4 stars

• Buy INTO THE STORM (Kindle)
• Buy INTO THE STORM (Paperback)

I came across this book quite randomly and since the premise grabbed my attention, I decided to give it a try and ended up reading it in one sitting and staying up late to finish it.

The story is about a woman who drives off in her car in the middle of a storm, fleeing a severely abusive relationship. But when her car spins out of control on a snowy road, she crashes in the driveway of Joshua Bennett, a famous but reclusive author with a dark past living alone in the woods with only his dog.

Things get more complicated though when she wakes up with no memory of who she is, what had happened to her, or where she came from. The only clue to her past are the bruises on her body.

Josh takes her in and nurses her back to heath but her condition also bring back painful memories from his own past. With the storm raging on outside, they get to know each other in the little secluded cabin and the feelings that they try to hold back intensify. But as they begin to fall in love, her past catches up to her…

 

Ok, I really did like this book overall but in the interest of full honesty, I’m just going to tell you upfront that it is chock full of romance cliches. Like really. Full of them. However, I’m not trying to nitpick and I’m not going to write a whole list of them because a) that would be a loooong list, and b) that’s not the point. If the idea of that turns you off, then this isn’t the book for you. But if you’re ok with it being like that, then do give it a try because despite the cliches, I genuinely did have a fun time reading it.

There’s something about the whole storyline of two broken people helping each other heal and finding love with each other that quite honestly gets me every time. So yeah, there were several things that made me roll my eyes (but with a smile, not in a frustrated way) or shake my head a little and usually that would be a turn off for me buuuuuut for whatever reason, it kinda just worked for this book.

I liked that the story had both romance and suspense in it. The whole first big section was very sweet and romantic but, despite the steam between them, her whole past was still a mystery. Where did she come from? Should she go back? Was anyone looking for her? Should she be hiding? And then there was the whole part where her past did come out and dealing with that definitely kept me flipping those pages.

It’s a complete story — a standalone with an epilogue so you get everything in one package. So my advice is this… if you’re going to read this book, just be forgiving of the cliches and enjoy it for what it is. It’s a sweet love story with a dash of mystery and just a really easy read.  And sometimes, that’s just what you need.

Rating: 4 stars. Standalone.

• Buy INTO THE STORM (Kindle)
• Buy INTO THE STORM (Paperback)

“I had put her back together once, and I’d do it again…”

• Buy CARNAGE #1 (Kindle) — my review
• Buy CARNAGE #2 (Kindle) — this book

Spoiler-free review.

Starting this book brought back every single raw emotion left over from Carnage. Tears filled my eyes and every bit of pain from the ending of the previous book instantly slammed back into me. It’s hard to describe the emotions that this series evokes. They’re all consuming. They take hold of the deepest parts of your heart and don’t let go. Reading these books is a crazy, intense roller coaster ride from start to finish.

I alternated between crying and almost-crying for chapters and chapters on end. But I love that intensity. I really do. My favorite stories are the ones that make me feeeeeeeeel them and there’s no doubt both books in the Carnage series make you FEEL every single thing with every fiber of your being.

I’m not going to say anything about the plot at all. There’s literally nothing I can tell you about this book that isn’t a massive spoiler. Even character names are spoilers. I’ll just say that this is not a standalone and is the direct continuation of the story from Carnage #1. However, I can assure you that this fully concludes that story with a resolved ending (and epilogue) that has all the things you will want in it.

“I’m damaged goods…”

“You’re not damaged, babe; you’re just… You’re a beautiful young woman, trying to find her way in life after having the most devastatingly, fucked-up thing happen to her.”

I read this 400-page book from start to finish with almost no breaks. It kept me up til 5AM with my heart racing, unable to stop reading. This story just grabs you. It keeps you captive and takes over your life.

Unfortunately though (and this is where being honest is very painful), I had a few major problems with this book. But before I go into detail, I want to be clear on this first: this book contained everything I wanted and needed from this story. Everything. My issue was that it sadly also contained a whole lot more.

See, this is such a boundary-pushing series to begin with that I believe that comes the huge responsibility of keeping things believable. I really feel like the first book managed to create believable drama in a phenomenal manner. I’m in awe of this author for creating a story that intense without falling into the drama-for-drama’s-sake trap. Sadly though…. this book didn’t fully follow suit.

My honest opinion is that the situation that the last book set up had enough natural pain and angst in it to sustain an entire book. Even if this book had just been about the healing, it would have been emotional enough on its own. It didn’t need more drama. So, there were 4 plot elements that I felt went way too far and they took away from the story in a big way for me. I’m going to explain them here (without spoilers)…

The first two problems were scenes that I felt were totally out of character and only added in for dramatic effect. In my opinion, doing this sacrificed the integrity of the characters and story for the purpose of adding unnecessary angst. And, I’m sorry, but stupid drama is literally my #1 pet peeve of all time.

So, the first one was something she did in Australia. And just… no to that whole situation. This story did not need that. It was too soon, too much, and even though she stopped it quickly, it just really sat wrong with me. While the scene didn’t ruin the book or anything, I really didn’t like it. It felt unbelievable.

The next thing was what he did in that airport bathroom. — O. M. F. G. — That whole scene was just wrong. Why? Not because of what happened, but because he would N.E.V.E.R have done that in that situation. No fucking way. He has way more class than that and he’s not that desperate. Like, REALLY?? Ugh. And yes, I know that he’s a fictional character. But I’ve spent 800 pages getting to know him and he would not do that.

Honestly, I was angry but I was loving the rest of the book so much that, at this point, I was just planning to mentally delete this scene from my memory and move on. I thought this would be as bad as this issue got. But no. In the last 15% of the book, this whole thing was brought back in a huge, overdramatic way and this unbelievable issue was thrown into the spot light causing more unrealistic pain, drama, and angst. *sigh*

Ok next up was a plot element that I felt was “too much” to begin with, but my actual issue was that it was taken “too far” — like waaaaaaaaay too far. That type of plot twist is just eye-roll-worthy to begin with. My reaction when I found out about it was just really???  But I can deal with it existing. What drove it too far was the way it kept being used over and over and over again as a way to try come between them and the whole vibe around it left me with a sick feeling in my stomach. This book, this whole story, did not need that kind of drama. The story was strong enough without it and this just brought it down for me.

And the final big issue I had was an over-the-top, unnecessary source of drama inserted right at the end before the epilogue. In any other book, it wouldn’t bother me at all but… you can’t play the same card twice. Didn’t we go through this already?? It was deja-vu and we really did not need to go through it again.

*throws hands up in the air* —- It was just TOO MUCH.

 

I loved, no adored, the first book and I still do. I stand by the fact that it was one of the most impressive and stunning epic, emotional love stories I’ve ever read. It may have been unconventional and it may have been broken rules, but it was done right. It was believable. And I will always love it.

I would have preferred this book to be focused on dealing with the aftermath of that situation and on healing. The devastating consequences on her life from the end of Carnage would have already set a dramatic, emotional setting strong enough to have easily carried an entire 400-page book. This book needed healing. It didn’t need more drama, especially not this kind. Just, too much. But the Australia thing, the bathroom thing, the ‘surprise’ thing, and the twist at the end before the epilogue were just too much. Take those 4 things out of the story and (in my opinion), you’ve got a 5 star read. Heck, even a 5+ star read.

I absolutely loved the first 85% of the book. I was pretty much at 5 stars for most everything in that section (barring those 2 early things) but generally, I was loving it. However, the last 15% went downhill for me as the rest of the issues pretty much just all blew up one right after the other. It was too freaking much. I felt sick to my stomach (and not in a good way). So by the time the big swoony epilogue came around, I was still feeling so much negative emotions from the last 15% that it overshadowed the ending. Even though I was relieved that they’d found their happiness, honestly I just ended the book feeling shellshocked. I’m saddened by those plot elements because, without them, this would absolutely have been a top favorite of the year for me. But I feel like the integrity of the story was compromised to create this extra drama. And that goes beyond just ‘rule breaking’ for me. In my opinion, that’s a line that should never be crossed.

This is of course just my personal opinion. You might not agree with what I think or what the characters would do. Or, you might just not be bothered by it. Or, you might even love the hell out of all those plot points. There’s no right or wrong. However you feel is right for you.

It’s important to note that, apart from those 4 things, I totally loved this book. Genuinely LOVED it. So, I think if you can either look past them or accept them, that you’ll be just fine.

Here’s the bottom line: The story of Carnage has touched many readers’ hearts, including my own. It’s been an intense emotional roller coaster telling an epic love story. It’s been unconventional, rule breaking, and boundary pushing, but it’s also taken us on a journey that none of us will ever forget. These characters will forever be in my heart. They’ve left their mark on me and are truly unforgettable.

I commend the author for creating such a vivid world and for writing characters that have come to life so realistically. And, regardless of the details, I have to admit that this is one hell of a story.

I love the fuck out of you.
I will talk.
You will listen.
We will be together.
I’ve waited long enough.

Rating: 4 stars. Conclusion to story that began in Carnage.

Rating explanation: 4 stars is half way between the 2-3 mark and the 5 star mark. The reason I’m pushing it closer to 5 is that I loved 85% of this story and disliked 15% of it. The majority was fantastic and also, the story was complete. Meaning, if that 15% had been removed, the author would not have needed to add anything else to make the story 5 stars for me. So I’m averaging to 4 stars.

• Buy CARNAGE #1 (Kindle) — my review
• Buy CARNAGE #2 (Kindle) — this book

 

 

Bonnie Rae Shelby is a superstar. She’s rich. She’s beautiful. She’s impossibly famous. And Bonnie Rae Shelby wants to die. 

Finn Clyde is a nobody. He’s broken. He’s brilliant. He’s impossibly cynical. And all he wants is a chance at life.

One girl. One boy. An act of compassion. A bizarre set of circumstances. And a choice – turn your head and walk away, or reach out your hand and risk it all? 

• Buy INFINITY + ONE (Kindle)
• Buy INFINITY + ONE (Paperback)

When Finn saves Bonnie one night, he has no idea who she is. He just sees girl standing on the edge of a bridge and it’s a situation he can’t turn away from. So he makes a choice. But now she is faced with a choice of her own… to go back to her old life or take a chance and follow her heart.

Clyde’s eyes met mine. “You comin’?”

Finn wasn’t looking for any trouble. He’d had more than his share already and the last thing he needed was more but he still couldn’t resist helping the girl he talked down from the bridge. But unfortunately, being an international celebrity came with attention — whether that attention was wanted or not — and while Bonnie was trying to escape her troubles, they still followed her wherever she went.

“I just need time –“
“Time for what?”
“Time heals all wounds, right?”
“What wounds, Bonnie?”
“You want to hear the poor pop star complain, Clyde?”
“Yeah, I do.”

So one of them was running away from life and the other was trying to find it and these two strangers ended up on an impromptu road trip together. I loved that they were strangers because we got to learn about each of them as they were learning about each other. The little reveals and pieces of their past that we’d learn along the way all helped put together the pieces of the puzzle.

“The girl was trouble, but she was also IN trouble, and Finn knew he couldn’t walk away. Maybe it was Bonnie’s penchant for disaster. She’d apparently used up every bit of luck she was ever going to get in this life on the lottery of superstardom, because she was an accident waiting to happen. Everywhere they turned, everything she touched seemed to go south in a hurry. And yet here he was, beside her, trying to figure out what to do, what was best for her, and whether or not she’d be the death of him… or worse.”

I’ll let Finn describe Bonnie for you — “She was the most peculiar girl he’d ever met. Sad, sassy, temperamental, introspective, funny… and all of that in the space of ten minutes.” This girl just didn’t hold back. She was tired of her life being dictated and in her own words, her “give a damn” was busted.

Now, in Bonnie’s word, Finn was “big, bad, long-haired, and tattooed” but he was also incredibly smart. He was a brilliant natural mathematician — numbers and advanced theories came naturally to him and he saw the world from a different perspective than so many others.

The story was told in dual POV and I found it so interesting to see the contrast between how they both initially perceived each other and what they were each really thinking and feeling on the inside. And it was also wonderful to see how those perspectives evolved and changed as they began to know each other more.

“It wasn’t a soft kiss or a sweet kiss. It was a “you-scared-me-and-messed-with-me-and-I’m-mad-and-relieved-and-frustrated-as-hell” kind of kiss.”

This story had a little bit of everything. It’s slowly paced and overall had almost a quiet vibe with an undercurrent of something a lot stronger. It contrasted the thrill of adventure with the beauty of falling in love and wove it into a modern-day story of Bonnie and Clyde (though thankfully, with a happier ending).

“We’re Bonnie and Clyde! Wanted and unwanted. Caged and cornered. We’re lost and we’re alone. We’re a big tangled mess. We’re a shot in the dark. We’re two people who have nowhere else, no one else, and yet, suddenly that feels like enough.”

Overall, I didn’t find it quite as emotionally intense as I was expecting and there was one element which I don’t want to refer to in detail (a bit of a sub-plot/theme) that didn’t quite sit right with me. But I did feel strongly invested in these characters’ journey and really enjoyed how unique and unpredictable this storyline was. It was genuinely unlike any other I’ve read and it kept surprising me with the turns it took.

Amy Harmon is truly such a gifted story teller and I love her writing style. Her books take you on journeys through the lives of her characters and show you snapshots, special moments, and memories that all come together to tell a beautiful, lasting story. I can’t wait for her next book!

Rating: 4 stars. Standalone.

“There was a point, a place in time, where all roads but one are blind. And there is only one way you can go, one direction. For me, for Bonnie Rae Shelby, Finn Clyde was that road, and I wouldn’t give him up.”

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• Buy INFINITY + ONE (Paperback)