"You're everything to me. My family, my lover, my best friend."
How did Eloisa James do it?!
Usually, books***A 2024 TOP PICK***
5+ STARS!!
"You're everything to me. My family, my lover, my best friend."
How did Eloisa James do it?!
Usually, books by this author are such a pleasure to read. But this one? This one filled me with so much joy, humour, and chemistry that it felt like my heart would burst with it all. And narrator Mary Jane Wells' performance was just the icing on a fabulous cake. ...more
If I were able to love someone, I would choose you.
Thank you, Ali Hazelwood . . . that was FABULOUS.
I s***A 2024 TOP PICK***
5+ STARS!
If I were able to love someone, I would choose you.
Thank you, Ali Hazelwood . . . that was FABULOUS.
I seriously dig this author's darker side. I ate this story up; it was filled with sex, disfunction, and raw, open wounds. If that's your jam - like it is mine - you need this book.
I loved Rue and Eli, both individually and together, but for me, Rue was the star of the show. Her social awkwardness . . .
The disconnect I constantly felt toward the rest of the world was unlikely to go anywhere, and whether it was real or not, it shrouded me with a comforting sense of security.
. . . and self-confidence . . .
I had no talent for enticing people to care about my work: either they saw its value, or they were wrong.
. . . were such a great combination. But with her traumatic past added to the mix, it also left her matter-of-fact and closed off, and unable to relate to Eli in any way except through a physical relationship.
Eli wasn't much better, but his past hurts pushed him in a different direction. He became obsessed with Rue.
"It's humbling how bad I want you."
And the way his emotions would see-saw about Rue felt so genuine.
Her presence in his life and his head was uninvited. The power she held over him, he had never meant to yield it. Which meant that she must have taken it without his permission. Robbed him of it.
These two and their vulnerabilities were heart-breaking as they stumbled along, unsure and confused by their inability to quit each other.
What did people do, once they acknowledged that they had something - someone - to lose?
And it was soooo satisfying when they finally stopped fighting the pull between them.
"Out of all the people I've met, the things I've wanted, the places I've been, none has ever felt as necessary as you do."
Oh, yeah, and the overarching plot about the takeover of the company Rue works for made for the perfect foundation on which to base this story. Such a great book!
I'll leave you with my favorite quote. So refreshing to see the role reversal here with the H worrying about this kind of thing. ...more
"I told you, we're done fucking around. You're mine."
There are literal stars in my eyes! This was soooo good***A 2023 TOP PICK***
5+ STARS
"I told you, we're done fucking around. You're mine."
There are literal stars in my eyes! This was soooo good; it ticked all my boxes and then some:
✔ 100% character driven ✔ flawed characters who grow ✔ darkish kink ✔ reverse age gap ✔ reverse grumpy/sunshine
and one box that I generally avoid like the plague:
✔ friends to lovers
But holy cow, did these 'friends' ever get their claws into me. Generally I hate pining - but here, the setup was perfect; believable, heart-wrenching, and filled to the brim with scorching tension.
These two were HOT together, and with their individual flaws and vulnerabilities so vividly brought to life, my heart could barely stand it at times. Such an incredible combination.
I especially loved Cheryl, who'd been knocked around plenty by life . . .
Whenever she left her mum's apartment, exhausted and depressed, she just wanted to go to a bar with her boobs out and het hit on by a dozen dads. Have them buy her drinks and laugh at her jokes and make her feel all shiny new.
Patrick, on the other hand, had always led a charmed life, at least on the surface.
He was like that, Patrick. Thoughtful. Sweet.
And logically they shouldn't have fit so well together . . . because dammit, Cheryl goes for dads, not twenty-one year old golden retriever types . . . no matter how hot they are, or how much they make her laugh, or how comfortable they make her feel.
Or how they find their inner Dom and blow her world apart.
Merged review:
***A 2023 TOP PICK***
5+ STARS
"I told you, we're done fucking around. You're mine."
There are literal stars in my eyes! This was soooo good; it ticked all my boxes and then some:
✔ 100% character driven ✔ flawed characters who grow ✔ darkish kink ✔ reverse age gap ✔ reverse grumpy/sunshine
and one box that I generally avoid like the plague:
✔ friends to lovers
But holy cow, did these 'friends' ever get their claws into me. Generally I hate pining - but here, the setup was perfect; believable, heart-wrenching, and filled to the brim with scorching tension.
These two were HOT together, and with their individual flaws and vulnerabilities so vividly brought to life, my heart could barely stand it at times. Such an incredible combination.
I especially loved Cheryl, who'd been knocked around plenty by life . . .
Whenever she left her mum's apartment, exhausted and depressed, she just wanted to go to a bar with her boobs out and het hit on by a dozen dads. Have them buy her drinks and laugh at her jokes and make her feel all shiny new.
Patrick, on the other hand, had always led a charmed life, at least on the surface.
He was like that, Patrick. Thoughtful. Sweet.
And logically they shouldn't have fit so well together . . . because dammit, Cheryl goes for dads, not twenty-one year old golden retriever types . . . no matter how hot they are, or how much they make her laugh, or how comfortable they make her feel.
Or how they find their inner Dom and blow her world apart....more
Ali Hazelwood, what are you doing to me?! I LOVED this one soooo hard.
Exactly the right ratio of swoon, heat, and humor to keep me fully eng5+ STARS!
Ali Hazelwood, what are you doing to me?! I LOVED this one soooo hard.
Exactly the right ratio of swoon, heat, and humor to keep me fully engaged and rooting for Elsie and Jack from beginning to end. Love, Theoretically has earned itself a spot on my top-ten all-time faves list and I can't wait to do a re-read to experience it all again....more
I don't remember the last time a book CONSUMED me like this. Absolutely stunning! And even though it's like 800 pages of sci-fi goodness, whe5+ STARS!
I don't remember the last time a book CONSUMED me like this. Absolutely stunning! And even though it's like 800 pages of sci-fi goodness, when it was over, I wanted MORE, needed MORE.
I'm so sad there's no sequel. I could read about Amber and Meoraq forever. One of my ALL-TIME favorites....more
So fucking wonderful; funny, touching, and utterly swoony.
"I've been searching for you my entire life."
It's going on my all-time5+ STARS!
So fucking wonderful; funny, touching, and utterly swoony.
"I've been searching for you my entire life."
It's going on my all-time favorites list!
Yes, it had two of the most objectionable tropes in romancelandia (dead ex and non-celibate hero) but I LOVED every word. Zachary was all kinds of mine and Holly was all kinds of trying to hold herself together - it made for the perfect push and pull.
Will absolutely read again. Thank you, Rain for bringing this one to my attention....more
I was no woman, I was merely a supplicant, a pilgrim who had stumbled across your dark altar and was doomed to worship at
5+ beautiful STARS!
I was no woman, I was merely a supplicant, a pilgrim who had stumbled across your dark altar and was doomed to worship at it forever.
SO happy I took a chance here!
Love was no girlhood game. It was an iron yoke, forged in fire and heavy to wear.
Honestly, this could have gone either way . . . I'd either hate its pretentiousness or I'd fall in love with the poetry of it all.
I was always your little mouse, kept in a gilded cage until it was time for the cat to play.
Obviously, you can see I savored every word of Constanta's 'love' of her master, Dracula.
I wanted to dash myself against your rocks like a wave, to obliterate my old self and see what rose shining and new from the sea foam.
Part erotic(ish)horror, part cautionary tale, A Dowry of Blood held me transfixed from beginning to end.
My piety was a sporadic, half-feral things, sometimes lashing out at God with teeth bared, other times nuzzling against His loving providence like a kitten.
Watching Constanta finally grow into herself and take control of her 'life' was so very satisfying. Call me crazy, but I identified with her struggle to protect herself . . . I, too, am much more zealous when those I love are put in danger.
I fell in love with her quickly, even as my head railed against the stupid machinations of my heart.
I highly recommend if you love words and how they can be built into something beautiful and awe inspiring.
"More often than not, love ends in tragedy, but we go on loving in the hopes that this time, it will be different."
An eye for an eye doesn't free you from your past pains.
ABSOLUTELY love this author!
RE-READ: August 2021 ==> 5+ STARS! RE-READ: Ju5 STARS!
An eye for an eye doesn't free you from your past pains.
ABSOLUTELY love this author!
RE-READ: August 2021 ==> 5+ STARS! RE-READ: June 2023 ===> 5 STARS!
This is the conclusion to Rya's story and like book 1, tragedy dripped from every chapter, every sentence, every word. I cried sad tears, outraged tears, and happy tears - you name it, I felt it.
"You are important, you are supposed to be loved and cherished, and that's what I will spend the rest of my life doing."
I loved how the author didn't shy away from anything; no stone was left unturned. She tackled the mate bond head-on and showed both its evils and its wonders.
"All you have to do is believe in me, in us."
I admit that the story played out in a way that I wasn't expecting, but in the end, it was oh-so-satisfying. What a journey!...more
They were sworn enemies, but somehow their hatred had become lost in the weave of their emotions like a single thread.
Be still 5+ STARS!!
They were sworn enemies, but somehow their hatred had become lost in the weave of their emotions like a single thread.
Be still my beating heart - Comanche Moon was AMAZING!!
ALL my favorite bookish things rolled into one:
✔ enemies to lovers ✔ captive romance ✔ poetic, emotion-filled writing ✔ tragic twists and turns ✔ angsty and heartwrenching ✔ no easy resolution of conflicts ✔ hard-fought love ✔ very satisfying conclusion
GAH! There was nothing I didn't like.
I'm sending a huge thank you to GIORGIA for her incredible review of this book and BIRJIS for her encouragement to actually read it. This was a reading high like no other! And I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series....more
Book 1: Clayton ==> 5 STARS Book 2: Dallas ==> 5 STARS Book 3: Cassius ==> 4.5 STARS
5 STARS!!
He's ruined my past, and now he's tampering with m
Book 1: Clayton ==> 5 STARS Book 2: Dallas ==> 5 STARS Book 3: Cassius ==> 4.5 STARS
5 STARS!!
He's ruined my past, and now he's tampering with my future.
A drama-rama angst-fest of EPIC proportions . . . and I LOVED every word!!!
RE-READ: August 2021 ==> 5+ STARS!! RE-READ: June 2023 ===> 5 STARS!!
Plot in a nutshell: As a juvenile wolf coming into her own, Rya becomes aware of who her fated mate is . . . Clayton, the alpha's son and the heir apparent. But Clayton's already in love with Kennedy and he rejects the pair bond ===> what ensues will tear your heart out.
Holy crap, the author did such a good job of balancing all the characters and their motivations. I savored every heartstring-jerking word here. Rya wasn't a straight-forward victim and Clayton wasn't a straight-forward villain.
"He doesn't want you, Rya, but he doesn't want any other male to have you, either."
It was all deliciously tragic . . . and the twists? Amazing!
The world-building was fabulous and the writing was emotional and heartfelt. I highly recommend!! I've already finished the sequel - another 5 stars - and I've started the 3rd.
Rachelle Mills is now on my list of favorite authors....more
WOW . . . okay . . . so honestly, there was nothing new here within the story . . .
Plot in a***A 2020 TOP PICK***
Story: 5/5+ STARS!! Audio: 5+ STARS!!
WOW . . . okay . . . so honestly, there was nothing new here within the story . . .
Plot in a nutshell: sensitive girl falls for seemingly unfeeling boy.
. . . but the plot revolved around the creative process (since both m/c's are writers) and it hit ALL the right notes for me.
The real key, however, to this book's success was the execution of the plot and the writing: I ADORED/WORSHIPED/SAVORED every single freaking word. Emily Henry is now officially on my list of rock star goddesses of the romance world.
The banter, the pacing, the humor, the easy way the backstories were slowly inserted (that sounds dirty ...more
Your hopeful heart is the most beautiful thing I've ever known.
How is this my first book by Lucy Score? H***A 2020 TOP PICK***
5+ STARS!!
Your hopeful heart is the most beautiful thing I've ever known.
How is this my first book by Lucy Score? How?! I guess because I don't read many rom-com's . . . but this one pushed ALL the right buttons for me. I LOVED EVERY WORD OF IT!!
Plot in a nutshell: Ally's already been having a very hard day when Dominic walks into the pizzeria where she's a server.
He acts like a jackass.
She reacts badly and unleashes her hard-core sarcasm.
He gets her fired.
Dominic's dinner companion - his mother - is appalled by his behavior and offers Ally a job at her company . . . a place where Dominic also works.
And one of my all-time favorite arch-nemesis relationships in the workplace is born. ...more
She realized that he was trying very hard to open his closely guarded heart to her.
Absolutely LOVED it! The romance, the banter5+ STARS!!
She realized that he was trying very hard to open his closely guarded heart to her.
Absolutely LOVED it! The romance, the banter, the humor, and - I never thought I'd say this, but - even the action sequences at the end were all incredible!
Audio: 4 STARS!
PS: How on earth St. Vincent is going to be redeemed, I have NO IDEA! I guess if anyone can pull it off, Lisa Kleypas can. Starting book 3 immediately....more
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