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 confirmed that she will be making this a trilogy 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!

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

CASTING

Tristan: here and here
Danika: here

*******************************

TIMELINE CLARIFICATION

The Tristan & Danika trilogy is a spin-off of the Up In The Air trilogy (in which we first met Tristan and Danika as side characters). Both trilogies can be read on their own though and you don’t need to read them both to understand the stories. However, their timelines are interconnected.

The first 2 books of this trilogy, Bad Things and Rock Bottom, take place 5 years before In Flight (the first book in the Up In The Air trilogy). Then, chronologically, come the three books of the Up In The Air trilogy…. and then finally comes Lovely Trigger (the last book in the Tristan & Danika trilogy).

Anyone who has read the Up In The Air trilogy will know that during the course of those books, Tristan and Danika had an estranged and strained relationship but what we didn’t know was why. We saw Tristan and Danika fall in love in Bad Things, then in Rock Bottom we learned the full reason for their estrangement, which then perfectly set up the final book, Lovely Trigger which will be a second-chance romance.

So chronologically, this would be the order of the books:

Bad Things (Tristan & Danika #1)
Rock Bottom (Tristan & Danika #2) – starts right after Bad Things
In Flight (Up In The Air #1) – starts 5 years after the end of Rock Bottom
Mile High (Up In The Air #2)
Grounded (Up In The Air #3)
Lovely Trigger (Tristan & Danika #3) – starts 6 years after the end of Rock Bottom

However, the suggested reading order is to read all 3 Up In The Air books, and then the Tristan & Danika trilogy. Trust me, it all works out very clearly 🙂

*******************************

#1 — BAD THINGS
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

#2 — ROCK BOTTOM
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

#3 — LOVELY TRIGGER
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

*******************************

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)

FOREVER TOO FAR EXCLUSIVE TEASER!!

June 9, 2013 by Aestas · 12 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

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

*** CROSSFIRE SERIES READING ORDER ***

BARED TO YOU (Crossfire #1)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

REFLECTED IN YOU (Crossfire #2)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

ENTWINED WITH YOU (Crossfire #3)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

CAPTIVATED BY YOU (Crossfire #4)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

ONE WITH YOU (Crossfire #5)
More info coming soon.

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!

** SERIES READING ORDER **

Book #1: CAPTIVE IN THE DARK
Buy for Kindle| Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

Book #2: SEDUCED IN THE DARK
Buy for Kindle| Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

Book #3: EPILOGUE
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

Book Review – Surviving Raine by Shay Savage

May 23, 2013 by Aestas · 7 Comments

4.5 stars

This was one of those random reads that just totally grabbed my attention and made me shift my TBR. I went into it not really knowing what to expect but came out of it pleasantly surprised!

It was refreshing to read such a different plot line than the usual. It was basically the story of two people stranded together on a life raft in the middle of the Caribbean struggling to survive and dealing with their growing feelings for each other.

But… it wasn’t that simple. The hero, Bastien, (who was the captain of the ship) was a rude, crude and drunk yet lovable jerk who was also in the process of detoxing and the heroine was sweet and quiet and just his complete opposite in every way so dealing with him detoxing and them trying to survive on top of the fact that their ship just sank definitely made for an interesting story set up.

The entire story was told from Bastien’s POV. So, basically we get the perspective of the broken, drunken (now detoxing), manwhoring, badass ex-fighter. I loved it!

“Throw her overboard or stick my tongue down her throat? I could decide and it fucking ticked me off.”

He went through a lot of change in the book. He did have some pretty low, utterly asshole moments but it was all on the outside. On the inside he was just this broken totally tortured guy who had just been completely fucked over by life and was tired of trusting people… deep down he really just wanted to be loved and I could really sense that right from the start. But… on the outside, seriously there were definitely times when I wanted to slap him. What. A. Jerk.!!

“Please stop shutting me out.”
“I never let you in, baby.”

But I’m a sucker for guys with tortured pasts… oh, and did I mentioned he was scarred? Ex-fighter… Really protective… Swoony in a really rough way. Yeah, I kinda fell for him.

I really like Raine too. Despite being sweet and shy and rather innocent, she was also quite strong and I loved that she just did NOT take his shit! I loved that she wasn’t a pushover.

But really, you couldn’t have had two more different people stuck on that raft together.

Ok, I will say this in the interest of honesty.. there were a few things that suspended my belief a little — like how quickly he opened up to her about his past given how incredibly dark it was but still, it wasn’t anything that made me disconnect from the story, more just something I noticed.

As far as the things they went through to survive, I’ve never been stranded on a boat in the middle of the ocean, but it all seemed pretty realistic to me so I liked that everything at least felt very believable from that respect.

I liked the bit of a twist to his back story. It certainly wasn’t your average ‘past’.. in fact it honestly might have been the first time I’d heard of a character being a part of something like that and I liked the way it made sense as a backstory of what had built him into the man we were seeing in the story. But seriously. It was fucked up. No wonder he drank himself into oblivion!

“I want to let you in, I just don’t know if I can.”

The book is basically very focused on two things: their survival and their growing relationship. There were a lot of survival tips and tricks. Some of them actually really interesting, and some of them seriously gross (dear freaking Lord may I never have to be in the position of needing to suck the liquid out of a fish’s eyeballs for hydration *shudders*)

“Survival 101… You can live three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water, and three weeks without food. It’s not exact, obviously, but it tells you where to put your priorities.”

But there was also a lot of focus on the relationship which eventually turned into a romance. I liked that it was slow-building and that they didn’t just fall into each other’s arms. It took its time so that by the time they got together, I believed it. I loved this part:

“I love your arms,” she said, almost too quietly for me to hear. Her fingers trailed all the way down to my wrist, then back up to my shoulder where she outlined the muscles there.
“I thought you loved my dick,” I teased.
Raine chuckled and sighed at me.
“I like that, too, but your arms are my favorite part of you. They make me feel safe.”
“I’ll always keep you safe,” I told her. I tilted my head to the side, looked into her eyes, and smiled down at her.
“I know.”

Some parts of the book felt a little “out there”, others were really sweet, and some were just downright HOT!!

“I could do it you know… I could make you come without even touching you.”

I loved the whole angle of the broken hero, utterly fucked over by life, a true survivor, and yet with zero self worth being shown how to trust love by this girl who saw right through his facade into the real him and brought out the best in him and made him feel safe, loved and worthy.

“As long as I’m breathing, I’m yours. Even when I’m nothing more than a fucked up dick, I still love you.”

What is it about the grouchy crude, rude, lovable badass jerks that just melt our hearts?? There were times when I couldn’t help but smile.

“What did you do before sailing?”
Here was a topic best avoided.
“Not much.”
“You must have done something.”
“Not necessarily.”
“Well you had to have done something to be able to buy your boat, right?”
“It’s a ship. Or it was. Boats are small, and size fucking matters.”

LOL. I loved that Raine was strong, but just in a very quiet way. Yes, she had moments of naivete but not stupidity and I respected that difference.

Emotionally, this was really a journey of feeling worthy of and finding love. Physically, it was a journey of survival.

There is no relationship cliffhanger however there are still really big bad guys out there who will likely try and come after them so I’m looking forward to the next one but have no doubt that they’ll remain strong together as a couple.

“I love you… I’ll never walk away from you, Raine, I swear — I’ll be with you as long as you will have me.”

I really enjoyed my read and if you just want something really different, this would definitely be one to consider. There were a few slow parts but at the same time, looking back on it, there weren’t any parts I’d want to take out either and during my read, I couldn’t put it down. It was just a total chance of pace from my normal reads and sometimes that’s exactly what you need 🙂

4.5 stars

My casting for Bastien

Book Review – Reckless (Thoughtless #3) by SC Stephens

March 5, 2013 by Aestas · 226 Comments

6 HUGE STARS!!! (spoiler-free review)

WOW!!! I can’t breathe. Can’t think. Reckless just blew me away!

It was BRILLIANT!!! An utterly delicious, addictive, angst-filled, heart-felt EPIC rockstar romance!

I swooned, I laughed, cried tears of happiness and tears of angst, my heart raced, was tied up in knots and, at times, just stopped entirely. I truly can’t say enough good about it.

I could NOT put this book down. I read it in one sitting staying up through the night until I finished around 7AM. I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough. It was completely engaging. I felt like I didn’t even want to blink. Literally my world ceased to exist for the duration of the read.

Just as with the first two books, SC Stephens’ smooth flowing, addictive writing style reaches right into your heart and wraps you up in the story. I was 150% invested in EVERYTHING that happened. Every single part of my heart was completely involved in the story. I was there. Right THERE. From the first page till the last. (and even now… I can’t let go yet. I’m still “there”)

Given the happy ending of Effortless, this book starts off with a blissfully peaceful, almost dreamy feel to it. After all the roller coaster they’d been through, it was so wonderful to see Kellan and Kiera have a moment to enjoy the happiness they so well deserved.

But the life of a Rockstar is neither smooth nor private and the road ahead of them was rocky and bumpy as the band skyrocketed to fame and got sucked into the scrutiny of the spotlight and the uglier side of the industry.

“Making an album, going on tour… am I making a mistake? … All I want is a quiet life with you,” he continued. “What I just signed up for… isn’t exactly a quiet life.”

Wondering how to comfort him – when I often thought the same thing – I reached up… “Kellan, your life will never be quiet, no matter what you do.” … I placed a hand on his chest and looked him square in the eye. “You belong on a stage. Its what you were born to do.”

I have to say that I’ve always understood where Kiera was coming from in book #1 even though I found it frustrating. I felt that she grew as a person in book #2, but it was in this book where I really felt her maturity hit home. Some of her decisions and actions were just SO self-less that I honestly found myself even thinking at time that, if I was in her shoes, I probably wouldn’t have been able to be as self-less and understanding as she was.

Kellan… well, Kellan Kyle was just perfect. Sex on a Stick, God’s Gift to Women… and also just one of those most lovable and swooniest guys you’ll ever read about whose back story and desire to be loved just made my heart ache for him. He is easily one of the best book heroes EVERwritten.

As a couple, they still had their issues but they had gotten SO much stronger. They had been tested, they had made their mistakes, and they had learned their lessons. But now their new-found strength was put to the very ultimate test as the pressures of fame and stardom came at them from every side. They had a lot working against them but… love conquers all, right?

I have to say though that, for me, the ANGST in this book topped both Thoughtless & Effortless. No. Freaking. Joke. There was this one particular issue that spanned from about 29-37% that just made my heart sink, drop, stop.. seriously, I could BARELY handle it. Holy freaking fuck. It made me cry tears of angst. No book has EVER made me cry tears of angst before. I’ve cried tears of sadness, heartbreak, betrayal and more but crying just ‘cuz the angst was so strong that I could barely handle it was definitely a first!

But, to offset the heart-wrenching angst, the romance was also back in full swoony force. On more than one occasion, Kellan’s words and actions made my heart clench and just brought tears to my eyes. The depth of his love for Kiera just rolls right off the page. You feel it so strongly. And you know Kiera felt the same way.

Never once did I doubt their commitment to each other – no matter what they were put through.

“I love you too, Kiera. Just you. You’re my always.”

This book really makes you consider the price of fame. At what point do you say no? Where does the line get drawn? There were so many time where truly I was just ready to say fuck fame – it just wasn’t worth this heart ache. The plot honestly pushed me to the very edge of my comfort limits and even a bit beyond. But I loved that they didn’t make the same mistakes twice. Lessons were learned. And that’s life, right?

I really have to commend Kiera on her whole attitude towards Kellan’s fame though. Seriously, she couldn’t possibly have been more supportive, more understanding. And my heart went right out to Kellan for trying with all of his heart to keep his girl’s heart safe while still following his dreams.

“I will always love you, Kellan. Your heart is safe with me.”

Kellan pulled me into a hug and let out a long, shaky breath as he held me. “Promise?” he whispered.

I squeezed him just a little bit tighter. “I promise.”

To soothe your worried hearts, I’ll say that I honestly never once actually worried for their relationship. It was what they had to go through that gutted me. This book is not about cheating or separation. Keira and Kellan spend the majority of it physically together in fact. What this book is about is testing the strength of their bond and the struggles of maintaining a relationship while under the spotlight.

“Never again. I don’t care what’s at stake. I don’t care who I have to let down. I won’t ever do that to you again. You… or me. I’m done playing their game.”

I loved that this book took the time to also focus on the other relationships. Anna and Griffin get their fair share of page time as do the other band mates, but my favorite side story line was the one between Kellan and Denny. I don’t want to say anything specific about it ‘cuz those interactions are ones you should experience for yourself but twice they brought me to tears. I was SO impressed and happy with where SC Stephens took their story. Seriously, touched my heart right to the very core.

She also took the story to places I never thought she would.. I mean she took Kellan Kyle and she….. gah! ok – lips are sealed. But seriously, around 80% I just had this huge “Holy shit. That did NOT just happen!!” moment! Still – like I said, I loved every minute of it… even the moments that made my heart stop.

But I did read the final 15% with my heart just filled to bursting with happiness, and I this huge smile on my face with happy tears in my eyes.

“I love you. I would do it all over again if I needed to. I’d go back to the beginning for you.”

By the end, I felt elated. I was emotional but my heart was completely satisfied and I can assure you that the ending is just PERFECT!

And I officially have the world’s biggest book hang over. EVER.

There are so many INCREDIBLE moment, lines, and scenes from this book that will be forever imprinted on my mind. I was thinking about mentioning some here but instead I’m going to just encourage you all to go read this amazing story and discover them for yourself. I’ve been re-reading a few of them while putting this review together and now have tears in my eyes. Seriously – LOVE LOVE LOVE this book, this journey, these characters… this story raises the bar and is one that will stay in my heart forever.

I don’t pull out the 6 star rating very often but this whole series truly deserves it. Any story that can take over my life so completely and make me fall in love with the characters so strongly needs that extra star. Above and beyond. That’s where this book went.

♥

MY CASTING: