Tag: Contemporary Romance (Page 23 of 88)

BOOK REVIEW: Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer

March 20, 2019 / Chelsea / 4 Comments

Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship...

This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

**ARC sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I won’t lie to you guys-I begged for this book. It wasn’t classy. It wasn’t dignified. And it was honestly a bit pathetic-but IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT. This book? It’s gold. I loved every minute of it.

I was sitting in Tennessee, on vacation, and legitimately had zero time to read. My daughter has always been a peculiar sleeper, and the circumstances of our vacation led to my husband and I’s sanity to be tested. She’s turning two this month-don’t make me cry-and really only began sleeping in her own crib every night in October. It was a miracle-I never have questioned it, and I refuse to look back. But, that being said, we have finally gotten used to sleeping alone again, and it’s glorious, to be honest. What’s not glorious? Sharing a bed with your now used-to-her-own-bed toddler.

To say we got no sleep? Yeah. VASTLY downplayed. SO, seeing as I got a beautiful physical ARC (I took three physical ARCs, don’t know WHAT I was thinking) I was SOL when it came to speed reading at night as I’ve come accustomed to again. But, luckily, my saint of a husband offered to help her nap every day, and I got to read for two hours or so every day off and on, pending my family’s interruptions (there were aplenty)(and let’s be clear-he only offered this because it was MY family and who doesn’t need a break from in-laws lol he’s no saint. I lie).

That being said-I picked this book up and DEVOURED IT in less than three days. Quite a feat, if you ask me, what with all the interruptions and no time to read! But that’s the power of a Kemmerer book-you know you’re in for a morally gray and addicting ride.

I fell so hard for Rob, because how can you not fall for one of this woman’s main leading men? She creates the most tortured and lonely souls I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet, and I love what she did with his character. I literally had to question every motive, every move, every play-yet never wholly disagreed with what he did. That’s a true author-to make you wonder whether something is right or wrong, yet never telling you if it is or isn’t. In all honesty, he was wrong. Every time. But then you would hear his reasoning, see it through his eyes. Live it like he did-and I found myself saying [almost every time] I’d have done that. But that’s the ambiguity of it-It’s for you to decide, and she didn’t make it easy. Each character in this story has a difficult decision to face every day, and I loved reading about these confused and lost souls.

Rob’s father screwed everyone in town over that invested with him, making Rob seem guilty by association since he interned there. Either way, he’s now a social pariah when he used to be the most popular guy in school (it sounds familiar, but it’s done oh so well!). And his home life? It’s terribly sad and without a doubt broke my heart every time he was home or talked/thought about it. Then we have Maegan. ‘Typical overachiever’ and now an outcast besides her best friend. Caught in a scandal and compromising other students in the process, she is deemed lowest of the low, just after one simple mistake when, before, she was simply dubbed a goody-two shoes.

One mistake can change your whole life, the way you’re viewed, and can influence each new decision you have to make, and we get to see what the aftermath is like for both someone who made a one-time mistake that marred their chances of getting into ANY college when they were a shoe-in before, and someone who didn’t do anything wrong, nor know anything about it, yet pays the steady cost of betrayal every day, both at school and, more devastatingly, in his own home.

I always love the star-crossed lover books where a popular guy is paired with an unpopular girl, or vice versa, on a project, so this was right up my alley. Except, here, we have two totally different social groups coming together…but they’re both now outcasts, and I loved the twist on that trope I love so much. And, even more than that, I love that Kemmerer could explore trust among two ‘wrongdoers’, along with betrayal, friendship, attraction-and standing up for what you believe to be right. I loved it. It’s all so convoluted and twisty and turny in the sense that Maegan doesn’t know what to think about Rob, whether he was involved or not, and where his morality is questioned as he finds himself turning into a modern day Robin Hood.

The family relationships and friendships were handled well, in my opinion, and I even thought it was well rounded out…I’m never tough on these situations, though. So long as there is a conflict, characters fighting-both together and separately-to figure out a solution, a resolution to said conflict, and a general mending and moving forward of severed relationships in result to the conflict, I’m happy. And I don’t need the dwelling on it, either, which is where people get mad. They want to hear more, see more, expect more…but it’s YA and relationships are messy-especially with family-people are just too harsh. But to each their own.

There was even a HUGE trigger issue in this book, for me, and it was handled as well and as authentically as I think it could be-that being said, I was satisfied. (view spoiler), thus, a trigger. Literally my only complaint but not really complaint? I wanted a LITTLE more in the epilogue. More HFN than HEA, but I loved it all the same.

So, once again Kemmerer proves why I love her so dearly and makes me a loyal slave and follower. Don’t even question when this comes out if I’ll have it on my shelf-it’s already preordered. And you should do so, too.

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BOOK REVIEW: Vicious (Sinners of Saint #1) by LJ Shen

March 13, 2019 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

Vicious (Sinners of Saint #1)
by L.J. Shen
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Emilia

They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true.The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares. He is a brilliant lawyer. A skilled criminal. A beautiful liar. A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover.

Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him.

Vicious

She is a starving artist. Pretty and evasive like cherry blossom. Ten years ago, she barged into my life unannounced and turned everything upside down. She paid the price.

Emilia LeBlanc is completely off-limits, my best friend’s ex-girlfriend. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate. That should deter me from chasing her, but it doesn’t. So she hates me. Big fucking deal. She better get used to me.

You were always mine.

Not so long ago a friend insisted I read The Kiss Thief. I’d been ignoring it with good reason (that reason being that I’m always always always let down by contemporary NA, it seems), but decided why not? I trust my friend. Thus began my journey through a book I didn’t think I could possibly love, leading to a curiosity that couldn’t be satiated until I got my hands on another of this author’s books-Is this woman my NA soulmate?

My Grandma once told me that love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances.

Turns out? This woman is a wizard, and I am under her spell. I was extremely sick with a savage head cold my Little gave me, and I generally can’t read when such occasions occur. The words are fuzzy, my brain doesn’t compute quick enough, feels are lost when they would have slayed me any other normal day. But. BUT. Somehow, even though the words didn’t go to my brain fast enough, this story broke through the fog and STILL gave me feels that were unparalleled to any NA I’ve read in recent memory. THAT is the work of something larger than myself, and I love this author for it. Bravo for being the first and ONLY author to write a book that broke through a sickness induced word coma.

I shook my head quickly. “I’m just not sure how you can be both nice and compassionate and a terrible asshole all at the same time,” I muttered.
He smiled. “It’s a hard job, but someone’s gotta do it.”

I loved The Kiss Thief-more than was safe for my own health-but when I picked up this book? It sang to my soul and dragged me down into the watery grave of obsession, because I literally could not get enough of each word spoken on every page. It was like there weren’t enough words, yet they were all so perfect no more could be said. Which is the best kind of predicament to be in, naturally, for a book DEVOURER such as me. But now, of course, I’ve spiraled into a void I can’t get out of, because literally no other book is going to compare now. Like, ugh.

The bottom line was I hated him. I hated him so much it made me sick to my stomach that I loved the way he looked, on and off the field. Hated my shallowness, my foolishness, at loving the way his square, hard jaw ticked when he fought a smile. I hated that I loved the smart, witty things that came out of his mouth when he spoke in class. Hated that he was a cynical realist while I was a hopeless idealist, and still, I loved every thought he uttered aloud. And I hated that once a week, every week, my heart did crazy things in my chest because I suspected he might be him.

I have to say that this book is way more trigger-happy for people than TKT ever was, which is why I told my friend to probably stay away from this one. What ignites my passion and hunger would surely repulse any sane human being-or, at least, my said friend. Vicious was…well….freaking vicious. He was crueler, less sane, and way colder to reach his goals. And, if I think about it, der??? It shocked me at first, but then I remembered something-Senator Wolfe Keaton was underhanded and dirty, sure, but he was, above all else, a good standing and well-liked politician of the public’s eye. OBVIOUSLY these two characters differ, seeing as Barron (Vicious) was just, well, a spoiled, self-entitled, destructive both physically and mentally, partying rich boy brat.

Vicious was right. I was a liar.
Because I told myself I could do casual.
When there was nothing casual about what I felt for him. Not even one bit.

Clearly a misguided (and yes, I’ll go there-misunderstood) soul, I couldn’t help but fall for him, now could I? This book gave me the closest/strongest vibes that reminded me of one of my favorite books of all time (Yes, I have issues), Punk 57, that I’ve had in a while. They’re nothing alike, yet, the back and forth, the anger, the savageness, the filthy, hot, dirty sex scenes. Come on. I’m a f****** goner, ya know? I’m TRASH for these types of books (not the sex, I just mean the enemies to lovers mixed with the story line and heat), and they are just so few and far between. And, while I loved TKT, that was technically older-ish, whereas this was, too, but we got that HS vibe as well, that underlying layer of why things were the way they were between these two, and I am so here for it. All of it. Even the bad, dirty, nasty. Because of it, even.

I love possessive dickheads in books. I do. I’m sorry. I’m a failure to womankind, surely, but I. Do. Not. Care. It’s alarmingly hot, okay?

Mine.
You’re mine.
You were always mine.
Because she was mine.

Yes to this? All of it? Can I read more of it? And I’m a sucker for it. No shame in my game, and judge as you will, cuz this chick ain’t a changin’.

But, besides all of this, I suppose this is a more ‘sophisticated’ (baha this book as sophisticated) way of me being able to enjoy YA without being considered kind of weird. It’s a past and present deal, which I generally loathe, yet it was done so frikkin’ well that, after my initial disappointment, I totally forgot because the book took me out of my own body and into their skewed version of the world, and I fell so in love none of my peeves mattered. I loved this book, wholly, and I now would not change one thing about it because-be still my beating heart-I consumed it and would re-read it in a second just to get the same feels again.

I realize that this isn’t necessarily realistic-it’s not-and that if a girl were in this situation, she obviously would need to RUN AND RUN FAST…but isn’t that what fiction is? A fantasy? A way to escape the world? No, I would not want a Barron Spencer chasing after me-he’s batshit crazy, okay-but to read about it? To just immerse myself into a nonexistent world? I dig it. It’s fun. It’s addicting as hell. And it’s shameful. But it’s my guilty pleasure read-I hardly read any of these all year long, tending to fall prey to my YA fantasies-and I am entitled to it now and again. No, I don’t think it’s a good book to let my daughter-or any young girl, for that matter-read. But it’s simple. I won’t suggest she read it. There. It’s easy, honestly-monitor what your kid reads as much as you can, and teach them what’s right and what’s wrong. It’s all we can do-the book won’t cease to exist no matter how much some people may will it , so as long as I do the best as I can for my children, then I may as well enjoy what this author has to offer-and it’s pure gold.

Yet here he was, in my house, in my room, near my bed. Even if he’d come here just to threaten me some more, he’d still made the trip. I got to him.
He was in my veins.
But I’d managed to crawl under his skin.

Now that that’s out of the way-this woman writes the hottest intimate scenes ever. At least, the hottest I’ve read in a while. And the ones from this book? They made me a total and utter mess. It was sick and depraved and I do not give one crap about it. It’s been a long time since I’ve been affected by a book in such a manner, and I’m almost (but not really) ashamed to admit…this one got to me. And I’m not even one to generally enjoy these scenes, because they scarcely measure up. But this woman? Wow. That’s all I can say without sounding like a total pervert lol.

All in all this book had it’s ups and downs, I suppose (for some), but I never once lost enjoyment, even through my hazy fog days. I looked forward to it every minute of the day I wasn’t reading it and didn’t want to put it down until I absolutely had to. To say this book gave me life when I was down and out would be an understatement, so I’ll go as far as to say it brought me back to life. There. BOOM. I said it. It made me unsick, and if that’s not worth a read, I don’t know what is.

***********

So. Fucking. Good.

RTC

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BOOK REVIEW: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

February 24, 2019 / Arielle / 4 Comments

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Amy, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.

Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of... lucky.

Review:

It PHYSICALLY pains me to say that this is not in the running for one of my favorite Christina Lauren books. You better believe that I had been stalking NetGalley for the last few weeks, hoping to see this cover pop up. I was SO excited to find out that I was approved on the first day in YEARS that I had a snow day, too. I loved Olive and Ethan and when I first read the synopsis about this being a hate-to-love featuring a pretend marriage…mmmm…I figured this would be a recipe for perfection.

That wasn’t exactly the case. Overall this book was still good and I still laughed out loud many, many times. I mean during a good chunk I was actually rocking my daughter, trying to get her down for a nap, and it was getting physically hard to hold in my laughter and not wake her up haha. I loved reading about their time in Hawaii together. The banter and their chemistry was great as always. The only part about this book that caused me to pause and knock off a star..maybe a star and a half, was purely a personal preference thing. It was a situation towards the end involving “the conflict” between Olive and Ethan..and even Olive’s sister..that really rubbed me the wrong way. View Spoiler »This similar type of situation bothers me in every romance though, so there’s a good chance that it won’t affect a lot of people’s views on the book overall. Like I said, still a hilarious, sexy, finish-in-a-day because of the addictive writing kind of book…it just wasn’t meant for me like most of their other ones!

Also, random side note–I am obsessed with this cover. Even though it wasn’t one of my top favorites I think I still need to buy it to brighten up my bookshelves at home, lol.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this eARC that was given in exchange for an honest review! ♥

BLOG TOUR + REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 (The Boyfriend Whisperer #2) by Linda Budzinski

February 18, 2019 / Arielle / 12 Comments

I am excited to be participating in this blog tour, introducing the second book in her Boyfriend Whisperer series, The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0! If you're looking for a fun and sweet contemporary with lovable characters and hilarious banter, I would definitely give this one a try!

BLOG TOUR + REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 (The Boyfriend Whisperer #2) by Linda Budzinski

The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 (The Boyfriend Whisperer #2)
by Linda Budzinski
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Alicea Springer was Boyfriend Whisperer Enterprises’ top success story. That is, until her dream date, Ty Walker, dumped her a week before prom. Now it’s senior year, and Alicea has taken over the business and given it an upgrade using an automated matchmaking program designed to help her classmates find their perfect match.

Alicea has no interest in using the program herself. She already knows who her perfect match is … Ty. She doesn’t need an app to tell her that (or worse, match her up with someone else). In a moment of weakness, Alicea allows her friends to convince her to give the program a try. To her horror, it matches her with the last boy on earth she'd ever want to date — Darius Groves, the class deadbeat.

When she and Darius are paired up for a class project, Alicea learns there's more to him than his bad reputation. But the more she spends time with Darius, the more she questions their match. They have so little in common. Why did her program match them?

Can Alicea defy the odds and make a match of her own heart’s desire? Or will the matchmaker remained unmatched?

Review:

Before this book I swear I haven’t read a YA contemporary in what feels like ages. Over the last few years I’ve kind of stopped trying because a) a lot of them lately seem to be pretty morose and dealing with suicide and that’s just not something I really want to get into and b) now that I’m in my late 20s and a mom I feel like I can relate more to the parents of these characters than the actual characters themselves. I don’t want to ruin the book because I’m spending too much time thinking about all of the dumb decisions that the MC is making and wondering why the parents are never around and don’t seem to realize their children always being shady lolol.

ANYWAYSSSS, when Linda approached me asking if I wanted to read and review this early, I said sure, why not! I like staying up to date with all YA genres so I can recommend things better to people at the library and lately, like I said, I’ve been lacking in the contemporary department. This really was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the writing and it was a simple but sweet story that I flew through in a day. While I found myself getting super annoyed at Alicea’s hangup with Ty for the first half of the book (because why she thought she couldn’t do any better is beyond me–but again, high school), when she finally made the decision to leave that idiot behind for Darius, I was satisfied. I loved Darius’s interactions and relationship with his sister, Jaycee too! I don’t know if this is a trope, per say, but I do enjoy when the love interest has a younger sibling that ends up really liking the girl and they end up having a sweet relationship. Darius was probably actually my favorite character in the whole book. He was always sweet, had some unique interests, and was funny, too. This book does have its share of dramatic teens (well mainly just Alicea, lol) but it’s nothing out of the ordinary that really impacted my thoughts of the book. Overall, if you’re looking for a sweet, quick YA contemporary, give this one a try!

Big thanks to Linda Budzinski and Swoon Romance for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review ♥

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About Linda Budzinski:

Linda Budzinski is the author of four young adult novels, all published by Swoon Romance YA: The Boyfriend Whisperer and The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0, Em & Em, and The Funeral Singer. When she’s not writing, she works in nonprofit communications and outreach. She lives in Northern Virginia with my husband, Joe, and is active with her church’s youth group. She’s a sucker for romance and reality TV and has been known to turn off her phone’s ringer when watching “The Bachelor.” Her favorite flower is the daisy, her favorite food is chocolate, and her favorite song is “Amazing Grace.”

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BOOK REVIEW: The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen

February 14, 2019 / Chelsea / 4 Comments

The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
They say your first kiss should be earned.

Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.

They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.

Mine were broken before we left church.

They say your heart only beats for one man.

Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.

I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.

Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.

They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.

I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.

One kiss.
Two men.
Three lives.
Entwined together.

And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

He turned around to face me. “No love is fully requited. No love is equal. No love is fair. There is always one side that loves more. And you better not be that side—because it suffers.”

The suspension of disbelief I have for how much I loved this book is unparalleled, seeing as I literally hate-and avoid them at all costs-mafia books and romances.

Seriously-look at my TBR shelf and my read shelf. You will see nary a mafia book with a favorable rating on my shelves, no matter the content. But yet, I am lying because I loved this book I want to marry this book I am going to order this book for my shelf and-

A story of a Nemesis and a Villain with no chance at a happy ending.
Where the prince doesn’t save the princess.
He tortures her.

I am broken, you see, because here is a cheesy mafia book that I just plain DEVOURED and had hardly a complaint about. Yeah, come on, I don’t buy some of it (the parents *eyeroll* Angelo pining as he does *eyeroll* Don’t buy it), but a lot of it?? I cashed in and bought a load. I’m eating crow, if you can’t see the feathers sticking out of my teeth. But that’s the thing about making best friends on here that you trust with your bookish heart-they know you in and out and know the book boyfriends that will inevitably send you to your knees, make you lose sleep, and altogether consume your mind and soul. Well done, Britt. I love you dearly.

And the beauty doesn’t sleep. She’s stuck. In a nightmare.

This was extremely well-written, convincing, and altogether enough to teach me to shut my mouth, because miracles do happen and, apparently, pigs do fly.

But I truly think the thing that sets this book apart from the rest is the ability to create a story surrounding the mafia…without needing the mafia? See, the most association we get is that our MC is the daughter of a crime lord (or whatever you call them) and she grew up in that world-but, other than that, it’s talked about, there is danger on all sides from it, but we don’t have to deal with all the gangster talk and cheesy dialogue. I mean…a little. But it’s scarce, my friends.

“I take it back. You do have a bit of a spine. Granted, I could snap it like a wishbone.” He smiled proudly. “Nonetheless, it’s there.”
“Why, thank you for the recognition. As you know, there is nothing I value more than your opinion of me. Other than, maybe, the dirt under my fingernails.”

And that in and of itself is the largest miracle, ya know? Upon finishing this, I looked up this author and immediately added the original mafia book this author wrote a while ago (people said to) because she is clearly a genius who knows how to cut the boohockey (Friends lol) and get straight to the lustful, hate-filled, passionate enemies to lovers I-Hate-You-But-I-Have-To-Make-Out-With-You-Because-You-Are-So-HAWT ness. Oh….did I not mention this is enemies to lovers?? MY BAD.

Yes, Senator Wolfe Keaton (did I mention my husband’s name is Keaton? This was surreal to me, to read lol) is cold, heartless (this I can attest to…jk lol. But…), and hell-bent on revenge for something Francesca’s father did, so she becomes collateral damage in their silent war from years before, because she is the apple of her daddy’s eye, and Wolfe knows it. It doesn’t hurt that she’s easy on the eyes, either, we can say. But-like with all enemies-lovers tropes-he didn’t count on losing his heart all over again-to her.

To say this book gave me life is an understatement. Some of my favorite scenes of all time come from the bowels of a book like this, making me insatiable in that I don’t get to see them often. I like when authors can explore a somewhat ‘taboo’ moment and still make it kind of hot (no, I’m sure it wasn’t truly meant to be, but I’ve always said I’m somewhat of a monster) and something that makes you both hurt for the heroine and fall a little deeper for the hero-even though he did something wrong. I can’t say many will like it like I did, or even like it at all, but that’s why books are created-they aren’t adapted the same way for everyone such as movies are where we have to picture all the same people, see all the same things, and listen to all the same music-in that way, we are forced to somewhat feel the same, because the tone tells us to. But-BUT-in books? Yes, there’s a certain tone in books that tells us what the author is trying to convey, but in no way can they make us feel only one way, and that’s the beauty of books.

I hate you.
I like you.
I wish I could quit you.

What turns people off turns me on, and vice versa. What enrages people might very well keep me interested or lift my spirits. I LIKE when authors have charged moments that don’t go how they are meant to for that beautifully illuminated scene, that picturesque fairy-tale that we all so love and admire (and I do-love fairy-tales and books like that)-but it’s also nice for bad things to happen-for moments to flip their axis and throw us all for a loop-sometimes. It’s nice to see something beautiful come from such chaos-but that’s me. When it comes to books? I’m Mayhem from the AllState commercials. I LOVE happy moments that go perfectly-but I love destruction more.

Wretchedly gorgeous.
Wickedly innocent.
Irrevocably mine.

Maybe that’s why TCP and WK are my favorite books of all time-those and THG lol. GASP! What a monster. Welp. Sorry ‘bout your luck, because this book was one big cluster**** and I am totally here for it-each twisted, demented, misunderstood, and unruly moment. Now, that being said-Yes, this book had its moments of incredulity, of course-I did say it was cheesy! But, to be fair, it actually wasn’t that bad, that cheesy, that over the top. Even though I’m going on about certain moments, they only added to the story and weren’t all that over the top like in most romances that people would consider cheesy. It had balance, and that’s probably why I loved it so much. It wasn’t too much or too little-it was just right. And I loved every moment of it, no matter how much it sometimes hurt my heart (or, you know, charged it’s evil little battery lol).

Francesca already proved to be able not to eat for long periods of time. If disobedience was a competitive sport, my future wife would make it to the Olympics. And medal.

The banter, the way Francesca met Wolfe head to head-it was wonderful. And I even liked the dynamic Angelo added to the story, even though he is mainly a plot device and the need for ‘Team Angelo’ can’t possibly exist. And, okay, I just LOVED the way Wolfe got jealous, even when he didn’t realize he was jealous. I, again, live for this, so I am just a happy little bumblebee. Do I really need to say more?

The heat, the story, the way the mafia was merely off to the side yet still added danger-I loved it all. And that cover?? COME TO ME. COME TO MY WARM BOOKSHELF. There really isn’t much to not like here, unless you just don’t like drama. No, it wasn’t the most drama filled-I actually expected more-but it had drama all the same-drama that could be avoided with a few words, at times. But then…we wouldn’t have such a rage-fueled story, now would we?

PS, how he was so confounded that she talked to her garden LMAO.

“With a little bit of hope, and a lot of love, you will make it to winter,” she told the… radishes? And was she talking about herself or them? Her conversing with vegetables was a new and disturbing twist in her already awkward personality.