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Making Bad Choices

Rita Stradling (Goodreads Author)

3.87 · Rating details · 544 ratings · 118 reviews

Wake me from this forbidden dream.

Moving from Los Angeles to my father’s house in a small town in Colorado is supposed to be the fresh start I need. My broken heart will finally heal, and I’ll get a second chance at normalcy. That is the plan, anyway.

But moving into the bedroom next to my stepbrother Coulter makes life anything but normal. We hated each other since chi ...more

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Paperback, 404 pages

Published January 10th 2017 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

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· 544 ratings · 118 reviews

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May 03, 2019 Melanie (mells_view) rated it liked it · review of another edition

“Baby, love is love is love. You can’t stop it; you can’t direct it; all you can do is hold on tight, and hope everything will be okay.”

This was an pretty good read. For some reason I thought it was NA, but it definitely reads more like a YA with some cussing/kissing/fade to black intimate bits. I liked the idea of the plot and the “twists” but they weren’t explained very well to be completely honest. I can’t say what exactly, because I don’t want to ruin the build to it, but there wasn’t much c ...more

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Feb 08, 2017 Tink Magoo is bad at reviews rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: where-is-the-rest, 2018, step-brother, setting-highschool, netgalley-or-arc-from-author-read, re-reads, young-adult, whats-my-name-again, the-good-kinda-fluff

3.5 stars

Reread January 2018. Down to 3.5 from 4.5. I still enjoyed this melodramatic step brother story but second time around had a few more niggles with the writing. Specifically the overuse of names which always pisses me off in books. In this case, it wasn't extreme but the further along I got the more I noticed it. I will say that I was reading my original arc copy so this may have been rectified.

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Sometimes you just need a bit of teen angst, and while there may not be anything d ...more

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Jan 24, 2017 Ammie *Ammie's Book Obsession* rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star-read, forbidden-love, step-brother-romance, childhood-love

4 “turn me into a puddle of mush” STARS
description

ABOUT THE STORY

“Making Bad Choices” follows Cassie and Culter, who hated each other but eventually their hate turns into love. Cassie had been dealing with her mother’s illness for a long a time but loses her at her 18th birthday. After her mother’s death, she is taken in by her father and her step-mom and moves to Bulvin to live with them along with Josh(her half-brother) and Culter(her stepbrother). Cassie hates Culter with all her heart.

During

...more

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Jun 17, 2017 Donna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, romance, contemporary, 2017, coming-of-age, angst, favs-read-in-2017, highly-recommend, mature-ya

Wow! I found a new author that I love! I've already got two more of her books to read! I loved this! Of course, I really love angst. I knew the whole falling for your stepbrother thing would bring lots of angst. But this book was so much more than that.

Cassie lived alone with her mom and took care of her while her mom fought cancer since Cassie was 11 years old, she lost that fight on Cassie's 18th birthday. Now Cassie had to pick up and move from L.A. where she grew up, to some place called Bul ...more

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Feb 03, 2017 Nicolinia Spurgeon rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 28, 2016 Rita Stradling added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: new-adult, coming-of-age, romance, contemporary

If you want to tell the world that you're making bad choices, too (for your website, review or whatever), you can grab the downloadable PNG file in white or black here: Link

*no background on image ...more

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Apr 19, 2017 Emily rated it really liked it

Shelves: characters-c, characters-f, genre-new-adult, betrayal, cover-couple, starting-over-divorced-seperated, year-2017, tattoos, pages-400-499, title-m

Cassie's world ended when her mother died and now she has to move from LA to Colorado and live with her stepfather. Cassie hates her stepbrother Culter and she is sure he feels the same. However when he arrives and offers to drive her to her new home she finds that he treats her with care. Starting a new school mid year should be trying but Culter, again, takes her under his wing. The messages she is getting from Culter are mixed and her feelings for him are anything but sisterly. What happens w ...more

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Sep 06, 2018 Danny rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-drama, e-book, high-school, in-english, romance, stepbrother-romance, freebies

This was an interesting read. It was not the usual stepbrother romance I read.
It had so much more into it, like family secrets and situations that were so much more complicated.

I enjoyed reading and the characters were great.
After the first chapter, I thought Culter was the typical idiot that acted like a god. But after reading it I actually did not get why the author started the book with Cassie making such strong accusations about the boy.

Anyway, Cassie and Culter were super cute together, the ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Layla (Between the Lines) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2017, arcs

I received this eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This has no bearing on my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've made a lot of bad decisions but reading this book was not one of them.

Here's the thing: This is not a literary classic, so you should not go into this book expecting it to be one. I've come to categorize books like this as guilty pleasures. This book isn't going to teach me any important life lessons but it will keep me entertained for a few hours. It's fluffy, it's ...more

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Nov 11, 2017 JESSICA rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Someone looking for a decent clean romance

Recommended to JESSICA by: Amazon.com

Shelves: cry-me-a-river, sweet-fluffy-luv, teenage-dream

"Don’t Let Anyone Tell You Who You Can Love! " — Aunt Daisy

What first got my attention, is the beautiful cover.. and I'm a sucker for hot for step-brother romance reads. I really enjoyed this sweet but clean young adult book. The storyline had just the right amount of anguish, drama, heartache and secrets. I enjoyed Culter and Cassie and watching as their love story unfolded! It was nice to read a book based on sexual attraction/chemistry between them without them jumping right into sex! I w ...more

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Jan 03, 2017 Kimberly LaRocco rated it it was amazing

I received an ARC of this book for review. I found myself truly liking this book and I’m not one to often read YA romance novels. I think the reason that I found myself so captivated by this book and unable to put it down was that the storyline and characters were so realistic. I found that minus the romance Cassie and Cutler were just normal teenagers going through life which by itself can be messy. Then you throw in the romance and the fact that Cutler is her stepbrother it just adds to the ov ...more

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Feb 02, 2017 Kat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

“Making Bad Choices” was just such a great, entertaining read that I found myself utterly unable to put down once I picked up. Rita Stradling has a gift for writing characters that always have more going on under the surface than what you initially see, and I loved this novel for the complexity of the family dynamics especially.

Cassie’s world is turned upside down when her mother passes after a drawn-out battle with cancer, and she leaves her comfortable life in LA to live with her father and s ...more

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Feb 01, 2017 Melinda Howard rated it really liked it

Shelves: favourites, contemporary, romance, death, illness, school, sport, arc-off-netgalley, best-book-i-have-read-2017

*This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book was a really good read that combined intense emotions of love, lust and grief with family secrets and the normal high school experiences explored in YA novels. I really loved the plot twists and was shocked by the messed up family secrets. Cassie and Culter's romance was really sweet especially how supportive he was of Cassie after her Mum died. This book was really interesting not only because of the page turning b ...more

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Dec 16, 2016 Rabid Reader rated it it was amazing

I read an unedited ARC of this story on Wattpad and could not put it down. The story quickly pulls you in and you soon become captivated by both the characters and the storyline. The development of Cassie and Cutlers relationship is slow, sensual and has a beauty to it that you don't often find in YA romances. The convoluted family relationships are realistic and heart wrenching, and the taboo of Cutler being Cassie's stepbrother adds complexity, uncertainty and a hint of daring to the story. Th ...more

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Apr 14, 2017 iamnotabookworm rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, ebooks-for-review

This is the story of Cassie. A girl whose family tree is a bit complicated. Oh, scratched that. Not a bit complicated but really complicated. At a young age, her usual hang out is the hospital to care for her mother who has cancer. When her mother died, she had to move from Los Angeles to Bulvin, Colorado to live with her Dad. In Bulvin, she will be living with her Dad's new wife Jen, her step-brother Josh and the other step-brother Culter--Jen's son from another man. Cassie used to have a crush This is the story of Cassie. A girl whose family tree is a bit complicated. Oh, scratched that. Not a bit complicated but really complicated. At a young age, her usual hang out is the hospital to care for her mother who has cancer. When her mother died, she had to move from Los Angeles to Bulvin, Colorado to live with her Dad. In Bulvin, she will be living with her Dad's new wife Jen, her step-brother Josh and the other step-brother Culter--Jen's son from another man. Cassie used to have a crush on Culter but he broke her heart.

Making Bad Choices. What kind of bad choices? Intriguing right? Exactly why I signed up to review this one. I was drawn in by the intriguing title. And the story didn't disappoint. It was full of scandals and dirty secrets. Like a can of worms just waiting to be opened. More like cans of worms.

Cassie thought that developing feelings for her step-brother was complicated enough, little did she know that her life in Bulvin is getting more complicated as she gets to know the people. The next days of her life are like accidents waiting to happen. Having to deal with the death of her mother is difficult enough, fitting into a new school and meeting new friends is also tricky. Will she survive the cold weather in Colorado and the snowstorm that is waiting to blow her life away?

This story spells complicated in capitals. I felt sorry for Cassie having to go through all these difficulties in her life and family. She thought her mom dying of cancer was the worst she had to deal with but she still have a lot learn. Her heart not only got cut into pieces but it also got pounded to pulp. But out of all the shocking revelations, she found strength and happiness in Culter and in some of the new friends she met. For the first time in a long time, she feels happy. Like she is able to breathe after holding her breath for like forever. After a long time, she feels alive.

This book attempts to explore the relationships in combined families. The story poses a very delicate and difficult question. Is it still taboo to have feelings for your step-sibling even though you are not in anyway related? Like in this story, even if Culter's mom and Cassie's dad are married, when you really look at it, Cassie and Culter are not really related. They are both products of their parent's previous relationships. They may share a common sibling--in this story, Josh, but still, that does not make them any more related. For me, I think Cassie and Culter's feelings for each other is not wrong. Love is never wrong. Besides, the two grew up in different households. They never grew up in the same house together. Their situation may be strange but not as unusual as a guy marrying his dead wife's sister. Sister wives, right? I think the situation gets fickle when and if these two grew up in the same house. Definitely, them developing feelings for each other would be awkward and would really be an issue that would be quite delicate to navigate. I will let their parents worry about it. I wouldn't even attempt to decipher the complexity of the implications.

I give the book 4/5 sticky notes. The Cassie and Culter's situation is definitely not the usual teenage love story we hear. I think Cassie deserves to be happy after all the heartbreak, loss and shit days she had been through. She deserves to feel like a teenager even for just a moment. She deserves to make mistakes, make bad choices and learn from them. Although, from this story, she choose to be happy. I think choosing to be happy, as long as you are not hurting anyone is always a good choice.

The thing about shit days--I mean, the worst days of your life--is that they end.
...as I said, shit days always end, for better or for worse.
- Rita Stradling, Making Bad Choices -

Thank you, Giselle of xpressobooktoours.com, for the copy. ...more

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Feb 06, 2017 Meghana Sarathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017, arc, something-diff

The blurb of this book caught my interest since it was a taboo kind of romance. It was described as a love-hate relationship which is kind of true and kind of not. That being said, this book was a sweet college romance with essential dosage of family drama that adds complications to the story.

I Liked the whole set up. Cassie moves to a small town from LA to live with her dad after losing her mom to cancer. She has to share the house with her stepbrother Cutler and her stepmother Jen. Cutler als The blurb of this book caught my interest since it was a taboo kind of romance. It was described as a love-hate relationship which is kind of true and kind of not. That being said, this book was a sweet college romance with essential dosage of family drama that adds complications to the story.

I Liked the whole set up. Cassie moves to a small town from LA to live with her dad after losing her mom to cancer. She has to share the house with her stepbrother Cutler and her stepmother Jen. Cutler also happens to be the guy she really liked when she was young and she started to dislike ( I think hate would be too strong a word to describe her feelings) after a particular incident and since then even he would have become distant. But when she meets him again, she sees just how much he has changed and it's a good change since she can't stop herself for falling for him despite knowing how taboo their relation is for the society to accept.
There are lot of characters in this story and all of them are typical college students. Okay, they all have different personalities and a typical college crowd. This adds a lot of humor and creates a joyful, fun atmosphere in the story turning it into more of a college romance which I really didn't mind. It had been a long time since I had read a college romance and that part of this book was really fun. It kind of took me back to my college days. Juggling between classes, college newsletter, attending matches, partying with friends, playing truth or dare, etc.. It had all these elements which takes up most part of the book and in my eyes they are the best part.
The three important characters are- Cutler, Cassie and Taylor. Taylor is Cutler's half brother and calls himself Cassie's cousin. I loved Cutler and Taylor equally. Cutler's 'I don't give a shit attitude' and his stubbornness makes him one of the most unique characters I have across. Taylor is lot of fun, easy going, warm, friendly and very supportive. I loved reading the parts where he is with Cassie, helping her out all the time. Cassie is sweet and nice. There is nothing as such about her which stands out but overall I liked her character growth throughout the book.
Coming to the love story, this is where the book kind of left me disappointed. I didn't see the love between Cutler and Cassie. They did look good together but somehow for me that spark was missing. There are a lot of making out scenes which were written well but somehow I feel the chemistry could have been improved. And though Taylor and Cassie were more like brother and sister, I loved the friendly chemistry they shared. I have to mention Jake and Spencer. They are amazing as Cutler's friends.
There were quite a few surprises towards the end but I feel it ended rather soon and in a very clean and easy way. Not that it's bad but little more drama could have been better. I will definitely read more books by the author:) ...more

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Mar 22, 2020 Suzana Thompson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, teen

I read this when it was called Making Bad Choices, and the audiobook is still under that title. I loved it so much that I even made a book trailer for it. Here is my review:
This is so incredibly good! The author got the teen characters just right. It was like I was hearing the conversations of real high school students, which was also due to the narrator being so spot on with the way they spoke. She didn't just get the sound of their voices right, but also the youthful inflections in their speec I read this when it was called Making Bad Choices, and the audiobook is still under that title. I loved it so much that I even made a book trailer for it. Here is my review:
This is so incredibly good! The author got the teen characters just right. It was like I was hearing the conversations of real high school students, which was also due to the narrator being so spot on with the way they spoke. She didn't just get the sound of their voices right, but also the youthful inflections in their speech. It is truly impressive. Their personalities shone through, and they are so realistically written. So many authors write teenagers as too jaded for their age or too immature and juvenile. Rita Stradling captured their combination of youthful exuberance, playfulness, posturing, and self-consciousness. I liked that the popular group was portrayed as a mostly decent bunch of kids for once. They are fun-loving rather than the mean bullies found in most YA romances.

Cassie was sweet but not shy or overly self-conscious. I loved that she never questioned her self-worth or felt inferior to anyone. That is very rare for heroines in young adult and new adult books. Cassie had a good sense of herself without being conceited. She held her own with Culter and followed her own instincts. I loved the connection she made with Tyler, and how they had their own special relationship right from the beginning. I absolutely adore him! I usually focus mainly on the romance, but I loved everything about this book. I've listened to it twice now, and there are no parts that drag. Every single scene is interesting, and I remained fully engaged with the story the entire time. It is one of my favorite books, and it is certainly my favorite stepbrother book.

Culter is a unique combination of sexy and sweet, and their slow burn romance was wonderful and swoonworthy. I really can't even do it justice in this review. You really need to experience it for yourself.

The family drama was different from what I expected considering that this is a stepbrother romance, but boy was it a doozy! There are aspects of it that are really heartbreaking and pretty much irreparable, and I appreciated that the author didn't unrealistically resolve all of that at the end of the book. The story has a satisfying ending though, and we are left with a hopeful and happy ending for the characters. ...more

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Dec 06, 2018 Suzana Thompson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, teen

This is so incredibly good! The author got the teen characters just right. It was like I was hearing the conversations of real high school students, which was also due to the narrator being so spot on with the way they spoke. She didn't just get the sound of their voices right, but also the youthful inflections in their speech. It is truly impressive. Their personalities shone through, and they are so realistically written. So many authors write teenagers as too jaded for their age or too immatu This is so incredibly good! The author got the teen characters just right. It was like I was hearing the conversations of real high school students, which was also due to the narrator being so spot on with the way they spoke. She didn't just get the sound of their voices right, but also the youthful inflections in their speech. It is truly impressive. Their personalities shone through, and they are so realistically written. So many authors write teenagers as too jaded for their age or too immature and juvenile. Rita Stradling captured their combination of youthful exuberance, playfulness, posturing, and self-consciousness. I liked that the popular group was portrayed as a mostly decent bunch of kids for once. They are fun-loving rather than the mean bullies found in most YA romances.

Cassie was sweet but not shy or overly self-conscious. I loved that she never questioned her self-worth or felt inferior to anyone. That is very rare for heroines in young adult and new adult books. Cassie had a good sense of herself without being conceited. She held her own with Culter and followed her own instincts. I loved the connection she made with Tyler, and how they had their own special relationship right from the beginning. I absolutely adore him! I usually focus mainly on the romance, but I loved everything about this book. I've listened to it twice now, and there are no parts that drag. Every single scene is interesting, and I remained fully engaged with the story the entire time. It is one of my favorite books, and it is certainly my favorite stepbrother book.

Culter is a unique combination of sexy and sweet, and their slow burn romance was wonderful and swoonworthy. I really can't even do it justice in this review. You really need to experience it for yourself.

The family drama was different from what I expected considering that this is a stepbrother romance, but boy was it a doozy! There are aspects of it that are really heartbreaking and pretty much irreparable, and I appreciated that the author didn't unrealistically resolve all of that at the end of the book. The story has a satisfying ending though, and we are left with a hopeful and happy ending for the characters. ...more

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Aug 31, 2018 Coco.V marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: freebie

💝FREE on Amazon today (8/31/2018)!💝

Blurb:
Culter Fuller came back into my life on the day my mother died.

We’d hated each other since childhood. Well, I hated him, and I thought the feeling was mutual. Then when I moved to my dad’s house to finish my last semester of high school, we went from being bitter enemies to . . . something else. He was suddenly everywhere, occupying my space and filling me with thoughts I knew were wrong.

I knew that soon we would cross a line that should never be crossed, ...more

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Apr 08, 2017 Louisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Oh, this was a really great book! It was so much fun, and yeah, just really fantastic! Loved reading it!

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Feb 23, 2017 Entrada Book Review rated it it was amazing

Making Bad Choices is a teenage romance packed full of drama. When Cassie’s mom dies from cancer, she moves across the country to live with her father’s family, including her long-despised stepbrother. Her problems include getting used to a new school in a new town, but certainly don’t stop there.

This story is clearly a teenage tale, heavy on emotion and rapid-fire social catastrophes. In many ways, it’s reminiscent of after-school television from Disney or Nickelodeon aimed at teenagers, though ...more

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Feb 28, 2017 Sharon Mariampillai rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-have, boyfriend-material, e-books, favourite-heroines, 4-stars, new-adult, romance, 2017-reads, contemporary, must-read

I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read. The story was great. I really enjoyed the family dynamic. I also really liked the plot twists. There were some shocking revelations by the family. However, I think the reason why I like this book a lot is the romance between Cassie and Culter. Culter was really supportive of Cassie when her mom died. This book had some great supporting characters such as Tyler and Culter and Cassie's aunt. I can't wait to r ...more

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Mar 11, 2017 Beyond the Pages rated it liked it

Quick Summary: Good build up; heart wrenching conflict; typical drama; sweet YL
Rating: 3/4
Recommend: +
Status: M, R
Audience: M
Conflict/Drama: Yes
Chemistry/Intensity: Yes
Source: NetGalley

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Jan 10, 2017 Svetla Peicheva rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2017, netgalley

I was really excited when I got the book and begun it with great expectations which sadly didn't come true. This isn't a bad book, in case of writing and even plot line but it's for somebody who have never had experience with this genre therefore it's certainly not my piece of cake.
I didn't appreciate that I was promised a "love-hate" relationship and didn't even see a bit of it. The main characters were pretty identical, even though there are some attempts of individualisation. The characters ...more

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Jan 22, 2017 Mary rated it it was amazing

Wow. This is an amazing story. The tears and drama and love and friendship and mostly the secret. It's a very sweet coming of age love story with a huge dose of mystery. Cutler is charmingly sweet with a great sense of honor for a young man. Cassie is like a butterfly coming out of it's cocoon, learning how to live her life and find happiness after years of caring for her ill mother. I couldn't put this down until I found out the secret and the story behind it. Even if you don't normally read NA ...more

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May 04, 2018 Blaise Ramsay rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First off, very cute story. I am usually not one to like a good taboo love story but this one was very cute. I actually adored how possessive Culter was.
The book was decently written and read well. Good pacing and some really swoon worthy characters. I truly loved Tyler. He sounded hot. Culter was just.... swoon. I loved his name choice.

Unfortunately, it became a bit repetitive. Day to day school is a-ok for teenagers who are probably suffering from some senior-itis and just want to get the heck First off, very cute story. I am usually not one to like a good taboo love story but this one was very cute. I actually adored how possessive Culter was.
The book was decently written and read well. Good pacing and some really swoon worthy characters. I truly loved Tyler. He sounded hot. Culter was just.... swoon. I loved his name choice.

Unfortunately, it became a bit repetitive. Day to day school is a-ok for teenagers who are probably suffering from some senior-itis and just want to get the heck out of dodge. Totally get it and didn't mind it. I just wanted a bit more tension.
There was sexual tension and slow burn like crazy and I loved it but there was very little external conflict. Aside from the alpha female who had a crush on the protagonist's love interest and the loss of her mom, everyone automatically just accepted Cassie. Not to say that isn't good but if that was going to be the case, add the tension somewhere else. Maybe a really strong rival actually willing to fight Culter over Cassie? I'm not sure. Just something to give that could really ignite the inciting incident.

For example, there was a moment where Cassie almost got into a car accident. That was the perfect Darkest Moment. It could have really been used to draw out the flaming passion in both characters. Cassie could have been hurt, Culter could have felt he almost lost her and gone to her bedside and been openly honest with her. It would have been amazing and really could have added some action.

Also, as a romance reader and author, I want some hot, passionate, burning love scenes. For a new adult, this really didn't deliver. I feel it read more like a Young Adult novel. The author created some slow burn for sure. So many times I wanted the two to make love only to have it ripped away (I liked that). Then when they finally were able to, I was really wanting more. The feel of Culter's body. Some heat between them. How Cassie felt, what she smelled. Just some details to set me ablaze.

So many things were there. Basic outlines which could have been used to really make this a hot, passionate conflict which just fell short. I would have actually liked less dialogue and more conflict.

If I were to rate this book. I would give it 3 stars because I really did like the storyline and saw the potential. Maybe for the next book, really dig into the details to make the story stronger. ...more

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Mar 13, 2017 Natshane rated it really liked it

I voluntarily read and reviewed a free copy of the book provided by Lola's Blog Tours and the author. Thank you for the reviewing opportunity!

3.5 stars

*le sigh*

I'm at a point where I'm confused about my own thoughts, so writing this review has been unimaginably hard.

One moment I'm completely and irrevocably in love with Culter full-of-himself Fuller.

The next, I find myself getting annoyed at a simple storyline.

SO yes, it was a love/hate relationship with this book, but a solid 3.5 stars rati ...more

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Jul 21, 2017 Amy Shelton rated it it was amazing

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibraian – I Dig Good Books
Well, this book was kind of a surprise. I was on the fence as to whether I would enjoy it or not because of the “step brother romance” attached to its genre’s. Now, I’ve never read a “step-brother” romance, and the blurb really intrigued me, so I had to say yes, and give it a shot. I was nervous and worried that the “taboo” that comes along with it, would sway my mind as I read and would keep me from really giving it a chance. I’m tellin Independent reviewer for Archaeolibraian – I Dig Good Books
Well, this book was kind of a surprise. I was on the fence as to whether I would enjoy it or not because of the “step brother romance” attached to its genre’s. Now, I’ve never read a “step-brother” romance, and the blurb really intrigued me, so I had to say yes, and give it a shot. I was nervous and worried that the “taboo” that comes along with it, would sway my mind as I read and would keep me from really giving it a chance. I’m telling you all of this for those of you that feel the same way, that shy away from a great sounding blurb, because of some “taboo.” If you’re like me, I get it, but please, give this author and this book a chance.
Okay, let’s get to the down and dirty; the details, descriptions, and feels of the book! I absolutely applaud this author for the way that she wrote this story. As I read the story, it took me back to my days in high school. It made me laugh and giggle and brought back those feelings I had when I first really fell head over heels for my husband. So to say it took me back to my high school days was really fun and exciting. Now, along with that, came some unnecessary drama – but that happens when the star football player falls in love, right?
There were some definite heavy portions. They were confusing at first but they all made sense by the end of the story. It didn’t make them any happier, but maybe a little more heart breaking. Some of the things that these characters dealt with in this story are definitely things that kids, even 18 year olds, shouldn’t be facing from their family. These characters were all written to have some great chemistry and formed some friendships that were unbreakable.
So, it’s safe to say, I absolutely adored this book. The story line flowed extremely well, it was funny, intriguing, and really held my attention. I would have really missed out on such a GREAT storyline had I just turned it down due the category it fell into. If you like an exciting romance story, with great, witty, funny characters that love hard and fight for their tribe even harder, definitely get your hands on a copy of this! You’ll really enjoy it.

*A Copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.
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Feb 04, 2017 Dannica Zulestin rated it it was ok

Shelves: mf-romance

Not really my kind of thing, but still a pretty good book.

Plot
Cassie's mother has just died, so her life is uprooted so she can go live with her father, step-mother and step-brother, Culter, in a small town a couple states over. She hasn't seen her step-brother much in the past few years and is surprised to find he's much nicer than she remembered. Also much hotter. Soon they're making out behind closed doors, but they can't let anyone find out about their relationship because no one would accep Not really my kind of thing, but still a pretty good book.

Plot
Cassie's mother has just died, so her life is uprooted so she can go live with her father, step-mother and step-brother, Culter, in a small town a couple states over. She hasn't seen her step-brother much in the past few years and is surprised to find he's much nicer than she remembered. Also much hotter. Soon they're making out behind closed doors, but they can't let anyone find out about their relationship because no one would accept it.

Things I Liked
-Cassie and Culter do have a certain amount of chemistry.
-Tyler, Cassie's step-COUSIN, is fairly cute.
-There's a scene where Cassie gets a tattoo all over her back which is probably the best scene in the novel. It feels both sensual and thoughtful, with neither feeling overriding the other.

Things I Didn't Like
-The name Culter is really distracting. Even by the end of the book I could not fully process that Culter was his real name, not...Cullen, or Fuller, or something.
-Cassie's grief over her mother is pretty much dismissed after the first couple chapters, which felt like a copout.
-High school drama can be pretty blah when there are too many characters and they all feel like stereotypes. Also, girl hate. Why do all popular girls have to be bitches? Especially when the popular boys are portrayed as fairly nice.
-I feel like Cassie and Culter getting together should have felt momentous or at least like...something...but when it happened it felt like a foregone conclusion and there was little tension.
-Culter is really possessive and while he gets called out on it, it's still kind of annoying. He knows Cassie's with him, so why does he have to go crazy when she wants to spend time with other people?

Overall
I didn't enjoy this book that much, but as a YA forbidden romance sort of thing it's not bad. So if you like your pseudo-incest very pseudo and in a high school environment, go ahead and give it a try.
I was given an ARC of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Mar 05, 2020 Gypsy Madden rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If I could have given this book higher than 5 stars, I would have. I adored every minute of it, and was reading it at every chance that I could. I love Coulter! From his constant smirking and smug attitude, to his messy hair, protectiveness, caring, determination to get his own way, and need for being close. Honestly, I’ve never really understood the taboo around step-siblings not being able to be together. Not to mention there were so many wonderful romantic scenes in this, and so much fun just ...more

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About Rita Stradling

Rita Stradling

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Rita Stradling has a BA in Art History and a particular interest in modern and medieval art.

Rita lives with her husband and son in Northern California. Her seven year old son wants to be an astronaut when he grows up.

She has an insatiable novel addiction and mostly reads young adult and adult: paranormal, urban fantasy and high fantasy.