Dylan and Ace are so fucking cute and I'm so sad this series is officially over. This book is the third and final book in this trilogy that follows DyDylan and Ace are so fucking cute and I'm so sad this series is officially over. This book is the third and final book in this trilogy that follows Dylan and Ace, and this book is all about their wedding. I adore both Dylan and Ace so freaking much, and I love the way the care for each other and their personalities fit so well together. Ace is so protective and alpha male and sexy and Dylan is so caring and loving and also alpha-male in his own way and together they are so perfect.
This was basically me the entire book: [image]
This book is filled with so many cute and sexy scenes leading up to their wedding and I loved it all so much. The way they tease each other is so adorable. (view spoiler)[I especially loved the cake tasting scenes. That was sexy as fuck*wink wink* (hide spoiler)] The only reason I knocked off a star is because I didn't like how some chapters were written in third person when they were on vacation for their bachelor parties. I would've preferred those chapters being written from Dylan and Ace's POV's. Also, the drama with Dylan's Mom was rally getting on my nerves and I didn't care for that particular story line.
The wedding scenes were so cute and so satisfying and akslkajslda they make me so giddy. And the EPILOGUE. OMG THE EPILOGUE. So cute. I want to cry. I'm so sad Dylan and Ace's story is over, they are one of my biggest OTP's of all time. Loved this trilogy so much!
Here's a sample from one of my favorite scenes when they are teasing each other: “Not to sound vain, but you’ve only mentioned how much the color of my eyes are your favorite about once a week since I’ve known you. So, again, I’ll ask: what’s my favorite fucking color?” “Yellow.” “Oh my God—” “I’m kidding, Jesus. It’s blue, right? Color of the ocean—” “And your fucking eyes. God, you’re such a guy.” Then I realized what I’d said, and rubbed my face. “Shit, we sound like a couple of chicks right now.”...more
2.5 stars Thank you to Gallery Books for sending me an ARC. Christina Lauren is one of my favorite authors of all time, so it kills me to say I didn't r2.5 stars Thank you to Gallery Books for sending me an ARC. Christina Lauren is one of my favorite authors of all time, so it kills me to say I didn't really enjoy this book. I see a lot of people already comparing this book to The Hating Game but the only thing this book has in common with The Hating Game is that it's an office romance that follows a male and female lead who are competing for the same position. This book follows Evie and Carter and they are both talent agents in Hollywood, trying to find the next big thing in Hollywood. This storyline should be right up my alley because I love reading books that take place in Hollywood and involve the movie scene, but this book ended up being kind of boring....
I didn't really care for either Evie or Carter in this book, and I especially didn't care whether or not they ended up together. I didn't see the chemistry between them, which is shocking because Christina Lauren has written some of my favorite fictional couples ever, but this one just didn't do it for me. Also, this story is so much more focused on the work and the business an their jobs than on the actual romance itself - which made it incredibly boring for me at times. The way Evie and Carter would pick on each other was immature and childish, in an obnoxious way that got on my nerves. And this story is so repetitive, with their love/hate relationship for each other. It got frustrating after so many times.
The one thing I really liked about this book is how it talks about women vs. men in the office and the sexism that happens all the time. It really dives deep into this topic, and at times I thought it got a little too political for a new adult romance, but I appreciated it nonetheless.
The ending was very predictable, I saw it coming from a mile away, and it was cheesy. I'm just completely shocked that I didn't love this. I barely even liked it. I would recommend Christina Lauren's Wild Seasons series over this, or The Hating Game by Sally Thorne if you're looking for a good office romance. Unfortunately, this one just didn't do it for me.
________________________________ Before reading:
A STAND ALONE ROMANTIC COMEDY FROM CHRISTINA LAUREN?? [image]
Also, this kind of sounds similar to The Hating Game and I loved that book so that makes me even more excited....more
“It's strange how many ways there are to miss someone. You miss the things they did and who they were, but you also miss who you were to them. The way“It's strange how many ways there are to miss someone. You miss the things they did and who they were, but you also miss who you were to them. The way everything you said and did was beautiful or entertaining or important. How much you mattered.”
Well damn, I feel like I've just been punched in the gut. This story follows a boy named Adam Blake who is a senior in high school and he suffers from ADHD. In alternating chapters we get the POV of Adam's previous foster brother, Julian who is a freshman at the same high school, and has a troubled past. Julian's parents died when he was a young kid and Adam and his Mother took him in for a short period of time. I went into this book not really knowing what it was about, but I saw a ton of great reviews for it, so I decided to just go in blindly and read it, and I'm so glad I did.
“Hate ricochets, but kindness does too.”
This book is so emotional and moving and it deals with a lot of really dark subject matter like abuse. Julian is constantly bullied in school by all of his peers, and to be honest I actually related to Julian a lot. There are so many things he said that I related with: like how he mentions he hates when the teachers make you pick groups for group projects, and the way he gets annoyed with himself for not knowing how to be social and why can't he just be "normal" like everyone else and be able to have normal conversations? I totally understand him and relate to him because of this. It sucks being socially awkward and I was literally the same way in high school.
I LOVED the friendship between Adam and Julian in this book, and that is the main reason enjoyed the book so much. One moment I especially love is when Adam invites Julian to this party and they start paying this game that involves dares and Julian gets nervous that he's going to get dared to do something stupid and he's going to feel pressure to do it, and then Adam tells his friends that Julian is only there to watch them and can't be dared. I just love that Adam understands Julian and he truly understands his social anxiety. I would be so grateful to have someone like Adam stand up for me at a party like that.
"My mother once told me that the planet was like an enormous womb, and every single one of us was a fetus. Death was nothing to be afraid of. It was just birth to another world, and someone would be waiting for us there.
I'm not sure if I've ever hated a character as much as I hate Russell. It's sad how manipulative he is and the way he tries to make Julian feel as if there is something wrong with him. (view spoiler)[Like the part where Russell told him boys who don't shave their legs get sick? What the actual fuck? It's sad that Julian doesn't know any different. (hide spoiler)] As the story progresses things get more and more intense and I couldn't actually believe it once it really goes to shit in part two. I was tearing up and it made me feel so emotional and it's hard to believe kids are actually treated this way in real life. (view spoiler)[I couldn't believe that Russell actually locked Julian in a trunk for 19 days and nearly killed him. If it wasn't for Adam finding him he most likely would have died and that is just absolutely insane to me. Also, it mentioned Russell hadn't been at work in years and he had been spending Julian's trust fund, like what the actual fuck? What has he been doing then all these years when he's off staying the night somewhere else? He's such a disgusting psychopath. (hide spoiler)]
The only reason I knocked off a star is because the ending was a little too cliche and totally expected in my opinion. I just wanted something shocking to happen instead of what was expected to happen. (view spoiler)[Of course Russell finds Julian at the party and he has a gun and he attempts to kill him but doesn't get the chance to before Charlie tackles him to the ground and Charlie ends up killing Russell. I just would've liked to see something unexpected happen, because Russell finding Julian and trying to kill him once and for all is totally expected. The story could've gone in so many different ways at the end and I was just kind of bummed it went in a totally predictable direction. (hide spoiler)] However, in the final pages of the book I was tearing up and it made me so emotional and the freaking bitch noise that came out of my mouth after reading that final sentence was not cute, haha. I loved the very ending of this book.
I love Adam and Julian as characters and their friendship is the highlight of this book for me. This book reminds me of a couple of different books, but especially The Perks Of Being A Wallflower and Room for some reason. It's like those two books had a baby and now we have A List of Cages. I really did enjoy this book and I would highly recommend it, just be warned it's an emotional one....more
"That's what life was all about. Making others want to be you." Holy shit, this book was so crazy. This is my first time reading a Tarryn Fisher book a"That's what life was all about. Making others want to be you." Holy shit, this book was so crazy. This is my first time reading a Tarryn Fisher book and I am so impressed! I was hooked right from the beginning. This is a story that follows Fig, a woman who has become obsessed with this couple: Jolene and Darius and she convinces herself that their daughter, mercy is actually her daughter. She becomes so obsessed with them that she buys the house next door to them and begins stalking them very hardcore. This book is broken down into three parts, and we get different POV's throughout the story. I'm a huge fan of unreliable characters and really fucke dup characters, and this book definitely has all of that.
"Happiness is tied to our survival. We feel as if we are failing if we aren't happy, especially when we open our social media panel and see our friends hashtagging all the good things in their lives. It's all fake. We are all more in limbo than we are happy."
Fig's voice in part one totally reminded me of Joe Goldbergs' voice in You by Caroline Kepnes. She has the same stalker-like creepy narrative that I LOVE. Her perspective is so fucking entertaining to read from, and I actually found some of her narrative to be kind of relatable. Some of the things Fig has to say about society and our world and marriage is totally accurate. I also love that this book takes place in Seattle because I live in Washington, so I knew a lot of the areas she talks about in this book.
"What is love anyway? Most of us had no fucking clue because our parents gave us shit examples of it. So, we flounced around adulthood, taking notes from romantic comedies... or porn."
I don't why I'm just really drawn to stories that involve really fucked up characters, they are just so much more entertaining than the typical protagonist. All three of these characters: Fig, Darius, and Jolene are so incredibly fucked up and strange but it makes this story so entertaining. I literally could not put this book down, I was up until four in the morning reading it last night because it's so addicting, and intoxicating. I also like the very subtle way this book throws plot twists at the reader. (view spoiler)[Like when you realize Mercy isn't actually Darius's baby in his POV through his narrative, and it's so casually mentioned you could miss it if you aren't paying attention. And at the end when you realize George has been living with Fig this entire time. (hide spoiler)]
"Life was a microwave and I was a fucking stick of butter."
The ending of this book was so AWESOME and gave me chills. I love when an author can do that with an ending! I super appreciated it, and it was really unexpected and it makes you think. There's a lot of thought-provoking content throughout this book, and I am sure I will be thinking about this story and these characters for many days to come. I am surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more from Tarryn Fisher! ...more
2.5 stars I don't have a lot to say other than that this book is written really beautifully, but it's painfully boring. It's all about Marin being sad 2.5 stars I don't have a lot to say other than that this book is written really beautifully, but it's painfully boring. It's all about Marin being sad and moving way from her home and discovering the truth about her Grandfather, with some romance thrown in with another girl. I appreciate the LGBT representation in this book, and I did enjoy Marin and Mabel's romance (however brief it was). Their scene on the beach totally reminded me of the movie Moonlight.
There were some very intriguing and beautiful quotes like: “She leans over our table and turns the sign in the window so that it says CLOSED on the outside. But on our side, perfectly positioned between Mabel’s place and mine, it says OPEN. If this were a short story, it would mean something.” and this: "It's the point of a novel. We can search for the truth, we can convince ourselves of whatever we want to believe, but we'll never actually know."
But really this book is okay, but it's a little too melodramatic and boring for my taste. Not much happens in this book....more
I guess my expectations were just too high? This book is exactly what you would expect it to be and nothing more. A girl buys her best friend that sheI guess my expectations were just too high? This book is exactly what you would expect it to be and nothing more. A girl buys her best friend that she's secretly in love with a winning lottery ticket and he goes from being incredibly poor to incredibly rich overnight and it goes straight to his head. Then, character arc, then end. I guess I just expecting something more form this story. My favorite character is Alice's gay brother Leo because he was the most interesting character by far. Other than that this story is 100% forgettable, like most of Jennifer E. Smith's books unfortunately....more
Closer to a 4.5 stars Gosh, these books get better and better with each one. I loved To All The Boys I've Loved Before, and then I loved P.S. I Still LCloser to a 4.5 stars Gosh, these books get better and better with each one. I loved To All The Boys I've Loved Before, and then I loved P.S. I Still Love You even more, and now I think this one is my favorite of the three of them. I just love these characters, I love Lara Jean and I relate to her so much. I know some people say she's "childish" but honestly, when I was in high school I was exactly like she is in this book. I love her older sister Margot and the way this book shows their relationship and how it's difficult to stay close when she's away at college. I love Lara Jean's Dad and seeing him finally settling down again and being happy with someone. I love Kitty, Lara Jean's little sister and her sassiness and watching her grow up in this trilogy. I have a really special place in my heart for this family and I adore them all to pieces.
“She always picked love; she always picked adventure. To her they were one and the same.”
I love following Lara Jean through her senior year of high school, with all the highs and lows and stress of getting into college and making plans for the future. It was all so exciting and it made me feel so nostalgic for when I was in high school doing fun things like prom and planning for college and all that. Lara Jean is an extremely relatable character for me, in this book especially. Like when she is on the bus and all their friends start playing "Never Have I Ever" and she starts freaking out because she can't leave and she hates playing that game because she's never had sex or done drugs and that's all anybody cares about. SAME AF. I love the way she handled peer pressure from her friends and I love that even though her and Peter have been together for over a year they still haven't had sex. I think that's so realistic for a lot of real life teenage romances, and it goes to show you can still have a great YA romance with no sex. I loved all the scenes with Lara Jean's Dad and his (view spoiler)[wedding to Trina! All the proposal scenes and the bachelorette party and wedding planning and the wedding itself was so much fun! (hide spoiler)] I loved seeing Margot visit the family and the tension with her not feeling included anymore. I loved the struggle of Lara Jean debating whether or not she wanted to go into college with a boyfriend. I feel like if I had a serious boyfriend in high school, I would be debating the same things she did, since her Mom said it's never a good idea to go to college with a boyfriend (which I do think is true.)
“One day all of this will be proof, proof that we were here, proof that we loved each other. It’s the guarantee that no matter what happens to us in the future, this time was ours.”
I am probably one of the only people who loves this series but still doesn't like Peter... It's like he grows on me sometimes and then he'll do something that pisses me off and I go back to not really liking him very much. He's just so.... ehh. After three books of Lara Jean + Peter I'm still convinced that Lara Jean deserves better. He just constantly disappoints me. (view spoiler)[Like when she was ready to give him her virginity and he totally blows her off.... and starts arguing with her like what??? And he gets all offended when she puts her education before their relationship like I'm sorry... what's more important? Don't you want her to have the future she wants and go to the college she wants? Idk he just got so selfish at times. When she made him the french toast after they had a fight that was mostly his fault and he barely even noticed and said he can't because he's on a diet, I nearly lost my shit. So uncool. (hide spoiler)]
“I guess that's part of growing up, too--saying goodbye to the things you used to love.”
I just love this series and I'm going to miss these characters so much. Is it so much to ask for a new series that follows Lara Jean through her years of college? I would love that. I just want to read more about Lara Jean and her family. Even one more book that takes place in ten years when Lara Jean is an adult and Kitty is graduating, that would be SO COOL. I miss these characters already....more
This book fucked me up. I am in love with Brittany C. Cherry's writing style, and Loving Mr. Daniels is one of my “If you need to fall, fall into me.”
This book fucked me up. I am in love with Brittany C. Cherry's writing style, and Loving Mr. Daniels is one of my favorite books of all time... but this book might be my new favorite from her..? I wasn't even planning on reading this today but I am SO GLAD I did because I'm positive this is one of my favorite books of the year. I had no idea what this book was about going into it and I'm glad I didn't. This book is a roller coaster of emotions and I cried at least five times. Brittainy C. Cherry just has this way with words that is so incredible and moving and I LOVE HER WRITING.
“This life is short, and you never know how many chapters you have left in your novel,Graham. Live each day as if it's the final page. Breathe each moment as if it's the final word. Be brave,my son. Be brave.”
This book follows a man named Graham Russell who is a best-selling author, and a girl named Lucy Palmer who has two sisters and she owns a flower shop, and she's a very optimistic person. She is the complete opposite of Graham in that way; Graham is very pessimistic and negative and he doesn't know how to feel anything. It sound cliche, but their characters fit each other so perfectly. They meet in the most interesting way and from the beginning their banter with each other is so charming and sweet and I fell in love with them together. There are so many amazing plot twists in this story that I didn't see coming, and so many PUNCHES TO THE FEELS. I was a crying hot mess by the end of this story. Their chemistry is just so on point, and these characters and their problems feel so REAL, and this is definitely a slow-burn romance in the best way possible. It's everything I want in a romance and so much more. This is more than just a romance, it's about Graham feeling broken and Lucy helping him find the light in the world. And him doing the same for her when her world is shattered. I love Professor Oliver's character and the way he's such a Father figure to Graham. I also loved the complicated and complex relationships between Lucy and her sisters: Lyric and Mari. I loved the fact that Graham is an author, I jut really enjoyed reading stories about writers. I also love Lucy's personality and her optimism even in the worst of times, she's really inspiring. Everything about this story really inspires me. (view spoiler)[I also really enjoy stories that involve raising a baby and that was the cherry on top for me. I love seeing Graham being a new Dad and Lucy helping him with raising Talon. I LOVED seeing Graham stand up for her when her boyfriend Richard was being a total douche in his museum and judging her for drinking too much and what she was wearing like hell no! Graham defending her was the cutest thing ever. I love that they slowly fell in love over the course of a year. They didn't even have their first kiss until page 200 or so... It was so realistic. Especially since Graham had been married to Lucy's sister, they thought it would be weird for them to be together. But damn, Lyric is such a bitch and I can't believe she just left him and Talon when Talon was still in the ICU. Fucking ridiculous. I was also so sad that Parker left her sister Mari when she had cancer and then he just took him back two years later... like WTF. I was pissed. I was so FUCKING EMO when Oliver died. That was so fucking sad and I cried so much over Graham's speech at his funeral, and his stories about Oliver. When Lyric came back at the end I was like OH HELL NO. She started demanding things from Graham and saying Lucy shouldn't be around her baby... I can't believe the fucking nerve she has. She lost that right when she walked out on them. Ugh, that was bull shit. I cried so hard at the end when they planted a tree for Oliver, and hen they had a son and named him Oliver. I fucking choked up. So beautiful. SUCH A BEAUTIFUL STORY ARC. (hide spoiler)] BRITTAINY C. CHERRY IS SUCH A GREAT WRITER. She knows how to combine love and heart and comedy and romance and surprise plot twists and incredible characters with full story ARC's.
"I plan to live each day as if it's my final chapter.”
This is easily my favorite book in this Elements series, and one of my new favorite books of all time. This is my second book for the 2017 Booktubeathon and I am so freaking happy I decided to pick this book up today. My emotions are fried and I freaking love it. Graham and Lucy have a special place in my heart....more
It fucking kills me to say this, but I wasn't a fan of this book. I consider Taylor Jenkins Reid one of my favorite authors of all time, so I am complIt fucking kills me to say this, but I wasn't a fan of this book. I consider Taylor Jenkins Reid one of my favorite authors of all time, so I am completely shocked that I didn't like this book. This book follows a twenty-six year old named Elsie who marries Ben after only knowing him for six months. Nine days after Elsie and Ben are married, Ben is killed in an accident. The book follows Elsie after Ben's death as she mourns her husband and in alternating chapters we see how she met Ben and fell in love with him. This book has a decent premise, but I feel like it was executed so poorly.
Firstly, the writing is so bad. I couldn't actually believe this was written by one of my favorite authors ever. The writing is just so immature and basic and repetitive and obnoxious. I could not stand Elsie or Ben as main characters. Their romance was 100% insta-love in a way that was so cringe-y and ridiculous and they were ready to tell each other they loved each other after two days, I was rolling my eyes so much. I tabbed so many parts that I thought was cheesy, it was crazy. I didn't like how the first scene in the book is the scene where Ben dies. It gives you absolutely no time to get attached to the characters before Ben is dead.
There are so many moments in this book that seem so pointless and like it was only added to the story to add pointless drama. For example, Ben not introducing Elsie to his Mom before they got married... Like what the fuck? And once you find out what his reason for it is, it's so stupid and illogical. Another example is (view spoiler)[Elsie thinking she was pregnant for like two seconds... She went to the store to get the test and then she got her period and it was over. It just seemed so unnecessary. (hide spoiler)] I will admit that part 2 of this book is significantly better than part 1, because up until part 2 I was seriously considering giving this book a one star rating and not finishing it, it was that bad. The characters and dialogue was so cliche and cringe-worthy and the writing was so mediocre, it was written like a bad fan fiction or like an Anna Todd book. It was just so cheesy as hell. Like for example, on their first date, the way they talk to each other is just so cheesy and awkward, and all they do on their first date is go from place to place eating. I feel like I never got to know these characters because all they ever do is eat on their dates and their discussion is glossed over in narration. The only thing they talk about is how they think they might be falling for each other and how long do we have to wait until we move in together and get married and have kids? It was so unrealistic and cheesy.
Not to mention Elsie is so over dramatic at certain times (view spoiler)[when she lashes out at Ben when this girl is trying to booty call him at dinner and she's like: YOU THINK SHE'S HOT DON'T YOU? and acting like a crazy ass insecure bitch, oh my god I almost put the book down right there. Like get a fucking grip Jesus Christ. (hide spoiler)] And Elsie is such a fucking hypocrite at times like when (view spoiler)[ Her best friend Ana is finally happy with this guy and Elsie starts giving her shit and saying she can't really be in love since she's only been with him for a few months, when ELSIE MARRIED BEEN AFTER ONLY KNOWING HIM FOR 6 MONTHS. Then she's all like: why are you doing this to me? And it's not even about her like she's so fucking selfish, just let your friend be happy. (hide spoiler)] So Elsie kind of drove me bat shit crazy with her bitchiness and selfishness towards a lot of things. I get having flawed characters but damn Elsie was just so unlikable most of the time.
I just didn't feel anything for these characters and when the main story line of a book revolves around the death of a husband, it should make me feel emotional but I didn't cry once and it's not rare for me to cry in books. I just expected more from Taylor Jenkins Reid, considering that I have loved every single one of her other books. I am so confused as to why this book is so much worse than all her other books. I know it was her first book, but still.
I am really upset that I didn't enjoy this book. I obviously wanted to love it because I absolutely LOVE all of Taylor Jenkins Reid's other books, but this book mainly pissed me off because of Elsie or had me rolling my eyes because of the cheesiness with the love story with Ben. Even though I do think this book has it's moments that made me laugh and smile, I don't think it's worth struggling through the mediocre writing and boring characters. [image] ...more
4.5 stars "Kissing him was like seeing the ocean for the first time. Meeting something so big it made you feel small. It was like finally understanding4.5 stars "Kissing him was like seeing the ocean for the first time. Meeting something so big it made you feel small. It was like finally understanding the answer to an impossible question." SHIT, this book was so cute. This is a M/M romance that follows two best friends, Trent and Drew as they start to unexpectedly fall for each other. I've been reading a lot of M/M romance lately, and I'm still a sucker for the friends to lovers trope, and this one was done so well and so realistically. I can honestly say this is one of my favorite M/M romances ever. I just adore Drew and Trent so much and I feel so giddy and happy even thinking about them together.
Drew is an indie racer and he races cars for a living, and Trent is in college and he's the president of his Frat house, and a football player. Apparently this is a spin off series of a previous series from this author where Drew and Trent are minor characters (I didn't realize this until after I read the book) and now I'm kind of curious to hear more about their back story. But I loved this story even without knowing their previous history. The prologue to this book was one of the cutest things I've ever read and I kind of instantly knew this was going to be a new favorite of mine. I adore how passionate Drew is about racing and he's so confident about it. I'm not really a "car person" but I loved reading about his car and all the racing scenes, they were all written so well and the suspense was real.
Drew and Trent's romance is such a slow burn romance, in a good way. It takes them a long time to realize they have feelings for each other, and an even longer time to act on those feelings, but I appreciated that as a reader. These two are best friends and have never considered themselves to be gay so of course it's going to take them a long time to admit these feelings for each other. I just appreciated how realistic it was. (view spoiler)[They didn't even have their first kiss until after the halfway point of the book and the tension between them was so intense! And there was no actual sex at all in this entire book, only oral mainly. They never even got that far in their story yet. I wasn't expecting it to end on a cliffhanger, so I was kind of bummed about that, but at the same time I'm so excited to read the next book. I was so sad to see Trent get jumped by his frat brothers at the end. ): That's so fucking sad. But I also kind of hate that Trent is going to try and let that come in between them. To me it just felt like the author didn't exactly know how to end it and just decided that would be the best place to end it, and I didn't care for it, which is why I ended up taking off half a star on my rating. It felt so out of character for Trent to let other people affect his relationship. If anything I would expect it more from Drew but not Trent, idk. (hide spoiler)]
I just loved this book so much more than I was expecting to and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I adore Drew and Trent together so much, and I will definitely have to check out more books by this author! I love her sense of humor and the sexual tension she creates between her characters is so great. It's a great balance of humor, heart and romance all wrapped into one book with two incredibly charming and amazing male leads. I loved this book....more
This story is so damn beautiful. This book follows a divorce attorney named Jacob Snowden who has been hurt so many times and has difficulty trusting This story is so damn beautiful. This book follows a divorce attorney named Jacob Snowden who has been hurt so many times and has difficulty trusting anyone in a romantic relationship to the point where he has closed himself off from the world. Wylde is a wedding planner and he has just moved in across the hall from Jacob's office and tension rises as Wylde and Jacob argue and try to figure out how to work across the hall from each other in peace. Jacob is very confrontational and he always seems angry, but Wylde is curious about him and thinks there is more to him than just the frown on his face.
This story took me by surprise, because it started off so slow. I was reading this book on and off for weeks because I couldn't get into it and I disliked the writing style so much in the beginning and I thought the main characters were so hard to relate to and I just wasn't enjoying it... until around the 100-ish page mark when the story finally picks up. This is definitely a slow-build romance, extremely slow build. Which I actually prefer, this is far from insta-love.
I adore Jacob and Wylde's romance so much. It takes a long time for anything to happen between them, but when it finally does, oh my gosh, they're so adorable. I enjoyed all the drama with Jacob's back story in Phoenix, Arizona and I really felt terrible for Jacob throughout most of this story. Of course, I'm a sucker for a good office romance, and this book definitely has that appeal. I think it was interesting that this book showed all of Jacob's previous relationships before we are introduced to Wylde. I think it might've worked better to start the story when he's already a lawyer and show flashbacks of his relationships with Mark and Patrick, but that's just me being nit-picky.
I really did love this story, even though it is a slow start and I did have some issues with it, I really did enjoy it. I ship Jacob and Wylde so hard. (view spoiler)[Lol when they were having sex and the blanket caught on fire and he's like: "sex sent me to the ER" I was dying. Also that was so fucking depressing when Jacob's Dad died suddenly of a heart attack and he was dead in his backyard for days before anyone found him ): and then seeing Wylde be there for Jacob was so beautiful. Jacob and Wylde fell for each other because they were there for each other when they needed it the most and it was so beautiful. That was sad seeing Jacob realize he didn't want to die alone like his Dad. ALso, that was so sad when Jacob won that case for the Dad to have custody of the kids and then the Dad beat the kids half to death and he blamed himself ): I'm happy Wylde helped him through that but damn that was intense. What a terrible situation. Also, the ending was so cute with him meeting Wylde's family and them getting married. :) (hide spoiler)]...more
I just finished rereading this book and I just loved it so much. I listened to the audiobook, which is great by the way - and I cried so much at the eI just finished rereading this book and I just loved it so much. I listened to the audiobook, which is great by the way - and I cried so much at the end again. I love this story so much, I love that Evelyn is imperfect and real and she makes mistakes but she’s such an interesting, complex character. And her love story is one of my all time favorites. I actually really enjoyed Moniques chapters in this book this time as well, the first time I wasn’t as interested in them because I wanted to get back to Evelyns story, but this time I really just loved it all. This book is one of my absolute all time favorites.
HUGE THANK YOU to Atria Books for sending me an ARC. I can honestly say I've never read a book like this before. This story is so incredibly unique and original and heart breaking and beautiful. Taylor Jenkins Reid has been one of my favorite authors recently, and this book is even better than I imagined it would be. This is unlike any of her other books, and unlike anything I've even read. I loved reading about the scandal and craziness of being an actress in the 1950's movie scene. I loved reading about Evelyn's romance and heart break and her incredible life story. I started reading it this morning and literally couldn't put it down, hours later I was in tears and finished the story and I feel like I'll never forget these characters and how this story has affected me. This story is so much more than just the life story of a Hollywood actress. It's incredibly moving, and emotional; everything you would expect from a Taylor Jenkins Reid novel and more.
I loved everything about this book. Taylor Jenkins Reid is the queen....more
Thank you to the publishers for sending me an e-ARC on netgalley. I love K.A. Tucker's He Will be My Ruin and I was so excited when I got approved for Thank you to the publishers for sending me an e-ARC on netgalley. I love K.A. Tucker's He Will be My Ruin and I was so excited when I got approved for a netgalley ARC! I love romances that involve hockey players, it's a guilty pleasure of mine. Unfortunately, this book was boring as shit. It follows Catherine, a single mother of a five year old daughter, who is a waitress in a very poor town. One night after a terrible blind date, she stumbles upon a car accident and somehow manages to pull this guy (who is twice her size) from the wreckage before the car goes up in flames. Later on, she discovers that she saved an extremely popular well-known hockey player, Brett Madden, who is also the son of Hollywood actress Meryl Price (I know, the name makes me cringe too, it's too similar to Meryl Streep lol.)
I enjoyed the beginning of this book a lot, and I liked the prologue, seeing how Catherine originally got pregnant, and the drama of her sleeping with a teacher. I thought it was so interesting and entertaining. I thought the small town she lived in was described very well, and I definitely felt the desperation for her to get a job and make money.
I guess the main problem I had with this book is that it's advertised as a romance, but there is zero romance in this book until past the halfway point, and even after that, the romance wasn't written very well in my opinion. This book gets extremely repetitive about Catherine dealing with the drama of wanting to stay out of the news after saving this hockey player, and the press harassing her for interviews and photos, etc. I was skimming through conversations about Catherine wanting to be left out of the magazines and not on the news, and she doesn't want her daughter to be forced into the spotlight, and for her old past to be brought up again. They have these conversations over and over and over again. Like WE GET IT, you want nothing to do with it, and you don't want your name in the news.
This book just follows a really boring repetitive cycle after the accident happens. Catherine spends every minute talking about it, thinking about it, trying to remain anonymous, and it's so repetitive. She just goes to work, plays with her daughter, and talks with her family about her situation. Then once Brett finally makes an appearance in the story, the romance is so cheesy and cringe-y and they start texting each other a lot and I just wasn't really feeling the romance.
I don't know what happened with this one, I wanted to love it but I just couldn't. I'm still willing to give more of K.A. Tucker's future books a chance though, because I think she's a talented writer, this book just wasn't for me. ...more
This book is so cute. After four months I finally finished reading this. It never usually takes me that long to read books but this is 500+ pages and This book is so cute. After four months I finally finished reading this. It never usually takes me that long to read books but this is 500+ pages and I've been reading it on the side, whenever I have free time. This is a book of seven short stories of M/M romances between two long time friends. Each story revolves around a different pair of friends who begin to fall for each other over the course of the short story. I really love this book as a whole, but I had a few shot stories I didn't like, and some that I loved so much I wish it was a full story. To review this, I broke my reviews down into seven parts for each story. I just kind of wrote these in my notes on my phone while I was reading to keep track of which story was which and how long it took me to read each story, so here we go:
Favorite: Perfect Catch. (Without a doubt this is easily my favorite short story in this book. I loved Troy and Calvin and their chemistry is so perfect and their camping trip reminded me of Brokeback Mountain and was giving me all the feels.) Really good: Rough Edges, Unexpected Turn, The Sweetest Goodbye Didn't like:Dare You To, Leaning Into Love, Please Don't Go
EACH INDIVIDUAL REVIEW:
ROUGH EDGES - 4/5 stars -Brent: inherits his family's money, doesn't have to work, is rich -Kyle: hard working lawyer who loses his job -Kyle can't stand Brent, he thinks everything has been handed to him on a platter, but Kyle is desperate so he moves into Brent's guest room -Love the sexual tension, such strong characters for such a short story -Loved the bickering and I wish it was longer, want to read more from this author (Cardeno C.) -Read 11/06/16
UNEXPECTED TURN - 4/5 stars -Love this author Ella Frank! -Connor is best friends with Tyler, and Connor is straight and has a girlfriend and Tyler has a douche bag boyfriend. They are on the way to Tyler's sisters wedding and Connor is suddenly having feelings for Tyler -So forbidden and the tension was so real -Love the characters, love the way their friendship turned to romance -Read 11/07/16
DARE YOU TO - 3/5 stars -Follows Dare and Austin -Dare is a badass, adventurous type with a mysterious dark past -Austin is loving and sensitive and owns an LGBT clinic for teens -They are neighbors and they have movies nights together and go surfing together -It was good but also cheesy as hell with lines like: "I dare you to love me." -Read 11/13/16
LEANING INTO LOVE - 2/5 stars -Eric/Zane -Can't even really remember what happened in this one -Took me forever to read -Didn't feel the chemistry -Not enough smut -Read: 12/28/16
THE SWEETEST GOODBYE - 4/5 -Billie owns a bakery and is struggling with getting over his ex Leo -Dylan is his best friend who works with him and wants to be a dancer -SO MUCH SEXUAL TENSION -Love both characters even though Billie constantly talking about his ex Leo got annoying -But not enough smut for all the build up Read: 1/15/17
PLEASE DON'T GO - 3/5 stars -Paul and Danny used to go to camp together as kids, now they are reunited in an office, years later -I liked the sexual tension -Got kind of bored with it though -The writing was good but it didn't keep me intrigued Read: 2/19:17
PERFECT CATCH - 5/5 stars -FAVORITE SHORT STORY -Troy and Calvin have known each other since middle school but have never been single at the same time until now -They go camping alone (Brokeback Mountain style) and there's so much tension between them -They've been in love with each other since eighth grade and they're just so cute -Ship it so hard, I want a full book of Troy and Calvin, new OTP Read: 2/23/17...more
2.5 stars The more I think about this book and the plot, the more problems I have with it. This book started off promising enough, and I did enjoy the 2.5 stars The more I think about this book and the plot, the more problems I have with it. This book started off promising enough, and I did enjoy the first half a lot. It follows this girl Bailey who moves to California to be with her Dad and it's also where her online crush lives, this boy "Alex" who she has been talking to online about movies. She gets a job at a local museum where she meets a security guard Porter, but Porter is Alex... approximately. I kind of hate that the description of this book tells you that Porter is Alex.... even though it's painfully obvious, it still shouldn't mention that considering the main characters don't discover that until the last 20 pages of the book.
Bailey claims to be a huge movie fan, and I consider myself to be a pretty big movie fan, so I found it frustrating how she would only ever mention movies when it was convenient for the plot. She doesn't quote movies or talk about movies in her real life with people, mostly just online with Alex. The two main things that made me want to read this book is because: 1) it follows a character who is a movie buff and 2) it takes place in California (where I'm from). Besides all the chapters starting with awesome movie quotes, the whole movie appeal of this book was a let down.
Bailey falls into the "annoying YA characters category" unfortunately. She's so oblivious to things that are SO obvious (Alex is Porter) and she is always talking in ALL CAPS AND BEING OVER DRAMATIC ABOUT EVERYTHING. It's one of my biggest pet peeves in a YA character actually. I didn't feel any chemistry between Porter and Alex, and for most of the beginning of the book he was acting like a complete asshole and it was pissing me off. This book actually reminded me a lot of P.S. I Like You just not as good. It's literally the same concept as that book, it just isn't executed as well.
Some of the scenes toward the end had me rolling my eyes and they were just so over the top and ridiculous. (view spoiler)[All the drama with Davey and him stealing her scooter, an then him coming back and waving a gun around and... I just didn't care about any of it. Also, how weird was that beach scene where they stripped in front of each other in the middle of the day nd then she lost her virginity in the back of his van on the beach like what the fuck? That was so out of character for her I feel like... and like who does that honestly? The beach is such a public place that just seems so unrealistic to me. (hide spoiler)] The one aspect of Bailey's character that really intrigued me was her past with the crazy guy who came after her Mom, but it was barely talked about at all. The whole story about her and her Mom was completely glossed over (view spoiler)[and all the drama about her Mom not reaching out to her since she moved was never resolved (hide spoiler)]
Overall, this book is enjoyable but it doesn't bring anything new to the table and it has some very annoying YA characters. I think it's bull shit that the description of this book tells you that Porter is Alex, I know it's ridiculously obvious but it's still a fucking spoiler.... and it literally takes Bailey the entire book to figure that out and made the ending so anticlimactic and predictable. [image]...more
4.5 stars Holy shit aklsjdlakjslkajsda. This was so good. I loved The Kind Worth Killing, also by this author and I was eager to pick up this book too!4.5 stars Holy shit aklsjdlakjslkajsda. This was so good. I loved The Kind Worth Killing, also by this author and I was eager to pick up this book too! But then I started reading all these bad reviews and I put off reading it for a while but I finally ordered it off bookoutlet for a cheap price and read it last night and aklsjdlkajslda. It was so FUCKING GOOD. The synopsis literally gives away nothing and there are so many plot twists omg. This is definitely one of my new favorite thrillers and probably one of my favorites of the year!
The story follows Kate, a woman who suffers from anxiety living in London, and she decides to swap apartments with her second cousin Corbin (who she's never met) who lives in Boston for six months. He's going to be working in London so he needs a place to stay and she gets to experience America for the first time for six months. Within the first night she's at his apartment, there is a woman found murdered in the apartment next door - and the story really takes off from there and that's just the beginning. This is such a fucking page turner, I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. It's been a long time since I have completely devoured a book and became so engrossed in the story I couldn't think about anything else and this story definitely did that for me!
Peter Swanson is so fucking good at crafting amazing mysteries and building suspense! Some of the plot twists I saw coming but were still revealed in such a clever way! Other twists I didn't see coming and I was so shook and excited. The title is so perfect because this novel really plays off of Kate's anxiety and her fears. But I was much more interested in Corbin's story that goes on in this book because it was completely unexpected and surprising! I love the way in this one, just like in The Kind Worth Killing, Peter Swanson changes POV's so often throughout the story, and he does it so effortlessly and every POV has a purpose in the story! And these characters are all so fucking up and so interesting and everything I want and expect from a good thriller!
I'm just so excited because I kind of went in with low expectations and I was so fucking excited when I ended up loving it! Definitely one of my favorite thrillers now and one of my favorite books of 2017. Don't listen to the negative reviews, read this book for yourself....more
Ahhh, I wanted to love this book, but it was just okay. It's no secret that Him is one of my favorite books of all time, and I was low key super bummeAhhh, I wanted to love this book, but it was just okay. It's no secret that Him is one of my favorite books of all time, and I was low key super bummed to find out that instead of getting a third book of Jamie & Wes, we were going to get Jamie's sister's story instead. But, I still had high hopes because I love Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen's writing, and this book was good, it just wasn't great.
This book follows Jamie's sister Jess Canning and Wes's team mate Blake, and they are the maid of honor and best man at Wes & Jamie's wedding. I'm not going to lie, the main reason I disliked this book is because of Blake. I liked him as a side character in the previous book, but as a main character I just don't care for him. He's too cocky and aggressive and forward for my taste and some of the things he says and does with Jess are not okay in my opinion. (view spoiler)[Like sending her dick pics after she asked him politely to stop texting her, and crawling into her bed and spooning her after she asked him to sleep on the couch and he literally says: "if I can't fuck you then neither can anyone else" and it's like seriously? I don't find any of those things romantic, and I thought he was super controlling and douche-y at times. (hide spoiler)] Jess is an okay character, but the most interesting thing about her is that she's Jamie's sister haha. Jess is the family screw up and she's determined to prove to her family that she an do something right for once, and I respect her for that.
I just feel like this book could have been a lot better. I didn't hate it, but I wasn't super giddy over the romance like I usually am with these authors. I'm not a huge fan of Blake as a character so maybe if the leading male character was a different character then I would've liked it more. I low key only read this book to get glimpses at a married Jamie & Wes, and it was 100% worth it. Every time Jamie & Wes had a cute moment I was fucking squealing like a thirteen year old, I adore them so much. I loved seeing Jamie sitting with the WAGS (wives and girlfriends) of the other hockey players. Every time a hockey player scores their respective spouse has to take a shot and Jamie is always wasted because Wes is the best player on the team haha, they are just SO CUTE.
But yeah, like I said this book was okay. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it as much as I wanted to and expected to. I STILL WANT A THIRD BOOK OF JAMIE AND WES.... SORRY NOT SORRY. I'll forever be waiting for a third book about Jamie & Wes. I just love them so much. Okay, bye.
Before reading: Totally bummed that Wes & Jamie won't be the main focus of this book: [image]
But I'm still excited to read Blake's story and get glimpses of Wes & Jamie [image]...more
This is the third book I finished for this year's booktubeathon! And it was okay. I loved seeing Sydney + Ridge from Maybe Someday again! But honestlyThis is the third book I finished for this year's booktubeathon! And it was okay. I loved seeing Sydney + Ridge from Maybe Someday again! But honestly I think Warren and Bridgette are better as side characters instead of main characters. I think Warren is hilarious and awesome, but I still don't find him as interesting as Ridge. And Bridgette is kind of an asshole 99% of the time and it bothers me. But this book had some cute and funny moments that made it worth while. And it's only 120 pages so it was a quick and easy read! ...more
4.5 stars Wow. This is easily the best celebrity memoir I've ever listened to. Bryan Cranston has been one of my favorite actors since I first watched 4.5 stars Wow. This is easily the best celebrity memoir I've ever listened to. Bryan Cranston has been one of my favorite actors since I first watched Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad is my all time favorite show and I've seen every episode at least 5 times, and it will always be my favorite show, and I absolutely love Bryan Cranston as Walter White. Ever since I fell in love with Breaking Bad I have followed Bryan Cranston's career, and he has become one of my favorite humans on the planet. I adore his personality and his charm and if I'm being honest he kind of reminds me of my Dad, which might have something to do with it. Also, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook for this one. It's narrated by Bryan and it's so wonderful listening to him tell the stories of his life, so definitely try to get the audiobook for this one, it's great!
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What an epic life Bryan Cranston has had. He's one of those people who have truly lived his life to the fullest, the kind of life others are envious of. He's had a handful of crazy jobs with even crazier stories, and I love how each chapter of the book is broken down into a different "part" of his life. His life truly is a life in parts. I loved hearing about his family and his struggle with growing up with a Father who eventually left them, and an alcoholic mother. I loved his stories about travelling overseas at a young age for the police academy, and how he wanted to be a cop for a long period of time. I can't believe he got his license to marry people on a whim and become a minister for a summer and married a bunch of couples. He lives his life with such spontaneity, it's inspiring. I loved hearing about his journey into becoming an actor and how he completely lied on parts of his resume to get small parts in commercials and what not. I loved hearing about his experiences on Malcom In The Middle and how he really made that character his own, instead of just going with what the writers wanted.
And of course, I loved hearing so many stories from his time as Walter White on Breaking Bad. Warning: there are tons of spoilers for Breaking Bad in this book so I strongly recommend finishing the show before reading this. Listening to some of the behind the scenes stories of Breaking Bad made me want to cry because I miss the show so much, and it makes me happy knowing the show meant so much to Bryan Cranston too. I love hearing how Bryan Cranston actually contributed a lot of his own ideas for the script, or he attempted to change the way the scene was shot, to make it better. He's so thoughtful and creative and really loves his job.
The only problem I had with this is that it ended very abruptly and I would've loved one more quick chapter at the end, but other than that I loved this. There were so many times I laughed out loud: especially when he was talking about dating this insane girl named Ava, who threatened his life. I was laughing so hard I was crying. He has an amazing personality, and he's lived an incredible life. I love that he never tells himself he can't do something, and he knows if he really puts his mind and his heart in it, he can accomplish anything. Bryan Cranson is and always will be a legend in my eyes.
3.5 stars Warning: this book contains abuse, rape, drugs and schizophrenia First book of 2017... and I can honestly say I'm not really sure how I feel a3.5 stars Warning: this book contains abuse, rape, drugs and schizophrenia First book of 2017... and I can honestly say I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. It's no secret that Colleen Hoover is my favorite author, but this is something completely unexpected from her. This book is much darker than any of her previous books, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just wasn't expecting it to be so dark. This book follows a girl named Sloan who is dating this abusive crazy asshole named Asa, mainly because he pays for her sick brothers treatments that she can't afford. And then she meets this guy named Carter at her college who could potentially save her from this crazy asshole of a boyfriend she has.
I guess my main issue with this book is that I didn't care for any of the characters. Sloan is a weak main character, and I know some people might disagree with me, but the way she lets Asa control her and she never really shows him her true feelings kind of drove me insane. I just wanted her to stand up for herself instead of always depending on someone else to save her. Don't ever get me started on the whack job that is Asa's character. I understand I am not supposed to like him, but damn he has got to be the most sexist ridiculous over-the-top asshole I have ever read about in a book. Every time he's in a scene or there's a chapter from his point of view it made me feel sick to my stomach. He's a loose cannon and he's dangerous and disgusting and I hate him. Then we have Carter who is a decent character but his insta-love with Sloan seemed pretty unrealistic in my opinion and I never felt real chemistry between him and Sloan. The romance in this book fell a little flat for some reason, which is crazy because Colleen Hoover is usually the queen of romance, but I just wasn't really feeling it between Carter and Sloan.
So why did I give this book a decent rating? Because I couldn't put it down. This writing style is addictive as fuck and I'm so glad I decided to read it now, now that it's a complete and finished project because I can't imagine only reading this story chapter by chapter when she posted it on Wattpad. This story is so intense and addicting and even though it was a little far-fetched and unrealistic at times, I was addicted. This honestly felt more like a thriller than it did a romance, and I appreciate that Colleen is really growing as an author and trying new things. It's refreshing to see her take her novels to the next level in regards to maturity. This book had some very disturbing scenes that I never would have expected from a Colleen Hoover novel and even though at times I felt disgusted by it, I was also completely fascinated and I had to know what was happening next. (view spoiler)[I just find it hard to believe though that Asa would not be thrown in jail after h repeatedly stalks and harasses Sloan and Luke like what the fuck? He's been declared a schizophrenic so who would believe him that it was self defense? That is one part of the story I couldn't understand. And knowing at the end that Sloan's baby was most likely Asa's is kind of heart breaking. I feel bad for Luke. (hide spoiler)]I actually really loved Ryan's character and I would love to see a story written about what happens with him after this?
It's too soon for me to say where this ranks on my Colleen Hoover scale, but it's not one of my favorites from her. I would recommend any of her other New Adult novels over this one, but if you are looking for a twisted romance that has more thriller aspects then this might be the book for you. Don't get me wrong, Colleen is still my favorite author and I will read anything she writes in the future. But damn this book is not what I was expecting at all and I think that's both a good and a bad thing....more
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