Review: Lux (Nocte Trilogy Book 3) by Courtney Cole

Credit: Goodreads

3 (confused) Stars

LET THERE BE LIGHT.


My name is Calla Price and I’m broken.

My pieces are all around me, floating on the wind, even as I desperately try to grasp them.

Who is dead? Alive? Insane?

What is the truth?

I don’t know.

I do know this: The darkness is strangling me. With every breath, I choke on another lie.

My mind has protected me, but that shield will soon be lowered.

All will be revealed.
Every answer to every question.

It’s all been leading to this.

Don’t be afraid.
Be terrified.

BUY Lux (The Nocte Trilogy Book 3) NOW on Amazon



My Thoughts: I honestly don't know how to feel about this book. This series started off so strong with book one but then the ending took a twist and I did not know where this author was taking us. Then when book two came out I jumped right in and I basically had this look on my face the entire time...

I could not even understand what was going on. Suddenly book one that I loved is now questionable as to whether or not the events even happened! Why, author WHY?? But being the glutton for punishment that I am I decided to read book three. I needed to know where this cluster of insanity was going. So I picked up Lux and started to read. This book had me ...

Ok, so I see we are sticking with this complete incoherencey. Way to commit! But in all fairness to the author I really did read this book e-cover to e-cover, in one day, basically one sitting. I was glued to it. I did have to put it down a few time because it was literally giving me a headache, but I would pick it right back up.

Now, being that this is book three there is about to be some spoiler-ish comments if you have yet to read the first two books in this series. 

Look away from the next paragraph if you are anti-spoiler

Seriously....

Ok, you were warned.

In Nocte (book one) I was captivated by the story between not only Calla and Dare, but also the love that Calla and Finn share as siblings. It is such an emotional roller coaster and as we get toward the end and we start to realize than Finn had actually died in the crash along with his mom my heart BROKE, shattered into a million pieces. I know what it is like to lose someone so close to you. To feel that it isn't real. To crave the ability to make it all go away. But Calla appeared to do this on a psychological level. Suddenly it wasn't Finn who had the mental break, it was her. Everything we thought we knew was skewed by Calla's POV. When Dare helps her come to terms with Finn's death it is heart-wrenchingly sad. But then the final chapters hit and suddenly Dare isn't who we all thought. Suddenly there is this enormous family secret. *cue suspenseful music* Then Verum (book two) leads us to Whitley which is such a confused jumbled mess. Nothing makes sense, you begin to question if book one even happened, you question what genre you are even reading. Wait!? I thought this was a psychological thriller. Is this paranormal? I'm confused. Ughhh why am I reading this?

Ok spoiler paragraph over..

Which leads us to book three. And this book was even more confusing than books one and two. As you are reading it comes to a point when you are basically just reading book one all over again. It is condensed down but still a verbatim reading of book one events. I even found myself skimming these parts because I could not understand why this needed to be completely retold, and then a few chapters later told again. And then the last 10-15% of the book comes and suddenly everything is explain, there is resolution on the horizon. and AH HA!! this is paranormal! Wish that had been made clear two books ago. And then the final chapter hits and you are once again rereading something that has already happened. and then the book ends with the author's note. And even though I read the book in basically one sitting, even though this was the final book in the series, even  though I read the author's note and I get what she was going for. I just really can not help wishing this book had ended before the plot twist in book one. I can honestly say that the second and third books completely robbed me of the feels that I got from book one. 

I guess as far as my recommendation goes I will say proceed with caution. Nocte, book one is amazing and I do highly recommend it. But the rest of the series.... consider me conflicted.

If you would like to check out this series here are the links to all three books,

Review: That One Night by Josie Wright

We do not normally do review requests here at PLR. They can become overwhelming and it gets really hard to say no to one, while accepting another. But every so often I get an email with a book that peaks my interest and I can't help but accept. This is one of those books. So on that note.....

**This book was sent to me by the author for an honest review**

This is Josie Wright's Debut Novel

Photo Credit: Goodreads

3-4 Stars

All it takes is just one moment to change the course of your life. For me, it was one perfect night.
I have always had a thing for my brother’s best friend, Ben. When I found him on my parents’ couch, drowning his sorrows in a whiskey bottle, my attempts to comfort him quickly turned into a night of raw and intense passion.
My foolish heart hoped he might feel the same way I do.
But Ben wasn’t there to stay and I woke up the next morning alone with a broken heart.
I attempted to forget the guy with a smile to die for and a touch that sets me on fire.
I thought I was over him.
I thought he was gone forever.
Until, eighteen months later Ben returns and learns my secret. Now, he is hell-bent on winning me back.
He plays dirty.
And he won’t stop until he gets what he wants—me.

But he has secrets of his own.
Secrets that could destroy everything we might have and everything we are.

Not suitable for under 18's due to strong language, violence and sexual content

*This book is an interconnected standalone and first in the series.

approx. 86,000 words 

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   My Thoughts; Don't let my Star Rating confuse you. This was an excellent story and I am happy that I chose to read it, I just had a few hang ups along the way. I will get to those later. First, let me tell you a bit about the story.

   It was not a challenge at all to get into this book. I was pretty much invested before I finished the first chapter. I want say that I was not shocked at any point in the book. The storyline was straight forward and as the book moved along I could see where it was going from one point to the next. I loved that this story is not just a love story between a man and a woman but also about parents falling in love with their child and learning to become a family. And in my opinion that is the greatest love story of all.

   It was also refreshing to see two adults acting like adults. Actually working through the issues that arise between them. I read a lot of books where I just think to myself. "Do these people even communicate with each other.... at all?" I just want to reach into the pages and choke some sense into them. WAKE PEOPLE! That was not the case in this book. Yes, each character has some serious issues to work through. Yes, it does cause conflict along the way. But they handle themselves the way two adults who have someone else who depends on them should act. Overall, the story rates at 4 Stars and I look forward to the next couple in this series..... which I am also pretty sure I have figured out. The author did a great job of setting it up for the sequel without it overwhelming the story at hand.

   The only real issue I had with this book was the editing. It wasn't so bad that it made it difficult to read, but there were a few of typos along the way. I have had numerous emails with this author since reading and she is having her proofreaders go over it once more. I have to say that she is a very pleasant individual and I can see her going far. I think authors need to maintain that level of professionalism. This is a tough industry, everyone is a critic and not everyone is kind. And I say that as someone who has had their critique spit back in their face. I look forward to reading more of Josie Wright's work in the future and I wish her all the luck in the world with her debut.

   I want to mention one more thing, this is not a critique per se, but more of something I do on all books with warning labels. Lets call it a 'readers view'. In a day where everyone is offended by everything, I understand the need for these types of "labels" so I just like to give my opinion on them from a reader's perspective.

   While this book is intended for mature audiences it is in no way erotica. There are several racy sex scenes but that is to be expected in a romance novel, no? I am not a huge "erotic" novel reader so I may have skipped the book based on the author warning. But trust me when I say you will get plenty of well developed STORY in this book.

   Ben and Frankie are a beautiful couple and it was extremely easy to fall in love with them. And I look forward to seeing where the rest of the characters we met in That One Night go from here as well.




Happy Reading

~S

Guest Review: Grey by EL James

   Hi everyone! I want to welcome my good friend Janne to PLR today. She has been kind enough to share her review of Grey by EL James with us. Janne and I have been friends for a couple of years now and she is always recommending some pretty awesome books. I also have to give her credit for sparking my interest in Audio books. I never gave them a second thought until she recomended some really great ones to me. While I do still prefer the print version I have found myself diving into Audible more and more frequently. As you will see when you read the following review, Janne listened to the audible version of Grey, narrated by Zachary Webber. And let me just second her opinion on his narrative voice. Please enjoy her review and if you would like to follow more of Janne's reviews you can find her on Goodreads >>> Click Here

 Grey by E.L. James

Audio by Zachary Webber

                                                                 

Photo Credit: Goodreads

 3 - 4.5 Stars (read on)

See the world of Fifty Shades of Grey anew through the eyes of Christian Grey.

In Christian's own words, and through his thoughts, reflections, and dreams, E L James offers a fresh perspective on the love story that has enthralled millions of readers around the world.

Christian Grey exercises control in all things; his world is neat, disciplined, and utterly empty—until the day that Anastasia Steele falls into his office, in a tangle of shapely limbs and tumbling brown hair. He tries to forget her, but instead is swept up in a storm of emotion he cannot comprehend and cannot resist. Unlike any woman he has known before, shy, unworldly Ana seems to see right through him—past the business prodigy and the penthouse lifestyle to Christian’s cold, wounded heart.

Will being with Ana dispel the horrors of his childhood that haunt Christian every night? Or will his dark sexual desires, his compulsion to control, and the self-loathing that fills his soul drive this girl away and destroy the fragile hope she offers him?


This book is intended for mature audiences.

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   Janne's Thoughts; OK folks, if you are one of the 4 people left on earth who has not read the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy or seen the movie; there will be spoilers in this review of Grey, EL James’ recent surprise release of the story from Christian’s Point of View. Whether you loved the books or hated them, you have to admit, they certainly have a following. And, I’m one of them. Sure it’s erotic and that’s where people get stuck and, often, upset. It’s the STORY of Christian and Anastasia that is the kick in the gut and so often overlooked. So when Ms. James announced the release of Grey, it was with great trepidation that I pre-ordered it. BUT, when it was then announced that Zachary Webber would be the narrator of the audio, the deal was sealed. I canceled my Kindle pre-order and signed on for the audio.

In my opinion, Zachary Webber is one of the best audio performers out there and I have said many a time that he could read the instructions on how to give an enema and make them sound awesome.

   It is not a surprise that Ms. James is not a writer of ‘seri-ass’ literature and, along those lines, Grey does not disappoint.  Grey alternates between very good and very ‘not so good’. I mean REALLY ‘not so good’. AND, though I did not see the movie, I kept seeing Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson as Christian and Anastasia instead of my own images. And frankly, I preferred my own images.

   The audio is unabridged, as most are, and lasts for 18 hours and 46 minutes. If any of you have read reviews I have written, you will know that I am a visceral reader and reviewer. You will not see quotes and descriptions of scenes. What you will get is the reaction of my heart, soul, gut and spirit. So, here you go…here are my ‘not so good’ comments on Grey:

• At least 50%, if not more, of that time is a re-hashing of the first book (Fifty Shades of Grey) as told by Christian. There is nothing new except that instead of Ana’s ‘goddesses talking to her’, it’s Christian’s boy part leading him onward and upward. I kept thinking “come ON, get to some substance about Christian!”
• There is little new information about who Christian really is other than some infrequent flashbacks of a brutal childhood. In fact, that’s how the book starts and it’s not that impressive;
• The e-mail relationship that was so FUN in the first book (and second) is NOT so fun in Grey because it’s the same. It’s like a redundancy overload AND when it’s being read, gets mighty old.
• One pet peeve in the first book and continued in Grey—when Anastasia went to Savannah GA to see her mother, it was in June which meant that the time was Eastern DAYLIGHT time and not Eastern Standard Time. I would have thought editors would catch this at least for Grey.
The ‘very good’ comments:
• OK—this book cranks up with the ‘soaring’ adventure in Savannah.  There is the beginning of Christian’s desire to meet Ana’s request for ‘more’ as his thoughts become more and more focused on her and his growing enchantment with her. Sure, he’s still pretty focused on ‘having her’ but vanilla is not so bad;
• Starting with the Leila issue, the book really picks up some steam and we start getting more glimpses of Christian’s psyche and his inner turmoil.
• And, finally, with the epic scene where she challenges him to punish her and ultimately leaves him, we REALLY get going. Christian’s nightmares, consisting again of flashbacks of his wretched childhood, intensify and are detailed. This is good stuff because all we knew in the ‘Ana’ version was that he had them.

   Personal reflection on how this book could have been SO much better:
Christian Grey is an interesting, complex and substantive man.  It therefore stands to reason that a book from his point of view would absolutely go to town on WHO HE IS, HOW HE GOT TO BE WHO HE IS and HOW HE THINKS.  There is so much of him that could be explored:

• Christian’s  early years and the impact/damage it did to him. We do get a bit more of that toward the end of Grey but this could have been developed much earlier in the book and more thoroughly;
• Christians’ relationship with Elena which was barely touched on in Grey (how did she find him, how did she seduce him...hell, a snippet of how he lost HIS virginity and how she snared him into the BDSM lifestyle, how did HE act as a submissive and so on);
• Christian’s emotional volatility was barely explored yet all through the first Fifty, he was all over the emotional map. In Grey, he comes across as uneven but not the emotional roller coaster we’ve come to know
• Christian’s internal demons roared to life when Ana left him after telling him she was in love with him. Holy crap…that’s the core struggle he has and we needed to see that build from the moment Ana fell into his office and not at the end of the book. Why does he loathe himself so, why does he feel like he’s a monster, how did the relationship with Mrs. Robinson play into his psyche? There are some lovely moments with Dr. Flynn as Grey draws to a close and I am looking forward to the Grey’s POV from Fifty Shades Darker.   It’s obvious that Ms. James did a ton of research into flying/soaring, music, and the BDSM lifestyle to add credence to the book…so I’m imploring that the same effort will be focused on giving us complex Christian.
I guess I’m just asking for MORE.

My Many Many Thanks once again to Janne for sharing her review with us! You are wlcome back any time.

~S 

Review: Fifty Shades of Grey (MOVIE)

WARNING....... This review will contain minor spoilers. If you have not read the books, you may want to avoid. If you have read the book(s) you already know what happens ;)

I am not a movie reviewer so this is more of a comparative review on book vs movie. Just bare with me while I ramble for a bit.

Let me start by saying a few words about the book/series. I read this book before it was picked up for publishing, before the hype, and before it was plastered all over every single media outlet known to man. 

I was reluctant, at first, to read the series because of the fanfic aspect but I finally gave in and read. I was pleasantly surprised. I had and still have parts about the book(s) that rub me the wrong way. But as an overall story, I truly enjoyed it. I will be the first to admit that they weren't exceptionally well written. That it will never go down in history as a great work in literature. However, when you look past all of that, it has a beautiful story deep within the pages. 

A man (Christian) who is deeply 'disturbed' on an emotional level. He was, clearly, sexually abused as a teenager and that is what pushed him into his choice of "lifestyle". This person, an authority figure who should have been a positive influence, used him for her own sadistic pleasure. 

Now before people get in an uproar, I am not putting down or belittling the BDSM lifestyle in any way. I am a firm believer that what you do in the privacy of your home and/or bedroom is your own business.... as long as it is between two consenting adults.

Christian was a troubled child and he needed people in his life who were understanding of that. Not someone who took advantage of his innocence. She was nothing more than a pedophile. I will hold that opinion for eternity, the end. 

 Ana is a different thing all together. I had mixed feelings about her. She was weak, she was strong willed, she was naive she was not. She was desperate and panting but she also had balls at times. She above all was exactly what she needed to be for HIM. She loves him despite his obvious internal issues and becomes the only person he allows in enough to actually help him work through them. 

I do not now, nor have I ever felt that Christian needed to be "cured" of anything. I do, however, feel like he needed to learn where the line between using BDSM as his way of coping with his issues and actually having that as a pleasure outlet in his life.

I wanna take a second to touch on the media hype. I, personally, rolled my eyes every time I heard the words 'book porn' or 'Mommy porn'.

1. Book Porn...I have read some books that are LOADS more 'erotic' than this. So what...women read books with sex in them. BFD. Get over it already. How many years have men been reading the articles in Playboy?? Enough said
2. Mommy Porn... Ok seriously people?? Mommy porn? Let me tell you what Mommy porn looks like. It looks like her husband doing the dishes for a change. Or even making dinner. Or.... good god someone grab me a cold shower.... laundry. Those things equate to Mommy porn.

And now... the movie.

I will not sing the praises of the actors or the script but I am going to say that I feel they played the parts the best they could be played under the circumstances. Part of me feels like this movie was doomed from the start. It has been talked about to the point of being annoying. People (namely ME) who were once excited at the prospect of this becoming a movie became disgusted with the media hype. 

Dakota Johnson plays a pretty good Ana. Even though the breathless gaspy way she spoke throughout the movie was a little over done. Yes, it captured the book character, but it was also a bit much. However, I did like her a lot. She made me laugh several times and I think she portrayed a lot of the emotions to a T. And mad props to the girl... I mean she had to be naked thru a huge part of the movie. ^5 for having the guts to do it.

Jamie Dornan is not my vision of Christian Grey. I had to seriously give myself a pep talk before going in (Don't dislike him just on principle). Now that I have seen the movie I can give him a little credit. He did pretty good. Did he capture Christian? I don't know. I feel like maybe we all have our own version of him in our minds already so maybe he did for some, but for me he was lacking a little. He didn't suck. And I will give him this, the man was wearing the hell out of  those low slung jeans. He played up the sex scenes fairly well. The fact that Christian hates to be touched was clearly portrayed. He was able to play the lighter side of CG way better than the hard side. But, again, he didn't suck.

****Side note -- When he says Laters Baby, it just sounds dumb. I am sorry, that is blunt but its my truth. 

The story was the part(s) I had the most trouble with. I feel like the sexual aspect of the book was focused on more than the actual storyline. There were several things cut out of the "story" that could have been added and there were sex scenes that could have been left out. If you are planning to see it strictly for the sex scenes, you will not be disappointed. While they were very steamy as well as racy, they were also tastefully done.

I loved the fact that they played into Ana 'topping' him. While Christian is clearly the dominate, we book lovers know different. Ana is in control more often than not, and this did come across several times throughout the movie. 

Overall, I will give this movie a 3 out of 5 Stars. I would watch it again once it releases on DVD and I will probably even buy it to have with my books. 

Bottom line, I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it. So there it is. I even sorta feel like it may have been more successful as a cable series, maybe that way they could have put in the sex that they feel like everyone wants as well as the storyline that we actually wanted most. If you have seen it, tell me how you felt about it.

~S

SHOUT OUT to the guy sitting adjacent to us that slept (complete with snoring) through the entire movie. Happy Valentine's Day to his date. 

DOUBLE SHOUT OUT to the little lady (who we nicknamed Grandma, she was easily in her 80's) a few rows in front of us who laughed out loud at all the most "awkward" moments. High Five grandma!! 

And to the guy that directly in front of us who said, "Did I really just pay money to watch this?" after his girlfriend was clearly upset about the cliffhanger ending. She didn't need your snide commentary so SHHH. But I guess we know what you aren't getting for Valentine's Day, hmmm.

Review: Eternally North by Tillie Cole

Credit: Goodreads

3 Stars

Natasha Munro is your typical twenty eight year old girl, well, your typical twenty eight year old Geordie: curvy, fun and a whole load of fab-u-lous. Her life is all going to plan — good job, great friends, close family and a loving boyfriend — until an unexpected event turns everything on its head.

Nursing a broken heart and decked head to toe in tasselled chaps and rhinestones, Natasha and her flamboyant fairy of a gay best friend, Tink, uproot from their Northern nest, throw caution to the wind and embark on a new life together in Canada — the land of Rocky mountains, Maple Syrup, oh, and an ‘in-between movies’ Hollywood mega-star.

Enter infamous bad-boy of the big screen, Tudor North.

Bonafide hunk and actor-extraordinaire.

Tudor is big, brooding and gorgeous and is harbouring a deep secret. Tudor’s cold and intimidating demeanour successfully keeps everyone at bay, that is everyone but a certain Ms Munro. It soon becomes clear, what with her smart mouth and lusciously ample arse, that Natasha proves more than a match for the emotionally distant star.

Will Natasha and Tink settle into their new life abroad?

Will Natasha ever find her fairytale happy ending?

Can a movie star and an ordinary girl ever really make it work?

Or will the secrets lurking in Tudor`s past threaten her chance at happiness?

Addictive, hilarious and heart warming. A fast paced comedic journey of self discovery, unyielding friendship and of course, a suitable dose of slap and tickle.

Warning: contains a foul-mouthed voluptuous Brit, a self-named 'Friggin' Fantastic Fairy’ and an abundance of bulging muscles and tattoos.

Buy Now on Amazon

My thoughts; I enjoyed this story but I was now WOW'd by it. At some points I felt like I had read it before and at others I was really into it and loving the characters. 

This book was recommended to me as 'hilariously funny', but I found it mildly amusing at certain parts and actual out loud giggle worthy at others. I think it is a matter of your own personality. I think the main issue I had was the believe-ability at certain parts. Would this person say this or react this way? Is it plausible for these people to come together this quickly with barely having had a real conversation? Does it make sense that I just read 50% of the book before there is any mention of the heroine having a pretty significant medical condition? I think the concept of the story was spot on but the author was lacking with the PUNCH. 

I really did enjoy the story and I read it quite quickly. It kept me entertained even when I was having the "snobby reader" moments from the previous paragraph. I did see that this book is listed as Book One. but I see no mention of a book two. The way this book ends I feel that it could be left to stand on its own. However, the author did leave an opening to write more if she chooses. I am on the fence as to whether I would continue with the series if/when she chooses to write another book.

~S

Review: Verum (Nocte 2) by Courtney Cole

Credit: Goodreads

2-3 Stars

The truth shall set you free.

My name is Calla Price and I’m drowning.

My new world is a dark, dark ocean and I’m being pulled under by secrets.

Can I trust anyone? I don’t know anymore.

The lies are spirals. They twist and turn, binding me with their thorns and serpentine tongues. And just when I think I have it figured out, everything is pulled out from under me.

I’m entangled in the darkness.

But the truth will set me free.

It’s just ahead of me, so close I can touch it. But even though it shines and glimmers, it has glistening fangs and I know it will shred me.

Are you scared?


I am.



Buy NOW on Amazon

My Thoughts; Let me begin by telling you that book one of this series (Nocte) is and will probably remain as one of my top reads for 2015. That being said, I am having a hard time reviewing this book. I look at my 3 Star tag and wonder if I am being too generous, while at the same time, looking at the 2 Star tag and wondering is it enough. I did read this book with much curiosity and I was craving the information to answer the simplest question.... "What is happening?". I am really sad to say that even though I felt that the question was answered, at least in part, that there is still so much confusion. 

As I read this book I felt like it subtracted so much of the emotion from Nocte, I felt like it took a story that I fell completely in love with, that I grieved the end of, and completely took it away? Was it real? did it even happen? 

So here is my explanation of my rating for the ones who don't get it;

If this book were a stand-alone, or even a book one of its own series I would definitely rate it as a 3 or maybe higher. But it is not the beginning of its own series it is a sequel to a book that I feel, at this point, should have been a stand-alone. I give Verum the 2 Star tag because it has, in many respects, ruined Notce. 

I will read the final book in this series because I want to see where the author is going with this storyline and I really hope that I can get back to that feeling I had at the end of Nocte.

NOTE: Book 3 title Lux is expected out May 2015 (info from Goodreads)

~S

Review: Love, in English by Karina Halle

Photo Credit: Goodreads

3 Stars

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter.

I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

***

To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.

Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.

Something that can never, ever be.

Or so she thinks.

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   My thoughts; When this book first released there was so much exposure. It seemed everyone on Facebook was reading it. All the bloggers were talking about it. Rave reviews were being thrown out left and right. I have to admit that I was very curious to see what all the fuss was about. However, I decided to wait until the new release trend was over before I picked it up to read. 

   Now before I start giving my thoughts on this book, I know you have seen the Star Rating I have attached and assume it wasn't a good book. That is not the case. I am a fan of this author, I have read many of her books and loved them. As a blogger I decided long ago to judge a book based on it's content, not its author. I have found myself, over the past few years, using facebook as a way of finding new books and authors. It is an amazing platform and I have met many fellow readers who share my tastes in storylines and always give me new recs when I am lost in a sea of new releases. I have also found several friends whose tastes vary from mine but they will recommend books that they know may push the boundaries of my comfort zone. Sometimes they get to say, "I told you so". And other times I have to file the book away in my, maybe I will try again another day pile. 

  I know I am getting off track so let me bring this back to my point. Facebook is an awesome atmosphere to meet fellow readers and to keep up with what is trending in the book world. However, Facebook is also full to the brim with street teams who work night and day promoting their authors. When I decided to start blogging I made the decision that no matter what the general consensus may be that I, myself, would always be open and honest about my feelings on a book. which leads me to my thoughts on, Love, in English.

   I felt that this book was very well written. You can tell the author had a clear picture of how she wanted to present the story and I believe she did it well. That being said it was the storyline in and of itself that I had the hardest time with. The understanding that you can't help who you fall in love with is clear, and I believe this is the truth. However, how you chose to handle things at that point are completely and totally within your power. 

   Vera and Mateo allowed things to cross the line between emotional and physical. This was within their power. I respect the remorse that Vera felt after the fact, knowing that she may have allowed things to go to far.

  I had an extremely hard time with the fact that it seemed everyone around her was so blase about Mateo's marriage. Like they seemed to be ushering her into a relationship with someone who is clearly unavailable.

  Now, lets talk about Mateo. I did develop a fondness for his character over time but for he most part I disliked him. I found him to be selfish with Vera. He seemed to only consider HIS side of things. Like his sacrifices were more important than hers. He even at one point says this to her, in not so many words. 

  Even though in the end the story ends on a positive note, I just could not get past all of the negative feelings I had while reading it. It took me some time to finish this book, which is unusual for me, but I refused to give up on it. This is definitely a book that pushed my boundaries. I don't know how I would go about making a rec for this book, what type of person might enjoy it, but the advice I can give is this; If you read the synopsis for this book and aren't immediately intrigued by the concept of an "affair" type relationship, you may want to save it for a rainy day.



~S

Review: Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher

3.5 Stars

When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat…and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free



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  My thoughts; What did I just read? I am sitting here trapped inside a whirlwind of emotions. Teetering on the brink of loving and loathing, contentment and anguish. I can not wrap my head around this.

It isn't often I find myself questioning whether or not I liked a book. Usually when I have finished I am left with a solid feeling, but this book.....

  The main character of this story, Senna, has been dealt the worst hand life could possibly hand someone. So many things in her life have come to destroy her and completely crumble the ground on which she attempts to stand. I can't say that I find her a strong character because she doesn't fight to overcome, she doesn't strive to be positive, she doesn't even seem to care whether she wakes up on any given day. She has let every single thing that has happened to her beat her so far down that she is just simply existing. And yet she is still alive.

  This book took me a few days longer to finish than a book of this size normally takes. I kept finding myself being pulled into Senna's depression and I would just need to pause. I never had a hard time staying focused on the story, it was quite captivating to say the least. The relationship, albeit nonexistent, between Isaac and Senna was intriguing. I wanted to know what fueled him to keep returning to her side. I wanted her to see him, truly see him, just once. The mystery surrounding the situation Senna and Isaac find themselves in keeps you guessing, it keeps you entranced and it keeps your heart in splinters. 

  There is no denying that Tarryn Fisher is a outrageously gifted author and she proves that point throughout this entire book. She isn't afraid to veer from the "safe path". She is not afraid to end a book leaving the reader just a little unsatisfied. And to me that is a check in the win column, write what your heart leads you to write, write the dark and the light, write the happy and the sad. And if there is no real "happy" write it anyway. 

If you are looking for an HEA (happily ever after) love story I would suggest saving this one for another day. 

 

  I can't deny that there is an epic love story deep within these pages. What I will say is that sometimes finding your soulmate isn't always enough. First, you have to learn to love yourself.


~S