Review: Off Limits (Sawyer Bennett)
Labels:
4 Stars,
Book Review,
Contemporary Romance,
New Adult,
Off Limits,
Sawyer Bennett
·
Series: Off Series #2
Author: Sawyer Bennett
Published: April 14th 2013
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4/5
BLURB:
“There is a vulnerability there, hovering just below the surface. And I want to pick at it until I expose it. Then I want to kiss it."
Two years ago, Emily Burnham had an epiphany about the shallowness of her life. And she made it her mission to become a different person…a better woman. Out from under the controlling thumb of her mother, Emily is tasting the real world for the first time. And she likes it.
Nixon Caldwell has served his time in the Marine Corps, surviving two brutal tours in Afghanistan. He is back home, surrounded by what he likes best…isolation. It's certainly the best way to avoid confrontation of the consuming guilt that is weighing him down.
When an accident brings Emily and Nix together, he soon learns he is not the master of his own fate. Struggling with his own pain, Nix tries to guard himself against Emily’s charms. He wants her in his bed, but he doesn’t want her in his heart.
Having grabbed life by the horns, Emily wants it all. But is she willing to accept just the small part of himself that Nix is offering? Can she reach the part of his soul that he has deemed to be Off Limits?
Okay so I'm kind of reading this series backwards as I've already read book #3 Off The Record. But to be honest it doesn't really matter since each book focuses on different characters.
REVIEW:
The story:
In this story we follow the dual POVs of Emily Burnham and Nixon Caldwell. After returning home from the Marine Corps, Nix struggles to adjust back to normal life. He closes himself off from the world and focusses on his motorcycle repair business. He does have one bright spot - his PTS assistance dog Harley. Harley is the only connection Nix is able to make.
Emily on the other hand comes from a privileged background and her family has high expectations for her. However she makes the oh so shocking decision to major in journalism! This upsets her snob of a mother and her trust fund is cut off until she changes her mind. Wanting to gain independence from her disapproving mother, she stands her ground. However, after hitting Nix with her car and damaging his bike, she needs to find a way to pay for the damage and Nix comes up with the fabulous idea that she should help with his admin work for his business. Working so close to each other causes the sparks to fly between these two and you just know it's only a matter a time before one of them takes action…
The characters:
Emily, the journalism student & daughter of a wealthy family is focussed on reinventing herself. She no longer wants to be the snobby, privileged trust fund baby that she has always been. I really liked Emily and her drive to change the things about herself she doesn't like. She's also got an awesome fiery attitude & isn't afraid to speak her mind.
Nix on the on the other hand, it just looking at getting through each day without letting his PTS control his life. He's dark and moody and doesn't have any patience for other people. Although he has improved since returning home, we can see that he is still clearly struggling with something and instead of dealing with it, he tries to ignore it. He avoids making any personal connections with people and comes across as cold and uncaring. But it's clear that this is just a way of keeping people at arms length.
The romance:
Emily & Nix couldn't be more different, but somehow they just complement each other perfectly. At first their relationship starts out as just sex, however we know that won't last long! You can see them both getting emotionally invested in each others lives. I really loved how Emily breaks down the walls that Nix has built around him. After a traumatic experience in the war he doesn't like making personal attachments for fear of loosing them. It takes a lot of courage for him to let Emily in, but it was beautiful to watch him grow as they got closer.
The Writing:
I love that Bennett has written a sexy steamy romance, while including some depth with Nix's PTS storyline. She brings attention to an important issue that doesn't get enough acknowledgment, and does it without sensationalising it. Plus those steamy scenes are always creatively delicious!
FINAL WORD:
Another hot and passionate romance with a beautifully emotional & heartfelt story. I'm seriously in love with the Off series and all the characters! I'll be reading Off Course next…sexy Irish musician here I come!!
CONTENT:
Sexuality: strong / several sex scenes
Violence: mild-medium / minor flash backs of war scene, near sexual assault
Language: medium / frequent f**k
Drugs & alcohol: mild
Cover Reveal: The Only One by Magan Vernon
Labels:
Cover Reveal,
Magan Vernon,
New Adult,
The Only One
·
Title: The Only One
Author: Magan Vernon
Published: August 4th 2013
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Cover Design By: Regina Wamba @ Mae I Design
Cover reveal organized by: InkSlinger PR
BLURB:
Honor student, manager at the campus coffee shop, owner of an impressive sweater collection – Melanie Wilder has it all together. Then John “John Boy” Walden strolls into her life wearing nothing more than an impish grin and all-too-revealing loin cloth.
Soon, make-out sessions replace homework, lust triumphs over work. And to further crumble her perfect world, an unexpected phone call threatens to take away everything she’s worked for.
Now, as Melanie struggles to pick up the pieces, she realizes that John may be the only one to put her life back together…unless he shatters it first.
AUTHOR BIO:
Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New
Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the
world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake
boyfriends via social media.
You can find her online at
www.maganvernon.com
Author Links:
Excerpt:
I looked around the basement, sipping whatever concoction some guy poured out of a cooler. He called it a ‘magic potion’ and I hoped that didn’t mean he rufied it. I don’t know how Monica talked me into this.
A horde of girls clad in nothing more than lingerie pushed past me as if I were nothing more than another one of the paddles on the paneled wall. I tried to pull back but then I came face to chest with a set of abs and felt all of the magic potion cascade down my cardigan.
I gasped once the cold liquid soaked through both my layers and hit my skin.
“Too bad, that was such a nice sweater…” A deep voice said.
I looked up, all the way past the chiseled six pack and to a pair of cool blue eyes. “Maybe you should just take it off up in my room and I can help you dry off.” He leaned in, his full lips right on my ear. “Or make you wetter.”
My breath caught in my throat, rendering me speechless. Luckily my best friend Monica jumped between us, pushing the guy back so I got a full view of him and realized he was only wearing a loin cloth and a large smile.
"Down John Boy." She scowled at him and then turned to me, almost knocking her beret off. "What the hell happened to you?"
"I-I-I spilled my drink."
Monica's eyes narrowed as she looked down at the red liquid soaking through my gray sweater. She whipped her head around to the loin cloth clad guy. "Was this your fault? Are you trying to get my friend naked?"
He held up his hands, a cockeyed grin on his face. "Purely an accident, Lib."
Ah, now I knew where I’d seen him before. He had come into the coffee shop we worked at a few times. I don’t think he even glanced in my direction more than to hand me his student ID to pay, but was always calling Monica ‘Lib.’ I’m guessing because she was an extreme liberal.
Monica's boyfriend, the governor's son Trey Chapman, pushed through the crowd. When I usually saw him he was polished in dress pants and a dress shirt, but his Halloween costume was nothing more than a pair of American flag boxers, a dress shirt, and some gray hairspray. He looked ridiculous. I still don't know how Monica talked him into the Clinton and Lewinsky couples costumes.
"Hey, I’ve been looking for you." He slipped his arm around Monica's waist. "What's going on here?"
"Your big brother here spilled a drink on Melanie to try and get her naked."
"Hey!" John yelled.
"It wasn't his fault," I piped in. "It’s crowded here and he just ran into me. It’s fine."
"Fine?" Monica raised her eyebrows. "That Hermione costume you've been wearing since middle school is covered in ever clear and Kool aid. That’s not fine."
"I haven't worn this since middle school!" Okay, truth was, it was my go-to costume. I bought it for the first movie's midnight showing and wore it for every movie opening and Halloween since.
"Whatever." Monica turned her head to Trey and tugged on his shirt. "You can just wear Trey's shirt."
Feature & Follow Friday #13
Labels:
Feature and Follow Friday
·
"The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read."
Q: What do you do with your books after you are done reading them?
For the books that I enjoy or are part of a series I'm still reading I keep them in my ever growing bookshelves. I'm a bit a book hoarder and hate getting rid of any books.
If I didn't enjoy the book I will either offer it to my friends or give it to our local Lifeline Book Fair. I love that they go to a good course and also that someone who will actually enjoy the book will have it.
Thank you so much for stopping by - you can follow me by Bloglovin (preferred) or Twitter
You can also follow via Linky, RSS, Google + and Goodreads! If you follow by more than one let me know & I'll return the favour!
Happy Friday :)
Swoon Thursday #14
Labels:
New Adult,
Nichole Chase,
Suddenly Royal,
Swoon Thursday
·
Swoon Thursday is a weekly event hosted by YA Bound.This is how it works:
From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog.
This week, I’m SWOONING over:
Title: Suddenly Royal
Series: Suddenly #1
Author: Nichole Chase
Published: April 23rd 2013
Genre: New Adult Romance
Rating: 5/5
I ran my hands under his shirt to trace the ridges of his muscles before pulling the material up. He shrugged the shirt off quickly and threw it to the side. The moonlight poured in through the windows, making his eyes glow and he moved back to me. He slid his hands down to cup my rear and lived me from the floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist and sighed in relief when he pressed his hard body against my hot centre. His mouth teased my lips open and he kissed me as if he was drowning. I shifted my hips in a slow move, enjoyed the feel of him between my legs. Then again harder...
Alex certainly was Prince Yummy!!
So what's making you swoon this week?
Review: Suddenly Royal (Nichole Chase)
Labels:
5 Stars,
Book Review,
New Adult,
Nichole Chase,
Suddenly Royal
·
Title: Suddenly Royal
Series: Suddenly #1
Author: Nichole Chase
Published: April 23rd 2013
Genre: New Adult Romance
Rating: 5/5
BLURB:
Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.
Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.
While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.
REVIEW:
The story:
This story has been labeled as a grown up "Princess Diaries". However the only real similarity for me, is that Samantha discovers she's related to royalty in a small foreign country. Sam's story is much more focussed on her struggle with the media & her relationship with Prince Alex.
We follow Samantha as she travels to Lilaria with Alex to take on her new life as a duchess. However the media make her transition anything but easy. She's followed wherever she goes and is afraid to start a relationship with Alex in fear that it will only get worse. She discovers there are a lot of responsibilities in being a duchess, but Alex and her fabulous assistant, Chadwick are there to help!
The characters:
Sam was down to earth and a very relatable character. Although she didn't like the media and having to have body guards with her, she didn't whinge, she just gets on with it and tries to do her best at adapting to her new life.
Alex comes across as a very carefree and confident guy, however, he's been hurt in the past and with that comes a more sensitive side. He trusts Sam, because he can see that she likes him for him and not his title. While we do get to see the sweet side of him with Sam, I also loved his cocky attitude - it gave him an extra spark!
The romance:
Sam & Alex's chemistry is evident from their first meeting - oh my how the sexual tension burns! At first Sam tries to deny her feeling to the ever persistent Alex. She's afraid of the the media attention she'll get & also the fact that if things worked out between them, she would become Queen - something she doesn't feel she's capable of. However she can only resist him for so long (I personally wouldn't have been able to resist him as long as she did *swoon*). When they finally get together, things get oh so very steamy (I think my Kindle fogged up at one point - um…the kitchen scene…wow)
The Witting:
Chase knows how to write a steamy romance, and also balance it out with a solid story! The story moved along at a steady pace and the secondary characters where well developed and added another element to the story. The romantic scenes were sexy & passionate, in contrast to the more serious subplots - the relationship between Samantha & her ill father was heartwarming.
THE BAD:
Um…let me think…nothing???
FINAL WORD:
Who doesn't have dreams of suddenly discovering they are royalty or falling in love with a prince (well Sam didn't I guess!) This was a fun & sexy story, with just the right amount of depth to the story to make it interesting! With engaging characters and some steamy scenes this was an excellent story & I can't wait for the sequel to get me some more Alex!
CONTENT:
Sexuality: medium-strong / descriptive sex scenes
Violence: mild
Language: medium / occasional f*ck
Drugs & alcohol: mild
Reading Vacation
·
I am super duper excited that I have a couple of days worth of holidays to take from work and I am cashing them in! Now most people go away to the beach or snow or someplace exotic for their holidays but not me. Being the book nerd that I am I plan on having a major reading binge for the next 3 days and have been deciding what books I am going to read.
Since I have been working crazy hours trying to finish all my work ready for my break I haven't had a chance to read for much the past week - I'm having major withdrawals!!! There is one book in particular that is sitting on my Kindle and has been tormenting me:
Frigid By J. Lynn - I am so excited to finally read this I can't even tell you!!!! This is the first book I plan to read - I am dying to get to know Kyler better ;)
Some others that I might read:
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Lost & Found - Two words: Hot Cowboy
Eversea by Natasha Boyd - The cover is what grabbed me at first but the story sounds excellent
Off Course - I've started this and I think it's going to be my favourite of the series. Cillian has already won me over and Renner is just plain awesome!
Love Me For Me - I've started this one too and it's really good so far
If you have any suggestions as to what I should be reading on my mini break I'd love for you to share them!
Top Ten Tuesday: Words/Topics That Make Me NOT Pick Up a Book
Labels:
Top Ten Tuesday
·
Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Make You NOT pick up a book:
(1) Cheating - if a lead character is a cheater chances are I will hate them with a burning passion
(2) Dominant/Controlling Alpha-Males - Now I'm not talking about the bad boys who like to be a little dominant (they're totally fine). I'm talking about the ones that like to control what the heroines eat, how they dress and what they do every waking moment of the day. It's not sexy and if any guy tried to tell me what to eat & wear I would punch him in his junk!!
(3) Tragic - As soon as I see this word I'm out. If the story starts with a tragedy thats fine, but not a tragic ending
(4) Terminal Illness - I read to escape all the horrible things that happen in real life, so stories about characters dyeing just upset me too much.
(5) Love Triangle - there are of course exceptions to this but generally not a fan of them.
(7) Gore - Yeah, this one kind of continues on the horror theme - I told you I am a complete sook and can't handle anything scary or violent or I won't sleep for weeks…seriously I've never made it all the way through a horror film :(
(8) Zombies - I don't know what it is about them but I find them so gross (again there are a few exceptions to this one)
(9) War (as in realistic war) - not really a fan of stories the revolve around WW 1 or 2. If it's just the setting that's fine, but not if it's the centre of the story. War tactics etc don't interest me.
(10) Autobiographies - unless I'm really interested in a particular person's life, I usually bypass biographies. I'm all about fiction!
So you can probably tell from this list that I pretty much like non-violent sappy HEA stories!
Well those are my Top Ten Ten - what about yours?
Review: The Impact Of You (Kendall Ryan)
Labels:
2 Stars,
Book Review,
The Impact Of You
·
Author: Kendall Ryan
Published: June 7th 2013
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Rating: 2.5/5
BLURB:
Needing an escape from her past, Avery chooses a college where no one knows her. Keeping a low profile was the plan, falling for the intense frat boy, Jase wasn’t. Yet she can’t deny how alive she feels when he’s near. Even as common sense implores her to stay away, her body begs her to get closer.
Jase, numb from his own family drama, has grown bored with weekends fueled by nameless girls and countless bottles when he meets Avery. Helping her cope with her past is better than dealing with the bullshit his own life’s served up. Determined to drive away the painful secret she’s guarding, he appoints himself her life coach, and challenges her to new experiences. Getting close to her and being the one to make her smile are simply perks of the job.
But when Avery’s past boldly saunters in, refusing to be forgotten, can Jase live with the truth about the girl he’s fallen for?
REVIEW:
The story:
The beginning was promising, but this book turned out to be so short that it fell a little flat for me in the end. There was an interesting storyline of Avery searching for her birthmother, as she was adopted by her dads. However it's extremely underdeveloped and things get tied up so quickly in a neat little bow that it was just so anti-climactic.
I also had an issue with how the entire story revolved around Avery and Jase's sex life, and not in a good way. Even when they are in class, they both take Human Sexuality class and are paired up to talk about orgasms & self pleasure!? Seriously?? There are other less obvious ways to allow characters to express their sexuality and attraction, but this just felt forced and killed any sexual tension for me.
The characters:
Sadly I felt very little connection with Avery. She lacked any real personality (even quiet reserved characters need personalty). We know that something happened in her past for her to not trust people and she stays away from parties, but that's basically it.
And don't get me started on Jace and his hypocritical douchbagery! He claims to be a reformed player, and although he says many times that nothing will change the way he feels about Avery, the moment he finds out what her big secret is - he bails on her. He then makes a huge mistake that I personally would not have forgiven him for - and certainly not as easily as Avery does. He just lost all my respect in that scene and so did Avery for forgiving him so easily.
I would also liked to of seen more from the secondary characters. We have the cliche perky BFF & gay best friend, but nothing really set them apart from the rest out there in this genre.
The romance:
Avery & Jase's relationship could have done with a lot more development, it just happened way too quickly and unrealistically. I love a good sexy romance, but sometimes there needs to be scenes that show the progression of a relationship on a emotional level. There were times where Avery needed someone to talk to & instead of being there for her Jase would try to feel her up. I just wish there had been a few more scenes where they just talked or something to show there connection went further than just on a physical level.
Speaking of the physical stuff - it was a bit hit & miss for me, some of the scenes were steamy, while others were lacking any real heat:
"I'm not even nervous as Jase removes my jeans and panties. I pull my top over my head, and he unclasps my bra. After we're each undressed, we slide under the sheets and continue kissing."
Where are all the adjectives!? How did he remove her jeans, how did he undo her bra? This scene could have been sexy, sweet, sensual, romantic, passionate, fiery…or just something, but I just wasn't feeling it.
FINAL WORD:
Perhaps if some of the scenes had been extended to allow for more character development it could have been a little more memorable. With so many stories with such similar topics, this doesn't really stand apart from the crowd. Despite my issues with this book it was a quick read and I'm sure there will be some people who will enjoy it.
CONTENT:
Sexuality: medium / sex scenes
Violence: mild
Language: medium / several f*ck
Drugs & alcohol: medium / drinking at parties
Stacking The Shelves #2
Labels:
Frigid,
J. Lynn,
Kate Laurens,
Love Me For Me,
Stacking The Shelves
·
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves.
I've been buying a lot of ebooks on Amazon lately so I've been trying to cut back lately. Damn you 1 Click Buy! I was actually pretty good this week!
I've been buying a lot of ebooks on Amazon lately so I've been trying to cut back lately. Damn you 1 Click Buy! I was actually pretty good this week!
Purchased:
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Frigid By J. Lynn
Okay so I pre ordered this ages ago, and yes I did do a little happy dance when my Kindle told me I could finally start reading this one - I am already in love with Kyler!!
Love Me For Me By Kate Laurens
Free on Amazon (Woo Hoo!!):
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Significance By Shelly Crane
The Guys Are Props Club By Ingrid Seymour
The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard
Netgalley & ARCs for Review:
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Feature & Follow Friday #12
Labels:
Feature and Follow Friday
·
"The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read."
Q:Book Vacay: Where is the best destination reading spot for you? (Where do you like to go to read other then your home)
Well there is one place I do love the go to. There is this rainforest near where I live that is quite & beautiful and it's a great place to read! Reading in the dappled light with the sound of the water bubbling over the rocks, the buzz of cicadas and the occasional whip of a lyrebird, it's the most peaceful place in the world!
So tranquil isn't it?
Thank you so much for stopping by - you can follow me by Bloglovin (preferred) or Twitter
You can also follow via Linky, RSS, Google + and Goodreads! If you follow by more than one let me know & I'll return the favour!
Happy Friday :)
Swoon Thursday #13
Labels:
New Adult,
Swoon Thursday,
Teresa Mummert,
White Trash Beautiful
·
Swoon Thursday is a weekly event hosted by YA Bound.This is how it works:
From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog.
This week, I’m SWOONING over:
Series: White Trash #1
Author: Teresa Mummert
Published: July 9th 2013
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.5/5
Our eyes fell closed, and for what felt like an eternity, we held completely still, not wanting this moment to end. My hands loosened from his neck and slid down to his chest. His breathing became more ragged and his hands slid to my neck and his fingers traced my collarbone, sliding over my shoulder, brushing aside the robe to the fading green and yellow bruises on my arm.
I dug my teeth into my lower lip as I searched his eyes for answers to unasked questions.
"I won't hurt you." he said quietly, and waited for a response
"I trust you, Tucker."
He nodded in understanding as his lips crashed into mine. His fingers frantically searched my skin as my robe fell down my arms, catching at the elbows. I slipped my fingers inside his robe and ran the pads of my fingers over his bare, tattooed chest and down the ridges of his abdomen. His muscles flexed under my fingers as his tongue expertly coaxed mine into a deeper kiss.
I dug my teeth into my lower lip as I searched his eyes for answers to unasked questions.
"I won't hurt you." he said quietly, and waited for a response
"I trust you, Tucker."
He nodded in understanding as his lips crashed into mine. His fingers frantically searched my skin as my robe fell down my arms, catching at the elbows. I slipped my fingers inside his robe and ran the pads of my fingers over his bare, tattooed chest and down the ridges of his abdomen. His muscles flexed under my fingers as his tongue expertly coaxed mine into a deeper kiss.
I loved this scene because is shows how Cass is able to trust a man for the first time after what her abusive boyfriend had done to her. The way Tucker was so sweet and gentle with her was so beautiful.
So what's making you swoon this week?
Book Review: White Trash Beautiful (Teresa Mummert)
Title: White Trash Beautiful
Series: White Trash #1
Author: Teresa Mummert
Published: July 9th 2013
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.5/5
Source: NetGalley eARC provided for honest review
BLURB:
Cass Daniels isn’t waiting for her knight in shining armor. She knows that girls like her don’t get a happily ever after. Not if you live in a trailer with your mom, work at a greasy spoon diner, and get leered at by old men. Maybe that’s why she puts up with Jackson—her poor excuse for a boyfriend, who treats her like dirt. Cass has learned to accept her lot in life. That is, until he walks into her diner. . . .
His name is Tucker White, and he’s different from any man Cass has ever known. Tall, tattooed, and bad-ass gorgeous, he’s the lead singer of the rock band Damaged. From the moment they meet, Tucker sees something in Cass he just can’t shake. Something beautiful. Something haunted. Something special. And he’s determined to find out what it is—if only he can get her to open up and let him in. . . .
REVIEW:
The story:
Wow, this story was one one hell on emotional roller coaster. Mummert certainly put poor Cass through so much, but I felt she came out the other side a stronger person. We first meet Cass working at the local dinner across from the trailer park, where she lives with her mother & abusive drug addict boyfriend Jax. She struggles to get through each day - only just surviving. While working herself into the ground each day to earn just enough money to eat, Jax takes the money to fund his drug habit and has now dragged Cass's mother down with him.
When Tucker walks into the dinner he sees Cass and sees something familiar - he's been in her position before & wants to help her. At first Cass doesn't trust him, why would she, she has no reason to believe he's different to any other man in her life (including her father who abandoned her years earlier). But slowly Tucker shows Cass that she deserves better than the life she has and that he can be the one to make her happy.
The characters:
Cass was a surprising complex character. At first she comes across as weak, not able to escape her unhappy life. But as we get to know her she shows courage that she didn't realise she had. She's in a difficult situation, not wanting to leave her mother, but having no way to help her either. It takes her a long time to realise just how strong she truly is, and watching her grow throughout the book was beautiful.
I loved Tucker - he was patient and caring, and I felt he had a real motivation for helping her other than the standard "there was just something about her" or "she was so beautiful" responses. He'd been in a similar situation and was lucky enough to have someone help him - he wanted to do the same for her. Falling in love just happened along the way.
As for Jax, well, quite simply I hated him - he's uncaring, nasty and only seems to care about money or getting his next fix. His verbal & physical abuse of Cass, while not overly graphic truly upset me, mainly because it felt so real, like this could happen to any woman (and sadly it does)
The romance:
At first I was a little concerted about the whole cheating element (because I loath characters that cheat), however I didn't feel it was a simple case of cheating. Cass wasn't a selfish girl in a love triangle who couldn't decide which guy she liked more, she was trapped in an abusive relationship trying to find the courage to trust someone & believe that she deserved better. She feels extremely guilty over her actions, and doesn't try and blame her actions on her situation.
Tucker and Cass's relationship does progress very quickly, but that didn't make it feel any less believable. They had such a strong connection and understanding with one another, it was beautiful.
The Witting:
Mummert does a beautiful job tackling a very difficult topic and doesn't try and make Cass's situation black & white. The flash back scenes of Cass & Jax's relationship early on (before the drugs & abuse) showed how Cass got trapped in this relationship in the first place. We could see how they fell in love & I could understand Cass wanting to stand by him, hoping to one day find that same boy from her memories - it's not an easy choice for her to just leave him.
My only issue with this book was that the ending felt slightly rushed. A lot of things happen towards the end in such a short space of time, and I felt some of those things could have been expanded on a little more. There was almost an overload of events that I didn't get to fully appreciate everything that happened.
FINAL WORD:
Despite the rushed ending I absolutely loved this story. It was emotional and at times utterly heartbreaking. Cass & Tucker endure so much heartache, I found myself completely shattered by the end. I wasn't prepared for this to have such a powerful effect on me but it did, and I can't wait to see where Mummert takes Cass & Tucker's story next.
CONTENT:
Sexuality: medium / sex scene
Violence: medium-strong / scenes of domestic violence
Language: medium / several f words
Drugs & alcohol: strong / several scenes of drug use
Top Ten Tuesday: Authors Who Deserve More Recognition
Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
(1) Jessica Shirvington
Seriously I can't speak highly enough of this woman. Not only are her stories amazing, but she had such a beautiful writing style that needs to be celebrated. You can tell her books are well researched and thought out. Just read The Violent Eden Chapters, that's all I can really say without turning into an embarrassing fan girl. (Who am I kidding it's too late for that - I am a total fan girl!)
Seriously I can't speak highly enough of this woman. Not only are her stories amazing, but she had such a beautiful writing style that needs to be celebrated. You can tell her books are well researched and thought out. Just read The Violent Eden Chapters, that's all I can really say without turning into an embarrassing fan girl. (Who am I kidding it's too late for that - I am a total fan girl!)
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(2) Julie Cohen
I first discovered Julie through the Little Black Dress books - basically cute little chic lit novels. However Julie's books are so much more than fluffy chic lit! I especially loved Girl From Mars, I absolutely fell in love with this book. Getting Away With It was amazing too. The way she writes her heroines with charm, realistic floors and the perfect amount of wit make her stories so memorable. Philomena is still one of my favourite heroines, I just connected with her in so many ways.
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(3) Magan Vernon
Writing a story centred around political opinions is not easy but Magan did a seriously amazing job at it in The Only Exception. Both main characters, Monica & Trey have very different opinions, but instead of having one have the 'correct opinion', Magan allows them both to voice their views and gives the reader the opportunity to make their own choice - that is great writing IMO. And not only that but she wrote a nice boy hero - yes that's right heroes do exist that aren't tortured man whores with abusive families *claps for Vernon*
Writing a story centred around political opinions is not easy but Magan did a seriously amazing job at it in The Only Exception. Both main characters, Monica & Trey have very different opinions, but instead of having one have the 'correct opinion', Magan allows them both to voice their views and gives the reader the opportunity to make their own choice - that is great writing IMO. And not only that but she wrote a nice boy hero - yes that's right heroes do exist that aren't tortured man whores with abusive families *claps for Vernon*
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(4) Autumn Doughton
I discovered Autumn's book One An Edge Of Glass a few months ago, and it's still one of my favourites for the year! I think it has a lot to do with the hero Ben - a musician who plays in a rock band & and orchestra - yeah this boy has many layers! I've read a lot a NA romances this year and although I've enjoyed them, many lack great writing, but Autumn's writing style was just so refreshing!
I discovered Autumn's book One An Edge Of Glass a few months ago, and it's still one of my favourites for the year! I think it has a lot to do with the hero Ben - a musician who plays in a rock band & and orchestra - yeah this boy has many layers! I've read a lot a NA romances this year and although I've enjoyed them, many lack great writing, but Autumn's writing style was just so refreshing!
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(5) Nichole Chase
When I first read Suddenly Royal I wasn't expecting such an amazing book - but I simply loved it. More than just another NA romance, the characters had substance and the storyline was engaging. I can't wait to read the sequel or her soon to be released book The Accidental Assassin
When I first read Suddenly Royal I wasn't expecting such an amazing book - but I simply loved it. More than just another NA romance, the characters had substance and the storyline was engaging. I can't wait to read the sequel or her soon to be released book The Accidental Assassin
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(6) Rachel Harris
I absolutely loved her YA novel My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century and I'm currently reading the sequel A Tale Of Two Centuries. Her writing is so wonderfully descriptive her stories just come to life. Not only does she write YA but also adult fiction to with Taste the Heat just being published - a woman of many talents!
I absolutely loved her YA novel My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century and I'm currently reading the sequel A Tale Of Two Centuries. Her writing is so wonderfully descriptive her stories just come to life. Not only does she write YA but also adult fiction to with Taste the Heat just being published - a woman of many talents!
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(7) Diana Peterfreund
Her book For Darkness Shows The Stars which was an futuristic adaptation of Persuasion by Jane Austen was absolutely beautifully written. I had very high expectations as Persuasion is my favourite Austen novel and this didn't disappoint! She cleverly included all the necessary character traits & important plot points, but added enough new elements to make this a unique adaptation.
Her book For Darkness Shows The Stars which was an futuristic adaptation of Persuasion by Jane Austen was absolutely beautifully written. I had very high expectations as Persuasion is my favourite Austen novel and this didn't disappoint! She cleverly included all the necessary character traits & important plot points, but added enough new elements to make this a unique adaptation.
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(8) Elizabeth Norris
I loved her novel Unraveling and the fact that it's a sci-fi novel that still appeals to those who are not big on sci-fi. She has made the genre more accessible which is fabulous! The series deals with science fiction elements without becoming too clinical.
I loved her novel Unraveling and the fact that it's a sci-fi novel that still appeals to those who are not big on sci-fi. She has made the genre more accessible which is fabulous! The series deals with science fiction elements without becoming too clinical.
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(9) Melina Marchetta
I remember reading her first book Looking For Alibrandi in high school. It did go on to win many awards in Australia and was also made into a movie, however I still feel she deserves more recognition (especially overseas) for her amazing writing talent. I'm still surprised by how many people haven't even heard of her
I remember reading her first book Looking For Alibrandi in high school. It did go on to win many awards in Australia and was also made into a movie, however I still feel she deserves more recognition (especially overseas) for her amazing writing talent. I'm still surprised by how many people haven't even heard of her
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(10) Sawyer Bennett
I've recently read her NA books Off The Record & Off Limits, and loved that she was not only able to write a steamy romance but match it with a solid storyline! Her characters are well developed and her sexy scenes are quite creative!
I've recently read her NA books Off The Record & Off Limits, and loved that she was not only able to write a steamy romance but match it with a solid storyline! Her characters are well developed and her sexy scenes are quite creative!
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Well those are my Top Ten Ten - what about yours?
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