Covert by GK Moore
4/5*
I really enjoyed this book, the story was so intriguing. I attended a take over that the author had and one-clicked the pre-order because I just knew it would be a book I would enjoy.
Livi, poor sweet Livi. She tries so hard to be independent but for one reason or another (mainly her subconscious addiction to Alessandro, I think!) just brought her right back to him.
Alessandro needed a good smack, in my opinion. He has a secret that he's been keeping from her for six years! Six years! And because of this she's been wandering around with a broken heart and no closure.
All the supporting characters were well-fleshed out and none of them felt like caricatures, which can sometimes happen when you're dealing in crime fiction. The author pulled them off quite well, I think.
The reason this is not a five star book for me is two-fold.
1) Too much Italian with hardly any explanation of what's being said.
2) I would have loved to read the story from start to finish (teen years to present) without using flashbacks as a way to tell back-story, even if those flashbacks were well written.
I will be one-clicking the second in the series.
I really enjoyed this book, the story was so intriguing. I attended a take over that the author had and one-clicked the pre-order because I just knew it would be a book I would enjoy.
Livi, poor sweet Livi. She tries so hard to be independent but for one reason or another (mainly her subconscious addiction to Alessandro, I think!) just brought her right back to him.
Alessandro needed a good smack, in my opinion. He has a secret that he's been keeping from her for six years! Six years! And because of this she's been wandering around with a broken heart and no closure.
All the supporting characters were well-fleshed out and none of them felt like caricatures, which can sometimes happen when you're dealing in crime fiction. The author pulled them off quite well, I think.
The reason this is not a five star book for me is two-fold.
1) Too much Italian with hardly any explanation of what's being said.
2) I would have loved to read the story from start to finish (teen years to present) without using flashbacks as a way to tell back-story, even if those flashbacks were well written.
I will be one-clicking the second in the series.
Bait by M. Mabie
5/5*
This. Ruined. Me.
You think you know a story from the blurb. You have no idea. The blurb was a delightful little titbit to reel you in. The blurb was the BAIT.
I must stress that even though I hate this book, I love it too. Blake is just a whirlwind of confusion, lust, confusion again, selfishness, more lust and stupidity. She doesn't know what's best for her, and even if it were pointed out to her, she wouldn't believe you. She's insecure, and damaged and broken inside, and no amount of love can fix that in a hurry, but Casey tries. God love him, he really tries.
Casey is witty and fresh, and sweet and adorable. I love him so much my heart literally bleeds for him during this book. But then again, he has his stupid moments too. Like not telling her how he feels. Not chasing her down when he wants to. Not making her his like he needs to.
This book was written so well that even though some of the topics were usually the types of things that would make me throw a book across the room, I didn't. Instead I huddled in the corner of my couch, GLUED to every page, smiling, laughing, crying, screaming. Fits of rage were not uncommon while I read this. I could, not, put, it, down. Not for a second.
By the end of this book I was screaming, "nooooo!" and vowing to never read another word Ms Mabie writes. But I'm a liar and I will definitely read the next one. In fact, I can't wait for it. And you will feel the same. Read this. Just. Read. This. Damn. Book!
This. Ruined. Me.
You think you know a story from the blurb. You have no idea. The blurb was a delightful little titbit to reel you in. The blurb was the BAIT.
I must stress that even though I hate this book, I love it too. Blake is just a whirlwind of confusion, lust, confusion again, selfishness, more lust and stupidity. She doesn't know what's best for her, and even if it were pointed out to her, she wouldn't believe you. She's insecure, and damaged and broken inside, and no amount of love can fix that in a hurry, but Casey tries. God love him, he really tries.
Casey is witty and fresh, and sweet and adorable. I love him so much my heart literally bleeds for him during this book. But then again, he has his stupid moments too. Like not telling her how he feels. Not chasing her down when he wants to. Not making her his like he needs to.
This book was written so well that even though some of the topics were usually the types of things that would make me throw a book across the room, I didn't. Instead I huddled in the corner of my couch, GLUED to every page, smiling, laughing, crying, screaming. Fits of rage were not uncommon while I read this. I could, not, put, it, down. Not for a second.
By the end of this book I was screaming, "nooooo!" and vowing to never read another word Ms Mabie writes. But I'm a liar and I will definitely read the next one. In fact, I can't wait for it. And you will feel the same. Read this. Just. Read. This. Damn. Book!
Juice - The O'Malley's #1 by Michelle McLoughney
5/5*
Five fantastic stars! And every one of them earned.
Let me see. In the first few chapters, I sobbed. For the rest of the story I alternated between wild hysterical laughter, deep depression and a raging case of lust!
This story follows two broken people, both connected by the thread of one young man's death. One little omission makes for broken hearts when a rabid ex opens the closet and all the skeletons come falling out. I wanted to throttle that ex.
What a fantastic story! I loved it from start to finish. Well done, Ms McLoughney - this is by far one of the best indie books I've read in a long time.
Five fantastic stars! And every one of them earned.
Let me see. In the first few chapters, I sobbed. For the rest of the story I alternated between wild hysterical laughter, deep depression and a raging case of lust!
This story follows two broken people, both connected by the thread of one young man's death. One little omission makes for broken hearts when a rabid ex opens the closet and all the skeletons come falling out. I wanted to throttle that ex.
What a fantastic story! I loved it from start to finish. Well done, Ms McLoughney - this is by far one of the best indie books I've read in a long time.
stepbrother dearest by penelope ward
4/5*
I would have given this five stars, but the chapters from Elec's POV seemed a bit rushed.
I loved this story. I guess I'm a sucker for a bad-boy with a nasty attitude, but I definitely would have kicked him into touch on more than one occasion. Poor Greta made of herself a doormat.
Even though I had issues with the Elec chapters, the rest of the story was written extremely well. The premise was simply delicious, the characters were very well fleshed out and the dialogue between them both was electric.
There were laugh out loud moments of pure entertainment, tense angst-ridden chapters where I wanted to reach in and smack their heads together, and moments of pure undiluted lust. All in all, a good read and definitely one I will re-read.
I would have given this five stars, but the chapters from Elec's POV seemed a bit rushed.
I loved this story. I guess I'm a sucker for a bad-boy with a nasty attitude, but I definitely would have kicked him into touch on more than one occasion. Poor Greta made of herself a doormat.
Even though I had issues with the Elec chapters, the rest of the story was written extremely well. The premise was simply delicious, the characters were very well fleshed out and the dialogue between them both was electric.
There were laugh out loud moments of pure entertainment, tense angst-ridden chapters where I wanted to reach in and smack their heads together, and moments of pure undiluted lust. All in all, a good read and definitely one I will re-read.
Hunter Betrayed by nancy corrigan
3/5*
This story starts off somewhat confusing, with all the different characters to keep track of and the time-jumps and flashbacks going on. It seemed a little disorganized, but I stuck with it. I'm glad I did. I enjoyed the book.
I did think all the half-finished sentences were a bit much (I'm perfectly capable of speech in the throes of passion lol) and the way they both needed each other to calm themselves down -- it made it seem as though if there were any other choice, maybe they wouldn't be together. But, I did like the chemistry between these two, and there was a really good, meaty story at the heart of it all, which I look for in any romance.
I will read book two, simply to find out if Ian's dream lover is who I think it is.
This story starts off somewhat confusing, with all the different characters to keep track of and the time-jumps and flashbacks going on. It seemed a little disorganized, but I stuck with it. I'm glad I did. I enjoyed the book.
I did think all the half-finished sentences were a bit much (I'm perfectly capable of speech in the throes of passion lol) and the way they both needed each other to calm themselves down -- it made it seem as though if there were any other choice, maybe they wouldn't be together. But, I did like the chemistry between these two, and there was a really good, meaty story at the heart of it all, which I look for in any romance.
I will read book two, simply to find out if Ian's dream lover is who I think it is.
The Dark Duet Review
5/5*
I read both captive books and the third novella in the series in the space of a few days. It was amazingly well written, and just drew you in from the start.
And although I was left feeling slightly grubby, and definitely questioning my moral fibre, I would recommend these books in a heartbeat!
I read both captive books and the third novella in the series in the space of a few days. It was amazingly well written, and just drew you in from the start.
And although I was left feeling slightly grubby, and definitely questioning my moral fibre, I would recommend these books in a heartbeat!
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzama
5/5*
I didn't expect this book. Honestly. I had read some of the reviews, (no spoilers, though) and thought, "ok, people are enjoying this, so I'll give it a go", but honestly, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Nor hate it as much as I did.
I either loved the characters or hated them, but there were none I felt nothing for.
There I was, thinking this would just be another tale of forbidden love with a HEA at the end. How wrong I was. And even after I finished reading that soul-destroying ending, I kept thinking, "no, that's just...no."
I literally sat on my couch for minutes after ward, reeling. Tragic, hopeless and disgusting, yes, but you do -- you REALLY do -- find yourself wishing they could have been together.
If there's one thing I will take away from this story, it's to never judge anyone. The old saying comes to mind, 'walk a mile in my shoes', and after walking several miles in the shoes of both main characters, I just wanted to gather them up, and find somewhere they could just BE.
I didn't expect this book. Honestly. I had read some of the reviews, (no spoilers, though) and thought, "ok, people are enjoying this, so I'll give it a go", but honestly, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Nor hate it as much as I did.
I either loved the characters or hated them, but there were none I felt nothing for.
There I was, thinking this would just be another tale of forbidden love with a HEA at the end. How wrong I was. And even after I finished reading that soul-destroying ending, I kept thinking, "no, that's just...no."
I literally sat on my couch for minutes after ward, reeling. Tragic, hopeless and disgusting, yes, but you do -- you REALLY do -- find yourself wishing they could have been together.
If there's one thing I will take away from this story, it's to never judge anyone. The old saying comes to mind, 'walk a mile in my shoes', and after walking several miles in the shoes of both main characters, I just wanted to gather them up, and find somewhere they could just BE.
Taming the rocker by Ella Cox
2/5*
This story had great potential, but unfortunately the set up was rushed, and neither character seemed to know what they wanted at any given moment. One second Lila is wondering why Chase won't take a hint and stop stalking her, and the next she's whipping off her clothes in a drunken-sex-she-doesn't-even-remember scene. I didn't like the fact that Chase slept with her even though he knew she was steaming drunk. It just seems seedy.
The author relied on telling us what was happening, rather than showing us and letting us be a part of what was happening, and sadly, because of this I felt disconnected from the story.
I would like to see this re-worked, though; as I said, the story had great potential.
This story had great potential, but unfortunately the set up was rushed, and neither character seemed to know what they wanted at any given moment. One second Lila is wondering why Chase won't take a hint and stop stalking her, and the next she's whipping off her clothes in a drunken-sex-she-doesn't-even-remember scene. I didn't like the fact that Chase slept with her even though he knew she was steaming drunk. It just seems seedy.
The author relied on telling us what was happening, rather than showing us and letting us be a part of what was happening, and sadly, because of this I felt disconnected from the story.
I would like to see this re-worked, though; as I said, the story had great potential.