Tag: Contemporary Romance (Page 40 of 86)

BOOK REVIEW: Priceless (Forbidden Men #8) by Linda Kage

June 8, 2016 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Priceless (Forbidden Men #8)
by Linda Kage
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Three things in my life were fact.
I needed Sarah to survive.
I needed sex to remain sane.
And I could never mix sex with Sarah.

I just knew—deep in my marrow—that if I did, I’d somehow lose her. All my deepest darkest secrets would crack open, bleed out, and ruin everything between us. I wouldn’t unleash the shit inside me on my worst enemy, let alone her. So she stayed strictly in the friend zone.

People probably thought I never went there with her because of her cerebral palsy, but f*ck them. She knew she was the most important person in my world, and I wasn’t about to risk hurting our relationship just to make my c*ck happy.

Until the moment she begged me to take her virginity.
Now it’s all about to hit the fan, because how the hell do you resist the one person forbidden to you when she says please?

--Brandt Gamble

“This right here-every single piece of you-is very precious cargo to me. If anyone mistreated it, I’d lose my shit. You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”

Let’s make this short and sweet, shall we?? I discovered the Forbidden Men on a whim last year when I couldn’t find anything that suited my mood. I had To Professor, with Love on my iPad from years ago and saw it sitting at the veeeeery bottom of my kindle app ripe for the picking. I thought…fuck it. I don’t know what else to read, so why not??? And what I found was something that has stuck with me since November. Yes, they are cheesy as fuck-some more than others (they are rated accordingly, you can tell which I couldn’t tolerate as much, cheese wise). Yes, they are less than perfect. Yes, they are cliche, ridiculous, unbelievably crazy…but there is just something so amazingly addicting about them. And what you get in return for tolerating some of that…it’s so worth it.

“Oh my god, you’re such a pain in the ass.” Why, oh why, couldn’t he have just dropped it? “If you want to see me that bad, then come over and see me already. Jesus Christ.”
“Fine,” he said. “Be there in ten.”
I snorted. “Why not make it five, you clingy son of a bitch.”
“In that case, I’m already outside your window. Open up.”
I glanced out my window, only to gasp. “Oh my God.”

Strong friendships and laughter. Deep-rooted connections and passionate love. Unforgettable sibling bonds and group gatherings that make you tear up every time they are together. These books make your heart soar and your soul rejoice. They warm you up from the inside out and they make you smile like a loon. They give you butterflies no matter how hard you try and resist-These books own a very large chunk of my very being…and a large part of that goes to the boys. Doesn’t it always come back to a boy, in the end?

Except I totally would have, because she wasn’t a normal, average woman. She was the most precious thing in my life. I knew it was unnatural how much I relied on her to be there for me when I needed a friend, but I didn’t care. Sarah was priceless to me. I couldn’t help but be overprotective of her and snarl at any threat that came near her.

From the moment I met the macho, womanizing Noel, my heart was claimed. I mean….Yeah, the cheese was almost unbearable (Didn’t rate this one a five, but I decided after a month with it at a three that I thought about it way too much for it to be any less than four) and I remember rolling my eyes a lot…but after I finished I just remember not being able to move on. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. And what’s worse, he made me curious about a genre I’d long since written off. I mean, he cried and fell hard for this woman he cherished, for fuck’s sake.

Pain wound so tight through my chest I could barely breathe. The one thing I could never handle was her tears. She rarely cried, so when she finally allowed them to fall, it was that much more devastating to me. Helpless frustration roared through me until I wanted to pound my fist against my truck.

So this curiosity ebbed and grew, making me want to meet more tortured men in this cheesy genre…but no matter how many series, books, stories I tried, none compared. So what did my wonderful Bestie Pea suggest?? READ MASON. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. So, begrudgingly, I did. I picked up Price of a Kiss and met this gigolo (bahhaa really?!), Mason.

I.
Was.
A.
Goner.

Mason. Was. EVERYTHING. I still, to this day, can’t not think about him. I even used one of his quotes to put on my wall at home. Yeah, he is bae. <<<< I’ve never said this, but I don’t care. I adore him. So, yeah. That’s the thing. Mason and Noel really are the only two forbidden men who TRULY hold my heart. They were my first, maybe that’s why. I was so excited to read the rest, but after you’ve had Mason and Noel…there’s hardly anything anyone could do to top them. I almost feel bad for the rest lol. And the other epic thing about this author: No fucking around once they have admitted their love for one another. On breaks there are no whoopies or oops or needs for explanations because these boys are loyal AS FUCK. So yeah. Had to throw that in there

“Hey,” I murmured. Since she looked as if she were on the verge of tears, I caught her chin and stared her straight in the eye. “If someone can’t look past a little shaking and see what kind of amazing person you are, then they’re a fucking idiot, and you don’t need to befriend someone that stupid, anyway.”
A single tear tracked down her cheek. I wiped it away. “You just being yourself is what made you my favorite person, so just keep being you, okay?”

So naturally, here we are on book 8, and guess who the love interests are? THAT’S RIGHT. My two boys’ siblings. I. Couldn’t. Even. When I saw this plot I literally almost peed my pants I was jumping up and down so much from excitement. And that’s the thing: I hate cheese and I hate fake drama…but this series has made me a shameless fangirl…and I’m not the least bit sorry.

Resting my cheek against her hair, I closed my eyes and tightened my grip on her, holding her closer. I hated it when she cried. When she hurt, I hurt. Feeling her tremors of sorrow ripped me to shreds.

If you can remember, Sarah is Mason’s sister, the one he would do anything to protect. He is her hero, and now we get to see protective Mason when little sis is all grown up. It’s not as hard for Noel, seeing as he only has little brothers left and it’s more natural to accept a brother dating than a younger sister (COUGH when Caroline fell for Ten COUGH). So we’ve been through the ringer with all these boys…but this might be my next favorite after Mason, Noel, and Ten’s stories. After all….Mason or Noel were in every chapter along with the very sexy Brandt ;). I mean, what is there to lose?

Sarah messaged Brandt by FB on a whim and they became fast friends. No one can talk about Sarah and he would do anything for her. They are immediate best friends….but they both are secretly in love with the other. They would drop anyone and anything to help each other out, and everyone around them knows they will end up together. Of course, like most books, Sarah and Brandt don’t see that for themselves. Brandt is tainted (ummm more on this later…..) and Sarah is precious to him-the most important thing to him in life, so he won’t risk his relationship with her for a single thing. Sarah doesn’t give up so easily, though.

“If you’re like disfigured-you know, down there-it wouldn’t bother me. I mean, heck, I probably wouldn’t even know the difference since I’ve never seen one before.”
I laughed, pretty sure that was her intent the entire time, to lighten the mood. “Shut up, smart-ass. I’m not disfigured.”
“Oh.” I swear, she actually sounded disappointed about that. “Well…whatever. I’m just saying, it wouldn’t have mattered.”

I absolutely adored this story and everything about it. I may have become a bit detached in certain moments (Which had nothing to do with book because I loved it) because I had a really bad weekend, emotionally wise. This, perhaps, was a bit denser story than I should have been reading, but I wanted my forbidden men, GD, and I got them. No regrets. At all. Though…that beginning. What. The. FUCK. I adore Linda Kage (her books have gotten me through a lot of shit, she deserves praise for that) but damn was that a weirder intro than usual. I just….*shivers* Eew.

He only sniffed and glanced away. “Hey, if the guy can’t take a little heat, he should stay out of the kitchen.”
With a growl, I jabbed my finger in his direction. “Except this is the only time anyone’s ever wandered anywhere near my kitchen. Don’t fuck it up for me, please.”
His eyes flared. “Did you just compare a kitchen to your…” When his gaze wandered down to my lap, his expression filled with dismay as if I’d just traumatized him for life.

I may not have talked about the two main people very much, but I wanted to get across how wonderful this series is as a whole. It’s not so much about each new character’s story, but about the group as a whole and where they are now. I know, I know, each person deserves their own spotlight, but I just feel it’s even stronger with EVERYONE involved…and that’s why I continue to love every installment, cheesy as they are. If it wasn’t for the main guys, these problems, friends, characters, stories wouldn’t exist…so it’s necessary to recognize that while I ADORED BRANDT-he was so protective, loyal, fierce-I adored the whole story more. So…..take with that what you will. My quotes will do the rest of the work.

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

Soooo yeah…..THIS happened. My boys (Noel and Mason) were in this THE WHOLE TIME. I almost feel bad for Brandt and Sarah…almost. Because as much as my heart adored him-and oh f’in boy did it-when my two favorite forbidden men even got MENTIONED I was a heaping pile of goo.

Noel’s brother, Brandt, meets Sarah, Mason’s sister, through one single moment where Sarah, in an act of courage (based on her personality), sent Brandt a friend request on Facebook-From then on they were BFF’s forever.

This book, this story, this network of characters, these men…they have completely stolen my heart. And it’s more than that-whenever I’m sad or upset, I simply turn to these guys. They are literally PERFECTION. And the thing is this: These are the only cheesy books that I can stand. It’s like…Linda Kage has a way of making these cliche, ridiculous, out-of-this-world dramas bearable and completely tolerable.

It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Yeah, they have issues. No, they aren’t perfect….but they are perfect for me. And what else could I possibly ask for? Nothing.

Review to come. I do so love reviewing about my boys.

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

I WOULD SELL MY NONEXISTENT FIRST BORN CHILD FOR THIS. My two favorite Forbidden Men: Mason and Noel….connected in the same book-in each POV-in some way??? Their siblings IN LOVE????? GIVE ME THIS BOOK NOW!!!! I NEEDS IT.

I NEEDS IT NOW.

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – From This Day Forward (The Wedding Belles #0.5) by Lauren Layne

June 6, 2016 / Jen / 4 Comments

In case you didn’t know, I adore Lauren Layne books! They are filled with friendship, love and scenes that make me laugh and melt my heart. So check out my 4 Star Review below, read a scene where Jason and Leah come face to face and enter a fabulous giveaway to win a print ARC of Book 1,To Have and to Hold, in this series. Enjoy!

BOOK REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – From This Day Forward (The Wedding Belles #0.5) by Lauren Layne

From This Day Forward (The Wedding Belles #0.5)
by Lauren Layne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in this prequel to USA TODAY bestselling author Lauren Layne’s The Wedding Belles series about three high-powered New York City women who can plan any wedding—but their own.

Up-and-coming wedding photographer Leah McHale’s career is on the rise–thanks in no small part to the Wedding Belles, the elite New York wedding planning agency that always throws top-tier business Leah’s way. So when one of the Belles asks Leah to fill in at the former First Daughter's wedding, Leah is overjoyed to say yes–until she finds out who she’ll be working with.

Jason Rhodes is the one man who was able to capture Leah’s heart and, once he had it, promptly stepped all over it and left her broken. Now he’s working side-by-side with her at the biggest wedding of the season and Leah is determined to give him the cold shoulder. Despite his persistence, she is not going to fall for his charming, impish ways again. Not even if he still has that killer, irresistible smile...

Review:

From This Day Forward had everything that I have come to love from Lauren Layne. And this time she pulled it off in a Novella. Usually I’m not a novella girl, unless it’s in the middle of a series I’m obsessed with. But when it comes to her books, I have learned that if it’s something I’m usually not the biggest fan of, you can bet that I will be since she wrote it! So get ready because this series looks like it is going to be filled with friendships, laughter, sexiness and moments that will make me sigh and fall madly in love! I can’t wait to read the rest of this series and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I get lots of peaks of Jason and Leah too!

“Leah—”
Her stomach flipped a little. He’d only ever called her Leah in bed. Otherwise it was always ***Red*. “Please don’t,” she whispered.**

Ohhhh Jason and Leah. A year has passed since they roughly parted ways. Leah thought Jason was cheating on her and Jason never tried hard enough to talk with Leah after what happened. But now they are going to spend the weekend working around each other photographing the previous President’s daughter’s wedding. And the sexual tension is running high!

The first time Leah had seen Jason Rhodes, she’d lost a little part of her soul.
Or at the very least, a little part of her dignity.
Never in her thirty-one years had she encountered a man who’d been able to turn her on just by looking at her.

Leah and Jason are the type of couple that radiates sexual tension and electricity. When they’re near each other they have this pull towards one another that is blatantly obvious to everyone! And they can’t even try and ignore it! But even though they’re still jaded from their past it doesn’t put a damper on their chemistry. I had so much fun watching Jason try to seduce Leah. *fans face* Jason is an alpha male who is extremely charismatic and I fell hard for him. Especially since he could be thoughtful at just the right moment. He was definitely sigh worthy.

“Never mind,” she muttered. “I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.”
“Charming?” he asked.
“Presumptuous,” she corrected. “Contrary to the delusions in your head, you’re not every woman’s fantasy.”
“I never wanted to be every woman’s fantasy. Just yours.”
Leah froze at the unexpected seriousness in his voice. “Jason . . .”

Now I’m not sure if we were supposed to or not, but I figured out the twist near the beginning of the story. That definitely didn’t bother me, because I patiently waited to see if my guess panned out. And I was so happy when it did!

From This Day Forward was a story that quickly pulled me in and I easily found myself connecting with the characters. The amount of emotions packed into this novella was beyond fabulous! My only wish was that their story was a little longer. I know, I know, this is a novella. But she created these characters that were so wonderful that it pained me to not read a full length novel with them. Jason had such a huge back story that I would have loved to dive into more and I wish I could have had some flashbacks to their past but you can totally ignore my whining because this was so well written that I just wanted more. I’m greedy like that! Now I can’t wait to see them in the future books in this series! I hope you enjoy meeting Leah and Jason too!

*ARC kindly provided by Pocket Star via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Excerpt:

[scroll-box]“Do you have any plans for your unexpectedly free weekend?” Alexis asked as she perused the menu.

Leah’s eyes narrowed on her friend. Alexis Morgan might be the queen of poker face, but Leah had known Alexis for close to a decade now. She knew when she was being handled, and right now, Alexis was definitely working up to something.

Instead of answering the question, Leah took a sip of her mimosa and waited. When Alexis’s brown eyes flicked up to hers, Leah merely lifted her brows. Waited some more.

With a sigh, Alexis set the menu aside and folded both arms on the table, leaning toward Leah. “I need a favor.”

“Anything,” Leah said automatically, meaning it completely.

Her relationship with Alexis may have started as a business arrangement—they’d both arrived in the city ten years earlier with big dreams of pursuing their dream careers.

But somewhere along the way, Alexis and Leah had transitioned from sometimes business associates to friends. Alexis had been there for Leah when she’d needed her, and Leah fully intended to repay the favor any way she could.

“I need you to work the Preston wedding.”

Leah blinked. “The Preston wedding. As in, the wedding of the former First Daughter we were just talking about? The one this weekend?”

Alexis nodded.

Leah sat back, stunned. “Holy crap, Lex. That’s not really me doing you a favor, hon. More like the other way around. This would be the opportunity of a lifetime for me. For any photographer.”

“I know, but I still hate asking last minute like this. If it were up to me, I’d have recommended you from the very beginning, but Kylie’s college roommate and her husband are a two-person photographer team, and Kylie wanted to give the opportunity to her friend.”

“So what happened? They had a falling-out?”

Alexis shook her head. “They live in San Francisco and she’s a few months pregnant. There was some complication; she’s been put on bed rest. Nothing serious, just a precaution, but ergo . . . she’s certainly not going to be flying to New York any time soon, and certainly can’t be photographing a wedding.”

“Ugh. That sucks,” Leah said sympathetically.

Alexis smiled. “This is why I knew you were right for the job. You get it. You get people.”

Leah rolled her eyes. “You hardly have to sweet talk me into taking a job that’s likely to be the highest-profile wedding of my career.”

Alexis glanced down at her Bloody Mary, stirring a pickled green bean. “Well there is one tiny thing I haven’t mentioned.”

“Bring it.”

Alexis looked up. “It’s a huge wedding. One photographer’s not going to cut it.”

Leah waved her hand. “Oh please. My ego’s not so big I can’t handle a little teamwork. Who else you bringing in?”

Alexis bit her lip, and Leah tensed at the rare unease she saw on her usually confident friend’s face.

Alexis leaned forward and touched her arm. “Leah, you have to know how impossible it is to book one good photographer on short notice in June, much less two, and I’m counting myself lucky because two of the best happened to be available, but . . .”

“But what?” Leah asked, her heart pounding faster as she somehow knew what her friend was trying to say. Knew whose name Alexis was terrified to say.

Alexis’s gaze cut away from hers and fell somewhere over Leah’s shoulder, even as Leah felt the shiver of awareness that someone else had stepped into her personal space.

Alexis glared at the newcomer. “You’re early, Rhodes.”

Leah’s heart stopped, just for a moment. Slowly, she turned around and glanced up into the dark brown eyes of Jason Rhodes.

He pulled a toothpick from his mouth and gave her a slow, sexy once-over. “Hiya, Red. Long time.”

Leah could only shake her head. It had been a long time, but not nearly long enough.
Not only was he the one man on the planet she could absolutely, positively not work with.

He was the one man who Leah had let in close enough to break her heart.[/scroll-box]

About Lauren Layne:

Lauren Layne is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen romantic comedies. She lives in New York City with her husband (who was her high school sweetheart–cute, right?!) and plus-sized Pomeranian.

In 2011, she ditched her corporate career in Seattle to pursue a full-time writing career in Manhattan, and never looked back.

In her ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books.

For a list of all her works, please be sure to check out her official website!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway:

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BOOK REVIEW – The Player and the Pixie (Rugby #2) by L.H. Cosway, Penny Reid

June 2, 2016 / Anna

The Player and the Pixie (Rugby #2)
by L.H. Cosway, Penny Reid
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
How can someone so smokin’ hot be so bad in bed? I mean, Sean Cassidy is absolute rubbish. RUBBISH. He is the epitome of walking, talking false advertising and I want a refund! Plus he’s an arsehole. So… what is wrong with me that I can’t stop thinking about him?

THE PIXIE
Lucy Fitzpatrick doesn’t like rugby.
As the little sister of Ireland’s most infamous rugby player, Lucy can’t seem to escape the championship-sized shadow cast by her big brother, or her mother’s frequent attempts to micromanage her future. Her rainbow hair is as free-spirited as her quest for inner peace, yet overbearing expectations keep bringing her down. And when she’s down, her compulsive little problem lands her in seriously big trouble.

THE PLAYER
Sean Cassidy is a cold-hearted brute… or so he’s been told. Frequently. By everyone.
His blonde locks, baby blues, and rock hard bod make ladies the world over drool with desire. As the rugby world’s second most infamous player, he should be basking in his success. But Sean has never been content settling for second place, and his frequent confrontations with Lucy’s big brother leave him cold. And when he’s cold, his compulsive little problem lands him in the lap of Lucy Fitzpatrick.

THE PLAN
Sean has a problem only Lucy can solve. Lucy has a problem only Sean can fix. The solution seems obvious: you scratch my back, and I’ll bail you out of jail. But when their business arrangement unexpectedly leaves Sean scorching hot and Lucy on the precipice of inner peace, can they convince the world—and Lucy’s big brother in particular—that this is the real deal?

Either way, both the Player and the Pixie are about to teach each other some pretty monumental lessons about family, life, but most importantly, love.

“What do you want to do?”
“I’d like to lick your pussy.”

O-KAY. Shh. I’m going to close my reader sloooowly and let these two happily wander towards their HEA, okay? I tried and turned off my inner sarcasm but I just. cannot. go. on. Such a great idea gone to waste, unfortunately. Although I didn’t like The Hooker and the Hermit (because I’m allergic to “caged-in” types of guys, they make me claustrophobic), The Player and the Pixie appealed to me because… Well, because how many times did you read about a male-lead who sucked at sex?

…

My point exactly. Romance novels are so full of hot tongues, formidable erections and mind-blowing first times that I thought it would be refreshing to read about a hot guy lacking any skills during the intercourse (I always dreamed to write this word. So deliciously cheesy). Anyway. I can’t deny that it made for a good laugh (I’m horrible, I know, shh) and it could have grabbed me but it was without counting that,

1) I’m constantly amazed and baffled by these women who manage to answer asshole-ish comments by putting their hand on the guy’s shoulder and saying things along the lines as, “aw you poor thing, you’re so sad.” And they’re not even sarcastic!? They actually mean it?! Help me, because I genuinely don’t get it? How do you do that? Is there some social skill I’m lacking? (maybe – I’m French, I’m rude by nature am I not?) I’m not saying that the right answer is necessarily “fuck off” (although…), but there must be a right balance to find? It makes it so, so hard for me to connect with this kind of MCs, even if Lucy isn’t technically a doormat (yet). I like her enough, but I do not get her.

2) I can like assholes, but only to a certain extent? In order for me to root for a character, especially if romance is involved and if he’s not supposed to be a villain, I need him to be… well, decent. He can play around, but only if he doesn’t show double standards. He can be smartass and sarcastic, but there are some lines I’m not ready to cross, like, I don’t know, racism.

Tell me what the fuck is this.

“So,” he broached, “who’s the Mocha Frappuccino back inside? Your boyfriend?”
I stopped immediately and turned to face him, my expression devoid of humor. “Could you be any more racist?”
“I’m not being racist. I’m being descriptive. I’ll have you know that some of the warmest nights of my life have been spent with women of color. Lovely, lovely colors.”

[ensues Lucy’s answer about how she doesn’t want to hear about his conquests]

SERIOUSLY? I’ll have you know that you took the “I’m not racist, I have a friend who’s black!” crap to a whole new level, Jerkface. Lucy calls him on it (because she’s decent, remember, the “aw you poor thing” shoulder hug) but in the end, it doesn’t matter. I cannot care about Sean’s HEA when every time he opens his mouth I want to (violently) shut it. He annoys me, and above that, he’s one-dimensional and completely uninteresting. How am I supposed to suffer through his POV now tell me? And the guy’s actually talking to me, telling the reader to stop clutching their pearls and I’m like – HUH?! What do you mean, Dickhead? It’s a sweatshirt. Anyway. Ugh. Do not talk to me.

3) There’s no chemistry or any… point… to the story. Honestly, I can see the “twists” coming miles away, given that Mister Prick is Lucy’s brother nemesis (oh, the pissing contests! Tell me when to swoon really). While predictability doesn’t necessarily bother me in romance novels, I still need some kind of tension to make me interested. Their instalust, insta-I want to help you thingy going on bores me to death and to be honest, I’m not sure I have in me to enjoy these cardboard people falling in loooove.

Such a shame really.

“Nipping lightly at the underside of my jaw, he murmured, “Are you wet?”

Aw. I’ll be missing so many of Sean’s poetic lines. Boohoo, woe is me. DNF 33%.

PS. What’s up with the tweets at the beginning of the chapters? Are they supposed to make the story more original? Because they add nothing, lack any spark and made me roll my eyes. Oops.

BOOK REVIEW: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

May 23, 2016 / Chelsea / 6 Comments

The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

I don’t know what to say. I really really don’t. JLA was my absolute favorite author for two years….two years…and now I feel like she’s an acquaintance that used to be a best friend from High School-We pass each other in a store and do that awkward hi/hello/ass-out-hug that plagues us when we realize we no longer have anything in common with our dear old friend. I mean, I knew JLA wasn’t for me anymore, I knew that. But I had thought I remembered her writing being more…fluid?? I don’t know. Perhaps it’s the fact that I read wonderfully long, fleshed out, beautifully written fantasies now, maybe it’s because I’m SO DAMN PICKY with my contemporaries, or perhaps it’s just a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me.’

For those of you who adore JLA, I’m sure this will be a home run for you. I found that JLA and I stopped seeing eye to eye at the end of the Lux series-her last two books left so much to be desired, in my opinion, because I just had so much love for the first three stories. Hell, her Lux and Covenant series have a bunch of space taken up on my bookshelf because I love them so damn much. I still held out hope for her writing, though, as she began to switch into the contemporary field. Turns out? Her attempt at contemporary stories was the final nail in the coffin for our relationship as I began to see how boring her stories were without the threat of death, mayhem, evil aliens, and crazy deities. If you look back on my older reviews (wait for me, last two lux) you’ll see I did rate them highly-this goes back to my ‘I don’t want to be the only weirdo who is turning on this popular author’ days where I didn’t have a voice and, frankly, wanted to stay loyal and hold onto the last thread of hope that my favorite author could still do it for me and not turn into someone who failed to make my heart beat faster (aside from my love for the Covenant series and the first three Lux).

So why in the hell did I read this if I don’t like her anymore, you ask? Well…there are a multitude of reasons. I may not think she is as amazing as she used to be after being let down so many times, but I always found her writing addicting as fuck. I ALWAYS loved her story-telling abilities. But here, I found there was a lack of fluidity in the writing (FOR ME, I just didn’t connect with her flow) and I had to keep going back to re-read paragraphs just to get the feel of the sentences right. Secondly, this story line seemed epic and unlike anything she has ever done before. But, as it turns out, I was bored from the beginning until about 80% when things finally started to come together and I got to see the deepest parts of our two main characters emerge. I loved seeing Rider’s vulnerability and Mallory’s voice..it just took forever to get there. Third, she always creates my dream BBFs. *shrugs* I mean, I am who I am lol. And on this front? She delivered. Wonderfully. Lastly? I wanted to love another JLA book…in the deepest part of my heart, I wanted to go back to when JLA was my whole world, I wanted to be proven wrong and find out that I had just become a snooty, pretentious bitch who snubbed her old favorite author. Alas, this didn’t happen…in fact, it went the exact opposite way, and that makes me want to cry.

I know one of my best friends will always love JLA-always. And I sincerely wanted to be that person, again, who fell hard for the author who made me realize I am a peril whore who thrives on that dreadful, heart-shattering cliffhanger (Cough Opal Cough). I mean, guys, she is the author who made me the crazy with want after a crying desperate plea of love perilista I am today-I didn’t even know I had this type of masochistic bone in my body (I had read these types of books my whole life but had never realized it was an addiction until JLA) before her, and she shaped my GR name, my reading style, and my whole world. So, yes, I read a book I knew I might not like….but my hope was so much stronger than my common sense and doubt.

The writing may have not worked for me, but I imagine many of you will find no stilt, no disconnected feeling like I did-it’s a personal preference, really. And, as for the main characters, Rider and Mallory, I think that’s a personal preference, too. Rider was perfection, no doubt about that, and I felt like skimming all the time until I could get back to him (again, all about the boy, not a good sign). He was sweet, loyal, flawed, and absolutely adorable. When he blushed my heart soared and I became all giddy. When he got all protective of Mallory I fell harder in love. And OMG, the book, guys, that book….*sigh*.

But, and this is a small but, I didn’t get to bbf status with him….so close, but just, I didn’t get enough of him, I guess. He made my heart and stomach do crazy flips, but maybe I was just so bored with the story I didn’t give my full attention…and that really sucks.

As for Mallory….*crickets*. She was fine but….she was the main reason I was bored and her stuttering, while fine when she talked, made her inner monologues grating and hard to read. I might be a bitch, but it’s how I felt. And I feel bad because I know that’s just how she talks, but I just didn’t fall for her as a character.

So, yeah. I feel bad because there wasn’t anything wrong with this story, per se, but I just didn’t ever feel 100% immersed. I felt detached and indifferent, most of the time, and only really started loving parts when Rider was in them. Seriously-he was all I looked forward to (I guess I loved him way more than I let on, whoops lol) and was ecstatic when his name or dialogue popped on the page. And, hey, maybe it was the relationship he was involved in that bothered me? Not heavily, but maybe it just bored me that we had to go through that drama, as well. Fuck, guys, I don’t know-Here I am, again, saying this horrible phrase: I hated this book….but I loved it, too. Whatever. I don’t know.

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I’m side eyeing you, JLA

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I know *monkey covering eyes emoji* I added it, anyway, Jen 😛

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Full Measures (Flight & Glory #1) by Rebecca Yarros

May 19, 2016 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

Full Measures (Flight & Glory #1)
by Rebecca Yarros
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Three knocks can change everything…

"She knew. That’s why Mom hadn’t opened the door. She knew he was dead."

Twenty years as an army brat and Ember Howard knew, too. The soldiers at the door meant her dad was never coming home. What she didn’t know was how she would find the strength to singlehandedly care for her crumbling family when her mom falls apart.

Then Josh Walker enters her life. Hockey star, her new next-door neighbor, and not to mention the most delicious hands that insist on saving her over and over again. He has a way of erasing the pain with a single look, a single touch. As much as she wants to turn off her feelings and endure the heartache on her own, she can’t deny their intense attraction.

Until Josh’s secret shatters their world. And Ember must decide if he’s worth the risk that comes with loving a man who could strip her bare.

The muscle in his jaw flexed. “I haven’t lost the one thing I love, Ember. You’re still standing in front of me, and I’m fighting like hell.”

The problem with me is that I have found so many books that I love and adore that I’m always chasing the next high. When you’ve had the best, you want to continue to FIND the best….and this story, while both cute and smoldering hot, a contradiction I would love to embrace every day of the week, was frankly not the best. It was a cute, fun, sexy in-between read (in-between meaning that I need a light book after a fantasy before picking up yet another fantasy) that helped me to smile, laugh, and get through the ‘oh I had a bad reading weekend’ blues. But sticking a band-aid over the wound isn’t healing anything-only prolonging the inevitable: It may have only been a week since I read something absolutely epic and breathtaking, but the last two books being three stars and below slices my soul to pieces and I feel like I’m on the verge of a very depressing slump. Admittedly, it doesn’t help that the book I’m reading now is no better. Where oh where has my spot-on bookdar gone??

“Josh Walker. Right. I used to have a picture of you taped on my closet door from when you guys won state.” Shit. Why did I say that? His eyebrows raised in surprise, and I mentally added or still do, but whatever.

I find it necessary to also state that my lovely friend, Jennifer, is forever sending me these wonderful books that make my heart beat faster and my mood lift higher (when I’m not raging about certain things-more on that later). It’s her ultimate goal to send me books that are wonderful for that horrid in-between that often plagues me with question marks and uncertainty until I can get my next fix-And in this, she succeeded. Thank you, lovely!

That having been said…..there was a lot about this book that just annoyed the fuck out of me. For instance: The naivety of our main character. I actually could barely stand her, let alone tolerate her back and forth with Josh. Yes, I love this kind of tension but…more often than not, it’s a plot device to create unnecessary drama, thus making this a three star or below when it easily could have been a 4 star. One of my BIGGEST pet peeves stems from a main character’s lack of clarity with the leading male, and in this story it was no exception. The main character wouldn’t commit…and shenanigans ensued. I HATE these shenanigans, and if you know me, you know precisely what shenanigans were participated or eluded to, and I fucking loathe it. So, that was minus a star, just for making me feel that icky-fake, real, or lead to believe. I give no shits-I won’t tolerate that if it isn’t handled properly.

And not even to mention that she should have known her loser boyfriend was acting different-I mean, I get it, and it wasn’t my MAIN problem, but it definitely made my cheese-dar go off (I have a lot of radars, aren’t I talented ~~and cynical as fuck~~?). I HATE cheese, as well, for those of you just tuning in, and this kind of cheese throughout the story is okay and wasn’t totally overabundant, but it was there, nonetheless.

“We’re taking it slow until you say so, because I can’t bear to hear a ‘no’ from you. But here’s your only warning: I’m going to chase the fuck out of you.”

Which leads me to this: The only thing I liked and enjoyed about the story was Josh. And this is another thing I just hate saying…I hate saying a book is only as good as its male lead. I know a lot of you are rolling your eyes and saying that all I do is obsess about male leads-and you wouldn’t be incorrect. I LIVE for my male leads and they are the ultimate fix on a horrid day. I love them. I live them. I breathe them in. THEY KEEP ME SANE. But no one can deny that I am always honest in regards to the actual book, and if the actual book sucks?? That boy can’t save it…and that’s just how it is.

He turned around so I was against his chest. “I have half a mind to tell you no more kisses until I get a date.”
“Oh?” I stepped back so Gus wouldn’t get the wrong…ahem, right…idea.
“Yeah, but you see, that’s my flaw, December Howard.” He helped me into the Jeep and reached across to buckle me in. He slid back, stopping to whisper in my ear. “I have no self-control when it comes to you.”

So, with all that being said, I also must point out that Josh even made me mad a few times. And, even though this is not true and I’ll get a lot of ‘nuh uh that’s not true!’s, I must say this felt an awful lot like insta-love/lust. Now, I don’t mind insta-lust, and even here I didn’t mind this case of insta-whatever, but it still bordered on my very fragile tolerance of what’s acceptable. Josh was a great, loyal, and sexy guy-He made my lady parts go into over-drive and his insistence of wanting our main girl (seriously, I can’t even remember her name…) to do what she needed to do and to take all the time in the world to make things good for herself all while he’s merely a shoulder to lean on was admirable and made my heart very happy. But…again…shenanigans. Immaturity is fine in a male lead to a point, and he really was super sweet, grown-up, and into her at a fault (She isn’t that great, sorry) he still fucked up to the point that it made my blood boil. And I can’t even tell you if I’m really angry or not because, pet peeve (see above), it was never handled or addressed further. And no, that measly explanation at the end did not cover all bases throughout the book so meh.

I adored Josh, I really did, but this book was merely a distraction for me (like Josh??). It was fun. It was flirty. It had heart-stopping moments that took my breath away. I even got butterflies that threatened to overtake me…but that simply doesn’t overshadow the cheese, the main character, and the bull shit drama that made me see red. Red is my favorite color, by the way….just not this kind. Onto the next shit storm. Ugh. Too-da-loo!!!

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Ugh. I hate this book…but I ALSO LOVE IT. God damn it, Joshua Walker-Oh, what you do to my lady parts.