5 stars

“If she’s not careful, I might just fall in love with her. Tonight.”

• Buy NOVEMBER 9 (Kindle)
• Buy NOVEMBER 9 (Paperback)

*** SPOILER-FREE REVIEW **** WOW. WOW. WOW!!!! November 9 blew me away!!! I read it in one sitting with my heart racing the whole time!! The story was SO unique and unexpected that it took me completely by surprise over and over again!! I swooned, I fell in love, my heart was broken, and then healed again. And THE TWIST!!!!! Holy hell, that twist!!! Total shocker but I LOVED it. This book was perfect from cover to cover and definitely one of the BEST BOOKS of the year!! 5 stars!!

I went into this story completely blind without knowing anything other than what the blurb said and knowing the fact that it was a standalone. My personal recommendation is that you do the same thing. Try not to read anything about the plot and just dive right into the story! As such, I’m not going to talk about the storyline at all here — this is a spoiler-free review — and instead, I’m only going to share the blurb:

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist…

Now in complete honesty, blurbs usually over-exaggerate when they say things like “for the sake of the ultimate plot twist” but I promise you that wording is fully deserved here!! I genuinely did not see the twist coming and I absolutely loved that it surprised me! It just gave the story that extra *ooomph*!

This book starts off by just throwing you right into the story. You hit the ground running and it’s a non-stop ride until the very end. As you can guess from the blurb, the story takes place over several years focusing on Fallon and Ben’s single day together each year. I fell in love with them together. Each time, I desperately waited for them to reconnect and couldn’t wait to see where each new year would take them.

“You can’t leave yet. I’m not finished falling in love with you.”

I was especially impressed with the way their relationship was set up so strongly that even after spending an entire year apart with literally no contact, they could pick up like they’d never been separated.

“He slowly plants kisses down my neck, keeping my hands secured to the bed, not allowing me to touch him back while he explores my skin. God, I’ve missed him. I’ve missed the way I feel when I’m with him. I wish I could have this every day. Once a year isn’t enough.”

PS: this is a complete standalone (not part of a series) but there’s a secret something in this book that’s guaranteed to make you SQUEE if you’re already a fan of Colleen Hoover’s books!!! 😉

Anyways, I started this book late at night but ended up staying up til the wee hours of the morning to finish it because I just needed to find out what happened next for Fallon and Ben. The more I read, the more my heart squeezed. I was deliriously excited for their reunions, while being kinda scared about what would happen each year while they were apart. My heart was in my throat!!!! I felt ALL THE FEELS!!!

“She’s the only one I want with me today, and here she is.
Just for me. Because she missed me.
If she’s not careful, I just might beg her to stay.
For good.”

Ohhhh and this story really built up. My gosh, there was this one specific point where seriously guys, I was raging!!! OMG. My stomach dropped. I was so mad that I was practically shedding angry tears. I was furious to the point of not believing I could ever forgive [that person]. I was done. MAD!!!!! But ohhhhh how the grovel was epic! It was so epic that it actually did make me genuinely feel for and understand that character and believe the apology in a way that made me forgive what I thought would probably be unforgivable and still fully love that character. To me, that’s a sign of damn good writing!!

In the final hour of reading this book, I went from full on freaking out, angst-filled, stomach dropping rage to sitting with the biggest silliest, happiest grin on my face basking in all the warm happy feels.

I really found it to be amazing how these two characters could literally spend only a matter of hours together over the years and still have me wholeheartedly believe their love for each other. But I really did. I felt the feels, believed their love, understood the mistakes, cheered for the victories. I loved it so much!

“This is real life, and in the real world you have to bust your ass for the happy ever after… When you find love, you take it. You grab it with both hands and you do everything in your power not to let it go.”

Isn’t that an awesome quote??

This book was unique, unexpected, gripping, addictive, a lot of fun, but angsty at times, and also totally swoon-filled and beautiful because the truth is that no person is perfect and even the best of us make mistakes. What counts is whether we learn from them, and how we repair the damage, and how far we are willing to go to prove our love for each other no matter what happens. I really felt like (regardless of whether I agreed with them), I understood these characters and I absolutely adored their beautiful yet unconventional love story. I laughed, cried, swooned, and fell completely in love.

I have loved every single book that Colleen Hoover has written. Her stories just reach right into my heart and this book was another top-notch winner — a truly fantastic top recommendation!

“I think about you every second of every day and I don’t know how to get over you,” she says.

“Don’t,” I beg her. “Please don’t get over me.”

November 9 is a complete standalone and just trust me here and get yourself a copy.
This is one of those books you’ll want to drop everything to read!

Rating: 5 STARS!!

• BuyNOVEMBER 9 (Kindle)
• Buy NOVEMBER 9 (Paperback) 

Note: pre-orders are not charged until release day.

— ALL COLLEEN HOOVER BOOKS —

SLAMMED | POINT OF RETREAT | THIS GIRL
HOPELESS | LOSING HOPE | FINDING CINDERELLA
MAYBE SOMEDAY (standalone) | MAYBE NOT (novella)
UGLY LOVE  (standalone)
CONFESS (standalone)
NOVEMBER 9 (standalone)

 …

“Grief can be like breaking a bone. You have to set it right or it can ache forever. I pray that someday you’ll understand that and forgive me.”

• Buy NIGHT ROAD (Kindle)
• Buy NIGHT ROAD (Paperback)
• Buy NIGHT ROAD (Audiobook)

5 STARS!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy wow, after finishing this book, it feels like I’ve just been through some kind of emotional marathon. My heart is racing. I feel out of breath. There are tears in my eyes. AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!!!

Reading Night Road was a bit of a departure from my usual choice in books because, for the most part, I’m a hard-core romance reader. Kristin Hannah however, writes deeply emotional fiction novels that are more widely focused on all kinds of relationships, but not solely romantic ones. That being said, after reading The Nightingale (my review) earlier this year, I fell in love with her beautiful, powerful, evocative writing style and ever since then, I’ve been meaning to read more of her books.

Today, I was in the mood for two things: deep feels and beautiful writing but was open to any kind of storyline so I decided to try Night Road because even just reading the blurb made my heart ache and let me tell you…. this is now one of my all-time, I-will-remember-this-book-forever top favorites.

While Night Road is not a romance in the sense that the guy-meets-girl isn’t the sole focus of the book, the heart of this story is completely character-driven and all about different relationships and there absolutely IS a love story too. My God, such an intensely heart-wrenching love story. Like the kind of deeply-routed forever-love that is always present in your heart even if it can’t always be acted on. And oh boy, did it ever make me feel everything!!!! The prologue though was what completely sold me on the book — within two pages, before I’d even met any of the characters, I was already feeling emotional about their story…

“If anyone sees her here, just standing on this lonely roadside… it will all come up again. They’ll remember that night, so long ago, when the rain turned to ash…”

If you want to read the official blurb, just click here and you can read it on Amazon, but as a way to explain the story further, I’m actually just going to tell you about the characters…

First, we have Lexi, a foster child whose neglectful mother died of an overdose after being in and out of prison leaving her daughter to be bounced from family to family for years with no stability or sense of love and belonging. Until one day, they found a long-lost great aunt who didn’t have much in the world but still welcomed Lexi into her life with open arms and an open heart.

Then we have Jude — mother of teenage twins Mia and Zach — who was the well-to-do wife of a surgeon. Her children were entering high school (with Lexi) but their lives couldn’t be more different given the huge disparity in their socio-economic status. While it would be possible (and at times accurate) to label Jude as a helicopter mother, being shown her perspective in the story made it clear that the manner in which she was over protective and so deeply involved in her children’s lives came out of a deep sense of love and a desire to give them the very best life she possibly could…

“The media room was full of kids, as usual. Some women might be overwhelmed by the noise and mayhem, but not Jude. Years ago — back when the twins were starting sixth grade — she’d made a conscious effort to make her house welcoming. She wanted the kids to hang out here. She’d know herself well enough to know that she didn’t want to be dropping her kids off into another woman’s care; she wanted to be the one in charge… Some days, there were fifteen kids here, eating their way through her snack provisions like locusts. But she knew where her children were and she knew they were safe.”

Of the twins, Zach was popular and outgoing, while Mia was quiet and had trouble making friends, but even with their differences, they were very close and would do anything for each other.

Lexi and Zach met on the first day of school and although they instantly connected, Lexi also met Mia and they quickly bonded into best friends. The girl who had nothing and the girl who had everything. Complete opposites yet kindred spirits. And because of her friendship with Mia, Zach kept his distance from Lexi, not wanting to do anything that would compromise the one friend his beloved sister had finally made.

A few years later, we saw an almost ‘forbidden’ love grow between Lexi and Zach, born out of their connection on the day they first met, and their feelings for each other grew to a point where they finally decided that they they can no longer keep it secret from Mia and his family. But then one night, a horrific tragedy shattered all their lives and the consequences of it quite literally changed everything…

At 51%, my. jaw. dropped. Like holy fuuuuuuuuuuckkkkkk!!!!!!! I was pretty much rendered speechless. It’s safe to say that the story took a turn I was absolutely not expecting at all and I feverishly read on desperate to see how this could ever be resolved. The unfairness of it all tore my heart out!!!

Me at 58% –> THIS. BOOK. IS. KILLING. ME!!!!!!!! Holy angst!!! Gah!!!! MY HEART! Seriously just had to put the book down for a minute because I’m so angry-mad-hurt-sad-wanting-everything-to-just-be-okay!!!!!! AHHH. Ok. I just needed to get that out. *deep breath* I can do this…. *dives back in*

So I’ll be honest, prior to reading this book, I kind of thought or assumed the direction it would take. I mean, it’s pretty clear there’s an accident in the story so I thought it would kinda build up to the accident, then show us the aftermath and healing and such. But this went WAY above and beyond what I could ever have imagined. There’s a deceptively quiet start to the story, then……. hold on to your hat, because it turns into an emotional rollercoaster that seriously put my heart right through the wringer! I still can’t believe that she actually went to youknowwhat and that she was (!!!!!!!) too!! Did not see that coming!

By 83% I was cryyyyyyying!!!!! 

I know this isn’t a specifically a romance but even still, the love story within it is SO DAMN POWERFUL and so painfully heart-wrenching that I almost couldn’t stand the depth of emotion I was feeling.

“I just… couldn’t look at him without remembering…”
“Remembering is okay.”
“Not the way I do it. It… breaks me.”
“Maybe you need to be broken a little before you can put yourself back together.”

Oh my gosh, and THIS:

“Do you still love her?”

He seemed to crumble at that. In his eyes, she saw both a fragile youth and a terrible maturity. “I’ve always loved her. I never even tried not to.”

*SOB*

I have to say that I seriously LOVE Kristin Hannah’s writing style. She can write like you wouldn’t believe. Honestly, she’s probably one of the strongest authors I’ve ever read. The way she describes characters and relationship dynamics is downright brilliant. Many of you know how much I love Kristen Ashley‘s romances, and in many ways I almost feel like Kristin Hannah is the KA of fiction novels if that makes sense. She just GETS people and their relationships with each other on such a deep level. It doesn’t matter if you love or hate the characters (you’ll probably go through a whole range of feelings with regards to them) but the way she describes them is just so vivid and believably accurate that they feel REAL.

So like I said, I’m a hardcore romance reader. Like literally for me, when there isn’t a romance as the focus of what I’m reading, I usually zone out of the story. I can read a 300 page romance book in 2-3 hours, but if I try to read most fiction books, it usually takes me like two weeks to get through the first half. BUT THIS AUTHOR??? I can’t get enough of her writing, and you know why? I think it’s because her stories are just SO character-driven and because she’s just so freaking good at interpersonal relationships that it satisfies that part of me that needs the emotional connection of a romance by giving me these deep feels but just in a different way. There are so many kinds of love in this world and Kristin Hannah doesn’t just focus only on romantic love, she explores all kinds. Within this book, we see mother/child relationships, brother/sister, father/daughter, first love, abandonment, parental support and failure, grief, sacrifice, romance, parenthood, sisterhood, friendships, shattered dreams, second chances, forgiveness, and pure all-consuming love. And because her writing is so amazing, I find myself so easily drawn into her stories because they’re just so powerful and believable and heart-felt. I just love it. Can you tell? Hehe.

This book is an emotional roller-coaster — you’ll laugh and you’ll cry, you’ll fall in love with some characters and probably hate others. You may find yourself hating someone you loved at first and then loving someone you hated. But you may also find yourself forgiving things you never thought you would. You’ll fall in love and have your heart broken, then healed again… it’s just such a powerful journey.

I feel like with so many of the books I read, if I were to individually recommend them to readers one book at a time, there are some I’d recommend to certain readers and ones I’d recommend to others depending on the kinds of books I think they might most enjoy. But Night Road is one of those rare books that I’d honestly recommend to anyone and everyone. I’d recommend it to any reader who came to me, I’d give it to my friends, my family, a random person in a bookstore… I just feel like there’s something in here for so many different types of people. In many ways, it’s a very universal story regardless of whether or not you can personally relate to it. But bottom line is that I’d recommend it to anyone who loves to read. And if you’re a long-time follower of my blog and my recommendations, just know that while this book is a little different than my usual reads, but it fundamentally has all the things I love in it. And I promise that even though the journey throughout the book is often painful and heart-wrenching, the ending is worth it.

“What do I do next?”
“Follow your heart.”

Rating: 5 STARS!!!!! Contemporary fiction standalone. 

• Buy NIGHT ROAD (Kindle)
• Buy NIGHT ROAD (Paperback)
• Buy NIGHT ROAD (Audiobook)

_________________________

*** MORE BOOKS BY KRISTIN HANNAH ***

All may be read as standalones. These are the ones I’m most interested to read.
The Nightingale is the only one I’ve already read (read my review).

Just click the covers for more info on each book. 

 

“You got good, you don’t let it go. It lets you go, you hold on. It slips though your fingers, you pull out all the stops to get it back. You got somethin’ worth fighting for, you fight for it. You do not sit on your ass waitin’ for it to come back to you.”

• Buy HOLD ON (Kindle)
• Buy HOLD ON (Paperback)

LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

Kristen Ashley is well known as one of the best romance authors and she’s also one of my personal go-to favorites. With Hold On, she once again delivered an absolutely gorgeous love story I adored from the first page until the last!! This book was badass, heart-felt, smokin’ hot, and loaded with the deepest, strongest, most powerful emotions you can imagine.  By the end, I had happy tears streaming down my face. Without a doubt, it had THE. BEST. EPILOGUE. EVER!!!! Many readers think of KA as the Queen of Epilogues and the Queen of Badass, but she really outdid herself with this book. It was pure perfection!! 5 STARS!!

From the first few pages, my heart was racing. I’d literally dropped everything to read it the moment it was released. I cancelled plans, and cleared my schedule, because lets be honest, who can be getting groceries or sitting out at dinner with a KA book back home?? Not me! I just had to read it.

I’ve loved this series since I first started it in 2012. I know I say this about almost all of KA’s books, but honestly, this particular series is one of my favorites. There’s a real depth and maturity to the stories in this series that really just gets to me. I love them so much. These are characters and couples who have been around the block a few times, maybe made mistakes, or had life deal them a bad hand of cards the first time, but within this series, they’ve each finally had a chance to find the happiness they deserve, and Merry was the last guy in the ‘Burg to have his story told.

If you haven’t read the previous 5 books in this series, I strongly recommend reading them first and in order (as listed below). Why? Well a) because they’re all genuinely out-of-this-world amazing, and b) because you’ll get so much more out of the series that way. Just trust me. Each book may be about a different couple, but they’re quite interconnected and the layers of each couple’s stories build on each other in such a way that I guarantee you’ll have a better reading experience that way.

This book was Merry and Cher’s story — the final ‘Burg series book. Merry was the last of the ‘Burg’s  bachelors — a rough, sexy badass Alpha cop who’d sadly spent years thinking that Mia, the woman he’d divorced was the right one for him. Cher worked at the local bar, secretly in love with him for years, but content to just be his friend, to be there for him however she could, all the while knowing he was in love with another woman and knowing he’d never feel the same way about her as she did for him. Painful as it was, she was willing to take it because life had tought her that girls like her didn’t get happily ever afters.

She’d gone through life getting the short end of every single stick. As a single mom who’d been left by her no-good druggie boyfriend to raise a child alone with no help and no money, she’d done anything she had to to put food in her child’s belly and a roof over his head.

I ate shit because that was life.

But in all that, I’d done something right. Something so right, it was the anchor of my life that kept me steady and whole… I’d made [my son]. I’d kept [my son]. And I made sure my boy knew he was loved right down to my soul. Which meant he loved me that way right back.

“You know I love you, baby?” I whispered.

She was a survivor, willing to sacrifice anything for her son to have a good life, and had absolutely earned her place as the Burg’s resident tough chick. But then one night between her and Merry changed everything and brought them together in a way neither of them could ever have imagined …

“I don’t think I gotta convince you that you mean something’ to me. What I want you to know right now is, no mater the future, that’ll never change.”

Can I just say that I. LOVED. CHER!!!! This girl had been kicked down by life, then kicked again while she was down but she didn’t let anything stop her from getting up again. She was just such an incredibly strong woman and mother. She’s the kind of person you can’t help but wish the world had more of.

And I can’t say that without also saying that I. LOVED. MERRY!!!! I loved the way he took care of her, protected her, treated her son, and never gave up on them. He was a good guy by profession, but that goodness started in his heart. For the first time in her life, he showed her what it was like to have someone she could depend on to have her back, and who also loved her in a way she never imagined possible.

After surviving everything life had thrown at her, the walls Cher had built around her were strong and nearly impenetrable. She’d learned the hard way that it was safer that way. Safer for her, better for her son. But Merry came right along and wouldn’t give up — utterly determined to make it through those walls and prove to her that he wasn’t going to be another person who did her wrong.

“Got a lotta people who mean a lot to me, but only one took my back… What I want is more good times with you. I wanna fuck wild and I wanna laugh hard, and while we’re doin’ that, I’m gonna look out for you.”

And I can’t review this book without sending a big shout-out to Cher’s amazing son Ethan. This guy stole the show! He was such an amazing little badass, Alpha male protector in the making. Brave, strong, smart, loyal, caring… I promise he’ll melt your heart! Seeing him and Cher’s mother-son relationship was so endearing. I loved the way she was firm and strong, but kind and gently. Allowing him to be a kid, but teaching him how to be a man. Gah. SO MANY FEELS!!

There are just such STRONG relationship in this series. And not just romantic ones — it’s also friendships, brotherhoods, families, all kinds of deep, unwavering bonds of love. There was this one scene for example, with all the gals helping Cher pick out a dress that was such a simple scene but it brought me to tears with the depth of the LOVE that was shown in it. That’s the kind of heart a KA book has.

But it’s also balanced out by great banter. Ha! There was even glorious man-banter between heroes:

“You should be a therapist, Mike. Open your own clinic. Call it ‘Don’t Be A Dumb Fuck Treatment Centre.”

Mike grinned back, returning, “You bein’ my first client, thinkin’ of adding, ‘How Not To Be A Smartass.’”

Heehee!!

I pretty much loved every single aspect of this book — the gorgeous dynamics between Cher and Merry, between Cher and her son, between Merry and her son, and between all of them together as they slowly but surely came together as a family unit just made me feel gooey inside.

Even though mistakes were made, I loved how functinal they were both together and separately. They both realized quickly how precious what they had between them was and both tried as hard as they could to allow those bonds of love and trust to grow.

“We got a lot to talk about… But I don’t want you dreading it, because, honest as fuck, we’re gonna get through it and we’re gonna get past it. I won’t make you promises again that I can’t keep. Swear that, babe. So when I promise right now that I know where my head is at with you and I want us both to give this the best shot we can give it, you can believe that.”
God.
“You gonna give this the best shot you can give, sweetheart?” he asked…
I nodded.
He took in my nod, smiled a small smile, but pushed, “Promise me.”
… “I promise, honey.”

I know I say this in almost every review but I swear to God, KA has carved out for herself her very own dialect of the English language and I LOVE it. Like really, if you were to show me a series of quotes, I could instantly pick out the ones that she wrote — its that distinctive and it just manages to give an extra measure of depth to the already badass feeling her stories are infused it. It just makes them feel REAL!

When you commit to reading a KA book, it’s kind of equivalent to committing to binge-watch the entire season of the most badass show you can imagine in one sitting. Her books are literally like 2-4 times as long as most. This one was 11,700 Kindle Locations long (most full length books hover around the 4000-5000 mark) so it’s almost as though she gives you a short series within one book. It’s a journey, an adventure, a non-stop romantic thrill ride that is absolutely unparalleled in the romance world.

KA not only knows how to write a gorgeous story, but she knows how to end them in the absolute best way. She gives her readers everything they’d hoped to see and leaves no loose ends. Everything that needs to be shown is shown allowing you to not only have experienced these characters stories in the book, but also to have a clear idea of where they ended up after years after their book was over. It’s a powerful and very cathartic experience to read them. They just fill your heart to the brim with emotions. Naturally, her reader-given title of Queen of Epilogues is very well-earned, but I think everyone who has read this book will agree with me when I say that it had one of THE. BEST. EPILOGUES. EVER!!!!!  It covered not only Merry and Cher’s story but gave a final wrap up and beautiful send off to all of the amazing couples we’ve fallen in love with over the course of this series. I was pretty much happy sobbing by the end. Tears were pouring down my face as my heart overflowed with happiness.

You don’t just read Kristen Ashley’s stories, you FEEL them deep in your heart and soul. You live them. And Hold On was truly the most perfect end to one of the best series I’ve ever read.

Rating: 5 stars!! Contemporary Adult romance.

• Buy HOLD ON (Kindle)
• Buy HOLD ON (Paperback)

______________________________

THE ‘BURG SERIES: READING ORDER

Series of interconnected standalones. Best to read in order.

Book #1 — FOR YOU (Colt & Feb)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Get the Audiobook | Read my Review

Book #2 — AT PEACE (Joe & Vi)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Get the Audiobook | Read my Review

Book #3 — GOLDEN TRAIL (Layne & Rocky)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Get the Audiobook | Read my Review

Book #4 — GAMES OF THE HEART (Mike & Dusty)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Get the Audiobook | Read my Review

Book #5 — THE PROMISE (Frankie & Benny)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Get the Audiobook | Read my Review

Book #6 — HOLD ON (Merry & Cher)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Get the Audiobook | Read my Review

  

 

“You will always be my forever.”

• Buy THE PAPER SWAN (Kindle)
• Buy THE PAPER SWAN (Paperback)

Fierce, powerful, and absolutely breathtaking, this beautifully-written book will sweep you away in an epic love story that spans years and lasts a lifetime. The Paper Swan is a must-read for any romance readers who are searching for a completely unique story that’ll captivate you from start to finish. While the twists and turns are intense, gritty, and sometimes even dark, this was actually one of the sweetest and most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. I loved every word and highly recommend it!

I want to be very clear that this is a standalone romance with no love triangle. It’s also not tragic (really, the ending is gorgeous) so you do not have to worry about anything. Yes, it’s a truly crazy ride, but I’m almost certain that any romance reader will love this and not have any problem with any of it’s content.

This is one of those stories that you just need to have TRUST with. Trust the author and trust me when I say that its better not to know anything about this story before you start it other than the blurb…

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. They lie. For 21 days she held on. But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death. Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves.

Don’t freak out! Remember: there’s no triangle and it’s not tragic. I know there are a bunch of you right now sitting here reading this and eyeing this blurb warily but just trust me, I get it. The very first thing I did when I saw it was go out and make sure there was no triangle/cheating/death before I even considered reading the book, and even though the blurb is accurate, it’s also not what you think. I promise, cross my heart, and pinky swear that it’s not going to devastate you. It’s just a really unique love story, but it has everything that would make a romance fan happy even though it’s edgy and has darker moments. You guys know that I always warn you whenever there’s anything I think you should know beforehand but this is one of those times when really, you’ll be fine. I wouldn’t say that unless I meant it. Just dive in!  

I wished I could see myself through his eyes.
Then again, he never looked at me with his eyes.
He looked at me with his soul.

When you start the book, holy hell, the prologue just throws you right into the story! It’s immediately captivating because you’re suddenly in this intense, life-threatening situation with the heroine and, just like her, you have absolutely no idea why it’s happening, or what is going to happen next. There are so many questions and so many possibly directions for the story to take so it just begs you to turn the page!

I loved that the heroine was strong, smart, and capable. She was relatable, down-to-earth, and just felt very much like a real person I’d love to get to know. And I totally fell for the hero (or, you could really say anti-hero). This guy had been dealt a truly unfortunate hand of cards and his life lead him down a dangerous and destructive path, but with the way it was written, you were shown why he’d become that man.  At what point does a person bear too much pain? At what point does it change them? I loved the complexity of his character and the range of emotion his story drew out of me over the course of this book.

This is a story that keeps you guessing the whole way through and toys with your heart while unraveling an intricate tale of passion, vengeance, redemption, sacrifice, acceptance, forgiveness, and the purest form of love, where the lines between good and bad are often blurred, and with writing so vivid that you feel like you’re experiencing the story alongside the characters. It begins in childhood and tells the story of how a boy turns into a monster and loses himself while trying to save the one he loves most, but how that monster can too find love because even though he’s no longer that boy, a part of him still remembers who he was and who he loved. It’s filled with emotion, intrigue, suspense and passion. I couldn’t put it down!

That’s honestly as much as I want to say about the story. I feel very strongly that you should just go into this book blind. I can technically categorize the type of romance but I want you to be as surprised and thrilled as I was while you read. Despite this story’s gritty and sometimes even violent twists and turns, this was honestly turned out to be one of the heart-warming love stories I’ve read. Leylah Attar’s stunning writing wraps you up in this epic journey and sweeps you away. This book had it all — beautiful writing, beautiful story, beautiful cover. It’s one of my top favorites of this year and a must-read recommendation!!

“It’s not over, you know. It never has been,” he said.
“Whether you say yes or no, you will always be my forever.”

Rating 5 stars! Standalone contemporary romance.

• Buy THE PAPER SWAN (Kindle)
• Buy THE PAPER SWAN (Paperback)

And again… there’s NO cheating, NO triangle, and it’s NOT tragic. I promise.

You are my love. My one and only love.
You always have been and always will be.

• Buy VANGUARD (Kindle)

OMG. OMG. OMG!!!! I absolutely LOVED this book!! 

From the moment I read the prologue, I was hooked and could NOT put it down even for a single minute!! I cried, laughed, swooned, was totally overwhelmed with emotion, and even had to take little “breathers” before turning the page  because it could get literally that intense!!! It had ALL THE FEELS.

This story was 100% unique and unlike any other I’ve ever read. It’s a modern-day wartime love story with fantastic writing, strong characters, a gripping and emotional tale, and an epic romance that kept my heart racing from start to finish. This was smart, intelligent romance. Total BOOK HEAVEN!! 5 STARS!!

I have such an epic book hangover from this book. I went to bed thinking about it. I woke up thinking about it. I’m sitting here now thinking about it… just reliving all those feels!!! This was absolutely one of the BEST BOOKS I’ve read this year. If you’re a fan of romance that is outside the box and doesn’t follow traditional storylines but that’ll still deliver a heart-racing, epic love story, then you have to try this one!!

The story is about Sophie Swenda, a refugee aid expert, who is used to saving lives on a grand scale. And now she’s has to save just one person — the man she loves. Michael Nariovsky-Trent is a doctor who vanished months ago. She believes he’s trapped “trapped inside the fences and barbed wire of a sinister refugee camp, lost in a sea of freezing, starving prisoners of war.” Despite being separated for ten years after their romance failed, they’ve both been too stubborn to forgive past mistakes… and still too in love to move on. She has “always believed their time would come – no matter how unlikely it seems to everyone around them… [But] unless she can find him, their long-delayed chance at love will be lost forever….”

“You can’t save everyone. You’ve got to know that.”

She’d stood for a moment more, feeling the cool, professional demeanour she presented to the world trembling under the pressure of the intensely personal fear beneath.

“I know. But I have to find him.”

From the first few pages, I already had that thrilling, adrenaline-filled book excitement that only my top favorite books ever evoke. I could just tell that this one was special. I got CHILLS and SHIVERS from my reactions to the excitement of the story as it unfolded. By only 7%, they’d already happened several times!!

Despite this being a wartime story, it is present-day contemporary romance. The way the author facilitated this was to create an imaginary country named Orlisia that the hero was from and that was now occupied by the Soviet Republic. The commander had rounded up the survivors into a barbaric prison camp. Against the bitter cold winter, they stood almost no chance of survival. And Sophie knew that Michael was likely trapped in there. Using her job and passion as a rescue aid worker and leveraging her professional power, she united the world’s refugee aid together to form a coalition that banded together to help rescue the people trapped there — and in the process find Michael and bring him home. A secret mission within their already life-threatening mission. The code name for when they found Michael was Vanguard.

“The code word is Vanguard,” she said. “I can’t say over an open cell or satellite phone connection that we’ve found an American citizen in the camp. The Soviets would be all over us in seconds, and we might never get him out… If you get a message from me that has the word Vanguard in it, it means I’ve got him. Understand?”

By 15%, tears were in my eyes purely from the overflow of emotion. My throat was closed up. I was hanging off of every word.  Her efforts to save this man were truly empowering. I couldn’t look away from the page. Using government documents, every shred of inside and official information, arial photos, and reports, she put together a plan. And then the day came when the coalition was greenlighted to enter the camp as emergency relief aid and they began their mission. But hers was single minded: rescue Michael.

There were code words, safe houses, armoured guards, strike teams, secret missions, fifty-five people on a mission to save thousands of lives, and searching desperately for one man in their midst… This story had all the thrill of an action movie mixed in with the heart-wrenching emotions of an epic romance.

“Please I’ll give you anything, just please let him be alive. Let me be in time.”

I also have to give the author props for creating a country name so believable that it made me momentarily question my knowledge of geography enough to go make me hesitantly google “Orlisia” juuust to be sure (don’t judge). She cleverly wove in elements of the real world with fictional places and organizations in a way that made me buy it without question and more importantly, to whole-heartedly believe it. Her descriptions painted a clear and vivid picture of their situation and made me deeply understand these characters motivations and passions. I felt like I lived this story with them.

The story is told in a mixture of present day storylines as we see Sophie race against the clock to get from NYC to the refugee camps juxtaposed with flashbacks to their tumultuous and complex history together over the last ten years.

Ohh and you guys!! Their love for each other was SO strong — the ultimate unrequited but yet powerful and unquestionable love. So by the time they got together oh boy did I ever feel it!! Between her stubborn, headstrong nature and his prideful and flaring temper, they clashed strongly. But their love for each other was stronger than their differences. They were willing to literally risk their lives to save each other.

The story is sexy and swoony, but not erotic. There’s definitely sex in it and I know some of you are curious about this so I want to reassure you that even though this takes place in a wartime setting, there is a lot of time focused just on Michael and Sophie’s love story. They manage to get in considerable alone time (in a way that fits effortlessly into the story without seeming out of place) so I want to reassure you that the romance is not glossed over. This is a romance. The refugee camps are the setting. Naturally both are described in detail but everything comes back to their romance. This is their story.

Michael was here. 

She didn’t need to see his face. She didn’t need to hear his voice. She never had. His presence washed over her like a wave.

There was fantastic banter that had me laughing out loud several times. Despite this being quite an intense story, its very well balanced between all the elements that make up a thrilling and romantic read.

I’m blown away that this was a debut novel. This author. Holy brilliant! She thought of everything. This is such intelligent romance. She clearly did a lot of reasearch to put this story together and every single detail just clicked perfectly into place. I believed this story. I experienced their love. It just felt real.

And dear movie gods, please let this get a movie deal!!!! This story would be brilliant on the big screen. The writing was so descriptive that I honestly could see it playing out vividly in my mind. If this ever hit theaters, you can bet I’d pay to see it probably five times over!

In complete honesty, I don’t think this book will necessarily be for absolutely everyone. But if you’re like me and love stories that stand out from the others, that are different, and outside the box, but still stick to the core elements of romance, you should absolutely try this. There is no cheating, no love triangle, no horrible tragedy. It’s not gruesome or graphic. It’s just a fantastically thrilling, heart-racing love story with a completely unique setting. Honestly, I’d most highly recommend it for fans of The Bronze Horseman (which as many of you know is my favorite book in the whole world). While this story was very different, there was a similarity in feeling that I think fans of TBH will pick up on and likely also fall in love with.

I am so grateful to the author of this book for stepping outside the romance box, but still delivering such an epic love story. This is the kind of book I spent hours and hours searching for each week. It’s intelligent romance with a completely unique story. It really blew me away!

I’d easily consider this to be one of the best books of the year!!! A top recommendation!

Rating: 5 STARS!!! Standalone contemporary romance.

• Buy VANGUARD (Kindle)

“I love you,” he says. “I don’t think I ever really stopped.”

• Buy MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE (Kindle) 
• Buy MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE (Paperback)

WOW. WOW. WOW!!!

Refreshing, thought-provoking, and highly addictive, this was easily one of the best books I’ve read this year! The story was unlike any other I’ve read, the writing was amazing, and it kept me glued to the page. Everything about this book was totally unconventional and gave a unique perspective on finding your soul mate and one true love. I cried, I laughed, my heart felt like it was bursting with emotions. I LOVED IT!!!

5++ STARS!!!

The story is about Hannah who is twenty-nine years old with no idea what she wants to do with her life. She’s willing to work hard, but just feels directionless. After a string of bad luck, she decides to move back to her hometown of LA where she stays with at her best friend Gabby’s house while she gets on her feet and sorts out her life. But going back to LA means being back in the same town as Ethan, her high school boyfriend. Even though they loved each other, after high school, life just took them in separate directions and they’d drifted apart. It was just the wrong time, the wrong age, too much of one thing, too little of another, and they were pulled apart by life and decisions they’d each made… and even though they’d both numbed the pain and convinced themselves they were happy, they’d never truly gotten over each other.

I actually love the way the blurb sets up the rest of the story, so I’m just going to quote it:

Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan. Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her.

As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.

Ahhhhhhh!!!! I just love that line!!

“And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.”  <—– *shivers* !!! And as you read the book, you’ll see exactly how that possibility unfolds and let me tell you, it kept my heart RACING!!!!!

To clarify: this is not paranormal. It’s completely real-world. The parallel storylines are showing you two possibilities of her life and there’s an explanation at the end that I’m sure will fully satisfy readers.

And seriously, the way this storyline unfolded was incredibly well done! Starting from that moment when they left the bar and Gabby asks Hannah to leave with her, but Ethan offers that she come with him, the rest of the book is told in alternating chapters — one beginning with her leaving with Gabby, the other beginning with her leaving with Ethan. Each chapter after that would just switch between these two parallel realities and, because you only got one chapter at a time, it really kept you eager to keep reading because you’d always be left hanging on the brink of wanting ‘more’ from each of these realities. Gah, and there were times when it got intense because even though these two realities were vastly different in many ways, there were key elements that were fundamentally the same  and it was so interesting to see the ways this one small thing could impact two potential lives SO differently! OMG. It was unputdownable!

He still, all these years later, shines brighter to me than other people. Even after I got over him, I was never able to extinguish the fire completely, as if it’s a pilot light that will always remain small and controlled but very much alive.

It was such an honest portrayal of life — there were hardships and victories, love and loss, laughter and tears, hard choices and lucky breaks. It was incredibly real and honest and this author’s writing made the characters so relatable, believable, and understandable. It felt like I knew them and was experiencing what they experienced. It was just so well balanced and written in a way that begged me to keep reading.

“Something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while,” he says.
“OK,” I say.
“Why did we break up?”

“When you left, I smelled your old T-shirts,” I say. “I used to sleep in them.”
He listens to me. He takes my words, my metaphors, and he spits them back out into facts. “You loved me,” he says.
“Yeah,” I say. “I did. I loved you so much it sometimes burned in my chest.”

While this is absolutely a romance, it’s also just as much about friendship and family and finding yourself. The story deals with a lot of themes and many different senarios. Some of them were so powerful that I would find myself suddenly reading with tears in my eyes (even if it wasn’t sad).

The two realities shown are quite complex — as life naturally is — so there’s a lot going on in this book. Honestly, it was fascinating and there was just never a dull moment. But even though a lot was happening, it was so well written that it was always gripping, never confusing, and loaded with feels.

Seriously… THE FEELS!!!!!!!!

Equal parts heart-breaking and heart-warming, this story really snuck up on me because out of nowhere, I’d suddenly just find myself overwhelmed with emotions. So much of my book is highlighted!

He calls my name. I turn around…
“I love you,” he says. “I don’t think I ever really stopped.” …
“And now?” I say…
“I still love you,” he says. “I’ve always loved you. I might never stop.”

This isn’t a perfect fairy tale. In many ways, it feels very REAL and it’s told in such a way that it feels real. In real life, things don’t always work out the way you expect them. Things don’t even always work out, not even after you meet the love of your life. Even though two people may be in love, it doesn’t mean that life naturally leads straight-away to their happily-ever-after. Sometimes that road takes unexpected twists and turns, but the beauty of it is that sometimes you end up in a better place than you could have dreamed.

While some people might say that this is a love triangle, I would actually disagree. It’s not a triangle per se, but there are two different guys because… in each reality, the guy she’s meant to be with is different. At first, I found myself almost expecting/wanting her to be with one specific guy but the more I read, the more I loved the two different options. It’s just quite a “different” situation than most books. In each life, she’s found her soul mate, but she doesn’t know about the ‘other’ life so she’s completely unaware of even the potential of there being anything different than the reality she knows and the man she loves. Ohhhhhh and OMG at 90%, there’s this scene where I literally highlighted EVERY word on the page!!

The way this portrayed that sometimes a seemingly wrong decision can lead you down a path that actually might lead you to a better future than you ever thought possible… and no matter what road you go down, it’s possible to still find happiness is comforting and inspiring. It begs you to look at the big picture of life.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOVED the ending. Totally loved it! Oh gosh, my heart was overflowing with emotions. I was feeling so much! There are two epilogues and I think I must have read them both three times each before I finally put the book down for good because I loved them that much!!

Maybe In Another Life was a refreshingly original, uplifting, and captivating story that made my heart race, kept me glued to the page, and left me overflowing with feels. I highly recommend it!!

Rating: 5++ STARS!! Contemporary romance standalone.

• Buy MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE (Kindle)
• Buy MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE (Paperback)

PS: Just because I know many of you will wonder… Yes, it is absolutely worth the price!