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Love Me with Lies #1
The Opportunist
Olivia Kaspen has just discovered that her ex-boyfriend, Caleb Drake, has lost his memory. With an already lousy reputation for taking advantage of situations, Olivia must decide how far she is willing to go to get Caleb back. Wrestling to keep her true identity and their sordid past under wraps, Olivia’s greatest obstacle is Caleb’s wicked, new girlfriend; Leah Smith. It is a race to the finish as these two vipers engage in a vicious tug of war to possess a man who no longer remembers them. But, soon enough Olivia must face the consequences of her lies, and in the process discover that sometimes love falls short of redemption.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2011
About the author
Tarryn Fisher
30 books25.3k followersI would like to write a novel that every, single person loves, but not even J.K. Rowling could do that. Instead, I try to write stories that pull on people's emotions. I believe that sadness is the most powerful emotion, and swirled with regret the two become a dominating force. I love villains. Three of my favorites are Mother Gothel, Gaston and the Evil Queen who all suffered from a pretty wicked case of vanity (like me). I like to make these personality types the center of my stories.
I love rain, Coke, Starbucks and sarcasm. I hate bad adjectives and the word "smolder". If you read my book-I love you. If you hate my book-I still love you, but please don't be mean to me; I'm half badass, half cry baby.
I love rain, Coke, Starbucks and sarcasm. I hate bad adjectives and the word "smolder". If you read my book-I love you. If you hate my book-I still love you, but please don't be mean to me; I'm half badass, half cry baby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,425 reviews
January 8, 2015
Wow! I needed a minute to collect my thoughts after this one. This book was recommended to me by a friend that said—-you have to read this so we can talk about it! I glanced over the reviews, and after seeing a sea of shouty capitals and exclamation points, I thought, she’s right, I need to read this!
I am so glad I did!
First off, the descriptive turn of phrases in this book made me smile. Every other paragraph had something in it that made me take notice. Even the hard parts were a joy to read—-which is saying something, because there are some REALLY hard parts in this!
Second…Olivia, Olivia, Olivia. I loved her and I felt like I understood her and her issues. I also wanted to shake her and scream some sense into her too! I wanted to magically heal her, show her what her life could be, and then set her loose to happily walk into the sunset. But she needed the journey she went through, as painful as it was.
And lastly, Caleb. Wow, I think I love this man. Is he perfect? Heck no! Did I like all of his choices? Definitely not! But I love him regardless. Some of the scenes between Caleb and Olivia will be staying with me for a very long time, the good ones and the bad ones.
I can’t say that I loved how it ended, but I understand it…sort of. I’m still working it out in my head, actually. But I think that what happened needed to happen for the sake of the characters. Olivia especially. That being said, I also don’t see the ending as being the end. In my mind, there is more, so much more! I only hope that someday the fantabulous Tarryn Fisher will agree with me! Please?
I am so glad I did!
First off, the descriptive turn of phrases in this book made me smile. Every other paragraph had something in it that made me take notice. Even the hard parts were a joy to read—-which is saying something, because there are some REALLY hard parts in this!
Second…Olivia, Olivia, Olivia. I loved her and I felt like I understood her and her issues. I also wanted to shake her and scream some sense into her too! I wanted to magically heal her, show her what her life could be, and then set her loose to happily walk into the sunset. But she needed the journey she went through, as painful as it was.
And lastly, Caleb. Wow, I think I love this man. Is he perfect? Heck no! Did I like all of his choices? Definitely not! But I love him regardless. Some of the scenes between Caleb and Olivia will be staying with me for a very long time, the good ones and the bad ones.
I can’t say that I loved how it ended, but I understand it…sort of. I’m still working it out in my head, actually. But I think that what happened needed to happen for the sake of the characters. Olivia especially. That being said, I also don’t see the ending as being the end. In my mind, there is more, so much more! I only hope that someday the fantabulous Tarryn Fisher will agree with me! Please?
May 20, 2012
I told the truth.
June 9, 2012
Author Interview http://toughcriticbookreviews.blogspo...
EFFITY, EFF, EFF!!! This review came so extremely close to me just shouty capitalizing the word EFF!! Think of every single emotion you could possibly ever feel and then imagine feeling them all at once!! All at once!!! EVERY. SINGLE. EFFING. ONE. Hell, this entire review could be written in shouty capitals!!
This book metamorphosed my entire existence! More than twenty-four hours post reading this life altering book and I'm still thinking about it more than a teenage boy thinks about sex!
I hated how everything turned out, but I loved how I hated it. I almost threw my laptop. It's one of those books I can't stop thinking about. I wish I'd never read it, but I'm permanently grounded on my knees thanking God that I did. It's the best book I've ever read and the worst...total mind F--k!
To say this is an emotional roller coater is to say Fifty Shades of Grey is a frickin elementary picture book. The Opportunist is like every single emotional roller coaster coming together to make one gigantic ride!
The office scene left me sick to my stomach; I get all tense just thinking about it! I felt like I was there; it was all happening to me, not Olivia, ME! Then if I wasn't tortured enough, once certain pieces of the puzzle were revealed I went back andre-read re-lived everything all over again! How can you not get emotional over the man of your f--king dreams dropping to his knees in silent sobs!! Holy Hell!! I will never be the same again!
Not having a perfect ending does NOT mean the book was bad. It means the book made me feel, hurt, live! It haunts me every second of every day!!!
As far as the person who recommended this book to me I'm not sure if I should punch them in the face or slip them the tongue!! This book has made me psychotic and I love every single minute!! Okay, BREATHE!
BOOK-tunes available http://toughcriticbookreviews.blogspo...
EFFITY, EFF, EFF!!! This review came so extremely close to me just shouty capitalizing the word EFF!! Think of every single emotion you could possibly ever feel and then imagine feeling them all at once!! All at once!!! EVERY. SINGLE. EFFING. ONE. Hell, this entire review could be written in shouty capitals!!
This book metamorphosed my entire existence! More than twenty-four hours post reading this life altering book and I'm still thinking about it more than a teenage boy thinks about sex!
I hated how everything turned out, but I loved how I hated it. I almost threw my laptop. It's one of those books I can't stop thinking about. I wish I'd never read it, but I'm permanently grounded on my knees thanking God that I did. It's the best book I've ever read and the worst...total mind F--k!
To say this is an emotional roller coater is to say Fifty Shades of Grey is a frickin elementary picture book. The Opportunist is like every single emotional roller coaster coming together to make one gigantic ride!
The office scene left me sick to my stomach; I get all tense just thinking about it! I felt like I was there; it was all happening to me, not Olivia, ME! Then if I wasn't tortured enough, once certain pieces of the puzzle were revealed I went back and
Not having a perfect ending does NOT mean the book was bad. It means the book made me feel, hurt, live! It haunts me every second of every day!!!
As far as the person who recommended this book to me I'm not sure if I should punch them in the face or slip them the tongue!! This book has made me psychotic and I love every single minute!! Okay, BREATHE!
BOOK-tunes available http://toughcriticbookreviews.blogspo...
August 17, 2012
It started with a post from one of my readers on Facebook talking about Caleb and Olivia. I thought they were talking about my book so I checked it out, NOPE, they were discussing a different Caleb and Olivia.
I had to investigate.
THEN, Tarryn and I were both invited to be a part of the 2012 TFEiC Author Meet & Greet in Chicago. We struck up a conversation and it was effortless. We decided to do a buddy read of one another's books.
The more I read, The Opportunist, the more I thought: "This b***h is squatting in my brain."
Same character names (wow), our Caleb's are both blond (ok), our Livvie's are both brunette (interesting...), our Caleb's don't remember their pasts (get the F out of here!). And...WE HAVE THE SAME SENSE OF HUMOR!
From The Opportunist: "He chuckles at me. I envision myself jamming a pen into his trachea. Blood. There would be lots of blood to clean up. I better not."
From my Facebook page: "That awkward moment when someone is pissing you off and they have no idea you're perfectly capable of murder...awesome."
Okay, so enough about how Tarryn is my suspect zero.
I LOVED THE BOOK! Not for its similarities to mine, but for its differences. Tarryn's, Olivia, is conniving and manipulative - but also incredibly honest. I loved that. Most people are selfish, but refuse to admit it. Olivia put it right out there.
I love that Caleb wasn't perfect. NONE of Tarryn's characters are perfect - they are human.
There's been some talk about the ending and let me put my two cents in: This story ended exactly as it should. To suggest otherwise is to miss the point of the story in its entirety. This is not a book about two people falling in and out of love before they 'get it right'. This is a story about personal growth and finding the true meaning of love, which is: Loving someone means putting their needs above your own.
Well done, Tarryn. I can't wait to see you in Chicago and stare into your eyes for the part of my soul you seem to have sucked straight from my mouth as I slept comfortably in my bed as a baby. The force is strong with you. I look forward to doing battle, cuz I'm a MIND NINJA!
I had to investigate.
THEN, Tarryn and I were both invited to be a part of the 2012 TFEiC Author Meet & Greet in Chicago. We struck up a conversation and it was effortless. We decided to do a buddy read of one another's books.
The more I read, The Opportunist, the more I thought: "This b***h is squatting in my brain."
Same character names (wow), our Caleb's are both blond (ok), our Livvie's are both brunette (interesting...), our Caleb's don't remember their pasts (get the F out of here!). And...WE HAVE THE SAME SENSE OF HUMOR!
From The Opportunist: "He chuckles at me. I envision myself jamming a pen into his trachea. Blood. There would be lots of blood to clean up. I better not."
From my Facebook page: "That awkward moment when someone is pissing you off and they have no idea you're perfectly capable of murder...awesome."
Okay, so enough about how Tarryn is my suspect zero.
I LOVED THE BOOK! Not for its similarities to mine, but for its differences. Tarryn's, Olivia, is conniving and manipulative - but also incredibly honest. I loved that. Most people are selfish, but refuse to admit it. Olivia put it right out there.
I love that Caleb wasn't perfect. NONE of Tarryn's characters are perfect - they are human.
There's been some talk about the ending and let me put my two cents in: This story ended exactly as it should. To suggest otherwise is to miss the point of the story in its entirety. This is not a book about two people falling in and out of love before they 'get it right'. This is a story about personal growth and finding the true meaning of love, which is: Loving someone means putting their needs above your own.
Well done, Tarryn. I can't wait to see you in Chicago and stare into your eyes for the part of my soul you seem to have sucked straight from my mouth as I slept comfortably in my bed as a baby. The force is strong with you. I look forward to doing battle, cuz I'm a MIND NINJA!
December 14, 2013
What a beautiful, broken mess.
The Opportunist was both a breath of fresh air and a sucker punch to the gut. 5+ stars!!
I loved every single word and yet few books have ever made me so incredibly frustrated. It was a phenomenally well-crafted, multilayered story about complex, flawed characters. It owned me. It made me want to scream and cry. It made me feel. It was devastating, heart-breaking and yet utterly addictive. It was honestly one of the best books I have ever read. It grabbed a hold of my heart and didn't let go.
But... before the actual review, you should know that as a reader I like functional couples. Separation makes me twitchy, cheating makes me queasy, and miscommunication makes me want to breathe into a paper bag. So... having heard about this book, I was scared out of my ever-loving mind, terrified even, to start it because it pretty much has every single thing in it that I usually dislike. I was seriously worried that I would flat-out, no holds bared hate it.
I couldn't have been more wrong. I loved it!
That being said, on more than one occasion I came dangerously close to dashing my Kindle against the wall in frustration and watching it shatter along with my heart but... *holds up one finger* ... the story was so well written and the characters were so compelling that I couldn't help but fall in love with it.
Tarryn Fisher is a master of words and a genius at manipulating the emotions of her readers. Reading this book is like watching a train wreck - you know what's coming and but you're absolutely unable to look away.
Ok. Where to start?
"I am Olivia Kaspen, and if I love something I rip it from my life. Not intentionally... not unintentionally either."
This story follows Olivia. This girl is just full of the most intense tangle of self-doubt and lack of self-worth imaginable. In college she fell in love with a boy and we're talking head over heels, once-in-a-lifetime love. But she was unable to admit it and the power he had over her heart terrified her so even though it went against everything she wanted deep down, she walked away.
Three years later, she finds out that Caleb, the man she still loves and who still owns her heart, has lost his memory in an accident and she sees this as the perfect opportunity to try and start over. This could be her redo, a chance to wash away the mistakes of the past.
But nothing is ever that simple. He has a life that he's built since she left and a girlfriend now too, Leah, who is determined not to lose the man she now loves. He may not remember his life but it's there looming over them and Olivia is racing against time trying desperately to rebuild what they'd lost knowing that at any minute, he could remember everything.
"After three long years, I have what I want and it isn't real. He doesn't know who I am, and if he did, he wouldn't be sitting in my living room... He doesn't remember me. How could you forget someone you loved even if I did rip his heart to shreds?"
The story is told almost completely from Olivia's point of view in a mixture of both present day scenes and flashbacks to when they first met so we got to see both their interactions now as well as the build up to the tangled mess they were in before his accident.
They'd met in college. He was the jock who had girls flocking to him left, right and center and she was the girl with no intention of becoming another notch on his bedpost.
"I certainly didn't care what effect he had on the females on campus. Caleb Drake meant nothing to me. He would never mean anything to me. I was un-shmoozable. The end."
She was so sure she had him pegged and yet at every step, this relentless, gorgeous boy seemed one step ahead of her...
"Do you take compliments?" he asked...
"If they're original."
He snickered and rolled his eyes.
"Okay, okay," he said. He was trying not to laugh... "Do you want the jock to compliment you or the guy who reads Great Expectations."
I couldn't help but root for them. I wanted them to work it out and knowing that things between them had fallen apart in the future made everything that much more painful. I don't want to say more about the story for now but just know that it kept me riveted right up until the end. Absolutely unputdownable.
Tarryn Fisher's writing is just phenomenal. This is such a well-crafted book. I honestly would have enjoyed reading it just for the writing alone regardless of how the story turned out. The wording, the flow of the story, it was just totally captivating and absorbing. By the end of the first page, my heart was 100% invested in the story. It drew me in, grabbed hold and didn't let go.
With the way it's written, you are right in Olivia's head experiencing every thought and emotional right along side her. I really loved her character and while I wouldn't have done the same things she did, I could also totally understand why she did them.
I felt terrible for her. At times, I just wanted to shake her and at others, I just wanted to hug her because I could tell that what was going on with her was almost out of her control. The issues left over by her past had a deep hold on her and despite what she wanted, no matter how desperately she wanted it, it was like she couldn't help but bring the pain onto herself by shutting out what she wanted most.
"I was a relationship retard. I kicked, shoved, and punched people out of my life, so they never had a chance to hurt me."
And it didn't help that, as swoony as Caleb was, he pushed her too far at times and crossed too many lines. Given how difficult being in a relationship was for her in the first place, I could totally understand why she reacted the way she did even though I could also understand his frustration with how much she kept holding back.
I felt bad for her because in many ways, she was her own worst enemy and brought more pain on herself than anyone else did. It was tragic and heart breaking to see how little self-worth she had. It was like she had a self-destruct button that was constantly being pushed. But I didn't view her as being as bad a person as she thought she was. She was just a flawed, damaged, woman who wanted the man she was in love with with every fiber of her heart and soul but just had no understanding about how to handle her feelings or go about healthily getting what she wanted.
"It's the same guilt fame I've been playing all along, to be near Caleb regardless of the circumstances or cost. Caleb, Caleb, Caleb."
She was just so locked inside herself. I could see her struggling with her emotions. She was feeling them so strongly but on the inside only and she just couldn't make the leap to communicate them to him because of how much she feared the power that Celeb had over her heart.
"He watches my face in fascination. He's looking for a reaction, but my reaction is all on the inside where he can't see it... where I am hiding it."
Ok, now I just need take a moment to scream that I LOVE CALEB DRAKE!!!!!!!!! Omg. I love him with a serious intensity. Ok, I hate him a teensy tiny bit too, but that's all part of the fun. Protective, spontaneous, intelligent, and caring, he just made me melt. He was flawed, to be sure, that man was not perfect but still... my heart bled for him because he was just caught in the middle of this tumultuous storm of emotions and lies when all he wanted was the love a girl who just didn't know how to love him back in a way that showed.
"You're a good guy, Caleb Drake."
"A man is only as good as what he loves most, right? I flinched.
Hopefully, that wasn't true. I was about as rotten as a month old egg.
But like I said, I was also frustrated with him because he didn't know how to be with her either. He pushed her too far at times instead of giving her the safety net she needed but on the flip side, he was nearly endlessly patient with her in certain other respects. But I think what angered me the most was how in the end, the reason she ended up walking away was in reaction to something he did and he couldn't see that. It frustrated me to no end. He was wrong and utterly oblivious to how much his actions devastated her.
"You will remember me every day for the rest of your life because I was the one and you threw me away."
*sigh*
This book perfectly captures the feeling of first love - and I don't mean the starry rainbows and butterflies of the beginning of a relationship, I mean the soul-deep, rooted-in-your-heart depths of first love... the kind that can't be diminished even years of heart ache, betrayals and devastation. The kind you don't forget and can never replace.
These characters are just so deeply flawed but with the way the story is written, you can see why they did what they did. I felt like even things that I'd normally hate to read about in other books, I was okay with here because of how much I could understand where each character was coming from.
So now... about Leah. I didn't actually hate her outright. I tried to be understanding of her because it wasn't as though she'd come on scene when Caleb and Olivia were a couple. She arrived afterwards and fallen in love with a man who could never love her back the way she loved him because he would be forever in love with someone else. No claim she could lay on him - no jewelry or vows - would ever buy the piece of his heart that belonged to Olivia. And that was actually kind of tragic to me so at first, I tried to be understanding. I mean, don't get me wrong, I hated what she represented which was someone that stood in the way of the happily-ever-after of the couple I was rooting for and I hated things she did. But, when I tried to look at things from her perspective, yes, many of her actions were extreme bordering on unhinged but... I kind of understood her too.
She just wanted Caleb. Was that a crime? In romance-novel-world, sure, yes it is. But I can't really fault her for wanting to fight for him even though I wished she'd just vanish off the face of the earth. It was actually something else that happened in the story later that made me despise her because it showed another side to her that just made me ill.
The book wasn't quite as angsty as I expected at first and so here I was, totally wrapped up in the story, thinking I had a good handle on where things were going when the 70% mark hit and HOLY TWIST!! Oh. my. God. Shivers went straight up through me - neck to toes. I teared up. Couldn't breathe. Woah!!! And from that point on it really built. This is where the train-wreck analogy comes in because I knew how it would end but I could not look away.
The ending gutted me. It was a quiet pain. No sudden twist or startling conclusion but just the realization of an inevitability that had been building that was full of absolute, heart-wrenching pain. I wouldn't actually call it a cliffhanger because it didn't leave you hanging... it just didn't end with the characters where you wanted them. Not at all. Thankfully though there are two more books in the series and so the story isn't over yet.
But you know one of the other things I loved about this book was that it was ballsy. It went where few romance novels ever go. It crossed all sorts of lines most romance novels never cross and unapologetically trampled over every bit of my heart. But it made me feel. I loved that.
To any readers out there who haven't yet read this and are on the fence, I say go for it!!!! Just be tolerant. The whole story is a giant mess. Expect that. Just ride it out and enjoy the craziness!
Like I said above, this is one of the best books I've ever read. I swear, more than half my book is highlighted. The writing is just gold. Absolutely phenomenal.
It's captivating, heart breaking, and devastating at times and the characters are deeply flawed but... I still have hope.
I'm holding out for love to win... It has to.
Right?
5+ stars!!
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February 24, 2016
I am still trying to get a handle on how I feel after reading this book. You know it's a great book when it stays with you and you can't get it out of your head. This is one of those books.
I've had this book on my TBR for a very long time and I just hadn't ever gotten around to it until now. I saw rave reviews from friends and a part of me was worried that it wouldn't live up to the hype. Now, I'm kicking myself for not reading this book sooner! It has blown me away!
I don't want to give too much away, but will say that it is an unconventional second-chance love story. The heroine, Olivia, gets a chance to reunite with her ex-boyfriend when they cross paths over three years after their break-up. Caleb is suffering from amnesia, following a car accident, and doesn't remember the way she broke his heart.
Olivia isn't your typical heroine in that it is her imperfections that often make her endearing as a reader. She doesn't put up a front or deny her bad thoughts. She wants Caleb and is willing to use any means necessary to get him, even if she knows that their time together is short-lived.
Add in the fact that Caleb had apparently moved on with a girlfriend that he can't remember, but who is desperate to keep him as well, and you've got plenty of drama to keep this story going. As crazy as some of Olivia's actions were, and believe me they were, Leah is operating on the same level. Both women were willing to go to some pretty drastic lengths to hang on to Caleb.
Despite her stalker tendencies and manipulative actions, I found myself begrudgingly loving Olivia. I wanted her to be happy and my heart went out to her. The deeper the story delved into her background, the more I wanted this underdog to come out ahead.
Conversely, I didn't fully appreciate why both of these women were so desperate to have Caleb. Sure, he was a good looking, nice guy, but I didn't understand the "wow" factor. Honestly, I was kind of pissed with how expendable Olivia seemed to be to him, right from the start.
Anytime he didn't get the reaction he wanted from her, he froze her out entirely for months or years at a time. I thought his treatment of her was far worse, yet she was portrayed as the villain. I didn't get it.
Aside from one terrible and manipulative thing that she did to a girl that he was dating in college, which ultimately ruined his relationship with that girl, I found her actions to be far less offensive than his. If you ask me, he was entirely to blame for their second break-up, and at least partially to blame for the first.
Regardless of fault, I was completely enthralled with this story. The writing was exceptional, with humor laced throughout. I devoured this audiobook! I am reading the second book now and it is every bit as good as this one.
If you've been on the fence with this one, read it! It isn't your typical, rainbows and unicorns story, but it is well worth a read (or listen). I highly recommend this book!
I've had this book on my TBR for a very long time and I just hadn't ever gotten around to it until now. I saw rave reviews from friends and a part of me was worried that it wouldn't live up to the hype. Now, I'm kicking myself for not reading this book sooner! It has blown me away!
I don't want to give too much away, but will say that it is an unconventional second-chance love story. The heroine, Olivia, gets a chance to reunite with her ex-boyfriend when they cross paths over three years after their break-up. Caleb is suffering from amnesia, following a car accident, and doesn't remember the way she broke his heart.
Olivia isn't your typical heroine in that it is her imperfections that often make her endearing as a reader. She doesn't put up a front or deny her bad thoughts. She wants Caleb and is willing to use any means necessary to get him, even if she knows that their time together is short-lived.
Add in the fact that Caleb had apparently moved on with a girlfriend that he can't remember, but who is desperate to keep him as well, and you've got plenty of drama to keep this story going. As crazy as some of Olivia's actions were, and believe me they were, Leah is operating on the same level. Both women were willing to go to some pretty drastic lengths to hang on to Caleb.
Despite her stalker tendencies and manipulative actions, I found myself begrudgingly loving Olivia. I wanted her to be happy and my heart went out to her. The deeper the story delved into her background, the more I wanted this underdog to come out ahead.
Conversely, I didn't fully appreciate why both of these women were so desperate to have Caleb. Sure, he was a good looking, nice guy, but I didn't understand the "wow" factor. Honestly, I was kind of pissed with how expendable Olivia seemed to be to him, right from the start.
Anytime he didn't get the reaction he wanted from her, he froze her out entirely for months or years at a time. I thought his treatment of her was far worse, yet she was portrayed as the villain. I didn't get it.
Aside from one terrible and manipulative thing that she did to a girl that he was dating in college, which ultimately ruined his relationship with that girl, I found her actions to be far less offensive than his. If you ask me, he was entirely to blame for their second break-up, and at least partially to blame for the first.
Regardless of fault, I was completely enthralled with this story. The writing was exceptional, with humor laced throughout. I devoured this audiobook! I am reading the second book now and it is every bit as good as this one.
If you've been on the fence with this one, read it! It isn't your typical, rainbows and unicorns story, but it is well worth a read (or listen). I highly recommend this book!
June 9, 2014
"Are you a bad person, Olivia?"
"Yes," I say easily.
This book was almost impossible to rate. My mind literally feels like it has been torn in half over this book - and particularly torn in half over my opinion of the main character. There are a number of things you should probably know.
1) The writing. The writing in The Opportunist is a cut above many of the other New Adult books I've read. It's compulsively readable and extremely entertaining, to the point where I finished this novel in a single sitting and immediately considered picking up the sequel. There was a single cringy piece of writing somewhere near the beginning that made me roll my eyes, but it thankfully remained lonely and the rest was good. Here it is, because any small amount of respect my online friends have for me would disappear if I didn't point this beauty out: "He was like a jalapeño, bright and smooth, but dangerously hot. A small part of me wanted to bite him."
2) The protagonist. She is a complete bitch. I don't say that lightly, either. This girl is a manipulative, backstabbing, slut-shaming piece of work. She constantly screws people over to get what she wants. Being inside her mind is like receiving a constant stream of hatred towards every other person and especially every other woman.
But... she's kind of different to every other annoying, insufferable New Adult main character. Sure, she shares a lot of the same characteristics, but what I personally hate is the way many NA MCs treat other women with disdain as part of the author's mission to get us to view the MC in a positive "pure" way and other women as evil and "slutty". That isn't the case here. Olivia is an unlikable protagonist and the author never tries to sell her as something else. We know she's a bitch and we're meant to know, even Olivia knows it. If you don't mind unlikable narrators, then you might actually love this book.
Take this quote from the lovely Olivia: "The thought of Leah in a white dress made me want to laugh. She was better suited for slutty lingerie and a stripper pole." Damn, I hate her. I'm pretty sure T-Swift wrote a song about her...
I hate her, but I strangely sympathise with some parts of her story. Olivia is so bitter towards everyone in her life that she screws up all her relationships, not just romantic ones. She is painfully alone.
"I had taken advantage of a girl looking for someone to trust and I used her predicament for my own personal gain. I was my father’s child. I hated myself."
Olivia doesn't get what she wants and she has no one to blame but herself... I thought this was an intriguing spin on the more typical stories of a woman trying to get the man she loves.
3) The story. The plot alternates between the past and the present. A past Olivia falls in love with Caleb and proceeds to ruin the relationship with her own manipulative, self-destructive personality. In the present, Olivia runs into Caleb again, only to discover that an accident has robbed him of his memory. Seeing an opportunity, hence the title, Olivia pretends not to know Caleb and attempts to make him fall for her all over again before he gets his memory back and marries Leah - his red-headed girlfriend (and narrator of the sequel).
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the development and downfall of the relationship, as well as Olivia's opportunistic ploy to win him back. Without giving away any spoilers, approximately the last quarter is set even further into the future and was actually pretty sad at points.
4) The melodrama. This is going to be a short point but Olivia is a self-confessed drama llama. Sometimes it tried my patience. I mean, come on, what even is this: "I make noises I will regret until the day I die." Let's think about that a minute, shall we? You make noises in sex you will regret until the day you die. Noises... you will regret... until the day you die. You obviously have way too much time on your hands if you can regret some noises until the day you die. I don't care if you break out into the Pokemon theme tune mid-orgasm, dude, you get over it.
5) The love interest. I have mixed feelings about Caleb too. In the same way, I feel like I understand a lot of his motivations even though I don't agree with everything he does. Honestly, they're fucking perfect for each other if anyone is. But I won't go into spoilers, so I will say that I liked him a lot more than many NA love interests. He's sweet, funny and romantic for the most part. Predictably beautiful, of course, but I suppose that comes with the genre.
Also, I'm a bit of a sucker for the kind of love stories that happen over a long period of time, with both parties meeting up and almost making it work but eventually being torn apart again... until next time. I know, I know, could the When Harry Met Sally influence be more obvious? Shut up, I love that movie.
6) The ending. I liked it. I saw the earlier "twist" coming a mile away, though. But it didn't matter too much. I like how things were wrapped up well but left open for the sequel at the same time. It was perfect yet sad, and I'm glad things worked out that way. Despite my thoughts and feelings being all over while reading this, it had enough of an impact that I know I want to pick up the next book. And I'm interested in what Leah has to say. Spoil this series in the comments and I will throw my Harry Potter hardbacks at you. You've been warned :)
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February 14, 2013
"You can only give your heart away once; after that, everything else will chase your first love."
~
Love.
Lies.
More love.
More lies.
This book was AMAZING and UNPUTDOWNABLE but after finishing it I just felt emotionally EXHAUSTED.
From the moment I started reading The Opportunist, it sucked me right in. I was unable to put it down and thank God I was on vacation so I was able to finish it in one day. The Opportunist is a story about love mixed with heartbreak and deceit. It is about the choices we make in life and the effect they have on our present and future...
"I have finally accepted that there are consequences to every action. I earned them and they are rightfully mine. There is no time to make bad decisions. Every step is precious. The definition of living is mine." ~ Olivia
Then - Caleb and Olivia meet each other when they are both in college. He's the hottest, most popular guy on campus; she's the kind of girl who rather spends all her time in the library studying. She's an extremely beautiful girl, but because of the way she acts, people don't easily approach her. She's distant and constantly keeps her guard up around other people. That is until she meets Caleb...
"Caleb was like a hurricane that swept through my life, stirring up things inside of me that I never knew existed. He is a longing I will never cure."
They fall in love, but because of Olivia's secrets and lies, it soon becomes impossible for them to stay together. The situation escalates, they break up (and not in a pretty way!).
"I will love again, Olivia, you will hurt forever. What you've done is...you are worthless because you make yourself that way. You will remember me every day for the rest of your life because I was the one and you threw me away." And then he left.
Now - Four years after they both separated their ways, Olivia suddenly runs into Caleb again. She's shocked and surprised to see the man who she once loved so much, especially since Caleb doesn't seem to have any idea who she is... Apparently he has been in a car accident a while before and now he suffers from a severe case of amnesia. With Caleb not remembering anything from their past, Olivia spots the perfect opportunity to start over and maybe win Caleb back! That is, if she manages to steal him away from his current new girlfriend, Leah.
Will she succeed? Or will her deceit and lies once again come in the way of them finally being together?
Well, that is for you to find out by reading this captivating and emotional story...
--------------------------------------------------
Caleb - I loved him (although at times he was a sneaky bastard too) -
"He was my crack. I could never get enough, and when I had him I was already thinking about when I could have him next."
As I said earlier, Caleb was the kind of guy who could get any girl he wanted in the blink of an eye. But he didn't just want any other girl, he wanted Olivia and for that he was willing to fight. Most of the time he was really sweet and considerate and I loved him for being so patient while Olivia was having a hard time expressing her emotions. What I didn't get though . Then there were a few other things he did that made me a little angry with him but overall, I understood why he decided to handle the situation the way he did.
Olivia - I really liked her (although I certainly don't approve of everything she did) -
Olivia constantly kept her feelings hidden from the people around her, in fear of getting hurt.
"I was a relationship retard. I kicked, shoved, and punched people out of my life, so they never had a chance to hurt me."
I often wished she would stop being so insecure and that she would be a little more open and honest about what she was feeling; I think that way she could have spared Caleb and herself a lot of heartbreak. On the other hand, by the second half of the story she did start to come through. She new what she wanted and she was willing to go a long way to get it. She was a master of the façade and she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty.
"I took it a step further, because remember, I fight dirty."
I would never condone some of the steps she took to accomplish her way, but the way the author wrote it, I really felt a lot of sympathy towards her and I was constantly rooting for her so she could finally get the happy ending she deserved.
Leah - All I have to say to her is -
Seriously, I HATED her!!! From what I've read of her so far, I can honestly say there isn't a good bone in her body. How she manipulated her way into Caleb's life is disgusting and I really hope she will finally get what she deserves somewhere in the next part of this series.
"I kiss him for all the times I never got to kiss him, and for the times he's been kissing Leah instead of me. I kiss him because I ruined everything and I could have had this every day."
And after the way it ended, I just wanted to crawl in a hole and die.
To everyone who hasn't read this incredible book yet, I would say READ IT !!! It's an incredible story that will stay with me for a very long time. Even now, days after finishing it, I often still think about this book. Tarryn Fisher sure is an amazingly talented writer and I can't wait to read the next part of this series very soon!!!!
Favorite quotes
"And my favorite, your lips." He smiled as a pink flush crept up my neck. "Full and sensual, pluckered, and always turned down at the corners. They kind of make me want to kiss them until they smile."
~~~
"There is more to loving someone than just making yourself happy. You have to want him to be happier than you are."
~~~
"Life balances itself on a precarious ledge, we can stay safe up high or propel off the ledge."
~~~
"It's the last real kiss of my life. I forever cling to that kiss. It was goodbye and I'm sorry and I love you so much."
~~~
5 brilliantly complicated but beautiful STARS!!!
July 22, 2013
Reader Beware this book will leave you screaming "OH HELL NO"
5 STARS out of 5
Genre- Adult Contemporary Romance
Setting- Miami, Fl., Georgia, and Texas
-Part one: Spoiler Free
-'You can only give your heart away once, after that, everything else will chase your first love'. - Inner thoughts of Olivia in The Opportunist
The Opportunist will penetrate the recesses of your being.
All due to CHOICES
The Opportunist is a book about choices- good ones, bad ones, small ones and big ones. Everything in our lives is built on the choices we make even the simple ones like to go left or right, to sit here or over there. Then we get the effect/conclusion these Choices bring. The effects can be joy, pain, violence, peace, salvation, destruction, love, hate all an abundance of answers to our choices. We encounter people whose lives can change from our Choices; and not all are innocent because they have choices too. In the end if you can stand by your Choices and live with them be thy great or small is up to you.
In The Opportunist Olivia runs into the love of her life Caleb Drake at a music store. She thinks to herself "this can't be" she has not seen or heard from him in 3 years. When their eyes meet and she realizes he has no idea who she is because of his amnesia from a car accident she takes advantage. Olivia pretends she does not know him. Oh but she does know him very well, Caleb Drake her ex-boyfriend from college and former love of her life. Caleb Drake is tall, sexy, rich and has a British accent. Olivia hurt Caleb in the past and he walked out of her life vowing to move on and never look back.
Now once again unbeknownst to his former self Caleb is attracted to Olivia AGAIN. And the two strike up a conversation that leads to a friendship against Olivia's better judgement of course;) He tells her about the accident and his temporary amnesia. Olivia decides that she will keep him close for as long as she can. But Leah Caleb's girlfriend from before the accident decides she will not give up on their love easily. Leah fights for her man. Who will get Caleb in the end?? And is either worth the love he gives?
The Characters
I swear Olivia had a self destruct button. Her inability to open up and let love in caused so much pain for others. She often refered to herself as cold. But she was bitter,a manipulator, calculating and sometimes just CRUEL. In my opinion she was not as cold as she would like us to think. Because a true cold person would have not felt a damn thing. Olivia felt things after doing wrong. She just chose to not allow others to see, she kept a facade.
Caleb, i loved this guy. He loved Olivia all the way to the last page. He went through so much drama with her and his love overcame the bad. His choices played a big part in the books outcome.
Cammie was hilarious she was Olivia's trusty sidekick to the very end.
Leah was a surprise. Period. I had a love hate thing with her. She too was calculating and a manipulator. When she realized amnesia Caleb was falling for another woman she was not having it. She wanted Caleb and would stop at nothing to get him. I had to admire that.
Phrase i loved the most "Priends" pretend friends. I ate that up.LOL!!
My Ratings
Characters- Lovable and Cunning
Writing Style- Witty, Solid, Leading and Potent
Plot/Storyline- Heart Stirring, Soul Stirring and Intense
Overall- This book will penetrate the recesses of your being. READER BEWARE.
For more reviews go to http://realitybites-letsgetlost.blogs...
Part Two:
SPOILERS AHEAD- READ AT YOUR OWN RISK BECAUSE I WILL NOT HOLD BACK! REPEAT, NOT HOLD BACK!
My thoughts on the characters and the choices they made.
Olivia was bold, calculating and ruthless when it came to getting her way and seeking revenge. It's like she had a self destruct button. But she then would have feelings of sadness for what she did. Like with Jessica that was by far one of the most cruel things i have ever read. Even though Jessica mad the decision to abort the baby. Olivia still had influence over the choice and she failed to choose the right one. Then when she decided to cash in her V-Card to some random guy. I thought i was going to rip my hair from my scalp.
Caleb- He was leading... I love how the author played his position. He was not all good he was human he made mistakes. He put up with Olivia's closed heart until it made him act out. His choices were huge too. When he walked away after their first kiss i thought noooooo. It set off this chain reaction in Olivia that only brought them both pain.
Leah- Red was a bitch. Period. But i liked her spirit when it came to getting Caleb back at all cost. Can't fault her for that. Right?!? Her whole deal with not paying for those people who died from the drug released by her company was not cool. I was not happy about that.
Noah- Noah was a God sent altho i would not be surprised if Red had a private eye on Olivia and set her up with Noah too;) Noah helped Olivia grow the epilogue showed that Olivia had accepted things for what they were with the ability to move on and find peace.
Okay for those who have read this book i would like to say that i for one was happy with the ending.
5 STARS out of 5
Genre- Adult Contemporary Romance
Setting- Miami, Fl., Georgia, and Texas
-Part one: Spoiler Free
-'You can only give your heart away once, after that, everything else will chase your first love'. - Inner thoughts of Olivia in The Opportunist
The Opportunist will penetrate the recesses of your being.
All due to CHOICES
The Opportunist is a book about choices- good ones, bad ones, small ones and big ones. Everything in our lives is built on the choices we make even the simple ones like to go left or right, to sit here or over there. Then we get the effect/conclusion these Choices bring. The effects can be joy, pain, violence, peace, salvation, destruction, love, hate all an abundance of answers to our choices. We encounter people whose lives can change from our Choices; and not all are innocent because they have choices too. In the end if you can stand by your Choices and live with them be thy great or small is up to you.
In The Opportunist Olivia runs into the love of her life Caleb Drake at a music store. She thinks to herself "this can't be" she has not seen or heard from him in 3 years. When their eyes meet and she realizes he has no idea who she is because of his amnesia from a car accident she takes advantage. Olivia pretends she does not know him. Oh but she does know him very well, Caleb Drake her ex-boyfriend from college and former love of her life. Caleb Drake is tall, sexy, rich and has a British accent. Olivia hurt Caleb in the past and he walked out of her life vowing to move on and never look back.
Now once again unbeknownst to his former self Caleb is attracted to Olivia AGAIN. And the two strike up a conversation that leads to a friendship against Olivia's better judgement of course;) He tells her about the accident and his temporary amnesia. Olivia decides that she will keep him close for as long as she can. But Leah Caleb's girlfriend from before the accident decides she will not give up on their love easily. Leah fights for her man. Who will get Caleb in the end?? And is either worth the love he gives?
The Characters
I swear Olivia had a self destruct button. Her inability to open up and let love in caused so much pain for others. She often refered to herself as cold. But she was bitter,a manipulator, calculating and sometimes just CRUEL. In my opinion she was not as cold as she would like us to think. Because a true cold person would have not felt a damn thing. Olivia felt things after doing wrong. She just chose to not allow others to see, she kept a facade.
Caleb, i loved this guy. He loved Olivia all the way to the last page. He went through so much drama with her and his love overcame the bad. His choices played a big part in the books outcome.
Cammie was hilarious she was Olivia's trusty sidekick to the very end.
Leah was a surprise. Period. I had a love hate thing with her. She too was calculating and a manipulator. When she realized amnesia Caleb was falling for another woman she was not having it. She wanted Caleb and would stop at nothing to get him. I had to admire that.
Phrase i loved the most "Priends" pretend friends. I ate that up.LOL!!
My Ratings
Characters- Lovable and Cunning
Writing Style- Witty, Solid, Leading and Potent
Plot/Storyline- Heart Stirring, Soul Stirring and Intense
Overall- This book will penetrate the recesses of your being. READER BEWARE.
For more reviews go to http://realitybites-letsgetlost.blogs...
Part Two:
SPOILERS AHEAD- READ AT YOUR OWN RISK BECAUSE I WILL NOT HOLD BACK! REPEAT, NOT HOLD BACK!
My thoughts on the characters and the choices they made.
Olivia was bold, calculating and ruthless when it came to getting her way and seeking revenge. It's like she had a self destruct button. But she then would have feelings of sadness for what she did. Like with Jessica that was by far one of the most cruel things i have ever read. Even though Jessica mad the decision to abort the baby. Olivia still had influence over the choice and she failed to choose the right one. Then when she decided to cash in her V-Card to some random guy. I thought i was going to rip my hair from my scalp.
Caleb- He was leading... I love how the author played his position. He was not all good he was human he made mistakes. He put up with Olivia's closed heart until it made him act out. His choices were huge too. When he walked away after their first kiss i thought noooooo. It set off this chain reaction in Olivia that only brought them both pain.
Leah- Red was a bitch. Period. But i liked her spirit when it came to getting Caleb back at all cost. Can't fault her for that. Right?!? Her whole deal with not paying for those people who died from the drug released by her company was not cool. I was not happy about that.
Noah- Noah was a God sent altho i would not be surprised if Red had a private eye on Olivia and set her up with Noah too;) Noah helped Olivia grow the epilogue showed that Olivia had accepted things for what they were with the ability to move on and find peace.
Okay for those who have read this book i would like to say that i for one was happy with the ending.
September 24, 2020
★★★★★! Love Me With Lies, book 1 of 3! The epic and very dysfunctional love saga of Caleb & Olivia taking you on a roller-coaster of emotions!
“He will remember eventually and this whole charade will come crashing down around me like a bad game of Jenga. Until then, I have him back and I am going to hold onto that for as long as I can.”
The Love Me With Lies series is Caleb Drake’s and Olivia Kaspen’s whirlwind saga spanning over a decade filled with love, joy, angst, anger, frustration, but mostly a profound sadness for all the could-have-beens. Their love, in all its dysfunction and deception, is so great it blurs the line between right and wrong, overcomes trial and tribulation with hopes of transcending time!
Books in Love Me With Lies series should be read in order and together:
The Opportunist (book 1)
Dirty Red (book 2)
Thief (book 3)
My dear friend Ratherread shared with me that the author came up with the concept for the book while sitting at a coffee shop and thinking that if her ex came in with amnesia she would lie to win him back….
And so The Opportunist (book 1) opens up... Olivia spots her ex, Caleb in a store and decides to bump into him. When she discovers he has amnesia she realizes she will do anything to have him back, if but for a moment, until his memory returns. The story follows them in the aftermath of that meeting. It also looks back a few years giving us glimpses into how they met and the story takes as several years into the future.
The Opportunist is a love triangle told from Olivia’s POV and it will give you a good understanding of who she is while Caleb remains a mystery and Leah makes her entrance as the villain. It will keep you glued all the way to the shocking and painful ending. Please be sure to have book 2, Dirty Red handy!
Olivia Kaspen frustrated me, while wrapping herself around my heart. Five words to describe Olivia: Self-destructive, broken, insightful, endearing and lost.
“I’ll always want you, Olivia. It was never about not wanting you, it was about wanting you too much and you not wanting me back!”
We got one little glimpse into Caleb Drake’s mind in this story, but for most part he will remain an enigma. Five words to describe Caleb: Captivating, enigmatic, unforgettable, conflicted and enduring.
“Caleb had been my imperfection, with his slightly Americanized British accent, and the way he could play any sport and quote any philosopher. He was such a mix of class and jock, romance and jerk; it made me crazy.”
I can’t recall when last I felt such an urge to see a hero/heroine together, yet their story is far from over. Spellbinding storytelling! Unforgettable characters! Unique plot! Epic! Epic! Epic! Thanks Ms. Fisher! It was worth the wait!
You will remember me every day for the rest of your life because I was the one and you threw me away.”
***
Hero rating: 5 stars
Heroine rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes rating: 4 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 3.5 stars
Storyline concept rating: 5 stars
Storyline execution rating: 5 stars
Storytelling skills rating: 5 stars
Story ending rating: N/A
Book editing rating (5 = no edits spotted): 4.5 stars
************************************************
Overall rating: 5 stars
Would I recommend this series: Yes.
Would I re-read this series: Yes.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.
June 3, 2015
Dgfsethuyfawguijasdf.
That epilogue almost broke me.
So... I liked this book, but not as much as everyone else (?). I think I read it a little too late? This would've worked PERFECTLY for me back in 2012, when I was really into this kind of stories. But nevertheless, it was GOOD!
I really liked Olivia. And I really liked Caleb, although .
Also, I want to say that this book was ADDICTIVE. I couldn't stop reading.
I wasn't sure about reading Dirty Red because I hate Leah, but I reaaaally want to read Thief, so I must continue, haha!
That epilogue almost broke me.
So... I liked this book, but not as much as everyone else (?). I think I read it a little too late? This would've worked PERFECTLY for me back in 2012, when I was really into this kind of stories. But nevertheless, it was GOOD!
I really liked Olivia. And I really liked Caleb, although .
Also, I want to say that this book was ADDICTIVE. I couldn't stop reading.
I wasn't sure about reading Dirty Red because I hate Leah, but I reaaaally want to read Thief, so I must continue, haha!
September 22, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“Can I be your favorite girl?”
“You already are, Duchess.”
Dear Tarryn Fisher:
It doesn’t have to be a snowman. Really, it doesn’t. We can just sit around and you can remind me that there are people who are even more f*&^ed up than I am while I braid your hair.
WARNING: If you like your romance fluffy with a HEA you best get to steppin’. However, if you are like me and like your “romance” with a twist of obsession and zero squicky sex scenes, The Opportunist is a good choice.
Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Olivia met Caleb in college. She was the prude – he was the playboy . . . .
When Caleb set his sights on Olivia, she figured it was simply to be another notch on his bedpost, but a friendly wager led to one date . . .
“Olivia?”
“What?” I snapped.
“I’m going to kiss you. Just so you know.”
which eventually led to some uhhhhh, not so okay behavior . . .
WRONG! Mitchell and I love unhealthy weirdies!
Fast-forward to the present where Olivia and Caleb’s paths cross once again. This time it’s different. Mainly because Caleb has a case of accident-induced amnesia, but Olivia ain’t ‘bout to look that gift-horse in the mouth so she decides she’ll take what she can get while she can get it and once his memory returns she’ll go back to being a broken-hearted shell of her former self . . .
Ahhhhhh, tainted love. Momma likey.
The story does the wibbly wobbly from past to present in order to fill in the missing details. You know, minor things like current fiancés.
And then? It ends with a motherf*&^ing open ending! Thank Tom Cruise I had already been forewarned or I probably would have cut a bitch. However, it was an open ending that I could have been satisfied leaving as is had I not become totally invested in hearing “Big Red’s” story come Part 2. This is why I try not to get all . . .
when it comes to my practice of not reading past #1 in a series. While I do normally avoid the second (and especially third) book, sometimes I get sucked right in to the dang things and can’t stop myself from wanting moremoremore.
“Can I be your favorite girl?”
“You already are, Duchess.”
Dear Tarryn Fisher:
It doesn’t have to be a snowman. Really, it doesn’t. We can just sit around and you can remind me that there are people who are even more f*&^ed up than I am while I braid your hair.
WARNING: If you like your romance fluffy with a HEA you best get to steppin’. However, if you are like me and like your “romance” with a twist of obsession and zero squicky sex scenes, The Opportunist is a good choice.
Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Olivia met Caleb in college. She was the prude – he was the playboy . . . .
When Caleb set his sights on Olivia, she figured it was simply to be another notch on his bedpost, but a friendly wager led to one date . . .
“Olivia?”
“What?” I snapped.
“I’m going to kiss you. Just so you know.”
which eventually led to some uhhhhh, not so okay behavior . . .
WRONG! Mitchell and I love unhealthy weirdies!
Fast-forward to the present where Olivia and Caleb’s paths cross once again. This time it’s different. Mainly because Caleb has a case of accident-induced amnesia, but Olivia ain’t ‘bout to look that gift-horse in the mouth so she decides she’ll take what she can get while she can get it and once his memory returns she’ll go back to being a broken-hearted shell of her former self . . .
Ahhhhhh, tainted love. Momma likey.
The story does the wibbly wobbly from past to present in order to fill in the missing details. You know, minor things like current fiancés.
And then? It ends with a motherf*&^ing open ending! Thank Tom Cruise I had already been forewarned or I probably would have cut a bitch. However, it was an open ending that I could have been satisfied leaving as is had I not become totally invested in hearing “Big Red’s” story come Part 2. This is why I try not to get all . . .
when it comes to my practice of not reading past #1 in a series. While I do normally avoid the second (and especially third) book, sometimes I get sucked right in to the dang things and can’t stop myself from wanting moremoremore.
March 2, 2017
A ver... este libro fue un drama total. Parece de esas novelas de tv llenas de problemas, mentiras, traiciones y todo lo malo que se te pueda ocurrir.
La parte cuerda de mí. Me exige que no lea más esta serie.Pero yo también soy masoquista.Y de cuerda ahora mismo tengo más bien poco, así que lo que no puedo esperar a hacer es leer la continuación... ¡YA!
Bien, en esta historia tenemos a una protagonista más bitch que nadie, una villana que es una víbora venenosa bien grande y un prota cañón, pero súper manipulador.
...
Oliva... (la protagonista). Es una de las personas más dañadas emocionalmente que he leído en TODA mi vida... mis 23 veranos lo avalan. Es destructiva, insoportable, manipuladora, traicionera. Una P.E.R.R.A.
Leah... bueno, a ella no la conocemos tan a fondo en este primer libro, pero estoy segura que es una víbora venenosa como la que más, supongo que es igual de manipuladora que Olivia. Tomando en cuenta todo lo que hizo...
Caleb...es diferente, confuso, complicado y muy enrevesado. Caleb puede ser la clase de chico que te mueres por presentarles a tus padres, amoroso, caballero, atento. Pero también un patán con todas sus letras. Caleb, ¡ESTÁ ENFERMO! Así es como lo veo yo. Porque nadie en su sano juicio hace lo que estos 3 han estado haciéndose los unos a los otros.
La historia es atrapante, engancha desde el primer momento. Hace que no puedas despegarte de la lectura hasta saber el secreto. LA TRAICIÓN. Lo que pasó y lo que pasará. Decir que me mantuvo en vilo es quedarse cortos. Hace tanto tiempo que un libro no me tenía así.
Este, es de esos libros retorcidos que te imploran seguir leyéndolos. Es de esos, con los que tienes que esforzarte a dormir y aun cuando lo dejaste por la paz... te impiden conciliar el sueño.
Hay tantas cosas mal con este libro que ni siquiera sé por dónde empezar. Los protagonistas, su relación, su vida. TODO grita TÓXICO a 20 km de distancia. Pero a pesar de que yo sé todo eso, no puedo de evitar tener la sensación de que falta mucho más por conocer. Este libro te deja un vacío que te pide seguir hasta el final. Es de esas historias que odias, pero no puedes evitar conocer.
No sé si me guste tanto el próximo libro, ni siquiera si estará a la altura de este... Borren eso. Ni siquiera se bien si este me gustó. Lo único que sé, es que estuvo jugando con mi cabeza todo el tiempo.
De una manera retorcida creo que me encantó el libro, pero la parte coherente de mí... me dice que tendría que tener el mismo sentido retorcido y bizarro para que me gustara. No sé si se merece las 4/ 3.5 estrellas (lo más seguro es que NO). Sip, no me pude decidir en la calificación. Así de indecisa soy. Lo único que sé, es que mis sensaciones fueron una montaña rusa que me pedía más... y más... a cada instante.
PD: Amo a Noah, no sé qué pase con él, igual es igual de tóxico que los demás, pero a mí... en las pocas páginas que apareció me conquistó.
La parte cuerda de mí. Me exige que no lea más esta serie.Pero yo también soy masoquista.
Bien, en esta historia tenemos a una protagonista más bitch que nadie, una villana que es una víbora venenosa bien grande y un prota cañón, pero súper manipulador.
—Falla, y saldré contigo.
...
—Bien, ¿por qué fallaste el tiro?
—¿Por qué fallé el tiro? —repitió—. Porque, me importa más saber sobre ti que ganar otro estúpido juego.
Oliva... (la protagonista). Es una de las personas más dañadas emocionalmente que he leído en TODA mi vida... mis 23 veranos lo avalan. Es destructiva, insoportable, manipuladora, traicionera. Una P.E.R.R.A.
Leah... bueno, a ella no la conocemos tan a fondo en este primer libro, pero estoy segura que es una víbora venenosa como la que más, supongo que es igual de manipuladora que Olivia. Tomando en cuenta todo lo que hizo...
Hace una pausa en el camino y me mira a los ojos… de perra a perra.
Caleb...es diferente, confuso, complicado y muy enrevesado. Caleb puede ser la clase de chico que te mueres por presentarles a tus padres, amoroso, caballero, atento. Pero también un patán con todas sus letras. Caleb, ¡ESTÁ ENFERMO! Así es como lo veo yo. Porque nadie en su sano juicio hace lo que estos 3 han estado haciéndose los unos a los otros.
—Tú vas a destruirme, ¿lo sabes?
Lo sabía.
La historia es atrapante, engancha desde el primer momento. Hace que no puedas despegarte de la lectura hasta saber el secreto. LA TRAICIÓN. Lo que pasó y lo que pasará. Decir que me mantuvo en vilo es quedarse cortos. Hace tanto tiempo que un libro no me tenía así.
Este, es de esos libros retorcidos que te imploran seguir leyéndolos. Es de esos, con los que tienes que esforzarte a dormir y aun cuando lo dejaste por la paz... te impiden conciliar el sueño.
—Yo siempre gano. Amaré de nuevo, Olivia, tu estarás herida para siempre. Lo que has hecho es… no vales nada, porque te haces eso a ti misma. Me recordarás todos los días por el resto de su vida, porque yo era el indicado y tú me tiraste a la basura.
Hay tantas cosas mal con este libro que ni siquiera sé por dónde empezar. Los protagonistas, su relación, su vida. TODO grita TÓXICO a 20 km de distancia. Pero a pesar de que yo sé todo eso, no puedo de evitar tener la sensación de que falta mucho más por conocer. Este libro te deja un vacío que te pide seguir hasta el final. Es de esas historias que odias, pero no puedes evitar conocer.
—Porque a partir de aproximadamente doce horas de conocerte, he decidido que nunca te olvidaré, aunque nunca hablemos una palabra entre nosotros. Dejas una impresión muy fuerte. Sólo puedo imaginar cómo ese pobre desgraciado se siente después de tantos años de mantenerse en tu compañía.
No sé si me guste tanto el próximo libro,
De una manera retorcida creo que me encantó el libro, pero la parte coherente de mí... me dice que tendría que tener el mismo sentido retorcido y bizarro para que me gustara. No sé si se merece las 4/ 3.5 estrellas
PD: Amo a Noah, no sé qué pase con él, igual es igual de tóxico que los demás, pero a mí... en las pocas páginas que apareció me conquistó.
Read
June 24, 2012I finished your book this morning, after having started it last night... I had to FORCE myself to STOP reading and go to bed. And even then, I was pissed that I slept when I could have been finishing this story.
This story HURTS.
H-U-R-T-S.
I'm still hurting.
Tomorrow, i'll probably still be hurting.
I'm sort of a jumbled mess of thoughts and emotions and even though I know what I FEEL about this book, i'm not sure how to actually SAY it.
This book is manipulative. The main character is a bitch. She does things you'd never in a million years DO. Or maybe you would. Because you sort of understand why she's doing it. You get her behavior, her actions- no matter how screwed up they might be. And... and... I don't know. This book is messy. With lies, manipulation and angst throughout (not to mention some LOL lines of dialogue along the way)- but it's not an over the top cheesy romance with a happy ending all tied up in a perfect little bow (you know, the way mine are. LOL)... it's REAL.
Too real.
About how sometimes life is messy. Relationships are messy. People are messed up. We do stupid shit. We ruin things. We try to fix them. We run away. We lose things that matter. We want them back.
It's hard to get them back.
Life isn't always rainbows and butterflies. No matter how much I want them to be. It's not the truth.
This book's truth hurts my heart. And when you read it (because really, how can you NOT?!?!) it will hurt yours too.
This story HURTS.
H-U-R-T-S.
I'm still hurting.
Tomorrow, i'll probably still be hurting.
I'm sort of a jumbled mess of thoughts and emotions and even though I know what I FEEL about this book, i'm not sure how to actually SAY it.
This book is manipulative. The main character is a bitch. She does things you'd never in a million years DO. Or maybe you would. Because you sort of understand why she's doing it. You get her behavior, her actions- no matter how screwed up they might be. And... and... I don't know. This book is messy. With lies, manipulation and angst throughout (not to mention some LOL lines of dialogue along the way)- but it's not an over the top cheesy romance with a happy ending all tied up in a perfect little bow (you know, the way mine are. LOL)... it's REAL.
Too real.
About how sometimes life is messy. Relationships are messy. People are messed up. We do stupid shit. We ruin things. We try to fix them. We run away. We lose things that matter. We want them back.
It's hard to get them back.
Life isn't always rainbows and butterflies. No matter how much I want them to be. It's not the truth.
This book's truth hurts my heart. And when you read it (because really, how can you NOT?!?!) it will hurt yours too.
July 21, 2013
One of the most addicting books I've read! Be prepared, you will not be able to put this down!
I think that after the first time you give your heart away, you never get it back. The rest of your life is just you pretending that you still have a heart.
After reading a review of The Opportunist a while back I had planned on staying far away from this story. It sounded like drama and frustration, and I have little patience for either. But after my trusted friend Arlenebadgered encouraged me to read this, I had to give in. As I expected there was drama, (lots and lots and lots!) BUT there was very little frustration. After reading a few pages I was COMPLETELY hooked, and couldn’t put this book down. The story is riveting, and the writing was amazing! I’m currently pimping this story to anyone who’ll listen, so I’ll have more victims people to gossip with.
Olivia and Caleb were together in college and had a horrible breakup. Actually, horrible is an understatement. The scars left a permanent mark on both of them, and continue to hurt even now. Olivia runs into Caleb years later and finds that he’s lost his memory. Initially, Olivia plans on just walking away and leaving things well enough alone, but she runs into Caleb a second time, and he wants to see her. Unable to resist the draw, Olivia starts seeing him again, all the while keeping the past a secret. She knows her days are numbered, because Caleb will eventually get his memory back, but she loves Caleb so much she’s willing to take what she can get.
I have to say this story utterly consumed and HAUNTED me. If I had to use one word to describe this story, it would be INTENSE. We get this story in Olivia’s POV, and she is one passionate and obsessive character when it comes to life, but especially when it comes to Caleb.
He was my crack. I could never get enough, and when I had him I was already thinking about when I could have him next.
Caleb was like a hurricane that swept through my life, stirring up things inside of me that I never knew existed. He’s a longing I will never cure.
Not that she lets many people see that. She has a wall as thick as Fort Knox around her heart, she’s so guarded. Even though you’re not in Caleb’s head you can tell he feels exactly the same about her. These two so desperately love and need each other, yet their manipulations and lies completely sabotage everything!! Normally this type of behavior would completely frustrate me and I’d want to chuck my Kindle across the room. This story was the exception. Tarryn Fisher so skillfully makes you empathize and feel for the characters, you can see why they do the things they do.
Most of the time I find that alternating from the present to the past continually, annoys me. It didn’t here. I can’t gush enough about the brilliant way things were slowly revealed, ratcheting up the story a little more each chapter until the tension is about to kill you. My stomach hurt reading this, because I kept wondering when the bottom would fall out.
My heart and head still hurt, and even though it’s days past since I’ve read it, I continually think about this story. I read Dirty Red, the sequel the next day, in one sitting. As I said in the outset, my friend Arlene convinced me to read this. We attended a book convention this last weekend and all we did the whole time was gossip and theorize about this series! We convinced my husband to read this, too and he was right along with us in our obsession. I still can’t get this story out of my head. It was heart pounding, stomach clenching INTENSE, and I loved it!!!
Right now this is a steal of a deal at .99 cents on Amazon.
You can read this review and more at The Readers Den.
I think that after the first time you give your heart away, you never get it back. The rest of your life is just you pretending that you still have a heart.
After reading a review of The Opportunist a while back I had planned on staying far away from this story. It sounded like drama and frustration, and I have little patience for either. But after my trusted friend Arlene
Olivia and Caleb were together in college and had a horrible breakup. Actually, horrible is an understatement. The scars left a permanent mark on both of them, and continue to hurt even now. Olivia runs into Caleb years later and finds that he’s lost his memory. Initially, Olivia plans on just walking away and leaving things well enough alone, but she runs into Caleb a second time, and he wants to see her. Unable to resist the draw, Olivia starts seeing him again, all the while keeping the past a secret. She knows her days are numbered, because Caleb will eventually get his memory back, but she loves Caleb so much she’s willing to take what she can get.
I have to say this story utterly consumed and HAUNTED me. If I had to use one word to describe this story, it would be INTENSE. We get this story in Olivia’s POV, and she is one passionate and obsessive character when it comes to life, but especially when it comes to Caleb.
He was my crack. I could never get enough, and when I had him I was already thinking about when I could have him next.
Caleb was like a hurricane that swept through my life, stirring up things inside of me that I never knew existed. He’s a longing I will never cure.
Not that she lets many people see that. She has a wall as thick as Fort Knox around her heart, she’s so guarded. Even though you’re not in Caleb’s head you can tell he feels exactly the same about her. These two so desperately love and need each other, yet their manipulations and lies completely sabotage everything!! Normally this type of behavior would completely frustrate me and I’d want to chuck my Kindle across the room. This story was the exception. Tarryn Fisher so skillfully makes you empathize and feel for the characters, you can see why they do the things they do.
Most of the time I find that alternating from the present to the past continually, annoys me. It didn’t here. I can’t gush enough about the brilliant way things were slowly revealed, ratcheting up the story a little more each chapter until the tension is about to kill you. My stomach hurt reading this, because I kept wondering when the bottom would fall out.
My heart and head still hurt, and even though it’s days past since I’ve read it, I continually think about this story. I read Dirty Red, the sequel the next day, in one sitting. As I said in the outset, my friend Arlene convinced me to read this. We attended a book convention this last weekend and all we did the whole time was gossip and theorize about this series! We convinced my husband to read this, too and he was right along with us in our obsession. I still can’t get this story out of my head. It was heart pounding, stomach clenching INTENSE, and I loved it!!!
Right now this is a steal of a deal at .99 cents on Amazon.
You can read this review and more at The Readers Den.
May 14, 2019
This review is about all 3 books in the series.
Do not read these books as a stand-alone. They must be read in order.
*********************************************
This series is something else. They will (pardon my language but) f*ck with your mind! You will constantly be thrown away at the walls of an invisible torture room.
You will be made to feel and think something about someone. Love, hate, anger, pity, sorrow, whatever...
Then, you will be forced to change all these feelings and thoughts when the truth is revealed.
Just when you believe that you have the truth, you will soon see that it wasn’t really the truth at all.
Mind-f*ck, right? Yeah, that is what I am talking about...
The writer will play with your judgement, morals, assessment, your right and wrong.
The writer will definitely not treat you well.
*********************************************
I had these moments when I wanted to throw away my tablet, then bounce on it, jump on it, smash it into little bits and pieces. These series sucked the life out of me.
I seriously thought of putting them down, but that was impossible too, curiosity killed the cat, right?
So, I managed to survive these books and now my life is given back to me after 3 days.
*********************************************
My final thoughts after completing the series:
This series, no matter how painful the process is, is definitely worth reading. They are extremely good. Just wait till the last sentence of the last book and you will agree with me.
Before that, you may be furious, angry, sad, depressed... But, it is worth the suffering.
*********************************************
This series is worth more than 5 stars.
The writing is very good. I had never read something like that before. Sure, there are many books around with flashbacks from the past. But this series is different.
All 3 books, have the same format: One chapter past, one chapter present, one chapter past, one chapter present. I don’t know how but the organization of it flows very smoothly and pulling this out requires great talent, I suppose. Congratulations to the writer...
There are main narrators for all three books and that changes only once or twice throughout the book.
The first book is told by the heroine, Olivia, or the opportunist as the cover says.
I have been “Team Olivia” from the very start till the end unlike some readers.
At the end of this first book, I was so devastated, so miserable and so unhappy that for a moment I considered not continuing the series but then, I found the courage in myself to go on, and thank God, I did go on, or otherwise I would have missed a great reading experience.
*********************************************
The second book is told by Leah, the villain of the series, the snake or the dirty red as the cover says. You go from pitying her to wanting to murder her. That was some experience.
*********************************************
The 3rd book was the best of all. It is told by the hero, Caleb.
Up until the third book, I hated Caleb. I hated him for his mistakes, for what he did and for what he did not do.
In this third book, I understood him and made my peace with him. Then, I loved him.
Wow, from strong hatred to love...Go figure!
*********************************************
To cut it short, I recommend the whole series. Don’t miss them. They are a must-read. Not safe, but still worth reading!
I don’t want to go into plot details but it is about two soul mates who cannot have their happily ever after for an unbelievably long time because of their characters, their mistakes, other people’s interference and the fate itself...
It is not about second chances; it is about maybe tenth chances because the story is spread over ten years of a life time.
Read this series, you won’t regret it...
*********************************************
My favorite quotes from Book 1: The Opportunist:
“I fell in love underneath a tree.”
***
“You will remember every day for the rest of your life because I was the one and you threw me away." And then he left.”
***
“Olivia, you can have any man you want. Why him ? Why is it always about Caleb ?" "Because...because I didn't need anyone until I met him.”
***
“Oh what do you know about love ? You've never cheated to have it.”
***
“Go be with your husband ... before he realises that he's still in love with me”
Do not read these books as a stand-alone. They must be read in order.
*********************************************
This series is something else. They will (pardon my language but) f*ck with your mind! You will constantly be thrown away at the walls of an invisible torture room.
You will be made to feel and think something about someone. Love, hate, anger, pity, sorrow, whatever...
Then, you will be forced to change all these feelings and thoughts when the truth is revealed.
Just when you believe that you have the truth, you will soon see that it wasn’t really the truth at all.
Mind-f*ck, right? Yeah, that is what I am talking about...
The writer will play with your judgement, morals, assessment, your right and wrong.
The writer will definitely not treat you well.
*********************************************
I had these moments when I wanted to throw away my tablet, then bounce on it, jump on it, smash it into little bits and pieces. These series sucked the life out of me.
I seriously thought of putting them down, but that was impossible too, curiosity killed the cat, right?
So, I managed to survive these books and now my life is given back to me after 3 days.
*********************************************
My final thoughts after completing the series:
This series, no matter how painful the process is, is definitely worth reading. They are extremely good. Just wait till the last sentence of the last book and you will agree with me.
Before that, you may be furious, angry, sad, depressed... But, it is worth the suffering.
*********************************************
This series is worth more than 5 stars.
The writing is very good. I had never read something like that before. Sure, there are many books around with flashbacks from the past. But this series is different.
All 3 books, have the same format: One chapter past, one chapter present, one chapter past, one chapter present. I don’t know how but the organization of it flows very smoothly and pulling this out requires great talent, I suppose. Congratulations to the writer...
There are main narrators for all three books and that changes only once or twice throughout the book.
The first book is told by the heroine, Olivia, or the opportunist as the cover says.
I have been “Team Olivia” from the very start till the end unlike some readers.
At the end of this first book, I was so devastated, so miserable and so unhappy that for a moment I considered not continuing the series but then, I found the courage in myself to go on, and thank God, I did go on, or otherwise I would have missed a great reading experience.
*********************************************
The second book is told by Leah, the villain of the series, the snake or the dirty red as the cover says. You go from pitying her to wanting to murder her. That was some experience.
*********************************************
The 3rd book was the best of all. It is told by the hero, Caleb.
Up until the third book, I hated Caleb. I hated him for his mistakes, for what he did and for what he did not do.
In this third book, I understood him and made my peace with him. Then, I loved him.
Wow, from strong hatred to love...Go figure!
*********************************************
To cut it short, I recommend the whole series. Don’t miss them. They are a must-read. Not safe, but still worth reading!
I don’t want to go into plot details but it is about two soul mates who cannot have their happily ever after for an unbelievably long time because of their characters, their mistakes, other people’s interference and the fate itself...
It is not about second chances; it is about maybe tenth chances because the story is spread over ten years of a life time.
Read this series, you won’t regret it...
*********************************************
My favorite quotes from Book 1: The Opportunist:
“I fell in love underneath a tree.”
***
“You will remember every day for the rest of your life because I was the one and you threw me away." And then he left.”
***
“Olivia, you can have any man you want. Why him ? Why is it always about Caleb ?" "Because...because I didn't need anyone until I met him.”
***
“Oh what do you know about love ? You've never cheated to have it.”
***
“Go be with your husband ... before he realises that he's still in love with me”
July 18, 2012
"From approximately twelve hours of knowing you, I have decided that I will never forget you, even if we never speak another word to each other. You leave a very strong impression. I can only imagine how that poor bastard feels after so many years of keeping company with you."
3.5 stars. That one quote sums up Olivia in a nutshell. Btw...I really liked Noah, the guy who stated the above. It's too bad we didn't meet him until the end of the book. He was quite lovely.
This book is not about the lovable Noah, however (why do I get the feeling that he's going to be playing the same role of Loring in How to Kill a Rock Star?). It's about Caleb and Olivia and their baggage - some extremely
"I will love again, Olivia, you will hurt forever. What you've done is...You are worthless because you make yourself that way. You will remember me every day for the rest of your life because I was the one and you threw me away."
Ouch. The truth hurts. Don't worry, I didn't actually spoil anything there...there's enough back and forth that you never really know what's going on with these two.
At this stage of my reading life (yes, I go through stages), I am kinda-sorta over drama books. I fed off of these types of books in a gluttonous way for quite some time until they became nausea-inducing. This is probably why I put off reading The Opportunist for a while...I knew that I'd have to mentally be in a place to handle some drama.
How did the book work for me?
It was entertaining. It was annoying. It was like looking into a mirror in parts.
I am Olivia. I hated Olivia because I am Olivia. Rather, I was Olivia. Her games were all wrong, yet I've played some of those exact same games in past relationships. She deserved to have some major sense slapped into her, yet I understood (at times) why she acted the way that she did.
At this stage in my life, I have no patience for Olivias. The mirror was hiding in the drawer in a nice, safe place. I was not having the desire to look in that mirror ever again. I suppose I should thank the author for that *fake rude glare*.
In all seriousness, I was never quite as batshit crazy as this girl. She really did have a few screws loose. Caleb was no angel, but good lord, he was put through the ringer. I can't really fault him for trying to move on.
I really don't know my feelings about this book. I liked it enough to rate it decently and am curious to read the rest of the series. However, I didn't love what was done to me. The book messed with my head just a little.
Random side note : have you noticed all of my uses of the word "I" in this review? You probably haven't because you're nothing like me. This type of writing in The Opportunist drove me just a tiny bit crazy. Not enough to knock points off my rating but there were several sections where the majority of paragraphs or sentences started with I. Blame my business writing class for making me notice this but it's a big hurdle for me to have to get past when reading. The story was so engaging though, that this small issue was something which faded away after a while.
Should YOU read this book?
If you can handle drama, sure...why not? Most of us could use a little mind screw every so often. If you're the type to want to slap someone for dishonesty and head games - run far, far away. Preferably at the speed of light.
My feelings about where the characters are headed?
So...I'm a little worried. If this series ends anything like The Luxe series did (fabulous/beautiful/amazing story arc with WTF-ery aplenty at the end), I might have to punch someone in the face.
Guess you'll just have to stay tuned to see whether I explode or not...
May 27, 2019
My nostrils are still emitting remnants of smoke from my seething anger at the characters of this book. Sure, Ms. Fisher intended a story about flawed characters specifically about a ruthlessly manipulative woman named Olivia who would do anything for the love of her life; the playing womanizing “amnesia” diagnosed Caleb. But again, which character isn’t flawed. Aren’t they all are? But the things Olivia did to feed her whims are too heartless, too mean to even fit her supposedly blemished character- a selfish opportunist. And what kind of opportunist would let her catch escape twice? Olivia being the narrator of the story confesses her actions which she perfectly knows are wicked and yet does them anyway drawing out from me countless number of eye rolls and headaches. In every cruel deed, she would ask herself “What would my mother say?” that I wanted to shake her and shout in front of her face, “OH, PLEASE RECALL WHAT YOUR MOTHER SAID, YOU AREN’T THE ONE WITH AMNESIA, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!” Also, for a smart woman that she is, I’m surprised it took her seven years to understand what she really wants and who she really wants to be with.
And then there’s Caleb- who Olivia describes as too good for her but I beg to disagree, because no- he isn’t good at all! He is a trickster, a player who controls her life without her knowing it. He changes girlfriends as often as he changes his trousers until he meets his match in Olivia. I couldn’t find even a pinch of sympathy in me for these two and even for the minor characters that are just as vile and hateful as these two.
Now, now, why give it three stars then? Notice how long I’ve gone with this review already and still without gifs? Well, that’s how furious I am at the characters and it is for this reason that I give this a three star rating. For the author to be able to stir such a passionate though unpleasant emotion in me is an incredible feat! And I do believe that Ms. Fisher is perfectly aware of the effect of her characters on her readers and yet she boldly stuck to her stand and unleashed these evil characters upon her readers anyway. That was a very consciously bold move and I respect her for that and beyond because regardless of my ill feelings for the characters, I couldn’t deny the fact that this is one of the most coherent and most unified NA novels I have yet to read.
The plot - composed of countless humps of unresolved conflicts inflicted by the narrator upon herself is just as erratic as the MC’ reason. The shift of narration from past to present connotes the unstable intentions of Olivia and even Caleb. The fast pacing of events implies one of the underlying themes of the story, which is “the horrible consequences of hasty and thoughtless actions and decisions” The straightforward manner of writing suggests the manner by which the story is concluded. So no matter how pissed I was at the MC’s, I am still logical enough to notice these incredible elements the author used to execute her story.
On top of those that I mentioned, there is this one character- Noah whose part in the story was very little and yet most significant. He changed (at least a little) my opinion of Olivia and turned the story to something acceptable, even beautiful. Of all the characters, Noah was the only one who made perfect sense.
Fight clean. Be honest. That’s the way you’ll win him back. But if you see that he’s happy, leave him be.
What kind of ending do characters like Olivia and Caleb deserve? This is now up to you whether you’ll want to find out or not. ^^
This is one of those infuriatingly good books. ^^
And then there’s Caleb- who Olivia describes as too good for her but I beg to disagree, because no- he isn’t good at all! He is a trickster, a player who controls her life without her knowing it. He changes girlfriends as often as he changes his trousers until he meets his match in Olivia. I couldn’t find even a pinch of sympathy in me for these two and even for the minor characters that are just as vile and hateful as these two.
Now, now, why give it three stars then? Notice how long I’ve gone with this review already and still without gifs? Well, that’s how furious I am at the characters and it is for this reason that I give this a three star rating. For the author to be able to stir such a passionate though unpleasant emotion in me is an incredible feat! And I do believe that Ms. Fisher is perfectly aware of the effect of her characters on her readers and yet she boldly stuck to her stand and unleashed these evil characters upon her readers anyway. That was a very consciously bold move and I respect her for that and beyond because regardless of my ill feelings for the characters, I couldn’t deny the fact that this is one of the most coherent and most unified NA novels I have yet to read.
The plot - composed of countless humps of unresolved conflicts inflicted by the narrator upon herself is just as erratic as the MC’ reason. The shift of narration from past to present connotes the unstable intentions of Olivia and even Caleb. The fast pacing of events implies one of the underlying themes of the story, which is “the horrible consequences of hasty and thoughtless actions and decisions” The straightforward manner of writing suggests the manner by which the story is concluded. So no matter how pissed I was at the MC’s, I am still logical enough to notice these incredible elements the author used to execute her story.
On top of those that I mentioned, there is this one character- Noah whose part in the story was very little and yet most significant. He changed (at least a little) my opinion of Olivia and turned the story to something acceptable, even beautiful. Of all the characters, Noah was the only one who made perfect sense.
Fight clean. Be honest. That’s the way you’ll win him back. But if you see that he’s happy, leave him be.
What kind of ending do characters like Olivia and Caleb deserve? This is now up to you whether you’ll want to find out or not. ^^
This is one of those infuriatingly good books. ^^
March 4, 2016
'You can only give your heart away once; after that, everything else will chase your first love.'
Wow, what to say about this book? I absolutely loved this book and also hated it at times. Olivia was flawed and made many mistakes, there were times I just wanted to scream at her, yet I still really liked her and rooted for her. Caleb Drake... from the very first time i met him in the book I instantly loved him! I didn't understand certain decisions he made (ending of book wtf?) but nonetheless this book still gets 5 stars from me! Looking forward to the next book and here's to hoping I am not such an emotional wreck reading it!
Wow, what to say about this book? I absolutely loved this book and also hated it at times. Olivia was flawed and made many mistakes, there were times I just wanted to scream at her, yet I still really liked her and rooted for her. Caleb Drake... from the very first time i met him in the book I instantly loved him! I didn't understand certain decisions he made (ending of book wtf?) but nonetheless this book still gets 5 stars from me! Looking forward to the next book and here's to hoping I am not such an emotional wreck reading it!
July 13, 2012
4.5 Stars!
When three of my GR friends were so emotionally drained after reading this book and couldn't rate it, or couldn't even review right away, I had to get to the bottom of it...immediately! I dropped everything and even "put-on-hold" a decent book I was already reading to find out. Boy, did I ever.
Alfred Hitchcock would have had a field day with this little psychological thriller, let me tell you! The camera angles alone would easily have been one of the main characters in his movie adaptation. But, alas, this is just a book and a good one at that.
Caleb and Olivia meet in college and they know immediately that their love is beyond anything either of them has ever felt before. Without giving too much away, this story is about way more than just the love between two obvious soulmates. It's about being young and immature, it's about selfishness, it's about loathing one's self so much it drives the other away; more than once. It's also about growing up and forgiveness, but never understanding and or maybe denying that pang in your belly you feel for someone, whom you think you can never ultimately have.
The story began in the present, but took you to the past so many times; I was grateful that I committed to reading this quickly as it's not a book you can leave for a stretch of time and come back to without confusion. Not that anyone could leave it for long...trust me! This is a great, well orchestrated and impressive book. I'm giving it an extra star for the sheer brilliance of the continuous present and past timeline alone. I understand why it was an emotional book for the reader. It's tragedy, loss and manipulation will keep you on the edge of your seat and suck you in for a serious yet sometimes gentle roller-coaster ride.
When three of my GR friends were so emotionally drained after reading this book and couldn't rate it, or couldn't even review right away, I had to get to the bottom of it...immediately! I dropped everything and even "put-on-hold" a decent book I was already reading to find out. Boy, did I ever.
Alfred Hitchcock would have had a field day with this little psychological thriller, let me tell you! The camera angles alone would easily have been one of the main characters in his movie adaptation. But, alas, this is just a book and a good one at that.
Caleb and Olivia meet in college and they know immediately that their love is beyond anything either of them has ever felt before. Without giving too much away, this story is about way more than just the love between two obvious soulmates. It's about being young and immature, it's about selfishness, it's about loathing one's self so much it drives the other away; more than once. It's also about growing up and forgiveness, but never understanding and or maybe denying that pang in your belly you feel for someone, whom you think you can never ultimately have.
The story began in the present, but took you to the past so many times; I was grateful that I committed to reading this quickly as it's not a book you can leave for a stretch of time and come back to without confusion. Not that anyone could leave it for long...trust me! This is a great, well orchestrated and impressive book. I'm giving it an extra star for the sheer brilliance of the continuous present and past timeline alone. I understand why it was an emotional book for the reader. It's tragedy, loss and manipulation will keep you on the edge of your seat and suck you in for a serious yet sometimes gentle roller-coaster ride.
April 29, 2014
2.5 Stars
WARNING UNPOPULAR OPINION TIME
Another one that just does not live up to the hype.
*Contains hidden spoilers but some minor ones are not hidden*
The Opportunist is the first book in the Love Me With Lies series, this one written in the first person from the female MC Olivia’s point of view. She tells the story of how she met her College love and how she lost him, only to meet up with him a few years later.
Well, what to say about this book, really? Not much. I didn’t absolutely hate it, but I really didn’t like it. To be honest, it was all a bit, well,
Meh.
Lets start with what I DID like about the book.
The story at the beginning had promise; I liked the idea of a college love lost, and then some years later fate brings them together again. I liked very much the storyline about Caleb, the male MC, suffering amnesia due to a car accident, and therefore there is a clean slate for the female MC to work with.
I liked the flashing back and forth from past to present; that was actually done really well and each chapter left you with a mini cliff hanger as it then switched from present to past and vice versa, leaving you eager to get back to each time frame to find out what happened next.
The writing style was brilliant. Tarryn Fisher really shows talent in the way she writes. I like this Authors style so far.
But the way the story unfolded? Well, it went on a bit, but what really got on my nerves was the dilly dallying of the two MC’s and their total indecision about each other.
What I DIDN’T like.
To start with, as I said just, the dilly-dallying between Caleb and Olivia. I just did not see why? And we are constantly told, through Olivia that she (Olivia) is a bad person, terrible and rotten to the core, and that she did something really bad to Caleb, and that is why they broke up to begin with. But to me, when the whole part of that in the story is revealed, she is actually only half to blame. It seems as though she has to tell the reader over and over again how bad she is, and I just didn’t get it. Seriously, she tells the reader this all the damn time and yet she still does really bad things; so either she doesn’t care cos if she did she would stop, or its just attention seeking.
Throughout the whole series, I am screaming “show, don’t tell”.
The one unforgivable thing she did, and this is bad, was to convince
And for the life of me, I just could not connect with either of the characters, especially Caleb.
Even during the flashbacks to the past, I didn’t like him and I just did not get their so-called chemistry or attraction. It just didn’t fit – I mean on their second date, she tells him she doesn’t think they will work, and instead of fighting for her, to try to court her and convince her, he just says okay and walks away! Then he gets involved with another girl, who he obviously really gets to quite like. So now Olivia does want him *rolls eyes big time.*
The whole abortion thing was a farce, I mean, who does that to another girl? To convince her is one thing but to then make sure the whole college find out, just so Caleb will find out and break up with her over it? Am I supposed to like this thundercunt of a female character? She has just ruined that other girl’s life at this point.
Olivia follows what seems to be the norm in YA/NA novels these days, and talks in a derogatory manner about other girls, calling them sluts, skanks, dumb blonds etc. All of them. Nice.
Anyway, I just cant see, again, what the author is TELLING us, that there is this uncontrollable undeniable attraction between Olivia and Caleb, that they MUST be together.
WHY He didn’t like her enough to fight for in the beginning, and she didn’t really want him that much either, unless she was just playing hard to get and he missed the point and the whole scene just backfired on her. When they eventually get together in College, we lean that Caleb is very patient with Olivia over her
Anyway, fast forward to the present, and again, I just don’t get it. Why did she not stay and fight for her man if she loved him the way we are TOLD she does, if she has the kind of ‘never go away” feelings we are TOLD she has?
MAKES NO SENSE
On and on into the story and we fast-forward several years. And AGAIN, they have a chance to be with each other; AGAIN neither of them clearly thinks the other is worth fighting for.
Even the scene in Rome, What.The.Fu*k?????
There is NO explanation, and again, I fail to see their epic love when AGAIN Caleb does not see their love worth fighting for.
If a couple wanted to be together as much as we are TOLD these two do, they would fecking well fight tooth and nail to be together.
BUT THEY DONT
As for the ending, well considering what went down in Rome, it seemed okay for Olivia. I genuinely wanted her to be happy and it seemed she had some closure on Caleb with that very last sentence.
Unfortunately not, fellow readers, there are two more books in this series.
I wanted this to be a Hell Yes, but it turned out to be another SHell No.
WARNING UNPOPULAR OPINION TIME
Another one that just does not live up to the hype.
*Contains hidden spoilers but some minor ones are not hidden*
The Opportunist is the first book in the Love Me With Lies series, this one written in the first person from the female MC Olivia’s point of view. She tells the story of how she met her College love and how she lost him, only to meet up with him a few years later.
Well, what to say about this book, really? Not much. I didn’t absolutely hate it, but I really didn’t like it. To be honest, it was all a bit, well,
Meh.
Lets start with what I DID like about the book.
The story at the beginning had promise; I liked the idea of a college love lost, and then some years later fate brings them together again. I liked very much the storyline about Caleb, the male MC, suffering amnesia due to a car accident, and therefore there is a clean slate for the female MC to work with.
I liked the flashing back and forth from past to present; that was actually done really well and each chapter left you with a mini cliff hanger as it then switched from present to past and vice versa, leaving you eager to get back to each time frame to find out what happened next.
The writing style was brilliant. Tarryn Fisher really shows talent in the way she writes. I like this Authors style so far.
But the way the story unfolded? Well, it went on a bit, but what really got on my nerves was the dilly dallying of the two MC’s and their total indecision about each other.
What I DIDN’T like.
To start with, as I said just, the dilly-dallying between Caleb and Olivia. I just did not see why? And we are constantly told, through Olivia that she (Olivia) is a bad person, terrible and rotten to the core, and that she did something really bad to Caleb, and that is why they broke up to begin with. But to me, when the whole part of that in the story is revealed, she is actually only half to blame. It seems as though she has to tell the reader over and over again how bad she is, and I just didn’t get it. Seriously, she tells the reader this all the damn time and yet she still does really bad things; so either she doesn’t care cos if she did she would stop, or its just attention seeking.
Throughout the whole series, I am screaming “show, don’t tell”.
The one unforgivable thing she did, and this is bad, was to convince
And for the life of me, I just could not connect with either of the characters, especially Caleb.
Even during the flashbacks to the past, I didn’t like him and I just did not get their so-called chemistry or attraction. It just didn’t fit – I mean on their second date, she tells him she doesn’t think they will work, and instead of fighting for her, to try to court her and convince her, he just says okay and walks away! Then he gets involved with another girl, who he obviously really gets to quite like. So now Olivia does want him *rolls eyes big time.*
The whole abortion thing was a farce, I mean, who does that to another girl? To convince her is one thing but to then make sure the whole college find out, just so Caleb will find out and break up with her over it? Am I supposed to like this thundercunt of a female character? She has just ruined that other girl’s life at this point.
Olivia follows what seems to be the norm in YA/NA novels these days, and talks in a derogatory manner about other girls, calling them sluts, skanks, dumb blonds etc. All of them. Nice.
Anyway, I just cant see, again, what the author is TELLING us, that there is this uncontrollable undeniable attraction between Olivia and Caleb, that they MUST be together.
WHY He didn’t like her enough to fight for in the beginning, and she didn’t really want him that much either, unless she was just playing hard to get and he missed the point and the whole scene just backfired on her. When they eventually get together in College, we lean that Caleb is very patient with Olivia over her
Anyway, fast forward to the present, and again, I just don’t get it. Why did she not stay and fight for her man if she loved him the way we are TOLD she does, if she has the kind of ‘never go away” feelings we are TOLD she has?
MAKES NO SENSE
On and on into the story and we fast-forward several years. And AGAIN, they have a chance to be with each other; AGAIN neither of them clearly thinks the other is worth fighting for.
Even the scene in Rome, What.The.Fu*k?????
There is NO explanation, and again, I fail to see their epic love when AGAIN Caleb does not see their love worth fighting for.
If a couple wanted to be together as much as we are TOLD these two do, they would fecking well fight tooth and nail to be together.
BUT THEY DONT
As for the ending, well considering what went down in Rome, it seemed okay for Olivia. I genuinely wanted her to be happy and it seemed she had some closure on Caleb with that very last sentence.
Unfortunately not, fellow readers, there are two more books in this series.
I wanted this to be a Hell Yes, but it turned out to be another SHell No.
August 15, 2013
A story of love, deceit and obsession. A girl so consumed with one man, she will do everything in her power to keep him.
Toxic. A word that sums up, Olivia and Caleb's relationship. They're story is addictive, frustrating but utterly unputdownable!!!
Olivia is a broken girl hiding behind a tough facade. When she meets Caleb, it's blown to pieces. But she pushes him away, because she's learnt that letting someone into your heart can lead to pain, because when they eventually leave, you're left alone. So protects herself by not letting anyone in.
What she didn't count on is jealousy, an emotion that turns her into someone she doesn't recognise. And even though she knows she's wrong, the alternative seems much worse.
A thoroughly enjoyable read filled with drama, angst and characters you love to hate!
5 Stars!!!
Toxic. A word that sums up, Olivia and Caleb's relationship. They're story is addictive, frustrating but utterly unputdownable!!!
Olivia is a broken girl hiding behind a tough facade. When she meets Caleb, it's blown to pieces. But she pushes him away, because she's learnt that letting someone into your heart can lead to pain, because when they eventually leave, you're left alone. So protects herself by not letting anyone in.
What she didn't count on is jealousy, an emotion that turns her into someone she doesn't recognise. And even though she knows she's wrong, the alternative seems much worse.
A thoroughly enjoyable read filled with drama, angst and characters you love to hate!
5 Stars!!!
July 19, 2018
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💙 I read this for the Unapologetic Romance Readers' New Years 2018 Reading Challenge, for the category of: Second Chance Romance. For more info on this challenge, click here. 💙
A lot of my fellow romance-lovers enjoy cute, fluffy romances that make them smile. Not me - I like my romance novels to make me feel like I've been sucker-punched in the solar plexus half a dozen times before throwing me out on my ass in the middle of a busy sidewalk. That's why I chose THE OPPORTUNIST as my "second chance romance"; when it comes to messed-up romance novels, Tarryn Fisher invariably delivers.
Our main couple, Olivia and Caleb, are epic trash people, and this is their saga of dumpster-worthy decisions. They first hooked up in college, but only after Olivia schemed, lied, and stalked her way into his heart, even going so far as to screw over his then-pregnant girlfriend by spilling out all of her dirty laundry. I saw a meme earlier that said "All Tea, All Shade" - that's Olivia. She's scandal wrapped in an ill-fitting dress. You can't quite hate her because her life is so awful, but you can't really stand to be around her, either.
It's told in dual timeline format, with the present story being written in present tense and the past story written in past tense, which can be a little confusing (especially since sometimes the author forgets which story she's telling, and slips into the wrong "tense"). This format is used to conceal information from the reader, because in the current story, Caleb, now with a different girlfriend, has amnesia, and Olivia, schemer that she is, takes advantage of his delicate condition in order to worm her way back into his heart a second time. We know that when they last parted, Caleb hated her for some unforgivable transgression, but we don't know what. All that we do know is that Olivia is one sick puppy... and as we read on, we find out Caleb is, as well. Maybe worse than we think.
The last third of the story gets extra weird and a little unbelievable, but I just decided to roll with it. MUD VEIN and MARROW did the same thing. Tarryn Fisher seems to be making "jumping the shark" her trademark, and somehow she makes it work, even if you secretly admit to yourself that what's happening is a little stupid. The "past" story was the embodiment of virtually every negative new adult stereotype that I hate, but somehow Fisher made that work, too. I think it works because she doesn't try to apologize for being over-the-top or writing trash people characters. She just writes them and lets them tell their story themselves, rather than wasting time trying to apologize for them. ATHEISTS WHO KNEEL AND PRAY also featured a cast of incredibly repulsive characters, but I liked that book more than I should have, because it was compelling and unapologetic.
This definitely feels more unpolished than MUD VEIN and MARROW (both of which I believe were published later), and I noticed more errors in THE OPPORTUNIST, as well. There is also a higher rate of awkward metaphors that sound like something you might expect to see in a high school creative writing class, some notable ones comparing a dude to a shiny pepper she wants to take a bite out of and mouths clashing together like thunderclouds. *eye roll* But if you can get over the negative tropes and the unlikable people and the OTT drama, this is actually a riveting read. I devoured it in just a few hours and was frankly amazed at how quickly those pages turned. I own the two sequels and am excited to see what dark and reeking twisted alleys this story takes next.
3 stars
January 17, 2019
Reread of a favorite book
#PopSugarChallenge2019
These characters are deranged. Mental, Psychotic, CUCKOO
o_o
I found myself with my eyes wide a time or two while reading this.
I am stuck between hating and loving this book. I really liked the weirdly dark intense manipulating drama, but at times it was just so much that it was unbelievable. This did not feel like a romance to me, it felt more like a psychological thriller. lol
Olivia is a manipulative, broken liar. She is self proclaimed as "desperately wicked." She is a huge bitch and she knows it. She wasn't very likable, but I still found myself siding with her at times. I was rooting for her to be with Caleb. Why? I have no idea.
I was really geared up for this secret to come out. I really couldn't put this down even though it was emotionally draining to get through all of the drama and stay inside Olivia's head. Fisher's writing is something I really enjoyed. She is totally screwed up but is brilliant. To know this book is part of her life makes it so much more wonderful. It was very unique, I like the dark side sometimes and she definitely delivered on that.
Life always keeps moving, even if it has to drag you along, kicking and screaming.
#PopSugarChallenge2019
These characters are deranged. Mental, Psychotic, CUCKOO
o_o
I found myself with my eyes wide a time or two while reading this.
I am stuck between hating and loving this book. I really liked the weirdly dark intense manipulating drama, but at times it was just so much that it was unbelievable. This did not feel like a romance to me, it felt more like a psychological thriller. lol
Olivia is a manipulative, broken liar. She is self proclaimed as "desperately wicked." She is a huge bitch and she knows it. She wasn't very likable, but I still found myself siding with her at times. I was rooting for her to be with Caleb. Why? I have no idea.
I was really geared up for this secret to come out. I really couldn't put this down even though it was emotionally draining to get through all of the drama and stay inside Olivia's head. Fisher's writing is something I really enjoyed. She is totally screwed up but is brilliant. To know this book is part of her life makes it so much more wonderful. It was very unique, I like the dark side sometimes and she definitely delivered on that.
Life always keeps moving, even if it has to drag you along, kicking and screaming.
October 24, 2013
I am Olivia Kaspen, and if I love something I rip it from my life. Not intentionally…not unintentionally either.
When I first read the blurb, I wasn’t 100% sure that I wanted to read this. The whole premise is fascinating but I had already prejudged and tried Olivia and found her wanting before even giving it a chance. She’s not your regular every day heroine. In fact, how do you come to terms with the fact that the heroine of your novel is actually also the villain of the piece, the Cruella DeVille style antagonist of the story?
The way Olivia conducts herself, her bitter and twisted inner monologue all makes for fairly uncomfortable reading. At first, I just didn't know what to make of her. After all, she is that character that normally hurts the main heroine in any other book, the one that threatens the special relationship with the hero – she’s the one we normally love to hate. But, oh boy, if I didn’t find myself completely absorbed by her and as the novel progressed, my reading speed picked up as I was so fascinated by what was going on that I just couldn’t put this down.
Being inside Olivia’s head isn’t always a pleasant place to be but you know what they say about glass houses and who hasn’t found themselves consumed by jealousy over a hot guy at some point in their lives? Olivia is often selfish, frequently duplicitous and I came to think of her as Olivia The Deceiver but I did begin to develop a fragile respect and a bit of an understanding of why she behaves the way she does, her lack of trust and really start to ache at her pain and her inner turmoil. She’s far from perfect, more deeply flawed than most book heroines, but, in the end, she finally learns from the errors of the past and makes some fairly noble and selfless decisions and I ultimately came full circle and developed a deep affection for her.
Caleb – well I just kind of loved him right from the get-go. He’s open, engaging, sweet, sexy & funny – just about everything a good-looking, talented college jock should be. For the longest time he felt like an unknowing victim, desperately manipulated by the calculating women in his life and subjected to the most incredible pain by those that claim to love him. But, as this is very much a story of flawed and mostly confused people, it appears that Caleb isn’t always the saint I first thought he was.
And as for Leah, Caleb’s significant other, well I just about loathed her on first sight but it pays to remember that she’s really not behaving any worse than Olivia and I’m erring on the side of caution and trying not to judge her for her actions as I know that we’re going to hear more from her POV in the sequel, Dirty Red.
I think this whole story hinges on the theory that when you first fall in love and give your heart away, you can’t take it back and when you’ve met ‘The One’, everything and everyone else pales in comparison and just how far are you prepared to go to get what you want? At some point in all this, someone has to break the constantly repeating cycle of totally destructive behaviour and take a long cold look at what they are doing to themselves and everyone around them and take a tentative step in the right direction.
So this was an incredibly compelling yet fairly challenging read. It’s not all neatly tied up with a pretty little bow on top – it’s edgy, taut, tense and wholly captivating. I have to say that I didn’t get the ending that I hoped for although I completely accept that it was the rightful and happiest ending possible. The whole book is tight with some real gasp out loud moments and shocks and unexpected twists in store. That pacing is flat out perfect as the story is told in dual time zones, both past and present, and everything is introduced at the right time and it all maps out beautifully. It’s meticulous story-telling and I flat-out applaud Tarryn Fisher for trying something refreshingly different with this trilogy and I am now moving straight onto the sequel because I just have to know………
Totally loved it!
4.5 stars
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November 24, 2017
CURRENTLY ON SALE! http://amzn.to/2zcWzMJ
I would like to start my review with a question: Why is everyone in this book such an asshole?
My next question: Why did I love them anyway? Does loving a bunch of assholes make me an asshole?
I don't think I've ever read a book before where I hated every single main character. Yes, you read that right. I hate them all. Including Caleb. BUT (before you kill me) I will say I also have never read a book where as much hate as I had, I LOVED them just as much. So yes.... I hated them. I loved them. And I hated myself for loving them.
And even though I didn't understand the majority of the decisions any of these lunatics made, I still found myself COMPLETELY intrigued and invested in this story and was not able to put it down.
I still found myself gasping, and screaming, and getting that giddy feeling in my chest whenever Caleb said something sweet or romantic:
UGHH that nickname.
And I was pleasantly surprised with how funny this was. All of Olivia's inner thoughts, especially when it came to Leah, were hysterical.
"She is the devil's spawn, evil, with red hair and motives as big as Ursula the sea witch's ass." --that quote right there had me laughing so hard I almost choked on my drink.
I fell in love with Tarry Fisher's writing and I just love books that are so different than what I have read in the past. Books that frustrate and anger you, and make you sigh and then want to weep and then laugh all at the same time. Books like this one.
I seriously fell in love with this and can't wait to dive into the rest of the series!!
The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies Book 1) | http://amzn.to/2zcWzMJ (CURRENTLY ON SALE!)
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"You are the only woman I know how to love. The only woman I want to love.”
I would like to start my review with a question: Why is everyone in this book such an asshole?
My next question: Why did I love them anyway? Does loving a bunch of assholes make me an asshole?
I don't think I've ever read a book before where I hated every single main character. Yes, you read that right. I hate them all. Including Caleb. BUT (before you kill me) I will say I also have never read a book where as much hate as I had, I LOVED them just as much. So yes.... I hated them. I loved them. And I hated myself for loving them.
"You can only give your heart away once; after that, everything else will chase your first love."
And even though I didn't understand the majority of the decisions any of these lunatics made, I still found myself COMPLETELY intrigued and invested in this story and was not able to put it down.
I still found myself gasping, and screaming, and getting that giddy feeling in my chest whenever Caleb said something sweet or romantic:
“Can I be your favorite girl?”
“You already are, Duchess.”
UGHH that nickname.
“And my personal favorite, your lips.” He smiled as a pink flush crept up my neck. “Full and sensual, puckered, and always turned down at the corners. They kind of make me want to kiss them until they smile.”
And I was pleasantly surprised with how funny this was. All of Olivia's inner thoughts, especially when it came to Leah, were hysterical.
"She is the devil's spawn, evil, with red hair and motives as big as Ursula the sea witch's ass." --that quote right there had me laughing so hard I almost choked on my drink.
I fell in love with Tarry Fisher's writing and I just love books that are so different than what I have read in the past. Books that frustrate and anger you, and make you sigh and then want to weep and then laugh all at the same time. Books like this one.
"Caleb was like a hurricane that swept through my life, stirring up things inside of me that I never knew existed.
He is a longing I will never cure."
I seriously fell in love with this and can't wait to dive into the rest of the series!!
The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies Book 1) | http://amzn.to/2zcWzMJ (CURRENTLY ON SALE!)
Find Me On:
Instagram ❤ FB Page ❤ FB Blog ❤ Blog ❤ Twitter
October 3, 2012
Still my favorite book of the year, if not ever;)
Tarryn Fisher is a literary genius! I love her angst-filled, totally unpredictable writing style. This is hands down one of the best books I have read this year if not ever!
When I finished this book, I literally wept for a good 15 minutes and was teary eyed off and on well until now (finished it Tuesday afternoon). I tried to go to sleep last night but couldn't stop thinking about The Opportunist, I got up in the middle of the night to feed my newborn and I thought of The Opportunist, and when I woke this morning, the first thing I thought about again was The Opportunist. It was sexy, exciting, frustrating, sad and and I feel like I just took my car too fast down a Lombard Street of emotion and then forgot about the stop sign at the bottom! You REALLY, REALLY need to read this if you haven't already!
Caleb and Olivia, they make me want to scream at the top of my lungs. Don't get me wrong, I loved them, then I furious at one or both, and then I loved them again but they both sucked at seizing the day. How many times would a little honesty have brought them together or kept them together? Both could have done better by the other and there was a lot of irony in how pendulum swung between who was currently at fault for their troubles. I thought Caleb could do no wrong and then he did and I thought I would end the book hating Olivia but I loved her.
Caleb is a romantic, slightly alpha male with a British accent. I think I have mentioned before that I love men with British accents! He compared Olivia to a llama and a heeled boot and made it all sound so sexy! What he did to earn his first date with Olivia was beyond hot and original and I immediately fell in love with him! Olivia is a bruised soul; she really lacks the capacity to let herself feel and be in love. I wanted to shake her and tell her to open her eyes to see what was standing right in front of her! She blamed herself for a little more than I thought she should and convinced herself that she was not worthy of the knock your socks off type of love she was getting from Caleb. When they are together, I felt the fire, compatibility and endless love but when they are apart, I felt torn, incomplete and sad. They are soul mates and I cannot imagine them ever being truly happy without each other.
And Leah, at this point, I want to pull you by your red hair and make you confess to all the things you have done to manipulate fate! Uhhh, I just don't see myself ever truly liking you unless you come clean and let whatever happens happen! Can you work on that in book #2 Leah? Please?
I need to share one of my favorite lines from the book as there were some great ones. This one melts me every time I read it... "It is the last real kiss of my life. I forever cling to that kiss. It was goodbye and I'm sorry and I love you so much." *Crying*
Oh, and then there was this one... "You can only give your heart away once, after that, everything else will chase your first love."
Uhh, Tarryn Fisher, I love you!
There is really so much I would like to say in addition to this but since my hope is you take your own ride down Lombard Street, I don't want to let you know where all the curves are.
It is a book that will stick with me for a long time. I cannot wait for book two which looks like it will be released around April 2013 and will be titled Dirty Red (title suits Leah just fine!). In the meantime, I may have to find a The Opportunist support group to deal with my addiction and ongoing hangover! Oh hell, just writing this review has restored some of my happy.
Tarryn Fisher is a literary genius! I love her angst-filled, totally unpredictable writing style. This is hands down one of the best books I have read this year if not ever!
When I finished this book, I literally wept for a good 15 minutes and was teary eyed off and on well until now (finished it Tuesday afternoon). I tried to go to sleep last night but couldn't stop thinking about The Opportunist, I got up in the middle of the night to feed my newborn and I thought of The Opportunist, and when I woke this morning, the first thing I thought about again was The Opportunist. It was sexy, exciting, frustrating, sad and and I feel like I just took my car too fast down a Lombard Street of emotion and then forgot about the stop sign at the bottom! You REALLY, REALLY need to read this if you haven't already!
Caleb and Olivia, they make me want to scream at the top of my lungs. Don't get me wrong, I loved them, then I furious at one or both, and then I loved them again but they both sucked at seizing the day. How many times would a little honesty have brought them together or kept them together? Both could have done better by the other and there was a lot of irony in how pendulum swung between who was currently at fault for their troubles. I thought Caleb could do no wrong and then he did and I thought I would end the book hating Olivia but I loved her.
Caleb is a romantic, slightly alpha male with a British accent. I think I have mentioned before that I love men with British accents! He compared Olivia to a llama and a heeled boot and made it all sound so sexy! What he did to earn his first date with Olivia was beyond hot and original and I immediately fell in love with him! Olivia is a bruised soul; she really lacks the capacity to let herself feel and be in love. I wanted to shake her and tell her to open her eyes to see what was standing right in front of her! She blamed herself for a little more than I thought she should and convinced herself that she was not worthy of the knock your socks off type of love she was getting from Caleb. When they are together, I felt the fire, compatibility and endless love but when they are apart, I felt torn, incomplete and sad. They are soul mates and I cannot imagine them ever being truly happy without each other.
And Leah, at this point, I want to pull you by your red hair and make you confess to all the things you have done to manipulate fate! Uhhh, I just don't see myself ever truly liking you unless you come clean and let whatever happens happen! Can you work on that in book #2 Leah? Please?
I need to share one of my favorite lines from the book as there were some great ones. This one melts me every time I read it... "It is the last real kiss of my life. I forever cling to that kiss. It was goodbye and I'm sorry and I love you so much." *Crying*
Oh, and then there was this one... "You can only give your heart away once, after that, everything else will chase your first love."
Uhh, Tarryn Fisher, I love you!
There is really so much I would like to say in addition to this but since my hope is you take your own ride down Lombard Street, I don't want to let you know where all the curves are.
It is a book that will stick with me for a long time. I cannot wait for book two which looks like it will be released around April 2013 and will be titled Dirty Red (title suits Leah just fine!). In the meantime, I may have to find a The Opportunist support group to deal with my addiction and ongoing hangover! Oh hell, just writing this review has restored some of my happy.
May 31, 2012
***Beware*** Huge, ginormous, gargantuan spoilers ahead!
The Opportunist is the perfect example that demonstrates that every reader is different. I feel kind of bad because I'm about to bash a book that quite a few of my GR friends, who I have many "favorite" books in common with absolutely loved it, and I hated it.
This was almost immeasurably awful. Can I give 0 stars? I read the entire thing, with the exception of the last 3 or 4 pages of the Epilogue, because at that point I just couldn't hate the heroine anymore and I didn't want her to have a HEA so I didn't want to read about it if she did. It's rare for me to dislike a book as much as I did The Opportunist and yet still read (almost) the entire thing. I have no logical explanation for that fact, except maybe comparing it to a car wreck? It was tragic, but I couldn't look away.
I love character driven books, and though I can admit that The Opportunist is a total character driven book, I can't remember in my reading history a character driven book where I've actually disliked the heroine, AND hero more. Both Olivia and Caleb, and not to mention pretty much every other character within this book (except maybe Noah) were selfish, horrible Fidiots.
I really don't want to knock too much on the author's writing ability because my biggest focus in this review is the unbelievably unlikable characters, but I feel the need to throw a shout out for the lack of flow. The bouncing back and forth from present to past is fine, and can work, but not when there are huge gaping holes left in the plot. I thought I was actually skipping pages. 99.9% of this book is first person from Olivia's point of view and then (to me) something that was none other than sure lack of creativity, or utter laziness, we get 4 pages of a 3rd person perspective of Caleb faking his amnesia. That was supposed to explain his lies? His deception to everyone? Sorry, not working for me. That, then it being spun into Olivia's fault that he cheated, on top of Olivia losing her virginity to some nasty guy just to get back at him? Who the hell does this stuff (yes, I know fictional people, but I can still hate them)? Oh, and the cherry on top??? The clincher... Get ready for it.... it doesn't even have a HEA! They don't end up together.
Rant over...
The Opportunist is the perfect example that demonstrates that every reader is different. I feel kind of bad because I'm about to bash a book that quite a few of my GR friends, who I have many "favorite" books in common with absolutely loved it, and I hated it.
This was almost immeasurably awful. Can I give 0 stars? I read the entire thing, with the exception of the last 3 or 4 pages of the Epilogue, because at that point I just couldn't hate the heroine anymore and I didn't want her to have a HEA so I didn't want to read about it if she did. It's rare for me to dislike a book as much as I did The Opportunist and yet still read (almost) the entire thing. I have no logical explanation for that fact, except maybe comparing it to a car wreck? It was tragic, but I couldn't look away.
I love character driven books, and though I can admit that The Opportunist is a total character driven book, I can't remember in my reading history a character driven book where I've actually disliked the heroine, AND hero more. Both Olivia and Caleb, and not to mention pretty much every other character within this book (except maybe Noah) were selfish, horrible Fidiots.
I really don't want to knock too much on the author's writing ability because my biggest focus in this review is the unbelievably unlikable characters, but I feel the need to throw a shout out for the lack of flow. The bouncing back and forth from present to past is fine, and can work, but not when there are huge gaping holes left in the plot. I thought I was actually skipping pages. 99.9% of this book is first person from Olivia's point of view and then (to me) something that was none other than sure lack of creativity, or utter laziness, we get 4 pages of a 3rd person perspective of Caleb faking his amnesia. That was supposed to explain his lies? His deception to everyone? Sorry, not working for me. That, then it being spun into Olivia's fault that he cheated, on top of Olivia losing her virginity to some nasty guy just to get back at him? Who the hell does this stuff (yes, I know fictional people, but I can still hate them)? Oh, and the cherry on top??? The clincher... Get ready for it.... it doesn't even have a HEA! They don't end up together.
Rant over...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2012
How.. I can't even right now. How does one rate this book?!!? Tarryn... what did you do to me!??!?!
EDIT: May 23rd,2012
7 Stages of Grief..
1. Shock and Denial.
Mine hit the minute I finished reading the book. I walked away.... pretended it didn't end that way. I conjured up what I really wanted to happen. I read that the denial in grief can weeks to get over.... God help me.
2. Pain and Guilt Haven't had that yet.... let's give it time goodfriends.
3. Anger and Bargaining
I'm still going through this....I want to lash out at something. But then I realize "Oh crap, it's just a book." But then I think.. "No.. it's more than a book! Ms. Fisher is an emotional brain ninja!!"
Follow me through my 7 stages of grieving The Opportunist....
EDIT:May 26th,2012
I'm still grieving.
My anger is still there. But let's be clear. It's not anger over Olivia. In fact I was quite smitten with her.
Although... Leah PFT!PFT! (that's the french way for spitting.) I still get a tick in my eye when I think about her. And when I think about book 2. I hope the first scene starts out with her leaving Neiman Marcus and getting hit by a cab... What?? Is that too much anger?! or someone clubbing her with a pair of Louboutin's
4. The Upside
What's the upside of this book? What's NOT the upside? Good grief this lady can write. Scenes with Caleb and Olivia are ahhh-mazing! Especially their scenes from the past.
I'm not the first one to mentions this.. But the basketball game scene?! I knew right then and there that Olivia was going to be marked as "One of my favorite Main Characters"
5. Acceptance
I've accepted that this book is incredible. And even though Ms. Fisher shredded my emotions like a cheese grater.... I love this book.
Also, I'm a sucker for a good cover. And this cover? Looks completely like Olivia. Freakishly good hair and all...
Okay, so I didn't have ALL 7 stages of grief. But I hit 5 out of 7.
And that my friends is what I like to call a mind-blowing novel.
EDIT: May 23rd,2012
7 Stages of Grief..
1. Shock and Denial.
Mine hit the minute I finished reading the book. I walked away.... pretended it didn't end that way. I conjured up what I really wanted to happen. I read that the denial in grief can weeks to get over.... God help me.
2. Pain and Guilt Haven't had that yet.... let's give it time goodfriends.
3. Anger and Bargaining
I'm still going through this....I want to lash out at something. But then I realize "Oh crap, it's just a book." But then I think.. "No.. it's more than a book! Ms. Fisher is an emotional brain ninja!!"
Follow me through my 7 stages of grieving The Opportunist....
EDIT:May 26th,2012
I'm still grieving.
My anger is still there. But let's be clear. It's not anger over Olivia. In fact I was quite smitten with her.
Although... Leah PFT!PFT! (that's the french way for spitting.) I still get a tick in my eye when I think about her. And when I think about book 2. I hope the first scene starts out with her leaving Neiman Marcus and getting hit by a cab... What?? Is that too much anger?! or someone clubbing her with a pair of Louboutin's
4. The Upside
What's the upside of this book? What's NOT the upside? Good grief this lady can write. Scenes with Caleb and Olivia are ahhh-mazing! Especially their scenes from the past.
I'm not the first one to mentions this.. But the basketball game scene?! I knew right then and there that Olivia was going to be marked as "One of my favorite Main Characters"
5. Acceptance
I've accepted that this book is incredible. And even though Ms. Fisher shredded my emotions like a cheese grater.... I love this book.
Also, I'm a sucker for a good cover. And this cover? Looks completely like Olivia. Freakishly good hair and all...
Okay, so I didn't have ALL 7 stages of grief. But I hit 5 out of 7.
And that my friends is what I like to call a mind-blowing novel.
September 29, 2014
Wow. Simply Fantabulous.
This book was a damn good roller coaster. I had an awesome jaw-dropping mind blowing heart wrenching ride.
She cheated. She cheated for love.
Olivia Kaspen
"I was a relationship retard. I kicked, shoved, and punched people out my life, so they never had a chance to hurt me." - Olivia
Olivia Kaspen was a very complicated character to get into. She was so original which was really surprising because I hadn't come across such a scintillating character in a long time. Her originality kinda threw me off balance for a couple of chapters but then I got used to her. And then I started liking her narration which was really beautiful for such a wicked girl - ahem, Desperately wicked :D And then I fell in love with this book when Caleb was introduced.
Caleb Drake - The notorious Casanova :D :)
Caleb was lovely. A perfect kinda boy. Olivia's and Caleb's romance was really cute. It was like a dream reading Olivia's versions of the the past and then the dream evaporated when the present was narrated. I liked the past till it collided with the present and then I loved the present. I'm sorry if I'm rambling here :D
Everybody has to wake up from their dreams at some point.
The Opportunist was an amazing book. It showed me how desperate people can get and at what lengths they could take their desperation. And Olivia's and Caleb's love was really perfect though they both messed it up. People are flawed, people cannot be predicted and I certainly couldn't predict Olivia which intrigued and captivated me even more.
I really couldn't say what I was feeling when I read this book. One minute I was content and grinning happily and the next minute I was like:
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Like I mentioned earlier, this book was a good damn roller coaster. You never know when it's going to go upside down.
And in the end I made this terrible mistake of plugging my earphones on while reading the last few chapters. The roller coaster was coming to an end and I didn't want it to end because I really loved these two characters a lot, Olivia and Caleb. And alas the most poignant song I have in my music collection started playing...
We never realize what we have until its gone. That's how we are. Failing to realize. That's what happened in this book. Olivia didn't want to get hurt so she pushed people away not thinking how it might affect her later on. Many of us do that too. We push certain things away and then later on we cry realizing we took it for granted and begging the universe to give it back.
Olivia was a good person but was all too messed up with her emotions. I guess she found solace in revenge. Revenge is such a cruel thing and how it spoils our mind within seconds. Olivia's actions were sometimes confounding and I don't think I can ever judge her for all her actions. Her actions for the moment felt right somehow even though later on I might end up rolling my eyes or scrunching my face :D
In the end, everything was very unexpected. I found it difficult to part with this book because it is ever so rare that I like roller coasters and this one was marvelous.
[image error]
The best roller coaster ride ever!
This book was a damn good roller coaster. I had an awesome jaw-dropping mind blowing heart wrenching ride.
She cheated. She cheated for love.
Olivia Kaspen
"I was a relationship retard. I kicked, shoved, and punched people out my life, so they never had a chance to hurt me." - Olivia
Olivia Kaspen was a very complicated character to get into. She was so original which was really surprising because I hadn't come across such a scintillating character in a long time. Her originality kinda threw me off balance for a couple of chapters but then I got used to her. And then I started liking her narration which was really beautiful for such a wicked girl - ahem, Desperately wicked :D And then I fell in love with this book when Caleb was introduced.
Caleb Drake - The notorious Casanova :D :)
Caleb was lovely. A perfect kinda boy. Olivia's and Caleb's romance was really cute. It was like a dream reading Olivia's versions of the the past and then the dream evaporated when the present was narrated. I liked the past till it collided with the present and then I loved the present. I'm sorry if I'm rambling here :D
Everybody has to wake up from their dreams at some point.
The Opportunist was an amazing book. It showed me how desperate people can get and at what lengths they could take their desperation. And Olivia's and Caleb's love was really perfect though they both messed it up. People are flawed, people cannot be predicted and I certainly couldn't predict Olivia which intrigued and captivated me even more.
I really couldn't say what I was feeling when I read this book. One minute I was content and grinning happily and the next minute I was like:
[image error]
Like I mentioned earlier, this book was a good damn roller coaster. You never know when it's going to go upside down.
And in the end I made this terrible mistake of plugging my earphones on while reading the last few chapters. The roller coaster was coming to an end and I didn't want it to end because I really loved these two characters a lot, Olivia and Caleb. And alas the most poignant song I have in my music collection started playing...
We never realize what we have until its gone. That's how we are. Failing to realize. That's what happened in this book. Olivia didn't want to get hurt so she pushed people away not thinking how it might affect her later on. Many of us do that too. We push certain things away and then later on we cry realizing we took it for granted and begging the universe to give it back.
Olivia was a good person but was all too messed up with her emotions. I guess she found solace in revenge. Revenge is such a cruel thing and how it spoils our mind within seconds. Olivia's actions were sometimes confounding and I don't think I can ever judge her for all her actions. Her actions for the moment felt right somehow even though later on I might end up rolling my eyes or scrunching my face :D
In the end, everything was very unexpected. I found it difficult to part with this book because it is ever so rare that I like roller coasters and this one was marvelous.
[image error]
The best roller coaster ride ever!
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