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Book Review — Left Drowning by Jessica Park

June 19, 2013 by Aestas · Leave a Comment

What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own.

As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery.

But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.

This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.

Release date: July 16, 2014

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Spoiler-free review.

5 stars!

This book was magic! A well crafted story that built slowly and quietly in intensity. Jessica Park’s writing is beautifully detailed and painfully honest. Left Drowning sneaks up on you. One moment you’re fine, the next moment you can barely breathe.

I was emotionally invested in this story right from the book’s dedication. I’m going to share it with you here because it’s just so beautiful and truly sets the tone for the entire story:

“This book is for everyone who has survived. You are not broken. You can love and be loved, despite what may feel like the eternally brutal nature of the world. Even when you’re drowning and so far under, there is always time to reach for someone who will teach you how to breathe again.”

I love books that surprise me and go down paths that I’m not expecting. On the surface, this is the story of a girl who is essentially drowning in the tragedy of her past, of losing everyone she’s loved in one way or another, and who is unable to let go of the pain. Then she meets this guy and for the first time since her life shattered, he makes her feel safe and whole and begins to help her heal. But the more she finds out about him, the more she realizes that despite his strong and protective exterior, he too is hurting just as much on the inside and is deeply scarred by his past… and maybe, she might have to save him too.

“I wish he wouldn’t look at me, I also wish he’d never stop.”

“We both have pasts full of pain and… he emanated survival in the way I want to.”

“I could breathe him in forever. I could fall in love forever.”

The first half of this book is very, very slow building… even sweet at times. It wasn’t gripping at first but it was totally engaging — taking the time to connect you with the characters. I loved that it was about more than just the romance though, it was also just as much a story about family — about strong, beautifully resilient sibling bonds. The sibling dynamics in this story were just gold! Sabin! Oh gosh, everyone should have a Sabin in their lives <3

Blythe and Chris fell in love quietly. But as drawn to each other as they were, something was holding Chris back and she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Despite their undeniable connection, he kept pulling away.

“I went too far with you and I shouldn’t have. I’m not really boyfriend material.” …
“Did you ever consider that I’m not girlfriend material?”…
“Yes, you are. You’re outstanding girlfriend material. I’m the one who’s all kinds of fucked up. Trust me.”

But I loved that despite their strong physical and the magnetic pull between them, the first thing to develop between them was really just their bond. It was something stronger than friendship, a very deeply rooted connection that went beyond anything romantic.

This isn’t about sex or lust. It’s about closeness, and safety…

“You’ll stay?”

“Always,” he says.

As a reader, I’m usually all about the upfront commitment in a relationship but I could feel in my heart from the very start that they were right for each other and was just happy to watch their relationship develop slowly.

Then out of no where, this book went from quiet to INTENSE!! There was this scene in particular where it really just slammed right into me. Everything about it – the vivid descriptions, the character dynamics, the intensity was just absolutely powerful and felt so real.

Both Blythe and Chris were deeply scarred by their pasts in different and yet lasting ways. I loved that they each understood each other fell in love with the person who their scars had shaped them to be. It was real. They were shaped by their scars and their pain but were healed by their love and their bond.

But I got so comfortable in the gentle pacing of the first half of the book that the intensity really snuck up on me. One minute I was fine, the next minute I swear to God I felt my heart break. Literally break. It blind sided me and was so fucking painful I felt it in my soul. Ice flooded my veins in an instant. I teared up. My heart was in my throat. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Seriously.. bring tissues, guys.

As it continued, my heart was slowly ripped out. I felt sick to my stomach and this is a real tribute to Jessica Park’s writing because without the slow build up that had first bonded me to the characters, what happened would never have hit me this hard.

And then, just when I thought my heart was hurting as much as it possible could, it shattered. Fucking shattered. I don’t even have words for it. I was too hurt to cry. In shock, pain, betrayal. I felt everything that Blythe felt. This wasn’t how the story was supposed to go.

Few books have made me feel this helpless before as a reader just watching the story careening out of my control down the wrong path. I just read chanting in my mind “this can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. This can’t be fucking happening!”

So I seriously can’t tell you how relived felt when things began to get fixed. Ohhhhh the relief. I clung to every shred of hope.

“I want more than anything for the power of us together to be stronger than the power of the damage. If I still believed in God, in anything, I would be praying.“

I loved the way it all came together in the end. I’ve sat and thought about it a little now and I realize that I had all the pieces of the story all along. But just the way your mind protects you from remembering certain memories before you’re ready, I think my mind was keeping me back from piecing everything until then end. There were definitely elements that I suspected but I never realized just how entwined everything was.

This book deals with heavy themes and heart breaking realities highlighting the damage done and marks left by an abusive home. But it also shows the beautiful resilience of siblings bonds, and the salvation and healing power of love — of loving someone unconditionally not in spite of their scars but because of who their scars had shaped them to be.

“This is all sorts of fucked up.”
“I know, baby. I know. But the best kind of fucked up.”

Left Drowning will touch your heart and take you on a powerful and beautifully crafted journey of love, loss, survival and healing.

It has a happy ending, guys. Please don’t be scared off by the intensity I was talking about. This is an absolute must-read! There’s a little bit of everything in it — humour, heart ache, healing… and most importantly, a happy ending

“What are you doing?”
“Loving you,” he says simply. “If you’ll let me.”
“Always. God, always.”

Left Drowning lived up to my every expectation. Everyone should put this book on their radar!

5 stars.

Release date: July 16, 2013.

Casting:

Chris
Blythe

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Filed Under: Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: 5 stars, Highly Recommended

Book Review – Leo (A Sign of Love #1) by Mia Sheridan

June 17, 2013 by Aestas · 17 Comments

** NOTE ** I decided to repost this review because book #2 in this series “Leo’s Chance” just came out today. This book, LEO, was one of the best books I’ve read this year and can be read as a stand alone (it tells a complete story, including a beautiful epilogue at the end). The new book that was just released is more of a companion novel, it retells the same story but from the hero’s perspective. I loved it and will be posting my review along with an author interview on June 19th, but for now, I wanted to share this review with you again because this is one of my top recommendations so far for 2013.

4.5 – 5 stars

“The thing about falling in love so that no matter where you are when it happens, you can’t help but to color those moments with beauty, even if you’re in a location of ugliness. He made what would have been a place of nightmares into a place to dream.”

SQUEEEE!!! OMG I have so many feels for this book!!!!! ♥♥♥

Everything about this story was beautiful!!

It me cry, laugh, swoon and fan myself and honestly, I just loved it all!!

This is a spoiler-free review.

Second-chance love stories are my favorite but one’s with a cool twist are just a bonus. This is the kind of book that makes you want to re-read it, or at least certain parts of it. There is just so much to the story that you can only fully appreciate after having gone through all the big reveals… and knowing them just gives so much *more* to the story, so it’s going on my re-read pile for sure

Now, I know it’s only 192 pages long but honestly, it didn’t feel short at all. The story was never rushed and the ending wrapped up beautifully with a happy-tear-enducing epilogue. And sometimes you just WANT a really wonderful book that you can read in one sitting, you know?

The story starts out in a flashback. Evie is 14, Leo is 15. They met in the first foster home they were placed in and became the best of friends. They relied on each other, bonded, and as they grew older, that developed into love. He was “the boy who makes me want to stay awake because reality is finally better than my dreams.”

But when Leo gets adopted by a family across the country, they are forced apart. They make vows and he promises to come back for her when they turn 18… but that is the last time she sees him.

Eight years later, Evie has forged a life for herself. Despite having grown up in a life without family, filled with drugs, molestation and bad memories, she is strong, self sufficient and has gotten a job, a little home for herself, and generally has everything under control. She has moved on from the hurt of her past but has never forgotten what she felt for Leo. So when a guy shows up one day who says that Leo sent him to check on her, it just throws her world. She feels pulled towards him somehow but there is something mysterious about him and his connection to Leo… and she has to decide whether or not she can trust him…

I was feeling the emotion right from the start of the book. By page 2, I already wanted to cry. The first scene of the book, which was also the scene of their first kiss/goodbye when Leo got adopted just made my heart HURT even though I barely knew them… definitely one of the most beautifully written first kisses ever!!

“I’m going to kiss you now, Evie, and when I do, it’s going to mean that you’re mine. I don’t care how far away we are from each other. You. Are. Mine. I’ll wait for you. And I want you to wait for me. Promise me…”

If that quote doesn’t make you want to read the book, I don’t know what will! From that line on, I was hooked! ♥

I loved the writing. It drew you right into the story and I felt totally connected to everything that happened. It was fast paced without being rushed and flowed very smoothly. It slowed down in the important parts of the scene but I loved that the story was constantly moving forward and adding more pieces to the puzzle.

It was told in back and forth flashbacks and present day…. but with the way the story was woven, it left me unable to put it down. I alternated between heart clenching during the flashbacks and swooning over the present day parts.

I have to say though that I read with a complete mixture of swoon and suspicion. I *knew* something was up, I just KNEW it but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. I had theories and it kept me guessing….

And so when the big reveal happened, I had to read it twice. The first time was just in shock (call me naive but I did not see it coming!) and I just got these huge chills and shivers and had to stop and go back and read that page again and then I just started to cry. Oh. My. God…. incredible scene!!!!

I just looooved the twist! It explained and connected everything perfectly! But then… hmmm once the full explanation came out, I had to think a little about how that made me feel about the character. But the more I read, the more understanding I became. It didn’t make what happened okay in my eyes, but people make mistakes and they mess up. Nobody is perfect. And if they get to a point where you kind of have to choose to accept them or not and there was no doubt in my eyes that I wanted to accept.

I also wanted to add in that, despite the fact that this story is told from Evie’s POV, the author has an awesome way of describing the male characters in these little subtle ways (narrowing of the eyes, clenching of the jaw, raking a hand through the hair… ) that just added extra yum to them and I found myself reading a lot with a little half smile on my face.

I’d classify this book somewhere between New Adult and Adult, maybe closer to adult. There is certainly steam and there are several hot hot hot scenes that are rather descriptive so that’s what’s leaning me towards Adult. That being said, I thought the steam was very well done because the story took the time to FIRST develop the connection with the characters so that by the time they got into bed, you were feeling emotionally connected to them.

The ending is fully resolved and very swoony. No cliffhanger, guys!!!

And, as a bonus, we get an absolutely gorgeous epilogue. Seriously, bless the hearts of every author who writes an epilogue. If I could hug them all, I would. That extra piece to the story just adds that last little bit that puts your heart to rest about the future of the characters you’ve fallen in love with. And this epilogue was particularly heart melting – it was the perfect conclusion to their story.

Overall, LEO is a beautiful, well-written, swoony and emotional read with steam, a bit of mystery and a happy ending ♥

“I can’t make the fire go away,” she had seemed to say. “I can’t guarantee you won’t get burned. But… I can remain steady and strong, because I believe in you. Because you are mine.”

I’d highly recommend it and am adding it to my list of Best Books of 2013.

4.5 – 5 stars.

PURCHASE LINKS

Buy LEO’S CHANCE (Kindle) - just released!
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CASTING

I actually LOVE the book covers so I’m going to use them below in the casting.

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Filed Under: Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: 4.5 stars, 5 stars

Review & Excerpt: One Tiny Lie (Ten Tiny Breaths #2) by KA Tucker

June 13, 2013 by Aestas · 8 Comments

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“I don’t have all the pieces to fix this beautiful, trapped, broken man, but I do have one piece and it’s mine to give… For how ever long he wants it.

Me. Completely.”

I love this book!!!

If you loved Ten Tiny Breaths, you’ll love this one too! It was different in many ways and definitely stood on it’s own but it had that same spark! I just could not put it down!

Highly recommended!!

I have to say this story really surprised me. It went in a really different direction than I was expecting and I just LOVED that about it! See, it was actually a bit of a forbidden romance. Here’s the set up:

Livie was always mature for her age and after the tragedies her family suffered through, she grew up too fast too soon. Her shrink just wanted her to to let loose and LIVE a little and so her sister, Kasey, takes her out partying. She wakes up the next day with very fuzzy memories, a brand new tattoo on her back and in a room full of people, one of whom happens to be Ashton.

To her horror, Ashton seems to remember everything but… seems more than happy to forget it. Much to her disappointment. At this point, she meets his best friend Connor who is pretty much perfect, gorgeous, Irish and totally the kind of guy she could see herself with while Ashton is gorgeous, mysterious, but more than a bit of a man-whore and is hiding something underneath it all. But even with this perfect guy in front of her, she can’t stop thinking about the one who shouldn’t be on her mind…. Ashton.

“… you’re not a fuck-buddy kind of girl and he’s not boyfriend material. Clearly.”

As the story goes on, Ashton keeps insisting that they shouldn’t be together, that he isn’t good for her… and something about it makes her wonder if there’s more to his story than meets the eye.

“Why?”
“He looks away for a minute and I watch his jaw clench… “Because you’re not a one-night-stand girl, Irish.” Leaning in to place a kiss on my jawline, he whispers. “You’re my forever girl.”

Ashton was just the kind of hero I love. Broken/tortured heroes just break my heart in a way that just makes me fall even harder for them and Ashton was definitely one of those characters. Between that and just his whole attitude and all the swoony and sweet things he did, I found it impossible not to fall in love with him.

It was all about the little things… flirty comments, a glance that has so much meaning, a little touch that lingers too long, a glimpse into something deeper behind the carefree exterior.

But I have to say that when his back story came out, it seriously just made my heart hurt. It’s bad, guys. Really bad. I was trying to think and figure out what exactly his reasons could be for staying away but nothing that I came up with made sense. But when the reason was brought out into the open, it totally and completely explained EVERYTHING. It was very well put together, took me by surprise and ended up being fully believable given the context of the story.

As for Livie, I really liked watching her journey as she figured out what she wanted most out of her life. Up until now, she’d always taken the safe road. The right road. Connor was safe, right, perfect. And Ashton wasn’t. This story was about her letting go, learning to live, and learning to choose with her heart over her head.

“Life has a funny way of creating it’s own tests. It throws curve balls that make you do and think and feel things that are in direct conflict with what you had planned and don’t allow you to operate in terms of black and white.”

I loved watching Livie and Ashton dance around each other a bit in the beginning. The reason I called this a forbidden romance is that there were genuine reasons why they couldn’t be together at first and so everything between then was in these little, emotionally charged stolen moments.

I’m not usually a fan of love triangles but the reason I was totally okay with this book was that you could tell right from the start that Livie and Ashton were right for each other. There was really no question there. It was just a matter of figuring out how they’d end up together.

The entire book was really well-written but I also have to say that the scene where Livie figured out what had happened to Ash in his past was just phenomenal. I felt like I discovered it right alone with her and came to the realization at the same moment that she did. That moment? Omg I was just right THERE. I teared up, got chills. It was really emotional and I loved it.

The story wasn’t a fast build but I enjoyed the pacing. Around 50% in, my heart really started to race as the layers built. The detailing and character development was so engaging that honestly I just wanted to read this in one sitting. Add that to the fact that broken/tortured heroes are just my all-time favorite and really this book just hit all the right marks with me. I cared, really CARED about the characters and the story.

There is definitely steam in this book but it’s very tastefully written and not graphic. But trust me, you’ll feel it!

I also loved that we got to see quite a bit of Kasey and Trent in this. I think it’s wonderful when, in sequels, the characters from the first book are remembered and included. It gives the whole story a really wonderful, well-rounded feeling.

Oh and yes, there is a happy ending! Fully resolved, no cliffhanger!

I love the whole interconnected sort of family network that has been built between this book and the first one. I’ve heard that the next book will be about Cain (he’s so mysterious! I want to know more!) and then Ben. I really can’t wait!!

Each of the books in this series can technically be read as stand alones but I do suggest reading them in order if you can.

I highly recommend this series!

4.5 stars

Buy ONE TINY LIE (Kindle)

READING ORDER

#1 TEN TINY BREATHS

My review | Kindle | Paperback

#2 ONE TINY LIE

Kindle | Paperback

BLOG TOUR: EXCERPT

The Beast

There are about five seconds of calm and blissful ignorance after I crack my eyes open. Five seconds when I stare at the white ceiling looming not far from my face, as my eyes adjust to the dim light, Las my brain just sits idly, waiting for the neurons to start firing.

And then the avalanche of confusion hits.

Where am I?

How did I get here?

What the hell happened?

I roll my head and find my sister’s face only a few inches away. “Kacey?” I whisper.

She moans, and my nostrils catch her rank breath. I cringe and turn away. Too quickly, it would seem, as a sharp, stabbing pain pierces my brain. I cringe a second time.

We’re in my dorm room. That much, I can quickly deduce by the cramped space and a few personal belongings. But I don’t remember coming home.

What do I remember?

My hand slides feebly up to my face to give it a good rub while I pick through my foggy memory, trying to piece together the night… Bits of blurry images flicker so faintly that I’m not sure they’re real. Shot after shot. After shot. Orange, blue, green . . . Kacey and me doing the robot on the dance floor? I groan and immediately wince at another throb of pain in my head. God, I hope not. From there . . . nothing. I remember nothing. How can I not remember anything?

Kacey moans again and I’m assaulted with another wave of that foulness. Swallowing several times, I accept that my breath can’t be much better and that I would kill for a bottle of water. I push my sheets off my body with slow, uncoordinated kicks.

And I frown as I take in my exposed flesh. Why am I . . . Oh, right. I was wearing that stupid toga last night. That doesn’t explain why I’m in nothing but panties now, but my head hurts too much to think about tha . . . Whatever. It’s only my sister. And Reagan, but she’s a girl.

I struggle to sit up, groaning as I push my hands back through a mess of knotted hair, squeezing my temples to relieve some of the pressure. And why does my head feel ready to burst! I think if someone walked in here with an axe, I’d stretch my neck out for a clean cut.

There’s already a vile taste in my mouth when a surge of nausea hits me. I need water. Now. With shaky arms and legs, I rock my body around and down, not wasting time with the ladder and hoping I don’t step on Reagan’s head. If I can just make it to the mini fridge and chug a bottle of cold water, I’ll feel better. I know it…

A second later, as my feet hit Reagan’s plush white shag rug by the bed, I get my second shock of the morning.

An ass. A male ass. And it’s not just an ass. It’s everything. There’s a very large, very naked guy sprawled out on Reagan’s bed, his legs and one arm hanging off the edge. By the mess of honey-blond hair poking out from beneath the covers in the corner, I can see that Reagan is buried somewhere in there.

I can’t stop staring. I’m standing there in nothing but underwear, the room is spinning, my mouth tastes like I drank sewer water, and I’m frozen, focused on this naked man in front of me. Partly because he’s the last thing I ever expected to see when I climbed down. Partly because he’s the first naked man I’ve ever seen. Partly because I’m wondering what the hell he’s doing here.

And . . . what is that on the top of his left ass cheek? My curiosity overtakes my shock as I step forward cautiously, hesitant to get too close. It looks like . . . a tattoo. It’s red and puffy. I’ve seen pictures of fresh tattoos and that’s what they look like. Like, really fresh. It’s a fancy scroll font and it reads “Irish.” Irish? I frown. Why is that word jogging my memory . . . ?

The floor creaks as my weight shifts, startling me. I abruptly back away. The sudden movement makes the crammed room spin. Water. Right. Now. With wobbly legs, I stumble toward the fridge and my robe that hangs on a hook by the door. Unfortunately, our dorm rooms are tiny and, let’s face it—I’m an ox in a closet when I’m nervous. My back slams into Reagan’s dresser, hitting it hard enough to knock over an array of her glass perfume bottles. I hold my breath, hoping the loud noise isn’t enough to wake up the naked giant.

No such luck.

My heart stops beating as I watch the guy’s head roll over to face out. He cracks open his eyes.

Oh. My. God.

It’s the Jell-O thief. It’s Ashton.

BLOG TOUR GIVEAWAY

Blog Tour Run by InkSlinger PR

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Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 4.5 stars

Book Review – BAD THINGS by RK Lilley

June 12, 2013 by Aestas · 37 Comments

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Holy hotness, guys!! You HAVE to meet Tristan Vega!!

“I’m going to fuck you hard on the hood of this car, in the pouring rain. And. You. Are. Not. Going. To. Forget. It.”

*fans self*

I loved this book!! It made me swoon, squee, and swear which pretty much is the perfect mix, right?

I couldn’t put it down. Another winner from R.K. Lilley!

When Tristan unexpectedly becomes a fixed part of Danika’s world, he throws her whole life out of whack. Fun, flirty, and bossy with a devilish charming that could get just about anyone to do just about anything, he was Trouble with a capital T and just what Danika was trying to avoid. He was ripped, tattooed and baked the hell of chocolate chip cookies. Oh, and did I mention the dimples yet? ‘cuz, SWOON!! They quickly worked out a “friends-only” rule but guess how long that lasted?

“I’m bad… when it comes to relationships, which is why I don’t do them.”
I couldn’t help it. I had to ask. “So what do you do?”
“Hookups. Brief, casual hookups. How about you?”
I shook my head, pursing my lips at him… “I do relationships. No exceptions. Never had a casual hookup in my life.”
He sighed… “Well I guess that makes things less complicated. We’ll be friends, then.”

Try as they might to keep things platonic, their feelings just could not be ignored.

Let me tell you guys, Tristan and Danika had CHEMISTY!! Off the charts, scorching chemisty! Their banter had me smiling almost non-stop. Danika was sassy and sarcastic and Tristan was bossy and charmingly charismatic and their combination made for some absolutely brilliant scenes!

“You making a move on me?” I called out to him, but I wasn’t pushing him away…
His smile was innocent enough, but i thought there was a hint of something else in his eyes.
“Just dancing, sweetheart.”

The whole book just flowed. From start to finish it kept my attention and made me steadily fall deeper and deeper in love with the story and the characters.

They were opposites in so many ways. Danika only did relationships and Tristan only did hook ups. On the surface that might just seem like personality traits but in reality it was the heart breaking events from their past that had shaped them into people who needed that. Danika came from an abusive home and craved the commitment and stability of a loving relationship. Tristan had fallen in love young and had thrown himself wholeheartedly into a relationship only to have his heart broken and trodden on by the one person he was committed to. They both had trust issues and deep hurts but at the end of the day they both cared deeply for each other… it was just a question of admitting it to themselves.

“Tell me not to kiss you.”
“Don’t kiss me.”
“Mean it.”
“I can’t.”

I have to admit, I didn’t expect how strongly and completely I was going to fall for Tristan. But guys, I fell HARD. Oh my Lord! This guy baked, had tats and dimples. That alone would melt my heart but he was also the lead singer in a rock band, was insanely protective of Danika and took “charming” to a whole new level. The things he said just made me SWOOOOON. He cared SO much her. You could feel it in every action he made.

There were times when I wanted to shake him but my heart also broke for him. You could just tell that he was one of THE good guys. You know? The one’s who’ll put their everything on the line for their girl. But after having his heart broken before, he had become guarded – determined never to put himself in that position again. Ever. But something about Danika was different and brought out the part of him that wanted to commit… he just couldn’t. Not at first. It was so hard for him to give his heart over again. But what that meant was that when he did, it was that much more meaningful because it showed not only the depth of his feelings but also the depth of his trust.

And seriously, have I mentioned how protective he was? There is just something about an Alpha who is willing to do ANYTHING for his girl that just makes my heart race.

Danika was a strong-willed yet very sweet heroine. I took a strong liking to her and felt very sympathetic to the things she went through. It was nice to have a heroine I didn’t get frustrated with. Her back story was just plain horrible. Seriously, the poor girl!! Life had really screwed her over but I absolutely adored that Tristan not only wanted to hear about it but also wanted to talk with her about it, openly, honestly.

They built a wonderful friendship filled to the very brim with scorching sexual tension… no joke, we’re talking off the charts hotness here! No kink, but Tristan was definitely Dominant in the bedroom and trust me, you will be fanning yourself …

“Danika, sweetheart?” He rasped.
“Yes, Tristan?”
“I’m done being sweet, if you don’t mind. I’d like to fuck you really hard if that’s okay.”

But all good things must come to an end. At the end of the day, they were both just so strongly shaped by their past. Tristan couldn’t do commitment and Danika couldn’t do casual and when the hurt came, it HURT. I understood where both of them were coming from but it didn’t stop it from being oh so painful.

But I loved seeing them work through it. And, as with every other part of their relationship, it was with openness and honesty. Yes, there were some pretty painful, gut-wrenching mistakes made but because of how much I felt I understood what led up to it and because of the way they worked their way back together, I never found myself frustrated with the story. Yes, I swore (out-loud) and I might have face-palmed once or twice but at the same time, I loved it! A lot of it was really about Tristan figuring out what his heart wanted. Everyone makes mistakes and everything about him was just so genuine and sincere that I couldn’t help but forgive everything he did that hurt my heart and Danika’s especially given his profuse and sincere apology. And, to be fair to him, his mistakes were never stupid, they were understandable given his past… they just hurt like fucking hell.

The ending built in intensity. There were ohhhhhhh FUCK moments, tragic moments and finally happiness.

There is no relationship cliffhanger at the end but their story is far from over. We are treated to the first chapter of the next book at the end of this one which gives a solid idea of where their story will go. Also, given some of the things we know about their future from Up In The Air, we know they have a rocky road ahead of them but I am so looking forward to seeing them work through it.

The author has said that she is 99% sure that this will be a 2-book series and she has a whole series of FAQs that I’ve linked at the bottom of the page here. I have come to really trust this author’s writing and I can’t wait to see where she takes their story next.

Timeline-wise, this book took place before In Flight and we actually get several awesome cameos from James Cavendish (the hero of the Up In The Air series) but in his pre-Bianca days. But it was cool to get to see him in a whole new light because we knew him as the kinky fuckhot lover, but in this book we actually get to see him at work.

There are no spoilers in this book for the Up In The Air series. I’d really call this a spin-off series. Many of the characters in from the UITA series not only make an appearance, but are main supporting characters in this book but at the same time, you could easily read this as a stand alone. My personal recommendation though would be to read the UITA series in full first. I think you’d get the most complete picture that way but it’s not absolutely necessary.

R.K. Lilley’s writing is addictive, her stories are captivating and you are guaranteed to fall in love with her characters. There is a reason she’s one of my favorite authors! I highly recommend this book! It was an absolutely wonderful read!

4.5+ stars!

CASTING

Tristan: here and here
Danika: here

Buy BAD THINGS (Kindle) | Buy BAD THINGS (Paperback)

SPECIAL TEASER

DANIKA

“So you think I’m hot?” Tristan asked, letting those infuriating dimples do their worst.

I shrugged, giving him my steadiest eye contact. I could hide my drunk with the best of them. “You aren’t much to look at,” I said with a straight face.
He threw his head back and laughed, enjoying my sarcastic sense of humor, as always. It was one of my favorite things about him.

“You aren’t much to look at,” I said again, when he was done laughing, and just back to giving me a dangerously fond smile. “But your personality makes up for it, mostly.”

He tugged on my hair, still grinning. “You are so damned cute.”

I gave a heavy sigh. “Yes, I’m very cute. Adorable, really. I’m sorry you’ll only ever know what it’s like to have a cute personality.”

He was laughing so hard by the time I’d finished that he was doubled over. I thought that I’d never wanted to kiss anyone so badly in my life. I restrained myself, just smiling affectionately at him as he straightened.

“Where have you been all my life, Danika?”

“Not skanking it up in enough bars to find you, apparently. Silly me, spending all my time working or at school.”

“Silly you,” he said softly, touching my chin. “Didn’t you know I was out here, just waiting for a friend like you?”

My heart did a slow, painful turn in my chest. It was pathetic how easily he had me wrapped around his little finger. “Of course I didn’t know. I’d have been dancing on top of every bar in town, instead of studying, if I’d known that.”

He didn’t laugh, as I’d intended, but leaned in close. “Tell me not to kiss you,” he said, when his lips were a breath away from mine.

“Don’t kiss me,” I told him, my voice a breathless rasp.

“Mean it,” he said, crowding me into the wall. He tilted my chin up with his finger.

“I can’t,” I gasped.

The words had barely left my lips before he was kissing me.

Buy BAD THINGS (Kindle) – pre-order

Tristan and Danika’s characters are first introduced to us as secondary characters in the the smokin’ hot UP IN THE AIR series. This whole trilogy is a delicious blend of heart-clenching emotion, fan-yourself hotness, make-you-blush kink, combined with an engaging plot that keeps you flipping the pages. Plus there’s the added bonus of it being a completed trilogy so – no cliffhangers!

Book Review – In Flight (Up In The Air #1) by R. K. Lilley
Book Review – Mile High (Up In The Air #2) by R. K. Lilley
Book Review - Grounded (Up In The Air #3) by RK Lilley

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Filed Under: Recommended, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: 4.5 stars

FOREVER TOO FAR EXCLUSIVE TEASER!!

June 9, 2013 by Aestas · 11 Comments

❤ FOREVER TOO FAR (Too Far #3) by Abbi Glines ❤

Now available for purchase!!!!

Click here to buy your Kindle copy.

❤

SERIES READING ORDER:

❤ EXCLUSIVE TEASER ❤

“This is just… wow,” Blaire said walking in behind me. She’d been stopping and taking in the place since we’d walked in the front door. Luckily Nan and Kiro hadn’t been here to greet us. I wanted time to get Blaire settled in. The plane ride had been long and I could see the exhaustion on her face.

“You’ll learn rock legends are a bit on the showy side. They like to flaunt their success with things,” I explained.

“I can see that. They sure have done a good job in flaunting with this place,” she said walking over to the bed and then realizing it was too high for her. Glancing over her shoulder she frowned at me. “How the heck am I’m gonna be able to get on this thing?”

I couldn’t keep from laughing. She looked so damn perplexed. “I’ll get you a little stool.”

Blaire grinned and shook her head. “That’s just crazy. So, if I wanted to lay down now… how might I go about it?”

I walked over to her and put both my hands on her expanding waist then picked her up and put her on the bed. “That way,” I replied and sat down beside her before throwing a leg over both of hers and laying her back. “If you didn’t look so tired we’d test this thing out,” I teased.

She covered her mouth as she yawned and gave me a sleepy smile. “I can stay awake,” she assured me and turned her chest toward mine.

It was tempting but I knew her body needed rest. I pressed a kiss to her nose. “I’m sure you could, sweet Blaire. But right now all I want to do is massage your feet and calves while you relax and fall asleep.”

Her eyes got that pleased glow. “Oh would you? They feel stiff after the flight.”

“Go lay your head on the pillow and I’ll get rid of these shoes which by the way are not exactly walking footwear for a pregnant woman. You should have worn tennis shoes not heels.”

Blaire yawned again and settled back on the pillow with a sigh. “I know. I just didn’t want to arrive at LAX looking frumpy.”

She could never look frumpy. “That would be impossible.”

She smiled and closed her eyes as I began rubbing her arch. “You just love me.”

“More than life. But that doesn’t make me blind. You’d be hot in a potato sack.”

ADD TO GOODREADS

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Filed Under: Recommended, Reviews

MR. AESTAS GUEST REVIEW: WOUNDED by JASINDA WILDER

June 9, 2013 by Aestas · 11 Comments

**NOTE FROM AESTAS: As some of you know, my husband occasionally reads romance books as well. You can check out his first review here of The Dark Duet by CJ Roberts. Last night he asked me for a stand-alone recommendation so I gave him one of my favorites. He finished it in one sitting and wrote out his thoughts for you guys so… here they are!

Hey everyone!

It’s been a while – sorry for that. I’ve been busy with non-book things, but last night I was fortunate enough to have a chance to read Wounded, by Jasinda Wilder.

I admit, I was instantly hooked by the description: A wounded marine being sheltered by an Iraqi girl in the middle of a war? YES!

I’ll get right to it: this an awesome book. I would venture to say that it’s probably impossible to avoid enjoying reading it. It’s perfect, in its own way. The author does a really good job of making everything just work. It’s a short book, but that’s because there’s no time wasted on anything extraneous to the story of the two main characters. If I were to compare this book to a meal, I would describe it as a perfect steak with a side of baked potato: absolutely delicious, rich, and utterly satisfying (Sorry all you non-meat eaters – there is simply no vegetable equivalent to steak, so you’ll just have to imagine). You will enjoy every second of this story, and you will put it down with warm and fuzzy emotions floating around inside. You *may* also need to go take a cold shower afterward Hunter, man, I feel your pain.

Quick Aside: I hope this book gets a movie deal. Seriously, Hollywood, make this happen! I’m picturing Black Hawk Down (but with a happy ending!) crossed with some romantic movie I haven’t seen but I’m sure you guys have. I think it could work, and I would LOVE to see it come to life.

The two main characters really are the heart and soul of this story. I mean, yes, the author does an excellent job of describing war-torn Iraq and contrasting it against Hunter’s hometown in the states, but it is frankly quite amazing how well she manages to make the Hunter and Rania embody their respective worlds. What I mean by that is that her character writing is so beautifully expressive that she doesn’t even need to describe stuff – by reading about Hunter and Rania,you just understand the world from them alone.

Hunter Lee is my kind of guy. Ooh rah! I felt like we could totally hang out, and I admit it was a relief to meet this all-American hero after spending time with Caleb. But make no mistake – Hunter wasn’t perfect in that annoyingly unrealistic way that some of these guys tend to be, and for me that always makes a world of a difference. Hunter actually comes off as just a real guy – the kind you might pass at the airport, all dressed in camo on his way to Afghanistan – and that makes him instantly relatable in a really cool way.

Rania. Oh man, this girl. Her backstory broke my damn heart, and it hurt all the more because, again, everything about her and her story is completely believable. She’s tough and self-reliant, and it’s impossible not to admire her strength. It’s that strength that makes it especially touching when she actually opens up to Hunter, since you can appreciate how truly vulnerable she is and how much it takes for her to trust him.

This is a relationship-centric book, and in this case that’s a very good thing. Hunter and Rania’s attraction to each other, and the fact that they’re dealing with it while in the middle of the war zone is wonderfully suspenseful. The cultural and linguistic gap between them is enormous, and their determined, adorable, clumsy efforts to connect in spite of that is unbelievably endearing. The way they struggle to stay apart, fighting their attraction to each other, and fail, is intensely erotic. There is, in fact, epic sexual tension, and when it gets released…well, be ready to unfog your glasses. However, I really want to say that, yes, it’s steamy and it’s sexy, but in a very pure kind of way. It’s not kinky, just passionate. There’s always a strong emotional component, and that makes it really meaningful.

I have to admit, the hardest part for me was the whole thing with Rania and her clients. It really added a lot to the story, but fuck me if I wasn’t grinding my teeth right there along with Hunter. It was so difficult to read about what Rania had to do, had to go through, just to survive. I guess it’s just that (some?) men are programmed to be protective creatures when it comes to women, and being put in a position where you can only observe is beyond tough. The moment when Hunter was finally able to crawl out of bed and put a stop to things with his combat knife was one of profound relief and absolute satisfaction for me.

The happy ending for these two is just so sweet. I’ll admit I choked up a little reading it. I won’t spoil it for you guys, but I swear that I don’t know if I’ve ever been as happy for a book couple as I was for these two. You seriously owe it to yourself to read this book just for the feels at the end. They are superb.

I also want to say that I liked this book a lot because it was relevant. I must commend Jasinda Wilder for writing a book that weaves important messages into a heartfelt, enjoyable, and moving story and pulls the whole thing off without a hitch. That isn’t easy to do, folks. This book is the best kind of meaningful story – You can read it and you’ll have a great time, but if you stop and think for a few minutes after you’re done you’ll find that this book has a lot of really interesting and important things to say.

I feel this way a lot with these romance books. A lot of people treat them dismissively, try to describe them as shallow and meaningless stories. I think that’s a shame, but in all honesty, I think that such people are blinded by preconceptions, held back by an inability to be comfortable with sexuality and emotion, or are simply operating on really outdated stereotypes. The truth is that many of the romance books I’ve read are actually quite rich stories, with a lot of complex themes and questions that run just beneath the surface. So yeah, I’m sure there are some shallow books out there, and that’s fine. Nothing wrong with that at all. But it would be a mistake to think that all romance books are like that, and Wounded is a perfect example of one that isn’t.

So to wrap up, this is a fantastic book, and I think it’s an excellent one to recommend. It’s just long enough to be engaging and satisfying without being overwhelming. It’s got characters you can’t help but like, and a really sweet, adorable relationship at the center. It’s exciting and suspenseful, both emotionally and otherwise, and the sexiness, well, it’s pretty off the wall. Add to that the fact that the book has a surprising complexity and maturity, and you have what I think is a wonderful read.

In any case, it was a pleasure writing for you guys again. Thank you to Aestas for suggesting such a great book, and to Jasinda Wilder for writing it. I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I’ll try not to take so long with the next one.

P.S. Aestas has been suggesting Tangled as my next read but if you guys also have book recommendations for me, I’d love to heard them so please comment and let me know!

Buy WOUNDED on Kindle
Buy WOUNDED in Paperback

Read Aestas’ review of WOUNDED

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Book Review – Entwined With You (Crossfire #3) by Sylvia Day

June 5, 2013 by Aestas · 31 Comments

Buy ENTWINED WITH YOU (Kindle)

“You own me, Eva. Wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, I belong to you.”

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! 5++ STARS!

Entwined With You was everything I could have wanted! I was thrilled with the story, happy with the ending and now am excited for the next books!

This review is spoiler-free.

Since this is book #3 in the series, I am not going to talk about the plot at all here. This book is not a standalone and should only be read after both Bared To You and Reflected In You.

First you can all rest easy because there is NO RELATIONSHIP CLIFFHANGER!!! In fact, of all the three books so far, I’d say this one had the most resolved ending of all. It ended at a point where Gideon and Eva were together and happy. Yes, there were still many unanswered questions for future books (mostly regarding external plot lines and milestones that Gideon and Eva still have to cross) but there was no relationship cliffhanger!

There was also real no stupidity and no cheating throughout the book. Yes, the characters made mistakes, but they’re only human. I ‘understood’ everything that both Gideon and Eva did throughout the book. I understood why they messed up and I respected them for trying to fix their mistakes.

There was a lot of smokin’ hot sex (and I mean H.O.T.) but it didn’t overpower the actual work they put into the relationship. I loved that they didn’t use sex as a distraction for working out their issues. They’d always had intense chemistry and sexual attraction but they were also actively focused just as much on working on the rest of their relationship as well which made them functional as a couple both inside and outside of the bedroom.

I loved that they had this intensely passionate, tumultuous relationship but at the core of it all was always their strong, unwavering love for each other. Everything else was just details.

Entwined With You started off right where book #2 ended throwing us right back in the story. If it has been a while since you’ve read the last book, I would recommend re-reading at least the last chapter of book #2 before starting this just to get yourself back into the details of the story.

In this book, Gideon and Eva’s journey continues as they fight their inner demons and nightmares and work together at maintaining and building a functional relationship filled with intense desire, love and commitment.

One of my most favorite things about Gideon and Eva as a couple is that they TALK!!! They talk through EVERYTHING! They’ve both been broken by their pasts and are dealing with untold amounts of external stress and yet with them, their relationship always came first. I always knew what their top priority was. I could just feel it. And I absolutely freaking LOVED it.

“I look at you, angel, and I want you so badly. I want to be with you, listen to you, talk to you. I want to hear you laugh and hold you when you cry. I want to sit next to you, breathe the same air, share the same life. I want to wake up to you like this every day forever. I want you.”

Gideon Cross is the ultimate tortured, Alpha hero. He’s completely dominant and possessive but at the same time so vulnerable and broken. Truthfully, protective and possessive doesn’t even begin to describe him though. He’s also loyal, understanding, powerful, and passionate. He is just the perfect balance of everything in my eyes. He is Alpha enough to make me swoon but was always logical and rational in his actions. I absolutely loved that he always put Eva first. He was always thinking of her and it was clear in each one of his actions. If it’s possible, I love him even more after reading this book than I did before starting!

I’ve always really loved Eva too. Deeply scarred by her past and also still hurt by things that had happened in their relationship (despite it being a missunderstanding), she had to work hard to keep being open. Luckily, Gideon helped balance her out. He was always insisting on working things through together. And at the end of the day, they both just wanted to make things work, and were willing to do anything to bring them closer to each other.

I loved that they went toe to toe on everything. Yes, Gideon was powerful and dominating but Eva was also strong and independent. They didn’t clash, but rather they complimented each other. Their relationship was always balanced and I could never doubted the value they placed on their relationship. You could feel that they were willing to sacrifice anything for each other and never give up. I just loved it. It was heart warming to an extreme.

“Despite everything, we were stronger than we’d ever been.”

And the HEAT!!!! ohhhhh the intensity!! This has got to be one of the hottest books I’ve ever read! Not that it was literally the most graphic but just that their connection intensified every sexual encounter between them. It was scorching!! Sizzling! And, I’m not going to lie, they certainly took things further in the bedroom than they’d ever gone before. There was definitely an “oh my!!” moment for me at one point

But like I said, I loved that with them it was never all about the sex. I loved watching them genuinely, step-by-step work through their issues. I loved being able to see their progress and to see them grow both as individuals and as a couple.

The build up of the book’s ending wasn’t as intense as the last one to be sure but that was totally okay with me. Given the context of the story, it didn’t feel right to have something super intense in that moment and I’m glad the author didn’t put some random drama there just for the sake of sensationalizing it. I respect her for staying true to the characters.

The ending left us in a good place. My heart is happy and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to pause their story while we wait for the rest of the series to be released.

It has been confirmed that there will be 2 more books in the series after this one. The Crossfire series will now have 5 books.

I have loved this series from the start and if the next two books are going to continue Gideon and Eva’s story following the same path that these first 3 books have taken and just continue to develop their relationship together without stupidity or excess drama, then I’m all for it!!!

At first, I thought I would have wanted the “happily ever after” we would have gotten had this been the final book but I can honestly tell you that I did NOT feel that any of the issues were dragged out, or just “put there” for the sake of creating more text. There was no “drama for drama’s sake” and everything that happened both made sense, kept me engaged (or fanning myself) and was believable for the characters.

Also, given the amount of issues they still have to work through (which I won’t name in order to keep this spoiler-free), I’m honestly very happy that they’re getting more books. I think their story could easily take two more books to tell it in and there are still so many things that I personally WANT to see them work through that we would never have been able to see if the story had wrapped up in just this one book.

I know some people said that the ending left them “desperately wanting more”, and while I respect their opinion, I just don’t get it to be honest. The story HAD to end somewhere and since we know there will be more books I was completely happy with the ending. Yes, in the issues external to the relationship, there are still unanswered questions but, if there weren’t any, then how would we ever have more books??

Gideon and Eva were happy and together at the end. For the ending of a mid-series book, I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Personally, I loved it. Totally loved it. Gideon and Eva continue to be one of my absolute, all time favorite book couples and I can’t wait for more of their story!

Basically, if you loved the first two books, you should absolutely read this!!

❤

As a final note, I just want to share this with you. It’s a message from the author that I really love and tells me all that I need to know about this series:

“Is it possible for two abuse survivors to have a functional romantic relationship?” – Eva Tramell

“Eva’s question is the core of the Crossfire series. The answer she receives (“Absolutely.”), gives her hope that she can find her way there with Gideon. I hope their journey touches you the way it has me. We all deserve a happily ever after.” (Sylvia Day)

❤❤

CASTING:

Gideon –> Click here
Eva –> Click here

❤❤❤

SERIES READING ORDER

BARED TO YOU (Crossfire #1)
My spoiler-free review | Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback

REFLECTED IN YOU (Crossfire #2)
My spoiler-free review | Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback

ENTWINED IN YOU (Crossfire #3)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback

In early June 2013, Sylvia Day did a video interview with Aestas Book Blog discussing the Crossfire series.

In the interview, she talks about her inspiration for Gideon, Eva and the series as a whole, about the future of the Crossfire series, and about how she became an author.

The interview is spoiler-free.

Watch here:

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Filed Under: Recommended, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: 5 stars

Book Review – The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

June 4, 2013 by Aestas · 213 Comments

Beautiful. Powerful. Deep. Heart-wrenching. Believable. Uplifting. Unforgettable. A must-read!!

Wow. 5+ stars.

One of my favorite reads of the year!!!!!!

The Sea of Tranquility is a beautifully written, deep, heart-wrenching drama about two damaged teens surviving unchangeable tragedies, and devastating grief, hurt, and pain, learning to cope with them, accept them, and somehow finding healing, safety and finally happiness and love in each other along the way.

Its quiet and very, very slow building but it just felt SO real and believable. Without my even realizing it, this quiet book had me worked up to the point where my heart was pounding and felt like it was being being ripped out. The emotional punch took a while to build, but when it hit, it was huge and powerful and took my breath away.

This is not your typical romance where boy meets girl and they live happily ever after. I’d call it more of a character-driven drama with a bit of a YA romance in it. It highlights the realities, horrors and imperfections of life (and, yes, love) while still having a powerfully uplifting ending,

“My name is Nastya Kashnikov.
I was a piano-playing prodigy…
I was murdered two and a half years ago.
Discuss.”

Nastya is a beautiful, bright seventeen year old girl struggling with having her dreams and life as she knew it shattered two years ago by a random act of violence. At her new school, she meets Josh, a guy who just wants to build things and be left alone, who everyone avoids and yet no one messes with. Surrounded by worlds of pain, death and self-imposed isolation, both of them have survived hurts no one their age should ever have been through and are both struggling with having survived and living with that pain every day.

One night, out on a run, Nastya ends up at Josh’s house. He’s there, in his garage that’s filled with tools and wood and he’s making something. For the first time in a long time, Nastya feels a connection of sorts with him and just sits down, quietly and watches him work. She keeps coming back every day and so begins their strange, yet beautiful relationship.

“When you look at her what do you feel? … Joy, fear, frustration, longing, friendship, anger, need, despair, love, lust.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“All of it.”

Its not romantic for a long time, but rather what built between them is a sort of companionship or friendship based on mutual understanding, empathy, and trust as they slowly open up and confide their secrets in each other.

“I know at that moment what he’s given me…the knowledge that I am accepted here… He’s given me a place to belong.“

The thing I loved about Nastya was that she was fragile in some ways, but absolutely tough as nails in others. She wasn’t helpless or frail, despite a part of her soul being broken. She was strong, intelligent, witty, perceptive and although she made choices that people around her didn’t understand, they were her choices to make. She was sad and angry, dealing with a tragic act of random cruelty that took away her dreams. So she copes with it in the best way she knows how, by doing what feels right to her, not what anyone else wanted her to do. I loved that about her.

“Eventually, my body healed as much as it was going to. My mind started getting put back together, too. I think it’s just that the pieces got put back a little out of order. It seems like the more my body healed, the more fractured my mind became, and there aren’t enough wires and screws to fix the breaks in it.“

“With any other girl I could probably pull the classic guy fail-safe of walking over and wrapping my arms around her and letting her put her head on my shoulder. It’s cheap, but it works. Drew swear by it. But I’m afraid that in this particular instance it would result in one of two things: a string of innovative new expletives or her knee in my balls. My money’s on the knee.“

Josh was a beautiful character. Quiet, a bit of a loner, but deeply understanding, caring and protective. What I loved most about him was how strongly he respected her boundaries – giving her a safe zone to her be herself. The real her. The one she feels she has to hide from the world. Giving her the space and security of being able to share exactly as much or as little of herself as she wanted. No judgments. No questions. No obligations. He knew that she areas of her that were locked up in her hurt and he never pushed her outside her comfort zone, no matter how badly he wanted to know what happened to her.

“He needs to be able to fix things and make it all better; to believe that you’re okay so that he can believe he’s okay.”

The book starts out quiet and somber. It is slow building in every possibly way. Nothing is rushed. And although I loved it, a part of me just wished something would happen because of how slowly the story built and the romance-story lover in me wanted them to become a couple sooner (their first date is at about 65%) but having finished it and looking back on the pacing of the story, I can understand why it was the way it was. In the end, the slowness contributed to how powerfully the ending hit. And the ending was really, really beautiful.

And by really, really beautiful, I mean that I read the last two words over and over again with tears in my eyes and my hand over my mouth. I literally just sat there crying, rereading the page, letting the powerful emotional punch hit me every time. (And don’t go flipping to the back of the book to see what those words are! Seriously, you’ll ruin the whole book if you do and there’s no getting it back…)

The author is an amazingly gifted, brilliant storyteller. The book is worth reading for the writing alone. Her style is beautiful, evocative, poetic, and deeply meaningful. I’m very much looking forward to more of her work.

Absolutely everyone should read this book at some point in their lives. It was GORGEOUS and unforgettable. One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Trust me, its totally worth it!

CASTING:

Josh: Click here
Nastya: Click here

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Filed Under: Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: 5 stars, 6 stars, Young Adult (YA)

Book Review – The Dark Duet (Epilogue) by CJ Roberts

June 3, 2013 by Aestas · 235 Comments

Buy EPILOGUE: THE DARK DUET (Kindle)

5 stars!

WOW!!

A few months ago, very late one night, C.J. Roberts released the beginning of an epilogue to THE DARK DUET and I utterly blown away by how amazing it was. Not long after she announced that it would be turned into a full-length epilogue book. This is that book.

SPOILER WARNING

IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE DARK DUET, DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW!! Instead, go to my review of book #1 and start there.
If you have read the first 2 books, then this is a spoiler-free review.

The Dark Duet series is one of my all-time favorite stories and so when I found out that there was going to be an epilogue my heart literally just stopped for a moment!! I couldn’t even read it right away because even just the possibility of it brought back a whole slew of strong, heart-clenching emotions I had wrapped up after having finished the series.

My heart was pounding pounding POUNDING. Every detail of the story and my connection to the characters came flooding back to me. From the very first line I was just propelled *right* back to the exact moment that the story had left off. I was right there. My whole heart was involved, instantly. I was *with* it every word of the way. I’m not kidding – it was perfect!

In this epilogue we get to see the story from Caleb’s POV. It takes us back to that scene at the end of book #2 and moved forward from there but this time showing us the story through his eyes…

“I missed you every day, Kitten. Every. Fucking. Day.”

I loved that it felt exactly like Caleb was talking right to me. Ok, us. Ok, the readers. But I can pretend it was me. I felt like it was me. My world just shut down and it was just me hanging onto every detail of the story he told.

The tables were turned in this book and we got to see his frustrations at being in the position of needing HER acceptance. He always had been dominant by nature and so it was a true sign of his love for her that he kept trying to hold himself back and give HER exactly what she needed from him.

“I had gone through all sorts of scenarios in my head prior to making contact with Livvie. However, her passive aggressive behavior toward me was not one of them. My mind is much more problem/solution oriented. Mad at me? Scream at me. Punch me if you’re up to it. Please don’t smile at me sweetly, act like nothing is wrong and then leave me disillusioned. And before you say anything, yes — I realize how fucking ironic my words are. I have played my fair share on mind games with Livvie. It doesn’t mean I liked being on the other side. No man does.”

He tried to play nice and, he was a good person at heart (we all know this) but the truth of it is that he is not nice. He’s not your white picket fence. He’s your dark-and-twisted. But he’s also the guy who loved her with his whole heart and it just broke my mine to see him trying SO hard.

“I know you deserve to be happy. I know you deserve someone… better, but I’m selfish. I want you. I want you bad enough to try and be someone better.”

I loved watching them rediscover each other. They had one hell of a history together but this was like starting fresh to a certain extent – removed from the nightmare, and in a new environment with new hopes and new possibilities.

“No, Kitten. I’m not okay,” I whispered. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take for me to be okay. I just know that as long as you’re with me, there’s a chance that one day… I might be.”

I loved that this truly was an Epilogue in every sense of the word. To me, an epilogue is the happily ever after and with Caleb and Livvie, it wasn’t just a question of slipping into one as so many other book couples do because after the intensly dark and emotional journey of the first two books, it was believable that they would have to work hard to find the exact balance of happy that worked for them. This Epilogue wasn’t just another book in the series, but rather a detailed and focused continuation of how they rebuilt their lives and their relationship.

It’s not often (okay, it’s not ever) that we get to see something like this – an epilogue turned into an entire book. We’ve been through the nightmares and the pain of their journey through the dark but now it was time for them both to find a way to live in the light.

I loved that there was no external drama in this book – it was all focused on the main characters. It literally just showed the struggles of two people try to move on from what they’d been through. It showed the emotional conflict, the questions, the uncertainties, the desires, and most strongly the knowledge that they both needed each other more than anything else in the world. They’d been through so much together and just had to find the way to live with that.

The truth of it is that what happened to Livvie was not okay. What happened to Caleb was not okay. But just because bad things happen, it doesn’t mean there can be no moving forward.

“I didn’t want to hurt her. I loved her. I didn’t know how to do it like normal people. I didn’t know how to tell her how scared I was.”

Their happily-ever-after wasn’t fairy tale perfect but at the same time, I absolutely loved the message it conveyed that even people with the most utterly fucked up pasts could still find their slice of happiness – however unconventional it might be. The point is that they found what worked for them. And that was just absolutely beautiful.

“I know it’s odd between us. How could it not be? We don’t know each other in this world, but I’ve seen you at your worst, and what I know is that you’d do anything to protect me. That’s enough for now. The rest will come.”

I think that this story was so important to tell because after the events that they lived through in the first two books, in order to fully connect with and understand what made them able to move on to their future while living with their pasts, the explanation was necessary to fully show the readers more than just their love for each other but the literally process of how they came to their decisions.

I truly feel that Caleb and Livvie’s story has now come full circle. There are few stories out there that take the time to actually give the readers such a complete picture of the ‘happily ever after’ and it’s a rare and special thing for the readers to experience especially considering the strong levels of emotional connection that bonded us to the characters in the first two books.

The journey they have been through is one of a kind. Twisted. Fucked up. Scarring. Beautiful.

“I had come to understand our relationship would be riddled with moments where the past sucked all the joy out of the present. My only hope was that with enough time, Livvie and I would build memories capable of trumping our beginning.”

If you haven’t read this series yet, I strongly urge you to give it a shot. It is truly in a category on its own. It will test you. Test you to the very possible limit. But oh-my-GOD is it EVER worth it!!

This entire series has a beautiful but utterly RAW and honest intensity to it. It just pulls at your heart. You can’t help but be drawn in. C.J. Roberts’ writing is addictive. Its compelling, beautiful, and deeply evocative. She is honestly one of the most talented authors I’ve read.

I won’t lie though, this story is NOT for the faint of heart. It is captivating, yet deeply twisted… very disturbing and yet truly beautiful. It is gritty and powerful. But honestly, if you feel brave enough to give it a go, its one of *those* stories that you won’t forget.

“I’d kill for you, Livvie. I’d die for you.”

Series rating: 5 ++ stars!

READING ORDER

Book #1: CAPTIVE IN THE DARK

My Spoiler-Free Review | Kindle| Paperback

Book #2: SEDUCED IN THE DARK

My Spoiler-Free Review | Kindle| Paperback

Book #3: EPILOGUE

Kindle | Paperback

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Filed Under: Recommended, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: 5 stars, Contemporary Romance

Book Review – Darkness Before Dawn (Darkness #2) by Claire Contreras

June 3, 2013 by Aestas · 3 Comments

Buy DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN (Kindle)

“I loved you then, I love you now, I’ll love you always. You’ve always been it for me, Blake.”

This review is spoiler-free.

I’ll start out though by saying that you absolutely must read book #1 “There Is No Light In Darkness” first. This book is a direct continuation of that story (see my review).

After the huge cliffhanger at the end of the first book, I was just absolutely desperate for more!! I needed to know what happened! Just like with the first book, I inhaled this one in one sitting. The next thing I knew I looked out the window and the sun was coming up!

In this book the plot thickens, answers are found and family loyalties are chosen. Book #1 was equal parts mystery and romance. The mystery kept me guessing and the romance kept me swooning. But I found this book to be more focused on the mystery than the romance. Now, don’t get me wrong, Cole and Blake are still both heavily featured in this book and there’s both swoon and steam but I guess I felt that their relationship development took a bit of a back seat in light of all the developments happening on the mystery side of things. I did miss the relationship focus, but I also understood the need to delve into the mystery.

Blake needed answers, Cole needed answers, heck I needed answers! And this was the point where the secrets began to unravel – the answers to WHY everything had happened. But I found myself getting a little lost at times. There were a LOT of interconnected characters to keep track of and I really mean a LOT. My head was spinning in circles and sometimes I found myself getting a little tangled in the story line. But it did feel good that Cole seemed to also be a little overwhelmed by it:

“Can someone get a pen and paper and start drawing out the family trees and everyone’s connection to everyone else?!” It just genuinely was a complicated situation.

This book is told in alternating POVs between Cole and Blake. Given the ending of the last book this made a lot of sense and I felt it added more depth to the story by allowing us to see more of what was going on. I also really enjoyed getting inside Cole’s head and seeing how he saw things:

“Some of my friends that haven’t been around us have given me shit… because they don’t understand our relationship. They say it’s not normal, not healthy, and I get that, but we can’t change our past. We’re just two broken people in love trying to heal each other and despite everything, we don’t want to be with anybody else… When it comes to Blake, nobody else matters.”

Seriously that man was devoted. Utterly, head over heels in LOVE with his girl. You never doubted it, you always felt it, he took every opportunity to show it, and I just find it seriously heart-melting reading about guys like Cole who will literally go to any lengths to protect the ones they love.

I found there to be a lot less angst than in the first book. This one didn’t really make my heart race in the same way and, like I said, was very focused on finding answers to the mystery. There were still some heart-stopping moments though, an awesome showdown and reveals I didn’t see coming.

The romance was there and Cole was swoony as ever (seriously, is that man perfect or what?) but I’d say the focus of this book shifted more towards piecing everything together and deciding how to move on.

Oh, and this is pretty cool — there is a little almost-cameo from a certain book hero from another book that I know several of you are in love with. I thought it was a cool touch to connect those two stories like that.

I loved the message this book had about family. How blood is not the most important connection. Family is an earned place. Family are the people who matter to you the most no matter who they may biologically be. A father, a brother, a mother, a sister… these are not only determined by blood.

“You’re not just involved with the person that makes your world make sense. You live for that person. You breathe for that person.”

I liked this book (in comparison to the first one which I loved), but it kept my interest throughout and I desperately wanted to find out the answers to what was behind everything, it didn’t quite affect me as strongly in an emotional way. There were parts that were confusing as I was reading (but I guess that’s to be expected in a mystery) and a few time jumps that disconnected me just a little bit but I liked that we finally got the answers to everything and it did all make sense in the end.

It was really wonderful to see Cole and Blake find their happiness, answers and peace of mind in the end. I loved the ending and where it left the characters. There was a lot of sweetness in the last scene and I finished the book with a smile on my face and a happy feeling in my heart. After everything they’d been though, those two had really earned their happily-ever-after.

I would have wished for an epilogue but I’ve been told the author is writing one (I hear it is LONG!) and will be releasing it very soon for anyone who wants a glimpse into Cole and Blake’s future. Personally, I can’t wait!!

This series was a wonderful read and refreshingly different from any previous book I’d read. I’d certainly recommend checking them out!

I’m definitely a new fan of Claire Contreras and will be looking forward to more books from her in the future!

4+ stars