The Wild Side- A Series Review

Good evening and happy Sunday to you bibliophiles out there! I hope you all had a lovely weekend of reading before we all go back to our Mondays. Unfortunately, I've been stuck on a home renovation project, so I had to set my books aside for a few days. I did, however, finish up a trilogy by R.K. Lilley before the weekend hit, so now that most of my work is done, I can review for you all! This is The Wild Side series, and it is awesome! 

Book one, titled appropriately as The Wild Side, is just that indeed! Goodness! Holy hotness in this read! I blushed the entire time! 

Alasdair Masters, recently divorcee and wealthy author has no idea what he's getting into when he comes in contact with Iris at his local gym. There's a massive age gap between the two, but the girl knows who and what she wants and makes no bones about going after him. 

They become entangled in something rather quickly without question, but can they go the distance? 
I thought this was just a fun book of sexy encounters, but it slowly turned into something more, and I couldn't wait to see where it would go over the course of the trilogy!

My Final Rating: four out of five stars

Book two give us more insight into our main girl and the mystery surrounding her, so it's called Iris. How can a read be super sexy, but also have you wanting to tear your hair out at the same time? R.K. Lilley somehow manages to do just that in this installment. 

Iris and Dair are still hot and heavy, but she comes and goes and keeps her truths hidden deep deep down. Fair can't seem to catch a break when he tries to communicate or discover more about this exciting girl who turned his world upside down.  

Poor Dair. He's such a good guy who just wants happiness. I like Iris, but her lack of answers for anything  drives me crazy. Her and Dair are awesome together, but there's always that looming doom because she can't tell him something real. It makes you wonder if they can make their encounter a long-term one. 

Um the end is absolutely not fair! Absolute cliffhanger. 

My Final Rating: four out of five stars

Thank goodness Dair, the last book in the series, gives me all the answers I've been looking for this whole time! 

This series did not go at all the way I thought it would. I didn't figure out what was happening until it was basically right under my nose and boom!! Total bomb drop! I had my curiosities but I did not see the ending coming until the last minute. It threw me off completely in the best way! 

There was one point in the story that I wished Dair would grow a pair and stick to his guns when he thought Iris was throwing in the towel. Man, can he grovel and give in like no other to the point I felt bad for him, but I also wanted to yell at him to man up. I'm kinda glad he fought for her in his own way when things were rough with them. 

At first, I thought this was a fun and light read involving some sexy main characters, but it became so much more and I'm so beyond thrilled with the amazing ending! By time it ended, I wasn't quite ready to let go!

My Final Rating: five out of five stars

The Air He Breathes (Elements #1)- A Review

Good morning, readers! I'm going to apologize right now because I'm beyond the point of exhaustion today. However, I have another book for you to read ASAP and it's called The Air He Breathes by Brittainy C. Cherry. Even if you weren't going to get it for the initial story, you should get it just because Franggy Yanez is on the cover. Google image that guy and thank me later. Luckily, the book is amazing too, so you'll get a great read, and a handsome man on your cover. Win win!

This story was absolutely heartbreaking! Having to deal with death is one thing, but to deal with unexpected and accidental tragedy a few times over at once is something else entirely. How Elizabeth or Tristan survived to tell their tales is almost beyond my comprehension.

I would say "how they're coping", but neither of them really are, they're just existing and going through the motions. An accident that steals away your whole world and your whole reason for existing seems nearly impossible to come back from. Thankfully, these two wind up as neighbors so they learn to adapt and start facing their demons head on.

Normally stories start off on a slightly happy note, or at least with regular, everyday life happenings. This book just whacks you in the face from the beginning. Be prepared to deal with some heavy emotions that really never seem to go away.

I was worried there was no healing for Tristan or Elizabeth with the pain that surrounded each of them, but luckily over time, they start to learn from each other. It's when other outside forces try to come between what they're trying to build that threaten to destroy their second chance at happiness.

Needless to say, I couldn't put this book down. It may have ripped my heart right out, but it was absolutely worth it in the end. What I loved most was how honest and raw it was from beginning to end. If you're looking for a sweet romance, you won't find it here.

Lastly, I'm ecstatic that on goodreads, the author has it listed as part of a series. I need more Tristan in my life right now!!

My Final Rating: five out of five stars

 

November 9- A Review

Good morning, fellow readers! It's another foggy and rainy day by me, so my office morning is like torture. The good news is... ready for it... I have another review for you! I grabbed this book off of my shelf yesterday and couldn't put it down! I'm talking about November 9 by Colleen Hoover. This was an impulse B&N purchase I'm thrilled I made!

Out of all of Colleen's books I've encountered so far. This one was my favorite. It absolutely shredded my heart. We all know my first experience with her was Ugly Love and I just wasn't feeling it enough to rave to the high heavens about the tingly feelings it gave me. With November 9, I can do just that and more!

I'm not going to go crazy with any sort of plot synopsis or spoilers in this review because I feel you need to approach this book completely on your own and without any sort of surprises from me.  All I can do is urge you to pick up this book as soon as yesterday and give it a read.

The only (very minor) things I had trouble getting on board with were Ben's thoughts and emotions when it came to Fallon. The end explains it all, but for a good chunk of this book, I thought he was too good to be true. Also, the plot twist. I enjoyed how it was all connected, but I wasn't sure I wanted it to go the way it did. I guess because Ben was so good, I didn't want to think some of the thoughts I did as the end of the book approached. That's all I can say without giving away something major.

Still, the story was awesome, unique, and completely held my attention beginning-to-end. I don't cry very often at books, but in parts of this story, I got a little teary. The emotional journey was absolutely worth it and a day after, I'm still devastated I read it so quickly.

My Final Rating: five out of five stars

 

 

Corrupt- A Review

Good morning, fellow bibliophiles! It is a dreary Tuesday in my neck of the woods. I was also up (sort of) late last night finishing up this latest read and taking on a craft project. Needless to say, as I sit in my office for the next 8-9 hours, I'm going to be kicking myself because I'm wiped.

My latest read is one that has been getting a lot of hype from friends of mine in the reading community. After reading it's summary/description, I admit, I was intrigued. I began on the book on Saturday, and wrapped it up last night feeling... conflicted I guess. It definitely held my attention though, even if I was screaming at the characters in my head, so I still gave it a higher rating. The book I'm talking about is Corrupt by Penelope Douglas.

Honestly, I felt like I should sleep on my thoughts before I posted a review, but I decided it was best to just put my thoughts down via goodreads as they were in my head right after I finished the book.

For two people who love each other, they certainly go about it in the weirdest and most insane ways ever. Rika (Erika) kind of obsessed with her (boy)friend's big brother, Michael because he's dark and dangerous. In return, he's plain cruel to her because she annoys him and seems too needy. Plus, she's ALWAYS around.

Throughout the entire story, Rika is trying to follow Michael and his cronies around. She has a history with him and his family (which essentially remains mostly un-explained until the epilogue) so she's always curious as to what him and his friends are up to. Their antics are dangerous and destructive, but if anything, that intrigues Rika even more.

Michael and his friends Will, Kai, and Damon are good looking, popular, and love raising hell from behind these masks they love to wear. They run their school and even their town. Guys want to be them and girls want to be with them, and Rika is no excuse. She may have been thrown together with Michael's younger brother, Trevor, but that doesn't stop her from pursuing who she actually wants.

While she's still in high school, Rika somehow finds herself as a member of their group, (known as The Four Horseman) and the proverbial shit hits the fan. Michael is tempted by the "forbidden fruit" and Rika is trying to leave her "good girl" image far behind. He pushes her and she winds up pushing back instead of shying away from him. Some of the shenanigans they wind up in with the other guys involve the law and breaking so many rules, the reader has to know all their antics will blow up in their faces, which it does.

Three years after high school, Rika is trying to branch out on her own, and get away from this group she's grown up with in order to become her own woman. She becomes flustered by Trevor and her family being so overbearing. After moving into a new apartment and starting at a new university, she finds herself in the company of Michael again for the first time in awhile. On her own, she becomes a target for him and his old friends who are all recently out of prison. Events of the past have reared their ugly heads and Michael's friends are angry. They think Rika is the reason they were all in jail and plan to get revenge on her. All hell breaks loose.

I kind of wondered (a lot) where the hell this story was going. Parts of it seemed insulting to women, some of it seemed like some kind of kinky fantasy gone wrong, and some seemed like it was straight out of a horror movie. These characters had very little boundaries and didn't even attempt to play nice with each other. However, once things really reach their pinnacle, it all falls into place and begins to make some sense and head in the right direction.

It's explained what happened to the guys and why they ended up locked up for three years, and characters that you didn't think should be anywhere near each other wind up being a compatible match in their own way. Originally, I did want to quit reading this, because I had no idea where it could possibly go and thought no good could come of what was unfolding on the pages in front of me, but I'm glad I stuck it out and got a bit of closure at least once the book was done. I understood the real past, and why things worked out the way they did. I'm glad the characters were corrupted and pushed enough to change them for the better and bring them into the new chapter of their futures.  It was for sure the darker side of romance, but I'm pretty sure that's what the author was going for, so, bravo, Douglas.

My Final Rating: four out of five stars

 

 

 

Mara Dyer Series- A Review

Good afternoon, fellow bibliophiles! Hope you all had a lovely holiday and are all putting your lists together for the next batch of holidays down the road! Personally, I think I'll be asking for a stack of books or B&N gift cards.

Anywho, I feel like this last trilogy took me awhile to get through (which, I suppose it did since each book is a good 5-600 pages). I had always seen these books in my bookstore perusing, but I never bought them. I would look them up on goodreads and saw that they had an okay (nut not stellar) rating. On my last trip, however, I was just at a loss at what to buy. My TBR list is ever-growing, but I couldn't pin down a solid novel I wanted to read. I wanted something to jump out at me as I wandered the aisles. After about an hour of searching, these books called to me yet again, and I had to give them a try. Needless to say, I don't regret my decision. Now, let's discuss!


I'm talking about the Mara Dyer series by Michelle Hodkin. The first in the series is entitled, The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer.  Right off the bat, I have to gush over the cover art. I'm obsessed. It's enchanting and haunting at the same time. I totally judged the book by its cover because it drew me in every single time I wandered the bookstore shelves.

This story has a really interesting concept which I was thoroughly pleased in discovering. With novels like Gone Girl or anything with a twist, not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty decent at figuring out where the story is going. When it came to the events surrounding Mara and Noah, I couldn't really tell which end was up. I enjoyed that aspect of their journey because I didn't want to spoil it for myself by figuring out their secrets before they were told to me. With this novel, I wanted to make the discovery as I turned the page, and their adventures accomplished that for me.

I adored that Noah was so intrigued with Mara (although parts of his observations reminded me of Twilight *cringe*) and that there was something so completely different about them as a couple and as people. I know I'm approaching 31 and reading a YA novel, but it wasn't about the bits of high school drama for me. That was put on the back burner so I could focus more on the dynamic between the two of them, and the strange events happening around them instead.

The one part I couldn't get on board with (which is minor) was the extensive vocabulary these characters have (and use... frequently) as high school students. I didn't find it believable because kids these days just don't talk the way these two did. I justified their vast knowledge and grammar with who they become as characters. There's something deeper there... something more. I just had to find out what is was they were hiding from me.
My Final Rating: four out of five stars

 

These books are such a brain buster! If you're a fan of any kind of suspense, thriller, plot twist, etc, then go pick these up ASAP! Book two, The Evolution Of Mara Dyer gets even more intense and I could NOT get enough!

I originally read that these were a sort of paranormal romance, but I don't even consider them in that category. They have a very chilling Shutter Island type vibe that makes a reader uncomfortable, yet wanting (and NEEDING) to keep turning the page.

I had my suspicions all along the way, but as the story and scandal surrounding Mara progressed, little factoids and plot bombs kept dropping which would both confirm suspicions I had while also adding in so much more that I honestly was not expecting.

Thanks to the cliffhanger in book two, I could NOT wait to begin book three!

My Final Rating: four out of five stars

The final book in this trio is The Retribution Of Mara Dyer. I'm sad that this trilogy took me longer than I had originally planned. What can I do? Life gets in the way sometimes. In a way, it was a good thing to have life giving me delays because I got more time with these characters in their very weird world, so I'm not complaining!

I know I said it earlier, but this was SUCH an interesting read and quite a different story concept that I've read for the first time in a long time. I don't want to give too much away plot-wise beginning-to-end, so I'll just leave it at this: a billionaire who has the means to genetically alter regular young people to give them super-human capabilities while they're completely unaware. They then use these "powers" without even realizing it for both good and evil. Society catches on, and then the subjects are seen as "certifiable" and sent to a rehabilitation center where even more tests are done. It adds this whole good vs. evil, hero vs. demon aspect to the plot which I was just enthralled with all throughout these pages.

For Mara Dyer, her boyfriend Noah Shaw, and friends of theirs, this is their terrifying and unknown reality. Things mysteriously happen to people around them, and they don't quite understand how it's possible for them to be seeing the things they're seeing. When they're left with blood on their hands and all fingers pointing to them when they don't even know what's going on moment-to-moment, events get real scary real quick.

This all started with Mara playing with a Ouija board with her friends Rachel and Claire. Within six months, her friends (and even her boyfriend, Jude) are dead in some freak accident, and Mara is the only survivor. Shaken, and with no answers, her and her family relocate from Rhode Island to Florida. She's left alone and scratching her head as to what happened. Mara remains haunted by their ghosts while also trying to stay sane and navigate in a new environment.

Her Retribution was such a thrilling read. I can't put into words how exciting not knowing what was coming next was when it came to all three of these books. It had so many twists and turns that it kept me turning pages. I thoroughly enjoyed how much the past, present, and future are constantly intertwined to help determine the fate of the characters.

Now that I've finished all three books, I wouldn't necessarily call these romance novels. I know some categorize them that way, and while I understand, just hear me out. There is a love story among the rest of what is going on (seriously, Noah Shaw is lovely). In some aspects, with the way Noah and Mara make sacrifices for each other, it reminds me a bit of Romeo and Juliet, a tragic sort of love, but there's also other prominent elements involved that just give these stories something extra. Something unknown and a bit majestic.

As usual, I'm content knowing I didn't let negative reviews I read prior to picking these books up influence my experience reading them. I loved getting lost in such a creative concept and experiencing a story so different than what I've gotten used to reading lately. Kudos, Hodkin, this was a fantastic story with stunning writing to boot! I'm thoroughly impressed!

My Final Rating: four out of five stars

 

Confess- A Review

Good afternoon, fellow readers! Happy Tuesday to you all! Hope it's treating you well!

I'll try to make this short and sweet because, well, you'll see my disclaimer below. I just finished Confess by Colleen Hoover, so let's delve right into it, shall we?

**DISCLAIMER: let's talk about how I've written an extensive review for this book twice now and once, the computer froze so I had to close out of the program, and twice, I hit a random key by mistake in the whole "copy and past" process and deleted everything I had just written..**

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I follow numerous book accounts on Google+, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.. and I never seemed to know more about this story save for the cover (which is aesthetically pleasing). My only other encounter with Hoover's books was months ago when I read Ugly Love, and I just don't have much to say once I was done. I didn't fully connect with that story, or it had something missing for me so I didn't love it, but didn't hate it either.  With that as my first experience with her books, I can't help but admit that I was a bit wary of reading her other books. However, I'm glad I went on impulse and grabbed this book off the shelf on my last B&N run.

As far as plot premise, this story was not something I have experienced before, which is saying something. There's your basics in love and angst, but Confess added extra elements that just make it a special tale to tell.

Owen Gentry and Auburn Reed meet, and it is serendipitous. He needs help for a showing at his art gallery, and she's looking for some extra money. The rest is history/fate! The way their story entwines is really touching. I enjoyed every twist and turn their journey took, despite if it was good or bad.

Auburn loses one of the most important people in her life early on, and it's tragic. Owen loses two people, and you have to wonder how he'll survive and continue on for the rest of his life. Somehow, both of their losses turn into their own gain together. They're both determined individuals and despite all they've been through in the past, they've learned to cope and even attempt to be happy.

The things Owen and Auburn learn from each other in a short period of time is nothing short of remarkable. They make you realize the important things in life and also how necessary it can be to find a deep connection with someone that goes past anything earthly and almost transcends into spiritual. Owen's idea of people deserving second chances really made me smile.

The whole concept behind the confessions and their paintings in Owen's gallery was really spectacular. I read the little author's note thanking her readers for sending them in and I was floored! Kudos to all of you who participated in sharing such secrets. It helps keep us aware of the fact that we're all fighting an unknown battle. Thank you so much for being so brave and sharing an unknown piece of yourselves with the world!

Lastly, the added bonus of the artwork within the text was awesome! The pieces were stunning and really helped to put an image to the description I was reading on the page. I'm contemplating removing them from the text and framing them for my bedroom. They're gorgeous pieces.

My Final Rating: four out of five stars

 

 

 

 

If You Dare (Deanna Madden #3)- A Review

I don't think Alessandra Torre could write a book that I would dislike. I began my adventures with her through her Innocence trilogy before branching into her A.R. Torre side with The Girl In 6E. Whether it's something like Innocence that's a bit softer and more sensual, or Deanna Madden with its Dexter-meets- Fifty Shades vibe, I'm thrilled. As Torre states, Deanna is her "wicked girl". She honestly is, and she'll always have that darkness, but I don't think she'll ever realize her potential fo Good morning, everyone! Happy Monday! I just noticed that this is my 50th post! Depending on how you look at that, it could be a good or a bad thing. I either read a lot, or I have too much time on my hands. I'm assuming you all enjoy your novels as much as I do and are therefore forever looking for suggestions, so cheers to 50 more postings! I know I said I'd group series books together in one review, but when I started the one I'm going to discuss today, I thought it was going to serve as a stand-alone, which was The Girl In 6E (You can find my review here: Deanna Madden #1). Since then, A.R. Torre has put out two more books in this series and they are awesome! You can read my review of Do Not Disturb here: Deanna Madden #2 and today, I'm obviously bringing you my thoughts on book three. I had pre-ordered this book via Amazon and an alert on my phone said it wouldn't be delivered until Tuesday. You can imagine my surprise when it turned up on Saturday morning instead. I basically dropped what I was doing and began reading instantly, and I'm not sorry that I did. If You Dare just made me love this whole series more than I already thought I could. I don't think Alessandra Torre is capable of writing a book that I would dislike. I began my adventures with her through her Innocence trilogy before branching into her A.R. Torre side with The Girl In 6E. I'm not sure which I love more. This author has so many different sides and I'm obsessed with every single one of them. Whether it's something like Innocence that's seemingly softer and more sensual, or Deanna Madden with its Dexter-meets- Fifty Shades vibe, I'm thrilled to the max by these books. They all take up permanent residents in prime spots on my beloved book shelves. As Torre states, Deanna is her "wicked girl" and I don't think I could describe her any better. She honestly is wicked, and she'll always have that darkness that lingers just below the surface of what humanity wants her to be, but I don't think she'll ever realize her potential for goodness the way she should. Yes, she's dangerous, but she targets with purpose, so I find myself siding with her no matter what... Even if she's breaking all sorts of laws. I never read author's notes, it's just something I don't normally do, but I'm glad I did on this book. To know Torre has more in store for Deanna has me thrilled beyond words. My heart raced, it shattered, it was a million things.. All within 300+ pages. Job well done, even if there was a bit of a cliffhanger with the whole J situation. I will be chomping at the bit until there's a book four. I need more of Deanna and her twisted mind. My Final Rating: five out of five stars