Though not my favorite Christmas story by KA, she still knows how to deliver all the feels. I enjoyed Jeremy and Max and the family Christmas on the fThough not my favorite Christmas story by KA, she still knows how to deliver all the feels. I enjoyed Jeremy and Max and the family Christmas on the farm, and loved the tie in to Santa Daddy. There was just a little angst in the form of denial and Jeremy's parents *who I wanted to smack really hard* but to balance that out, Max's family was aweome, I loved them all.
Overall, sweet holiday read by a favorite author.
Merged review:
Though not my favorite Christmas story by KA, she still knows how to deliver all the feels. I enjoyed Jeremy and Max and the family Christmas on the farm, and loved the tie in to Santa Daddy. There was just a little angst in the form of denial and Jeremy's parents *who I wanted to smack really hard* but to balance that out, Max's family was aweome, I loved them all.
Overall, sweet holiday read by a favorite author....more
A champion is someone who gets up when they can't. --- Jack Dempsey
That one line embodies the spirit and heart of a fighter, and is what makes theA champion is someone who gets up when they can't. --- Jack Dempsey
That one line embodies the spirit and heart of a fighter, and is what makes the sport of fighting my favorite, whatever discipline. It isn't the brutality or the violence at all, it's the tremendous heart.
*sigh* I'm sure the love of the sport is what saved this for me, because R.J. Prescott's descriptions of the training and fights were well done and exciting. When O'Connell wasn't busy being a massive fucking idjit, that is.
This book follows up Em being (view spoiler)[kidnapped & raped by her stepfather, Frank (hide spoiler)], while Con was in the ring, fighting. Though happy & deliriously in love, both are suffering the aftermath, Em still having nightmares and Con being *irrationally* tortured by the fact that he didn't protect her.
I know Em is a small, defenseless woman and O'Connell is the huge, tough fighter but Em proves the tougher of the two. She's determined to move on and not give any more power to what happened before but O'Connell lets it consume him, to the point where it makes him stupid, and this left me extremely disappointed in his character. In trying to work through his rage *because even Con knew he was irrational* and discussing things with Father Pat, he asked O'Connell to consider if his rage was truly for Emily, or perhaps maybe on his own behalf, for his perceived failure. That right there was what had me so aggravated with him, because that was the issue. Stupid!
Thankfully, it gets better. As always, Con drags himself out of his personal darkness for Em, but also for himself and the future they deserve. And there's the O'Connell I love!!!
Probably more 3.5 but I forgave O'Connell enough to round up. :) I'm hoping for more of this series with the rest of the fighters from Driscoll's Gym.
Merged review:
A champion is someone who gets up when they can't. --- Jack Dempsey
That one line embodies the spirit and heart of a fighter, and is what makes the sport of fighting my favorite, whatever discipline. It isn't the brutality or the violence at all, it's the tremendous heart.
*sigh* I'm sure the love of the sport is what saved this for me, because R.J. Prescott's descriptions of the training and fights were well done and exciting. When O'Connell wasn't busy being a massive fucking idjit, that is.
This book follows up Em being (view spoiler)[kidnapped & raped by her stepfather, Frank (hide spoiler)], while Con was in the ring, fighting. Though happy & deliriously in love, both are suffering the aftermath, Em still having nightmares and Con being *irrationally* tortured by the fact that he didn't protect her.
I know Em is a small, defenseless woman and O'Connell is the huge, tough fighter but Em proves the tougher of the two. She's determined to move on and not give any more power to what happened before but O'Connell lets it consume him, to the point where it makes him stupid, and this left me extremely disappointed in his character. In trying to work through his rage *because even Con knew he was irrational* and discussing things with Father Pat, he asked O'Connell to consider if his rage was truly for Emily, or perhaps maybe on his own behalf, for his perceived failure. That right there was what had me so aggravated with him, because that was the issue. Stupid!
Thankfully, it gets better. As always, Con drags himself out of his personal darkness for Em, but also for himself and the future they deserve. And there's the O'Connell I love!!!
Probably more 3.5 but I forgave O'Connell enough to round up. :) I'm hoping for more of this series with the rest of the fighters from Driscoll's Gym....more
4.5 stars, I loved this, and it deserves a much better review than I feel like doing right now, so better rMy Secret Santa is the best, thank you!! xx
4.5 stars, I loved this, and it deserves a much better review than I feel like doing right now, so better review later. But I did want to mention once more how much I appreciated the gift from my Secret Santa! ❤️
Merged review:
My Secret Santa is the best, thank you!! xx
4.5 stars, I loved this, and it deserves a much better review than I feel like doing right now, so better review later. But I did want to mention once more how much I appreciated the gift from my Secret Santa! ❤️...more
My heart is still all aflutter, as it was for most of the book. I loved it! For me, this was the best of the series. *sigh* Jay and Quinn swooned me bMy heart is still all aflutter, as it was for most of the book. I loved it! For me, this was the best of the series. *sigh* Jay and Quinn swooned me bad!
Quinn Mathers is the shy, quiet, gay kid that never did anything he wasn't supposed to. His parents were rather controlling (but loving) and had always mapped his life for him *along with minute-to-minute directions on how to do it*. Most everything he'd done in his life was in support of those goals, but here at the end of his senior year in college, he and his best friend Jess are going on a cruise for spring break. But not just any cruise. This cruise will have the cast of the reality show Trip League, who are closing out their season with their last show on shipboard. And Quinn has always had a thing for angry, gorgeous T.J. Butler, a cast member of the show.
Though T.J. isn't really an angry guy, he is tired. He's tired of the box the show has pigeonholed him in, the aggressive, angry one. He's tired of never being able to be himself to anyone, as he's obligated by contract to be straight, because they already had a gay cast member when he was signed, and he isn't. He's bisexual. It wasn't such a big deal when he signed, as he had just figured it out himself at that point, and he did like women. He just had no idea how terrible it would be to have to hide part of himself. There are circumstances, personal as well as career, that stop him from coming out anyway but he's pretty miserable.
Quinn's goal for the cruise is to be a totally irresponsible college student for once, and do nothing but have fun. And just maybe get to see J.R. Butler in person, from a distance, of course. Jay's goal is just to through this last of it, so he can go home and finally be himself. But when they meet face to face, the chemistry is electric and instant, which is a real problem for Jay.
I really loved these guys! Quinn was sweet and shy but he wasn't a pushover for anyone but his parents. He knew who he was though, and was determined that he would never pretend otherwise for anyone. And he was pretty feisty too, when you got him riled. *Jay was right, totally cute!* Jay broke my heart, he was so heartsick trying to make himself stay away from Quinn and struggling with his decisions for the future. Despite all the worry and concerns, every time Quinn and Jay were on the page together, I had those heart-flutters going on. They were romantic, the heat between them was palpable and they brought all the feels out, especially at the idea that they might never see each other again after the cruise was over.
I loved how both of them grew and not just for each other but because it was what they needed to do to move forward. As individuals, they reached for the courage they needed and made the decisions that were the right thing for them. I also came to really like some of Jay's cast-mates, who ended up not being at all what they seemed to be. Another reminder that reality TV is not all at all real, but seems to take a pretty harsh toll on those who try living it.
This was all that a swoony, delicious, sexy romance should be while still keeping the characters real. Megan Erickson has sure earned her spot on my favorite author's list!
Merged review:
My heart is still all aflutter, as it was for most of the book. I loved it! For me, this was the best of the series. *sigh* Jay and Quinn swooned me bad!
Quinn Mathers is the shy, quiet, gay kid that never did anything he wasn't supposed to. His parents were rather controlling (but loving) and had always mapped his life for him *along with minute-to-minute directions on how to do it*. Most everything he'd done in his life was in support of those goals, but here at the end of his senior year in college, he and his best friend Jess are going on a cruise for spring break. But not just any cruise. This cruise will have the cast of the reality show Trip League, who are closing out their season with their last show on shipboard. And Quinn has always had a thing for angry, gorgeous T.J. Butler, a cast member of the show.
Though T.J. isn't really an angry guy, he is tired. He's tired of the box the show has pigeonholed him in, the aggressive, angry one. He's tired of never being able to be himself to anyone, as he's obligated by contract to be straight, because they already had a gay cast member when he was signed, and he isn't. He's bisexual. It wasn't such a big deal when he signed, as he had just figured it out himself at that point, and he did like women. He just had no idea how terrible it would be to have to hide part of himself. There are circumstances, personal as well as career, that stop him from coming out anyway but he's pretty miserable.
Quinn's goal for the cruise is to be a totally irresponsible college student for once, and do nothing but have fun. And just maybe get to see J.R. Butler in person, from a distance, of course. Jay's goal is just to through this last of it, so he can go home and finally be himself. But when they meet face to face, the chemistry is electric and instant, which is a real problem for Jay.
I really loved these guys! Quinn was sweet and shy but he wasn't a pushover for anyone but his parents. He knew who he was though, and was determined that he would never pretend otherwise for anyone. And he was pretty feisty too, when you got him riled. *Jay was right, totally cute!* Jay broke my heart, he was so heartsick trying to make himself stay away from Quinn and struggling with his decisions for the future. Despite all the worry and concerns, every time Quinn and Jay were on the page together, I had those heart-flutters going on. They were romantic, the heat between them was palpable and they brought all the feels out, especially at the idea that they might never see each other again after the cruise was over.
I loved how both of them grew and not just for each other but because it was what they needed to do to move forward. As individuals, they reached for the courage they needed and made the decisions that were the right thing for them. I also came to really like some of Jay's cast-mates, who ended up not being at all what they seemed to be. Another reminder that reality TV is not all at all real, but seems to take a pretty harsh toll on those who try living it.
This was all that a swoony, delicious, sexy romance should be while still keeping the characters real. Megan Erickson has sure earned her spot on my favorite author's list!...more
4.5 stars, review is for the whole of volume 1, as I had read the whole thing before I knew it. And now I have to wait for more. *sigh, story of my fr4.5 stars, review is for the whole of volume 1, as I had read the whole thing before I knew it. And now I have to wait for more. *sigh, story of my friggin life, waiting for a book, LOL*
Really enjoyed this, much more than I expected. This was basically my first experience with a graphic novel, though I did read comics aeons ago when I was young. Also, I'm not counting skimming through my son's Naruto or Dragonball Z books. I wasn't exactly interested in those.
This hooked me fast, and after this first episode, I went ahead and bought them all (thank goodness the first volume was done!) and it felt like I finished them in the blink of an eye. No real relationships yet, but oh the groundwork is laid for things to be mighty complicated in several directions later.
Same for angst though that has the potential to be pretty damn explosive as well. And I'm not going to lie, the pretty graphics totally pulled me in as well. I've always been visual but it impacted the story more than I expected it to. Awesome way to finish out 2018 reading, trying something new, though I expected nothing less than awesome from C.S. Pacat.
Now I wait for Volume 2. :)
Merged review:
4.5 stars, review is for the whole of volume 1, as I had read the whole thing before I knew it. And now I have to wait for more. *sigh, story of my friggin life, waiting for a book, LOL*
Really enjoyed this, much more than I expected. This was basically my first experience with a graphic novel, though I did read comics aeons ago when I was young. Also, I'm not counting skimming through my son's Naruto or Dragonball Z books. I wasn't exactly interested in those.
This hooked me fast, and after this first episode, I went ahead and bought them all (thank goodness the first volume was done!) and it felt like I finished them in the blink of an eye. No real relationships yet, but oh the groundwork is laid for things to be mighty complicated in several directions later.
Same for angst though that has the potential to be pretty damn explosive as well. And I'm not going to lie, the pretty graphics totally pulled me in as well. I've always been visual but it impacted the story more than I expected it to. Awesome way to finish out 2018 reading, trying something new, though I expected nothing less than awesome from C.S. Pacat.
4.5 stars, review is for the whole of volume 1, as I had read the whole thing before I knew it. And now I have to wait for more. *sigh, story of my fr4.5 stars, review is for the whole of volume 1, as I had read the whole thing before I knew it. And now I have to wait for more. *sigh, story of my friggin life, waiting for a book, LOL*
Really enjoyed this, much more than I expected. This was basically my first experience with a graphic novel, though I did read comics aeons ago when I was young. Also, I'm not counting skimming through my son's Naruto or Dragonball Z books. I wasn't exactly interested in those.
This hooked me fast, and after this first episode, I went ahead and bought them all (thank goodness the first volume was done!) and it felt like I finished them in the blink of an eye. No real relationships yet, but oh the groundwork is laid for things to be mighty complicated in several directions later.
Same for angst though that has the potential to be pretty damn explosive as well. And I'm not going to lie, the pretty graphics totally pulled me in as well. I've always been visual but it impacted the story more than I expected it to. Awesome way to finish out 2018 reading, trying something new, though I expected nothiingless than awesome from C.S. Pacat.
Now I wait for Volume 2. :)
Merged review:
4.5 stars, review is for the whole of volume 1, as I had read the whole thing before I knew it. And now I have to wait for more. *sigh, story of my friggin life, waiting for a book, LOL*
Really enjoyed this, much more than I expected. This was basically my first experience with a graphic novel, though I did read comics aeons ago when I was young. Also, I'm not counting skimming through my son's Naruto or Dragonball Z books. I wasn't exactly interested in those.
This hooked me fast, and after this first episode, I went ahead and bought them all (thank goodness the first volume was done!) and it felt like I finished them in the blink of an eye. No real relationships yet, but oh the groundwork is laid for things to be mighty complicated in several directions later.
Same for angst though that has the potential to be pretty damn explosive as well. And I'm not going to lie, the pretty graphics totally pulled me in as well. I've always been visual but it impacted the story more than I expected it to. Awesome way to finish out 2018 reading, trying something new, though I expected nothiingless than awesome from C.S. Pacat.
4.5 stars, review is for the whole of volume 1, as I had read the whole thing before I knew it. And now I have to wait for more. *sigh, story of my fr4.5 stars, review is for the whole of volume 1, as I had read the whole thing before I knew it. And now I have to wait for more. *sigh, story of my friggin life, waiting for a book, LOL*
Really enjoyed this, much more than I expected. This was basically my first experience with a graphic novel, though I did read comics aeons ago when I was young. Also, I'm not counting skimming through my son's Naruto or Dragonball Z books. I wasn't exactly interested in those.
This hooked me fast, and after this first episode, I went ahead and bought them all (thank goodness the first volume was done!) and it felt like I finished them in the blink of an eye. No real relationships yet, but oh the groundwork is laid for things to be mighty complicated in several directions later.
Same for angst though that has the potential to be pretty damn explosive as well. And I'm not going to lie, the pretty graphics totally pulled me in as well. I've always been visual but it impacted the story more than I expected it to. Awesome way to finish out 2018 reading, trying something new, though I expected nothiingless than awesome from C.S. Pacat.
Now I wait for Volume 2. :)
Merged review:
4.5 stars, review is for the whole of volume 1, as I had read the whole thing before I knew it. And now I have to wait for more. *sigh, story of my friggin life, waiting for a book, LOL*
Really enjoyed this, much more than I expected. This was basically my first experience with a graphic novel, though I did read comics aeons ago when I was young. Also, I'm not counting skimming through my son's Naruto or Dragonball Z books. I wasn't exactly interested in those.
This hooked me fast, and after this first episode, I went ahead and bought them all (thank goodness the first volume was done!) and it felt like I finished them in the blink of an eye. No real relationships yet, but oh the groundwork is laid for things to be mighty complicated in several directions later.
Same for angst though that has the potential to be pretty damn explosive as well. And I'm not going to lie, the pretty graphics totally pulled me in as well. I've always been visual but it impacted the story more than I expected it to. Awesome way to finish out 2018 reading, trying something new, though I expected nothiingless than awesome from C.S. Pacat.
3.5 stars. This was just cute! But also an excellent slow burn romance with terrifically imperfect characters. These guys might have made their way to3.5 stars. This was just cute! But also an excellent slow burn romance with terrifically imperfect characters. These guys might have made their way to each other long before they did but for their hilariously interfering roommates. They meant well and couldn't be faulted for their sincerity.
However, once Ye Zhou and Shang Jin finally got past all the roadblocks, the romance was sweet and made me happy to read it. ...more
![所有人都以为我喜欢他 [Everyone Thinks That I like Him]](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546510348l/43450970._SX50_.jpg)
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