Category: Review (Page 211 of 296)

BOOK REVIEW: Prayers for Rain (Kenzie & Gennaro #5) by Dennis Lehane

November 19, 2015 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Prayers for Rain (Kenzie & Gennaro #5)
by Dennis Lehane
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The master of the new noir, Dennis Lehane delivers a shattering tale of evil, depravity, and justice that captures the dark realism of Boston’s gritty blue-collar streets.

Private Investigator Patrick Kenzie wants to know why a former client, a perky woman in love with life, could, within six months, jump naked from a Boston landmark—the final fall in a spiral of self-destruction. What he finds is a sadistic stalker who targeted the young woman and methodically drove her to her death. A monster the law can’t touch. But Kenzie can. He and his former partner, Angela Gennaro, will fight a mind-twisting battle against this psychopath even as he turns his tricks on them.

You wanted to play? Well, hide-and-seek is over. Let the real games begin, motherfucker.

I can’t say this is exactly what I wanted it to be….because it wasn’t. But not for one minute did I not enjoy it. Is that weird? This book took me a week to read, which doesn’t bode well for what I thought of it-But then I take into account how busy, tired, meh I’ve been and it about evens out with my mood. The verdict?? When I felt a distance at the beginning, I should have stopped.
I drank some more Beck’s, fingered the cardboard coaster, felt a grin fighting to break across my face. I glanced at Angie. The corners of her mouth twitched, too.
“Don’t look at me,” she said.
“Why not?”
“I’m telling you-” She lost the battle and closed her eyes as the smile broke across her cheeks.
Mine followed about a half second later.
“I don’t know why I’m smiling,” Angie said.
“Me, either.”
“Prick.”
“Bitch.”
She laughed and turned on her chair, drink in hand. “Miss me?”
Like you can’t imagine.
“Not a bit,” I said.

I’ve been in no mood for tedious and detailed books seeing as I am tired beyond reason all the time now, and when I picked this up and felt like I was getting nowhere (knowing these books like I do and loving them all) I should have known to call it quits and save it for a vacation or a holiday. But I never learn my lesson it seems…

“You don’t kill a guy for trashing a woman’s car.”
“Yeah?” Bubba said. “Where’s that written?”
I have to admit he had me there.
“Plus,” Bubba said, “you know, he gets the chance he’ll rape her.”
I nodded.
“I hate rape-os,” Bubba said.
“Me, too.”
“It’d be cool if he never did it again.”
I turned in my seat. “We’re not killing him.”
Bubba shrugged.

But here’s the thing: Even after saying all that, I still love this book and my Patrick. I may not have gotten the full enjoyment because of my mood, but it can’t possibly stunt the deep love I have for these characters or this series.

She pulled her hand back, stuffed it in her pocket as if it were burning.
“I-“
She stepped back from whatever she saw in my face. “Don’t say it.”
I shrugged. “Okay. I do, though.”
“Shh.” She put a finger to her lips, smiled around it, but her eyes shimmered with moisture. “Shh,” she said again.

And, sadly, again I don’t really have time to be writing a review, but I wanted to put one out anyway-Because my Patrick and Bubba and Angie deserve one. Patrick’s love for Angie is unparalleled and makes my heart hurt with his want.

“Do you hate my hair?” Angie whispered.
“No. It’s just…”
“Short?” She smiled.
“Yeah. I don’t love you because of your hair, though.”
She shifted slightly, turned her shoulder into the holes between rungs.
“Why do you love me?”
I chuckled. “You want me to count the ways?”
She didn’t say anything, just watched me.
“I love you, Ange, because…I don’t know. Because I always have. Because you make me laugh. A lot. Because…”

He’d do anything for her-even die for her, if it kept her safe.

“Because since you left I have these dreams that you’re sleeping beside me. And I wake up and I can still smell you, and I’m still half dreaming, but I don’t know it, so I reach for you. I reach across to your pillow, and you’re not there. And I gotta lie there at five in the morning, with the birds waking up outside and you not there and your smell just fading away. It fades and there’s-” I cleared my throat. “There’s nothing but me left there. And white sheets. White sheets and those birds and it hurts, and all I can do is close my eyes and lie there and wish I didn’t feel like dying.”

And this is the basis of everything, isn’t it? Holding on dearly to those few people you cherish, keeping them safe and out of harm’s way. But that isn’t easy with a psychopath hell bent on ruining peoples’ lives, forcing them to become shells of themselves. So when Patrick is threatened, and all those around him threatened if he doesn’t back off, what does he do? Well…I’ll tell ya: He’s Patrick, so no, he doesn’t fucking back off. Would you expect any less?
The clerk behind the counter, far from being the dweeby, bespectacled, balding type one would expect to meet in a tax assessor’s office, was tall, well built, blond, and judging by Angie’s furtive glances at him, something of a male babe.
Himbos, I swear. There ought to be a law that keeps them from ever leaving the beach.

So, yeah, I probably ruined some of this book, but I also just couldn’t wait. Patrick’s dedication, loyalty, conviction to do right by those wronged when they don’t have anyone else to fight for them, his love for his friends, his partner, Angie, and his all around spunk are something I’ve been missing wholeheartedly are something I admire and force me to say I’m not sorry I pushed it. So, you know, there’s only one left and it looks like, at this point, I’ll be waiting for a good time to read it, because I wouldn’t dare ruin the final Patrick book. That would be a huge mistake…even Patrick would agree with that. 😉

BOOK REVIEW – Puddle Jumping by Amber L. Johnson

November 17, 2015 / Jen / 2 Comments

Puddle Jumping by Amber L. Johnson
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
When it comes to love there’s no such thing as conventional.

Everyone thinks Colton Neely is special.

Lilly Evans just thinks he’s fascinating.

Once friends when they were younger, their bond is cut short due to her accident prone nature and they go their separate ways. Years later, they meet again and Lilly learns that there is something special about the boy she once knew, but she has no idea what it all means. And she’s not sure if she’s ready to find out.

When he walks through the corridor of her school the first day of her senior year, she knows that it’s time to get to know the real Colton Neely. The more she learns, the deeper she falls.

Their friendship grows into love, even as Colton does not express it in words. But one decision threatens to break down the world that Lilly has tried so hard to integrate into and she must figure out if the relationship can survive if they are apart.

Review:

Puddle Jumping was adorably sweet and had humor and heartfelt moments sprinkled throughout. It was the perfect book to make me feel all wonderful and cozy inside. Because Lily and Colton’s story was incredibly heartwarming and I hope all of my friends will give this book a try.

Words he’s been branded with could never describe him. He’s not special. He’s extraordinary. To me.

Lily Grace Evans was a breath of fresh air. We met her in the first chapter as a headstrong ten year old little girl who tasked to babysit Colton Neely, who was just one year younger than her. While Colton just wanted to color, Lily had crazy wild ideas, and I still crack up thinking about their first interactions. But then the story progressed as they grew up into teenagers. And I loved how I got to watch them interact here and there as the years passed. What evolved from their brief childhood moments to their teen years was pure, beautiful and believable.

I would do whatever it took to be what he needed me to be. He was worth it even after only one day.

As a teenager, Lily continued to be a kind and thoughtful person. She tried her hardest to make life easier for Colton. Not only because she cared for him, but so he could experience life like her. She never saw Colton as different, he was always just Colton to her. And she wanted the rest of the world to see that too. I loved everything about Lily!

With a small sigh he squeezed my hand tighter. “I wish you were like me.”
The breath in my body just rushed out all at once as I asked him why.
His gaze traveled my face again before he focused on my hair, saying exactly what he had on his mind. “Because then you would understand.”

Colton Neely was innocent, trusting, beautiful and heartbreaking. And while he looked just like any other boy , his mind worked a little differently. But when words would fail him, he had an astonishing way to express his thoughts and feelings through his paintings. Each time he painted his emotions, it would melt my heart. Because those thoughts and feelings spoke volumes to the extraordinary person he was. It was impossible not to fall for Colton.

But you know what shocked me the most? That Puddle Jumping was only a little over 100 pages long. How was that even possible? Because the feelings that were invoked in me and the attachments I formed with the characters is something that should have only happened with a full length story. So it was a wonderful surprise. Another wonderful surprise was that I loved the relationship between Lily and Colton’s mom. It was honest, embarrassing and made me have tears in my eyes while I wished I still had that type of relationship in my life too.

He kissed me.
Warm and soft. Gentle at first until his lips had acclimated to mine. It wasn’t like any kiss I’d ever experienced before because my knees felt nonexistent and I wanted to fall, taking him with me in a pile on the ground so I could curl into him and never let go.

This is a story to pick up when you need a smile, for when you want your heart to be happy, or you just need to feel ok with the world for a while. It’s that heartwarming. Puddle Jumping was everything that my heart was looking for and more.

P.S. Thank you to my amazing friend, Chelsea, for sending me this book and introducing me to Colton & Lily! You knew I’d love them just as much as you did, and you were so right! ♥

BOOK REVIEW: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

November 16, 2015 / Chelsea / 1 Comment

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

So begins Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues.

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”

Life is short, and my time for reviews even shorter. I’m sorry to those who read every one of my reviews, because I am saying this almost every time now. But it also seems important to repeat this fact for those who aren’t familiar with my reviews…or for those who might have forgotten how long winded and detailed my older reviews were. I take pride and find great enjoyment in writing all of my reviews-but as it turns out, if I want to write reviews at this time of my life, they need to be short and sweet (I’m even writing this review on my phone in the notes section, which is causing even more problems to arise). So this brings me back to my original point-this review won’t be long, detailed, or gushy. It will be quick, to the point, and only focus on the nitty gritty. As it turns out, that will be very easy. This was far from a favorite, so it won’t pain me to shorten my thoughts and get to the point…but I don’t want my words mistaken: while this wasn’t a favorite, I far from hated it.
Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.

Pride and Prejudice is a book I’ve never wanted to read…but when Mr. Darcy is mentioned in literally EVERY little thing, one tends to take notice (hark, am I reading another book because of a boy again?? Sigh, I really am too easy). I’ve never been one to love historicals and I can’t say I like deciphering every little thing as I read, but I finally just decided to give it a go-a fact my dear friend noticed and caused her to buy the book for me as a gifty nudge…I truly love Jennifer for her devotion to a beloved favorite, and admire her stubbornness in my needing to read it-who says two chicks don’t become more and more alike (cough pushy) the longer they chat.

Needless to say I was right in my assumption-No, the classics aren’t for me. They are a bit slower and, frankly, I felt dumb when I read this. The writing is very good…but my comprehension level was virtually nonexistent. Now, to be fair, I got the hang of it, but not until I truly got interested-coincidence? I think not.

At 50%, this book really took a turn for me. Whether it was the adorably haughty, yet earnest, Darcy (it totally was) or the idea that things were taking a turn for the better (again, it was Darcy), I finally gave a shit. I started smiling more and I got butterflies. I became invested and longed for the story to have always been that way.

She began now to comprehend that he was exactly the man, who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes. It was an union that must have been to the advantages of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved, and from his judgement, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance.

Finally there was something to root for and a reason to be reading this. Darcy was clearly in love with Lizzy and she finally started to see the good in him…I’m all for animosity between a couple, but it pained me to wait in this one. I’m sorry, but 40% on who should court whom and how everyone is related and the idea that marriage was the basis of the novel…well, it became a bit tedious (in my hardly reputable opinion). I’m all for a relationship fueled book, but for the love of God let it be leading somewhere for our main couple (and not ONLY at 50%!!!). And I know I know it’s about family and…okay, whatever, the beginning is above me. But my point remains-GET TO THE GOOD SHIT! For all of us, Janey.

In short, I could live my whole life and never read that first 50% again, and be fine. But that would mean I’d have to give up the last 50% and that I’m not so okay with. There’s something to be said for a simple story and a cute, but arrogant, male lead. And…After saying all this…I’ve decided I will read this again. I don’t know when, and I don’t know if the result will be the same, but I sure am hoping for a total win and that full effect. <3

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

Ahhhh so I’ve finally met this Mr. Darcy fellow…

I must admit, he was exactly what I needed 🙂

Review to come (HOPEFULLY) Agh. Fuck you, real world. I’ll just lay here and pout.

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

November 11, 2015 / Jen / 7 Comments

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

Synopsis:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

Review:

I’ve never felt more lost wandering through my thoughts upon closure of a book. If you were to ask me if I loved it? Of course, yes! And if you were to ask me if I was devastated and struggling because of that? Again, of course, yes! That’s because Mockingjay was everything I was hoping it would be and at the same time it was so many things I was hoping it wouldn’t be. But if I throw my emotional side away for one moment, I see the genius in how this story unfolded. Because it was thrilling, addicting and I loved that the plot wasn’t always something I could guess. But if I bring my emotional side back into it, I have to say that it melted my heart and also shattered it into oblivion. But since I am a little bit of a masochistic in certain scenarios, I can faithfully say that I’d go through the angst and suffering all over again. Because that ending? It was worth it! But as a heads up, I’m ok with everything I was hoping it would not be because I don’t mind realistic outcomes in a fictional world. But I do wish that some of the events would have had a few more lines or even paragraphs in future parts of the book. But back to those realistic outcomes in fictional worlds, what I mean is:

In war, not everyone is going to get their happily ever after. It’s not going to be pretty at times, and it can be beyond devastating and heartbreaking. So when you step into war, take those thoughts of hoping that everyone is going to be safe and make sure to throw them as far away from you as you can. And don’t ever look back. Because they are stepping into the midst of a war, so it’s safe to say that what can happen in our world can easily happen in theirs.
In real life, life isn’t always fair. So unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how hard one works, or how much they deserve a good future. Because that can easily become irrelevant in war and life. While I felt gutted over how some things played out, I get it because fictional worlds don’t have to be any less harsh than the ones we live in.

“President Snow says he’s sending us a message? Well, I have one for him. You can torture us and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground, but do you see that?” One of the cameras follows as I point to the planes burning on the roof of the warehouse across from us. The Capitol seal on a wing glows clearly through the flames. “Fire is catching!” I am shouting now, determined that he will not miss a word. “And if we burn, you burn with us!”

Now that I’ve gotten those thoughts out of my head, here’s the reasons why I fell in love this story so much, besides my reasons listed in my reviews of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire:

Friendships that warmed my heart.
Family that offered true love and understanding.
Watching alliances form between people who weren’t each other’s biggest fans. When that happened, oh man, I was grinning like a loon.
And the biggest reason of all? The hope that true love can conquer all. When the world is beyond recognition and you have this teeny, tiny sliver of hope for true love, well that tiny little flame can lighten the darkest of places.

“You’re still trying to protect me. Real or not real,” he whispers.
“Real,” I answer.

While I never wanted this series to end, I have good feeling that I will be revisiting Katniss’ world many times again in the future. Hope you enjoyed or will enjoy this final book and may the odds be ever in your favor.

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: 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.