Crazy For Books

2.5 - 3 CHICKS RUIN EVERYTHING STARS

It's so funny. Most of this series I've loved. The second book Behold the Stars and this book were a bit of a miss for me. 

I liked Havoc, and I get from his background that he found it hard to connect with people and didn't want a relationship or family. He didn't have a really great example of it.

For Corinne, her background was much better, but her sister and brother-in-law, felt like there were there only to antagonize her and us to make us like her more. She was fine, but I wasn't as invested in her as I was with Lilli, Shannon or Riley. She seemed to fall into love with Havoc way too easily and her sort of "wait and see" attitude with her kid and his involvement with the Horde was a little bizarre for me.

I also saw what was going to happen coming a mile away. I mean... COME ON! Haven't they learned anything yet. I get that Isaac needed to replenish his quaffers after his rehab, but there had to be a better way. Or at least someone had to think and direct Dom to what they should be looking out for. They know he's not Bart, and even Bart missed things. So someone should have been thinking of all the angels. The walked into what they ended up in so easily it was ridiculous. 

I did like the part where Bart came back, even if it was partly his fault that things turned out the way they did. 

I don't know guys. I love this series for the most part. It just feels like every couple of books she phones it in and follows a pattern for me. Oh well. We can't all love everything and I will continue to give the series a try as now I have to know how they are going to get themselves out of this predicament.

SHE'S BACK... LOVED IT !!!!!!

5++ SLICK STARS

Josie is poised and a little stand-offish. After living the past twenty-three years as the personal assistant to famed photographer, Henry Gagnon, and traveling the globe several times.



She's back in Maine to take care of things after her Gran has passed. Before she can get back to her jet-setting life there's the reading of the will, where she finds out Gran had befriended Jake Spear, three time married and divorced single father of three (Conner, Amber and Ethan) and has "given" her to him in that will. 

Jake is stunning, big, muscular, blue eyes and intense. She knows the kind of woman he likes and it's not her. He's a business owner and former boxer. 







Now, they both know that no one can own another person, but that doesn't stop Jake from doing exactly what Lydie wanted him to do. So when Jake tells her she's not his type, she opens up enough to let him comfort her during her grief and let him be a friend. 



But soon Josie's falling for Jake and Jake can't stand to know that the other men in her life are finally coming to realize they want her and could loose her. 



Josie is not only falling in love with Jake, but his family. The kids Conner and Amber have issues from a neglectful mother and Josie tries to advise them. Ethan's mother is just absent. And now she no longer wants to leave Maine. 

Ex-wives, ex-boss, ex-lovers, ex-family all descend on the couple to make things difficult, but they weather the storm until a little white lie lands them in trouble. 

I loved this book. Jake was the best Alpha Male KA has written in a long time. He was sweet and caring, slowly moving Josie into the relationship he wanted. But when he was ready for her to know exactly what he wanted from her, he had no problem telling her straight out.

"Panties off, Josie."

~Jake



I loved how Jake was with his children...

"Lesson," Jake said gently. "Man's got the power to break a woman's heart. Women have their own power. Learn this and in future, choose better."

~ Jake to Conner. 

I loved some of the peripheral characters, like; Micky Donovan, Coert, the Sherrif, and Dee-Amond. Who I wouldn't mind reading their stories if they had them. I also loved the budding relationships between the kids

and could handle a book with their stories. The Taylors were hysterical and great friends to Amber.

There was very little I didn't like about this book. Took a minute to get going, but once it did there was no turning back. 

I have to say that I love the fact that KA has gone back to her roots of telling a full story with full characters, even the peripherals with not all that editing done to keep it under a certain amount of pages. This worked because its her style of bringing us fully into a characters world. That world with friends, enemies and family, that we've all come to love, and had been missing in the last couple of books. At least for me. Those books had seemed rushed and there was nothing rushed about this book. It was like I was one of their friends, witnessing what was happening and that's what I want when I read a KA book. I want to be around my friends. 

I can't wait to read more from this series and I hope its soon.

ARC provided by publisher through NetGalley for an honest review 

This was a look at how the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, The Scarecrow and Toto came to be. This was a prequel, in a way to,Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz . Before they all were to become help and part of Dorothy's mission.

Again, beautifully drawn. Easy to read. Fun story and I'm looking forward to more in the story.

ARC provided by publisher through NetGalley for an honest review. 

3.5 BIKERS STARS

This book started out being better than the others in the series. Sean was all dark and brooding and and ex-biker. I mean what more could you ask for. The sexual tension between he and Abigail was palpable. 





But it just felt like things were rushed and that they made things difficult for each other for no real reason. Just to propel the story forward. Bust since they are all pretty short novella's its was easy to get through and it didn't take long to get sexy hot. He was dominate and it worked.

4.5 SEXY STARS

This book was very different from the first two books. We find Livvie living in Spain going to University and living under the name of Sophia Cole. It's been a year since she took some time to travel the world, using the money Caleb left for her. She's been feeling like she's being watched and has just informed Agent Reed when she gets a mysterious note. She immediately knows who is from.

This story is from James' POV. James Cole was the little boy who was kidnapped from his mother at the age of five and sold into sexual slavery in Tehran. This same boy became Caleb. But things aren't smooth when he finally is back in Livvie's life. Caleb has a lot to atone for. Not only does he feel that Livvie deserves it, but he does as well. Livvie has a life and friends and Caleb only knows one way of living. He wants to be with her all the time.

They spend time talking to each other about how he chose her to kidnap, their time together when she was his captive before she told him she loved him, their time apart and how he found her. Those conversations don't always go well. 

"No!" She was on a roll. Her eyes screamed of crazy. "It's perfect! I'll leave school and cut my friends out of my life. Then you can have me all to yourself! You can keep me in your dark little room and fuck me stupid. You can own me. It's what you want, isn't it?"

~ Livvie aka Sophia



And sometimes that turned him on...

Did her words hurt? Yes. But they also excited me. My dick was hard and a familiar thrumming thudded in my ears. I wanted a fight. I needed a fight. I was sick and tired of playing nice. I AM NOT NICE!

~ Caleb aka James

there were very funny moments from Caleb trying to be a normal person...

"Do you even notice how women look at you, Caleb? James. Whatever. You're just... you're fucking beautiful is what you are." 

"Handsome. I'm handsome. And no, I don't notice. I'm too busy looking at you. Or using my carefully cultivated death-stare to threaten any man stupid enough to set eyes on you.

~ Livvie and Caleb conversation.



He didn't know how to handle things like a normal guy or boyfriend. He invaded her privacy by breaking into her laptop to read the book she'd been writing. He didn't have a job, so he spent his days waiting for her to come home. It took him time to learn to like her friends and spend time effectively by himself.

I loved the effort he put into giving Livvie the space she needed to trust and love him again. He had to learn to be a normal person as well and not always want to go for the jugular when someone angered him. He eventually became friends with her friends and learned to love the new Livvie and understand that he made her who she was sexually and that their shared past had to be worked through. 





This was funny, sweet and SEXY as hell all at the same time. My heart broke for both of them as they had so many things to work through. Caleb understood that part of what Livvie had to work through was due to him. and he gave her the space to do it. He also fought with her, learning that they were changing, their relationship was different and to figure out how to be with each other in a healthy way.

Fantastic series. I'm so glad I read it. I am looking forward to more from Ms. Roberts.

And there's an Epilogue too?! I can't wait to read it. 

When we first find Livvie in this book, she's been arrested for trying to cross the Mexican Border into American holding a gun and covered in blood. 



FBI Agent Matthew Reed and Dr. Janice Sloan, FBI social worker, are trying to get Livvie to talk about her experience and want to make sure she was actually a victim. The rest of the book is spent with Livvie telling how she came to fall in love with her captor, kill a man, and get herself across the border and back on American soil.

Agent Reed and Agent Sloan need their own story. Their time in this book was brief and framed Livvie telling her story about what happened to her her four months in captivity. But what did happen between them was FREAKING H.O.T.! 



At first Agent Reed is very hard on Livvie, but soon his personal history starts to influence his thoughts on Livvie's experience as well as Caleb's life. Livvie makes a deal that she and her family can go into WITSEC separately. 

During Livvie's telling of the story, we find out how Caleb came to be with Rafiq. Felipe and Celia play a big role in his relationship with Livvie as well as him finding out how he came to be a kidnapped child, prostitute, killer and sex trainer.

I had a feeling early on in this book that what I thought could be, was what was going to turn up as a major twist in the story. I was right, but so much more happened that I didn't see coming.

I was torn between what Caleb made Livvie do and what she wanted to do. He made her who she was sexually. But she loved him anyway. 





It was a long book, but I couldn't stop reading it. There was always a twist or a turn. There was never a dull moment. I read every word with reverence. I just can't say enough good thing about the book. I loved and hated Caleb at the same time. I was sad for Livvie for the most part, but felt that she somehow kept her strength and dignity throughout her ordeal. And when she was finally free it was only to be thrown into a prison until her story was sorted out. Agent Reed had little to no compassion at the beginning, but Livvie shocked him and turned him on at every opportunity. Making him show his human gooey center and, if not understand, at least sympathize with her.

Livvie kept her "smart mouth" as Caleb would call it. And she used her quick whit and smart moth to manipulate her captors as well as the FBI agents into doing what she wanted. She was stronger than anyone gave her credit for and I LOVED that about her.

Thank you C.J. Roberts for a fabulous book. I can't wait to read more from you.

5+++RUTHLESS KITTEN STARS

And there's an Epilogue too?! I can't wait to read it. Review to come once I collect myself!

4 HEART POUNDING STARS

I think my heart was in my throat from the first moment I started reading this book. I was so scared and sad for Livvie. She was emotionally abused as a child and now used physically and mentally by a man who's emotions had been cauterized by his own harsh life. How two men, Caleb and Rafiq can have so much hatred for someone who destroyed their lives, yet not realize or care they were becoming the thing the sought to destroy. People who could destroy someone else's life in their quest for vengeance is beyond me. How they or Caleb can justify what he's doing was tough to read. 

But I've been on the edge of my seat since the moment I started reading the book. I can't wait to dive into the next installment.

The Good: Anticipation factor is off the charts. Learning little things about each of their lives, which brought them to this point is amazing. I love Livvie's spirit and spunk. Once she works it all out, she doesn't close up into a ball, she comes up with a plan, not knowing if it will be effective and work, but she knows she has to fight, if only internally, in order to survive. She's always had to and she will continue to do so.

The Bad: Not much. I was ticked at Livvie for how they first meet, but I get that she had no real compass when it came to people because of how she was treated.

5 ACHING STARS

This was so great. To hear what happened at the end of Alone On Earth from Lilli and Isaac's point of view. So much hardship, so much hard work. Great novella, and I can't wait for the next book.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review 

4.5 - 5 HILARIOUS PUMPKIN STARS

Malcolm "Mal" Ericson is the drummer we met in Lick , the first installment in the Stage Dive series. 

Something is going on with Mal and he won't talk to anyone. Where he has always been the life of the party, something is different. He seems to have these manic highs, but they feel forced.

"Come find another toy." ~ Ben

"Ooh, she's shiny." - ~Mal

"Why don't you go and ask her what her name is?" ~ Ben

"Do I need to know her name?" ~ Mal

"I've heard it helps" ~ Ben

"Maybe for you," Mal scoffed. "I just call out my won name during sex." ~ Mal

"You're an awesome lay, a great girl, I fucking hate it when you're sad, and I don't like it when you're not around. I'm even getting used to the fighting and drama now and then, because the make-up sex is rocking." ~ Mal

Next door neighbor, drags Anne Rollins, to her friend Ev and David's condo for a party. Where Anne meets Mal after he overhears he telling a friend that everything that could go wrong has. The next thing she knows Mal has moved into her apartment and is asking her to fake being his girlfriend. She agrees, because not only has she had a major crush on the drummer since she was a teen, she really needs the money. It doesn't hurt that Mal is an adorable sweetheart she needs the help, financially.

"You know, I honestly can't decide if your ego is repulsive or just impressive." ~ Anne

Soon it become apparent that something is wrong with Mal and Anne will do anything to help him. 



But her long time crush, Reece, has finally realized that Anne is special and he wants her as well. As Mal and Anne get closer, they don't seem to be faking it anymore. Hilarity ensues with Mal being jealous and not knowing how to deal with those feelings.

The chemistry between the two Mal and Anne was smoking...



He makes her laugh and she is the perfect person for him, because she's good at letting things go. She can even laugh at what most would find annoying about Mal. As everyone knows, I LOVED Lick , but this one surpassed my expectations. Sweet, funny and a rock star... What more could you ask for?

** spoiler alert ** He looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties--a man, not a boy. He had long, dark hair falling past his shoulders and sideburns. His eyes were the darkest blue. They couldn't be real. Frankly, those eyes were overkill. 



"Wait a minute," he said watching me through narrowed eyes. "You're just messing with me, aren't you?
"I'm so sorry."
He physically recoiled from me. "Let me get this straight, you don't remember anything?"
"No," I said, swallowing hard. "What did we do last night?"
"We got fucking married," he growled. 

I loved the drama. I loved the back and forth. Evelyn had a plan, but one night in Vegas changed all that. And once she spends time with David, she just can't walk away. Bandmates come between them, fans hate her and think she's breaking up the band. The only time they seem to be on the same page is when Mal, the drummer of the band, suggest's David take her to his home. Which turns out to be in Monterey, California.

"When you looked at me it felt..."
"What?"
He cleared his throat. "I dunno. Doesn't matter."
"Yes , you do. And it does."
He groaned.
"Please?"
"Fuck's sake," he muttered, shifting around in the driver's seat all uncomfortable-like. "It felt real, okay? It felt right. I don't know how else to explain it."
I sat in stunned silence for a moment. "That's a good way to explain it." 



David is himself when he is with Ev. She makes him feel like a normal guy. She tells him the truth and gives it to him straight. Even when she was drunk and didn't remember how they got married, she was still not impressed with who he was. She just liked how nice and sweet he was. But there is a hurt, self-involved rock star in there and when things don't go his way, David can throw a temper tantrum. Yet David can be oh so sweet to Ev. You suspect right away that he has deeper feelings than he's letting on. Only someone who really cares can be hurt so easily.

David's best friend and drummer in the band, Mal, is hysterical. Typical boy in a man suit, but with lots of money and the ability to get lots of girls, due to his Rock Star status. He is Ev's only ally when she's forced to go to California to get away from the paparazzi and deal with the marriage issues. Mal's attention, prompts a very jealous reaction from David. 

After learning David has lied to her about who Martha was to him, Ev can't handle the lies and the world he lives in. Being married to "Rock-N-Rolls favorite son," isn't easy and people are cruel to Ev at every turn. She just want's to get to know David, because she feels that being without him feels wrong.

David doesn't give up on her, though. And how he does it is kinda really sweet.

4.5 star. I really liked this book. The only reason I'm not giving it a full five stars is because there were quite a few grammatical and spelling errors. There were even moments where I had to reread the line or paragraph to figure out what the author really meant. With something this good, it should have been edited to within an inch of it's life.

Aside from that, there are so many quotes in this book that I could throw in this review. But then I would give away everything in the book. I just thought it was sweet and adorable. 

3.30.2014 SECOND READ

Still good the second time around. I wanted to read it before reading play and found it just as sweet. I had forgotten that David had offered Ev a job. I'm hoping that means she and David will be around in Play .

3.5 - 4 VERY DISTURBING STARS

It started off slow. But once I got into it, it got interest. I still don't like Drew. I think Morgan was a freaking doormat, although I understand that this was all she knew for the most part. I hated how long it took to resolve some issues with her family that could have been deal with in the first book. I also found this book a little easier to take than the first book, given the fact that I still can't seem to write the review for the first book. 

I loved ultimately where Dawson and Lauren end up. I think they deserve exactly what they got. This book didn't have half as many spelling and grammatical errors and I definitely think they writing improved. Its not easy to surprise me, but this author did. There was one thing I didn't catch on to right away, but did before it was confirmed in the book and one thing that shocked me like nothing else.

Anyway, I liked it for the most part. Aside from the fact that I didn't like the main characters and how they were with each other. I felt the author accomplished what she set out to do, which was make you very uncomfortable and like reading it at the same time.

ARC provided by Atria through NetGalley for a honest review. 

4 STARS

I really liked this book. I had been in a total book funk and this book brought me out of it.

I loved Jane. She went through so much from her daughter's death to her family's ability to make life difficult. Until Caleb came into her life, she had no one who focused on her. Grace was her best friend and sponsor, but still had her own issues to deal with. Jane always thought of other people, and if only for a moment, she took some time to think of herself and ultimately grew from it. She learned to take chances. Although I know Jane was grieving, I was a little sad that she didn't realize that something was going on with Grace earlier.



Caleb was the best man I've ever read about. He was thoughtful and sweet, strong and sturdy, talented and patient most of all. Everything in a guy I would love to meet myself. He had a charm about him that made everyone love him, even her friends. He had a rough life, but never felt sorry for himself. He had a dream and went after it, only pausing to fall in love with Jane. 

This book reminded me, loosely in theme, of the 1979 film Tim, which stared a very young Mel Gibson and Piper Laurie as his older lover.



Reading how Jane and Caleb fell in love was so touching. I felt every moment of their falling and Jane's confusion about their relationship.



"I'm going to take you home and rip these clothes off and fuck the self-doubt out of you. That's what I'm going to do." ~ Caleb 

THE GOOD: I loved everything about Jane and Caleb getting to know each other and falling in love. I loved how patient he was with her and his getting to know Mrs. Hawthone, which was funny. 

THE BAD: I wish there had been more POV from Caleb. I though it was odd having on the two instances, when there was so much more to learn from him and how he was feeling when Jane would act out or feel insecure. There were, yet very few, slow moments.

All in all, I enjoyed this read and am looking forward to the next installment.

ARC provided by St. Martins Press through NetGalley for an honest review 

2.5 - 3 PRINCESS STARS

This one wasn't as good as The Billion Dollar Bachelor , but still cute. Donovan "Van" Morrow is the younger, playboy brother to Jax Morrow. He's the face of the family business and runs all their P.R. He never felt as if he fit into the family and felt used by his father, so now he's determined to keep some property that Jax want to get rid of. 

While going through the motions of reviewing bids for the property he has no intentions of selling, Van meets Victoria de Winter. She is the daughter to real estate magnet, Cameron de Winter. She's known as the "Ice Princess." She's shrewd in business and known for taking no prisoners. But she's had to be. She also feels unaccepted by her family for many reasons. 

These two see something in each other that calls out to them. Maybe loneliness, the need for love and acceptance. But what ever it is, they can't seem to stay away from each other. She wants the deal to happen and will do anything to make it so. He won't budge and she's determined to find out why. They can't seem to stop testing each others boundaries and limits. Until they realized that they only need each other. 

This one was much harder to get into than The Billion Dollar Bachelor , but it was still sweet. 

The Good: Two people finding each other when there was every reason for them to never believe in love. I did like the ending.

The Bad: Very slow moving and getting to the point. The connection wasn't there as much as it seemed to be with Jax and Pandora's characters.

ARC provided by St. Martins Press, through NetGalley for an honest review. 

3.5 FAIRY TALE STARS

Started off a bit slow, and I was anxious for the author to get to the point. But once it did, it took of and was emotional and really HOT. 

Though Pandora Garret is a beautiful woman, she's sheltered by her mob boss father. Not because he loves her, but because he thinks of her as a commodity. A bargaining tool. When Pandora realizes that her father is about the give her to someone who can make his position stronger, she uses an opportunity of lapse in security to sneak away. 

With no money and no friends who aren't loyal to her father, she walks into a bar where she has an immediate chemistry with mogul, Jax Marrow. Neither knowing who the other is, they begin an affair that sets off an series of events where Jax feels the need to protect Pandora and get her away from her father's machinations.

The Good:

The moment they connected, the chemistry was HOT and Pandora liked it rough. The story was short and sweet. I wanted her safe and I knew he needed something in his life other than work.



The Bad:

Because this was a short novel, the rough and [spoiler] why Jax was really uncomfortable [/spoiler] was not really explained. Also the beginning dragged a bit. There was this need for them to get moving and the reasons they didn't weren't really valid in my opinion. Also the family dynamics were a bit vague. I don't understand what was going on with Jax and his younger brother Donovan, which I guess is a good reason to read the next book int he series.

It was definitely good enough to keep reading the series, but needed some editing and maybe a few more plausible situations.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review 

3.5 CROP STINGING STARS

It started out a little slow, but gave a bit more back story into Elliot's personality. Once things heated it up, the story was intense and HOT. I want to see how Elliot gets out of the hole he's dug for himself with Simone. And will Simone regret her hasty decision?

I do feel this could have been one whole book. Breaking it up, I feel, allows you to disconnect from the story between installments. Which I think does it a disservice.

I am curious about the next installment.