Review: Faster We Burn (Fall and Rise #2) by Chelsea M. Cameron

Faster We Burn (Fall and Rise #2) by Chelsea M. Cameron

Published by: DRC Publishing

Published on: April 20th 2013

My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Read my Deeper We Fall (Fall and Rise#1) review here

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Synopsis

Katie Hallman is done with douchebags. Done with guys who treat her like crap and leave her broken. But then Stryker Grant is there anyway. With his numerous piercings and bleached hair, he’s the polar opposite of all of her past relationships, which makes him the perfect candidate.

At first, Katie just sees him as a physical escape from her previous rocky relationship, and Stryker doesn’t seem to mind just being a distraction from Katie’s problems. But soon he’s getting under her skin, peeling back layers she’d rather keep covered. She tries to make it clear that she doesn’t want a relationship, but keeps breaking her own rules.

Then a tragedy sends Katie into the only arms who are there to catch her, and she’ll realize that she needs him more than she ever thought possible. But is she ready to let herself trust another guy with her already-battered heart? Or will she push him away to protect herself from getting hurt again?

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Review:

If you've read Deeper We Fall then you'll be familiar with the quirky friends who have now come together as a supportive group. Initially when I read the first book I was underwhelmed. And Katie and Stryker's story wasn't one I was that interested in. Mainly because I didn't like Katie, a girl who loves the colour pink. she wears it, she accessorises with it, she sleeps in it. Urgh, how awful, and a little childish.

Stryker was the a stand out character that I wanted to learn more about. But this sequel surprised me. Katie's story isn't one that's new. But Cameron writes her so well that she actually made me inspired by the end. This is a girl who really doesn't have one clue of who she is. She stereotypes, hangs with a group of 'yes' friends, and has the worst taste in men. And when she's hurt or angry she likes sex. With Stryker. Hmm.

The story kicks off at a key point during the first book but we hear Katie's version of events when Zack Parker, ex boyfriend and closet psycho beats the crap out of her. Towards the first third part of the book we're on to new ground. Katie and Stryker have this 'friends with benefits' thing going although they claim that they aren't really friends at all. There's a whole tank of denial here on both sides. Gradually they wear each other down and call off everything and try to get on with life without each other..

Then Katie's dad dies. She takes the call from her sister at the exact time that Stryker pops round for a visit. She heartbroken, lost, her mum is so sad, and Katie only has her sister and Stryker for support.

A significant event such as Katie's puts fresh eyes of clarity onto a situation you previously would have avoided. What dawns from her fathers untimely passing is Katie's will to find out who she really is, and what makes her tick. With a new group of friends who pull out all of the stops for her, Katie gains so much courage in defeating her small, little, weighing-your-shoulders-down demons.

This is a tale of growth. Of change. Of being in uncomfortable situations and coming out on top. Stryker may be tatted and pierced and looks like he came out of prison (or so Katie's mum thinks) but he has a soft heart of mush. He's human, he makes drastic mistakes in the name of love. But ultimately both Katie and Stryker find an even balance between losing and finding themselves and each other. I found this one more touching, thought provoking and nerve-twitchingly romantic.

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

-CBx

You can reach Chelsea M. Cameron here:

Web

Goodreads

Review: Before He Was Famous (HotFlush #1) by Becky Wicks

Before He Was Famous (HotFlush #1) by Becky Wicks 

Published May 29th 2014

From: Net Galley

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Synopsis:

Falling in love with your best friend isn’t always a great idea, especially when he’s Noah Lockton - the sexiest, most famous new talent on the planet. When 21-year-old small-town photographer Chloe Campbell is offered the chance of a lifetime – to join her celebrity childhood friend Noah on tour as an exclusive blogger for a New York magazine – she’s certain both have put what happened four years ago behind them. But his eyes still burn; his voice is still a jackhammer to her heartstrings; all his songs are about her. Is it possible that that night still haunts them both?

The music industry is a machine, spinning hype and rumors as much as his records. It’s not just Noah’s girlfriends who’ve got it in for Chloe (there’s no stopping the Twitter-obsessed, cat-loving pop-star Courtney Lentini for starters). Pretty soon, the jealousy and media frenzy surrounding these so-called-friends takes a life-changing turn and it seems making love means making enemies at every turn. When tragedy threatens to pull the final curtain on their relationship, both Chloe and Noah must make a choice. As much as this world leaves them starstruck, is living their dream really worth living without each other?

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Review:

This story has all the enactments of a great tale. Two people who have known each other for years. Lots of insider jokes and great development of all the characters. As the story progresses into darker unfamiliar waters its interesting to see how they all cope. Because the great thing you realise while you're reading is that Chloe and Noah are totally out of their comfort zone.  

Aside from Chloe and Noah, there's a Brit (imagine Russell Brand) manager who speaks in cockney rhyming slang, an arrogant photographer who moonlights as a Pap, and a crazy girl called Courtney who only appears to be in the music industry for the image.

The story twists and turns. Noah becomes more famous than even Justin Bieber. The music side of the story sheds unbecoming light on what happens behind the scenes. And then Chloe becomes a moving target of a pyscho stalker.

All together the story was good but at times it slowed down so much I did flick through a few pages. If you like to read about music people then you'll enjoy the hype that surrounds Noah. The love side is genuine (thank god) and I'll definitely be reading the next installment. 

-CBx

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You can reach Becky Wicks here:

Web

Goodreads

Top 10 New Adult books for June publication

June will soon be upon us! Here's the Top 10 New Adult books to look out for! Click on the pics to go to Goodreads synopsis's.

Which book are you most looking forward to?

Let us know!

-CBx

Review: Whisper to Me (Between Breaths #3) by Christina Lee

Whisper to Me (Between Breaths #3) by Christina Lee

Published May 20th 2014

From: Net Galley

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Synopsis:

At college, Rachel has a reputation for being a sarcastic flirt with a thing for star athletes. No one at school knows that she’d had her heart ripped to shreds by her high school sweetheart, who’d driven them both off the side of the road on a borrowed motorcycle, and then abandoned her. No one knows the real Rachel Mattson—except one person…

Ever since he helped nurse his sister’s feisty best friend back to health, pierced bass player Kai Nakos has been head over heels in love. But the supposed bad boy can’t risk letting Rachel know the truth—especially now that the two of them are back in their hometown for the summer, together for the first time since the months following that fateful night. Never mind that Rachel’s ex is back, groveling for her forgiveness.

Shaken by her ex’s return, Rachel finds herself turning to the one guy she knows she can trust. Kai is willing to hide his feelings for her, just to have Rachel touch him again. After all, this is only a temporary fling. Until it becomes something more. But maybe it had been more all along.

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Review:

I picked this one up not realising it was a series however it is a great standalone novel. Later in the story we do pick up the girls from the first 2 books but there was no impact or reduction of reading enjoyment by going for this first. 

Whisper to Me was a great read, don't get me wrong. I did enjoy reading about Kai. He's a bass player who is trying to find his way in the world through music. His past keeps coming and biting him in the ass though and he finds himself back in his home town and working for his Native American family who own a casino.

Rachel has been friends with Kai and his sister Dakota since forever. They helped her get over a nasty accident, an ex who dumped her, and all the repercussions that followed. After three years away at college Rachel comes home for the holidays and settles back into living with her best friends. 

The only thing is, Rachel's changed. But then so have Kai and Dakota. Rachel wanted to get away from her past life and recreate herself at college. So much that she's almost forgotten Who she really is any more. 

The writing is awesome. I haven't read any of Bell's previous books but I did like the story, flow and pace. However, the little things irked me. Firstly, Rachel, Kai and Dakota are supposed to be childhood friends. There are many references to what they used to do as children - playing, antics, habits etc. Also lots of emphasis on how Kai looked after Rachel after her accident. But I couldn't pick up on the these past relationships and put them together with the people I was reading about. I almost felt like they could have been strangers with no background. If the author had written a few chapters in between with some scenes of back story I may have bought it but it came over as too contrived. Dakota and Rachel had no mutual understanding or girl friend chemistry that I would have expected.

This book does get hot. The love story between Kai and Rachel is the reason the pages turned so quickly but I felt it went on too long before the final professing.

I will try out the other books now and hope there are more to come in this series.

ARC Review: Breathe Into Me by Sara Fawkes

Breathe Into Me by Sara Fawkes

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Publication: April 8th 2014 by St. Martin's Press

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Synopsis:

How did my life get so broken? It’s a question Lacey St. James asks herself every day. Stuck raising her little brother in a trailer park while she works a dead end job at a grocery store, she has a stalker exboyfriend, a bad reputation, and no way out. 

And then, she meets Everett, who changes her entire existence.

Everett is an outsider who’s housesitting his family’s mansion off the coast, and for reasons Lacey can’t understand, he’s completely transfixed by her. He seems determined to show her that life can offer more than she’d ever hoped for, if only she believes in herself. She desperately yearns to trust him, but what happens when she finds out that everything he’s told her is a lie? 

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Review:

This book follows the same New Adult pattern as I've read countless times. There is nothing new here. The story has become so depressing I'm considering putting the news on to hear some happy news. At this time I'm at 72% and don't know if I can read any further. Some situations in the story have come across as so unbelievable that I just can't continue. 

The premise is pretty bleak. Lacey has been verbally and emotionally abused, raped, and still lives in the same town as these other horrible people. She's trying to get on with her life but as she keeps saying - its a small town. As in, everyone knows everyone else or is connected somehow. The part I've just read about her visit to the police station has me so angry because I just can't believe that what happens next and that turn of events would actually happen in real life. Not where rape is concerned. Laws are in place for this no matter where you live. As I wrote, the pattern is standard NA. The only person Lacey seems to trust is hot new boy in town, Emerson. In time she turns to him to aide her woe. 

Along with that I'm also getting tired of the same titles to books like this as in "...into me, ...on me, ...into you, ...around you" etc. I think the publishing companies should change their advertising tactics and become more original. The books could be mistaken for being in the same series by different authors. I'm also wondering if the more horrific the story, the more stars the book gets. An extra star here for the writing. The author does that very well. I know readers are probably wondering why I still read NA. I'm hoping soon I'll come across an original gem :) 

- CBx

Review: Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott

Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott

Publishers: Momentum

Published Date: July 1st 2013

From: NetGalley

My rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis:

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this. Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure as hell never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened. One thing is for certain, being married to rock and roll’s favourite son is sure to be a wild ride.

Review:

I loved, loved, loved this one! So much that I read it again straight after finishing. At the moment everyone seems to be writing books about rock stars and the antics that go with it. Lick is slightly different from the start. Evelyn wakes up curled up in the bathroom feeling extraordinarily rough after a night on the tequila. Sat opposite her is a gorgeous guy, definitely swoon-worthy. After a few words she discovered the worst possible nightmare. She married him! Him being David Ferris, God Guitarist of the rock band Stage Dive. He's world famous, very rich, and for some reason likes big-boned, heavy boobed Evelyn. Its all a big misunderstanding she tells herself. If she forgets about it no one will ever know, it could be a secret. 

However, the world press are waiting at the airport the next day and Evelyn is headline news!! Here begins her adventure into how to get unmarried, and nothing goes to plan! What I loved most was the chemistry between Evelyn and David. The obvious reason is that they are perfect for one another, even though Evelyn can't see it and David acts like an ass because of his own insecurities! 

This book isn't so much a rock star on the road story that I've been reading a lot of, more of an intense romance with a whole lot of love involving a girl-next-door and a guy who clearly adores her for who she is. Even if you don't like rock music Lick is a great goosebump bringer, heart-acher with the added bonus of mature love for +17's. 

You can reach Kylie Scott 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

Review: Wreck Me (Wrecked #1) by J.L. Mac

Wreck Me (Wrecked #1) by J.L. Mac

Publishers: Self

Published Date: February 20th 2013

From: Bought

My rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis:

Life can be cruel. People can be ruthless and evil. The world can be cold and uninviting. No one knows these things better than Josephine Geroux. By her own definition, she is a twenty-five year old “nobody with nothing,” and she is content to stay that way. Growing up an orphan has made her tough and indifferent to the people around her until she meets a strangely familiar man with a face that haunts her for reasons she can’t understand. Despite the pain that will inevitably ensue, she makes it her mission to discover what parts of her tragic puzzle she is missing. On her journey to discovering why the she feels an alarming connection to an absolute stranger, her greatest fear is reawakening the demons and darkness from the past that will surely overtake her if she lets her guard down. Little does Josephine know that the past should be the least of her worries. She is toying with a man who has already broken her heart once. She just doesn’t realize it. Although she makes it a point to avoid interactions with others, Josephine’s life becomes entangled with the enigmatic stranger. Before she realizes it, she has given herself over to the one person who is close enough to wreck her.

Review: 

Written in the same vain as Fifty Shades, Wreck Me has a different kind of twist to it. Firstly I loved that Jo worked at a book store for a cantankerous old buzzard. She's cocky, speaks her mind, says what she feels and she swears a lot. Jo had a tough upbringing. At the age of 9 she was involved in a car accident that killed both her French parents. A stranger on the scene pulled her out of the car and rescued her. From then on she did the foster homes for a while before taking her chances on her own, on the streets to fend for herself. When she was old enough she marched into Sutton's store one day and told him she would work for him. Why? She loves books. She visited the library regularly and read books. From that day on her life changed. Her and Sutton have a great relationship and he helped her get on her feet. 

Now she lives in an apartment, small and grubby it may be, but her wants in life are few. What she does like is sex without the strings. She isn't what you might think of her. She never promises the guys anything in return but she does need 'comfort' every now and again. Per chance, she is manhandling a thief who stole one of the stores books one day and she meets Damon Cole. He's young, sophisticated and definitely good looking enough for what she has in mind. She orchestrates having coffee with him and instead of small talk she cuts to the chase and arranges to meet him that night. Her dad was a chef so Jo does know how to cook so she makes him dinner. One thing leads to another and they end up in bed. She never likes to stay over but he persuades her to. Unfortunately he then finds out why she doesn't stay over at anyone's house. 

There are a lot of similarities between this and Fifty Shades, I won't tell you different. If you liked the other then you may like this too. There is a lot of sex. But it starts to become very meaningful between the two of them when the love starts to filter in. The story is great although you start getting hints and realise who Damon actually is and why he may have a soft spot for Jo. The ending is a huge cliffhanger! If you hate cliffhangers then I'm happy to tell you the next book, Restore Me, is also out now. All in all it had little twists that I hadn't read before as a New Adult book and I thought Jo was an extremely likable character. Also, Grams! I want to adopt her!!

You can reach J.L. Mac 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: Twisted Perfection (Perfection #1) by Abbi Glines

Twisted Perfection (Perfection #1) by Abbi Glines

Publishers: Abbi Glines

Published Date: April 20th 2013

From: Bought

My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

Life outside of her house was a new experience for Della Sloane. The dark secrets of her past weren’t something she ever intended to share with anyone. They would never understand. No one would ever get close enough to find out. There was always a chance she’d go crazy sooner than they expected… Woods Kerrington had never been one to be attracted to fragile females. They seemed like too much work. He wasn’t in it for the work just the pleasure. A night full of naughty fun had been exactly what was on his mind when he’d laid eyes on the hot little number that didn’t know how to pump gas and needed some help. What he didn’t know was she was as fragile as they came. The carefree girl who spoke her mind and didn’t care what the world thought of her was more breakable than he could ever imagine…

Review:

If you want to read a book that is basically two characters having a lot of sex then this book is for you. If you want to read a New Adult book with a girl and a tragic, abused past then this is for you. If you want to read a story that is a bit cliché regarding southern American values and families stuck in the 19th century then yep, this book is for you too. 

Personally I didn't get on with it. It was a pleasant enough read but I wasn't wowed. Abbi Glines is a brilliant writer but the story wasn't really anything new although a great excuse to write lots of sex scenes. 

Della has had a cruel upbringing by her mother. I'm surprised she isn't more emotionally scarred from being locked in a house until she was 16. Cabin fever is a real thing and so is fear of the outside world. But the first chance Della meets a really hot guy she has dinner, drops her panties and gets some. The next chapter in the book tells us that she slept with her next boss. Up to this point I was feeling her pain and enjoying her having a good time but then she just came across as extremely slutty. Then she gets another job and her new boss, the really hot guy she met in the beginning is actually THAT guy. And yes, guess what happens. 

Now, there are a few things that I wanted to bring up at this point. Number 1) if you were locked up, abused and not allowed to go out I would imagine that even after 4 months you still would be slightly afraid of strangers. Especially in a sexual situation. You would have no worldly experience of meeting people, be naive and lack in social etiquette (and yes, I know she crept out of her house lots of times but that wouldn't change everything immediately). And Number 2) her character lacked depth. She appeared to have no friends except for Braden, no quirks, no personality apart from the night terrors that had her waking up screaming. Her dialogue was bland and didn't make her character grow at all throughout the book. The only thing she really liked to enjoy was Woods with his demanding hands and body. Oh, and the sex. 

I haven't read any of the Fallen series. I thought this was the first in a new series but I see on an Amazon page that its Book 4 in another series (confused?!). I have read Existence and the sequels so I know Abbi is a great writer and her storytelling skills are amazing but, and its a big but, I felt that Twisted Perfection was an excuse to get a book out in the ever growing New Adult market without really coming up with a new original storyline. Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate this book, and I actually stayed up and read the whole thing from beginning to end to see where I was being lead to. I hope the second book brings story depth. Anyone who reads this, please don't hate me. I'm only writing what I feel :)

-CB

You can reach Abbi Glines here: 

Web   Goodreads

ARC Review: True by Erin McCarthy

True by Erin McCarthy

Publishers: Intermix 

Published Date: May 7th 2013 

From: Net Galley 

My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis: 

When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory. Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t… Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…

Review: 

I liked True.I loved learning about Rory, she is an extremely likeable character. Her logical and simplistic way of thinking was refreshing and continued throughout the book no matter what circumstance she faced at that moment.Tyler is also a nice guy. I loved the TRUE family tattoo, his family except for the mother were all great people.The things that I didn't like in the story were a) the beginning - Rory is not desperate for attention. She knows she can spend her time studying, its what she likes to do. So why on earth was she sat at a friends boyfriends apartment while her two best friends spent time in their bedrooms with their boyfriends. Ummm. Third wheel. Would you really do that? Or if invited wouldn't you just say no, I have better things to do while you have sex with your boyfriend for an hour and leave me in the lounge sipping beer and watching TV with no-personality Grant? I don't know anyone, no matter whether they're shy or reserved or whatever, who would do this. And as for the almost rape? It just came over as a clutching at straws way to get Tyler and Rory together, and it was nasty. b) Very predictable especially when Tyler got arrested and put in prison for 30 days. And also predictable was her fathers reaction. I would have enjoyed it more if her dad had actually come out of his hideaway house and supported Rory. Not all parents are so stereotypical these days. It is a nice story in the end. It did end abruptly, but there was an HEA of sorts.Not the best NA book I've read lately but not the worst either.-CB x

You can reach Erin McCarthy here: 

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Review: Love Unscripted (Love #1) by Tina Reber

Love Unscripted (Love #1) by Tina Reber

Publishers: Atria 

Date: March 6th 2010 

From: Bought 

My rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis: 

Ryan Christensen just wanted to be an actor. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think that accepting a role in an unknown film would toss his career into overdrive. His new fame has cost him dearly; anonymity is no longer an option. His fans stalk him, the paparazzi hound him, and Hollywood studios all want a piece of him. Despite all of that, Ryan Christensen craves the most basic of human needs - to have love in his heart and privacy in his life. Taryn Mitchell, the story's protagonist, is a realist. She's been feigning contentment, running the family pub in Seaport, Rhode Island, while quietly nursing her own internal heartaches. Her feet are fairly glued to the ground and she doesn't buy into all the hype that has descended on her tiny, coastal town. In her world, men are safe if they're kept at a distance. Fate has other plans for these two when their paths cross one sunny afternoon. A group of female fans has attacked him, leaving his shirt torn, his face cut, and Ryan in obvious distress. Bonds between them form from the most dramatic of circumstances while jealousy, insecurity, and the stress of his celebrity life try to tear them apart. Through all the tabloid lies, secrecy, and pressure, can Taryn's peace and Ryan's high-profile insanity live together in harmony?

Review: 

I've read a few rom-com-heartache books in my time but I don't think I've read one that moved me so much as Love Unscripted. I could barely put it down and had so much fun reading it. Taryn Mitchell is a 27 year old girl who doesn't take men lightly. Owner of a pub in Seaport and various other business endeavours she looks after herself and her friends around her. When Ryan Christensen unexpectedly runs into her pub, completely freaked out by a fan mob she hides him and lets him unwind from his trauma. They have a morning of honest friendship and fun. She realises that the actor depicted in the magazines and on TV is nothing like the man currently in her bar playing pool and joking about. She tries not to get too attached to him but she's clearly made more than an impression on him and he pursues her calmly like a gentleman. Soon she becomes part of his life - except his celebrity life is built around paparazzi, pictures leading the wrong impression and lie upon lie about his private life. Taryn tries not to believe anything she reads about him but who can deny what a thousand pictures show? I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, emotional, heart-warming and full of heartache. The writing is brilliant. I felt every emotion going on and had more than a few moments with tears in my eyes. Taryn is a brave and compassionate lead that shows she doesn't have a bad bone in her. Ryan is sincere and kind and trustworthy. Then the breaks start hitting our hero and heroine and nothing is going to be the same again. There is also a stellar cast of side-kicks nicely woven into Taryn and Ryan's story. Other reviewers have complained about the length of the book but in my opinion it was exactly right. You can't cut out the sheer depth that the characters expose, and you can't shorten the story any more without losing the emotional side. For me its been an absolute privilege to read this amazing book. 

 -CB x

You can reach Tina Reber here: 

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ARC Review: Rush Me by Allison Parr

Rush Me by Allison Parr

Publishers: Carina Press 

Published Date: Apr 8 2013 

From: Net Galley 

My rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis: 

When post-grad Rachael Hamilton accidentally gatecrashes a pro-athlete party, she ends up face-to-face with Ryan Carter, the NFL’s most beloved quarterback. While most girls would be thrilled to meet the attractive young millionaire, Rachael would rather spend time with books than at sporting events, and she has more important things to worry about than romance. Like her parents pressuring her to leave her unpaid publishing internship for law school. Or her brother, who’s obliviously dating Rachael’s high school bully. Or that same high school’s upcoming reunion. Still, when Ryan’s rookie teammate attaches himself to Rachael, she ends up cohosting Friday night dinners for half a dozen football players. Over pancake brunches, charity galas, and Alexander the Great Rachael realizes all the judgments she’d made about Ryan are wrong. But how can a Midwestern Irish-Catholic jock with commitment problems and an artsy, gun-shy Jewish New Englander ever forge a partnership? Rachael must let down her barriers if she wants real love–even if that opens her up to pain that could send her back into her emotional shell forever.

Review: 

This book took me completely by surprise. After reading the synopsis I worried that it would read too cliché but the story and the characters are witty, artsy, slightly off the wall, but most of all fun. Fun that's drenched with fear, worry and a whole lot of buried emotions. A very simple story when it comes down to it. Girl meets boy, boy annoys girl, girl annoys back. Then they meet again and they react to each other again. Eventually they realise that this is their thing. And it carries on from there. They do nice things for each other but sometimes jealousy, doubt, and lack of confidence gets involved and they lose control of their verbal filters and words become hurtful. Both Ryan and Rachael have huge lessons to learn when it comes to love but the best thing they learn is they can't live without each other. Surrounding them is a fantastic group of friends. Eva is wonderful as the theatrical room-mate and the football boys were good fun. It kind of reminded me a little of Love Unscripted, and I loved Rachael and her comebacks. She's nervous, antsy, and her attitude and snark is just her retaliation to being uncomfortable. A great read! -CB x

You can reach Allison Parr here: 

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Review: Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder

Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder 

Publishers: Seth Clarke 

Published Date: March 16th 2013 

From: Bought 

My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis: 

I wasn't always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way. Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him. Colton didn't teach me how to live. He didn't heal the pain. He didn't make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go.

Review: 

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand I loved it. It's gritty and raw, deals with emotions on such a scale I haven't read before - the deep, deep stuff that scratches and burns inside us. On the other hand the situations that happened in the book, topics that are at the forefront of our modern society, were used and exploited to such an extent that I wondered how on earth these two people would ever make it out. And while our two main protags have been crushed up and burnt to a cinder inside they still survive by helping and opening up to each other. The book starts with Nell and Kyle. It's a shame that we all know this romance is doomed because the synopsis tells us so. But I loved the build up in their relationship, how it changed from friendship to romantic. Two young people in love and then turn into lovers. What I read was natural, simple and so sweet in every sense of their journey. Then tragedy happens and Kyle is ripped from Nell's life. She suffers. A lot. And the suffering doesn't stop. At the funeral she comes across Colton, Kyle's older brother. She barely knows him - he left the family home five years before. Point one of the story that I didn't get was that if Kyle and Nell were best friends and living so close to one another then how did Nell not even know Colt as a child. They must have crossed paths at some point. Then we flick to two years later and its Colton's point of view. Personally I loved the switching POV's. While Nell's voice is compelling and laden with pain Colt's has a calm rhythm to it. As if he's in complete control all the time. Okay, he's not, going by his narrative, he's panicking inside when he first sees Nell but its so smooth. And its at this point we find he has the major hots for her. Then things get complicated. Such an overused word but generally in NA this is the part where lots of arguments, unspoken feelings, jealousy, rage, pretty much everything ignites. Point two of what didn't come across as quite true was that Nell comes from a distinguished background. Her parents have money. So two years later why on earth hadn't Nell's parents put her into therapy. They already put down stipulations when it came to Nell and Kyle sleeping together i.e. don't get pregnant because it could ruin her fathers reputation. But any sane family of good standing would do this for their only daughter who was barely keeping her head above water even at the funeral. So, two years down the line she's got to the point where she's cutting herself and drinking heavily. Granted, now she's in New York away from her parents but they should have sorted her grief way, way beforehand. I know grief isn't something you can just box up and put away hoping it'll disappear but this is serious stuff and I hope that readers don't think it's in any way right to leave this kind of hurt and pain because we all need help at some time in our lives. We all need to talk to someone. And therapy is nothing to be ashamed of. Anyway, I digress. I actually loved Nell and Colt's relationship. For me this was real. Needing, wanting and having someone who can just be with you. Not trying to rain on anything I said earlier but with Colt NOT telling her that everything would be okay was kind of the right thing to do. The sex was pretty raw too. Sometimes I think writers just want an excuse to write erotica into a romance novel but with New Adult emerging as a great new genre this seems to be the way its going. Not that I don't like it ,) After all they do say that the best relationships stay together because sex is the glue that keeps you close. Nell and Kyle meld together well and it works for both of them. So, yay. The aftermath? I thought the last catastrophe that happened was going a bit overboard and wasn't exactly necessary. Yes, I'm talking about the pregnancy thing. For me this was too much for our characters. Yes, I agree that we needed one final twang thing to give the two a HEA but I didn't like this part. So, like I said. On one hand I loved it. Definitely read. Definitely try to enjoy it. There aren't a whole lot of laughs but it is full of love, love lost, pain, angst, tremendous courage, guilt and a huge pile of emotions. My only concern, and the reason why I ranked this as a lower rating is that this and other New Adult books are becoming very samey. It wasn't the content of the story, the writing was superb. The two point of views actually sounded like two different people which some authors don't get right. But I fear for this genre and worry that readers will get bored of it. We'll see what happens... -CB x

You can reach Jasinda Wilder here: 

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Review: Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire  

Publishers: Simon & Schuster, Inc. 

Published Date: August 14th 2012 

From: NET GALLEY 

My rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis: 

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand. Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match. 

Review: 

The First 20%
This book goes straight in at the deep end. Abby visits an underground fight with her BFF America and America’s boyfriend, Shepley. Shepley’s cousin and flatmate is Travis. Travis wins the fight but not before he hits his opponent so hard that the blood flies all over Abby’s cardigan forcing him to look in her direction. As soon as eye contact is made he approaches her. From here on in Travis and Abby begin their connection. It’s not a relationship nor is it strictly a friendship but its clear they enjoy being around one another. Within the first 18% of this book my emotions were all torn and twisted with the angst and hurt that these two main characters managed to fling at each other but it was actually enjoyable that I couldn’t stop at any cost.

The Main Characters
Abby has a past which doesn’t really get discussed in great length until midway through the book. She’s turned away from her old life and is sincerely trying to be everything that her old life wasn’t. I liked Abby a lot. Her weakness wasn’t that she couldn’t resist Travis because she could and did. Her main weakness was that Travis reminded her so much of her old life that she began to miss it including the high’s and thrills that came with it (I won’t tell you what they are for spoilers sake!). Abby could cope with Travis because she’d lived with people like him all her life. A very strong character.
Travis is all about the now. Fighting is something he’s good at, and it helps pay the rent and pay for all the nice things in life that a student needs. He drinks a lot, has sex a lot with a different woman every time and seems unable to make any sort of female emotional connection at all. We find out later why that is and it isn’t as bad as the story tries to imply. But because of Abby’s attitude towards him and the fact that she actually seems to enjoy his company rather than his looks or charm something in Travis changes. He lets her into his life. But unfortunately his possessiveness becomes his undoing. Travis isn’t written as a character that you should really like or hate. Most reviews hate him, others love him. Either way if his character and attitude affect you then it says something about the author and her ability to make you feel something.
As I was reading I had a soft spot for him but he is such a dangerous person I did feel uncomfortable sometimes and worried for Abby. Again, the Author made me think about what I would do in this scenario…
America and Shepley are great side characters. America is always there for Abby, and has been so from Abby’s earlier childhood. Shepley as America’s boyfriend is also understanding towards America, and the only one apart from Abby that can aid Travis when things go bad. They also contribute greatly to the storyline.

The Story
The plot isn’t a clear one. Actually there isn’t much of one. It’s mainly about the journey that Abby takes and about how she and Travis get through their time together. A few random sub-plots were thrown in that didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the story. The mobster Benny and her father’s debt, for one. If her father was such a has-been hot shot I don’t think this was the best way to experience his vileness towards his daughter. The next was the fire and Trent’s involvement. The fire I understand but once everyone was clear with the aftermath of it there didn’t seem to be a point to Trent being there at all. It could have been anyone.

The End?
A surprising end. Realistic? I’m not really sure about that. Fun? Definitely. Character tie ups and loose ends? All sorted. Overall I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes it had incredibly painful moments that caused me to put my hand to my mouth; sometimes I had tears in my eyes. Personally I love the rich emotion that it drew from me. This is a very powerful book. -CBx

You can reach Jamie McGuire here: 

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Review: Fall Guy (Youngblood #1) by Liz Reinhardt

Fall Guy (Youngblood #1) by Liz Reinhardt 

Publishers: Random House 

Published Date: Dec 20 2012 

From: Net Galley 

My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis: 

Evan Lennox is going nowhere fast. She's living with her grandparents after her parents bailed on her, she got kicked out of her posh private school, her ex-boyfriend proved to be the biggest sleaze imaginable, her former best friend is a back-stabber, and her current best friend is stuck in backwoods NJ. To top it all off, one teeny, tiny fire she lit to burn some memories of her ex goes a little out of control and winds up igniting a good piece of a very powerful family's pecan orchard. Evan lands her pampered behind in court and gets sentenced to community service. Which she knows she deserves. But the hard labor and humiliation may be her undoing. Until she meets Winchester Youngblood on the site. Everything about him is tricky, confusing, not at all what it seems, and so sexy, Evan can't resist pulling closer. But every step she takes to get to know him gives her more of a reason to back up and put him as far out of life as she possibly can. Because Winch is one hundred percent complicated, and Evan isn't looking for that. At all. She needs to meet a nice, responsible guy, not share searing kisses with the charming hustler she met after they both got sentenced in court. But Winch is so much more than what he seems, and Evan finds out that she's falling hard for the guy everyone underestimates and writes off. And Winch realizes that Evan is the one person who's ever challenged him to ask for more out of his life, and her courage inspires him to try to be the person she sees when she looks at him. With every single odd stacked against them, Evan and Winch need to find out whether they have what it takes to fall for each other.

Review:

I've never read Liz Reinhardt before so as a first book this is a good read. This is the story of Evan and Winchester who meet in dubious circumstances, in a court room of all places. They both feel an instant connection to each other but it takes a couple of chapters for them to come together, both intrigued by the other. Evan got herself in a bit of a bind and needs to do community service, where she meets up with Winch again. After a little bantering they get along really well. When they start on a date however it goes spiralling. That's pretty much how their relationship ends up going throughout the book. Winchester comes from an old Hungarian family where family ties mean everything. And he's the fall guy. He covers up all his family's little indiscretions but none more so than his brother Remington who's going through a somewhat troublesome time himself. Again and again Winchester has to bail Remy out of trouble and more often than not he's with Evan when he gets the notorious phone calls. So is the story any good? 

Well as far as New Adult goes I'm happy to say I enjoyed the story. Thankfully there was a really terrible history of abuse which seems to be the theme for most New Adult books I've read. And so this one felt like a bit of fresh air. Was it believable? Again, yes. I've read a few reviews where readers have said that the Youngblood family moral code is a little far fetched but where I live there are many foreign families who live their lives just like this one. They strive to keep their family and connections together and are fiercely protective of each other, and everyone else are just outsiders. While I enjoyed the story there were episodes where the purple prose popped up and didn't altogether make sentences easy to read. Lots of descriptions using the words 'like a...'. 

This book does contain a small amount of sex. It's not that explicit compared to other NA books I've read but its there, and again is believable within the story. The only thing I did find was that Evan got a little too gropey but she is only 17/18 years old so maybe that's all part of her character package. All in all I liked it, I'd certainly read more from this author. -CB x

You can reach Liz Reinhardt here: 

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