Wethering the Storm by Samantha Towle

 

5 FANTASTIC, ROMANTIC, GUT WRENCHING, LOVING STARS

There is no way I can do this book justice by writing too much of a description.  All I will say is that all you feel is the love and passion between these 2 characters!  I laughed, I cried...I ugly cried!!  What an amazing ending!!!!  Samantha Towle, your a fantastic writer!!!

PULSE by Gail McHugh

 

NOT RATING  :(

At the end of Collide at some point i got sucked into the story and couldn't stop until the end.  It was quite a cliff hanger so I was thankful that Pulse was out already so I didn't have to wait to continue, but...

Unfortunately, I just couldn't stay connected to this story.  I'm sad to say I stopped reading after 24% which got me through the cliff hanger from Collide.  Again, I felt like I was in a soap opera and I was just too frustrated to continue.  It's not fair for me to rate this book because I didn't finish.  I may come back to it at some point, but for now, it just wasn't for me.

COLLIDE by Gail McHugh

 

3 STARS

I started this book in March but couldn't connect with it so I stopped.  I kept putting off reading it again.  I've seen it pop up so many times with rave reviews, and then Pulse was on sale on Amazon, so I bought it and restarted Collide again.

The beginning was very slow for me.  Not that I wasn't interested, but it just seems like I would read a really great part, then I would want to skip paragraphs.  :(  Emily's back & forth between Dillon and Gavin was a bit annoying to me.  I am not a big fan of love triangles or cheating and there is a lot of that in this book.  (not a spoiler, I like to warn people who might be sensitive to it)  

I hated Dillon through most of the book for how he treated Emily.  Although when she started talking about how he saw her through her mom's cancer, I softened a little.  Just a little!!  But then I quickly hated him again!  You don't get much back story on him so i feel liked i was missing something with his character.

Gavin definitely interests me!!  Tall, dark, hot and successful!  What's not to like!  I did enjoy the banter between him and Emily.  Had me laughing out loud at some points.  But then I would hit another cycle of their behavior (for lack of better words) and I would get a little bored.

At some point i was really into the story...didn't want to stop reading but not in a way that i was connected with the characters, but in a soap opera/90210 kinda way LOL!!

I so wanted to fall in love with this book!!  I am giving it 3 stars because I enjoyed the story and the banter and the writing is good, but the subject matter wasn't that appealing to me and I didn't connect with the characters and their emotions.

LICK by Kylie Scott

 

 

4 STARS

 

I kept seeing great reviews for this book and when I read the synopsis, it sounded like nothing I've read before.  Ok, I've read a lot of rocker books, but nothing that started like this one!! 

Right off the bat, I thought it was a bit comical!  Really, Evelyn wakes up hung over and married to a rock star...not just any rock star, but one of THE most famous, sought after rockers there is!!  In the beginning she has a sad self-image and keeps reverting back to high school taunting which gave her a bad complex.  Can't say I blame her though, being thrown in the spot light, whether she like it or not!  I was glad to see later on she gets over that! 

"Let me get this straight, you don't remember anything?"
"No," I said, swallowing hard. "What did we do last night?"
"We got fucking married." he growled.

I feel for David right away!  The fact that he remembers everything and had no clue just how drunk she was the night before when they met, had a great, unforgettable night, but she remembers NOTHING!!  Small pieces come back to her and I LOVED the 1st scene where he tries to jog her memory by kissing her LOL!  Was very well written...so cute! 

I love that he offers to take her away from it all and has her stay with him...just until the media simmers down and so they can work on their annulment, which they both want...or do they??!!

“It’s not fair that you remember and I don’t.”
“No,” he said, his voice hard, cold, in a way I hadn’t heard it. He looked over at me, jaw set. “It’s not fair that I remember and you don’t, Evelyn.”

I enjoyed the fact that he wasn't just your typical rocker trying to get in her pants.  They took their time getting to know one another and admitting their obvious attraction to each other!  He got the fact that she had only had sex with one other man so he took his time until she was ready.  Both of them have trust issues but I loved their banter and all out fights that led to angry sex LOL!  Some of the best scenes!! 

I hated David for putting Ev through what he did, but I kinda hated her for not giving him a chance to explain.  I loved what he did to get her back & loved that even though they didn't trust each other whole-heartedly, they only kept things from one another that would be harmful or make them look like they were doing it just to look good!!  Lots of emotions swirling around on this one!  I really enjoyed the ending.

“You asked me this morning in the car if I thought you were scary. The answer is yes. You scare me shitless. I don’t know what I’m doing here. But I hate the thought of leaving you.” – Ev

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, feel it was written well and I definitely recommend it.  My only problem is I still don't understand why it is titled Lick??  Did I seriously miss the boat on that one??  LOL. Someone please fill me in!!  :D

WAIT FOR YOU by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout )

4 STARS
I would not say there was anything extraordinary about the story itself...troubled girl leaves home despite her parents disapproval, moves to a new place to "start over"...meets her "bad boy", tries to avoid and resist him...only holds out for so long before lust and love wins.  The difference in this book is the writing!!  I couldn't stop reading!!  The emotions the writing brings out in me is what is so fantastic!!!  I am always saying, I have no idea what makes a good author, I just know how the story makes me feel and if I am feeling what the character is feeling that is what makes it a great read to me!

A cute story.  Avery moves to a new town, enrolls in college she is forbidden to go to, trying to hide from a past that has not only found her again after 5 years, but is now harassing her.

Enter Cameron (Cam)...of course he's tall, dark and steamy!!  He's also smart, witty, patient and most importantly...he can cook and bake!!!!!  ;)  He goes to the same college and seems to have a past of his own.  I say "cute story" because I love the cat and mouse game she is playing with him, BUT he wasn't giving up.  The banter and "friendship" they created was cute.  [I hate to compare books, and I mean this in a good way, but the beginning reminded me of Walking Disaster]  Clearly he was very into her but she just wasn't seeing or admitting to herself that this was happening.  That this hot, fantastic, hot, funny, hot, sweet, did I mention HOT man is interested in her!  I have to admit I was about to strangle her if she didn't say yes soon!!!!  When she finally did I could let out a breath.  Talk about an awkward first date!!  I was embarrassed for her awkwardness LOL!!  I love how their relationship progressed, I was just frustrated with her that although she said she trusted him, she was still holding back her past!

The ending was slightly predictable, but there were parts that I wasn't necessarily expecting that made it interesting.  I definitely feel that Avery gets closure from her past and her HEA, which she so deserves. 

There were small parts that I didn't care for, but the great writing made me forget about that very easily and made me just want to keep reading.  I see there is a sequel Trust in Me, told in Cam's POV.  I will definitely look for it when it comes out in Oct 2013!

Sorry if I seem a bit contradictory on this one...it happens!

*provided by NetGalley for an honest review*

ELITE by Rachel Van Dyken

 

 

4.5 STARS

Holy mackerel!!  I find myself saying this a lot lately, but that was not what I was expecting at all!!!  What a riveting, frustrating, emotional roller coaster of a story!!  A bit of violence and moments of cringing, but nothing I couldn't handle ;)

Trace was the one student chosen from the annual lottery to attend the prestigious Elite University!  Only high society and the truly "elite" attended and the rules were clear...

1. Do not touch The Elect.
2. Do not look at The Elect.
3. Do not speak to The Elect.

From the very first moment she was dropped off by her Grandpa, she was targeted as a weak one who didn't deserve to be there.  Her biggest "hater" was Nixon.  She was to find out he was the "president: of student boy and controlled EVERYTHING that went on there.  If she chose not to follow his rules, she would surely regret it.

Oh Nixon!!!  I hated him!!  Then I loved him, then I hated him again, then I felt sympathy for him as a child...then back to hating then ended with love!!  Although, I really fell in love with CHASE!!  He was like a big brother mixed with a secret crush if that makes sense LOL!!??  His one-liners were hilarious!

I don't even know how to get any further into this story without giving anything away so let's just say you discovered piece by piece...secret by secret and I felt such sympathy for this poor girl!  A definitely cliff hanger and I am definitely looking forward to finding out where the story is going next!  AND I would love to see Trace with her HEA!!! 

Rachel Van Dyken did a great job of making me forget how unrealistic the story was and I just got lost in the characters and the suspense of it all! 

A must read!  

 *provided by NetGalley for an honest review*

THE STORY GUY by Mary Ann Rivers

 

3.5 STARS

All I can say is what an odd story, but in a good way.  Not at all what I was expecting.  I would describe this as a cross between a soap opera and erotic romance all wrapped up in one little novella...LOL!

I was hesitant to read this book but something intrigued me.  I mean really...a guy puts an ad in the paper for someone to kiss in the park, only on Wednesdays, no strings attached.  Come on!  But something told me there was more to this story and boy was I right!!

The beginning was very slow for me.  For a novella I seemed to get way too much detail that I didn't need.  I would have rather had more focus on the characters and their interactions than what was going on around them.  I can't explain what it was about the writing, but I just wasn't hooked in the beginning and found I was forcing myself to continue at some point...

BUT THEN...

When the details about his sister started coming out, OMG...those scenes I was in tears!!  And the steamy, sexy, kissing scenes and love scene!!  WOW!!  That was some great writing!  So you see I am torn on this one...between glimpses of beautiful writing that had me in tears and then sometimes wanting to skip paragraphs.  I am settling on 3.5 stars because when the writing was good, it was GOOD!!  It evoked personal emotions for me that I was not expecting.  I would definitely like to see more from this author.

*provided by NetGalley for an honest review*

DEEPER by Blue Ashcroft

 

4 SOLID STARS

WOW, what an intense young story!  Nothing like I have read before, which is rare!  As soon as I read her age, I was hesitant to continue because I try to stay away from these, BUT I seemed to forget all about that very quickly and for most of the story.

2 young adults.  Raine, who is 19 years old and Knight, mid twenties.  Both trying to heal from tragic pasts and trying to hide from the pain by burying themselves in their work as lifeguard supervisors at a water park.  Sounds kinda cheesy, but it is written in such a way that I could take it seriously and could focus on their story.

From the moment they meet at the beach that first night, there was an undeniable attraction.   These 2 main characters, although young, were very wise beyond their years because of what they had been through, but then there were also scenes that kept it fun.  They do after all work at a water park! 

I love Raine from the start.  A strong, independent, young woman, yet so pained from her past and harboring so much guilt it was actually painful to read.  She knows she shouldn't be having anything to do with Knight because of the promises she made to herself.

Knight is just HOT!  He's just as strong and independent.  From the moment he sees her across the bonfire, despite his guilt, he has such a connection to her...to protect her and longing to be with her for the first time since his tragic past.

I was so mad at Raine for pushing him away so many times!!  I just wanted to shake some sense into her.  But then I remembered that young love is that way...add in her past and it was torture for her to admit she wants to be with him and still stick to the promises she made to herself.

I don't want to give the story away too much since there are a lot of things I would consider spoilers.  I will say, if anyone has any issues with suicide or attempted rape, this is not the book for you.  Although it doesn't go into details, there are a couple scenes that could be hard to read.

My only constructive feedback is the amount of scenes showing young men/boys with such threatening and negative actions toward young women.  There seemed to be a lot of that and in my opinion, maybe a little more then was necessary to make certain points in the story.  It didn't necessarily take away from the story, but these scenes made me cringe and although I understand maybe the author's way of making him the hero in her eyes, but I just didn't feel it was necessary.  Sorry, just being honest!

Despite that one thing, I really did enjoy this story!  The flashbacks from their pasts had me in tears and I absolutely loved the ending.  A great way to end a great story and I highly recommend it!

*provided by NetGalley for an honest review*

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