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GIVEAWAY & BLITZ: The Sweetest Game (Southern U O’Brien Brothers #3) by Cookie O’Gorman

September 11, 2022 / Jen / 0 Comments

I’m late to the game for this post….I was so sick last week *cries* and I’m still not doing that great. But I wanted to share a giveaway for a book I absolutely loved! My 5 Star Review will be coming up shortly but until then you can check out what the story is about and enter a fabulous giveaway. Enjoy! ♥

The Sweetest Game
Cookie O’Gorman
Publication date: September 8th 2022
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Sports

Hopelessly in love with my best friend’s brother.

That’s what it will say on my tombstone. Here lies Junior “June” Dorsey. Tomboy. Car lover. Bookworm. She suffered from a severe case of unrequited love syndrome.

It’s not like I haven’t tried liking other guys. I have. It’s just none of them measure up to him.

Baylor O’Brien. Beautiful. Cocky. Talented (on the field and in the bedroom—or so I’ve heard).

And completely oblivious to my love for him.

When Bay asks for my help, I can’t say no. He needs my PR expertise to revamp his reputation and up his chances of being scouted after one scout—the one he really wants—dismisses him as nothing more than a party-loving playboy.

When he asks me to be his fake girlfriend, I accept his proposal.

But how am I supposed to act like I’m in love without revealing the truth? And why is Baylor so good at pretending?

One thing I know that’s true:

All’s fair in love and baseball.

Wish me luck,

June

This new adult sports romance features two friends destined to become lovers, one sizzling fake romance, and a sexy set of brothers guaranteed to make you swoon.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

After the other girls walked away, I’d opened my mouth to speak, to tell her she was brilliant, a miracle worker, the best buffer ever, but when Sunshine turned around the scowl on her face stopped me. She took my hand and started walking. She didn’t stop until we were in the kitchen where she opened the door to the pantry, pulled me inside, closed the door and crossed her arms.

“Sunshine, I can explain,” I said, but she held up a hand.

“True or false,” she said, “you’ve been with those girls before.”

“False,” I said. “One hundred percent false. They tried in the past, but I’ve never taken them to bed.”

“But you’ve taken others.”

I shrugged helplessly. “You know the answer to that.”

“True or false, you wanted to go with them just now.”

“False.”

“True or false”—she cocked her head to the side—”you told people I was off limits.”

I stared into her eyes then said, “True.”

She put one hand on her hip, used the other to poke me in the chest. “What were you thinking, Bay?”

“I just wanted to keep you safe.”

Her laughter was cold. “As if I’d need you to do that.”

I was starting to get a little pissed now. “You do need me. You have no idea what guys can be like. Most of my teammates are decent, but none of them is good enough for you.”

“I think I could’ve determined that on my own.”

“You don’t even know when a guy wants you. Take Seaver.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What about him?”

“He was hitting on you at the garage.” She scoffed, but I kept going. “Seriously, Sunshine. Guys are jerks.”

“You mean like you?”

“Yes,” I said, taking a step closer. “I am a jerk. But I’m a jerk who cares for you. Deeply.”

She shook her head. “You told them I was off limits.”

“Yeah.”

“And what made you think you had the right to do that?”

“I had every right,” I said.

“Oh really, why?”

“Because you were mine.”

I took a step closer, watching her eyes flare.

“You are mine,” I said.

The reality of my words didn’t hit me until a few moments later. I didn’t know how to take it back, wasn’t sure I wanted to.

“Bay,” she said, and I looked down into her eyes, “are you ever going to kiss me again?”

I swallowed. Suddenly, I realized I wanted that more than anything. “I guess as your love coach I probably should.”

She nodded.

“It’ll give you some practice for that asshole you have a crush on.”

“He’s not an asshole,” she said. “Though he can be a jerk sometimes.”

“I hate him,” I said vehemently.

My words hit her lips. We were that close now.

She swallowed. “How will I know if someone wants me?”

Her words distracted me from the all-consuming hatred I felt toward her crush, and I forced a grin.

“He’ll probably try to get real close,” I said. “Like this.”

Her breath came faster as I pressed my body to hers.

“He’ll also compliment you, say things to make you laugh, just to see you smile.” My hand went to her face, fingers resting on her lips. “You’ve got a great one of those, Sunshine.”

“What else?” she asked.

“He’ll look at you like you’re the only girl in the world.”

I met her eyes.

“If he’s smart, he’ll realize he’ll never measure up.”

She took a shuddering breath when my hand moved into her hair.

“But that won’t stop him from trying.”

I didn’t even know what I was saying anymore. I just knew I had to taste those lips.

“If he really wants you, then you’ll be able to feel it. In every look, touch, kiss, that he gives you. It’ll be there.”

“Oh,” she breathed.

“That’s how you’ll know.”

“I think I’m ready for you to kiss me now.”

“As you wish, Sunshine,” I said.

My lips came down on hers, and heat burst to life between us. The spark I’d felt before was nothing to now. This was fire. Pure fire. I had Sunshine in my arms, and she was burning me up. And I loved every second of it.

Author Bio:

Cookie O’Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad, WALLFLOWER, CUPCAKE, and FAUXMANCE are out now! She is also the author of NA sports romances, The Best Mistake, The Perfect Play, and The Sweetest Game.

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BOOK REVIEW: Counterpoint (In Vino Veritas #2) by J.E. Birk

September 8, 2022 / Arielle / 0 Comments

Counterpoint (In Vino Veritas #2)
by J.E. Birk
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
One playboy. One perfectionist. So many secrets.

I’m considered the biggest playboy in Burlington, Vermont. The party boy. The guy who lives in the moment and makes decisions with no thought for the future. But people don’t know my past. They don’t know why I make the choices I do. Even my best friend doesn’t know the truth about me. Actually, there are a lot of things he doesn’t know…like the fact that I had a one night stand with his brother last year.

Did I mean to hook up with Aaron? Um, no. Mistakes were made, okay? But unlike most of my mistakes, this one has lasting consequences. Aaron works at the law firm where circumstances are forcing me to be their errand boy. Now we see each other every day. Aaron’s such a nervous wreck he keeps tripping over the copy machine. I’m surprised he hasn’t ended up in traction yet.

He and I are opposites in almost every way. He’s got a GPA higher than Mount Mansfield, and I’m barely going to graduate college. He grocery shops with a spreadsheet, and I’ve got YOLO tattooed on my body. But Aaron sees things in me that no one else does, and I see things in him he doesn’t see in himself. Before I know it, we’re sharing late-night office picnics, evenings out at the bar, and long, hot afternoons on my boat. I’m having the best summer of my life, but there’s no way this can end well. My bff will kill me if he ever finds out how thoroughly I’ve corrupted his brother…

Counterpoint is an opposites-attract forbidden romance featuring an incense-filled law firm, meddling friends, and angst and humor in (mostly) equal parts. It stars Jeremy Everett and Aaron Morin, who first appeared in the Vino and Veritas story Booklover, but Counterpoint is a standalone novel.

Review

The best part about all of these books within The World of True North is that you see characters from other books and it feels like you’re coming home to old friends. This book can essentially be called a companion novel to Booklover from the Vino & Veritas series because Aaron, one of our MCs in this book is Jamie’s brother from Booklover and Jeremy, the other love interest, is his best friend. SADLY (yes I know I am ashamed) that was one from V & V I haven’t gotten to yet but you better believe I will be soon after this!

One of the things I really enjoyed about Counterpoint was that it put me in my Moo U feels. Now, I’m not sure if people really do call the University of Vermont, Moo U but either way I feel nostalgic about it when I come back and read a mention of it and that to me is hilarious. I have never even been Vermont but somehow all of these books have me feeling like I HAVE lived there and that I have this network of family and friends there to visit/ come home to when I’m missing them.

Aaron and Jeremy in particular were two that I wanted to wrap up and hug multiple times throughout this book. After a soul crushingly bad review at the last corporate law firm he interned at, Aaron was doubting his ability to practice law once he graduated from Harvard which had him even more upset as he had only recently patched up a falling out he had with his family over leaving for law school in the first place. Jeremy is a playboy or, if we want to get fun and stay on brand, modern day rake who was ALWAYS up for a good time as far as anyone could tell. What we end up finding out is that he’s dealing with a LOT of family things (mainly a father who developed early onset Alzheimer’s and heavy tension with his mom in result of that) that he keeps hidden from everyone.

Everyone except Aaron. I’m a big fan of the dynamic in romances where one love interest is only able to confide in the other love interest, even way before they get together, because that person makes them feel completely comfortable. Aaron and Jeremy’s personalities might be night and day in comparison but as the saying goes, “opposites attract.” Throughout the book when Aaron is struggling with work and worrying about what people think of them/ letting them down he thinks “what would Jeremy do in this situation?” and that helps him more than one time let go of his anxiety and settle in to the confident, smart, and capable person that he is. Jeremy on the other hand learns from Aaron what it’s like to open up and let people try to help. How much that helps to lighten the very heavy load. The two have their faults but as all of their friends notice, they’re better together. Overall another winner in my book!

Huge thanks to Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!♥

BOOK REVIEW: Wildfire (In Vino Veritas #1) by Garrett Leigh

September 7, 2022 / Arielle / 0 Comments

Wildfire (In Vino Veritas #1)
by Garrett Leigh
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A gorgeous new sexual awakening romance with sizzling first times, snarky British banter, and off-the-charts chemistry.

Life doesn’t always pan out as you expect. When it explodes in my face, literally, an old friend offers me a place to heal and a job renovating the kitchen of Burlington’s coolest wine bar.

V&V is a chill fest. Living above it should be a blast. But I’m not built to be a social butterfly. Not anymore. I’m a damaged man.

And I’m not its target clientele.

At least, I think I’m not until I come face to face with the most beautiful human I’ve ever seen. Joss is the new chef and my roommate. He has hair like spun gold and it’s as pretty as the rest of him. Crystal blue eyes. Megawatt smile.

I can’t stop staring. Or thinking about him. He chases my nightmares away. And when he spots my crush a mile off, his solution to our chemical attraction blows my mind.

An experiment of sorts. Science. Is this sexual exploration or sex education?

Either way, Joss is only here for the summer. He’s leaving.

I can’t fall in love with him.

I can’t.

Shame my foolish heart never got the memo.

WILDFIRE is a heartfelt MM friends-to-lovers, hurt/comfort romance in the True North world, with a brooding lumbersexual, a wild-hearted chef, sweet angst and all the Vermont food. Content warning: contains mentions of depression, ADHD, suicidal ideation, and PTSD recovery.

Review

When I saw that the first book to kick this series off was by Garrett Leigh, I was SO excited. Her book, Heartscape, which was in the Vino & Veritas series, was one of my very favorites! Like Heartscape, this one was definitely more emotional and dealt with Kai’s personal trauma after a work incident and the PTSD and insomnia that ensued, and in Joss’s case, ADHD with a case of non-verbal Tourette’s, too.

Right from the get go we get a small teaser that one of our MCs went through something very harrowing before jumping into the main story line of Kai getting a kitchen ready in V & V so that they can start serving food to their very hungry patrons. Joss comes in as the chef and an old friend of Jax’s who doesn’t typically stay in one place very long before moving on to greener pastures.

Joss moves into the apartment above the bar with Kai (gotta love that forced proximity) and immediately the two, who usually are up at all hours of the night not being able to sleep (Kai) or have excess amounts of energy to be burned and have trouble staying on track for more than 5 seconds (Joss), find a calm around each other. The two work perfectly together and form a very fast attachment. Kai, who has never officially been interested in men can’t help but notice Joss’s every move. And vice versa, honestly. The chemistry these two have was off the charts and I enjoyed seeing the evolution of their relationship throughout the book.

I can’t lie, I HAD been worried about the point in which Joss did decide to up and leave Kai/V & V/Burlington like he had in the past. Especially because like the rest of Kai’s friends, I was worried about the bb and wanted to protect him at all costs. Seeing as I don’t want to spoil what actually happens, all I will say is that I was satisfied with how things pan out for the two of them. The way that these two filled each others cups and fit so perfectly made my heart happy. This was the perfect start to this newest series in The World of True North!

Huge thanks to Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! ♥

BOOK REVIEW: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

September 1, 2022 / Chelsea / 3 Comments

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis—with explosive results.

Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project - a literal dream come true - Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school - archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

But when her equipment starts to go missing and the staff ignore her, Bee could swear she sees Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas... devouring her with those eyes. The possibilities have all her neurons firing.

But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there's only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

The real villain is love: an unstable isotope, constantly undergoing spontaneous nuclear decay.
And it will forever go unpunished.

The way that this one hurts me to write….look. I really, thoroughly enjoyed this. I did. And, up until a certain point, I was in love-AGAIN. I was trash for Hazelwood’s first novel, and I even went in not expecting much because I HATE when people compare to an author’s first work-it’s not wholly fair. Not all books can be the same, and not all books have to contain that same aesthetic. But, here is the KICKER, we CAN expect to feel the same things. We CAN expect some sort of gravitational pull and we CAN expect to not read the same type of book we read before.

“Anyway, Harry Potter is tainted forever, and I’m not getting a cat.”
“Why?”
“Because it will die in thirteen to seventeen years, based on recent statistical data, and shatter my heart in thirteen to seventeen pieces.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

LOL! My morbidity and humor all wrapped up into one, this is exactly how I talk ^^^^ (see? I loved so much about this)

I’ll admit time and again that I am an avid serial reader of books that are all similar-but the deal is they have to be just as heart-wrenching and have moments that take my breath away-I don’t care how similar they are. And, honestly, that wasn’t my issue here-if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But I didn’t even think of similarities when I was reading this-that was what I say to all of those that think this is comparable to TLH-fair. But no, my real issue here is that where book one made science PART of the story and it wasn’t too over the top, here it just…bogged it down. And, besides that point, it wasn’t the science that got to me-nah, I can skim better than anyone and it doesn’t effect my rating- no, when I started to get mad, it was because Bee became a total ASS when she was in the office. This is when my enjoyment faltered and I started to almost detach from the story….I never hated this story. Never. But I did hate Bee.

I frown. He sounds very . . . in charge. Self-assured. Not that he usually doesn’t, but it’s having a new . . . effect on me. Oh my God. Am I a damsel in distress?

I never speak ill of MC’s because an author generally does a great job of centering a book around that MC where we don’t have a right to really fight what’s going on because it just goes. That’s how it’s meant to be. But here…she was just so…angry. Angry at the world. Angry at her field. Angry at Levi. Well…maybe angry isn’t the word. Annoyed? Biased because of some preconceived notions? I don’t know. But it just…it always took me out of reading smoothly. I just wanted to NOT have to hear her repetitive coin phrases and terms applied to men in the field. I think it’s fine that this author has chosen this as her fight when she writes these novels-it’s a real issue and she wants to tackle it-fine. But I DO feel, and I know I am not alone here from what I’ve seen, that if you want to fight these battles….shouldn’t you not be a stereotype yourself? To give into that anger and just make it your absolute life force? I don’t know. I feel she was SO aggressive with it that it was hard to read and even harder to like Bee. We get it. You hate men and you hate how you are treated…so do something about it.

FUN FACT ABOUT me: I am a fairly mellow person, but I happen to have a very violent fantasy life.
Maybe it’s an overactive amygdala. Maybe it’s too much estrogen. Maybe it’s the lack of parental role models in my formative years. I honestly don’t know what the cause is, but the fact remains: I sometimes daydream about murdering people.
By “sometimes,” I mean often.
And by “people,” I mean Levi Ward.

NOW I may get hate about that last comment because I am in no way able to identify with this field nor what these women in STEM go through on a daily basis to earn some recognition. What I will say, however, is that I still believe it just could have been written…better. And, frankly, this flows into how she treats Levi. She treats him like a dog, honestly.

It’s just so so so so clear he’s more than into her, and even after a certain point when he states that he does not, in fact, hate her, she still says so many phrases-repeatedly-like ‘well I know you’d rather not be hanging out with someone you despise’…girl. Like…chill. Every page. Every chapter. Your arch nemesis does NOT drop everything to come help you because he loathes you. Even as a dumb teenager I’d have understood what THAT is about. Her maturity level? It’s the size of a gnat.

I guess this is it—being in love. Truly in love. Lots and lots of horrible, wondrous, violent emotions. It doesn’t suit me.

My Sarah Hogle humor at play again ^^

But Levi…ohhhh my Levi. Much like Adam (who is still my fav because… Adam) he just is so sweet beyond words. Silently volleying for your success….would do ANYTHING to help you or just be there for you. One thing Ali does is just create the most amazing men that make me unable to breathe. Adam and Olive literally knocked me out of my seat, and I wish I would have had a duo to support rather than just Levi in LOTB. I just could not get behind Bee in any way, even though she has the most hilarious Sarah Hogle-esque inner monologue. I am TRASH for Sarah Hogle, so I held onto Bee a long time before I gave up on her because she just has the funniest way of saying things. And, even after I decided I wasn’t a fan, she still made me laugh and smile occasionally.

That all being said, this was an honest to God adorable feel-good book ripe with loads of snarky humor (which I live for). I just wish that I hadn’t felt so…disconnected sometimes while reading. It was just too much in this one, and I legitimately *felt* the agenda while reading. Again, I will likely be fought on that point, but I do not care. I loved so much about this novel, I still have a couple editions in the mail I can’t wait to receive but, other than that, I think I’ll just longingly gaze at my Levi and Bee art print (and cherish it because I am OBSESSED WITH IT) and pine for the love of that art print to manifest into all-consuming love for this story. Levi deserved better, period. He was the kindest, most longing, most loyal man, and he deserved better than that jerk. I guess we just love who we love. And sorry-I’m not afraid to say it.

******

AGHH THE WAY I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS!

Let’s get it, Bestie! TO THE BATMOBILE! We riddddeeeee!

(Yes, you, Arielle. Get in the damn car)

BOOK REVIEW: The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart #2) by Stephanie Garber

August 31, 2022 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

BOOK REVIEW: The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart #2) by Stephanie Garber The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart #2)
by Stephanie Garber
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The fiercely-anticipated sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Once Upon a Broken Heart, starring Evangeline Fox and the Prince of Hearts on a new journey of magic, mystery, and heartbreak.

Not every love is meant to be.

After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she'll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.

But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.

Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can. . . .

Jacks shot her a glare.
“Don’t look at me like that. I saw the way you looked when you arrived here with your arm around her shoulders.”
“How did I look?”
“Like you would kill for her.”

So many books come and go in my life that I tend to move on quickly, forget them. Some have lasting power, sure. Some make me pine for them until their respective series are complete, then they disappear from my mind as quickly as a wisp into the wind. Some authors write just well enough I love the books, buy a copy, and obsess for a bit…but years fly by and all of a sudden I can’t remember why I loved it so much at the time. Then there are some authors that have something special that makes their stories sticky like glue, stuck in every fiber of your being with the realization you may remember every. Single. Detail. And every. Single. Character. Until your body has left this earth-the literal day you die.

Evangeline’s heart was still racing, and she wondered now if it wasn’t scared or nervous but if it was just trying to catch up to all the moments before they disappeared-before he disappeared.

And, look, okay-Dramatic much? I don’t know if this series is an ‘I’m obsessed in this moment’ or an ‘I will die with these pages crumbling to dust in my cold dead hands’ type of story…but, currently, it’s sitting pretty high alongside a few favorites I’ve never forgotten a single detail about-and those date back to childhood. So….I don’t know. I truly hope this is in the latter category, because as of right now? I am crumbling, tumbling, disintegrating into a pile of ash as I slowly lose my mind over what this evil. Chaotic. Out to freaking KILL me author has done to my not-so-innocent soul. That’s right. She got me. She got me BLEEPING good.

She knew Jacks was far too dangerous a person to truly fall for. But she could no longer deny that it was happening. She couldn’t deny that she wanted him. Just enough to keep her from pulling away every time he touched her. Enough to keep his name near the tip of her tongue even when he wasn’t in the room.

I’ll admit-again that I went into this Garber novel kind of…ugh…kind of expecting the worst. Again. Again. Again. But listen, hear me out-So many times. So. Many. FREAKING. Times. These authors produce epicccccccc over the top amazzinnnnngggg first works in a series and, being the first book loving kinda gal I am, I fall hard. I fall fast. I fall like clockwork repeatedly, unbearably, incessantly hard. Ask any of my friends-as far as series go, I’m a dreamer. But, over time, I’ve become cynical. Bitter. I don’t trust many authors anymore because yes, they produce well-written novels, but they fail to create that everlasting magic that sings to your soul and rings true to your chaotic heart so that when your mind needs an escape, it doesn’t escape to some other drivel, it escapes to THAT author’s books….and, okay, so SUE me, after being so shocked by Jacks’s first book, I didn’t think it possible that I’d find myself here, obsessed, again. Yet….here we are. HOW. HOW. HOW IN THE WORLD DOES SHE DO IT.

Maybe that was really why she thought she was falling, because the feeling plummeting toward something uncontrollable with nothing but Jacks to hold on to had never actually stopped.

And what we seem to have here is a perfect case of an author creating an absolute SMASH HIT of a series that won so many people over and I think there are like…..10?….different editions. I don’t know-there’s a lot. And yes, I loved them-I did. But I’m a huge believer in third book syndrome. I almost always hate the third book (hey, it used to be the second, but now I’ve come to love the chaos of book twos, so hello fellow book two appreciators) because it’s almost like the author doesn’t know how to fit things into a box neatly to tie of all loose threads, but not make it too easy, contrived, convenient. Too clean. Too neat. And I think that happened with Finale? I loved it, but I didn’t get my big Dante scene, and I’m also super horrible about needing my heroes that still (yes he still had LOADS to prove of himself) aren’t on the complete up and up of deserving our heroines getting their *divine moment* (Arielle, heh heh). This did not happen. And I think….I THINK…this may be why I lost the obsessed bug I felt while reading the series.

Evangeline felt a rush of blood to her ears, yet she could still hear a tiny voice telling her she was about to make a mistake. But what was the mistake-trusting Jacks or running from him?

Now. Here. We have this dude who was an utter JERK in the Caraval trilogy (ie he was our plot device to further Mr. Dante) and just…I didn’t get him. I didn’t get him at. ALLLL. I even remember my bestie texting me so excited and tagging me on this new Garber novel ‘featured in the world of Caraval’ and I just…didn’t care. I went ahead and went through my nerdy ways and ordered every edition possible because okay they were so so SoOoOoO pretty. Why? I’ve got issues. That’s why. And, as I stated in my book one review, I think-deep deep deep deep down-I knew. I knew what this series would come to mean to me. That my blasé attitude would lead to my ultimate demise and why NOT get those pretty editions *just* in case. Yeah. Ha. Anyone who has ever missed out on a Garber series pre-order knows the pain of trying to collect ALLLLL the pretties post publication. Bankrupt, anyone? Yeah. That wasn’t going to happen to this guy, nosiree.

“The answer is no, and it will always be no.”
Jacks crossed his arms and leaned against the bedpost. “If you really think that, then you lack imagination.”
Evangeline bristled. “I do not lack imagination. I merely possess determination.”
“So do I.” Jacks’s eyes flickered with something malevolent. “This is your last chance to change your mind.”
“Or what?” Evangeline asked.
“You’ll really start to hate me.”
“Perhaps I look forward to hating you.”
The corner of Jacks’s poisonous mouth twitched as if the idea vaguely entertained him.

Sigh. So. Why all this craziness? Well, I’ll tell you. Jacks-if you cannot tell-has become (among many other men, (shut up, shh, I don’t care, shhhhhhhhhh)) the center of my universe. And, naturally, Stephanie has made it her personal EFFING mission to rip my soul to shreds. TO LITERALLY OBLITERATE IT into tiny fissures that crack not only my heart, but make sure they bleed to my other organs and crack the bones, too, because why not?? I literally don’t know when or how or WHY this woman has chosen to prolong what I had thought/been told/ assumed was a duology…but she did it without ANYONE (far as I’m aware) knowing and I just…as I watched the percent slowly [not slow at all, actually] dwindle to nothing I knew deep in my ever loving soul that this was either going to be a TERRIBLE ending (which it was) or a TERRIBLE ending CLIFFHANGER that I had to wait (unwittingly) until next year to cease the ache that I call an erratic heartbeat. And…I still….days later….am in a deep, intense fog about what I’m supposed to do with my life because every. Single. Time (how many times am I going to type the same things over, really) I flash back to this book and it’s end I get a flash flood of such intense feelings it takes my breath away, I can’t breathe, and I immediately get a shot of adrenaline to my veins. Frankly it’s both wonderful and absolutely, terribly heartbreaking. Maddening. It’s torture. ABSOLUTE TORTURE because I THOUGHT I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE END BUT SHE SURPRISED ME WITH THE MOST AMAZING CRUEL CLIFFHANGER EVER AND THEY ARE MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BUT IT SHOCKED ME SO THAT’S A CHEAP SHOT SO HERE WE ARE.

She used to think love was like a house. Once it was built, a person got to live in it forever. But now she wondered if love was more like a war with new foes constantly appearing and battles creeping up. Winning at love was less about succeeding in a battle and more about continuing to fight, to choose the person you loved as the one you were willing to die for, over and over.

I’ll try to calm down so you can read an actual review of the actual book, but I’m sorry-this woman killed me. Anyway. I digress. If anyone follows me at all, or read my first review of OUABH, they would see that-much like this review-I was shocked and living it up in my feels. I said some things-predictions, if you will-that I wanted to happen. I guessed about what Jacks was going to have to go through. How he would fall madly. How he would get jealous-he’s a fate, after all, I said. I stated that there had to be [I needed] some ‘chaos, heartbreak, and destruction’. And…I simply called that this book would be an absolute evil little gem, if I were to generalize it. At least, to make this successful, for ME, it would HAVE to be an evil little monster of a book, because Jacks isn’t your typical morally gray hero (again, I imploringly ask, WHAT EVEN IS JACKS???)-he needs some angst thrown in. Some spice. Some denial. Some mind games…some flare.

Evangeline forced herself to stop beneath the amber glow of a garden lamp shaped like a bowing flower. Cold bit her cheeks and licked her hands, but Jacks didn’t so much as shiver as he strode toward her, indifferent to the bitter air that froze the tips of his hair and lashes. He slid through the icy night like a slow-falling star, all unearthly eyes and graceful moves.

Ha. HAHAHHAHAAH oh you get that. Yeah you get it. You’ll see. And I’ve never quite been both so happy and so mortified to be correct in some of my guesses and predictions. I kid you not, I am NEVER right. So, I guess you could say I read Garber like a book (HAHAH). But she had the last laugh, in the end.

“I hurt everyone, Little Fox. But you have to be alive to hate me.” His eyes iced over. “I do not want you dead, and I’ll kill anyone who tries.”

Much like Jacks, Evangeline adopted some new behaviors, but she was still the same sweet, hopeful girl from book one. And while the naivety was gone, she was a bit TOO on the nose in assuming things one way or another. Yes, this is what you see, but what is the TRUTH, really? Are you actually seeing ALL of the truth…or what someone else wants you to see? And I will admit there were some repetitive moments/ thoughts/ themes…but I just didn’t care because this was nothing short of a magnificent book.

It might have just been all the wine coursing through her, but for a moment, Evangeline didn’t feel as if she were in a ballroom, she felt as if she were in the center of a hundred stories. Love stories and tragedies and tales with endings lost to time. And suddenly, her worries felt lost as well, swept away by a feeling that her life was one of those stories. She’d known it vaguely, but it wasn’t until then that the enormity of it hit her.

And, you know, I was nervous. We covered this. So I was quick to judge the beginning like, alright here we go-predictable. That lasted all of two seconds before I was blown right out of the park with such a freaking CLEVER way to cause strife that I couldn’t help but gasp and clutch my imaginary pearls and simply APPLAUD this beautifully twisted author’s mind as she wove together a story I’d have NEVER thought possible as I read book one. I mean-One-BRAVO. Two-THE SIGNIFICANCE. Three-THE HEARTACHE. Four-the utter ingenuity Five-THE WAY. THIS WOMAN. MAKES EVERY. BOOK COVER. COUNT. I see you, Stephanie. I see you-and I like this evil little flag you fly. I am SO happy you have spread your wings and chosen violence. May you wake up EVERY DAY and aim to wreck my soul. With this writing, I’d follow you ANYWHERE.

“We shouldn’t do this,” she said.
“I’m just asking you to stay the night.” His lips left her neck as he murmured, “You won’t even remember.”
Evangeline tensed in his arms. “What do you mean, I won’t remember?”
“I mean…it’s just one night,” he said softly. “In the morning, you can forget it. You can go back to pretending you don’t like me, and I can pretend that I don’t care. But for tonight, let me pretend you’re mine.”

So, you know….just a few of my thoughts *sarcasm*. If you even made it this far, that is. Look. I know I acted a fool. I know this is typical Chelsea doing typical fangirl OTT stuff…but what is life even about if you can’t flail and obsess and fangirl to your friends, people who read your thoughts, or to anyone who wants to listen that day. I know I exude crazy (that’s fine. It’s fInNnNnNnEeEeE) but I stand by it. If I am clinical, if I am not being crazy-watch: I won’t remember or think about that book come next year. Poof. Forget about it. So, like my long-winded reviews. Or don’t. But know one thing-if I am THAT crazy about a book then I am passionate enough about it that I am willing to put myself out there with all my unbridled, uncensored (I did NOT use the F word excitedly as I would have liked to, but…) thoughts and craziness so that someone, somewhere that MAYBE was on the fence about said novel might give it a try. If I can save one soul from missing out on a book that they would love, then I’ll have done my job and I’ll have done it successfully-and I sleep well at night knowing that.

His words were low and quiet; she wouldn’t have heard them if she hadn’t been so close. And it struck her how intimate words could be, how they could be spoken only once, for only one person, and they would never be heard again, they would disappear like a moment, gone almost as soon as you realized they were there.

*****

NOW THE COVER ARGGHHGDEGDFGF