Category: Review (Page 63 of 297)

BOOK REVIEW: Misfits Like Us (Like Us #11) by Krista and Becca Ritchie

BOOK REVIEW: Misfits Like Us (Like Us #11) by Krista and Becca RitchieMisfits Like Us (Like Us #11)
by Krista and Becca Ritchie
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

As the eldest daughter of famous parents, Luna Hale is anything but normal. She escapes most days inside the fandoms she loves and the fics she writes, and she’s accepted that real life just sucks more than fiction. But there is someone who could rival every swoony man inside her imagination.

And he only lives three floors below her. Too bad he’s incredibly off-limits. Her brother’s bodyguard, eight years older (okay, sometimes, nine), and the son of meth addicts—the tattooed, shameless bodyguard is the only one her dad really hates. But Luna isn’t sure exactly why.

She’s trying not to be hung up on him.

Paul Donnelly is trying not to be hung up on her.

With his life among the security team and his friends at stake, he doesn’t need to make waves among the Hales, especially the notoriously overprotective Loren Hale, the self-proclaimed Emperor of Petty. But when Donnelly’s two best friends set a time and place for a double—no, a “triple” date—the countdown to finding a date is on.

Donnelly has no idea who he should bring. He just knows it can’t be her.

Luna finds herself in the same predicament as bad luck unfolds. Find a date.

And it can’t be him.

Yet, the more they try to stay away, the more the universe has other plans. Nowhere in Luna’s wildest imagination could she have predicted what happens next.

The slow burn heartache, feel-good fandom chats, lifelong friendships, and epic cosmic love of this next installment in the Like Us series will send your hearts into orbit with Luna & Donnelly, and you won’t want to make a landing without them.

Review

Do I want to go on a triple date with my best friends?
Mostly, yeah, I do. It’ll be a good time, and I like to strive towards those good things. Happy things. Lucky things. The things that make you stretch your arms out wide and breathe.


Where to begin, where to begin, where to begin? I probably should just come out and say it—I think this is my favorite book of this series so far. I have been excited about the prospect of Luna and Donnelly for quite a while now but I didn’t know how their books would look or how they’d even work as a couple. It was obvious from the start that Lo was NOT going to be okay with these two together but I wasn’t sure what other hurdles would wind up being thrown in their way. When I got to Charming Like Us and found out that Donnelly is giving up his entire paycheck to his uncle in exchange for him dropping his parental rights to Ripley I just fucking knew the Donnelly family was going to be the big ~thing~ of their romance arc to try to drag them down.

And this is the part of the story where I recognize that Paul Donnelly does not care if harm comes to him. Either he believes he’s strong enough to defeat any evil, like most bodyguards would, or he does not value his life as much as he values the life of others.
In both circumstances, he is a good bean.


My biggest curiosity going into this book was who are Luna and Donnelly as people (other than being background/side characters) and what will it be like to get into their heads? Zhgoihfsioeghesogih let’s just say the sisters did not disappoint. Luna was pretty similar to what I expected her to be but it fucking HURT getting glimpses into Donnelly’s past, wow. The fact that he’s as chill and as kind and as good of a bean as he is blows my mind. How do some people grow up in that kind of household and become crazy psychopaths while others stay good and true like Donnelly? Honestly I think a lot of it has to do with him meeting Farrow and Oscar and them becoming the reliable and sturdy fixtures in his life as they were/ still are. It makes me love Farrow that much more knowing he took Donnelly under his wing at a point in his life that definitely could have been close to a very major crossroads that could have had his life turning out very differently.

Sometimes, I picture myself with my fingers pressed to glass. Unable to touch the kind of love that exists within the things I so clearly watch and see. The romantic bits in my sci-fi fics and the star-crossed love on Battlestar Galactica and Roswell. I’m a voyeur to love. To soul mates.
I used to think mine might not exist.
Now, I’m more worried mine is out there and no matter what I do, I’m always unable to reach him. He’s always going to be stuck on the other side of the glass.


That’s not to say Luna’s POVs weren’t also painful. Because they were. At times she thinks that she’s the family fuckup and doesn’t think her writing is any good or feels down about how Orion isn’t as well trained as Arkham or even when she’s dealing with all the people that make fun of her for being weird and lame and “slutty.” FUCK EM ALL, LUNA. You’re the coolest space babe we know and we don’t want you to change for anything. I also really enjoyed learning more about her fics and her extreme love for all things fandom, even if her opinions are in the minority sometimes. In this past year I’ve fallen deep, deep into the world of Dramione fanfiction and the community I’ve found in that corner of the internet is amazing. Even though that ship has become a lot more popular I know back in the day there was a ton of hate surrounding it and I can’t even imagine what some of those authors must have went through. I will say, too, that by reading fanfiction I have become a lot more…open to the different kinds of wildly smutty things people write and how GOOD some of it is. The fact that (view spoiler) pisses me off SO MUCH. Write what you want to write and read what you want to read but if you don’t have something nice to say about work that people have provided and spent COUNTLESS HOURS OF THEIR LIFE AND PASSION ON, then don’t fucking say anything at all you assholes. Anywayyyyyyyy, lol.

This isn’t a simple kiss. It’s a kiss of life.
One that breathes oxygen into my lungs as I drive forward, as he holds me closer. My hands slide down his chest, and his fingers curl around my neck. Our tongues tangle in more fervent kisses, lips swelling beneath uncorked yearnings, and I only open my eyes to see the glittering light.


I will leave this review by saying how cosmically magical the romance is between Donnelly and Luna. Because Lo is Lo and doesn’t approve of Donnelly, there’s a LOT of pining and longing and what feels like hopelessness between these two and it’s DELICIOUS. For those of you worried, I would say this ended a lot more hopeful that I had initially anticipated and I am so happy about it. I cannot WAIT to get more revolving around these two because they truly are so perfect for one another and bring out each other’s best sides.

“Yeah,” Maximoff says while he rises, letting me near his sister. He drills a caustic look into me before whispering, “Don’t hurt her.”
I’d rather die.

BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: Never Enough Cowboy by Jennie Marts

 

I’m currently reading this book and I am in love!  It’s smile worthy, I’ve already shed a few tears and I love being back in this world.  Check out what Jennie Marts’ newest book is about and enter a wonderful giveaway below.  Enjoy ♥!

 

Never Enough Cowboy
Jennie Marts
(Creedence Horse Rescue, #4)
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication date: July 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

“A swoon-worthy, must-read romance.” –SARA RICHARDSON, National bestselling author

Fans of Carolyn Brown, Maisey Yates, and Jennifer Ryan will fall head over cowboy boots for this second-chance romance from USA Today bestseller Jennie Marts.

Single mom Jillian Bennett barely has a moment to herself between raising her ten-year old son, volunteering at the horse rescue ranch, and working her new job as head librarian of Creedence, Colorado. She doesn’t have time for romance either, even though she and the cute deputy, Ethan Rayburn, have been doing a lot of flirting the last few weeks. But when he also forms a bond with her son, Milo, Jillian falls hard, and Ethan soon realizes he would do anything for the feisty librarian who’s won his heart.

Praise for Jennie Marts:
“Full of hope, humor, and undeniable swoon.”—A.J. Pine, USA Today bestselling author
“Funny, complicated, and irresistible. Sometimes a cowboy isn’t perfect but you got to love him anyway.”—Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author, for Caught Up in a Cowboy
“The perfect blend of humor, grit, and sexy cowboy spice. Delicious!”—Kari Lynn Dell, award-winning and bestselling author, for Wish Upon a Cowboy
“Deliciously steamy but still sweet, with a secret at its heart.”—Joanne Kennedy, award-winning and bestselling author, for Wish Upon a Cowboy

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

 

About Jennie Marts:

Jennie Marts is the USA TODAY Best-selling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. Readers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and the “perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam.” Fic Central claimed one of her books was “the most fun I’ve had reading in years.”

She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet that loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.

Her books include the contemporary western romance Hearts of Montana series, the romantic comedy/ cozy mysteries of The Page Turners series, the hunky hockey-playing men in the Bannister family in the Bannister Brothers Books, and the small-town romantic comedies in the Lovestruck series of Cotton Creek Romances.

Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books, or Twitter at @JennieMarts. Visit her at www.jenniemarts.com and sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest news and releases.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter / Bookbub

 

Giveaway:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

 

BOOK REVIEW: Boyfriend Material (Hawthorne Univeristy #2) by Ilsa Madden-Mills

BOOK REVIEW: Boyfriend Material (Hawthorne Univeristy #2) by Ilsa Madden-MillsBoyfriend Material (Hawthorne Univeristy #2)
by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Can this hockey player prove he’s boyfriend material?

#1 Amazon bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers an all-new, heart-wrenching enemies-to-lovers sports romance...

Skyscraper cheekbones, lush lips, and magnetic topaz eyes.
I’m talking about Eric Hansen.
Rich prick.
Glorified hockey star.
Thinks he’s amazing.
Yeah. The Golden Boy and I are well acquainted. In prep school he trampled on my heart and kept right on going.

Three years later, he’s living the high life with frat parties and puck bunnies at Hawthorne University. On the other hand, people barely notice me. I’m the nobody, surviving in the seedy part of town as I struggle to keep my head above treacherous waters.

The avoidance game we’ve been playing on campus was working—until he rescues me from a bad guy and claims he wants to help me more. Hello. I don’t need a knight in shining armor. This girl saves herself.

Yet, he keeps showing up just when I need him, and I'm not sure how long I can ignore the undeniable spark between us.
(It’s not even a spark; it’s a full-fledged blazing fire.)

Can Eric prove he’s boyfriend material, or will this be a game we both lose?

*Boyfriend Material is an emotional (and steamy) new adult college romance perfect for fans of enemies to lovers or second chances. It's a stand-alone story about a new couple although reading Boyfriend Bargain (Book 1) may enrich the reading experience.

*Please note the trigger warning inside the book.

*Included in the HEA (happily-ever-after) is a 4,500 word epilogue about the couple in the future.

Review:

We have a history, a backstory that craves to be rewritten, and maybe this is how we do it.

Boyfriend Material was an angsty new adult read that I devoured in a day!  With characters that leapt from the pages, a story-line that pulled at ones heart and sizzling scenes, this book had it all.  If you love enemies to lovers or sports romance, you will want this one on your tbr!

A butterfly is proof that you can become something new.
It’s rebirth and transformation.
Something beautiful.
Ethereal.
Someday that will be me.

Julia and Eric’s best friends ended up together, in Boyfriend Bargain, yet they tried their best to avoid one other.  Btw you don’t have to read that book to enjoy this one, but I can’t recommend it enough!  When Eric and Julia were younger, Eric destroyed her heart.  Years later with them both at college, Eric ended up saving Julia not once but twice.  And those heart stopping moments led their enemies to lovers relationship to start to forge a tentative friendship. Yet they both had so many obstacles in their way.  Not only between the two of them, but also within themselves.

“Can we wait a minute and just sit here? I-I don’t want to let you go just yet.”
My heart skips a beat. We’ve turned a corner somewhere.
I sense it.
She senses it.
If the blush on her face is anything to go by.
“Then don’t,” I say softly.

Julia was head strong, confident, likeable and was just trying to make ends meet while in college.  She had a psycho ex Parker, who I wanted to see pounded down into the ground or destroyed, and a mom whose story will hurt your heart.  I liked Julia right away and I wanted her to have some happiness or lightness in her world.  And who would have ever thought she could get that from Eric?!  The boy who had broken her heart.

“I guess your life isn’t as perfect as I thought.”
He laughs harshly, then sobers. “Uh, no.”

Eric Hansen was a star hockey player at college, yet he definitely had demons from his past that haunted him. His relationship with his dad hurt, and the expectations that were pushed upon him seemed impossible to reach.  With hockey and friends, he was able to push through each day.  But when Eric saw Julia in trouble, his past is what led him to helping her.  He couldn’t deny he felt something towards her.  Or that he was awful to her in the past.  So the more they ran into one other, the more he realized he wasn’t able to get her out of his head.

I may not have wanted a knight in shining armor, but he is one regardless.

Boyfriend Material definitely felt darker and grittier.  There were intense moments that I didn’t know if Eric would make it out okay.  Characters that were pure evil.  And as someone who can’t handle certain sexual assault scenes, I was able to read the one in this book and it left me hoping for retribution! I wasn’t sure where this story would lead me.  There were so many emotional struggles, but through it all Eric and Julia had their friends who had their back no matter what.  Reece, Boone and Eric’s puck game had me cracking up!  But ironically, Eric and Julia were able to find solace within one another at times.  Their past didn’t matter in certain moments.  They defended the other.  And I kept wondering and hoping when they would actually become more.

“We’re rewriting the past,” I say without meaning to, but there it is, out there in the universe.
“Julia . . .” he murmurs and I imagine I see a dawning in his depths.
A new beginning. Endless possibilities.
Am I crazy?
He growls as he kisses me hard.

Boyfriend Material brimmed with emotions that were raw and real. With off the charts chemistry, seductively sexy scenes, moments of redemption, this book was so easy to binge!  If you’re looking for a new adult story that has sports and enemies to lovers laced throughout the pages, check this one out!  And the epilogue?!  Oh my heart, it was everything!  We also got to see characters from Boyfriend Bargain and you won’t be disappointed!  Don’t mind me as I’ll be patiently waiting to read whatever Ilsa Madden-Mills writes next!

PS Can Boone and Reece get their own books please?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

 

BOOK REVIEW: Boyfriend Bargain (Hawthorne University #1) by Ilsa Madden-Mills

BOOK REVIEW: Boyfriend Bargain (Hawthorne University #1) by  Ilsa Madden-MillsBoyfriend Bargain (Hawthorne University #1)
by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Wanted: one hot guy with rock-hard abs and a big stick.

Broke and desperate, Sugar Ryan has no use for arrogant, bad-boy athletes…until she’s forced to bargain with the cockiest of them all.

If only he knew she was alive. Her mission? Get on this hockey player’s radar any way possible. Zack Morgan is the king of the ice and the bedroom, but nothing prepares him for the mystery girl who shows up everywhere he does—frat parties, his favorite bar, and finally his front door with an offer he can’t refuse. The only rule in her boyfriend bargain: no falling in love.

But after one (um, two) smoking-hot hookups, he’s done with pretending and vows to make their fake relationship real. Too bad she can’t trust a player with a reputation for breaking hearts.

Will this hockey star score his forever girl, or will this boyfriend bargain end in heartbreak?

Review:

He’s the king of the ice, and I’m just… no one.

Boyfriend Bargain was an emotional read that was filled with fabulous angst, friendship, forgiveness and love. This New Adult story was beyond sexy and the characters were so easy to click with.  Plus the story line was so easy to devour.  If you love sports romance with fake dating, then make for sure this one is on your tbr!

“There’s something going on between us that’s…I don’t know…interesting. I knew it the moment I saw you.” He pauses. “I want you.”
I want you.

Zack Morgan, aka Z, was the star hockey player at his college.  He was already picked up to play pro, but he stayed another year to finish out his schooling and to take his team to the championships.  Yes he was the ultimate player, but Z also stole my heart.  We learned from the beginning that he had severe anxiety coupled with panic attacks.  The guilt from his past was destroying him from the inside out.  Z was drowning, and not only was it crushing his ability to play, but it threatened to take everything away from him.  Z was the ultimate tortured hero.

Zack Morgan is an inferno that will burn me up. There’s something about him that makes me lose my breath. And that…that must not be allowed.

Sugar Ryan desperately needed Z to be her fake boyfriend.  He was the key to get what she wanted.  And while Sugar was self-sufficient and had the hugest heart, she struggled with insecurities from her past.  I liked her so quickly and I loved that she matched her lipstick to her mood!  When Sugar and Z met, it was like fireworks exploded and electricity crackled between them.  The pull they had for one another was intense.  And all consuming.  So when Sugar proposed her fake dating plan to Z, he was all in.  He couldn’t seem to get enough of her!

I’m toeing my boots off and shoving down my leggings and underwear. He’s watching me, his hand palming his cock. With a growl, he picks me up, cupping my ass in his hands. He’s rough, his fingers digging into my skin, a man who knows what he wants, and I moan in anticipation. This is the fastest, craziest sex I’ve ever had, but I know what to do. My legs wrap around him and hang on tight. 

Z was the ultimate player and Sugar had no desire to get attached to him.  Even when Z could be so smooth, Sugar kept her walls up high. Neither of them could deny though that they intrigued one another.  So the more time they spent around each other, they couldn’t help but forge a friendship.  Or keep their hands off of each other.  There were so many moments between them that were explicit and scorching hot!  But there was also lots of angst too, and it was so much fun!  With their fake relationship, the line of what was real and what was pretend seemed to blur at times. And on top of that, Z was playing a dangerous game in regards to his past.  That’s not something I can talk about, you have to discover on your own, but I was so nervous for how it would play out!

“We were supposed to keep this unemotional,” she says quietly.
“I don’t even care about that bullshit bargain. This is about you and me.”
“It’s not bullshit to me.” Her voice is flat.

This story also had side characters I adored, who had Z and Sugar’s backs.  Eric was one of my favorites, and I was beyond ecstatic to hear that he was getting his own bookBoyfriend Bargain was so easy to read and I loved that there was jealousy, vulnerability and emotions that neither of them saw coming within the pages.  Z and Sugar both had emotions towards their pasts that they had to face head on.  So watching them help each other with their struggles touched me.  And getting to hear the story in both of their voices added a richness to their story.  Through it all, I was cheering for Z and Sugar to get the HEA they both deserved!

She’s just a tiny bit intimidated by me when she’s the one who’s got me by the balls.
I’m going to make her mine. She just doesn’t know it yet.

Boyfriend Bargain was a fabulous new adult story that was filled with all of the drama and angst.  With laughter sprinkled throughout the story and heartfelt moments, this book was a lot of fun!  And the epilogue at the end?!  We get to see into the future and anyone else who loves epilogues is going to absolutely LOVE this one!  If you’re looking for a sexy, sports romance to pick up, definitely give this one a try!

 

Other quotes I loved…..

I tug at a strand of his hair. “I like how you look at me like you might die if you don’t fuck me.”
His lashes flutter. “I like it when you say fuck.”
“Fuck me then,” I say.

 

We take off across the quad and I know people are staring at us, but  ignore them completely, not caring that he’s all that and I’m just…me.  The world is topsy-turvy, and even though I don’t know which way is up or down, I do know that my heart is having a hard time telling him no.

 

“Don’t be afraid of falling, okay?” I make eye contact with her, and I don’t think I’m talking about skating anymore. 

BOOK REVIEW: Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

BOOK REVIEW: Down Comes the Night by Allison SaftDown Comes the Night by Allison Saft
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A gorgeously gothic, deeply romantic YA debut fantasy about two enemies trapped inside a crumbling mansion, with no escape from the monsters within.

Honor your oath, destroy your country.

Wren Southerland is the most talented healer in the Queen’s Guard, but her reckless actions have repeatedly put her on thin ice with her superiors. So when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord, asking Wren to come to his estate to cure his servant from a mysterious disease, she seizes the chance to prove herself.

When she arrives at Colwick Hall, Wren realizes that nothing is what it seems. Particularly when she discovers her patient is actually Hal Cavendish, the sworn enemy of her kingdom.

As the snowy mountains make it impossible to leave the estate, Wren and Hal grow closer as they uncover a sinister plot that could destroy everything they hold dear. But choosing love could doom both their kingdoms.

Allison Saft’s Down Comes the Night is a snow-drenched, gothic, romantic fantasy that keeps you racing through the pages long into the night.



Hal had let her believe, for the first time in her life, that it was alright to feel passionately, fiercely. And oh, she did. She did. If any feeling would kill her, it was this one. She was in love with Hal Cavendish, and he would never know it.



Allison Saft is a new to me author who came seemingly out of nowhere and stole my heart right out of my chest. And here we see such beautiful, vivid imagery, just like her sophomore novel-A Far Wilder Magic. I’ll admit that, while this novel was epic in a way I did not expect, it didn’t quite beat A Far Wilder Magic. I think there’s almost always something to be said about a first novel you read by a certain author-it sets the pace. It enraptures you with said author’s writing style, prose, and depth of those first characters. It’s always wonderful to pick up another novel by your favorite authors, but there is still always something sweeter about meeting a new author and what they bring to the table-but this was so very good as well.

The only natural light filtered in through a round window at the end of the corridor that watched her like a half-shut eye. The snow accumulating on the windowsill would soon consume her view entirely. Wren wondered if this was how it felt to be buried alive, watching as the darkness swallowed a single point of light.



I can see where this was a ‘first book’, the author finding her feet and learning what works for her and what doesn’t. And where A Far Wilder Magic had-in my humble opinion-flawless writing that you immediately became immersed in,

No one moved. No one breathed. Piecing her own experience into anything coherent was like reassembling a broken mirror, every shard a fragmented sensation, an eternity condensed into a moment.



I will say that as this story progressed, I did see where there was some writing that wasn’t as smooth and languid as her sophomore novel was.

Maybe the only difference between a monster and a hero was the color of a soldier’s uniform.



That isn’t to say I wasn’t OBSESSED with every detail-every description-every character (well, Wren and Hal)-every moment…because I was. I was so deeply enthralled with this really sad start of enemies to lovers (okay but I’m weak-bad past actions cannot deter me from falling for the vulnerable new Hal who knows he can’t trust anyone but decides to trust Wren anyway, OKAY) who have to try and trust one another to stop a darker evil from ruining the world as they know it. The chaos about to descend upon them from one small mistake was enough to give me heart palpitations all while gobbling up the epic betrayals and hurt and heartache that comes with working with your most dangerous enemy.

She’d always known what they had couldn’t last. She’d tried to protect herself from the pain of losing him, of wanting him when duty would inevitably call him away from her. Time and time again, she’d measured out the distance between them. And just as many times, she’d run headlong toward him.
Her stupid, reckless heart.



This book was a bit, dare I say, macabre…but this is what made it all the more tantalizing, in my opinion. At one point, I felt a grief so strong, I just didn’t want to believe what I was reading. And, on top of that, every dang moment in that house was enough to give me chills and had me sinking lower into my couch to avoid making eye contact with the bugs [fingers] tapping on my blindness windows. I was shook.

She wasn’t weak for feeling, either. Hardened hearts were breakable. But hers had endured again and again. As much as it terrified her, Wren wanted more than anything to believe herself. But right now, she only needed to convince Hal.



But, alas, I am a wuss and I got through it just fine when they began to see that they needed to work TOGETHER if they wished to defeat their new common enemy and I didn’t have to endure near as many ‘sneaking into forbidden rooms with shadows lining the walls all by my lonesome’ nonsense. I’m sorry, this sends my pulse into a panic and I can’t help but notice my blood pressure goes through the roof. I do NOT like sneaky uppies (I’ve been reading about Seth Cappella way too long, lord help me).

“You understand you’ve made a serious commitment, yes?” She wound her arms around his neck. “I might not let you go.”
“A terrible fate, indeed, to be your prisoner.”



I already spoke of really my only complaint (just lack of perhaps dimension and expansion on certain parts), which leads me to how wonderfully my FAVORITE part was done: Hal and Wren. I’ll admit Wren was a bit hard for my taste, even though its far and away totally jUsTiFiEd, because who wouldn’t be cautious of their mortal enemy. But-seriously-hogwash, because the girl KNEW she wasn’t making the right decisions and she KNEW she felt crappy about it so…I stand to be a little sour towards her because, I’m sorry, in certain moments she did NOT deserve my Hal (again, I realize she is 1) looking out for herself 2) he’s a mortal enemy 3) it’s all she knows. I KNOOOOOWWW, but this is FICTION and I will POUT and stomp all I want).

Her whole life, she’d been accused of feeling too much.
Now she felt nothing at all.



I would be remiss, though, to not mention how wonderfully this romance, the tension, the arc of their untrusting relationship built into something just so….sweet and pure.

His eyes met hers, deep as a moonless night. Confusing warmth blossomed within her chest, unfurling into her fingertips. No one had ever looked at her like this—like she might be dangerous. She liked it. Especially coming from someone like him.



And, near the end, with all that unsavory business….I can’t help but clap because WOWowowowwowowow that. Was. INTENSE. And, during all the intense: heartfelt. Kind. Just…so vulnerable and honestly beautiful. Then, of course, my favorite-a side of absolute deranged peril that was completely and utterly unhinged and YES I wanted to personally claw my eyes out *smiles serenely because I loves it and I devours it *.

She liked the way he listened and the way he looked at her, like she was the first breach of sunlight on the horizon. He made her feel important. Like she mattered. Like she wasn’t entirely broken.



And, also, this book was home to one of my favorite *~bEtRaYaL~* scenes and it lives rent free in my head blink by blink, moment by moment. It plays out so beautifully, with such an-UGH-amazing AMAZING show of character depth and inner heart and I just…UGH. I AM TRASH FOR IT.

She’d known it for a while now. Hal Cavendish, who held her against him like he’d die if she slipped away, was no monster. She wanted to cling to this version of him—hers—and never let him go.



So..I don’t know. I guess that’s it? A whole lot of crazy and not much sense to be had, but I’d be upset with myself if I didn’t act true to myself and, if I’m being honest, one of the things I love most about this author is her ability to create tense situations for our characters that are falling in love (even though they never want to), and not pulling any punches about bad things occurring. I really do feel this isn’t done enough-or well enough-in books and I will always stand behind and book push a story that isn’t afraid to *go there* and make you wonder if our two lovebirds will truly have to deal with something unsavory. The savagery fills my cup, really, and I will lap it up greedily every time it presents itself to me. So. There you go. Take my neurotic self as you will, and I hope at least one thing piqued your interest. If this book simply isn’t for you, try her other story- A Far Wilder Magic. And if THAT isn’t your cuppa tea either, well… I don’t know. I can’t help you. Because I love her and I will ALWAYS love these two books with my whole heart. Also, how dare you.

“Maybe I’m wrong,” he said pensively. “I still have things I would kill for. But perhaps the most important things—what truly drives us—are the things we would die for.”




*~FRAN SCALE~*
Jen-Ahhh I really think you might like this!! But I adore Allison Saft shamelessly.
Cassie- Probably! I don’t predict all time favorite but I have high hopes all my friends would enjoy it! 🙂
Arielle- Hmm. I pretty much text you all the plots and quotes etc so I probably ruined it for you lol. BUT YES. I’d have said you’d enjoy it if not really like it.
Anna- *smirks in ‘you told me so’*




View all my reviews

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑