Contemporary Romance

Book Review – Consequences (Consequences #1) by Aleatha Romig

June 20, 2013 by Aestas · 86 Comments

Buy CONSEQUENCES (Kindle)

Warning: This book made me swear. A lot.

And I’m pretty sure this is my longest review. Ever.

4.5 stars. Spoiler-free review.

HOLY. FREAKING. MIND FUCK.

WHAT DID I JUST READ ? ? ?

That ENDING!!! I mean … just … ummm… *speechless*

What a roller-coaster!

I have lost sleep. My mind has been utterly toyed with. And I still have no freaking clue how I should feel about Tony Rawlings.

To the rest of the world, Anthony Rawlings was a mega-successful self-made billionaire who donated to charity, was always perfectly presented and never put a foot wrong. To Claire Nicols, he was her captor. Her abductor. Her tormentor. And also the man she was falling for.

This book is about a young, sweet woman, Claire, who meets a charming man, Tony, after work one day who sweet talks her into dinner and then abducts her. Just takes her straight from her life to live in decadent captivity at Rawlings mansion. There is no ‘easing’ into this story. Cut off from every part of the outside world, she is violated, raped, physically abused and loses every possible measure of control over her life. Every single thing she now does happened by the will of her captor, and by his will alone. We hate him from the start – he is cunning, cruel, manipulative and controlling.

He toys with her mind and her heart. And yet! There is more to him beneath the layers… a spark of something… genuine? Real? Humanity? Enough to make me able to ride out of the waves of the book, able to consider seeing him from another side – a less predatory side… but still… I’m not yet completely sold on his humanity. But I have high hopes for it. Truly, I don’t want him to be as evil as I think he might be.

This book perfectly captures that feeling of literally not knowing what to expect, not knowing what is coming next. Just when I was *sure* I’d found my footing and got a *feel* for the story, it just yoinked the rug RIGHT out from underneath me.

Tony. ohhhhhhhhh Tony Rawlings. *deep breath* Man? Monster? Mastermind? Predator? Hero? Broken hero? Anti-hero? Villan? I don’t know. I didn’t know the whole time I was reading and honest to goodness, I. Still. Don’t. Know. This is the crux of the mindfuck. Are his actions those of an intrinsically sadistic man? A man with a hidden purpose? A tortured hero who is *trying* to heal in the only way he knows how? Or is he maybe really just a straight-up phychopath?

Honestly, I couldn’t decide if he was creepy, deranged, clinically insane, just plain fucked up or had some bizarre highly intelligent higher purpose behind everything…. but then if he *did*, it still wouldn’t justify the horrible things he did so really… ok. I have to stop myself. Literally, I can debate that in circles nearly endlessly.

I’m still on the fence about him but I have to say that judging from the sum total of what I’ve seen to far, I do NOT love him. I’m leaning towards hate at this point, but with an open mind… I don’t know, I *sense* a spark of something else in him. I think. Or, maybe that’s just the part of me desperate to redeem the “hero” of my book? Or maybe I’m getting Stolkholm Syndrome too? God. I don’t know.

He started chillingly sadistic, cruel and creepy. It almost made it worse that he was ever polite and gentlemanly. He was abrasive, brutal, violent and often irrational. He shocked me. Disgusted me. And then… just when you were SURE that he was a deranged asshole who deserved to have his nuts slowly ripped off, he would show this tender, caring side of him that was impossible not to fall for…

“I have spent most of my life only concerned with myself. I’m truly trying even if it does not always appear so… Perhaps I’m afraid of losing you, afraid you if you truly know me you will not want to stay with me.”

He had a deep rooted obsession with control – with having it, keeping it, losing it, and maintain absolute power over everything and everyone in his life.

The more I read about him, the deeper the mindfuck went. The *moment* I’d come within a whisper of thinking one thing that *maybe* I had a handle on him, he’d just swing the other way. Like 180. He’d go from suave to nice to creepy and sadistic to potentially understandable to downright fucking mental.

I need to *show* you what I mean by this… here are some of my updates while reading:

31% – Could this be??? A spark of … sweet?? *hopes*

38% – The fuck???? So unfair!!! I hope he feels FUCKING GUILTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

39% – WHAT?????? SERIOUSLY?!?? Fucking rat asshole bastard fuck shit DAMN YOU TONY RAWLINGS!!!!!!!!

40% – *huffs*

41% – *grumbles* why why WHY am I actually considering forgiving him now??? What is WRONG with me???

43% – Ooooo I’m liking this insight into the real Tony…. Do I sense a whiff of actual romance perchance?? *hopes*

44% – Waaaaaaiiiiiiittt…. W H A T ? ! ???
*speechless* …. *still speechless*
Wo-hoahhhhh I did NOT see THAT coming!!! O_O

Throughout the story we get alternating POVs. Thank GOD!!!! It was just sheer relief to see that because I seriously needed to get inside that man’s head. Seriously. THE FUCK WAS HE THINKING????

Clearly something in his past made him unable to functional in a normal loving relationship and yet, in some ways, you see HIM begin to crack a little. Almost as if he has reverse Stolkholm Syndrome. Against everything he believes in, despite the fact that he captured her for HIS purposes, he does begin to soften…. ish. For a time I wondered if he wasn’t so much a cold-hearted bastard, but more of a supremely messed up individual whose need to hold complete control preceded EVERYTHING else, even his morals (if, indeed he had any).

But eventually I got to a point where I no longer thought he was evil and didn’t hate him. Yes, I wanted to beat the ever loving shit out of him more than once, but I didn’t hate him.

And JUUUUUUUUST when I was thinking that, he pulled a totally all-out SLIMY, and just plain COLD move that basically just reduced me to a violently shaking wreck. The fucking NERVE on that guy. I mean REALLY????? At that point I just wanted to SLAP myself for even considering “understanding” him. To the fucking gallows with that one!!

I wavered back and forth with Claire’s character. I guess I both understood where she was coming from and yet really wished she’d fight more. But then, I could also get why she wouldn’t. I mean, I really didn’t understand some of her decisions – especially a lot of the ones surrounding their first meeting and then first outings together. I mean, she *had* an out. She had several… and yet every time I thought mayyyyyyybe she’d do something, no. She didn’t. But then again, okay, not everyone’s logic works the same way, so maybe in her mind she was doing the best/most right thing? hmmm I don’t know. What I do know is that despite sometimes wanting to shake her, really, I just felt badly for her.

“She actually thought she would walk out of this twisted nightmare. However, it wasn’t a nightmare, twisted or otherwise. It was reality. Her mind searched for a way to survive and escape.”

However, despite it being told in third person, and having some insight into Tony’s perspective, most of the story is told “through” Claire’s eyes. And you really experience things along with her. You freak out. Feel violated. Justify. Theorize. Rationalize. Try to find a way out. Until you reach a bit of a “lull”, so to speak, of *acceptance*… and juuuuust when you start to get comfortable, or at least, acclimatized… — YOINK!!

Every possible shred of her privacy is stripped away bringing everything back to HIS complete and utter control and domination of every minute facet of her life.

And everything came back to HIM. To Tony. Him. Him. Him. What he wanted. What benefited HIM. What suited him. What pleased him.

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is about appearances and consequences. How do things look to the outside world. Every action has a consequence. Some can be good. Some, very very VERY bad.

I have to give the author major props for this book though. It was clearly VERY well thought out. From the quotes at the beginning of the chapter, to the way everything tied in at the end… just amazing!

There are these little hints that are dropped throughout the book that really nailed down the “chilling” backstory behind what was going on.

This book was long. But, it had my attention from the first page straight through till the end. There were a few parts that slowed a little due to detailed descriptions and the such but the *feeling* the book gives you makes you pay attention to everything and honestly, I didn’t want to stop.

There were a few ‘lulls’ and even a point about 2/3 of the way through where I really wasn’t sure where the story was going but then as it all started to come together at the end, it really built into something I never anticipated.

At 80% the events that took place just SLAMMED right into me. I’d been teased, I’d been toyed with, I been made to theorized, but now… I KNEW. I got full. body. CHILLS. Like literally starting at my head and going down to my toes. The REALITY of what the event’s implications meant just FLOORED me. Like HOLYYYYY SHIT. Here was my reaction:

WOAH FUCK WOAH FUCK WOAH FUCK
He didn’t???
He COULDN’T??? Right???
Seriously. FUUCKKKKKKKK. NONONONO.
That is just….
Too. Far.
No.
No? Right??
That didn’t happen….
RIIIIIGGHTTTT???????

O_O That’s it. I’m gonna need therapy after this.

For all you readers who are hesitant to start this, first of all, I encourage you all to take the plunge!!! Go for it!! If it helps to know this, the book is NOT graphic. There is sex. There is violence. There is brutality. But none of it described at length. You get just enough details to fully understand the situation but not enough to leave you grossed out. Truly this is a MIND fuck. It messes with your brain. Makes you question everything you are thinking, feeling and experiencing. But it is not a graphically disturbing book. This is not a BDSM book. This is not a kink book. Its just extraordinarily mind-fucky.

The ending is a complete cliffhanger but don’t worry!!! Book #2 “Truth” is out right now and you can dive right into it when you’re done this one.

Now I *know* you guys who have read book #2 all tell me to “just wait” because I’ll fall in love with Tony. At this point I’m kinda just looking at you guys warily and wondering how are all you crazy people in love with this dude??? Seriously??? He’s a freaking psychopath!!!!!

Okay. *deep breaths*

I promise to reserve judgment until after Truth.

And so, these are my final comments based on the ending of Consequences.

I now need therapy. (Ms. Romig, please expect a bill for my therapy sessions in the mail.)
Tony needs a fucking padded cell.
Claire needs a hug and then a good shake.

Ok. That is all. I’m going to dive right into Truth now because I just NEED to know more!!!

Here is my entire review summed up in one image –> CLICK HERE

4.5 stars

Buy CONSEQUENCES (Kindle)

My review of book #2 “TRUTH”

CASTING:

Tony
Claire

SERIES READING ORDER

Book #1 — CONSEQUENCES
My Review | Kindle | Paperback

Book #2 — TRUTH
My Review | Kindle | Paperback

Book #3 — CONVICTED
My Review | Kindle | Paperback

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

SERIES SALE BUNDLE

This bundle includes all 3 books for $9.99 (savings of $3 overall)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

What inspired you to write Consequences?

I’d always wanted to write a book. It was a bucket list type thing. In 2008 my husband lost his job, it was in construction materials and the economy tanked! He began working a third shift job. Our two oldest children were off in college. Our youngest was going to bed about 8:30. That left a lot of alone time.

I had this idea of a woman in a room… I decided to sit down and see where the story would take me. I didn’t write Consequences to publish. I wrote Consequences as therapy or escape from my life. I could totally manipulate and control the lives of these characters. It was more than I could do for myself.

What was the hardest part of writing Consequences?

The hardest part was deciding how much detail to put in my manuscript. My original draft had more detail. It was so disturbing to my mother and sister-in-law that they couldn’t read the story. So, I decided to employ more of the “fade to black” technique. Honestly, I still have people who think my reading is too disturbing and others who want more detail. I’ve come to the conclusion; you can’t please everyone – so please yourself.

Do you expect your readers to view Tony as a villain or a hero?

I have NO expectations. I love receiving messages or reading reviews where people say he is both! When a reader says they HATED him, usually threatening some sort of bodily harm, and then turns around and says, they LOVE him, despite their better judgment, I believe I’ve done something special.

How would you classify Consequences’ genre?

I think I’ve invented my own genre: Contemporary Dark Romance / Psychological Thriller. Obviously, Consequences by its self isn’t a romance. However, since it is the relationship of Claire and Tony that propels the series, I’ve been told that makes the series a romance. Now, that said, I definitely believe it qualifies as dark and psychological thriller.

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 – Emancipating Andie by Priscilla Glenn

May 16, 2013 by Aestas · 21 Comments

Buy EMANCIPATING ANDIE (Kindle)

“His heart was racing, and he wanted her to hear it. And he wanted her to know that from here on out, it beat solely for her.”

A slow-building, sweet, beautiful love story with a deeper message set against the backdrop of a road trip.

Given how much I absolutely adored Back To You, I knew that Priscilla Glenn was capable of strong, fluid writing that would draw me into the story. And by the end of the first page I was just smiling to myself because I could already feel this was another winner.

The flow of this one was very different than a lot of books I’d been reading recently. It was slow building, but totally drew me into the story. It was actually almost relaxing and yet totally engaging.

Andie’s life was straight-laced, perfectly planned and under control. She had a perfect, predictable boyfriend, a career and a life path. But from the moment Andie met Chase, he threw her life out of whack. He was impulsive, spontaneous and lived life in the moment – the complete opposite of her. And despite his charm, everything about him just got under her skin. So, when an impromptu road trip forces them to spend 2 days together, everything changes.

“It was harmless, his playful taunting. He had no intention of making a move on Andie, but still, in the back of his mind, he knew he shouldn’t be needing her. Yet as he slid into the passenger seat next to her, he also knew it was going to difficult to stop.”

“This would be impossible, he realized, trying to keep this drive amiable. She got fired up too easily, and, if he were being honest, he enjoyed the reaction too much. It was a bad combination.”

Their banter was just hilarious. It wasn’t even banter really at first because they genuinely just annoyed the hell out of each other. Chase just couldn’t resist teasing her and nearly everything he said made Andie’s defenses go up — much to his initial glee.

“Are you going to put your shirt back on?” She blurted out.
Chase froze, looking over his shoulder at her with the most maddening smile. “Why? Is this bothering you?”
“I just… I mean, what if we get pulled over or something?”
“If we get pulled over, this could only work in your favor,” he said, running his hand over his chest.
Andie tried to stifle a laugh. “My God, your insufferable.”

But the more they got to know each other, the more they got to what was under the surface, and the more open they got with each other. Walls came down and hearts opened up.

This book perfectly captured that special road trip feeling. I loved their conversations – it was true “car talk”. About anything, everything, random musings, little anecdotes and stories… and all the while they slowly fell into a better place with each other and, even though they didn’t realize it at the time, they fell in love.

I have so many pages of their dialogue highlighted. Their conversations were like little mini stories within the larger one of the book as a whole and I totally relaxed into the read with a smile on my face.

And the more I read, I found myself dreading the end of the road trip. I loved the little world they’d created. There’s something magical about road trips, you know? Just being away from everything else, away from relationship, commitments, responsabilities… it’s like an in-between sort of place full of potential. And, if you let it, the experience can be just so liberating.

But, like all good things, the road trip does eventually come to an end and Andie and Chase have to decide what to do with this feeling, this connection that has grown between them.

Now, although technically Andie has a boyfriend for part of the book, I still wouldn’t really specifically call this a love triangle book. First, there is no cheating, and second, there was never even a shadow of a doubt who the ‘right’ guy was. And it was just a question of the characters getting to a point where they realized that in order to be truly happy in life, they had to follow their hearts.

“He took a step forward, composing himself, his voice softer but his eyes significantly more intense. “Why do you hide? Why can’t you just be brave and do what you want instead of what you think you’re supposed to do?”
…”Chase, I can’t live the way you do.”
…”Have you ever even tried?” he asked softly.“

I have to say that I really went through Andie’s journey with her and that moment when she finally became ‘free’, I swear I felt it like a rush and could not stop grinning.

For those of you looking for a break from the more angsty, darker books and just want a sweet, quiet book that you can relax into, you should definitely consider this one. And please don’t think that just because it was ‘quieter’ that it was boring. Far from it! I loved Chase and Andie’s story. I cared about it and felt for it. And the overall feeling I got from reading this book was one of going away on vacation – you’re relaxed, surrounded by the things you love, enjoying your time, and yet, at peace.

This book has many wonderful messages – to not judge someone before knowing their whole story, finding the strength to believe in yourself and your dreams, and most importantly to live life to fullest and to always follow your heart.

This is a stand alone with a happy, resolved ending 🙂

I loved Back To You and I loved this book. I can’t wait for more from Priscilla Glenn!

4.5 stars

WHERE TO BUY

Emancipating Andie (Kindle)
Emancipating Andie (Paperback)

CASTING

Chase | Andie

OTHER WORK BY PRISCILLA GLENN

Back To You (Kindle)
Back To You (Paperback

Back To You is a beautiful, believable second-chance friends-to-lovers story that was both heart breaking and heart warming, with an uplifting, satisfying ending that left me clutching my heart, with happy tears in my eyes and a smile on my face 🙂

Click here for my review.

…

Book Review – Arouse (A Spiral of Bliss #1) by Nina Lane

April 28, 2013 by Aestas · 7 Comments

Buy AROUSE on Kindle
Buy AROUSE in Paperback

4.5+ stars

“No,” I murmur against her hair… “We are not freakishly happy. We are not freakishly anything. We’re two people who love each other. We had a tough time. We worked it out because we want to be together. Because we can’t imagine being with anyone else. Because we don’t want to be.”

Arouse is a beautifully detailed, thoughtful, and introspective story that truly makes you feel for the strength and resilience of a marriage based on true love. It takes you through the struggles, through the pain and the heartache and then brings you through to the other side.

We’ve all read the stories of first love and second-chance love… but few stories are actually about a marriage.

This is a spoiler-free review.

I’m always on the lookout for “different” reads and what made AROUSE stand out and grab my attention was that it was about an already married couple. It seemed to almost start after the point where most books would end. It was almost like the post-epilogue book. So often the books we read are about a couple who meets and falls in love and then their story ends with them ready to forge a life together, but we rarely see a story (that isn’t in the middle of a series) start out with an already established couple.

Arouse was the literal continuation of a happily ever after, and while most books end there, after the couple has made their connection, fallen in love, and cemented their relationship, this one actually began several years into Dean and Liv’s marriage. Theirs was a marriage built on love, trust, desire, and a strong sense of security in each other… But this book explored what happens when something as little (and as big) as one tiny question lead to a ripple effect that could threaten their happily ever after? What happens when no matter how hard they tried to fix their relationship, things continue to spiral out of control?

I fell in love with Dean and Liv. As a couple, they stole my heart. I loved them, individually and together. They were the ideal couple – crazy about each other, supportive, understanding, passionate, and yet neither of them were perfect. They had insecurities, jealousies, misunderstandings… and secrets.

Every part of this story felt real, believable, and understandable. The drama came from such things you’d expect any couple to deal with and while there were some things that I felt both Dean and Liv over reacted to, I always could understand where their feelings came from.

There was angst, but it wasn’t the rip-your-heart-out kind, but rather it was the quiet kind that you feel subtly throughout the whole book.

When they first met, Dean could tell Liv was different. She was strong, and yet damaged and scarred from a childhood’s worth of trauma. He understood that about her. He knew that her heart needed protecting and he wanted to give that to her.

“I don’t want you to walk away,” I said.

“Good.” The lines between his eyes eased with relief.

I gripped his wrists, a knot of fear binding my throat. “But you… you might want to go,” I warned.

Darkness flashed in his expression. “Why?”

My eyes stung. I swallowed hard.

“Here be monsters,” I whispered.

A heartbeat of silence, brewing with danger, filled the space between us. Then Dean tightened his hold on me and, with his thumbs, brushed away the tears that spilled down my cheeks.

“Liv,” he said, his voice rough with tenderness, “you don’t have to be afraid.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’ll slay monsters for you.”

Because I’ll slay monsters for you. **MELT**

But after they got married, they moved for his work. Liv wanted to support him and was happy to move – at first content with being Professor Dean West’s wife. But she thought she’d find a little something of her own, something to work towards for herself. A few years and many closed doors later, she finds herself feeling a little lost despite loving her husband dearly.

I fell hard for Dean. He was described as a cross between a hot hunk and a brilliant professor at the university (though, NOT her professor) and my sweet heaven was he SWOONY. He calls Liv “beauty”… in a deep voice.

“Come here, beauty,” he says, “You need to be kissed.”

I don’t know why but with his character, I could so clearly hear his voice in my head when I was reading which rare. I usually visualize, but with him, I heard. He was just so protective and yet gentle with her. You could just feel how much he loved his wife – completely, with all his heart. There was no room for anyone else in there and I loved that about him. Throughout all their ups and downs, all their struggles, the one thing I never doubted about him was that Liv was it for him.

“Since the day we met, I haven’t wanted anyone but you… Never looked at another woman… Never thought about one. It’s always been you, Olivia.”

“Don’t you want to touch me?” I whispered.
“More than I want to breathe… One day I’m going to touch you in a thousand different ways and show you how to touch me,” Dean slid his hand over the back of my neck. “But right now, were just going to make out.”

The imagery is very vivid. And there was this undercurrent throughout the story… something that you couldn’t put your finger on at first. Something hidden that would change things for them.

I watched them fall apart but I didn’t understand why at first. There are natural consequences to miss-communication and to a lack of communication. However, its also human nature to hide things. And sometimes we’re trying so hard to do what’s right for the other person that it’s easy to forget that it should be their choice.

Secrets have a way of always coming out. And when you’re in a relationship with someone who is supposed to know all of them, finding out there is still something your partner is hiding from you can be potentially devastating. So when the secrets come out, it puts the strength of their marriage to the test.

“Don’t leave me, beauty.” His voice is a rough whisper.
“Never.”

This is a very real story. I don’t know a single couple who has a perfect marriage. And that’s because no one is perfect. Dean and Liv were no different. They loved each other, that was undeniable. But it didn’t stop them from hurting each other – however unintentionlally.

Mostly, the story is told primarily from Liv’s POV although, around 60% in, we start to get Dean’s POV which was a very welcome switch at the time because I felt I had a really strong handle on Liv and her thoughts, opinions etc but I needed to get inside Dean’s head to complete the picture.

This book is definitely adult. The title does not lie – The sex scenes are beautifully erotic. They weren’t just hot, but were also emotional which I loved.

“Easy, beauty,” He presses his mouth to the tears that have slipped from the corners of my eyes and down my temples. His breath rasps against my ear. “Come first, and then I’ll fuck you.”

I will say that there were a few slow points in the story for me, but in a realistic way I guess. In real life, issues aren’t always resolved overnight and this book reflected that well. And it didn’t stop me from crying when they worked it all out. *sniff* I was so emotional at their resolution point. I just needed that relief after all the heart ache.

“His hands tighten on mine. “You’re so damn strong, Liv, and you don’t even realize it… And you… You’re the first person whose ever… Christ, Liv, sometimes the way you look at me makes me feel like I can hang the fucking moon.”

The ending was what I’d call a ‘happy-for-now’ ending. No brutal cliffhanger, but something happened at the end (a good something) that has me wanting the next book like now!

I started the review with this quote and I’m going to end it with this quote, because of all of them, I feel this one represents the story the most:

“No,” I murmur against her hair… “We are not freakishly happy. We are not freakishly anything. We’re two people who love each other. We had a tough time. We worked it out because we want to be together. Because we can’t imagine being with anyone else. Because we don’t want to be.”

♥

4.5+ stars

CASTING

Dean
Olivia

❤ THE “A SPIRAL OF BLISS” SERIES ❤

BOOK #1 — AROUSE
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | My Review

Book #2 — ALLURE
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | My Review

Book #3 — AWAKEN
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | My Review

Book Review – Twisted Perfection (Rosemary Beach #3) by Abbi Glines

April 24, 2013 by Aestas · 16 Comments

“I’ll be whatever she needs me to be. I can’t walk away from her, I tried. I’m hooked.”

Each book from Abbi Glines is more addictive than the last!

I read Twisted Perfection in one sitting and was glued to the page, unable to put it down. It was hot, steamy and sometimes a little dirty *winks*, with a fast-paced plot and lovable characters. It’s a little darker than the Too Far books, but I’d still actually consider it a relatively light read.

Having lived her whole life with a mentally ill mother who, out of her personal fears, kept her inside all the time, Della finds her life unexpectedly changed when her mother dies. Three years later, she is still struggling to find herself and decides a road trip is the best answer. So she throws all caution and inhibitions to the wind and heads out. At her first rest stop, she meets Woods.. And ohhhh my do they have chemistry. She isn’t looking to stick around, but she can’t help but take up his offer of dinner… and more.

Woods has enough going on in his life. Too much. He’s being pressured from his family to marry a woman he dislikes for the ‘good of the family business’. It’s either that, or he loses his part of the business and everything he’s worked towards his whole life. The thought makes him miserable but, he wants the job desperately and so is just trying to delay the inevitable marriage.

So when he sees Della at the gas station, he sees perfection. She is exactly what he needs right now. A fun time that would drive away afterwards – no strings.

What neither of them counted on was their hearts getting attached and despite the fact that they both drive off after their night together, fate soon crosses their paths again and this time, they’re not leaving each other.

“My future was about to be thrown off track because Della Sloane was under my skin and I had to have her.”

Woods. Was. Delicious. Purely delicious!! And yummy. Very yummy. Ohhh and a bit of a dirty talker but he still called her sweetheart right from the start which was super sweet. He was protective and I loved that being around Della brought out his hothead caveman side. It was seriously swoony!

I really liked Della. She was broken in many ways but at the same time was really quite free. She may not have been experienced at relationships but she certainly wasn’t shy at going after what she wanted with Woods and I have to say it was refreshing to read her kind of character who on the one hand was like that while at the same time, really messed up inside. It was a cool mix. She had issues, but they didn’t take over every part of her life.

I don’t know a better way to describe Abbi’s books than by saying that reading them feels like watching a very well-written, addictive TV show. The scenes, they way their cut together, everything about them just makes me feel like I’m watching it happen right in front of me.

This book certainly brings on the angst in certain scenes!! Serious, serious angst. BUT! And here’s what I loved about it: the main angst (at least to me) is resolved in the first half of the book, leaving the second half to be focused quite a bit on Woods and Della sorting their relationship out, which I really enjoyed. That isn’t to say there isn’t angst in the second half, ‘cuz there is, but it’s a different kind (less nerve wracking, more focused on sorting issues out) and I appreciated the switch up.

“You are mine. Do you hear me? You are mine, Della Sloane. I will take care of you. Nothing is taking you away from me. Nothing.”

There is a bit of a love “square” going on for part of the book, but it was clear that Woods was never in love with the girl he was supposed to marry, it was more a question of him falling in love for the first time in his life and being put in position of having to choose “head or heart”? And while Della also connected with another guy she met on her road trip, her heart really always belonged to Woods.

That being said, their road to getting together was a fair bit bumpy, but, honestly, it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun if the ride had been smooth, lol.

Della goes through some pretty hard issues in the book and I loved how supportive Woods was of everything. They were just a wonderful couple together.

And speaking them as a couple, this book was full of panty-ripping hotness. For real. As I mentioned, Woods has a bit of a dirty mouth and Della just loses it around so they’re a pretty explosive together. Hot, hot, HOT! Lol, sometimes, I’ll admit, it was borderline awkward in places to me, but most just plain freaking hot!

And I really have to give a bit of a shout-out to some of the awesome supporting men in this book. First to Tripp, who had better be getting his own damn book cuz that man has SWOON. I want more of him! And then also to Kent, who made my heart melt even though he was only in like two small scenes. Holy heart warming protectiveness!

For those of you wondering about cameos, Blaire does have a brief cameo but neither she nor Rush play a central part in the book. As much as I love their characters though, I didn’t miss them here. I was happy to see the book focused on Woods and Della.

The ending had me flipping pages like crazy. I knew it would all work out but that didn’t stop me from being worried, lol. You know how it is 😛

To soothe your hearts, you should know that there is no relationship cliffhanger! The book ends in a good place relationship-wise. However, this is NOT a stand alone and there will be a sequel out in the fall, so there is a bit of a plot-related cliffy in that something happened at the end to make me want more of the story, but at the same time, it left them in a place where my heart could be happy to wait till the fall. At the end of the book, they are very much together as a couple. So, you will not want to throw your kindle at the wall. It’s all safe!! ♥

See?

“Is she forever for you then? She’s worth throwing it all away?”…
“She’s it. No one else. She’s all I’m ever gonna want.”

I loved the book and totally enjoyed spending my evening wrapped up in this world.

Definitely recommended if you are looking for something quick, hot, swoony, slightly angsty, fast-paced and addictive 🙂

4.5+ stars

♥♥♥♥

SERIES READING ORDER EXPLAINED!!!

I know there’s been a bit of confusion over these series’ reading orders so hopefully this’ll answer your questions:

Ok, so originally, Twisted Perfection was supposed to be the 3rd book in the TOO FAR series. The first two books were Fallen Too Far and Never Too Far. Those two books followed Rush and Blaire’s story and then the original third book (Twisted Perfection) was supposed to be Woods’, followed next by Grant’s. This all changed when, by popular demand, a third book “Forever Too Far” about Rush and Blaire was added to the TOO FAR series. After this change, Abbi Glines then combined the two series into one new series called ROSEMARY BEACH.

** SERIES READING ORDER **

#1 FALLEN TOO FAR — RUSH
Kindle | Paperback | My Review

#2 NEVER TOO FAR — RUSH
Kindle | Paperback | My Review

#3 TWISTED PERFECTION — WOODS
Kindle | Paperback | My Review

#4 FOREVER TOO FAR — RUSH
Kindle | Paperback

#5 SIMPLE PERFECTION — WOODS
Kindle | Paperback

#5 TAKE A CHANCE — GRANT
Kindle | Paperback

Book Review – Find You In The Dark (Find You In The Dark #1) by A. Meredith Walters

March 25, 2013 by Aestas · 22 Comments

“This is forever, Maggie. I would follow you to hell if I had to.” His breath tickled my skin. He kissed my temple. “You are all I want for the rest of my life.”

Oh. Wow…. *clutches heart* I SO loved this book!!!

5 stars.

Maggie and Clay’s story was a deeply touching, heavy and emotional journey of the intensity, strength and beauty of first love coupled with the heart-wrenching hardships and struggles of someone affected by a mental illness (bi polar disorder).

This book shows you the light, pulls you into the dark and then shows you a glimmer of light again.

I really *felt* for this book. My heart went out to Clay as he struggled with his illness and my heart went out to Maggie as she followed her heart and stood by him no matter what.

The book felt REAL – the journey, the characters, the struggles… Everything that happened was believable, powerful, and very well written and I found myself unable to stop thinking about the story even when I wasn’t reading it.

The prologue hooked me immediately. Having finished the book, I realize how completely it represents it – part beautiful, part despairing, part hopeless, and part desperately and unconditionally in love.

I loved the writing style!! Like way freaking LOVED it! The story was told from Maggie’s POV and there was just enough humor and sarcasm to keep me almost smiling, but it also had a wonderfully direct, no bull$hit ring to it that made it really easy for me to connect with her. The author perfectly captured that mature yet distinctly older teenage voice – defining that line between teenage and adult.

The story is about Maggie – a seventeen-year-old girl with a very average, normal, happy-yet-boring life. One day, late for class, she quite literally runs into a guy – Clay. He’s angry, growly and absolutely gorgeous but his attitude throws her off… and yet, she can’t stop thinking about him and seeks him out, determined to become his friend.

The more time they begin to spend together, the more his moodiness lifts and she begins to see into the inner Clay – the one he doesn’t show the world. He’s fun, jokes around, flirts and is sweet but shy, yet protective…. mercurial. His moods changed constantly and he’d go from happy and light to angry and closed off at the slightest trigger.

The more he begins to trust her, the more he feels comfortable telling her and when he opens his secrets about his mental health she decides that its not something she’s going to let keep them apart.

There’s a quiet intensity to the story that builds as an undertone. You know something is off about them but you can’t put your finger on it and the part of you that’s in love with them falling in love with each other just desperately wants to try and dismiss your worries as just something you’re imagining. But… *sigh* they’re not imagined. They’re real. Oh so real. And heart breaking.

I loved Maggie – like really, truly loved her. She had a straight up, direct, in-your-face, no sugar coating, no bullshit kind of attitude. Throw in a dash of sarcasm and an immensely huge heart and yeah, she was a wonderful heroine who I admired and I never once wanted to throttle! How often does THAT happen??

Clayton really stole my heart – issues and all. On one hand he was swoony, sweet and had that dash of charm and protectiveness that made my heart flutter and yet, on the other hand his illness made him moody to an extreme, prone to random outbursts and hurtful actions brought about from extreme insecurity.

Despite all the issues they were working though, Clay and Maggie were truly beautiful together. With every fiber of my being I wanted to find a way for them to be okay.

“I needed Clay as much as he needed me. We existed in this symbiotic relationship where our hearts beat and our lungs breathed only for each other.”

It broke my heart watching Clay break down or have an outburst because you could just tell when it wasn’t ‘him’ – and he was always SO sorry afterward that you just *knew* he meant it.

He wasn’t just a regular guy, he was one of those swoony, gorgeous Alpha-in-the-making heroes (he’s only 17) and what made it the most heart breaking was that he was a little bit broken. I just wanted to hug him over and over again!! … when he said “I love you, baby” my heart would just MELT!!

“I love you. You are my life.” he placed my hand over his heart. I could feel it beating erratically beneath my palm. “Feel that? It’s yours. For now and always!”

“When you’re in a room, Maggie, all I see is you. You make everything better. Clearer. You stop the crazy noise in my head. I can think, hell, I can breathe when we’re together. What you make me feel is the most unbelievable and scary thing I’ve ever felt.“

He was also such an interesting character because despite having the issues and imbalance, he was very knowledgeable about it. He knew his condition and acknowledged it. It didn’t stop it from affecting him every time, but it was interesting to see him both so clinically understanding of his condition and at the same time so uncontrollably affected by it. He could explain every single issue he had, he knew and acknowledged every mistake he made, but… he couldn’t stop himself from making them.

Everything Clay did, wrong or right just broke my heart because, with the way the story is written, you could see exactly what triggered each of his reactions and you could understand them. I mean even though his reactions were over-the-top due to his illness, WHAT he was reacting to was completely understandable which made everything even more painful.

“The struggle is really hard sometimes. And then I meet you. And I feel stuff that I’ve never felt before. Things that I never thought I would be lucky enough to experience. And I feel so out of control in the way I am with you. Like I’m stripped bare and for once someone sees everything inside of me… the good and the really really ugly.”

My heart broke for him – for the hell he lived in back home, for his struggles, for his efforts to be better. Even without his disorder, the fucked up relationship he had with his parents would have driven ANYONE to extremes. Heck even reading some of the things he had to go through in his home life made ME want to loose it.

Its weird to say this but given what Maggie and Clay were going though, I’d actually call them very functional as a couple. I don’t think they could have handled their situation better. Every thing that went wrong for them was heavily influenced by external forces beyond their control but, between the two of them, they were really doing their best to figure things out. But they were in an impossible situation, facing impossible odds for which there was no magic solution and no quick fix.

“And if he went into the dark again, this time I would be there to find him – to follow him. Because I thought, perhaps quite immeasurable that my love could help him. Maybe our love could even do more than just help – maybe it could heal him. Fix him. Fix everything.”

The book really builds after about 70%. And in the final 20%, I was pretty much just reading with this ohGodohGodohGod feeling as things went from bad to worse and I just wanted it to work out SO badly.

By 94% I was crying. A lot….

I know a lot of you have been asking whether there’s a cliffhanger so I’m going to try and answer that here:

The way I’d describe it is that it ended at a good stopping point (like, not in the middle of a scene or anything) but it was definitely only half their story – there is a lot more to tell. You definitely do know that its the RIGHT place for the characters to be at this time AND the next book is already out!!

This book has easily made it onto my favorites pile and the author’s writing style was brilliant. I’d definitely recommend this book.

Rating: 5 stars.

** SERIES READING ORDER **
This is a completed series.

Book #1 — FIND YOU IN THE DARK
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read My Review

Novella #1.5 — CLOUD WALKING
Buy for Kindle | Read My Review

Book #2 — LIGHT IN THE SHADOWS
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read My Review

Novella #2.5 — WARMTH IN ICE
Buy for Kindle