"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
"I hated you for moving on. I hated you for leaving me behind."
Holy angst, this was so good!
Did the author milk the slightly 4.5 STARS!
"I hated you for moving on. I hated you for leaving me behind."
Holy angst, this was so good!
Did the author milk the slightly implausible situations she created just for the story? Yes. Did I enjoy the fuck out of every last one of them? Also yes!
The arc's for these two very flawed characters couldn't have been better and it was pure genius the way the heartbreaking pieces of the story were doled out to slowly fill in what seemed to be plot holes.
I ate it all up.
Be aware this book contains CHEATING. Please don't read it and then moan about it.
Thank you, Lydia, for finding this gem for me. ...more
So . . . I was warned going in that this was heart wrenching. Still, that didn't quite prepare me for the reality. What a tear-jerker!
And honestly, anSo . . . I was warned going in that this was heart wrenching. Still, that didn't quite prepare me for the reality. What a tear-jerker!
And honestly, any book that makes me ugly cry should get an automatic 5 stars, but after a day of sitting on my feelings, I'm a bit torn.
The writing, and its incredible subtlety, was both a blessing and curse. A blessing because it didn't over-explain every little detail and let me feel all the raw emotion the author was trying to convey.
But also a curse because it left large portions of the characters' lives a mystery. I couldn't get a handle on their motivations. Why was Mike so closed off? Why was his self worth in the gutter? Why did Liam love him so much? And why was Liam satisfied with such a toxic environment for so long? I needed more damnit!
Ultimately, I won't complain too hard. This was a wonderful breath of fresh air no matter how I look at it. 4.5 stars!...more
Really loved it! After that crazy cliffhanger in book 1, here in book 2, Hanna and Death's relationship really gets rolling. Their sizzling ch5 STARS!
Really loved it! After that crazy cliffhanger in book 1, here in book 2, Hanna and Death's relationship really gets rolling. Their sizzling chemistry (with some very twisted moments ...more
She is the only thing I've ever wanted for myself.
Why am I surprised that I loved this so much? Cate C Wells never disappoints.5 STARS!!
She is the only thing I've ever wanted for myself.
Why am I surprised that I loved this so much? Cate C Wells never disappoints.
But seriously, you guys, who knew I needed a kinky, marriage in trouble set in the 80's?! But need it, I did.
To me, the genius here stemmed from the author's choice to start the story in the middle. Though I would have been more than happy to read Diane and Marco's relationship from start to finish as a duet, I appreciated Monte Carlo's bite-sized nature, deliciously depraved as it was.
Diane and her teflon fragility, alongside Marco and his harsh vulnerability, were really quite perfect together. Add in the cast of Clue...more
The process of peeling back the layers of these two very complex characters was so satisfying. On the surface, Lila wasn't even remotely likable, but she ran deep. And Shane, who came across as affable and shallow, proved to be much more than eye candy.
And together, they turned out to be two halves of a whole....more
Whatever happens, happens. There's no script, no plan. It's just me and her and this moment, where it feels like everything is going
5 STARS!!
Whatever happens, happens. There's no script, no plan. It's just me and her and this moment, where it feels like everything is going to be all right.
My must read author list is a very short one - but it now officially includes Julianna Keyes.
This was SO good; the set-up, the banter, the MCs' vulnerabilities, the way the plot played out. I loved it all.
And that the FMC was Allison from book 1? Genius. Once again, JK takes a seemingly unredeemable character and reveals them to be so much more than their granite façade.
I'll be making my way through everything ever written by this author....more
Love didn't work that way. You didn't fall for pieces of someone and gamble on the rest.
If you're looking for your ***A 2023 TOP PICK***
Love didn't work that way. You didn't fall for pieces of someone and gamble on the rest.
If you're looking for your next fluffy romance read, you'll want to walk away . . . because The Art of Scandal packed an incredible emotional punch.
I loved every word.
Plot in a nutshell: Rachel is a politician's wife who gets a very rude awakening at the start of the story and then shortly thereafter meets the ten-years-younger Nathan. Their connection rocks them both to their cores.
She was falling in love and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.
Gah! I enjoyed this one so much. Solid writing, sc5 STARS!
She was falling in love and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.
Gah! I enjoyed this one so much. Solid writing, scorching chemistry, and one of my favorite all-time tropes - a regular girl and a famous guy - all added up to make it a big winner for me....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
And I have no idea how or why, lol. I mean, the same story from a different POV shouldn't be so engrossing. I considered skipping it altI ate this up!
And I have no idea how or why, lol. I mean, the same story from a different POV shouldn't be so engrossing. I considered skipping it altogether. Haha, my bad because it turns out that an entire book of Cas makes for some seriously good reading:
Fuck good intentions and the sliver of me that was a decent man.
Oh, the banter! Eli and Caitlyn's back and forth, combined with their incredible chemistry, was some of 0 - 75%ish ===> 5+ stars 75 - 100% ===> 3 stars
Oh, the banter! Eli and Caitlyn's back and forth, combined with their incredible chemistry, was some of the best and most entertaining I've ever read. Author Julianna Keyes is truly a genius. ...more
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