on Deal Breakers by Laura Lee.

Hey guys,

I am baaaack. It’s after exams and I am soooo looking forward to getting back to reading, blogging and procrastinating. YES! Also I have been thinking about revisiting the amateur design of this blog. I should do something about it, right? Anyway, I’m bringing you my just-finished-afternoon-read, Deal Breakers by Laura Lee.

P.S. ARC provided by NetGalley.

Synopsis: 

How were they supposed to know that one night would change everything?

Devyn has life all mapped out. She just needs to accomplish one more thing before graduating college and becoming a full-fledged adult—lose her virginity. And who better to assist her than her best friend, Riley?

Riley is the self-proclaimed king of fling. His college years have been filled with meaningless hookups until the one night that ruined him for all other women. The one night he spends with his best friend, Devyn. Right before he screws it all up.

Balls to the wall, baby!

Now five years later, Riley is determined to atone for his mistakes and prove that he can be the man that Devyn deserves. Little does he know that Devyn’s been keeping a secret from him all these years. A big secret. Now he has to figure out how to win back the only girl he’s ever loved while navigating the pitfalls of her unexpected revelation.

Deal Breakers is filled with lots of laughs, a sexy romance, and an overflowing swear jar.

Review:

It could have been my mood or my state of mind… I just could not fully enjoy this. This book is a pure fluff and romance, kind of to predictable for my taste. I would recommend Deal Breakers to readers that enjoy easy light-hearted romance, but don’t expect too much.

My main problems with books were little slut.-shaming in the beginning and the typical all-the-girls-apart-for-you-are-dumb-and-shallow. Yes, it’s great that Riley appreciates his girl, but come on, don’t put down the whole female population! This trend is not only in Deal Breakers though, a lot of books in new adult genre does that.

Riley and Devyn are very shallowly described, I never got a sense of who they are apart from a pant dropping tall guy and a hot blonde that is into sports. Also can we talk about how easily someone dropped the bomb that her parents are dead? It just felt like the writer was trying to put a layer to Devyn, but it came short because it didn’t tell me anything about the character.

The actual storyline was ok, I appreciated that it wasn’t dragged out (though there were times where it was too rushed). I little bit too predictable as I said before, but when you are not looking for anything mind-blowing, this is a nice read.

If this is going to be a series, I would not mind the author exploring Riley’s friends Brian (? now I am not sure if that was his name) and Devyn’s brother Drew. They seemed liked fun characters that could be explore more. If anyone has read Where I Belong by J. Daniels, this book has the same vibe to it.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Yours,

know-it-all

on Kaleidoscope Heart by Claire Contreras.

Hi.

I’m bringing you Kaleidoscope Heart! For a change, I won’t talk about myself too much – exams, plus my life is highly boring.

Synopsis:

 

He was my older brother’s best friend.
He was never supposed to be mine.
I thought we would get it out of our system and move on.

One of us did.
One of us left.

Now he’s back, looking at me like he wants to devour me. And all those feelings I’d turned into anger are brewing into something else, something that terrifies me.
He broke my heart last time.
This time he’ll obliterate it.

Review:

Kaleidoscope Heart was on my radar for a few months now, it had great reviews, beautiful cover and a love story between a girl and her brother’s best friend. Looked like a perfect book to help me unwind. It was a big disappointment and I was actually surprised that I finished it.

The story starts with the death of Estelle’s fiancé (I don’t consider this a spoiler, it’s literally on the first page) and I couldn’t help but think it was there to get the two main characters in the same room/house etc. You would think this death would help the characters to grow, but NOPE. While we are reading about Estelle struggling with the death of her fiancé, she’s is still not over her old romance with Oliver, her brother’s best friend. Now I’m not saying that she can’t move on etc., but the whole time I read the book, it seemed like she always knew that Oliver was the one. Which just made her previous engagement all kind of odd. But what do I know, I’ve never experience anything like Estelle did.

Estelle and Oliver as characters were not enough compelling for me. Her thoughts included wearing “fashionable tore jeans” which I can’t imagine saying that in my head. “I wore fashionably tore jeans.” I am knit-picking, but something just annoys me so much about that sentence! I think this story was just not my cup of tea, I couldn’t find myself being attracted to Oliver’s long hair. 1. I don’t like long hair and (man) buns. 2. Apparently that was his most attractive and interesting trait, so no, thank you. On the bright sight, there were glimpses of another book for Mia and Jensen (Estelle’s and Oliver’s friends) and their relationship could be much more fun. Other than that, this book did not offer any complex character or a single character development.

If you did not know this already, I really disliked Kaleidoscope Heart. Not to be too negative though, I did enjoy Oliver and Estelle when they were younger, those flashbacks had some cute moments and I would much rather read a book about their past then their present. Overall, I decided to give this book 2 stars, that one extra butted in because of the interesting name, beautiful cover and occasional cuteness.

Rating: 2 out of 5 

Yours,

know-it-all

 

 

on Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik.

Hello there.

Today I bring you a retelling of Pride an Prejudice. I should have known that my favourite romances will be love/hate relationships, since this is my absolute favourite classic. I am a sucker for Mr Darcy and witty Elizabeth. Anyway, Epic Fail is set in high school in the USA (unexpected, right?) and it was quite a pleasant read.

Synopsis:

Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

Review:

Epic Fail is the light-hearted retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Pick up this book if you want to relax, giggle and tiny little bit swoon. I’ve picked it up fully prepared that this is not going to be “the best book I have ever read” and enjoyed it.

It is way shorter and simpler than the original story and in some parts didn’t really seem realistic because it did copy Pride and Prejudice’s main plot. The characters were a bit of a cartoon of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, but it didn’t bother me too much – except for the occasional nosiness and a bit of ignorance from Elise. Derek, the incarnation of Mr Darcy, wasn’t described more than brooding, handsome and rich, but at the end I kind of really liked the guy. Other characters seem a bit ridiculous e.g. incarnation of Lydia or of Mr Bennett (I don’t even remember their names in this book anymore). These flaws however did not distract me too much and I could happily carry on reading about sixteen/seventeen-year-olds that seem to have much more exciting life than I do at twenty.

I’m not gonna get too deep into the plot, but I kind of appreciated the not-so-much-drama approach and especially loved the next level cuteness at the end. I did think it ended kind of abruptly, just because the original didn’t say too much about the future, this book could have deal with the issues  of choosing colleges etc., considering it was mentioned in passing. It was a nice break from the emotional distress that Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock gave me few weeks ago!

Rating: 3 out of 5

Yours only,

know-it-all

 

on Crimson Cove by Eden Butler.

Title: Crimson Cove Author: Eden Butler Genre: Paranormal Romance Release Date: December 31, 2015 Tour Hosted by: As the Pages Turn

Synopsis

Ten years ago Janiver stole a kiss from the meanest boy in school. He never forgot. Senior year. One minute before the tardy bell rang, Bane Illes would slip through the door. He never smiled. He never spoke. Each day, that dark, dangerous boy gave Janiver Benoit a glance. And when she could not take another quiet stare, or the warmth that look sent over her skin, she took from Bane something he’d never give freely—one lingering, soul knocking kiss. Ten years later, her family needs her, and Janiver will have to face the one person she promised herself she’d never see again. The dangerous wizard that might make leaving Crimson Cove the last thing she wants to do.

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Crimson Cove – Excerpt

Your secrets are your own, he finally said, a little of his confidence dimmed, but his resolve stronger than ever.

Good, I thought. He’ll need it.

They are.

One step forward and Bane stared down at me. Then why do I get the feeling that what’s behind that wall isn’t just for you?

Beyond us, I sensed the weight of the lines trying to breech across the safeguard Bane had placed inside me. He sensed it too, even nodded toward it when I looked at him, expecting confirmation. But he wanted an answer, didn’t seem to care that his spell had worked on me.

Don’t go poking, Bane. Not all secrets need telling.Bane was only a foot away from me, his mind likely lingering around the confusion of that day, ten years ago, and the heat he thought he’d imagined. But it had been real. Hell, it was still so damn real and even with him tempering the lines from me, Bane seemed to know it too.

A warning, he started looking as though he wasn’t sure if he wanted me or wanted to be angry with me. I may not be able to have complete awareness of your thoughts, but I cantell what direction they’re heading toward.

Meaning?

Meaning if I piss you off, I’m gonna know. I shook my head, not caring if Bane knew how often he pissed me off. Meaning that if I do something you like, he moved his gaze down my body, then back up, Well, I’ll know just how much you like what I do.

And if someone else does something I like? He grunted, but remained silent. I mean, if say, one of those primal, alpha shifters do something I really, really like…͟

I’ll damn well know. The clip of his voice was a warning I took to heart.

I see.

There was little time left now for us to squabble or argue over what I kept from him so when I turned away, needing the distance, and he grabbed my arm, stopping me, and the shock was quick and, despite knowing him as I did, unexpected. That daydream…͟ He pressed his lips together. Felt damn real.

My eyes kept steady on my wrist in his grip, as though on their own, they’d decided looking at Bane wouldn’t be smart. Why are you touching me again? Finally able to control myself, I looked up. The spell is over.

Is it?

There was something new, something strange to how Bane pulled me in. The lines weren’t calling me, insisting that I take him, claim him once again. They were, in fact, nothing more than a quiet whisper I could barely make out, begging now instead of insisting. The sensation had no bite, not as it did before Bane’s spell, but there was still a heat between us, that constant energy that no block could keep from us. We were drawn to each other even without the lines’ interference.

Bane…͟ He inched closer and I held my breath as that pull—our pull—between us drew us closer. What am I thinking now?

He growled, rushing toward my mouth, warming it with just a brush of his lips. The same damn thing I am. He gripped my face between his fingers and kissed me hard, scorching against my mouth like he wanted to claim it. God, how I wish he would, and just that thought made that low, deep groan in Bane’s throat transform into a growl of pleasure.

The air around us dropped, the temperatures cooling the wind, bringing brittle leaves and small twigs from the trees around us. Nothing slipped into my thoughts as we came closer, as I forgot that I wasn’t supposed to touch Bane, that he belonged to someone else, that he was meant for something else in which I played no part. But just for that moment, I wanted to take him. I wanted his touch and taste all over me.

At the thought, Bane broke away, his hot, hurried breath fanning down my nose as he rested his forehead against mine. This spell was an insanely bad idea.

Why? Fingers fisted in his collar, he moved when I pulled him toward me, too eager, too anxious to keep from touching him.

God, Jani, because now I know you’ve been thinking the same thing I have since the second I walked into your apartment.

But I knew, I knew that it had all started for us far longer than a few days before.

Bane…͟ Tell him no, I thought. Remind him who he is, who you are. But even thinking it was enough to settle him.

I don’t think I much care, he stopped me, answering my unspoken question about what would be or what should be. God help me. I don’t fucking care about any of it.

Like a flame igniting, like the rush of decision that is never given much thought, a decision that is more instinct than logic, we moved away from ourselves, from the people we were always supposed to be. There was no duty, no honor, no distinctions to be maintained, no expectations that need to be protected. We’d come this close before, the near making of something new, something forbidden, but this time I gave no thought to what would happen if I let Bane forget that I was not for him.

Just one flashing moment where we pulled against each other, where his touch felt like liquid fire on my skin, where my mouth against his throat made that huge man shudder at the feel of it.

I don’t care either.

It was all it took. Providence, destiny, the twist of some life altering event set in motion by the lines, by the gods, by whatever it was that bent our wills, directed our paths down the roads we took. My declaration, my small lie that I truly didn’t care, was enough to pick apart the moment that might keep us from it. It was enough to ricochet into something that could never be unmade.

That’s when the screaming started.

In the quiet din of darkness, with Bane holding me, devouring my mouth, insisting my body bend this way and that, a scream rent through the moment and torn it to pieces, followed by another, and another.

Review

I am usually afraid of paranormal romances, but this one was a great surprise. When I first opened the book, I prayed that it is not going to be similar to Twilight. It was much much better!

Bane is arrogant, no surprise there, with his great looks, power and money.  Janiver (I love this name) is tough, a bit broken, yet strong. I admire my strong female characters! The story of Jani and Bane intrigued me right from the beginning, their love story was a mystery that I needed to solve. And it was worth it, this was a great all-nighter.

What about the magic? The magic was definitely thought through, with little details about tattoo and spells, but it did occasionally get confusing. I thought this world was fun and could be explored more in another book maybe? 😉

Overall, I enjoyed this book full of romance, mystery and magic. I was wrecking my mind the whole time to solve the main mysteries, but even I couldn’t guess it – I pride myself with good detective skills, LOL. Definitely grab this book and if you haven’t started reading in 2016, this could be a great way to start!

Rating: 4 out of 5

About Eden Butler

Eden Butler is an editor and writer of New Adult Romance and SciFi and Fantasy novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum. Her debut novel, a New Adult, Contemporary (no cliffie) Romance, Chasing Serenity launched in October 2013 and quickly became an Amazon bestseller. When she’s not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden edits, reads and spends way too much time watching rugby, Doctor Who and New Orleans Saints football.
She is currently imprisoned under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana. Please send help.

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Enter the Giveaway

The following goodies are up for grabs!

• (3) Signed paperback copy of Crimson Cove (US Only)
• (5) eBook copy of Crimson Cove (International)
• (1) $50 gift cards for either Amazon or B&N, winner’s choice (International)

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on The Pact by Karina Halle.

Hello again.

Wow, I’m posting again. Well that’s because I finished a book and now I feel motivated to share my opinions with you. By the way, how’s 2016 treating you? Me? I am swamped with exams and assignments, but you know – avoid doing anything by picking up a romance novel! Before I tell you anything else about this book, can you just admire with me its cover??

Synposis:

It all started with a pinky swear…

Linden McGregor is tall, rugged, and gunslinger handsome; a helicopter pilot with a Scottish brogue and charm to spare. He’s also one of Stephanie Robson’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as she’s known him.

But some relationships can’t be boxed, can’t be classified, can’t be tamed.

Back in their mid-twenties and tired of the competitive hit-or-miss dating scene of San Francisco, Steph and Linden made a pact to marry each other if neither one of them are in a serious relationship by the time they hit thirty.

It sounds like fun and games but as the years to thirty tick past and lovers come and go out of their lives, the pact becomes larger than life.
Sex is inevitable. Friendships are tested. Hearts are on the line.

The pact is about to change everything.

Review:

So what did I think? Let’s start off by saying I loved Karina Halle’s The Artist Trilogy and I was excited for this book. And let’s not forget my obsession with this book cover. But this book was mediocre, at parts it was great, but the second half of the book was majorly boring. Because this is a romance novel with sex, I wasn’t surprised by it. But when it is there for like 30% of the book with the plot moving no where, I was bored. For those who read The Artist Trilogy probably know how unusual that was.

Back to the beginning though. Linden and Steph are suppose to be best friends that made a pact to marry each other if they are single at 30. The first thing I noticed straight away though, this was not a platonic relationship. They have lusted over each other for years already, which means that their get together was inevitable and this wasn’t really “best friends to lovers” story.

As main characters I liked them both and I did enjoy their pent up frustrations for the first half of the book. They were fairly funny and and not too typical for a romance novel, but still some clichés were found (obviously they have issues with their families etc.). Supporting characters did not really shine through, which kind of makes me questions other books in this series, but I might still read them because of the covers. I’m so shallow!

The actual storyline was obviously predictable, but I didn’t expect much to begin with. Karina Halle did make the reading quite compelling, so I don’t complain much. There could have been less clichés and misunderstanding for my taste. I don’t understand why these books seem to have a formula: guy and girl like each other, guy and girl are dancing around each other, guy and girl get together, guy and girl are extremely happy, guy and girl break up for some stupid reason, guy and girl end up together. Maybe I should just read some m/m, f/f romances, I’ve been told that straight people romances are boring, LOL.

You should read this book if you want to shut down, but to be fair, there are better fluffy romances out there.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Yours truly

on Homewrecker Incorporated by S. Simone Chavous.

Hey guys,

I haven’t been reviewing much beside the blog tours, but I’m trying! It’s been a year since I’ve started reviewing and honestly, even though I am not as good and dedicated as other reviewers, the blog and the world of books gave me a lot in 2015! So here I give you Homewrecker Incorporated that is still available on NetGalley.

Synopsis:

Without love, marriage is just business. At least that’s what Claudia Mason tells the women who seek her firm’s unique services. With wealthy husbands who see their wedding rings as meaningless pieces of jewelry, they trust Claudia to do whatever is necessary to gather the hard evidence needed to shatter an ironclad prenup.

She is the best in the business and has yet to meet a mark she couldn’t get the goods on— solidifying her belief that no man can be trusted. After landing a client who is her ticket to retirement, she is on top of the world. Until a chance encounter with Greyston Michaels turns her carefully controlled world upside down.

Greyston shows Claudia a part of herself she thinks she’s lost, making her question everything she believes about men—and love. But in Claudia’s world, following her heart is bad for business. And business is everything.

Review:

The premise looked quite interesting, however I felt disappointment right from the beginning. The main character – Claudia is “innocent” and “too nice”. I see boring and boring. I like a strong female characters and while Claudia was not necessarily weak, she was very 2-dimensional and so were her 3 girl friends. All these women were defined straight away and there was no room for character development what so ever (apart from Bridget who got a boyfriend, what a progress).

The men of this book? Obviously, the love interest is insanely hot and rich. Which usually does not put me off, but I could just not see WHY would people be so mesmerised by Claudia. Yes, she was apparently out-of-this-world beautiful, but I didn’t see anything beyond that. She was supposed to be smart, yet it was so painfully obvious what is going on this book!
Which brings me to another problem – plot.

The STUPID misunderstanding that were created to prolong the book, that was annoying. Most of the storyline was predictable.
This was not a horrible read, I’m not gonna deny that some sex scenes got me hot and bothered, but a book needs to give me more! Give me great characters or a great storyline. Preferably both.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Yours,

know-it-all