Jeez, this girl seriously had about twenty different love interests so it was pretty much impossible to keep track of them all. Moreove|| 3.0 stars ||
Jeez, this girl seriously had about twenty different love interests so it was pretty much impossible to keep track of them all. Moreover, it was also very hard to take any of those feelings seriously considering she had them for so many different people. I mean, she claims to be in love with Christian (and even hates Magnolia for being the girl he loves), but then she also goes on and on about how much she loves Romeo and how she always will?? Like, girl, PICK A SIDE! I honestly don’t understand why the author chose to include Romeo in this book at all; there was no need for it and it only made Daisy seem unfaithful, superficial and insanely hypocritical. It was a weird choice. And a bad one.
Honestly, I just feel bad for Christian at this point. He keeps falling in love with girls who have this toxic, insane love connection with boys from their childhood. This guy can’t ever catch a break and I want him to find someone who truly loves him, and only him. Of course it could be said that he wasn’t faithful to Daisy at the start either, and sure that’s true, but at least he didn’t claim to be in love with her at that point. First he was in love with Magnolia, then he started to slowly and unconsciously develop feelings for Daisy, until he eventually fell in love with Daisy completely and moved on from Magnolia. That’s a normal and valid trajectory. Daisy, on the other hand, claims to fully and completely love Christian from the start but also feels the same about Romeo, and also has very intense feelings and attractions to a million other men. That’s not normal and not valid. She’s giving exactly the type of behavior Christian hates Magnolia for, but Daisy is actually much worse since she isn’t honest about her feelings to anyone and also doesn’t have a single valid reason for stringing all these people along. She uses people and doesn’t even acknowledge how evil some of her actions are. I think the thing that annoyed me the most about her was her hypocrisy; she was so hurt and so angry about Christian’s unresolved feelings for Magnolia, but she’d been having so many more worse feelings for Romeo the whole time. This girl was exasperating! And Christian really deserved better. He really did. (And Romeo too, actually).
As might be quite clear by now, I genuinely couldn’t stand Daisy. But my dislike for her turned into full-on hatred towards the end when she broke up with Christian for the dumbest reason and just completely fell of the wagon. She became a giant mess who didn’t care who she hurt in the process of her own little mini-drama. She was selfish, mean, cruel, embarrassing, self-absorbed and insanely slutty; she turned into the absolute worst, and I was completely done with her by then. She didn’t have a single redeeming quality left to her. And it killed me to see Christian still pining away for her, willing to give her a million more chances, and even acting like he was the one who had to make things right. SHE was in the wrong. SHE should be begging. Ugh.
Honestly, I think there is only one couple I’m actually interested in right now: Henry and Taura. They’re both such decent people, and I love how they seem to have a little more of a slow-burn with actual development. I’d love to get a book about them. Probably won’t get it though.
Lastly, I want to talk a bit about Julian: I’m not sure why we got his POV considering he never really gets his own story and he only really exists to narrate about Daisy’s life and feelings, yet I still found him to be the most intriguing and meaningful character (perhaps that should tell you something about the lack of overall depth in this book, but I digress). I definitely think there could have been a lot more to this character if only the author cared enough to give him his own voice, relationships and feelings outside of Daisy. That said, his unconditional and deep-rooted love for Daisy was kind of exactly why I was intrigued by his character so much. A cold mobster who hates everyone but his baby sister? Yea, love that. And when these two had their falling-out it was the only time I actually felt sad while reading this book. Their relationship was so gentle and truly loving; it broke my heart a bit to see that shatter. And I’m very curious to find out how Julian will react to it after he’s had a minute to calm down. I imagine he’ll be absolutely devastated…
All in all though, this book gave me yet another awful romance where I do not want the couple to get together in the end because one of them deserves better (Christian in this case, Magnolia in the other), yet I still really enjoyed this book due to all the addictive drama and high-paced angst. I just have such a weird relationships with these books where I kind of hate and love them at the same time.
'Magnolia Parks Universe': 1. Magnolia Parks - 3.5 stars 2. Daisy Haites - 3.0 stars...more
Unfortunately, this whole book had me feeling nothing but confused, bored and annoyed. I had no idea what was going on most of the time,|| 1.0 star ||
Unfortunately, this whole book had me feeling nothing but confused, bored and annoyed. I had no idea what was going on most of the time, but I did know I couldn’t stand either of them. There was clearly no actual love between these two and I hated their ridiculously immature and vengeful behaviour towards each other. It sucked.
Really though, why on earth should I believe they had a genuine connection that was based on anything other than lust? I shouldn’t. Cus they didn’t. They didn’t like each other, they didn’t respect each other, they didn’t even really know each other. They just had this crazy sexual attraction towards each other that they mostly let out through hateful words but eventually also through the occasional intimacy in the bedroom. That’s not love. Far from it.
Also, I’m not sure why Rina Kent suddenly decided she wanted to try her hand at being a mystery writer or something, but she certainly doesn’t have the skills for it, so she should quit trying. The lack of clarity in the plot was nothing but frustrating and definitely far from intriguing.
Lastly, I’m not sure who decided it is a cool plot device to portray the hero as the most awful person in the whole world, only to reveal at the end that he had his own ridiculous “reasons” for acting like the devil, but I personally think it’s the worst and I see it happen way too often in books. This idiotic situation always means we have to sit through major episodes of arseholery during almost all of the book, just to eventually get a dumb reveal about how obsessed he really is? Please. It’s so tired.
In conclusion, this book is better left avoided. And if you are somehow still curious, I hope I can save you the trouble with this short summary: The hero treats the heroine like a cold arsehole, while she consistently responds to that by behaving like a brat. He will shut her out, ignore her, act like he couldn’t care any less about her, but then he will still have random bursts of caveman possessiveness after which he immediately treats her like trash again. Meanwhile, she will do nothing but continue to embarrass herself with silly revenge plots trying to get his attention, mostly including idle threats about sleeping with other men. Oh, and of course she’s still a virgin while he has had sex with the entire female population. There, that’s the whole plot. Sound fun to you? Go ahead and pick this up! But if it sounds as dreadful to you as it was for me? Then do yourself a favour and stay away.
This was very trashy and it definitely wasn’t good. That said, it also wasn’t boring, so it kept me entertained for the most part.
Of co|| 2.5 stars ||
This was very trashy and it definitely wasn’t good. That said, it also wasn’t boring, so it kept me entertained for the most part.
Of course, the hero is about as morally dark as it can get, but that wasn’t really my problem. My problem was the awful writing and complete lack of depth or build-up within the relationship. If you write a hero who has supposedly never cared about another girl before, then you have to give him a reason as to why he’s suddenly obsessed with the heroine. Why does someone who usually doesn’t have feelings, suddenly overflow with them? What makes these two so compatible (aside from sharing sexual kinks)? Where are the bonding moments?? It was just very superficial, so I didn’t really care. Besides, he never became very soft or affectionate with her; he remained rather rough and bossy with her until the end, which I personally just don’t like. He was obviously obsessed with her, but he never treated her with respect. I prefer my morally dark heroes to treat their love interest like a princess, not like their property. And unfortunately, the heroine just accepts the bad behaviour from him since she has no backbone whatsoever.
All in all, this was not well-written whatsoever, but I can see why it would attract certain readers. I personally don’t like smut and I read romance for the emotional connection, so this book clearly wasn’t a great fit for me since their relationship was pretty much completely based on their sexual compatibility and nothing else.
I’m absolutely flabbergasted that anyone could call this a romance book. It’s a horror story, from start to f|| 1.0 star ||
Um… What. The. Fuck.
!??!?????
I’m absolutely flabbergasted that anyone could call this a romance book. It’s a horror story, from start to finish. I honestly don’t even want to believe that this book actually exists in this genre.
The hero literally rapes the heroine when they first meet and then he continues to rape her for almost the whole book until she finally gives into him completely and becomes his permanent fuck-toy without fighting back anymore. The heroine has a lot of self-esteem issues and doesn’t have the energy to fight against this monster in the end, so she just gives up. He tells her what to do at all times, and eventually she just does it without even bothering to say no or voice her opinion, because she knows she has no say anyway. He continues to slap, choke and rape her, but somehow that’s okay, because now she sort of wants it…?
How can this sound like a happy ending to anyone!?? This story is a goddamn tragedy, and it’s making me loose all faith in humanity that some people are actually SIMPING for this abusive rapist while calling the victim “boring”. There’s just no way.
Oh wow, I’m actually very pleasantly surprised! After having experienced the intense horror and pure torture of reading Punk 57 I hones|| 4.0 stars ||
Oh wow, I’m actually very pleasantly surprised! After having experienced the intense horror and pure torture of reading Punk 57 I honestly did not have high hopes for this book. However, for some reason I wanted to give it a chance anyway, and I’m super glad I did. Unlike Punk 57, this book wasn’t raunchy or icky or toxic or excessively erotic. It didn’t have a horrible hero who treats the heroine like dirt, while she just swoons over it. Nope. It was actually quite a sweet story with a genuine slow burn. I honestly felt like these two fell in love with each other, and it wasn’t just lust. They build a strong foundation before getting romantically involved and they genuinely got to know each other really well. They supported each other and really understood how the other person worked. It truly felt like a good and perfectly matched relationship. That said, there is also a lot of angst involved because of the forbidden aspect to their relationship, and I have to admit I ate that up too. I loved how much they pined for each other, and it actually made sense why they couldn’t give in to their feelings for all that time. It definitely made the unresolved tension between them so strong, and it just had me hooked!
P.S. I do wish the hero would have fought for her a little harder sometimes. I know it’s wrong of me to say it but I kind of wanted him to toss his son aside for her, especially because the son was suck a dickhead and he didn’t even really have any emotional bond with him anyway. I just wanted her to be more important to him than his arsehole manchild of a son. And I also wanted the son to actually suffer some consequences for his actions, but he never did. That part annoyed me....more
This book genuinely gave me the biggest headache. It was so slow and so repetitive and so long. Not to mention, the non-stop drama and a|| 1.0 star ||
This book genuinely gave me the biggest headache. It was so slow and so repetitive and so long. Not to mention, the non-stop drama and angst was really getting on my nerves, especially since it never actually led anywhere. Nothing actually ever happened; every relationship, every character, every situation, they all pretty much stayed the exact same from beginning to end.
This whole book honestly felt like a big trauma dump without anything else happening. These characters are literally nothing more than the heroine HAVING trauma and the hero OBSESSING over her trauma. It got old very quickly. Johnny no longer seemed to care about any of his own future plans or passions and only spent his time worrying about Shannon, while she did nothing other than shiver at the big, bad world and needing constant reassurance about the most basic things. Which, admittedly, makes sense for a girl who went through as much trauma as she did, but she never grew from it. She stayed the same fragile and scared girl with no personality and no brain from start to finish.
Furthermore, how is it possible that there have been so many pages about this couple, and I still felt like there was NO DEPTH to their relationship?? There was no development whatsoever and all of their interactions were beyond dramatic or just about sex. There was no lightness, no romance, no true feelings. It was just non-stop intensity about her being a fragile mess and him wanting to bulldozer all over everything to save her. It was cute the first few times, but almost 2000 pages into their relationship, and I can safely say it became boring and annoying as hell. I just got the ick over her acting like a child 24/7 and him treating her like she was made out of glass all the time. It was definitely not a normal relationship dynamic; it was trauma bonding for Shannon and a savior complex for Johnny. Also, their dialogue was literally the exact same every single time; all of their scenes together were pretty much identical. I kid you not. It was insufferable and so badly written.
I’m actually convinced every other relationship in this book was better written and developed than the main couple. I actually especially liked Gibsie. His friendship with Johnny was probably the best, and his potential romance with Claire was also full of life and banter. Shannon’s brothers had a few heartbreaking scenes with Johnny’s family as well. Ollie was a sweetheart, but Sean? Oh my, that sweet little baby broke my heart. The way Johnny took care of him was the sweetest thing.
I also just want to say one last quick thing: The whole Bella storyline never made sense to me and just pissed me off beyond compare. The fact that nobody ever put this horrible girl in her place was just insane. You’re telling me the most popular guys in school can’t ruin a slutty, jealous girl who’s behaving like a deranged stalker? No way. I’m not buying it. She should have been at the bottom of the food chain at that school in minutes, but somehow it never happened? Insane.
Anyway, long story short, this was just a very very bad book. The whole thing literally read like Wattpad to me and this author desperately needed an editor to skim the hell out of these million pages about absolutely nothing.
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this. I was totally ready to fall completely in love with this book, but there were a few things|| 3.5 stars ||
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this. I was totally ready to fall completely in love with this book, but there were a few things that just didn’t quite work for me. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this book, because I did. It had a very addictive quality to it that made me want to keep reading and reading (despite it having about a million pages) until I literally fell asleep from pure and utter exhaustion. However, like I said, it was a very long book, and despite not ever wanting to put it down, it did feel pretty drawn out at times, and perhaps even repetitive. There was nothing happening in this story that warranted the excessive page count, and I do think the book could have been a lot better with a fewer amount of pages.
Now, when it comes the main characters I have to say I am also a little conflicted. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked Shannon and Johnny; they were struggling a lot, but definitely had their hearts in the right place. I felt a lot of sympathy for these two, especially Shannon. However, they also played into their stereotypes a little too much. I understand Shannon was a broken little girl with heaps and heaps of trauma, but sometimes I felt like that’s all she was. We never got to see much personality of her other than being shy, scared, timid, insecure, fragile and quiet. I wanted to see the girl on the inside, the girl outside of all the trauma. But that girl never really showed herself. Same thing with Johnny; I understand he was a jock under a lot of stress with an obsessive amount of dedication, but I also wanted to see who he was outside of rugby. Granted, we did get to see hints of a sarcastic, funny personality when he was with his best friend, Gibsie, and I really enjoyed seeing their banter, but I would have appreciated to see more of that.
Similarly, I also have mixed feelings about the romance. I loved seeing Johnny’s obsessive and possessive streak when it came to Shannon, but I have to admit that I didn’t really understand why he felt that way. What made him fall in love with her so badly, and so suddenly? Was it her scared, frigid attitude? Because that’s pretty much all he got to see from her. And if that’s it, then that’s a little weird to me. I understand wanting to protect the people you love, but I kind of felt like he only loved her because he felt like she was someone he could protect. Does that make sense? Anyway, as previously stated, this book is super long, and this can definitely qualify as a slow burn. They take forever to admit their feelings to each other, and don’t even get together for the entirety of the book. We will have to wait until the sequel for that. And really, I love a good slow burn. The weird part about this one, however, was that it was also a little bit like insta-love. Johnny was obsessed with her from the very first moment, so it felt a little silly for him to take ages upon ages to finally give in to his feelings. That said, I did appreciate all the tension between them and all his insane pining, because I’ll always be a big sucker for those things. All in all, I feel like this romance certainly had all the right ingredients, but also had a little bit of a wonky execution that made some things feel slightly uncomfortable or ridiculous to me. Still, I liked them together and I was definitely rooting for them to find happiness with each other. They could be very sweet and tender, and Johnny’s protectiveness of Shannon never really got old.
Overall, this was a very entertaining book with a gentle slow-burn and a protective love interest, and it even managed to pull on a few of my heartstrings due to Shannon's heartbreaking home life, but I do believe a big part of this book could have been a lot better.
I definitely liked this more than I thought I would. It’s been a while since I enjoyed anything in this series and I was really getting|| 3.0 stars ||
I definitely liked this more than I thought I would. It’s been a while since I enjoyed anything in this series and I was really getting sick and tired of Domenico, so I guess it’s not surprising that I liked this book better now that it was finally about a different couple!
Mark and Griffith were incredibly different from Seth and Domenico, and it really did feel like a breath of fresh air (or innocence, I guess). There was no toxicity and they were actually very cute. There was a sweet build-up with a lot of tenderness. I didn’t expect Mark to be so gentle, but he was. And Griffith was just a complete sweetheart, who deserved the absolute best.
I really liked the first half of this book the most, and got a little bored in the second half. I lost quite a lot of interest in them after they had sex for the first time since I enjoyed the build-up much more and the book became more smutty than I would have liked after that as well. I also didn’t appreciate Mark dumping Griff for the son he didn’t know he had. Sure, he eventually changed his mind pretty quickly but it irked me that he even entertained the idea of shoving Griff to the side like that. Especially since he is supposed to adore Griff completely!
Honestly, there was no way for me to truly experience this book the way I should have b|| 3.5 stars ||
Warning: there will be SPOILERS in this review!!
Honestly, there was no way for me to truly experience this book the way I should have because I already know who Feyre will end up with in the end. It definitely ruined a big part of my reading experience since the majority of this book focused on the romance between Tamlin and Feyre. And instead of being able to fall for this relationship, as I was supposed to, it already felt wrong to me from the beginning. It felt forced and as if it wasn’t true love; I couldn’t possibly love them as a couple, because I know that Feyre is going to choose someone else anyway. Of course, I know that this is not the book’s fault in any way, but it’s impossible for me to remove my prior knowledge, and thus it certainly had an effect on my personal enjoyment. I don’t know what I would have felt if I had read it when it came out or before its massive popularity led me to know the endgame couple, but I do know it would have been different. Now, I mostly just felt sadness for Tamlin because he seems like a nice guy, and I know he’s not going to get the girl.
That said, there is a certain point in the book, pretty much from the moment Feyre arrives Under the Mountain, that I would have also known myself (without prior knowledge) that Tamlin would not end up with Feyre. Their relationship was already very simple, bland and boring, which might have clued me in sooner, but after Feyre arrived to save Tamlin it became obvious that Tamlin would not be the hero of this story. He just… sat there. He did nothing. He was so irrelevant and Rhysand completely took over the front stage. Rhysand fought for Feyre, he was the one who helped her, he was the one who actually stood by her in these horrific months (not always in a nice way or with selfless intentions, but still, at least he was there). Opposingly, Tamlin just let it all happen, as if he was a passive bystander, while Rhysand fully inserted himself into Feyre’s battles. There is no way any author will let their heroine end up with a love interest who doesn’t do anything to defend and save her; thus, Tamlin would have been ruled out from this point forward. Besides, I know enough about these types of books to know that the arrogant, rude arsehole will eventually get the girl, and it was clear that that’s what Rhysand was supposed to be: the anti-hero we’re all meant to swoon over. Well, I’m certainly not swooning yet, although the end of this book at least redeemed him and his intentions. I’m going to need him to work really hard for Feyre’s affections though, because if he is going to be an arrogant bastard who treats her like trash until the end, then I know I’m not going to like him. We’ll see.
The idea behind this was good, the premise had a lot of potential and the characters had the kind of dynamic that I normally love, but,|| 2.0 stars ||
The idea behind this was good, the premise had a lot of potential and the characters had the kind of dynamic that I normally love, but, unfortunately, the right execution was just not there. It’s supposed to be a hurt/comfort romance, but everything was just based on lust. There was no emotional depth and no true comfort.
Lucas never really showed empathy or sympathy towards Sage’s pitiful situation, and he was only ever focused on how horny Sage made him. Whenever Sage cried, which was a lot of times, Lucas didn’t even feel that bad or really tried to make him feel better; no, it only ever turned him on. So, all he ever thought about in every situation and all he ever suggested as help was sex, sex, sex, sex. Meanwhile, Sage remained an absolute mess throughout the entire story, and Lucas didn’t really care.
This relationship was just very smutty and even a bit dirty; it was definitely not sweet. The only thing that connected these two was their lust for each other. Which is honestly just not what I’m looking for, especially not in a hurt/comfort romance....more
➛First read: January 2024 | ★4.5 stars ➛Second read: April 2024 | ★3.5 stars
EDIT after my re-read: I didn’t like it as much as I did|| 3.5 stars ||
➛First read: January 2024 | ★4.5 stars ➛Second read: April 2024 | ★3.5 stars
EDIT after my re-read: I didn’t like it as much as I did the first time. It could be because I reread this way too soon and still remembered everything to a point that it became a little boring, but it could also be because I started to notice a few things that annoyed me. The most obvious thing being how often Nikolai dropped or ghosted Bran. He “dumped” him more times than I can count, and that’s not really the behaviour I expect or want from someone who’s supposedly obsessed. Furthermore, Bran always took Niko back immediately after Niko abandoned him or did some other shitty thing, and he was never angry about it. I really wanted him to make Niko grovel more, but I also just needed Niko to never ever give up on Bran in the first place. But nope, that’s not what happened. And that’s what made this book less enjoyable for me this time around.
Original Review: Wow. Just wow. I’m in love. Just utterly, irrevocably in love. Brandon and Nikolai were complete perfection and everything I wanted them to be. I just love them so much, it physically hurts my heart to know that it’s over. I miss them already.
“You’re a fucking nightmare,” he mutters, his throat working beneath my fingers. “Your nightmare.” “I hate you.” “I don’t.” “You’re fucking crazy.” “About you,” I whisper against his lips and claim them with a guttural moan.
This was my first Rina Kent book, and I’m truly so happy that I decided to skip ahead in the series to these two beautiful souls (after all, this book works perfectly as a standalone). I really wouldn’t have wanted to miss their story for the world!
I’m struggling a little bit to find the right words to describe the beauty and sublimity of this romance. But I’ll try my best. I think I should probably begin by explaining the two amazing main characters, because they’re both so complex and beautiful that you need to understand them to appreciate how epic their love story is:
First I’ll talk about beautiful, self-loathing Brandon. He was the kind of person who would always be kind and patient with the people around him. He wore a carefully constructed mask of pleasantries and politeness; all day, every day. He never lost control of himself; actually, he couldn’t lose control, or he would completely spiral. Thus, he managed to keep his breakdowns perfectly in check through a strict routine, until the day that he met Nikolai. Niko saw the true man behind the mask and he awakened a passion and rage inside of Brandon that he had tried to push deep down inside of him for many years. He believed he had to be perfect, that he had to be in control, because if he wasn’t, he’d be afraid everyone would see him as the weakling and waste of space he himself thought he was.
“You cut yourself?” My words are low, but they’re so loud in the silence. “Why?” “Because I’m fucked up.” His voice sounds like death’s lullaby, anguished and shattered. “Because I look at myself in the mirror and get the urge to shatter it to pieces. Because I’ve been haunted by the bitter taste of nausea and self-loathing for so long, I don’t know how to live without them. I was doing fine, pretending and putting on a façade, so why the fuck did you ruin that? Why did you come into my life and destroy every wall I built and ruin every lie I told myself? Why do you touch me like I’m beautiful? Why don’t you hate me when I can’t stand my-fucking-self?”
Then we have Nikolai. Oh, what a beautiful soul he was. It might sound a little strange to say this about a man whose favourite hobby was inflicting violence and chaos (before he met the love of his life), but he truly was beautiful to me. Yes, he was insane, but never in a sadistic way. The way he explained the violence was more like he needed a way to get rid of all the energy stuck inside of him; like he desperately needed an outlet he couldn’t find anywhere else (again, before he met the love of his life). But this violent part of him was not all there was to him. He was also incredibly caring, observant, funny, hyper, sweet and kind. And Brandon was the one who always brought out that side of him. Niko couldn’t be anything else around him, because he was always just so damn happy to be around the guy he adored with all his being. He actually reminded me of an over-eager puppy most of the time. And it was absolutely adorable.
“I love him and I want to be with him. Despite his violent exterior, he’s really a teddy bear deep down, you know. A golden retriever through and through. He’s extremely affectionate and respectful and makes sure I’m comfortable and happy.” “What type of voodoo did he use on my control-freak brother? More importantly, why did it have to be him? You’re allergic to violence and I’m pretty sure he’s illiterate.” “Lan! I’ll have you know he has a 4.15 GPA. Don’t make fun of his intelligence again or I’ll be really cross with you.” “Jesus Christ. You’re defending him?” “Get used to it. I won’t allow you or anyone else to insult him.”
Now, let’s continue with the romance:
At the beginning of their relationship there was of course lot of push-and-pull from Brandon because he was so very afraid of this man who brought out all these intense emotions inside of him. He didn’t want those. He wanted a simple, lifeless existence, not the fire that Niko lit inside him. But Niko would never take no for an answer. He knew Bran was the man he wanted and he would have fought tooth and nail to finally win this wonderfully infuriating man for himself.
I'm done for. Finished. Absolutely jumping off a cliff, rolling and cracking a few bones and not giving a flying fuck, because I have my prize at the bottom. Him.
Niko’s devotion and pure dedication to Bran was a gorgeous sight to behold from beginning to end; I’m not sure I have ever seen a man as whipped for anyone as Niko was for Bran. He was obsessed in the most literal sense of the word. From the moment he met Bran, it was like nothing else in the world existed besides this beautifully complex man. Bran was obviously a little later on the uptake, but it didn’t take too long for his defences to crumble under the incessant pursuit and courtship or the contagious hurricane of Niko’s feelings.
He can’t possibly expect me to stay away. It’s true that I last saw him this morning, but I’ve been going through withdrawals. My mood is dangerously dependent on him and that’s not even funny anymore, but I’m done trying to figure it out. I’m just obsessed with this man and everything about him. Some would argue it’s something a lot more dire than obsession. He consumes me, but he also grounds me. I’ve never felt as mentally strong as when I’m with him. Even the most mundane things we do together—having meals, watching movies, listening to him read the boring morning newspapers—bring a huge smile to my face. Brandon King is ravaging me alive.
I loved that Niko and Bran both had their own issues, but that the other person was always the one who quieted those demons for them. Niko always felt restless and Bran always felt empty, but when they were together Niko was calmer and able to focus on one thing (namely, his love for Bran), while Bran was finally able to feel anything and let go of his control. They both made each other a much better person, and their unwavering support for each other brought the comfort they both desperately craved. They finally found peace and happiness. Which was made even more exceptional by the fact that they found it in an epically complex and hard-fought romance, and with a person so much their opposite that they (or, more likely, Bran, since Niko was smitten from the very beginning) would have never expected it to work out. But it did. And it was beautiful and stunning and gorgeous.
“And, baby?” He kisses the top of my head and his next words nearly give me a heart attack. “Even if you hate yourself, I’ll love you for the both of us.”
Lastly, I want to give a shoutout to the relationship Brandon had with his identical twin, Landon. There were so many hidden emotions and deeper layers within their bond, I genuinely would read a whole book only about them! Alas, there isn’t one, but I would have given an arm and a leg for more of these two. It honestly broke my heart to see the inferiority complex Brandon had because he saw how easy everything seemed to be for his (supposedly) superior brother; how everyone flocked to him and admired his genius and brash personality. It especially hurt Bran so much when he compared all of that glitter and shine to how hard it was for him to simply find the will to live. He really felt so very small and insignificant next to his mighty brother, and thus, he began pushing him away around the time they hit puberty. He thought Landon didn’t care about him, and even when he did, that it was only because of the way Brandon’s flaws would reflect on Lan’s own reputation. Landon was, after all, a narcissistic sociopath, so those thoughts weren’t entirely without root. However, Bran couldn’t be more wrong because if there was anything in the world Landon cared most about it was him; his sweet brother who pushed him away without him ever understanding why. They truly both loved each other so much, and they would always do anything to help or save their other half. It really was beautiful to see them find their way back to each other:
“Come here.” I open my arms and I suspect he’ll push me away since he’s allergic to showing affection. However, my brother slides right between my arms and hugs me for the first time since that night eight years ago. “I love you, little bro,” he whispers. “I need you to know that. I need you to know you’re the first person I loved unconditionally and always will. I might annoy you, might act like a dick to get your attention, but that’s only because the thought of losing you scares the living fuck out of me.” “Love you, too, Lan.” I exhale against his neck, my chest nearly bursting with emotions.
All in all, I think it’s safe to say I am in love with this book. The characters completely captured my heart and the romance had me swooning uncontrollably. I am in love. Truly.
Okay, so you know how a lot of romances always couple the virginal heroine with the manwhore hero and we’re all supposed to be swooning|| 3.5 stars ||
Okay, so you know how a lot of romances always couple the virginal heroine with the manwhore hero and we’re all supposed to be swooning because “her pure heart can change his arsehole habits,” but in reality we’re all just collectively rolling our eyes because come onn?? Well, yea, so this book does a complete gender role reversal with that concept and I kind of love it for that.
Our main character is Mallory, a young woman who works in an auto-repair shop to make enough money to support her family and who frequently hooks up with men and women but is too afraid of emotional intimacy to ever let any of her partners get too close to her. She used to have a very powerful passion for chess and she was one of the best players in the world as a child, but something that happened in her past made her turn away from the sport completely, and now she’s all bitter and defensive about it. This type of character description sounds pretty familiar, right? Yea, I know, but I think it’s cool that this time it was the girl who was scared of vulnerability and who had a past that made her a little bit of a dick. Maybe we shouldn’t want any characters like this, because honestly, it is pretty annoying, but hey, I think it’s progress that this slightly irritating character description is no longer exclusive to men. Don’t know why I feel like that’s progress, but I just do. LOL
Anyway, on the other side we have our love interest, Nolan Sawyer; the number one chess player in the world, who kind of seems to be bored with life and who doesn’t seem to feel any particular draw to anything or anyone any more. That is, until he meets Mallory and he’s pretty much smitten at first game, when she beats him at chess despite not having played for years. He’s intrigued and enamoured with her from the very first second they lock eyes, and he can’t help but pine after her. He becomes pretty much obsessed. It’s the first time he ever feels any kind of attraction to anyone in his life, and he would do anything to get to know this beautiful, smart girl. Also, I love that the reason that Sawyer was still a virgin wasn't because he was awkward or geeky or whatever. No, he was handsome, popular, mysterious and very sexy, but he simply never felt the motivation to be intimate with anyone until he met Mallory. I mean, it can’t get much more swoony than that.
Despite loving the initial dynamic between these two, I do have to say that I would have loved to see more depth and development in their relationship. I thought it was very endearing that Sawyer fell in love with Mallory’s chess game first, but I did want to see why his feelings changed beyond that eventually. I don’t think we really got that, which is a shame. I mean, chess is fun and all, but I think you need more than just that to create a functional and meaningful relationship. But hey, maybe I just don’t get it because I’m not smart enough to have chess orgasms or whatever.
Lastly, I want to have a quick rant about all the other people in Mallory’s life, because damnn, did they suck HARD. Mallory’s mother and sisters were all selfish, ungrateful users and I truly couldn’t stand them. I hated her bestfriend too, because she basically ghosted Mallory for months and then gaslighted her into pretending like it was Mallory’s own fault, when it literally wasn’t. Anyway, these people really pissed me off and I was pretty annoyed with the way they were all forgiven like it was nothing. Genuinely made me a bit angry. But whatever.
All in all, I thought this book was very fun and charming with an engaging writing style, but I did definitely miss a little more depth in the romance part of things....more
This was fine. Really. But still, there’s just something about this series that doesn’t quite work for me. The characters don’t draw me|| 3.0 stars ||
This was fine. Really. But still, there’s just something about this series that doesn’t quite work for me. The characters don’t draw me in entirely and the writing itself doesn’t grip me either. It all feels a little stilted and empty; without real emotion. Which is a shame, because the story itself is pretty decent.
That said, I do have to say that I enjoyed the second half of this book much better. Whereas the first half dragged so hard and was truly boring, the second half picked up its pacing and had a relatively interesting plot. I went from feeling bored to somewhat intrigued, and eventually ended up having a satisfied feeling about the ending.
Also, one of my main issues is that I simply don’t feel a true love connection between Oraya and Raihn. To me they just don’t have a lot of chemistry and their dynamic never feels super romantic to me. I don’t feel the tension or the longing; not even in a situation that should have been incredibly intense and angsty. There were a lot of unresolved issues and betrayals between these two, but they never really do much about that: Raihn doesn’t grovel and Oraya doesn’t make him. I really expected her to want to take revenge against him, but nope. They were simply waiting to get back together, since they both knew they would eventually… And so when they do finally get over their issues and give in to each other, it surely doesn’t come as a big surprise, but I will admit that they were pretty sweet and cute together at that point. It’s clear they loved each other, I just wish I could have felt and understood their love more.
Long story short, I’m definitely not raving about this series or this author’s writing, but I certainly don’t hate it either. It’s fine.
Well. What a major disappointment. This started out so great, but in the end, it lost me completely.
This book is about two childhood be|| 2.5 stars ||
Well. What a major disappointment. This started out so great, but in the end, it lost me completely.
This book is about two childhood best friends, who love each other deeper and more intensely than anything else in the world, who are beyond obsessive and possessive when it comes to the other, who would go through great lengths to stay together forever, but who are also utterly incapable of communication, honesty, and a healthy relationship.
I really loved how this story began with these two having such a strong relationship and how co-dependent they were. They were so needy and desperate for the other’s affection, and I truly do love those things in a romance. However, everything became insanely repetitive after a while, and I honestly ended up feeling very annoyed with everything. The fact that these two refused to have a damn conversation together that would have made both of their lives’ so much easier really got on my nerves. After a while, I truly didn’t even believe in their love anymore; how can you claim to love each other so much if you continually make it so incredibly difficult for the other? It just became very boring to see these two do nothing but whine about how much they wanted to touch each other, and not have much of a relationship beyond that.
So, all in all, no matter how much I would have normally loved this type of needy, pining, and co-dependent dynamic, I wasn’t impressed with the execution here. It way just way too dramatic without any real substance....more
Well, damn. This was incredibly disappointing... I don’t even really know where to start with this review, because I feel like I have s|| 2.0 stars ||
Well, damn. This was incredibly disappointing... I don’t even really know where to start with this review, because I feel like I have so many complaints.
First and foremost, let’s start with one of the book’s most glaring issues: the writing was genuinely bad. It’s as plain and simple as that. This whole thing dragged like crazy and I was just so bored most of the time. Not only that, the writing was also painfully shallow. Nothing and no one had depth: all of the characters were completely one-dimensional and the plot failed to be interesting or engaging in any way.
Speaking of the characters, let’s go on with my complaints by talking about our failure of a main character. I don’t know what happened to Violet between this one and the previous book, but I don’t recognize her whatsoever. She used to be the perfect balance of kind and bad-ass with a clever and sharp mind to boot! But now this girl we all knew and loved disappeared completely and instead we got this whiny, insecure idiot without a single rational thought going on inside that annoying brain of hers. I suddenly couldn’t stand her anymore! Same goes for Xaden: he suffered from major character assassination as well. He used to be strong, smart, mysterious, intriguing, and swoony as hell, but that was all gone now. Xaden turned into the most flat character ever, and he had no depth whatsoever. He truly felt like a robot to me, and I lost all interest in him. He is gone for most of the book, and at first I really missed his presence, but after a while, I was just bored every time he came on page, because I knew he would be the same repetitive and annoying character he was during all his other scenes, so I kind of didn’t care anymore if he was gone or not.
The fact that both Violet and Xaden turned into insufferable characters is probably a big reason as to why their romance was terrible in this book too. First of all, after the end of the first book I needed to get some groveling from Xaden, but did we get that here? No. Not even for a second. Xaden wasn’t sorry, he wasn’t regretful, he wasn’t trying to earn back Violet’s trust. No. He didn’t do anything. He didn’t even fight for Violet to forgive him. He was just... waiting. Not lifting a single finger to get back the woman he supposedly loves. He was so cocky in knowing that Violet would crawl back to him anyway that he refused to do anything to speed up the process. He just waited. And I guess he was right, because our spine-less heroine did indeed take him back without getting anything in return: no promises, no trust. Just nothing. Which obviously leads to a very unhealthy relationship between them where they don’t trust each other and in which they refuse to communicate. EVER. All they do is be horny and have sex, but they never actually talk anymore. They don’t confide in each other and neither do they let themselves fully open up to the other. Their entire relationship was just shallow, boring and irritating. I no longer liked anything about it. And then we even got some goddamn other woman drama, and my patience just vanished! I hated it.
Now, when it comes to the side characters I don’t even know where to begin, because I feel like none of them were written well or with any depth to them. It’s like the author could never seem to focus on more than a few characters at the same time, so whenever she wanted to pay attention to one side character, all the other side characters just fell away. For example: at the beginning of this book we have quite a lot of focus on Imogen, and I was really seeing some amazing progress between her and Violet. I thought I saw the start of a beautiful friendship forming between them. But then, the moment Rhiannon started coming back into the fold (after being ignored in the first part), Imogen completely fell away again and her relationship with Violet never picked up. It’s like the author couldn’t handle Violet having more than one close female friend; she couldn’t focus on both at the same time. And therefore, neither Imogen or Rhiannon ever truly felt like friends to Violet because they were often suddenly ignored in her inner monologue or in the story. They were more like decoration, like tools to further the story along. Thus, none of Violet’s friends ever feel like real characters on their own..
I loved the dragons in the first book; they were my favourite part of the entire book. But now, I couldn’t care less. Tairn used to be this sassy, grumpy dad-type, but now he was just a flat, monotone character with no real personality. Everything he said was repetitive, and his entire character just seemed way too simple and lacking any sort of depth. When it came to Andarna, I genuinely think her entire character was butchered. She used to be this cute and precious little baby, and now she turned into someone annoying, bitchy and arrogant without any meaningful connection to Violet. She was like an entitled teenager, and there’s a reason why nobody likes those.
Of course, there were also other characters of whom I was really looking forward to seeing their story develop, but I didn’t get anything remotely satisfying when it came to them. Liam’s sister was only in a few scenes and in most of them she was just flat-out exasperating; everything about her character was anti-climactic. More importantly however, I feel like Dain just got completely ignored during this entire book. He used to be Violet’s best friend for such a long time and after it is revealed he didn’t even really do anything to betray her, Violet doesn’t remotely seem to care?? She doesn’t think about him and she doesn’t give him the time of day... she sort of forgives him but not really?? It was so weakly developed and I honestly expected more. It was, once again, very anti-climactic.
Long story short, the only reason I somewhat enjoyed this book, and why I even finished it, is because I still felt a semblance of attachment to the story and these characters after book one, but even that wasn’t enough to keep me engaged for long enough. I couldn’t help but skim near the end of this book, because I was just so bored. I genuinely didn’t care anymore, and this book was just way too long for no reason. All in all, this was one big disappointment to me.
'The Empyrean' series: 1. Fourth Wing - 4.5 stars 2. Iron Flame - 2.0 stars...more
I actually really like a well-developed “enemies to lovers” trope, but I definitely do not like the “I hate you but I’m going to lust af|| 1.0 star ||
I actually really like a well-developed “enemies to lovers” trope, but I definitely do not like the “I hate you but I’m going to lust after you anyway” trope. It’s so shallow and annoying. This trope also makes every character seem beyond stupid and like their brains are just completely lust-addled. Besides, the protagonists here just had absolutely awful personalities and were just flat-out impossible to like. Jazz was even worse than Ant though; he was literally just the worst and most self-absorbed arsehole alive. Lastly, this was simply not a love story; it was lust. Truly nothing more than lust. They had no connection whatsoever and were somehow sexually drawn to each other for no reason, while still hating each other. I’m really not interested in that. It was so boring, I eventually just couldn’t help but start skimming.
This pretty much had a lust-at-first sight thing going on and surely cannot be praised for its depth or anything remotely like that, bu|| 3.0 stars ||
This pretty much had a lust-at-first sight thing going on and surely cannot be praised for its depth or anything remotely like that, but it was still fun with a hint of angst and I really loved the relationship dynamic here.
This was an age-gap romance with a big size difference between Mike (a big handsome biker who very much enjoys his status as a ‘ladies man’) and Arden (a fiery, feminine boy who’s afraid to commit his heart again after being burned before). Mike is pretty much instantly obsessed with how cute and pretty Arden is, and he tries very hard to get the boy to give him a chance. Mike doesn’t want a relationship though and Arden wants more than a friends with benefits situation, so they dance around each other for a while. Yet, it’s clear they both care for each other a lot: They want to be around each other all the time, and Mike has a very nurturing vibe towards Arden. It was all pretty sweet.
Ryke and Daisy were honestly very cute together, and I loved how protective he was of her. They were matched pretty perfectly; both hav|| 3.0 stars ||
Ryke and Daisy were honestly very cute together, and I loved how protective he was of her. They were matched pretty perfectly; both having a wild, adventurous, laid-back, humble and caring nature. They just seem like that type of couple who would never get bored of each other and who can do the most insane and dangerous stuff together without ever losing the big ass smiles on their face! They just really give off this super cool and sexy vibe as a couple without even really trying. But it’s not just that; they are always each other’s rock, and give full-on support for anything the other wants to do or achieve. Judgement literally isn’t a word that exists in their vocabulary, and they have legit mastered the hurt/comfort trope.
I do have to put this out there: This book (and probably the entire series) very much romanticizes trauma, but I tried not to think about that too much, because it would have just pissed me off the entire time.
Anyway, like I said, I loved Daisy and Ryke, but unfortunately that love did not extent to any of the other four semi-main characters. They are all terribly selfish (except sometimes Connor), and the way they treat Ryke and Daisy made my blood boil. Both of them are kind of the black sheep; easily forgotten, and even more easily ignored. The rest really took them for granted, which sucked, because Ryke and Daisy were the only selfless and likable people in the group.
It also really pissed me off that Daisy felt like she had to suppress all of her issues and trauma because she felt like her family was already dealing with enough because of Lily. Like, no offense… but Daisy went through so much more than Lily. Sure, Lily has a sex addiction, but Daisy has depression, has an eating disorder, has been physically assaulted, has night terrors, has PTSD, has been sexually assaulted multiple times, has no agency over her own life, has been violated in more ways than one, is used by everyone around her, is stuck in the toxic culture of modeling, is being abused by her mother, and basically just gets ignored all the damn time by everyone even though she’s the person who deserves to complain the most. Everyone in that family just made me mad because they were so damn selfish!! How can they not take notice of the teenage girl slowly dying inside?? Instead they were all just so preoccupied with their own damn issues (which were largely their own fault anyway), and expecting everyone to care about how much they were struggling. All these people were insanely self-absorbed. And it broke my heart, because Daisy deserved so much better. I literally started crying when I read about what happened with her friends and the dildo in the elevator… Just legit sobbing. And none of her family was there for her during those times. None of them cared enough to notice. This teenage girl just had to keep it all inside…
“I don’t ever, ever want to choose Lily over Daisy. Just because Lily cries harder. Just because Lily screams harder. It doesn’t mean that Daisy’s pain isn’t more.”
Now, of course I’ll also need to do a little rant on my most hated character: Loren. Loren is a massive prick and I don’t really know why Ryke puts up with it. Somehow Loren doesn’t seem to understand that he is getting a lot more out of their relationship than Ryke is, because he constantly acts like he’s doing Ryke a massive favour by letting him be close to him? But like, sir, you’re a giant mess, you’re an absolute drag to be around, and frankly, you need all the help you can get. You should be GLAD Ryke is willing to put up with your ungrateful arse. Loren was literally only sober because of Ryke. Without him, he’d probably be half-dead by now. And all Ryke gets in return is hate, judgement and the cold-shoulder treatment?? Seriously, PISS OFF. Loren is literally the most selfish person ever, and I don’t really care if it’s because he’s an addict. I mean, doesn’t everyone have a reason for being the way they are? It doesn’t make them any less of an arsehole. Also, why does Loren think he has the right to be this ridiculously overprotective of Daisy? He hardly even knows her (like, seriously, their relationship is extremely shallow and superficial) and he’s not even her brother. Daisy’s ACTUAL sisters didn’t have a problem with her and Ryke being together, so what the actual hell was this idiot’s problem? I mean, I understand he’s about as narcissistic as one can possibly be, but MY DUDE, this is in no way, shape or form about you!! Stop making yourself the victim all the damn time. Like, he hasn’t helped Daisy with any of her problems, EVER, while Ryke was there 24/7, helping her (and helping Loren too, by the way) in any way he could, but somehow Loren still thinks he has the moral high ground here? Like Daisy is just that important to him? And not to Ryke?? God, how I hate this man and how nobody ever calls him out for his horrendous behaviour. If I’m being honest, my biggest issue with Ryke and Daisy’s relationship was how he seemed to prioritize his relationship with his selfish brother over her wants and needs sometimes. He mostly didn’t, but sometimes… sometimes he did. And I truly despised those moments.
All in all, I obviously had some issues with this book but none of them centered around the romance between the main couple. It all had to do with their relationships to the other people around them…...more
This was insta-lust; nothing more. There were also constant, non-stop time jumps that made it completely impossible to actually see any || 1.0 star ||
This was insta-lust; nothing more. There were also constant, non-stop time jumps that made it completely impossible to actually see any (supposed) development between these two: It’s all tell, and no show. We never really went into detail in any conversation or situation: we literally glanced over everything.
Also, Rhys was the most bland hero ever and Bridget had no personality either. All of their interactions honestly bored me to tears or simply just pissed me off. They had no chemistry at all.
Part of me wanted to push her away from me, and another part wanted to drag her into my arms and keep her as mine. Except I couldn’t. Bridget was too young, too innocent and too off-limits, and I’d damn well better not forget that.
So all in all, there simply wasn’t any depth to be found here, and neither did I see any actual love between them. Once they actually got together all they ever did was have sex. They had no emotional intimacy whatsoever.
“Remember. In public, you’re my princess, but in private, you’re my whore.” His other hand reached down and pinched my swollen clit until I squealed, and the beginning tremors of an orgasm rocked through me. “You’ll do what I say, when I say it, and you’ll take my cock however I want. Won’t you?” “Yes,” I breathed.
And don’t even get me started on the dirty talk or the weird power dynamics between these two during sex… Every time they were together in an intimate way I just had to cringe.
“Keep your underwear, gloves and heels on, and crawl to me.” My breath gusted out in shock even as my core spasmed at the order. I’d never crawled for anyone in my life—while I was all but naked, no less. Even if I wasn’t the future queen, it would be degrading. Humiliating. Depraved. And I’d never been more turned on. I sank to my hands and knees, and I began to crawl.
Lastly, the plot in this book was seriously as uninteresting and boring as humanly possible. I genuinely couldn’t care any less.
I had such a difficult time getting into this one, and I really struggled with the first half. It kind of seemed like we were dropped s|| 3.0 stars ||
I had such a difficult time getting into this one, and I really struggled with the first half. It kind of seemed like we were dropped straight into a relationship I didn't know anything about yet, but was expected to love already. It doesn't work like that, and it happened way too often that I was more than a little confused about what was even happening. The thing that confused me the most was the ridiculous amount of banter, which sometimes just felt like overkill, and other times just didn't make sense to me. That said, the banter could also be charming at times, and definitely had its cute or humorous moments as well.
Lloyd and Wesley live in the same dorm room; Wesley as the resident flirt and life of the party, and Lloyd as the diligent and patient RA. They are opposites in almost every way, but they have been best friends for almost three years; basically from the moment Wesley started living there. It is obvious that they are both wildly attracted to each other, but Lloyd refuses to act on it because it's forbidden for RAs to hook up with their residents. Thus follows a long journey where both men are close in every way, and are basically boyfriends already, but without any of the physical intimacy.
All in all, I thought Lloyd and Wesley were both likable characters, and I especially thought Wesley was very sweet and precious, but something about the writing and/or pacing was just off, which made it a little difficult for me to fully connect to their relationship. I also didn't love the fact that the only reason they weren't together for all this time was because Lloyd chose his job over his feelings for Wesley. I really wish he would have prioritised Wesley in that... He supported and took care of him in every other way, so it’s not like he didn’t love him enough, but still. It didn’t seem like a good enough reason for them to be apart the entire book.
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