Jul 31, 2013

More Than This (More Than This, #1) By Jay McLean

Buy This Book:

Author's Web-Page:

Genre:
Contemporary Romance/ New Adult

Summary on Goodreads:

*Mikayla*
In one night my fairytale ended. Or it may have begun. This is my story of friendship and love, heartbreak and desire, and the strength to show weakness.

*Jake*
One night I met a girl. A sad and broken girl, but one more beautiful than any other. She laughed through her sadness, while I loved through her heartbreak.

*This is our story of a maybe ever after.*

"He was right. It made no difference whether it was 6 months or 6 years.
I couldn’t undo what had been done. I couldn’t change the future. I couldn’t even predict it.
It was one night.
One night when everything changed.
It was so much more than just the betrayal.
It was the tragedy. The deaths. The Murders.
But it was also that feeling.
That feeling of falling."

**Mature Reader Advised. Language and Sexual content.**

RATING:


***REVIEW***

...Talking without speaking...
...Feeling without touching...
It's the fucking hardest thing to do,
to be around the person you love,
with everything you have, 
and not be able to love them.


I saw this book a lot  lately on GR and all these high ratings, then I read the blurb which was intriguing enough, with a promise of a masochist read, so of course I had to read it. This book will be a special treat for all romantic souls out there who believe that love can overcome everything. It's also a light masochist read. It's a story of Mikayla & Jake, two high school seniorstold from from both their POVs, who meet on their prom night which soon turns to Mikayla's worse nightmare. This is one of those stories which makes you think about life.  You put yourself in the skin of the characters for a moment and ask how would you deal if you ever find yourself in the same situation as them and hope you never find out. How to cope when your own "bubble of happiness" suddenly bursts and you find yourself all on your own?

It's a touching story about loss and grief, about starting fresh from ashes and trying to collect all the broken pieces of your life and find your happiness again. I liked the first half of the story better than the 2nd half. It just felt more real. Mikayla was o.k. for a main female character, meaning she didn't annoy me that much. She definitely dealt better with most of the fucked-up situations she found herself in than I would, especially regarding her first boyfriend and her supposed Bff. Jake was of course perfect like most of the main male book characters, almost too perfect which again made everything unrealistic in my eyes. Their story was sweet, very emotional and romantic, at times even a bit too romantic. It's also a story about breakable and blurry bonds of friendship. Are there real, true, trustworthy friends out there? How come sometimes people who we barely know you turn to be more reliable than your supposed friends?

Unlike Mikayla's friends, I really liked Jake's friends- they were fun and goofy, type of people you would like to be friends with, especially Lucy who like Mikayla was described as a bookaholic like us, always wearing her kindle reader with her with smut reads being her guilty pleasure.
Now a little about the things I didn't quite like: As I already hinted above- the story from time to time felt just surreal. It reminded me too much on why I didn't like high school- too much of unnecessary drama & drama queens, especially in the 2nd half of the book. I had the same issue with Jasinda Wilder's Falling Into Us- there were some issues which solved in the best possible way and in a short amount of time which to me just felt too unrealistic. I like my reads more dark and edgy, but I don't mind from time to time to read something fluffy like this to take a break from more darker books. Too much happiness  and romance makes me itchy and easily bored, lol. I know- disturbing xD. Especially when it comes to the cheesy lines and this story unfortunately wasn't stranger in that department too. And talking about sexual frustration- all that dry humping drove me nuts! Don't get me wrong, it was hot, but after awhile it became annoying, because you just didn't see the point what was stopping them when they did everything else. 

All in all, the book didn't blow my mind like the rest of the readers, but I liked it enough to read the next installment in the series. It will be Logan's story- Jake's best friend.

So out there, in the real world, 
I don't let myself feel it, 
the love I have for him.
Because I really, truly, deeply 
love him.
And  I'm scared.
So fucking scared.
That I won't be enough.
And that I'll never really have him.

XOXO

Jul 27, 2013

Henry (The Beck Brothers #1) by Andria Large


Buy the ebook:

Author's:
Find Beck Brother merchandise here: All Things Beck


Summary:


"Henry Beck, the gorgeous CEO of an advertising company, was in need of a new personal assistant. He expected HR to hire someone older, more experienced, maybe even with gray hair. Who he got instead was the beautiful, young, single mother - Claire Russell. A woman who he is having a hard time keeping his eyes off of...

Claire never expected her new boss to be the most gorgeous man she's ever laid eyes on. She also never expected him to be sweet to her two year old son, Ethan. But Henry is her boss and there is no future with him. Or so Claire thinks...

Will Henry and Claire be able to fight the obvious attraction between them? Will Henry's overbearing mother come between them? Or will a freak accident change their perspectives on life and what's most important..."


Rating:




Review:

A perfect simple romance book! Especially for the beach right now :)


This is a pretty simple book with an office romance, but what made me really enjoy it is that the heroine had a little 2 year-old. I really love kids! And it's sad when men frown and avoid single mothers just because they're afraid of kids. Ok, I understand it. Kids are a major responsibility, but I like these stories that show us that sometimes men don't look away from a woman whose only mistake was to sleep with the wrong man who didn't have the balls to face the reality that he's going to have a child but instead leaves. Some of those women are really great mothers and good persons. And Henry recognized that in Claire.

This story kinda reminded me of The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton. Play by Play series was one of my first romance book and even though the series is too simple for my tastes now, I hold the memory of it close to my heart. The first book deals with a relationship with a single mother too.

It's similar to Jaci Burton books because it has a simple structure too. And it's HOT! It's a plain romance story with predictable plot and twists and it doesn't have something special to it. Ok, there is some character development but it's not anything deep. And that's why I gave this book 3 stars. It doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it. This book is totally perfect for a light, maybe beach read when you need a book to take your mind of things (plus, the sea is close for when it gets hot :P). .

The characters are really good too, maybe a little too perfect, but they were fun, especially Henry and Sebastian together. Henry has the good looks and all but he's a workaholic type of guy. Totally sweet and cute with little Ethan. Nothing beats a guy that loves kids. :)

Claire was the sweet and caring mother type. Nothing much to say about her, she was pretty reasonable and smart. Totally normal. Ok, maybe it was a little annoying how both her and Henry, just so happens, have the good looks. But fine, I'll go with the fantasy.

I liked that we also had some parts with Sebastian's POV and about his life so far. It's a good technique to give us a little taste of the character the author plans to write next about. To get us intrigued. She continues to do that in the next book with Quinn, and even though the second book was a little more boring and uneventful, I just HAD to take the third book because of Quinn. He's just too interesting. Damn you author!

Last I want to say that the book has enough grammar errors. Some were just very stupid, if I may say, for an American. But I like that Andria Large explained herself and wrote that she is just a person that had an idea in her head and want to write it. She didn't study English or anything, just had a desire to write and that is OK! I support that. But please, get someone to help out edit this. The author has a good style for a beginner and it can definitely grow into something more with time and more writing and work. So good luck!

Until next time,


Jul 21, 2013

The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies, #1) By Tarryn Fisher

Buy The Book:

Author's Page:

Genre:
Contemporary Romance/ New Adult

Summary on Goodreads:

Olivia Kaspen has just discovered that her ex-boyfriend, Caleb Drake, has lost his memory. With an already lousy reputation for taking advantage of situations, Olivia must decide how far she is willing to go to get Caleb back. Wrestling to keep her true identity and their sordid past under wraps, Olivia’s greatest obstacle is Caleb’s wicked, new girlfriend; Leah Smith. It is a race to the finish as these two vipers engage in a vicious tug of war to possess a man who no longer remembers them. But, soon enough Olivia must face the consequences of her lies, and in the process discover that sometimes love falls short of redemption.

Rating:

***REVIEW***

*This book is one of my favorite masochist reads ever.

I feel like a piece of paper,
taken by the wind and blown in every direction.
 I am a victor in a way—a survivor. Because I
fought the monster in myself and I won. 
But what have I lost in the process?


Have you ever read a book and just knew from the first sentence that you're gonna like it? Well, this was that kind of book for me. I was hooked from the first sentence and couldn't put it down til' the very last page.


I lost him once because of my inner
rottenness. My lies started unraveling one 
after another until he was so weighed down by the
size of them, he looked me in the eyes and 
said goodbye forever. I remember feeling numb as I
watched him leave, and then for the rest of the day, 
until I realized he wasn’t coming back.
Ever.

This book is such an emotional mess and I'm a sucker for those. It's obviously a love story, but at the same time it's more than just your ordinary love story. It's about love and pain. It's about loss, about living in the past and memories, because you just can't let go. It's about The One That Got Away.
Sounds familiar? I think many of us can relate to this. From the beginning until the end you get pulled in the story and in the lives of the main characters. The characters aren't your perfect lovebirds, but people with flaws and issues, some of which you won't be comfortable with.The story is written in such a way where past and present events are mixed and you are in the dark about some important info until the very end and you feel this compulsive need to keep reading until you finally find out what really happened.

I think I could hear my heart beating so loud from the excitement throughout the whole book, because as much as you want to find out everything and finish the book, at the same time you are afraid of the outcome, because that *little voice* in your head is telling you that it can't be good. I loved almost every part of this book, especially the second half, even the ending. It didn't get 5 stars, because of some of the cheesy content in the first half and plot which made me think that that could happen only in the book. Highly recommend it to readers who are suckers for emotional books like me and every fan of Megan Hart.

I adore him. But he doesn’t have my heart. You can only give your heart away once, after that,
everything else will chase your first love.

XOXO

Jul 19, 2013

Captive Prince: Volume One (Captive Prince, #1) by S. U. Pacat

Buy The Book:
Author's Web-page:

Genre:
Fantasy/ Adult Fiction/ MM Romance

Summary on GOODREADS:

“This was Vere, voluptous and decadent, country of honeyed poison.”

Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos, but when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave.

Beautiful, manipulative and deadly, his new master Prince Laurent epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Verethian court, nothing is at it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country.

For Damen, there is just one rule: never, ever reveal his true identity. Because the one man Damen needs is the one man who has more reasons to hate him than anyone else...

RATING:

***REVIEW***



For all fans of the epic TV shows like Spartacus: Blood And Sand, Game Of The Thrones , The Tudors etc. and movies like 300 and The Gladiator meet Captive Prince by S. U. Pacat.
Raw.
Brutal.
Bloody.
Sensual.
A Mindfuck.

All that and more mixed with a beautiful & forbidden love story that will rock your world !

Two Princes: Damianos, Prince Of Akielos.
&
Laurent, Prince Of Vere. 

Two sworn enemies. 
Two Kingdoms in a constant battle for power. 
Two unlikely and unexpected allies.
Lies, secrets and deceives everywhere.
Who's right, who's wrong?
Who's the bad guy and who's only a pawn in their ruthless games?

I was searching for a good m/m book when I came across this one on the Goodreads top list "the best m-m romance book published in 2013" and this one and the the next one in these series are on its 2nd and 3d place which immediately drew my attention, even though I was a bit skeptic at first when I saw the cover which is, no offense, but kind of plain and boring. I mean look at it- it looks more like a cover of some Tv guide or smth and definitely doesn't do justice to this spectacular book. I really hope the author will change it in the near future for smth with more imagination, because I know there are lot of readers out there like me to whom even covers present a pretty important factor when picking out books. I usually think to myself then- if he/she approved this boring picture to be the cover of her/ his book then the book must be nothing special too. Covers are there to draw attention not to withdraw, because they are the 1st thing we readers see, aren't they? Good thing that this time not even the cover could prevent me from reading, because I would really miss out on a great book.
The story is well-written, unique and  compelling from the very beginning. I don't think I ever read smth like this. Right at the beginning we get introduced to this amazing world of 2 kingdoms: Akielos & Vere, their princes and slaves. Their politics is ruthless, based on very strict rules, the king having the last word in everything. Their world is full of secrets, deceives and mysteries which will keep you guessing through the whole book. Prepare to be utterly mind-fucked!  

In Akielos, submission was an art, 
and the slave was the artisan.

Obey.
Play by the rules.
Kiss the Prince's shoe.
Jump through his hoops.

She touched his jaw, unafraid.
Her finger were slender, white and faultlessly elegant.
"I see why you prefer pale skin,"
she said. "Yours hides the bruising."

"You're a slave.
You're worth nothing."
The slaves in Akielos are trained into submission from their birth for their future masters. They get collared by  their masters with beautiful jewelry and perform in daily shows and fights, basically they do everything to please their masters. There are three types of slaves: pet slaves, pleasure slaves & servants. Pet slaves outrank other slaves, they live in luxury and they submit only to their masters and to the king. The difference between slaves in Akielos and slaves in Vere is that men in Vere only keep and couple with men slaves and women with women slaves and the slaves in Akielos are treated with more respect than in Vere and they are famous for their beauty and submissive art. These two kingdoms and their rulers hate each other since ever and they are in constant war for power, but things are soon to be changed by unexpected case of circumstances.

The main characters of this book are: Damianos, The prince of Akielos & Laurent, The Prince of Vere, both soon to be the kings. I loved both of these characters and they are definitely one of my favorite m/m couples ever, especially Laurent who is without the doubt the most intriguing character of them all. I loved their love-hate relationship which was well more of a hate relationship in this book (but wait until you read the second one), especially their hilarious back and forth bickering which kept me entertained through the whole book. The chemistry between them was smoking hot from the very beginning, but being sworn enemies and all, it will take time, lots of ups and downs, for them to actually do smth about it, so if you are looking for an erotica, this book is very sensual, but the focus is more on the story which was more than fine with me, because the story was amazing. It gets more explicit in that department in the 2nd book. 

"I don't think the Prince is in an amorous mode,"
said Damen, neutrally.
" I take a while to warm up," 
said Laurent.

"He asked me to bed you, then report back to him,"
Damen was forthright. "Not in those words."
"And your answer?" "If I'd bedded you, you'd know it."

"Don't be presumptuous," said
Laurent coldly.
"Too late, sweetheart," said Damen.

"So he's tame," said Estienne, 
and reached out tentatively,
as though to pat a wild animal.
It was a question of which part of the animal
he was patting. Damen knocked his hand away.
Estienne gave a yelp and snatched
his hand back, nursing it against his chest.

"Not that tame," said Laurent.

The book also deals with some heavy issues like slavery, physical and sexual abuse, pedophilia etc. which wasn't always easy to read, but which definitely made the story more interesting and intriguing to read.
The author published the 1st two books in the series as freebies at first, but no book awesome like this can go unnoticed and recently Penguin bought the whole series. Congratulations to Ms Pacat, you deserved it! There will be three books in the series, two of them already published and the third is scheduled for 2014. I'm totally hooked and have already read the 2nd one which blew my mind and is on my "top reads of 2013" shelf, the review coming soon. So if you are a fantasy and m-m romance fan, what are waiting for, you should definitely check this book out!

He thought about the weeks since his capture in Akielos.
He thought about the beatings.
He tought about the restraints.
His pride was lashing its tail.
He would not be raped in front of a room full of courtiers.
They wanted to see a barbarian in the ring?

Well, the barbarian could fight.

XOXO

Jul 12, 2013

Bond Confessions (London Brown) by Leila DeSint




Buy the ebook:





Author's:



Summary:


"Confessions of a Politician (London Brown #10)
The shattered reality of the truth I sought.

I'm Caden Jacob Carrington (V) the Fifth. The truth is most men's salvation, but not for men like me. Politics is my chosen affliction. I lie for a living, or massage the truth to suit me. The one constant about truth is that it's identical to the theory of relativity: neither uniform nor absolute in the minds of men.
So why is it so important for me to uncover the truth about Desniah Williams, a.k.a. London Brown, when neither will willingly provide facts...


Confessions of a Philanthropist (London Brown #11)
The delicate balance between protection, control and depravity begins to unravel.

I'm Rhys Christos Edward Stowell, a philanthropist on the verge of exile from a suffocating state of corruption. My lack of conformity to perceived norms has earned me a reputation of being difficult. I rather like it that way.
Beguiled by a woman who uses the oldest profession to torture herself and punish those that love her, I'm ever her dutiful friend. But I want much more...
After years of being neatly boxed in the friend category, she offers me surrender. Or the semblance of it....


Confessions of a Daughter (London Brown #12)
She who dwells beneath the surface.

I'm Desniah Williams, the daughter of an influential member of the British Parliament. The devil incarnate got his hooks in me. For the attention and praise he lavished on me, I gave him every last shred of my soul. I was a cheap whore. London commands her weight in gold.
Two men one a politician on the verge of greatness and the other a philanthropist on the cusp of corruption, each own a piece of me."


Rating:





Review:

First of all, please allow me a moment of fan-girling:



I am again blown away by Leila DeSint and her intelligence, her talent and mastery of penning these completely amazing and complex characters. I don't know if I'm more impressed by the world and ambience she's created or the characters themselves. You are a goddess!

Every since February when I read her Confessions Collection Vol. 1 (MY REVIEW) and did an interview with Rhys (Find it HERE), one of the characters (that is my favorite blog post I ever did), I've been waiting for the next episodes. Back then she really touched me with the story. Her style is impecable; I really like how she's using a more expanded, professional and intelligent vocabulary - it gives the book a more serious feel and it does deal with serious subjects. Desniah is fighting her other-self, her other personality - London. Caden is fighting his own demons from the past that have come back to the present with a hard punch in the face. And Rhys is still the dark, complicating philantropist, his persona as mysterious and confusing as ever, but also stayed my favorite fighting spirit.
Ms. DeSint is still focused on the mind and sexuality of a person and this what I love best about her.




Caden Jacob Carrington (V) the Fifth


"For some of us, the right person only comes around once, and when you lose them, you accept that anyone else would be to pass the time."

The first episode in this novella was Caden's and it showed us more clearly the events of the past and the relationship of Caden and Desniah. In Vol. 1 I still couldn't make out his real goal - only asking for forgiveness, the desire to take back Desniah or something else. I even doubted if he really ever loved her. But he's a future politician and those people don't show emotion to the public. But now, with their life story, Caden's character got more intense. It really portrayed his mind and thoughts and sufferings from the lack of acceptance from the woman he loves and his confusion with her behavior. His only mistake was that he thought it was better to leave her.

"My touch affected her in this way. Enjoying relief with me caused her to be ill."

"Rather than come back, I let my guilt and shame convince me she needed more time. I continued to reach out to her but the silence was deafening."

Also, there were parts about his mother and her death, his father and the responsibility of his job. And then the devastating real truth. I feel like I truly met Caden just now. His character was completely on display and I have to say that I felt  sadness and remorse right together with him. I felt HIM. In all my honestly, I think it's beautiful when an author creates characters in such a special way and then you spend time acquainting with them and sometimes they really take a little space in your heart. These characters do it for me.

"My entire life was a series of lies. None of it was real. No wonder Des couldn't stand for me to touch her....For the first time the past was in sharp, high definition and I hated every single truth, but especially my failure glaring straight at me."





Rhys Christos Edward Stowell


"I was a predator trying to fit my deviant needs into a structure meant for those exploring the exchange of power and pain, among other things. I'd always have to rein in my true needs."


Rhys, oh Rhys, you beautiful bastard; the greatest enigma! What am I to do with you?? I can't figure out if you're a demon in disguise or a fallen angel.

I developed a certain affection and liking for this guy. I don't exactly know why. At one point, reading this episode, I thought I found my reason. Every person has a little broken part in himself and the first word that defines Rhys in the introduction is that he's a philanthropist - a person that helps others. I think he's a representation of something all broken people need. The way he cares for Desniah, how he helps her and gives the all right things she needed to get better. And you can tell how he does it with so much love for her.  But we can't forget that Desniah's love helps him too, they help each other and it's a beautiful thing.

"What is my number one expectation of you?"
She rocked, taking slow deep breaths. "To trust you."
"The result of trusting someone looks like what?"
 "Freedom. Easy. Acceptance."

"My happiness began and ended with her submission to 'us', her and me being together."

"He gathered me into his arms. "I can never lose you." His voice lowered, raw and crackled."


I guess I couldn't help but like him even though he is potentially dangerous. We know that Rhys has demons that try to control him, that give him a hard time in his life and urge him to do things that are ethically not acceptable. With it, he kinda also has a partly weird sense of protectiveness. I admired him for fighting that part of himself but it's still a huge mystery! Why is he the way he is? Those demons are in my opinion so unnatural to the good side of his character!

"I grabbed hold of her. Encased in my arms, she struggled. I grew hard, which was the wrong reaction, given she needed me. I should be in control and unaffected."

"You can't kill anyone for me," she uttered.
"I could hurt or kill anyone for you." I grinned, sure that I'd enjoy doing so. "I'd take pleasure in doing it." Not like the last time where I'd lost control. This time, I'd plan it. Go slow. Not rush the levels of pain I could inflict on another. Not a salsa, but rather a waltz."


In this episode he did something that shocked me. I don't know if I hated him because of acting so unexpectedly or I hated him more because I finally understood that we haven't seen even the half of Rhys. It's still impossible to understand him just when I thought I got a hand with it.





Desniah Williams


We met Desniah in Vol. 1 as a frightened and pshycologically badly damaged person. Basiclly she was very weak but Rhys came along and started ti help her deal with her pain. Caden might have loved her but he didn't have what she needed to heal. And Rhys had it. She toughened up and began to fight London, push her away. Actually, I can't even call it pushing away. London is a sort of defence mechanism against the memories of her childhood. I think the right expression is trying to merge them, trying to kill that need for protection London provided, trying to get strong enough to fight on her own.

"You are right, she's part of you, but it's important you realize you splintered from each other for good reasons. You salvaged all the beauty in you to keep the darkness from consuming you."


See how complex it is? How these people just make you THINK, make you want to understand them. It's genius.

One thing that made me really curious was the words Desniah repeated several times:

"London Bridge is broken down. Dance over my Lady Lee. There will be no 
grave stone to mark your passing."

I don't know why but with Ms DeSint and her wicked mind, I just knew there was a story there and I discovered it!! The first two sentences are from a nursery rhyme! You can read it all and the explanation for it HERE. It's interesting how it's connected to Anne Boleyn, but the one part that I found important was: "The nursery rhyme 'London bridge is broken down' can be described as an allegory - a description of one thing under the image of another." I think I found the connection with London and Desniah! I just wonder: is this the way London (from the book) got her name?

So this episode brought a problem in Rhys' and Desniah's relationship. It was turn of events I still don't understand. Rhys switched to being a bastard not dealing a little slowly with Desniah.


"From my understanding, he didn't want to marry me, he wanted to own me, and this was his way of making those around us understand I was his alone."

"Whatever emotions Rhys was able to feel toward me, was how he'd feel for someone worthy of being his slave. I was viable option to hold the title of slave in his life. The words fiancé and wife were interchangeable with slave to him. Nothing else. I would love him and he'd never be able to give me the same. "


I felt betrayed and confused just as much as she. I just hope it gets fixed. From what I understood, I think that the next episodes will deal more with Rhys' dark side. I just can't wait for that! This psychological play with my mind is interesting and all and I really can think about these characters and not get bored for hours but I desperately need answers!


About the author:



"Leila DeSint was born in a small town on the east coast of Canada. Her nomadic childhood gave her the ability to ebb and flow with the seasons, people and places she lived in. Most often, she could be found in a corner with a pencil and notepad using words to recreate the dark world around her. Many summers of her youth were spent on the shores of her birthplace collecting seashells, but she always returned them for the next wanderer that happened by.
The pencil and notepad have been traded for a computer, but the words never stop flowing, nor did her interest in conjuring glimpses of the world as she perceived it. The corner is now a desk. And rather than leaving behind seashells for wanderers, she pens dark, gritty erotic literature that examines the complexities of human emotions and sexuality through an ever-changing lens. She delves into the shadowy areas and explores the social-perceptions of taboos.

She threads together the remnants of the world she witnessed in order to shed light on obscure places."


Until next time,


Jul 11, 2013

Deeper We Fall by Chelsea M. Cameron



Buy the book:

Author's:

My rating: 3 stars

***Copy of the book provided by All Night Reads via Netgalley in exchange for honest review***






Book summary:

Two years after her best friend was involved in a car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury, Lottie Anders is ready to start her freshman year of college. Ready to move on. Ready to start forgetting the night that ripped her life apart.

Her plans come to a screeching halt when not one, but both brothers responsible for the accident end up back in her life again.

Zack is cruel, selfish and constantly rubbing what happened to her friend in Lottie's face.

Zan is different. He listens to her awkward ramblings. He loves "To Kill a Mockingbird" as much as she does, and his dark eyes are irresistible. His words are few and far between, but when he does speak, she can't help but listen.

The trouble is, Zan was the driver in the accident, and now Lottie's discovered he lied to her about what happened that night. Now she must decide if trusting him again will lead to real forgiveness, or deeper heartache.

What happens when you combine Star Wars, Nicholas Sparks, Oprah 
and eighteen year old kids? 

     I have to be honest here and say that I didn't like this book very much. I expected so much more, it has lot of potential to be a great, summer read, but at times I felt like I've been reading one big compilation of every possible cliché. Generally, that is the biggest problem with readers turned to be new authors (with all due respect, I am not trying to be mean or anything like that - just stating the fact). Whole time you keep thinking "Oh, that's so Kellan Kyle!" or "It reminds me of Beautiful Disaster." or "I think something similar happened in Easy by Tammara Webber."  I know that most of the readers will enjoy reading Deeper We Fall exactly because of that. It's just that I am not one of them.

      I know that my friends will know which was the first thing that made me want to scream. To Kill a Mockingbird. I believe that that book is one of the biggest American stereotypes. Like Paris with croissants and berets. Other thing? Virgins. Although, Lottie wasn't obnoxious as they can be in books like this. Third? Where do you people find those stupid nicknames??? Fourth? Melodrama worthy of Esmeralda or Dallas.

Felicity meets High School Musical

      That would be the easiest way for me to describe this book. "Older" generation remembers popular TV show about girl who follows her high school crush to college and we all know about that other disaster that makes your ears and eyes bleed. No, no one sings or dances here.
  
      I love reading about college experience. Heck, I was all about new adult more than a decade before everyone started to use that term. That was part of the story I liked the best. Deeper We Fall started really good. You get the idea where will things go, but you still enjoy reading about it because you want to see how did all played out. I liked the way Chelsea Cameron combined what is going on in present and mixed it with hints of the past events, but I just knew that whole big secret thing will not be quite satisfying part of the plot.
I know that most of the kids thinks that when they go away at college, they will find this new, big happy family. That is so not true, but it doesn't mean that I don't like reading books with that kind of fantasy twist. It's up to the author would he/she pull it off or not. One thing that didn't make it work for me was the way all characters talk. It's all Jedi/Gandhi/Oprah/Sparks wisdom mixed with dash of Rumi ( who, by the way, talks mostly about ways to get closer to God and not about actual love - Sufi symbols are religious and they have quite specific meanings, readers do not have much freedom in their interpretation - if you are talking about traditional approach to this type of poetry).

      Ignoring the fact that Deeper We Fall is labeled as new adult, I think younger readers will love this book more than actual first year students, unless you are suffering form "forever-sixteen syndrome" . If you are fan of Colleen Hoover, Rebecca Donovan, Nicole Williams, Abbi Glines or Fisher Amelie, Deeper We Fall is perfect choice for you.

Until next time,


     

Jul 10, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday (#1)

We will not do this post to often, but we decided to join 326 other people who participate in weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. We can't wait to get this book in our hands!

Wicked Beat (Sinners on Tour, #4) by Olivia Cunning


From the moment he lays eyes on Sinners’ new front of house soundboard operator, drummer Eric Sticks knows he has to make Rebekah his. Unfortunately, she’s too busy trying to seduce guitarist Trey Mills to pay him much attention. Rebekah never planned to fall for the tall, goofy drummer with the weird sense of humor and a heart the size of the galaxy. But Eric makes her laugh and his constant attention makes her feel sexy and irresistible–exactly what she needs after the things her last lover said to her. A woman who gives as much as she takes, Rebekah makes Eric feel like a total stud–exactly what he needs after surviving a decade of watching the incredibly talented members of Sinners from the wings.

Publication date: August 6th 

Tell us what you want to read ASAP. Leave us link in comments.
xoxo,
Way Too Hot Books

Jul 9, 2013

Beyond Control (Beyond, #2) by Kit Rocha

Buy The Book:
About The Author:
Genre:
Adult Fiction/ Erotica

Summary on GOODREADS:

She refuses to be owned.
Alexa Parrino escaped a life of servitude and survived danger on the streets to become one of the most trusted, influential people in Sector Four, where the O’Kanes rule with a hedonistic but iron fist. Lex has been at the top for years, and there’s almost nothing she wouldn’t do for the gang…and for its leader. Lie, steal, kill—but she bows to no one, not even Dallas O’Kane.

He’ll settle for nothing less.

Dallas fought long and hard to carve a slice of order out of the chaos of the sectors. Dangers both large and small threaten his people, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. His liquor business is flourishing, and new opportunities fuel his ambition. Lex could help him expand his empire, something he wants almost as much as he wants her. And no one says no to the king of Sector Four.

Falling into bed is easy, but their sexual games are anything but casual. Attraction quickly turns to obsession, and their careful dance of heady dominance and sweet submission uncovers a need so deep, so strong, it could crush them both.

***REVIEW***





Guess I'm the only one out of us four that was really blown away by this book. Since they were introduced, Dallas and Lex became a fascinating duo for me. The most feared but respected leader of Sector Four, a chaotic gang place; and Lex Parrino, the bad-ass, fierce queen that looks after everyone and learned how to keep the gang together and running, a sort of mother hen.

Together they held a good order in the Sector, but their personal relationship was always wild, delicate and full of danger. A woman who couldn't bring herself to let go of the tight control she has over herself. She was very tempting for a very dominating man as a true leader should be, such as Dallas. But..
"Control. Oh how she’d hungered to let go for a while, to have Dallas hold it all, but the way he spoke proved he didn’t know. Maybe not how much, or maybe not at all."
They developed very strong feelings for each other but never dared to give in. It was a play of dominance and submission and for Lex and Dallas it was the most important one. Their situation was so interesting to me. Yes, I know - there was too much sex in this book, I didn't like that, but I loved this book mainly because of those two. A clash of such strong personalities - it got me high. I think that Dallas was the most interesting one - all his life he fought to keep control and have the right decisions, he was so careful that he was afraid that his love for Lex will make him weak. But it actually made him stronger. Together they were stronger. When they slowly, tip-toeing, managed to get close, I just... It was amazing!
"I can't do this without you. I can't be Dallas without Lex...I've always loved you." A shudder worked through him, and he pulled her closer. "I've always wanted you. They don't have a word for how much I need you. Everything good I am, everything good I've ever done...it's all you. You make me a king. Without you, I'm just another psychotic thug."
And yeah, there were a lot of issues that came up through the book, but I expected that with these too. It's never easy for them.

5/5 stars !!!

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

          


Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex everywhere.
Sex on the floor. Sex on the table. Sex against the wall.
Sex in the shower. Sex in front of everyone. Sex with everyone.


That pretty much sums up the plot of this book. What's weird is that I actually liked more those rare parts of the book where they actually talked and where we found out more about the politics of the Sectors and their leaders. Don't get me wrong, the sex scenes were hot, a bit over-exaggerated, but hot no matter, BUT after the first half of the book I was like: dude, not again!-.- Dallas and Lex were one of my favorite characters in the 1st book, so I was looking forward to reading this book, and I thought that it would definitely be better than Noelle's and Jas' story, but in the end all the cheesy lines, sex all over the place, Lex showing more of her submissive side and Dallas being overpossessive jackass kind of ruined it for me. IMO the author should focus more on developing the story in the next book and reduce the sex scenes, because no matter how hot they are, after awhile they get boring. My favorite characters in this one were Bren & Six, their book is next and I hope the it won't disappoint.

3/5 stars !!!

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




This book was really good, but...also a little predictable and similar to Noelle´s story, maybe a bit cheesy, but very fun and worthwhile. I honestly had fun reading Beyond Control, but I can't wait for Ace´s book. He´s my favorite guy in this series.

4/5 stars!!!

XOXO
Iva & Purple & Red

Jul 8, 2013

The Mistress (The Original Sinners, #4) by Tiffany Reisz







Buy the book:

Publication date: July 30th, 2013.

Find author:

*** ARC of this book kindly provided by publisher, Harlequin, in exchange for honest review.***






Glass is not happy. But she loves her Mistress.

Last few days you could read reviews for first three books of The Original Sinners series. Purple was one though cookie to break, but I did it. She liked what she read. Yey!

First, I'd like to say big thank you to Harlequin for giving me copies for every single Sinners book. You guys rock. But I decided that I absolutely need to have Nora and Co. on my bookshelf (real one this time) so... I ordered them. Can't wait. Don't worry, I'll tell all about how does it feel to hold them in hands, smell them, turn pages... I'm planning big re-reading Nora summer.

Why am I not happy? Well, it looks like our Mistress Tiffany took some lessons from my favorite sadist Soren. That damn cliffhanger is pure agony and considering that this is last book of The Red Years I am wondering when does she actually planning to tell us what the hell did they talk about.

Book summary 


There's punishment-and then there's vengeance.

Nora Sutherlin is being held, bound and naked. Under different circumstances, she would enjoy the situation immensely, but her captor isn't interested in play. Or pity.

As the reality of her impending peril unfolds, Nora becomes Scheherazade, buying each hour of her life with stories-sensual tales of Søren, Kingsley and Wesley, each of whom has tempted and tested and tortured her in his own way. This, Nora realizes, is her life: nothing so simple, so vanilla, as a mere love triangle for her. It's a knot in a silken cord, a tangled mass of longings of the body and the heart and the mind. And it may unravel at any moment.

But in Nora's world, no one is ever truly powerless-a cadre of her friends, protectors and lovers stands ready to do anything to save her, even when the only certainty seems to be sacrifice and heartbreak....


Nora could make me gay, but I love my Mr. Edge.

As you can assume, The Mistress continues where The Prince ended. A lot of things will be untangled in this book, but also you will get hints of  new possible plots. I have to admit that I'm not happy with some of those, but I believe that Tiffany Reisz can pull it off - that woman is brilliant. One thing that is different in this sequel is story. Sex is in the background this time. There are few steamy scenes that will make your blood boil, but as I said, you'll get most of the answers.

What I didn't like and reason why I gave it 4 stars instead my usual five is that there are too much soap opera moments. Spanish or Turkish, you can pick. Too much melodrama and black/white reasoning. Some parts felt rushed - like Wes and how he suddenly... Oh, no! I an not telling you. You will have to read it to find out, but I believe that most of you would agree with me. Also, there is this little "discovery" about Kingsley and his past. I don't know what to think about that.

Like my girl Purple, I didn't like Nora that much in previous novel, but she is in my good graces after The Mistress. I remembered why I loved her so much in The Siren. Soren is... well, Soren. If you didn't like him so far, you just might change your mind now. But my favorite character is Kingsley Edge - he shares first place with Roy Dupuis (Michael in TV series La Femme Nikita). Damn hot French men.

Dear Tiffany...

You. Are. My. Goddess.
The end.

Until next time, my dear way too hot people, sleep tight and let the kinky boys bite.
xoxo


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...