I read Bear Necessities first and loved it so of course I wanted to go back to where it all began so I jumped right into this one. Max and Emma (and S...moreI read Bear Necessities first and loved it so of course I wanted to go back to where it all began so I jumped right into this one. Max and Emma (and Simon and Becky) are secondary characters in Bear Necessities so I wanted to see how they got started.
This was a nice, quick read. Perhaps too quick. I wasn't too thrilled when the story ended at 75% on my Kindle and then jumped into excerpts. I don't read excerpts (ever) so I wasn't too happy about that. Especially considering that the first excerpt was for the book I had just stopped reading.
Aside from that little pet peeve of mine, I enjoyed the story. Emma has had a crush on Max since high school. He hardly knew she existed. He comes back to his hometown years later to claim his title of Halle's Pride Alpha. He hears her voice and knows that she is his mate... even before actually seeing her again. Emma owns a trinket shop with her best friend, Becky, who has had a crush on Simon, Max's friend (and Beta) for as long as Emma had hers on Max. Both women consider themselves somewhat plain, not overly glamorous or attractive like other women (hence the name of the store they own). Max is handsome, popular and wanted by most of the single females in the town.
I really enjoyed this. I loved Max, even when he was pushing the Alpha attitude a little far. Emma was trying at times but she was okay. Becky was fine. I adored Simon and can't wait to read his and Becky's story. The story was good. I think the only real issue that I had with the story was how everything just happened so fast. From Max seeing Emma again to their relationship moving at warped speed. There is a witchy ex (of Max) who causes some drama that is resolved rather quickly. The ending was pretty good, considering.
Overall, a good book. I just was a little surprised at how fast everything happened and how accepting everyone was in regards to certain things. I will be reading Becky and Simon's story very soon.(less)
Not a bad story but seriously WAY too short. Things were really rush, rush and I felt like I missed out on a lot. As soon as I felt it was starting to...moreNot a bad story but seriously WAY too short. Things were really rush, rush and I felt like I missed out on a lot. As soon as I felt it was starting to get good, it ended at 83% on my Kindle. Also, for Becky to go from her shyness when it came to Simon to just accepting and jumping right into everything was a bit much.
I will continue to read this series but I am really glad that I read Bear Necessities first. Otherwise this would have had me stopping after this one. I want to continue reading about the characters that are secondary in that one so I will keep going.(less)
I love opposites attract stories. Zane and Ty are about as opposite as you can get.
There is a series of gruesome murders in the Tri-State area and Zan...moreI love opposites attract stories. Zane and Ty are about as opposite as you can get.
There is a series of gruesome murders in the Tri-State area and Zane and Ty are brought in to partner up in hopes of finding the killer. Zane is a straight-laced, by the book FBI agent, whereas Ty is about as far away from straight-laced and by the book as one can get. Each one is brought in for a specific purpose because of their past history with the FBI and because of their individual pasts in general.
The road to discovering who the serial killer is involves a lot of violence and frustration. Not only for the two main characters but for the reader as well. Every time I thought that one thing was going to happen, the authors threw me for a loop and something totally different did. That is a good thing. This book was anything but predictable. I love a book that keeps me guessing and this one definitely fit the bill (view spoiler)[with the exception of who the killer was anyway....... I hate that that particular part was so easily figured out (hide spoiler)]. Ty is one of the biggest jerks I've ever seen in a book. Normally that would turn me off. In Ty's case? I totally loved him and the reasoning for his behavior somewhat explained his attitude. Zane is not who he appears to be. Learning his story was heartbreaking at times but it did explain a few things that I couldn't quite grasp early on. There are some things that I hope to discover about both characters as I continue on with the series.
Ty and Zane's relationship is complicated and I am not just referring to their jobs as FBI agents. Their relationship is not what I would consider candlelight and roses. There is a lot of back and forth between the two and you wonder at times how in the hell they could tolerate each other for long periods of time without killing each other. Which is exactly why I think I loved this book so much. It is much different from what I normally read and I am thankful for that. There is no insta-love (thank God!) or insta-sex. They initially hate each other so it takes awhile for each to admit attraction much less anything else. That was a pleasure to read. I had no clue how they were going to work but they did. It is a long road to get there but they do get there eventually.
(view spoiler)[The killer was entirely too predictable. I kept hoping I was wrong in my assumption throughout the book in regards to his identity but I wasn't. The authors make a point toward the end to throw the reader off a bit by having Henninger being found in the parking garage looking bloody and beat up. For a second there... and I'm sure that was the entire point... I was thinking that I had been way off in my thinking. While I knew who it was pretty much without any doubt, I love how the story played out. I still don't understand WHY Henninger killed all those people. A couple of things are thrown in in regards to why he may have done it but I wasn't clear on his actual motive. I kind of had an issue with Ty when he and Zane reconnected again also. I got over that for the most part. (hide spoiler)]
I read a lot of m/m books but I have put off reading this series up until now. I do not like series that focus on the same couple throughout. I want my happy ending after the first book. But in this case, I am eager to get started on the second in the series. I am not ready to be done with Ty and Zane just yet. This was an excellent read. I believe I knew only after a few chapters that it was going to be 5 stars for me and that it would end up on my favorites shelf. I am told that I am stingy with 5 star ratings so I guess that says something.
Excellent start to a series. I can't wait to get started on the next one.(less)
After reading the other reviews on here, I almost feel bad about giving this book one star but I really, really did not like it. If you are looking fo...moreAfter reading the other reviews on here, I almost feel bad about giving this book one star but I really, really did not like it. If you are looking for a book with any type of substance, this is not it.
I normally like the friends to lovers stories. This one, not so much. Dylan was a jerk. Kayla was an airhead. The other cast of characters added nothing to the story. I understand the main point of the story was more about sex than the actual relationship, but the sex wasn't even good, even though there was a lot of it.
It's doubtful that I will be reading the rest of this series.(less)
The story was okay. The characters were okay, I guess. But in my opinion, there was just WAY too much sex for the book to be as long as it was. I enjo...moreThe story was okay. The characters were okay, I guess. But in my opinion, there was just WAY too much sex for the book to be as long as it was. I enjoy reading these types of stories, but when you get to a point where you are just scrolling from page to page (ebook) just to get to something other than sex, then you know it's too much. I'm not sure if I will read the rest of the series.(less)
**spoiler alert** While I really liked this story (obviously or I wouldn't give it 4 stars) there are a few things I had issues with.
1. Owen has never...more**spoiler alert** While I really liked this story (obviously or I wouldn't give it 4 stars) there are a few things I had issues with.
1. Owen has never been with a man before and he has sex with Taylor in the bathroom on the plane. Hmm.. no prep? At all? Ever? Even when they do it in a real bed?
2. Owen is too shy to discuss his feelings with Taylor but yet in the bedroom he isn't shy at all. Leather? Chaps? A freakin' collar? Remember... Taylor is the only man he's ever been with.
3. Jenna the ex and staying with her and their daughter. Owen had to hide to place a phone call to Taylor and then was having to dial his own phone number afterward to keep Jenna from hitting redial to see who he was talking to because he was using her home phone. Well, it's obvious that Owen has a cell phone as it is mentioned many times throughout the book about how he and his daughter text back and forth. So calling Taylor on his cell was out of the question? And seriously... what business is it of his ex wife? They've been divorced for a year. Jenna came across as a total controlling bitch but yet when Owen comes out to her she's pretty much okay with it? She's a total witch about everything else but it's just dandy that Owen is in love with a man?
4. The story seemed a little rushed. I love how Taylor and Owen met at the airport. I enjoyed watching them finally come together as a couple. BUT.... the back and forth to the bathroom (each time they flew) seemed to be a bit much. Not a whole lot of communication between the two unless it was in regards to getting each other off.
5. This is my biggest peeve with this book........... Owen's fantasies. They got old and quite annoying pretty fast. I wanted to skip over them but I didn't.
I really did like everything else about the book. It was a nice love story and it was pretty cool how they met and got together. I know this is the first in a series so I am going keep reading and hope to see Taylor and Owen in future books. I want to see where they go from here.(less)
I will start right off by saying that I probably should not have read this book. I did not like the first in the series, Diving In Deep at all. Actual...moreI will start right off by saying that I probably should not have read this book. I did not like the first in the series, Diving In Deep at all. Actually, the two mains in that book, Noah and Cameron, will probably go down in my m/m reading history as one of my least liked couples ever. But there is another series by this author that I read where I couldn't stand the first book but loved the second one so I went into this hoping that would be the case again. It wasn't. Not even close. Normally I love when characters from the previous book are introduced in the others. I obviously did not like revisiting with Noah and Cameron and of course they were in this book quite a bit. But I could get over that and I did.
I loved Joey. Everything about him. I don't remember him much from the first book (he's Noah's ex) so I didn't go into this one with my mind already made up about him. I got a kick out of his silliness and the fact that he was such a klutz. Though the instances where the klutziness came out were never his fault that I saw. Joey has been in 10 different relationships, each of which he walked away from before he could get hurt. He didn't just walk away. He left the area completely, usually ending up in another state. From what I saw, he probably should have moved a few states away from Noah as well but that's just me. And later on from Aaron too.
Joey meets Aaron (a paramedic) when Joey stops to help victims of a car accident. Aaron is an ass right off the bat. His personality did not improve as the story went on. Because of his family's past, Aaron is against social services and all who work for them which causes problems because Joey works as a social worker for the organization that Aaron despises.
This was basically a sex-fest. If it wasn't on every page it was every other one. You know, I have no problem at all reading sex scenes but when sex is used as an excuse to not address issues...... and it's done constantly..... it gets old pretty quick.
Also, the relationship didn't work for me. The author tried to make it where Joey was the bad guy with any issues that arose in the relationship but what I saw was Aaron being critical and mean. Hateful is the word that comes to mind. And what does Joey do? Blame himself for Aaron's attitude and not stand up for himself. In the real world Joey is the type of person I would say "Run, run, far, far away from this bastard..." to. I saw no redeeming qualities at all in Aaron and I did look. He raised his siblings but didn't do a good job in teaching them morals (view spoiler)[He taught them how to hustle people in pool. Seriously??? (hide spoiler)].
I tried to like this. I really did. But I obviously didn't. I saw Joey as too good of a character to be stuck with a bastard like Aaron. But that's just me.(less)
Brodie is dumped literally minutes after he boards a cruise ship and leaves him to it alone. Julian is on the cruise with a witchy girlfriend who make...moreBrodie is dumped literally minutes after he boards a cruise ship and leaves him to it alone. Julian is on the cruise with a witchy girlfriend who makes his life hell. Instant attraction between Brodie and Julian though neither has ever been with another man before.
A lot of reviewers have complained about how most of the women are portrayed. Amelia, for one. She is Julian's girlfriend. Yes, she is a total bitch. But seriously... how would the story have been had she been all warm and fuzzy and accepting? There would not have been much of a story. She made it interesting. Not to mention that if Amelia was this wonderful woman the cheating angle would have had me stop reading it immediately. It was much easier to accept with Amelia being such a bitch. I'm not saying it is RIGHT, just that I could read it without getting all angry because of the way Amelia was. And then there is Melanie, Brodie's absent girlfriend. Had she NOT been the way she was Brodie would not have been left alone on the cruise. I actually had no problem with either character. Amelia was comic relief for me though I don't think she was meant to be written that way. Also, I read A LOT and most of the books that I have personally read have the women all sweet and accepting and blah, blah, blah. It was good to see them in a different light for a change. Yes, I'm female and no, I would not want every book I read to have women written like this but this was perfect for this particular story, in my opinion.
Now to the actual story. I really liked it BUT...... for two guys who have never had sex with men before Brodie and Julian are going at it constantly. Granted, that is the point of the book but still. It got tiring after awhile. I agree with one reviewer who made the comment that there are simply too many details in some places. The running thing was described in detail. Their breakfast, lunch and dinner and each drink each man had during the entire cruise were described in detail. The clothes they wore, also described in detail. It also got tiring after awhile though I did not let it detract with how I felt about the story.
I enjoyed watching Brodie and Julian get to know each other. Their instant attraction was pretty hot. The insta-love thing was a little much but after awhile it didn't seem like it had only been a few days. Overall, a good love story. Just a good story in general.(less)
Really nice short story with Finn and Rowan celebrating their first Christmas together as a couple. I loved "Letting In The Light" so I was eager to r...moreReally nice short story with Finn and Rowan celebrating their first Christmas together as a couple. I loved "Letting In The Light" so I was eager to read this immediately after I finished it. I would love to see how this couple continues to grow.
This is a very difficult book to review. It's long and so much happens that trying to summarize it would be impossible. Jensen is a sad, lonely child...moreThis is a very difficult book to review. It's long and so much happens that trying to summarize it would be impossible. Jensen is a sad, lonely child with no friends. There is something about him that puts people off. He also has special abilities that he is unable to control. As he gets older, this becomes a huge problem in his household. Jared is a teenager who meets Jensen when Jensen becomes his piano tutor. For once in his life, Jensen has a friend. But there is so much more than that. There is a connection between both boys that cannot be explained. It just is.
This book takes place over a period of years with some devastating events occurring in between. I fell in love with Jensen immediately. He is stuck with a unique ability that makes him different. His parents are unable to deal with him and what he can do and they make his life a living hell. I don't remember ever hating a mother as much as I did Jensen's. His dad was not quite as bad but he was the one who made the ultimate decision to do something that destroyed Jensen's world so I did not like him at all either. There are no words to describe what I was feeling when I read some of the horrible things that his mother forced her son to endure. This is an emotional roller coaster. I found myself with tears in my eyes so many times that I lost count.
A lot happens in this book between Jensen and Jared but I won't list it all here. It's just too much. Suffice it to say that they both must overcome a lot in order to someday be together. It takes awhile for it to happen but it does happen.
This is an excellently written book and immediately jumped on my all-time favorites list.
I've had this trilogy on my Kindle for months but in the back of my mind I'm not sure I really had any intention of reading it. While the story looked...moreI've had this trilogy on my Kindle for months but in the back of my mind I'm not sure I really had any intention of reading it. While the story looked okay, it is so far from what I normally read that it stayed a constant maybe or someday. I admit that my hesitation was due to the fact that 99% of all books that I've read that have had the popularity and hype that this one has had have simply not been that great to me (as much as I would love to list examples I will refrain). The choice was taken away from me recently when it was chosen for me in a pick-it-for-me challenge in a group that I'm in on here. I'm glad it was. It was a pretty good book.
I'm not going to go into a long, drawn-out review of this. I admit to enjoying it much more than I thought I would. I can't say that I was a huge fan of the main female character, Katniss, but the story is written quite well considering that this is about 24 kids who have to fight to their deaths until there is only one standing. The author did not pull any punches when it came to the action and the killings. I was very impressed with that and the amount of suspense throughout the book. I never knew what would happen next.
Overall, a really good start to the series. I am sure at some point I will read the others just to see how it all plays out. There were a couple of things that really bugged me so I'm unable to give it 5 stars, but it was still an enjoyable read.
A big thanks to Emily for picking it for me.(less)
Anyone who has read any of my reviews knows that I am hesitant to read anything based in the south, especially Alabama as it is the state I l...more4.5 stars
Anyone who has read any of my reviews knows that I am hesitant to read anything based in the south, especially Alabama as it is the state I live in (born and raised). Very rarely does an author get the dialogue right. One of my biggest pet peeves is southern speak. As I have said many MANY times, it's fine to hear it but not to see it in a book because it comes across as making the characters look stupid. Thankfully that is not the case in this book. The author may have based the story in a small Alabama town but in no way did she make us seem slow or backwards.
With that being said, I will say that I seriously enjoyed this book. Michael is back in his small Alabama hometown after recently being discharged from the military after experiencing a tragic experience in Iraq. The experience left him with PTSD that leaves him terrified of open spaces and with some hearing loss. His sister picks him up from the airport and takes her back to her place where he meets Jay as well as a host of other characters. There is instant attraction between Michael and Jay though no one knows that Michael is gay. He has only recently admitted it to himself. It was a pleasure watching Michael and Jay find their way together. Jay is the ultimate character. Michael suffers panic attacks as a result of his PTSD and Jay is calm and supportive and helps him through them. It doesn't take long for the two of them to get together and the relationship happens rather quickly but it did not seem rushed to me at all.
The secondary characters were also good though the sister got rather annoying at times because she treated Michael more like a child than the adult that he is. I loved their mother. I was expecting some homophobia especially considering the setting of the book. There was some (mainly by one individual) but the book wasn't completely saturated with it. There are a few scenes that got me a little teary as was expected considering the subject.
Overall a really good story. Thanks to the author for offering this free. I look forward to reading the second one.
To me, this is more of an introduction. Bran's story is told well but almost the entire length of the book is describing everyone else around...more3.5 stars
To me, this is more of an introduction. Bran's story is told well but almost the entire length of the book is describing everyone else around him. Sure it is told from his point of view but (as another reviewer mentioned) most of what Bran did was observe. I've also read where someone said that there is quite a bit of sex in this. Maybe what I normally read is total smut but I did not find that to be the case at all. There are sexual situations throughout the book but I did not find them to be excessive.
I adored Bran, a sex slave. I felt total sympathy for everything the poor kid went through. He had had two masters who were abusive. He had run away one time too many so he was sold to Holden and Alix, also known as the Slave Breakers. They were to take him to their home to be trained and then sold to another master. I will say right off that I could not stand Holden or Alix from the get-go. I tried. I really did. The same applied to their daughter, Valor. Yves, I loved. He was perfect. (view spoiler)[Maybe it's just that I had a hard time dealing with the entire sex slave lifestyle that is described in the book but I felt that Holden was very condescending to Bran. Yes, he is the master and nowhere near as cruel as Bran's previous one, but every time I started thinking that he might be a decent guy he did something that changed that....like slapping Bran in the face or talking down to him or downplaying Bran's feelings for him. This is supposed to be about Bran and Holden but I never saw... nor felt... any kind of love from Holden at all. It was totally one-sided. Another thing that bugged me........ Bran ran away from Holden. They had their "talk" when Bran was found... then nothing. The next page jumps ahead several weeks. What happened once Bran got home? Suddenly Bran and Jer were friendly and Bran's shyness had completely disappeared. Considering that his shyness was the main part of who Bran was, I would have liked to have seen him come out of his shell. I felt robbed when it went from Holden picking him up after he ran way to several weeks later. (hide spoiler)]
I had a difficult time keeping up with who was who at times because so many different characters and previous slaves and previous lovers, etc. kept appearing and a couple of the back stories were confusing as hell. Once I got them figured out, it was fine. It just took me a bit to get there.
In spite of all of that, I really did enjoy this. This is a good beginning (introduction, as I said) to what I am sure will be a very good series. My rating and review will possibly change as I read the others in the series. I am glad to see that Bran and Holden will be in the others quite a bit. I really need to see more interaction between the two before I can really form an opinion on the two of them as a whole.
Good story. I will definitely be jumping into the second one soon.
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