24
Followers
24
Following
Miss
There's nothing I love more than a good book, the more angst the better for me. I received my first e-reader a little over two years ago and since then my reading habit increased 100x. The 1-click buy now option is now my dealer and I'm addicted. I read anywhere between 400-500 books a year of all genres but mostly the books that I read fall into the romance/erotica category.
Until recently I avoided leaving written reviews for the books that I've read but recently I made the decision to try to review what I can.
All reviews that I write are based solely on my own opinion. I am not swayed by other reviews or opinions and I could care less if my review is the only good or bad review left for a book. I'm honest to a fault when it comes to that. My reviews may not be popular but they are mine :)
Styxx (Dark-Hunter, #23)
I don't think I've ever been so relieved to reach the end of a book than I was with this one. Hardcore angst throughout the majority of the book had me seeing through a haze of red. As a reader you will cry for mercy, unfortunately SK doesn't grant you any. The majority of the book takes place when Styxx was a kid where the reader is given a new perspective on the childhood he shared with Acheron. The reality of his childhood makes Acheron's seem like a walk in the park. If you've read his book then you already understand just how horrific a tale that was. SK goes OTT with Styxx, with constant never ending descriptions of rape, torture, and humiliation. With a book of this length I would have expected more time to be given to the brother's reconciliation. So much time is spent going over the tragedy that was his life but the end was rushed through with a ton of things going on at once not giving the reader a chance to experience any light to balance out the dark.
Beyond Pain (Beyond, #3)
Beyond Shame was just alright for me. Beyond Control was a bit better than alright. Beyond Pain has now brought this series to my attention leaving me wanting more! Each book so far has focused on a different couple and things have been tied up nicely in the end not leaving any cliffhangers, but holy hell I want some Ace, Cruz, and Rachel right now! Waiting until Spring 2014 for the next book in the series is going to be rough.
Crazy Beautiful Love (The Martelli Brothers #1)
This book was just weird. The two MC's were all over the place, one minute they were all sweet and mushy, and the next second they were mad at each other. The dialogue was extremely repetitive and annoying. Even though the MC's were technically adults they were highly immature with their actions. The h who is a few years younger than the H admitted to enlarging a photo of him from a friends yearbook to poster size and she would practice kissing using his image on the poster. Umm, that's just fucking weird and creepy.Had I not been reading this book in small bursts while cleaning out my refrigerator and pantry it would have been a DNF.
Arsen
Despite the fact that the heroine in this book was a selfish bitch I'm giving it 3 1/2 stars. I was unable to connect with Cathy, and even though the author did a great job describing the pain that she felt, I wasn't ever able to understand her stepping out on Ben. The title of the book is Arsen, named after the man who was too much for her to resist. The truth is I could give a flying fuck about Arsen. I didn't feel the pull towards his character at all. The one likeable character from this story is Ben, and he's the one who got the short end of the stick.
To even attempt to rate this story with a star rating just wouldn't make any sense to me. To say that I liked it would be like saying that I liked Schindler's List, or Passion of the Christ. While both had the impact of an emotional sledge hammer to the chest they are not stories that I would choose to subject myself to again.These authors hold nothing back in this tale. It was hard to read, and even harder to digest. It broke my heart and left me in tears many times, but I could not give up. I had to finish it no matter how hopeless and desperate I felt. The entire series takes us through 25 years of the fragile relationship between two men who started off as enemy's. A relationship that was based on revenge and payback, violence and greed, a relationship that eventually turned into something more. Impossible right? You don't want to believe that it's possible but these authors show you that it is. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it to be honest.
Aftermath
Two men held captive in the same cell by a mad man. They only have each other to lean on for support as they go through whatever terror awaits them. (No implied sexual abuse)This story starts off a few months after their escape. How they met and why is told in flashbacks as they deal with the fallout of their captivity.What I really loved about this book was the fact that there wasn't any contrived angst, ridiculous misunderstandings, or drawn out issues that made me want to pull my hair out. It's simple. It's honest, and I loved it.
This book was so fucking good! A poetic tale of a girl with a tragic life who falls in love with a man who society would say is wrong for her. Hell, it is taboo and I felt pretty fucking uncomfortable at times just reading it! Had Maise have been under the age of 18 there's no way I would've been ok with reading this book.This tale between Maise and Evan is beautifully told by the author and despite the fact that the entire story is told in Maise's POV I never felt like I didn't know who Evan was. The author's poetic prose was done with skillful precision. The emotional descriptions of these characters never felt repetitive, thus giving the story an authentic feel. And the book wrapped up nicely with a HFN that didn't leave me needing more to feel satisfied. I definitely will be reading more from this author!
The Mistress (The Original Sinners, #4)
2 1/2 stars from me. Will review later when I calm down a bit.
Fear of Falling
Every once in awhile a book comes along that tears you inside out leaving you feeling too much. Fear of Falling had that affect on me, and because of that I'm not sure whether or not I liked this book or hated it. Beautifully written horror story would be the best way to describe this book. I hated with a deep dark passion what Kam went through. The overwhelming fear and anxiety that has ruled her life with an iron fist was absolutely unbearable. The abuse she suffered was unimaginable and toxic to my mind leaving me with a tear stained face and shaking hands. It was too much to handle at times and I had to take frequent breaks because I just couldn't go on.Amazing secondary characters with stories of their own to tell made this journey one that I could see through to the end.Last but not least I will mention my love and adoration for Blaine. Blaine is beautiful and tolerant even when he feels defeated by his love for Kam. He wants nothing more than her trust and love. He wants her to know that no matter what she will not fall with him standing beside her. He will take on each and every one of her fears and confront them with her. He will not allow her to feel shame for her fears and he would shoulder every single one of them for her if he could.
Zero at the Bone
Three and a half stars for this one. I liked it but it tended to drag quite a bit to the point I started skimming.
Out of Breath (Breathing, #3)
The first half of the book drug on for me. I didn't like Emma at all and I was just wanting it to end all ready. Yes she's been through hell and back and I felt sorry for the shit that her character went through with her family. Emma thought that she was protecting others in her life by abandoning them; but in reality the only thing she was accomplishing was making everything about her. All the time. I couldn't understand why everyone put up with her for as long as they did. God forbid anyone else have problems of their own to deal with because that would have taken time away from her self loathing. She breaks another boys heart with out batting an eyelash after all he went through just dealing with her ridiculous mood swings.The constant changing POV from one paragraph to another was distracting as well. The ending was rushed and the epilogue ended abruptly. I liked the first book, hated the second, and thought that this one was just ok.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I thought that the author did a good job portraying both the physical and emotional connection between the two MC's. There were a couple of minor issues as far as the MC's portrayal as a Recon Marine went, but nothing that distracted me from the story as a whole.
Mid Life Love
I liked Mid Life Love but I would have liked it a lot more if the h wasn't so annoying. I get that she was hurt when her husband had an affair with her best friend. But, she has now been divorced for four years! You expect that she will hold herself back to a certain degree but this chick takes it to the extreme. She is negative and comes off as snobby at times. She has the tendency to think the worst of everyone around her. She's constantly berating her employees (internally) and she hated her Job. It felt like I had my own personal Debbie Downer sitting on my shoulder as I read her thoughts.The heroine treated the H like crap for more than half the book. Constantly making him feel insignificant. He adored her and he did everything in his power to show her that. I really liked the H in this book and that's what kept me going in the end. When the h finally pulled her head out of her ass the author decided to throw in some contrived angst which lead us through the last several chapters into the end of the book. This book would have been a 3 1/2 to 4 star review without the last several chapters. They weren't needed in order for this couple to get their HEA. Also there is no epilogue in this book for this couple. The author wrote one but she needs 500 likes on her facebook page before she posts it. Really.With the exception of the heroine from hell this was a good book and it is a well written stand alone.
Pulse (Collide, #2)
I really liked this book! I liked Collide but was a bit turned off by the cliffhanger in the end. This book was the perfect ending/beginning for Gavin and Emily :) If I knew how to insert one of those flashy gif things I would do so now. Ok, I lied I wouldn't do that :)Gavin is a sweet, sexy, dream man for any woman and Emily actually grew a spine this time around. Well written and no cliffhanger this time around!
Beneath the Burn
When Pam Godwin asked me if I would be interested in doing a beta read for Beneath the Burn I admit I had a moment. That moment didn't last long before I was replying back to her with a enthusiastic hell fucking yes I would! Pam's first book Dead of Eve was brought to my attention by a good reading buddy of mine to whom I will be forever grateful. Dead of Eve introduced me to a new author who is fucking fantastic at her craft. If you can pull off making me love a book full of Aphids then there's just something to be said about that in my book. Not an Aphid in sight in Beneath the Burn, but it is a tale that is written with the same kind of dark intensity that kept me hooked, and to be honest stressed the fuck out!Normally I would be a little turned off by the whole insta-connection between a Hero and heroine deal, but I wasn't in this case. I wasn't turned off because I believed it was possible between Jay and Charlee. These two characters are both tortured souls who come across each other one night and it is clear that they were put on this earth to save one another. The author's warnings are not to be taken lightly. Beneath the Burn is not a romantic love story and the road that these two travel on is rocky. There will be readers who take issue with some of the content as they did with Dead of Eve, but if you are looking to read a book from an author who doesn't conform to society's standards when writing her characters, then look no further. Beneath the Burn is Jay and Charlee's story. You will laugh, you will cry, and you may have the occasional urge to throw your e-reader against a hard surface. It is raw and in your face. There will be times when you will most likely feel uncomfortable, and there's not a chance in hell that you will always agree with all of the actions and decisions that the MC's make in this book. That is the beauty in the written word that takes us readers on a ride that we won't soon forget.Charlee has been to hell and back, but she is a strong woman who is desperate to be free. Jay has demons of his own that have the ability to cripple his mind. Together these two can battle anything or anyone as long as they have each other. Solid 4 stars from me!
Very well written and beyond hilarious. I rarely read the same book more than once but I have a feeling that this one will make it's way onto my Kindle once again in the future. Will definitely be reading more from this author :)