It's been awhile since I've read a five star contemporary, but this just ticked all my boxes. Honest to goodness curvy, nerdy wallflower and the uber It's been awhile since I've read a five star contemporary, but this just ticked all my boxes. Honest to goodness curvy, nerdy wallflower and the uber sexy alpha who loves her. Slow, slow, slow burn romance. Check, check, and CHECK. Amazeballs. ...more
It's been a very long time since I stayed up til 4 in the morning because I couldn't put a book down. Probably a couple of years, actually. I literallIt's been a very long time since I stayed up til 4 in the morning because I couldn't put a book down. Probably a couple of years, actually. I literally could not stop reading Drive. I wasn't even tired...I was on some kind of adrenaline rush. And my bedtime is like 10 o'clock, usually. I haven't read a book that I liked as much as this one in a very, very long time.
It was a somewhat slow burn romance...the goodies didn't start until about halfway, and when they did happen, they were quality hotness and didn't overwhelm the plot. There was a love triangle, which I tend to love for some reason...just the perfect amount of angst, and the perfect amount of questions to keep me wondering during the entire read. Is Kate Stewart going to teach us a lesson and have our heroine end up with the good guy...the guy who is a sure thing, the guy who makes us love him because he is devoted, dreamy, charismatic, delicious? We WANT him to win the girl, simply because he loves her so much, and they fit together so well. There's a lot to be said for a beautiful, simple love story. But then there's the bad boy...the one who is full of anger, passion, and questions. We don't know if he's really all that much in love with our girl, but he sure makes our lady parts tingle and our hearts break. (I mean, really...he broke my heart more than once). And he is so intense, so agonizingly beautiful. I wanted him a little more, just because I felt like he needed her more.
Anyways...for me, this was the epitome of why New Adult is such a great genre. There was a lot of growing up in these pages. It made me relive some of my younger, more questionable choices. It kind of reminds me of how I could be so stupid...so led by my heart and my lust. It makes me remember being spontaneous. And then it reminds me of why growing up and settling down is'nt such a bad thing. It's just the next step. 5 gigantic, smoldering, passionate stars. And I highly recommend the playlist. Good stuff. ...more
One of the rare books that I ask myself "why did I wait so long to read this book?" I can't believe this is a debut book. The characters are fully fleOne of the rare books that I ask myself "why did I wait so long to read this book?" I can't believe this is a debut book. The characters are fully fleshed out, with the perfect amount of character development. You love the hero and the heroine because they're both just good people. I tend to be turned off by prostitute stories, which is really probably why I held of on this one, but there were little to no details about that aspect, which I appreciated. Asberger's syndrome is close to my heart, and it was very well handled here. It's a functional form of autism...most people with Asberger's are considered odd, reclusive, maybe with OCD or something. But functional. I loved how the hero never really considered it a flaw for the heroine. He loved her, all of her, including her oddities. Fantastic love story. It deserves all the attention it receives. ...more
Taboo reads are hit or miss for me anyways. I can be genuinely bowled over, left gasping for air, emotionally wrecked and dewy eyed by the right Meh.
Taboo reads are hit or miss for me anyways. I can be genuinely bowled over, left gasping for air, emotionally wrecked and dewy eyed by the right kind of taboo story. But since I'm a lover of LOVE, not just sex, that's my ultimate goal. I want a happy ending that I BELIEVE in, and I want that taboo to be the deep, dark secret that allows someone to finally let go. Priest has the taboo part down just from the title. But the emotional baggage was sorely lacking. The beauty of falling in love was missing. Sure, the sex was hot. But it was too much, to wrong, to intentionally naughty (the use of holy items like oil for anal lube, the physically walking to the altar just to scrog on top of it, the gazing at the crucifix during the act). It was creepy, not sexy. The constant self flagellation got old, too. He'd mentally crush himself one moment only to instantly be hard for Poppy in the next. Everyone is human but a priest who swears constantly, is cowed by people with money, can't go two thought without thinking lascivious thoughts...I just didn't believe in his devotion. Poppy was an awful character...she comes to Tyler for absolution...some sort of shredded, lonely woman who wants to find meaning in life and forgiveness for her past and present. And yet she scoffs at Tyler's hesitation at times, tempts him with vivid descriptions of her sex with other men, and comes on to him often. Can't love them all. Read some Joey W. Hill for taboo. That'll rip your heart out AND quell your thirst for naughty. ...more
Too much sex, too many contrived miscommunications, not enough character development. This is all of the stereotypes about erotic romance wrapped up iToo much sex, too many contrived miscommunications, not enough character development. This is all of the stereotypes about erotic romance wrapped up in one "trilogy". DNF-ing the series with this one. ...more
It's easy to love the heroes and heroines in Sarina Bowen's True North series. Each book tends to follow it's own path and not a cookie cutter romanceIt's easy to love the heroes and heroines in Sarina Bowen's True North series. Each book tends to follow it's own path and not a cookie cutter romance story trope. This one was no different. I loved the initial meeting, the comfort between out H/h, the ease of their parting, and the shocking yet simple thing that drew them back together. The sex is hot and genuine, the relationship organic and healthy. Wonderful book. ...more
Another stunning winner by this author. The only thing I could ask of her is to be more prolific, but I won't ask because you can't rush genius. I'm sAnother stunning winner by this author. The only thing I could ask of her is to be more prolific, but I won't ask because you can't rush genius. I'm sure everyone knows by now that Mariana Zapata is the new queen of slow burn romance. But her romance is meaty and surprisingly tender. No raunchy erotica here...Zapata gets her steam from the build up and the honest to goodness explosiveness of pent up lust and passion that her characters have for each other. I love the sporty setting, and the pseudo not-quite-opposites-attract theme that she maintains in most of her books. Kulti is an arrogant ass that you hate to love, and then just love. My cup runneth over....more
It's just lines of dialogue with a space between speakers. So the conversations seems stilted and awkward. To be honest, the conversations really ARE stilted and awkward. The language used is very old style...like...Austen old. While the subject matter and setting are modern. Meanwhile, it's hard to really get a take on the hero, because there is SO MUCH inner dialogue from the heroine. It starts becoming filler...whole paragraphs that I ended up skimming without meaning to, then paragraphs that I skipped intentionally.
I know that Stein has a unique style, and I have read and enjoyed a couple of hers before. This was not my favorite, but it WAS an experience. This is a couple of odd ducks, which seems to be the MO for this author. Her protagonists always seem to be the weirdos and freaks. (And I say that with the utmost respect. I tend to love the weirdos and freaks.) This particular couple are both very introverted and awkward. The hero's awkwardness comes out as loud condescension at first, then kind of settles when you realize what that stems from. The heroine just feels like she doesn't fit in, until she makes the mistake of turning in an erotic story instead of her assigned essay to her professor. He orders her to his office where he critiques her writing and seems to truly admire her talent.
Interesting premise. The execution wasn't my cuppa but I admire Charlotte Stein's dedication to her own style. ...more
I really enjoyed the first half but I felt like it was very rushed timeline-wise. Too much happens in the year that this couple is split up. The heroiI really enjoyed the first half but I felt like it was very rushed timeline-wise. Too much happens in the year that this couple is split up. The heroine becomes a case worker for orphans, becomes exhausted with her job, moves on from her failed marriage attempt, starts dating. The hero makes some major upward moves in his company, becomes a skilled woodworker, enters a committed relationship, gains a best friend. So many major life changes, and it made for a pretty unbelievable plot. The coincidences were also wholly unbelievable. (view spoiler)[The hero just happens to be the closest living relative to the heroine's favorite little orphan. The guy on the plane just happens to be the new best friend of the hero, whom the heroine never even met. (hide spoiler)] It was a great story, but the flow and continuity could have used some work. Possibly just some brutally honest beta readers. I loved the idea behind the story as a whole. Without spoiling any major points, I can say that I fell in love with this heroine's intent and her heart. ...more
Fantastically sexy read. Down to earth protagonists that I oddly felt like I could relate to. One silly complaint (view spoiler)[ I really wanted the Fantastically sexy read. Down to earth protagonists that I oddly felt like I could relate to. One silly complaint (view spoiler)[ I really wanted the hero's ex to have something terrible happen. That felt unfinished. Because she was a horrible bitch...and because it's fiction, I should get what I want. (hide spoiler)]...more
The first in a favorite new series! 5 gigantic, shiny stars.
Mack is a tough girl, raised on the streets since her Dad died when she was 13. But she gThe first in a favorite new series! 5 gigantic, shiny stars.
Mack is a tough girl, raised on the streets since her Dad died when she was 13. But she gets in over her head when she goes looking for her missing best friend among the Boston mafia. There she meets Lachlan, head of the Irish bad guys.
I'm partial to Irish heroes. Not sure why, but if the word "Irish" is somewhere in the blurb, it's almost a guarantee I'm gonna read it. And I luuuurved these guys.
This is a somewhat dark series. Not dark-dark. No explicit rape, which is a huge no-no for me. There are rape scenes, but you don't get details. No glorifying that type of thing. The good guy bad guys (lol) are very protective of their women. Just not so much the other dudes. There are pretty explicit torture sequences, especially in book two.
However, it was so easy to sink into this dark, gritty, bold, and uncompromising world. No punches pulled. This was INTENSE, from start to finish. You want alpha? You fucking got one with Lachlan! ...more
Con's story. The tatted bad boy and the society darling. They had one night together years ago, but Con was drunk and can't remember. As the story weaCon's story. The tatted bad boy and the society darling. They had one night together years ago, but Con was drunk and can't remember. As the story wears on, each of their lives are revealed a bit more, and they come to realize how similar they are despite their difference in upbringing. I listened to the audio and the narration was great. ...more
My absolute favorite of the series so far. How will Nancy Haviland top this frigging heart-wrenching, stunning installment in her Wanted Men series? SMy absolute favorite of the series so far. How will Nancy Haviland top this frigging heart-wrenching, stunning installment in her Wanted Men series? She's outdone herself. I'm sitting here, heart beating fast, eyes wide, soooo stoked already for the next installment. This book is huge. HUGE. Aleksander and Sacha have an extremely complicated past. Even though their individual betrayals tore at me, their heartbreak was even worse. They loved (and love) each other so much, but the circumstances that surround their romance are just not conducive to rational thoughts.
The rest of the guys and their women are intimately involved with this plotline, and Vasily takes center stage throughout much of the story as well. One phenomenal reveal in particular blew my mind. Serious. Shivers. The anticipation is going to kill me. ...more
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