I enjoyed this a lot, except maybe for that ending. However in Ward's defence my of Golden Retriever companion of 12 years died recently too, so I getI enjoyed this a lot, except maybe for that ending. However in Ward's defence my of Golden Retriever companion of 12 years died recently too, so I get it Ward, even if some of your readers don't. I get the pain, the emptiness, the loss that you were feeling regarding Writer Dog. I get your non traditional, nonHEA ending.
We don't always get our loves for as long as we want. ...more
This was okay, not great but it had its moments (a great cover) and I was intrigued by the prospect ofOpening Line: “Yo, It’s the fuckin’ ballerina.”
This was okay, not great but it had its moments (a great cover) and I was intrigued by the prospect of a sexy MMA hero and a ballerina getting together, opposites attract and all that. I also didn’t know enough about either profession to be able to pick them apart for realisms sake so I was able to just go with it.
Logan Rettino had been prima ballerina in her former life. When her ex-boyfriend drops her during a lift on live TV, she’s left injured and without a career. To make ends meet and with the dreams of opening her own dance studio Logan’s now been reduced to circling the eight sided octagon as a ring card girl, working the crowds into frenzy in sexy little outfits before the bouts begin. Hey a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.
Keane O’Shea is a former marine and absolutely unstoppable in the ring. Filled with a silent, persistent rage, some serious PTSD and an F.U attitude about life in general he’s inexplicitly drawn to the alluring ex-ballerina.
Both of these characters are intriguing to me and I usually love me a good tortured hero but there was just something off here. I guess it started with the names; Keane and Logan. Both sound male to me so I was often confused as to whose head I was meant to be in. Logan(h) while fun to begin with, got annoying fast with her “leaping leotards” and silly quips -enough already. And Keane(H), well I just never warmed up to him; he started out as your typical grumpy, alpha jerk with issues but didn’t ever really seem to redeem himself enough to warrant “getting the girl”. I guess ultimately I never felt the love.
I also had issues with the premise, it was just silly –again I just had to go with it. Logan makes a deal with her boss and the only way she can keep her job is if she gets Keane to keep fighting and winning. If he loses she’s out. It didn’t really make any sense especially since he was done with fighting. I never understood his motivation for coming back into the octagon? And then they’re training together…seriously.
I did enjoy the MMA quotes rules/regulations/meanings at the beginning of each chapter. What a “cornerman” does what a “stalemate” is, “fight camp” etc. Very informative and helped put me better into the world.
**Thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press, who provided a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. **...more
This was pretty good, but I wanted to like it a whole lot more than I actually did. The story premise had me excited and the cover is great but theThis was pretty good, but I wanted to like it a whole lot more than I actually did. The story premise had me excited and the cover is great but the execution was just all over the place, with too many story ideas all thrown together so that ultimately none of them really work. I’ve also yet to figure out what this book was trying to be; a murder mystery, a child custody story, a military memoir, a PTSD recovery, a legal thriller? It’s all of these things.
And while I’m new to author Lisa Scottoline I’d still been expecting more, or maybe just a more polished story from a “bestselling” author. As it was this felt like a first book, with immature writing and stilted, repetitive, painful dialogue that I struggled to get through without rolling my eyes. There are also several obviously placed red herrings throughout and this is coming from someone who doesn’t usually read mysteries, but I was often like, yeah that’s probably a bad idea.
That’s not to say this was entirely terrible, mostly just disappointing because it had so much promise and so many good ideas.
Don’t Go starts with our main characters wife dying on her kitchen from a knife wound, (this is not a spoiler) someone comes to the door but instead of helping they leave. We then switch over to our main character Dr. Mike Scanlon, who is a serving as an army doctor in Afghanistan. I really enjoyed the army sections of this book (which take up a large section) they’re obviously been well researched and you get a real feel for the living conditions, the surgeries, the comradely with the other doctors and the hardships and horror.
So while Mike is operating on a wounded soldier his wife dies and within 24hrs he finds himself back in America trying to figure out what happened and how exactly he is going to care for a baby who was only a month old when he deployed and now doesn’t know him and screams at the very sight of him. He also discovers that the medical practice he took leave from is in jeopardy and that his wife was not only a closeted alcoholic but having an affair…
So what does Mike do? He signs some papers that give his sister-in-law and her husband temporary guardianship of his daughter and goes back to finish his tour in Afghanistan. This part lost me a bit; I mean wouldn’t the military have granted him some kind of compassionate leave?? Anyways I can’t say much else without getting heavily into spoiler territory but some bad stuff happens to Mike and the second half of the book is spent with him solving his wife’s death/murder, making bad decisions and trying to piece his life back together because nothing was as it seemed.
Definitely an emotional, compelling read with more military issues that I expected, well there was more everything than I expected LOL. I did like the character of Dr. Mike even if he was a bit stupid in his actions. Can’t say that I would actively seek out anything else from this author though. Cheers. ~3.5~ 415jb35...more
Opening Line: “I sometimes think to myself that I’m the last of my kind.”
Well I’ve gotta give this 5 stars because Nicholas Sparks did it to me againOpening Line: “I sometimes think to myself that I’m the last of my kind.”
Well I’ve gotta give this 5 stars because Nicholas Sparks did it to me again with another unforgettable romance. I just can’t help myself when it comes to his stuff. By now I’ve also come to terms with the fact that I’m not going to be guaranteed a HEA, which may actually be part of the attraction, it sure adds to the suspense factor as I never know who he’s going to kill off and I’ve thrown more than one of his books across the room in disgust but, yeah I keep coming back for more.
The Longest Ride was different than the last couple in that there’s no mystery or unscrupulous bad guys here. No big suspense factor or real tragedy. It is still a fantastic story though, the romance is just beautiful –soft and slow burning between our modern couple and sweet and sad via the Notebook-esque flashbacks from our older couple, who manage to give us a complete picture of their long life together –I just loved them. I also enjoyed the bull riding aspect, with its descriptions of the PBR and Luke’s battle with his nemesis “Big Ugly Critter”. The accounts of a hard working ranch life are also well done. Sophia was a little harder for me to relate to; a New Jersey college girl and her sorority sister issues. A great pairing of opposites.
Despite the lack of an antagonist the ending still managed to be pretty exciting, keeping me up late to see the outcome and wondering once again if Sparks was going to kill off another hero. I will say that this one is a little twisty, a little sneaky and (view spoiler)[ we do very much get our HEA so I didn’t have to throw anything or cry. (hide spoiler)]
Alternating with 3 different POV’s we begin with 91 year old Ira Levinson crashing his car over an embankment during a snow storm. Ira is alone in the world and no one is going to be looking for him for a very long time. In poor health to begin with he is now suffering from multiple injuries, unable to move and barely conscious, somehow his beloved wife Ruth appears in the passenger seat beside him. She’s been gone for 9 years now so couldn’t possibly be here yet she forces him to hang on, her clothes and appearance changing with the times as she urges him to recount the stories of their life together. Their early courtship, the dark days of WWll when he served as a pilot, their eventual marriage and their discovery of art which begins a lifelong hobby of collecting paintings from as then unknown artists. It is a life well lived.
We also meet Sophia Danko, a college senior in the midst of being pressured to join her roommate for a weekend at the local rodeo. Sophia is recovering from a recent breakup after her boyfriend of 2 years cheated on her and realizes her friend might be right, she needs a night out. She meets former PBR champion Luke Collins at the bull riding event, when he comes to her rescue in all his yummy cowboy goodness. Luke bears no resemblance to the silly college boys she’s used to and despite their differences the two start dating and fall in love. We follow them through the early stages of their budding relationship as they try not to think too hard about what the future holds as their worlds are so far removed. Luke is trying to keep the bank from taking his flailing ranch all while attempting a comeback after a horrific bullriding injury sidelined his dreams. His days are long and filled with guilt and fear.
Alternating characters throughout we see Ira and Ruth’s life lived while waiting and hoping for Ira to be rescued, growing weaker as the days pass. We witness young love and difficult decisions as Luke keeps a weighty secret and pushes himself to the limits. In the end Sophia and Luke’s lives are changed forever by an old man and the last letter he wrote to his wife on their anniversary. Cheers. Sigh.
Opening Line: “It wasn’t the memory he would have chosen -not when he couldn’t remember his own name.”
I’m a big Cindy Gerard fan so of course I wasOpening Line: “It wasn’t the memory he would have chosen -not when he couldn’t remember his own name.”
I’m a big Cindy Gerard fan so of course I was more than a little excited to read this mash-up connecting her Black Op Inc and One Eyed Jacks characters. Yup, Merry Christmas to me!
Simply put CG is the master of romantic suspense. Her action scenes and exotic locations always drop you right into the thick of it. With proper military jargon and weapons lingo she doesn’t stray into OTT territory either. Gerard also excels at writing the tortured hero (I’ve lost track of how many literary boyfriends this woman has given me) yet still manages to provide comic relief with some serious male bonding and a bromance or two.
The Way Home was no different; it hit all my happy buttons even though I will admit to being slightly put off by the small-town-romancy feel we had going in the beginning. Jess and Tyler’s romance was just a little too sweet for me (although lots of people like those Virgin River-ey type reads) However when you pair that aspect up with the events taking place with her presumed dead husband in Afghanistan you’ve got something special.
I found these two divulging storylines very clever, because as the reader you’re watching Jess and Tyler fall in love, healing and learning to love again but you’ve also got the knowledge that Jess’s husband J.T is getting closer and closer to rescue. And with that the whole story flips and becomes more poignant, taking on a level of suspense and heartache, because you know that this just can’t end well for anyone.
I loved all of Jeff (J.T’s) scenes in Afghanistan, now this is the epitome in a tortured hero, (however more in the literal sense here.) His story is absolutely heartbreaking on so many levels and I give kudos to the amount of research that must have gone into not only head trauma and PTSD but the realistic view we also get of an Afghani woman’s life. Rabia was an excellent, well fleshed out heroine and I appreciated learning the little things about her life; regarding her religion, what she’s allowed to do (drive), say, how to dress as well as her fear of the Taliban and Americans. Her love scenes were written differently too, more respectful, fade to black. Very much in character.
Ultimately this book was everything I had hoped for; romantic, angst filled and passionate. I seriously didn’t know how CG was going to bring these two romances together and make them work. Oh and there’s also one hell of an action scene for the big extraction which goes from bad to worse to FUBAR and includes cameos from Mike and all the BOI’s (we even get a couple Reed-isms Yay!) Just a great read. Cheers
*My thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books, who provided a copy in exchange for an honest review. 393jb45
"Just as they’re planning their wedding and new life together, Jess receives shocking news: her husband is alive, and under the care of a young Afghani woman hiding him from the Taliban. Even as he sees their happily-ever-after slip away, Ty arranges for the One Eyed Jacks and Black Ops, Inc. teams to make a daring and dangerous rescue mission to bring Jeff home. The hardest thing Ty or Jess has ever done is to let the other go."...more
Opening Line: "That inner part of a soldier that tells him when he’s being watched was going off big-time in Wes Holden’s head.”
This was actually myOpening Line: "That inner part of a soldier that tells him when he’s being watched was going off big-time in Wes Holden’s head.”
This was actually my first book from author Sharon Sala but I can see now why she’s so popular. It was a very good read, well parts of it were; I mean the beginning is just excellent, grabbing you right away as we watch Army Special Ops soldier Wes Holden struggle with PTSD before losing his wife and son in an on-base suicide bombing and then subsequently giving up his hold on reality. If you have a thing for the tortured heroes (like I do), then it doesn’t get much more heartbreaking than this.
On the other hand right after the gripping opening chapters we jump straight into the heroines head and I suddenly felt like I was reading a different book. Her POV’s (before she meets the hero) read like a historical romance. Ally Monroe lives in an isolated mountain community and spends her days cooking and cleaning for her strict father and two brothers. Attending church on Sundays and trying to get out of marrying any of the potential suitors her Pa brings home in an attempt to marry her off before she’s completely passed her sell by date and despite her club foot. It all just seemed a little far-fetched, and I honestly wondered how these two were going to have any kind of romance.
Speaking of which… just when I’m getting on board with these two fitting together in a slow-going courtshipy kind of way it was like Sala suddenly ran out of page time and thought I better get these two into bed and wrap this up. There was zero chemistry pre getting-it-on and therefore all the ONE love scene did was make me uncomfortable because it was so out of the blue. Poor naïve virgin Ally, her first night in a hotel and she has to spout lines like “are we going to make love now?” Yeah I was surprised too honey, especially with Wes still missing his wife, barely able to function in the world and without any condoms. Anyways, it was pretty horrible.
On the other, (other) hand, the mad scientist, bad guy in this was excellent. Well actually he wasn’t all that interesting but the bioterrorism he engages in scared the shit out of me. Creating a “super weed” that is so toxic and addictive that it makes anything that touches it go mad (animals, insects, stray deer, the men paid to harvest it) trying to get more, more, more before they die an agonizing death. This plot line was clever and interesting and realistically scary.
So yeah, I would definitely give Sharon Sala another shot. MISSING was well written with engaging secondary characters, plenty of suspense, some twists and surprises and a great broken hero.
Oh, one other thing; I agree with another reviewer who questioned the title. Nobody is “missing” in this book unless you count the heroes mind but that’s just misleading, anyways Cheers. 368jb4...more
Um Wow. So this was not what I was expecting and I couldn’t be happier. For some reason I put off reading“Bite the apple Evie, it’ll blow your mind.”
Um Wow. So this was not what I was expecting and I couldn’t be happier. For some reason I put off reading this book for ages (I think it’s because the cover is just not good) which is unfortunate because Beyond Eden turned out to be one of the better kinky books (BDSM) I’ve ever read. Even now, a week later as I plug along trying to get my review done the characters, story (yes there is one) magic of true love and web of emotions linger. There were just so many things I liked about this story, which I’ll be honest, took me out of my comfort zone more than once but that’s a good thing right?
This whole book is one long drawn out, extended and delicious sex scene. No I mean it, page after page after page of it, but it works because it’s not the same. It’s always different, always changing, revealing itself as layers are peeled away. With each action in the bedroom some kind of emotion or revelation is exposed, nothing is wasted here. I usually find with the erotica when there’s this much bangin the plot suffers but Kele Moon has managed a captivating storyline too. Honestly I can’t stop thinking about this book.
Since there’s already a ton of great reviews out there I won’t go into a synopsis here, I’ll just give you some of my feelings. Ha, now where to start there?
Beyond Eden is a love story, although obviously not in the typical sense; first off there are three people involved, and then of course there’s the whole BDSM scene and the fact that one of our characters has an extreme pain fetish. So yeah, it tends to go to some darker places.
Ultimately this wasn’t an easy read, (which is crazy because I couldn’t stop reading it either) but there were times when I absolutely hated one of the heroes. I couldn’t believe what he was doing to someone he supposedly loved. I mean granted I don’t “get” the whole Dom/sub relationship but this; this “Master” who was also his best friend and lover was too much. As I said earlier though Moon peels the layers away and suddenly you come to understand why he’s doing what he’s doing and you see the love.
Yeah I’m talking about Danny, what a complex character. He did redeem himself to me in the end though and became one of the most intriguing people in the book (which I guess is why I’m still thinking about him.) Evie was another of my favourites. She was the lightness here, all free spirited and quirky, our guide if you will, because it’s through her ”vanilla” eyes that we get to learn and experience the BDSM lifestyle. And Paul, what can I say about him? He sorta broke my heart.
This was a story that surprised me, tested me and haunted me. It’s complicated, tangled, intense, obsessive, violent, forbidden, shameless and beautiful. And oh it’s good. Cheers
**Thanks to NetGalley and Ellora's cave who provided a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. 364jb45...more
Much like Christmas the BDB only comes around once a year and it's still my favorite book release of the year, even if I am starting to feel a littleMuch like Christmas the BDB only comes around once a year and it's still my favorite book release of the year, even if I am starting to feel a little too old to believe in "Santa" F-bombing it out in his leather pants.
Opening Line: “There are 158 steps between the bus stop and home, but it can stretch to 180 if you aren’t in a hurry, like maybe if you`re wearingOpening Line: “There are 158 steps between the bus stop and home, but it can stretch to 180 if you aren’t in a hurry, like maybe if you`re wearing platform shoes.”
-5 minutes after finishing- Oh my gawd, What an awful, awful book. **I say with tears streaming down my face, a knot in my chest, eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and the tiniest of smiles on my face**
Wow, okay it’s been a few days now since I finished this “awful” book and while I have somewhat recovered from the gut wrenching experience of ME BEFORE YOU, I still haven`t been able to get the story out of my head.
This was an utterly absorbing read that challenged me to examine my own life and choices. It is thought-provoking and entertaining, heartbreaking and poignant and impossible to put down. Filled with vibrant characters it captures the complexities of love but at its heart it’s a story about life. About living and living well, taking life by the horns and using the hell out of it. As Will says, “Just live”.
I should start by saying that I knew next to nothing about the story going in (which I recommend) and also that within the first few chapters thought I had the whole thing figured out (which I didn`t) I just assumed it was going to be your basic chick-lit; you know, a bumbling, relatable heroine, a cast of somewhat eccentric secondary characters including meddling siblings and drunken BFF’s tied together with a love story. I thought it would be a cute, clever read. Ultimately yes, it was all these things but… It was also about halfway in that I became aware that I was no longer reading the book I thought I was. That I was dealing with a very controversial and sensitive subject, that I was being tested, challenged and changed and that the ending (oh my god she’s not going to go there is she?) was going to hurt like hell.
Will Traynor is a handsome, high-powered takeover specialist in London who sleeps with beautiful women and travels the world. Skiing, bungee jumping, mountain climbing, basically just looking for the next great adrenaline rush. His life has always been one of wealth, privilege and adventure until one rainy morning when a motorcycle accident renders him a quadriplegic and places him back on his parent’s estate in need of 24 hour care.
In the same small town Louisa Clarke lives with her financially strapped family (who are hilarious and I loved) dates a man she assumes she’ll marry but isn`t honestly all that bothered either way and is more than satisfied with her modest job at the Buttered Bun Café. She doesn`t want or expect much from her life but all that’s about to change.
When Lou suddenly loses her job she finds herself with no qualifications and a family that’s depending on her for a paycheque. With few options she finds herself at the job center where she reluctantly agrees to an interview as a caretaker. Really, she’s to be more of a paid companion; she won’t have to do any of the medical things just “be” with her charge. Easier said than done though, Will Traynor is a bitter, depressed, intimidating and hostile man.
Granted he is confined to his motorised wheelchair and in constant pain, with only limited movement of his neck and one hand. And there’s the fact that he seems to have lost any sort of freedom or decision making from his harsh mother. But still, he won’t even talk to her. How is she going to get through her six month contract like this?
So this “awful” book has easily become one of the best I’ve read this year. Thank you JoJo Moyes. 370jb5+...more
Opening Line: “Duncan could not wait to get the fuck out of this sand pit.”
Now this is how to start a romantic suspense series. Get the entire backOpening Line: “Duncan could not wait to get the fuck out of this sand pit.”
Now this is how to start a romantic suspense series. Get the entire back story and set up out of the way without the distraction of a romance, -which is especially relevant here because JM Madden has taken the time to give us some real heroes. I loved how this 40 page prequel gave us all three soldiers stories from the very beginning, starting in the frontlines of Iraq and then through their injuries and subsequent treatment at a VA hospital. These aren’t your standard romance heroes battle scars either, these are real injuries and they haven’t been glossed over for which I want to thank Madden.
Our men have missing limbs, disfiguring burns and are wheelchair bound for the rest of his life. These are gut-wrenching, life altering wounds. We also get all the horror of war, the pain, the anger, the humiliation, the flashbacks and the grief over their lost bodies. Who they once were and the bewilderment about what their futures can hold for them now. Yup, these are heroes that needed their stories told first without the distraction of a romance.
My only real criticism here would be that at times I got the men confused, whose head we were in as they were often referred to by either their rank or a first or last name which was confusing.
In this well written prequel to (The Lost And Found Series) we meet three wounded warriors as they recover in hospital. Marine 1st Sargent Duncan Wilde- badly burned and learning to walk again and oh his girlfriend is expecting another man’s baby, doh!, Sergeant Chad Lowell who lost a leg and doesn’t relish returning to his hometown and its ongoing sympathy party, and Gunnery Sergeant John Palmer who is confined to a wheelchair, full of F-bombs and angry at the world.
Emotionally and physically torn apart we witness as a friendship is forged on adversity. But as their bodies heal and a new reality is faced they wonder what will they do now? How can they still give back to society? Surely there must be a way to still utilize their military talents despite their setbacks and limitations. And it’s here that “Lost And Found Investigative Services” is forged.
Can’t wait to start Embattled Hearts, just wish I had a Kindle so I could continue with John’s F’n story right now LOL 362jb45...more
Opening Line: “I stare up through gaps in the sea-grass parasol at the bluest of skies, summer blue, Mediterranean blue, with a contented sigh.”
Well IOpening Line: “I stare up through gaps in the sea-grass parasol at the bluest of skies, summer blue, Mediterranean blue, with a contented sigh.”
Well I don’t know what all the haters are on about but I loved this final book in the Fifty Shades trilogy. In fact for me each book just got better, with “Freed” becoming my favourite. Granted I had a few issues, like the constant Mr. Grey/Mrs. Grey every single time they addressed each other, which was all cute and newlywedish at first and then just proceeded to drive me crazy. But I still had trouble putting this one down; I'm such a sucker when it comes to the tortured hero so I understood my falling for Christian but Ana surprised me and I came to appreciate her as she grew a backbone and learned how to handle her man and his many moods.
Plus there’s an actual story here; I mean stuff happens other than in the playroom. We get car chases, assorted stalkers, blips, kidnappings, bar fights, car accidents, drunk Christian, out of control Christian, raging Christian, playful Christian, needy fucked up Christian it was just such an all-out emotional journey and managed to leave me shocked several times. I also found it fascinating to watch Christian lose control and for Ana take it, not what I was expecting as all his shades finally made sense.
Ana’s hilarious inner goddess is still with us and I was happy to see the inclusion of more sexy, fun, playful or in this case argumentative e-mails as Ana tries to stand her ground against a very controlling and used to being in charge Christian. These things were part of what separated Fifty from the Twilight universe for me and also why James’ writing grew on me since that first book which felt immature, you could really hear her voice here and I now can’t wait to see what she writes next.
I also loved the ending which finally “freed” Christian and left me in a very happy place; it just felt so complete, like okay you guys are going to make it, thanks for the journey. Of course this could have something to do with the many assorted epilogues we get, my favourite being the inclusion of Christian’s Midnight Sun-ish POV first meeting of Ana. As a friend said, I would read the whole series again from inside his head -as fucked up as it might be. Laters.
“I need control Ana. Like I need you. It’s the only way I can function. I can’t let go of it. I’ve tried… And yet, with you…” He shakes his head in exasperation. I swallow. This is the heart of the dilemma -his need for control and his need for me. I refuse to believe these are mutually exclusive.”
“Do you want a drink?” I ask super sweetly. “No thanks” he says not taking his eyes off me, and I know that he’s helpless. He does not know what to do with me. It’s comical on one level and tragic on another.”...more
Opening Line: Grave. And not as in serious. As in headstone and freshly disturbed earth, as in body down under, as in ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
I’Opening Line: Grave. And not as in serious. As in headstone and freshly disturbed earth, as in body down under, as in ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
I’m one of those obsessive JR Ward fans that knows the release date of her latest book about a year in advance and plans accordingly, rearranging my work schedule and blocking off several uninterrupted days to read it. If I’m honest though her Fallen Angels have never quite made it to the same level as her BDB boys however I did feel (at least with the last book (Envy) Ward had turned a corner with the series, as it was a fantastic read and really got me excited about what was to come. Unfortunately with this installment it just feels like we`ve gone back to square one because in the end I came away feeling underwhelmed and disappointed.
Don't get me wrong, it’s still ‘new’ Ward so it’s still all kinds of awesome but Rapture took me over a week to finish with sections where my mind wandered or I just felt like I’d read it all before. There wasn’t really anything new here with characters, traits and events that felt rehashed and a little too familiar along with a slow moving storyline and not a whole lot going on in the romance department. I also don`t feel like this book moved things forward; in fact I would go as far as to say that Rapture stalled, essentially taking the series nowhere.
Okay now that that’s out of the way. Rapture is book 4 in the Fallen Angels series following our angel Jim Heron as he battles the devil in the ultimate endgame of good vs evil. Jim has been chosen (by like GOD himself) to rescue the souls of seven people from one of seven deadly sins. If he fails so does all of humanity, so the stakes are pretty high. Currently he stands at a win of 2 to 1 with events in the last book hitting him hard as Devina (the devil) took out one of his team *sigh* Well and then there`s that little issue of him having sex with her, and oh that whole Sissy trapped in hell situation. Anyways.
As usual going in Jim (and the reader) don’t know whose soul is going to need saving. I have to say I was a little surprised to learn that previous bad boy Matthias was being resurrected here as the latest hero. Can’t say I liked him much before, but I wasn`t supposed to. Of course through clever writing Ward manages to transform him into, if not swoon-worthy at least redeemable enough that I felt for his plight.
We join Matthias as he wakes up naked on top of a grave (Jim’s) He has no memories of how he got there, in fact he has no memories at all which might actually be a good thing considering the type of life he lead before his little trip to hell. As the leader of XOps (a covert group of assassins) he was a bit of a monster and his body still has the scars to prove it.
So Matthias stumbles around the graveyard, getting used to his dysfunctional legs before wandering onto the road and getting hit by a car. Say hello to Mels Carmichael; reporter for the Caldwell Courier Journal, user of Beth’s coffee mug and romantic lead. Mels is your standard Ward heroine; little bit Jane, a dash of Griers, entirely forgettable but perfect for Matthias. And while their romance was fine it was nothing special, they did however seem to spend an exorbitant amount of time in hotels and restaurants or eating in general.
All the Wardisms are here, yup Ward's unique brand of slang and riddelesque product placement is in full bloom, which sometimes makes me laugh but also gets to be a bit much particularly in this series. “He’d come to the land of Lysol, piss-green tiles, and scales that were used to weigh brains and livers” -Um, couldn`t you just say morgue?
I’m surprisingly becoming a big fan of Devina, what with her ongoing therapy sessions, OCD, hoarding issues and school girl crush on Jim her POV`s are always a blast to read.
I also just have to mention Adrian; the sacrifice he makes here is so well... moving, it had me way more invested then the whole crossroads climax that we had supposedly been waiting all book for. That was kind of meh, what did he do that for? Whereas Adrian, he broke me. Cheers peeps. ~3.5~ 329jb35...more
From Cindy Gerard`s website... "I'm working on a brand new series right now - One Eyed Jacks. Sounds like we're looking at a February 2013 pub dateFrom Cindy Gerard`s website... "I'm working on a brand new series right now - One Eyed Jacks. Sounds like we're looking at a February 2013 pub date for book one, KILLING TIME, that features Mike - Primetime - Brown
Opening Line:"He couldn't breathe, couldn't hear, couldn't stand, but his godammed eyes could still see. Everything."
Ladies if you’re looking for aOpening Line:"He couldn't breathe, couldn't hear, couldn't stand, but his godammed eyes could still see. Everything."
Ladies if you’re looking for a new tortured hero to fall for then I’ve found him. Rocco Silas would have to be one of the most heartbreaking, damaged, seriously shut-off romantic leads I’ve come across since JR Ward’s Zsadist, and that’s not a bad thing. This is the first book from Elaine Levine’s new romantic suspense series Red Team and its a great read; filled with hunky, wisecracking ex-counter terror operatives, smoking hot love scenes, a western vibe and a new addition to my top tortured heroes of all time list.
Rocco is broken; struggling to function as a civilian after spending the past 7 years deep undercover on special assignment in Afghanistan. He’s just been released from a military hospital but his PTSD is far from under control. Suffering from nightmares, hallucinations and a paralyzing fear of being touched (because of what he sees on his skin) he’s also keeping himself just on the edge of starvation so he can feel… something. At this point suicide is becoming a fairly reasonable option.
Enter Mandy Fielding, the half sister of one of his fellow Red Team operatives. Mandy is in the process of opening a therapeutic riding center but due to a string of weird accidents she can’t get any of her ranch hands to stick around long enough to actually get it open. She promised her brother that she’d take Rocco on but honestly she’s not thrilled with the idea of having a dangerous ex soldier on her payroll. One look into Rocco’s haunted eyes though and her compassionate side takes over, she always did have a soft spot for the wounded strays.
The first half of this story focuses almost exclusively on Rocco and Mandy’s blossoming romance, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch unfold. Because Rocco is such a mess (at times he’s almost more animal then man) witnessing him learn to trust, to touch, to feel again is just amazing.
“I’m not afraid of you.” His head lifted, his hard gaze levelling her. “You should be. I’m afraid of me.”
A couple of sigh worthy moments come to mind; There’s a very BDB reminiscent scene in the shower where Rocco is trying to scrub his skin clean and later a flashback that has Mandy finding him in town just staring down main street where he’s been for hours (the reason why is gut wrenching) My favourite scene though would have to be when Mandy finally gets him to eat, feeding him bite after bite from her fork. It is so raw, so sensual and heartbreakingly sexy. Yeah, The Edge of Courage gave me several re-readable moments. Oh the sexy time ain’t too shabby either!
Around the half way mark the rest of the boys from Red Team show up to help take out terrorist Ebsan Asir -He’s set up a faction in the US, seeking retribution for events in Afghanistan. And while I loved the first part of this book its here that the story begins to suffer from first-book-in series-syndrome. With our H/h getting lost between a massive influx of very witty, very sexy secondary characters, fading into the background while we get to know the heroes of future books. Its also when all the action takes place and while its exciting and non stop it also heads into OTT territory, and I had to just shut my brain off and enjoy the ride. We’re left with a couple of loose ends but even without those I would be excited about the next instalment from what promises to be a great series.
I received an e copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I should tell you though that I’ll be buying it in PB as well because this is one for the keeper shelf.
Opening line: “Did you have fun?" Mercy asked as Chase negotiated the slick Sacramento streets in the dark."
Wow, what an emotionally draining, yetOpening line: “Did you have fun?" Mercy asked as Chase negotiated the slick Sacramento streets in the dark."
Wow, what an emotionally draining, yet ultimately amazing read. My first from author Amy Lane but not my last for sure, however it may take a while before I’m up to facing this sort of angst again. Yeah Chase In Shadow is heartbreaking and beautiful and damaged and gorgeous and just such a freaking hot mess, I won’t be forgetting him for a long time to come.
As much as I came to love this story I should tell you though that I had a hell of a time getting into it, and quite honestly almost gave up more than once. My initial problem was sorting out the huge cast of characters, most of whom had two names (which wasn’t explained right away) Chase is also Chance, his love interest is Tommy or Tango then we have childhood friends, porn industry friends, directors, fiancées, it took me ages to figure who was who. Compile that with a very unique style of writing that jumps from past to present with real events, dreamed events, desired events and directors cut type filmed events. The dialogue also takes some getting used to because in almost every circumstance Chase includes a “wished” internal response to what he actually says.
“Is there something wrong?” Donnie asked, like he was afraid of the answer.
I fell in love with a guy I met on a gay-for-pay porn set, and he cheated on me when we weren’t really a couple, because I had to leave him for my girlfriend
“Mercy had my dad over last night. It…it didn’t go real fuckin’ well.”
At some point though everything just clicked for me and fell in love with both the story and the uniqueness of the writing. Add to that one of the most emotionally damaged, frustrating, contradictory characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, a heartbreaking romance including love scenes that defy a hotness category and well, Amy Lane‘s got herself a new fan-girl.
Chase “Chance” Summers has it all….from the outside He’s young, popular, good looking and athletic with a beautiful fiancée and supportive friends. Which is just how he planned it. In between studying for his engineering degree, playing baseball and saving for a house Chase has also managed to hide an abusive, messed up childhood behind the red door (in his mind) -which, throughout the course of the book slowly gets opened. His farce of a life seems to going along just fine until he adds one more lie to his already toppling house of cards. Telling himself that it’s for the money and that he’s straight, I mean he’s got a fiancée right? Chase decides to try out the gay porn industry.
Entering “Johnnies” is a revelation because for the first time in his life Chase “Chance” feels free. In fact when he’s with another man he’s flying, but the house of cards is starting to sway. Keeping his alternate life from his girlfriend is almost too easy, which of course just makes him feel like a dick but then again he can hardly contain himself once he starts thinking about who and what he’s going to be doing during the next shoot.
Enter Tommy “Tango” Hallaron, fellow porn actor and the one Chase has been inadvertently waiting for his entire life. They fall fast and hard and Chase’s life trisects, and the house of cards shakes a bit more. His abusive father, his mother’s suicide, his porn life, his straight friends, the fact that he’s really gay, the cheating on both Mercy and Tommy. Secrets upon secrets upon secrets, something’s got to give. Throughout the utter chaos of Chase’s ‘perfect’ life he hates what he’s doing to those he loves but can’t stop, can’t change and he hates himself more and the house of cards falls and the red door opens.
As you’ve assumed this story goes to some very dark places, I mean on page one he’s attempting suicide so you know you’re in for a roller coaster ride. But I never really expected the level of grief, torment and self abuse that we get to see here. Towards the end there’s a huge surprise (that I didn’t see coming) and it helps in what (Thank God) is a well, well earned HEA. Cheers
Opening Line: “I scowl with frustration at myself in the mirror.”
So, I realize the last thing this book needs is another review and I’m way late toOpening Line: “I scowl with frustration at myself in the mirror.”
So, I realize the last thing this book needs is another review and I’m way late to the bandwagon but since I finally succumbed to all the hype I figured I might as well give my fifty cents worth. And my hard line is; I liked it but it was weird.
Maybe I’ll start be describing why this was weird; is there such a thing as YA erotica because that’s what Fifty Shades reads like. The writing style is very simple and our main character Anastasia acts more like a high school heroine caught up in the big bad world of BDSM then a college grad. Yup she’s way out of her depth here. This kinda makes sense when you’re aware that this started out as Twilight fan fiction. I just wish I hadn’t known that and I wish James had edited a bit more before going to press because all the similarities distracted me. I’ve heard others mention that they didn’t notice but I couldn’t stop noticing and it removed me from the story as I pictured José as Jacob and every other character as their alter ego while stumbling around after clumsy Bella/Ana who all the boys seem to love despite her unremarkableness.
Ana, sigh, she really is TSTL and I had a hard time believing that a gorgeous billionaire would fall for her; she’s just been written a bit too immature, virginal and well, too much of a loser to be believable as Christian’s “It” girl -the moth to his flame. How the hell do you manage to graduate college without a computer anyway? (This relates to nothing but just bothered me)
Speaking of Christian you can’t help but fall for him, I mean who doesn’t love a bad boy especially a gorgeous one with a disposable income and just enough issues to keep you interested. He and his Robert Pattinson-ish hair were very intriguing, hot and scary in a controlling stalker sort of way and I did like how his character and “fifty shades of fucked-upness” was slowly revealed throughout the book. Truthfully he is the sole reason I`ll be continuing on with this series, I have to find out why he is the way he is, what happened to him?
I am curious to see what if anything EL James will write next, I would love to see where she goes on her own without the aid of the Twilight universe because she did have some great stuff here. Personally I think she would do really well with chick-lit, Ana’s triple axel, back flipping, hiding behind the couch “Inner Goddess” really made me laugh but hopefully she’ll set her next book in England because the Briticisms coming from Seattleite's were weird. I`ve never heard an American say pride of place. Anyways.
I did enjoy all the emails; as well as being fun they allowed the characters to show pieces of their true selves while still hiding behind the “mean machine” and a Blackberry. The 10 pages of contract rules and appendixes got to be a bit much, mostly because we kept referring back to them but it was interesting seeing it laid out in full because it allowed you to think would I sign this? What would I amend? Cough, cough fisting.
Despite all of my misgivings and issues in the end I liked this; I’m still not sure what all the fuss is about? I mean there is way better erotica out there but it was a fun read that I`ll be continuing with. 334jb4.5
“I’m no longer angry with him, I feel suddenly, unbearably shy. I don’t want him to go. For the first time, I’m wishing he was normal—wanting a normal relationship that doesn’t need a ten-page agreement, a flogger, and carabineers in his playroom ceiling.”...more
Opening Line: “Shaw looked out the window as the chopper came in to land.”
I was kind of unsure going into this (especially after the warning in theOpening Line: “Shaw looked out the window as the chopper came in to land.”
I was kind of unsure going into this (especially after the warning in the back blurb) I mean I don’t even read BDSM so I figured this was going to be way out of my comfort zone but luckily I took a gamble because it turned out to be a fantastic, well written and very moving story. Sure it’s intense, but it’s also thought provoking, suspenseful, romantic, (way) surprising and even tender.
And oh did I mention it takes place on a Fijian island (hello virtual vacation -although I’d choose an island not inhabited by a twisted crime lord) Anyways. Yes there are situations here that are uncomfortable, disturbing and just plain painful to read but they take place off the page and are non-sexual, more like a prisoner of war situation then a kinky F’d up sex thing (if that makes sense?) So don’t be afraid of THE ISLAND especially if you like good romantic suspense, Australian heroes and a smile inducing HEA.
Entrepreneur Adam Shaw arrives on the private Fijian Island to sell a stolen and very expensive (albeit ugly) painting to the powerful crime boss known as Vornis. Vornis is one twisted pig in the truest sense of the word but he’s also an important stepping stone in Shaw’s murky world as he will introduce him to some important future business partners. Shaw is the middle man to the bad guys, finding them what they need for a fee; weapons, bombs, jewels, artwork nothing is out of his reach but he has a conscience too and it’s about to be tested.
On his first night on the lavish island Vornis introduces Shaw to his new “toy” a beautiful but destroyed young man. He is now only a shell of his obvious military background; beaten, drugged, brutalized, starving and for the most part living in some reclusive part of his own mind. Being the consummate host Vornis gives the boy to Shaw to "play with" for the duration of his stay. Shaw is not a monster though, he’s different from these people or so he keeps reminding himself.
Over the coming days Shaw does what he can not to hurt the boy any further while still appearing to be one of the monsters. Putting on a show for the cameras in his room and appearing unfazed when Vornis takes him back for a few hours to well, terrorize and beat the shit out of him. I mean he feels for his situation but really it’s none of his business and what could he do anyways? They’re trapped on the island, hounded by bodyguard soldiers with escape an impossibility. If Shaw shows any weakness at all towards the boy Vornis will kill them both. It’s a slippery slope and it’s so cleverly written watching Shaw work both sides.
For the majority of this story we remain in Shaw’s head, with only the occasional glimpse into the mind of the boy know as Lee. Again this is great writing because make no mistake this is also very much Lee’s story and when his head clears enough from the drugs and we’re allowed in let me tell you it’s a mess. His coping techniques, utter terror and flashbacks bothered me more than the abuse he was suffering. For Lee, Shaw is the first person since his capture to look him in the eye, to treat him like more than a dog and to give him hope that he might have a future. Hope can be a dangerous thing though.
There’s a huge plot twist that I didn’t see coming and can’t get into because it will give it all away but let me tell you it was awesome. I also loved that this story continues for several months into the future realistically dealing with “things” that needed to be dealt with before we get the big HEA but again its spoiler territory so I can’t say much more than that.
Sebastian Easton has spent the last 12 years striving towards one goal. To take back his rightful title as the 8th Duke of Keswick, stolen from him bySebastian Easton has spent the last 12 years striving towards one goal. To take back his rightful title as the 8th Duke of Keswick, stolen from him by his murderous and power hungry uncle. Upon the death of their father he and his two brothers had been locked away in a tower awaiting certain death until his friend Mary daringly set them free.
The three boys then ran for their lives, spending the next decade apart, with one of the brothers going to sea and another forced to a life on the streets. Sebastian became a soldier and went to war eventually earning enough to buy his commission but not before becoming wounded in battle. All three of the “lost lords of Pembrook” have returned to London hardened and changed men but Sebastian's scars mark him the greatest. He is of single minded focus to reclaim his title and avenge their stolen youth.
This was another solid story from Lorraine Heath. It wasn’t my favourite but still a fantastic read. I particularity liked the back story and set up for this trilogy and she has done a great job of showing (teasing) us with just enough of the remaining two brothers (Rafe & Tristian) to hook me into continuing on. I am very intrigued.
I will admit that once the fascinating backstory was put into place the actually story & romance part ended up being just okay. It seemed to stall out a bit for me in the middle and took ages for out H/h to get together. Ultimately it was also quite predictable with the bad guy uncle.
I do have a real weakness for the scarred and tortured heroes though and Sebastian suffers as much emotionally as he does from his battle wounds. He bears the blame for not being able to protect his bothers and for their rough orphan upbringings. And (because this is a historical romance) he also believes himself to be a monster, unworthy of love due to how he looks. (Missing eye and scars down his face, neck, chest)
This brings us to Mary, who of course sees past his scars. Loyal, fiery and at the time of Sebastian's return, also betrothed to another. This proves to be somewhat of an issue because they're having trouble staying apart which in turn threatens to destroy Mary's reputation and engagement. Even after they fall for each other Sebastian remains closed off emotionally, obsessed with righting Pembrook and refusing to see what is right in front of him...love. Cheers
Opening Line:”For Dawson Cole, the hallucinations began after the explosion on the platform, on the day he should have died.”
By now I’ve read enoughOpening Line:”For Dawson Cole, the hallucinations began after the explosion on the platform, on the day he should have died.”
By now I’ve read enough Nicholas Sparks to know going in that I’m not always going to be guaranteed a HEA. In fact half of the suspense for me in reading his stuff now is that I’m not sure who he’s going to kill off. Sure it’s also frustrating as hell, because I always forget and then just when I’m all invested in the characters and wrapped up in their budding romance, blam. Tragedy strikes. Yeah, more than once I’ve thrown one of his books across the room in disgust but I still keep coming back for more. Damn you Sparks.
This was another good NS book which (as always) sucked me right in. I’ll be honest though there’s nothing particularly new here and even if Sparks’ name weren’t splashed all over the cover, there’d still be no mistaking who wrote it. The Best Of Me reads like bits and pieces of all his other books with; unrequited love, reunited lovers, Notebook-esque flashbacks with an older couple, moral dilemmas, a bit of spirituality, a tortured hero, unscrupulous bad guys and a predictable yet nail-biting ending while you await the outcome of (in this case) a shooting. Yet somehow all that’s ok because when something works for you and the reader why change it?
Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole were teenage sweethearts in 1984 small town North Carolina; from opposite sides of the tracks, their intense and beautiful romance didn’t really stand a chance. You see the Coles are hard drinking, woman beating, law breaking, drug dealing, bad boys and Amanda’s folks are church going, stand up citizens. Despite the odds, or maybe because of they manage to find each other and fall in love, spending considerable time at old man Tuck’s garage where Dawson works. I really enjoyed their teenage romance which is told here through flashbacks from both sides of the pair who are now in their forties.
Dawson is another quiet, somewhat tortured hero of Sparks’ who you can’t help but fall for. (I’m hoping to see Channing Tatum in the probable movie version) He works on the oil rigs, has spent time in prison and almost his entire life running from his messed up family and their reputation. Oh and he’s also never gotten over his one true love Amanda.
When their old friend and mentor Tuck dies the pair are reunited in their hometown for the funeral. The grumpy yet crafty old man has left explicit instructions as to how his final wishes are to be carried out, including a trip to his cabin and some personal letters. As expected the years apart haven’t diminished what Dawson and Amanda feel for each other despite the fact that Amanda now has a husband and children. Throughout their reunion we have some bad guys gunning for Dawson, a ghostly/angel figure following him and adding intrigue as we don’t learn the whys for a long time, and a bad marriage that may or may not be worth saving.
There are actually are quite a few characters involved here and Sparks has again written this using multiple POV’s which as the suspense factor increases get shorter and shorter, so that towards the end you’re only getting about a paragraph from each character. I found that this increased the tension level while he wove all the storylines together and left this reader on pins guessing the outcome. Damn you Sparks. 358jb4...more
How freakin good was this? It was like I’d been on a diet and then with great anticipation sat down andOpening Line: "Joe Green was as good as dead."
How freakin good was this? It was like I’d been on a diet and then with great anticipation sat down and ate the most satisfying, delicious, fulfilling meal I’d had in ages. Of course this meal also came with remorse because now it’s over and back to my diet of mediocre romantic suspense again. Not much in this genre comes close Cindy Gerard’s BOI’s for me, I have loved each and every book in the series and to then finish with Joe’s story… well he definitely is desert.
And anyone with a soft spot for the tortured hero had better sit down because Special Operative Joe Green will grab your heart and squeeze until the very last pages. Ah yes the vigilante hero, is there anything more heartbreaking then a man willing to risk everything?
Sadly this is the 7th and last book from Gerard’s fantastic Black Op’s Inc series. I’d have a tough time picking a favourite among them; Fast paced, super sexy and filled with action, adventure, exotic locations and top notch writing, you really can’t go wrong, I would recommend however you start at the beginning. (Show No Mercy) Speaking of which, I loved the fact that this book took us back to events started there, in affect creating a story arc and tying up all the loose ends.
I guess my only real disappointment would have to be that we didn’t get to see more (any/some) of our BOI’S within this story. LAST MAN STANDING is all about Joe and Stephanie, not that the plot suffers for it or anything but I missed the banter. With the introduction of Navy pilot Mike ”Primetime” Brown I did get some of what I was missing though and I’m sure looking forward to his book from Gerard’s as yet unnamed new series.
“Mean” Joe Green has gone vigilante, completely off the grid he’s cut himself off from everyone including long time love Stephanie Tompkins, breaking both of their heats (and mine) in the process. Joe is on a mission of vengeance, back in Sierra Leone he’s seeking out information on the man responsible for his team mates death in a supposed ambush years ago. He’d meant to protect Stephanie from this hell but when he’s falsely imprisoned for the death of a priest, and with his team on blackout status, she’s the only one left who has his back.
For a month Joe is beaten starved and tortured, he’s half way to dead by the time the last person on earth he wants to see shows up in in Freetown to rescue him. But with no military training how is sweet and gentle Stephanie ever going to break him out of of this hellhole?
I want to read this all over again just writing the summery. The opening chapters are so good. Stephanie turned out to be a real surprise, I mean she doesn’t suddenly turn into Rambo or anything but she did have me believing she was capable of just about anything and for quite a while wore the pants in this relationship. Men can be so dumb. The romance, sigh. I loved this couple. I loved that Joe and Stephanie were already together so this was a different sort of romance, not all butterflies and new love but a couple working through things and really seeing who the other is.
“She looked not like a woman who needed a man like Joe Green to complete her life, but like a woman who could damn well complete his.”
I can’t say enough good things about this series, it captured me from book 1 and has never let go. Each instalment is excellent; with hot alpha men falling hard for their lady loves. These BOI’s are funny, endearing, good in bed and manage to give us quite a few sigh worthy moments while still packing a big gun and kicking major ass. The storylines are always exciting, expertly written and with a nice balance between the action and romance. I never find myself going “yeah right” with this series it’s just always amazing. Cheers ...more
Opening Line: “The urge to run was overwhelming. But Andrew Jackson had not survived the last fifteen years in a maximum security prison by running soOpening Line: “The urge to run was overwhelming. But Andrew Jackson had not survived the last fifteen years in a maximum security prison by running so he walked through the last set of locked gates leading to the outside world.”
Now I know this is a favourite read for many people and I really wanted to love it. Based on reviews I expected to love it and I did fall pretty hard for the hero Jackson but due to the high cheese factor and melodramatics of the heroine I can only give it 3 stars.
The story was good enough, I mean convicted murderer and preachers daughter hooking up, okay you’ve got my attention, sounds intriguing. And the hero was kinda awesome; all emotionally tortured and misunderstood, riding around on his Harley, looking sexy and just wanting to be loved. But the heroine, jeez she drove me crazy with her gasping, feinting, sobbing and over the top tantrums. How do these TSTL women keep getting all the great guys?
Yes the melodramatics were high here which was too bad. Ultimately I could have overlooked those moments but then we also had the stilted and phony dialogue to contend with. I mean who talks like this…
“When she tried the lights she found to her dismay that they didn't work. “Pooh" she said, (really, Pooh?!) but she wasn't afraid of the dark. She knew this place like the back of her hand."
And the love scenes, I actually eye rolled and cringed my way through those because of the clichéd sappiness…
"The room was dark, but they didn't need light to see with their hearts."
“Their dance was timeless and yet for them all too new.”
Part of my problem may have stemmed from the fact that I went into this expecting a somewhat darker read. Where I got that idea I’m not entirely sure (the back blurb?) but this is definitely not dark, some of the themes sure, but not the writing.
Jackson Rule has just been released from prison after serving a fifteen year sentence for manslaughter. Convicted at the age of 15 he lost his youth inside the walls of Angola State Pen. Now at 31 Jackson has a lot of catching up to do, but society doesn’t give many breaks to an ex con and in the first few chapters we watch as he frustratingly tries to reconnect with his sister and build a life for himself. Getting a job proves the hardest, especially without a driver’s license and it’s just dumb luck that sees him filling out an application at Rebecca Hill’s nursery. For some reason she see’s something in him others don’t and is willing to look beyond his past mistakes. After all he’s done his time. Her father the preacher however is another matter entirely.
Of course the sparks fly between our couple, Rebecca knows that Jackson is a good man –probably because he keeps rescuing people (from burning buildings, from would be rapists, from heart attacks) but Jackson is emotionally scarred from the violence in his past and tries to keep his distance, feeling that his reputation would ruin Rebecca. Really though it’s just a matter of time.
Lots of readers love this story so don’t take my word for it, this isn’t a bad book and Jackson is worth putting up with a silly heroine and some corny dialogue for. Cheers.
Opening Line:"The entire platoon came under attack near a tiny French town called Maroueuil; the planes flew in low and quick, though the drone ofOpening Line:"The entire platoon came under attack near a tiny French town called Maroueuil; the planes flew in low and quick, though the drone of propellers served as a warning and sent everyone running."...more
Opening Line:"As soon as she heard the sound, Stevie knew without looking that it was the mystery man."
Stevie’s Chase was a super little read thatOpening Line:"As soon as she heard the sound, Stevie knew without looking that it was the mystery man."
Stevie’s Chase was a super little read that really surprised me, I mean I wasn’t expecting much based on the cover however I was blown away by the depths of this love story. In fact the entire (Holt) series is just fantastic especially if you’re anything like me and have a thing for the tortured heroes and the angst. Oh the angst. It literally drips off the pages here as we watch our tormented hero Chase try (unsuccessfully) not to fall in love with his neighbour Stevie.
I adored this couple; I mean I was really pulling for them. Davis manages to get right into their heads, writing some of the most poignant and extended (due to all the introspective feelings flying around) love scenes I’ve ever read. And while I admit that this was a bit slow in getting started I really enjoyed the fact that Chase’s “dark” past wasn’t revealed right away. In fact Davis keeps the reader guessing until almost the end of the book as to all of Chase’s secrets. Who is after Chase? Why is he on the run? What’s the deal with the scar? Is he a bad guy? The biker dude persona and gun tell us he is yet he’s so troubled and selfless when it comes to love and nothing like his outer bad-boy exterior suggests. Theres a scene where Chase leaves Stevie to keep her away from the nightmare of his past and … jeez it just kills me to see tough guys cry. Anyways I’m ranting here, this was a really great read; moving, well written, suspenseful, anguished and oh so romantic.
Chase Sullivan is very aware that getting close to anyone means putting their lives in jeopardy. He’s made that mistake before so despite the fact that he lives in a close knit apartment complex he keeps himself to himself, there are no pleasantries with the neighbours, not even the beautiful strawberry blonde, Stevie that lives next door and keeps him awake at night wishing things were different.
When Chase falls ill it’s Stevie that nurses him back to health, following his no hospital rule without question. It becomes just the two of them, allowing Chase to let down his walls for the first time in years and feel a little goodness and light in the form of his sweet neighbour. He’s been so lonely and despite trying time and again to push her away Stevie accepts his strange habits and no questions asked policy and they fall for each other. Big time. Now while Stevie is kinda written as the perfect heroine it worked for me here because she’s not an idiot either.
Eventually Chase’s past does catch up with him and as I mentioned earlier he leaves to protect her in an absolutely heartbreaking scene. And its not until Stevie begins her search for him that we that we finally learn the extent of this deep dark past. The ending held quite a few surprises for me and then just when I thought HEA had been reached Davis pulled out one last suspense card.
*SPOILER FREE* Opening Line "The bastard's taking the bridge! He's mine!"
Wow, I honestly don’t know where to begin with this review. To say that this*SPOILER FREE* Opening Line "The bastard's taking the bridge! He's mine!"
Wow, I honestly don’t know where to begin with this review. To say that this was good is an understatement. To say that it knocked me on my ass and left me a drained, emotional wreck, is far closer to the truth. Yup, LOVER REBORN did me in, talk about your gauntlet of emotions, I mean I expected some angst but jeez! I cried (I mean really cried) I laughed, I sighed, I swore, I groaned and I gasped but in the end I also smiled.
As much as I was anticipating this book it was also with a heavy dose of apprehension; was I ready to see Tohrment find love again? Was he ready? Were any of us really ready to let Wellsie go? And most importantly could Ward make me believe in this new love? The answer is a resounding yes, I think in part because it doesn’t happen quickly (or easily) Reborn has been broken into 4 sections (1 per season) so that this book takes place over the period of a year. And it was over that year and all the shit that goes down (and oh does the shit ever go down) that Ward made me believe.
Starting where Lover Unleashed left off and with her usual flair Ward throws us into “Spring” and right into the action and pain that is Tohr. Chasing down a group of Lessers, Tohr is now relentless in his pursuit of the enemy, basically only drawing breathe to “ahvenge” his murdered wife and son. Tonight’s hunt sees Tohr launching himself off a bridge as John and Qhuinn watch helplessly from below, John issuing a silent scream as Tohr falls. And so it begins. Through 572 pages Ward proceeds to give us everything we want and then some…
Without going into spoiler territory (which is going to be hard) I can tell you of course that this is Tohr and No’one’s story. These two have a long history together and are both equally broken so it makes sense for them to get together. Lassiter is helping to move them along on the love train (in his own way) and as it turns out with a sense of urgency. John and Xhex also play key roles in their story, giving us some absolutely filthy-hot love scenes as well as showing us a marriage in transition.
Xcor and his Band Of Bastards are back and gaining strength in Caldwell. They do things here that… can never be forgiven. Sending one Brother on a mission under a decree of death. New and mysterious characters are introduced (Assail) while others are fleshed out (Throe and Zyphor.) We’re still all mixed up in the whole hot-mess that is Layla/Qhinn/Blay/Saxton; however that’s all about to change:) The Blind King still kicks ass, Ward throws a “needing” (or two) our way and gives us details of a ceremony that absolutely broke my heart. We also bare witness to a battle that gave me heart palpitations for all of its 60 pages and left some Brothers with life threatening injuries.
Somehow through all this Ward also manages to give us time with each and every member of the Brotherhood mansion. We get to see everyone doing their thing, giving us some special moment with each of them and that in itself says something because there are so many characters now. There also aren’t any “lesser” POV’s to suffer through; we don’t travel back to the old country or to the other side to hang with the chosen (verily.) And I have to compliment Ward on toning down the product placement and Wardisms. This book just flowed beautifully.
In fact I would have to say that Ward has hit her pinnacle with Lover Reborn. The balance here is just right; the romance, the action, the surprises and the healing. I honestly never knew where this was going to go and when that happens you’re guaranteed a great ride.
And now for the good news Blay and Qhuinn have been officially announced as book #11! That’s right the wait is over. It looks like Ward has worked a miracle with her publisher because their story was originally to be a novella and now they’re getting their very own Hardcover instalment. Way to go boys. See you Spring 2013
**Spoiler Free**In trying to review LOVER MINE two words keep popping into my head; Amazing and Damn… justOpening Line: "He wished he had more time."
**Spoiler Free**In trying to review LOVER MINE two words keep popping into my head; Amazing and Damn… just damn. How can I honestly put into words how much I loved this story and how sad I am that it’s over? Following a year long wait JR Wards 8th instalment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood finally made its way into my eager little hands. At 512 pages LOVER MINE is huge (with a fantastic cover) and I’m happy to report that it does not disappoint, in fact with John Mathews long awaited story the WARDen positively shines.
Fans are given exactly what we’ve been waiting for with ever evolving storylines, multiple POV’s, surprises, tragedies, plot twists, ass-kicking action,(Xhex much) humour and oh the romance. Completed here with erotic, blush-worthy love scenes and of course the inevitable struggle and heartache. I can tell you that this story brought me to tears more than once and not for the reasons you might expect. All of this awesomeness has been wrapped up with Wards unique style of writing, complete with product placements, rap music, unique street language, multiple f-bombs and a whole new batch of cool Wardisms I can’t wait to start using, you feel me.
The series is brought full circle within this book with loose ends cleverly tied together and resolutions brought to story threads we’ve had growing and brewing since the beginning. Sadly I realized that even with Ward continuing indefinitely JM/Darius will be the last of the original brothers to have his story told and that with this book being red, just like book 1 (Dark Lover) she’s given us book ends of a sort.
With us since the beginning, in this instalment we finally get John Mathew (and Darius‘s) story. Of all the characters John is the one we have the greatest sense of and have invested the most time in, having watched him change from a scrawny, neglected and abused pre-trans into an enormous, and angry male with a ton of fricken baggage. His pairing with the half Sympath Xhex has been in the works for some time now and with her abduction in the end of (Lover Avenged) we have the perfect place to begin their story. (Which I’m not going to give away) I will say however that I was pleased to see reflections of the sweet, sensitive John we remember (only now oozing sex appeal) and witness a softer side of Xhex. As always their path to HEA is not an easy one but its fun and sexy as hell watching them open up to each other and get there.
As a whole the storyline blew my mind. With three very separate and distinct running plotlines, (which at first had me wondering, where the hell is this going?) Ward manages to merge all the puzzle pieces together into WOW, bringing us deliciously full circle. Darker and more serious than past books my only real complaint would be the lack of banter between the Brothers and the Brothers as a whole. The moments that we’re given are excellent and while they’re all represented to a degree (some more than others) I insatiably craved more and truly missed them. Qhuinn and Blay, each now with their own POV manage to somewhat fill the gap who along with Saxton bring a different degree of heartache, sexiness and hot mess to the mix. Lash is also back as the Lessening societies leader and surprisingly awesome here as he takes things to a whole new gooey level of evil.
In the end Ward leaves us smiling with contentment, with new characters emerging and events opening up for future stories that I can’t wait to discover. I just wish it wasn’t so far away because I find that after getting just 3 days with the BDB its already time to leave them again and I’m not quite ready to let them go yet. See ya next year boys, stay safe Cheers!
Oh, and in case you were wondering Ward dedicates this book to John Mathew himself(which was what started my first crying jag)
Just reread this gem, the cover might be getting worse with age but I enjoyed the story just as much and stand by my previous review.
Opening line: Just reread this gem, the cover might be getting worse with age but I enjoyed the story just as much and stand by my previous review.
Opening line: "She was the most beautful thing he'd ever seen."
I have no idea where I picked this book up but what a fabulous find especially if you’re anything like me and have a soft spot for the wounded heroes. Written in 96 and the last in a trilogy (which I’m now actively searching for) TMSOD contains one of the most seriously shut-off and tortured heroes I’ve come across since JR Ward’s Zsadist.
Dar Cordell is bitter, standoffish, intimidating and often just downright mean. Allowing precious few into his inner circle, and even those he manages to keep at arms length. Dar is also impossibly handsome, a superior athlete and a double leg amputee, preferring a wheelchair to his seldom used prosthetics. This is one hero with a serious chip on his shoulder, belittling and biting out at everyone while using his missing legs as an excuse to shut himself off from the world.
Still, Dar would have to be up there with my top tortured heroes of all time because given the right circumstances (as is the case here) this unlikely romantic lead quickly gains your sympathy. So that despite his attitude he becomes desirable as you gain understanding as to why he is the way he is. And as it turns out Dar’s issues have very little to do with his legs.
The actual story here is pretty standard Harlequin romance; following supermodel Cassie “Cassandra” Cameron as she grows tired of the superficial world of modeling and escapes to her brothers for a much needed vacation. Of course then we have her stalker, and when he catches up with Cassie the only place she has left to turn is to her brother’s friend Dar. Forcing this reluctant couple together while the police investigate.
I really liked Cassie, despite her supermodel status she reads like a real person, managing to call Dar on his crap, which is just what he needs. As it turns out she‘s just as stubborn as he is and faces some of the same issues too, with the public just assuming she’s nothing more then her looks.
The sparks really fly between this couple with a palpable level of sexual tension throughout, despite the fact that Dar continually pushes Cassie away because he just can’t believe she would ‘want’ him. However when they finally make it into bed lookout, its smoking hot and sweetly intimate.
You can definitely tell that Davis has done her research here as we learn about the different types of wheelchairs (Dar designs racing chairs) hand controlled driving, and what it feels like to be looked down on or just looked through. And because Cassie moves in with Dar we also learn about modified kitchens and bathrooms, wheelchair ramps and accessibility issues in general.
All in all I loved this story and if it wasn’t for the authors annoying overuse of the word “Chagrin” this would have been a 5 star read. Cheers people! ...more
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