Tag: Contemporary Romance (Page 66 of 98)

BOOK REVIEW – Hothouse Flower (Calloway Sisters #2) by K. B. Ritchie

August 17, 2015 / Anna

Hothouse Flower (Calloway Sisters #2)
by Becca Ritchie, Krista Ritchie
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
yke Meadows, meet Daisy Calloway ... she’s all grown up.

Twenty-five-year-old Ryke Meadows knows he’s hard to love. With a billion-dollar inheritance, a track-star resume, and an alpha-male personality—he redefines the term likable asshole. But he’s not living to make friends. Or enemies. He just wants to free climb three of the toughest mountains in Yosemite without drama or interruption.

And then he receives a distressed call from a girl in Paris—a girl that he has never been allowed to have.

Daisy Calloway is eighteen. Finally. With her newfound independence, she can say goodbye to her overbearing mother and continue her modeling career. Next stop, Paris. Fashion Week begins with a bang, and Daisy uncovers the ugly reality of the industry. She wants to prove to her family that she can live on her own, but when everything spirals out of control, she turns to Ryke to keep her secrets.

As Daisy struggles to make sense of this new world and her freedom, she pushes the limits and fearlessly rides the edge. Ryke knows there’s deep hurt beneath every impulsive action. He must keep up with Daisy, and if he lets her go, her favorite motto—“live as if you’ll die today”—may just come true.

Trigger Warning : I chose to write this review as Ryke’s, therefore there will be a lot of cursing. Sorry about that.

➊ The romance

Ryke and Daisy’s story started as a fucking surprise for me : I didn’t expect to like them that fucking much, but during the first 50% I can’t deny that I spent a great time. The sexual tension between them was fucking off the charts and I couldn’t ship them more. I loved that they were friends and cared about each other so much, loved their complicity and their flirting. After Kiss the Sky I wasn’t sure that I would like these characters, but frankly? They grew on me, even if Daisy stays a little too dependent for my liking, and Rose & Connor stay my favorite by far, even in this one.

Connor,

And then when Ryke and Daisy finally had sex, Fuck. That was fucking hot. Okay, I forgive them the “I’m the only one to give you orgasms” line that was a little ridiculous.

➋ The drama

Well this being said, excuse me but the obstacles to their relationship were fucking dumb in my opinion.

It fucking killed me to see the drama stretch and stretch and stretch around Lo’s possible reaction and I wanted to punch him in the face each time he would make them feel bad only because they were drawn to each other. Just grow a fucking brain and stop being selfish. Now, Ryke annoyed me as well with his “I don’t give a shit what people think” attitude. Look, I don’t like to justify my actions to others either, but sometimes you have to realize that people aren’t in your fucking head to know what you think. Ugh. Talk about useless drama.

➌ The French

It’s starting to fucking spoil my enjoyment because I can’t help but cringe when I read them talking in French. I’m sorry, but asking a native speaker to check is not that hard. No French in his right mind would say something like : “Je serais génial, mais je sais ce qui me fait toujours obstacle”. It just doesn’t make any fucking sense. You don’t use génial to express how you’re feeling. Never.

In a word : More generic NA material than Kiss the Sky (yes, that would mean more stupid angst, more stereotypical leads and unrealistic scenes), but what I fucking loved in the first still owns the show : friendship, family and no girl hate.

Now, if you would excuse me, I’m going to wash my mouth and come back to Connor and Rose’s schemes in Fuel the Fire.

Ps. If you found the fuckings in this review annoying to read, I’m not sure that you will stand Ryke’s POV. Just sayin’.

BOOK REVIEW – Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

August 16, 2015 / Anna

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
My disease is as rare as it is famous. It’s a form of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, but basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in fifteen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives. New next door neighbors. I look out the window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black t-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. I want to learn everything about him, and I do. I learn that he is funny and fierce. I learn that his eyes are Atlantic Ocean-blue and that his vice is stealing silverware. I learn that when I talk to him, my whole world opens up, and I feel myself starting to change—starting to want things. To want out of my bubble. To want everything, everything the world has to offer.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Let’s be frank one second here : from the start I knew that (almost) whatever could happen, I was going to adore this book. Why? Because as you might know, I’m an absolute sucker for insertion of different mediums in a book, when it’s well-done, and I love using some of these mediums in my reviews. Annnnnd Guess what? It was the case here, and I fell in love with the concept before even starting to like the characters – I know, I know, I can be so easy sometimes. Am I weird? Maybe, but originality strikes a note to which I can relate.

Actually, there were so many different formats here that I struggled to choose which one I would use – let’s face it, I wanted everything : Maddie’s spy schedules, her hilarious spoiler reviews, her copybooks excerpts … Anyway, I chose to use Ollie and Madeline’s IM conversations because sue me, but they were my favorite parts through and through. I’m such a stalker, I can’t even.

“Madeline : I’m not a princess.
Madeline : And I don’t need rescuing.
Olly : that’s ok. i’m no prince.”

Alienor : I’m sorry but at first you sounded one dimensional to me.
Olly : but i climb stuff!!
Alienor : Yes you do. I’m really impressed but
Madeline : I’m sick!!
Alienor : Yes you are but
Madeline : And I really love architecture
Alienor : I know! Good for you girl!
Olly : but when we message together it was funny right
Alienor : Yes it was but can you please use punctuation
Madeline : See Ollie! I told you it was annoying
Olly : you did but i just feel like not using punctuation and that’s my right for fuck sake
Alienor: Anyway – Now moving on guys

The fact is, if at first I found the characters pretty flat, I slowly grew attached to them throughout the story.

Madeline : Wait – you mean like you would in real life then?
Alienor : EXACTLY! Really, I felt like I was slowly becoming friends with you guys, and there’s where my first hint of love appeared.
Olly : even if Maddie gets obsessed over me pretty quickly?
Madeline : I’m not obsessed.
Olly : you so are
Alienor: Yeah, well, about that – you do grow attached quickly but I didn’t bother as much as usual because 1) It’s not an instalovish PNR way of falling in love, but 2) it’s a pretty accurate description of first love in my opinion. Of course we’re stupid and of course we’re obsessed! Come on! So, yeah. You grow attached quickly, but it’s not shocking in any way, as you sound like real teenagers through and through.
Olly : you don’t think Maddie is acting stupidly then?
Alienor : OF COURSE SHE IS, DUH. SHE IS A TEENAGER IN LOVE. But anyway, I can’t deny that when I reached the second part, I was feeling her despair and her hope, her angst and her joy. I cared. You’re young, you’re cute. I loved you together ♥
Madeline : So you don’t think I was reckless?
Alienor : You so were, and I’m warning you here, some readers will be annoyed by you for sure. Yes you took selfish and reckless decisions but really, who are we to judge? Would I be able to suffer life confined in a house without feeling reckless? I don’t think so, and luckily I’ll never know for certain. So, yes. I could have been mad at her sometimes. The fact is, I never did.
Olly : And me i mean you’re not talking about me
Alienor : Well, like Maddie you can appear reckless at some point but damn, you are adorable and I felt like I could relate because – sorry but – you’re not flawless by any means. So YES. You took some dumb decisions TOO. YES. You fall in love quickly. YES YES YES – no instalove though. Now that I cleared the air, let me say –
Madeline : He’s just so cute right?
Alienor : He SO is.
Madeline : And he can climb!
Alienor : That he can.

1
day I needed to finish it

2
characters who made me smile and feel

3
Scenes that almost made me cry

4
Stars I’m willing to give

WAIT – It’s not perfect then?

5
Number of fucks I give

TRIGGER WARNING : Domestic abuse

BOOK REVIEW – Bold Tricks (The Artists Trilogy #3) by Karina Halle

August 15, 2015 / Jen / 0 Comments

Bold Tricks (The Artists Trilogy #3)
by Karina Halle
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Raised by con artists, Ellie Watt has a lot of crazy childhood memories-but none crazier than being scarred with acid by the demented crime boss Travis Raines. Now Ellie is a full-grown woman who lives for revenge, and Travis is a full-blown drug lord who kills for pleasure. The sadistic bastard has kidnapped her good friend Gus as well as her mother, whom he's been holding as prized possessions in his heavily guarded lair. And Ellie has only one chance in hell of getting them out alive-using two dangerous men who love her to death . . .

One is Camden McQueen, a talented tattoo artist who's made a permanent mark on Ellie's heart. The other is Javier Bernal, her fiery ex-lover who's busted more than a few heads in his time. From the crime-ridden streets of Mexico City to the predatory jungles of Honduras, this unlikely trio forms an uneasy alliance in the deadliest game of all-a gun-blazing battle to the finish that will pit enemy against enemy and lover against lover. And Ellie must choose the right man to trust . . . or die.

Review:

*Spoilers for Shooting Scars #2*

Bold Tricks was the perfect way to close this stunning trilogy! The angst kept me on the edge of my seat, the love made my heart swoon, and the dark, twisted storyline quickened my heartbeat and at times filled my veins with dread. This book was so good. So insanely freaking good!

…there was something so goddamn sexy about seeing Camden handle a gun, the shiny metal against his big arms and wide chest, muscle against muscle. With the blood smeared on his face, dripping down onto the tats that teased at his neck , he was 100 percent man. I just wished he was 100 percent mine.

We jump right into the story were Shooting Scars left off. Ellie, Camden and Javier have barely escaped from Travis’ house and they know it is a matter of time before they are found. They are on the run for their lives, together. And they will need to work together to keep Javier’s sister safe and to rescue Gus and Ellie’s mother. What follows is an action packed, intense ride that was completely unpredictable at times. It was impossible to put this book down.

“You own my heart. Please let me have yours.”

This book was only told from Ellie’s voice. And while I was sad that I didn’t get to be in Camden’s head, it made a lot of sense. We needed to feel as though we were in Ellie’s shoes. Because her heart and soul had been ripped apart. She desperately wanted to be back together with Camden, but she betrayed him in the worst sense. Ellie tried to make Camden see the light, but with Javier there it was impossible. Javier’s presence was slammed in Camden’s face every second of every torturous day. The anger, jealousy, betrayal and lust from all of them was beyond palpable. I loved it!

“What happened to your glasses?” I asked him.
He bit his lip, his eyes darting to the car. “They fell off somewhere. Probably when I fell. I can’t remember. That whole thing was… a blur.”
“Can you still see?”
He smiled, all beautiful white teeth, full lips, and dimples. “I’m nearsighted. Which means I’ll be a lousy shot until I get a new pair or some contacts. But at least I can see you clearly. The things up close. The things that matter.”

Ellie was one of those characters where it was easy to vacillate from liking to hating her. Her actions and thoughts could be entirely messed up, but I still wanted the best for her. Maybe it’s because I felt her suffering and remorse towards Camden. I felt her desperate need for him to forgive her. Or maybe it’s because finally in this book Ellie became a total bad-ass! She knew who she wanted to be and where she wanted to stand. She finally figured out all of her shit. She even had me laughing at her in scenes that were entirely inappropriate for laughing, like when she stole a weapon from someone, but gah, I was so ecstatic that she became the person I thought she deserved to be!

This was no longer a matter of good or bad.
This was all gray.
Hazy, fuzzy gray.
I squeezed the trigger.
The chamber clicked.
Loudly.
Empty.

I can’t end this without talking about Camden. I loved how dark he continued to be in this book. A sexy, glasses wearing tatted up guy who would do anything to keep you safe, to do what is right, even if it meant not blinking an eye to kill someone? UH, YES PLEASE! I was so sad to say goodbye to him and Ellie (sooo not mentioning Javier here besides this part haha). This whole series was utterly addicting, crazy, and entirely messed up but so, so, so good! It’s unlike anything I have ever read before and I plan to devour many more of Karina Halle’s books!

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Sins & Needles #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Shooting Scars #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Bold Tricks #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea

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BOOK REVIEW – Kiss the Sky (Calloway Sisters #1) by Krista & Becca Ritchie

August 15, 2015 / Anna

Kiss the Sky (Calloway Sisters #1)
by Becca Ritchie, Krista Ritchie
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared.

Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy.

After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way.

Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity.

My rules :
FUCK : I liked it but –
MARRY : This is why I’m melting on the floor
KILL : Are you really asking me what it means?

I barely ever read NA anymore but HOLY COW I’ve just been slapped in the face :

☑ BROMANCE. Lo, Ryke and Connor put a huge smile on my face each time they argued or tried to catch a rat (yes, that’s a thing) or answered questions during their interviews.

☑ FAMILY. Sisters power for the win. That’s all.

☑ Flawed and realistic characters I LOVED following.

☑ Ice Queen Powaaaaaaa (sorry for being that enthusiastic. Just, I love Rose, even if she grits on my nerves sometimes. But hey, that’s what love is about right?) She’s relatable to me in a way heroines rarely are : I want it all, like her, and I have no fucking problem to express it. Ps. Just try to attack my privacy and you’ll see what happens. Just sayin’. I can’t express how many times she would say/think something and I would wholeheartedly agree with her. You go girl. You show them.

“So bring it on, motherfuckers. Try to hurt me. Because I won’t let you.”

☑ Connor is the perfectly flawed hero for me.

“We haven’t formally met,” I say, holding out my hand. “I’m Connor Cobalt. The guy whose girlfriend you want to fuck. And just so you understand, the odds don’t look good for you.”

BUT SERIOUSLY! YES! I NEED CAPS! HOT. SMARTASS. DRIVEN. CLEVER. ARROGANT. LOYAL. PROTECTIVE. RESPECTFUL. GAAAAH he is PERFECTION.

☑ Rose and Connor’s complicity, games, EVERYTHING. It brought so much reality into their relationship.

☑ Frankly, I thought that I would be annoyed by the reality show aspects but actually I enjoyed a lot how the fucked-up lies were handled. Also, these interviews? I WANT MORE. *giggles like a moron*

☑ No slut-shaming but THE EXACT OPPOSITE. Considering that the heroine is a virgin, yes, that’s pretty amazing.

☑ Hot sex scenes : a little rough but always respectful.

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.

✘ Just, I’m sorry Connor, really, but *whispers* your French isn’t quite right. I know many readers fantasized about him talking French and if I can’t grasp the appeal of it (obviously), I can imagine (I guess – well, really, I can’t, but I’m a nice person. Sometimes).

However some mistakes rubbed me the wrong way and spoiled my enjoyment a little bit :

✘ “Je suis passionné de toi “: Huh-Oh. This one enters the “not making any sense” category. Nobody would say that ever. So much that I can’t even find a substitute. “Tu me passionnes”, maybe?

✘ Repeated use of “Vous” to translate “You” when he talks to Rose : look, in French “You” can be translated into 2 words : “Tu” if you’re talking to one person you know or a child, and “Vous” if 1)You’re talking to several persons or 2)You’re talking to one person you don’t know/you have to show respect to like a policeman, your Boss, well, every adult you don’t personally know, really (I’m a “Vous” whore and I can’t say “Tu” to anyone except my friends, my boyfriend and my family). So, the fact that Connor uses “Vous” when talking with Rose is just plain weird.

So, yeah, it’s not fair, me being French and all, but the French addition is only… cheesy to me. Now you can hate me.

✘ If the characters won me, the book lacks a rhythm, a tension. Look, I’m okay with that to a certain extent : Kiss the Sky offers us slices of life and that’s what makes it realistic and enjoyable. However, I can’t deny that the story dragged during the second half and there was a moment I stopped reading to ask myself what exactly was the point. Am I turning cynical towards romance? It’s a possibility to consider.

✘ The jumps in the time confused me. Like, really. I found myself reading the wedding countdown and trying to calculate how many time passed between the different scenes. I know, silly, but sometimes the next chapter would take place immediately after the last one, and sometimes weeks would have passed, and can you please be coherent one minute because I’m lost right now?

✘ I was really looking forward to seeing Scott HURT. A lot. For a long, loooong time.

Final thought : READ THIS BOOK

In the end every one of these characters leave its mark on me, and my heart is purring, satisfied, full of laughs and love. I can’t wait to see more of them. This is the best feel, right?

Ps. I do know that I perverted the FUCK. MARRY. KILL game and that it doesn’t completely work. Frankly? I just don’t care. It cracked me up 😛

Ps.2 I didn’t read the Addicted series because I don’t do over drama but it didn’t prevent me for loving this one.

BOOK REVIEW – Visions (Cainsville #2) by Kelley Armstrong

August 8, 2015 / Anna

Visions (Cainsville #2)
by Kelley Armstrong
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
As #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong’s new Cainsville series continues, Olivia’s power to read omens leads to the discovery of a gruesome crime with troubling connections to her new hometown.

Omens, the first installment in Kelley Armstrong’s exciting new series, introduced Olivia Taylor-Jones, daughter of notorious serial killers, and Gabriel Walsh, the self-serving, morally ambiguous lawyer who became her unlikely ally. Together, they chased down a devious killer and partially cleared her parents of their horrifying crimes.

Their success, however, is short-lived. While Olivia takes refuge in the old, secluded town of Cainsville, Gabriel’s past mistakes have come to light, creating a rift between the pair just when she needs his help the most.

Olivia finds a dead woman in her car, dressed to look like her, but the body vanishes before anyone else sees it. Olivia’s convinced it’s another omen, a sign of impending danger. But then she learns that a troubled young woman went missing just days ago—the same woman Olivia found dead in her car. Someone has gone to great lengths to kill and leave this young woman as a warning. But why? And what role has her new home played in this disturbing murder?

Olivia’s effort to uncover the truth places her in the crosshairs of old and powerful forces, forces that have their own agenda, and closely guarded secrets they don’t want revealed.

➸ book 1 : Omens ★★★★ (4.5 stars)

“We are imprisoned by the truth we dare not see.
We are imprisoned by the questions we dare not ask.”

► The story starts when Omens ends, Olivia still trying to make sense of everything that happened to her – and to her serial-killers biological parents. While Omens was meant to be read as a thriller more than anything else, in Visions the mythology introduced there starts to be unraveled and more we learn about the different fights at stake, more I found myself completely enthralled in Kelley Armstrong’s story. Indeed whilst the mystery elements are still present, I can’t deny that the paranormal aspects increase in importance in this second book.

Every answer leads to more questions, and the different threads we follow seem so intricate that despite the clues given to us the mystery thickens and isn’t solved by any means.

Again I felt captivated from the start, the investigation pulling me in and the incredible dialogues holding my interest through and through. As I already said, I really, really love reading about these characters. This series is addictive, trust me on this.

▨ Olivia is resilient, stubborn, flawed, and still completely enjoyable. Despite the fact that I didn’t agree with all her choices, I genuinely care about what will happen to her in this strange world she discovered, because frankly? Her actions ring true to me and I can always understand her : she refuses to be used as a pawn yet she’s ready to play games to grab the answers she needs. Who wouldn’t?

In a word, she’s fierce and never, ever annoying. About how many MC can I say that? So few, guys, so few.

▨ Gabriel. GAH. I need to make a statement here : I completely fell for this manipulative little shit who is so much more than he appears. What can I say? He makes me laugh in his bossy way, I care so so much about him! His secret is… He’s incredibly multi-layered : from his words to his facial expressions or instant-jerk reactions, we readers have to observe him carefully to try making sense of his character and well, okay, I’m fascinated. Also, he cracks me up. SO MUCH. And I just love the practical and unfeeling way he talks, with maybe, just maybe, feelings lurking behind (I know! Such a crazy theory!)

Once again the quality of the secondary characters strengthens grandly what could have been a weak plot : From the Cainville’s inhabitants to the strange ~~creatures~~ people (?) Olivia meets, every character is interesting, none is wasted, and it adds so many layers to the story!

I feel the need to talk about the men gravitating around Olivia and the way relationships between them are handled. In my honest opinion we don’t have a love triangle in Visions (and even less in Omens).
✔ James is a controlling asshole whose relationship with Olivia ended.
✔ Gabriel is… Well, I’ll come back to their relationship after, count me on this (yes, because that’s by far my favorite part of the book, duh)
✔ Ricky is the only one who can be seen as a possible love-interest at the time. Period.

But the best thing about this book is by far the way the development of Gabriel & Olivia partnership is handled : as far as characterization is concerned, we have good character development and then we have excellent dynamics growth. Let me tell you something : I rarely met characters whose relationship gradually evolves in such a splendid way that Gabriel and Olivia’s. From their somewhat untrusting and forced collaboration in Omens to the partnership they develop in Visions, nothing feels forced but everything brings real vibes. Really, it’s fucking fantastic how Kelley Armstrong can give us so little hope at first and slowly build foundations for a friendship. Until we starve for more. Damn, I feel like cheering because maybe, just maybe, they’re friends now. I know, I’m pathetic. Move on. But I’m not gonna lie : the fierceness they show when they protect each other made my day. As Olivia rightly said, “You read actions and ignore words.”

► To sum-up, Visions offers us a strong sequel to the story started in Omens and I can’t see why you wouldn’t love it if you enjoyed book 1. Strongly recommended.

PS. I chose to not add quotes (or barely) even though I saved plenty of them (mostly from Gabriel, of course), because I prefer let you discover them for yourself, especially when it comes to Olivia and Gabriel interactions. Trust me, it’s worth it^^.