“I don’t want to die, but I want to live. People call that having a death wish.”
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DNF at 51%
As much as I wanted to love this book, both of us“I don’t want to die, but I want to live. People call that having a death wish.”
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DNF at 51%
As much as I wanted to love this book, both of us just did not get along. There was too many cliches and lately, I've been noticing that those seem to get on my nerves the most. This (short) review will be of my own and does not take away from the fact that everyone who is thinking of giving this book a try - should do it!!
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P.S This review is filled to the brim (staring now) with sexual innuendos. I'm making up for all the pent up sexual tension that this book did not deliver for me. ______________
Things I Shall Take Away From This Book - Try Skye Warren again, Alex. Perhaps this book just did not rub you the right way (all the sexual innuendos for my romance hoes out there) and you needed something....more.
-Many of your friends have loved her books, Alex. Perhaps her past work in dark romance will in fact hit all the right spots. (2 for 2, baby)
“A gentleman would add my name to the guest list.” “Did I give you the impression that I was a gentleman? My apologies.”
Things This Book Has Taken Away From me -My ability to tolerate love triangles. I thought I could do it folks, I really did. I used to enjoy love triangles and when this ARC traveling its way onto my kindle, I did a little happy dance because who doesn't want some angst and drama in their romance every once in a while?
-The amount of shits I give for overused tropes and cliches. Daddy issues, money vs. money, popping the cherry (pick me, pick me!!!), etc etc etc.
-PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK WITH THE PLOT 'nuff said.
Overall, I think this was a stellar case of "it's not you, it's me" and I want to go out and say that the blurb, the author and the cover reeled me in from the get-go. Had it been any other time I read this when I hadn't already read a myriad of other books with cliche and cringe - I wouldn't have minded and perhaps actually enjoyed.
Merged review:
“I don’t want to die, but I want to live. People call that having a death wish.”
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DNF at 51%
As much as I wanted to love this book, both of us just did not get along. There was too many cliches and lately, I've been noticing that those seem to get on my nerves the most. This (short) review will be of my own and does not take away from the fact that everyone who is thinking of giving this book a try - should do it!!
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P.S This review is filled to the brim (staring now) with sexual innuendos. I'm making up for all the pent up sexual tension that this book did not deliver for me. ______________
Things I Shall Take Away From This Book - Try Skye Warren again, Alex. Perhaps this book just did not rub you the right way (all the sexual innuendos for my romance hoes out there) and you needed something....more.
-Many of your friends have loved her books, Alex. Perhaps her past work in dark romance will in fact hit all the right spots. (2 for 2, baby)
“A gentleman would add my name to the guest list.” “Did I give you the impression that I was a gentleman? My apologies.”
Things This Book Has Taken Away From me -My ability to tolerate love triangles. I thought I could do it folks, I really did. I used to enjoy love triangles and when this ARC traveling its way onto my kindle, I did a little happy dance because who doesn't want some angst and drama in their romance every once in a while?
-The amount of shits I give for overused tropes and cliches. Daddy issues, money vs. money, popping the cherry (pick me, pick me!!!), etc etc etc.
-PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK WITH THE PLOT 'nuff said.
Overall, I think this was a stellar case of "it's not you, it's me" and I want to go out and say that the blurb, the author and the cover reeled me in from the get-go. Had it been any other time I read this when I hadn't already read a myriad of other books with cliche and cringe - I wouldn't have minded and perhaps actually enjoyed....more
"Every minute you’re alive is a second chance to start over. I honor my past, but I don’t live in it. I choose this moment instead. Right here." "Every minute you’re alive is a second chance to start over. I honor my past, but I don’t live in it. I choose this moment instead. Right here."
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Siri, how do I put my heart back together after Emma Scott so elegantly broke it in two? [image] _______________
I'm not crying, you're crying.
This book. This. heartbreakingly. beautiful. book. Emma Scott achieved the impossible with this book.
I want this book to be in every high school library. I want this book handed out at Pride. I want this book to be read by every single person that thinks that they're alone in love.
This book is ugly. It's heavy and more times than not, you feel like you can't carry it. It's tough to chew and harder to swallow. It made me wince and cringe and I had to put my kindle away many many times. But this book is necessary. It took many different forms of hate and showed how there is only one universal form of love.
Emma Scott will always be one of my favourite authors. This book is no exception and only deepened my love for her writing and aptitude for storytelling. Except, with this book - it wasn't really a story because the things that happen in this book are still happening. Someday, Someday deals with the plight of love. It deals with Max Kaufman who was thrown out of his house by his family for being found with a boy. Then, Silas Marsh who at a very young age was sent to sexuality conversion therapy where he was tortured and terrorized. It portrays the destructive and futile values of homophobia whilst dealing with people who are undergoing immense mental battles. It shows how Max and Silas find each other as recovering drug addicts but mostly, how they find themselves through each other.
So yes. Whatever you're imagining when I say that this book is heavy and deals with topics that are necessary, double it.
"Don’t let go. Hold on and you’ll be safe. Let go and you’ll never be the same again."
I think this was the toughest out of all Emma's books that I have read. So many times during reading, I found myself sobbing. Because through all the animosity, hatred and trauma within this book, it is nothing if not a story of forgiveness. I struggled with this book a lot, in all honesty. It's very hard to focus on a love story, a romance between two people who have such tragic histories. The narrative we were given was not light in any way and then we got these screenshots of Max and Silas slowly falling in love. But by then end, I realized that, that was the entire point.
It goes to say that I'm only a reader, and a very small drop in the ocean that is Emma's Entourage but I am so, so fucking proud of Emma Scott because of this book.
Someday, Someday is a heart-wrenching tour de force that steals the air right from your lungs. It's ambitiously driven by hope and after hurting you and ripping you apart, it builds you back up again. I'm proud of Emma because no matter how painful and upsetting Silas and Max's story was, she refused to make it pretty, because that wouldn't be the truth. That's why it's her most beautiful book to date.
My heart hurt for so many people (Eddie deserves nothing more than a hug and the best life). My only slight problem was that I found some things (mostly dialogue) to be jarring and occasionally insensitive. Although the story started off somewhat slow, I was captivated a third way in and then it became unputdownable. I can so safely say though that Emma writes the stories that I wish I had the chance to experience for the first time, every time I re-read them.
“Can you please stop being so beautiful and real and alive all over my house like you own it or something?”
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I finished this in a d“Can you please stop being so beautiful and real and alive all over my house like you own it or something?”
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I finished this in a day and now the bags under my eyes are Gucci.
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A Note From Alex (after reading all the notes in this book, especially the chocolate one).
Whenever I finish a book, Goodreads (my number one cheerleader) always sends me an email telling me that I have actually finished the book (as if I didn't know it myself, you'd think). But this time when GR sent me this;
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I felt like Goodreads just knew (call it kismet) that this book and I are undergoing some challenges. Initially, I gave this four stars but upon looking back, I'm sticking with my 3 star rating. This is honestly the hardest rating I have ever had to debate. Because, if I'm being honest with myself... I probably enjoyed this a lot but I know that I shouldn't have.
Here's the thing. This book was fucking addicting. I burned lasagna while reading this book... I didn't hear the oven ding and then my lasagna burnt. So in order to truly know this book's rating for me; I'm asking myself now: "What it worth burning the lasagna, Alex? Was it worth having to scrape all that cheesy goodness into the bin and feel immense guilt whilst doing so?"
Here's the dilemma. During the time, yes. It was very worth it. Now? Not so much.
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In The Unlikely Event is something so different to what Shen normally puts out that I couldn't help but pick it up. It's not really a "christmas" romance, but it's a winter one. We follow Mal and Rory's story of love, loss and heartbreak. It was comical and didn't take itself seriously at all, and I loved it even more because of that. It was hot, captivating and so nail-bitingly, page turningly addictive that I really didn't get much sleep.
I loved the different narratives and I found myself laughing out loud during some moments. That is also to say though, that this book is not all comedy. It deals with really sensitive issues and in true LJ fashion, the angst is so unbearably thick, it's better than any soap opera or reality TV show I've ever watched. It's also safe to say, that I unfortunately can no longer look at chocolate the same way. This is not a bad or a good thing. Just different.
The banter between Rory and Mal was probably my favourite aspect of this book. Also, if there is any one romance writer that can take the same trope (enemies to lovers) in all her books but still manage to keep me captivated... it's this one. I rooted for so many different people in this book and although it drained me when I came to the end chapter, I felt like I went on a really long holiday.
"Want to know if you love someone? Watch them suffer and see how much it tears you apart."
But then why do I also feel like I wasted such a great (it was mediocre, I fuck up cereal on my best days), awesomely-dished lasagna? For one thing, it's always heartbreaking when you have to compost carbs. But, for reasons more suited to this review; this book frustrated the fucking lights out of me.
Yes, we already know that Shen writes up the most problematic, toxic and dysfunctional relationships but still manages to make you hooked over wanting to know what happens. I knew this going in, I came prepped for the assholes and the triggers. Just to let you know, the hero in this book is manipulative, conniving and so rude for a good part of the book. The heroine is also frustratingly juvenile and oblivious to so much. Half the time, I wished Rory would have just demanded to understand what was going on. Regardless, Rory and Mal end up being sickly cute and this book definitely amped up the steam.
But I'm going to lay some other things out. Spoilers Ahead
❄︎ The relationship in this book is based on insta-love. This usually never works for me but I looked past it in this book. ❄︎ The amount of miscommunication in this book could give an airline company's customer service rep a run for their fucking money. ❄︎ If LJ Shen ever writes a book with 100% women supporting women, I might actually slip into a coma. There is so much animosity between female relationships in this book that just hurt my heart immensely. ❄︎ Something that would have been so mindblowingly unique is if the topic of "loving someone whilst being in a relationship" was tackled with no cheating involved. It was so obvious that I actually thought that no one would cheat in this book. I was so wrong. ❄︎ Another thing I really wished for was for Callum (Rory's boyfriend) not to be villainized in order to cop out of the relationship. I cant stress this enough but breaking up with someone because you don't have feelings for them anymore is a very valid reason. I wish authors didn't villainize the significant other in order to "make up" for the fact that they are being broken up with because suddenly if they're not the best person, then it's okay for the MC to move on and be with someone else. ❄︎ This last one is probably the most important one. There is a rape scene in this book, and I won't put this section under a "hide spoiler" thing because this is an important trigger warning to anyone that is going to read this book. I wish it was given as a caveat in the book itself but *sigh.* The rape scene in this book needed to be dealt with so much more care and importance, rather than just being an event that occurs in the storyline.
Through all those problems... I still soldiered on. LJ Shen is really truly my biggest guilty pleasure. I know that all of the tropes and aspects of her books are so fucking problematic and controversial, but I still read this like a fanatic. This book is far from perfect but I swallowed it entirely....more
“There are notes that go together. Play them alone and they’re fine, but play them together and it makes music. No matter the instrument or what pa“There are notes that go together. Play them alone and they’re fine, but play them together and it makes music. No matter the instrument or what part of the world you’re in, they’re linked by a chord. That’s us. We were waiting for the moment the world put us together. I can’t unhear us now.”
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[image] This multilayered book packed so many punches and heartbreaks...I prepared for a simple camping trip but I was hit by a fucking whirlwind.
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The Story This review has taken me a good five days to think over because I couldn't seem to come up with a rating or a cohesive string of thoughts that could help people before or after they pick this book up.
I think that's the true beauty of Pretty Scars... it's such a dark-veiled and gritty story that it's almost too real for comfort. But that uncomfortable feeling falling into a narrative that truthfully, has such little light magnifies how bright those little lights are. I wouldn't characterize this as a love story, fight me. This to me, was a story of hope.
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Before you start second-guessing, yes there is romance! In fact, what drew me into the world at the start was the chemistry between Carrie and Gabriel. Carrie has what she calls pretty-girl-syndrome, wherein, her beauty is her power but also her curse. (Yes, this is a very materialistic and cliche plotline but stay with me.) Carrie is also a Drazen, a family that for all intents and purposes should make your blood crawl. Declan Drazen (the father) is somewhat a mogul for all the wrong reasons. We meet Gabriel and Carrie when they both attend USC, and the sparks fly almost immediately when Carrie listens to Gabriel playing his violin.
"When she smiled, the sun hit its highest point in the sky."
The story jumps from present to past and we see the mystery behind the love unfold in very cleverly constructed manner. The time jumps took a while to adapt to but once I got the hang of it, I really enjoyed watching the story come to life. There were scenes in this book that completely blew me away! The fear, longing, desire and everything in between was so heavily built that it felt like I was there with the character's themselves.
"Maybe Gabriel and I were linked in a way so small yet grand only music could activate it. His playing touched me, his presence shook me. He couldn’t stay away. The laws of physics demanded he call me."
Although this book teeters on a 3 -4 star rating, it truly lies somewhere in the middle for me. There was a lot that I loved but there were also some aspects that I didn't quite enjoy. One thing that I can say for sure though is C. D Reiss' writing is so elegantly beautiful and simple, that it completely stole the show.
"With him, I didn’t feel pretty. I felt complete."
The Characters
Here were some of the issues I faced; Carrie's character fell flat during the beginning of the story. I felt like I wanted more from her in a deeper way to get me attached. She was really the only one I was rooting for, so I feel like it's safe for me to want more. Towards the end, I ended up sympathizing with her plight. It was so cleverly built that just as she lost herself in the past, we get to see her finding herself in the present.
Here's another little issue;
Did I like Gabriel? No Did I like Carrie? Not really Did I like Peter? N(and I can't stress this enough)O!!!
I'd like to imagine that the purpose of this book was to end up not liking both Peter and Gabriel, but that's just wishful thinking. Sure, Gabriel was hands-down a hero compared to Peter but something about him still didn't sit right with me. It was like having your favourite type of tea but still feeling the leafy residue in between your teeth afterwards. (Weird analogy, let's move on...)
I need something light after this book, there was so much to be unpacked and thought of that I really do hope this gets a lot of recognition. I will most definitely be reading more of this author in the future and after having done some research, I look forward to diving back into the Drazen world. There is definitely something to be said about a book that can make you both love and hate it all in the time-span of the 3 days it took me to complete it. It was mesmerizing and oh-so captivating. The story really cuts deeper than a knife and half the time, I didn't know if I wanted to put it down or never stop reading.
"Why was it so hard to walk away? It was as if there was a string between us, and every step pulled it tighter. How far could we go without snapping it?"
“If I could rearrange the world for you, I would,” he says. “I’d rearrange everything.”
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[image] Stepping into Thornchapel is like being“If I could rearrange the world for you, I would,” he says. “I’d rearrange everything.”
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[image] Stepping into Thornchapel is like being blindfolded on a rollercoaster. You never know when your inching up and nearing the edge... and then all of a sudden your stomach drops, your heart is light and you're descending at rapid speed. Then, everything seems fine but you really have no idea what else is in store for you.
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Feast of Sparks It's hard not to call this series captivating... Akin to its predecessor, FOS completely consumes you from start to finish. It is erotica with grit and edge. A storyline that slowly hypnotizes you and characters that will make your heart swoon. When I started reading the first couple of chapters, I had to physically break myself away from the text and slow down just so I could draw out every page. The sensuality and carnality of the plot is something so unique to this series and I stand by my statement that the storyline is just as worthwhile as the erotica.
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FOS begins almost exactly where ALIT ended but now we also get to see the history behind Auden and St. Sebastian's conflict. The change in POV was refreshing and Saint now owns a large section of my heart. Sierra Simone definitely does not disappoint with her kinky, depraved and wickedly delicious scenes between Saint, Auden and Poe but I do have to say the monologue and character development I got to experience with Saint's storyline was breathtaking. In short; the longing in this book will drive you insane.
"We are born to burn.”
The Ensemble I have been chomping at the bit waiting for this release ever since I finished A Lesson in Thorns and while I can happily say that Sierra Simone delivered, there were quite a few problems I faced during the latter end of the novel. BUT before all of that, let me try and sell you on this series.
Firstly, it's not for everyone. In fact, I'd say it's for a very select few that probably enjoy getting absolutely obliterated by a story about a group of six champagne-drinking, ritual-fucking, angst-driven, orgytastic adults. Whilst ALIT followed the groups initial curiosity towards their parents tragic backstories and all the magical / erotic behaviorisms of Thornchapel... FOS shows a significant level of maturity. It was like drinking a much finer wine. We see a distinct change in group dynamic and the characters have now begun to know exactly what they want.
"This is just a bonfire we spent too long making, and this is just a circle of old lanterns that we found in Thornchapel’s attic. These are just my friends—my fussy, hilarious, prickly, pretty friends—and I’m just me. I’m not a bride, I’m not a May Queen. I’m just a librarian who likes to be spanked."
Secondly, this book ends in a cliffhanger (I can't make my mind up on what I think about the cliffhanger in this one). The next book is expected to be published in early 2020. However, the plot is such that it follows a continuous timeline and I don't expect the third book will have any time jumps - it will most likely be like this one and start where the previous book left off. It's definitely a commitment but it's one that I have no regrets in following through on.
Sierra Simone (as always) has the musings of a kinky philosopher and it works beautifully with the atmosphere and setting of Thornchapel. The wonderful descriptions and monologues were just as engrossing as the first novel. The tinge of magic in the air and the slight feeling that something paranormal is encircling the events that unfold during the book is still wonderfully written.
"Maybe Thornchapel is a magic place, but it isn’t a safe place."
The Story The start of this book was a solid 5 stars but towards the last quarter it fell to about 3-3.5 stars. This was solely due to the fact that a handful of things were starting to become more apparent to me during the time I was near the end. For the most part, I struggled to ration with Poe's desperation in this book. Understandably, something massive happens in her storyline that affects her throughout FOS, yet I wish we got more of her thoughts and identity like we did the first book.
"I am the girl who kneels at night. I am the bride by thorns."
It was hard not to compare FOS to ALIT, but I feel like a lot of what was happening began to be repetitive. The inner conflict with some of the characters felt a bit drawn out and unrealistic at times with all the grand gestures and statements. Which brings me to the random info-dumps at concentrated parts of the book. I wish the information we got on the rituals and the history of Thornchapel unfurled throughout the book rather than in selectively condensed chapters.
Leaving behind all those little things, I really did enjoy this sequel to a series that I think I will always love. I look forward to the third book and seeing the mysteries of Thornchapel unravel :)
"Keep me any way you want, I want to tell him. Just so long as you keep me close."
"I wondered if Autumn ever saw a sky like this in Nebraska. I hoped she had. I hoped someday she’d see something like this. I wished I could give i"I wondered if Autumn ever saw a sky like this in Nebraska. I hoped she had. I hoped someday she’d see something like this. I wished I could give it to her. I would bring down the stars for her…"
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Three Words: Only. Emma. Scott.
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A Start Note Bittersweet is the only word that I can think of when I think of how to describe this novel. It's the word that Weston, Autumn and Connor hand in hand tattoo over your heart as you flip the pages. Bring Down The Stars will leave you reeling and with every heartache, you'll feel how tragic love is, but how magical it can be at the same time.
“Bye, Weston. Nice talking to you.” I nodded stiffly. “Yep.” Because that’s what all great writers say to a beautiful girl they want to impress. Yep."
Some people were born to write, and I know that every single person that picks this up will feel the same way. For the simple fact, that if a book can make you feel exactly what each and every character is feeling so deeply; then the author has chosen every word perfectly to create it. I know whenever I pick up an ES book, it will be one that I won't soon forget. This was everything and more than that.
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"And this is how you wound up with a broken heart in the first place."
Forget Everything You Think You Know I would actually recommend going into this blind, not knowing the plot. That way every emotion will hit you like a bullet train and every scene can cause a hurricane in your heart. Let this book possess you.
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Within the cracks of love and loss, there are small webs of humor and pockets of poetry that will steal your breath away. A tale of finding yourself only to lose yourself, giving it all up for those you love most and three people that adore each other passionately. If only we had a 'classics' of the Romance Genre, because this book could be studied, it's that extraordinary.
"I wished we were alone. And sober. Not that half-in-the-bag Autumn wasn’t enjoyable, but I wanted to talk to the girl I’d met in the library, the one who was having a hard time choosing which broken piece of the world to fix first."
The atmosphere that was given by this was so palpable. Almost like you could reach out and you'd be right there in the library, in the bar or sitting having dinner with the Drake's and wanting to reach out and hug all three misfits.
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I think there will be a handful of you that will only read this when the second book releases. Which in all fairness, is probably the wisest decision because this does end with a cliffhanger that will make you want to drop everything and reach for the second book. I will be counting down the days till I get an email giving me a release date ;)
“Connor, just…” I rubbed my eyes. “Forget me. Forget this conversation. I’ll get over it. Her. I have nothing with her. You do. Love her back, man. It’s so easy.”
Unrequited Love Trigger Warnings: (view spoiler)[cheating (not justified) (hide spoiler)] There's something so poetic and desperate about the romance in this book. Each character needs the other for so many different reasons, yet Weston stole my heart by a landslide.
"I liked toying with people to get them riled up, and she’d seemed an easy mark. But instead of walking away, she’d met me head on. I liked that. I liked her. And I didn’t like anyone."
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This is not your usual love triangle. That trope is usually associated with cliches and stereotypical scenes, yet this was so much more than that. This story will move you with how much love there is within it. The sacrifices made will kill you and most times, you'll find yourself with wet cheeks but not knowing if you're happy or devastated.
"My gaze landed on Autumn. I’m thankful for that smile of hers, Even when it’s not meant for me."
This is the first time I've five starred an Emma Scott book. Not that every book didn't deserve it, but I usually gave it four stars because I felt like it was missing such a tiny something. Five stars don't come easily to me and for a book to completely whip me away like this one did; it deserves all the stars in the sky and more. It was a privilege reading it. It was like second nature to love it.
"You’re the Halley’s Comet of girls. The kind that doesn’t come around but maybe once in a life. I don’t want to spend the rest of mine wondering what might’ve been if I hadn’t tried, one last time, to take you someplace where every man will stare at you, and wish they were me."
An End Note Now that I've tried putting to words what an awe-inspiring writer Emma Scott is (which in all its intents and purposes, I will probably never do justice. Yet, I will keep finding new ways to express my love for her up and until she decides to publish her last book - I will still be there, reading till the bitter end) I want to try and explain what a person she is.
Earlier this summer, I read a Facebook post that completely threw me off my axis. I'm not a mother, nor can I ever imagine what it feels like to have your heart absolutely break because you've lost of piece of it.
However, I do want to say that when I read about Isabel, I finally understood why the love in Emma's books make them what they are. How in every page, no matter where you are or what you're doing - you're left a little breathless and stunned because it's such a raw form of unconditionality. No matter what love you are talking about; whether it be a man to a woman or a man to another man, two best friends or even a mother to her daughter. It's that fundamental powerless feeling that another being holds your whole world in the palm of their hands, and to even think of them leaving you means your whole world has left with them too.
This woman writes love because she is filled to the brim with it. I wish her nothing but courage and bravery onwards and upwards.
She's up there smiling with all the other angels and so proud of you, Emma. You've watched over her for as long as you could. Now she can do the same for you.
“Beauty and pain,” she said, almost to herself. “I don’t think you can separate the two.” “Maybe pain exists to make us appreciate the beauty,” I said."
"Our breathing turned ragged, echoing into our mouths. My whimpering had his eyes blazing like black coal as he watched me climb closer and closer."Our breathing turned ragged, echoing into our mouths. My whimpering had his eyes blazing like black coal as he watched me climb closer and closer. “Yes, Mouse. Come on your husband’s cock.”
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Something old: I'm such a sucker for second chance romances Something new: I'm such a sucker for Callum Welsh Something borrowed: "He’d broken my heart too many times to count, but I wouldn’t let him break me." Something blue: [image]
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The Story Before getting into the story, I would like to say this whole plot worked incredibly well because both main characters were cunning. Fucked up in their own unique way and so perfect for each other. I enjoyed this more than Toby and Pippa's and I think that narrows down to the plot being just the well balanced amount of angst and sexual tension.
Callum and Renee almost instantly detest each other when they first meet as teenagers. Rebelling against both their mothers wishes, they put a cork over their attraction to one another. Throw in some teenage hormones, jealousy, birthdays and a whole lot of teasing and bam! They begin to fall for each other in what I think is the sweetest part of the whole story. As their love grows and they start heading for college, they decide to make their own choices and get married. But when college does happen, things don't go to plan for both our lovers.
This was a enemies to friends to lovers to enemies to friends with benefits to enemies to friends to lovers romance.
Do I have your attention yet? ;)
In all honesty, Pretty Venom is the type of book that pulls you in and doesn't let you go. Before you know it, you'll be at the last page and you'll feel that bittersweet sting from reading an Ella Fields novel... wondering when she'll grace us with the next Gray Springs adventure.
"Even after they’d torn your heart to shreds and used it as a weapon against you, you could still love that same person with a ferocity that bordered on magic. And maybe that was the crux of it. Love was magic. Capable of making you believe the impossible was always possible."
Minnie Mouse, Mermaids and Messages
“Do you still get wet thinking about me?” he asked.
I enjoyed the quirks. More than I care to admit, I enjoyed the fact that the author wrote a kick-ass woman! (No matter how screwed up). There was some dialogue that had me double guessing the entire story because I thought: "This shouldn't be okay for him/her to say..." But this is where the mermaids outsmart the sharks and anything horrible said was never taken by the person.
As always, I shall provide with example:
"When I said nothing, his hold tightened. “You know, it’s not attractive, this sudden insecurity.” (Callum) “You know what else isn’t attractive?” I whispered, watching his eyes dart to my glossed red lips. “A husband who forgets he’s married.” (Renee)
So although some parts did bother me, I decided to rate up and give this four rather than 3 stars.. because to be fair it reached around 3.75. Besides, when you've got a character like Callum Welsh that stole your heart all the way back in the first book, you've got to give some credit for execution.
If you like steamy, angsty and secretly sweet coated stories - this one's completely for you. However, take the authors warning into consideration before reading because as much as these two are amazing, they're also pretty amazing assholes ;)
Edit: I'm actually going to go ahead and rate this 3 stars like I initially planned because after going through the notions - this was really a great read, but giving it four stars is probably too much ;) ...more
“Nico?” “What?” “Your come is running down my thigh,” she whispered. Fuck. That was the hottest thing I’d ever heard. My dick throbbed. I found the“Nico?” “What?” “Your come is running down my thigh,” she whispered. Fuck. That was the hottest thing I’d ever heard. My dick throbbed. I found the wetness dripping down her leg. Running a finger upward, I pushed it back inside her.
[image] [image] Watch the fuck out for this author. I'm calling it.
[image] ________
♪ The sound of panties dropping ♪ I spent a lot of time contemplating whether I should say yes to the review request when the author reached out to me, and I found myself coming back to that magnificent cover. Then I read the blurb and this seeped into me slowly. I found myself needing to know.
Best. Decision. *gif of Alex dancing awkwardly to The Sweetest Oblivion shrine*
Before I get into the plot, or the writing and even the characters. I want to take a moment and appreciate the sexual tension that resides in this one novel. There are some books out there, like this one that can single handedly make the whole room a sauna. I needed to put my kindle down a couple of times and just splash myself with water because hot damn.
The Sweetest Oblivion revolves around a girl named Elena Abelli. Elena is sweet on the outside because she needs it to survive being apart of a family that is a core member of New York's Cosa Nostra. Or, simply known as the Mafia. Elena's sister is set to marry Nicholas Russo, who is a boss of another family apart of the Mafia. When the two meet, sparks fly but both are too stubborn to face it. What happens after is a tale of love, loss, laughter and a whole lot of lunches.
"It was Cosa Nostra etiquette to pretend we were the classic example of a white-picket-fence family. Even if our homes were surrounded by an iron gate and security instead."
The tension is palpable on the pages, you can practically feel the stares across the room. I wouldn't necessarily call this a slow burn in terms of romance, but I would say it burns slowly and beautifully so. It's safe to say that Danielle Lori has now become one of my one click authors and I'm keeping an eye out for any more additions to this series, because god knows I'm thirsty for it.
♛Made Men♚
"My family could be as pissed as they wanted, but I’d appreciate at least one fucking thank-you for stopping a bloodbath from ruining a perfectly good Sunday."
I forgot how much I missed Mafia Romance, the drama and angst. All those hot to touch men. This book really made me want to say fuck the whole reading schedule and read more Mafia romances, it also restored hope in FM romance for me. So that's a plus ++
I loved that between the romance and the sexual tension, we also got little nuggets of awesomeness from the families. Although they are fucked up and completely abnormal - what do you expect?? I love the banter that we saw from side characters and all the walk ins on awkward situations. The humor was something I really enjoyed as well. I definitely want to read on and see how the other characters turn out. I'm secretly hoping Gianna and Christian get together, and I want to see Adriana and how she turns out! I'm so invested in these families and all it took was one book.
"I only spoke Italian when I wanted to curse. I hardly ever swore, except for damn, hell, and maybe ass with a hole on the end now that I’d met Nicolas."
I didn't want this one to end, I wanted to stay in Elena's world and see how the rest of the story unfolds. The pacing was so intricately galvanized that you needed to read on. I stayed up reading till 4AM one night and I didn't even realize until I looked at the clock.
Goes without saying, but this is one for the shelves.
"Burn that shirt.” He then left without another word. I glanced down at my pink Yankees t-shirt. I guessed Nico was a Red Sox fan. We really wouldn’t work out now."
🂱 The Romance 🂱 The writing in this book was what made the love story stand out. The prose was straight off the bat stellar and once I was in the world, I couldn't get out. Even though this was a new author for me, I'm so glad I gave this a chance!
"He took his time licking me, like he was doing it for himself and not me."
I think the only thing that threw off that one star, although I'd say it's closer to 4.5 stars (thanks Goodreads) was that some dialogue threw me off. Without going into too much detail, there was some instances between some of the men and other girls that made me go "Okay... but no??". Maybe that's just the feminist side to me - regardless, I can't lie when I say that was the only small thing that fell short.
(view spoiler)[There was an instance when there was mention of rape. And although, it was redeemed later on, I still felt like dialogue was unnecessary. There was another relationship between two side characters that threw me off a bit because of the hypocrisy. (hide spoiler)]
Looking beyond that, the romantic elements between Elena and Nico were damn near perfect. We got to see the growth of the relationship emotionally and physically.
I enjoyed that we got to see both POV's because it was essential to know that it wasn't just one sided. There was a distinct voice of character that each had. Overall, it was a really good read and I enjoyed myself!
"I wanted to fuck her and ruin her for anyone else. I wanted to crush her wings and then put them back together again so she’d become dependent on me. I wanted her to need me. That dark, possessive, and dangerous feeling crawled through me every time she crossed my path. Elena Abelli was my vice, and fuck if I’d let it kill me."
American Gods Ms. Scarlett is perhaps one “I examined the risks and you’re worth the fall.”
[image] [image]
I swallowed this whole. ___________
American Gods Ms. Scarlett is perhaps one of the cleverest authors with the publication of this prequel. She has safely guarded a fanbase for three characters, who we met very briefly but most likely have already fallen in love with. This novella is brilliant in its purpose.
There are many authors out there that set prequels in order to build the hype around the rest of the series. So that there is a readership before the read. I find, more times than not - that can go severely bad for me. There are times when I completely lose interest in the prequel and then once the first of the series is published, I'm not anticipating it at all. Because I have already met the character that it's about and don't connect.
So, she gives us Nathaniel and Juliette. Let's break down the level of brilliance.
i) Same world = in which we meet the other three characters. Gabe, James and Arsen.
ii) Different Story = in which we fall in love with Nathaniel and Juliette, so either way we are reading the series to see them again.
❮ cue the damn applause ❯
The Romance
“His ocean eyes, dark and hard—held the universe in them. A universe he was offering to me.”
This was a brilliant read and the romance was scorching hot. After seeing the whole goodreads buddy read this and end up giving it 5 stars, I refused to go with missing out.
So granted, there is only so much legroom for an author to work with when it comes to novellas and short stories. You have to gain your readers attention, build the world, achieve characterization and make two people fall in love all in a short page span.
This was honestly so close to perfect.
I felt that the characters were a bit two dimensional at times, and some of the lines were slightly cringey. I love me some dirty talk though, and damn did Nathaniel Radcliffe deliver.
The whole premise of the secret society of the elite and wealthy reminded me a lot of "The Riot Club". The premise of wealth, power, and fame is a trope that has been done before but she brings a whole new freshness to it. Where we don't get assholes and cocky bastards. But kind and loyal ones??? (See? Brilliant)
Another thing that got on my nerves a tad was the commands that Nathaniel kept giving to Juliette. The whole "sit", "open", "close" etc. did not do it for me. At first it was a bit infuriating because no woman should be spoken to like a dog. (this is not a pet play erotica, please don't mistake it for one). However, later on it just got funny. I get the premise of two controlling people on the streets and one controlling person on the sheets. But that was just a tidbit that rubbed me the wrong way.
That does not go to say that it took away from the romance at all! I loved witnessing Nathaniel and Juliette fall in love together and honestly cannot wait for the first of the series to release!! Arsen is my new fucking favourite and just my luck that he's book three.
Thankfully, all of them are set to be published this year apparently so !!!!!!!
“He stared at me like I was precious, like I was the stars he had searched for and I couldn’t breathe”
Alex ✰ Comets and Comments ✰
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