Excellent read if you want a more character driven romance and a strong sense of place. I do wish they're was a bit more of their background as friendsExcellent read if you want a more character driven romance and a strong sense of place. I do wish they're was a bit more of their background as friends so I understood their connection to each other.
Merged review:
Excellent read if you want a more character driven romance and a strong sense of place. I do wish they're was a bit more of their background as friends so I understood their connection to each other....more
Cute but a little too much going on. First we have the falling for bff's younger sister, then the fake relationship, then family drama, then career anCute but a little too much going on. First we have the falling for bff's younger sister, then the fake relationship, then family drama, then career and family issues. It got to be too much when thrown in with Ash and Julian basically going in circles with their relationship.
And the way everyone was living in fear of Carter, Ash's brother, I ended up hating him and wondering why anyone would even be friends with him. (although he is a nice guy but he and Julian don't have a serious conversation until the end)
I think maybe a different book by this author might work better because this was super sweet and if the plot was a tad more focused, I'm sure i would have loved this one.
Merged review:
Cute but a little too much going on. First we have the falling for bff's younger sister, then the fake relationship, then family drama, then career and family issues. It got to be too much when thrown in with Ash and Julian basically going in circles with their relationship.
And the way everyone was living in fear of Carter, Ash's brother, I ended up hating him and wondering why anyone would even be friends with him. (although he is a nice guy but he and Julian don't have a serious conversation until the end)
I think maybe a different book by this author might work better because this was super sweet and if the plot was a tad more focused, I'm sure i would have loved this one....more
There's a lot to love about this book. Xander and Skylar's slow slide from hate to love was so touching. The level of acceptance and giving e3.5 stars
There's a lot to love about this book. Xander and Skylar's slow slide from hate to love was so touching. The level of acceptance and giving each other the time and space they needed was just so damn sweet. I fell in love with them and their friends as they came together as a couple and opened themselves up to a new family that wasn't by blood.
This book was obviously a labor of love by the author. It's steeped deep in Japanese culture and manga which I know nothing about TBH. Everything is explained though so not knowing is not the issue - but - looooong explanations of EVERYTHING was.
While I think you can appreciate this novel, thanks to the relationships, not knowing anything about manga, your love of the book probably won't be a great. And you may feel bogged down by all explanations needed to set up the payoffs plotline-wise.
If this book had been a bit shorter and less info dumpy and didn't feel the need to discuss every detail of their life at length, this would have been a solid 4.5/5 star for me. I adored the characters/romance but it took me a long time to slug through something that should have been a quick read.
Again, I think if you understand Manga, Japanese culture, anime etc, you will enjoy it a lot more.
There's a lot to love about this book. Xander and Skylar's slow slide from hate to love was so touching. The level of acceptance and giving each other the time and space they needed was just so damn sweet. I fell in love with them and their friends as they came together as a couple and opened themselves up to a new family that wasn't by blood.
This book was obviously a labor of love by the author. It's steeped deep in Japanese culture and manga which I know nothing about TBH. Everything is explained though so not knowing is not the issue - but - looooong explanations of EVERYTHING was.
While I think you can appreciate this novel, thanks to the relationships, not knowing anything about manga, your love of the book probably won't be a great. And you may feel bogged down by all explanations needed to set up the payoffs plotline-wise.
If this book had been a bit shorter and less info dumpy and didn't feel the need to discuss every detail of their life at length, this would have been a solid 4.5/5 star for me. I adored the characters/romance but it took me a long time to slug through something that should have been a quick read.
Again, I think if you understand Manga, Japanese culture, anime etc, you will enjoy it a lot more.
Loved Tristan and the beginning where the authors explored perceptions vs reality and I wish that there was more of that but this story fell kind of fLoved Tristan and the beginning where the authors explored perceptions vs reality and I wish that there was more of that but this story fell kind of flat for me in the end. It is fairly low angst & I enjoyed how upfront and honest the guys were with each other though.
To be honest though, their shared kink isn't something I like reading about and that probably influenced my opinion more than anything so if you like a little D/s, humiliation kink this would probably be more your speed.
I found their paring to be almost impersonal at times, even though I knew they cared for each other I didn't feel it as much as would have liked.
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Loved Tristan and the beginning where the authors explored perceptions vs reality and I wish that there was more of that but this story fell kind of flat for me in the end. It is fairly low angst & I enjoyed how upfront and honest the guys were with each other though.
To be honest though, their shared kink isn't something I like reading about and that probably influenced my opinion more than anything so if you like a little D/s, humiliation kink this would probably be more your speed.
I found their paring to be almost impersonal at times, even though I knew they cared for each other I didn't feel it as much as would have liked....more
I loved how the characters had insecurities but tried to face them instead of descending into self pity. And this wasn't all about luVery sweet story.
I loved how the characters had insecurities but tried to face them instead of descending into self pity. And this wasn't all about lust and good looks - there's a real relationship that required compromise to work.
Merged review:
Very sweet story.
I loved how the characters had insecurities but tried to face them instead of descending into self pity. And this wasn't all about lust and good looks - there's a real relationship that required compromise to work....more
So let this be a lesson to me to read a few reviews first before starting a book. Not becasue it was bad but because Bad Judgment was INTENSE and ANGSSo let this be a lesson to me to read a few reviews first before starting a book. Not becasue it was bad but because Bad Judgment was INTENSE and ANGSTY and I was completely unprepared.
First off the title should be Epically Bad Judgement.
I mean I don't even know what to say about the romance because the whole thing is just so fucked up and heartbreaking and awful but then good between the two of them once you take Joel out of the picture.
And speaking of Joel and the whole premise of the book - what happened with all of that?? (view spoiler)[I guess we are to assume all the bad guys (that survived) went to jail and yay!? Since the whole story hinges on retribution - I kind of would have liked to have gotten a more solid ending in regards to that stuff. (hide spoiler)]
I really love this author's voice and her complex characters but she doesn't shy away from violence including (view spoiler)[rape (hide spoiler)] and I think you need to be prepared going in. Bad Judgment was a HFN romance but this was not a fall for the body guard fun kind of story.
Merged review:
So let this be a lesson to me to read a few reviews first before starting a book. Not becasue it was bad but because Bad Judgment was INTENSE and ANGSTY and I was completely unprepared.
First off the title should be Epically Bad Judgement.
I mean I don't even know what to say about the romance because the whole thing is just so fucked up and heartbreaking and awful but then good between the two of them once you take Joel out of the picture.
And speaking of Joel and the whole premise of the book - what happened with all of that?? (view spoiler)[I guess we are to assume all the bad guys (that survived) went to jail and yay!? Since the whole story hinges on retribution - I kind of would have liked to have gotten a more solid ending in regards to that stuff. (hide spoiler)]
I really love this author's voice and her complex characters but she doesn't shy away from violence including (view spoiler)[rape (hide spoiler)] and I think you need to be prepared going in. Bad Judgment was a HFN romance but this was not a fall for the body guard fun kind of story....more
Albert’s new romance series takes us away from her usual military heroes and introduces us to the world of smoke jumping.
My concentration level for reading is next to zero, but I did devour this in one sitting. I just really love this authors writing and the way she paces her stories.
Jacob has always had a thing for his brother’s best friend and fellow smoke jumper, Linc. The timing was never right. Jacob was 19 when he first made a play for Linc who was then 29. Then after Jacob came out to his family, his big brother Wyatt warned Linc off and made him promise not to pursue Jacob.
Years alter, Jacob joins Linc’s smoke jumping team as a new recruit and Wyatt is no longer in the picture yet he still looms large over their relationship.
I’ll start with the positives. The training scenes were fun. It’s always great to read about new professions and smoke jumping has great potential for adrenaline rushes and danger.
Jacob. Dear sweet Jacob. I adored him so much. He’s a little brash and confident. Completely secure in himself and what he wants out of life. He’s brave without being cocky and is stubbornly loyal and dedicated to those he cares about.
Which leads me to what I didn’t like so much. Linc. He’s a good man with a good heart but oh man…the way he strings Jacob along and hurts him over and over again out of some misguided loyalty to his best friend Wyatt got on my last nerve after a while.
I think some of the problem is in the brief time we meet Wyatt, he’s a homophobic ass. And we just keep learning more about what a jerk Wyatt was until we finally learn why Linc feels so loyal to him. Wyatt saved Linc in a lot of ways from an abusive father so I get it. It was a complicated issue and Linc was trying to do the right thing for Jacob and to honor Wyatt.
But the way Linc caved and carried on a sexual relationship with Jacob while still putting his promise to Wyatt first was so passive aggressive and hurtful to Jacob and it pissed me off. Jacob had such a good, patient heart with everyone – Linc and his family - but they all always let him down and put Wyatt (who was no longer there) first.
At one point Jacob says: "Why are your promises to everyone else more important than me?"
Yeah Linc...WHY???
Every relationship needs a little drama and this was theirs and, of course, it’s resolved but Linc’s martyr complex got old.
So yeah…a lot of frustration but the smoke jumper setting and the friend group, plus Jacob made this a compelling read anyway and I did enjoy how they were rock solid once Linc got his head out of his ass.
* I received this book for review by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Albert’s new romance series takes us away from her usual military heroes and introduces us to the world of smoke jumping.
My concentration level for reading is next to zero, but I did devour this in one sitting. I just really love this authors writing and the way she paces her stories.
Jacob has always had a thing for his brother’s best friend and fellow smoke jumper, Linc. The timing was never right. Jacob was 19 when he first made a play for Linc who was then 29. Then after Jacob came out to his family, his big brother Wyatt warned Linc off and made him promise not to pursue Jacob.
Years alter, Jacob joins Linc’s smoke jumping team as a new recruit and Wyatt is no longer in the picture yet he still looms large over their relationship.
I’ll start with the positives. The training scenes were fun. It’s always great to read about new professions and smoke jumping has great potential for adrenaline rushes and danger.
Jacob. Dear sweet Jacob. I adored him so much. He’s a little brash and confident. Completely secure in himself and what he wants out of life. He’s brave without being cocky and is stubbornly loyal and dedicated to those he cares about.
Which leads me to what I didn’t like so much. Linc. He’s a good man with a good heart but oh man…the way he strings Jacob along and hurts him over and over again out of some misguided loyalty to his best friend Wyatt got on my last nerve after a while.
I think some of the problem is in the brief time we meet Wyatt, he’s a homophobic ass. And we just keep learning more about what a jerk Wyatt was until we finally learn why Linc feels so loyal to him. Wyatt saved Linc in a lot of ways from an abusive father so I get it. It was a complicated issue and Linc was trying to do the right thing for Jacob and to honor Wyatt.
But the way Linc caved and carried on a sexual relationship with Jacob while still putting his promise to Wyatt first was so passive aggressive and hurtful to Jacob and it pissed me off. Jacob had such a good, patient heart with everyone – Linc and his family - but they all always let him down and put Wyatt (who was no longer there) first.
At one point Jacob says: "Why are your promises to everyone else more important than me?"
Yeah Linc...WHY???
Every relationship needs a little drama and this was theirs and, of course, it’s resolved but Linc’s martyr complex got old.
So yeah…a lot of frustration but the smoke jumper setting and the friend group, plus Jacob made this a compelling read anyway and I did enjoy how they were rock solid once Linc got his head out of his ass.
* I received this book for review by the publisher in exchange for an honest review...more
This would be a great book for teens who will be voting for the first time or just now getting involved in politics. It shows a lot of the obstacles aThis would be a great book for teens who will be voting for the first time or just now getting involved in politics. It shows a lot of the obstacles and challenges to voting and why issues that don't necessarily pertain to you are still worth getting involved in.
The audio didn't really work for me though. The narrator for Marva has a wonderful voice but sounded more MG than YA to me. But that's totally subjective.
*Thank you to libro.fm for an ALC of this title...more
I loved the end and epilogue but the shift from one to the other was so abrupt it gave me whiplash. (formatSuper sweet, low angst romance as promised.
I loved the end and epilogue but the shift from one to the other was so abrupt it gave me whiplash. (formatting is working right now so I can't tag a spoiler - I'll add my reasons once I can) and a little more dirty talk than I prefer but that's just me and not a negative - just my own preference. Still really enjoyed this one. ...more
How to discuss this mind fuck-ery plot without spoiling....
Liv was raised to be a pageant queen by her star chasing mom - which led to reality show fame, straining Liv's relationship with her older brother, Jory, and eventually leading Liv to sue her parents for emancipation.
On the morning of the emancipation verdict, Liv nervously awaits with her friends (fellow pageant girls who live in similar situations and have a lot at stake with the verdict) and lawyer at the courthouse, while Jory and their parents are reluctantly showing up for the spectacle.
In the blink of an eye, Liv and Jory's parents both vanish while walking to the courthouse. Like poof! Gone.
Liv gets it stuck in her head that she knows where her parents are and they're just hiding to screw up her court case and Jory is in on it.
Is Jory in on it? Are the parents dead? Is it Liv who orchestrated everything? Something even weirder? This is just the beginning of a road trip from hell as Liv drags Jory through the desert and to the family lake house in the woods. Yeah, that never goes wrong.
Despite the mystery element of the disappearing parents, this is very much a relationship story. Except, instead of romance, it's about 2 siblings finding their way back to each other in order to move on.
It's very rare to find a non-romance YA, never mind a fully developed story about two siblings. Told in alternating POV's between Liv and Jory, the reader learns how their shared memories of various events drove a wedge between them but weren't always accurate.
Liv was driven harder and harder to become the perfect beauty queen and the trauma she went through had her acting out more and more which was (mis)interpreted as diva like tendencies and temper tantrums.
Jory, who has Moebius Syndrome which leads to partial facial paralysis, was misunderstood verbally and frequently bullied. He had idolized his sister and it stung when she seemed to be embarrassed by him and brushed him off when around her beauty queen pals and mother. He retreated into himself and comes off as a brooding ass most of the time.
But NOTHING is as it appears in this book. They form an uneasy alliance and begin to mend their relationship again while on the hunt for the parents.
The drive is anything from average though. Without spoiling, I will say it's very eerie, dangerous and maybe cathartic.
This is not the book for people who like their endings wrapped in a neat little bow or unreliable narrators. This would be me lol - yet, I liked it!
I think what I loved most about this one, despite it not being my usual read, is how the author kept tripping me up but never used things as a red herring or as a way to trick the reader. She used the style to present a multitude of possibilities that lead to a deeper introspection about life, the power of forgiveness and overcoming trauma.
Overall: Different but in a good way. Very original, mind-bendy, character driven but not neat and tidy if you need that in your books. ...more
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