Ari Bookzilla

You know, I thought this would be a perfect 3.5 star read but then the whole second half of the book happened and I am gladly rounding it up to 4 stars.I'm just not the type of reader who falls for a manwhore character, and this book had plenty of them. The whole sharing the girls thing was just... you know, gross.However - Kade and James. OMG. JAMES, I need to know more about you!I love the way the authors sort of set up all these secondary characters - they made you love them, throwing bits and pieces of their stories in but not making it about them. I really really loved James and I barely know anything about him! Actually, maybe that's why...I thought Layla and Chase had good chemistry. It's a bit of an insta-love, but not really because of the way they set it up.They compliment each other really well, and I thought that it was believable he would change for her - by the end of the book the poor guy was just plain whipped.Truth be told, I kind of spent the book hating on him. I love my alpha male hero but he was just... alpha male to the max. I did learn to love him by the end because I understood him better.The book has quite a few LOL moments and I already mentioned I liked the secondary characters. The heroine is strong willed and snarky, though a virginal one. I found myself interested in Nikki and Sasha's stories as well, and even the wicked witch that is Aubrey. Seriously, she's a psycho.There are a couple of mildly graphic sex scenes in the book, and a lot of cursing.A couple of things that bothered me were just a brief switch of POV now and again, many, many typos that sort of distracted me from the story. The beginning felt a little rushed.Overall, I have to say I did enjoy Chase a lot more than I thought I would. And since this is a debut novel I'm expecting a lot more from Kade.

I loved this book. I love my celebrity books so when I saw it was up for review, I jumped at the chance.I loved Jack Eversea! His character was a perfect mixture of "arrogant celebrity" and "they're just normal people". I really felt for him because you can see how hard the whole thing is on him - he's actually hating himself for being a cliche celebrity.Keri Ann was a great heroine, too - because while she was being fangirly about Jack Eversea (yes, I can't just say Jack) she saw how annoyingly fangirly she was actually being and she made fun of herself for that many times.She was also a virginal heroine. Did not like this one bit. But okay.Sadly, it was insta-love. I really thought the book would go a different way because all the signs were there, however - five days after they meet, they're in love, and they didn't even spend that much time together. Feelings are pretty intense, they have never felt like that before, etc, etc.I wish the author was patient about it! It's only a matter of prolonging it a week or two and I would have believed it. This way...nuh.But as usually, you just have to ignore these things in books.Jack Eversea and Keri Ann had great chemistry and I loved every second they spent together. He teases her, she teases him, it's an all around great friendship that makes you go aaaaaaw.The writing is great! I mean, really engaging, and funny. A few cliches here and there but overall very tight and I loved it. The side characters were awesome, I think Joey and Jazz were my favorite and I loved them.I didn't like the conflict because that whole Audrey thing was just so unclear to me. What was the deal between her and Jack Eversea? I wasn't sure, he made it sound like one thing, then another, then back to the first. It kind of made me dislike him.There is a graphic sex scene in this book :). It was well written, and wasn't overly graphic, and I thought it suited the story.Okay, so, you know that feeling of DREAD when you're 95% into the story and it isn't coming to a close? I felt that with Eversea.There is a big, fat cliffhanger in the end. The book doesn't end, it's more like an end of a chapter. I was violently hitting the next button hoping it doesn't work and is skipping something and that's why I can't read the next chapter. But that delusional thought fell apart when I saw acknowledgements.So be prepared for another one of those books that leave you hanging. What kills me is that it's a damn good cliffhanger and now I want to know what happened! I'm scared by the time the next book is out (which I have no idea when), I won't care :(.I actually didn't want to write a review straight after I finished the book because I was really, really pissed and I didn't want to snub the book because of that. I just can't ignore it, though - it doesn't say anywhere this is a series! Not in the beginning of the book, not here on Goodreads. I wish authors told you this so you didn't go in blind thinking you're reading a standalone.Overall, I loved Eversea and recommend it. The characters are honest, the story was engaging, and I devoured it in a matter of hours. Now I wait. Patiently. Hopefully.*** ARC of this book received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I loved you, book! I loved you!This was such a sweet and wonderful and great story that made me all awwww and grin stupidly and stuff.You'd think it would be your typical millionaire CEO story, but it's so much more than that.I loved Zoe! Loved her! She was such a great female character and I loved that she stood up for herself and went for what she really wanted.Angus. First, I'd never thought I'd find that name sexy and swoon-worthy. But I do. That should tell you enough. He was a good hero, just, normal. I felt so sad for him at times, he's been through so much and ugh...I kept thinking if it would ever end.These two had awesome chemistry and they were so great together. You can almost feel the way they slowly get closer and open up to each other and I was rooting for them so bad.The writing was very chick-litty (I think it might be why I liked the book so much, actually). It's light and fluffy and positive even when it's on the heavier side.Absolutely loved the side characters, the wicked witch of a mother-in-law, the best friend who I'd love to read about more, and then Zoe's mum was so, so great!The romance is definitely not the main focus of the book, and I'd even go as far to say that there's actually not much of it, either. I liked that a lot for some reason.The book has no graphic sex scenes of any kind. It barely has a few kisses.I'm trying not to mention the fact that it's Aussie lit but you all know I can't resist that. These books prove over and over why they're my favorite.Overall, if you're a fan of chick lit or fluffy romance books, I'd definitely recommend this one.*** Free copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It pains me to rate this book (?) 3 stars, because I have previously enjoyed both books Elise Ackers wrote. And though my rating may not tell you this, I actually absolutely loved this little book.However, I'm not sure if it's meant to be a novella (130 pages, something around 1700+ of those Kindle locations - which is just not a book to me), or a book (because it says A Homeland Book on the front.)Basically, it was neither here, nor there, and for that it suffered in content (though not at all in quality of writing).What I loved about it is the characters and this feeling of community Elise Ackers can create. I just love her writing. A lot of backstory, Ethan and Sammy were amazing characters, Dean stole every scene he was in, and the kids were just wonderful.However - the switch between two scenes or a change of POV were so abrupt. You're literally in the middle of a scene and then cut - it's tomorrow. How much time passed between the beginning of the book and the end, I wouldn't be able to tell you.Despite this, you get these glimpses into Ethan's life, his relationship with Sammy and ultimately the past that made him go away.And speaking of that ending, it was just as abrupt and rushed. Such a shame, really, I would have loved to read this book if it weren't half written.As with all Elise K. Ackers books so far, it was a clean read.Will I read the next book in the series? It's Cal's story (I felt for him so much in this book). I'll definitely read it. I just hope it won't be as short as this one was :(.*** Free copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took me forever to finish this, but it's only because life got in the way. Plus, I think I'm just not the target audience for it.First thing's first - this is a non-fiction book, a travel memoir of Savannah Grace's that she wrote out to read like fiction.Maybe it was because I knew it was non-fiction, but I just couldn't get into it as I would with a fiction book. I'm just not a non-fiction reader.Second, it's so hard reviewing a book based on real events that the author lived through. This is exactly why I don't read memoirs/autobiographies - every single complaint I could have about characters and their actions and decisions is a direct attack on author or someone they know, however mild or severe. So I won't do that.The story was sweet and eye-opening. Fourteen year old Savannah is informed by her mum that they're just up and leaving to travel the world for a year.To say that Savannah read like a true fourteen year old seems like a bit of an understatement. She was being a typical teenager - a rebellious, constantly complaining, my-life-is-ruined teenager. And that's all I'm saying about it.It may be because I'm twenty-six, but I find that I just can't get into reading books about and be in heads of fourteen year olds anymore and sympathize. I know, I'm heartless.What bothered me about this book is that the writing varied throughout. I can tell that the author has the story-telling gift, and she can certainly stand behind every word she wrote because she's lived it, but she kept switching between present and past tense, and this is something that I usually can't get over in books. Past or present - pick your tense.There were also a lot of ?!?!?!?!?!!?!?! and words written out in CAPS where they didn't have to be. A lot of Savannah's inner monologues written out. A lot of dialogue that felt stilted at times.If this is your kind of book, I say read it. It's got some wonderful descriptions of China and Mongolia any closeted (or not) traveler will love, and the characters ring true. It's a bit on the longish side.Will I be reading the next book? I just don't know. I guess I'll have to wait and see if I'm in the mood for it. At this moment, it seems unlikely.

Is this the zombie book I'll read?The cover makes me think it just might be.

Warning: Let’s just say there’s a reason Buck Harder went into his line of work, and it ain’t his pretty smile. Wink wink.Best warning ever y/y?This book is more of a 3.5 for me, but I'm rounding it up because, yeah, I enjoyed it a lot more than 3.5. I swear, I was grinning like a loon throughout the book.What I liked about it is that it's a different take on your usual rockstar book - I so wish the title of this book wasn't so off-putting because I think it might turn people away from reading it. Even though it's accurate (she's a pop princess ala Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and he's an adult movies actor), it kind of cheapens the book.But I digress.I really liked both main characters. I loved being in Lee's head. He is such a sweetheart - understanding, nice, charming and just enough cocky to still like him. Also Buck Harder.Rachel is a girl that picked herself up after a major fall, and I loved how strong she was, so sure she would never go back to that person.These two had crazy chemistry and I absolutely loved it. It's not really insta-love, it's long after they meet that they realize and admit to their feelings, but you could feel the pull they had towards each other from the moment they meet. It's sweet and cute.What I mostly liked about their relationship is that there's no drama between them, everything seemed logical. I expected either of them to screw up, to do something typical for books like these, but no. Both of them are it for each other and it's really just lives they lead that stood in their way.I really liked the writing! It's engaging and funny - there are some GREAT one-liners. The supporting characters and by that I really mean Quinn was a great addition.Why I'm rating the book lower than my review implies I loved it? It's that there was potential for so much more. You get this insight into what the rumor-mill and living under that magnifying glass can do to two people who are so perfect for each other, and it's literally the focus of the whole book, but I still thought it wasn't enough.You also get some glimpses into what a porn-star's job is. I mean, obviously we all know what it is, but there is this stigma surrounding people in that line of work, and I could totally understand the conflict in this story. I liked that Rachel had no problem with it, it seemed more like Lee was struggling.The ending felt kind-of anti-climatic, although it fit the overall tone of the book. But I absolutely loved the epilogue even if it was same-old same-old.There are a couple of graphic sex scenes in the book. They were great and I loved them and I'm struggling not to look at other reviews to see if it was as good for them as it was for me.So overall? I loved this book. It was the perfect lovey-dovey, sweet read I needed after some books I've read lately. And don't be put off by the title - it's really so much more than that.

so, I'm gonna try and read this book even though it was previously a DNF. I got like 5 recommendations for it from my friends.

I JUST CAN'T GET OVER THIS BOOK. I JUST CAN'T.1 heart clenching star...to this heart clenching romance...clenching clenching clenching like nothing ever clenched before.This book was about a girl named Brooke who obviously has some sort of clenching condition. I can't count the times or list parts of her that clenched in many, many ways.Every time Remy was near she was panting like a dog in heat and I just wanted to pull her out of my Kindle and hit her. And hit her. Again and again.Look. I have a soft spot for fighters even outside of book realm. And I totally got that she thought he was so hot she was burning up with clenching and needing and what the eff ever it was.But seriously. She's at it for 80% of this book. At one point, I was one-hundred-and-one percent sure that the author was making a joke out of it.Not only does she clench at the sight of him, at touching him, at whatevering him, but she actually clenches at remembering the sight of him, touching him, whatevering him. I kept waiting for her to clench at remembering clenching at remembering the sight of him, touching him, whatevering him. Et cetera, et cetera.By the end I was almost positive that she actually did have a clenching condition. Her core/muscles/p**sy clenches a lot, but so do her hands, fingers, toes, heart - you name it, it probably clenched in this book.I kept imagining her spasming because she was clenching so much.Please note that her muscles/core/p**sy/pit of her stomach also: tingles, tightens, warms. But mostly she clenches.And not only that - but it's contagious because, yeah, you got it right, Remy clenches and so do his friends, and I think I really lost count of all the people that clench in this book.Oh, and there's also this sweet subplot love story with crazy chemistry between Ms. Clench and Remy.The word clench, people, is used seventy times throughout the book in all its forms. I see a red flag go up. HOW did nobody catch this.I do wish the author didn't force her tastes on me while reading the book, though. I like Goo Goo Dolls, but I don't think I'll ever listen to Iris again.She also sort of explains to you what VERY popular songs and movies are about. Make of that what you will.There are a couple of graphic sex scenes.Overall? I wouldn't not recommend this book. I wouldn't recommend it either. I'd just sort of shrug. I didn't care for it even if it did have some very sweet/intense/funny/amazing moments.edit: I originally gave this book 2 stars. I've just changed my mind.I didn't want to talk about Remy's manic depression in my review, and I still don't want to, but having personal experience with that I thought it was dealt with in a very irresponsible manner and frankly, I felt slightly insulted at some things that went on/were said.But that's all I'm saying.edit2: I just couldn't leave it be. I feel like I owe it to the author to say what exactly I didn't like about this book (other than the fact it had me clenching my teeth). It really wasn't my intention to trash the book, and I don't wanna come off as a reviewer that just hated on it for the sake of hating. I didn't hate this book, I just didn't love it either.ONEThere are numerous fighter books that are all a variation of a theme, and this one finally, FINALLY, had potential to be something more. There is nothing worse than wasted potential.I can definitely see the allure of smut without substance (who am I kidding? I can't, not really), but it could have been so much deeper than it was.Instead of reading a book about Remy and Brooke healing each other and being what the other needs, it was trivialized by turning this into a juvenile "why won't he eff me? he's so hot. ovaries explode." book.It's not really all the clenching, that was me actually trying to find some humor in reading this book, otherwise I wouldn't have gone through it all the way.TWOThe writing is amateurish at best. Written in first person POV present tense - which I can tolerate, but it keeps switching tenses throughout. Please, no. It's an aneurysm waiting to happen.Someone obviously proof-read this as it was really low on typos, considering, and I'd even say it was a fairly well edited book.But there were sentences that made no sense. There were misused words. It was repetitive.I admire the author's efforts because I really thought she might have had a good story here if it weren't for the fact that being in Brooke's head was worse than being in Bella Swan's head and I hated, hated Bella.The heroine overshares to the point of being disgusting. Her ovaries cramp, her womb clenches, her nipples harden and it's a constant state of unbearable arousal that is so unrealistic I had to fight not to roll my eyes every time she would say anything about it.She literally views Remy as a piece of meat, he's all man, he's huge, his muscles this, his jaw that, his spiky hair, his this, his that, oh, the obligatory pants (jeans, whatever) that hang on his hips...she wants to lick him, to jump him, to I-don't-even-know...It's objectifying and superficial at its worst. Not to mention swamped with cliches.By the time she started showing Brooke maybe falling for Remy's personality it was already too late for me.I still believe Remy was the highlight of this book. That's a good character, if only she gave him a touch more personality. I'm not the one to go for silent and broody, but I can see why it's attractive, however, Remy just grunts and groans and grumbles and growles throughout this book. Just when I was okay and accepted the fact that he's simply not a man of many words, he spills his heart out in a long-winded speech that is basically a recap of the book in his POV.The ending was rushed and a bit of a "it was all a dream" solution. "Hey, it was just a big misunderstanding. We cool now?"THREEThe author obviously did her research. I was kind of bored with all the muscle names and nutritional information, but I loved the fighting aspect of the story. I would have enjoyed it so much more if it weren't for the cop-out in the end.BUT. But, the depiction of Remy's bipolar disorder was mostly off mark.And I beg you, authors, don't use mental disorders and illnesses, rape and near rape, eating disorders, domestic abuse (NOT all of these are in this book, this is more of a general thing) or anything similar just as a plot device.Moreover, don't be irresponsible about using these sensitive subjects. Suggesting that mood-stabilizers and anti-depressants are no good is not a responsible action. You hold the power of a written word in your hands that, maybe, hundreds, thousands will read. Please don't suggest people they are better off not medicating something as serious as Remy's condition.Remy is sedated by Pete and Riley on a regular basis and I just don't know how that is more okay than just seeking proper kind of help. They bring him hookers while he's out of it and it seriously rubbed me the wrong way.Okay, now I've calmed down from the high that was this book, I guess my thoughts sound a lot more coherent. I hate writing negative reviews without actually adding something substantial to them.edit3 lmao:And for the love of everything you cherish, if anyone wants to comment with a "don't take it so seriously, it's just a book", just please refrain from doing it. When I want to read a book that is not serious, I read a comedy.edit4: I JUST CAN'T LEAVE IT BE.After giving it A LOT of thought (I literally can't stop thinking about it), today I've decided the book pissed me off.How irresponsible do you have to be to write something like this?!Relying on tranquilizers to control his behavior when he's having an episode is probably the most irresponsible thing I have ever heard.I really hope the author will get Remy some proper, medical help in the next book.Having bipolar disorder DOES NOT mean you end up in a looney bin. They were freaking treating him like he's crazy when this illness is treated like any other illness today. I just can't fathom this.It is so obvious it was in there just for drama's sake.I live in a freaking stone age country compared to the States and even here people are treated for what they have, and not kept in a psych ward just because they're depressed unless they're a threat to themselves (which, let's be honest, Remy maybe even was).GOD. I just can't get over this whole thing.I make it a point to stay away from books about these heavy issues because of all the REAL books out there that treat these things with so little respect it makes me want to gag.If I could unread a book, I'd choose REAL, just to keep my sanity. And I have read some pretty horrible books.

First of all, take a moment and look at that gorgeous cover.Seriously.Lash is quite possibly my favorite fallen angel ever! Sah-woon.And he's the proof that if an author creates a character I'll love despite his many flaws, I'll love the book as well, despite some things that might have bothered me about it.Lash is a fallen angel in every sense of that term. He's wasting his life away, not that he has any of it to waste because it's pretty much an empty existence.I loved Naomi. She's not your typical damsel in distress heroine and I liked her a lot for that.You know, there was great chemistry between these two, and it's obvious from the beginning that there's a lot more to their story than this insta-love fallen-angel-falls-for-human plot. That's not what it's about at all.However, I felt that their new relationship wasn't developed that well. The author glossed over that and I felt sort of robbed.Put that, and some head hopping aside, it was really good writing - told in 3rd person past tense and the author lets you in on just enough to keep you wondering and engaged throughout the story. There were a couple of scenes bursting with emotion, I felt for the characters a lot.I did have trouble piecing the story together, even after all was said and done. It was all a little blurry and I'm guessing she's keeping it for the second book.I loved Jeremy (even if I thought his and Jane's POVs were unnecessary). I would love to read his book, though I fear with the way things ended that the second will be a continuation of Lash/Naomi rather than a companion book.But that's okay, because it's not a cliffhanger, and I can wait. I can wait.There are a couple of sex scenes (two-ish) and they were mildly graphic. Compared to some of the things I read, they were pretty tame, but I felt it suited the story.I'm torn whether I should write a trigger warning here - so I'll put it under a spoiler tag. It's not much of a spoiler though, but just to be safe: there's a graphic depiction of suicide attempt.I liked this book a lot! My only complaint is that it was maybe a little same-old, same-old when it comes to angel books, but I'd definitely recommend it! I'm hoping the next one will bring a new twist to this story. I'll definitely be reading it.

TWO HEARTBREAKING STARS (imagine glittery stars .gif here) - because it breaks my heart to rate the book so low? *hinthint* ;)I've struggled with this one for a couple of days. But I was determined to finish it.It wasn't that it was bad, because it wasn't. I wish the author had the patience to develop the story over a few weeks (at least) rather than measly two days during which I'm supposed to believe they fell in love.The characters are pretty inconsistent - both of them saying one thing, doing another, then the third, it was pretty hard following what exactly they wanted.But here's the thing - I still liked them. I think this is why this book was hard for me to DNF, because I cared what happens to them because they were so clearly made for each other, but everything was happening in a very ridiculous way and too fast.The story begins with Jake just randomly deciding Beth is having an affair with his soon to be brother in law (and her ex-husband) and that he would (get this) announce to the world they're engaged and move in with her, but still keep it all a secret.I have no freaking idea what his plan was. No, really. I'm going to say it slowly (or, you read it slowly) - he decides to fake a story about bridal lottery of some sort, announce Beth won it, move in with her and have a fake engagement, but no one can know he's there. What exactly did he think to achieve by doing this, I don't know, because it makes no sense if no one was supposed to know that he actually had the paper run the story (oh, he's famous, btw).Beth, on the other hand (and I couldn't get over this) - she opens the door, and there's Jake in all his Rock God Famous Man glory (not that she recognizes him), telling her he ran a lottery she didn't participate in, and won. And she's like "no. okay. yes."And what comes next is insta-love, level: infinity.There are these little gems strewn out throughout the book.“I doubt that,” Jake said in a tone she’d never heard from him before.Yes, never had she heard that tone from him in all of one day that she knew him.He didn’t know how or when it had happened, but he’d come to rely on a daily fix of alone-time with Beth.Yes, he'd come to rely on a daily fix of alone-time with Beth of which he'd had TWO - because that's how long they've known each other.Now again, that's not to say I didn't like these two, separate or together. There's a good story underneath there somewhere and they had good chemistry, but it's hard to get over the fact that everything felt so forced because she crammed it in less than a week's time. Really, it was only like three or four days and then the end.At times it was verging on ridiculous. Completely unrealistic story line that I think would have me file a restraining order or something against someone who finds out everything about me, runs it all in the paper, then barges into my life uninvited, moves into my home, and I DON'T EVEN KNOW - but Beth is like "oh, well."The dialogue doesn't feel natural, and honestly, almost everything they said felt like info dump. There's so much dialogue! And half the time I was wondering if it's some sort of monologue or are there two people participating in the conversation.And then the ending, rushed like the rest of the book. Bam - everything fixed. I did like that Beth sort of takes control of the situation because Jake, the coward that he is, would never have done it.There are a couple of graphic scenes of sexual nature. I sort of had a hard time figuring out what was happening.And that concludes this review. I don't know what else to say.OH! Beckham and Hugh Grant show up randomly.*** Free copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted so much to rate this book higher, but no.I mean, it's easy to get swayed with oh-my-god-this-is-so-beautiful, but in reality, this story lacked. It's gonna be weird to review it because I really did love it. I just didn't love it.While I thought Ryan was an amazing character - the rawness of what he was going through, the way Marie Hall told his story without saying a word and you pieced it all together and were dreading the moment you heard it all because you knew it was going to be that bad - with all of this, I just couldn't get over how... stereotypical his character was. A bad boy playboy with a broken past. What else is new?Lili, on the other hand, confuzzled me. At first she seems like a strong heroine, but when shit hits the fan (and that's like...90% of the story) she... cries. And cries and cries and cries throughout this whole book.That being said, I liked her because at least she knew when to give up. Even if it was half hearted. There's only so much a person can carry on their shoulders.This is insta-love of a different kind. But it doesn't change the fact that it's still insta-love.The writing is simple. A little too simple maybe, but I didn't mind.What really bothered me was that there are so many unnecessary things in this book. Some editing would have fixed that, to nip&tuck all the paragraphs that I found myself skimming.Names get confused, some loose ends and inconsistencies, questions left unanswered.There are a couple of really awkward time jumps. The author crammed a whole year into the story using the very convenient "one month later", "another month later" jumps that told me it will end where it began rather than had me wonder how it will all play out. I think this is what bothered me the most.The author does deal with the delicate subject with respect, I think, so kudos for that. What happened to Ryan was really horrible and I felt for him so much.I loved Alex! I'm actually looking forward to reading his story. I have no idea who Zoe is, though, I must have missed that.Really, all the characters bring something to the story, except that I felt that Javi was just sort of... there. There wasn't a point to his character other than to show Ryan being nice to him, and how Lili was affected by his autism. And that's it.There are a couple of graphic sex scenes in the book. I thought they were well done and fit the story.I'm going to repeat myself - this story is really beautiful. It tugged at my heartstrings and I really do recommend everyone read it. But sadly, to me, it just wasn't all it could have been.**Free copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, you sneaky, sneaky book, you.I really like Jade Hart's writing (and her heroes. I miss double-oh-super-cool Callan Bliss :( Not much longer...)This was a funny and cute read with an awesome twist that you only figure out shortly before it happens. Obviously, I'm not going to tell you what it is, but it definitely made sense, especially in the light of everything that happens I found myself thinking "oh, I should have seen it sooner" because there were all these little clues.And I liked this book despite struggling with the heroine throughout the story because she knew all along what she wanted, she just made a big deal out of it. Other times, though, I really loved her. She was a strong heroine who had ambitions and dreams and was actually doing something to achieve them.But Liam. Liiiiaaaam. Like I said, I really do like her heroes. They can get pathetically sappy at times, but it somehow works and I was swooning over him. I loved Liam instantly. I was team Liam 6% into the story. Must say that I didn't even mind his slightly stalker-ish behaviour. It wasn't really stalking, was it?It wasn’t just a mortal love, it was a galaxy of love that would last an eternity.So, was it insta-love? Yes and no. And that's all I'm saying.I did think these two had great chemistry and really fit together.As with Ocean Kills, I thought the hero's POV came too suddenly, and late into the story. I like to be introduced to my POV characters ASAP, otherwise it just feels like an afterthought.Wow, I think that may be the only complaint I have. Imagine that. I mean, Jade Hart's writing is really good. It's not chick-littish but you're still reading a funny, cute book. Oh and she does those tense scenes so well. The scene when the airplane malfunctioned and started falling was really really good. I almost felt like I was there with them.The supporting characters are good and now that I know what Nikolai's point was, I must say that was well executed! I loved Jos, and I'm looking forward to her own book!There are a couple of graphic sex scenes in this, for those who like to know these things. I thought they were great and fit the story.This book actually took me out of my book slump! So yay for that. I definitely recommend it. I nabbed it for free in the Kindle store, but it's really worth buying it.

Kindle Freebie 26.04.'13

If there's one word I would use to describe Evan Tyler's writing, it's brutal. If you've read A Happy Accident, you'll know why. Things that happen in her stories are realistic and she doesn't conform to your typical HEA. A Happy Accident broke my heart, but so did Block 24, although in a different way.It's not a light read at all - for those who don't get it from the blurb it's partly a story about the Holocaust and Auschwitz - a young prisoner and a Nazi soldier fall in love, and partly a contemporary novel about a not-so-good girl, Natalie, after she gets dumped by her boyfriend, Philip.Actually, that's not the story at all, but it gives you a very loose outline.Everything Natalie does in this book tells you that you should probably hate her guts, but I actually really really liked her character - the evil, conniving, bitchy, scheming person that she is. At times I really felt for her, at other times I wanted to scream at her, but mostly I just loved her.Underneath her hard, mean exterior, there's a sea of insecurities and self-loathing that broke my heart.Adina and Hans's story was also very hard to read - this is not your sweet love story because the circumstances are such that there was just no way for it to be one. Despite that, it really touched me and I was rooting for the two of them so much.There's a whole mystery of why Philip and Natalie's relationship ended, a backstory about Guy and Natalie as well as Natalie's day-to-day scheming against one of her co-workers.The writing is gorgeous, but I'm a fan of Evan Tyler's. It's descriptive, but not overly flowery. All the characters are different, they all bring something to the story and you get to know them all very well.There are a couple of POVs. The story is told in 3rd person POV (yay!).There is also a mildly-graphic sex scene, as well as some not-really-pleasant non-con scenes. They're somehow clinical so you feel pretty detached reading them.Anyways, it's a beautiful story that I think everyone should read. I've been waiting for it for so long, and it didn't disappoint me. Definitely recommended.

If I had to pick out a book to read, it wouldn't have been this one. As usually, with the way I choose my reads, that would have been a mistake, so luckily I got sent an ARC of this to read in exchange for an honest review.This book is not the ugly-cry read, it was more of a silently-weeping-why-is-life-so-unfair? kind of thing for me. I was tearing up throughout because it's just such a heavy subject portrayed in a very touching manner that you just can't but be moved by it.I won't talk about each and every character because it would be too much, but the complex relationships are what made this book for me. Sibling rivalry, a widowed woman torn between motherhood and finally starting to live again, her family who disapproves of her "illicit" relationship, overbearing brother... And it's all handled in a really good way so it never gets over-the-top.For those wondering, there is a bit of romance in there, and I found myself really rooting for Kitty and Reuben to overcome all these obstacles and just be together.When it comes to writing, first I want to get something out of the way. There is so much head hopping in this book. In three paragraphs, you could be in three different characters' heads.I'd like to say it worked, but I'll never say that about head-hopping. I just need a clear POV transition. Still, it didn't annoy me as much as it usually does, and it didn't confuse me much.The language gets a bit flowery, but nothing you can't get over.The children are written very well, their unshaped, naive minds, especially little Mark's view of the world which sometimes made me smile but mostly made me sad. He is one tough little boy and it made this book all the harder to read.The book is also laced with religious talk and this just may be one of the very few times it didn't bother me and it wasn't preachy.However, there was a scene just before the end that I thought was a bit over-the-top and shouldn't have been in there and I can't talk about it because it's spoilerish.Additionally, I have to say that the whole conflict of why Kitty's family was so against Reuben just fell flat for me, but then again, these are the seventies, and I can't really relate to this time period. They all just seemed misogynistic and judgmental to me, for no good reason.There are no graphic sex scenes in this book, but there is just a bit of mildly graphic language. You don't see the "act" but characters think about it.Overall, I liked this book, as hard as it was to read it at times. I'd recommend it for everyone who think they can handle the subject (a little boy suffering from leukemia and his whole family and friends dealing with it).I haven't read M.J. Lawless before, but it seems like she's an erotica writer! This really amazed me, because the book is so far from erotica it shouldn't be anywhere near each other. I'll give her other books a try as well, and see how she writes those, but I do love me a versatile author who can write anything.