No Apologies by Sybil Bartel

Publisher: Carina Press

Date Published: June 23rd 2014

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Never apologize. 

Hard-edged rocker Graham Allen has it all. He's flush with cash from playing bass in a band by night and restoring classic cars by day. And there are plenty of women willing to share his bed for a night, complication-free.

Perfect, because if there's anything he learned from his past, it was to never get attached—to anything. So when bartender Carly Sullivan flashes her innocent smile, Graham isn't prepared for what happens next.

Never fall in love.

Two rules, that's all Graham has—never apologize and never fall in love. He knows Carly is everything he should avoid. Cheerful and sweet, she has "relationship" written all over her. But Graham can't stay away from her probing questions and concerned blue eyes.

When Graham discovers Carly is hiding a crushing secret, he's prepared to risk it all. Until in one single moment, everything changes and Graham's past threatens to collide with his future. His life is crumbling down around him, and soon no apology in the world can save him.

He should've known to walk away.

Graham has two rules; never apologize and never fall in love. So far its been working out for him. He plays bass in a band, works on muscle cars, and owns part of a club. More money than he knows what to do with. But lately he's been hanging around a bar, just waiting for his day to end on the gorgeous bartender's smile.

Carly is cheerful, all the time. Even when Graham is a total ass. How she puts up with his B.S. and still keeps up that gorgeous smile is a mystery to him. Soon Graham realizes that Carly isn't just another girl, she has scars, scars that he can't fix. And he's falling for her hard. But with his screwed up childhood and mommy issues, he's broken. And Carly has her own issues to deal with. Will Graham break his rules for Carly? Or will he continue not living, in a hope that he can just deal with life?

I was enticed by the cover of this book before the story, if I'm honest. The cover is amazing, I love it. And then of course I love womanizing broken bad boys. They make for the best love stories.

Graham. He's a complicated character. Not everything he does in this book I liked. He acted like a real ass sometimes. And not in a hot, 'oh he's being a playboy' kind of way. I understand he was afraid of what he was feeling a lot of the time, but he didn't respect boundaries and he did some screwed up things. I don't know if I would have been as forgiving as Carly. THERE WAS NO CHEATING! Thank god for that small miracle. I hate books with cheaters. Cheating is inexcusable. End of story.

Carly. She was like a ray of sunshine compared to Graham. Yes, she has a past that will make you want to punch a bunch of scumbags, but she isn't jaded. She still sees the world in the light, not the dark. I love that about her. Graham is jaded enough without Carly being jaded. They balance each other out.

I think the characters were believable and I connected to them on a basic level. I can't say that I felt the characters, exactly. I don't really have anything in common with the characters. I thought Graham was cool because of the muscle cars and playing bass, and Carly was a writer, but personality wise I didn't mesh with them. I did love Carly though. I mean, how many girls know cars, ride motorcycles, can actually hold their alcohol, fight MMA, and are still super nice and sunny? She's great.

Carly didn't grow that much in the story. I mean, she grew a bit there from the middle to end, but most of the character growth came from Graham. If you read the first few pages and then the last few, you'd find an almost completely different person. I mean, Graham wasn't a bad person, per se, at the beginning, but he was a player and his morals on sleeping with lots of women and getting drunk were pretty low. At the end he understood why some people wanted monogamy.

The romance in the story was a little slow going. There was an attraction from the first few pages, but it didn't turn into more until later. It felt like a real romance because of that. They had to build it up. It wasn't insta-love or anything, which was nice.

I'm not really sure whether the romance was the main focus or a subplot. I mean, it was definitely there, but there was a whole lot of other things going on too. I think it would probably be somewhere between the two. It wasn't really the main focus, because that wasn't the first thing that happened. They became friends before lovers. But it wasn't really secondary to anything in the story.

The story was detailed, you weren't left with any questions. That's always nice. I hate it when there are holes in the plot or the story. It felt real, I imagine there are similar couples out there everywhere who have issues akin to the ones in the book. The writing was done well, it was like watching a movie in your head rather than reading the script.

Unlike with some books, I think the middle was the best part of the story. There was so much anticipation and waiting to see what Graham did, how he would handle all of the hurdles thrown at him. And whenever he screwed up you could just roll your eyes and mutter 'men' under your breath. Thats what I did, anywho.

This story was in 1st person, told from Graham's point of view. I thought it was interesting, because we got complete access to his thoughts. And a lot of the time his thoughts didn't match his words. It was an interesting perspective.

I would recommend this book to all of the girls who love the broken bad boys. In real life, they suck. In books, though? They rock your socks off. And other clothing items :)

 

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The Devil's Flower by Lisa Collicutt

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date Published: November 19th 2013

Genre: New Adult Supernatural Romance

Series: The Eternal Beings #1
Source: Publisher

Rating: Quirky 3 out of 5 stars

Killing isn’t exactly on Rosalie Lockwood’s list of things to do when she runs away from home. But despite her search for peace; guns and motorcycles become her latest fashion accessories as Divine interference leads her to Steele, co-leader of the Fallen Paladins motorcycle club.

Leathered and tattooed, Steele’s presence scares off most people he comes in contact with — but not Rosalie. She’s immediately drawn into the dangers of his biker world—and into his heart.

But Steele guards a secret that if Rosalie knew, could shatter their new love — along with destroy the human race. And the truth comes at a price.

Will Rosalie risks her soul to prove her loyalty to Steele?

The Dark and Light Realms collide as Rosalie chooses between life, death, and the ever-after to become that which she is fated to destroy.

This book did not grab my attention. I mean, when I saw the synopsis it did, but when I tried to actually read it I got bored and kept switching to other books. I think that was a me problem rather than a book problem, for some of it.

The book started off good. And it was kind of interesting. I just didn't get into it, you know? I kept falling out of place with the book. I do seem to be boring in the paranormal NA genre. It's getting tedious.

I do think that the writing started off well and it did seem to be interesting, it just didn't stay interesting. Maybe that was all me, though. It's hard to tell with books like these, the ones that have been clichéd a lot and you don't know if its the author or the reader.

Maybe if this book had been released a few years earlier before this genre became full I would have been more enthusiastic about this. I feel that it's just worn on me.

Hope someone else has better luck with it.

  

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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Publisher: Dutton Books
Date Published: January 10th 2014
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Source: Library
Rating: Quirky 3 out of 5 stars

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

I am unsure of my feeling for this book. It's not even a matter of whether it was good or bad, because it was a good book. But, *sigh* it's a little conflicting. Hard to organize my thoughts on this.
On one hand, it was not extraordinary. The style of writing was very normal young adult. So I am a little puzzled as to why everyone has made a fuss over it being the revolutionary book of YA. As far as I'm concerned, it is like so many others.

But then comes the argument that young adult is not actually a genre, so there's no possible way to revolutionize it. It's an age group. Like a number. It isn't defined as anything other than a group of books meant for 13-18 year-olds. Yet people have this idea that it's something better.

Anyway, back to my original train of thought. It was not an unextradordinary book, either. I wish that were a word. Unextradordinary. I didn't stop after fifty pages and say I'd had enough.

It was a middle-ground book. I probably never would have read it if not for the movie coming out and I have a rule about reading the books before watching the movie, otherwise the books are forever ruined for me. Like Jurassic Park and Harry Potter. I struggled through those, and hated every minute of it.

It was better than okay. But it wasn't... breathtaking. It wasn't heart-wrenching. I mean there was a point in the book that my eyes misted, but I didn't sob hysterically and smash my fists against the walls of my bedroom (that has happened before, in books like Mockingjay and Good Night Mister Tom). It was a fairly temperate book for me.

The only thing that makes this book stand out from others was the characters, especially Hazel and Gus. They were profound. In simple things, like their conversations and the way they spoke. The way Hazel thought. It meant very little in the grand scheme of things, but... I guess its the little things that make a story worth reading.

I can't say I know all that much about cancer. That is one thing I gained from this book. Not too much knowledge about cancer itself, but the impact cancer has on people, both the person who has the disease and the people around them.

It has also changed a perception of mine. I always thought a hard life was a life spent working and forever remaining poor, like the lower class citizens or the people begging in foreign countries on the streets, their mangles bodies evoking pity and sadness. The kind of poverty we don't often find in the States. But now I think there's something equally as bad; losing your child to cancer.

I cannot even begin to fathom what all of those parents out there go through. I think I may even suppress the idea of it. The idea of losing a child to their own bodily mutation is so horrifying I try not to think about it.

Because who can you blame? It's not like a child that has been kidnapped or murdered or sexually assaulted, though those are all equally horrific. I think the worst thing about cancer is that you have no real enemy. There is no villain to fight. Because really, you're only fighting your own body. And just how are you going to win? It must seem impossible.

I am still unsure of whether or not I like this book. It makes me think. I suppose that's a good thing, but I don't know what to think about the book. It's complex, like a puzzle, but I think it may just be really simple and I'm just looking at it all wrong.

 

Note that even though I list romance as being in the book, the romance is subtle and not the main focus of the book.

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Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Publisher: Random House Children's
Date Published: March 11th 2014
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Publisher:

I never finished this book. It seemed so... pre-teen-like. That doesn't make that much sense, but I guess I would compare it to Meg Cabot's style of writing. It was well-written, it was just a little too childish for my tastes so I stopped reading it.

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Synopsis:

We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.

So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.

Kacii

Rocked by Taryn Elliott

Rocked by Taryn Elliott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Publisher: Rainbow Rage Publishing
Date Published: April 9th 2014
Genre: New Adult Rockstar Romance
Source: Publisher

Rocked is a about a sweet romance and a rock star band, and how they make it big.

Deacon is one of those really big guys that look as ferocious as a grizzly bear but then you realize once you meet them that they're as cuddly as a teddy bear. He is super sweet, and wasn't planning on falling in love, but he doesn't try to run away once he knows what he has.

Harper is determined. She just got out of college and is working for the food company that goes on tour with bands. It's a leg into the business, though she already knew the touring business due to her roadie parents. Now all she wants is to have her own food touring group and she is determined to get it. Falling in love is not in the plan, especially with a rising rock star. Harper has been screwed over by one too many of those.

Together Deacon and Harper find love, even though its not a good time for either of them. Deacon is looking to get signed with his band, and Harper is planning on touring all over the country with the food company until she can get her own company. Their love is strong, but will it survive?

I loved Deacon. I can say that right up. He was such a sweet guy. Harper, on the other hand, was too focused on the future and not on the life she was currently living. Yes, in the end it all works out, but still. She was thinking so far ahead of herself she almost lost what was right in front of her.

The writing was well done and the story flowed nicely. I think I just didn't really like Harper all that much.

Definitely worth reading, if only to meet Deacon. But really, it was just so sweet.

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Synopsis:

Love definitely wasn't on the setlist.Opening for their idols on their first tour, Oblivion is living the dream. Mostly. Frustrated at being shoved out of his mediator role by their new manager, Deacon McCoy loses himself in brutal workouts. He only comes up for air long enough to refuel—and to tease the deliciously cute chef who makes him crave a lot more than what she's offering on her serving plate.

As the child of roadie parents, Harper Pruitt has heard every pickup line twice. To her, musicians are one step above the scraps on her cutting board. All she wants is to get enough experience to run her own catering company, but Deacon and his bottomless stomach are too tempting to resist. He's far from the typical rock star and before long, she finds herself experimenting with him, inside and out of the kitchen.

Apron - and panties - optional.

When Harper sees that Deacon’s dream band with his best friends may be turning into a nightmare, she can't walk away. Deacon's so much more than just a peacemaker and the man behind the bass. But she has her own dreams to chase...even if she's starting to think what she's building with him might be the biggest one of all.

Kacii

Wicked Cravings by Suzanne Wright

Wicked Cravings by Suzanne Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher: Montlake Romance
Date Published: April 16th 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance

I was scared to read this book after how amazing the last one was. But it turned out alright. I didn't hate the author and I loved this book, obvious by the five star rating.

Jaime is damaged goods. Her wolf is straddling the line between turning rogue and barely holding onto her sanity. She works at an animal sanctuary for dogs because she knows how it feels to be beyond traumatized. Between keeping her hold on her wolf and just trying to get by, she shouldn't have time for a crush, but she hasn't let it go since she was a little kid. Tired by Dante's continued act of disinterest she looks other ways.

Dante is a workaholic. Being Beta means that he doesn't have time for fun... until Jaime. He's so scared of finding his mate and expecting her to give the ultimatum; her or his job, that he doesn't realize what he has until its almost too late.

This book was great. I think I liked the first one better, but that's because of Taryn. She is the best character I've read about in a long time. Jaime is a close second, I'll give her that. And Dante is just as cool as Trey. So there was no need for me to worry. I loved this book.

Cannot wait to read the next one!

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Synopsis:

Despite having been besotted with Dante Garcea since she was a child, wolf shifter Jaime Farrow figures that it’s time to move past the crush. If he wanted her, he wouldn’t have ignored her flirtatious behavior, right? Hiding her intense attraction to him isn’t easy – especially now that they're part of the same pack again – but with bigger issues to worry about and with the submissive wolf act to maintain, Jaime is resolute on moving forward. Now if only the workaholic control-freak would let her…

As the pack Beta, Dante doesn't have the space or time in his life for a relationship. As such, he ignores his intense hunger for the willful – and sometimes crazy – Jaime. Yet when her flirtations abruptly end, Dante finds that he doesn’t like losing her attention. He finds something else too – Jaime's hiding something. Determined to uncover her secret, he sets out to break through her defenses, even though being around her intensifies his cravings for her. What he finds is a problem that Jaime is convinced not even a powerful Beta can solve.

Kacii

Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright

Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Publisher: Suzanne Wright
Date Published: March 4th 2012
Genre: Paranormal Romance

This has to be the best effing book I've read in for-freaking-ever.

Taryn is awesome. It's a fact. You've got no choice but to except it. She is brash and free and has that whole dominant female thing going for her. She has a quick mouth and it's hilarious. Her life is kind of screwish at the beginning because her dad's an asshole who's trying to get her to mate an even bigger asshole. She has a ton of issues. She's also latent, meaning she can't shift into wolf form. If I was into chicks I'd so go for her. Shame she'd be taken and is fictional. But she is wicked cool.

Trey has issues of his own. Like the fact his father banished him for winning a challenge against him. He had to go with half of the pack (the ones who were on his side of the debate) at the age of fourteen and start his own pack as alpha. Talk about a hard childhood. And now his fathers dead his uncle is alpha and wants to merge the packs back together. With him as alpha of course.

Together they help each other out. Taryn get's a temporary mate away from the asshole her father wanted her to mate and Trey gets an alliance with her father with plenty of wolves against Trey's uncle. A great deal. But maybe not so temporary. Once the sparks have flown Taryn and Trey may just realise there's more than sexual attraction between each other.

What did I think of the book? It was awesome! By far one of the best books I've read in ages. It had just the right level of spunk. Taryn was by far my favourite character. Man, I envy her. And just how silly is that? Envying a fictional character? Just shows how cool she is. She has her quirks but she doesn't care what people say or do; she's her own person, so free and full of a humorous light that radiates from the pages of the book (er, the screen of my Kindle).

And Trey. Super hot. Crazy sexy. I absolutely loved him. Sex between Trey and Taryn was so hot! The crazy shit they did together was so sexy and awesome. And I really liked that Taryn gave in some but not always. It made it interesting.

Oh and here are some of my favourite quotes from Taryn:

"I'd rather lie under an elephant suffering from diarrhea with my mouth open wide."
"Love is giving someone the power to completely destroy you, and hoping that they won't."
"Crazy bitch? Oh no, honey I'm an angel, I swear. The horns are only there to hold up the halo."
"I'm not tire. I'm just checking my eyelids for holes. It could take awhile."

So yes, this was an awesome book (I need a new word. I'm using awesome too much. Blah). And I definitely recommend reading it.

I'm not sure if I want to read the next book though. I'm a little afraid I won't like it, y'know? This book was just so great I don't think any of the others could compare. And the others are different characters. So I may not like them at all. Trey and Taryn have a super cool relationship and are great to read about. I don't want to be disappointed with other characters. And at the same time, I don't want them to be exactly the same. I hate it when authors make all of their characters exactly the same. So I'm a little nervous about continuing the series, but I may just go on because of my curiosity. I think Dante is next. I guess the only way to find out whether or not I'll like the others is if I read them.

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Synopsis:

If your inner wolf and your body react rather enthusiastically to a psychotic Alpha male who’s own wolf has a tendency to turn feral, it can’t be a good thing, can it? Entering into a bargain with him wouldn’t be good either. Unfortunately, Taryn Warner, a latent wolf shifter, doesn’t have many options open to her right now. Okay, she has no options. Basically it comes down to whether she’ll do what it takes to escape the arranged mating with the sick SOB that her father set up. As the answer in this case is yes, it looks as though she’ll have to agree to Trey Coleman’s deal…she’ll have to mate with him instead. 

Having always disliked shifter politics, Trey Coleman hadn’t bothered trying to form alliances with other packs. Now that his uncle – a wolf with many alliances – means to take Trey’s territory and his pack, he has no option but to form some alliances of his own very quickly or he’ll be easily outnumbered in the upcoming battle. He figures that the easiest way to do that would be to mate with a female who’s Alpha is powerful and influential. There’s only one problem with that – he would then be stuck with her, and the last thing Trey wants is a mate. When he hears of Taryn’s situation, he offers her a deal – if she falsely claims he’s her true mate and allows him to claim her, he’ll save her from her arranged mating and then let her leave after the battle with his uncle is over. 

Sounds like a pretty straightforward deal...but soon Taryn and Trey realize they got more than they bargained for. Their mating instincts to protect and possess are weighing on them, they crave each other’s touch and company, and their inner wolves don’t like it whenever they’re apart. Add in that they’ll have to deal with this for an entire three months until the day of the battle finally arrives, and they’ve got themselves a recipe for disaster – or maybe for something quite the opposite. 

Warning: This novel contains an extremely sarcastic Alpha female, a broody possessive Alpha male, bitter in-laws, voyeuristic enforcers, a whole lot of dirty talk, and steamy bedroom battles for dominance. 


Kacii