“I don’t want to die, but I want to live. People call that having a death wish.�
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DNF at 51%
As much as I wanted to love this book, both of us“I don’t want to die, but I want to live. People call that having a death wish.�
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DNF at 51%
As much as I wanted to love this book, both of us just did not get along. There was too many cliches and lately, I've been noticing that those seem to get on my nerves the most. This (short) review will be of my own and does not take away from the fact that everyone who is thinking of giving this book a try - should do it!!
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P.S This review is filled to the brim (staring now) with sexual innuendos. I'm making up for all the pent up sexual tension that this book did not deliver for me. ______________
Things I Shall Take Away From This Book - Try Skye Warren again, Alex. Perhaps this book just did not rub you the right way (all the sexual innuendos for my romance hoes out there) and you needed something....more.
-Many of your friends have loved her books, Alex. Perhaps her past work in dark romance will in fact hit all the right spots. (2 for 2, baby)
“A gentleman would add my name to the guest list.� “Did I give you the impression that I was a gentleman? My apologies.�
Things This Book Has Taken Away From me -My ability to tolerate love triangles. I thought I could do it folks, I really did. I used to enjoy love triangles and when this ARC traveling its way onto my kindle, I did a little happy dance because who doesn't want some angst and drama in their romance every once in a while?
-The amount of shits I give for overused tropes and cliches. Daddy issues, money vs. money, popping the cherry (pick me, pick me!!!), etc etc etc.
-PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK WITH THE PLOT 'nuff said.
Overall, I think this was a stellar case of "it's not you, it's me" and I want to go out and say that the blurb, the author and the cover reeled me in from the get-go. Had it been any other time I read this when I hadn't already read a myriad of other books with cliche and cringe - I wouldn't have minded and perhaps actually enjoyed.
Merged review:
“I don’t want to die, but I want to live. People call that having a death wish.�
[image]
DNF at 51%
As much as I wanted to love this book, both of us just did not get along. There was too many cliches and lately, I've been noticing that those seem to get on my nerves the most. This (short) review will be of my own and does not take away from the fact that everyone who is thinking of giving this book a try - should do it!!
[image]
P.S This review is filled to the brim (staring now) with sexual innuendos. I'm making up for all the pent up sexual tension that this book did not deliver for me. ______________
Things I Shall Take Away From This Book - Try Skye Warren again, Alex. Perhaps this book just did not rub you the right way (all the sexual innuendos for my romance hoes out there) and you needed something....more.
-Many of your friends have loved her books, Alex. Perhaps her past work in dark romance will in fact hit all the right spots. (2 for 2, baby)
“A gentleman would add my name to the guest list.� “Did I give you the impression that I was a gentleman? My apologies.�
Things This Book Has Taken Away From me -My ability to tolerate love triangles. I thought I could do it folks, I really did. I used to enjoy love triangles and when this ARC traveling its way onto my kindle, I did a little happy dance because who doesn't want some angst and drama in their romance every once in a while?
-The amount of shits I give for overused tropes and cliches. Daddy issues, money vs. money, popping the cherry (pick me, pick me!!!), etc etc etc.
-PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK WITH THE PLOT 'nuff said.
Overall, I think this was a stellar case of "it's not you, it's me" and I want to go out and say that the blurb, the author and the cover reeled me in from the get-go. Had it been any other time I read this when I hadn't already read a myriad of other books with cliche and cringe - I wouldn't have minded and perhaps actually enjoyed....more
“Can you please stop being so beautiful and real and alive all over my house like you own it or something?�
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I finished this in a d“Can you please stop being so beautiful and real and alive all over my house like you own it or something?�
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I finished this in a day and now the bags under my eyes are Gucci.
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A Note From Alex (after reading all the notes in this book, especially the chocolate one).
Whenever I finish a book, Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ (my number one cheerleader) always sends me an email telling me that I have actually finished the book (as if I didn't know it myself, you'd think). But this time when GR sent me this;
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I felt like Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ just knew (call it kismet) that this book and I are undergoing some challenges. Initially, I gave this four stars but upon looking back, I'm sticking with my 3 star rating. This is honestly the hardest rating I have ever had to debate. Because, if I'm being honest with myself... I probably enjoyed this a lot but I know that I shouldn't have.
Here's the thing. This book was fucking addicting. I burned lasagna while reading this book... I didn't hear the oven ding and then my lasagna burnt. So in order to truly know this book's rating for me; I'm asking myself now: "What it worth burning the lasagna, Alex? Was it worth having to scrape all that cheesy goodness into the bin and feel immense guilt whilst doing so?"
Here's the dilemma. During the time, yes. It was very worth it. Now? Not so much.
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In The Unlikely Event is something so different to what Shen normally puts out that I couldn't help but pick it up. It's not really a "christmas" romance, but it's a winter one. We follow Mal and Rory's story of love, loss and heartbreak. It was comical and didn't take itself seriously at all, and I loved it even more because of that. It was hot, captivating and so nail-bitingly, page turningly addictive that I really didn't get much sleep.
I loved the different narratives and I found myself laughing out loud during some moments. That is also to say though, that this book is not all comedy. It deals with really sensitive issues and in true LJ fashion, the angst is so unbearably thick, it's better than any soap opera or reality TV show I've ever watched. It's also safe to say, that I unfortunately can no longer look at chocolate the same way. This is not a bad or a good thing. Just different.
The banter between Rory and Mal was probably my favourite aspect of this book. Also, if there is any one romance writer that can take the same trope (enemies to lovers) in all her books but still manage to keep me captivated... it's this one. I rooted for so many different people in this book and although it drained me when I came to the end chapter, I felt like I went on a really long holiday.
"Want to know if you love someone? Watch them suffer and see how much it tears you apart."
But then why do I also feel like I wasted such a great (it was mediocre, I fuck up cereal on my best days), awesomely-dished lasagna? For one thing, it's always heartbreaking when you have to compost carbs. But, for reasons more suited to this review; this book frustrated the fucking lights out of me.
Yes, we already know that Shen writes up the most problematic, toxic and dysfunctional relationships but still manages to make you hooked over wanting to know what happens. I knew this going in, I came prepped for the assholes and the triggers. Just to let you know, the hero in this book is manipulative, conniving and so rude for a good part of the book. The heroine is also frustratingly juvenile and oblivious to so much. Half the time, I wished Rory would have just demanded to understand what was going on. Regardless, Rory and Mal end up being sickly cute and this book definitely amped up the steam.
But I'm going to lay some other things out. Spoilers Ahead
â„︎ The relationship in this book is based on insta-love. This usually never works for me but I looked past it in this book. â„︎ The amount of miscommunication in this book could give an airline company's customer service rep a run for their fucking money. â„︎ If LJ Shen ever writes a book with 100% women supporting women, I might actually slip into a coma. There is so much animosity between female relationships in this book that just hurt my heart immensely. â„︎ Something that would have been so mindblowingly unique is if the topic of "loving someone whilst being in a relationship" was tackled with no cheating involved. It was so obvious that I actually thought that no one would cheat in this book. I was so wrong. â„︎ Another thing I really wished for was for Callum (Rory's boyfriend) not to be villainized in order to cop out of the relationship. I cant stress this enough but breaking up with someone because you don't have feelings for them anymore is a very valid reason. I wish authors didn't villainize the significant other in order to "make up" for the fact that they are being broken up with because suddenly if they're not the best person, then it's okay for the MC to move on and be with someone else. â„︎ This last one is probably the most important one. There is a rape scene in this book, and I won't put this section under a "hide spoiler" thing because this is an important trigger warning to anyone that is going to read this book. I wish it was given as a caveat in the book itself but *sigh.* The rape scene in this book needed to be dealt with so much more care and importance, rather than just being an event that occurs in the storyline.
Through all those problems... I still soldiered on. LJ Shen is really truly my biggest guilty pleasure. I know that all of the tropes and aspects of her books are so fucking problematic and controversial, but I still read this like a fanatic. This book is far from perfect but I swallowed it entirely....more
This had a really interesting premise and the scenes were steammmy. Unfortunately, both the plot and the characters felt like they were lacking somethThis had a really interesting premise and the scenes were steammmy. Unfortunately, both the plot and the characters felt like they were lacking something and I didn't really like either. ...more
This was a great quick read that I gobbled up during my flight! Although the trope was unique, the plot felt to be too cliche and having read and loveThis was a great quick read that I gobbled up during my flight! Although the trope was unique, the plot felt to be too cliche and having read and loved A Lesson In Thorns by Sierra Simone, this definitely felt like it lacked a lot of substance. There were also some lines of dialogue that really bothered me :/...more
“You know what happens when a thirty-four-year-old man watches a sixteen-year-old girl?� “But I’m not� I’m not sixteen anymore.�
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[image]“You know what happens when a thirty-four-year-old man watches a sixteen-year-old girl?� “But I’m not� I’m not sixteen anymore.�
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[image] *sigh* I guess I needed time to absorb this story as well as the level of disappointment I felt while reading DO18. This story had so much potential and I honestly could not have been more excited. Saffron Kent has written one of my all time favourite romances, Medicine Man and I always do a little dance whenever she comes out with new material. This one fell very short for me.
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Hit or Miss Right so, I guess I can say with some certainty that Kent's books and I have a love-hate relationship. I guess my main issue with DO18 is the fact that I had so much hope for it! This author can do a lot of things with smut and often her books will call for the holiest holy water, but I was so stuck on the issues within this book that I couldn't even enjoy that.
Everything felt way too rushed and underdeveloped. I started feeling this from the second chapter. The writing was watered down and the random bursts of purple prose would give me a sense of whiplash. It was like someone randomly yelled at the author to be "more deep" in the middle of random scenes. There's something to be said though, about the tension that this book derives because I definitely wanted to keep reading, even though I wasn't necessarily adoring what I was reading. (Does that even make sense, Alex?) I only wish that there was something more unique to this book, rather than just "this happened, then that happened, then we lived happily ever after." I wanted to be more invested with the story itself and the characters.
"You can eat me up all you want. You can eat me up a hundred different ways. I’m gonna like your teeth and your tongue and I’m gonna fall in love with the sting of it all. You’re my Strawberry Man. At least, that’s what I call you in my head.�
The Romance Age-gap romances can really go one of two ways. I actually think Kent handled this aspect pretty well. I had more issues with the amount of cringey one-liners and cliche "he's just such a man" statements that I got bored. Which is the crux of my rating, there was nothing of substance that I held onto. I wasn't drawn to Violet or Mr. Edwards, so I wasn't really invested in their romance. The first part of the story definitely captivated me more than the second half, if only for the reason that there was something between Violet and Graham that left me wanting more. This seemed to lose itself as the story progressed.
DO18 is also packed full of angst, which is not always a bad thing. Although, I feel like it was mostly "telling" me about how it's angsty, instead of making me feel the angst. This seemed to regress during the latter part of the book. Soon, I just felt like I was in a very mundane story that wanted to be taboo, instead of yknow actually being taboo.
I also seriously struggled with the way Violet's mental health was approached. I wanted her to push through the spiralling thoughts and stand her ground for some things but the story was bordering "magic dick syndrome," and it made me feel very uncomfortable. There were also some scenes that just did not sit right at all. Specifically, there was a scene in the start of the book where Graham asks (a drunk) Violet quite explicitly to step away from his personal space, but she refuses and go aheads and kisses him instead. I kept thinking, if the situation was reversed and a lady was asking a man to move away from her... it would be absolutely disgusting so why shouldn't this be seen as the same?
“Mr. Edwards?� “Step. The fuck. Away.� There’s a warning in his tone. An urgency, even. Or maybe it’s me. I’m the one filled with all the urgency that this is my only chance. The only chance to know how it feels. I keep watching his mouth. “It’s my birthday.� “Go. Home.�
Overall, I feel like this story had so much potential and having loved Kent's novel's in the past... I was just very severely disappointed. I"m not losing hope because I know I trust Saffron's writing style and plot devices, this one just didn't hit a lot of the marks....more
"He wanted me broken. A beautiful, hollow shell to break open and fuck into. It wasn’t enough to own my person and rape my body. He wanted to empty"He wanted me broken. A beautiful, hollow shell to break open and fuck into. It wasn’t enough to own my person and rape my body. He wanted to empty my soul so that the only thing I was filled with was his cock and his cum."
This started really good and I really enjoyed Giana Darling's descriptive (although sometimes grammatically incorrect) writing. There were some awkward phrases but I really got into it. Yes, this was really dark and really gritty! There are many triggers and frankly, it wasn't the fact that this was too dark for me. I really just couldn't get into the MCs. The language was unrealistic and the rape felt too easily passed over. I wanted Cosima to have more of a backbone against her master. Alexander felt like a spoilt rich brat that was often very repetitive. The twists were predictable and all in all, I just wanted more. I might consider reading the next installment but *shruggg*...more
"Yes. For a woman dressed in a nylon housecoat, she’s hot."
[image] well i mean, at least i'll have a new joke to tell my therapist this week. dnf "Yes. For a woman dressed in a nylon housecoat, she’s hot."
[image] well i mean, at least i'll have a new joke to tell my therapist this week. dnf @30% (i tried, i swear)
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*cracks knuckles* Let's start by taking you on the journey. From start to finish 30% (i mean, i was finished by about 5% but I was raised to be a trooper and troop i did.)
When I first saw that Ms. James was launching a new standalone novel, my first thought like I assume all other people's thoughts were went to FSOG. That trilogy regardless of whether it was a disaster, a passer-by or a godsend in your life, was something of a global Category 5, DEFCON 1, 10th magnitude phenomena that took the world by storm.
Having read FSOG a long time back (just the first one. unfortunately, i couldn't troop for more.) I don't really remember my thoughts and whether I liked it or not didn't matter because looking back now, I don't really like what it stands for. Yet still, I respect all those lovers of the romance because for some, It actually regenerated / originated their love for the genre.
So, I thought what better way to gather my thoughts about this author then to read her upcoming standalone. By now, her writing would have improved right? her character development and her plot skills must have enhanced somehow? their should be some any sort of improvement?
i can't believe i put on my good crocs for this Without even starting the book, I was cautious about the premise. A wealthy, manwhorey, newly appointed Earl starts getting the hots for his illegally immigrated with a language barrier, beautiful in pink granny panties (he actually had to point this out), apparently limited access to technology house cleaner. Before I even get into all the NO, ERIKA, NO!'s in that... let me give you a treat.
� Chapter One. First fucking line. *ahem*
"Mindless sex—there’s a lot to be said for it. No commitments, no expectations, and no disappointments; I just have to remember their names. Who was it last time? Jojo? Jeanne? Jody? Whatever. She was some nameless fuck who moaned a great deal both in and out of bed."
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� We proceed to find out that his brother just died and he is currently fucking his brother's wife.
"She is and always will be my first love, my first fuck…my disastrous first fuck. And years later she’d chosen my brother, not me. But in spite of all that, we managed to remain good friends and keep our hands off each other—until Kit’s death."
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� He is now "Lord Trevethick." When it comes to names in books, I have no problem if the author has either random-word-generated or dictionary-swallowed names in their story. But that doesn't mean that once in a while I'll get a name that I love to absoulte bits. This name was the only selling point in this story, it brought me comedic relief. Everytime I read it, i giggled. Maxim be thicker than a snicker.
� The writing was so poor. It felt very amateur and I shit you not, I felt like Gollum was speaking sometimes. Both of them had inner monologues (ofcourse, we like to keep the inner goddesses here in the ELJ headquarters) that were constantly repetitive and yappy. If Smeagle was the vibe ELJ was going for when writing her romance. Then yes 10/10 stars;
"She’s hot. And willing. Yes, very willing."
“It was a surprise finding him here asleep. Yes. That’s it. That’s all.�
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� The dialogue and the monologue was all very jarring and juxtaposed. It felt like I was in the front seat of a car that kept braking and going, getting whiplash from the damn seatbelt. The writing was juvenile because it wasn't descriptive at all. It was this then that and here's how it made me feel a lil'
“I want to know. No. I don’t want to know. I do. I don’t. I glance at the dashboard. Shit. I’m speeding. Slow the fuck down, mate. I ease my foot off the accelerator. Steady. I take a deep, cleansing breath. Calm down.�
� I absolutely hate when there is no character development or dimensions, something that lets you get hooked to loving the story because you're rooting for the characters. But something I hate even more is when authors use diversity in their books and don't even get it right. There are so many reviews coming out that note specifics on how the portrayal of Albanians is very incorrect in this book.
� The insta love was strong with this one. In truth, the whole cliche damsel in distress getting saved by dominating and rich man that suddenly changes his ways is very overdone. But like I say in a lot of my reviews, with romance there are so many tropes that are overplayed. But there is still a way that authors can use that to their advantage and still come out with a good and gripping story! I found it very unconvincing that our male MC went from this;
“I wasn’t sure. Modeling could be mind-numbingly boring, but after I was sent down from Oxford, the work had gotten me out of bed and given me an excuse to stay in shape. I also got to meet hot, skinny women.�
to this;
“I want her�. That’s the truth. I’ve never felt like this before. Everything has happened so fast. And I still don’t know if I’m doing the right thing. But I know I can’t abandon her to those lowlifes. I want to protect her.�
� Lastly, there was absolutely no chemistry. What there was plenty of though was WTF moments. Lines and directions that just made me jerk back because who thinks of this kinda thing? For example, there is a scene where Maxim is asleep and he unconsciously kisses Alessia. Her monologue shows that she wants it but also doesn't at the same time (there is a lot of foreshadowing to her having a bad history with men). Right after we get this;
� it’s not just me. Maybe she just doesn’t like men. This thought is even more upsetting, so I brush it aside.�
then this;
“All my plans, all my fantasies will be for nothing if she can’t bear to be with a man…any man. And I realize that I can’t touch her. Fuck.�
“You go after one, you go after all. You know the rules.�
[image] [image] [image] [image] This review took a while because of the following; - personal“You go after one, you go after all. You know the rules.�
[image] [image] [image] [image] This review took a while because of the following; - personally, this book dragged too much and it took self motivation to finish - I really wanted to like this and I kept forcing myself because I really want to experience the hype behind TIJAN.
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Meet The Crew i. Jordan Pitts ii. Zellman Greenly iii. Cross Shaw iv. Bren Monroe
I nearly had a problem with all fucking four;
i. Jordan was probably the only one I didn't really mind, and that was purely because his dialogue and scene presence was minimal.
ii. “She gives good head.� Zellman shook his head. “You know how rare that is? Not a lot of girls give good head. They’re not properly taught.� - Enough said.
iii. Cross felt too one dimensional. He is our love interest, and let me just say - I did not even get a hint of chemistry. I actually was confused in the start and spent time trying to decipher who the love interest was because it felt like there was no spark. Then there's Bren...
iv. Bren Monroe pissed the living hell out of me. I understood why she was the way she was, but I just couldn't get on board with how childish she acted. Mind you, she is a child and I often looked past different situations because of this. There was occasional moments where I sympathized with her, but those moments were short and far spread.
"That was my crew. Along with Jordan, there were two others besides myself—Cross Shaw and Zellman Greenly. My name is Bren Monroe, and even though I’m in the middle of this whole dark diatribe, and even though we look like the bad guys right now, things aren’t always as they seem."
The Plot I feel like this was the biggest issue I had with this book. Nothing hooked me enough that I didn't forget about the page count. I love that feeling when you're so into a book that you suddenly realize you only have three chapters left because HOLY SHIT! you've been glued to the page.
no. this did not occur in this one, folks.
Half the time, I had no idea what the hell was going on - nearly every second chapter there was a brawl or a fight and it had nearly no advancement in the plot or character development. This is definitely a slow burn in the romance department as well. Yet, I didn't feel a spark in the start to even start the burn; so when the h and H actually ended up getting together it felt like a straight forest burner. The plot moved way too slow for me and it dragged.
I know a lot of people who really enjoyed this, and I've been recommended the Fallen Crest series various times. So in my plight of trying to salvage love for both TIJAN's characters and writing, I might venture into that series later this year.
However, this one contained slut shaming, unrealistic teacher-student relationships and personal space violations galore. Not for me.
The "Normals"
"Sunday night. People had been to church this morning, and we’d beaten someone bloody this evening."
I felt like the concept of "crews" vs. "normals" and that segregation was too pushed. The concept was something really simple, yet the world building was inorganic because every possible time Crew was mentioned and the 'rules' that surrounded being in one, I felt like it was a research chapter. The idea is so unique and the blurb really had a lot of potential in my eyes but unfortunately, I felt like the execution could have been done better.
This review is really straight to the point and I feel like it might come out harsh in that way. I really do hope people don't experience what I did while reading this. You could completely tell the author spent a lot of time building both her world and her characters. You can also tell that there are subjects that could be so relevant to today's youth. Overall, I just couldn't get behind it (doesn't mean you cant ;)...more
[image] This was....weird.. to say the least. Whilst having never read the four father series, I actually found mys“Do you think I’m a psychopath?�
[image] This was....weird.. to say the least. Whilst having never read the four father series, I actually found myself catching on way faster than i anticipated. However, I still couldn't get over how weird it was. How oddly addicting the whole plot was, and no matter how unrealistic - these four sons are actually quite addicting.
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Short Introduction to the Four Sons Series What I feel would be really helpful before I get into this review is giving any potential readers (whom, like me would want to read this without having to read the four other former novels) a taste for where the plot and story kicks into.
We are pushed into the plot immediately by the untimely murder of Eric Pearson. He is a well established business-man and a fully deserved titled asshole. He has four sons - Hayden nineteen, Brock seventeen, Nixon sixteen, and Camden fifteen. All four of these boys never grew up with a stable mother figure as theirs 'ran away' when they were young.
Enter Rowan Wheeler
Friends with all four of the brothers, Eric seduced Rowan as soon as she turned eighteen even though at the time, she was dating his son, Brock. (SEE?!?! It's fucking weird). They go on to have a major daddy kink fest full of sex, sex, sex and... love? This not only sets off anger within the four sons, but also Rowan's dad (who is a known serial killer) is NOT happy.
"I didn’t always have this darkness inside me. My soul became tainted, murky with other people’s darkness, their sins raining down over me like acid saturating me, infecting my core."
Massive Triggers This book was weird because it had so many of the subjective characteristics that should well be established in the dark romance genre. Which, by the cover is this novel - I would have never guessed.
Instead, I would like to raise a glass to the author for stating this before the book even began: "This novel contains some scenes that may be triggers for the sensitive reader. Please read with caution."
I cannot begin to express my gratitude for this because if I had gone on to read this (which by the way, I was on a 14 hour flight - so apologies for the late review) having not known that there would be sensitive subject material and themes that are considered taboo and dark. This review would be a whole other ball game.
First, the fact that the Nixon and Rowan get together after her being with his dad (view spoiler)[ and being pregnant with his kid (hide spoiler)] brings a shit load of double dipping scenarios that I don't even want to take out this book and into the real world. But I guess, this book was weird and unrealistic enough that it worked? The insta-lust and the improbabilities were all so unbelievable that it made this actually pretty fun to read.
Mind you, I fucking loved Camden. So he was another bonus.
Overall, although this novel itself may not have been memorable, the characters and the story certainly was. I don't know if I'm planning to read Brock and Hayden's stories - But I really want to know what happens to Cam.
“Because I want you. I want all of you. I want to fuck you until you can’t walk or talk, or fucking see straight. I want to ruin you, break you, an“Because I want you. I want all of you. I want to fuck you until you can’t walk or talk, or fucking see straight. I want to ruin you, break you, and make you bleed so I can make it up to you again. I want to fuck you so hard that I leave an imprint of my cock inside of you, so everyone after me knows that you’re mine.�
[image] [image] Is there such a thing as too much angst?
Please Note: This review contains spoilers and please do not read it, if you plan on picking this book up in the future <3
[image] ____________ Recipe for Disaster (Alex Style): 1/3 cup cheating 2 cups of slut shaming 45ml of unlikeable characters 1tsp. of a decent character (optional, as this will disappear towards the end of the process) 1000grams of unnecessary angst.
Cooks Note: Do not add any chemistry to this recipe.
~Mix Well and Serve Cool~
Flip Trick This might have been one of my most anticipated releases of this year. When I say that, I mean from the day I saw a teaser on Facebook, till the day I received my arc - I was constantly thinking about Maddox and Amethyst.
I dropped everything to read this and I was certain that it was going to be a winner in every sense of the matter. This book actually made me realize that maybe, starting from next year - I shall only review the books that I loved and want to rave about, because I know how hard authors work on writing, editing and going through the whole publication methodology of releasing a novel. I hate giving low reviews because it feels like I'm throwing bad energy at a book that didn't work for me, but could potentially work for many others.
The last part of this book was so unnecessary and there was so much drama that floated around, I couldn't keep up with all the story arcs. Then, there was the fact that every single member of their family thought it was dandy to just FUCK YOUR STEP-SISTER!??
Maybe, it's also because I'm reading Game of Thrones simultaneously - but I think even that was the least of my triggers with this book. There was a lot of time jumping and adding in information that had no meaning. It all felt a bit overwhelming for me.
That being said, this really wasn't my cup of tea. There were so many no-go zones that it constantly danced on, I felt like DNFing... but I read on.
Let me start with my first issue:
The Characters. From the start of this book, I disliked Leila. It started with her being selfish, which then trailed into her practically pressing Amethyst to lose her virginity... why is it so wrong for a girl to be a virgin and not want to have sex with a random stranger?!?
“Your fortress? Well, sorry to say, but I’m going to need your 'fortress' to be trampled in a lot more than once every six months, not to mention after one month of seeing a guy. Loosen up, Ame! Trust me. The best feeling ever.�
I thought she was a really bad influence on Ame and after feeling a bit of euphoria from some chapters, she really dragged me down.
“Ame, it was a one-night stand. Maddox has them probably every weekend with girls who he deems worthy of him.� she rolls her eyes, and I sense something there. Maybe there’s something she isn’t telling me."
Next up, is the range from Amethyst to the men in this book.
1) Since when is it okay to slut-shame? And whore-shame?? Especially in a book where the author controls what comes out of the characters 'mouths'?
2)
The fear of not knowing if she’s going to remember is damn near crippling. What if she doesn’t want me? What if she doesn’t allow me to show her? What would I do then? I’d lock her in my basement and make her, that’s what.
I don't know what to comment about that. I really don't.
3)
“I don’t know. We pushed and pulled for a bit, but I can’t deny that there’s a bond with him. It’s easy, and not complicated. He has a bad reputation on campus, you know, womanizer and because he beats people’s faces in for a living, it only adds to his bullshit appeal.� I suck in a deep breath. “But he’s not any of those people when he’s with me, which is what makes all the difference. You know me, Dad. He’s not my type at all.� Dad quirks an eyebrow. “I know. But maybe this is what you needed. Those nerd boys you messed around with were little fucks.�
4) The only character I liked was Talon. He had an open relationship with a girl, and in the last part of the book this is what we find out:
"Then he tied me to the bed and made me sit and watch while he fucked another girl. I kneeled, gagged, mascara running down my face, ropes tied around my wrist while he fucked this girl senseless all while watching me. I cried, because I loved him, and we hadn’t swung or been with other people in almost a year. This felt like cheating, and it was. He broke my heart when he fucked her savagely..."
It's sad because I really wanted to love the shit out of this book. That cover is gorgeous and this author is kind and caring to her readers. Not to mention, she has another series that is so hyped that I might try reading that instead because that seems amazing too!! O...more
"My father says I was born a fighter. He would say if a man can’t use his hands, then what is he good for? The only difference is that my father pa"My father says I was born a fighter. He would say if a man can’t use his hands, then what is he good for? The only difference is that my father pays to use someone else’s hands."
[image] DNF at 37% I guess this book just goes to show how much characters can make or break a story.
When I saw the blurb for I Dare You, I got excited and like usual - I started hyping the book up in my head before I even started reading it. I love the dark romance genre and this being the first of a new author I was trying out, I thought it was a win both ways. Both those things are risks that I love taking.
In all fairness, the plot was the least of my problems with this. In fact, had it not been for the plot, I wouldn't have even read on to the part that I did.
When Austin Lowes arrives in town in effort to get away from her mother - her homecoming welcome gift is bearing witness to cold blooded murder. Conducted none other by our main hero, Cole Reynolds! Cole seemingly hears Austin and then hunts her down to threaten her into silence. ONLY WAIT! Austin is actually pretty?? Cole is actually hot for a murderer??? ... So the only obvious answer (come on, guys) is to.... ASK AUSTIN TO JOIN HIS LITTLE MERRY MEN TRAVELING BAND OF FUCKING PSYCHOPATHS. ... ONLY WAIT! They're all good looking!
Even though I say that with malice and mischief, I really did like the sound of it - no matter how awkwardly plotted and unbelievably unrealistic it was. What pulled me in was the promise of some hot scenes and even hotter swimmer men boys.
“These waters are infested with sharks. And you are bleeding.� She looks over my shoulder at Cole, then back at me. “But there are worse ways to die.�
I cannot think about them without screaming. To put it very bluntly, I hated Cole and Austin annoyed me. I felt zero chemistry and it all felt too forced and unreal. If there is one thing I really dislike that is repeatedly accomplished by dark romance authors is ensuring that their girls are pushovers.
The concept of this book was senseless and structure-less to begin with, but then sprinkle two main characters that absolutely made me cringe and want to throw my kindle across the room. There was not a chapter that went by where I didn't highlight dialogue or a quote on my kindle and note how awful it was. It would be bad readership if I stroke out this author after having read one novel, so if there is a time when I see another book that they write that peaks my interest - I will pick it up. However, I Dare You and me were like repelling magnets and I can’t get myself to pick up where I left this and give it another chance.
“He’s a manwhore, don’t get me wrong, but he is very discreet about who he takes to bed"
"If I was brutally honest with myself, I was mostly in love with her and I’d never even said hello."
[image] I had to read this book sectionally. "If I was brutally honest with myself, I was mostly in love with her and I’d never even said hello."
[image] I had to read this book sectionally. Only because I promised myself I would not DNF it, nor would I make my final judgement until and unless I've read that last page. I knew I had to leave my review for a handful of days after release day, because for all intents and purposes - Pepper Winters deserves any and all success with her releases, and I wanted to give myself time to try and understand this book. Unfortunately, the case seems to be that whilst I will continue to support and read Pepper's future material, this book will never be for me.
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The line between Romance and Romanticization
Firstly, this is a note that there will be spoilers sprinkled across this review, so read with your own caution.
No matter how much I love a good 'dark' romance, I will always differentiate between romanticization and romance itself. The romanticization of a toxic relationship can be very detrimental to those reading, especially in this genre - where I know that there are young readers. No matter how many trigger warnings you forewarn a reader with, (which there weren't any, but that's an entirely different bone to pick) there will always be some form of absorption when you read new information.
I have read a lot of romance that does tackle dark themes as well as abusive relationships in the "correct" manner. Wherein, both parties realize that it is a abusive relationship and either get help or walk away. That being said, we all love our happily ever afters and our romances to be coated in all sorts of sugar, I know I do. Yet, sometimes we also love reading about stories with a sense of realism, with problems that people face in real life. These are the stories that are the most dangerous when done "wrong." When a little girl or boy, becoming a young adult perceives the behaviors in the book to be true and justified. This was my constant fear with The Body Painter.
I have mentioned in the past that I have been in very toxic relationships but in this instance, for the life of me, and I didn't know why - I kept thinking to myself, "What if I had a daughter in Olin's position?" or "What if I had a son in Gil's position?"
This book made me uncomfortable, and not in the way that gripped me. I did not like a single damn character. The relationship between Olin and Gil was toxic to its core. I spent most of my time fearing for Olin because I felt Gil would snap at her at any moment. I understand that kindness is a virtue, and at first I thought Olin was being both strong and brave. As the story went on however, I felt like grabbing Olin and getting the fuck away from Gil together. There was so much foreshadowing of physical abuse and dialogue that made me want me to throw my damn kindle.
Let me walk you through some examples;
1) Let's start by the dialogue and the way Gil and Olin spoke to each other. I almost feel like I was able to stomach the constant back and forth between the two MC's because I thought somewhere down the line, Olin would stand up for herself. I knew that the end of the book would try and "justify" his cruelty towards her, but there should be no justification for treating and talking to a girl like she's an object. None.
▶︎“I’m going to fuck you and then you’re walking out that door and never coming back.� The lace of alcohol in his tone didn’t slur but added a cruelty that only sent more fire into my already bleeding need." ▶︎“I promised myself I’d be as cruel as necessary to keep you away. That I’d hurt you all over again if that’s what it took. But...I’m too fucking weak. You’re perfect. You’ve always been perfect.�
2) These are threats, that on the surface level - manipulate you into thinking that Gil is about to hurt her. Even if he means a third party will hurt her, these are all manipulations of violence and promises of abuse.
▶︎Gil:“I’m better off alone, believe me.� Olin: “You need medical attention.� Gil: “So will you if you don’t leave.� ▶︎“His eyes flashed with history. Of the time he’d physically hurt me. Of the time his words had the power to stop my heart.�
3)The constant danger of physical abuse and fear that Gil is going to be "pushed too far," is the terror that drives Olin to be cautious. Yet, she keeps coming back. There is nothing called being "pushed too far" that equates to physical violence. This is not a justification, nor should it be to anyone reading.
▶︎"But what if he doesn’t ask me to leave next time? What if he threw me out physically? What if he hurt me like he had when I’d pushed him too far at school?" ▶︎“For fuck’s sake, Olin.� His eyes flashed, reminding me all over again of the nastiness he was capable of. “I told you to go! Don’t make me hurt you.�
4) The repetition bothered me too much. He would treat her like shit, she would go away only to come back the next day. Rinse and repeat. This isn't romance at all, this is something you see on a psychologists pamphlet that lets you know you're not in a working relationship. Gil would say such awful things and Olin would justify it herself.
▶︎"He’d bit me, licked me, devoured me, and ordered me to never go back. But he’s hurting..." ▶︎“I didn’t want you then, and I don’t want you now. You’re embarrassing yourself, Olin. Chasing after a man who has no intention of ever being with you again.�
5) Olin started pissing me off and soon as she inherently became a carpet. Gil would be an ass to her and she would be bothered that they didn't get to keep kissing or fucking. Then I felt a mixture of confusion and irritation because she genuinely wanted Gil to reach his breaking point in the most poisonous way. The main heroine wondering if she was safe or not with her supposed love interest is not something I really look for in a romance...
▶︎"“I think there is a connection.� I looked up briefly, studying how close I was to pushing him over the edge. Push harder. Earn answers. Be prepared to run if he snaps." ▶︎“Yes, I’m very lucky Gilbert was there. I’m safe with him.� Are you? Are you truly?� ▶︎"I’d lied for him. I’d drained myself of everything at his request.
6) Eventually, there was two scenes that completely threw me over. The first one entailed Gil mocking Olin's sanity because she was concerned about the bruises and cuts he sported. The second was an incident where Olin "slipped," and then Gil went on to ask her to lie to the police without giving her any fucking reason other than to trust him, right after he hurt her.
▶︎“Why? Did you not see his injuries?� The bruise on his jaw. The cut on his lip. Gil stiffened as if I’d given away all his secrets. Shoving hands into his hoodie pocket, he stormed toward a trestle table chock-full of glass jars containing brushes and rags. “She’s seeing things. I actually fear for her mental stability. Get rid of her, will you, Miller?�
▶︎“Wh-what happened?� I licked my lips, wincing as another throb of pain found me. He jerked as if I’d slapped him. “You slipped.� ... “I slipped? How?� I didn’t slip. I was slammed into the door. ... “Wait...� I swallowed hard. “You did this to me?� I ripped my hand away. “You knocked me out?� He hunched, his green eyes flashing. “I didn’t mean to. I only meant to unbalance you. I just wanted your phone. But...I pushed too hard. You tripped and fell against the door.� ... “So, you thought it would be better to maim me?� “I deserve everything you have to say to me.� His hands curled into fists. “But...first, I need you to do something for me.�
7) Lastly, through all of this, Gil finds it in himself to blame Olin for it all.
▶︎“What do you want from me, Olin?� His sigh was endlessly heavy. “You push me until I snap. You taunt me until I retaliate. You’re not supposed to be in my life, yet you barged in anyway.� His eyes flashed. “This is your fault. You made it all so fucking complicated.� “You’re blaming me for all of this?� He nodded, moving forward and stopping in front of my chair-shield. “All of it.�
The Finale
In the end, I guessed the twist and I also ended up feeling very repulsed in general by this story. I felt like if the main concern was (view spoiler)[Gil fighting for his daughter, then he should have had the fucking strength to prioritize her and not have sex with Olin in the process only to disregard both. (hide spoiler)]. Pepper Winters has written some of my favorites in the past and to say I was looking forward to this for a year is the truth. I fell in love with the synopsis the first time I read it and the teasers after that only added to my love.
It is with such a heavy heart that I write this review, and during writing this review, I thought I read a different book to everyone else. Toxicity is not romance, it should not be marketed as such. I don't think I have the energy to read the second book, regardless if it clears things up, simply because this book took such a massive emotional chunk out of me. The storyline felt lost to me because Gil and Olin kept going back and forth with the "stay away from me," "no wait, I need you" plot. I tried folks, I really did.
----Prior Reading---- The Body Painter � Most Anticipated Expected publication: Summer 2018
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Beautiful Artwork by . His work gives me goosebumps and completely gets me excited for The Body Painter....more
"All the girls he brings home (roughly twenty percent of the US female population) do moan and scream for an average of forty minutes."
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DNF "All the girls he brings home (roughly twenty percent of the US female population) do moan and scream for an average of forty minutes."
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DNF at 25% I am so fresh out of fucks at this point.
This book annoyed me faster than Speedy Gonzales can do his thing. This book, (if I had the power and the effort) would have a running mp3 track of Amy Winehouse singing "no, no, n.o" in the background. This book, to me was all the yikes in the world coming together for a hot cocoa.
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*lawyer voice* alex, please stfu and sit down I couldn't... I'm really sorry but I couldn't get past the quarter mark. Sage (one of our mc's) made me want a medical coma. I don't think I have ever tried harder to like a book than I did with this one. He had the manwhore factor going and maybe it's me, but that play very rarely works in my liking the character. Because (and let me explain myself), I find it really hard to follow and root for dialogue and monologue like this:
“Do you really want to throw away ten years of friendship for a quick lay?� He smirks. “First of all, it’s not going to be quick. I know what I’m doing in the sack. We’re talking a minimum of twenty-five minutes, lady, and I’m being humble here, because I might be a little on the excited side when I finally get you in my bed.� He cups his groin and winks, and I would roll my eyes if it weren’t for the fact that his room is down the hall, and the thin walls confirm his statement."
Maybe that didn't justify my explanation enough. Here, have another little bite.
“Your hot roommate. Did you ask her if she’s into me?� Again, I find myself wanting to punch my own balls for downplaying my relationship with Jolie. This is all my doing, and the reason I don’t tell people how close we are is because I don’t want any cock-blocking scenarios to get in my way of a good pussy."
Those were just the starters, and you bet your sweet ass I left before the main course arrived because I did NOT want to be there for that. This review isn't going to be a long ass review of what I think went wrong because there were a lot of people that loved this. I read Midnight Blue by this author earlier this year and I enjoyed that so much more - I seem to find a pattern with Shen and the manwhore + s/o trope.
That's perfectly fine, just it reeallyy wasn't for me. I usually try my best not to DNF a book, because everything and everyone deserves to be complete. I just couldn't.
“Please tell me you feel this, too. Tell me I’m not fooling myself that we’ll be good together.�
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Well, fuck. This was nothing like I “Please tell me you feel this, too. Tell me I’m not fooling myself that we’ll be good together.�
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Well, fuck. This was nothing like I expected it to be and almost everything I wished it was. I think so many people need to read this and give it a chance because Long Shot is a whole new ball game. (wink wink ;)
There are some heavy themes that are dealt with, with such elegance and suspense that I really enjoyed this as a read and I was also really happy how the author portrayed all these thematic elements into one. Although I had a few issues with the story at the beginning and further, some of the efforts put in to showcase the trope - I really enjoyed this and I will definitely be reading more of this author later!
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Clarity I want to start by congratulating the author on doing everything right in the domestic violence front. In my last review, in fact, I stated how if an author is going to talk about subjects such as domestic violence or heavy themes like it - it is their duty as an advocate against it to leave a little note at the end of the book that could help any potential victims.
Kennedy Ryan is officially on my list. Not only did she go the extra mile and put in that note and throughly explained why domestic abuse is wrong through her characters story's but she clearly did her research. I want to throw my metaphorical hat up in the air and rejoice because you can see that this woman is passionate not only about writing, but loving what she writes. It's not just some bullshit - it's a story within a story, where she took different testimonies and put it together to create what we now know as Long Shot.
“Yeah, well, when you can’t have what you really want,� I say, locking our eyes together, willing her not to look away, “you settle for whatever’s available.�
The modern application of this is deeply embedded not only with the sports system, but with our countries presidents, politicians, TV show hosts, actors etc. The branding of a trophy wife is something that needs to be stopped and needs to be seen as wrong, because when you're moving towards something as focused as equal rights or even to stop the wage gap. These kind of things cannot exist.
In a way, I am so grateful I read Long Shot because I know that there is nothing like it.
Comparisons I'm going to be honest, when I started reading this book I thought it was going to be a 2 star read because of prevalent issues. Then when I got to the middle, I for sure thought I was going to rate this 4+ stars. Then the end I couldn't settle because my emotions were so mixed, I went and did the chaotically neutral thing and said it was a three star read.
"Her hands map the muscles in my arms and chest, her eyes closed as if she’s reading my body by Braille."
Here's the rundown:
It felt cliche with the trope of whatever the first guy did wrong, the second guy did right. This was at the start and when the story took a turn for itself in the midst of it's plot - I started to acknowledge certain literary techniques and choices that the author chose to work with.
It then felt like a testosterone filled competition. The amount of times "He got the girl" was mentioned in different ways actually made me want to stop reading because firstly, a girl is not something you 'get'. Especially when you are campaigning a book that goes against the sexual objectification of woman. It just all felt too much of "I can fuck / treat you better than him" at times, but after the halftime mark ran - I got into the flow of things and it worked. Ish.
“You think my game is that weak?� She side-eyes me, extending both brows as high as they’ll go. “We talking on the court or off?�
But like I said, it truly did get better towards the middle and I really enjoyed how the author incorporated elements of humor, suspense, sports and romance all in one to create this phenomenal piece of writing!
"There’s a part of me, though, that will always think of her as the gorgeous girl swearing at the television in a sports dive, sipping flat beer and pulling for her Lakers. We’re different, but I wonder if the quick, deep intimacy we shared that night is still there. If it’s still the same."
Clusterfucks My heart bleeds for Iris. I don't think a female lead has ever been written as beautifully and as pathos evoking as her in this genre. She's the modern version of everything I aspire to be in life and it was a pleasure getting to know her.
This book deals with a lot of problems and it would be unwise to just look over it and not give it a try if you wanted to in the first place. So if you're on the fence about it, just do yourself a favor and read it.
Alex � Comets and Comments �
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