There is a lot I could complain about with this book, but I was still strangely entertained by it all. I also think the fact that it was an audiobook There is a lot I could complain about with this book, but I was still strangely entertained by it all. I also think the fact that it was an audiobook made me enjoy it more than if I had read a paper copy - the narrator was great and really brought the MC to life. As if she was telling me her story.
But man, the romance. *pokes out eyeballs*. First, I'm sorry but that was totally Stockholm Syndrome. Or at least it started that way, which creeped me out more than it made me swoon. This dude is forcing you to bring his criminal ass back to civilization so he can run from the cops, but you fall for his charms because he's hot? Eh, okay.. But anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself. So this book starts out like your average horror movie - girls get stuck in a storm and walk into this strangers' cabin only to find out they're not exactly as friendly as you had made them out to be. Obviously, it's not the most original of plots, yet I found myself compelled by it all. I enjoy survivalist stories, which this one turned out to be, and it had me curious as to how it would all turn out. And like I said, the lively audiobook narrator made it entertaining!
Britt, the main character, I have very mixed feelings for. I didn't like her, really, but I didn't exactly hate her either. She's resourceful and with enough balls to take risks - she doesn't just cower in a corner as a helpless victim. She's also strong and smart when it comes to knowing how to survive in the wild (or at least she seemed to be from someone who has no clue about hiking). So I admired these qualities in her. On the other hand, she can be awfully oblivious and this frustrated me on a regular basis. Like I mentioned, the romance is just strange, and when she's not swooning over her captor, she's reminiscing about her jerk of an ex boyfriend who cheated on her. Plus, it becomes so clear who the "bad guy" in this story really is, and I wanted to slap her for being so blind to it all. For automatically blaming the wrong person and not putting 2+2 together. I mean come on! Maybe I'm just tuned-in to the obvious because I've read about a million mystery books, but I found it terribly predictable.
Due to this predictability, the plot was not as thrilling or exciting as it could have been. The tension is missing for the most part, and there isn't anything especially shocking. The story is also told with the help of regular flashbacks, during which we learn of her past relationship with Calvin and what he meant to her. Instead of coming to understand her admiration for him, however, it only cemented my opinion that this guy is a complete ass. She keeps believing that these "bad boys" have a heart of gold somewhere hidden inside and that just made me sad, to be honest. She wants her knight in shining armor, a guy that will take care of her and protect her - save her from herself, maybe? Bleh. Though to be fair, she also chose badly when it came to best friends. Her "BFF" is a bitch who keeps up a journal listing the ways in which she's better than Britt O_o
I'm aware that this review contains mostly complaints. And this book is far from being perfect, but even with all its faults I was always happy to be getting back to the book; it compelled me despite it all. I also did like the ending. I liked that they gave it time and didn't expect their love to heal all. So overall I found it was 3-star worthy!
-- An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
Ok so, I was all about ready to rate this book a 4-star, and then I learn this is actually the finale. Wait, what? Ok let's rewind a bit. As a sequel,Ok so, I was all about ready to rate this book a 4-star, and then I learn this is actually the finale. Wait, what? Ok let's rewind a bit. As a sequel, it's actually pretty darn good with some intriguing developments in the plot, and we get to see more about how survivors turned evil in the midst of the apocalypse. But then I finish the book, look up on Goodreads, and see that this is actually a duology. Whoa! No! This did not feel like a finale at all. The blunt ending is now especially crappy knowing that this is it... I am now very much disappointed. Booo! Buuut, I did enjoy being horrified while reading this, so I do give it that credit.
I seriously read this whole book as a middle-book. And if it was a middle book I would be praising it. I particularly loved the writing and the atmosphere she crafted of this post-apocalyptic story - as I did in book 1. The grim, violent world that Amy now has to live in is terrifying. We finally arrive at what you hope is a safe haven, only to learn of how unsafe is actually is. It just harbors a different kind of danger. Instead of flesh-eating monsters, we've got a walled-in society ruled by criminals. Literally - it's a prison-turned-fort. I do love how realistic this world building is. I wholeheartedly believe that if the end of the world would come, a lot of people would lose their humanity and fight like savages just to survive. With no laws, no government, and people with nothing left to lose, I'm not sure who I would be more afraid of - the monsters, or the men. I think the cruel world that Demitria has portrayed here is realistic under its harsh circumstances, which makes this series all the more compelling, and especially frightening. This sequel shows us more of this brutal world as Amy travels to Fort Black to find the one person who can help her save Baby.
This is essentially the whole plot of this novel - rescuing Baby from evil scientists. Being a mother, this storyline hit me head on, emotionally, and I could really feel Amy's desperation. I completely understood her willingness to do whatever it took to save her sister. It also shows how values are put to the test when we're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Most of the book, however, is spent at Fort Black trying to find the man who can help her. While there, at Fort Black, Amy finds out more secrets behind the virus and the scientists' search for a vaccine. We also meet a new love interest (though the romance has a pretty minor role in this series), as well as some key players in this whole conspiracy. Even though we do learn a lot in this aspect, I did find the pacing could have been tighter overall. The plot drags for a while, halted by reckless decisions stemming from her stubborn nature which, although admirable (who wants to act as a "claimed woman"?), only turned her into a huge target. She could have went about this in a smarter, more efficient way. Still, I love her determination and independence throughout. When you look back to the beginning of this series, you can see how much she has grown into this strong, take-no-shit survivor. But anyways, back to the pacing, after Fort Black, all of a sudden it's this sort of race to the end where everything seems to happen at once - and without a hitch, it seems - which would not be so bad for a middle-book, but as a conclusion it definitely lacked a decent climax.
While I was all ready to give this novel 4 stars, that was when I expected there to be another installment after this. As a conclusion, In the End falls short and leaves me quite underwhelmed. Many aspects of this ending - from the romance to the fall of the villain - left me disappointed. I will keep hoping that there will eventually be a 3rd book to give us more closure than whatever this was.
What a refreshing story. Even though it may have a lot of the same general elements as many New Adult novels - a protagonist with a rough upbringing wWhat a refreshing story. Even though it may have a lot of the same general elements as many New Adult novels - a protagonist with a rough upbringing who's inexperienced in romance and meets this drop dead gorgeous guy that sweeps her off her feet - I found this one still had a lot of originality to offer. The whole erotic photography scene is new and pretty fascinating if you ask me. As a web designer, I admit to never thinking about the people on the stock images that I've worked with. Even those used on book covers; do you ever consider the kind of people they are and the kind of life they lead? They're just book character personas to most of us. In Tragic, this is the job that Rook literally stumbles in without having any idea what she's getting herself into, but desperately needing work and money.
I took to Rook immediately. She's the kind of person who does what needs to be done, but stays smart about it. I like how real she is; confident, bold, with an obvious harsh past, but not overly cold or depressed as a result. She's scarred from her last relationship, sure, but she's also wanting to move on, not be controlled by it. She's not perfect by any means, she jumps to conclusions sometimes and gets a little difficult towards the end, but it's easy to see where she's coming from. I don't easily trust people either so I could relate.
Rook and Ronin make up the dual POV narration of this novel. Ronin is… well I wasn't sure what to make of him at first. He kind of comes on strong. I mean the guy just barges into her apartment, and of course she's sleeping naked. It didn't take too long for me to see the good side of him, though. He's very charming which helped, but he also obviously cares about the modeling girls and he sees Rook for who she really is. I especially loved the creativity of the the hot scenes between these two. Being set in an erotic photography studio gave a lot for opportunity for some unique, incredibly sexy scenes, while still keeping it realistic in a modeling standpoint. Their attraction was obvious from the start, making it all the more natural, all the more passionate. Their relationship does grow at a fast pace, but it's well supported with off-the-wall chemistry that just flows off the pages. There is a lack of conflict that's kind of bittersweet. On the one hand it's refreshing to not have intense drama, but on the other, there is no intense drama. Am I difficult to please? :)
This book does feel like an introduction - to the characters, the romance, the modeling/photography scene. Even the ending is more of a "to be continued", where their relationship, Rook's future, and everything else is left uncertain. I do like the idea of the next project Rook signed up for, though. I also already like Spencer and curious to learn more about him. This book is definitely very character oriented and very sexy, but it doesn't use sex to keep the story going. Actually this novel is very minimalist when it comes to sex scenes compared to other New Adult novels. By the reviews I've seen, this is just the beginning of a epic series to come!
A note on the audiobook: I loved that it had two narrators and both are fantastic. Ronin has an especially sexy voice that made his character even hotter. I would definitely recommend that format if you're into audiobooks. Too bad that only book 1 is available so far, though.
This was the perfect book to listen to on my way back from a 9 hour road trip. Its sarcastic protagonist, chariMurders, Grim Reapers, Scythes! Oh my!
This was the perfect book to listen to on my way back from a 9 hour road trip. Its sarcastic protagonist, charismatic secondary characters, and entertaining plot made the drive feel like 30 minutes. Ok maybe a couple hours. But still.
Lex used to be a perfectly good student, except lately she's been a bit of a delinquent. This is what gets her shipped to her uncle Mort's place in a bizarre small town of population 80. This is also where she learns who, or what, she really is: a grim reaper. Grim reaper books have always been a favorite of mine and I loved what Gina did with this one, especially with the constant humorous tone. She's created a whole reaper world with hierarchies and distinct reaper roles that I found so imaginative. There's Killing, Culling, the Afterlife, the spiders *shudders*; each aspect of this world building is surprisingly intricate. Some of it is cheesy, I admit, - the presidents in the Afterlife bit especially - but it is amusing which, I believe, is the purpose of this book as a whole. In the midst of all the Killing, there is also someone (or something) murdering Reapers which adds a suspenseful mystery to the story. This part is more predictable than I was hoping, but it did work to put some emotional depth to the novel. When a character dies or gets targeted by this unknown killer, it stings a little! I also liked how Gina dealt with the topic of death; she doesn't let the dark humor go too far.
The plot is entertaining, the pacing could have been a little faster for my taste, but what really stands out in this book are the characters we meet. Lex's sarcastic, violent nature will have you chuckle and snort throughout. Though she's also intelligent as well as thoughtful. She's the anti-heroine we all love to root for! Uncle Mort will also be a fan favorite with his compelling personality coupled with a badass demeanor. Then Lex has a partner, Driggs; the two, mostly through bickering, develop a quirky relationship that I enjoyed seeing grow and evolve as the book progressed. There's also a hint of romance, of course, and it's as sweet as it is awkward - a perfect fit for this book! Really though, each and every citizen in this town adds their own dash of crazy to this story.
A note on the audiobook: the narrator imitated Lex flawlessly. Her voice was perfect for her character. However, I did find her inflections over the top at times. Like, she would sometimes end sentences in an exaggerating manner as you would when reading to a child.
Full of laughter and witty personalities, Croak is the perfect read to brighten a gloomy day!
Am I maybe getting tired of New Adult a bit? Although I don't feel I've read that many, I did read the top of the crop first. Ten Tiny Breaths was farAm I maybe getting tired of New Adult a bit? Although I don't feel I've read that many, I did read the top of the crop first. Ten Tiny Breaths was far from a bad book, I just can't say it's one of my favorites. The main - and really only - problem was that I got bored with the storyline that seemed to go nowhere for a while.
One thing to note in this New Adult novel is how the setting is not at college - or at any school - like most. Kacey is skipping college to be able to take care of her little sister after her parents died in a car accident. I found this gave a fresh standpoint; Kacey needs to become completely independent, if not for herself then for her sister. I loved this girl instantly. Kacey comes off as a hard shell but she didn't fool me; she can take care of herself and is a far cry from a damsel in distress, but she uses her tough, sarcastic attitude to hide her pain. The shabby apartment she found is turned into a surprisingly cozy home that quickly fills with great secondary characters. There's the hot neighbor for one. Then there's Storm... Another neighbor of theirs, Storm shows up with her daughter and porn star body in tow and weaves herself into Kacey's life. She's initially portrayed as a flighty stripper, but ends up becoming an important and solid player in this book. Storm's daughter, Mia, is just the cherry on top of this unorthodox family.
The romance in the book took a bit to convince me, especially when I looked at it from Kacey's point of view. For someone so emotionally withdrawn, she fell for Trent's charm very easily - and continually. Furthermore, Trent was leaning especially close to creepy stalker for a while, sitting in a club staring at her on a nightly basis. I don't know if this was supposed to make me swoon but I didn't find it especially appealing. At least they do have great chemistry which made their interactions fun to read nonetheless. And it did grow on me, whereas by the end I was completely invested in this frustrating relationship. *shrugs* What can I say?
My problems with this novel lay in the plot itself. I did love the stages of grief approach, and I was really enjoying the book during the first part, but then I realized I was thoroughly bored of waiting for something - anything - to unfold. Most of the book is used as a dramatic foreboding for an impending mental breakdown that we all know is coming. It felt like Kacey's behavior and inner musings were mostly used to make what's coming as tragic as possible. Even though there are fantastic characters to give the book a lot of liveliness, I still had the urge to press fast-forward on this audiobook at times. Once the lull is over, however, and even though I had predicted the twist chapters ago, the last part is so powerfully moving it makes it worth the wait. I was broken by Kacey's situation. Her grief bleeds through so much it's hard to bear. Some parts and reactions are a little extreme but I let that pass for how much emotional depth was put into it. If I have to believe it, at least let me feel it!
Ten Tiny Breaths is emotionally poignant and filled with animated characters that are easy to adore. The audiobook narrator was also great. I wish it would have kept my interest more towards the middle, but that aside, it's a beautiful, heartbreaking story.
-- An audiobook was provided by the publisher for review.
Within the first 5 minutes of this audiobook I was sure I'd made a very bad decision. The narrator was so extremely into conveying what she was hearinWithin the first 5 minutes of this audiobook I was sure I'd made a very bad decision. The narrator was so extremely into conveying what she was hearing next door that I closed my window fearing the neighbors would hear what I'm sure sounded like crazy sexcapades. But then the meowing started, and I almost peed my pants! Yep - you have my heart if you can make me laugh!
Wallbanger is, well, about a wall banger <-- some genius deductions at work! Caroline who has just moved to this new apartment is quickly finding out that her neighbor is a little... this guy can make a girl meow, that's all I'm saying! This book is more a comedy than erotica, though. I mean we hear some craziness going on next door and we get some hot scenes eventually but the whole book is a serious case of comedic sexual tension. With Caroline's loud personality and Simon's sense of humor, there is a lot of entertainment stemming from their relationship, not to mention through the rough chemistry, but you have to have patience. A lot of patience. Which I don't really have. The characters are well fleshed out with definite striking personalities - even the side characters had me smirking. So it's a fun ride to see them meet, make fun of each others' business, flirt, tease - which is followed by more teasing, more flirting, more teasing, etc, etc. Eventually I realized I'd lost some interest. Now I will admit that adult romances are not my forte, so I'm not especially surprised that I enjoyed this less than those who drool on this genre, however it was still a good audiobook. Actually I think the audio made this book even funnier because the narrator was amazing with all of her hilarious sound effects. Not one I'd listen to without ear-buds, but I'm pretty sure I liked this more on audio than I would have otherwise.
To get back to the main character for a minute, Caroline has a little trouble with her O lately. Well - it's gone. She's come to think of this lost O as its own character. She talks to it, we see her plead and get pissed at it. This was pretty funny at the beginning because just realizing she was talking to her O like it was a person made me giggle. She even calls it a bitch at one point, but aside from those few funny bits I mostly found it cheesy. Like forced humor. Or maybe I've been desensitized from Sex and the City? I did, though, love Caroline's cat! This little fella is adorable and all kinds of crazy for Purina (the meowing sex lady- duh!)! I think this was a nice touch to the book - he even gets his own POV for a chapter at the end which is hilarious!
While I did enjoy this book for the most part - some I even loved - I simply was not the right genre reader for it. Wallbanger does have a lot of heart, a swoony guy, and a happy ending - all the makings of an instant hit for any adult romance fanatic!
-- An audiobook was provided by the publisher for review.
I was a big fan of Obsidian when I read it way back, but this was my first foray into Armentrout's more adult works as J.Lynn, and wowza! If you thougI was a big fan of Obsidian when I read it way back, but this was my first foray into Armentrout's more adult works as J.Lynn, and wowza! If you thought Obsidian was full of chemistry and sexual tension you ain't seen nothing yet!
Before there can be great chemistry, we have to have great characters; J.Lynn delivers! When we meet Avery we know that something pretty terrible has happened. Among other signs, she's cut herself off from her past, including her family, but we don't know exactly what or what it all entails for a while. Albeit it's not incredibly hard to guess most of it, it still makes her a bit of a mysterious tragedy which I always enjoy in character arcs. I immediately liked her, too. She's real genuine with a great sense of humour, a smart head on her shoulders, and she has the same quirk as me about never ever wanting to be late or it's like the end of the world. Plus, she totally plowed into a hot guy on chapter 1 and then ran away like she was being chased by the devil. She's my new BFF!
The guy in question is none other than sex-on-a-stick gorgeous, Cameron Hamilton. It may be your cliché "hottest guy ever who has fuck buddies but now wants to settle down after meeting protagonist" story, but for once I simply didn't care. This book is so addicting, the characters so obscenely compelling - bring on all of the clichés! Me likey! There is absolutely no lack of chemistry, no shortage of passion, and just the right amount of conflict to make us devour every single page. Cameron and Avery don't quite…. get along at first. Avery not really believing that he's for real. It's not that she plays hard to get, but rather she respects herself enough to not want to be someone's game. (Another reason to love her!) Cameron, however, will do what it takes to prove himself to her. This is the foundation for plenty of amusing scenes, dialogue that cracked me up, and, as you can expect, tons of charm.
There's also some darkness that intrudes on this romance. We slowly learn of Avery's secrets after seeing her work through internal struggles from self blame to shame as well as a lot of anger. Even though tragic pasts are nothing new to the NA genre, it's still a deeply moving storyline that offers psychological depth to the story.
With characters that lure you in and a romance that will make you swoon, Wait For You is a hot and emotionally dangerous roller coaster ride without a harness or breaks! I highly recommend it to every romantic at heart!
-- A copy was provided by the publisher for review.
Don't let my 3 stars sway you against this one. How to Love is a pretty good book for many reasons. First it touches on a subject I personally have noDon't let my 3 stars sway you against this one. How to Love is a pretty good book for many reasons. First it touches on a subject I personally have not often come across in books - teen pregnancy. I found this was handled realistically and fairly. I also really enjoyed the way it was told in past and present perspectives, allowing us to slowly unravel the messy, emotionally conflicting details of Reena's relationship with the father of her child - Sawyer. We learn how it started, but most importantly how much it has changed. How much they both have changed. On that note, the reason I did not love this book despite finding it otherwise engaging: Sawyer LeGrande!
To be frank. Sawyer LeGrande is an ass. Since the story alternates from past to present, we're treated to his "lovely" personality from when he was first with Reena. To be fair he was not in a good place in his life, and he very much changed in the "present" perspective which makes up for it, some. Nevertheless, I had a very hard time forgiving his behavior from the past. Maybe a tiny bit because of my own somewhat similar messed up teenage relationship, but alas, I blocked myself emotionally from this guy long before we were meant to find him redeemable.
Reena, however, I loved. I found her mature beyond her years - likely due to her having to raise a child so young. She's a great mother who owns up to her mistakes; raising a child, getting a job, putting her own dreams on hold to do what needed to be done - no matter how unfair she was being treated by her family. That, alone, is admirable to me. She's got flaws, she's not great at admitting things to herself for one, and she let Sawyer be a jerk to her for way too long. In the end, we all make stupid decisions, we all refuse to let ourselves see people's real sides sometimes. My teen self just very much related to her in spite of it all.
Aside from teen pregnancy, this book tackles drug use, religion, family discordance, betrayal, death - but ultimately, love, romance, and friendship. Since I didn't love Sawyer, the romance fell a bit flat for me. I'm all about second chances, but I think Sawyer had a lot more to make up for, not helped by the fact that Reena gave in to him (both in past and present) much too easily. Evidently, all my problems with this book stem from him. Everything else is what drew me in: the writing, the realism, the family dynamic, the emotional struggles - I also loved every other character. If I had grown to like Sawyer… I can understand the reasons behind the many 5 stars!
-- An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
I think I would have liked this one more if I'd read it. The narrator was just meh. She sounded too old for the character, too.I think I would have liked this one more if I'd read it. The narrator was just meh. She sounded too old for the character, too....more
As my first erotica novel - on audiobook no less - I was a little unsure of what to expect. In the end I'm glad I tried it; it was a pretty good book As my first erotica novel - on audiobook no less - I was a little unsure of what to expect. In the end I'm glad I tried it; it was a pretty good book and the narrator was fantastic. Being an audiobook had me especially concerned, I mean, there were ways this could have been a complete disaster with a lot of giggling on my part and embarrassment for the narrator's sake, but there was none of that. She didn't reenact the sexy scenes with awkward moaning or anything of the sort. It was no different than reading the words off the pages, really. She was great at bringing the character's voice to life, though.
This was a romance through and through, and thus a little out of my comfort zone as adult romances are not something I read very often at all. But I can't say I disliked much of it. I did find the plot was slow moving, concentrating more on Sara's flourishing relationship with Chris. So, as a romance alone it was great. Chemistry between these two is insurmountable. Although I both liked and disliked their relationship, which is odd, I know. On one hand they were everything each other needed, but on the other hand it was all a big control competition. Chris could be a little intense, making it hard to see the good in him, but he wasn't a complete asshole either. I guess I'm saying he's a hard character to decipher. I think it's what makes it hard for Sara to fully lend her trust to him, making her a little testy at times. Chris is not the only man in her life (no worries--no love triangle!). There's also Mark, her boss, who is equally mysterious. He gives off this dangerous vibe but he seems to want what's best for Sara so it's mixed signals all over the place. Intriguing though: he absolutely is! I was also especially curious by Sara's best friend who suddenly runs off to elope some random dude. That whole thing seems bizarre to me so I think something ominous is brewing which could be kind of awesome.
The plot is there in between the romance somewhere. After Sara finds some journals left in a storage units, she becomes privy to a very erotic and… dark relationship by its writer, Rebecca--a mysterious woman who has since disappeared. Sara is set to find her; little does she know that her life is about to intertwine with Rebecca's own. This was very interesting from the get-go--probably my favorite part of the book. What we encounter in these journals is pretty sinister, leading the way for what could be an exciting mystery. However, we barely get anywhere in this particular storyline at all which is disappointing. We do get bits and pieces, but it's barely grazing the surface. When something big does happen, of course it's the cliffhanger! GAH! Being an audiobook I had no notion of how long there was left in the novel, catching me especially off guard; when the ending music started I wanted to cry! I think I even gasped out loud. It was a great cliffhanger for sure, and I secretly love them (when they're well done) so I will, without a doubt, be thinking about it until I can get my hands on the sequel!
If I Were You is scorching hot, dark and mysterious but plot wise it didn't progress enough for the anticipation it built up. Like I said though, this was my first erotica, so… maybe they're not really supposed to have that much plot progression? Dunno. If I rated it purely on the erotica side it would get a 4 (and ok the cliffhanger, too), but as a whole I felt like it wasn't enough.
-- An audiobook was provided by the publisher for review.
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