Review: Vicious (L.J. Shen)

Vicious
Series: Sinner of Saint, #1
Author: L.J. Shen
Publication Date: December 27, 2016
Publisher: L.J. Shen
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Emilia

They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true.
The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares.
He is a brilliant lawyer.
A skilled criminal.
A beautiful liar.
A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover.
Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him.

Vicious

She is a starving artist.
Pretty and evasive like cherry blossom.
Ten years ago, she barged into my life unannounced and turned everything upside down.
She paid the price.
Emilia LeBlanc is completely off-limits, my best friend’s ex-girlfriend. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate.
That should deter me from chasing her, but it doesn’t.
So she hates me. Big fucking deal.
She better get used to me.


This book totally did it for me. I’m not really sure how or why, but it did. I think it may have had to do a little bit with having read the second book in this series, Ruckus, first. I got a little bit of a preview of Emilia and Vicious’ relationship in that book. It made me really curious to how they ended up together. I loved discovering how it all happened.

Without any prior knowledge of Emilia and Vicious’ tumultuous past, I’m not sure I would have fell in love with Vicious like I did. Vicious is a tough character to love. He’s a complete alpha male with control issues. He wants everything done his way and in his time. There’s so much hate living inside him, and it’s constantly spewing out. It’s directed at everyone and everything. I hated him most of the time. Well, all of the time except for when it came to Emilia. I didn’t always like what he did to her, but his heart was its purest when he was giving into his feelings for her. It gave me hope for Vicious. And when I learned his story, I couldn’t help fall all the way in love with the jerk.

Emilia may have been artsy fartsy and put her family’s needs first, but that didn’t make her a wilting flower. She was a tenacious and strong woman. Emilia had no problem standing up to Vicious and challenging him. I loved how she brought out his soft side. Their love-hate relationship created a potent chemistry. It didn’t matter whether they were loving or fighting, there were always sparks.

One thing I really enjoyed in Vicious was getting to see more of the past I got a glimpse of in Ruckus. Learning about what went down in high school from Emilia and Vicious’ point of view was very different from learning it from Rosie and Dean’s. I got to see more sides of the story and how it wove together. I loved that. I made me even more curious to read Jaime and Melody’s story in Defy.

If you’re a fan of dark and gritty new adult romances, I highly recommend Vicious and the Sinners of Saint series. It’s a series I’ve fallen in love with.

2017 New Adult Reading Challenge Update #6

I’m back again with another monthly 2017 New Adult Reading Challenge update! For those of you who aren’t familiar with the challenge, it’s hosted by Cátia @ The Girl Who Read Too Much. I’ve been steadily inching toward my goal of 100 New Adult novels this year. I’m at 82 books! I’m over ¾ way toward my goal.

Cheater – Rachel Van Dyken
The Rule Maker – Jennifer Blackwood
No Bad Days – J. Sterling
Bossman – Vi Keeland
Lila – Elizabeth Reyes
The Feeling of Forever – Jamie Howard
Troublemaker – Mignon Mykel
Cross Check – Kelly Jamieson
Sweet Home – Tillie Cole
Sweet Fall – Tillie Cole
Sweet Hope – Tillie Cole
Sweet Soul – Tillie Cole
The Baller – Vi Keeland
The Cad and the Co-Ed – L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid
All the Ways You Saved Me – Jamie Howard
Off Campus – Amy Jo Cousins
Undecided – Julianna Keyes
Undeclared – Julianna Keyes
A Boy Like You – Ginger Scott
Goodbye Paradise – Sarina Bowen
Fake Fiancée – Ilsa Madden-Mills
Breakaway – Mignon Mykel
Undeclared – Jen Frederick
Undressed – Jen Frederick
Unspoken – Jen Frederick
Until We Break – Jamie Howard
Girl in the Mirror – Elizabeth Reyes
Under the Bleachers – K.K. Allen
Altercation – Mignon Mykel
Until It’s Right – Jamie Howard
Johnny and Jamaal- K.M. Breakey
Unraveled – Jen Frederick
Unrequited – Jen Frederick
Holding – Mignon Mykel
Unwritten – Jen Frederick
Love Story – Lauren Layne
The Storm – R.J. Prescott
Maybe Never – Sadie Allen
Walk of Shame – Lauren Layne
Confess – Colleen Hoover
Bad Mommy – Tarryn Fisher
The Gravirty of Us – Brittainy C. Cherry
Confessions of a Former Puck Bunny – Cindi Madsen
Shacking Up – Helena Hunting
180 Seconds – Jessica Park
The Playboy Bachelor – Rachel VanDyken
The Butterfly Project – Emma Scott
Royally Matched – Emma Chase
When It’s Real – Erin Watt
Last Semester -Corine Mekaouche
The Queen and the Cure – Amy Harmon
Broken and Screwed – Tijan
Broken and Screwed 2 – Tijan
A Girl Like Me – Ginger Scott
Kian – Tijan
My Best Friend’s Ex – Meghan Quinn
The Silent Waters – Brittainy C. Cherry
Into Your Arms – Chelsea M. Cameron
Fallen Crest High – Tijan
Lessons in Losing It – Jessica Peterson
Fallen Crest Family – Tijan
Fallen Crest Public – Tijan
Fallen Fourth Down – Tijan
Fallen Crest University – Tijan
My Roommate’s Girl – Julianna Keyes
Fallen Crest Christmas – Tijan
Logan Kade -Tijan
Mason – Tijan
Stay – Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
Carter Reed – Tijan
Bad Penny – Staci Hart
Sweet Summer Love – Sierra Hill
Trust – Kylie Scott
After – Anna Todd
Wrecked – Jeanine Colette
Vicious – LJ Shen
Ruckus – LJ Shen
Defy -LJ Shen
Shut Out – Kelly Jamieson
Hello Forever – Sarina Bowen
Damaged Like Us – Krista & Becca Ritchie

I’ve also made great progress on the 2017 New Adult Reading Challenge Bingo. I just need 3 more books to finish the card. I’ve listed them below and linked them to their Goodreads pages in case anyone is interested in finding out more about them.

  1. book set in college: No Bad Days (Fisher Brothers, #1)
  2. a re-read: Confess
  3. book about friendship: Love Story (Love Unexpectedly, #3)
  4. book with only male POV: Undeclared (Burnham College, #2)
  5. book based on its cover: Maybe Never
  6. new to you author: Bossman
  7. diverse novel: Goodbye Paradise
  8. book you can finish in one day: Troublemaker (Prescott Family, #1.5)
  9. hyped book: A Boy Like You.
  10. book set in summer: Co-Wrecker
  11. book that makes you laugh: The Cad and the Co-ed (Rugby, #3)
  12. 2017 release: The Rule Maker (The Rule Breakers, #2)
  13. star (free choice): Sweet Soul (Sweet Home, #4)
  14. book with with music or art: The Feeling of Forever
  15. book about road trip: Unwritten
  16. book out of your comfort zone: Johnny and Jamaal
  17. book you knew nothing about: Sweet Home (Sweet Home, #1)
  18. new adult bestseller: Fake Fiancée
  19. start a new series: Lila (Boyle Heights, #1)
  20. debut novel: Last Semester
  21. one word title: Cheater (Curious Liaisons, #1)
  22. book about sports: Cross Check (Bayard Hockey, #2)
  23. LGBTQ novel: Off Campus (Bend or Break, #1)
  24. book recommendation: Bad Penny
  25. bottom of your TBR: Sweet Fall (Sweet Home, #2)

I am finished with bingo! Woohoo!

Review: Ruckus (L.J. Shen)

Ruckus
Series: Sinners of Saint, #2
Author: L.J. Shen
Publication Date: May 23, 2017
Publisher: L.J. Shen
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Rosie

They say that life is a beautiful lie and death a painful truth. They’re right.
No one has ever made me feel more alive than the guy who serves as a constant reminder that my clock is ticking.
He is my forbidden, shiny apple.
The striking fallacy to my blunt, raw, truth.
He is also my sister’s ex-boyfriend.
One thing you should know before you judge me;
I saw him first. I craved him first. I loved him first.
Eleven years later, he waltzed into my life, demanding a second chance.
Dean Cole wants to be my bronze horseman. My white knight has finally arrived. Hopefully, he isn’t too late.

Dean

They say the brightest stars burn out the fastest. They’re right.
She sets my mind on fire.
All smart mouth, snarky attitude and a huge heart.
In a world where everything is dull, she shines like fucking Sirius.
Eleven years ago, fate tore us apart.
This time, I dare it to try.
Getting to her is a battlefield, but man, that’s why they call me Ruckus.
Rosie LeBlanc is about to find out how hard I can fight.
And conquering her will be the sweetest victory.


When Ruckus released last month, I saw a ton of good reviews for it. I had never read L.J. Shen’s books before, so I decided to give Ruckus a try. I downloaded it, but couldn’t get to it right away. This week, I was feeling a bit of a book hangover and decided to start Ruckus. I’m really happy I did. I have found a new author I’m excited to read more from.

Rosie LeBlanc has felt a connection to Dean “Ruckus” Cole ever since she first met his glare in high school. She knew Dean was the one for her at that moment. Sadly, a relationship with him wasn’t in the cards. Dean was her sister’s boyfriend, and that made him off-limits even after they broke up.

Now, year’s later, Dean’s back in Rosie’s life. They live in the same building, and no matter how hard Rosie tries to avoid Dean, she always runs into him and his harem. His blunt cockiness and womanizing ways should make Dean the least desirable guy, but when Rosie’s sister’s wedding requires them to spend time together, she can’t help but be drawn further into his web.

I loved L.J. Shen’s writing style. It’s a little bit dark and a whole lot gritty. I love that she gives a voice to both the male and female main characters. The first-person dual points of view are raw, and emotion filled. Her characters are alpha males and strong females who won’t step down from a fight. They have something traumatic that pulls them together, while at the same time breaking them apart.

Rosie was an inspiring character. Her life was harder than most due to physical challenges, but she didn’t let that stop her from trying to achieve her dreams. She was so good deep down inside and saw good in Dean when others wouldn’t have.

Honestly, Dean was a cocky jerk. He may have had a lot going for him career and looks wise, but he wasn’t a nice guy. Dean had moments where his compassion and sweetness showed through, but they were rare. He was pretty messed up, and it took a lot to get him started on the right path. It took me a while to really like Dean. I would have liked to have seen more of the redeemed Dean. I could have used about 5 epilogues to believe he could be who he needed to be — I’m not just saying that because I fell in love with him even more in the epilogue provided.

Rosie and Dean’s relationship was a rough one. There were a lot of barriers trying to keep them apart. Whether it was her health, his addictions or their friends and family, nothing was strong enough to break them apart. Their chemistry and love for each other was too strong. I loved how they fought for their love and for each other.

Since this is the first book I’ve read in the Sinner of Saint series, I feel the need to point out two things. First, the side characters are just as intriguing as the main characters. Hearing about everyone’s combined past makes me want to hurry up and read the other books in the series. I need to know more about the rest of the Hot Holes and their women. Second, this book can be read as a standalone. You don’t have to have read the first book to read this one. It might have made it more fun (I don’t know since I didn’t read the other books first.), but it was a great reading experience without having read the other books.

Oh! And I can’t leave out the fact that Ruckus surprised me! I thought I knew what Dean’s secrets were going to be, but I didn’t! I was completely surprised a couple of different times while reading. I loved that!

Overall, I loved reading Ruckus. This enthralling romance was combined with just the right amount of mystery and darkness. It was everything I expect from a great new adult book. I will be immediately reading the rest of the series.

Review: One of Us Is Lying (Karen M. McManus)

One of Us is Lying
Author: Karen M. McManus
Publication Date: May 30, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.


This is Karen M. McManus’ debut novel? I’m having a hard time believing that because One of Us Is Lying was so well written. It’s rare to find a YA thriller/mystery that’s as intricately woven as this book was. That fact that a début author wrote it blows my mind! 

One of Us Is Lying kept me guessing from beginning to end. I thought I might have known the killer, but every twist and turn made me reexamine what I thought I knew. The four different points of view spurred that on. Every time the character narrating changed, something new and important was revealed. Those revelations were key in keeping the story moving and changing.

I loved every minute of reading this book. It’s one of best YA debuts I’ve read in a while. The fact that author’s inspiration was The Breakfast Club with criminal twist makes it even more of a gem! I can’t wait for Karen M. McManus to publish her next novel. I will definitely be reading it!

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books I’ve Read In 2017 So Far

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s theme is Best Books I’ve Read In 2017 So FarI’ve read so many amazing books this year, but here are ten of the best books/series I’ve read that so far. Click on the book cover to be taken to the Goodreads page for that book.


1. A Boy Like You / A Girl Like Me
Like Us Duet
Ginger Scott

2. The Queen and the Cure
The Bird and the Sword Chronicles, #2
Amy Harmon

3. What I Need
Alabama Summer, #4

4. Bad Mommy
Tarryn Fisher

5. When It’s Real
Erin Watt

6. 180 Seconds
Jessica Park

7. Co-Wrecker
Meghan Quinn

8. First & Then
Emma Mills

9. The Last Thing You Said
Sara Biren

10. Stay
Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Review: Wrecked (J.B. Salsbury)

Wrecked
Author: J.B. Salsbury
Publication Date: July 18, 2017
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

When you can’t trust yourself, how can you ask anyone else to?

It’s been months since Aden Colt left the Army, and still the memories haunt him. When he moved into a tiny boat off the California coast, he thought he’d found the perfect place to escape life. Then Sawyer shows up and turns his simple life upside down. Beautiful and sophisticated, she seems out of place in this laid-back beach town. Something is pushing her to experience everything she can-including Aden. But as much as he wants her, starting a relationship with Sawyer puts them both at risk. For Aden, the past doesn’t stay there; it shows up unexpectedly, uncontrollably, and doesn’t care whose life it wrecks.


Sawyer’s sister is on her deathbed in Phoenix. She requests that Sawyer go to San Diego to pack up her stuff and bring it home. Celia asks that Sawyer pretend to be her so that none of her friends know she’s dying. She can’t bear them thinking of her wasting away. It’s not something that will be hard to do because Sawyer and Celia are identical twins.

In Celia’s world, Sawyer has to be someone she’s not. She has to be more carefree, less rigid. She uses the flip of a coin Celia gave her to help her make decisions. Most of those decisions revolve around a troubled ex-Army soldier she meets. Both Aden and Sawyer have troubles they’re trying to escape in each other’s arms. Sawyer quickly falls for Aden, but he has no idea who she really is. He doesn’t even know her real name.

This was my first experience reading a J.B. Salsbury novel. I liked her writing style. It included both Sawyer and Aden’s first-person perspectives, which was very helpful in understanding what each character was going through.

Another thing I liked was the plot. I thought it was fun that Sawyer had to be Celia and let go. I don’t think I could have held onto that secret as long as she did, but I understood why she did it. I also liked the PTSD part of the story. Aden’s struggles with it were very real and disturbing. I wanted help for him so badly.

Which leads to my major problem with Wrecked. I thought the PTSD was a great topic to tackle, but I was disappointed in how it was dealt with at times. I liked how Sawyer “helped” Aden feel comfortable and get through some of his attacks. I did not like how Aden was not pushed to seek treatment. It especially disturbed me after one scene. Sawyer quickly dismissed the problem and ignored what happened. That bothered me. Even in the end, I didn’t feel like I got enough resolution when it came to Aden’s PTSD. It was severe and I wanted more explanation to how he was able to deal with it.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Wrecked, and I’m looking forward to reading more from J.B. Salsbury.

Review: What You Need (Lorelei James)

What You Need
Series: Need You, #1
Author: Lorelei James
Publication Date: January 5, 2017
Publisher: Signet
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Synopsis:

New York Times bestseller Lorelei James introduces a new family for readers to fall in love with in the Need You series. The Lund name is synonymous with wealth and power in Minneapolis-St. Paul. But the four Lund siblings will each discover true love takes a course of its own…

As the CFO of Lund Industries, Brady Lund is the poster child for responsibility. But eighty hour work weeks leave him little time for a life outside his corner office. His brothers stage an intervention and drag him to a seedy night club…where he sees her, the buttoned up blonde from the secretarial pool who’s starred in his fantasies for months.

Lennox Greene is a woman with a rebellious past—which she carefully conceals beneath her conservative clothes. She knows flirting with her sexy, but aloof boss during working hours is a bad idea. So when Brady shows up at her favorite dive bar, sans his usual snappy suit, and catches her cutting loose, she throws caution aside and dares him to do the same.

After sparks fly, Brady finds keeping his hands off Lennox during office hours is harder than expected. While she makes him feel alive for the first time in years, a part of him wonders if she’s just using him to get ahead. And Lennox must figure out if Brady wants her for the accomplished woman she is—or the bad girl she was.


This was my first experience reading a book by Lorelei James. I was excited to have won What You Need because I’ve seen her books around and have wanted to try reading one. I hadn’t talked to anyone before about James’ books, so I didn’t really have any expectations going in. What I found was great writing, intriguing characters and a great plot.

At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like What You Need. It started out feeling like a stuffy office romance. Brady the CFO was all high and mighty and lowly office floater Lennox was one to challenge authority. That perception only lasted a minute. Once I got to know each character and their thoughts better, I realized they had a lot of depth and so did their love story. It wasn’t simply co-workers falling in love. It was people from two different tracks of life finding comfort and acceptance in each other.

My favorite thing about this book was the main characters. Lennox was buttoned up on the outside, but inside was a wild child waiting to be free again. She was doing everything she could to make a name for herself, even if she had tame who she was to do it. There was so much fight and drive in Lennox despite her rough upbringing. I found her to be so inspiring. Initially it seemed like Brady had life handed to him, but he was more than a man groomed to be CFO. Many thought Brady to be all hard business, but there was more to him than met the eye. He was sweet, caring and had sexy side no one would have expected. What hit me most about Brady was his insecurities. They plagued him even though he had wealth and power.

While each was a great character on their own, I loved Brady and Lennox together. Their personalities matched against each other perfectly. Both liked to get their way. Brady had a commanding side I didn’t see coming. He knew how to take the control Lennox was used to wielding. He was so uptight at work, I didn’t expect him to have a little bit of a dirty side. I found it almost as sexy as Lennox did. Their push and pull of authority was fun.

This might have been my first Lorelei James book, but it won’t be the last. What You Need was a great contemporary romance. It was the perfect mix of sweet and sexy. It made me excited to find out what’s in store for the next Lund son.

Review: After (Anna Todd)

After
Series: After, #1
Author: Anna Todd
Narrator: Elizabeth Louise
Publication Date: October 21, 2014
Publisher: Simon Schuster Audio
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ 

Synopsis:

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way.

But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.

But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?

Unless…could this be love?

Now newly revised and expanded, Anna Todd’s After fanfiction racked up 1 billion reads online and captivated readers across the globe. Experience the Internet’s most talked-about book for yourself!

There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER … Life will never be the same.


I don’t even know where to begin with this book. I’m not the same after reading it. I’m irritated, exhausted and frustrated. So many people love After. I am not one of those people. Sorry. I was disturbed almost the entire time I was listening to it. I kept thinking I should DNF this book. I honestly can’t believe that I finished it. I’m going to apologize because this review is going to get very rant filled. (Warning: Possible spoilers ahead.)

The relationship between Tessa and Hardin was horrible. Tessa annoyed the heck out of me. She was a naïve, judgmental, and immature young woman. Now, there’s nothing wrong with being naïve or immature, but she needed a reality check. The way Hardin treated her wasn’t okay, yet she kept coming back for more. She had no respect for herself when it came to him. She gave him everything he wanted when all he did was prove he didn’t deserve it. There is no way I could ever see their relationship being healthy. Maybe I would have been more accepting of Tessa’s situation with Hardin if she learned her lesson about emotional abuse and became a stronger, better person from it. That wasn’t part of this story, though. I felt this love story set a horrible example for impressionable young women. (Who are reading/have read this book because it began as One Direction fan fiction on Wattpad!!! Mind. Blown.)

There was nothing to love about Hardin. He may have had issues in his past, but none of them gave him permission to act the way he did. I didn’t find anything attractive about him at all. I would love to say that could have changed if I had his point of view, but I don’t think so. I think it would have made me hate him more. Hardin needed counseling.

Noah’s the only person I felt sorry for in this whole book. Despite being too cozy with Tessa’s mom, he seemed like a genuinely good person. He respected Tessa and her feelings. Noah didn’t deserve to be cheated on or find out the way he did. Tessa should have been honest with him the minute she acted on her feelings for Hardin. It made me dislike her even more.

There are a couple of reasons why I gave After 2 stars. One, I did want to know where this abusive love story was going. Sadly, it was because I was hoping that Tessa would realize what a horrible, unhealthy relationship she was in and move on. Second, the ending. I am so mad at that ending because it was so amazing. I had no plans to read the second book in this series because I absolutely hated this book, but that ending! Ugh! It was the best part of the entire book and now I need to know what happens next! Grrr….

So, surprisingly, I will be reading the second book in this series even though I didn’t like this one. I can only hope the series gets better.

Review: Carter Reed (Tijan)

Carter Reed
Series: Carter Reed, #1
Author: Tijan
Narrator: Lucy Rivers
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

Emma decided to skip the gym and went home early. It was the last easy decision she made because she found her roommate being raped by the boyfriend. She had two choices. Call the cops and be killed by his family’s mafia connections or kill him first and hope to survive. There was no choice to her. She killed the bastard first and went to the one person who could protect her: Carter Reed. He’s a weapon for the rivaling mafia family, but he’s also Emma’s secret. Not only was he best friends with her brother, but she’s the reason he became that weapon in the first place.


I’m really shocked to be saying this, but Carter Reed was almost a DNF for me. I’m surprised because up until about two-thirds of the way in, I was wrapped up in the story. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Emma and her friends. Somewhere along the way, I lost interest.

Carter Reed started with the brutal rape of Emma’s friend and her decision to kill the rapist. Not knowing what else to do after, Emma runs to Carter Reed. With his mobster past and her childhood link to him, Carter’s the only person who can help Emma. Emma knows going to Carter will change her life, but she has no idea how much. The minute she approaches him, her chance for freedom is gone.

I feel weird saying this book started strong since it starts with a rape, but it did. It immediately grabbed my attention and made me sympathetic to Emma and her friends. The events at the beginning and everyone’s reactions to them made want to know where the story would go. I felt bad for them all, and really hoped Emma going to Carter would help them.

I enjoyed the tension between Emma and Carter and was excited to know how their love story would play out. Sadly, Emma and Carter’s relationship never went deep enough for me to understand their love for each other. They had a combined history, but there wasn’t a non-platonic relationship between them before this story takes place. She comes to him for help, he’s super-hot and instantly they’re in love. It made no sense to me. They hadn’t seen each other in years. Carter was constantly running off to take care of things. They spent so little time together. I wanted to spend more time getting to watch them fall in love.

The lack of real love story and the weird plot twists that kept popping up started to wear thin for me around that two-thirds finished that I was talking about earlier. I didn’t care enough about the characters or the story to finish it. I pushed myself to finish it so I could honestly review the whole book. I’m a fan of Tijan’s books, but Carter Reed wasn’t for me. I wish the end of the book would have had the same draw as the first half or so of it.

Review: The Knocked Up Plan (Lauren Blakely)

The Knocked Up Plan
Series: One Love, #3
Author: Lauren Blakely
Publication Date: June 23, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

There are three little words most guys don’t want to hear on the first date. Not those…I mean these… “knock me up.”

This single gal has had enough of the games, the BS and the endless chase. I know what I want most, and it’s not true love. It’s a bun in the oven, and I’m not afraid to hit up my sex-on-a-stick co-worker to do the job. Ryder is gorgeous, witty and charming — and he’s also a notorious commitment-phobe. That makes him the perfect candidate to make a deposit in the bank of me.

I won’t fall for him, he won’t fall for me, and there’s no way baby will make three.

Right?

****
There are four words every guy wants to hear on the first date — “your place or mine?”

When my hot-as-sin co-worker makes me a no-strings-attached offer that involves her place, my place, any place — as well as any position — I can’t refuse. Besides, I’ve got my own reasons to take her up on her deal even with her one BIG condition.

There’s no way I’ll want more from one woman than any position, any where, any night? Except . . . what if I do?

Be prepared to swoon and fan yourself from the heat! This full-length standalone contains lots of hot baby-making s-e-x, happy tears, playful jokes and a hot, swoon worthy hero you will fall madly in love with. One-click now for pure reading enjoyment!


Nicole has always wanted kids, but now that she’s hit 30 her biological clock is ticking out of control. Knowing that falling in love if off the table, she plans to raise a child on her own. There’s just one problem. Nicole needs some male DNA. Looking at her options, the best one seems to be to ask her co-worker who’s the total package to donate some of his swimmers. It’s a business deal and that’s it.

Ryder is done with relationships. His ex made sure of that. When his incredibly hot co-worker approaches him to be her sperm donor, he has one stipulation: they knock her up the old-fashioned way. That way he gets what he wants, and so does she. There’s no way either of them will ever want more from each other…

Holy hotness! I’ve read a bunch of sexy books lately, but The Knocked Up Plan takes the cake. It had the most descriptive and inspiring sex scenes I’ve read in a long time. Fans, ladies. Get your fans out before you read this one. You’re going to need them. This book is called The Knocked Up Plan for a reason. It’s obviously about getting knocked up and it takes a lot of incredibly good “practice” to do that. 😉

The Knocked Up Plan wasn’t just filled with sex. It was also filled with amazing characters and tons of emotions. Nicole and Ryder were both great characters. Each had their own element of coolness. Nicole was fun, smart and sassy. Ryder was a little more guarded, just the right amount of cocky and surprisingly sweet. They were both attracted to each other, so it was no surprise to anyone but themselves that they fell for each other. It was how they dealt with their feelings that sent me on an emotional rollercoaster. I loved them so much, and I desperately wanted them to figure stuff out.

The Knocked Up Plan is my new favorite book by Lauren Blakely. It was witty, sexy and an all-around good time. It’s destined to be a favorite romantic summer read this year.