Between Here and The Horizon by Callie Hart: Book Review

Synopsis from Goodreads: “You think you know me. You think you want to know me. But trust me, Miss Lang. Pursuing me will be the worst mistake you ever make. I’m broken beyond repair…

…and I take great pleasure in breaking everyone else around me.”

Ophelia Lang needs money, and she needs it bad. Her parent’s restaurant is going under, and ever since she lost her job teaching third grade elementary, scraping enough cash together to pay the bills has proven almost impossible. Her parents are on the brink of losing their home. The vultures are circling overhead. So when Ophelia is offered an interview for a well-paid private tutoring gig in New York, how can she possibly say no?

Ronan Fletcher is far from the overweight, balding businessman Ophelia expected him to be. He’s young, handsome, and wealthy beyond all reason. He’s also perhaps the coldest, rudest person she’s ever met, and has a mean streak in him a mile and a half wide. A hundred grand is a lot of money, however, and if tolerating his frosty temperament, his erratic mood swings and whatever else he throws at her means she’ll get paid, then that is what Ophelia will do.

Her new boss is keeping secrets, though. Awful, terrible secrets.

The ghosts of Ronan Fletcher’s past are about to turn Ophelia’s future upside down, and she can’t even see it coming.

Note: Between Here and The Horizon is a brand new standalone contemporary romance novel from USA Today bestselling author, Callie Hart. Between Here and the Horizon does contain some scenes of violence and sexual content, and so is directed at audience 18+

Date Published: October 18, 2016

Date Read: October 23, 2016

Source: Kindle Edition

Setting: The Causeway, Maine

 

REVIEW

This book is anything but a typical romance novel. 

Who puts a shocking twist in the first 20% of a book? Apparently this author. To be completely honest I was about to DNF this one, it felt like I’m not going to enjoy it or I need to read other books that are more to my liking and more of something I was in the mood for. I was in the mood for romance novels, and upon seeing that this book fell under that category plus look at that gorgeous cover, I started it immediately. But as I’ve mentioned, the first few chapters proved to be hard to get into, I couldn’t see where the romance will come in or how it will play out, but then after that shocking twist, I knew I had to continue or it will forever haunt me. And so here I am, writing this review. The first tip is, be patient with this one, I swear it gets better. It just needs some getting used to, but once you’ve moved past the hard parts, it will be rewarding. Trust me on this.

The ghosts of Ronan Fletcher’s past are about to turn Ophelia’s future upside down, and she can’t even see it coming.

That part of the blurb, OH MY GOD, it foreshadowed what’s about to happen! And yep, no one saw that coming! I was at a public transportation when I reached that part and it was so hard to contain my shock. This is the internal struggle of a reader, everyone is going through the notions of their own lives and there I was battling with all the emotions I am struggling to contain inside me. And I tell you, it ain’t easy.

Writing this review is harder than I thought. I want to tell you about the goodness of this book but how can I when I can’t tell you who ends up with who and what happens to this and that. Okayyy. How do I go about this without spoiling something? I guess I would have to be as vague as possible. So please bear with me on this one. I just don’t like to kill the mood for you by accidentally revealing a major plot twist, I will do the best I can to give you a somewhat good review, despite me going around the bush.

This book had the mystery/thriller element to it that made it different from a lot of romance novels out there. It wasn’t what you are expecting. It will continually surprise you until the very end. This is the reason why I enjoyed this book so much, there was the element of surprise, the readers are constantly guessing what will happen, conjuring up theories as to where will the story might lead, and then everything will not go the way they imagined it to. It was hard to pull off something like it but Callie Hart made it look effortless. This is the first book I have read by her, and to say that I am missing out would be an understatement. If all her books were as shocking and as unique as this, then count me in. And my favorite thing in the world, MILITARY men! Haha I don’t know what is it with stories about military men, but I love reading books about them!

So if you like:

Brooding and angsty male protagonist with a soft side deep down the recesses of his being

A strong female protagonist who takes no shit from anybody

Steamy steamy moments (Oh boy)

A shocking twist

Coherence of story from the prologue down to the last page

The search is over, you have found your match! This book is definitely for you!

I appreciated the coherence of the story, from the prologue, which had set the perfect mood but did not give anything away, down to the last chapter where everything made complete sense. It was the kind of book that will leave you in awe. The book was well thought-out, save for the few issues I have, all in all, it was an amazing read. I couldn’t wait to start yet another book by her and see where Callie Hart’s imagination will take me!

 

 

RATING: 

“He was a man possessed. I was a woman lost. Together, we were two halves of something fragile and delicate, beautiful in its complexity.”

― Callie Hart, Between Here and the Horizon

Just A Kiss by Denise Hunter: Book Review

Synopsis from Goodreads:   Riley Callahan’s plans to reveal his secret feelings for his best friend are derailed when his life is drastically altered in Afghanistan.

Watching the love of his life fall for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, and Beau and Paige are no longer an item. When Riley’s tour in Afghanistan is up, he intends to confess his feelings to Paige and win his best friend’s heart once and for all.

But all that changes when an IED takes the life of a comrade and leaves Riley an amputee. Now he’s heading home, injured and troubled. His plans to win Paige are a distant dream. She deserves so much more than the man that’s left. All he can do now is put some healthy distance between them. But upon his return he discovers his family has arranged for him to stay with Paige.

Paige is a nurturer at heart and happy to take care of her best buddy. By all appearances Riley is adjusting miraculously well to his disability. But as the days pass, Paige begins to see that the smiles and laughter are just a mask for the pain he’s hiding. To make matters worse, her job is in serious jeopardy. The animal shelter that she’s poured her heart into has lost its funding, and she has three months to come up with the money needed to save it.

As the weeks wear on, Paige’s feelings for Riley begin to shift into uncharted territory. Why is she suddenly noticing his arm muscles and the way his lips curl at the corners? Will she be able to deny her feelings for another Callahan brother? And will Riley let his heart heal so he can let Paige in?

Publisher: Smith Publicity Inc.

Date Published: September 6, 2016

Date Read: October 13, 2016

Source: Advanced Reader Copy provided by the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Setting: Summer Harbor, Maine

REVIEW

The publisher provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much, Smith Publicity Inc.

I think this is my first Christian Contemporary Romance, I’ve been raking my brains out to remember if I have read one before but came up empty. Maybe I have read some before, I just don’t remember them. It happens, right? Anyways, so yes I’m gonna claim this as my first Christian Contemporary Romance. Just A Kiss is the third book in the Summer Harbor Series, but it is a stand alone – which I appreciate a lot. I’m not a huge series fan lately for multitudes of reasons, the number one being: I just don’t have the time to invest in a series now. So when Smith Publicity Inc. contacted me and explained that Just A Kiss can be read on its own, I immediately agreed. But the main reason why I agreed to review a copy is because the male protagonist is a Marine. If you have known me for quite a while, you’ll understand my obsession about marines in books.I don’t really know what is it about marines that I love so much, but I immensely enjoy reading about them. Gahhhh it is so hard to explain. Maybe because they start off as brooding men but definitely has a soft side.

I love stories about best friends turning into lovers. There’s nothing more satisfying than that. I am always such a sucker for these kinds of books, so much so that I have drafted bazillion stories like it, in the hopes of having it published someday. That’s for another time, you are here for my review right? Haha I always get sidetracked. Okay, so on to Just A Kiss. Have you watched Hallmark movies? So for those who aren’t aware of Hallmark movies, these are cutesy, heartwarming, and just ohhh so good and decent if I may add, romance films.  Just A Kiss is a Hallmark movie in book form. Am I making any sense? It was cute, heartwarming, so so good and very decent. What more could one possibly ask for? Just A Kiss is the perfect mixture of self-discovery, resilience, regrets, tragedy, self-acceptance, second chances, love and all the emotional excitement that goes with it. I loved how the story was as real as it could get.

In Just A Kiss we follow the story of Riley and Paige, who are best friends. Riley has been harboring feelings for Paige for a long time.While Riley and Paige dance around, refusing to acknowledge what they feel for each other, it is kind of nice to look forward to how all will unfold and how both of them will find out their true feelings for each other, it is as if you feel for them, root for them to end up together once and for all. And when that moment finally arrived, it was nothing short of perfect. I loved how everything unfolded, how they ease into each other’s lives like they were born to do just that. But of course there had to be some setbacks, and I appreciate that it was well played out, there was just the right drama that surrounded it and the perfect resolution to the whole story. It was a feel good at best, and I have found a go-to author for whenever I want to read some heartwarming stories with a good lesson or two.

So if you are a new Denise Hunter fan just like me, or just looking for a good romance, then this book is the answer. I loved how it made me feel, like everything in the world is right again! Can’t wait to read more of her books!

Rating: 

Maybe he’ll come around, and maybe he won’t. But if there’s anything I’ve learned  in all these years it’s that you can’t contol someone else. You can only control yourself – on a good day. You need to find something productive to keeo your mind busy. Focus on you. On being the best that you can be.

– Just A Kiss; Denise Hunter

 

November 9 by Colleen Hoover: Book Review

Synopsis from Goodreads: Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist

Publisher:  Atria Books

Date Published: November 10, 2015

Date Read: October 19, 2016

Source/Format: Kindle edition

Setting: Los Angeles

REVIEW

NEVER HAVE I BEEN SO CONFLICTED OVER A BOOK UNTIL NOVEMBER 9.

It’s true, it was so hard to rate this one. It feels like I am still going to change my mind in the future, but for now, let’s settle with a 2- star rating. My mind and my heart are at war with each other right now, my feelings dictate to love this book despite its many flaws, but my mind knows logic. And this time I am choosing logic over feelings, because at this point I am after the substance of the book, rather than how it made me feel – this book made me feel plethora of emotions, alright, but I can’t go on basing my thoughts on feelings alone right? Past 50% of the book I was so sure to give it 5 stars, then came 75% and my excitement is waning down, then onto 82% and it lost me completely.

Let me first tell you what I loved about it, I don’t want this review to sound like a rant. There is definitely something I like about it, so let me discuss it before I go full rant mode. First, I loved the concept of Ben and Fallon meeting every November 9th. It was yes like One Day but as Ben puts it, theirs was unique one, and I have to give Colleen Hoover props for it. It was sure a great concept, I sure would love to read something more like this. And the writing style is good too, well I think that’s an established fact when it comes to Colleen Hoover books. She sure knows where to hit the right spot. Her writing style is addictive and many can attest to that, myself included. I always loved the concept of writers as characters in books, there’s always something comforting about it, and I sure as hell loved Ben The Writer the first half of the book, I mean what is not to love? He was funny, smart, adorable and just perfect. But I never learn with CoHo books.There is always a catch. Always.

This is the fourth book I have read by her. First was Hopeless, Maybe Someday, It Ends With Us and then November9. I’m not one to tell that this book was the least of what she has written, but it definitely didn’t quite match the three books I have read, I might be on the minority side on this one, but I’ll say my piece. What irked me was the fact that this book pushed it a little too far, so much so that it was almost cringe-worthy. I mean I know it is a work of fiction, but I longed for that modicum or element of reality in the books I read, something one could at least relate to. This book fell short in that category. If anything, reading November9 is like watching a daytime drama – yes it was that dramatic and too unrealistic, too over the top, but ultimately something people can’t get enough of. I guess it was trying to make an impact, that whoa factor, that gasp-inducing  moment, that smack-in-the-face-before-you-can-register-what-just-happened, it did. But it didn’t work for me, it was just too much. I fell in love hard and fast with the first few chapters and that same love was gone just as fast. Gone before I could acknowledge it, gone before I could savor it. It was easy to love this book, and I understand those who do, I really do, because at one point in this book I saw myself loving it too. Maybe if the book ended at 75% or without that terrible twist, I would have loved it. But no, there has to be this devastating twist, which ruined everything for me. The deception was painted in a romantic way, it is as if in doing so, it was justified. It was so wrong on so many levels. What Ben did, was just wrong and the explanation that came looked like a mere after-thought – again to justify the deception and manipulation (for lack of a better term). And how it was so easy for Fallon to just accept it, damn girl, your mother taught you better than that!

And did I mention how sooooo cheesy most of the parts were? If you know me long enough, you probably would know that I love cheesy and all that mushy things in a book, well November9 took it to the moon, like wayyyy up there, that it is not even sweet anymore it is bordering creepy and obsessive, which, no thanks, I’ll pass up. Plus this book was made for it to be liked by readers, you don’t get what I’m saying? Let me put it this way, Fallon is a wide romance-reader, which we all are here, if you have read Colleen Hoover books, then it is safe to assume you love the genre, right? Because what the hell are you doing here if you’re not into romance novels. Anyway, so she’s a sucker for romance novels, in romance novels, there are, book-boyfriends, book worthy kisses, angst, alpha-males, and all that jazz. This book tried to incorporate all these things here. It was trying to lure readers into liking it, at first it worked on me, but then it got old and nope, just stop it. I don’t know if I was able to explain that clearly, but I couldn’t give out spoilers okay. So I guess you have to see it for yourself.

So there, I have to stop now. If you want to give this book a try, go ahead, maybe you could appreciate it more than I did, and that’s really good. Maybe I missed out on the message the book was trying to send across, or maybe it was just a case of bad timing. I don’t know. I finished the book, so I think that’s good enough. Will this book tarnish the love I have for Colleen Hoover? Definitely not, we have our favorite authors, but it doesn’t necessarily follow that we have to love everything they have written. So which one should I read next?

Reviews are reviews, they are opinions of the readers, which more often than not are always at opposites with each other, I respect the ones who loved it, good for you. But also you have to respect those who didn’t. So let’s just enjoy reading and be nice to each other!

RATING: 

“She “loved me” in quotations

She kissed me in bold

I TRIED TO KEEP HER in all caps

She left with an ellipsis . . .”
― Colleen Hoover, November 9

Penny In London by Fisher Amelie: Book Review

Synopsis from Goodreads: You know how everyone says when one door closes another one opens? At the time, you find this statement obnoxious as all get out because a) you don’t really know what the future holds, it certainly hasn’t been a cakewalk so far, and b) the thought of change is unbearable. You feel like your life is falling apart and everyone around is feeding you clichés like they’re made out of kale or quinoa or whatever the trend health food is right now. You don’t want kale clichés, you want double-chocolate fudge realisms, and you want them now. You just want things the way they were, but then something happens, a moment, an instant that sets you out on a path toward happiness you never knew could exist, and suddenly you think, huh, I don’t think I want double-chocolate fudge anymore. I think I’m in the mood for this heaping serving of strawberry cheesecake sitting in front of me…with a side of kale. And a pair of split pants, but we won’t get into that right now.

Graham Glenn may have tossed her in, but Oliver Finn made her feel again.

Date Published: July 23, 2016

Publisher: Self-published

Date Read: October 10, 2016

No. of Pages: 244

Source: Author provided me a copy in exchange for an honest review

Setting: London

 

Review

The first book I have read by Fisher Amelie was Callum and Harper which instantly became an all time favorite, I fell in love with the characters and the story. And so I was beyond ecstatic to start yet another book by her – Penny In London. I have been in a Fisher Amelie drought for the longest time and now it finally rained.

Penny in London  will take us to Penny’s journey on losing love, finding it again and everything else in between. There are moments that made me laugh out loud and there are moments that my chest felt so heavy for suppressing my tears because I was reading in public and I wouldn’t want them to think I’m on the verge of a meltdown. So yeah, to say this book brought out different emotions would be an understatement. Fisher Amelie’s brilliance is still apparent in this book, it was an easy yet delightful read. Maybe the only issue I had was, I wish it was longer, I wish there were parts that should have been expounded more so as to bring forth the impact it was trying to effect on its readers. There was something that I was looking for, nonetheless, it was good – it captured my attention and finished it in a day, which doesn’t happen often *insert adult life here and all the responsibilities I’m trying to run away from, haha!*.

Penny’s character is relatable in more ways than one. There is this sense of feeling that you couldn’t help but feel for her, happens to the best of us, I suppose. I loved how she developed into an independent woman after what happened with Graham. Oliver’s character, on the other hand, was a little hard for me to comprehend. I was trying to dissect his whole persona to come up with a spot-on conclusion on his character but came up short. His character was a little inconsistent, there are traits that contradict one another and I was finding it hard to reconcile them. The depth of his despair and how he handled situations  were also a little lacking for me. Again, maybe I was looking for something more.

The story was divided into stages of grief, which served as a good mood-setter (if that is a thing), it somehow gives you the overview or at least what to expect from that chapter. And can you guys give me a pat on the back for knowing about the plot twist from the very beginning? I swear I was pumping my hands through the air whilst saying “I so knew it!”. Don’t get me wrong the book wasn’t predictable, I don’t know, but I just had that deep feeling that that was the big plot twist of the book. And I was so happy to know I have been right all along. *insert smug face, haha kidding*. So yes, despite the fact that this is a fun and easy read, there is that big twist that you have to watch out for, come back to me if you saw it coming too, or if you didn’t, that’s also amazing! I love me some books with unexpected twists. This book is wholesome and decent, something that is hard to find these days, it focused on the story rather than the steamy parts, us romance readers, know all too well. I love that it didn’t try hard to include unnecessary steamy situations just so it could sell. It was just right as it is.

And yep I had that biggest smile at the ending. It was so cute and heartwarming. I wish there were more pages so I could relish it for much longer. So go ahead, treat yourself with a light and funny read and pick this book up! You’re welcome.

 

Rating: 

 

I don’t believe in regrets, not really. I mean, in the heat of a moment I may strongly wish I hadn’t done something but to be honest, I believe all our decisions help mold us into the persons we’re supposed to become. Think about it, if everyone made flawless decisions, how could any of us truly understand life, and all it’s accompanying beauties? If we never suffer, how can we recognize joy for what it is? If we never witness another’s struggles, how can we submit ourselves to helping them? No regrets help shape us into selfless people. After all, the only regrets people really speak of are surrounded by a hesitation to love or allow love.

Penny In London by Fisher Amelie

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Almost by Matthew Thorburn: Book Review | Poetic Book Tour

Synopsis from Goodreads: Dear Almost is a book-length poem addressed to an unborn child lost in miscarriage. Beginning with the hope and promise of springtime, poet Matthew Thorburn traces the course of a year with sections set in each of the four seasons. Part book of days, part meditative prayer, part travelogue, the poem details a would-be father’s wanderings through the figurative landscapes of memory and imagination as well as the literal landscapes of the Bronx, Shanghai, suburban New Jersey, and the Japanese island of Miyajima. As the speaker navigates his days, he attempts to show his unborn daughter “what life is like / here where you ought to be / with us, but aren’t.” His experiences recall other deaths and uncover the different ways we remember and forget. Grief forces him to consider a question he never imagined asking: how do you mourn for someone you loved but never truly knew, never met or saw? In candid, meditative verse Dear Almost seeks to resolve this painful question, honoring the memory of a child who both was and wasn’t there.

Publisher: Louisiana State University Press

Date Published: September 1, 2016

Date Read: October 5,2016

No. Of Pages: 88

Source: Copy provided by Poetic Book Tours

 

Review

Dear Almost is a painful depiction of how fleeting everything is – gone before you had the chance to grasp it into your hands. Matthew Thorburn will take us into the center of their grief and loss over their “almost baby girl”. I for one is not a parent yet, but you need not be one to understand and feel the depth of the emotion this poem conveys. This book attest to human’s attachment to other people, however brief or however long the relationship had been, or however real or just in “concept” it was. It is true what they say, it is more painful to let go of something that was never yours to begin with. It was told in a what-could-have-been concept. How their baby would have looked like had she reached this certain age, or how she would have reacted or what would she have liked had she grown up and experience everything that life has to offer. There was so much beauty in the way Matthew Thorburn portrayed it, it was vivid, making it all the more heartbreaking that it already was.

What went wrong

for no other reason, finally,

than that it didn’t go right.

Ours is the story of how

is became was and was became

wasn’t became no,

became not. The story of our

almost girl, our might’ve been.

It wasn’t just simply mere lamentation of parents, but it was a howl to the wind of something they have no control over – it was as though every grief and loss no matter in what form it came, is universal. You grieve over something that should have stayed a little longer.

So give me a sign if

you’re out there, if you’re

the light swaying, swinging

between trees, that light

growing faint, drifting deeper

into the shadowy woods,

if you’re that pale glow

 

between the elms and alders.

What star do you steer by?

Where are you going?

Tell me you can hear this

if that’s you who pauses

beside a ragged oak,

head cocked to one side

like a doe, light bouncing back

from your dark eyes,

if that’s you moving under

starlight and moonlight,

waiting for a gauze of cloud

to dim the world

 

so you can slip away

once more. Tell me, are these

your footprints I find

in the morning in the dark

wet earth, faint traces

in the muck and loam

that slowly fill with water?

Matthew Thorburn offers a profound understanding of what it is like to hold on to a memory and eventually come to terms with the loss. Through the change of the season, or the length of time that passed, it was ultimately something that would inevitably be a part of a person – their sadness and grief fuse with their persona making them a deeper and stronger version of themselves. Dear Almost engages the reader to feel the immense pain of undergoing such unfortunate loss, the regrets and plans made that will never come to fruition. The whole idea of the book appealed to me so much and couldn’t help but pass it on to other people, may they be poetry reader or not. Matthew Thorburn has earned a new fan in me.

 

Rating: 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne: Book Review

Synopsis: Debut author Sally Thorne bursts on the scene with a hilarious and sexy workplace comedy all about that thin, fine line between hate and love.

Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.
2) A person’s undoing
3) Joshua Templeman

Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She’s charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual.

Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. There’s the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can’t let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking.

If Lucy wins this game, she’ll be Joshua’s boss. If she loses, she’ll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she’s got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether she’s got Joshua Templeman all wrong.

Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn’t hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

Date Published: August 9, 2016

Publisher: William Marrow

Date Read: September 23, 2016

No. of Pages: 384

 

REVIEW

FAVORITE BOOK OF 2016!!!

It is such a pity that majority of the population of the earth doesn’t know the beauty that is this book. It sucks to know that they could go on with their mundane lives without even knowing that this book exists. I pity them so much, I cry silent tears. It is such a shame that they could actually die without experiencing the pleasure of reading The Hating Game, and this awful sad realization settles at the recesses of my being echoing like a howl of a wolf to the moon because come to think of it, it really IS sad. So you, yes you, if you are reading this review, it’s either one of the two things – 1: You have read the book, and you want to check out what others felt about it, stupid smile on their faces – check! Lost in a love trance – Super Check! Can’t talk about anything else but Lucy and Joshua – a million times check! Thinking of someone to share a Staring Game with – Check, check check! Or 2: You are so intrigued by this book, you have to know what the fuss was all about. Well, be intrigued no more and drop everything else you’re doing and for the love of everything that is holy, pick up this book, find a comfortable place to lie on, and READ THIS BOOK as if your life depends on it. YOU CAN THANK ME LATER.

It is so ridiculously good, it will be all I’ll be thinking for days. A re-read is in order! You have no idea what this book did to me. I was laughing and swooning, and making weird noises of excitement and thrill. I needed a pillow by my side for whenever I feel like screaming against it caused by too much happiness and excitement! My heart is all gooey, and it definitely felt like I’m caged in a room full of marshmallow walls, floor, and ceiling! I was mental! I was flailing. Have you seen a grown woman, actually flail? Yep, that’s me, I was flailing like an animated being, one look and you will lose all the respect you have for me. I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK IT IS NOT FUNNY ANYMORE. I have vowed to shy away from reading romance for a little while, why? Because it feels like I am betraying Josh and Lucy if I start reading another story. I am so attached to this book, I can’t put it into words.  So here’s what’s happening to me, my body is tingling, I’m biting my nails out of pure delight, my eyes probably are forming a heart shape by now, my heart flutters like ain’t nobody’s business. This is what happens to me whenever I finish a ridiculously good book. IT IS MADNESS!!! *insert a picture of me flailing with school girl shrill to match*.

So okay, this is me gathering my composure, let me just catch my breath and arrange my thoughts.

You still there? Okay, good.

The Hating Game will be your next favorite book. I am so confident in saying that! Yes! Not a single soul I have encountered that hated the book, yes even the ones who often are irked by cheesiness and romance loved this book. Even the coldest of hearts swooned over this and maybe flailed like I did. No kidding. This book just brings out all the joy in you like fireworks on New Year’s Eve, it was feel good and heart-warming at best. The perfect companion to almost anything – while stuck in traffic, during a rainy day, or by the beach, whilst running from zombies, during the apocalypse, while under a table during an earthquake, at your home while there’s an asteroid about to hit the earth, or while you’re at the rooftop because there was tsunami about to wash away everything, The Hating Game is the best companion, yes even when you are about to die. At the face of death, I will still be clutching this book like my own child, no exaggeration whatsoever. Have I convinced you yet?

Office romance has always been my go-to story. Instant pick-me-upper if you ask me. The banters, the subtle hints, the love-hate relationship, these are all I look forward to in a chic lit book. I always enjoy the fun and lightness of it. It’s like nibbles of rainbows and sunshines. The Hating Game is like actually seeing a unicorn. Well come to think of it, Sally Thorne is a unicorn for coming up with such amazing story. I have not encountered an author who delighted me completely. Sure, there are authors I admire but Sally Thorne took it to a whole new level. I wanted to hug her right now, I am willing to be her slave. Lucy and Joshua’s relationship isn’t like the typical office romance. It started off on the wrong foot, and everything was a series of laugh-out-loud funny moments, swoon-worthy actions down to serious business. I loved how the story developed. I devoured each page like a I was starved for decades. It was the book I never wanted to end. Lucy’s narration is such a delight to read, I really love her character, her determination, her personality. I wanted to be her best friend, or well, who are we kidding, I want to be her, just so I could have Joshua Templeman all to myself! HAHAHAH

Now can we talk about JOSHUA TEMPLEMAN?

I WANT A JOSHUA TEMPLEMAN FOR MYSELF!!! Joshua Templeman has dethroned all the book boyfriends on my list! HE TOOK THE CAKE and he will be pretty much up there for a looooong time, maybe forever. Where are the Joshua Templemans of the world, seriously? Is there a mail-order Joshua Templeman that I could add to my cart? Gaddd, I’m so obsessed. So okay, this review is basically me fangirling incessantly over Joshua Templeman. But please hear me out and read through, I don’t know how much convincing you need, but if it isn’t obvious already that I am practically shoving this book down your throat, then I don’t know anymore.

Let me list the things I loved about this book in bullet form because I can’t seem to formulate a good paragraph, all that my brain is getting is: FANGIRL OVER JOSHUA TEMPLEMAN in big bold letters.

• Shortcake (Please someone call me that)
• Robin’s Egg Blue!! Gaddd that partttttt! That’s my most favoriteeeeee!
• Paint Ball
• Strawberries
• Smurfs
• Hotwheels
• Elevators! HAHA
• or Something
• Lucinda

And anyone from Hollywood, can we like make this into a movie? Pretty please?

And you, enough wasting your time on my review and grab this book already. I demand it!

 

Rating: 

 

“I have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them. I’ve had a lot of time to compare love and hate, and these are my observations.
Love and hate are visceral. Your stomach twists at the thought of that person. The heart in your chest beats heavy and bright, nearly visible through your flesh and clothes. Your appetite and sleep are schredded. Every interaction spikes your blood with adrenaline, and you’re in the brink of fight or flight. Your body is barely under your control. You’re consumed, and it scares you.
Both love and hate are mirror versions of the same game – and you háve to win. Why? Your heart and your ego. Trust me, I should know.”
― Sally Thorne, The Hating Game

 

Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine: Book Review

Synopsis: Pixie and Levi haven’t spoken in nearly a year when they find themselves working―and living―at the same inn in the middle of nowhere. Once upon a time, they were childhood friends. But that was before everything went to hell. And now things are… awkward.

All they want to do is avoid each other, and their past, for as long as possible. But now that they’re forced to share a bathroom, and therefore a shower, keeping their distance from one another becomes less difficult than keeping their hands off each other. Welcome to the hallway of awkward tension and sexual frustration, folks. Get comfy. It’s going to be a long summer.

Date Published: March 14, 2014

Date Read: September 21, 2016

Publisher: Forever

No. of Pages: 272

Setting: Copper Spring, Arizona

 

Review

Cute Banters and Palpable Sexual Tension, what’s not to love?

 

Best Kind of Broken brought out the fun in reading New Adult books. I have been on a New Adult reading spree these days. It doesn’t happen often, and so I took advantage of it. Often times after reading a new adult book, I would immediately jump to a different genre – in need of a palate cleanser. I’m not one who binge read one after another, I tend to mix it all up or over-compare the stories, making me favour one more than the other. It’s like choosing a favourite child (well, I don’t have kids yet, haha but I’m sure you get my point). I wanted to savour every story, value them as one should – this is the main reason why I seldom read books in the same genre consecutively. And so because I am in a New Adult streak, it was surprise that I loved almost every book I have read, Best of Broken being the latest. I never expected anything out of this book. I never read the blurb or others’ review for that matter, I went into this blind. I never wanted to be influenced by what others thought of it.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

This is the kind of romance I enjoy reading, I love Levi and Pixie’s banters and the palpable sexual tension is not hard to miss. I loved that it is funny where it is supposed to and serious when it should be. It is entertaining and engaging you wouldn’t want to put it down. Their story though a typical one as new adult theme, was presented in such a way that you would want to eat up every words and savour every page. It is a decent new adult book, nowadays we are bombarded with new adult books with either too heavy topic the world could not bear it or with too much explicit contents it is not even new adult anymore. In Best Kind of Broken, you will get the right amount of romance and drama. It is an easy story yet an unforgettable one. The story unfolded with ease and the readers are taken on this story of healing and forgiveness, of fear and despair yet choosing to risk it all over again. It was everything and then some.

The blurb hardly gave anything away, you see, blurbs like this can either be a hit or miss. It could work to lure someone into reading the book or make someone pass up completely. And because I don’t often read blurbs, including this one, I went ahead reading this book without passing any preconceived notion. I just went ahead and read through. Glad that I did. The book will take us into the story of two people trying to tiptoe through the wreck of the year that changed their lives. And I tell you, it is not just “awkward” as mentioned in the blurb, it is beyond that. It was hurt and guilt masked by annoyance, anger and indifference. How the author played around the two characters will make you see the depth of this book, it is not just a simple summer read, it has a story, it has sense of gravity and seriousness to it that one could not simply miss. And I wish more people could see that, it is not simply a book categorized under “cute-read, swoon-worthy male protagonist, love-hate relationship” it was so much more than that.

I loved how the two characters were going around in circles suppressing what they truly feel towards each other. Levi and Pixie had issues they soon need to address, and the journey on how they developed and grew in this book is really a fun thing to read. Again, the banters and the palpable sexual tension is such a delight to read, I laughed a lot of times, and tear up at some parts. It was the perfect combination of comedy, romance and drama. The sure hit formula for a good book. And oh yes!! I love love love that goat, cracks me up all the freaking time! The alternating point of views is also a big plus for me! It was beautifully written. The writing style is clean and polished. I think Chelsea Fine is an underrated author. People should seriously take a look at her works. Best Kind of Broken sure won’t be the last book I will be reading by her.

 

Rating: 

“Love isn’t safe and life isn’t guaranteed. So yeah, I could die and you could lose Levi and your heart could hurt again, but that’s just life. The only alternative is living without fully loving anyone else. And that’s not living at all.”
― Chelsea Fine, Best Kind of Broken