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Toxic Love

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Future Las Vegas is as crazy as ever—even after toxic gas bombs have poisoned the air and moved the party inside. Hired as an entertainer, Chloe moves from the heartland with big dreams of fame and fortune...until an accident exposes her to the gas, and it's discovered she's genetically immune to the poison. Now Vegas wants her enrolled in a dating program created to encourage immune breeding. Will she opt out and return to the rich ex she left behind? Stay and play for the chance at fame on the stage? Or can a gorgeous scientist who's also immune tempt her heart?

187 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 12, 2014

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About the author

Jax Garren

20 books219 followers
Jax Garren is the author of hot, urban paranormal romance like the Austin Immortals and the Tales of the Underlight. Though descended from Valkyries and Vikings (she’s part Swedish), Jax was raised a small town girl in the Texas Hill Country. She graduated from The University of Texas with a degree in English and a minor in Latin then found her own Happily Ever After with a handsome engineer who is saving the world through clean energy technology. Jax can be found at jaxgarren.com, at facebook.com/JaxGarren or on Twitter as @JCGarren. She loves meeting new people, so online or in person, make sure to give her a Viking “Hail!” adventure, and love.

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5 stars
7 (31%)
4 stars
9 (40%)
3 stars
3 (13%)
2 stars
2 (9%)
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1 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Mskychick.
2,199 reviews
August 3, 2014
Wow. This is pretty wild. It's like the old Choose your Adventure books. You get to pick how you want Chloe to react, you choose that repose, click the link for it, and off the story goes. Fun!!
Profile Image for L.E.Olteano  .
514 reviews68 followers
June 23, 2015
Originally posted on Jan 27 2015 at Butterfly-o-Meter Books:

In a Flutter: Geeky romance reader’s paradise!!
Review
OK, so let’s just call this for what it is, right? Geeky romance reader’s paradise! Bam! Seriously!! A story which gives you choices at multiple points in the story? Resulting in different stories and outcomes?? With the same characters you get to know and enjoy?? Are you kidding me??? This is FABULOUSNESS incarnate!
This was my first time reading this kind of story, and my first experience was uber-awesome. I just kept clicking and going through all version of the story and just loving and loving it some more! I mean, come on!! Reader’s choice in a story? All of them up there, as you read?? Jesus, YES!!! *breathes in deeply*

So, the world of Toxic Love was very interesting, post-apocalyptic Las Vegas if you can picture that (read the story to visit it, I say!), very well contoured and I loved the atmosphere :D Yes, another geek-thing, but you guys are used to me by now, lol! I was fascinated with the whole organization and management of life after the wide poisoning event.

I really liked Chloe, she was smart, had a great sense of humor, felt very authentic and relate-able and the choices she had to make during the story were very interesting. I’ll say this kind of story allows for a lot more of the reader’s personality and priorities to drive the story, though I suspect some of you will geek out on the options like I did and pretty much read all possible versions of the stories, lol. I’m pretty sure I went all ways through those options, haha. That in itself was fun, me as a reader pushing characters in this or that direction… *mwahahahha*
I had a total crush on Chloe and Nick together, they had awesome chemistry and they just clicked for me. I can’t say Eli wasn’t an interesting prospect, I might have liked him and her explored more, lol. Joaquin was… well, odd.

The third person, past tense narrative from his and her (kind of) POV was interesting to follow, or I should say drive, since as a reader you choose the direction of the story. Jax Garren’s writing is awesome, something I knew before giving Toxic Love a shot.

The cover and blurb combo are cool, and the concept of the read draws you in if you’re a bit of a controlling reader, lol. Because Lord knows I’ve huffed and puffed more than once reading some stories, wishing characters would have made other choices, gone other ways… oh yes, you know what I’m talking about, you went through it at least once, I’m positive :P

Anyway, all in all, this is an awesome fiction concept, story concept, a lot of fun to read and navigate and sort of drive as reader, and you should try pick your path/interactive romance at least once, and Toxic Love is an awesome pick for it!
Profile Image for Amie's Book Reviews.
1,503 reviews164 followers
February 21, 2015
TOXIC LOVE
By: Jax Garren

* I received a free copy of this book from www.netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.*

This is a unique book. It is published by SilkWords. "Silkwords is the go-to source for interactive women's fiction."

This book is like the choose-your-own-adventure stories that I remember reading as a kid. The introduction at the beginning of the book describes it best.

"Blurring the line between fiction and gaming, SilkWords offers quality romance and erotica that allows individual readers to choose how stories proceed."

Wow! What a great idea. This is a unique reading experience and one that I highly recommend to everyone.

TOXIC LOVE is a novella about a woman named Chloe Parikh.

The air all across the United States is filled with Tox75, a poison which causes almost instantaneous death. Chloe has not been outside since she was three years old, back when the air was still clean enough to breathe.

Chloe has just moved to Las Vegas from Oklahoma City. She has taken the job of a performer. It took a lot of hard work and effort to obtain a one year visa to work in entertainment in Vegas and Chloe wants to make the visa permanent.

A freak event exposes Chloe to Tox75 and she finds out that she is one of a small number of people who are immune to the toxic air.

When GenFriends finds out about her immunity they offer her a permanent visa. They want her to partner with another immune and make babies. After four babies she can "retire" with a modest income.

Chloe must decide what to do.

It is at this point that readers must choose the direction the story will take. As the story progresses the reader must make more choices.

As a reader it can sometimes be frustrating when a character makes a decision that the reader disagrees with. This book gives the reader all the power.

I absolutely LOVED reading this novella and there was no way I could stop at reading it just once. I had to go back after finishing each version of the story & make different choices just to see what would happen.

It is not just the fact that readers get to make choices that makes TOXIC LOVE such a great read. It is also the quality of the writing and the fact that the romance is well written. I also admire the detail of the world the author was able to include in such a short span of time. I also love that the author calls the setting the atoxalypse rather than the apocalypse. Very clever!

I heartily rate this novella as 5 out of 5 stars.

To read the first chapter free online go to: https://www.silkwords.com/stories/tox....

To learn more about this author visit www.jaxgarren.com

To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Profile Image for Kristin .
1,152 reviews168 followers
June 5, 2015
Toxic Love is an awesome "pick your path" novella.

I have to admit that I HATE novellas. I usually end up not connecting with the characters and finding very little world and character development. That was not the case with Toxic Love. I fell in love with the characters and really enjoyed creating their stories.

I fell in love with the Jax's writing with her Tales of the Underlight series. When I noticed that she wrote a "pick your path" story I knew I had to read it. There have been many times where I've read a story and thought to myself, "What were they thinking?! Stupidest decision ever." I liked that I got to dictate the next move. There's just something about getting to choose what course of action the character takes next.

I have to say though, my favorite storyline from Toxic Love was the first one I did. After Chloe's daredevil stunt that lands her with a cracked mask, exposing her to the toxic air, she has some serious decisions to make. The fact that she didn't keel over and die on the spot from her exposure means that she's one of the very few people who are immune to the toxins the terrorists released on the US. Being immune means that she has an obligation to procreate little toxic-immune babies. However, because this is a choose-your-own-path book, we get to decide what Chloe does and does not do.

The options the author gives are great and at no point did I feel like it was over the top. I've read one other adult novel where I got to choose what happens next and it was very disjointed and not easy to follow in your head. Toxic Love's storyline flows seamlessly between your choices. Even when I chose a choice that seemed similar to the one chosen previously, the author added new information to make that story special. I really enjoyed this a lot. I hope Jax does more of these in the future.


Favorite quote...
"He wouldn't take offense if she wanted to get this over with and go back to unpacking. How many times had he been planting seeds in his head while his body was, well, planting seeds?"
Profile Image for Kira's NetGalley Book Blog.
117 reviews19 followers
August 14, 2015
Why you should read it : IT'S AN INTERACTIVE ROMANCE NOVELLA!! SAY WHAAAT?! YES!
 

Chloe Parikh finds herself with a rare genetic mutation that allows her to breathe the toxic air of a post-atoxalyptic USA while the majority of the population are locked indoors or underground. The GenFriends company soon finds out about her rare ability and promises to shower her in riches and prestige just as soon as she picks an immune man to start repopulating the U.S.

"Her laughter was lighter than he'd expected, like a gentle wind."

The story is set in post-atoxalyptic Las Vegas, where the surrounding landscape is extra dry and crispy and the city is filled with extravagant old casinos. There, Chloe is put to the task of selecting a man from a binder of men with the immune gene.

The setting is well described and quite believable. Author Jax Garren did a great job in presenting each character's backgrounds which made their interactions and reactions appear very genuine. Plus, you just can't help but like Chloe and Nick!

There is a reason the word "novella" is in the title. However, don't let this scare you! Short books can be good.  And while the book didn't go very indepth into plot development, enough of the background was explained in the narrative and the character interactions that the story made sense. Also, being able to choose how the story develops is INSANELY COOL and I soundly applaud Jax Garren for going the extra mile and writing 2 storylines! Can't wait to read more interactive novels in the future! ^_^

Read this book if for no other reason than to try a unique reading style. It's FABULOUS! 

Rating: 4 Stars
Profile Image for Shay VanZwoll.
165 reviews6 followers
February 22, 2015
TOXIC LOVE is a "Choose Your Own Adventure" type story. At the beginning, we meet Chloe Parikh, an actress on a temporary work visa in Las Vegas. Only a few years old when the Tox75 poison was released, Chloe hasn't been outside in twenty years. When her helmet is cracked while skydiving to her new job in Vegas, Chloe discovers that she is one of a very small percentage immune to Tox75. Contacted by GenFriends, Chloe is given the opportunity to receive a permanent visa that would allow her to stay in Vegas, with the stipulation that she join the GenFriends program and breed children with other Immunes.

This is where the story first branches, and you have the opportunity to help decide Chloe's story. Does she stay in Vegas and join GenFriends? Doe she refuse and try to find a way to stay in Vegas? Does she go back to her Ex in Oklahoma City? TOXIC LOVE is a fun and interesting story that explores a civilization shrouded by poisoned air, with only a few lucky people able to go outside. Well-written with likeable characters, I immediately found myself rooting for Chloe and wanting her to be happy. None of the story paths lead to an unhappy ending, though some endings are obviously better than others. The sections flow together well, so that it's easy to follow the different paths without it feeling disjointed. I was very happy with this book and the different paths available, and it was fun to see how one decision can completely change the live of the character... Often for the better!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
10 reviews
January 16, 2015
Toxic Love
As an independent reviewer for Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock, I rate Toxic Love with 5 fangs.
Chloe goes to Las Vegas hoping to start a new life. In her trip, it is discovered that she has a mutation that allows her to breathe the poisoned air of the toxic world she lives in. When GenFriends finds out about her ability to breathe the poisoned air, they offer her a life of luxury and ease if she will agree to have babies with a man that also has the ability to breathe. She is given a database of men to choose from for her selection.
I loved this book!! It is a pick-your-path book that is a great read. I read it many times making sure I picked different paths to create different stories. The characters were very likable and the story was fun. I enjoyed being able to pick different paths for Chloe to choose and see where she ended up.
I would definitely recommend this book. It is more appropriate for adult readers due to the sexual context.
Profile Image for Ash Rowe.
195 reviews
July 15, 2015

This was awesome! A pick your own adventure novella set during a toxic time for america. Lots of people died and do die when they are exposed to the air. In Las Vegas a company called Gen Friends is taking those who are immune to the toxic air and setting them up in a life of luxury as long as they agreed to be apart of their breeding program to make a world of those who are immune to the toxic air.

Chloe finds out she’s immune in an unusual way and is new to the program. She meets some interesting characters and YOU get to choose how the story goes.

I loved pick your own adventures when I was younger and for me this was just as fun. I read it three times and each time I enjoyed the stories that I chose.

Short, fun, entertaining stories. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys romance, some hot action and fun quick stories especially ones you get to choose how they go and re read to make the story different.
Profile Image for Paul Franco.
1,372 reviews11 followers
April 11, 2016
A choose-your-own-adventure erotica with an intriguing premise: in a world devastated by war, the lead character—who wants to be an famous actress, of course—is found to be immune to the gas that killed off so many people. This will make her very rich, if she’s okay with becoming a baby factory to make more immune humans. She falls in love with one of the immune guys just at the time he’s tired of having to sleep around.
There’s some great ideas here, especially the main one, but the writing, despite the humor, did not resonate with me. The execution should have been better; some of the interactions were just silly. The dinner with Joaquin was the most fun chapter; if only the whole thing could have been that good. It was simply all over the place; tighter would have been better. I’ve read a few of these choose-your-own-path books and the shorter ones, usually less than 100 pages, have been better than longer entries like this one, which clocks in at 187 pages.
Profile Image for Miekenstein .
317 reviews6 followers
October 5, 2015
I enjoyed the writing style of this author and also the story itself. The main characters are actually pretty well fleshed out considering the length of the story itself.

I found the 'direct your own storyline' idea fun, however, the story itself felt very rushed and incomplete. When I got to the end of the story I was a bit surprised at how suddenly the story stopped.

The development of the dystopian world in the book was much more thought out than the story of the characters in the book which is a shame because it could have been really great.

I would have enjoyed this book more if it was a complete novel and not a novella. Some ideas work better as novels and some ideas work better as novellas. Not a bad book but not one I will read again or recommend to others.
Profile Image for Rosemary.
449 reviews41 followers
August 24, 2015
A copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lot of fun. I used to love choose your own adventure stories as a child so was instantly curious about this story when I saw it. This is just like those children's books, but for adults with a really cool sci-fi/dystopian spin. I really enjoyed Chloe and as I said it was a lot of fun being in control of her storyline because of the choices I made. I went back and changed my choices so I could read through other routes and I honestly enjoyed all of them (though one route in particular ended up being my favorite). Great fun and definitely recommended!
31 reviews
June 5, 2015
***ARC provided by Netgalley for a review***

Eeeek! I liked this style of story, and what a surprise it was too!

This was a cool Novella to read. I rarely read novellas as I cannot connect with the characters as quickly as the books usually you require you to. This book however was a great concept that i've not seen in so long....''choose your own path''. The links you had to click to read the novella were fun and quirky!
I have read and re-read this little novella 3 times now, and loved each aspect of the story.
I will be on the lookout for further Jax Garren books!
Profile Image for Arianna.
1,379 reviews6 followers
February 10, 2015
I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a new experience. I never read a game book back in the day, so this was the first time for me with a branched book.
The first reaction: PANIC! Oh my God, what do I choose??? I'm not used to decide what the heroine must do!!!
The final reaction: total satisfaction. I loved it!!! It was so funny. I reread it al last 5 times.
Vote: 4 stars
435 reviews8 followers
February 12, 2015
Really liked this book. It puts the book within your own perspective and opens up so much for the reader. I truly loved these types of books and now that they come in adult formats I love them even more. This book is about a young woman that is fighting to keep what little hope she has but also finds that her ability to be immune to the now toxic air outside is now opening up so many doors for her and where it leads is totally up to the reader!!
579 reviews2 followers
June 11, 2016
This is a very quick and interesting book. You get to decide how the story develops and what happens in the end by deciding on certain outcomes. Great fun but a little too short. I would have loved more of the story.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

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