RELEASE DAY REVIEW ~ SHAME BY RACHEL VAN DYKEN
Everything done in darkness, will eventually be brought into the light.
I ran, but all it did was keep me one step ahead of my past. I tried to start over; new name, new identity. But you can't change your soul.
A fresh start at college was just what I needed. For a while, it worked. I was the party girl, the one that seemed confident, but it was a lie.
When guys kissed me–I felt only pain.
When they touched me–Nothing but fear.
Deep inside, every girl wants to be the beauty in the story, to find someone that will see you as their world.
But the truth? I was the beast. And as much as I wanted redemption, I wasn't fool enough to think I'd ever get it.
Until he walked into my life.
I wasn't prepared to fall for someone. My scars were too deep, the wounds too raw. But he offered me peace, he offered me security. I should have known it was just another lie–I should have known that falling in love with my professor was a bad idea.
But I was powerless to stop myself from falling.
And he was powerless to catch me.
Because the darkness finally caught up to me, and as fate would have it, a cruel twist almost bled me dry. But I'm stronger than I knew. I'm stronger than you think.
You think you know my story, but you don't….after all everyone has Shame in their lives– and I'm no longer afraid to show you mine.
I am a huge fan of this author and the other books in this series all have been epic winners for me. Unfortunately I can't really say the same about this final book in the series. Lisa is a character that intrigued me from the moment she was first introduced so it really saddens me that her story did not captivate me as much as the other characters' stories did. Detailed reasons for my rating will be given later in my review but the main gist of it is that I didn't like either of the main characters, didn't believe in their romance, and couldn't suspend disbelief enough to enjoy this book.
If you've read any other books in this series, it's evident that Lisa had a torturous past and her current identity is not her real one. Through past journal entries, we're slowly given glimpses to the psychotic events in Lisa's past, and a look into her even crazier ex-boyfriend's mind. Here is where my disconnect with Lisa's character is: the Lisa portrayed in the other books and the Lisa in this book is completely different. It's easy to say I'm not going to judge a person – in this case Lisa – based on their past if they've learned from their mistakes but it was pretty much impossible for me to think of her in a positive light here. I will never, ever, EVER understand nor accept that her love for her demonic ex is what blinded her to reason because the things she did in her past are unforgivable, at least in my eyes. If it really is love that blinded her, then she is a person with no common sense and doesn't know how to distinguish between right and wrong. In this case, love is not enough of a justification for me.
A new character in the series, Tristan is one of Lisa's professors and has a secret agenda of his own. I don't want to spoil anything for you so all I can say is that he has his own reasons for becoming a professor and for getting close to Lisa. I'd like to say that I at least liked his character but I can't. This guy's hot-and-cold behavior around Lisa was a major turn-off and when his real profile was exposed I pretty much gave up on trying to like his character. It's one thing to pull off a rich/famous background in the first two books but do it again in this third one? While in a NA college setting? What are the freaking chances? At least Wes and Gabe were likable characters; Tristan had the whole pretentious, arrogant attitude for most of the book.
So with me not being able to like these characters as individuals, it's a no-brainer I couldn't see them as a couple nor did I feel the romance develop between them. Their 'connection' was spontaneous and came out of the blue but for some inexplicable reason them together just clicked.
With simple, heartfelt moments like the one above, it was enough to tide me over with the romance part but by then, I was too caught up in the logistics part of the plot. Doing my best to keep spoilers out so I can't name specifics, but there were many parts where if you stop for just 5 seconds and think about it, you'd wonder how can this even happen?! And part of the reason why I didn't like it when Tristan's influential background was revealed is because the author uses it as an excuse/cover up to explain the logistics of certain events (like how he was able to score a teaching position for example).
There is one aspect I feel compelled to clarify: please do not decide to read this book just for the forbidden aspect alone. Though the story is technically about a teacher and his student, the fact that one of them seeks the other out for other reasons aside from the romance negates the whole forbidden aspect. It lacks the complete thrill of the chase, the sneaking around, etc… and instead you'll end up being caught in a web full of deceit, frustration and annoyance with the characters' pasts.
Shame is the third and final book in the Ruin series and can be read as a standalone, but because the characters from the previous books make major appearances in this story, I highly recommend reading them first. I would wholeheartedly recommend all of the books in this series aside from this last one.
BLOG TOUR ~ THE RULES REGARDING GRAY BY ELIZABETH FINN
Gracelynn is drowning in an existence that fails to fulfill her. A ballerina by trade, she's devoted her life to the stage, sacrificing adventure for discipline. When her boyfriend gives her permission to want what she's not supposed to want, can she walk away? Or will she leap?
Jasper isn't a man with many boundaries, and "sharing" a woman with his best friend is hardly a new endeavor. But the moment he meets Gracelynn he realizes she's different. She leaves him feeling alive in a way he's not used to, and for the first time in his life, he understands what it means to be wanted… Cherished… And he needs more…
But there are rules—rules that forbid Jasper from truly having her. As forbidden desire spirals out of control, Jasper has to decide if he's willing to fight for something that doesn't truly belong to him. His best friend doesn't deserve her, but is Jasper strong enough to believe he does?
For me, reading this book took some balls. Angst, love triangle, cheating…did I scare you yet? As a reader who loathes all three, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I did enjoy the book. It has a very interesting book premise and for the most part the story was sensual, erotic, and at times, deeply emotional. But at the same time, this book also didn't work for me. I think the combination of high angst, extremely damaged and flawed characters, and a meddlesome, needs-to-die-already 'best friend' all together messed with my emotions in a bad way. For every positive I can come up with, there's a negative to counter so that leaves me with the middle-number rating.
Gracelynn Ellis 'Gray' is a ballerina and has been dating the seemingly perfect guy – Ian – for the past 4 months. Her past experiences have left her with an extremely insecure and timid side, and so Gray accepts much of Ian's verbal abuse without defense. On one of her rehearsal days, Ian brings his best friend and bar owner Jasper Drees over to meet Gray in hopes of spicing up their sex life by sharing her, something these two rakes have done many times in the past. What started out as an outright refusal turns into a tentative agreement as Gray is interested in exploring her sexuality and breaking out of her shell.
Though Ian has set up rules that serve as boundaries to how intimate Gray and Jasper can be, the heart knows no boundaries and Gray and Jasper connect on a deep and emotional level neither of them have ever had before with anyone else. The story then portrays them fighting and giving into their attraction along with their inner turmoil, guilt, lust and about a dozen other emotions.
It's pretty obvious that the book is a romance between Jasper and Gray so the whole 'love triangle' aspect isn't too bad. I think the author did a good job with showing how crucial it was that these two characters had to be together, whether it be through the explosive sex scenes or emotional moments. Without that kind of desperation and deep feelings, it would've been hard to convince me of the strength of their bond. I still thought the author threw their attraction in the reader's faces too soon, almost bordering on insta-love but at the same time I understood. With a shitty boyfriend like Ian, Jasper's sensitivity and attentiveness is definitely more appealing. I have to admit, I wasn't too keen about their relationship in the beginning but once I saw how much they were willing to go through for each other, they won me over. I rooted for them, even when I wanted to slap them senseless. As unstable, dysfunctional, and lost these characters were, they belonged together. They were better people by being together, and helped each other fill the void in their hearts. That much is undeniable.
This book could've gotten at least 4 stars from me if it weren't for the fact I had to suspend disbelief in order to somewhat enjoy the story. The crux of the issue is why didn't Gray just break up with Ian already so she and Jasper could be together?? Honest to God, there is not a single reason provided why she couldn't just break up with him. Ian's no saint – calling him rude, abrasive, and a douchenugget is being nice. But hey, if she did break up him early on in the book, then there wouldn't be this 'forbidden' aspect, which means no push-pull dynamic and high angst. Moral of this little paragraph is to not question the logistics of their relationship because it would be futile. Oh and while I'm on the topic of their relationship, I thought it was a bad move on the author's part to add in a little revenge scene near the end of the book. While I did like the sentiment behind the idea, the actual execution was very childish and completely trivialized Gray and Jasper's entire emotional journey, making it like a game of 'who got the girl in the end.' Not cool.
In the end, maybe I'm just not cut out for these kinds of stories. It's not to say that I didn't enjoy this book at all because I did. I lived and craved for some of the one-on-one emotional scenes Jasper and Gray had where they actually worked out their problems and not let indecisiveness and insecurity take over. If you're a fan of high and somewhat unnecessary angst, sizzling hot sex scenes with ménage, and a hard-earned, hard-fought, rewarding ending, this is the book for you.
Elizabeth Finn is a multi-published contemporary romance author. Her passion is creating stories packed full of believable conflicts, characters who leave you rooting for them, and romance that might just short-circuit your e-reader. She likes her characters flawed, but they always find the best part of themselves on their journey. And her readers find themselves devoted to her honest and heartfelt voice.
BLOG TOUR ~ SIDESWIPED BY LIA RILEY
Talia Stolfi has seen more than her share of loss in her twenty-one years. But then fate brought her Bran Lockhart, and her dark world was suddenly and spectacularly illuminated. So if being with Bran means leaving her colorless NorCal life for rugged and wild Australia, then that's what she'll do. But as much as Talia longs to give herself over completely to a new beginning, the fears of her past are still lurking in the shadows.
Bran Lockhart knows that living without the beautiful girl who stole his heart will be torment, so he'll take whatever time with her he can. But even though she has packed up her life in California and is back in his arms for the time being, she can't stay forever. And the remaining time they have together is ticking by way too fast. Though fate seems determined to tear them apart, they won't give up without a fight—because while time may have limits, their love is infinite…..
Talia passes out hard from the travel and epic reunion sex. I'm too amped for sleep, so I lie in the dark and trace her spine. Can you love someone too much? No point being afraid, might as well jump in it with both feet. I press my mouth to her neck and she undulates, responsive even from her dreams. If miracles were real, I'd swear we were designed to fit together.
I loop my arm around her waist and hold fast, until our breathing syncs. I'm drifting off when she jerks—hard—once, twice. Her body recoils as she unleashes a lung-tearing scream.
"Talia, wake up. Come on, sweetheart, talk to me." I clamber over her, hunching protectively. "Open your eyes. It's Bran. I've got you. I'm not letting go." I keep talking while she flays my chest like she's drowning under ice, desperate to find a break in the surface.
"Can't breathe. I can't breathe. I…where am…oh God. Bran."
"I'm right here." I cradle her while she draws another unsteady gasp. Her hair plasters her forehead in sweaty wisps.
"Give me a minute. I'll be fine." She pushes herself to a half-sit and sways with disorientation. "This…this happens sometimes…panic attacks or night terrors…whatever. They seem to come when I drop my guard. Or, I don't know, maybe it's the meds. Those pills make me feel like a toxic waste dump."
"Have you been bad this summer?" The muscles in my neck cord. It shreds my guts to see her hurting. I'd do anything, any fucking thing, to carry her pain. I don't fully understand the inner workings of OCD but she's explained that for her, the condition comes in waves. Everything will be rolling along fine, more or less, and then bang—a giant squid grips her brain. She fights hard for recovery, a warrior even when she believes she's nothing but a coward.
"No, not really." She grinds her eyes with the backs of her hands. "I kinda danced around the edge of the rabbit hole a few times but never fell inside."
My muscles release some tension. "Try to go back to sleep. You need the rest.
Don't worry, I'll keep watch, okay?"
"I'm sorry to be such a psych job. It's totally shaming."
"Shhhhhh."
Her chin tips down. "Can you talk to me for a little while? Get me out of my fuckball head?"
"Hey now, I got mad love for that head, Captain." I kiss her brow, acting chill even though I'm scared. How can I get her to settle? Then it hits me. "I want to take you surfing again."
"Mmmm, that'd be nice."
"Picture yourself out there, in the water, on a board, under the shooting stars."
"With sharks eyeballing me from the depths?"
"Nah, they're all busy hunting sea lions or some bloody mischief. This is you, the sea, and the sky. A set rolls in. You can't make out the wave. The board lifts and you feel the momentum building. There's fear deep in your belly, sensible, because you can't see what's coming or where you're going. You fight the self-protective instincts, give yourself over, and the next thing you know—you're having the ride of your life."
"Thank you." She flips in my arms so we're belly to belly. "I mean it. That was beautiful, really, really beautiful. I'm so excited to be here, for right now—to live in the moment. But it's like I have this…this weird mental stutter. My thoughts keep skipping over the same annoying question like a scratch on vinyl: What will we do?" Tears spill from the corners of her eyes, course silently toward her chin. "My visa."
Talia's been granted a three-month student visa to complete her senior thesis in history. In all its benevolent generosity, the Australian government expanded her time in the country by an extra month.
Four months—the sum of our allotted time.
"They'll make me leave."
"Don't believe everything you think." I wipe her damp cheeks.
"Can you tattoo that on my forehead?"
Maybe it's my imagination, but the brass alarm clock on the dresser clicks louder.
Another second gone.
"I'm not losing you to some shithouse immigration policy, Captain. We will be all right in the end." I've no idea how the hell I'm going to solve this drama but I will figure it out. "We have to hope, otherwise we're sunk."
She jerks with surprised laughter.
She hiccups and covers her mouth with her hand, shoulders shaking. It takes me a second to realize she's giggling.
"I'm funny to you right now?" This girl drives me every sort of crazy.
"I'm not laughing at you." She works her lips together and unsuccessfully
smothers the smile. "It's—"
"Forget it." I instinctively stiffen.
"Bran the Optimist." She grabs my wrists, lifts my palms to her face, and plants a kiss in the center of each one. "I like this side of you."
"Never mind. I was being dumb."
"You were awesome." She pecks the tip of my nose. "And for the record, I love your stupid face."
I give her a begrudging kiss back. "I love yours too."
Love isn't enough of a word.
I wasted almost an entire year of my life implementing a scorched earth policy, not caring who I left burned and broken in my path.
Talia was my oasis. My salvation.
"Don't give the visa a second thought." I nestle her against me, rubbing her lower back in easy circles. "I'll sort this out, I swear to you."
Even if I don't have the first fucking clue.
Earlier this year I was ecstatic that I found this NA author and book 1 in her Off the Map series was a smashing success for me. Everything I loved about the first book was present in this second one: witty dialogue, dry & sarcastic humor, and the return of the likable main characters. As much as I enjoyed most of this book, the ending left me unsatisfied and made me see these lovable characters in a whole different perspective (in a bad way). Nevertheless, I already feel guilty for giving this book lower than a 4 star rating because that's how much I adore this author's writing and her sense of humor. I honestly do encourage readers to check out this series despite the minor bumps I had because her characters and writing style is truly a breath of fresh air.
Sideswiped is book 2 in the Off the Map series and continues Bran and Talia's story after the events of book 1. In the first book, the story was mainly about these two characters falling in love and establishing the groundwork for their relationship. This second book is about them after becoming a couple and the challenges they face from both of their families, school, work, and their own demons. With Talia suffering from extreme OCD and Bran's past constantly haunting him, I was both super impressed and happy that they took on their obstacles together. There were brief moments of insecurity and jealousy, sure, but they were a team. You couldn't find a couple more in sync than this one, who matched each other in heart and mind, body and soul.
I can't delve into the plot much because it'll spoil book 1 for those that haven't read it yet but I can say that I laughed a lot while reading. There is an underlying sadness within the story but when pitted against these irresistible, charming, and hilarious characters it's a perfect match. Unlike most NA characters, Talia and Bran have a radical way of thinking and I can't begin to tell you how refreshing it is to read a book that's a smart romance but at the same time is so hot and so emotional.
Up until the last 10% this book was at least a 4 star read for me. I was never bored while reading and the story held my attention but it wasn't to the point where it was unputdownable. Still, a wonderful read. However, I wasn't impressed with the last 10% as the author does what she did with book 1's ending here too: Bran has a momentary lapse in judgment and makes a mistake, something that's completely out of his character and even more out of the blue in the context of the book (no it's not cheating). I'm starting to see that while the buildup and main part of the book are the author's high points, the wrap up and conclusions are not. Only Talia's fierce determination and unwavering belief that her relationship with Bran could take on anything and they could walk away intact kept me from tearing my hair out.
Going into this series you have to understand that both of these characters are extremely damaged – both with their own quirks – and have been burned repeatedly by their loved ones so while I thought it was ok for Bran to waver a bit and make mistakes, his actions in the last 10% still pissed me off.
This book ends on a high note – not exactly a cliffhanger but it leaves you anticipating the third and final book even more. The author's writing and the humor present in this book is GOLD and that makes me want to round to 4 stars period, but the minor drama along with the anticlimactic ending makes me want to give it 3.5 stars…so 3.5-4 stars it is.
ARC provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult Romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling fourex with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments. A British literature fanatic at heart, Lia considers Mr. Darcy and Edward Rochester as her fictional boyfriends. Her very patient husband doesn't mind. Much. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. She and her family live mostly in Northern California.
BOOK REVIEW ~ TABOO UNCHAINED BY C.M. STUNICH
The dirty. The filthy. The nasty.
The man your mother f*cking warned you about – is me.
Hold onto your panties, ladies.
Lucas Carter is here to show you the dark side of the sheets.
***A stand-alone novel of approximately 95,000 words.
***WARNING: This is a dark romance erotica – meaning lots of violence, sex, and emotionally disturbing inner dialogue. However, there is *NO* kidnapping, rape, or other forms of misogyny. Lucas Carter is an anti-hero, but he doesn't disrespect women. The entire book is told in his point of view.
Before I start my review I just want to double emphasize the warning in the synopsis – this book is all kinds of dark and not for anyone sensitive to topics such as violence, kinky sex, profanity, and disturbing dialogue. Now with that being said, this book was a HUGE winner for me (gosh, what does that say about my book tastes hehe)! There is nothing more alluring to me than a dark read with an anti-hero I'd hate to love and love to hate, wonderfully kickass side characters, and a plot so convoluted everything and nothing makes sense. Though it was a rough start at the beginning, the story soon took off and went into a direction I never anticipated…loved that!
Meet Lucas Carter, the narrator of the story and your seemingly average gigolo next door. Not. What makes him different is that he only has clients with specific tastes: women that have their own sexual fetishes that aren't considered normal. For a good part of the book I didn't know how I felt about Lucas. He was this cocky, arrogant, and perverted bastard who I didn't know why he was the way he was or why he got started in this business to begin with until later in the book. His attitude towards everything – especially women – both intrigued me and infuriated me. On one hand, I felt terrible that he lost so much faith in humanity that he became cynical and deals with everything in a harsh manner. On the flip side it was degrading to see his sexual methods on his clients. For a time it seemed like nobody could penetrate his walls. At least not until two vastly different women are introduced into his life and completely shake up his world.
I know what you're thinking…love triangle?! No, it's not, and I honestly have no idea how to explain his connection to both Audra, the fiery redhead who matches him move for move, and Robbie, his sweet-tempered and innocent neighbor next door. He's involved with both women at the same time, but in this three-way, there is no actual 'love' reciprocated until the very end. It's a really unique situation that can't quite be explained unless you've read it yourself. I personally loved only one of these two female characters but I think what mattered most is that both were good for Lucas – one of whom is the woman of his nightmares and the other of his dreams. Both made him feel.
I think the message this book tries to send out is unclear until you've read it in its entirety. Most books I've read all try to focus on the bright side, the positive, the normal, and spin an inspirational tale from that, even though there may be tiny spots of darkness within. This book? It takes those tiny dark spots and magnifies them and spins an equally inspirational tale from that. Subjects that most people aren't comfortable with and shy away from – the 'taboo' – become the topic of the hour and makes up the plot. People with unusual sexual fetishes and habits who may be ostracized from what society considers normal are the main characters. And an atypical, twisted love that sprouts from all this becomes the romance. This is still indeed a love story, but it is one that you have to be willing to shed away 'vanilla' boundaries in order to read. My only complaint is that I wanted an epilogue for these characters but aside from that, if this book sounds like something you can handle, then come take a walk on the dark side and read a story where the taboo becomes unchained.
BOOK REVIEW ~ RAINE BY J.C. VALENTINE
Naive.
Statistic.
Raine Forester was an average girl leading an average life. She slipped beneath everyone's radar, until Camron Moss, the most popular guy in school, took interest in her and changed everything.
Some acts are unforgivable.
Raine thought she'd been accepted. She thought she was one of them. She thought she was in love… until one moment made her realize she'd trusted the wrong person. Lies are told, hearts get broken, secrets are revealed, and sometimes, true love is found in the least likely places.
I picked this book up because of the catchy premise: the shy, studious girl gets the most popular guy in school but later ends up with his older brother?! Well, color me intrigued. Unfortunately, this book was SO far from what I anticipated it to be I was relieved that I finally finished. Don't get me wrong, the groundwork of the story is a good one, but this book completely lacks depth: the writing was choppy, certain scenes got cut off at the most pivotal moments, and plot was severely underdeveloped. The story was more sweet and clichéd than I expected from reading the blurb and had I not been in the mood for something lighthearted, I'm pretty sure my rating would be even lower.
Before I launch into a tirade of complaints, I do want to point out a couple of positives this book had in case you're thinking of reading it. For one, both main characters were likable and they made a really strong couple so the heartfelt scenes with them together? Thumbs up. Raine is such a resilient heroine and Jarret (the older brother) is a softhearted bad boy who stood up for her when she didn't have anyone. There were a couple of scenes that really tugged on my heartstrings and some that made me smile.
At this point, this book was a solid 3-3.5 star read, nothing extraordinary but nothing bad either. The last 50% of the book is what really made me lower my rating. I loved that both of these characters were kindhearted people but that quality became their downfall here, letting everyone roll over them including each other and both made some unnecessary out-of-character decisions. When I finished the book, I was extremely unsatisfied. The best way to explain it is I felt like I was reading a very rough draft of the book. Important moments/conversations that you'd expect to read about are left off and the story immediately jumps into a new chapter.
Maybe the book was too YA for me. Maybe it really is a case of 'it's not you, it's me. But what I'm chalking it up to is my high book standards – this book offered nothing great to me in terms of plot, emotion, or reading satisfaction and the fact that the writing didn't stand out to me either makes this book a very unmemorable read overall. Since I am literally the only person who didn't like the book, I say still give it a try if you want. But to like-minded readers if you read this one, I'm afraid you'll end up feeling the same way as me.