i've read this concept in romance before, but never has it been done so well!
i mean... it's a "romance" that never romanticizes the fucked up shit thei've read this concept in romance before, but never has it been done so well!
i mean... it's a "romance" that never romanticizes the fucked up shit the main characters have done. i mean the H is a damn serial killer. and yet somehow you want to root for these two people to go all bonnie & clyde and just kill bad guys.
this book probably won't change your life and i think some of the psychology was dubious and a little overdone. but you feel both sophisticated and fucked up while reading, which is just how i like my dark romance.
Merged review:
i've read this concept in romance before, but never has it been done so well!
i mean... it's a "romance" that never romanticizes the fucked up shit the main characters have done. i mean the H is a damn serial killer. and yet somehow you want to root for these two people to go all bonnie & clyde and just kill bad guys.
this book probably won't change your life and i think some of the psychology was dubious and a little overdone. but you feel both sophisticated and fucked up while reading, which is just how i like my dark romance....more
eventually we all have to weigh what we want more: wanting back what we had or wanting what could be
the good To start, this book completely wrecked me.eventually we all have to weigh what we want more: wanting back what we had or wanting what could be
the good To start, this book completely wrecked me. It was one of those stay-up-til-2-but-wait-please-don't-end kind of reads. There was so much that I loved about this, and I'm sure this review isn't going to be entirely objective, but bear with me.
This book is about the difference between being accepted by the "acceptable" people in your life/school/society and having the courage to accept yourself no matter the consequences. It's also about honesty and friendship and luuuuuurve.
I loved so much about this book. I really loved that the author chose to make the main characters pen pals as a way of back story. You're not wondering why the characters are attracted to each other and yet the author doesn't have to do much to convince you of why they are. I loved that Ryen is not really likable and that her friends are too faced. It's a common trope in NA but it worked well with the theme of the book instead of being slut shame-y. I loved the sex in this, it was never too much.
And I love Misha. Sweet, sweet, precious bean.
the bad I'm pretty blinded by my love of this book but I'm going to warn people that it's not exactly without problems. As in, this book is problematic. The way that the MCs interact with each other in the middle of the book is wildly hot but I can see how some people might not like the elements of danger and/or violence. The violence is not at all domestic but there were some situations that might leave others a little unsettled.
Also some of the conflict in the book might be a little contrived/cliche/predictable. Didn't bother me in this circumstance, but might bother others.
But I think all of the above is entirely subjective and depends wholly on what you find acceptable in books. Don't knock this until you try it though.
Merged review:
eventually we all have to weigh what we want more: wanting back what we had or wanting what could be
the good To start, this book completely wrecked me. It was one of those stay-up-til-2-but-wait-please-don't-end kind of reads. There was so much that I loved about this, and I'm sure this review isn't going to be entirely objective, but bear with me.
This book is about the difference between being accepted by the "acceptable" people in your life/school/society and having the courage to accept yourself no matter the consequences. It's also about honesty and friendship and luuuuuurve.
I loved so much about this book. I really loved that the author chose to make the main characters pen pals as a way of back story. You're not wondering why the characters are attracted to each other and yet the author doesn't have to do much to convince you of why they are. I loved that Ryen is not really likable and that her friends are too faced. It's a common trope in NA but it worked well with the theme of the book instead of being slut shame-y. I loved the sex in this, it was never too much.
And I love Misha. Sweet, sweet, precious bean.
the bad I'm pretty blinded by my love of this book but I'm going to warn people that it's not exactly without problems. As in, this book is problematic. The way that the MCs interact with each other in the middle of the book is wildly hot but I can see how some people might not like the elements of danger and/or violence. The violence is not at all domestic but there were some situations that might leave others a little unsettled.
Also some of the conflict in the book might be a little contrived/cliche/predictable. Didn't bother me in this circumstance, but might bother others.
But I think all of the above is entirely subjective and depends wholly on what you find acceptable in books. Don't knock this until you try it though....more
goodness. alrighty, upon reread this wasn't my favorite. it definitely was in line with the previous 2 books in the series but i found myself cringinggoodness. alrighty, upon reread this wasn't my favorite. it definitely was in line with the previous 2 books in the series but i found myself cringing at the language usage here. and i'm not sure that it's really all that different from the other 2 in that regard but i guess i had my romance reading goggles off for a sec and really noticed some things. i'll leave ya a couple quotes:
"rough fingers lashed out to twist my nipples and pull at them like taffy"
"my thighs so wet with cum they slid together with an audible slosh" (which, not to split hairs here, always bugs me because i don't really know any women who ejaculate... like yeah you get lubed up if you're having a good time but.. yeah anyway moving on)
there were a few more but i'll leave it there. the romance here was fine but i think it was a little lacking compared to the other books as well. i think this one relied heavily on the built in past and flashbacks rather than the present day romancing. there was dirty raunchy sex and the built in connection but i wanted a lil more romancing. i think the plot was heavier in this one so there wasn't time? not sure. anyway this was still good and entertaining but easily my least favorite in the series so far. ...more
i really enjoyed this one! had been putting it off for a while because bad girl romances can be kinda hit or miss for me. exactly what it needed to be
i really enjoyed this one! had been putting it off for a while because bad girl romances can be kinda hit or miss for me. but i enjoyed book 2 in this series immensely and was impressed with this author's writing so i shouldn't be so surprised i liked this.
i think the best way to tell if this is for you is just listing a couple things that made this book a winner for me:
- age gap - second chance with flashbacks - MC romance (duh) with lots of plot & rival biker gang shit - good guy in the streets absolute freak in the sheets - cute perfect sweet puppy
i was kinda unsure about the whole MC princess + cop thing but it wasn't really how it sounded from the synopsis. anyway i liked this, and if you liked book 2 you will prolly enjoy this one too...more
over reliance on tropes made this hard to read. writing also felt a little awkward. loved the idea of having a male ballet dancer as the herodnf @ 20%
over reliance on tropes made this hard to read. writing also felt a little awkward. loved the idea of having a male ballet dancer as the hero but he was kind of a douche too. meh....more
when hayley gives you an MM romance recommendation, just take it
THIS WAS SO FCKING GOOD! and proves why i shouldn't film my best of videos until like.when hayley gives you an MM romance recommendation, just take it
THIS WAS SO FCKING GOOD! and proves why i shouldn't film my best of videos until like... after december is over lol. this is probably my favorite enemies to lovers romance of all time. there were HIGH stakes, TONS of steamy scenes, and a relationship that built over YEARS. it felt like this book was written just for me.
i think my main gripe about enemies to lovers is that authors are so quick to jump from characters that loathe each other to characters that would die for each other. it usually happens in YA since characters aren't allowed to bone as the kind of intermediary step... but regardless i just don't think enemies to lovers is ever very high stakes or well executed.
this book really is that bitch. these are the 2 best players in the NHL. pitted against each other as RIVALS. pro sports is high stakes but add in a MM relationship and this shit is forbidden af.
both of these characters own my fucking heart. shane is a precious bean and ilya is a perfect grumpy boy.
i need ALL the novellas for this couple. go read this....more
not a big fan... and honestly couldn't tell if the writing of the plus size heroine was body positive or fetishy/fatphobic so basically i wouldn't recnot a big fan... and honestly couldn't tell if the writing of the plus size heroine was body positive or fetishy/fatphobic so basically i wouldn't recommend this...more
but it didn't need to be. i decided to read the 10 finalists in the 2019 goodreads choice awards for the category of rthis book was not life changing
but it didn't need to be. i decided to read the 10 finalists in the 2019 goodreads choice awards for the category of romance. (reading the romance finalists for the 2019 goodreads choice awards
) i'm not gonna lie there were a lot of fcking stinkers. and this one by comparison, was not.
i went in with low expectations because from the cover and synopsis i thought this was going to be a really irritating chicklit novel but i was pleasantly surprised.
this reminded me a lot, thematically, of The Simple Wild by KA Tucker. it'd be a spoiler to tell you why, but there is a big focus on family relationships and healing along with a romantic component. since i was really viewing it through that lens while i read, i grew to appreciate the romantic relationship more.
i'm sorry but jonah from the simple wild was a dick. owen on the other hand was a precious fcking bostonian prince. was the romantic relationship hella developed and nuanced? no. but it didn't need to be.
and i liked the message about healing from trauma.
idk i'm incoherent today but i enjoyed this. nothing special, but comforting....more
this will forevermore be my go-to thanksgiving romance
emma scott really can really do no wrong in my eyes. it's been a year or two since i've picked uthis will forevermore be my go-to thanksgiving romance
emma scott really can really do no wrong in my eyes. it's been a year or two since i've picked up anything of hers but i'm kicking myself for not reading more of her backlist because this was FANTASTIC.
not in the mood to rehash the plot but the characters in this were perfect and perfectly flawed. the relationships and representation beyond just the lgbt+ was also awesome.
this was so heartfelt, heart wrenching, and ultimately... perfect....more
was really stuck between a 2 and a 3 star for this one. i've read 1 other kendall ryan book before and had the same issues with this one that iehhhhhh
was really stuck between a 2 and a 3 star for this one. i've read 1 other kendall ryan book before and had the same issues with this one that i did with the other.
she's by NO means a bad writer, it just seems to me that she focuses a lot on quantity (putting out a lot of books really close together) at the sacrifice of deeper storytelling. that isn't mean to be shady, there just... isn't much to her stories that makes them memorable. i finished this book a day ago and can't remember the names of the characters, let alone why they should have been together.
i can appreciate the lack of unnecessary drama and angst. but the conflict was a little stupid in this imo (probably because i don't have a protective older brother). and i didn't find the history between the two characters convincing enough.
i'm not saying that the only effective way to make me see the history between 2 character is thru flashbacks/dual timelines but the brief mentions of "oh we would play hockey together when we were 11" just didn't do enough for me idk.
this is the lowest rated book in the series so part of me wants to give this author one more shot with hot jocks #2 but it will probably be a while before i take the plunge.
i would say give this a try if you want low angst, sweet, not super memorable, with pretty hot sex scenes....more
there's not much to say about the plot that isn't described in the blurb. this story is about cassie poignant & realistic YA contemporary. here for it
there's not much to say about the plot that isn't described in the blurb. this story is about cassie who is a senior in high school and going thru a lot: her mom needs a heart transplant, she has a crush on the new guy, she's fighting with her bestie, she's trying to get a scholarship to her dream college and she wants to learn more about her birth mother.
this story is told in dual POVs. cassie's and her birth mom's letters to her that she writes when she is pregnant.
this is not a loud story. this is not another far from the tree by robin benway. it's quieter and frankly more realistic. i think this story will help A LOT of teens. and i like that there aren't a lot of cheap twists used. there are realistic coincidences and there are shitty things that happen and there are also a lot of really beautiful moments too.
the only major complaint that i had was that the "twist" re: the love interest was kind of cliche/expected. and i wish that the love interest's past had been explored more. we get background on cassie's bff but not the love interest and i would have appreciated it/it would have added that extra touch of depth to the story.
so my issue with this book is not that it is poorly written or that the plot sucks. it was just the way that the subject of culhonestly just... weird?
so my issue with this book is not that it is poorly written or that the plot sucks. it was just the way that the subject of cults was handled.
my feelings are kind of complicated. on the one hand i think mia sheridan did a good job in being realistic about cults. that they're used to oppress people and keep people from thinking for themselves. on the other hand it felt... strangely fetish-y and gross.
for instance, the heroine is promised to the cult leader at the age of 12. she isn't supposed to bang him until she's 18 but the way he acts towards her is gross and so is the way that most of the other male characters act towards her. i'm not saying it's unrealistic and i know this shit happened in MANY cults but i guess the way it was written... ugh.
and like. the sex scenes between our hero and heroine. really focused in on the heroines naivety and not knowing her body. and i get that it is probably realistic but it just felt gross to me.
at the end of the day, my rating is not some objective scale of good and bad. it's MY enjoyment and i did not enjoy this book. if you like sweet, angsty, emotional romance stories (think nicholas sparks) i think you'll really like this one and honestly most of mia sheridan's books. i think i just should have known better when it comes to my taste in romance....more
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