Book Review: No Place Like Home (Coming Home #1) by Jennifer Kacey

In high school, Bianca Charleston was a nobody. An overweight wallflower, so invisible that Cole, the boy she had a crush on, never even knew she existed.

Things have changed, and she's finally ready to show off her new bombshell look. Sort of. Maybe. After a one-sided pep talk with her cat, she takes a deep breath and flies home to help out with the annual hospital carnival. Cole is there, too-and he still has no idea who she is.

FBI field officer Cole Johnson doesn't have an easy job, and his nights are usually booked solid. Then in walks Charlie, a blonde with killer...everything. Suddenly he's mentally clearing his schedule for a rare night out.

While Charlie doesn't do one-night stands, somehow after-dinner dessert is served up against the wall of her hotel room. But happiness will have to navigate an emotional minefield of preconceived notions-and a couple of not-so-secret stumbling blocks.

I was really excited to read this one and it was difficult to wait this close to its publishing date but I made it! And I really wish that I had no self control because this was a good one and I'm a bit irritated with myself that I held out. 

I'm not usually a big fan of those romance novels where there is this insta-lust (as some people call it) or love at first sight. I don't know why that is. Maybe it's because it took me meeting the man who would become my husband twice before I was just totally sure that I would spend the rest of my life torturing with him. Maybe I'm just a little jealous that it can happen sooner. Who knows. Anyway, I usually don't like romance novels that go that route. But this one was different. A lot of people are calling it insta-lust but I disagree. These two characters went to school together and therefore, I think that completely puts them out of that insta-range. But that's just my opinion ... there are quite a few others that disagree with me.

Anyway ... the characters were great. I absolutely loved Charlie from the very first page. She's blunt and it's quite refreshing to see that from a female lead in a book. And by blunt, I mean she basically has verbal diarrhea. If it came to her mind, it was coming out of that mouth. It felt a bit reminiscent of myself actually. I tend to fly off at the mouth and I don't think people appreciate it as much as they should, so I'm going to fully support Charlie and her affliction. It made her endearing, actually. And then when Cole found it amusing ... it made her inadvertent sassiness that much better. The Cole character was one that I wish I could have more of. I just wanted every single page to have him in it and every single word to be about him. I found myself insatiable for his character. But ... I did find him a tee-niney bit too perfect. I won't go through his list of accomplishments and wax poetic about him but once you pick this one up, you'll get it. It's not a bad thing ... I don't think that the author created him this way so that he could be put up on a pedestal or anything and I'm sure that there are some guys out there that are just THAT perfect but I usually prefer to read about a guy who is a little more gritty, with a little more of a past and maybe just a tad bit more flawed. 

The story (while short ... VERY short) was enjoyable and I'll be honest, I wish that it was longer. I could have read about these two characters for at least another 150 pages. Then again ... maybe their love story wouldn't work as a longer book because this shorty one was pretty successful and it made me decide to put Jennifer Kacey on my list of TO-READ authors that I'll keep checking on for new work. Definitely one I'll read again and I'm excited to see what the next book in the series has to offer and I have a feeling that it will be just as good as this one. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

Available: March 1st, 2016

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Book Review: You're Still The One (NYC Singles #1) by Sasha Clinton

One love. One man. Two chances.

Ashley has her life sorted out. After a painful divorce, she has now rebuilt her life as an editor. She is happy with her life—until her ex-husband Andrew walks into it, opening up the deep scars that even time has failed to heal.

He’s gorgeous, funny and as utterly tempting as he was seven years ago. Plus, being the editor for his new book, she cannot avoid him. But Andrew has his own issues lingering from the past.

Bound together by work, every breath they take draws them closer, into the same hopeless, passionate love that they once shared...

 

This is one of those times when I'm going to end up looking like the ass-end of an elephant for what I think about a book. Well, bring that big ass on because I've got some thoughts! Oh, and unlike the majority of my other reviews, there will probably be a spoiler in here ... I'll try to keep it minimal but stop reading if you want some surprises within those pages. 

Ugh. I just hate having to write a review like this. Let's just get down to it ... I absolutely HATED the way Ashley and Andrew were together. Despised it. I didn't really get the back and forth or the damn hot and cold feelings that would switch without notice. Ashley was just wishy-washy. She didn't want him, then she wanted him, then she didn't and then she decided she would force him to love her. Really? Come on. That whole thing seemed more like a plot from a heartbroken teenager than a woman in her 30's. 

There was this one part where Andrew actually apologized. He said he was sorry and she says that she's been waiting to hear that from him and then in the same damn breath, she chastises him for apologizing. What?!? That doesn't make any damn sense. You can't pet the dog for bringing you the newspaper and then literally take the paper out of his mouth and swat his ass because he didn't leave the paper outside. It was confusing and I'm not totally for sure what the author was trying to say at this point ... that Ashley didn't know what she wanted? Hell, I figured that out the first time she flip-flopped about crap with Andrew. It felt almost as if the book started with one character and then halfway through, someone decided to change some important traits about Ashley but instead of changing them, they just added them in or something. It was like two separate characters were being mashed together. Totally inconsistent. 

This book is full of some pretty serious parts. A lot of these moments were glossed over while other inconsequential things were basically given a freaking parade and the center stage. I wish that more time had been spent on the bad stuff. If that had happened, I might have understood Ashley's character more but then again, maybe I wouldn't have but those serious moments definitely deserved a little more page time than they received. 

This ended up not being a book for me, in case you didn't notice. I'll not be reading another book by Sasha Clinton any time in the near future. When I don't like the characters in a book, I think that is a giant red, glittery flag shining in the sun just telling me DANGER. Others liked it, so what the heck do I know.

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Book Review: The Fiction of Forever (A Stand By Me Novel Book 2) by Brinda Berry

He has a second chance at the one who got away--but it's on national television, and she's calling the shots.

Kiley Vanderbilt wasn't just fuel for Gunner's teenage dreams about the curvy pageant queen. She was the one who got away.

Until now.

When Gunner returns to Nashville, his high school fantasy in heels challenges him to accept a spot on the dating reality show Forever. And although she's the show hostess and off-limits, he's going to prove once and for all that she wants more.

But when Kiley--untouchable, jeans-tightening Kiley--proclaims she's unwilling to compromise the show's integrity, he vows to throw a twist of his own into her behind-the-scenes plotting. That's going way, way off Kiley's script.

Giving in to Gunner would torpedo her plans to prove to her manipulating ex-fiancé and her producer daddy that she has more on her shoulders than pancake and hairspray. She must make him play by her rules on camera in spite of his sexy whispers behind the scenes.

Especially when a social media shitstorm brews on the horizon.

Fourteen days of filming. Six camera crews. And a minefield of hidden cameras. This time, no one's getting away.

This is the first book that I've read by Brinda Berry and once again, I broke my own rule about not starting a series in the middle. But this time, it really couldn't be helped. When I saw that The Fiction of Forever had a feel similar to The Bachelor, I just knew that I had to pick this bad-boy up even if it meant jumping into a series where I hadn't read the previous novels. 

I loved the beginning of the book, it's a look back at how close Gunner and Kiley (almost) were in high school. It gave an interesting spin on what I already was expecting to be a good book. While I love the present day part of the book, I do wish that there was a bit more of that beginning! It was interesting getting to see where Kiley and Gunner had come from and it just wasn't enough. Well, technically, I guess it WAS enough since it made me blow through the rest of the book in record time. If that is what the author was going for, she knocked it out of the park. You're left with so many questions after that first chapter and it pushes you to speed read because you just have to know what happens to them. 

I liked the characters a lot ... Kiley was this strong female lead (which is always appreciated) and Gunner is a man's man who has a hardened heart that you just want to jump into the pages and thaw. It was a sweet combination and I looked forward to interactions between them because they were always so filled with sexual tension and apprehension and hope. 

If you're picking this one up because of The Bachelor connection (like I did), you won't be disappointed but The Fiction of Forever won't be what you are expecting. I didn't feel like the book was about the show that they were on, it took a backseat to the relationship between Gunner and Kiley. That's not a bad thing, I don't think. It just shows that the author respected the characters and wanted to actually give you an experience about them and not just use the book to talk about this show. That sounds a little weird, right? Well, I think that some authors write for the plot, where what happens in the story is the most important thing to the story and then some authors write for the characters where what happens with the characters is the most important. I don't think that either way is wrong, I just prefer when the characters take priority. 

I know that I'll read another book by this author in the future. I'm curious as to what the rest of this series looks like because I don't recall anything about another couple that could have been involved in the first story, so I'm just not sure how it all connects. Anyhow, it was a good book and an easy read!

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Book Review: Love Rekindled (Love Surfaced #2) by Michelle Lynn

Taylor Delaney is the love of my life.
She’s also the one I've hurt the most.
Two years ago, I made a disastrous mistake.
One I’m not sure I can make amends from.
But I have to try, because I’m nothing without her.

Brad Ashby's here, in my hometown, asking for a second chance.
All those unresolved feelings for him have resurfaced.
Not that they ever went away.
I know I should run him out of the town, but I can’t.
He needs to know that I wasn’t the only one who was deceived.

Even if we gave our relationship another try, how can we rebuild what’s been destroyed? If we weren’t strong enough then, what makes us strong enough now?

Reading this book went against everything that am as a book blogger. I broke one of my cardinal rules: Never pick up a book in the middle of the series without reading the prior books first. In the end, breaking my own rule didn't really impact the story as I was afraid that it would have. 

Not reading the first book in the series didn't change how the book read. I didn't think that there was anything that I wish I had known about any recurring characters or anything. And that's not something that happens often, actually. Most of the time, when a book is touted as a "standalone" within a series, I always find the story lacking because I missed out on prior happenings. Actually, I couldn't tell you from just reading Love Rekindled whom the previous novel was about. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing for people who have enjoyed the Love Surfaced series. 

I liked this book ... I just didn't love it. The characters were okay. I didn't find myself just wanting to pick the book up and find out what was going to happen but I also wasn't bored. It was just a pleasant read. The characters didn't leave me wanting more. I don't know if it is because of Taylor's secret or what. Now that I think about it, it's probably because of Taylor's secret. I didn't really understand how a woman could do what she did, even with her reasoning. But that's just me. This is actually the second book that I've read with a secret like this and I didn't really care for the other one either. I will probably just stay away from books with this kind of plot from now on. I couldn't find a way to connect with Taylor because of her situation because I couldn't relate to her character at all. And then that made me not like Brad because he put up with it. Then again, how could he not, right?

The plot was okay but like I said, nothing that really stood out but again, it could be because I had totally disengaged from the story when I found out the secret. For some reason, it just really bothered me and I couldn't get past it. 

If this is a series that you're super interested in, you should read this book because I have a feeling that you'll enjoy this one as well. The series and this book have received good ratings and I'm definitely in the minority on my feelings. The writing is good and while I may not read this book again, I'm fairly certain that I'll pick up another book by this author in the future because as long as it isn't this one all over again, I know that it will be just as well written.

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Book Review: Into the Fury (BOSS, Inc. #1) by Kat Martin

A bodyguard, a bounty hunter, a P.I.—the men of Brodie Operations Security Service, Inc. are down for the job…
 
Sinners, whores, and sluts beware—your time is at hand: a faceless menace is threatening lingerie models on a cross country tour, and Ethan Brodie is there to defend and protect.

Ethan’s learned the hard way that beauty is no substitute for character. So even though Valentine Hart is one of the most breathtaking women he’s ever seen, he’s keeping his hands off and his eyes open. Or that’s what he tells himself.

Then one of the models is murdered, and the closer Ethan gets to the answers, the closer he finds himself to Valentine—and the hotter the pressure feels. There’s more to Val—more to the other girls—than he could have guessed. But one is keeping a secret that could kill them all.

 

I believe that this is my first Kat Martin book but I know that it won't be my last! I was so excited to start reading this one because I've been on a bit of a "bodyguard book" binge lately. This one most certainly did not disappoint and I think it may be my favorite so far this year. Or ever, actually. 

This story has a lot of layers to it. That wasn't something that I was expecting. It was very deep ... there were quite a few different story-lines going on at the same time and while that bogs down a novel more often than not, it didn't this time. It only added to the drama that was happening between Val and Ethan and the bad dude(or dudette). I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of Val at first. Not as a character but as the heroine of a novel. She seemed so ... meh ... at first. I just didn't get it. But a few chapters in, I got it. And then I loved her and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. She's a pretty interesting character and I loved how strong and independent she was. There did come a time when that strong woman started changing into this wimpy girl and while I wanted to get irritated with the character change especially since I was so fond of the almost superwoman complex she seemed to have, I just couldn't. The author wrote it so that it seemed like it was a natural progression and it was okay.

Ethan. Oh, he was a bit of a mess. In a good way! I loved how he had this semi-screwed-up life and was trying his damnedest to fix it. He was actually more patient than I would have been. I would have lost my shit over his issues long ago. His character was strong and masculine and ruggedly handsome ... just what I wanted to read about. A man's man. I loved getting to know him and experiencing the ... tests ... that he was put through. It was actually kinda sweet the way that Val made him squirm. It made him that much more endearing. 

I enjoyed the suspense aspect of the book. There were quite a few twists and turns that I hadn't expected in there. I did pick out the bad guy pretty early on but while I was so sure at first that I was right, the author made me question myself more than once and by the end I was still surprised. 

I liked the secondary stories that were going on also because it amped up my excitement for the next book ... which I have to have because it's about Meg and Dirk!! Great book and an awesome introduction into what is probably going to be one of my favorite series.

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Book Review: Speaking Greek (Foreign Exchange #1) by Selena Laurence

Tess Richardson is from a family that’s all about the law. She follows the rules, and works hard for everything she has. When she gets accepted to junior year abroad and an internship at an International shipping company, she knows that doing things the right way has paid off. Then she meets Nico Stephanos and all the rules fly out the window.

Nico has always been the golden boy. Handsome, smart, and the son of a Greek billionaire, he gets what he wants, when he wants it. With a father as rich and powerful as his, he’s got the world by the balls—until the day the woman he’s falling for becomes his family’s greatest enemy. Now Nico is faced with a choice—the life he knows, or the girl he thinks he loves.

Speaking Greek is the first book I've read by Selena Laurence and it will most definitely not be my last! I was pleasantly surprised with the twists and turns that this book went down. It held surprises at almost every turn. From start to finish, it quickly held my attention and pulled me deeper into its grasp.

I REALLY enjoyed the juxtaposition of the two main characters, Tess and Nico. They were absolute polar opposites and it was interesting to see how (and if) they would meet somewhere in the middle. Tess is this staunch rule-follower and Nico most definitely is not. Nico would rather make and break some rules than even learn what rules were already set in place. This constant good/evil battle made the novel quite interesting and most definitely aided in the fact that I couldn't put Speaking Greek down.

The novel itself was ... interesting ... you're thrown into the lives of this prominent Greek family and I found myself almost as floored as Tess was at the way that Nico behaves. Tess had a lot of spunk and sass and man, did she stick to her guns. She's that immovable rock ... the one whose convictions are so strong that you're not sure if you should envy them or feel sorry for them. I really enjoyed her as a character. Nico, I didn't have as strong of feelings towards. He's a cool character and I liked him but there wasn't that magnetic draw that brought me to love him.

Like I said, lots of twists and turns and characters that you'll enjoy. There was only one thing that I just didn't like about the book. It's a small thing but I just didn't get the significance of it to the story. At the beginning of each chapter, you see notes either from Tess or other foreign exchange students that they post in a chat room. I'll be honest, if that is totally taken out of the book, it wouldn't hurt it in the least. I found that it sometimes detracted from the story because what was going on in the actual chapter most of the time had nothing to do with what was written at the beginning in the little chat message and it was a little confusing.  I was never sure if the message would be something that pertained to the chapter I was getting ready to read or not but most of the time, it didn't. Personally, I could have just done with out it.

I've already put some more books by Selena Laurence on my To Read list and I hope that I'm able to get to them soon. She creates some interesting characters and the story was pretty entertaining.

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Book Review: Dirty Little Lies (Quick and Dirty #1) by Clare James

Twenty-nine-year-old Stevie Sinclair has just lost everything: her boyfriend, her apartment, even her ugly bird named Free. (Yeah, she knows it’s stupid name, so don’t start.) But most importantly, Stevie’s lost herself.

As she shuffles through her days in worn-out Hello Kitty PJs—eating ice cream, sipping wine, and contemplating her next move—a magazine article catches her attention. Blaring black letters read: "How to Get Your Sexy Back in Six Easy Steps."

Stevie studies the article in the trashy magazine like the good student she is and immediately knows what she has to do. With the magazine article in hand, and a bottle of red in her bag, Stevie embarks on a journey to reclaim her life and win back her ex.

Until she meets Gabe Shannon. Gorgeous, single, and on a quest of his own, Gabe introduces Stevie to a lifestyle that is sure to help get her sexy back and then some. If she doesn’t chicken out … (Oh, you know where this is going.)

What follows is a story of self-discovery, romantic gestures, erotic encounters, and following one's heart--even if it leads in unexpected directions. 

 

Dirty Little Lies. Ugh. I wanted to love this book so much. I was just itching to read this one because I just KNEW that it would be amazing. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. Again, it looks like I'm in the minority on this one because a lot of my Goodreads friends really enjoyed it but it turns out that it just wasn't for me.

The book was going okay for me in the beginning. I enjoyed getting to know Stevie. I really felt bad for this poor girl. Can you imagine being with someone for so long, enjoying each others company but something is missing in your relationship: any kind of sexual spark. That would be difficult. Hell, Stevie lasted longer than I would in the relationship! I would have chunked a deuce and been out of there. 

After the first few chapters of the story, it started to go downhill for me. I don't want this to sound mean but the magazine article that Stevie was hinging all of her happiness on was bullshit. I thought that the six steps to "get her sexy back" was a little lame. When I read about the six steps in the blurb, I was hoping that it would be something juicy. Not that I can come up with anything juicy that would have been better but I just wanted more than what the author came up with. I didn't find it empowering or moving or anything!

And THEN there was the "new lifestyle" that she was introduced to. I'll be honest ... it didn't seem like the sex that happened was consensual. It seemed forced on her and I don't see how Stevie went from 6 lame-o steps to being this sexual, kinky vixen. It seemed totally out of character for her. It was difficult to swallow and to be honest, it just wasn't appealing to read. After I finished the novel, I realized that Stevie's character didn't seem consistent. She seemed like one person at the beginning of the novel, another one in the middle and then a completely different one at the end. I'm not saying that character growth can't happen, it can but the way that this one was fleshed out just didn't seem like it was realistic. Stevie seemed to swing from one extreme to the next. She's okay with not having sex and then she's okay being a nympho and then she's okay with not having it again and then she's okay just having it sometimes. 

There were a few surprises throughout the novel that were a little entertaining but at the same time, there was this convenience to the way that the story went. I read this article once that said when you're writing a book, never go for the convenient situation with the convenient ending because it makes the book unbelievable. That is exactly what happened a few times in this novel. Things would just get buttoned up all nice and pretty without any kind of controversy and I just wish that the controversial way had been how it went because reading about that push and pull of emotions or situations is what makes a book so amazing. 

Anyway, this was the first and probably last book that I read by this author because I just didn't enjoy the way that things went and I don't want to be burned twice. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Book Review: The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

You’ve never read a book like The Reason I Jump. Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine. Parents and family members who never thought they could get inside the head of their autistic loved one at last have a way to break through to the curious, subtle, and complex life within.

Using an alphabet grid to painstakingly construct words, sentences, and thoughts that he is unable to speak out loud, Naoki answers even the most delicate questions that people want to know. Questions such as: “Why do people with autism talk so loudly and weirdly?” “Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?” “Why don’t you make eye contact when you’re talking?” and “What’s the reason you jump?” (Naoki’s answer: “When I’m jumping, it’s as if my feelings are going upward to the sky.”) With disarming honesty and a generous heart, Naoki shares his unique point of view on not only autism but life itself. His insights—into the mystery of words, the wonders of laughter, and the elusiveness of memory—are so startling, so strange, and so powerful that you will never look at the world the same way again.

In his introduction, bestselling novelist David Mitchell writes that Naoki’s words allowed him to feel, for the first time, as if his own autistic child was explaining what was happening in his mind. “It is no exaggeration to say that The Reason I Jump allowed me to round a corner in our relationship.” This translation was a labor of love by David and his wife, KA Yoshida, so they’d be able to share that feeling with friends, the wider autism community, and beyond. Naoki’s book, in its beauty, truthfulness, and simplicity, is a gift to be shared.

 

Very recently, our 9 year old was diagnosed with autism. We had suspected for a while that this was the case but after being told by his pediatrician that he "can't have autism because he looks at people when they talk" and then the same by a diagnostician at his school ... I'll be honest, I was nervous about talking to someone else about our concerns.

Anyhow, he was officially diagnosed and I immediately ran to the bookstore to see what I could find to obsess over while I found out everything I could about his diagnosis. The Reason I Jump was the very first book that I picked up and when I started to thumb through it, I landed on a page about talking loudly, which is something that our son does. I read what Naoki had to say about it and I just knew that I would have to get this book.

I became a little emotional just reading the introduction at the beginning of the book. The things it said brought me to tears. The tears weren't just from sadness, it was also relief. Every single autistic child is different but I could see little pieces of our youngest in these pages and I knew that the battle we had been engaged in wasn't one that we are fighting alone.

That being said, some of the things that Naoki wrote seemed a little ... old ... for a thirteen year old. I'm not totally for sure if this was a word for word translation (or if things were changed) or if this child has a way above average IQ or what but this read a bit too old for a teenager. And then some of the things that he touched on seemed a little far fetched. But what the hell do I know. I'm just raising an autistic kiddo, I wasn't one and what Naoki said could be the absolute truth.

All in all, it was a nice insight to a condition that I'm completely ignorant of and it was nice to be given some little hints as to what our son experiences on a daily basis. Definitely one that I would recommend to any parents of the newly diagnosed. It's nice to read something that isn't clinical and that doesn't read like the ingredient list on your shampoo bottle. 

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Book Review: Twisted Up In You by Dawn Martens

Surviving a harsh upbringing, Corinne Treyton’s new life, comes courtesy of the Angels Warriors MC. No one will ever use her body again, unless she wants them to. Cori, a party girl, doesn’t believe in relationships, but she’d be willing to try if only Blake, her boss, could really see her for who she is. She hides her lifestyle from him; afraid he would think less of her.

Blake Lexington has crushed on Cori since the day she started working for him. He knows a bit about her past, living with the Angels Warriors, and he doesn’t care. He refuses to make a move, thinking it will scare off his shy assistant. For years he thought she wouldn’t be attracted to someone like him.

Finally realizing that he needs to take action, her reaction surprises him. Cori believes he sees her as a slut and wants to use her. Secrets from the past will be revealed causing everything to unravel.

Will real love bring them together or is Cori too damaged to give true love a chance?

This is the first book I've read by Dawn Martens and unfortunately, it will probably be my last. When I was reading the blurb for Twisted Up In You, I was intrigued but also a bit worried because the last couple of MC books I've read ... we just didn't get along. I just started watching Sons of Anarchy a few months back (about time, right?) and absolutely fell in love with it and ever since, I've wanted to find an MC series that I connected with on the same level. I told myself that this book was it ... the last MC book I would read because if this one didn't work out for me either, after all of the others that I've tried, then maybe I'm not an MC reader. I'm okay with that decision but I sure do wish that it had turned out differently. 

From the very beginning of Twisted Up In You, it was pretty gritty. In my mind, it played out like a movie that was filmed while someone was just walking around holding the camera on their shoulder ... a bit shaky with lots of raw footage. Not a bad thing, it brought an interesting feel to the book as a whole but the book just wasn't ... enough ... to warrant that kind of edginess. There was just so damn much going on! This could have EASILY been split into two or three separate books. There was an abundance of characters that you're introduced to but then in the end, you feel like you don't really know them. Hell, I couldn't even keep up with all of the characters because there were at least 10 other sub-plots going on that were pretty intricate with their own set of characters that ended up intermingling with the main characters and the secondary characters and then the 54th tier characters. There were just so many. So, so many. Too many, for my reading pleasure. 

With the edginess that I talked about also came uninhibited situations within the story. Some of it was straight up shocking for some reason. I've read some raunchy books (don't judge) and there was one scene in this one that really surprised me ... this dude had a chick pushed up against the wall with his digits all up in her lady parts and they were in full view of all of the club goers. Now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't the scene that was shocking but the aloofness that the character had while this was going on, like that kind of thing is normal and maybe it was because this particular female character had been used and abused ten ways to Sunday and just reading it felt like she was being violated again. Hell, who knows at this point. 

While there was a shit-ton of things going on, it also felt like the story didn't have enough of a build up to make the story seem settled and established. This is going to sound horrible and I hope that it's taken in the constructive manner that is intended but I think that the story didn't feel established was because it was as if there was an outline done for the story and then other ideas were thrown out there and instead of picking the ones that are best for the story, they were all just added. It watered down the story for me and there was so much promise with the characters, it just made it that much more disappointing. 

I enjoyed getting to know the characters within the first few chapters but my interest fell off after that because the main character, Cori seemed so damn immature. It became irritating and just sad. I hope that others have a better experience with this one than I did.

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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