Tag: Contemporary Romance (Page 49 of 96)

BOOK REVIEW – Deceptions (Cainsville #3) by Kelley Armstrong

July 12, 2016 / Anna

Deceptions (Cainsville #3)
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Otherworld series delivers her most suspenseful novel yet, where the discovery of Cainsville’s dark past and the true nature of its inhabitants leads to murder, redemption, love, and unspeakable loss.

Olivia Taylor Jones’s life has exploded. She’s discovered she is not only adopted, but her real parents are convicted serial killers. Fleeing the media frenzy, she took refuge in the oddly secluded town of Cainsville. She has since solved the town’s mysteries and finds herself not only the target of its secretive elders but also her stalker ex-fiancé.

Visions continue to haunt her: particularly a little blond girl in a green sundress who insists she has an important message for Olivia, one that may help her balance the light and darkness within herself. Death stalks both Olivia and the two men most important to her, as she desperately searches to understand whether ancient scripts are dictating the triangle that connects them. Will darkness prevail, or does Olivia have the power to prevent a tragic fate?

✨ Now available in Paperback! ✨

Whaaaat? Is it finished already? Damn it.

▨ Gabriel character’s growth : Alright. I feel like a broken record, so don’t mind me. As in the first two books, here lies my favorite part of these books. I’m all about the characters most of the time, and a great characterization can decide of my love for a book. In Deceptions Gabriel continues to learn how to stop being a cyborg (not really) and I absolutely adored peeking through the layers of his character. GAH. I love this man. See, I love the way he talks. All practical. I’ve loved his tough side from the start, his inability to react like people are supposed to, because that what makes him different from other characters : he’s not a bad-boy, he’s not a knight in shining armor either, he just… is, and I can’t help but enjoy every time he appears, even if he is being an ass (yes, it happens. No, it doesn’t change a thing). When he starts showing vulnerabilities, though? I melt. I just – I can’t. It’s subtle, and it’s way more interesting as it is. It’s showing, never telling, but he cares, so much – it made my heart throb with wonder and yes, break a little.

“He kept giving me that look, the confusion deepening to something like disappointment, like hurt, as if he’d tried to be kind and thoughtful, and I was rejecting it, and he didn’t know why. That little boy, reaching out and being pushed away. Goddamn it, Gabriel. Don’t look at me like that. Wake up. Snap out of it, pull that wall back up and retreat behind it.”

Finally, his interactions with Olivia and really – everyone – made my day. I’ll take more of this, please.

“His brows shot higher. “That would imply I have time for such frivolities. I don’t watch television or movies, and while I read a fair bit, fiction would hardly advance my education. Data, data, data. I cannot make bricks without clay.” I crossed my arms and glowered up at him. “Obviously, you’ve made an exception.” “I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule.” ” I hate you so much right now.”

▨ Ricky’s case : Strangely, I feel bad about Ricky. Why? Because he’s genuinely adorable with Olivia and they seem really great together but even if 1)he doesn’t annoy me and 2)I don’t mind their sex scenes, on the contrary, I can’t help but feel not involved in their story. I’m a Gabriel girl through and through, even if I repeat, it’s not a love triangle-team Gabriel kind of situation. Not really. To be frank, I have nothing against Ricky : he’s sweet, respectful, charming, a little wild… I like him, really. And still… He isn’t near as fascinating as Gabriel. *shrug* Gabriel is the one who makes me smile. Always.

▨ Olivia’s behavior : I still like her, but I have to admit that she annoys me a little when she refuses to see the obvious View Spoiler ». However, she does act on it and I appreciate how realistic that makes her : yes, in real life we bury our head in the sand sometimes. I’m often the Queen of that ship, even if I’m not proud of it. That doesn’t prevent me from waking up when I sense that I need to, and Olivia does. Whilst lost and confused, she always stays brave, smart, and funny. Am I tired to be in her head? No, never. And that’s saying something : she doesn’t ramble, she doesn’t daydream, but she always tries to make the best out of the chaos that followed her arrival in Cainsville. However, I cannot stand how she handles a certain situation, and it’s a spoiler, so here we goes (sorry) :View Spoiler »

▨ TC! Every book needs a moody cat.

▨ Addictive factor : Once again, the writing is completely addictive and I couldn’t stop reading for the life of me. From page one I dived into Cainsville’s mess as if I had never stopped, and there are very few series about which I can say that.

▨ Creepy factor :

First of all : I’m a chicken (yes, it’s important to state). This being said, the creepy scenes increased in number in this third book, definitely. I got chills at her visions ~~and no, the light of my Kindle wasn’t enough anymore.~~ Chicken, I said.

▨ ANSWERS! I’m not gonna lie, the first two books let me –

You get the idea. Lost. Confused. Did I say lost? So, does it change? Yes we get explanations about the murders. Yes they’re twisted and wicked. Yes I loved that. Does the story seem less captivating after getting these answers? Oh hell no. I’m even more curious to see where the story will go from now on. Now, I must confess that some parts disappointed me and that I am scared that this series will become stereotypical (that’s why I lowered my rating) View Spoiler ». I hate Fate related plots and I really can’t fathom why authors do that. I strongly hope I’m wrong, and I want to trust Kelley Armstrong to stay far from the easiest path View Spoiler »love-triangle shit « Hide Spoiler[love-triangle shit (hide spoiler)], because so far everything was way more complicated than it seemed, and I loved these books for it.

Ps. I need to say something about the bike club scene : it made me cringe so bad. I do not like girl fight at all, and the whole “handling over” Olivia played with my nerves. I know, I have no idea if it is accurate or not. Maybe it is. I still can’t help but hate the casual sexism that is pictured there. Ugh.

BOOK REVIEW: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

July 7, 2016 / Chelsea / 7 Comments

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A long, hot summer...

That's what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy's father.

But sometimes, unexpected things can happen—things such as the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things such as meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to question her sheltered life.

Is it really always better to be safe than sorry?

I’d tried to hold myself apart, showing only what I wanted, doling out bits and pieces of who I was. But that only works for so long. Eventually, even the smallest fragments can’t help but make a whole.

Now that I finally have some time to put together a little bit of a coherent review, I’m excited to give a little more explanation to my thoughts. I’ve been seeing this author on the shelves of every big bookstore for years and never gave her a second look. And while I think that there was something missing that made this an absolute perfect and epic win for me, it also touched me in a way not many books do…and I think that deserves to be said.

Maybe that’s what you got when you stood over your grief, facing it finally. A sense of its depths, its area, the distance across, and the way over or around it, whichever you chose in the end.

In many ways, this author’s writing reminded me of Heather Demetrios’s I’ll Meet You There. This was an absolute favorite for me last year and an absolute shock. It wasn’t particularly fast paced nor was it action packed. But every word, every page, every moment implanted itself into my heart and stole my breath. As the book progressed it was built up in such a way that didn’t bore you, yet you just NEEDED something to happen….this book was a lot like that. However, it lacked all those intense, tugging emotions that made IMUT an emotionally packed gut punch.

Leaning out my window, at the odd angle I was, I found myself almost level with the top of his head. A second later, when he looked up at me, we were face to face, and again, even under these circumstances, I was struck by how good looking he was, in that accidental, doesn’t-even-know-it kind of way. Which only made it worse. Or better. Or whatever.

When what I wanted to happen happened, it certainly made me a total fangirl, but by then I had invested a ton of time and wanted a little more. Does that make sense? I appreciated and loved the slow, syrupy feel of Dessen’s world and her writing, but it lacked one key emotion to make me a forever fan: Obsession.

The silence wasn’t like the ones I’d known lately, though: it wasn’t empty as much as chosen. There’s an entirely different feel to quiet when you’re with someone else, and at any moment it could be broken. Like the difference between a pause and an ending.

Probably my other large gripe was our main character’s mother. Come on. Grief does absolutely horrible, dreadful, unspeakable things to a person, but I don’t think when your daughter is sitting there telling you how much she likes people and how good they are that her kinds of reactions were necessary. A little naivety? Sure. Blase tone? Okay. But that utter disregard for her daughter’s feelings? It bothered me far more than I’m even letting on now.

“What were you two talking about?” she whispered as Wes pulled the doors shut.
“Nothing,” I said. “Running.”
“You should have seen your face,” she said, her breath hot in my ear. “Sa-wooooon.”

And then there was Wes…sweet, adorable, loyal Wes. Always there for her, always making her see herself the way she deserves to be seen. And I think that’s my favorite part about Wes-He doesn’t belittle her. He always makes her search deep within herself for what makes her happy and not other people. And he never makes her feel small. He is just one of those perfect guys and you can’t help but to love him from the moment you meet him-no matter how small his part is, at first.

Events conspired to bring you back to where you’d been. It was what you did then that made all the difference: it was all about potential.

Now, I know I didn’t say much, but I just had to say more than what I did below. This book, while not a heart-stopping and pulse-pounding thriller by any means, is a great coming of age story. And hell, I’m 26 years old and I found some value in the deep, heartfelt words this author wrote through the eyes and mind of Macy. We all can stand to learn something about ourselves and become introspective even if just for a moment. As it is, this book, while not an absolute favorite, came at a time where I looked deep within myself and saw a little of Macy. I don’t want to live a life where I’m living for others and not myself…and I’m glad I can still relate to books like this. What better way to get impartial advice than reading a wonderful book? There is no better way.

********

This was absolutely adorable! Extremely well-written and a lot deeper than I really thought it would be (I was shocked).

It wasn’t until I really got where I wanted to be in terms of the story that I realized I had been holding my breath in anticipation…and that’s a good sign, to me.

A tad slow in places, but building up to something deep, meaningful, and heartfelt. I need more books like this in my life-It’s the same description I’ve used for other books, but I’ll say it again: It was like sitting on the front porch on a hot summer day sipping lemonade with a light breeze. It was just that kind of book.

And this Wes??Such a totally believable good guy who wasn’t over the top perfect that I couldn’t help but wish I had met him first. Sweet, kind, attentive, and only wants what is best for Macy. I fell in love with him slowly..then all at once (hehe bad-stealing lines from other books..).

RTC, maybe. Depends how my weekend goes! 😛

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW – P.S. I like you by Kasie West

July 7, 2016 / Anna

P.S. I like you by Kasie West
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?

While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

From beloved author Kasie West (The Distance Between Us) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes.

“If only there was a way to transport letters faster, through some sort of electronic device that codes messages and sends them through the air. But that’s just crazy talk.”

Several times during my read I asked myself, “what would it take for P.S. I Like You to reach a 4.5/5 stars?” and in all honesty, I don’t think it could, no matter how cute some parts were. Now, I’m all for rating a novel according to its genre, but where am I supposed to put Kasie West books? In YA contemporary? Sure! Then they can’t – and will never – compete with the raw honesty and the avalanche of feelings I associate with some of my favorites : Please Ignore Vera Dietz, On the Jellicoe Road, Raw Blue, to name a few.

Truth is, P.S. I Like You put a smile on my face and was well, cute, but I cannot deny how unmemorable it is.

Fact #1 : I’ve read all of Kasie West‘s books and I’ve never come across a female lead like Lily, which is to say, the typical quirky girl with weird self-made clothes and notebooks. The tomboy, the popular girl, absolutely. Not the artist.

Fact #2 : Yet I’ve read my fair share of YA novels, and Lily doesn’t bring anything different in the sea of female leads. She likes music, makes (false) assumptions about people, is convinced that no guy would take an interest in her, fantasizes about this crooked-smiling, earbuds-addict guy with cool hair, has one and only friend because people suck (or something). When it comes to analyze someone else’s actions, she’s blind, but aren’t we all? I mean, TEENAGER 101, anyone? I don’t necessarily complain upfront about stereotypes, because sometimes they can be twisted to add something more to a story. Let’s just say that it wasn’t the case in P.S. I Like You.

Fact #3 : Lily’s family is what I like the most about her, but it may be because it is so relatable to me. A four children family and general messiness? It was my playground. Anyone who grew up in a family of six and who looks blank when confronted with the concept of a one child room will easily understand what she goes through. Her family is weird, crazy, annoying, roll-eyes worthy, yet so lovable, with a special award for Bugs Rabbit XD

As for the love interest, given the fact that it’s supposed to be a “surprise” (come on, I knew who it was on page 6 – more on that later), I won’t say his name but he was pretty great, if completely forgettable. I know, I know, I am harsh, but really : no matter how much he made me smile, mark my words : I will have forgotten his name next week. I just know it.

Look, I’m all for pen pals and stuff, as it’s a plot which usually really work with me. Yet if I accept having doubts, I still ask for the story to keep its mystery, at least a little. Take Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, for example. I loved that I did not know if I was right until the very end.

P.S. I Like You, though? I knew who her “mysterious” pen pals was almost instantly, and every time a new event would occur, the threads were always so thick that I felt like I was only waiting for what I already knew to happen. Granted, the story mostly revolved around Lily’s romance with ***, and romance novels are always all kinds of predictable. Yet it annoyed me because given that I knew who it was, I couldn’t help but feel the urge to skim through all the useless scenes with other boys. Just, nope. I didn’t care, and it awfully felt like filler for me.

As for the romance, I cannot deny that Lily and *** shared a great chemistry and that I rooted for them to get together from the beginning. They made me smile, especially when they were writing to each other. But I cannot deny either that something was missing, or perhaps I’m finally too old for this kind of cute, kissing book. Maybe. See, it was adorable to see them getting to know each other, but it lacked some tension and character development in my opinion.

Finally, the music part felt flat and contrived, and rather useless. It’s as if YA contemporaries had to incorporate some kind of artistic vibes, without needing them to add something to the story. I’m quite tired of this.

It’s no surprise that Kasie West‘s writing is addictive and smile-inducing. Her books, how flawed they can be, always manage to make me happy, even if my feelings stay superficial. However, if I really appreciated the letters, the dialogues didn’t flow as well. Although they were often funny, they sounded fake and I forced myself to adapt and ignore the stiffness – or rather, the fakeness. Yes that’s a thing.

► All in all a cute but unmemorable novel. I would still recommend it to anyone who needs to smile.

BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY: How to Disappear by Ann Redisch Stampler

June 24, 2016 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

How to Disappear by Ann Redisch Stampler
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Title: HOW TO DISAPPEAR
Author: Ann Redisch Stampler
Release date: June 14, 2016
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 416
Formats: Hardcover, eBook

This electric cross-country thriller follows the game of cat and mouse between a girl on the run from a murder she witnessed—or committed?—and the boy who’s sent to kill her.
Nicolette Holland is the girl everyone likes. Up for adventure. Loyal to a fault. And she’s pretty sure she can get away with anything…until a young woman is brutally murdered in the woods near Nicolette’s house. Which is why she has to disappear.
Jack Manx has always been the stand-up guy with the killer last name. But straight A’s and athletic trophies can’t make people forget that his father was a hit man and his brother is doing time for armed assault. Just when Jack is about to graduate from his Las Vegas high school and head east for college, his brother pulls him into the family business with inescapable instructions: find this ruthless Nicolette Holland and get rid of her. Or else Jack and everyone he loves will pay the price.
As Nicolette and Jack race to outsmart each other, tensions—and attractions—run high. Told in alternating voices, this tightly plotted mystery and tense love story challenges our assumptions about right and wrong, guilt and innocence, truth and lies.

Click the link to purchase this book below!

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | iTUNES | INDIEBOUND | GOODREADS

Giveaway:

7181b90e-127b-4cbd-bdcd-078af8132fca c01b5913-6a0d-4784-92e3-56349e0cc563

ONE (1) winner will receive a $50.00 gift certificate for The Book Depository, Signed HOW TO DISAPPEAR bookmarks + a Nicolette’s disguise inspired Smashbox makeup kit.

***Giveaway is INTERNATIONAL***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Ann Redisch Stampler

Ann Redisch Stampler is the author of the young adult novels Afterparty and Where It Began as well as half a dozen picture books. Her work has garnered an Aesop accolade, the National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor honors, the Middle East Book Award, and Bank Street Best Books of the Year mentions. How to Disappear (Simon Pulse, 2016), her first young adult thriller, will be released in June. Ann lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband Rick.

And check out the rest of the tour below!

Tuesday, June 14^th:

Book Briefs– Review
BookHounds YA– Author Interview

Wednesday, June 15^th:

Ryley Reads– Review
Fiktshun– Review
Becky on Books– Excerpt

Thursday, June 16^th:

Just Commonly– Review
Emily Reads Everything– Review

Friday, June 17^th:

Such a Novel Idea– Review
Curling Up With A Good Book– Author Interview

Saturday, June 18^th:

Here’s to Happy Endings– Review
My So-Called Book Reviews– Author Interview

Sunday, June 19^th:

A Gingerly Review– Spotlight
Book Whales– Excerpt

Monday, June 20^th:

A Dream Within A Dream– Review
Jessabella Reads– Character Interview

Tuesday, June 21^st:

Owl Always Be Reading– Review
The Cover Contessa– Character Interview

Wednesday, June 22^nd:

Dani Reviews Things– Author Interview
Fishing for Books– Review

Thursday, June 23^rd:

Once Upon a Twilight– Author Interview
Classy Cat Books– Review

Friday, June 24^th:

Star-Crossed Book Blog– Spotlight
Lilians Book Stuff– Author Interview

Saturday, June 25^th:

Pandora’s Books– Excerpt
Reese’s Reviews – Review

Sunday, June 26^th:

The Phantom Paragrapher– Review
In a Bookish World– Excerpt

Monday, June 27^th:

Movies, Shows & Books– Review
Wishful Endings– Character Interview
A Bookish Escape– Review

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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.

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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.

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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.