Review: Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles #1) by Sophie jordan

Before she goes after the life she’s always wanted, she’s about to find the one she needs.

Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s brother, Hunter, for like ever. He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom—take a few pointers from someone who knows what he’s doing.

Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous, deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as lessons in attraction are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real. Goodreads | Author | Amazon

Source: Borrowed by my awesome friend Julie! {{HUGS}}

Review:
I had sworn off most of the New Adult genre after too many over the top, just about the sex, plots. I had heard about Foreplay but after reading the summary, found it contained every single thing I hate about NA, I was like NO THANKS. Then my friend Julie said it was great and offered me her copy to read and Wendy from The Midnight Garden recommended it to me. We have similar likes/dislikes for the genre so I trusted her judgment and took the plunge.

Guys! I loved this book!!

I swear I did not see that coming. A virgin looking for experience with the hot, tattooed, (rumored) man-whore that works at a bar? Trying to woo her life long crush who happens to be her BFF’s brother? No. Just no. I hate all those things! I’ve read them 1000 times. But Jordan does such an incredible job writing a good old school romance. It was sexy. It was fun. And it’s nothing like what the summary suggests.

Both Pepper and Reece have had a difficult childhood that scarred them but it doesn’t devour them like in so many NA novels out there right now. It shapes them – but does not define them. They have school, jobs, friends, money problems. Normal things – normal day to day hopes and dreams.

It’s so refreshing reading about a couple falling in love, really feeling the attraction between them jump off the page and watch them work out the issues that keep them from commiting. There was frustration and angst of course but not in the overwrought, I want to throw this book across the room, way.

The sexual interactions happened a little too soon (IMO) but it’s a slow building romance and even the sex is taken in slower steps so it ended up working for me. We hear over & over how hot Reece is and that gets a tad annoying – but he IS hot lol and NICE! Jordan used a few phrases repeatedly (muscles feathering across his jaw for example) but nothing too distracting.

Final thoughts: To be sure, Foreplay isn’t breaking any new ground but it was fun and the first book in a long time that had me all swoony with butterflies in my stomach for the couple. They were mature with real life problems but didn’t resort to whining and melodrama. I didn’t want it to end – this was a surprisingly fast read.

If you’re feeling jaded about the genre, give this one a shot. It’s still got all the heat but also has characters that have a real life outside of each other and they’re not drowning in a sea of angst.

Review: Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katy McGarry

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane 

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. 

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. 

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.  

~ Goodreads | Author | Amazon

Source: E-ARC provided by the publisher for my honest review

Release date: November 26, 2013

Review:I’m going to give you all a moment to go grab a few tomatoes to throw at me. Because  *ducks head* I did not like this book.

But Isaiah was so broken you say! I know!!! I know!!! I love him! I swear.

I’m pretty sure this is a case of it’s not you – it’s me. McGarry’s Pushing the Limit’s series is one of the few contemporary YA I always enjoy. And I love the way her characters, although broken, always try to achieve more out of life. Their journey is always bumpy but realistic. They don't magically overcome everything. But this book – there was just too much going on.

I already loved Isaiah and I thought for sure I would fall in love with Rachel. She suffers from panic attacks, as do I, so I felt an immediate connection but then this story kept spinning wider and wider.  OMG the angst. THE ANGST.

I loved Rachel and Isaiah when they were together without all the outside forces and excess melodrama but I lost count of how many things happened to them. By the end I was just like NO FREAKING WAY – that too???

Rachel’s family are probably the worst group of people I’ve read about in a really long time. They are just awful. I hated them. All of them. I see that at least one brother will be next up for the series and I just don’t care. They all need to be in intense psychiatric counseling.

Rachel’s family and problems make Isaiah’s life look like a walk in the park. And because of that it felt like just too much for one book. Any ONE of their problems could have filled a book but they had problems times infinity! lol

The supporting cast felt like sequel bait. There are plenty of damaged people floating around waiting for their stories to be told. I also get the sense that Noah and Echo might be getting another book at some point, which would be kind of cool.

I am admittedly burned out on this type of stuff and I guess this book just wasn’t right for me at this point in time. I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the series because the whole angst business and the way Logan/Rachel’s brothers were set up just promises more bad boy drama llama.

For all the McGarry fans I still say go get this book. Here’s a review by my friend Jen over at Fictitious Delicious who happened to love this book because of all the angst!

(Plus I am seriously the ONLY person who did not like this book on Goodreads. I am pond scum lol)

Waiting on Wednesday: Seeking Her, Breakable, The Chocolate Tempation

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I haven’t been doing many WoW’s recently. I already have WAY too many books but there were a few book reveals this week that have me SO excited!

SEEKING HER (A Finding It Novella – Losing It #3.5))By Cora Carmack
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: January 28th, 2014
Add to Goodreads shelf

A few months after being honorably discharged from the military, Jackson Hunt is still struggling to adjust back to the real world. He needs to get a job and find a sense of normalcy if he’s going to keep his own demons at bay. The job that falls into his lap, though, is anything but normal.

Bodyguard (and baby-sitter) to spoiled-rich-girl Kelsey Summers isn’t exactly what he’d been looking for, but it’s a chance to travel, to get away from the home that has felt stifling ever since his return. It would be a pretty sweet gig if it weren’t for the fact that Kelsey’s father doesn’t want Kelsey to know she’s being followed. Hunt feels guilty (and a little bit creepy) as he watches her from afar. She’s vibrant and infuriating, exciting and reckless, mysterious and familiar. When he sees her falling into the same patterns that he suffered years ago, he decides it’s time to stop watching and help her instead. But getting to know her is more difficult than he thought, especially because the more he knows her,the more he wants her.

I NEED it because: I loved Finding It! New Adult done right. (IMO) One of the only flaws I found was the lack of development for Jackson’s character. I’m not a big fan of alternate POV telling's of the same story but I think this one will really add to Finding It. And Jackson is a really nice guy. I just can’t get enough of those nice guys :-)

BREAKABLEBy Tammara Webber
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: May 6th, 2014
Add to Goodreads shelfHe was lost and alone. Then he found her.

And the future seemed more fragile than ever.

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

Note: "Breakable is not a sequel. It's a prequel story from Landon and the Easy story from Lucas. ...Breakable is Lucas's story - for those of you who wanted inside his head. It can be read as a stand-alone of its own, or as a companion to Easy.

I NEED it because: Tammara Webber. Nuff’ said. I’ll read anything she writes. Even chalk scribbling's on a sidewalk. This is a prequel to Easy, although it seems like there is some crossover and I’m very curious to see how Webber does this. Lucas is an amazing character with a very dark past. This is sure to be an emotional read, despite knowing the outcome.

And that cover! I’m all kinds of in love with it. It makes me a little sad (Lucas needs a hug), a little swoony (they’re together!) and happy (It’s so pretty and matches with Easy).

THE CHOCOLATE TEMPTATION (Amour Chocolat #6)By Laura Florand
Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: January 2014
Add to Goodreads shelf

She hated him.

Patrick Chevalier. The charming, laid-back, golden second-in-command of the Paris pastry kitchen where Sarah worked as intern, who made everything she failed at seem so easy, and who could have every woman he winked at falling for him without even trying. She hated him, but she’d risked too much for this dream to give up on it and walk out just so he wouldn’t break her heart.

But he didn’t hate her.

Sarah Lin. Patrick’s serious, dark-haired American intern, who looked at him as if she could see right through him and wasn’t so impressed with what she saw. As her boss, he knew he should leave her alone. The same way he knew better than to risk his heart and gamble on love.

But he was never good at not going after what – or who – he wanted.

He could make magic out of sugar. But could he mold hate into love?

I NEED it because: Florand is my favorite go to author when I need a reading “escape”. Her stories combine romance, angst, alpha (but not asshole) heroes, strong heroines, travel and CHOCOLATE. The latest book, The Chocolate Heart, introduced us to Patrick, Luc’s Sous-chef, and I fell in love with him on the spot. I was so excited to find out he’s getting his own book.

Review: The Chocolate Heart (Amour Chocolat #5) by Luara Florand

No one hates Paris--except Summer Corey. The moody winters. The artists and their ennui. The inescapable shadow of the Tour Eiffel. But things go from bad to worse when Summer stumbles into brooding, gorgeous chef pâtissier Luc Leroi and indecently propositions the hero of French cuisine...

Luc has scrambled up from a childhood panhandling in the Paris Métro to become the king of his city, and he has no patience for this spoiled princess, even if she does now own his restaurant. Who cares if she smiles with all the warmth of July? She doesn't eat dessert!

There is only one way to tempt her. A perfect, impossibly sweet seduction. 

~ Goodreads | Author | Amazon

Source: E-ARC provided by the publisher for my honest review
Release Date: November 26, 2013 from Kensington Publishing

Review:
For those who follow my blog, you know that this is one of the few series that I consistently rave about. The Amour Chocolat series is like a decadent whirlwind trip to Paris from the comfort of my own couch.

Each book in the series has gotten a little darker. The heroes have always been larger than life and arrogant but the last two books in particular have given them an edge. The Chocolate Heart is SUPER angsty. Not something I usually love in my books but I think it works here.

The push and pull, of the spoiled “princess” -  hotel heir Summer Corey and Luc Leroi – a survivor who worked his way from the streets up to become one of the top pastry chefs, was heartbreaking and maddening at times.

Like all the books in the Chocolate series, Luc sees a damsel in distress and feels it’s his duty to be her knight in shining armor. Summer wants to be rescued and enveloped in the darkness and safety of this strong man. I really thought I wasn’t going to like Summer at first. Just like angst overload, I’m even less of a fan of the damsel in distress. But Summer is a strong, brave woman who has just been beaten down and manipulated by her image conscious family for way too long. She really has to fight her way to the light and the future that she wants.

The food takes center stage in the wooing process as Luc tries to tempt Summer with his elaborate, decadent desserts filled with dark promises.

But….

Summer won’t eat them. Not a one.

This was my favorite part of their story. Summer hates deserts because her parents had always used them as a way to make her behave when she was a child. Summer also hates Paris and what it represents for her. Lack of control over her life. She sees all of Luc’s overtures as a punishment, and a way to control her if she gives in, even though Luc is pouring his heart out to her in the only way he knows how.

There are a lot of misunderstandings and miscommunication with this couple but considering their pasts, which are actually quite similar, I can see how they would mistrust each other and be afraid to take that chance.

Just when it was getting too heavy at times, Patrick, Luc’s Sous Chef, would make an appearance. I LOVED him. He’s completely different than any of the other men in this series. He’s a blond, surfer dude type that pokes fun of Luc and calls him on his bullshit. This books really needed a Patrick type of personality for levity.

I was not only happy to be introduced to Patrick but also touch base with a few of the previous couples. It’s nice to see how the men have softened (although they keep up that competitive spirit when it comes to their careers) and how the women took Summer seriously and not just treat her like a beautiful air headed heiress.

Final thoughts: The Chocolate Kiss still remains my favorite book from the series but I would place this one second, despite all the angst. I liked how Summer and Luc really had to struggle for love and decide how much of themselves to sacrifice in the process.

Mini reviews: Stranded with a Hero, In the Clear (Winter Rescue) by Tamara Morgan

Getting snowed in never felt so good as boundaries are crossed, opposites attract, and friends discovering more promise a Christmas no one will ever forget.

Loving Mindy by Karen Erickson
Mindy can’t believe she's stuck with her ex–best friend—and the man whose heart she broke years ago—for the holidays, though the tension between them is more than enough to keep them warm. Josh Powers never forgot Mindy, but he can’t risk his heart a second time.

White-Hot Holiday by Coleen Kwan
Naomi’s sworn off men like Aaron—rich, cocky, and dismissive of holiday traditions. Aaron decided to spend Christmas in sunny Australia to avoid snowy New York, not to fall for the woman his best friend warned him away from. But when a volcano grounds him, Aaron and Naomi's relationship becomes eruptive.

An Officer and a Rebel by Cindi Madsen
The last person police officer Nate Walsh expected to discover in a snowstorm is his brother's ex and former town rebel, Kelsey Cooper. She’s his complete opposite and totally off-limits, but as they wait out the storm together, all he can think is how he wishes she'd stay forever.

Saving the Sheriff by Roxanne Snopek
Frankie Sylva was determined to free the reindeer cruelly held for a holiday roadshow, even if it meant risking her own life. Deputy Sheriff Red LeClair set out to save a stranger in a snowstorm, never expecting he’d be the one to be rescued. ~ Goodreads | Amazon

Source: Provided by Entangled Bliss Publishing for my honest review

My thoughts: Anthologies have come a long way from the days of minimal backstory and character development and those annoying ambiguous endings.

I've been enjoying them a lot lately. Especially as a quick palate cleanser reads. Stranded with a Hero was perfect for that.

I was surprised at how quickly I fell right into their stories, as if I already knew and loved the characters. Other than Cindi Madsen, I haven't read anything by any of these authors previously. I  totally bought into the couples HEA's (all of the stories had an epilogue which helped with that)

The guys were all adorable, NICE and super sexy - the heroines smart, feisty and complex considering these were novella length stories.

I enjoyed them all but Loving Mindy and An Officer and a Rebel were my favorites. Those two couples knew each other already so that really added to my belief in the relationship.

Stranded with a Hero would make a perfect weekend read to get you ready for the holiday season!

I told this story on Twitter but for those of you who missed it - my hubby asked me what I was reading and I told him the title. He made a face and asked - Why would you be stranded if you're with a super hero? LOL

******


Fletcher Owens is full of secrets.

Few people know he spends his nights volunteering for a Search and Rescue team, saving lives while risking his own. Even fewer know he’s in love with his best friend’s sister. And since he’s not willing to give up their friendship for a chance at something more, that’s exactly how things will stay.

Lexie Sinclair has nothing to hide.

The zany daughter, the wacky sister, the quirky fundraiser for a children’s charity — Lexie couldn’t hide her true self even if she wanted to. So when her brother’s best friend is revealed to be a local hero, she’s determined to stand up and prove she’s ready to be more than just friends. Novella – 96 pages ~ Goodreads | Author | Amazon

Source: E-arc provided by the author for my honest review

My thoughts: Very sweet friends to lovers story, as well as opposites attract. Lexie comes on really strong in her pursuit of Fletcher & “the truth”, yet her bubbly, honest personality is the perfect counterpart to his so it works. The poor guy is just keeping everything bundled up inside. Even his feelings for Lexie, who he’s always loved, but was afraid of it ruining his friendship with Lexie and her brother if he went for it.

There’s a lot of flirting but also a deepening of their friendship which I loved. When they finally get down to business it’s all rather abrupt and I was like WHOA Fletcher! I didn’t see that coming. For such a passive guy he can get pretty take charge in the bedroom (or I should say shower)! I wish this aspect was a little more even. It seemed like quietly brewing sexual tension then all of a sudden all out sexy times but very minor complaint.

They have a great friendship and are super supportive of each other which I loved. Lexie pushes Fletcher to go after the things he wants in life while he accepts Lexie as she is. Seeing traits that other people think of as flighty as her strengths. They're a great couple.

The only thing I would have liked developed more (but hey – this is a novella) is Lexie’s and her brother Sean’s relationship. He has obvious issues but despite being Lexie’s twin, He treats her like crap and I wanted to know why. Maybe he has his own novella coming up that would explain things. I hope so because I sort of wanted to punch him. lol

So if you’re looking for a few quick, romantic reads – pour a cup of hot cocoa and give these Stranded with a Hero and In the Clear a try!

Reader ramblings…Confessions of a cold hearted blogger

I am on angst overload when it comes to reading these days. Am I the only one?

When I first started reading romance - contemporary, historical, PNR etc, I could not get enough of the tortured hero and the journey to his HEA. The more tormented the better. He’s so broken…let me fix you! The romantic in me loved how true love could heal a tormented soul. Logic need not apply – LOVE CURES EVERYTHING.

But now….I just can’t. Please stop with all the abuse/rapes/PTSD/addictions/death. I feel like the authors are in a competition to out-torture their heroes/heroines. Does every single character need to be damaged or have a disorder to be interesting?

I think a lot of my problem stems from the fact that I don’t think these situations are handled with the care they deserve. I’ve had friends that suffered from child abuse, domestic violence and were gang raped so maybe I’m overly sensitive to the topic. You can’t (IMO) talk about a soldier coming home with PTSD and just have it go away because he’s sleeping with a girl who makes him all warm and fuzzy. Same with rape. Don’t get me wrong. I know that one person can make a difference in your life. Meeting someone (friend or lover), who supports you, can give you that push to get the help you need and change everything for the better but it's still a lot of hard work.

When you introduce a subject like that you need to commit to it. Not just write about how the characters have the hottest sex of their lives – and it is ALWAYS the hottest sex of their lives – and then throw in the obligatory counseling in the last 50 or so pages.

Sure they struggle throughout the book but I’m just not feeling it anymore. I almost glaze over when I hear the hero start with “I’m too damaged – she’s a commitment kind of girl and I can’t give her that.” Yet….he has no problem giving her an orgasm up against a wall in a hallway and leaving her with her underwear wrapped around her knees as he walks away. Because sex would be wrong and disrespectful – but an orgasm JUST for her - is ok because it pleases her/he gets to see what she looks like at that moment/he gets to hear her scream his name. How noble. Honestly, I kind of liked this the first one or two times I read it but no more. If you don't think you are good enough either make yourself good enough or walk away.

It also seems that the most damaged boys get the biggest build up in a series, often spread out over several books, so when they finally get their own book their problems just pile up into this epic level of angst and I just don't care anymore. Do you need even MORE problems?? And a girl with problems??

So what happened to me that I’m completely insensitive to other people’s suffering now? Even if they are fictional I should feel something right? I don’t feel the empathy when reading about a characters obvious despair and journey to healing like I know I should.

Is it because these stories, especially with New Adult, are what’s popular right now and like all tropes you burn out after reading too much of it? Is it because the sex seems to take over the story?

I still enjoy gritty/angsty stories and characters. And when it’s done right it can be amazing. Easy/Between the Lines by Tamarra Webber, The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay, Cora Carmack’s Losing It series, Laura Florand’s chocolate series, The Downside Ghost series by Stacia Kane, Split & Chasing Shadows by Swati Avasthi, Tom Leveen and Cara McKenna's novels are all good examples of books with abuse/tortured heroes/addiction/sex that don't feel the need to beat the reader over the head with it or gloss over the issue with amazing sex.

But what other readers see as gut wrenching, emotional reads leave me feeling cold. It seems more like this boy is damaged so that = auto swoon and I just don’t feel that way anymore.

I feel completely heartless when I finish one of these books and go to rate it on Goodreads. I’m ready to post my review and then see how everyone bawled their eyes out over the book and I’m all *backs away slowly from Goodreads without saying what I really think* because I mean I’m rating a book about rape or child abuse two stars? I’m such a bitch! I have no soul!!

I started thinking back to the angsty books I read several years ago and they have one thing in common. Even though the heroes/heroines were damaged they wanted something better once they met their one and only. They struggled for it, made mistakes, but strived to be better. It seems now everything is all “I’m not worthy" with lots of self pitying whining (between hot sex of course). Girls who have a traumatic experience walk around for years not talking to or dating anyone, then all of a sudden find a guy that turns them on and poof! fixed. Saying how hard it is for them & that it’s not the sex is just lip service – if you take away that hot sex there’s no resolution or healing for the person in most of these stories.

One of my all time favorite damaged heroes is Zsadist from The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. Holy crap was he damaged and it took him SO long just to even be touched. But he did it for Bella. He humbled himself and sought help. Even better is that true love didn’t solve everything in their case. He still to this day in the series struggles to overcome his past and make his marriage work.

Ironically, The BDB series is also the one that sort of burned me out on angsty heroes. The days of the powerful vampire warriors overcoming and beating down their pasts are over and in their place is a lot of whining and the I’m not worthy crap. Now they are ALL tortured. How about some variety??

Does anyone else feel like this or is it just me? Do you feel guilty if you don’t feel for a protagonist that has suffered a traumatic incident?

What author/books get it right? Is there another type of trope or trend that has you saying no…more...please!


I have high hopes for Sex & Violence by Carrie Mesrobian soon. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this one and two of my favorite bloggers – Wendy from The Midnight Garden and Jen from YA Romantics loved it. It appears to be quite raw and honest to the topic it’s tackling. *crosses fingers*

P.S. This is just MY opinion. Not a slam on any genre or anyone who does enjoy reading any of the above. Reading is a very personal experience and the same thing I swoon over in one book will make me throw it across the room with another. This time next year I may write a post begging for more angst lol I never did come around on the love triangle so I doubt it but you never know!

Review: Finding It (losing It #3) by Cora Carmack

Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find where you truly belong...Most girls would kill to spend months traveling around Europe after college graduation with no responsibility, no parents, and no-limit credit cards. Kelsey Summers is no exception. She's having the time of her life . . . or that's what she keeps telling herself. 

It's a lonely business trying to find out who you are, especially when you're afraid you won't like what you discover. No amount of drinking or dancing can chase away Kelsey's loneliness, but maybe Jackson Hunt can. After a few chance meetings, he convinces her to take a journey of adventure instead of alcohol. With each new city and experience, Kelsey's mind becomes a little clearer and her heart a little less hers. Jackson helps her unravel her own dreams and desires. But the more she learns about herself, the more Kelsey realizes how little she knows about Jackson. ~ Goodreads | Author | Amazon

Source: Purchased

Review:

I have a blogging notebook for posting ideas and I had just jotted down “NA rant” right before I picked up Finding It.

I keep reading about this wonderful new genre called New Adult that explores that age where you are not quite independent – yet not quite an adult. The age where you lose your safety net and have to put on your big girl panties. College, jobs, transitioning friendships and relationships – everything is in flux during this age. Yet….other than the story taking place on a college campus, none of this is really explored in the most NA I’ve read. Instead it takes a back seat to hot sex.

So there’s the beginning of my rant. But it’s been sidelined because I DID find a book that explored all those themes! Sure there’s romance and the aforementioned hot sex but Finding It is about something.

Kelsey Summers is a rich college grad backpacking through Europe on her father’s dime. She parties hard, drinks even harder and has an impressive number of one night stands until one night she meets Hunt, a man who challenges Kelsey to really live life, not just numb herself and call it an adventure.
I suppose most people’s knee jerk reaction will be to judge Kelsey harshly for her poor choices. But please remember if you open up a book with a guy doing the same exact thing you would think he was hot. (well, I wouldn’t lol because my protective radar goes off and I don’t want any of them putting themselves in these situations – but I digress) I loved how Carmack flipped the trope on it’s head and gave us a beautifully flawed and real character like Kelsey. And to counter her, a deeply flawed but kind hero in Jackson Hunt.

Each book in this series has gotten a little darker but Finding It gets to the heart of that transition into adulthood. Kelsey has had a bad childhood with parents that haven’t protected or supported her in the way they should have. She’s wild and rebellious, trying to piss off her father for attention, still searching for that magic moment where it all comes together and you know what you want to do with your life. Real life rarely happens that way no matter what your past is.  

“Being an adult is hard work. I know people tell you this growing up, but it doesn’t really sink in until you’re living it, waist deep in the swamps of no-free-time and not enough money.”

The relationship between Kelsey and Hunt is very slow brewing and sexy but real in a way that Kelsey has never experienced before. I love how Hunt opens her mind to a new way of seeing and respecting herself – yet at the same time it opens old wounds. By letting him into her heart, she’s also sees a life damaged and wasted, both mind and body.

The other thing I liked abut Finding It is that I wasn’t exactly sure how it would end. Kelsey and Hunt go on a true adventure – exploring Europe with no map, no schedule. It’s romantic and fun but it’s not real. You just know that they are avoiding reality even while they are stripping each other emotionally bare.

The book wasn’t perfect. Hunt’s character is a little underdeveloped since Finding It is told solely through Kelsey's POV. I guess I’m spoiled by so many alternating POV’s as of late, but I kept wanting to know what he was thinking and feeling, since his actions don’t always make sense. It would have made the ending less rushed. We’re so focused on Kelsey for most of the book, yet know that something’s up with Hunt, and it all happens too fast.

Despite a few quibbles I adore this series and Carmack’s writing. I’m pretty jaded about the NA genre in general but I feel like it has SO much potential if authors would really explore that time in life instead of making everyone so damaged and dark. Carmack proves with Finding It that you can do both.

“You hear so much about being an adult that you start to feel like you have to become a different person overnight, that growing up means being not you. And you concentrate so much on living up to the term “adult” that you forget growing up happens by living, not by sheer force of will.”

Final thoughts: I love the Losing It series and the way it explores becoming an adult in all it’s messy glory. Each book stands on it’s own (but work well together as companion novels) and doesn’t just repeat the previous story or characters. Sexy and smart New Adult FTW!

Tune in Tuesday: Joshua Radin, Brick + Mortar, Kacey Musgraves

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! The feature was originally created and hosted by Ginger over at GReads! but can now be found over at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands.

I’m feeling eclectic this week…

Joshua Radin – My, My Love – *sobs*



Brick + Mortar – Bangs



Kacey Musgraves – Follow Your Arrow I REALLY love the lyrics to this one!



What are you listening to this week?

Review: Vicious by V.E. Schwab

A masterful, twisted tale of ambition, jealousy, betrayal, and superpowers, set in a near-future world. 

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. 

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question. ~ Goodreads | Author | Amazon

Source: ARC provided by Tor Publishing via BEA for my honest review

Review:

Despite being about superheroes this isn’t a POW! KABLAM! sort of story. Vicious is understated, thought provoking and utterly captivating.

A superhero origin story of sorts…if I were to make a comparison… Vicious would be the intense Christopher Nolan interpretation of Batman rather than the comedic Tim Burton version.

For some reason I picked up Vicious thinking it was YA but it is firmly in the adult category. I do believe that older teenagers would love this book as well though. The age level is more due to the characters ages (30 years old) rather than content. There is some violence and references to sex, plus a few F bombs but I’ve read MUCH more explicit YA.

Schwab weaves a dark tale of two men who meet and become roommates in college and embark in a series of experiments that will defy death, delve into the darkness of their humanity and leave you questioning what defines a hero.

“But these words people threw around – humans, monsters, heroes, villains – to Victor it was all just semantics. Someone could call themselves a hero and still walk around killing dozens. Someone else could be labeled a villain for trying to stop them. Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”

Vicious is told in multiple POV’s and with multiple timelines. While it took me a short time to adjust to this style, it absolutely worked for this story. The transitions were seamless and added depth.

When I look back, I see that there wasn’t anything particularly original about this story. It’s basically like the X-Men origins story of Magneto and Charles Xavier with a few additional “mutants” – in this case called – Extra Ordinary humans or EO’s. But we really get to delve into the psyches of these characters and see what shaped them, what choices they make when it counts. It was all fascinating to me. There’s nothing I love more than a moral or ethical debate and Vicious provides more than enough material.  

The writing is precise, only allowing what is necessary to tell Victor and Eli’s story but it’s everything we need. I believe this is a stand alone novel but there is enough room left for a sequel and I for one would love to read more about this world and the characters that inhabit it.

Good stuff – Vicious makes it to my Top Books of 2013 list.

Reader Ramblings…This week in books

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews to share what we’ve added to the shelves this week.

I was a bad, bad girl when it came to buying e-books this week. BAD! On the plus side, I already read most of them – on the down side – I had SO many other books I needed to read first.

Bought:



Bitter Pill by Stacey Kade – Goodreads: Read this one. Cute small town, cozy mystery but I wasn’t sold on the romanctic interest. I’m sure it’s going to play out several books though so there’s time to convince me.

The Program by Suzanne Young – Goodreads: I’ve been dying to read this one and there was a great deal!

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell –Goodreads: Another e-book deal that I couldn’t pass up!



Beauty and the Billionaire by Jessica Clare – Goodreads: Read. Disfigured billionaire virgin. Hawt! I grew a little tired of the misunderstandings and lies but overall a fun read

Fighting for You by Sydney Landon – Goodreads Read. Bad boy meets virgin. A little too cliché and odd for me. The friends are overly intrusive in each others lives and it was just plain weird lol The couple was cute though. Just not my thing.

Finding It by Cora Carmack – Goodreads Just finished this one! Loved it!

There’s more but let’s just pretend I only bought six. lol

Review:



The Chocolate Heart by Laura Florand – Goodreads Read. LOVE this series and this book. Review coming soon.

Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally – Goodreads Eep! So excited to be approved for this one!

In the Clear by Tamara Morgan - Goodreads Cute friends to lovers with a really sweet guy.

~ I also read Vicious by V.E. Schwab - Goodreads this week (source – arc from publisher at BEA) I’ll be writing a review soon but I adored this one!

~ I’m continuing my Razorland Trilogy re-read and I’m on Enclave now. I hope everyone who has had a chance to read Horde is pleased with the way the series ended. After so many disappointing conclusions, I was really happy with this one. Restored my reader faith in series.

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