I thought I was getting an epic second chance romance novel. What I actually got was a bunch of messy crap with characters who can't make up th[image]
I thought I was getting an epic second chance romance novel. What I actually got was a bunch of messy crap with characters who can't make up their damn minds.
Flashing between the past and the present, this book tells the story of Fern and Will who spent one magical night together and then promise to reunite the same day the next year, only Will doesn't show up. Nine years after they were supposed to meet up, he shows up unexpectedly throwing Fern at an already hard time in her life.
I can't exactly put my finger on why this book didn't work, but the word "lackluster" is flashing in neon colored lights as I type this. Will was just such a weak hero (in terms of plotting) and Fern really had no personality at all. Why did these people like each other??? They were both hot? They both liked getting high? I don't get the attraction at all.
It made me sad I didn't like this book, because Every Summer After was actually really great. But this one missed the mark, it may have even missed the entire map....more
When Toni was a young girl, she was dropped off at her father’s bar with only a guitar. There, she met her childhood friend Seb, and the two 3 stars
When Toni was a young girl, she was dropped off at her father’s bar with only a guitar. There, she met her childhood friend Seb, and the two of them planned to leave together. But when Seb turned eighteen, he left Toni behind. Now, about seven years later, Toni has made a name for herself in the indie music scene. But when she auditions for an up and coming band The Lilly’s, she is reunited with Seb again.
This book had a lot going for it, rock star romance, second chance romance. But it really fell kind of flat for me. I loved all of Toni’s portions of the book, but I strongly believe Seb’s POV could have been cut all together. That with slow placing and more than 400 pages, the kiss of death for me. I listened to the audio and pretty much same opinion, female narrator great, male one awful. Plus, sex scenes in a book shouldn’t make me verbally say out loud “ew”.
Had this book been shorter with a faster pace, I think I would have loved it. But every little thing felt dragged out and took away from my overall enjoyment....more
“My physical appearance was just a small fraction of who I was. I was more than a pretty bauble to hang on the tree of a man’s world.”
A 4.5 stars
“My physical appearance was just a small fraction of who I was. I was more than a pretty bauble to hang on the tree of a man’s world.”
After a horrible trip to her childhood home, Ava just wants to get the heck out of Arizona and back to her apartment in Boston. Her attempts at everything in the airport from first class upgrades to meals to the coffee cart are thwarted by a rude Scotsman…. who happens to be her seatmate on her flight. Their hatred for each other soon turns into a night neither of them will ever forget.
By chance Caleb reenters her life when Ava had thought he was just a one night stand, and the two decide to explore their physical attraction even further…
“When you were infatuated with someone, you failed to see their imperfections. When it was more than a fixation, you still cared about them in spite of their flaws.”
First off, Samantha Young is romance royalty. She delivered THE BEST ANGST in any romance novels, hands down. She’s also one of the few authors that I don’t skim sex scenes (yes I am weird and I do that most of the time). When I read a book by Young, I am enthralled from the very beginning, all the way to the last page at the end. I always say this too but I love how she manages to write characters from different countries and nails it every time, there are never cultural inaccuracies which blows my mind.
There are similarities in this book to On Dublin Street, a heroine with a messed up family past and a best friend who dies tragically (not a spoiler it’s in the beginning of both books). But the similarities end there. I loved Ava. She was such an incredible female character unlike many we see in this genre. She’s gorgeous but wants to be valued as more. She works hard but remembers to be kind. Caleb was an amazing alpha-hole, but was nice at the right points. I wish we had gotten more of his side of events but I still really loved him too.
I have two things to gripe about in this book, the first affected my rating the other did not. At the end of the book, what was done to Ava, there needed to be a lot more fucking groveling. I was actually appalled at the lack of groveling at the end considering Caleb’s words and actions. The second thing I have to gripe about, I friggin hate the cover of this book. I know it’s the newest rage in romance and we have The Hating Game to blame for it, but the cover of this book does not match the inside at all and I am looking forward to when (if) they change the cover in the future. I want to reiterate, the cover did not affect my rating.
“We’re all afraid of something, sweetheart. It’s up to us whether we stay and fight that fear… or whether we run and hide from it.”
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes came from an unedited copy and are subject to change in final review.
“Don’t you get it, baby?” “What’s there to get?” she asks. “That I love you.” “Well, you have a shitty way of showing it. I smirk. “That doesn 3 stars
“Don’t you get it, baby?” “What’s there to get?” she asks. “That I love you.” “Well, you have a shitty way of showing it. I smirk. “That doesn’t make it any less true.”
Whelp. That was quite the story. Dusty Innocents is a book that has been sitting on my kindle for ages. I decided it was finally time to give this book a shot. I had no clue what to expect from it other than drugs and a frustrating male lead. And I got a huge amount of both.
Innocents is the story of a young girl named Bliss, spanning from elementary school aged to early high school years. She has been in love with her best friends brother for as long as she can remember and he loves her back. But Thomas is surrounded by drugs and bad influences and he himself succumbs to both. The two also have their families who would not be okay with them being together.
“We’re attached in ways I can’t comprehend. While everyone else expects me to fuck up … she just loves me. And I’m reckless enough to let her.
She’s my softer side, and I’m her motherfucking monster.”
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I have to say, this was a very compelling book with interesting characters. While reading I found myself really needing to know what would happen with Thomas and Bliss. What I didn’t care for was the writing style, it felt like I was trudging through mud to get to my destination, in fact this book took me three times as long as it normally does to read a book. I didn’t like the constant switching of names for nicknames or describing words. Plus, I felt the plot was very weak as it never really went anywhere. I know there’s a second book, but I didn’t really get the point of this book.
I felt this book also portrayed how bad parenting can ruin a child for life. If I ever become a parent I pray I will never be like the ones in this book, letting their children get away with what they did, and even encouraging it. Our actions affect others and it’s important to remember the impact we can leave on a person.
As I said before it’s very compelling and unique which is why it still merits a 3 star rating from me, despite my issues I did enjoy reading this book for the most part. There’s just a lot going on that made it a difficult book to read. I definitely want to see where this goes and I am going to read the next book asap. Hopefully it clears up some things.
“Because love is a lot of things, but above all, love is what we make it. And we’ll make this never ending.”
"I bet we all had a Badger in us, an impulse to hurt and punish."
This is a book that I think will stay with me a while. Why not 3.5 stars
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"I bet we all had a Badger in us, an impulse to hurt and punish."
This is a book that I think will stay with me a while. Why not a higher rating? I liked this book, I really did. But the subject matter is not really for me. On top of that, I really would not consider this a romance in any way because not once did I root for these characters to end up together. I did consider giving this a 4 due to the amazing and compelling writing style this author has, but ultimately this book left me unsatisfied at the end and I cannot rate higher because of that.
Badger is the story of Adrian, a young woman who at the age of 27 has already lived a hard life and trying to recover from it. A recovering addict, she always felt like an outcast, even in her own family. One day she's clipped by a car in a hit and run, injuring her wrist and the vigilante Badger gets justice for her when he follows the offending car and attacks it. This incident leaves Adrian inquisitive about the elusive Badger, and she sets out on a search to meet him.
"I spend so much time on the brink of... something. Like I'm going through my life in the middle of a big slow-mo mental breakdown. Like my body's constantly in crisis, every second I'm awake."
When Adrian meets the Badger, she discovers he's not a hero but a man looking for a place to take out his rage and quirks. Despite this, the two are drawn together by an inexplicable pull and they embark on a sexual relationship that most would call twisted. Badger has no desire to change who he is, and Adrian doesn't want to do that, she just wants to mean something to him in some way.
"Am I like your antidote?" "Maybe. You cure me of myself, for a little while at a time."
As I said before, I really liked this author's writing and the way she told the story. Adrian was my favorite part about the book because she seemed so real in her thoughts and her actions. Badger I can't really wrap my mind around (but isn't that point?). I understand his actions in the public, and some of them regarding Adrian, but I guess ultimately I didn't understand Adrian's attraction to Badger, especially with the way he treated her the majority of the book.
I will say it helped going into this book knowing aspects of the ending, but I still am not happy with where it ended for Adrian. It just kind of left off, no closure on quite a few subjects. I can honestly say if there was another book after this one I would definitely read it. As I always say, just because I rated this 3 stars doesn't mean I didn't like it, I just wasn't blown away or in love with it.
“People come in and out of your life. For a time they are your world; they are everything. And then one day they’re not. There’s no tell 3.5 stars!
“People come in and out of your life. For a time they are your world; they are everything. And then one day they’re not. There’s no telling how long you will have them near.”
First things first. Peter!!!
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Yeah, I said it. My book boyfriend Peter from the first book became a total dick in the second one!!! I wanted to smack him the majority of this book!
P. S. I Still Love You is the continuation/sequel of the book To All the Boys I've Loved before. In this book Peter and Lara Jean decide to have a real relationship instead of a fake one. It's all fine and dandy until Peter keeps spending time with his ex=girlfriend, and tells Lara Jean they are just friends. Also a boy from Lara Jean's past comes back into the present, and his interest in her is very clear.
“There's a Korean word my grandma taught me. It's called jung. It's the connection between two people that can't be severed, even when love turns to hate. You still have those old feelings for them; you can't ever completely shake them loose of you; you will always have tenderness in your heart for them.”
So despite the author's destruction of my beloved Peter, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved getting more of Lara Jean and her family, their fun times and hardships. There was also a lot of angst in this book, which my followers know I gobble up like candy so that was a major plus! I just wish the book had a better resolution, lots of plot holes left open.
I loved the introduction of the new love interest John. He was such a golden boy, and it worked perfectly for Lara Jean. I wasn't exactly rooting for him, but there was a small part of me that was kind of rooting for him at the same time. I shipped both couples in this book basically.
Overall a very cute book, like the first one. I'm not much for YA contemporary romance but these two companion books exceeded my expectations and were a nice escape from reality for a bit.
I wouldn't be opposed to a third book Ms. Han!!! Just putting it out there.
“I know now that I don’t want to love or be loved in half measures. I want it all, and to have it all, you have to risk it all.”
“Love is never satisfied with half-measures. It won’t take parts of you. It will own all of you, every single, longing piece. Love will ma 5 stars!
“Love is never satisfied with half-measures. It won’t take parts of you. It will own all of you, every single, longing piece. Love will make you its slave. It will ruin you. Grind you under its heel until you don’t recognize what’s left. Love will take your soul.”
This book fucking WRECKED ME. R.K. Lilley is pure magic! Not that I am surprised, the Tristan and Danika series is one of my all time favorites, but after The Wild Side books I had drawn away from Lilley for a bit. But after my girlie Jasmine from Reading Escapade told me she loved this and that it was super angsty, I had to read it! And I read it in 5 hours. Stayed up until 2:30 AM and everything. This is R. K. Lilley at her best!
Scarlett and Dante were childhood loves. Now they hate each others guts. With the benefit of an occasional hate fuck. But Dante comes in search of Scarlett with news of a family friend and Scarlett finds herself traveling back to her hometown and to Dante. That's all I can really say without spoiling anything for you, it's best if you go into this book knowing less.
Scarlett and Dante ruined each other, and it only got worse over the years. Both cannot find it within them to forgive the other, but neither one of them have gotten over each other either. The plot is a big mystery to the reader with little tidbits being revealed in the present, and through flashbacks interspersed throughout the book.
This book was so beyond angsty and I ate it all up! Lilley is the master of angst, so many points in the book where I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and I loved every minute of it!
My favorite part?:
"Tell me you don't miss this." "I don't miss this." "Liar." "No. No. No. I'm not the liar. You know why I don't miss this? Because it's a lie..... It was always a lie."
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All I gotta say is RK Lilley better have that second book written or I am going to lose my shit!
This hurts me so say but this book stunk. Jax was such an inconsiderate asshole and KC never did grow a backbone. Plus my neck hurts from all 2 stars
This hurts me so say but this book stunk. Jax was such an inconsiderate asshole and KC never did grow a backbone. Plus my neck hurts from all of the whiplash. I went into this with low expectations, it seemed not very popular and I understand why now. I still love Penelope Douglas though and will continue to read her books......more
I have a long history of loathing with historical romance. As a history major in college I get nitpicky about the details and often end up screaming things at the book such as "why are you not pregnant yet?!" or "why are you talking like a millennial!". <---Neither of these two things were an issue with this book.
Ravishing the Heiress (with a title that has nothing to do with the book) is about a young girl named Millie who meets her intended fiance and falls in love with him on sight. The problem is Fitz is in love with another girl but he must marry Millie for money. Cue eight years of Fitz's anguish over losing the love of his life, and eight years of Millie anguishing over a husband who could never love her back. Through these eight years the two become best friends and have an unconventional marriage in which they aren't together initmately but only put on a show for propiety. Fitz also remains unaware of Millie's feelings for him.
This was the perfect angsty read to get me out of my reading funk, and it definitely made me rethink my historical romance ban. As long as it's angsty and historically accurate. For those who are maybe interested in reading this, it reminded me quite a bit of Natasha Anders' The Unwanted Wife, which I also loved....more
Samantha Young is one of my all time favorite authors. Even when her books aren't my favorite, I've never given her anything less than 4 stars because she delivers the perfect romance books that work for me. Hero follows in the footsteps of her other books as a highly addictive, angst inducing, well written romance.
Alexa Holland grew up believing her dad was a hero. That is, until she was in college when he dropped the bomb on her that he had ruined the lives of another family. On top of that, Alexa's mother had been his mistress and Alexa was his illegitimate hidden child. Now in her late twenties, Alexa works as a personal assistant for a fashion photographer. One day on set, Alexa comes face to face with the man whose life was ruined by her father, Caine Carraway. Caine becomes furious with Alexa on the set, which results in her boss losing the shoot and Alexa being fired.
In an attempt to make amends, Alexa bombards Caine at his office. Caine has grown up to become a successful businessman despite his horrible past. After she makes an apology, Caine offers Alexa a job, with the intent being clear that he was only doing so in order to make Alexa's life miserable. Desperate and wanting to prove she wasn't her father's daughter, Alexa accepts.
Caine is literally the boss from hell, making Alexa do an insurmountable amount of meaningless and degrading tasks, but Alexa forges on. Soon it becomes clear that the feelings between Caine and Alexa do not contain only hatred, but a surprising amount of lust. Can either one of them overcome their pasts to accept the other?
I had so much fun reading this book. As I said before, I love this author and how she tells her stories. The amount of angst and emotion mixed in is the perfect amount and was not overwhelming. The push and pull dynamic made this book really fun, I'm used to seeing the guy chasing the girl in Young's books and not the other way around. It was a bit sad to continually read Alexa getting her hopes up about a real relationship with Caine knowing as the reader that he wasn't ready yet.
"I’m not your white knight."
The chemistry with these two characters was off the charts! It's not normally something I point out, because I prefer angst over steam (yeah I'm weird, I know this already) but this book was pretty darn steamy!! For all of you out there who love steamy scenes, get your fans ready to help cool you off.
This was a 5 star read for me all the way up until about 80%. When Alexa (view spoiler)[ got stabbed. I thought it was a pretty random addition to the plot and didn't really make any sense to me, because it came out of nowhere. But the angst in the scenes following Alexa's recovery was amazing!!! Gah, I ate that shit up. (hide spoiler)]
^^^so 0.5 stars off for that. Another 0.5 stars off for not enough groveling. I WANTED TO SEE SOME HANDS AND KNEES BEGGING FOR ALL OF THE TUG-A-WAR BULLSHIT HE PUT ALEXA THROUGH! But I love groveling, so maybe I'm asking for too much.
"I’m not asking for forever, I’m asking you to stop pushing me away. I’m asking you to be real with me for however long this lasts."
So while it's not my favorite Young book, I do have to say that this is the most intricately plotted book she's come out with so far and it's great to watch her to continue to grow as a writer with the new work she's putting out. Alexa and Caine were so well developed and complicated and it just made me love them all the more for it.
"No, you’re no fucking white knight, but you’re what I want." ...more
Dirty Rowdy Thing is the story of Harlow and Finn. Harlow is the daughter of Hollywood royalty and Finn is a Canadian fisherman. In the last book Harlow and Finn got married alongside Mia and Ansel in Vegas, but after a 12 hour sex romp they went ahead and got an annulment. There were no hard feelings between them, Harlow even visited Finn up in Canada for another sex trip. One which after they were done, he promptly called her a cab.
Fast forward a couple months later and Harlow runs into Finn in a Starbucks in her hometown in San Diego. Finn is in town on "business" and staying with their mutual friend Oliver for an indefinite amount of time. Harlow and Finn come to the decision that they should continue their friends with benefits scenario. But it's not long until they begin to feel more for each other.
Well, this book was certainly dirty. Especially Finn and his dirty talk and affinity for tying Harlow up. I liked this a lot more than the last book because the last book was all about role playing. And I HATE role playing. This is what I see when I think of role playing:
And this is what I see when Finn ties people up:
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Much classier, yes? I digress.
Unlike the last book I really liked the characters for who they were in this book. Harlow is a strong, confident and loyal woman. She may be privileged but she's not spoiled. Harlow doesn't always have to understand her friends to love them. I liked that she was a fighter and had a bit of a vulnerability about her. She was also freaking funny.
“Come in. Sit anywhere but on the bed. Don't look cute, don't get undressed, and don't touch my underwear.”
Finn is a stoic guy, but very insightful. He's a caring friend if not always vocal about it. He also see's Harlow for who she really is, except when he's teasing her about what he knows she isn't.
Like the first book, this book has the main characters keeping secrets from each other. I won't tell you the secrets because that would be spoilering, but I felt the characters made similar types of mistakes in this book that Ansel and Mia made. Just on a different level.
My only issue with this book? Finn at the end. For those of you who've read this, you know what I'm talking about. (view spoiler)[ Seriously?? He got mad at Harlow for trying to save his job? And then he leaves town? Without saying goodbye when she might be pregnant? No bro. Not cool bro. And then he was a total dick to her when she went to Canada. This book is officially filed under not enough groveling. She took him back way too easily. (hide spoiler)]
The ending was a bit abrupt, I would have liked to see an epilogue. But I guess I'll have to wait until 2015 for that. Boo!...more
Chloe has just done the unthinkable. She left her fiance at the alter. Well, not the alter exactly, but she called off her engagement the day of the wedding. All her life Chloe has been the perfect daughter and she saw herself well on her way to becoming the perfect wife. The only problem with it all? She wasn't happy, she wasn't being herself, and most importantly she wasn't in love.
Spur of the moment after calling off the wedding, Chloe moves from San Diego to Monterey, California where she proceeds to convert a barn into a pitbull rescue.
In starting the rescue, Chloe becomes friends with the local vet Lucas. Lucas is a hot ginger, and the two have a fast attraction to each other. The only problem? Lucas' fiance just left him.... at the alter. Understandably, Chloe is a little less than truthful about how she and her fiance ended things.
Over time Lucas and Chloe become close friends with the possibility of something more. But Chloe doesn't want to be a rebound girl for Lucas, she wants more.
I really liked this last (latest?) edition to the Cocktail series. Alice Clayton wrote a character who was on a search to discover who she really was, and I consider that the main plot more than the romantic one. There were many giggle worthy moments, and I pretty much had a smile on my face the entire time I read this book.
This is a fun read, like all of Clayton's other books, but there were 2 itty bitty little things that bugged me. Just a little bit.
1) Some other reviewers have pointed this out, there needed to be an epilogue. I was not thoroughly happy with the point at which the book ended. We needed a little more!!
2) (view spoiler)[ I'm sorry but after how Lucas humiliated Chloe at the airport when she made the big romantic gesture? He needed to grovel waaaaaaaaayyyyyy much more than he did to get her back. Just saying. #petpeeve (hide spoiler)]
Ms. Clayton has written herself a spot into my auto-reads/purchase books. Give this one a try y'all!...more
My Beloved is a short story that picks up a few months after the end of Thin Love. Kona and Keira are getting married and finally having their happily ever after. Except, the wedding is kind of a disaster and the paparazzi won't leave Keira and Ransom alone.
I loved this short story if only because Eden Butler delivered all of the feels. Lots of love, angst, desperation and anger from all over the map in this one. This short story shows that Keira and Kona have to fight for their HEA, it's not something that comes easily wrapped up at the end of the last book.
Kona was for sure a gigantic jackass in this short story. Like a true guy, he didn't really understand how badly he fucked up until it all blew up in his face. I could not get over what an oblivious idiot he was being in his choices, especially because he seemed terrified and insecure about Keira leaving him.
One of my favorite tiny aspects of this book was the closure Keira was able to come to in regards to her relationship with her mother. In the previous book she seemed so evil and uncaring, but this novella proved that Keira's mom really did love her in her own messed up way.
I mentioned this in my last review, but I'll say it again. I HATE how Keira calls Kona "Bebe". I always without fail imagine the little girl from South Park who developed early. So .5 points off for that. But that's just one of my weird pet peeves.
"I lost you once, Keira. It cost me decades. It cost me a lifetime of memories with you, with my son. I'm not doing that shit again."
I may be in the minority on this one. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. I will say that as always, Amy Harmon is a terrific writer. Some parts of this just didn't sit well with me.
“There are laws. There are rules. And when you break them, there are consequences. Laws of nature and laws of life. Laws of love and laws of death.”
This is my fourth Amy Harmon book to date, and I have to say I prefer her earlier books to her newer ones. My all time favorite book by her was A Different Blue, and Running Barefoot runs a close second. The Law of Moses just wasn't the book for me. So for this review, I'm going to break down what I liked, and what I didn't like.
What I Liked:
-5 Grateful for concepts: I have to say, most people take everyday things for granted, so Ms. Harmon did a wonderful job reminding the reader to appreciate what we have. I liked that this theory kept the characters on track with their lives.
-I stated it before, but Amy Harmon is a beautiful writer, and this book was written wonderfully.
-There were no excess side plots. For example, in A Different Blue there was much emphasis on Joan of Arc, Making Faces had the Greek Gods if I remember correctly, and they just took up too much of the story. While there were religious tones in this book, it wasn't in excess and I am very grateful for that.
-I felt absolutely no romantic connection between Moses and Georgia in the beginning of the book. They randomly have sex, even though Moses is constantly being a jerk and pushing away Georgia (for reasons that don't measure up in my opinion), and then when they get back together at the end, it felt like he was tricked into going back to her.
-Mystery Plot: I felt that one of the most interesting parts of the books with the missing girls was placed on the backburner until the very end. And then it was suddenly like, "omg! This dude murdered these girls and he's ANGRY!!!". I think more could have been put into it.
-Dead child: When I learned how Eli died, that killed any love I might have had for this book. Too depressing and I can't stand when a child is killed for plot development, in books or movies/tv. That hit a really hard limit for me.
Sidenote: The paranormal plot didn't bother me as much as it did other people, but it was a wee bit confusing trying to determine if Moses was crazy or not. But, I thought it was a super cool concept that he could communicate with the dead. It'd be awesome if someone really could do what Moses did. (hide spoiler)]
“Time softens memories, sanding down the rough edges of death.”
Overall a decent read, but because of my personal preferences it was not the book for me. I do recommend that Amy Harmon fans read this book as I think they'll enjoy it very much....more
Let me start off by saying I am an Ella Frank fan. I absolutely LOVE her books Try and Take and gave them both 5 stars. I recommend them to people all the time because of the characters, the plot, the steam, the angst. ^^^All of that was missing in this book. So Ella, if you ever see this, please ignore and know that I do love other books by you, this one just was not for me.
This book has so many 4 and 5 star reviews, I'm actually bewildered that I didn't like it.
I rarely, if ever, give 1 star reviews, but this book is getting a rage rant. So fans of the book steer clear. Other readers, even though I hated this book I encourage you to read this author's M/M series because it's absolutely fantastic. Just skip this book.
The Plot:
Lena is an uptight doctor with issues. Mason is a hot restaurant owner with swag (yes I used swag in a sentence). When they first meet, she's a bitch and he's a dick, and yet they are both oh so attracted to each other. Here is where the whiplash montage of dating failures and success occurs.
Cue spoiler rant:
(view spoiler)[ Lena is such a bitch. I never, not once felt sorry for her at any point in the book after the prologue. And I feel that whatever pain she suffered didn't justify or explain her actions throughout the entirety of the book.
There is also a huge amount of instalust between Lena and Mason, despite the fact that they cannot stand each other. And both of them were as confused as I was about it.
So despite hating each other, the two decide to go out on a date at 7% into the book. I was sitting here like this: [image]
So then begins the flirting stage which, as another reviewer once so eloquently put it (that's you Kat Stark!), made my lady boner shrivel up. I mean, I was reading off-putting lines like this one:
"I want to unravel that hair and wrap it around my cock and stroke myself with it"
OMG GROSS. Dude, no way. If he asked me to do that, I'd ask him to buy me cleansing hair products. Ugh.
Anyways, there's a shower and tub masturbation scene that gave me more secondhand embarrassment than the scene in Dirty Dancing when Baby danced with Johnny for the first time. And believe me, that's painful.
Near 61% of the way in the book became so damn cheesy, which is something I loathe in my romance. I still haven't connected to either of these characters at this point, and I honestly don't see the connection between the two of them.
And then, at 68%, my hatred for Lena was cemented. Lena goes to visit a baby/toddler dying of a combo of leukemia and pneumonia and the entire time she was thinking "I wonder what he meant when he gave me the key to his place?" Are you fucking kidding me? This child is DYING and it's the saddest thing I can think of and you are contemplating what getting a copy of his key meant? DIE BITCH DIE!!!
So basically by 70% or so when his mom dies and Mason freaks out on Lena and starts drinking, I was just done. DONE DONE DONE. And then he gets mad at her for something that in my opinion, was doctor/patient confidentiality and dumps her? They fucking deserve each other.
This book made me want to invest in brain bleach. (hide spoiler)]
Anyways, this book and the characters were all drama and no angst. Not my cup of tea.
By the way, this was a buddy read with the lovely Jasmine, who was basically amazing/awesome/fantastic and willingly listened to all my rants and let me be a crazy person without actually feeling like one. Sorry I picked a bad book girlie!
I LOVED IT!!!! Samantha Young is the one author where I don't care about the nitty gritty details, I love everything this woman writes and will most likely always give her books 5 stars.
Echoes of Scotland Street is about Shannon, a girl who has been dating all of the wrong men and is tired of choosing the bad boys. After an extremely bad breakup that led to even more horrible things, Shannon finds herself moving from Glasgow to Edinburgh where she lands a job as a receptionist at INKarnate, the most regarded tattoo shop in Scotland. There she meets her new manager Cole Walker, a man she met briefly before when they were teenagers.
“Cole Walker. Cole freaking Walker. All grown-up. And he was my new manager. I was so screwed.”
After having been burned so many times before, when Cole starts flirting with Shannon, she makes the wrong assumption and tells him off. It isn't until later that she realizes that Cole Walker is the furthest thing from a bad boy.
I really loved this addition to the On Dublin Street series. Hannah and Marco had a great story but I felt there was so much unnecessary drama in that one, that I was worried it would be in this one. Yes there is drama, but I felt it fit the story well based on the lives of the characters Young wrote.
“I will never do anything you don’t want to do. You’re safe with me, Shannon.”
Shannon is a spunky heroine who's just been beaten down one too many times. I loved her journey to find herself again, and Cole was the perfect man to help her. Shannon had lost so much of herself, that every time Cole broke down a wall it was beautiful to watch. (view spoiler)[ the part where he discovers she's an artist? Beautifully written and well done (hide spoiler)]
Cole. Mhmmm Cole. Can we get more American men like him? I'm beginning to think that I need to move to Scotland to find a man like that (well twist my arm on that). When Cole finally learns about all of the shit that her previous boyfriends put her through, he's understanding and kind.
“I need to know. I need to know so I can try to reverse all the damage they’ve done.”
Only 2 teeny tiny issues with this book. One being near the end I felt Cole could have been a bit more understanding about the pickle Shannon was in. But there wouldn't have been angst/drama if he had so I accept.
The second thing: OH MY GOD THE COVER IS TERRIBLE!!! The covers on these books were fine until book 4 and now they're just getting worse! We all judge books by their covers, it's a given, so can we please change this one to a better cover so people will be more willing to read it?...more
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