Review: Unspoken (Woodlands #2) by Jen Frederick

Unspoken by Jen Frederick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published September 13th 2013 by Pear Tree LLC

From: NetGalley

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Synopsis:

Whore. Slut. Typhoid Mary. 

I've been called all these at Central College. One drunken night, one act of irresponsible behavior, and my reputation was ruined. Guys labeled me as easy and girls shied away. To cope, I stayed away from Central social life and away from Central men, so why is it that my new biology lab partner is so irresistible to me?

He's everything I shouldn't want. A former Marine involved in illegal fighting with a quick trigger temper and an easy smile for all the women. His fists aren't the danger to me, though, it's his charm. He's sliding his way into my heart and I'm afraid that he's going to be the one to break me.

Impulsive. Unthinking. Hot tempered. 

I allow instinct to rule my behavior. If it feels good, do it, has been my motto because if I spend too much time thinking, I'll begin to remember exactly where I came from. At Central College, I've got fighting and I've got women and I thought I was satisfied until I met her. 

She's everything I didn't realize I wanted and the more time I spend with her, the more I want her. But she's been hurt too much in the past and I don't want to be the one to break her. I know I should walk away, but I just can't.

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Review:

I loved this book! There is such passion and emotion on every page. You cannot read this and not want to stand up to horrid gossip-mongers and general causers of grief. And deposit a pile of manure on each and every one of them!! Especially in high school or college because those years are supposed to be revelating and empowering. Those years are where we find our inner selves and embrace it all. But not for AM or AnnMarie. She made a mistake ONE TIME. And now pays for it every day. After living in self-exile away from the communal areas of college, AM is partnered with Bo, and cutely, made project partners for a term assignment. For AM, Bo is someone who is devastatingly gorgeous but wouldn't look at her in a thousand years. The fact that he keeps starting conversations and staring at her makes her edgy. And a little bit hopeful. For Bo, AM offers a refreshing outlook on life. She makes him laugh, and she's not caught up with all the BS that hangs around college. And then he finds out why. Both AM and Bo have a great deal of revealing to do. Both are willing to make sacrifices which don't always end well. The surrounding characters of AM and Bo are all equally great, and the story serves a warning for everyone entering the halls of higher education. 

- CBx

You can reach Jen Frederick here: 

Web

Goodreads

Review: Healed (Scarred #2) by J.S. Cooper

Healed (Scarred #2) by J.S. Cooper

Publishers: Self

Published Date: March 22nd 2013

From: Bought

My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

Lexi Lord has dreamed of dating Bryce Evans for years. And now that her dream has become a reality, she is no longer sure that he is the man for her. When tragedy strikes in their lives, they take a good hard look at their relationship and their very existences. There are some ties that can never be broken, but Lexi and Bryce have to decide what love can heal them from their scarred pasts and what love they have to let of of. Sometimes letting go is the greatest gift of all.

Review: 

I liked this one a little more than Scarred. I won't write a long review because there isn't too much to say. The story did get to be like a Love Musical Chairs, everyone move around one space and stick with the new partner. Add a bunch of Chinese whispers that everyone's involved with but no one tells the right person, only the wrong person. And concocted a few meaningful storybook metaphors to fill it out. All the key characters grew up and had a new outlook on life in about...two weeks. But the Epilogue did make up for a lot. I wouldn't say this was a great series to read. It's interesting and passed the time nicely.

-CB

You can reach J.S. Cooper here: 

Web

Goodreads

Review: Scarred (Scarred, #1) by J.S. Cooper

Scarred (Scarred #1) by J.S. Cooper

Publishers: Self

Published Date: March 1st 2013

From: NetGalley

My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

Everyone in Jonesville thought that Bryce Evans had the perfect life in High School: he was the Mayor's son, the quarterback for the football team, the boyfriend of the head cheerleader and had a 4.1 GPA. His acceptance to Notre Dame came as no surprise but when he chose to enlist in the army instead everyone was shocked.

Lexi Jones was the quiet girl in school and kept to her small group of eccentric friends. She had no connection to any of the popular kids except for one incident on Prom Night when her path crossed with Bryce's.

When Bryce enlisted Lexi was the only one that wasn't disappointed and decided to send him anonymous letters as a way to feel connected to him. She stopped after a year because she felt there was nowhere for their relationship to go.

Fast-forward four years and Bryce is back in Jonesville and once again he and Lexi cross paths. Only he's no longer the seemingly perfect man and Lexi's no longer the quiet girl. 

This time their relationship is quite different but both of them have secrets from the past and friends that threaten to ruin their chance at happiness together

Review: 

I started off really liking this book. I liked Lexi, Anna and Luke. They're a fresh, young bunch of twenty-two year olds who still live at home with their parents in their small town and just get on with life. Anna works at an animal sanctuary and Lexi works at the library. I also really liked the two POV's being Lexi and Bryce. I got a little tired of the Golden Boy reflection that Bryce seemed to carry with him. Yes, he was a golden boy and the Mayors son. I got it! (There are 8 references to Golden Boy on my kindle...lol)

Bryce does come across as a sweetheart actually. He's been away in the marines, fighting for his country. While he's away he corresponds with a 'Miss' who he's become quite attached to, except she stops writing and this is one of the reasons why he's back in town. He has to find out who 'Miss' is. She doesn't realise that her letters helped him through all the bad times and the good while he was away. And he's almost in love with her even though he doesn't have a clue what she looks like. The writer of the letters is clear from the beginning and Lexi always did and always will have a crush on Bryce.

Personally I loved this part of the story because I know people in the military who live to receive correspondence. It really does lift their spirits.

Anyway, Bryce has a party and some bitchy girls from town take a chunk out of Lexi the first chance they get. Now while Bryce does stand up to them he doesn't do it to a full extent. Now I know that in whatever armed forces you are, your comrades come from all different backgrounds and soon enough it doesn't matter who your parents are or where you were brought up. The only thing that matters is that you have their back and they have yours. Especially for guys. So, back to the story, Bryce should have damn well stood up a little harder to the catty, derogatory girls who have small town brains.

So the story twists and turns. A lot of 'Oh my god' moments happened and was I the only one who thought the woman naked in his bed after the party was related to him? That would have been stomach churner for sure! I was still gutted when it revealed who she was but...it keeps the story going.

Lexi did change in the last third of the book and not for the better. After the big reveal she didn't once ask the question I was almost shouting for her to ask. WHY? Why did Bryce want Eddie to do that to her? My esteem for her dropped when she got over it so quickly and was then full of "It doesn't matter's" and "its not your faults" I really wanted to scream at her.

When Bryce and Lexi go out towards the end of the book, the situation doesn't feel right. This is when she's thinking about Luke more in a serious way. Suddenly I'm wondering if Bryce is really all he's cracked up to be and I worry for her. The ending was pretty much the same as Twisted Perfection, a cliffhanger, without the 'Who'?

I'm going to reads Healed now, the follow up and I hope all the loose ends get somehow tied up. 

Overall I liked it, the two voices worked in making the story pan out a little giving us more idea on who is likable and who isn't. Anna was a big shock!

-CB

You can reach J.S. Cooper here: 

Web

Goodreads

Review: A Moment (Moments #1) by Marie Hall

A Moment (Moments #1) by Marie Hall 

Publishers: Marie Hall Publishing 

Published Date: Mar 12 2013 

From: Net Galley 

My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis: 

Ryan Cosgrove and Liliana Delgado are on a collision course with destiny. They don’t know it yet, but before the night is over their lives will be forever changed. Spending Valentine’s Day at a burlesque bar, hadn’t been Liliana’s ideal way of spending a Friday night. She’d much rather be back on campus doing homework… until she meets Ryan. Tall, athletic, and gorgeous, Lili can’t keep her eyes off him, and despite his gruff manners and drunken disposition she’s intrigued. Ryan’s got demons, and they’re deep, dark, and eating him alive. Regardless of his attraction to the petite brunette he’s tired of fighting, of pretending the last fifteen years haven’t been a daily struggle just to get out of bed every morning. That night he decides to end his pain, to leave it all behind and float away into the blessed darkness of oblivion. But fate has other plans for him, Lily finds and rescues Ryan, determined she’ll not only save his body, but his soul too. This is their moment…

Review:

I'm still undecided about this story. I've just finished the book. What words immediately spring to mind are: - dark, intense, brutal, fiery, terror. All of which are gathered in the pages of A Moment. Lily is a 21 year old college student with a 7 year old autistic little boy, and a mother with MS. Life isn't pretty for her. She gets by every day hoping for a little love, even just a look from her son. She gets love returned from her mother but Lily knows that time is getting short for her Mama. Then one night she goes out with her male friend Alex and his cousin. She doesn't hit it off with Ryan, in fact for most of the evening she doesn't even know his name. He's drinking hard cocktails, not getting involved in any conversation and actually being rude. When they go home and Lily chats with Alex she gets a case of worries for Ryan whose been in the bathroom an awfully long time. 

What happens next will be etched in her brain forever. Ryan is a great character. You know it just by reading all the kindness that he bestows upon Lily and her ready made family. He doesn't judge or criticise, he just goes with it. He likes her mother and even has a laugh with their helper Ade. When things are normal and under control Ryan is wonderful. But when memories start to rear their ugly head he's absolutely terrifying. But he would never hurt Lily, that much I was absolutely sure of. 

A Moment isn't an easy read. The truth of Ryan's flashbacks, and the bare emotions that he portrays are very emotional. Lily is like a salve to his pain but only for so long. The relationship that grows between them happens naturally, both having doubts and fears, both being careful around one another. The journey is never easy and they both learn lessons. I wouldn't say I actually enjoyed the book. But then some stories are meant to be told to make us think and feel rather than have a feel good factor wave over us. I've never read Marie Hall before but I'd like to read what follows from this series. -CB x

You can reach Marie Hall here: 

Web 

Goodreads