up is to have a place where people can see what you’re reading.

Levels:

1st Base: read 1 – 5 books
2nd Base: read 6 – 10 books
3rd Base: read 11 – 15 books
Home Run: read 16 – 20 books
Grand Slam: read 21+ books

Monthly Link-Up and Giveaway Details:

Your thoughts on each book you read must be posted somewhere, like your blog, Goodreads, Amazon, YouTube, Tumblr, etc., in order for it to count towards this challenge. Ratings on Goodreads, LibraryThing, BookLikes, etc. will also work.
Monthly link-up posts will go live the around the first day of each month so you can add your links throughout the month as your posts go up. Each linky will remain open five days into each new month to allow you some time to get all your posts linked up!
In order for us to tell what you’re linking to on the monthly linky, the format for the links you enter need to be as follows:
UPDATE POST @ your name/blog name.
REVIEW: [BOOK TITLE] @ your name/blog name.
MONTHLY TOPIC @ your name/blog name.
Each month we’ll choose a lucky winner from that month’s linky to win a Contemporary Romance novel of their choice (up to US$10).
Each link you enter in that month’s linky will count as one entry into the giveaway.
Challenge and Giveaways are open internationally. (As long as The Book Depository ships to your country, you are eligible for a prize.)

Monthly Topics:

Each monthly link-up post will include a Contemporary Romance topic for you to participate in if you’d like.
Monthly Topic posts can go up anytime in the specified month. Link them up as follows: MONTHLY TOPIC @ your name/blog name.
These posts will also earn you an entry in the monthly giveaway as long as you link back to them.
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Beat The Backlist – This one sounds like so much fun and as of yesterday there was almost 400 bloggers signed up! It’s all about reading books that were previously published. So anything that was published 2017, or before that, counts. And I own sooooooo many books that qualify for this!

[scroll-box]Reading Challenge Details:

In short, this is a reading challenge where your goal is to read backlist books (published prior to the current year). For 2018, it means reading any book that was published in 2017 or earlier. You have the entire year to read as many books as you can/want. YOU set your own reading goal and this challenge isn’t just for bloggers. You do NOT need to have a blog to participate. Any online social media account (Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) will work, and if you have a blog you’re welcome to join in too!

Now to add a bit of a competitive edge, when you sign up for the challenge you’ll be randomly placed on a team. These teams will compete to see who can get the most points, and each month one winner will be drawn from the team with the most points to get a book of their choice (open internationally). You get points by reading books! And you can earn extra by posting a review to retail websites (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc).

Each team will have their own Rafflecopter that you can submit your points through so it’s super easy, and you’ll be able to see which team is in the lead too. You don’t have to submit anything if you don’t want to, but it will help your team and better YOUR chances of winning a book of your choice so you may find it’s worth it![/scroll-box]

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Library Love Challenge – My little boys and I go to our local library at the least once every other week. Plus, I love that they have a fabulous on-line borrowing selection via Overdrive. So I’m signing up for for Dewey Decimal: Read 12 books. I know that I can definitely borrow at least a book a month from them!

[scroll-box]Details:

Runs: January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018. You can join any time.

Put a sign up post on your blog or (dedicate a Goodreads shelf or LibraryThing) and link it below. Make sure it’s public.
The goal is to read at least twelve (12) books from the library, but you can read more. While twelve is the minimum, there is no maximum limit. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you.
Any format will work for this challenge (prints, ebooks, or audios); as long as you checked it out from the library, it counts.
Books can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.).
Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, including re-reads. The goal is to support your local library and save money.
Write a review to enter the giveaway – 2 sentences or an essay, whatever works for you, but there is a minimum of 2 sentences. Not sure what to write? How about something like, “The plot was a delight, but the characters didn’t capture me.” “I enjoyed the story and really liked the characters.”
As an added bonus: We are offering up a GIVEAWAY with this Challenge. Winner will be picked at the end of the year!! The entries are the direct links to your book reviews and you will have until Jan. 3rd, 2019 to enter your reviews in the linky and then the Rafflecopter. Go here to enter the giveaway: 2018 Library Love Challenge Review Link-ups.

Levels:

Dewey Decimal: Read 12 books
Thrifty Reader: Read 24 books
Overdrive Junkie: Read 36 books
Library Addict: Read 48 books
Library Card on Fire: Read 60+ books
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So that was our December. Did you read any of the same books that we did? Or share the same favorite book as us? If not, then what was your favorite book? Or have you read any of the books I just added to my TBR? Or do you want to join one of the reading challenges with me? Pleeeeaaaassseeee lol. ♥

Here’s hoping you all had a wonderful December too. And cheers to having a fabulous New Years and here’s hoping 2018 is our best year yet!

**We linked this post to 2017 End of Year Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction**

BOOK REVIEW – Undone (Unknown #3) by Wendy Higgins

December 31, 2017 / Jen / 6 Comments

Undone (Unknown #3)
by Wendy Higgins
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
USA Today and New York Times bestselling author, Wendy Higgins, brings you the gripping, sensual conclusion to her apocalyptic trilogy.

Amber Tate never dreamed their heart-wrenching escape from the enemy’s attack would lead them to the most beautiful place she’s ever seen, marred by one ugly fact; it’s under enemy control. Like everywhere else in the world, Elmendorf military base in Alaska has been captured, and it’s time to take it back—all of it—one base, one city at a time. After losing so much, Amber clings to the only precious person she has left, and vows to sacrifice everything to help save the Earth.

Remy Haines is a lover, not a fighter, so when she finds herself in enemy territory, expected to feign allegiance while gathering intel for the rebel cause, she’s never been more out of her element. Tensions only increase when her feelings for Jacob “Tater” Tate won’t go away, and the enemy’s leader takes an interest in her. She’s torn between what her heart wants, and what she knows she should do. As for what her body needs…well, it’s always had a mind of its own.

Review:

*Spoilers for Unknown #1 & Unrest #2 but the first paragraph is safe to read. *

Undone was a stunning conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat! I kept hoping that all of those that I loved would get their happily ever after, even though the odds were stacked against them. And in this final book, there was a completely different element that didn’t appear in the previous two books. We alternated views between Amber and her best friend Remy. And let me tell you, while I loved Remy, I couldn’t believe that I became just as obsessed with her. I loved that they each added a different view of what was happening in the world. It made this story that much more emotional and I felt as though the stakes were even higher.

A lump filled my throat as Rylen pulled me aside and pressed his forehead to mine. We didn’t kiss. No hugs either. We just stood there, foreheads touching, eyes closed, breathing each other in, letting the urgency of our hope rise up and twirl between us, spinning until it was a powerful cyclone of unspoken words, holding us together.
Be safe.
Stay alert.
I love you more than life.
Don’t you dare die. – Amber & Rylen

But before I can talk about anything else, I have to say that I absolutely loved Amber and Rylen together!! Thank goodness they finally took that step and found some happiness in the bleak world that surrounded them. And now that we got to see all sides of Rylen, I fell even harder for him. He was so passionate, in control and sooooooo sexy. The scenes of them together, in Undone and Unrest, was scorching hot! But underneath it all, I loved that their relationship was based on the most beautiful friendship. Their love truly encompassed it all! So of course I was scared any time they weren’t together or when they went on missions together. My heart was in my throat hoping that they would stay safe and alive!

As scared as I was, we had so much to live for. We had to win. – Amber

This book had a ton of action that had me flipping through the pages as fast as I could. But at the same time, there was also some slower, heartfelt moments. It all meshed together so perfectly and made the pace feel just right. While there were moments of horror and sadness, I easily found strength in Amber and Rylen’s love for one another and the friendships that surrounded them. But I wish I could have said the same for Remy. While my heart hurt for Amber and Remy in different ways, I was beyond terrified with the hell Remy found herself in.

He’s the enemy.
But he wasn’t looking at me like an enemy. – Remy

Remy had been captured at the end of Unrest, and was taken to the aliens compound in Nevada with Tater and Linette. They found themselves prisoners, well more like slaves. Not only were they worked to the bone, but the aliens flipped their world upside down. Family units no longer existed. Touching no longer existed. And if anyone wanted to rebel in any way, then they would either die or have the worm *shudders*. It felt as though I was constantly holding my breath, frightened with what was going to happen next to Remy, Tater and Linette. But there was one element I never even considered, since I didn’t read the synopsis. And that was Remy’s interaction with the enemy’s leader.

I feared him. I took comfort from him. I was disgusted by him. I admired him. I pitied him. I was drawn to him. – Remy

We witnessed Remy interact with those monsters. And while the majority of them were easy to lump into the enemy category, they weren’t all like that. I hated seeing those shades of humanity in the few aliens we become close with, because then I felt guilty wishing for their annihilation. And that’s exactly how Remy felt too. But then it got taken up a level when Remy started to feel something towards their leader. I felt as though my emotions were being torn in different directions and that my brain was a convoluted mess. Especially when I thought about Tater, ugh.

My vision swam with tears, and the loudest sobs in history rose from my soul. I fell forward, begging myself to calm down, but finding it utterly impossible. – Amber

But before I wrap up my thoughts, I have to say that I did have three issues with this book. The first was that there was a scene that was a mesh of two scenes from Independence Day. I’ve seen that movie probably a hundred times, so it stuck out very clearly in my mind. The second issue was that there was a discrepancy between book two and three View Spoiler ». And my third issue was that the epilogue left me desperately wanting to know so much more. Yes we got a fabulous closure, but there were so many questions hanging in the air for me like View Spoiler ». So while these three issues made me remove a half a star, this series is still going down as one of my favorite dystopian series ever. Don’t let this paragraph deter you, I just wanted to give a heads up.

“They’ve tried to break us.” Rylen released my hands and brought his fingers to my neck, weaving them through and down my hair. “They wanted to break us apart.”
“And they failed,” I said.

So a huge yes, I definitely recommend this book to dystopian and Wendy Higgins fans! It was full of action, love, friendship, and heart stopping moments. Plus it had the most amazing book boyfriend ever. You have to meet Rylen! He was fierce, protective, loyal, seductive and definitely sexy! I’m so glad I read this trilogy and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that some day down the road we’ll get a peak at this world and characters again. I already miss them!

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Unknown #1 Reviews: Jen	Unrest #2 Reviews: Jen	Undone #3 Reviews: Jen

BOOK REVIEW – Resisting the Rebel by Lisa Brown Roberts

December 29, 2017 / Jen / 8 Comments

Resisting the Rebel by Lisa Brown Roberts
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Spirit committee leader Mandy Pennington is secretly in love with her best friend, Gus, but when he hooks up with her archenemy at a party, she decides to win him over once and for all. She just doesn’t know how. But who better to help than hot loner Caleb Torrs?

Caleb’s got his own problems, but when he sees Mandy pining over Gus at a party, he thinks she’s finally smoked the spirit stick and lost her mind. Maybe he has, too, because he just asked Mandy to be his fake girlfriend. She’ll get her loser friend’s attention, and he’ll get his stalker ex off his back. It’s a win-win.

But soon one fake date blends into the next and before he knows it, he actually wants to kiss Mandy. For real. Too bad their plan is working, and Gus is finally noticing the one girl Caleb just might be falling for…

Review:

Resisting the Rebel was the cutest book ever! I just can’t get over how adorable this fake boyfriend story was! I constantly found myself smiling while sighing and laughing out loud. And when you add in banter and angst that was perfectly done, well I couldn’t help but go back and re-read a ton of my favorite scenes! I am completely obsessed with this heartfelt story and it’s definitely one of my favorite books from this year!

“Y-you’re such a—” He was still holding her hand, though he’d loosened his grip.
“Jackass. I know. But let me pretend to be your jackass boyfriend and we’ll both get what we want.”
Everything in her screamed no, but when she finally opened her mouth, the word that fell out was “Okay.”

But here’s the thing, I wasn’t so sure in the beginning that I was going to connect with Mandy Pennington. Her thoughts and words seemed all over the place and her endless supply of energy had me pausing and looking at her sideways. She was a lot to take in. But by the second chapter I was laughing so hard I had tears pouring down my face and I absolutely loved everything about her. And just a heads up, we do learn about her diagnosis that explains why she is the way she is. Mandy was this sparkly, thoughtful, caring, sweet girl who had the hugest heart ever. But she had a problem that she couldn’t figure out how to solve. She desperately wanted her friend Gus to want her back. And thanks to Caleb, it looked like her problem would be solved.

Mandy snatched the cup from his hand. “Apparently they don’t teach manners in hell.”
He licked a few drops of chocolate from his lips, keeping his dangerous eyes on hers. “Oh, they do. Just not the kind you’d approve of.” His lips curved into a wicked grin that sent her body temp into the stratosphere. “They teach us demons all kinds of bad things.” He leaned in close, lowering his voice. “Very bad things, babe.”

While Caleb Torrs spent his time by himself and his classmates were intimidated by him, he convinced Mandy to become his fake girlfriend after a run in at a party. It was a win win for the both of them since he’d get rid of his stalker ex and it’d push Gus to make a move on Mandy. Or so that was their plan. But what happens when a friendship starts to form between them that has a very strong undercurrent of lust? Or what happens when touches start to feel real and you want more? How can you tell what’s fake and what’s not? It all played out sooooooo good and the best part was that we got to alternate between Mandy and Caleb, so we got to know every single one of their thoughts.

“Practice makes perfect, Disco.” He closed his eyes and brushed his lips across hers, barely making contact, but it was enough to light him up inside. He wanted more. A lot more. Fake, real, whatever the hell this was, he wanted more.

And I’m so grateful for that because I loved being in Caleb’s head. You see, Caleb was everything I want in a book boyfriend. He was dark, broody, mysterious, and had a tragic history. But my favorite thing about Caleb was when he took control of a situation or acted as Mandy’s fake boyfriend. Every single one of those moments he was insanely seductive and incredibly sigh worthy. It was amazing how hot he could make some of the scenes, even though not much physically was truly happening. You have to see what I’m talking about because he completely melted me into a puddle and I was absolutely obsessed with Caleb.

“I know about life sucking, Caleb,” she muttered. “Trust me, I know. But I choose to believe…I have to believe there’s a reason for everything.”
The desperation in her voice hit him like a punch. He hoped like hell he hadn’t hurt her. He reached out his hand tentatively, resting it on her knee. After a moment, she rested her hand on top of his.

And while their story alone would have been more than enough, we got to witness some beautiful friendships and family dynamics that pulled at my heart. Some of the friendships already existed, like Mandy with J.T. And Cammie, and others we got to watch form like Caleb and J.T. I absolutely loved Caleb and J.T.’s bromance. Especially their Red Ranger and Blue Ranger verbal spars! I was laughing, cheering and their moments together always left me feeling all warm and cozy inside. Ohhh I also loved Mandy’s Grandma. That woman made me laugh so hard I couldn’t catch my breath. This story was filled with so many fabulous characters that I want everyone to meet!

“Mandy,” he whispered against her cheek, his mouth almost to her lips. Let’s stop pretending. The words were almost there, just hovering in the back of his throat, waiting to escape.
“Caleb,” she whispered back, just as he was about to finally taste her lips for real. “I want…”
You, he willed her to say. Say you want me, not that tool Gus masquerading as a dork.

Resisting the Rebel was exactly what I needed and I’m so thankful for this story! So if you’re looking for an adorable book that will make you laugh, smile and leave you in the best mood ever, then definitely pick up Resisting the Rebel! I can’t recommend it enough!

PS The song titles at the beginning of the chapters were so cute, and they fitted each chapter perfectly.

PPS Slade and Trina were in this book?!?!?! Oh my gosh, I love them! They were in Playing the Player and if you haven’t read that book, I definitely recommend it too!

BOOK REVIEW: Amour Amour (Aerial Ethereal #1) by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie

December 26, 2017 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Amour Amour (Aerial Ethereal)
by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Love is a circus

"Every day,” he says lowly, “I hold a person’s life in my hands. The circus is based one-hundred percent off trust. I give it all to someone, and they give it all to me.”

The best aerial technique won’t land 21-year-old Thora James her dream role in Amour—a sexy new acrobatic show on the Vegas strip. Thora knows she’s out of her element the second she meets Amour’s leading performer. Confident, charming and devilishly captivating, 26-year-old Nikolai Kotova lives up to his nickname as the “God of Russia.”

When Thora unknowingly walks into the crosshairs of Nikolai’s after-show, her audition process begins way too soon. Unprofessional. That’s what Nik calls their “non-existent” relationship. It’s not like Thora can avoid him. For one, they may be partners in the future—acrobatic partners, that is. But getting closer to Nik means diving deeper into sin city and into his dizzying world.

Thora wants to perform with him, but when someone like Nikolai attracts the spotlight wherever he goes—Thora fears that she’s destined to be just background to his spellbinding show.

She’s trying to find herself. Some days I still wonder if I’ve found me. Maybe we never stop searching. Maybe we evolve the way seasons change, seamlessly without really knowing, not until all the leaves have fallen.
This is who I am today.
Tomorrow I may be the same.
But in years, I’ll be someone else. Someone I may like more. Someone I may like less. And that’s okay. Because I’m still living.

It’s no secret that I loved Connor Cobalt with all my heart when I read the Calloway Sisters spin-off series in 2015. He and Rose made me happier than I could have imagined possible. And while I adored those two books that centered on the controlling and over-achieving duo, I just couldn’t fathom liking another book out of that series. They were always a bit long and always….heavy-ish, so I just couldn’t reconcile liking a book by these authors that relatively none of my friends have talked about.

I wish I could tap into his mind, even for a moment. To see how he sees me. For as much as Nikolai conveys, he’s still a mystery.
And I’m the curious girl who’ll step into it. Time and time again.

Then one day I just decided to give it a try….and I met one of the sweetest, most dedicated, most loyal men ever. I swear, why did all these books I adore have to come near the end of the year? What I needed was a book that wasn’t your typical romance, that wasn’t NA smut, something with some substance. And, ya know, normally I don’t love books that are a bit slower build, longer than they really need to be (which is a Ritchie trait, if you ask me) without much action, but it seems that some of my absolute favorites this year are just that: Punk 57, An Enchantment of Ravens, and now Amour Amour. There must be something in the water, because I am DYING of thirst when it comes to these books.

It became something more without noticing. Without realizing. “Am I a mistake—”
“No, myshka. You’re just the unexpected, beautiful thing in my life.”

Thora is selected to go try out for an Aerial company that has circus shows all around the world-her dream show? Amour. I kind of just pictured Cirque-du-Soleil (which I think was the point?) as I read, and it seemed to resonate and help me picture things I might have skimmed over before (I’ve never been that imaginative…which is why I use all the same stock actors and actresses with each book I read lol). Anyway, she gets called in for an audition, but she just isn’t up to par-not yet. And that’s where Nikolai comes in.

And he assumed right. Again. Probably based on Shay’s height, frame, build—like he did me that first night in Vegas. “Can you at least pretend to be full of remorse and regret?” This would be so much easier.
“No. A devil protects his demon.”

Nikolai lives and breathes the circus, grew up participating in shows with his family from the beginning. He’s a show stopper, and the spot for his partner just opened up…which is why Thora is in Vegas trying out for the coveted position. While doing his after-hours show on a Saturday night at a club, he challenges a cute girl to oppose him-and he instantly feels something towards her. A need to shield, to protect her perhaps. When they part ways that night, he warns her to not let the city eat her alive…and then the day of try-outs arrives, and he’s shocked to see that she wasn’t just a visitor in his town, but a tiny girl with more passion than she knows what to do with.

The slight prick of fear heightens my adrenaline, setting a fire beneath me.
Who can explain the drum of their heart or the burst of their lungs? Give me that person. I need them because words fail my senses.

So the story goes. Alas, I will say that, while I knew what the end would produce, the rest of the story was surprising the whole way through, a mystery until the end-and I respected that. I loved that I kept guessing and was never really right, and that, even though the story was a little predictable all in all, the writers kept it out of the cliché zone. Did I love that the motto of the story basically implies love comes second? Hmm no. When I read, I look to escape reality, not drench myself in it. But I did love that they weren’t pushovers for their attraction to one another. Did I love that it took so long for what I wanted to be said and for it to be admitted? Actually…yes. I did. I LOVE a slow burn, and I love how the authors didn’t just give me all the cookies in the cookie jar right away, but also didn’t keep them from being together. I won’t spoil, I’m just saying that it worked for me, and I didn’t think I’d be happy about it…but I was. I SO was, because it just gave me millions of butterflies and melted my crusty self into a puddle of goop when all the little things happened, leading up to a crescendo of feels.

He said, “All you need is luck. The rest, you’ll do great at.”
I smiled. “Is that my trainer speaking?”
“Yes,” he said, “but you’d probably think it’s a problem.”
I hesitated, “Why’s that?”
He stood up, towering above me with those intense grays. “Your trainer is in love with you.”

I’ve gotten even more dramatic in my old age, haven’t I? I’m a sap, a puddle of goo…but I just love that I can still be surprised by books when I thought I was starting to lose all my fangirl feels. Nikolai…I don’t know. He’s Russian, which was hard for me to picture? I know that makes me sound like a snob, but obviously I’m not a total snob because he won my heart over in, like, two pages. He stole my breath at the oddest of times, when I least expected it, and he would do ANYTHING for Thora.

“I’d help you every day so that you could see a better tomorrow. I will never give you less than that.”

***

“Why help me?” I ask softly. I expect him to say, I don’t have an answer.
“I admire your courage. I know what you’ve given up to be here. I know the kind of artist it takes to land a role. I know that you won’t receive one on your own. And I imagine you, myshka, two years from now, working at Phantom with the same aspirations, the same dreams, in the same place where you are now. It’s wasted courage. And wasted love. You shouldn’t have to waste those things.”

Which, okay, let’s talk about that name real quick-it’s like a couple name smash that went wrong-Thor and Nora for the win? Ha BUT ANYWAY, he had rules. He was strict with his ‘Circus before love’ bit. But Thora wiggled into his heart, made him feel whole…and she made him question what was more important. And, when faced with the fact that he may lose her if she didn’t make the Aerial team in January, it broke his heart-but not once did he let it show that he would die if she left, because her dreams were more important to him than his own happiness. I mean…I can’t even. He was just…I can’t. Not once had he been distracted from the true love of his (and Thora’s) life, the circus, but Thora made him break the rules, made him do things he’d never done before. And one scene breaks my heart in the best possible way, and I can’t say but….I think you guys would know if you read it. It’s EVERYTHING.

He stares down at me, waiting. I always pause. And he rarely fills the silence with his own voice. He just looks so deeply into me and gives me time to find the right thing…
“I’m in love with you,” I whisper.
He tries to smile but his eyes flood instead. “Don’t love me more than your dreams, myshka. Because I love you too much to let you give them up for me.”

So yeah, it wasn’t a perfect book-it didn’t have non-stop action, it might have dragged JUST a teensy bit, and I wanted to punch her best friend. But Nikolai’s adorable jealousness, the family bonding that only these sisters can write/produce, the friendships, the palpable love between Nikolai and Thora, the tenderness with which he treats her, takes care of her, the story line that makes you feel like you’re a part of Vegas…yeah, I’d say this is one of my absolute favorites. Hands down. And I’d say you’d be silly to not give this one a try.

I never even dreamed of finding love. It’s been low on my list of pursuits. I thought I’d tackle that later. Maybe in ten years. I’d fall in love for the first time then.
I wish someone would’ve told me that you can’t search for love. That one day, it will find you.
An unexpected thing.

Category: Review (Page 171 of 297)

BOOK REVIEW – The Vanishing Spark of Dusk by Sara Baysinger

Synopsis:

Review:

My eyes start to burn. My chest heaves. And I break. Shatter. Fall to my knees. And I don’t know if these are teardrops or water dripping down my face, but I don’t care because I’m broken. So broken.

Kalen said never to mention freedom again, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight for it. And I will. I’ll fight for it—I’ll risk my life for it. Because a life as a slave isn’t life at all.

Monthly Wrap-Up – December

Jen’s Life:

What Chelsea & Jen Read:

Our Favorite Books of the Month:

Other Posts:

Books Added To Jen’s TBR:

Reading Challenges:

BOOK REVIEW – Undone (Unknown #3) by Wendy Higgins

Synopsis:

Review:

As scared as I was, we had so much to live for. We had to win. – Amber

He’s the enemy.
But he wasn’t looking at me like an enemy. – Remy

I feared him. I took comfort from him. I was disgusted by him. I admired him. I pitied him. I was drawn to him. – Remy

My vision swam with tears, and the loudest sobs in history rose from my soul. I fell forward, begging myself to calm down, but finding it utterly impossible. – Amber

“They’ve tried to break us.” Rylen released my hands and brought his fingers to my neck, weaving them through and down my hair. “They wanted to break us apart.”
“And they failed,” I said.

BOOK REVIEW – Resisting the Rebel by Lisa Brown Roberts

Synopsis:

Review:

“Practice makes perfect, Disco.” He closed his eyes and brushed his lips across hers, barely making contact, but it was enough to light him up inside. He wanted more. A lot more. Fake, real, whatever the hell this was, he wanted more.

BOOK REVIEW: Amour Amour (Aerial Ethereal #1) by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie

Synopsis:

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BOOK REVIEW – The Vanishing Spark of Dusk by Sara Baysinger

Synopsis:

Review:

My eyes start to burn. My chest heaves. And I break. Shatter. Fall to my knees. And I don’t know if these are teardrops or water dripping down my face, but I don’t care because I’m broken. So broken.

Kalen said never to mention freedom again, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight for it. And I will. I’ll fight for it—I’ll risk my life for it. Because a life as a slave isn’t life at all.

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Monthly Wrap-Up – December

Jen’s Life:

What Chelsea & Jen Read:

Our Favorite Books of the Month:

Other Posts:

Books Added To Jen’s TBR:

Reading Challenges:

Share this:

BOOK REVIEW – Undone (Unknown #3) by Wendy Higgins

Synopsis:

Review:

As scared as I was, we had so much to live for. We had to win. – Amber

He’s the enemy. But he wasn’t looking at me like an enemy. – Remy

I feared him. I took comfort from him. I was disgusted by him. I admired him. I pitied him. I was drawn to him. – Remy

My vision swam with tears, and the loudest sobs in history rose from my soul. I fell forward, begging myself to calm down, but finding it utterly impossible. – Amber

“They’ve tried to break us.” Rylen released my hands and brought his fingers to my neck, weaving them through and down my hair. “They wanted to break us apart.” “And they failed,” I said.

Share this:

BOOK REVIEW – Resisting the Rebel by Lisa Brown Roberts

Synopsis:

Review:

“Practice makes perfect, Disco.” He closed his eyes and brushed his lips across hers, barely making contact, but it was enough to light him up inside. He wanted more. A lot more. Fake, real, whatever the hell this was, he wanted more.

Share this:

BOOK REVIEW: Amour Amour (Aerial Ethereal #1) by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie

Synopsis:

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Jen’s Currently Reading

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He’s the enemy.
But he wasn’t looking at me like an enemy. – Remy

“They’ve tried to break us.” Rylen released my hands and brought his fingers to my neck, weaving them through and down my hair. “They wanted to break us apart.”
“And they failed,” I said.