Obsession by Jennifer Armentrout

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Synopsis
He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.

Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life… or is it Hunter?

Review
Just so you're all aware, this is a spin-off of Jennifer Armentrout's Lux series, and while I was initially led to believe this was a stand-alone, I was deceived. Hence my below letter of outrage to the author... no, I never mailed it.  I can't afford to risk being banned from her website.  And, no, for the record you DO NOT need to read Lux to read this series, but it would help with the backstory.

Dear Jennifer Armentrout,
Why have you messed with my neat, perfect little world?  All I have ever asked for is a good book, maybe a series here and there, something fun and interesting with cool characters and a dash of action.  I found that in the Lux series and oh how I loved my Daemon and Katy.  But now?  Now?  Well now you've gone and fucked up my head.  And then to discover this is another series?  Oh Jennifer, I thought we were friends.  I felt a love thing brewing between us and now, well... now I don't know how I feel about "us" anymore.  Part of me wants to snuggle you and pet your head while we sip hot chocolate and watch The Walking Dead reruns together (yes, I know you love that show, see how much I respect our relationship?).  Another part of me - my fist, to be exact - wants to punch you.  I mean, since I have no doubt you will be weaving the Lux and Arum stories together, how long will I have to wait to get all the answers I need?  Is it really fair for you to put so much pressure on our relationship while still in its infancy?  I don't even have a solid commitment from you, there's no ring, nothing on your blog about a sequel.  What kind of girl do you take me for?

And now, to top it all off, I have no idea what to do anymore.  Am I team Arum?  Am I team Luxen?  Do I want Hunter and Daemon to battle epically or have a love-fest?  Can these new developments be overcome without a war?  And why do I now have feels for an Arum in the first place?  Weren't they supposed to be the badies?  Where does that leave me when Daemon comes back in Origin?  How can I face him with the knowledge that I've betrayed our love?  And why the fuck do I feel like I'm spinning in circles?
 
Just for the record, Jen (I can call you that, right?), I hate love triangles.  I really, truly do.  And now I'm in one, up to my neck almost submerged in one.  Until today, I had one alien love.  Sure, he was an ass sometimes and kind of a bossypants, but he was sexy and funny and... well, sexy.  Plus he could do all kinds of crazy-cool stuff like bend time, move faster than light and heal people, and when he was super mad he'd glow like the sun.  Now I'm feeling a pull to the dark side.  There's a new alien in town and he's all smokey and dark, he's cool to the touch and kills without conscience but he's also a dirty, dirty boy who likes to take charge *wink wink*  How am I supposed to choose?

At least you didn't try to make me choose between Serena and Katy.  Phew!  Katy still wins hands down and if given the opportunity, I'm certain would kick Serena's ass.  Kitten's got claws and will not be replaced.  It's not that you've made Serena unlikeable per se, but I'm not sure I really got to know her as this book was sort of on the short side for you.  Add to that the dual POV's and only half the book was Serena's.  So why do I feel I know Hunter better?  I'm not entirely sure I know the answer.  It almost seemed like he had more to say and farther to go.  Whatever the reason, Katy still wins, hands down.

So, in closing Ms. Armentrout, I am drowning in feels.  I am a squishy, gooey, bundle of smushiness and I blame you.  Worse still, I am now committed to ANOTHER series, which I do not need at present - I mean, have you seen my TBR pile?  I'm already committed to reading for the next 300 years and that's only if I never add another book!  I need answers.  Who the hell is running this damn Eagle Project?  Are there really 80 billion aliens ready to descend on this planet?  Why is the DOD holding Katy?  Why are the Arum working for them?  Why is Luc tied up in all of this and what's his plan?  Why was Daemon facing off with Hunter?  What's with the damn chocolate?  Is Kitten okay?  My brains hurt. And if loving Hunter and Daemon feels so wrong, why am I prepared to go all ninja on someone's ass if they mess with them?

Please help me sort this all out by quickly releasing the balance of both series so that I don't wind up on a 72 hour hold.  I promise, if you do that, all will be forgiven.

Your still adoring fan,
Elizabeth

Falling for a Bentley by Adriana Law

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Synopsis
Not every story is a perfect fairytale.

Victoria (Tori) Anderson has spent her entire life invisible. She plays the good girl well doing whatever it takes to pacify those around her, including her scumbag boyfriend who doesn't necessarily deserve her loyalty. When tragedy strikes bringing her boyfriend's extended family into town Tori is offered a way to escape in a dangerous package.

Multiple tattoos and piercings should warn Tori to stay away but something about Sterling Bentley draws her in: into his life, into his bed, into his soul, his heart and his pain. What do you do when you find the love of your life and they are the opposite of what you thought you wanted?

Do you run?
Or do you stay?

Sometimes we don't get to choose. Sometimes life brings us the unexpected, challenges us, and pushes us out of our comfort zone for a reason.

Sterling Bentley just might be Tori's reason.

Review
So let me begin by saying that while I will attempt to write this review with as few spoilers as I can manage, there are plot points which I will need to reveal in order to be fair in my review.  Not revealing them will make this review stilted and I'd like to be as thorough as possible as I believe this author has potential.  Those who know me know I would not bother to write this sort of review if I felt otherwise.

All right, now that that's out of the way.  I really wanted to give this novel a higher rating.  The actual meat of the story was compelling; the look at addiction and its fallout for those who love an addict, as well as for the addicts themselves, was well thought out.  Though not mentioned in the synopsis, it becomes clear early on that Sterling Bentley is an addict.  His behavior toward his loved ones (and I use this term loosely - if you read the book you'll understand why) is, at times, despicable.  But, as is often the case with addicts, there are underlying problems that Sterling is running from.  He's not simply an asshole looking to beat up the world.  He is really and truly damaged.  The relationship he has with his father is painful to watch and endure.  As I read I felt myself wincing at their interactions.  Watching someone being systematically torn down and knowing that Sterling had spent his life under the merciless thumb of his father was heartbreaking.  I immediately understood why Sterling internalized his emotions, sheltering himself, finding refuge in addiction and amongst the prison walls he'd erected for himself.  I never found his lashing out at people to be founded on cruelty, but more based on self-preservation.  If what we are taught to think and feel about ourselves is based on anger and ridicule, then how are we expected to navigate a world in which others expect to see the good in us?

If you're unable to understand the complexities of addiction and how self-loathing can manifest in the abuse of others, then this may not be the book for you.  It's easy to become angry with Sterling.  He makes terrible choices, he treats people poorly, he commits some egregious acts, especially toward Victoria (Tori).  No, he never physically harms her in any way, but he does other things which are equally henious and hurtful.  If you aren't able to parse this all out and put it all into context, you may walk away from this book hating him.  I didn't hate Sterling.  I actually really liked him as a character.  He was raw and unapologetic, he was pained and damaged, but underneath it all there was a hidden desire to be accepted and loved.

You may also disagree with Tori's need to "fix" Sterling.  But I got that, too.  And, in the end, it became clear she understood there was truly no way she could affect any change in him.  Tori's journey with Sterling, though dark, was something necessary for her as well.  Though never exposed to the type of treatment Sterling had been exposed to, she suffered from an overbearing and angry mother whose expectations were unachievably high.  Coupled with a severe injury suffered during a childhood accident, Tori was always made to feel inadequate.  Her hobbies were ridiculed, her future mapped out, her boyfriend selected, all by a mother who seemed determined to create a second chance for herself.  When you witness all that Tori has endured over the course of her life - the accident, the loss of a loved one, the absolute rigidity of her mother, the loveless relationship she has with her asshat of a boyfriend - you begin to understand just how much she needs someone like Sterling in her life.  As unhealthy as he is, both to himself and to her, he provides a way for her to prove her self-worth, to become self-sufficient and step out of the shadows of her previous life.

When Sterling and Tori meet they immediately begin to seek each other out, not fully cognizant of the "why" thrusting them together.  But the why was simple.  Tori's ability to nurture was compelling to Sterling's unloved heart and Sterling offered Tori's nurturing side something to be fixed.  Was this a healthy relationship?  No.  It was frought with danger and an entirely different kind of addiction.  What people often lose sight of, and these characters were no exception, is that we can no more affect change on another human being than we can effect the weather.  We may provide the impetus for change but change must be made at the behest of the person suffering the affliction.  What was nice to see was that the author understood this as well and allowed her characters to suffer through this discovery and come out the other side.

To some extent these two characters are meant for each other, in other respects they're about as right as lipstick on a pig.  Should you read this book you will no doubt find yourself becoming angry with one or both of them at some point during the course of the novel.  It's impossible not to, they are both young and impulsive, making life-altering decisions with very little thought to consequence.  But they learn and adapt over time, and I really appreciate that the author didn't merely wrap it all up in a neat little bow and make it all better.  It's gritty and upsetting and real.

So why the three stars?  Well, there were a few reasons for that.  First, I found the beginning of the book rather unfocused.  There was a point at which I understood what the author was trying to accomplish but it actually detracted from the story.  The first several chapters (about 15% of the book) are dedicated to setup.  However, the amount given wasn't required.  As a matter of fact, the story would have been far more impactful if chapters one and two were kept intact, and chapters three through seven were condensed into maybe one or two chapters.  In addition, there are a few POV changes that made little sense.  I found little to no value in hearing from Keria (Tori's cousin) and Colton (Tori's boyfriend), especially since they disappeared from the story for a huge chunk shortly afterward.  Writing first person does limit what you can reveal, it's limiting in many respects because you're viewing the story solely from the protag's eyes.  That being said, there are other ways in which to reveal information pertinent to the story without POV shifts.  Keen observation by the protag, revelatory dialogue, observed interactions between secondary characters are just some of the ways in which to reveal information.

This POV shift happens again when Sterling enters the story and while I actually enjoyed reading the inner dialogue and getting to see things through his eyes, the author didn't spend much time in his head.  There were aspects of the novel which would have been better told from his perspective, times at which it would have made it edgier or, perhaps, even softened it.  These were aspects I craved and felt were necessary.  Another POV shift happens toward the end of the novel when first we hear from Starr (Tori's new friend and Sterling's ex-girlfriend) and then from Sawyer (Sterling's younger brother).  While these POV's actually added a layer of depth to the story, both providing backstory on Sterling, they would have been more impactful coming directly from Sterling or even Tori.  Each POV change was literally one chapter, so when looking at the story as a whole they offered little to the plot and the reader beyond the aforementioned revelations.  So, when you tally this all up there are six distinct POV's involved in the telling of this story.  Far too many.  Even really seasoned authors have difficulty navigating through a mindfield like that.  Each voice must be distinct and offer something tantalizing to the reader in order to justify their presence.  Sadly, this was not the case and would be something worth changing.

My second big issue was the grammar in this novel.  There were so many instances of misused words, words chosen incorrectly or simply ommitted that it was a distraction.  I know authors are able to revise and reissue their works and I hope that this author does just that.  I recently read Rule by Jay Crownover. I'd put this book off because I'd read about all the typos and grammatical issues but then the author fixed them and re-released the book.  While I never read the original version for comparison sake, I gleaned enough from the reviews to understand that the subsequent editing was a success.  I strongly recommend that Adriana Law do the same, it would garner her another star and I will gladly add it to this review/rating.  I usually give indies a pass when it comes to stuff like this because I understand that these novels lack the polishing one would find from a big house release.  But when these instances occur on every page I have to make mention of it.  There were also punctuation problems; sentences without commas, question marks ommitted, quotation marks missing from indented paragraphs.

Not to get too nitpicky but there were also some tense issues.  Mostly in the beginning of the book.  Specifically all of chapter two.  This was written in present tense but should have been written in past tense as the protag was nine.

My third issue was the ending.  I don't want to make it seem as though I wasn't entirely pleased, that's not the case at all.  I think part of it was executed really well, it's the epilogue I'm not entirely happy with.  In my estimation, these finals scenes should have been added as chapters and the story extended a bit into an epilogue that reached beyond the point the story ended.  I don't want to give too much away, but what I will say is that the book ended too abruptly.  No, there's no cliffhanger, all is resolved and there's a HEA, sort of, but it felt like there should have been more.

If you can get past these issues I think you'll enjoy the book.  I will say that the author mapped out a good, well paced story.  I wish more time had been taken developing the relationship between Sterling and Tori, I think it would have made the story more compelling but I was ultimately okay with how things worked out.

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey

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Amazon US - all formats

Synopsis

"You're Ellie Spencer."

I opened my mouth, just as he added, "And your eyes are opening." Seventeen-year-old Ellie Spencer is just like any other teenager at her boarding school. She hangs out with her best friend Kevin, she obsesses over Mark, a cute and mysterious bad boy, and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. But then everything changes. The news headlines are all abuzz about a local string of serial killings that all share the same morbid trademark: the victims were discovered with their eyes missing. Then a beautiful yet eerie woman enters Ellie's circle of friends and develops an unhealthy fascination with Kevin, and a crazed old man grabs Ellie in a public square and shoves a tattered Bible into her hands, exclaiming, "You need it. It will save your soul." Soon, Ellie finds herself plunged into a haunting world of vengeful fairies, Maori mythology, romance, betrayal, and an epic battle for immortality. 

As I weed through some of the older books I've read so I can begin to clear the decks for the new ones coming in, it occurred to me that I should really start a "Books You Probably Haven't Read, But Should" section.  Yes, there are a ton of new books out there, and, yes, some are very good, but there are some gems out there that most people have never heard about and I'd really like to call attention to them.  So, the first book I've chosen to feature in this section is this one right here.  A gem.  A lovely, sometimes frustrating, but superbly fantastic read by a very, very talented author.  So, here we go...


Review 
To be perfectly frank, I had a difficult time deciding on a rating for this novel. Contrary to a few of the editorial reviews, I didn't think this novel hit the ground running, though it did pick-up momentum as the story progressed. It dragged in the beginning, seeming to take its time finding the right pace and, at times, seemed a bit disjointed. I think that's in part due to the disparities between cultures (New Zealand, the setting for this book, versus America). There are innumerable differences between the language and educational systems that take some getting used to and can pull the reader from the story. But once you've acclimated to these differences the story moves more smoothly. In order to be perfectly fair in my review, I felt it necessary to point this out. The Maori cultural references are also a little distracting, requiring the reader to reference a glossary at the back, which pulls one out of the story and, at times, makes it difficult to reengage. It's a necessary element to the plot, and certainly warranted, but I wish it were more seamless, though I'm not certain how the author could have accomplished that without losing authenticity. But once the story took shape and you've had a chance to acclimate, it's a wonderful story and once the action starts, it doesn't slow until the epilogue.

The book ramps up about one quarter of the way in, slowly building into a compelling, interesting tale; blending local New Zealand folklore, mythology and supernatural creatures and deviating from the now, all-too-pat, Y/A paranormal crap. Again, once the action begins to take shape, it never ceases and the first portion of the book is designed to set-up the balance of the story. It's nice to see an author strike out in a new direction and use authentic, yet obscure, folklore to drive the action and mystery, it's sorely lacking these days and I applaud the author for taking the risk. That being said, there was a lot of information to digest and components which needed to be parsed out by the reader and stored away for reference. It's not to say these weren't interesting, refreshing, unique and story-enhancing, because they were, it's simply a point to keep in mind as this isn't the type of book for someone with a short attention span. There's a lot going on and younger, more inexperienced readers might balk at the level of complexity in some of the storytelling.

Ms. Healey does know how to create a vibrant world. Her prose and descriptions are beautifully crafted and immersing. You can actually feel yourself slipping into Ellie's shoes as she struggles through the mud or gazes at the heavens or stumbles through the mist on her journey through the underworld. One reviewer noted that Ellie seemed a bit whiney but I have to disagree. I thought she was perfectly constructed and I enjoyed watching her find her inner strength. What some might find whiney I found an accurate portrayal of someone who recognizes that they're not quite like everyone else and feels a lot of self-doubt and anxiety. But it's never overdone, like characters from other novels who seem to be fixated on their differences. Ellie knows what she's good at and focuses the necessary attention on those aspects of her life which bring her comfort. I think teens can easily relate to that. I appreciated her equally for her flaws and talents, her triumphs and shortcomings, and find that she's relateable in a good way. Ellie is not the quintessential pretty girl or the ugly girl who suddenly figures out she's really gorgeous. She's a plain looking girl whose a little lumpy in the middle, someone who the rest of us would consider "normal".

I had some issues with Kevin, Ellie's best friend, who was kind of an enigma to me. Other than being this really hunky, sexy guy with a strange distaste for anything romantic or sexual (with anyone), I wasn't really certain who he was. I get that there was this sort of co-dependent thing happening between Kevin and Ellie, both needing something the other could provide, but beyond that I never really understood the supposed depth of their relationship. He was kind of "blah" as far as characters go and this surprised me as he was integral to the plot for the first half of the book.

Mark and Iris were two characters who surprised me as I didn't particularly care for either of them at the start. Perhaps that was by design, but irrespective, by the end of the book I was cheering for both of them. Mark, Ellie's crush/love interest is a bit of a jerk at times, lying when confronted with uncomfortable questions, using his powers of manipulation to ease his burdens, but eventually he's afforded the opportunity to explain himself and his dodgy behavior only makes him more endearing. He's also not the typical Y/A hero/bad boy/love interest, though he is mysterious, he's not quite the cold and distant loner I'm used to reading. I also loved that he was a red-head, there aren't too many of those lurking about these days. Sure, he's gorgeous, but he's also smart and vulnerable and at the very core of his nature, he's just a guy who's looking to have a slice of the normalcy afford most teens. These desires, more than any other, drives and compels him to make the choices he does and I appreciated that his life wasn't all about Ellie, but that she was one component of the life he was trying to achieve. He was a real character, conflicted and flawed, emotional and uncertain, just as anyone in his position would be. He didn't claim to know all the answers but struggled to find balance in his life, making mistakes along the way and taking ownership of them. All very real and refreshing qualities if you ask me.

Iris was adorable, under her veneer of perky, smiling, effervescence was a tough girl who valued the importance of friendship and honor and loyalty, traits I hadn't expected to see in her. She boldly stepped into messy and dangerous situations, unflinching in her resolve to protect the people she loved. It's another quality we don't see very often and I enjoyed watching her take charge during situations it would have been easier to walk away from. Iris is inexplicably in love with Kevin who, as I noted, was not interested in any romantic entanglements. This added some possible conflict in the beginning of the book but, when the truth was revealed, Iris took the high road and opted to stand beside Kevin, regardless of his feelings for her, and stepped in to help him when he needed her. She slowly became one of my favorite characters, demonstrating the true importance of loyalty and the lengths to which people will go to protect the ones they love.

I think, to sum up this whole experience, I would have to say that in the beginning of this journey, I was nearly compelled to walk away. But I pressed on and stuck with it through the hard part and am happy that I made that choice. Once you get past the first few chapters the story's a breeze to read and becomes a wonderful and vibrant journey. The ending is a little ambiguous, though not a total upset or unsatisfying in any way, and it certainly leaves the door wide open for a sequel. Once you finish the story it leaves you begging for more and desperate to know what happens to these characters. Out of curiosity I popped over the the author's website and it appears as though, at the moment, she has no plans for a sequel. Ms. Healey does note that it is a world she would eagerly revisit but is not contracted by Little, Brown Books to continue the story so, for now at least, Guardian of the Dead is a stand-alone. But don't let that stop you from reading it, it's well worth the investment.

Broken and Screwed (BS #1) by Tijan

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Synopsis
Alexandra's older brother died the night he graduated. That day changed everything for her. No longer was she the party girl. No longer did she care about being popular and no longer was her family the happy unit she always thought existed. The only person who could help her heal is the same person who loved her brother as much as she did, his best friend. She only hopes to keep her entire heart from breaking when Jesse will move on, and she knows he will.
After Ethan died, Jesse excelled at basketball, partying, and girls. He used it all to turn his emotions off, but the irony was that Alex was the only person who could do that for him. She helped him forget, but she was the one person he shouldn't be with because the secrets he knows could shatter everything. They could shatter her.

Review
I needed a stiff drink after reading this one. It seriously took me two days to figure out how to review this book.  Why?  Oh boy, well, because there were some elements that were really good.  I found the scenes between Alex and Jesse pretty compelling, I wanted to know more of their story, but the author had other plans and that's where things took a nosedive.

Instead of focusing on what made this couple so tragically perfect, or wrong for each other, depending on how you see things, we're treated to a smorgasbord of trivialities, most of which are rather irrelevant.  I found myself skimming through scene after scene, pausing only to read if something looked noteworthy.  There was no real depth to these elements, instead we're bombarded with morose whimpering from Alex who needs Jesse for some vague reason pertaining to her dead brother.  Jesse's not particularly nice to her, though there's clearly something going on in his cerebral cortex that we're not made privy to, EVER.  Honestly, the book's a bit bi-polar.  In one moment, I was like "YES, we're finally getting somewhere!" and in the next I'm skimming through seemingly endless drivel.  I guess these drawn out scenes were supposed to make me feel something for Alex and her friends.  They didn't.  Sure, Angie (her bff) seemed okay enough, though she was very vanilla.  Marissa was a straight up slutbag man-stealer.  Aside from that, I got nothing from them, hence the skimming.  Peripheral characters should either add to the plot or the character development.  These characters did neither.  In fact, they detracted from the story altogether.  Every time Angie, Marissa or Eric stepped onto the page I sighed, read a few paragraphs and started the skim.  Ironically, they made Alex less interesting and made what could have been a fascinating story meh-worthy.

Jesse at least seemed interesting, though his scenes were few and far between.  And then he up and leaves for college, ostensibly leaving the story for long periods of time.  But clearly there's a mystery there and, yes, I actually do want to know what it is, which I guess says something.  But here's what it says: Clearly this entire book is a setup for book two.  Sadly, now that I got suckered in, I may in fact read the next book just to find out, but am wary that it will be more of the same.  But seriously, this entire book is Alex silently professing her love for Jesse.  She drops her panties at the mere hint of him and immediately mopes that he's being an asshat again.  So she's depressed, yes, I get it.  But an entire novel's worth of moping?  Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

Clearly I'm in the minority when it comes to this book.  Going back and reading some of the five star reviews on Goodreads made me question if I'd read the same thing.  But what would have made it more impactful to me is if the author spent a fraction of her time getting me acquainted with the peripheral characters, most of whom are gone by the end of the novel, and more time on peeling back the layers of grief and exploring how Jesse fits into the mosaic of that grief.  That seemed to be the crux of the novel when I went in, only we never got even close to touching on it.  Again, it's clear that was done as a setup for the next story, but, honestly, that means I wasted a whole night reading a bunch of crap that has no bearing on the next installment.  Not to beat a dead horse here, but by the end of the novel, Alex's parents are gone, Angie has moved on to college, Alex and Marissa are no longer friends and Eric has left the building.  What the eff?  Why did I spend seventy percent of this novel with a bunch of characters you planned to throw away?  They didn't add anything, they're not coming back in book two, so what the hell dude?

When I was done, I felt like: What the hell did I spend my night reading? If you were never planning to answer a single question or delve into these character's lives why bother dragging it out?  Seriously, you could have cut half the crap in this novel, added it to the next and simply been done with the whole thing.  I bet it would have made for a much better read.  I don't have time to waste, I have stuff on my DVR I need to watch.  Oh, yeah, and by the way, there's a cliffhanger ending.  And to be perfectly frank, it made little sense to me.  Um, so what, now she's crazy?  For reals?  That's what you're going with?

Forever My Girl (The Beaumont Series #1) by Heidi McLaughlin

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Synopsis
I was never supposed to be a rock star. I had my life all planned out for me. Play football in college. Go to the NFL. Marry my high school sweetheart and live happily ever after.
I broke both our hearts that day when I told her I was leaving. I was young. I made the right decision for me, but the wrong decision for us. I’ve poured my soul into my music, but I’ve never forgotten her. Her smell, her smile.
And now I’m going back.
After ten years.
I hope I can explain that after all this time.
I still want her to be my forever girl

Review
Here's my tell: when I really love a book, my reviews are long because I want to recapture every moment in an effort to convince you, the reader, to take a chance and roll the dice.  Here's my other tell: when I really hate a book, my reviews tend to be really long because I feel I owe it to you, the reader, to explain exactly what went wrong.  I feel that's really the only way to be fair.  My last tell: when you read a short review from me, it's probably because I neither loved nor hated the book and in all likelihood it's not something I'd actively encourage you to read.

So, as far as Forever My Girl is concerned, it was just okay.  If we had a "meh" shelf, that's where this would be shelved.  It was neither a distater nor a fail, but it was also nothing special, just something kind of in the middle and completely unmemorable.

I think my major grievance would have to be the confusion I felt toward the characters.  Jojo (god, I hate that nickname) was all over the place and I felt that maybe the author couldn't pin down exactly what she wanted from this character.  In one minute Jojo (bleck!) would profess that Liam always had her heart, and in the next she'd refer to him as someone she hadn't loved in years.  If what this was meant to do was to show confusion on the part of the characters' mind, then it was a fail.  I also thought that what happened with her boyfriend Nick was creepy.  If you're done with a relationship, be done with it.  If you're not, but are confused, be truthful about it.  Again, it was another situation that made me dislike the heroine.  Then, the author kind of cheated (yeah, that's sort of a big deal for me) and had Nick run off to Africa.  Huh?  Okay, so you were looking for an easy exit for this character but come on, really?  Never, not once was his departure from this story ever addressed.  Nick raised your kid, was his father for all intents and purposes, and then you never speak of him again?  Little Noah's gonna need some therapy when he gets older, that's all I'm saying.

Liam was at least more consistent and I did appreciate that he was able to man up and take responsibility.  I thought it was kind of stupid that he had such little control over his life that he didn't know he had a kid for ten years.  Sounds mildly far fetched to me but what the hell do I know, I'm no rockstar.  I guess it could happen.  Seems unlikely that nobody in the media would have picked up on this little jewel over time.  In this day and age I think I know more about Beyonce than I do my own parents.  Seriously.

There's not enough meat in this book to warrant going on to the next installment.  I really didn't have much interest in those characters anyway and since Liam and Jojo (ugh) had their HEA, I'm all set.

Forever Too Far (Too Far #3) by Abbi Glines

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Synopsis:
Rush promised her forever... but promises can be broken.
Torn between his love for his family and his love for Blaire, Rush has to find a way to save one without losing the other. In the end one has to be more important. Letting go isn’t easy.
Blaire believed in her fairytale... but no one can live in a fantasy.
Her love for Rush and desire to have a family keep her believing that they can find a way for this to work. Until she has to make the right decision for her and the baby. Even if it breaks her heart.
Can they find the forever that they both want or has it all just gone... too far?

Review:
* The following review is frank and contains frank language.  If you're easily offended, this may not be the review for you. *

Why did I do this to myself?  I knew going in it would be a problem and I plowed right on ahead and did it anyway. I should have run away screaming when my friend lent this to me.  I should have listened to that little voice inside my head telling me... NO.
 
Sadly, I did not. 

To me this book was merely a money-making venture.  Seriously, this series could have very easily been completed with an epilogue.  It would have been nice actually if the author had done this, as many others do, and offered it to her fans for free.  Except then Abbi Glines wouldn't have had the opportunity to hook you on her other books.  Like those she's very obviously planned for Grant and Woods.  See, here's the thing, a huge component of this novel is dedicated to other characters and setting up their own stories.  Entire chapters are dedicated to completely irrelevant story arcs.  Listen, if I find Grant or Woods so interesting I'll read their stories, I don't need or want you taking away from other characters to push your agenda.  It pisses me off and makes me not give one iota of a crap about any of it.  It's manipulation and I abhor it.

To make matters worse, and to further solidify my point, the author had the balls to throw an advertisement into the middle of a chapter.  Really, I shit you not.  Right there in the wedding scene, she actually interrupts it to direct the reader to buy Rush Finlay's song on iTunes.  What?  After turning this entire novel into a sales pitch for your other books you have the cojones to try to sell me even more stuff?

Aside from that nonsense there is little in the way of actual plot in this installment.  It's really just an excuse to watch Rush and Blaire play house and engage in the simple pleasantries of pre-marital bliss.  I guess if you're into that, then go for it, 'cause that's what you're gonna get.  Yes, there's drama when Nan busts back on the scene but honestly, I hate her so much at this point I wanted to skip those scenes entirely so they added nothing of consequence.  Her presence only made me want to beat myself over the head with something blunt and heavy.

Yeah, there's some other stuff that comes up, nothing earth-shattering or important, and nothing that truly added anything to the story as a whole.  It was merely filler.  Blaire reunites with her dad and finds out she has a long lost brother. Yippee. But we don't actually get to spend any time with this newly found brother so why on earth would we care that he was introduced in the first place.  Dude wasn't even invited to the wedding, at least not that I know of.  It's almost like he was never there to begin with so why did we even need to bear witness to this revelation?

Back to Nan.  Oh how I hate Nan.  And, aside from hating her, I wanted to punch Rush in the face every time he ran after her.  I mean, come on, really?  Are we really rehashing that shoddy story arc again?  Didn't we suffer enough Nan in the last book?  I guess not.  I'd thought perhaps Nan had learned a life lesson almost getting killed and all that, sadly that seemed to only amp up her bitch-o-meter.  It honestly got to the point in this book where the whole Nan/Rush relationship felt awfully incestuous.  And to make matters worse, the bitch is even nastier than before.  And Rush is just as big an ass, chasing her narrow ass all over L.A. while she acts like a fucktwat.  And that's only when she's not screaming at Blaire and Harlow about how they've stolen everything from her and they're evil incarnate. Bitch please. Get a clue, no one cares.  You suck.  Please die.

So, yeah, this was an epic waste of time.  There were more grammatical mistakes than I could keep track of and I found myself wincing a lot at the sentence structure.  Not. Good.  So, I think it's best if Abbi Glines and I part ways at this point.  I'm pretty sure I'm never going to get her, and clearly, as a reader, she doesn't get me.  But that's fine, she has tons of fans and my absence won't make a dent.

Farewell.  I'm out.

Leo's Chance (Sign of Love #2) by Mia Sheridan

Buy it here!

Synopsis:
The follow-up to Leo, the USA Today bestselling novel by Mia Sheridan.
Does everyone deserve a second chance? Even someone who lies and deceives to get it?
Do we all have a second chance coming? Even if we play a part in our own destruction?
How hard would you fight to have a second chance at love? A second chance at life? Another chance to tell your own story?
Every love story has two sides. Evie told hers. This time it's Leo's chance.

Review:
What the hell did I just read?  And did I get a different version from everyone else?  I must have, because that's the only explanation I can come up with as to why the bevy of five star ratings on Goodreads.

Let me be clear, I really, really liked the first book.  Even gave it four stars on Goodreads.  It was interesting and sweet and pretty well written.  But this one?  Not so much.  And saying that is such a huge bummer I can't even begin to explain.  I was dying to read all about Jake, had been salivating ever since it was announced there'd be a companion novel.  And make no mistake, this is a companion novel.  If you're even thinking about reading this without having read the first, I suggest you back away slowly.  There are references to scenes and background in this book that will only make sense if you've read the first so don't even bother to begin here.  The sad part is, I totally recommend reading that first book with the caveat that you NOT read this one.

What made the first book great was that Jake was a total mystery.  It was left to the reader to fill in the blanks.  Unfortunately, now that the author has chosen to fill them in, I like Jake far less than I originally did.  The man I had originally thought to be wrought with conflict and fear, felt more like a narcissistic ass to me after finishing this novel.  No, I didn't lose all compassion and empathy for him, his struggles during those flashback scenes with his shrink were the best in the book and totally revealed someone struggling to reclaim themselves.  However, the way with which he treated Evie and his justifications for being so deceptive were inexcusable.  Point blank: I wish this book had never been written as it now detracts from the original.  You can't, after all, un-ring a bell.

Additionally, it seemed as though this particular novel was cranked out too quickly.  It needed a far better edit.  There were so many issues, I gave up tracking them all.  One word of advice to the author: Stay away from the Italics.  They are not your friend.  There were flow issues, grammatical problems and lots of structural issues.  So much so that they were distracting.  But the biggest issue?  This novel did not pack the punch the first novel did.  Perhaps this is due to the fact that the reason the first book was so good was due to the mystery of Jake.  Knowing the tell from the gate may have lessened its overall impact.  But I think that this novel just tried to do too many things.  It seems that the author wanted to fully reveal Jake to the reader, except it was too, too much.  Throughout the book I found myself rewriting scenes and shaking my head.  There were entire chunks that I felt should have been omitted and would have allowed the story to flow more naturally.  It was a long, long read with far too much information.  Really, I don't need to know every minute detail.  As a matter of fact, it's far more interesting if you leave certain things to the imagination.  Sadly, this took a character I really liked and turned him into someone I barely tolerated.

Thankfully, Evie was still Evie, so I guess that salvaged some of what I remember being so awesome about the first novel.  However, my mind is now clouded in a haze of confusion about Jake.  I still want to love him, still care for his struggles, but I also want to kick him in the nuts.  Does that make any sense?  I think not.  I'm disappointed.  More so, I'm now unable to reclaim something I love because it was irrevocably changed and it can never be what it once was.  Sad, but there it is.

Reason to Breathe (Breathing #1) by Rebecca Donovan

Buy it here!

Synopsis:
"No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?"
 
In the affluent town of Weslyn, Connecticut, where most people worry about what to be seen in and who to be seen with, Emma Thomas would rather not be seen at all. She’s more concerned with feigning perfection while pulling down her sleeves to conceal the bruises - not wanting anyone to know how far from perfect her life truly is. Without expecting it, she finds love. It challenges her to recognize her own worth - but at the risk of revealing the terrible secret she’s desperate to hide.

Review:
I need to say this because it's far too important not to.  I loathe writing negative reviews.  And I'm not referring to the nitpicking reviews for books I ultimately enjoyed and, in an effort to be fair, am merely pointing out their few flaws (or even a major one).  I'm referring to the others.  The reviews that require me to blaze a wide swath through the novel, eviscerating it, spilling its guts, before giving it a good kick to the head.  Again, I hate these reviews.  Because novels are the brainchild of an author.  It's almost like having a real baby.  You love it, nurture it, yell at it when it's bad, cry over it when it hurts your feelings and hug it when it's all grown up and walking bravely into the world.  I get it.  Trust me, I do.  That's why published authors are out there sharing their stuff with the world and mine will sit on my laptop for eternity... maybe.

Admittedly, I am a bit harder on those novels/novelists represented by a Big Ten because, well, someone should have called bullshit.  The indies are more difficult to be critical of because I know the wealth of knowledge and guidance a great editor can bring.  And most indie authors don't have that luxury.  That being said, there are some rules which all writers, Big Ten or Indie must abide by and this particular book broke quite a few.

Margaret Atwood once wrote that writers need to have a grip on reality.  I agree Margaret, I totally agree.  Creating implausibility in a novel pulls the reader from the story and dumps them back into their own world.  Not good.  Where Reason to Breathe is concerned, it happened so frequently my head was spinning.  The level and intensity of abuse depicted was astonishing and realistic but the reactions of those suspecting it were outrageously out of sync.  Perhaps at age ten we're not equipped with the tools to identify and make known these types of situations, but at sixteen and seventeen we most certainly are.  The concept that close "friends" could and/or would stand by and watch is unlikely at best.  Even in today's world.  And, even if those friends are conflicted, it is even more unlikely they would not seek counsel somewhere.  Furthermore, to perpetuate the "secret" by keeping silent is an act as bad, if not worse, than the offense itself.  Which, one would think, would call into question whether or not they were true friends, a fact the author would have us believe, and even reinforces, ad infinitum.

Show, don't tell.  It's one of my favorites.  When done right, it allows the reader to become the character(s).  There are so many examples my mind wobbles, but one of my favorites is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.  When I read this book I find myself in the depths of the deepest ocean, spying fantastic creatures through a porthole, reverently yet dolefully eyeing that cocksure Captain Nemo and wondering what made him so broken and so captivating.  That's how you get the damn thing done.  You transport your audience.  This novel was a fail when it came to that rule.  Show me the pain, immerse me in longing, slather me in ache, whomp me with tragedy, that's right, I want to feel it... all of it.  Don't tell me about it, it's not a Psych 101 class, SHOW ME DAMN IT!  Every scene involving any kind of introspection or emotion was like reading a text book.  Never once did I feel the budding love, not so much as a smidge of true fear, what I felt was - nothing.  I was reading a chronology of events, like an article in The New York Times, never once slipping into the shoes of the protag.  Nuance was left by the roadside to die after being hit by the car which is Reason to Breathe.

Too much, is simply that - too much.  Oftentimes we let the characters in our minds dictate where the story should go.  They are the voices in our heads, prodding us to "GO RIGHT NOW, WRITE IT DOWN" and most times they win.  I can't tell you how many times I have excused myself from dinner, or a movie, or family gathering to go write something down.  But just because your character(s) tells you to do something, doesn't always make it right.  More often than not, that little scene you loved so much, simply doesn't work out.  There were so many instances of that in this book, so many pieces that should have been edited out.  The entirety of the novel could have and should have been truncated.  There was so much extraneous data, I found myself skimming through it.  Please, allow me to infer, don't info-dump.  I'm smart, I can figure it out.  I don't need to know how everyone gets from point A to point B all the time, get me there and let me stew on it.  Sometimes, putting the puzzle together is more important than discovering the picture.

Here are some key points to remember when crafting a story, none of which this author adhered to, in my opinion:
* You should create engaging characters that the reader can connect with, they may not always be likable, a good villain is as important as a good hero, but the reader must find some impetus to relate to them.
* Your words should propel the story forward.  Useless information bogs down the flow, it stalls the momentum, creating opportunity to lose your reader.
* Create plausible aspects that your reader can relate to.  Even in Fantasy there are elements of truth.  Know what you're writing.  Know the facts.  Support and back it up.
* Understand how to build and connect story arcs.  No, you don't need to be perfect at it, but readers need to see and understand how pieces connect.  If not, you create holes in the storytelling.
* Please, please, please know your character(s).  This is paramount.  If you don't know who they are inside and out, how the hell is your reader supposed to figure them out?  Having them contradict themselves or display inconsistent behavior is a huge NO.

There are those of you who will read this review and hate me.  That's okay, I don't mind.  There are those who will think me a moron for not feeling the love.  That's okay, too.  I didn't feel the love.  As a matter of fact, I can't even tell you the characters names because I have brain dumped this novel from my memory.  But I am entitled to my opinion, nonetheless.  And my opinion is this: there are so many wonderful stories out there, so many fantastic characters to know... so go, go now and find them, but you won't find them here.

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Synopsis

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

Review

There are books which become an experience, that are more like a journey than a story, and this is one of those precious few.  Its premise is simple enough: Laurel, a high school freshman who’s lost her sister, May, in a tragic accident, is assigned an English project to write a letter to someone who’s passed.  What happens from there is an inadvertent journey of self-discovery, as Laurel chooses former celebrities like Kurt Cobain, Judy Garland, E.E. Cummings, Amelia Earhart and Jim Morrison, to name a few.  Touching on their own tragedies, Laurel weaves together her own story with those of each deceased person she reaches out to, questioning their choices and their histories as she divulges the truths of her own.  There is no damnation, simply a pure and honesty curiosity to discover the secrets behind each life and how they factored in to the untimely deaths of each person.  In each one, there is a lovely and poignant connection, though sometimes it takes several letters to uncover.

The storytelling is so unique, yet so unassuming and gentle, that you hardly notice that there’s very little dialogue, as everything is being recounted in letter format.  It makes those moments so special and so perfect, that they practically sing.  Each word is carefully selected, there is no excess in this novel, not a single moment that felt out of place or contrived, and the voice is so very authentic it felt every bit a fifteen year old girl coming of age.

As Laurel struggles to come to terms with her older sister’s imperfections, someone she thought to be untouchable and unblemished, she begins to discover herself on her own very self-destructive path.  Every letter, each story, provides a glimmer of hope and a gut-wrenching reality.  At times it was difficult to get through, the brutal honesty of Laurel’s secrets and the way she clung so desperately to this idealized version of her sister, that I had to walk away.  But Laurel’s story was so intriguing that I always returned.

Initially I thought it would be impossible for the author to make me care about secondary characters, being that the letter writing format seemed rather limiting, but I found myself deeply entrenched in those stories as well.  Characters like Hannah and Natalie, who at first I thought of as enablers, turned out to be suffering through issues of abuse, sexual preferences and the loss of a parent.  As these friendships flourished, these situations come to light, exposing the depth and difficulty of each.  Other characters, like Tristan and Kristen, demonstrate true friendship and what a healthy, loving relationship looks like and provide support and guidance.  And Sky, Laurel’s love interest, battles his own demons throughout the book as he tries to love Laurel during her self-destructive period while also struggling to cope with his mother’s mental illness and abandonment by his father.

What I appreciate about this book is that the parental-types are not forgotten or brushed aside.  Laurel spends half her time with her Aunt Amy, her mother’s sister, allowing her to go to a school outside of her old district and away from May’s legacy, and the other half with her father.  Her mother, who struggles with May’s death, has packed up and moved to California, leaving Laurel to question her role and responsibility in May’s accident and causes her to feel abandoned and unloved, and further exacerbating her need to numb herself.  Yet, she too is included in the story as Laurel fights to claim her identity and come to terms with the concept of letting go.  These very different relationships evolve with Laurel over the course of the novel.  At first she has no idea how to connect with her father, the loss of his wife and child seeming to overwhelm and detach him from life, but as Laurel finds her voice, there is a lovely, very organic, coming together of these characters which allows each to begin the process of healing.  Amy, so terrified of her own empty life, at first clings hard to Laurel and really any idea of love, to the point of obsession.  But Laurel’s revelations and moments of truth, offer Amy opportunities to grow and what at first seems a very disjointed and uncomfortable relationship, grows in to one of mutual understanding.

The true beauty of this novel is its voice.  Ava Dellaira adopts a very adolescent, conversational tone and is able to easily convey the childhood wonder and bravado teens experience as they find their voice.  Laurel makes observations which are very unique to that period of development and I applaud the author for being able to tap into that without it sounding disingenuous.  The simplicity of the words chosen shows a true understanding of that age group.  Often I find myself pulled out of novels by the descriptions or language I know to be uniquely adult.  Not so with this book.  Each sentence, every page, felt authentic to me, as if written by a young girl.  And the letters themselves were honest in a way only children know to be.

This is the rare book that I would recommend to anyone.  There is no need or want to limit this to the Young Adult fan.  The material is accessible to younger readers but is a stunning and captivating read for those older readers as well.  A definite must read for 2014.

Slammed (Slammed #1) by Colleen Hoover

Buy it here!

Synopsis:
Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

Review:
I read this on the heels of Hopeless and while I enjoy that story more, Slammed was still a wonderful read and I enjoyed it thoroughly.  Colleen Hoover really knows how to create dialogue and seems quite talented at crafting compelling characters.  Lake and Will are at times hysterical, they are thoughtful and kind, they are introspective and vulnerable.  I wanted to hug them both when their relationship hit the wall.  It was agonizing.  What was nice, however, is that I understood their motivation, however stupid or silly their reactions were, and that's a testament to Colleen Hoover's writing prowess.  Slammed very easily could have devolved into an angst-fest.  But it didn't.  And regardless of how juvenile Lake sometimes acted, it was appropriate and never taken too far.  What also bears mentioning is that Colleen Hoover has an exceptional way of balancing the soft and hard elements of her characters.  Let me explain.  She allows them to ache and yearn and hurt, but gives them a sense of humor and sarcasm which is lovely.  I laughed out loud at their antics and dialogue in one moment, and ached for them the next.  It was really exceptionally and tastefully done.

In addition, secondary characters like Kel, Caulder, Eddie and Lake's mom are really well crafted.  They helped flesh out the storytelling and offered a means by which to know our primary characters better.  Too often, these kinds of characters get lost in the storytelling, but that simply isn't the case with Slammed.  Each voice was disctinct and individual, each person unique.  I adored getting to know them all.

My favorite parts were the slams, which allowed the reader to really get inside Will's head.  I loved it.  What an interesting and refreshing concept, one that was skillfully done.  I adored how Colleen Hoover incorporated these dialogues into the book, allowing us to share these feelings, while offering us a new perspective on self-examination.  It truly was amazing.

Why it lost a bit of praise from me: it wasn't flawless.  There were some choppy transitions and elements which could and should have been more deeply explored.  There were also some grammatical issues, but I've forgiven those.  Lastly, there was a shift in Lake's mom's attitude toward Will which was neither explained or explored.  Why she drifted so dramatically from adamant and staunch refusal to allow Lake and Will to foster their relationship to utter acceptance of it was a bit unbelievable.  I understand her trepidation and reticence, I would feel that way too, so why the sudden and absolute reversal in thinking?  It seems a simple enough thing to explain, just a paragraph or two would have sufficed, I think.  It just wasn't there and it bugged the crap out of me.

In any event, read Slammed.  It was good, really, really good.  And Will Cooper is now one of my favorite boys.

Hopeless (Hopeless #1) by Colleen Hoover

Buy it here!

Synopsis:
Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

Review:
Okay.  For the second time ever I am re-writing a review.  Oh boy.

Here's why I'm re-writing it.  It occurred to me that I wasn't entirely fair in my initial review and I wanted to right my wrong.  One thing that hasn't changed, however, is this assessment:

Let me say that Hopeless ran me over like a heard of bulls in Pamplona.  There was so much happening that I felt emotionally trampled by the end.  I WILL NOT reveal the twist, as so much of the story relies on it, but I will say that WOW, um, didn't exactly see that coming.  And that's a good thing, in my book.  Sky and Holder are simply fantastic.  I loved them individually and collectively, as a couple.  Flawed and fractured, imperfect, they were a joy to get to know.

What this novel did need was a better edit.  There were scenes that should have been trimmed, transitions which were bumpy, and the novel itself should have been condensed a bit.  BUT, it was so worth the read and has renewed my faith in Indy authors.  So, thank you Colleen Hoover for giving me something I've been missing for quite a long while: a truly fantastic story, with great characters, from an Indy author.  I hope this book gets picked up, treated with the respect it deserves and pushed out into the world.

Now, onto what I omitted.

Hopeless is the sort of story that sticks with you and Colleen Hoover is a pro at both great narrative and exceptional dialogue.  I mean, the woman can write some serious dialogue.  And that's no small feat.  When Holder and Sky speak to one another, they SPEAK to one another.  It's meaningful and impactful, even when they're discussing food.  I adored their banter, I loved when they spoke from the heart, it was honest and genuine and it made me feel everything they felt.

The story flows and reading it is effortless.  To me, that's the mark of a good storyteller.  Let me flow with it, carry me along and give me the time to enjoy it.  And Colleen Hoover knows how to craft good story.  I can't tell you how often I felt totally bitch slapped by her.  More often than I care to recall.  She gutted her characters and left them in a ditch.  But then she gave them CPR and rushed them to the ER.  PHEW!  I was emotionally spent after this read.  Ugh.  But it was well worth the price of admission.

Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino

Buy it here!

Synopsis:
"You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together…then you'll hear the sound of your soul."
Mia Kelly thinks she has it all figured out. She's an Ivy League graduate, a classically trained pianist, and the beloved daughter of a sensible mother and offbeat father. Yet Mia has been stalling since graduation, torn between putting her business degree to use and exploring music, her true love.

When her father unexpectedly dies, she decides to pick up the threads of his life while she figures out her own. Uprooting herself from Ann Arbor to New York City, Mia takes over her father's café, a treasured neighborhood institution that plays host to undiscovered musicians and artists. She's denied herself the thrilling and unpredictable life of a musician, but a chance encounter with Will, a sweet, gorgeous, and charming guitarist, offers her a glimpse of what could be. When Will becomes her friend and then her roommate, she does everything in her power to suppress her passions-for him, for music-but her father's legacy slowly opens her heart to the possibility of something more.

Review:
So I've been sitting here looking at the blank review screen on my laptop for what seems like forever, trying desperately to formulate words and condense my feelings into tangible ideas.  Why is that so difficult?  Because there's a lot going on in my brain and I'm kind of all over the place.  Don't get me wrong, I gave this book four stars on Goodreads for a reason, that reason is primarily Renee Carlino's lovely writing, but I did have some issues with the book.  Looking back, however, there was more I loved than didn't love.

The prologue for this novel is one that sucks you in immediately and is told from the POV of a character not completely tied to the story as a whole.  It's an interesting concept and one I thoroughly enjoyed.  This same character closes out the story as well and I thought it was a truly brilliant move on the author's part and the use of this character at integral stages of the novel is genius.  I'm not sure I've seen this done before, at least not in this way, and I have to say that it was one of the most inventive, original concepts I've seen.  And the execution?  Flawless.

Once into the meat of the story Ms. Carlino's writing is so effortless and smooth it's easy to get wrapped up in the world she's created.  This isn't an action-packed novel, it's totally character driven, and there's very little in the way of drama, so the ease with which Ms. Carlino captivates the reader is a testament to her ability.  I am a reader who is easily distracted, my mind tends to wander and it's very easy for me to walk away from a book, especially a book like this.  It takes a special kind of something to keep me engaged and this author has it.

Now, that being said, I had read some reviews that complained about the heroine in this story.  At first I was like, WTF?  Get off Mia's back, she's awesome and I love her.  But as the story progressed, I understood the complaints.  While I may not have reached the irritation level of some other readers, I totally got what they were complaining about.  Without getting spoilery, Mia's in NYC to take over her dead father's cafe.  She's uncertain what she wants to do with it as it's not part of her life plan but decides to live in her father's apartment and take over the cafe in the hopes of figuring it all.  On the way to NYC, she meets Will.  Being some serious music lovers they hit it off immediately and it's clear they have dynamic chemistry.  Eventually, Will rents the spare bedroom in Mia's apartment and the two become platonic roommates.  It's clear, however, that Will really adores Mia and would like more.  Their relationship has its highs and lows as the story spans a year and a half period but most of these lows are attributed to Mia's inability to see Will as anything more that her "buddy".

As I said, I got Mia at first.  Her father just died, it caused a major upheaval in her life and it's evident from the beginning that Mia was sort of lost to begin with.  Mia's real problem is that she has created rules for her life that are so rigid, so utterly unbend-able that she's boxed herself in.  The new life she's living is in such direct contrast to this envisioned, structured life that Mia's thrown into a tailspin.  I. GET. IT.  When you're young and have a particular idea about your future, it's really difficult to see beyond it and the author really created an environment made to rip apart Mia's sense of reality.  Again, this book is a character study and a necessary component of that is to sometimes gut your characters.  Now I know I've kind of wandered around a bit with this but stick with me because here's where the novel needed a little bit of help.  With all that Mia was going through independent of her conflicted feelings about Will it was absolutely understandable that she was often a mess.  A hot mess.  She did and said some things that, under other circumstances, I would find unforgivable.  She was sometimes cruel, often caustic, and the vitriol she spewed at Will was occasionally too much to take.  But still I got it.  HOWEVER, that was because I kept having to remind myself of that tailspin she was in.  What this story lacked was a deeper exploration of those elements.  Truly, I shouldn't have had to remind myself of the subtext, it should have been there for me to touch.  The result would have been a crisper, more relate-able Mia.  Had the author explored more, Mia wouldn't have come off so annoying.  Not to suggest that Mia was totaly unlikable, she wasn't, but there were elements that could have been better fleshed out.

Where Will was concerned, he was remarkably understanding and patient.  Seriously, by the end he deserved some sort of award.  At least a medal or something.  He was sweet, kind and completely smitten, and that Mia gave him such a hard time was where I began to find her annoying.  He played by her rules only to find that she would get angry with him for following them.  And, yet, there he was, ever-patient, always loving, forever putting her first.  Give that boy a standing ovation please.  When these two were getting along, it was simply magic.  Their chemistry, their absolute adoration of each other was blissful.  I loved the music they created with each other, the way they related through song and instruments was divine.  It was clear to everyone but Mia that they belonged together and it was really frustrating at times that she was so stubborn and opposed to the idea that she tortured Will without apology.  I think if you're going to read this you have to be prepared for that and always keep in mind that Mia is not only someone who's living through the aftermath of losing a parent but is also living a life they never envisioned.  If you can't do that, this may not be the book for you.  It truly isn't until the end of the book that Mia gets it and being that this is 300+ pages, it's an investment of time.  So if you're unable to see Mia for who she is under all of her bitchy, you may wind up disliking her.

I don't want to suggest that Mia is all bitch, all the time.  That's not at all true.  There are really some lovely scenes in this novel.  As the story progresses she has moments of clarity, times where she's accepting that life isn't going to be what she expected.  The scenes with Robert (a love interest) are very telling, both to Mia and the reader.  It's evident that this pair, while looking great on paper, are so inappropriate together it's painful.  The relationships Mia has with the staff of Kell's (her father's cafe) help her to ferret out her true self but, again, this takes time.  I wished there was more about Mia's dad in this book, I was desperate to know more about him.  His impact on Mia's life was so huge it seemed warranted but this aspect did fall a little short.  Mia's mom did help to fill in some of the blanks but it still left me craving more.

The last several chapters of this book is like a punch to the gut.  It's the crescendo of the mess which is Mia's life.  All of her fears and strife catch up to her and she's left with the consequences of her actions.  It's appropriate, though difficult to read.  It needed to happen because without it nothing would have been earned and the story would have suffered.  I appreciated that the author had the guts to eviscerate this character.  It was brutal but cathartic.  Don't worry, though, it turns out beautifully.

I'm not sure whether or not the author plans to write a companion novel.  There are some scenes from Will's POV which have been posted to a couple of blogs and they helped to fill in some blanks.  While I don't always like or appreciate companion novels, oftentimes they add little to the story as a whole, I would definitely read this story again from Will's POV.  I suspect it might make me like Mia more and, as I mentioned, I loved Will and would like the opportunity to read his story.  There are many instances in this book where Will's presence is missing and I truly missed him and wondered what he was up to.  I think if the author decided to do a companion piece it would make for a more fleshed out story.

In any event, I definitely recommend this book.  Ms. Carlino's writing is superb and she writes a damn good story.  Just bear in mind what I've said about Mia and give her a chance.  She's going to mess things up.  She's going to be bitchy about it and make you mad, but she has her reasons and at the end of the day I got her.  I didn't always like her, but I got her.  And in the end, she makes right all her wrongs.