Review: Best Kind of Broken (Finding Fate #1) by Chelsea Fine

Best Kind of Broken (Finding Fate #1) by Chelsea Fine

Published by: Forever/Grand Central

Published on: March 4th 2014

My Rating: 5 out of 5

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Synopsis

Pixie and Levi haven't spoken in nearly a year when they find themselves working―and living―at the same inn in the middle of nowhere. Once upon a time, they were childhood friends. But that was before everything went to hell. And now things are... awkward.

All they want to do is avoid each other, and their past, for as long as possible. But now that they're forced to share a bathroom, and therefore a shower, keeping their distance from one another becomes less difficult than keeping their hands off each other. Welcome to the hallway of awkward tension and sexual frustration, folks. Get comfy. It’s going to be a long summer..

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Review:

Well, I must be the only blogger in the world who hasn't read Chelsea Fine's YA Archers of Avalon series. She's made a great move in crossing over genres, and also is a super-nice person if you follow her on social media. So I read this synopsis and thought, hmm, not sure, sounds a bit samey...

To cut it straight to the bone, Chelsea is now my favourite NA writer after reading this book (and I have read the #2 as well) her gift of writing is a treasure. All the while I was reading about the terrible accident involving Pixie and Levi, my thoughts kept flashing back to the wholesome nurturing environment of Willow Inn and actually being glad the characters lived in such a place to heal their wounds, amidst lavender fields behind and hard to define oddities such as Angelo the barman and Haley on the front desk, and mostly Ellen who owns the Inn.

Both Pixie and Levi are hurt, holding onto guilt, feeling alone and battling with getting through each day. They were both involved in a terrible car accident along with Levi's now dead sister, Charity. Charity was Pixie's best friend. The fact that Pixie and Levi now live next door in the run down East Wing of Willow Inn is like luck kicking them in the ass.

As Pixie and Levi get through the summer they have more than a few hurdles to cross, the main one would be just talking to one another. Pixie's mother is a bitch from hell. Levi's parents separated and moved away from the area after the accident because they weren't able to deal. Many mistakes were made and the hardest part is to forgive and carry on with life. Gradually as other people help bring Pixie and Levi together and events happen throughout their weeks, sparks fly as they push and pull at the other's defenses.

Overall, the characters are all so well written, the pace is even and Fine adds just the right amount of tension or sorrow where necessary. Levi is extremely gorgeous and Pixie is the perfect amount of cuteness. And as for Willow Inn, Yeah, I want to live there!!

Definitely worth picking this up and following the series.:)

-CBx

You can reach Chelsea Fine here:

Web

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Quickie Review: Rhett by J.S. Cooper

 Rhett by J.S. Cooper

Published: 27th June 2014

From: Bought

Rating: 2 out of 5

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Synopsis:

I’m Rhett.

I’m cocky because I can be. I've got it all: the looks, the money, the endurance. I’m the guy that every girl wants to be with, yet none of them have ever been able to tie me down.

I don’t do love. I don’t do relationships. And I sure as hell will never do marriage.

I’m all about the fast life and everything that entails. There’s a different woman in my bed every week. My friends are jealous of me. My enemies envy me. Everyone wants my life. And everything in my life is absolutely perfect.

Until the day she told me she was moving away. She’s my best friend. She was my first kiss in grade school. We share everything with each other. We never dated because I don’t love her. I don’t care that she’s moving. I don’t care that she’s moving for a guy. I don’t care because I don’t love her. I don’t do love.

I’m Rhett and I don’t let anything get me down. Then one night changed everything and everything I thought I knew was called into question.

All of a sudden, being Rhett didn't mean so much anymore.

~~

Review:

I thought this would be better. I thought this would be about a cocky guy who changed his ways because he finally realised what love was. Well, he does but it happens so quickly I'm not sure it's real.

Instead the whole book came over as incredibly shallow. Not sexy at all and very crude in places. Especially with how Rhett and his friend Tomas regard women. And yes, some of the women were blatantly open regarding sex but that just made the story even more vulgar.

This book has no plot unless you count a girl who wants to have sex with his best friend from childhood. There is very little with regard to back story and the small parts where we learn about Rhett's family are all on about 2 pages with nothing to make you actually feel any different for him.

Apart from a lot of sex, which is pretty generic, nothing spectacular I was actually quite bored reading it. A shame really because I did enjoy Cooper's other books. I can't help thinking this one was written for the paycheck.

- CBx

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You can reach J.S. Cooper here:

Web

Goodreads

ARC Review: Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers #1) by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers #1) by Jamie McGuire

Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by Simon & Schuster UK

From: Net Galley

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Synopsis:

Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn't have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with her first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt. 

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlour to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red. 

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she'll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever - even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

In the first instalment of The Maddox Brothers series, readers can experience the rush of reading Beautiful Disaster for the first time, all over again.

~~

REVIEWS FOR JAMIE MCGUIRE'S BOOKS HERE

Review for Beautiful Oblivion:

I have a confession to make. I read this book in its entirety and loved it. I have read Beautiful and Walking Disaster, however in between those books and this one I've also tackled around 75 books in between. So, my confession is - I didn't remember who all the important characters were. Therefore when the last page of this one 'revealed' the secret, it was completely lost on me.

To make up for the amazing suspense that McGuire kept going throughout the book I speed read Walking Disaster and then read this one again. OH BOY!!! Then I picked up all the clues!! The 'Spaceballs' one is genius. So is Travis' declaration about his brother being in love with Cami. 

No, I'm not going to spoil anything, this book sort of runs parallel with the others, but reading it like this actually gave me room to contemplate. Yes, Cami's 'boyfriend' did let her down on so many occasions. But he was genuinely sorry and (his status is revealed at the end of Walking Disaster) does have pressure and a stressful job which doesn't warrant much if any free time. I actually felt sorry for him because I think he genuinely loved Cami but couldn't put her first.

As for Trent? Well, I thought he was a cutey, a very sweet guy who like Travis, has an affinity to all things pretty but also has a devoted streak running through him. Especially when it comes to Cami.

Overall, this book didn't have the same story impact as the first two books. Those books had a storyline which packed a punch. This one relies more on the suspense, and soap opera style drama. 

Still thoroughly recommended :)

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You can reach Jamie McGuire here: 

Web 

Twitter 

Facebook 

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ARC Review: Until Alex by J. Nathan

Until Alex by J. Nathan

Expected publication: June 20th 2014

From: Net Galley

Rating: 5 out of 5

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Synopsis:

On the outside, Hayden is every girl's living breathing fantasy, brooding and devastatingly gorgeous. He spends his nights losing himself in alcohol and faceless girls, but it's all just a facade. An elaborate cover for the emotionless shell of a man he is. One who harbors too many secrets and destroys lives the way his was destroyed. It’s the reason he avoids relationships and keeps everyone at arm's length…

Until Alex

Alex’s life just shattered into a million pieces, leaving her with more grief than she knows what to do with and guilt so deep it’s destroyed the carefree girl she once was. Now she’s hundreds of miles from home, living with an aunt she doesn't know, finishing senior year at a college she’s never been to, and trying desperately to get through a single day without breaking down. She's never felt more alone in her life... 

Until Hayden

The trouble with Hayden is who he wants to be and who he is are in constant flux. And though he’d die before letting Alex learn the truth about him, he can’t be sure he's strong enough to let her in…or push her away. She’s the one person who just might see the real him.

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Review:

At first I thought this was one of those generic NA books with the same dramas arising. 

HOW WRONG I WAS!!

Until Alex is the story of Hayden and Alex. Both with harrowing pasts, new and old. By lack of choice, Alex arrives to stay with her aunt. The same building Hayden lives in. Hayden sees the girl by the pool, the one who hasn't stopped crying for four days. Alex sees a guy so closed off from anyone else, someone who doesn't get involved. Unless they're the flings he brings home most nights.

Initially both sides are wary. Tension grows and unexpectedly both Hayden and Alex begin a kind of friendship, but one only on middle ground. Neither are willing to let the other over to their side just yet.

The story telling is brilliant, well paced, and full of suspense. Lots of unsavoury characters begin to reveal themselves and mess with our protagonists, but each time the other one has them covered.

I actually really liked both characters who are neither without flaws. Alex is a little naive at times but she's incredibly brave. And Hayden proves himself more than once to be her knight in shining armour, despite his demons.

This is a story of trust. Of baring your soul regardless of the consequences. There are a few twists and turns especially near the end and, altogether a great story to get your teeth into. This is one you won't want to put down.

-CBx

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You can find J Nathan here:

Web

Goodreads

Review: So Much to Learn by Jessie L. Star

So Much to Learn by Jessie L. Star

Published: February 21st 2014

From: Free on Amazon

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Synopsis:

"I need to learn," I said in a very small, quiet voice. "You have to teach me…" I faltered here as the whole thing was really just too sordid to put into words. I thought I had a good grasp of the English language, but I had no clue how to put my dilemma to him. 

"Teach you…?" He prompted. 

"Teach me it!" I finally choked out. "What happens when you actually like the…touching and the….the…fondling and the…it, you know." I had never been so embarrassed in my life. The age old 'you could have fried on egg on my face' adage actually seemed kind of plausible I felt that hot and flustered. But - would you believe it? - Jack still hadn't cottoned on to what I was on about. He looked at me completely blankly and I could almost see his mind whirring as he tried to connect the bits… 

After a rather hideous break up with her boyfriend due to her inability to 'put out’, Talia bullies her brother's best friend into teaching her the complexities of a 'full' relationship. Turns out uni courses have nothing on life lessons! 

~~

Review:

Let me start by saying this is a heart-wrangler story. By that I mean it will have your emotions all over the place. Your heart will do that stop/start thing multiple times and by the end you'll be so exhausted from the twists and unexpected turns you'll have to think about it for a while before you can function.

Things you should bear in mind before reading. This is a long book. The narrative is very full with descriptions and back story. The characters are all fully flushed out to so for me I didn't mind it too much. Secondly, if you want a hot steamy read with lots of flesh and all the rest then you'll be disappointed. This is not a 'sexy' book in the strictest term, though we do get lots of emotions flying back and forth. The story is also told in Australian English. I'm British English so fully familiar with the terms and phrasing but many might find the writing odd with unfamiliar grammatical words and sentences.

So, Natalia who is also called Talia or Tally has grown up with a close family network. That being her really cool mum, dad, older brother Matt and his best friend Jack. Jack has a sad history in his own family so basically lived with Talia's family since she was young. Now her, Matt and Jack all share an apartment in the city. Talia is 18 and studying Law at the same University the other two go to. Her best friend Simone comes from their small town back home and they've been friends since children also. Other characters are a member of their group such as Micky and Sam (brothers) and Tommo (again, who lived near them back home). The group is tight but they still have gripes with one another. Tally and Mickey don't get on from the get-go. In fact, Micky is downright rude to her most of the time.

Tally had an altercation with a guy at a party some time ago which didn't end well. Now she has touching 'issues'. She's just caught her boyfriend of six months in bed with another girl and he says it's because she's frigid and won't 'put out'. She's horrified that maybe something's wrong with her. She needs someone to help her get over these issues. Someone she trusts wholeheartedly. Someone like Jack.

As I wrote earlier this book has lots of twists and unexpected turns. The story is thorough and extensive. This isn't a simple tale of Talia overcoming her issues. But actually its about Talia becoming aware of who she really is and learning about love. She makes a lot of mistakes over the course of the story. She upsets people with her non-filtered mouth but she isn't unkind underneath all her normal confidence. 

On the whole I liked her. The only time I didn't was her jealous outburst at Haley because she thinks she's after Jack and being insincere all the time. The other characters also have their own problems and Talia learns how to balance her own judgmental attitude mixed with ongoing drama with being a good or sometimes not so good friend. The odds don't always go in her favour. 

Jack is a great character. I really liked him from the start mainly because he wasn't fickle when Talia was around although his hardest test was sleeping with his best friend's sister and living with the guilt of not telling Matt. Matt himself is a typical older brother. Very protective and always looking out for her. Eventually it becomes his downfall when he learns about Talia and Jack.

All in all a great book despite it being long and slow sometimes. I'd like to read more from Jessie Star now :)

-CBx

You can find Jessie Star here:

Facebook

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ARC Review: See Through Me (Lose My Senses #1) by Sera Bright

See Through Me (Lose My Senses #1) by Sera Bright

Expected publication: May 8th 2014

From: Net Galley

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Synopsis:

There's only one person I want to see when I return home. But I know he won't be waiting. It's the reason I feel safe enough to come back. I’m so wrong. 

Ash Townsend isn't the same quiet boy from next door. He's tall, dark and demanding answers. He wants me, but he doesn't trust me. Why should he? When his own family tried to break him down, he still sheltered me in this town full of liars. And I repaid it by leaving him without a word. 

But I'll do anything to protect him. I have the scars on my wrist to prove it. 

~~

Review:

To begin with, we learn that Katie left her small town after high school under a cloud. This is a classic case of small town syndrome with everyone gossiping about everyone else's life. Katie's back because her family home may be repossessed. Her mother ran out when she was young, her father was an almost non existent parent. Katie's family was her childhood friend, Ash, who lived close by. 

As the story continues we are taken back through the lives of Katie and Ash and their friendship. Both have suffered trauma and neglect from their parents, whether intentionally or by ignorance. They looked out for each other when nobody else wanted or cared to. Soon it becomes apparent that Katie and Ash are more than best friends and have a friendship that defies the odds.

For some unapparent reason Ash's parents despise Katie. So much that Ash is even punished by association. A mystery begins to unfold as we go backward and forward and unravel their past and present. Only days back in the town Katie is once again being victimized by an unknown source. When Ash and Katie enter each other's lives again we see a distinct difference in Katie's feelings for Ash. She's avoiding him at all costs. We only learn later why.

Katie and Ash's story is touching. At times, I won't deny, I did want to throttle Katie for acting the way she did around Ash. At times she was cruel but acted mostly indifferent. It's only the climax of the story when we learn why she puts barriers between herself and her only true friend.

This is an angsty, emotional read. The writing is great, the steady pace well thought out, and the differing emotions for each new encounter were well emphasized. My only criticism would be that the ending, when the dirt comes out, could have been overcome so easily if they'd just talked openly instead of pushing and shoving each other with misdirection and anger. But then we wouldn't have the story, would we? And, the ending? Odd. Once the resolution happens we have no solid finish, but hey, do we really need it?

-CBx

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You can reach Sera Bright here:

Web

Goodreads

Review: Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths #1) by K.A. Tucker

Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths #1) by K.A. Tucker

Publishers: Atria Books

Published Date: Feb 12 2013

From: NetGalley

My rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Just breathe, Kacey. Ten tiny breaths. Seize them. Feel them. Love them. Four years ago Kacey Cleary’s life imploded when her car was hit by a drunk driver, killing her parents, boyfriend, and best friend. Still haunted by memories of being trapped inside, holding her boyfriend’s lifeless hand and listening to her mother take her last breath, Kacey wants to leave her past behind. Armed with two bus tickets, twenty-year-old Kacey and her fifteen-year-old sister, Livie, escape Grand Rapids, Michigan, to start over in Miami. Struggling to make ends meet, Kacey needs to figure out how to get by. But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle anything—anything but her mysterious neighbor in apartment 1D. Trent Emerson has smoldering blue eyes, deep dimples, and he perfectly skates that irresistible line between nice guy and bad boy. Hardened by her tragic past, Kacey is determined to keep everyone at a distance, but their mutual attraction is undeniable and Trent is determined to find a way into Kacey’s guarded heart—even if it means that an explosive secret could shatter both their worlds.

Review:

Right from the outset we learn that Kacey is a tough nut. Her language, her attitude, her thoughts on others prove that she has trust issues. But the most constant person in her life is what keeps her grounded, to a certain extent, at least. Livie, her sister, was sick at home when the car accident happened. At sixteen Kacey's parents, her boyfriend and her best friend were all killed when a drunk driver hit their car. Kacey survived and she is understandably traumatised by the whole shocking ordeal. Hospital for a year, rehabilitation, shrinks and moving in with her aunt and uncle all take their toll. Kacey manages to continue life after the accident albeit from the bottom of a bottle, using drugs and having lots of meaningless sex. Her life was spiralling out of control. Her aunt and uncle were not role models either. Her aunt being a bible nut preaching against evil, her uncle squandering their inheritence in a card game. All in all when Kacey's uncle makes a move on fifteen year old Livie, she takes control back of her life for once and gets them away in the dead of night for a new beginning and a fresh start.

This book is a moral story. Kacey's been given a second chance at life, she just doesn't know it yet. Her primary concern is taking care of her sister, but we soon learn that it's really her sister taking care of her. Without Livie Kacey would be a lost soul on a path for destruction. Kacey wants nothing more than vengeance against those who took her family from her. It's eaten so deep inside her that its hard for her to make any kind of connection with anyone new. 

Her neighbours help. Storm is a lively, Barbie looking babe who has an adorable little daughter that captures everyone's hearts. On the other side of her new apartment is Trent, who literally steals her breath away. No one has ever affected Kacey the way Trent does. What I loved most about this book is it gives us a reason to hope for something better. The small network of people that soon become part of Kacey's family are varied, sometimes troubled but mainly they are there in Kacey's life through the good times and the bad. They don't pry, they don't judge, they don't ask questions, they just get on with life and slowly meld their lives together. 

So the better in Kacey's life isn't the fact that she eventually earns enough money to put Livie through school, or lets the small secrets of her past gradually creep out. It's the constant knowing that others are around you when you break and will be there when you get better. After all, don't they say family doesn't equal a blood tie, its those who you let in. 

The other moral behind this story is the drunk driving incident. After a night out, drunk Trent lent his car keys to a close friend who lied and told him he hadn't been drinking for a while so was able to drive them home. Trent has to live with those consequences for ever. A mistake like that doesn't just affect the ones who died, but the ones who lived and the relatives and friends. That mistakes affects families, rips relationships apart even to the point of some wishing for a way out like Tanner's brother suicide. I was pleased with the outcome of the story, the end 30% is quite intense and I'm not sure how I feel with some of Trent's actions towards Kacey during the past or present but TTB did have an HEA. 

-CBx

You can reach K.A. Tucker here:

Web

Goodreads