I love to read and chat about books. I'm always honest in my reviews and I enjoy hearing varied opinions and different point of views.
I don't think I have the words to do this book justice. I'm just going to say that I don't give out 5 stars lightly but this one deserves every last one of them.
Everything in this story felt so real and alive. The characters, the environment and atmosphere, it all sucked me into a world I didn't want to be in, but at the same time, I just couldn't leave it. I needed Alex and Seb to be safe and happy.
This was a raw and emotional read. I was rooting and praying for Alex and Seb until the very end. It made me angry and brought me to tears, but there was always some hope and I clung to it with everything I had. It was amazing because even through the sadness, the author managed to make me smile. It was beautifully written. Alex is just a child who had to struggle for everything, love, acceptance, the basic necessities of life, like a pair of shoes. Both Alex and Seb showed so much courage and strength but under all that they were both scared children who wanted someone to love them and take care of them. Their relationship was a true friendship and even in this cruel and devastating world they had to live in, there was still an innocence about them.
This was a journey of friendship and love where two people found pure happiness in a dollar meal burger, a ride on a Ferris wheel, playing in the sand, or in one of Seb's smirks. They didn't always make the right decisions, but how could they? They were abused children living in poverty, who had no one to hold them and tell them everything would be alright, but somehow they found a will and desire for more.
This was a journey of two boys who were able to find safety and peace within each other.
Just as crazy as the first and Caesar is still as zany as ever but I think the novelty wore off a little. I should have given it a bit more time in between the two books.
Nevertheless, my love for Caesar did not diminish!
3.5 Stars rounded up……
because of how crazy and lovable Caesar is,
because he made me laugh,
because of the completely outrageous situations Caesar got himself into (he blinks and he's in trouble),
because of Caesar’s sweet tooth,
because of Caesar’s Nana,
because of Poppy,
because of the clowns,
because of Caesar's Italian family (even though it was stereotypical), and lastly
because of HOT Detective Dan.
This was fun!
Lying With Scorpions picks up right where book one ends. Adrastes is on his way to claim the throne of Dalman with Kendras at his side. Adrastes and the Scorpios are walking into a mess of trouble. The fear of political power games, the lies, conspiracies, assassination attempts, revenge, betrayal, are all very real threats. This is a journey that both Adrastes and Kendras have to take, both together and separately. Adrastes was born a leader but he now needs to figure out how to become a King that the masses will follow. As leader of the Scorpions, Kendras has to learn to trust his decisions while trying to deal with his past and how he and his men fit into Adrastes' plans. He is pulled in many directions. You can feel the war within himself and his struggle with his feelings for Adrastes.
Now on to the details. Where the first book takes off from page one, this book has a slower pace. In fact, the beginning was too slow for my liking. Adrastes' political dealings dragged a bit and Kendras' inner thoughts were a little repetitive. I wish he didn't doubt himself so much. This got annoying at times. I was hoping that he found that inner strength sooner.
Around 40% the book changes. We get the action and tension akin to the first book. There are twists and turns and unexpected reveals. The emotional impact of the second half of the book hits hard.
Book two brings many new characters, plus more of my old favorites and some romance! I was so happy when Widow came into the picture. I love all his craziness! Of course Selvan also has a very special warm place in my heart. He is always there when Kendras needs his calming presence. I wish we saw more of Kendras with his men, especially Selvan. I love him.
Voinov brings great characters to this series. He deals with race, gender, and sexual identity like no other. My favorite new character was Amrash, the Jaishani Ambassador. There's a deadly quiet, mystery, and power that surrounds Amrash. Then there's Runner, the new badass female Scorpion recruit. I can't wait for this to be explored more.
Finally, there's Graukar, the Commander of Eagle’s Test. He's wise and passionate and in many ways brings a very real threat to Adrastes. At first, I thought Graukar could have his own agenda, which I liked, but then it seemed like his character flattened out. It's funny because he brought so much to Kendras but I lost the mystery behind him. I really hope there's more to him in the next book because I really like him.
Beautiful!
Never kneel and mean it. If you have to crawl, be the scorpion under the rock — ready to strike at the hand turning the stone.
Kendras must now find his own path. I can't wait to see him become the leader he was meant to be!
This was a solid 4.5 stars pushing 5, up until the very last couple of chapters. Grrr....
Even so, I still really enjoyed this book.
I connected to the characters instantly. I think the author did a very good job in dealing with Jaime's past. I felt every bit of his turmoil without it being OTT. On the other hand, the religious aspects of the story got a bit preachy and heavy-handed. Plus, most of Levi's family were sanctimonious and I always felt like Levi was getting attacked. Their disapproval was disheartening. I understand and see how these issues would bother a lot of people. However, Levi's family didn't turn me off to the story. I had a difficult time dealing with how they treated Levi but I accepted the fact that this is how many families are. It's sad but true.
Here's my major complaint:
This will definitely go in my re-read pile, skipping the little visit at the end :)
4.5 Stars
This was a simple but beautiful love story. No big misunderstandings, no drama thrown in for the sake of drama. Ed and Laurie must come to terms with their new lives after they were both hit with life altering changes. This is about real men dealing with their pain on a daily basis.
Did I have a few issues? Sure. There was some repetitive word usage and it also seemed that dancing came exceptionally easy for Ed, too easy. Ed referred to Laurie as being one of the best coaches he ever had, I wished we saw more of Laurie teaching Ed techniques and Ed's learning of them. I also wish there were more references to Ed not being able to complete certain dance moves because of his neck. It almost seemed that his neck injury didn't matter in dancing. Yes, he had to be careful and he couldn't dance if he was in pain but there should have been more said about his limitations with dancing.
This was ok but nothing special. I enjoyed the first 30% but the middle was boring. Basically, Col told us what Chris was up to during his training, he contemplated his relationship with Chris, then when Chris came home, they had sex. That was it. It picked up a little at the end but nothing gripped me. I liked the characters well enough and there were some touching parts but all and all this is one I'll probably forget by tomorrow.
This book made me happy. It doesn't have an adrenaline pumping intensity but it has a quiet strength to it. Many of my friends described it as a sweet comfort read and I have to agree. The plot is simple and has an easy flow to it. We follow the day to day life of Jake, a guy from Kansas who’s in a small-town band and wants nothing more than to become a rock-star and make it big. I love Jake’s “voice” and the blog updates. It was fun and entertaining.
What I loved the most was that all the guys felt real and the story unfolded with such ease. There was an extremely slow build-up to the romantic aspect of Jake and Parker’s relationship but that didn't bother me at all. I was so invested in Jake and his life that I didn't care. The only issue I had was
This is a book that I will definitely re-visit and that has made my go-to-happy shelf!
How could I love something so much and hate it at the same time? Well, let me tell you. The characters and the plot get 5 stars, holes and all and there were many. But I still freakin loved it!!!! The non-stop action, the humor, and the freshness, it all kept me completely engrossed. I can ignore most of the holes, however some bugged me, like when
(show spoiler)Plus, I had many eye-rolling moments by the stupid decisions made by the Military/Government. One was when they
(show spoiler)You really have to suspend disbelief with this book.
This was ok. I liked the characters. The Douglas Fir gift idea was cute and sweet, however the ending was rushed. The problem was that the entire book was focused on Jason’s feelings for Noah. Then at the end of the book
(show spoiler)
This was disappointing and ruined the story.
Lucky Dip by Clare London: 3.0 Stars
Butterscotch Kisses by Chrissy Munder: 3.0 Stars
Wintertide by Lou Harper: 4.0 Stars
When in Amsterdam by Josephine Myles: 1.5 Stars
A Pint of Beer, a Bag of Chips, and Thou by JL Merrow: 4.0 Stars
This had all the potential to make my go-to-happy shelf. I fell in love with Fielding as soon as he walked into the room. He is all sorts of geeky adorableness!!!!
The chemistry and sexual tension were off the charts. You could feel the sparks between them, and that first kiss was deeelish!!!!!
I'm ignoring the sappy epilogue because it's a holiday short, but I cannot ignore the following:
This was only mentioned briefly and there were no descriptions but I still couldn't ignore it. It was disturbing.
*Sigh* This had everything that I adore, but sadly I couldn't get over what happened to Mick.
This was ok. The two MC's definitely had chemistry going on but it was a little too sugary for my taste. Daniel seemed way to perfect. He said all the right things, which was completely unrealistic. He was radiating romance in every direction.
Let's not forget the insta-love factor.
I enjoyed Ame and there were several times that I did smile so I do not regret reading it. This just was not my cuppa.
The characters were detached and the entire story had an almost clinical feel to it. Both characters were likable but unfortunately the lack of communication seemed unnatural and forced. As far as the BDSM aspects go, I believed Jonah's desire to delve into the lifestyle, but Evan came off as robotic and unfeeling. I didn't feel much of a connection between them. The BDSM was mild and the sex was written good but the relationship and the characters were not developed enough.