It’s a fair assessment to say this is a dark book. I don’t read a lot of these types of books so I was hesitant, but it’s not quite as dark as I feared. Baylee is victimized, but the most disturbing things occur in the first half of the book when Baylee is being held captive by her twisted abductor, Gabe.
It’s amazing how two chapters can ruin a book for me. I had some issues with the story, but Forgetting August was on its way to being a 4-star read. It’s an interesting second-chance romance that not only tells of a second chance at love, but a second chance at life as well.
A dark student-teacher romance is not something you come across often. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever read one. I don’t read a lot of dark romances, and student-teacher hookups involving minors make me hesitant. The synopsis for Dark Notes intrigued me, though, and the performing artist in me loved the fact that the book incorporates music. I decided to give it a go, and the payoff was well worth the risk.
Cocky Bastard is a surprisingly sweet book about Aubrey, a somewhat repressed lawyer, and Chance, a spontaneous, flirtatious Aussie. Circumstances bring these two strangers together for a cross-country road trip, and along the way Chance helps Aubrey learn to embrace life’s opportunities while she helps open his heart.
That Thing Between Eli & Gwen is a really cute story, but it took me awhile to warm up to it. Eli and Gwen meet on their worst day ever. Gwen’s fiancé runs away with Eli’s bride on his wedding day. He’s left at the altar, she’s left without a ride home, and they’re both left to suffer the public humiliation.
I’m a big CD Reiss fan so when I heard she was working on a sports romantic comedy—my latest addiction—I was all over that. I mean I stalked her Facebook page for updates, shamelessly drooled over the cover reveal, and was willing to sell my dog for an ARC. Well, he’s actually my husband’s dog, but still. This book is very different from the dark erotic novels for which Reiss is best know; however, there are enough sexy times to please most dirty birdies.
This was a tough book for me to get through, and I can’t fault the quality of the writing because it’s excellent. Perhaps I should have paid closer attention to the blurb because it makes no secret of the fact that the main character, Sadie, enters into a love affair with her neighbor, Finn. In my mind though, there’s “justifiable” cheating in a fictional world where I’m rooting for the two cheaters to get together because the partner/spouse is so annoying, abusive, and obviously just plain wrong for the lead character. Things aren’t so cut and dry in Slip of the Tongue and the prolonged affair made me very uncomfortable.
Midnight Lily started out as a really strong 4.5 star read for me. I loved Holden’s struggle, the mystery surrounding Lily, and the way her love gave him the motivation to heal. Somewhere around the 70% mark though, the story seems to lose its way.
Hello, Book Hangover. I haven’t seen you in awhile. I don’t know whether to be thankful I indulged in this book crack—also know as Paper Princess—or mad that I have to wait until late summer for the next book in this addictive trilogy. I’ve really enjoyed the work of Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick in the past. Put them together, add the pseudonym Erin Watt, and you have one dynamic duo. This book has a little something for everyone, and I’m glad I had a free day where I could devour it from cover to cover.
Best Friends With Benefits is a friends to lovers story set against a backdrop of a high school reunion. I like to live vicariously through stories about unpopular kids who make good, and then attend their class reunion only to find fawning, jealous former bullies. Toss in an unexpected hookup and it seems like the perfect combo. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like the story lived up to its potential.
When Tillie Cole says A Thousand Boy Kisses is a tearjerker she certainly isn’t lying. I had to keep my box of tissues on hand throughout the majority of the book. Honestly, there was one point where I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue. I’m so glad I did, however, because despite my initial misgivings, the book is quite touching.
Alessandra Torre FTW! Love, Chloe is like the beautiful love child of a Sex and the City, The Devil Wears Prada, and The Nanny Diaries orgy.