Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Beyond Addiction (Beyond #5) [Finn & Trix] by Kit Rocha

I'm not sure what went wrong in this one, but something did.. I just didn't find myself captivated by it, almost till the action in the end and I should say that most of what happened there was really predictable so I couldn't enjoy it as much as I wanted. I liked both Trix and Finn, I think I liked him better than I liked her. I think it's something to do with the fact that her personality wasn't clear enough for me. I got that she loves him, she loved him in the past but there was something missing, like in the first books in the series when the characters didn't feel developed enough and since the plot line wasn't that engaging I just felt it was sadly quite lacking.. 

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Blonde Date (The Ivy Years #2.5) [Katie Vichery & Andrew Baschnagel] by Sarina Bowen

This is a really sweet novella of "Blonde Katie" - Katie Vickery - we met in the previous book (one of Scarlet's roommates) and Andy - Andrew Baschnagel- Bridger's neighbor. We even finished the previous book hearing the both of them enjoying each other's company from across the wall ;) This short novella is of their first date together.

In the beginning of the previous novel both "Katies" (Blonde and Ponytail) sounded really shallow and uninteresting yet as the book developed and as Scarlet opened up a little we got to see a bit more to the two of them and when Blonde Katie was looking for a date to a sorority thing it was only natural that Scarlet offer her to take Andy, maybe not a Hockey player - a Basketball player - meaning she could hang in his dorm room while Bridger's sister is sound asleep on his room.. 

That's was the background..

The Year We Hid Away (The Ivy Years #2) [Scarlet Crowley/Shannon Ellison & Bridger McCaulley] by Sarina Bowen

Another excellent read! What a joy this book was, well, not exactly a joy to the main characters but a joy to get to know the characters and deal somehow with them with their troubles and the both of them has PLENTY on their plate. The characters Sarina creates are simply heartbreaking and beautiful not just from the outside. There's positivism under the surface all the time even when it's hard someone is there, friends or family, ones they expect and maybe ones they don't. So even in the dark moments I feel like they just have to reach out and it's there. I guess I'm a lot like both Scarlet and Bridger - I don't like asking for help, I want to deal with everything on my own, but hearing both their POVs it's damn sad to see how they struggle on their own when they have each other (and others) to help.

Friday, September 26, 2014

The Year We Fell Down (The Ivy Years #1) [Corey Callahan & Adam Hartely] by Sarina Bowen

This was SUCH a joy to read, after a few "misses" recently this one was exactly what I needed. The only bad thing I could say about this book is that it ended.. but actually I loved the ending and how everything played out so I have no complaints what-so-ever. A beautiful story, great characters and I just feel like I want to delve into the next one and the next one.. already ordered them all including the third one which will be out on the 29th of September - SOON! YAY!

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Claiming His Fate (Feral Breed Motorcycle Club #1) by Ellis Leigh

I'll start by admitting I'm not a fan of werewolves. Never was. I always laugh and say it's because I'm a fan of Vampires and those usually don't play for the same team. But actually I think it's more about me not liking the "alpha show" in general, not in "realistic" romance as well as in Paranormal Romance. Granted, in Paranormal novels, no matter which paranormal creature we mean, I accept that a lot more than I would in a "realistic" novel. I guess there's more to it than that, the pack thing, which is also related to the alpha concept, the aggression underneath that isn't fueled by anything but more than plain ego just doesn't seem to "grab" me.. I like me a strong man, but as it seems I'm not a big fan of wolves because what's under the skin, what makes them tick, doesn't in any way appeal to me. 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The Beautiful Ashes (Broken Destiny #1) by Jeaniene Frost

Well, I liked this book, but I didn't love it. For me it was missing something though I'm not sure what exactly. I can't say that I wanted it to be "Night Huntress" with different characters or even similar characters, I enjoy reading PNR/UF and that's exactly what I wanted a good PNR/UF series and a good beginning for sure. Sadly this one somehow didn't deliver. While both Adrian and Ivy were nice enough characters their relationship was TOO slow in building. Also while the world building was slow as we unravel it's secrets with Ivy as Adrian and Zach (someone who helps them along the way) revealed it to her little by little there was something annoying at everyone keeping secrets from her and not thinking she could handle this or that. She was mostly treated like a child when not expecting her to rise to her potential. 

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Every Time I Think of You by Tracey Gravis-Graves

I was SO excited about this one! I read both of Tracey's books - "On the Island" and "Covet" and LOVED both of them. They were very different from one another yet each had a beautiful love story, with characters you really could relate to and "feel". So it was really natural that I didn't even read the synopsis of this one before adding it to my reading list. I actually DID read the synopsis before I started to read this one and the one thing that really bothered me was sadly one of the reasons I didn't finish this book... yeah.. the kid.. 

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Seeking Her (Losing It #3.5) [Kelsey Summers & Jackson Hunt] by Cora Carmack

This is my least favorite of the bunch. I DID came to like Kelsey and I enjoyed Hunt's character but I think that this one, as a separate novella is somewhat lacking / not interesting enough. I think it would have been better if Hunt's POV would have been part of "Faking It" and maybe with Hunt thinking in retrospect of the time before they meet in the club in Budapest. 

This novella is told solely from Hunt POV and tells us how he came to "babysit" Kelsey. About half of the novella is about Hunt watching Kelsey (meaning a part we haven't read before), continues with the beginning of their time together in Budapest (The beginning of "Faking It") and concludes in the night he takes her to his hotel after she is being drugged.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Finiding It (Losing It #3) [Kelsey Summers & Jackson Hunt] by Cora Carmack

There was a reluctant side in me when I started reading this novel. When we met Kelsey in "Losing It" I didn't like her, and nothing really changed throughout that book. So even though I WANTED to fall in love with her I was afraid that she would stay the same too care free, too shallow, always drunk and obsessed with sex as she has been. 

Truth be told, when I started this book, I was still annoyed with her, still annoyed with how childish she is, what stupid decisions she makes, the fact that she can't handle life unless she is dead drunk. I remember those years when my friends used to get drunk. I would just ignore them. They can bitch and they can throw up and I really didn't care and wasn't inclined to helping them when they did that to themselves. Since I was the designated driver all I did was say "I'm going home now, if you don't follow me, you're staying here". Never failed to work. I sound like a party pooper, I know, I was just more talented I guess, I could actually "get drunk" without sipping any alcohol (and some people didn't believe me when I said I haven't had any alcoholic drink!). So Kelsey being the stupid drunk did NOTING for me. I was quite disgusted with her... Yeah she could be funny at times but mainly I waited for her to grow up and for Hunt to become a more permanent side to the story so I could enjoy him and not just suffer her...

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Faking It (Losing It #2) [Mackenzie “Max” Miller & Cade Winston] by Cora Carmack

Took me awhile to get from the first book to this one. I remembered I liked the first one but something about it, and about the following novella was putting me off this series.. I really enjoyed how easy going and a great and fun read it was, enjoyed Garrick (who can resist an British accent?!) and Bliss had so many qualities I could identify with (especially her tendency to embarrass herself..) that it's no wonder I LOVED it. Yet my problem was that both of them felt too childish for their age and I was feeling I that someone they didn't feel "right" in my head, they were children. It was like a Young Adult masking to be a New Adult. And since I can stomach those only in a low dosage I put reading the rest off. WHAT A MISTAKE!!!

First off, this book was impossible to put down. Not because it was so special and unique I was blown to pieces, no, it was for it's simplicity and in it a sweet story between the "bad girl" and the "perfect boy" that though we've read a thousand times before this one was a beautiful and tender read as well as funny as hell! Found myself Laughing Out Load - A LOT! Yet as I said there is also a tender story here for both Max and Cade that made this novel so perfect, just the right mix of all the emotions. 

Friday, September 12, 2014

Inking Him (Losing It #1.6) [Bliss Edwards & Garrick Taylor] by Cora Carmack

This isn't even a novella, it's just a small scene of Garrick getting his first tattoo. 

It's so short I'm not even sure what to write about it except I liked the idea of the tattoo though I must say that tattoos that relate to a loved one is tricky since even though we love our romance novels in real life these tattoos have a way of changing as couples tend to break up.. then a cover up of the tattoo needs to be done to somehow bring the best we can from a memory we don't really want on our body.. 

The Wedding Fling by Meg Maguire

This is the perfect book for Holiday, you know what, it's also the perfect book when you are in a need of a Holiday which is basically, whenever you are NOT in one ;) After more "heavy duty" books I really enjoyed reading a more "easy going" book. Naturally each of the MC had their issues but basically it was a fun and optimistic read.

Leigh runs off from her wedding day after discovering that Dan, her fiance, wasn't the guy she wanted to commit to. Wanting a bit of a break from her life as a celebrity she decides to go to the secluded cabin in the Caribbeans she and Dan ordered for their Honeymoon. There she meets a not very charming pilot named Will who isn't what he looks like and doesn't have the purest intentions when it comes to her, or rather his intentions WERE shady but as he got to know her and she to know him, they both want a fun and not committing fling with a person they came to like and enjoy one's company. Naturally it doesn't stay that for long when her being a celebrity "gets in the way" and his shady intentions from before he got to know her explodes in their faces. So a bit of drama in the end but mostly a relaxed vocation in the Caribbeans for Leigh as well as for us (by proxy).

Thursday, September 11, 2014

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

I read SO many raving recommendation of this one I didn't even read the blurb before I delved into it. I only read what it was about when I was quite surprised the plot takes place in 1916..

This book suppose to be divided into two parts, one in WWI and the second in "our times" (2006), told by two different women, both at a quite difficult time in their lives - the first, during the war and the second after losing her husband. It's also suppose to be some kind of love story. But since this one is a DNF at 25% I can't tell you a lot..  I can only write of what I actually read...


Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Defying the Odds (Battered Hearts #1) by Kele Moon

I can't seem to remember or find who recommended this series to me.. I think I stumbled on a review of the second or third one but didn't see a real review of this one.. I like to start in the beginning so I grabbed this one... 

Let's just be honest here - I didn't like this book. I wanted to love it, I thought the idea was really nice, did love the main hero but couldn't really "get" the main heroine who felt, well, unreal.. The relationship build up was also not realistic considering the whole book was a whole month and they were madly about have way through the book. She felt for him wayyyyy too soon, not to mention trusting him too soon considering her past. 

Monday, September 8, 2014

Special Forces #3 - Veterans (1994-2006) by Aleksandr Voinov (Vashtan) & Marquesate

Finishing this book, and this series in general was tough. In a way I was SO ready yet wasn't ready at all. I wanted for them to FINALLY get their Happily Ever After, and yet, I really didn't want to leave them behind. 

Both Vadim and Dan left SUCH an impression on me I have a feeling not many books will EVER make me feel like I did while reading this series. I WILL admit that I felt that we got too much sex in this one as was in the previous book (part 1 & 2) which felt at times redundant, but the overall feel of the series, the building of the relationship was simply amazing and yeah, about half way through this book we got their happily ever after, a place in their relationship that they are truly at peace with their life with each other. The rest of the book was about finding more peace around them and it felt so right the way it ended though I wouldn't have minded enjoying their company for more than the 25 years span that we got. 

I feel like I'm running ahead of myself here but somehow I felt I had to start with the general feeling before I relate to the plot itself.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Special Forces #2 - Mercenaries Part 2 (1992-1993) by Aleksandr Voinov (Vashtan) & Marquesate

It's quite difficult for me to rate this book. There is a part that says - Damned! it's Vadim and Dan and wan't to give this one the higher mark as I can but on the other hand this part, like the previous one isn't JUST Vadim and Dan, it's them alright with too many sex partners and too many sex scenes that suffocated the amazing epic love story the two of them used to have.

So I guess I'm disappointed because though there were beautiful scenes between the two of them, their relationship was evolving since it's the first time they are a real couple that live like on, it felt like the two of them are far from what they used to be. Dan is obsessed with finding more sex partners to share or just for his own pleasure and Vadim is there but he is somewhat different and Dan doesn't understand what's happening to him, doesn't understand what Vadim needs.